DEVOTION: Blessings of the Heart

 BLESSINGS OF THE HEART: A CHRISTMAS DEVOTION

            Is your heart happy and healthy?  Do you feel good, celebrating your life the way you intend? Is your heart filled with love, grace, and hope? Or is your heart stony, one that is crowded with internal and external chaos? Do you suffer from loss or betrayal? Is your heart filled with fear, anger, or disappointment? Is it broken?

            Maybe your heart needs to be restored and rejuvenated. You need blessings, my friend.

            The word blessed is described in the dictionary as: made holy; consecrated. Synonyms for blessed are holy, hallowed, sanctified, dedicated, and revered.

            A few years back, God gave me three words. Those words were Believe, Slow down, and Listen. I pondered what they meant for me. I had no idea how they would impact my life. Through the years, I related many meanings to the words. I thought about each word separately and the group of words as a whole.

            Over time, through life’s ups and downs, I learned lessons. I suffered from grief when my husband unexpectedly passed away and I found him. Grief crippled me. Here I am today living with a heart full of blessings. Oh sure, some days aren’t easy. But today I’m learning how to embrace grace, renewal, and hope.  

            Let’s consider each word. Then we will explore ways to gather blessings.

            The word Believe. Believe in what or who? I believed in God, no doubt there. As the years passed, I learned that though I believed, I asked myself how deep did it go. In myself. In family and friends. Was I committed to believing? I had work to do.

            The words Slow Down. I’ve rushed through life, not stopping until my tasks were finished. Many people have the responsibilities of a spouse, children, family, and a day job. Days are filled from morning to night with work. Rushing is not a healthy way to live. This was hard for me to embrace. I had work to do.

            The word Listen. I was confident I listened well. The truth is I did not. I heard what others said, but I interrupted them by inserting my feelings and experiences on the matter. While they talked to me, I fidgeted, I doodled, I wasn’t a good listener. To God. To others. To myself. I had work to do.

            Here are ways I learned to find blessings to restore and revive my heart.

            BELIEVE. Communicate with God daily. Talk, laugh, cry, pray, and pour out your feelings. Open your Bible or a devotional guide and read. I made many mistakes, only to finally and fully believe that God is in control. He is in control of you, me, and the universe. Exercise faith that God is waiting to hear you and help you. In the good and bad of life, God is but a breath away.

            We have choices to make every day. Choose to believe. Believe in yourself. You are created by God. Your family is created by God. Even through the rotten times, believe that good things are going to happen! Jesus tells us in Scripture, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Mark 11:24 NKJV). Practice believing through faith, trust, and hope.

            SLOW DOWN. Prioritize your day, your week, and maybe an entire month. Rest a bit after you have accomplished something. Celebrate your success! Make lists of things to do. Lists are an organizational skill that keeps you on track. I make lists of where I am going and what I need to do.

            Say a prayer and be thankful for all that you have. Memorize a Bible verse to help you turn your thoughts heavenward and give your heart a calming boost.

            Learn to say “no” to things that steal your time. Take time for yourself. Do something that refreshes you and fills you with joy. Life is hard sometimes! Practice slowing down by taking a break, filling your thoughts with honor, comfort, and gratitude.  

            David writes, “Truly my soul silently waits for God; my salvation comes from Him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I will never be shaken.” (Psalms 62:1-2 NKJV).

            LISTEN. Listen to yourself.  Listen to others. Listen to God. Learn to listen to the sounds around you and to those speaking. Find a picture of something or someone and focus on it for a few minutes. Go outdoors to focus on what you hear. Close your eyes and enjoy the moment. Is there silence? Do you hear animals or the sounds of daily life? Play a CD and pay attention to the words of the song. Ponder what the words mean to you. 

            Learn to listen to yourself. Our actions and words come from our hearts. Are we respectful, full of love and grace? Are we living our lives in a worthy manner? Listen deeply and make changes if they are needed. Let the Lord lead you.

            The next time someone talks to you, focus on the conversation. Look at the speaker, open your ears, and hear. Respond very little, giving them your full attention and respect. Practice listening in love, encouragement, and grace.

            In the words of James, the brother of Jesus, he states, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” (James 1:10 NKJV).

            This Christmas give yourself a gift of blessings. Be willing. Be encouraged. Be consistent. Be faithful to yourself! The Bible teaches that we go through storms of life. We will make mistakes, suffer loss, and encounter hurt. But our life walk is much better if we believe, slow down, and listen. Jesus tells us in the Book of Luke 11:9, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (NKJV).

            God speaks to us in the Book of Ezekiel 36:26, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (NKJV).

