I fondly remember my first run-in with a “fwog”. Our family was living in a small panhandle town in Texas. The big boast on their sign was that they were “the biggest town in Texas on Highway 54”. If you read “only” into that statement, you got it. (g)

We lived in a lovely two story home in a quiet neighborhood. In our backyard was a huge tractor tire filled with sand. Our kids loved to play in the sandbox. One day, while eating lunch, I heard this loud holler from the backyard. As I ran for the back door, I met little Kathi busting in the back door. She kept yelling, “Fwog, Daddy, fwog.”

All right! Time out! Let me explain here that Kathi was the shyest child I’ve ever seen or known. She ALWAYS hid behind Mom’s skirts or Daddy’s trouser leg when people were around. Often even when there were no people around. So, for her to holler so loudly pushed all my paternal buttons, for sure!

Well, as a good Daddy, I went outside to investigate. There, crawling at an agonizingly slow pace, was an itty bitty box turtle. It wasn’t a frog at all, but to four year old Kathi, it was a FWOG! Well, I removed the turtle thus saving our daughter’s life (g), and cementing my place in her mind as The Greatest Daddy In All The World.

You are entitled to wonder what in the world this vignette from my past has to do with Valentine’s Day – the day when we especially honor love. Well, let me ‘splain!

Pat and I don’t swap a lot of gifts. After all, we have each other and that’s whole bunches! (g) When we do get each other something, it’s likely to NOT occur on a special occasion.

A few days ago, Pat came into my office (Mark’s former bedroom) and gave me an early Valentine’s Day gift. Even though I jokingly refer to it as a chimp, it really is a frog.

Perhaps I should first explain that I have quite a collection of frogs. A lady even made me a frog pillow for my couch. Most of my frogs are little frogs. Some are ceramic, others are plaster. A couple are plastic. Perhaps my favorite is pewter. Just love the little pewter frog! (g)

Well, back to my newest frog. As you can see from the graphic, she has a pair of big red lips attached to her right “arm”. The red vest and black bow tie complete the lovely ensemble. When I push the red button on her left arm, she sings, “Let Me Call You Sweetheart”. As a former barber shop quartet singer, it warms the cockles of my heart! I hit the button several times a day. Thanks, Pat. I love you, too! Oh, did I explain that she dances, too? She does, she really does!

Love can be expressed in so many ways, can’t it? How creative are you? Better yet, how creative has someone in your life been to you in expressing love? A little gag gift can really lift someone’s spirits. It can open the door to verbal expressions that might have stayed hidden without the little door opener.

I could tell you about so many expressions over my lifetime that let me know someone cared. Very few things cost much. My mother sent me an electric corn cob one time. It was a corn cob (she lives in Iowa) with an electric wire and plug shoved into one end. Didn’t do anything. You KNOW I plugged it in to find out. Not much cost, but it spoke volumes to me about her love for her #1 Son!

Please let me hear about your favorite story. Bet we’ll get some fascinating responses. (g)

SOME SELECTED RESPONSES TO “PREACHER LISTS!”

– Liked the new piece. I’m like you in that if I write things on a list, I can often remember them even if I forget the list. They say we remember things better if we write them down. I think this is true for sermons, too. When I take notes I tend to remember the message better. The greatest way to know you have learned something is to be able to teach someone else. That is one of my personal goals for the year. Not only to be taught, but to pass on what I have learned.

– Good piece. When have we scheduled time to speak with God? We schedule time for everything else. God should be the first thing on our daily calendar. God schedules time for us. We need to return the “favor.”

– I’m not impressed with men (mostly) who whip out their little calendars to see if it’s convenient to make a date. Give me the good old fashioned man who responds without pulling out an electronic gadget. Thanks for the list idea. I like the one about what you have to take with you on a trip. We went on a camping trip. Just before we left home we rearranged the trunk of the car……and left the sleeping bags on the table. We were camping in Yellowstone National Park when we realized what we had done….

– Thanks for your contributions. I appreciate them.

– Now those are the kind of rabbits that one could name and enjoy cuddling! White rabbits are so boring! I can’t imagine eating rabbits although I have eaten the wild ones that my husband brought in from the hunting trip! I went hunting with him one time and when the rabbit ran out in front of me, I was tying a bandanna over my head! I wouldn’t have been able to shoot it, anyway. Sometimes I wish I could be like everybody else and then I realize that I like being different! And when you get my age, you need the lists, and a place to keep them. Unfortunately, I do not have a shirt pocket! God Bless You. :o))