Be sure to keep UP with all of this
I'm sure you will enjoy this. I never knew one word in the English language that can be a noun, verb, adj, adv, prep.
'UP'
Read until the end ... you'll laugh!
This two-letter word in English has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is 'UP.' It is listed in the dictionary as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].
It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP?
At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election (if there is a tie, it is a toss UP) and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? We call UP our friends, brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and fix UP the old car.
At other times, this little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.
To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.
And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.
We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!
To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look UP the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.
If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with (UP to) a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comes out, we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it soaks UP the earth. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP. One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now .. . . my time is UP!
Oh . . .. one more thing: What is the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do at night?
U
P!
Did that one crack you UP?
Don't screw UP. Send this on to everyone you look UP in your address book . . . or not . . . it's UP to you.
Now I'll shut UP!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Subj: Asparagus--Who Knew?
I, thought you may be interested in reading this.......Mom knew more than we thought when she told us to eat our greens
Not the first time around, but what a simple effort.....I love asparagus anyway!
Asparagus -- Who knew ?
From a friend –
My Mom had been taking the full-stalk canned style
asparagus that she pureed and she took 4 tablespoons in
the morning and 4 tablespoons later in the day. She did
this for over a month. She is on chemo pills for Stage 3
lung cancer in the pleural area and her cancer cell
count went from 386 down to 125 as of this past week.
Her oncologist said she does not need to see him for 3
months.
THE ARTICLE:
Several years ago, I had a man seeking asparagus for a
friend who had cancer. He gave me a photocopied copy
of an article, entitled, Asparagus for cancer 'printed in
Cancer News Journal, December 1979. I will share it
here, just as it was shared with me: I am a
biochemist, and have specialized in the relation of diet
to health or over 50 years. Several years ago, I learned
of the discovery of Richard R. Vensal, D.D.S. that
asparagus might cure cancer. Since then, I have worked
with him on his project We have accumulated a number
of favorable case histories. Here are a few examples:
Case No. 1, A man with an almost hopeless case
of Hodgkin's disease (cancer of the lymph glands) who
was completely incapacitated. Within 1 year of starting
the asparagus therapy, his doctors were unable to
detect any signs of cancer, and he was back on a
schedule of strenuous exercise.
Case No. 2, a successful businessman 68 years old
who suffered from cancer of the bladder for 16 years.
After years of medical treatments, including radiation
without improvement, he went on asparagus. Within 3
months, examinations revealed that his bladder tumor
had disappeared and that his kidneys were normal.
Case No. 3, a man who had lung cancer. On March 5th 1971, he
was put on the operating table where they found
lung cancer so widely spread that it was inoperable.
The surgeon sewed him up and declared his case
hopeless. On April 5th he heard about the Asparagus
therapy and immediately started taking it By August,
x-ray pictures revealed that all signs of the cancer had
disappeared..
He is back at his regular business routine.
Case No. 4, a woman who was troubled for a number of
years with skin cancer. She finally developed different
skin cancers which were diagnosed by the acting
specialist as advanced. Within 3 months after starting
on asparagus, her skin specialist said that her skin
looked fine and no more skin lesions. This woman
reported that the asparagus therapy also cured her
kidney disease, which started in 1949. She had over 10
operations for kidney stones, and was receiving
government disability payments for an inoperable,
terminal, kidney condition. She attributes the cure of
this kidney trouble entirely to the asparagus.
I was not surprised at this result, as `The elements of
materia medica', edited in1854 by a Professor at the
University of Pennsylvania , stated that asparagus was
used as a popular remedy for kidney stones. He even
referred to experiments, in 1739, on the power of
asparagus in dissolving stones. Note the dates!
We would have other case histories but the medical
establishment has interfered with our obtaining some
of the records. I am therefore appealing to readers to
spread this good news and help us to gather a large
number of case histories that will overwhelm the
medical skeptics about this unbelievably simple and
natural remedy.
For the treatment, asparagus should be cooked
before using, and therefore canned asparagus is just
as good as fresh. I have corresponded with the two
leading canners of asparagus, Giant and Stokely, and I
am satisfied that these brands contain no pesticides or
preservatives.
