Afterthoughts

     One summer at our family reunion, two men showed up claiming to be part of the family.  We had no reason not to believe them even though none of us had ever seen them before.  Not long after the meal started, I noticed that the bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken I brought was no longer on the table.  I commented on how fast it had been eaten.  My sister-in-law said, "No, those two men that claim to be relatives took it and put it in their car.  They also took a cake and other items."  Once it was realized they were there only to steal food, they were asked to leave. If It Were Me Many people are hungry, but they don't steal.  If you're starving, you might for a meal. Ask yourself if it were me, what would I do? It's hard not to judge another's actions which is true, Open your heart to understand what can't be seen. Then you can know the truth and help fix the scene.  Offer assistance or whatever their need happens to be. Remember...

     The sadness of the day continued after my uncle's funeral. When we left the graveyard, the family went to my grandmother's house to have a meal and visit.  My two cousins and I sat in the living room talking about the past when one of them shared a story about a friend of his.  He said, "My friends received a Yorkshire pudding from a family member in London.  With it was an envelope filled with white powder.  They sprinkled the powder on the pudding and proceeded to eat it.  According to them, it didn't help the taste. A few days later a letter arrived telling them what to do with their aunt's ashes.  To their dismay, they realized they had eaten them with the pudding."  The three of us burst out laughing while the rest of the relatives looked at us like we were being disrespectful.   The Question To be buried or cremated, that is the question. Does it really matter when you get to Heaven? When Christians die, their soul i...

     The anesthesiologist panicked while I was being operated on to remove my Port-a-Cath.  I could tell from the very serious tone of his voice and the sharp manner he talked to the doctor. I thought to myself  poor guy he's having so much trouble.  Someone please help him.   Later in the recovery room I told the nurse what I had heard. She said, "Yes, he's like that." In that moment, I realized I was aware of what was happening during the operation and being under anesthesia I should not have. Afterwards I learned the anesthesiologist alarm was because I had quit breathing, and they then had to resuscitate me.       At my follow up visit to the doctor, I mentioned that I knew that I had died during the operation.  In a stern voice he said, "You didn't die.  I wasn't going to let you die." The Choice is Yours Who knows when our last breath will happen? It's God's blessing the time we've been given. He sent Christ to help ...

     When my friend's marriage started falling apart, she became depressed.  Often, she wouldn't dress for the day.  One afternoon I stopped by her house, and she wore the same robe I had seen many times before. I encouraged her to dress so she would feel better.  She would have none of it.  Instead, she wanted me to join her in a plot to catch her husband. For some reason she thought he was at a motel down the street with a woman he was having an affair with. After putting on a man's hat that reminded me of one my grandfather wore to church on Sunday she said, "I need you to take me there so I can see with my own eyes just what is going on."  With tears in her eyes, she pleaded for several minutes. It broke my heart, so off we went.  When we arrived at the motel, she scooched down in the seat in case someone saw her.  That way all they would see was her eyes, the top of her head and a man's hat. Thank goodness he wasn't there. Months la...

 Aaron Perkins     The bells rang out throughout the building.  Each note was crystal clear.  The choir sang in perfect harmony as the piano, drums, guitars, and horns chimed in. Aaron Perkins the music director at Woodland Hills Baptist Church came up with the perfect plan to put it all together.  Listening in the audience one has to wonder how so much talent can be displayed with such perfection.    The Music Director The music director has a song in his heart. He's rested in the morning and seldom out of sorts. The job he has is the perfect spot for him. He prepares and searches for the perfect hymn. So, if you are sad, take a que from this man. Open your mouth and sing as loud as you can. Your burden will seem lighter as you go about the day, Perhaps then you can smile as you go along your way.                           Patricia Westbrook      "Speaking to one...

      Have you ever suspected someone of stealing?  After watching a woman in the grocery store look suspicious by checking all of the items but the one still in her shopping cart, those were my thoughts.  Two of the items already checked were like the one I suspected she might be trying to steal. Once she knew the total of her bill, she picked the item up, handed it to the checker, and asked for it to be taken off. I spoke up and said, "Ma'am, I'll pay for that.  They can put it on my bill." After giving me an odd look, she paid for her groceries, grabbed the receipt, and rushed out the door. Once my groceries were added up, the checker took a dollar seventy-nine cents off my total that would have been the woman's. I left the store totally confused. The Perpetrator Who is stealing in the night? Do people steal in plain sight? If seen, do we stop it? Or do we look away while they profit? Who pays for the things they do? The perpetrator will that's true. God...

Eugenia Appling Short      Domestic violence entered our home when my mother married her second husband.  Many times, he would get his gun and point it at her.  One time the gun went off and fortunately no one was shot. Many things happened through the years that caused fear in my heart. I didn't realize I needed to forgive in order for the fear to go away. At the age of fourteen I went to church camp.  The girls' counselor had each of us write a letter forgiving whomever we needed to forgive.  I wrote a long letter forgiving my stepdad. We were to mail it to ourselves. I did what she told us to do, but I never received my letter.  When my mom was in her seventies she came to live with me, I told her about the letter.  She said, "When it arrived, he opened it.  That was the maddest I had ever seen him." It was good to know he read the letter, and he knew I had forgiven him. The letter There are many ways to forgive someone. It really doe...