            These are only a few suggestions to help you gather blessings. While you are resting, think of other ways to bless yourself and other people this Christmas season. Believe, slow down and listen. In the Spirit of Christmas, let’s remember how the Grinch’s heart grew again after practicing forgiveness and kindness.

            Fill your heart with blessings! Merry Christmas!

 

COMING SOON! Evening Reflections a 30-day devotional ~ Reflect, Renew, & Rest

 I'm still waiting on the cover and the last little details of my devotional book. 

Here's a blurb: 

“Evening Reflections: offers you a roadmap to reclaim your evenings, guiding you through 30 days of devotions. By the end of this journey, you’ll have cultivated a deep sense of tranquility, a strengthened connection with God, and the ability to enjoy the rejuvenating benefits of a peaceful night’s rest.

Don’t miss the opportunity to embrace the transformative potential of your evenings - order your copy today and embark on a spiritual and restful journey that will leave you resting in the treasures of God’s Word.

The purpose of my 30-day devotionals is to help you develop the habit of ending your day in quiet so that you rest well at night. Once your routine is in place, each evening you will REFLECT on the day, RENEW your mind, and REST well. 

Of course, it's not available to order yet, but it will be soon, both in ebook and print book. I can't wait to share my discovery with you! 

FAMILY HISTORY: Cherish Your Family Stories

 Since the beginning of time, the harvest has been a season of gathering crops from the fields and getting together with family and friends to celebrate. There are other things to gather this time of year besides our produce. With the holidays approaching and while you are preparing for family gatherings, swing your thoughts to your family history.   

Gathering family stories can be a fun and tantalizing activity. Collecting those tales from yesteryear (or even not so long ago) is something you will treasure. Letters, photos, and cards are pieces of memorabilia that enrich your family history.

Many folks write holiday family letters, happily chattering about their year. These letters are full of family information, so keep them with your research. One winter, my cousin blessed me with a batch of her old family keepsakes. In the collection of goodies were several letters written when a family member passed. One of the sisters included news from their hometown in Indiana and included at great length news of a friend’s wedding. What an endearing historical artifact for me. Here is the first page of the four-page letter my cousin gave to me: 

 

When you have old letters and photos, use the who, what, when, where, why, and how questions to document the details. When you read cards and letters, pay attention to the writer’s handwriting and their way of communication and spelling.

Here is the front page of the letter my 3rd great-grandfather wrote to his children after his beloved wife died. He spells the word 'much' as 'mutch' and 'which' as 'witch.'

If you send holiday cards, explain to your family about your interest in family history and genealogy. Ask them if they can supply answers to missing information and if they have pictures they will share. Share some of your family history information with them. You may be surprised at what you will get in return. 

Another suggestion for your get-togethers, ask your guests to bring a few family photos and the stories that go along with them to share with everyone. Don’t forget to ask questions and write the answers down so you’ll have details later. Think of it as an informal interview.

If you’re seriously savvy, use a recorder to capture every word and phrase of the stories you hear. If you know Great-grandma or Uncle Henry will grace your gathering, write your questions on paper so you won’t forget to ask her during the excitement of the day.

Here’s a neat tip about sharing photos with everyone. To prevent smudging the photos, place them in archival-safe sleeves. If you don’t know who the people are in any of your photographs, consider assigning a number to each photo. If anyone recognizes the people, places, events, and dates, you can easily write that information on your paper with the assigned photograph number. 

One last suggestion about vintage (actually all) photographs: never write on the backs of them. If you absolutely must, use a pencil.  If you use an ink pen over time the ink will bleed through onto the fronts of the pictures ruining them.

Not only during the holidays but at every gathering, enjoy the opportunities to discover your family history. 

 

VINTAGE BITES RECIPES FROM MY KITCHEN: Great-grandma Ollie's Old-fashioned Homemade Egg Noodles

 

Thanksgiving is three days away and I dug through my recipes for a dish I haven't made in a while. I found my great-grandmother's recipe for egg noodles. It's been a while since I made them, in fact, a few years ago. My husband loved them and now that he's gone, I forgot about having the recipe. 

I made them again this morning and oh, my! They are so much tastier and richer than the bagged noodles you buy at the grocery store. 

Here are pictures of them: 

   

Homemade is much better and healthier for us, as there are no preservatives. And the real ingredients are delicious!

