The sight brought wonder to my young heart, while sitting out in the backyard at twilight, seeing the twinkles in the air around me. We called them lightening bugs. And we pulled off their little lights  and placed it on our ring fingers, like a brilliant diamond.

Every little girl loves jewelry. We invented our own play jewelry. We licked tiny rose petals and stuck them to our ears for earrings and to our fingernails for nail polish. We put thin washers or cigar wrappers on our fingers for rings and made hair ornaments from chains of clover flowers.

Every woman loves jewelry. She looks forward to the day when her love presents her with an engagement ring, a symbol of his love for her. She treasures every gift of love she receives throughout her life, usually either passing on to her daughters her precious jewelry wardrobe or wearing them to her grave.

God must love jewelry too. In Haggai 2:23, He says, “I will make you my signet (ring)” and in Malachi 3:17, He says, “They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.”

All the diamonds in the whole world could never have bought the salvation of even one person. All the pearls, rubies, or sapphires God ever created could not ransom you. He valued you enough to pay a great price for you, the precious and only Son of God, as a ransom for your salvation.

God sent the Crown Jewel of Heaven, Jesus Christ, to purchase you for Himself, so you could become His signet ring, the jewel on His finger.

Do you remember your first store-bought clothes?  When I was about 12, when school started, a church lady told Mama she wanted to buy my younger sister and me a couple of dresses. One of my dresses was a light yellow shirt-waist dress, with short sleeves. I felt like a princess in it.

We were already well-dressed children. Our mother was a good seamstress and made most of our clothes, and besides that we had pretty hand-me-downs too. I look back at my school pictures and recognize some of those nice hand-made dresses and hand-me-downs, but it was so exciting to get a new store-bought dress.

When I took home economics in junior high school and later in high school, Mama came up with the money somehow to buy material and patterns. We had already learned the basics from Mama, sewing aprons on her electric sewing machine, so it didn’t take much to encourage us girls to sew, which all three of us still do.

Mother used to say, “We aren’t poor, we just don’t have much money.” We had what we needed—food on the table, electricity, gas heat, and running water in the paid-for home Granddad and Daddy built—but I’ve often wondered how many things Mama did without herself. All her faith was placed in God to provide for us, but she also worked hard.

Paul sent a letter to Timothy in which he complimented his mother and grandmother. “….When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice.” II Timothy 1:5 NKJV.

Timothy was taught his faith by his mother and grandmother. He saw their actions, their every-day lives, and witnessed the results of their faith. We children watched our mother every day as children always do, and we witnessed her life of faith, following the Lord, and depending on God to provide.

We learned how to sew from her, yes, but we learned so much more and now the genuine faith that dwelt first in our mother Eunice dwells in each of us.

After I moved back to Vinita, Oklahoma, in 1977, my little son and I would go to Grand Lake fishing with Mom and Dad sometimes.

Daddy would say, “Let’s go fishing,” then head outside to mess around with his fishing poles and tackle. Mom packed crackers and cheese, apples, cookies, napkins in a paper grocery sack. She poured the boiled coffee in the thermos. A jacket in case it turned cool on the water, a book for me to read in case the fish weren’t biting. Just the necessary stuff. Oh, and the flashlight. Don’t forget the metal Ever-ready flashlight.

Then we’d pile into the old ’57 Ford with the non-functioning stick shift on the column and a 4-in-the-floor that shifted backwards and stuck through an open hole cut in the floorboard. We’d have to roll the windows down for “air conditioning.”

Along the way we had to stop at Simpson’s bait shop to buy worms and minnows, Snicker bars and bottles of pop. Daddy always said, “Why do you women have to turn every little thing into a picnic?” He was going to catch fish. We were going to relax, enjoy life, read a book, visit a little after a hectic week.

It is the woman’s way–providing nutrition for her family. Birthday? Cake and ice cream. The family together after church on Sunday? Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy. Anniversary? Going out to eat. Friday night date? Movies, popcorn and soda pop. Thanksgiving or Christmas? Turkey dinner for the family. Baby shower? Cake and punch, with party-mix nuts.

Paul talked about food in Romans 14:17KJV. “For the kingdom of God is not meat or drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

There is nothing wrong with eating to celebrate, as long as you remember, that what you eat or don’t eat does not bring you righteousness, peace, and joy. It might be true that we are what we eat, but my value as a child of God doesn’t come from natural things.

What I eat doesn’t define who I am in Christ.

My daddy smelled like strong coffee, cigarettes, and Coalgate Foamy shave cream. I loved to pat his soft cheeks after he shaved at night and kiss him goodnight.

Perfume companies spend millions trying to come up with the perfect smell. They have found that a man’s favorite smell is pumpkin pie. Smells are so very important, but we don’t think much about it. I’ve heard of children hugging their mom’s nightgown to go to sleep at night when mom is out of town. Several years ago, some stores had smells  blowing through their ventilation system—supposedly it caused people to buy more when they were in the store. Here is another example–when I was pregnant, my husband had to quit putting on aftershave at bedtime because it nauseated me. Perfume companies spend millions trying to come up with the perfect smell. They have found that a man’s favorite smell is pumpkin pie.

Can you believe that to God we smell just like Jesus?

FAMILY REUNION

Our cousins from Wichita always came in to visit for Memorial Day and some years our  California cousins came too.  Grandma and Poppie Swift, and our aunts and uncles from northeast Oklahoma all gathered for reunion usually at our house.

The meals were usually the same—fried chicken, corn on the cob, fried potatoes, cornbread and brown beans, green beans, watermelon and cantaloupe. I always ate as much corn on the cob, watermelon, cantaloupe, and cobbler as I could hold and ate the leftovers for supper.

I have often wondered just what will be served at the marriage supper of the Lamb, (that’s another name for Jesus Christ,) spoken of in Revelation 19:9NKJV, “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

The night before He was crucified, Jesus served His disciples bread and wine, so at the very least the marriage supper will include those.

Will we have manna like the Israelites ate in the wilderness? Quail, which God sent the Israelites when they complained about the manna? And milk-and-honey custard? Giant clusters of grapes like the spies brought back from the Promised Land? Olives and olive oil from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem?

Oh, and Jesus always served fish. He fed 5000 men with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, as well as cooking fish for Peter on the shore of Galilee after His resurrection. Maybe we will have some filet of crappie, the finest freshwater fish there is.

What a menu! What a party! The Swifts and Hightowers will all be together again, and so will your family. Jesus is planning the menu now and it will include all our favorites. The tables are being prepared, and we will all sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

The best part will be seeing our own dear Jesus Christ face to face in all His glory.

Menu

Hors d’ouevres

 Olives, bread with dipping olive oil & spices, grapes

Entreè

Quail & Fish

seasoned with Sea of Galilee sea salt

Red lentils

Manna

  Five loaves of bread

Dessert

Milk & honey custard, honeycomb, curds & whey

Drinks

Grape juice, sparkling water, fresh water turned into wine

New wine in new wineskins

Final course

Figs, dates, pomegranates, sharp cheese with unleavened crackers