Politics

I've always loved politics. In my younger years, I served for five years on the local school board. It was exciting to be an active part of the local political process in my community. I've always been a champion of the "underdog", taking the side of those who could not speak for themselves. I've also been a life-long, dyed-in-the-wool Democrat. Until this year.

Suddenly I find myself leaning more towards the politics of the Republicans. Now, I still don't agree with all the things they have on their platform, but as I grow older I find myself leaning more to the right instead of the left. I guess you might say I'm in the middle.

This year I'll be casting my vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin. I admire their politics. I admire their stand on certain issues. I admire Sarah Palin for being a strong, determined woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go get it. More than anything I admire their main focus..."Country First." It's about time someone remembered that we're all Americans first.

The Arrival of Fall

The official start of fall is still a month away, but fall is my favorite season of the year and I usually jump the gun a bit in my decorating. This year is no different. When Tropical Storm Fay decided to descend upong North Central Florida, and I was stuck in the house for days on end, it seemed the perfect time to put out the sunflowers, pumpkins, multi-colored leaves, and the rest of my fall decorations.

I don't decorate with any Halloween type decorations. You won't find jack-o-lanters, bats, witches, and the like at my house. But I think a person can decorate beautifully for fall without bowing to convention and bringing a day dedicated to evil into your home.

Like most people, at this time of year, I'm tired of the endless heat and humidity and am ready for some cooler, drier weather. I'm ready for the bounty of the fall harvest. I've got my Autumn Wreath candles ready to light .....anytime fall, anytime!

Sisterchicks Go Brit!

I got my copy today...I can't WAIT to get started reading it! There's nothing more uplifting than one of the Sisterchicks books by Robin Jones Gunn.

If you haven't tried one of these books, I urge you to try one....you'll laugh, and you'll cry too, as God speaks to your heart.

Wearing Dresses

I was recently convicted to be dresses-only. Six months ago if you'd have told me this I'd have laughed in your face. But God works in mysterious ways His wonders to behold. Now I couldn't be happier and when I'm forced to wear a pair of pants (I have to go to physical therapy twice a week because of a fall) I feel so strange and can't wait to get home and get them off.

It's amazing what we Christians convince ourselves is okay, and how we accept that we can be like everyone else in the world. One problem with that theory. Christians are totally different than the world. Satan tells us it's okay, he's so sneaky and subtle sometimes we don't even notice him working in our lives.

I truthfully believe, in our society today, women don't give a second thought to the provocativeness of their dress, they only think about it being "in style." We don't realize sometimes that we can be a stumbling block to our fellow Christians and we don't stop often enough to realize what we're saying to the world, either.

I have been amazed at how differently I am treated since I've started wearing dresses all the time. People are much more polite, I'm treated with respect and courtesy. Strangers hold doors for me, I've had traffic stop in a parking lot so I could cross to my car. My husband even treats me differently, more gently and loving as though he now realizes all the time that I am a lady as well as his wife. He holds doors for me, helps me in and out of our vehicle, carries my Bible and things. His behavior is more respectful. I realized I was telling him it was okay to treat me so casually and more as an equal instead of the fairer sex and helpmeet.

I realize too that God doesn't lay this on everyone's heart. I'm not sure why, after all these years, he laid it on mine! But He did and I struggled with it. I didn't want to give up my comfy capris and t-shirts, my jeans and sweats. But God wouldn't leave me be until I did it willingly.

I used this as a starting point in my life and started examining myself in all areas. My speech, my friends, my comings and goings, where we eat (we've stopped eating at the local sports pubs...they're the closest to where we live so we've given up the convenience, but we also don't provide the witness of us walking out of a bar together), what television programs we watch, movies we rent, books and magazines I read....every thing. I want more than anything for my life to be completely pleasing unto the Lord.

Why?

I have been blessed beyond measure with the care of a beautiful little girl named Katie. She's been in our watch care since she was 6 weeks old, she'll turn three in November. Katie's favorite word these days is, "Why?" Why is the response to most any statement I make in response to any question she asks. "Where's Papa?" (that's my husband), I'll answer, "at work" and Katie's response will be, "Why?" I'll go on to tell her that he's working to make money and her response will again be "why?" Finally I'll ask her why she's asking and then she'll answer, "Me don't remember." It makes me laugh but as I think on it, life is much like that. We always want to know why. Seldom are we satisfied with accepting things as they come, we always want a reason. If you'd ask us why we want to know, like Katie, we'd often have to say, "Me don't remember."

