Afterthoughts

       Diana Westbrook      Jealousy, the green-eyed monster, can enter a person's life at any age.  The day my daughter had two friends over to spend the night is when I realized that.  While they were here, a nice-looking, fun-loving, neighbor boy came to visit.  One of the girls had announced earlier before his arrival that she had a crush on him which meant he was off limits to the other two.  Her announcement didn't keep the other two from teasing him and flirting.  She got so angry it was even evident to me.  In order to defuse the situation, I decided to have a talk with the three of them.  That night when they went to bed, I entered their bedroom and sat down.  I talked about jealousy and how it can affect us.  Then I said, "Girls, sometimes we have to watch out for the green-eyed monster."      My daughter stopped me. "Mom, you shouldn't say that."      I asked, "Why?" ...

     Sixteen is too young for a girl to get married.  Even so that didn't stop my stepsister Barbara and her boyfriend Tex.  For them to get married, they had to drive from Killeen, Texas to New Mexico. In Texas a teenager had to have a judge's approval to marry before the age of eighteen.  New Mexico only required parental approval. Mom and I made the trip with them.        On the way back, late at night, Barbara and Tex were asleep in the back seat.  As Mom drove the car on a deserted highway, out of nowhere, a car pulled up beside us.  The men inside just stared at us.  If she sped up, they sped up.  If she slowed down, they slowed down.  Knowing we had a problem she said, "Tex, you need to sit up and let these nuts know we're not alone."   When he sat up and stared back at the men, their car raced ahead out of sight.     Help In Trouble Two men harassed a woman driving down the s...

            The Fall Festival was always a special time at my children's school.  One year, I agreed to dress up as a fortune teller.  I did my best to convince the children I knew their past and their future.  When one young girl sat across from me, I told her all about her hopes and dreams. It was easy since at one time. I was young.  I knew I had been successful when I overheard her tell two of her friends, "She knew everything about me.  I don't know how, but she did." He Knows Everything A young man drove down a long dark road. His heart was heavy because it carried a big load. Not able to stand it any longer he hollered. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he swallowed. ''Lord," he asked, "What am I going to do? The Bible says You know everything; is that true?" A small voice spoke inside his sad head. "You're right to think about the things you've read. My Words are true and won't guide you wrong. I've been right here w...

       Back in the mid-sixties, my husband and I took our four young children and my in-laws to tour the famous USS Texas in Houston, Texas.  Those were the times most women dressed up no matter where they went.  There were a few exceptions such as going camping or to the beach.  True to form that day, I dressed up and even put a girdle on in order to look my very best.  As the day progressed, the constriction of the girdle became unbearable.  After enduring hours of discomfort, my mother-in-law and I came up with a plan.  Since the ship had halls with a dead end, I entered one in order to have privacy while she stood guard making sure no one entered.  I proceeded to slip out of my misery never again to fight the battle of the girdle.     Ships At Sea Ships at sea are often a wonder. They move forward like the sound of thunder. Until the day their use has been spent. We often wonder just where they went. They're fixed up f...

      One summer our family adopted a blue jay fledgling.  It took a while for us to figure out what to feed him to keep him alive which happened to be oats fed with a dropper.  The children kept him in their bedroom, and sometimes they let him fly free in the house. We named him Dirty Bird. One day when we went to visit a friend in the country, we took him with us.  The children put his cage on a picnic table while the adults went inside to visit. While they waited, one of them decided Dirty Bird needed some exercise.  After his cage door was opened, he flew out into a tree.  No amount of coaxing could get him to come down.  Since we had to leave, we left the cage with the door open on the picnic table.  Later our friend reported that for several days Dirty Bird returned to his cage.  Sometimes he would even land on her shoulder.  Until one day, he never came back.  He had a new home flying free in the country.   ...

     In the sixties, we trusted people and never locked our doors.  Therefore, the milkman always had access to deliver our milk.  One cool fall morning, my husband and children went on an outing.  Because I had a migraine, I stayed home in my pajamas and went back to bed.  When the phone rang, I jumped up and rushed to the dining room.  As I picked it up, I looked toward the kitchen.  There stood our milkman with his back toward me putting milk in the refrigerator.  Without saying a word, I quietly hung up the phone and returned to the bedroom.  As I closed the door, I prayed he had not seen me. Trust Who are we to trust in this world today? It's hard to know as we go along life's way. Maybe It's the man or woman down the street. Or perhaps It's a stranger your apt to meet. The answer to my question is not very hard. The Holy Spirit is a gift if you accept the Lord.  So, discernment is yours as people come and go. The tug in y...

           After almost twenty-two years of marriage, my husband and I decided to get a divorce. Two years later we reconciled and decided to remarry.  Wanting to get married quickly, we asked the pastor that officiated our daughter's wedding ceremony, in Waco, Texas, if he would marry us. After he agreed, we drove to his house in Gladewater. Texas, only six miles away.      When we arrived at his home, he had us sit on his couch while he proceeded to give us forty-five minutes of marriage counseling.  We wondered why he would counsel us since it wasn't our first time to get married. Afterwards he asked, "Would you mind if my guests watch your wedding?"        My husband answered, "I'd rather they didn't."      The pastor said, "It's your daughter's in-laws.  They are taking their daughter's wedding flowers and decorations to her in Houston.  On their way, they stopped by here for a coupl...

          Bringing a creature back to life can be quite an experience.  When my son's hamster was operated on, we forgot to take the running wheel out of his cage. The morning after the operation, to our horror, he died.  Feeling compassion for my son, I decided to bring the poor thing back to life.  I put him in the palm of my hand and blew in his face.  His cheeks spread out full of air.  I then proceeded to take one finger and tap on his chest.  After several minutes, he responded.  With a squeak, he lifted his head. If I tried to touch him, he would bare his teeth at me.  Two hours later he once again died.  I felt bad about putting the dear pet through a second death.  I realize now that there are times, we need to just let things be. God's Will When I die where will I go? I really would like to know. If I'm planted in the ground, Is that where I'll be found? Could there be life after death? Can I live ...