*I want to share my recipe with you! It's as perfect dish to serve at the 

Thanksgiving dinner table or to enhance the leftover turkey afterward.* 

The noodles are easy to make, but I admit it's a bit of a messy process because of the flour (you know flour seems to go EVERYWHERE when you're cooking) and the noodle dough is a bit sticky. But it's so worth the effort when you nibble on the tender, thick noodles, and your tastebuds perk up for more deliciousness!

If you would like to add this old, family-favorite recipe to your collection, here's what you do: 

* Click the "FOLLOW" button at the top of this page so that you will receive my blog posts when I write them. 

* And please contact me through my email karenjenningsauthor@gmail.com and I will send you the pretty recipe cards that I made for you! To do this, there's a CONTACT form on the right side of this blog, fill in your name and a message that you want the old-fashioned homemade egg noodle recipe and I'll send it immediately! 

I'm wishing you a safe and happy Thanksgiving, my friend! And please stay in touch with me! 

Blessings Always, 

Karen Jennings 

BOOK REVIEW: A Look at the Past: A Pictorial Journey Through McDonald County Missouri by Karen Utter Jennings

Below are photos of A Look At The Past, in softcover bound, and my copy which is spiral bound. 

 

In 2012, I teamed up with Gayle Foster to compile a new book detailing McDonald County, in SW Missouri. We worked diligently combing and digging through dusty records, visiting research files from libraries and the old courthouse records, former County books, photographs, local stories, and trips to the countryside to snap our own current photographs. Our book was published on Amazon in April 2013, through the McDonald County Historical Society, to which we both belonged and worked in the gorgeous historical Pineville Courthouse Museum. 

It was truly a labor of love and interest. Gayle and I are cousins descending from the Utter family who migrated from Indiana to SW MO in the 1880s. She descends from Cornelius Julian Utter and I from David Jefferson Utter, two of the 9 Utter brothers. 

The nice book is organized on the 13 historical townships of McDonald County and the communities located in them. A map of the townships is included for the convenience of reference. Most of the text of the historical items of interest was taken from historical publications; therefore, the spelling, grammar, and punctuation have not been changed. 

The book is rich with photographs and historical details of the families who lived, loved, worked, and built their families in the county. 

You may order from Amazon or visit the renovated Courthouse Museum on the Pineville, Missouri, square. 

Here's a photo of the museum from my collection: 

You may write for information at 

McDonald County Historical Society, P.O. Box 572, Pineville, MO 64856

Call 417-223-3556 or online/email:   info@McDonaldCoHistory.org

www.mcdonladcohistory.org 

BOOK REVIEW: Mother: What My Mother Taught Me About Life, Love, and Faith, An Anthology by Christian Writers For Life Community

 

"The shape of a soul often begins with the loving hands of a mother." This quote is found on the book's back cover and describes what mothers can do for their children. 

"Mother: What My Mother Taught Me About Life, Love, and Faith" is an anthology of short stories that celebrate all mothers and mother figures from members of the online community, Christian Writers For Life. It was published in October, 2023. 

I contributed a story to the anthology, entitled, "My House Is Blessed From Double Love." The story about my mother, Emma Faye, and my paternal great-grandmother, Ollie Francis, shares how my childhood was enriched by their guidance and love. It's found on page 65. 

I celebrate publishing my story with this wonderful community of people. This story is the second one that I have published with CWFL. 

I encourage you to join Christian Writers For Life, found on Facebook and their website. Denise George and Rebecca Pounds George are the leaders and founders of this truly outstanding writing program that supports creative Christ-followers of both fiction and nonfiction. For more information, or to join CWFL, visit 

www.christianwritersforlife.com. 

WOMEN'S HISTORY: Momma Was a 50's Girl!

 Momma Was a Fifties Girl: Emma Faye Laney

 You know those 1950s girls, those bobby sock-wearing, sweaters, saddle shoes, and peanuts in their Coca-Cola, who thought “fun” was their middle name? Those girls of the fifties who wore their hair snipped in bobs or a swinging ponytail made a fashion statement for sure! My mother was one of those girls.

 

Emma Faye Laney, born on the family farm near Laney Ridge Road in Barry County, Missouri, was the third daughter of Charley and Belvia (Ross) Laney.  Charley worked for the Works Progress Administration on road projects. He was killed in August 1947 when a hay truck hit the car he rode in. Mom was nine years old.

 Belvia remarried in September 1949. The children were dispersed to adoptive homes. But Mom went to live with her aunt. In 1951, she became the foster daughter of Dr. and Mrs. James Holmes and their daughter, Sandra. Sandra was overcome with happiness to have a sister! Mom and Sandra were best friends, continuing their friendship into adulthood. The Holmes family was beloved in their community. Mom was proud to be part of their family.  