The Westbrook Family Roy and Lisa have 9 children and 12 grandchildren.      How does one prepare for the death of a child?  When my oldest child Alan died, we think he just went to sleep and didn't suffer.  The story was different for my next to the oldest child Roy.  He had an incurable brain disease that began to surface many months before his death.  Even in his sickness he kept his sense of humor.  Many times, he told his sister Jesus is coming.  The answer to my question is one is never fully prepared for the death of their child.  According to Hebrews 11:1, NKJV, "Faith is the expectation of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen."  I do have hope that one day I will be with them again in heaven. The Perfect Answer. The little boy asked his mom "Where do we go when we die? The Bible says believers go to Heaven, but I don't understand why." She questioned him the reason he asked and if he was afraid. "No, but my ...

   Roy Lynn Westbrook Shock is the word for what my next to the oldest son revealed to me. He said, "As a teenager, two of my friends spent the night with me. When you and dad went to bed, we decided to go to the liquor store and buy some beer. We drank the beer and decided it wasn't for us. One of the boys threw up on the couch pull out bed. Didn't you wonder why we were washing sheets the next morning? Besides mom, I felt like you would prefer for me to drink my first beer at home." I told him from now on not to tell me things he had done in the past that I would not approve of be cause I couldn't do anythin g about it now. What I would advise parents of today is n ever underestimate what your children will do while you are sleeping. He Still Loves Me God knows my past and yet he still loves me. He holds my right hand as tight as can be. He forgave all the bad things I've done, By the crucifixion of Jesus His Son. When I accepted Him by ...

Roy Westbrook      Before our trip to Tahoka, Texas for my grandfather's funeral, my son was selected to cook hamburgers for lunch since he worked at Whataburger.  He was proud to show off his cooking skills.  When the time came to eat, we all sat down at the table.  After I finished my burger, all the children began to laugh.  Confused I asked what was so funny.  One of them spoke up and said, "Roy showed us how he cooked the meat at work.  When he cooked yours, he flipped it into the air, and it stuck on the ceiling.  We had to peel it off."  Since it tasted delicious and didn't kill me, I laughed with them. The Joy in One's Heart Often things happen and others laugh at your expense. Do you grin and bear it or go on the defense? Sometimes what's going on you just can't escape. What happens if it's really more than you can take? The joy in one's heart can come from the Lord. Relax, be calm, and don't take life so hard.   ...

     In walked a man that looked like the Texas Frito Bandito.  After getting a cup of coffee, he walked over to the table where the regular customers sat to visit.  When he sat across from me, I looked at him and said, "I bet you get stared at a lot." Without saying a word, he lowered his sunshades to the tip of his nose and looked at me. After putting them back in place, he finished his coffee, got up, and left without saying a word. Later the owner of the cafe told me the man was a member of the electrician union that met next door.  Also, he is a leader in the Bandidos. A Matter of the Heart I met a man on the street that looked quaint. Knowing his mind would have made me faint. Sometimes the true nature of a man can't be seen. We never know if they are kind or mean. The bible says to love everyone no matter what. Were supposed to whether we want to or not. It all comes down to a matter of the heart. Seeing people through the eyes of God is a start. ...

JT Westbrook      "My daughter needs a brain operation the stranger explained.  In order to help pay for the procedure, I'm selling these cocoa bombs to put in a cup of hot milk.  The cost is only six dollars each."  Since we were in the church foyer, I assumed she was a church member.  After buying one, I gave it to a man standing behind me.       Moments later the associate pastor walked up and in a polite way began questioning the woman.  When he realized she wasn't a member, he told her she needed to attend the upcoming service.  After assuring him that once the remaining cocoa bombs were put in the car, she would be back.  She left the building never to be seen again.      I told my daughter about the incident. Also, that I had given what I bought away.  She said, "Mom, you don't know what it had in it.  It could have killed him."  Thank goodness it didn't.   The Stranger I...

          "Put the person you are having a problem with in an imaginary balloon," the leader of the Adult Children of Alcoholics Class said. "Then you blow it up, let it rise into the air, and pop it with a BB gun." One lady spoke up and shared that in her mind she took care of the antagonistic people in her life by putting them up in the branches of a tree at Gladewater Lake.  I came up with my own way to cope.  If something is bothering me, I write and I write until I can write no more.  Afterwards I burn the pages and put them in a bottle.  I now have two bottles of ashes on my kitchen window seal.  If the problem reappears, I look at the ashes and know it has been dealt with.   Dust to Dust Ashes to ashes and dust to dust so the saying goes. People ponder what it means but does anyone really know. Something burnt up is no longer in existence as it was. Each day the nature of life changes according to its laws. Unlike ashes, dust...

Sharol Lawson and Grandmother Appling          In 1945 mom and dad got a divorce leaving mom to care for three small children by herself.  My younger brother went to live with my grandparents on their farm until he was old enough to go to school.  Many times, I would visit them and enjoy the love they doted on us. When grandmother died and people came to the visitation, my brother told one of our friends that I was mean to him as a child. I asked him why he said that.  He replied, "Because grandmother told me."       After the funeral, at the grave side service, we stood talking to the same friend.  Confused I said, "Sharol, what did I do that made you think I was mean to you?"       He chuckled, "When I played marbles you would walk across the floor and walk away with my marbles between your toes."      The laughter from our friend and myself filled the afternoon air.  I told him I was s...