Beech Tree News Network

Recently I’ve watched a few episodes of the HGTV show My Lottery Dream Home. In each episode, David Bromstad takes the lottery winners on a house hunt for their new dream home. These winners are usually average Americans who set out to find a home with certain dream features, spending a portion of their new wealth. Each episode is a little different because each winner has a different wish list.

Have you ever seen the tee shirt that says: IF I’D KNOWN GRANDCHILDREN WERE SO MUCH FUN, I’D HAVE HAD THEM FIRST?  I need one of those.

In the long ago, Solomon said, “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles” (Prov. 21:23). This is certainly a true statement! Many times, our mouths get us in trouble, don’t they? James said that the tongue is dangerous because it is “full of deadly poison” and can “defile the whole body” (Jas. 3:6, 8).

The crafts and needlework donated to the silent auction at the Green River Museum Opening June 3 were especially nice this year. There was a Tunisian crochet kitchen set, two cowls, a shawlette and cute earrings that looked like tiny skeins of yarn knit and spun by the donator, a wool hooked pillow, a wool penny rug, a Swedish embroidery pillow, many crochet items in a handmade basket, a lap quilt and many, many wonderful things that went to raise money to support the Green River Museum. Mark your calendars for the first Saturday in June of next year so you don’t miss it, if you did.

AHHHH the sunshine feels so good!!! This beauty was on a farm we passed on our way back from Pigeon Forge a few weeks ago. You can tell it’s just soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the warmth. Sometimes, us as humans, need to do the same thing…just stop for a few minutes and take a break from this roller coaster thing called life and enjoy the sunshine!!!

 IT IS WELL? -There were a couple of different titles floating around in my head for this particular column, before I finally settled on “It is well.” One of the titles considered was “Lazarus' Awakening,' the other one was “Colossus Tumbles.” Most of us are familiar with the tale of Lazarus being raised from the dead. The story of Lazarus' death reaching Jesus is the impetus for the shortest verse in the New testament, “Jesus wept.”

Have you ever watched a NASCAR race, baseball game or any other sporting event and wondered how a sponsorship works? It seems like there’s nothing in NASCAR without a sponsor.  From cars covered in logos and stickers to drivers having patches on their uniforms, it’s all over the place.  The question: Where does all the money go?

Summer days have unofficially arrived. This is the time of year when most of us spend more time outside. We garden, engage in sporting and water activities, and watch kids play outside. It’s also a great time for “porch sitting.”

Things and stuff: 

Is there a connection between baked sweet potatoes and intelligence? 

Professor Shelby Foote of Memphis State is probably the for most authority on the history of the U.S. Civil War. During a recent T.V. interview I saw, he invited the T.V. crew back to his kitchen table while he was having lunch. On his plate I noticed one item, a baked sweet potato. 

Our daughter, Nikki, says Garey and I are worker bees.  She doesn’t mean it as an insult, she means it as a recognition of all the work we do to keep the hive going.  Every summer, we emerge from the hive and plant the food we think we’ll need to feed our families and share with our friends.  The work is hard, but gratifying.  The work is our offering.  It is part of who we are, but not all of who we are.