Why is it so hard to accept things as purely blessings, or, fate, if you will. I personally don't believe in fate, luck, chance. I believe that things happen by God's perfect plan and design...yes, even the bad things. I believe they're life lessons sent to teach us to have more faith, to trust, and to keep our eyes focused on God. Why is it we think that we should be immune to hard times? Even the most perfect child has that stubborn streak, or, as Katie is doing now, goes through the terrible twos.

I'm thankful God accepts me as I am, allows me to make those mistakes from time to time through which I can grow, and even sends the hard times along the way....the detours and rocky roads. Through those times I grow. I once heard a preacher say that it's in the valleys that we grow, it's in the valleys where we learn to depend upon the Lord.

Someone asked me why my blog is called The Princess Ponders. Well, I am a princess....the daughter of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I do ponder....I wonder why. I ask a lot of questions, some for which there are no answers. I wonder if God gets tired of me asking why like I do with Katie.

Hot Summer Days

I don't remember summers being this hot when I was younger. We didn't have air conditioning at our house until I was a teenager. We'd cool our house with a fan in the upstairs window in the evenings. It would pull out the hot air and in the cool and made for some mighty comfortable sleeping. We played outside on a blanket under shade tree all day long, we didn't dare go in the house unless it was an emergency for fear my mother would put us to work. Barbie dolls, bicycles, jump rope and hopscotch were the sum of our long summer days.

Summers were filled with fresh vegetables from the garden my daddy grew so lovingly each year. I still remember that wonderful taste of those first tomatoes and that wonderful sweet corn. Of course, I also remember all the canning and freezing that went along with those vegetables. Picking, shelling, husking, burring, washing, cutting, slicing and the hours spent preparing them to go into jars, bags, and the freezer. It paid off, though. We had vegetables all winter long. I didn't realize that vegetables came in metal cans in the grocery store until I was grown. (I didn't know meat came in anything but white paper from the butcher either.)

Now, I'm a lot older, probably a little more jaded, and definitely hotter. These endless days of 100 degree temperatures make me realize where the phrase "dog days of summer" came from. It's not fit outside for man nor beast. I sometimes wish for those gentler, simpler days and the innocence of childhood. Now, I live for the air conditioning, a comfortable chair and a good book to read or a movie to watch. I also count the days until cooler weather.

The Way you do the things you do

I've had the flu this week. If you run into someone who has it, run as fast as you can the other way, especially if you didn't have the foresight to get a flu shot. I've already got that on my calendar for next fall! Never do I want to go through this again...never.

But that's not what I started to write about. Since I've been ill I've not felt like doing anything so I've watched a lot of television. One of the things I watched was a Bio-pic on The Temptations. It was, of course, filled with the pitfalls of the rock and roll industry....sex, drugs, and death, as well as all the wonderful music the group produced during their hey days. Anyway, that's still not what I sat down to write about...as the song "The Way You Do The Things You Do" came on it set my mind to pondering and pretty soon here came the $64,000 question, Why? Why do we do the things we do? Especially when we know they're wrong and there's going to be a price to pay.

My grandmother always said, "You're never too old for a spanking." The last time I remember hearing that phrase from her it was directed towards my Daddy and was regarding a dress I wanted to buy which he deemed too short. Mini-skirts were in big demand and Daddy thought anything that showed your knees was too short. She reminded him, I got the dress, but I also learned a lesson that day. No, it wasn't that you had to obey your mother even when she was only half your size, or even that you should always respect your mother (both of which are true, but both of which I already knew at the time.), but rather it was the truth of that phrase, "you're never too old for a spanking."

We make choices, take unknown roads, take an occasional "wide cast" (any one who raises hunting dogs will understand that phrase), but there'll always be a cost. Sometimes it may just be a spanking, other times the punishment might be life changing and everlasting.

I miss my grandmother, she died when I was 18. She was a wise woman, plain-speaking, and didn't mince words. I learned a lot from her, sometimes I wish I'd paid more attention.