Neil Diamond, so many great songs. Of course, being a Red Sox fan, his Sweet Caroline means a lot to me but when that song was just a song I liked, there were others of his that meant so much more. 

  When I was a young girl I had many make believe friends that I would “talk” to and since I interpret his song Shilo to be about that, it was easy for me to relate to. “When no one else would come, Shilo you always came, and you’d stay.” 

  Later when I was an insecure emotional teenage girl he had two songs that were, without needing interpretation, even easier to relate to. I Am I Said for the insecure teen part. “I am I said to no one there and no one heard at all not even the chair.” I know that seems sad but the validation of my feelings helped so much! Then there was Song Sung Blue for the emotional girl part. “Me and you are subject to the blues now and then but when you take the blues and make a song you sing ‘em out again.” So true especially with that song! I loved hearing and singing those songs then and still do now. 

  As a grew into early adulthood he had two other songs that were easy to relate to for me. I consider his song Forever in Blue Jeans  one of my life theme songs (more on those in a different post). “Money talks but it don’t sing and dance and it don’t walk... I’d much rather be forever in blue jeans!” 

The other is because my parents instilled a wonderful sense of patriotism in me so his song America brings that out, especially after I saw him in concert from the 3rd row and when he sang it a huge American flag was unfurled as the backdrop behind him! “...We make our bed and we say our grace, freedoms light burning warm!” 

  So, like the blue jeans he sings about and I will forever be in, his music will forever be in my heart! Thank you, Neil Diamond! Happy 80th Birthday! 🙂❤️🎶

This is the first installment of,
“From My Life Experience for What It’s Worth.”
       Being able to find your family tree on line is great but what you can’t get on line is memories of these people so you should have your Grandparents and Parents or other family members write down their memories of people in your family tree and as many of their life time memories as they want. From huge things to little sweet moments! You can scan their writings and have them put in a book so they will be preserved better too. I regret that I did not have my family do that!
And that is my life experience for what it’s worth. 🙂

The Little Drummer Boy

    The Little Drummer Boy has always been one of my favorite Christmas songs. The innocence of a little boy giving the only thing he could to our new born King is just so wonderful all by itself but if you think about it we can all relate to it. I know I do! 

   "Come they told me. A new born King to see..." 

  The people told the drummer boy to come and see the King of King and Lord of Lords. I remember people telling me that and I came, saw, repented and believed in the one and  only Savior, so I can relate to that part of the song. Can you? I hope so! If not please call, text, or private message me so we can talk about the most important decision you will make in your life! 

   "Our finest gifts we bring to lay before the King. So to honor Him when we come. Little baby, I am a poor boy too. I have no gift to bring. That's fit to give a King..." 

The people told the drummer boy they were bringing this new born King their finest gifts and he felt unworthy, like me. Like you perhaps? 

   Although I am not rich I have never been really poor, thank God, but I feel "poor" when it comes to having anything to offer my All Mighty God. I do not have any talents to speak of. Yeah, I can be somewhat creative but there are others so much more so. I have been told I have a nice singing voice but I know it is not amazing. I love working with children but have seen many people so much better at that then me also. I could go on and on but I think you get my point. Can you relate? 

"Shall I play for you, on my drum? Mary nodded. The ox and lamb kept time. I played my drum for him." 

   The drummer boy thinks to give the King what he has to give even though it seems so small. Others around him agree he should, (as shown by Mary nodding) and others are blessed by it, (as shown by the ox and the lamb). 

    I can relate to this because when I stop feeling sorry for myself and just decide to give what I have to God, to do what I can with the talents I have, others agree with me, and I have been told by others that I have blessed them. That can happen for you too, if it hasn’t already. 

"I played my drum for Him, I played my best for him. Then he smiled at me..." 

  The boy gave his best and Jesus smiled at him! Him and what he had to give. 

   I think that line is the equivalent to the parable Jesus told about the kingdom of Heaven and the bags of gold. You know, where the master in the parable says, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” Jesus’ smile in the song was as if He was saying, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” to the little drummer boy! The words I hope we all get to hear from our Master someday! 

I Believe

At the risk of losing friends and being wrongly called a bigot, I feel the need to take a stand: 

Among many other “controversial” and not so controversial issues, 

I believe...

Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior! 

The Bible is the Holy Word of God!

In the Holy Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit in One God!

In absolute truths! 

That, as a Christian, I would have to hate someone to not share the truth about Jesus with them. 

As Jesus said, no one can get to the Father except through Him! 

What you do with Jesus is the most important decision you will ever make. 

All have sinned but just because my sin may be different from yours it does not make me better or worse then you and vice versa. 