 

School days consisted of Mom’s favorite studies: Home Economics and Art Class. She was a High School cheerleader. She normally kept her hair cut in a wavy bob. She and her friends were the typical teenagers who loved the radio, parties, dreaded homework, and lipstick and nail polish. One thing is for sure, my mother rocked her lipstick. And her life was good again! I have many photographs of her and her friends in their zany, wild, wonderful teenage days.

 During each Halloween, the local businesses participated in storefront window painting. The high school kids worked in groups to paint the windows. Prizes were awarded to the best-dressed windows.  Mom and her group of painters won multiple times each year. Halloween celebrations included a street dance, a carnival, games, and food galore.

 At the 1953 Halloween Street dance, Mom met Ronnie Utter, and sparks flew. It was love at first sight. They married in December at a local church. They made their home in the neighboring town, where his folks lived. I was the first-born child and the only girl. They had three more children, all boys.

 

An unfortunate event occurred in 1960. Dad asked for a divorce. Like a slap in the face, his request hit Mom hard, and she fought it. But to her remorse, several months later the divorce was granted. He worked on the Northern States pipeline and road district projects, and he stayed up north.

 

Mom remained at home living with Dad’s grandmother. Mom was a twenty-four-year-old divorced woman with four young children. In the 1960s, people frowned on women in that category. Life was surely hard during that time.

 One day, Grandma needed a screw for a piece of furniture she was working on. She sent Mom to the Hayden Garage to get the needed screw. She met the local mechanic, Frank Bartkoski, and he helped her find what she needed. They began dating. Soon, they joked that Grandma sent Mom to get a screw and she got one! (True story!) Mom married Frank in 1961 and moved back to her hometown. A few years later, they had one son.

Mom was the model housewife of the 1960s. She kept a tidy house, and she cooked scrumptious meals. She helped at the elementary school with the other mothers. She sewed Barbie doll clothes and sold them to her friends for their daughters. During the school programs and events, she sewed costumes and worked doing whatever was needed.  In later years she worked as an Avon lady and stored the products in a pink hardshell case. We loved opening that little case. The array of Avon cosmetics was tucked neatly inside, their colors and fragrances tempting like candy.  

 All through the years, Mom stayed in touch with her family, especially her brothers and sisters. Through the years she organized reunions and get-togethers. They were always welcome at our house and we visited them often in their homes. We grew up with our cousins and memories were definitely made!

 During summers, my brothers played little league baseball. We attended all the games. Each Sunday we were in church. I was a Girl Scout, and the boys were Boy Scouts.

 Gardening was a special talent for Mom. The acre garden we tended was alive with all varieties of vegetables. A long row of glorious Zinnias and Marigolds divided the garden. She told us the flowers kept the bugs away from the veggies.

 The bounty of the vegetable garden was stored in glass Ball canning jars. Each summer the kitchen was a hot mess with Mom and her canning adventures. One year she had so many Rutgers tomatoes that she decided to learn how to make homemade ketchup. The ketchup was delicious, but she never made it again as it took bunches of tomatoes, and processing those tomatoes was a huge and exhaustive chore.

Mom loved making blackberry and strawberry jam and jelly.

 I was her sidekick. Where she was, I was. Whatever she attempted, I was beside her learning. She taught me all the secrets to keeping a house clean, washing laundry, hanging laundry on the clotheslines, making beds, ironing (sprinkling the clothes and rolling them tight), and cooking.

 Mom and Frank divorced in 1971. She found a good job working as a supervisor at a poultry plant. She was loved by her line workers, and she stood beside them doing as much work as they did. She bought her first home and embraced life.

 Unfortunately, Mom suffered debilitating strokes. She worked through the illness, retired, and adapted to the new way of life. The last stroke ended her freedom of living alone. The doctors insisted that she be monitored day and night. She lived in the nursing home until her death in 2013. 

 

Through the happiness and hardships of life, Emma Faye Laney never gave up. She stood for what she believed in and taught her children how to live right. I am my mother’s daughter. She made me strong and industrious, learning to survive in the world. I celebrate my mother this month during Women’s History Month.

I miss you, Momma! I wish we could see each other one more time, and spend the day together, and I'd ask a million questions. I love you and I'll see you again one of these days in the Gloryland! 

Momma truly was a fun-loving Fifties girl!

 

 

FAMILY HISTORY: A Salute to Veterans Day ~ Research Sites

In honor of Veteran’s Day, let us remember those who have and who are serving to protect our country. I have men and women who have served in all of the battles and wars dating far back in history. If you want to research the men and women who served in the military, the following are good places to do so.