Place the cooked asparagus in a blender and liquefy to
make a puree, and store in the refrigerator. Give the
patient 4 full tablespoons twice daily, morning and
evening. Patients usually show some improvement in
2-4 weeks. It can be diluted with water and used as a
cold or hot drink. This suggested dosage is based on
present experience, but certainly larger amounts can do
no harm and may be needed in some cases. As a
biochemist I am convinced of the old saying that `what
cures can prevent.' Based on this theory, my wife and I
have been using asparagus puree as a beverage with
our meals. We take 2 tablespoons diluted in water to
suit our taste with breakfast and with dinner. I take
mine hot and my wife prefers hers cold. For years we
have made it a practice to have blood surveys taken as
part of our regular checkups. The last blood survey,
taken by a medical doctor who specializes in the
nutritional approach to health, showed substantial
improvements in all categories over the last one, and
we can attribute these improvements to nothing but
the asparagus drink.
As a biochemist, I have made an extensive study of all
aspects of cancer, and all of the proposed cures. As a
result, I am convinced that asparagus fits in better
with the latest theories about cancer.
Asparagus contains a good supply of protein called
histones, which are believed to be active in controlling
cell growth.. For that reason, I believe asparagus can
be said to contain a substance that I call cell growth
normalizer. That accounts for its action on cancer and
in acting as a general body tonic. In any event,
regardless of theory, asparagus used as we suggest, is
a harmless substance. The FDA cannot prevent you
from using it and it may do you much good. It has
been reported by the US National Cancer Institute, that
asparagus is the highest tested food containing
glutathione, which is considered one of the body's
most potent anticarcinogens and antioxidants.
Please send this article to everyone in your Address Book.
The most unselfish act one can ever do is paying forward
all the kindness one has received, even to the most
undeserved person.
I, thought you may be interested in reading this.......Mom knew more than we thought when she told us to eat our greens
Not the first time around, but what a simple effort.....I love asparagus anyway!
Asparagus -- Who knew ?
From a friend –
My Mom had been taking the full-stalk canned style
asparagus that she pureed and she took 4 tablespoons in
the morning and 4 tablespoons later in the day. She did
this for over a month. She is on chemo pills for Stage 3
lung cancer in the pleural area and her cancer cell
count went from 386 down to 125 as of this past week.
Her oncologist said she does not need to see him for 3
months.
THE ARTICLE:
Several years ago, I had a man seeking asparagus for a
friend who had cancer. He gave me a photocopied copy
of an article, entitled, Asparagus for cancer 'printed in
Cancer News Journal, December 1979. I will share it
here, just as it was shared with me: I am a
biochemist, and have specialized in the relation of diet
to health or over 50 years. Several years ago, I learned
of the discovery of Richard R. Vensal, D.D.S. that
asparagus might cure cancer. Since then, I have worked
with him on his project We have accumulated a number
of favorable case histories. Here are a few examples:
Case No. 1, A man with an almost hopeless case
of Hodgkin's disease (cancer of the lymph glands) who
was completely incapacitated. Within 1 year of starting
the asparagus therapy, his doctors were unable to
detect any signs of cancer, and he was back on a
schedule of strenuous exercise.
Case No. 2, a successful businessman 68 years old
who suffered from cancer of the bladder for 16 years.
After years of medical treatments, including radiation
without improvement, he went on asparagus. Within 3
months, examinations revealed that his bladder tumor
had disappeared and that his kidneys were normal.
Case No. 3, a man who had lung cancer. On March 5th 1971, he
was put on the operating table where they found
lung cancer so widely spread that it was inoperable.
The surgeon sewed him up and declared his case
hopeless. On April 5th he heard about the Asparagus
therapy and immediately started taking it By August,
x-ray pictures revealed that all signs of the cancer had
disappeared..
He is back at his regular business routine.
Case No. 4, a woman who was troubled for a number of
years with skin cancer. She finally developed different
skin cancers which were diagnosed by the acting
specialist as advanced. Within 3 months after starting
on asparagus, her skin specialist said that her skin
looked fine and no more skin lesions. This woman
reported that the asparagus therapy also cured her
kidney disease, which started in 1949. She had over 10
operations for kidney stones, and was receiving
government disability payments for an inoperable,
terminal, kidney condition. She attributes the cure of
this kidney trouble entirely to the asparagus.