          A concerned flight attendant spoke over the loudspeaker, "Is there a doctor onboard?"  Seconds later a stranger sat next to me putting an oxygen mask on my face.  Even though we were hundreds of miles from my destination, he advised that I be taken to the hospital.  When we landed in Little Rock, Arkansas, an ambulance waited on the runway.      The next day after being dismissed from the hospital with nothing but low potassium, my daughter and I boarded Amtrack and continued our journey.  On our way home, a couple of times she said, "I wish I hadn't left my favorite devotional In Jesus' Name, Amen on the plane."       I smiled and in a sincere voice commented, "This whole experience may have happened so you would leave it for someone to find and be blessed." The Perfect Plan When things don't work out the way you plan, Is it possible God was giving you a helping hand? The job you lost was it real...

     Oh . you poor thing. You're going to die if someone doesn't water you. Or so I thought standing in the church foyer in front of a large potted plant.  Its leaves drooped almost to the floor. In order to prevent its inevitable death, I poured six cups of water on it.      I then proceeded to the sanctuary for the morning service.  A few minutes later a man tapped me on the shoulder and said, "The water you put on the plant is now on the floor."      When I rushed to clean it up, a kind lady had already begun to mop.  While I helped her, two men watched and commented, "Who would do such a thing?"       Embarrassed I mumbled, "I did."  Their laughter bounced off the walls as they walked away.  Beneath the surface At church a plant in a pot had droopy leaves. An old man walked by with shaky knees. He looked at the plant, and he thought. Do I need to help this poor thing or not ? The dirt may ...

    Robert Glenn Westbrook       I asked, "What do you mean I left the baby?"      My husband looked at me with a strange expression.  "Don't you remember you only planned on staying for Sunday school. You must have left him there."      With shock I realized my mistake.  After I took the three older children to their class rooms, I took the youngest to the nursery.  When it was over, not intending to stay for the morning service, we rushed home.  Too embarrassed to go get him right away, I did some chores around the house.  Then at just the right time, I returned to pick up one of my most prized possessions.  Everyone at church thought I had been there all the time. The Great Commission "Where did your brother go?" God asked. "Doesn't he know I've forgiven his past?" The young man said, "He's off to no good. I couldn't stop him and didn't think I should. I'm not my brother's keeper so I've been told. I...

      JT Westbrook stationed at Fort Hood.      A fence separated the fort from Killeen.     The preacher stood on the corner hollering, "Do not vote for liquor to be sold in Killeen." If the soldiers wanted to buy beer, they had to drive to Temple, Texas.  Since many of them didn't have transportation, they spent a lot of their time in town.  One of their favorite spots to gather was in front of the two theaters on main street.       Never once did I walk in front of them when I got off work between eight and nine at night and walked home.  Instead, I went down the alley behind the theaters.  I didn't want them to know I was alone.  If no one was home when I got there, I would open the door and holler "All right! Come on out! I know you're in there!" I didn't fear the soldiers scattered all over town.  However, going into a dark apartment by myself, is another matter.  Happy Not Afraid I saw ...

Natalie Westbrook       At the Post, Texas rodeo, my girlfriend and I sat on the fence close to where the horses came out of the chute.  After a while, I excused myself and headed toward the bathroom. On the way back, four boys walking several feet behind me started singing the lyrics of a nineteen fifties popular song. Embarrassed, I hurried as fast as I could to where my friend was.  When I climbed back on the fence, she asked, "What's wrong?  Your face is beet red."       I turned and pointed toward the boys that had been following me.  "See those boys over there?  They were singing that new song 'Short Fat Fanny.' I knew I shouldn't have worn these Levi jeans tonight."       She laughed and said, "Don't be silly.  They were just teasing you."       I nodded, "Maybe so but I didn't like it." From that point on I became more concerned about how I looked in the clothes I wore....

     In Pearsall, Texas a skunk crawled under our house and sprayed his scent.  We held our noses and went about our daily life. Since we had no place to go, we had to stay there and suffer.       After a while, I thought the odor had dissipated. When my two boys and I went to the grocery store, I found out how wrong I was.  After we finished shopping and went to check out, a woman in front of us said, "I smell a skunk."  That's when I realized the odor had not gone away.  From that point on, I always made sure before we went anywhere our clothes were freshly washed and our bodies had been scrubbed until they shined.  Never again did anyone comment about smelling a skunk in our presence.  Perhaps they were just being kind.     Trails What are those strange shadows in front of me? No matter how hard I look I just can't see. If they're what I smell, they need a bath. Maybe I just need to walk a different path....

JT Westbrook  Being covered in dirt from head to toe is one of the hazards of being a bulldozer operator. Not only that, at times, the pay only covered necessities. My husband worked hard for our family, and it was appreciated.       In order not to strain our budget, I did my best to fulfill our children's sweet tooth. I would dip rose petals in peanut butter mixed with honey instead of buying candy.  Sugar, water, and vanilla slowly cooked to a caramel state then added to whipped egg whites became their favorite treat.  They called it calf slobber. If I made a cake and we didn't have any milk, I used a can of pumpkin for the liquid. Once a cake recipe called for sour cream.  Instead of going to the store, I found a package of powdered sour cream in the cabinet and used that. When I poured it in the batter, I realized it had garlic in it.  For fun I added food coloring to the icing.  The cake turned out purple with a garlic taste. ...