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. A reliable website to search is Liberty’s The American Revolution. It offers teachers guides and resources and chronicles the war. Another site is Revolutionary War Sites: A Guide to the Battlefields. This site arranges the battlefields by state.

THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR. During the Civil War, my mother’s side of the family documents the Confederate Cherokee Mounted Volunteers. A few websites you might search are The Civil War Archive: United States Colored Troops; Grand Army of the Republic; Cyndi’s List: US Civil War; and United States Military Records on the Family Search site.

WORLD WAR I. WWI is also known as the Great War. Some websites to search are The Great War; World War I Trenches; and www.thefirstworldwar.com.

WORLD WAR II. There are many sites to search for this war. Start with U.S. Airborne During World War II; The National World War II Memorial; and the World War II U.S. Veteran’s Website.

The National Archives Record Administration (NARA) offers a huge database filled with military information. On that site, you will find links to genealogy, how to request military service records, historical documents, and much more. Fold3.com and Ancestry.com have a nice military database, but you must subscribe to those sites.

Let us always remember those who served our country and fought for freedom. A big salute to all veterans! 

FAMILY HISTORY: The Diary of An Ozark Girl

Diaries are a wonderful resource for researchers when working on family history and genealogy. Giving a glimpse into the lives of the people who pen them, they hold information on everything from the daily weather to the hidden secrets of families. To read a diary is to peek into the writer’s life and relive those important moments they chose to write about.

 In my Utter family line, family members own several diaries written by Amy Cora Utter. She was my second cousin twice removed. Reading about her journey was a treat for me.

Born in 1899 in Barry County, Missouri, she died of tuberculosis at the age of thirty-one on December 18, 1930. Amy’s father was the son of Elijah Burton Utter, one of the Utter brothers who migrated from Indiana to Southwest Missouri during the Great Migration Period of our nation.

 Amy Utter fell in love and married her sweetheart, but the marriage was short-lived, and she found herself divorced in 1924. Amy started writing in a diary about living her life with gusto until four years later when she was stricken with pulmonary tuberculosis.

 During a time when little was known about tuberculosis and its transmission, folks feared the disease and thought it was surely a death sentence for those who were afflicted. After a year in the Missouri State Sanatorium at Mount Vernon, Missouri, Amy thought she was cured. However, that was not the case. She wrote several diaries from 1924 through 1929 chronicling her life while staying for long stretches at a time with family members. She wrote about battling her illness and undergoing treatments of the day that were frightening and hurtful.

 Eventually, Amy’s diaries were passed down to family members and her niece’s husband used the information found in the diaries to write a book entitled, “Amy Utter’s Journeys: TB and Other Tragedies in Rural America’s Heartland.”

 The book is a first-hand look into rural living in the Ozarks during the era from flappers to the Dust Bowl beginnings as well as how doctors and hospitals dealt with tuberculosis known as “The Great White Plague.”

 Diaries are an effective way to learn about people’s trials, joys, family, excursions, and their way of life. One day I was wandering around in a local flea market and found a small diary that was a little bigger than a deck of playing cards. I bought it and discovered the author is a woman who lived in Neosho. She wrote about her daily life with family and friends. But the author neglected to record her name in the diary, so she will forever be unknown.

 I’m always interested in the lives of women through the ages and their cultural differences and social norms. While doing your family history research, visit museums and family history centers and look for diaries. They are interesting research tools. You will find that women led fascinating lives while raising their children, keeping their homes, working hard, selling their goods, and loving their families. And that’s what life is all about.

 

COMING SOON ~ "Evening Reflections: Resting in the Treasures of God's Word" a 30-day devotional

 It's finally happening. "It" is my book. I finished the words that God gave me, put it away, rewrote it, put it away again, and repeated until I knew it was ready. This is my first nonfiction book-length endeavor. It is God-given and it's a testimony about how to rest well. Are you weary and find it hard to sleep at night? I found the answer to my insomnia! It's simple, but I must tell you that I had to intentionally focus and practice. And as time went by, I developed my routine to:

 Reflect. Renew. Rest. 

The secret is revealed in the book, but I'll tell you that the treasure is the wonderful words found in the Bible. Those words are worth more than gold and silver because they assure us that we are Children of God.

 This book took me on a journey from not sleeping well at night and despair tearing at my heart, to a direct and deliberate routine that brought me sweet rest. I hope you will consider giving my method a try and that you discover sweet slumber every night by reflecting on your day, renewing yourself with God, and resting peacefully. 

Watch for it to debut, maybe by Christmas, 2023.