I was not surprised at this result, as `The elements of
materia medica', edited in1854 by a Professor at the
University of Pennsylvania , stated that asparagus was
used as a popular remedy for kidney stones. He even
referred to experiments, in 1739, on the power of
asparagus in dissolving stones. Note the dates!
We would have other case histories but the medical
establishment has interfered with our obtaining some
of the records. I am therefore appealing to readers to
spread this good news and help us to gather a large
number of case histories that will overwhelm the
medical skeptics about this unbelievably simple and
natural remedy.
For the treatment, asparagus should be cooked
before using, and therefore canned asparagus is just
as good as fresh. I have corresponded with the two
leading canners of asparagus, Giant and Stokely, and I
am satisfied that these brands contain no pesticides or
preservatives.
Place the cooked asparagus in a blender and liquefy to
make a puree, and store in the refrigerator. Give the
patient 4 full tablespoons twice daily, morning and
evening. Patients usually show some improvement in
2-4 weeks. It can be diluted with water and used as a
cold or hot drink. This suggested dosage is based on
present experience, but certainly larger amounts can do
no harm and may be needed in some cases. As a
biochemist I am convinced of the old saying that `what
cures can prevent.' Based on this theory, my wife and I
have been using asparagus puree as a beverage with
our meals. We take 2 tablespoons diluted in water to
suit our taste with breakfast and with dinner. I take
mine hot and my wife prefers hers cold. For years we
have made it a practice to have blood surveys taken as
part of our regular checkups. The last blood survey,
taken by a medical doctor who specializes in the
nutritional approach to health, showed substantial
improvements in all categories over the last one, and
we can attribute these improvements to nothing but
the asparagus drink.
As a biochemist, I have made an extensive study of all
aspects of cancer, and all of the proposed cures. As a
result, I am convinced that asparagus fits in better
with the latest theories about cancer.
Asparagus contains a good supply of protein called
histones, which are believed to be active in controlling
cell growth.. For that reason, I believe asparagus can
be said to contain a substance that I call cell growth
normalizer. That accounts for its action on cancer and
in acting as a general body tonic. In any event,
regardless of theory, asparagus used as we suggest, is
a harmless substance. The FDA cannot prevent you
from using it and it may do you much good. It has
been reported by the US National Cancer Institute, that
asparagus is the highest tested food containing
glutathione, which is considered one of the body's
most potent anticarcinogens and antioxidants.
Please send this article to everyone in your Address Book.
The most unselfish act one can ever do is paying forward
all the kindness one has received, even to the most
undeserved person.
Bee sting therapy... Thanks again, Pat Whitehead!
Worth a try....
This DOES work...
This information may be something to remember, as this season will soon be here again. It might be wise to
carry a penny in your pocket while working in the yard. BEE STINGS! A couple of weeks ago, I was stung by both a bee and hornet while working in the garden. My arm swelled up, so I went to the doctor. The clinic gave me cream and an antihistamine. The next day the swelling was getting progressively
worse, so I went to my regular doctor. The arm was infected and needed an antibiotic. The doctor told me the next time you get stung, put a penny on the bite for 15 minutes".
That night, my niece was stung by two bees. I looked at the bite and it had already started to swell. So, I taped a penny to her arm for 15
minutes.. The next morning, there was no sign of a bite. We decided that she just wasn't allergic to the sting.
Soon, I was gardening outside. I got stung again, twice by a hornet on my
left hand. I thought, here I go again to the doctor for another antibiotic.
I promptly got my money out and taped two pennies to my bites, then sat and sulked for 15 minutes. The penny took the string out of the bite
immediately.
In the meantime the hornets were attacking, and my friend was stung on the thumb. Again the penny. The next morning I could only see the spot where the hornet had stung me. No redness, no swelling. My friend's sting was the same; couldn't even tell where she had been stung.
She got stung again a few days later upon her back---cutting the grass!
And the penny worked once again.
Wanted to share this marvelous information in case you experience the same problem. We need to keep a
stock of pennies on hand.
The doctor said that the copper in the penny counteracts the bite.
It definitely works!