Although I would love for everyone to trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior, I cannot force others to live as if they do. 

God told us not to judge others but He also told us we, not only can, but need to judge right from wrong. 

Life begins at conception!

Although I have compassion for women in difficult situations, abortion at any stage of pregnancy is murder!

God made only two genders, male and female, one cannot ever be the other and I feel for anyone struggling with gender dysphoria. 

God made marriage between a man and a women but I am not judge and jury for anyone else and everyone should be free to pursue their own happiness. 

The United States Constitution with the bill of rights is one of the greatest documents ever written! 

America, though not perfect, is at the very least, one of the greatest countries in the world! 

As the Bible says, “...the greatest of these is love.” 

Sometimes loving people means telling them hard truths. 

That, ultimately, a person’s personal relationship with God is between them and God.

People can have fundamentally different beliefs and still, not only be civil to each other, but love each other and even be close friends. 

God bless! 🙂

Barbara McKinnon

   This is my first attempt at blogging and it is mainly for me to just write down my prayers, praises and thoughts for what they are worth. If anyone else reads it I hope it will glorify God and point them to a relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

   I was 10 years old, younger children were like lower g gods to me, on what turned out to be one of the most important days of my entire life. My Mom and I went to my brother’s baseball game at Bartlett Park, and I saw two young kids playing in the grass, just rolling around and doing somersaults, I was drawn to them. I know now that it was the Holy Spirit that drew me to them but at the time I just knew I wanted to play with them. I asked them if they wanted to play with me and they said, “We have to ask our Mommy.” I followed them over to a young women sitting in a lawn chair, keeping score for the game and when they called, “Mommy” She turned around and looked at them. They asked, “Can we play with her?” and pointed toward me. She looked at me and smiled, a simple but very sweet smile that I loved receiving from that day forward, and said, “Yes”.

   After that day, I played with the children, who told me their names were ”Gonky Paul and Gonky Lordie”,  every time my brother had a game and sometimes the family would bring us home. I loved those times and asked if I could come play or babysit for the kids. Her answer again was yes so I would come over many days to just play with, help with, and babysit for her, at that time, 4 children.
    That was the start of my relationship with Barbara McKinnon, a relationship that I know was a gift from God to me! Over the next several years they had two more kids, the youngest being born on my 16 birthday, and I continued to babysit for them all!  As I grew up, I would stay at their house on Elkam Blvd., even after they got home, for hours and she and I would talk about the kids, school, my family, my friends, well, everything, but mostly about Jesus.
   I got married and moved to SC and we started a family of our own but I continued to stay in touch with her through phone calls and letters. My family spent several summer vacations staying at their house. They were family not just friends! There are so many wonderful memories with her and her family that I could go on for hours and still have more to tell!
   Barbara and my relationship grew from a mother/daughter type to best friends! I describe her to people who don’t know her as my God mother/other Mother/best friend all rolled into one amazing women! In 1 Samuel 18:1 it says, “After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.” That is the closest the Bible comes to mentioning anything like “soul mates” and it’s about a friendship. Barbara and I have often talked about her and I having that kind of friendship.
   Barbara and Terry McKinnon were more than instrumental in my having a personal relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I knew about Jesus before I met them but not about a real personal relationship with Him and without the McKinnon family I am not sure I ever would have! I knew them before Terry was saved and saw the transformation which was amazing and much due to the prayers of Barbara! I have my close relationship with Jesus largely because I watched them live out theirs.
   Without Jesus I can only imagine who or where I would be! Because of Him, I have made it through countless tragedies and trials in my life and come through better than I was! I never used drugs, smoked or drank even in high school, though I was made fun of. The cycle of alcoholism in my family was broken! My children were raised Christian, and even though one of them is not living that right now I know he will come back and he is better off for being raised that way! My grandchildren are being raised in Christian homes! Again, I could go on and on about what God has done for me and my family and still have more to tell.
   All of that and more because Barbara Mckinnon was, well, Barbara McKinnon, welcoming, loving, caring, and nurturing. She was and is Jesus’ hands and feet to me and many others! She has a legacy of leading, not just me, but many people to a relationship with Jesus! Is she perfect, no, but that’s just it, she knows her need for a savior and isn’t afraid to show it and tell others about it. She leads by example and that is how she led me!
   I can never say enough about what she has done for me or thank her enough! She would tell you that I was a gift from God to her but that is just her, very humble and unaware of how incredible she really is!
   I love you Mrs. Barbara McKinnon! You are a women after God’s own heart!!

God Bless!!

Tamy : )