Maggie Wallem Rowe - Life Is Sweet, Yall: Wit and Wisdom with a Side of Sass

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Life Is Sweet, Yall: Wit and Wisdom with a Side of Sass

Copyright 2022 by Maggie Wallem Rowe. All rights reserved.

Cover and interior retro patterns copyright Pacific Modern Art/Creative Market; all rights reserved. Cover and interior illustrations of womens faces copyright CSA-Printstock/iStockphoto; all rights reserved. Interior illustrations of facial expressions copyright RTRO/Adobe Stock; all rights reserved. Interior illustration of kitchen poster copyright Iveta Angelova/Adobe Stock; all rights reserved.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation; used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188; all rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers; used by permission; all rights reserved. Scripture quotation marked MSG is taken from The Message, copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson; used by permission of NavPress; all rights reserved; represented by Tyndale House Publishers. Scripture quotation marked NIV is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV ; copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.; used by permission; all rights reserved worldwide.

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ISBN 978-1-4964-5313-6

Build: 2022-01-05 09:20:29 EPUB 3.0

To my grandchildren

Wisdom
is sweet to
your soul.

Proverbs 24:14

Just like Mom Used to Make

You know the old saying about family: You cant live with em, and you cant live without em. We all have a few loose branches on our family tree along with an impressive collection of nuts. Maybe you have kids who are like a matched set of dueling pistols, or youve got a brother-in-law who cant weigh facts because hes got a scale full of opinions already. But as ornery and cantankerous as family members can be, theyre yours. If the most important commandments in Scripture are to love God and your neighbor, its good to remember that your neighbor is as near as the man or woman, boy or girl who happens to be under your roof. And if someday your family tree branches off in different directions? You still share the same deep roots.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Ephesians 5:21

I sustain myself with the love of family.

Maya Angelou

Its said that success is being able to tell the truth at your high school reunion. Dont we sometimes wish we could show those who never thought wed amount to anything that weve made something special of our lives after all? The problem comes with defining one slippery little seven-letter word: success. Is success landing a dream job that impresses others? Is it having plenty of money in the bank, a happy marriage, and obedient children? Those are wonderful blessings, but factors that depend on the actions of other people or the worlds standards are unreliable rulers for measuring success. Instead, ask yourself whether you are doing the best you can and living in a way that demonstrates honor and integrity before God and people. If your answer is yes, it sure sounds like success to me!

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Colossians 3:23

Somewhere along the way I learned an old folk saying.... If you want to succeed in life, the saying goes, you must pick three bones to carry with you at all times: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone.

Reba McEntire, Comfort from a Country Quilt

If you want to frost a cake like a pro,
use a fresh
paint-stirring stick.
Easy peasy!

First Lady Bess Truman served a version of this dessert at the White House when her husband, Harry S. Truman, was president. Both of them were from Missouri, a state where part of the Ozarks region is found. Top the pudding with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream at your house!

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cups granulated sugar
• cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped apple
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs with a mixer and slowly add the sugar, beating until light and creamy.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; add to egg mixture, blending well.
4. Fold chopped apple and walnuts into batter; add vanilla.
5. Pour batter into greased and floured pan and bake 30 minutes.

Lifes full of problems, usually more than you can say grace over. No wonder you get frustrated at times! Maybe you feel like snatchin someone bald-headed or pitching a plate at the wall, but venting your anger will make more of a mess than youre already in. Step back, sit down, and take a deep breath. Several of them, in fact. How much of this situation is yours to fix? If a good remedy comes to mind, use it. But if other people are responsible, let them take the consequences, even if theyre not willing to take the blame. If they wont listen to you, at least youll know youve done what you could. Hold your peace and entrust the situation to the One in charge of the world. Thankfully, thats not you!