Please remember and pass this information on to your friends, children, and grandchildren.
This DOES work...
This information may be something to remember, as this season will soon be here again. It might be wise to
carry a penny in your pocket while working in the yard. BEE STINGS! A couple of weeks ago, I was stung by both a bee and hornet while working in the garden. My arm swelled up, so I went to the doctor. The clinic gave me cream and an antihistamine. The next day the swelling was getting progressively
worse, so I went to my regular doctor. The arm was infected and needed an antibiotic. The doctor told me the next time you get stung, put a penny on the bite for 15 minutes".
That night, my niece was stung by two bees. I looked at the bite and it had already started to swell. So, I taped a penny to her arm for 15
minutes.. The next morning, there was no sign of a bite. We decided that she just wasn't allergic to the sting.
Soon, I was gardening outside. I got stung again, twice by a hornet on my
left hand. I thought, here I go again to the doctor for another antibiotic.
I promptly got my money out and taped two pennies to my bites, then sat and sulked for 15 minutes. The penny took the string out of the bite
immediately.
In the meantime the hornets were attacking, and my friend was stung on the thumb. Again the penny. The next morning I could only see the spot where the hornet had stung me. No redness, no swelling. My friend's sting was the same; couldn't even tell where she had been stung.
She got stung again a few days later upon her back---cutting the grass!
And the penny worked once again.
Wanted to share this marvelous information in case you experience the same problem. We need to keep a
stock of pennies on hand.
The doctor said that the copper in the penny counteracts the bite.
It definitely works!
Please remember and pass this information on to your friends, children, and grandchildren.
I am a Christian... Thanks Pat Whitehead!
Subject: Fwd: I am a Christian
To:
If you get this more than once, you'll know you are surrounded by folks that care. This is our Happy Easter to everyone.
JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IT IS CHRISTIAN PERSON WEEK AND YOU SHOULD SEND THIS TO ALL BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN PEOPLE.
When I say that 'I am a Christian', I am not shouting that 'I am clean living. I'm whispering 'I was lost, but now I'm found and forgiven.'
When I say 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.
When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.
When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.
When I say 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.
When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou, I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!
Today is Beautiful Christian Person's Day. Pretty is as Pretty does but, Beautiful is just plain Beautiful.
I'm supposed to send this to Beautiful People, and you are one of them!!!
If you share this with another person, you will boost another person's self esteem, and they will know you care about them!
Be Blessed, Be a Blessing.
To:
If you get this more than once, you'll know you are surrounded by folks that care. This is our Happy Easter to everyone.
JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IT IS CHRISTIAN PERSON WEEK AND YOU SHOULD SEND THIS TO ALL BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN PEOPLE.
When I say that 'I am a Christian', I am not shouting that 'I am clean living. I'm whispering 'I was lost, but now I'm found and forgiven.'
When I say 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.
When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.
When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.
When I say 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.
When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou, I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!
Today is Beautiful Christian Person's Day. Pretty is as Pretty does but, Beautiful is just plain Beautiful.
I'm supposed to send this to Beautiful People, and you are one of them!!!
If you share this with another person, you will boost another person's self esteem, and they will know you care about them!
Be Blessed, Be a Blessing.
How to install a home security system... Thanks Pat Richards Whitehead!
**HOW TO INSTALL A HOME SECURITY SYSTEM**
1. Go to a secondhand store and buy a pair of men's used size 14-16 work
boots.
2. Place them on your front porch, along with a copy of Guns & Ammo Magazine
3. Put a few giant dog dishes next to the boots and magazines.
4. Leave a note on your door that reads:
Bubba,
Bertha, Duke, Slim, & I went for more ammo and beer. Be back in an hour.
Don't mess with the pit bulls; they attacked the mailman this morning
and messed him up bad. I don't think Killer took part, but it was hard
to tell from all the blood. Anyway, I locked all four of 'em in the house.
Better wait outside. Be right back.
Cooter
1. Go to a secondhand store and buy a pair of men's used size 14-16 work
boots.
2. Place them on your front porch, along with a copy of Guns & Ammo Magazine
3. Put a few giant dog dishes next to the boots and magazines.
4. Leave a note on your door that reads:
Bubba,
Bertha, Duke, Slim, & I went for more ammo and beer. Be back in an hour.
