The Heart Knows Best

Sitting here thinking, wondering actually... How does one "fall in love?"  I mean, how does it really happen? The truth is, I don't know! What I do know, is that it happened to me almost 10 years ago.  I honestly do not know exactly when I went from liking this sweet girl, to falling head over heels in love with her.

 Having asked several people how they fell in love, was it something that the other person did?  The responses I got were comical, sincere, and although different than the next person I noticed something very similar between each of them..  They all stated, "It was like magic, one day I woke up and realized.  My heart had fallen in love"

Thinking back to when I first met my wife, I liked her almost instantly.  Some time later, about 3 months after we started dating a friend asked me. " Do you love Joy, I mean really love her" I replied, "YES"  I do love her. I can't say it was any one thing, but a collection of things that caused me to fall in love.  I didnt try to fall in love, I wasn't looking for a mate, or to get married for that fact, but it happened.  When it comes to matters of the heart, the heart sometimes does it own thing; it really does know best.

It often easy to fall in love with that special someone; love, relationships, and marriage is like a garden in many ways.  It starts with a seed of love planted in the heart, from that time the couple must tend to that love everyday.  This love must be watered, fed, and often weeded to keep it strong, healthy and growing.  Remember to always take time for your spouse, say I love you, do things for your spouse, often it is the little things that have say "I love you" the most.

For My Joy

How does one fall in love?

I mean, how does it really happen?

Truth is I don't know, what I do know is that 

it happened to me.  

When I see you, I don't want to stop seeing you.

When I look away from you, all I want to do is look 

back and find you.  When I look back on my life before you,

none of it made sense, until I found you. 

You brought purpose back into my life, someone I could

believe in. Someone who made me a better person,

because you loved me!  My love, my life forever yours!

God Bless and Keep you all,

Jesse Adams, Blogger

The Plain Truth

Spreading Manure

About a decade ago, when my wife and I had just started dating; I would make the long drive to spend the weekend with her family.  She lived on a small country farm atop a hill over looking a HUGE hay meadow and cow pasture. Just acres & acres of rolling hills and country side. At the back of the property in a small home lived her Grandfather. I would stay with him on the weekends that I was there. Normally drive up on a Friday evening, go out for dinner with my sweetheart and then back to her house.  Often times we would sit on the swing and talk about our hopes and dreams, then other times we would gather with her family and play a game together. Saturday mornings her dad would have planned out chores for the family to do before we could go off and do our thing, Normally the chores included house work, or outside chores like weeding the garden and such.  One Friday around lunch time, Joy (my wife) called me, said that she had alot to get done the next day around the house, and didnt want to bore me so if I didnt have to come over that weekend.  I just wanted to spend time with her, it had already five (5) whole days since I had seen her and felt like a century.  :-)  I asked if she mind if I just came on over, I would even help do whatever.  Man, was I in for a surprise the next morning.  I woke up, hurried to her house for her mom had prepared the usual Saturday morning breakfast of eggs, bacon/sausage, biscuits and gravy.  During breakfast her dat told her that she needed to spread that huge pile of horse manure throughout the garden before we left for the day.  He planned to start plowing and needed it done before he could start.  I sat in silence, waiting to see her reaction.  She tried to talk her dat out of it, but no, it had to be done.  I told her, I was a country boy and would help her out.  :-)

After we finished our breakfast, I changed into some old clothes and to the garden we went.  The pile of manure was huge, moist, and yes smelled something awful.  We grabbed our shovels and started filling the buckets. One by one we would scatter the buckets of manure around the garden.  Sometime later, as we both started sweating, and getting tired we decided to make it more fun....  Joy took a shovel of manure and flung it at me, hitting me in the face, I was stunned for a moment, then started laughing..  It was all over after that.  We grabbed buckets, handfuls, and shovel fulls of manure and chased each other around the garden..  Before we knew it, the pile was nearly all gone, and by that time she and I were covered in manure..  I told her to go ahead and go inside to get a shower, while I finished the work.

I always wondered if this was a tactic of her dat's to scare me off, or see if I would stick around.  Will not ever really know, but what I do know is that we had a blast that day.  We made memories, and the best of a  stinky situation.   All this got me to thinking, sometimes we have those days when it seems we are surrounded by manure.  There is nothing you can do to change the situation, or to avoid doing that "chore."   What does matter is how you handle that situation.  You can either let it whip you, and tear you down, or you can take it in stride and enjoy life.  Know that God is in control and everything will turn out just fine..

