One Isn't Enough -- Guest Post by Jamin Baldwin

ONE ISN'T ENOUGH

Of many things in life one is enough.

One love to last a lifetime.

One confidante with which to bare one's soul and confide one's secret fears.

One God to save our tortured souls from darkness.

But on the other hand . . .

One chubby, baby hand in mine.

One kiss goodnight while wrapped in my Mother arms.

One sunset that is followed by a dawn . . .

Of these things, one is never enough.

   

I stumbled across this scripture:

Philippians 1:3

   I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.

While reading these words I was immediately flooded with an ocean of wonderful memories:

 

Memories of my grandmothers, both gone from this life 11 months apart.

Accompanied by all the smells, tastes and sounds my brain archived away with them.

My emotions overwhelmed, I thought . . .

One sleep over was never enough. One game of Skip-bo. One Christmas decorating the tree in purple or drinking a cup of Red rose tea with homemade pancakes . . . not enough . . .

This got me to thinking of memories and the making thereof. And I wondered to myself am I making good memories? Someday, will someone think back and thank God for the moments that they shared with me?

Today, this is my goal, and every day that I live. You don't have to be extravagant to make a worthwhile memory. To change someone's life forever all you need is a kind word. A gentle touch. A smile. A joke or a listening ear.

Let it be said of me someday with all who knew me . . .

One just wasn't enough.

ABOUT JAMIN

Jamin Baldwin is a new, up-and-coming author whose writing interests span everything from historical romances to poetry and devotions. Along with home schooling her own children, she is also a volunteer in the children’s ministry at her church. The simplicity of country life is an insurmountable influence on all her writing endeavors. Connect with her at: https://www.facebook.com/jaycee.montana

On the Road Again

There’s a country song sung by Willie Nelson called, “On the Road Again,” where he proclaims his joy at “being on the road again, seeing sights he might never see again and going places where he might never go again.”

Yesterday, that song came to me as I hit the road, yet again, for a writing get-together--this time. It was a wonderfully fun time with friends, talking writing shop and enjoying our lunch together, disagreeing agreeably, making plans, enjoying a Skype session with a talented author in Alabama, laughing and growing as writers together.

But getting there is what I wanted to muse on today. The journey.

My husband and I and our two sons--growing up, were on the road a lot. I mean, A LOT! From coast to coast. Washington state to Florida. Texas to Maine. We’ve seen a lot of sights, gone a lot of places we’ll probably never visit again and met a lot of people we’ll probably never meet again. But it was fun!

How did we keep two active little fellows occupied with hours on the road?

• We taught them to read before it was time to start school. Books, books and more books were piled into the vehicles with us for their entertainment. 
• Games. We made up games, played all kinds of children’s games driving down the road, and they loved it!
• Rewards. Yep, lots of travel time was for business, BUT we always made it up to the boys by doing special things just for them. Museums and all kinds of educational fun stops, sand hills to climb, streams to wade in, animals to check out, you name it and we probably did it or tried to. Why? Because they were as good as two ornery little fellows could be for the duration of hubby’s business. J
• Helped them begin collections they would enjoy and could keep for years if they wanted. From super pencils to animals, knives and pictures or whatever, we tried to create a love of memories for them.

And still, even now, sights and areas intoxicate me and gets the gypsy blood stirring inside me.  Doesn’t always have to be famous sights. Ordinary hills and valleys, trees and streams without names, do that to me. With music in the background from a little country to classics and gospel, I sing and tap my way through the journey.

And spiritually?

Wars and rumors of wars. Murdering, and diseases running rampant. Scary decisions in high places. Corrupt politicians and corrupt church leaders. Disappointments, rejections, sorrows and sadness. All of it thrown at us till we, at times, feel laden down with the saturation of horrible things.

Yet Jesus said he went away to prepare for us a place to live and will return. He took a journey. He doesn’t want us to worry. All things are in his control. Think on good things. Rejoice in the positive things. And pray without end.

Our spiritual journey can be filled with peace of heart. Enjoy

What do you do when you travel?

The Children's War

I have very few “stand out” memories of my life as an adolescent. However, my father has lots of vivid memories from his childhood even though he was only ten years old at the end of WWII.

Despite being thousands of miles away, WWII impacted everyone in the US, including children. My dad had a paper route and talks about the maps and diagrams that regularly took up much of the The Baltimore Sun's front page. As a result he has a prodigious wealth of knowledge about geography. He can pinpoint even the most obscure islands halfway across the world.

No matter their age, children were asked to personally do their bit. They collected scrap metal and rubber for weapons, purchased war bonds and acted as plane spotters They knitted socks and scarves for soldiers and worked in victory gardens.

The war affected childrens' toys. Many toy factories were converted to manufacturing war materials and suspended toy production during the war. Therefore, there were fewer toys on the market. Other manufacturers began to produce items previously made of metal in wood or cardboard. 

Armed forces and nursing uniforms were popular as were toy soldiers and associated tanks, jeeps and guns. One food manufacturer produced a board game called The Supermarket Game. The central object of the game was to go to the store for mother. Specific instructions for individual squares on the course of the trek include “Forgot 1 item, go back to store” and “Forgot what to get, go back home.” Comics such as Little Orphan Annie, Superman, and Captain Midnight urged youngsters to help the country win the war. Even coloring books had war themes such as pilots or planes.

The war lasted for over six years, and children grew up before their time as rationing, deprivation, fear and loss colored their lives. Were you a child of the war? What do you remember?

 A freelance writer for over ten years, Linda Matchett also writes historical fiction. She is currently seeking a publisher for her series about war correspondent Ruth Brown. www.lindashentonmatchett.com