Dear Reader:

You may have heard talk of some women’s organizations initiating a political fight now (for the year 2020 ) to remove Andrew Jackson from the twenty-dollar bill (like he, unceremoniously, removed the Five major Eastern Indian tribes to Oklahoma along the Trail of Tears) and replace his image with that of a famous American woman.

And why 2020….because that year marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote. So in keeping with the “twenties” theme…the twenty-dollar bill seems only appropriate. (The first time Eva Cate got a twenty-dollar bill…she asked me who the scary looking man on the front was…perhaps this is the real reason behind the change…Jackson doesn’t hold up well to PR scrutiny.)

To give everyone a chance to decide which historical woman should be the first on a paper bill…a contest is underway….with Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and Harriett Tubman leading the race to date.

We will have to see how this all plays out…whatever the outcome…the twenty-dollar bill will probably be worth less ( in spending power) by 2020.

Yet the real value in the twenty-dollar or any dollar bill… might take on a different perspective after you read this interesting anecdote.

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked: “Who would like this $20 bill?”

Hands shot up across the large assembly room.

He then said, “I am going to give this $20 bill to one of you but first, let me do this.”

He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up.

He then asked, “Who still wants it?”

Still the hands were all up in the air.

“Well, he replied, “What if I do this?” And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. “Now who still wants it?” All the hands remained in the air.

“My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

“Many times in our lives, we, too are dropped, crumpled, and ground in to the dirt by decisions we make or circumstances beyond our control.”

“We feel as though we are now worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose YOUR value. You are special-DON’T EVER FORGET IT!

……………………………..

So until tomorrow…Father, remind us daily, that no matter the dire circumstances that might befall us…we are children of God and as such loved and valued beyond human comprehension…God-fold!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* I can’t leave today without sharing another anecdote Jo Dufford sent me in reference to the blog post on the ‘little things in life being the most important.’

This blog really hit home with me because it is the little things (like a real hug) that count, especially as I get older.

I read a devotion the other day on this subject. It seems this lady and her husband had some big trip planned to see a portion of the world far away, and then for health reasons needed to stay close to home.

So they packed a basket, took a blanket and began driving on back roads and seeing places they didn’t even know existed. They picnicked on river banks and enjoyed God’s world around them. They watched an old man whittle and listened to the laughter of children playing in the park. They ate in little diners with the best home-cooking and met the most interesting people.

It IS all about “taking time to smell the roses,”right? Speaking of flowers, yours are so beautiful.

(Thanks Jo for the nice compliment and the anecdote…I loved it!)