Don't mess with the pit bulls; they attacked the mailman this morning
and messed him up bad. I don't think Killer took part, but it was hard
to tell from all the blood. Anyway, I locked all four of 'em in the house.
Better wait outside. Be right back.
Cooter
The old dented bucket... Thanks Judi Cole
I agree with our good friend, Judi Cole. Thanks Judi!
Sam
What a great story. Hope you enjoy it.
I sure did.
Judi Cole
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All men have appreciated the sight of beautiful girlsthroughout history..
In thinking of the truly beautiful girls I have seen in life, they always have the beauty inside as well as out. This story lets me know that, although beauty may only be inside in a person, it is still true beauty. We had such a cousin in Bill Copen, and I must include his story here in my SamKat blog from my unpublished memoirs soon. Bill had an oversized head and a twisted body from having Ricketts as a baby.
He stayed with our family for a while because my dad, Forest Kegley, Bill's mother's (Lovell Copen) brother, became his best friend and moral supporter. The laughs all of our ten kids had with Bill still warm my heart and I am so glad that God allowed Bill into our hearts. Was the true beauty only Bill's? Thinking now, my dad had true beauty in his heart for his nephew and I am so happy dad passed a little of that on to each of us.
Thank you dad, and thank you our good and glorious God!
Sam Kegley
THE OLD DENTED BUCKET
Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore .. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out-patients at the clinic.
One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly taller than my 8-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw.
Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning."
He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face .... I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments .."
For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning."
I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch.. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. "No, thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a brown paper bag.
When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her 5 children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.
He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going...
At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch.
He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, "Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind."
I told him he was welcome to come again.
And, on his next trip, he arrived a little after 7 in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen! He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. And I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us, there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.
Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk 3 miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious.
When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning.
"Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!"
Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But, oh!, if only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear.
I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God.
Recently I was visiting a friend, who has a greenhouse, as she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!"
My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, "and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden."
She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven.
"Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body."
All this happened long ago - and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand.
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7b)
Friends are very special. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear and they share a word of praise. Show your friends how much you care. Pass this on, and brighten someone's day.
Nothing will happen if you do not decide to pass it along. The only thing that will happen if you DO pass it on is that someone might smile (because of you).
Sam
What a great story. Hope you enjoy it.
I sure did.
Judi Cole
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All men have appreciated the sight of beautiful girlsthroughout history..
In thinking of the truly beautiful girls I have seen in life, they always have the beauty inside as well as out. This story lets me know that, although beauty may only be inside in a person, it is still true beauty. We had such a cousin in Bill Copen, and I must include his story here in my SamKat blog from my unpublished memoirs soon. Bill had an oversized head and a twisted body from having Ricketts as a baby.
He stayed with our family for a while because my dad, Forest Kegley, Bill's mother's (Lovell Copen) brother, became his best friend and moral supporter. The laughs all of our ten kids had with Bill still warm my heart and I am so glad that God allowed Bill into our hearts. Was the true beauty only Bill's? Thinking now, my dad had true beauty in his heart for his nephew and I am so happy dad passed a little of that on to each of us.
Thank you dad, and thank you our good and glorious God!
Sam Kegley
THE OLD DENTED BUCKET
Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore .. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out-patients at the clinic.
One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly taller than my 8-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw.
Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning."
He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face .... I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments .."
For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning."
I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch.. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. "No, thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a brown paper bag.
When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her 5 children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.
He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going...
At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch.
He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, "Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind."
I told him he was welcome to come again.
And, on his next trip, he arrived a little after 7 in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen! He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. And I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us, there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.
Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk 3 miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious.
When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning.
"Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!"
Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But, oh!, if only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear.
I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God.
Recently I was visiting a friend, who has a greenhouse, as she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!"
My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, "and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden."
She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven.
"Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body."
All this happened long ago - and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand.
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7b)
Friends are very special. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear and they share a word of praise. Show your friends how much you care. Pass this on, and brighten someone's day.
Nothing will happen if you do not decide to pass it along. The only thing that will happen if you DO pass it on is that someone might smile (because of you).
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