Thanks for reading, and until next time, God Bless!!

Jesse Adams, Blogger
The Plain Truth

God or Religion?

Recently at work, I had the pleasure of working with a plain woman, who is also a nurse.  During dinner a few of us, including Mariam were sitting around chatting.  I asked Mariam, are you Amish, or Mennonite?  Her reply was, I am neither, I am a plain woman of faith.  Mariam, continued by telling us about her beliefs, and how she was born Lutheran, but during her teen years felt there must be more I can do.  She then started seeking guidance from God.  This search lead Mariam and her family to become plain.  She states, "I am a woman of faith, I worship God, and do my best to please God in all areas of my life."

Later, Mariam asked the question, "When you see me dressed this way, what descriptive words come to mind?"  As each of the other nurses said things like, unique, different, old fashion, I really thought about my answer..  My reply was, Mariam, you look modest, honest, humble, and a woman of faith. 

I have really been thinking about this topic since then.  I know we have all heard the saying,   "Man looks on the outside, but God sees the heart."  While this is true, I believe, what is showing on the outside, is a reflection of what is in the heart.  As a child, I was raised in a very conservative pentecostal home.  From an early age, I could tell you our beliefs, how we were to dress, etc, but couldnt tell you exactly why.   In my teen years, I started searching the Bible, and learning for myself; even now I am still learning, and letting God show me his ways.  Being modest on the outside may be different for each of us.  While one person may only wear long sleeves, long pants or dresses another person may wear short sleeves, or a shorter dress or pant.  I do think that women's dress, or a man's shorts should come to or below the knee, and sleeves length is a personal choice as long as they are decent/modest.  However, this is my belief, one that I have sought out to be true for myself.

I do not believe that a church, or anyone has the right or authority to dictate what another person should or should not wear.  Pastors, Bishops, and Ministers may preach or teach the Bible but NOTHING MORE.  The Bible does not instruct us on measurements of clothing, or an exact telling of what modest attire is.  We must let God teach & show us these things.  Even during my marriage, there have been times when I would ask my wife not to wear certain things in public. This was not an instruction not too, but a request. I, as her husband thought it to be indecent, and disrespectful.  My wife agreed and didnt wear it, but had she insisted I would not have forced the issue.  We should pray for our spouses, that God will show them what is modest.  Before, I go much further, I will say, I do think that women can be modest in pants as well.  If that is what she chooses to wear.  People are so quick to quote the scripture, "Women shalt not wear that which is for man"  If we go back to the time, and era that scripture was written; men wore robes, and women a modest dress.  The materials were somewhat different, and men would wear a rope or twine around the waist. Women did not have this waist piece, and usually wore a head covering.  In some cultures, even the man wore a head covering as well.  Pants did not come about for hundreds of years later.

I pray no one is too offended by this post, but if it does offend you, please pray about it.  Ask God to teach you his ways, and show you his truths.

Until Then, God Bless
Jesse Adams, Blogger
The Plain Truth

My Dad's Better

Three boys were debating whose father was the best.  The first started the debate by claiming his father knew the mayor.  He was soon topped by the second boy who said "Thats nothing, my dad knows the governor." The stakes were getting pretty high, and the eavesdropping father wondered what his young son would say about him.  The little boy shot back, "So what!  My dad knows God!

Could your son say that?  May our children always be able to say, "My dad knows God!!"

God Bless & Keep You!
Jesse Adams, Blogger
The Plain Truth

PAID IN FULL

A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper and handed her a piece of paper.  After she dried her hands she read...

Cutting the grass: $5.00
Cleaning up my room this week: $1.00
Going to the store for you: $0.50
Babysitting my kid brother while you went shopping:  $0.25
Taking out the garbage: $1.00
Getting a good report card: $5.00
Raking the yard: $2.00
Total Owed:  $14.75

His mother looked at him, and the boy could see memories flashing through her mind.
She picked up the pen, turned over the paper, and wrote.

For nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me:  No Charge
For all the nights that I have sat up with you, doctored you, and prayed for you you:
No Charge
For all the trying times and all the tears you've caused me through the years, and for the worries
I knew were ahead:  No Charge.
For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping your nose: No Charge!
Son, when you add it up, the cost of my love is:  NO CHARGE!

When the boy finished reading what his mother had written, there were big tears in his eyes, and he looked
straight at her and said...  Mom, I sure do love you.  Then he took the pen, and in great big letters wrote:

PAID IN FULL!!