Two Peas In a Pod With a Lot to Say!

By James Harris McClurkan and Kenneth Dale Bradford

Living in the south is a distinct privilege. It’s a place where the word “Y’all” somehow gets into just about every conversation. The south is a place where sweet tea is the drink of the day and a rocking chair is standard equipment when undertaking the art of front porch sitting. The south is a place where fireflies are called “lightnin’ bugs” and watching them on a warm summer night is a magical experience. The south is a place where people say “Hello, How are you?” and really do care about your well-being. The south is a place where people smile and wave and expect you to smile and wave back.
Every now and then, a book comes along that opens our minds, changes perceptions, launches new visions and influences our world-view and our life’s philosophy.
Pastor Richard Hughes put it all in perspective when he said:
“ . . . we realized there was always three peas in the pod and that third one is the reason these two peas can tell these stories.”
This book could have easily been called, “Three Peas In a Pod”, for we believe that God was the inspiration behind its content. We believe, as disciples of God, we needed to pass on His Word.
Change can be just what we need sometimes. Many people just don't understand what to change. "Two Peas In a Pod With a Lot to Say!" brings sunshine in what otherwise would be a cloudy day.
We hope to make you smile awhile, cry awhile and at times, just sit back and think about your own childhood and what God's plan for you might be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Harris McClurkan
• Release date: Nov 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9780578592688

James Harris McClurkan

I was born and raised on Cedar Creek, near the small town of Vanleer, TN. I was born at home, the old house is still standing, decent shape. As a kid, I was called “James Harris”. I don’t really know why everybody used my middle name. Growing up on a farm is not easy. You couldn’t call them chores, it was your job. Every morning my job was to feed the mules and chickens. Nothing like going to the corn crib to get corn and grab a chicken snake. Dad always kept one in there to keep down the mouse population. One day Dad and I were at the hog pin, he caught a black racer, that thing wrapped around his arm so fast it would make your head spin. It started to tighten up on his arm cutting off circulation. He told me, get this thing off me. I started unwinding it and it popped like breaking dry twigs. Needless to say that was his last attempt. Now on wash day that was another one of my jobs. I had to fill a big kettle with water, then set a fire under it. When it got hot I had to transfer to an old ringer washing machine. After that I had to tote rinse water. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that I was carrying it from the spring branch. We didn’t have water in our house until I was grown and married. Took a wash pan bath all through school, Boo-Hoo. For years I thought my name was “Get Wood”, cause that’s all I heard. About the age of 15, I went to town with Mom and Dad and everybody asked, who I was. They would go to town every Saturday, but I didn’t want to go. Through all my working years I was known as “Preacher”, because I could mock my Dad’s sermon. I hope you enjoy this book Dale and I put together. I wanted people to enjoy it and smile as they thought about their own childhood.

Book preview

Two Peas In a Pod With a Lot to Say!

by James Harris McClurkan & Kenneth Dale Bradford

© Copyright 2019 – James Harris McClurkan and Kenneth Dale Bradford

All Rights Reserved.

Smashwords Edition

Cover design by:

Ken Bradford

DEDICATION

To our parents

Who always loved us

and did their best to guide us.

They tried.

By the way,

it was James who

had the matches.

Table of Contents

DEDICATION

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

Author Bio

James Harris McClurkan

Kenneth Dale Bradford

Chapter 1 – Cudya' Use Sum Direcchuns?

Chapter 2 – Sittin' On the Front Porch

PART I – Learnin' to Talk Southern

Chapter 1 – Southern Privilege

Chapter 2 – Often Used Southern Words/Terms and Their Meanings

Chapter 3 – Understanding Often Used Southern Phrases

PART II – Gospel Music We Love

Chapter 1 – The Story Behind Amazing Grace

Chapter 2 – The Story Behind The Old Rugged Cross

Chapter 3 – The Story Behind I Can't Even Walk

PART III – Inspiration & Understanding

Chapter 1 – An Interview With a Man Called Jesus

Chapter 2 – Should Our Children Know God?

Chapter 3 – Why God Punishes Evil

Chapter 4 – Why Christians Aren't Perfect

Chapter 5 – Noah Was a Man of Faith and Obedience

Chapter 6 – Can Christians Sin?

Chapter 7 – Should Christians Work on Sunday?

Chapter 8 – Evil Is the Nature of Humanity

Chapter 9 – Our Relationship With God Today

Chapter 10 – Why Bad Things Happen to Good People

Chapter 11 – We Should Get Inspiration from Bible Heroes

PART IV – Poems & Lyrics

My Hearts Prayer

That Was Life On Cedar Creek

Trials & Tribulations

A Very Big Man

God's Memory Is Worse Than Mine

On Golgotha's Hill

Between Two Thieves

The House On Dryhollow Road

As the Shadows Grow

Singin' With the Angels

Creation

My Mama's Tears

Born In the Country

God Says

PART V – Hope You're Feeling Better

Chapter 1 – Creating a Better Life

Chapter 2 – 30 Day Plan for Reading God's Word

DAY 1 BIBLE READING

DAY 2 BIBLE READING

DAY 3 BIBLE READING

DAY 4 BIBLE READING

DAY 5 BIBLE READING

DAY 6 BIBLE READING

DAY 7 BIBLE READING

DAY 8 BIBLE READING

DAY 9 BIBLE READING

DAY 10 BIBLE READING

DAY 11 BIBLE READING

DAY 12 BIBLE READING

DAY 13 BIBLE READING

DAY 14 BIBLE READING

DAY 15 BIBLE READING

DAY 16 BIBLE READING

DAY 17 BIBLE READING

DAY 18 BIBLE READING

DAY 19 BIBLE READING

DAY 20 BIBLE READING

DAY 21 BIBLE READING

DAY 22 BIBLE READING

DAY 23 BIBLE READING

DAY 24 BIBLE READING

DAY 25 BIBLE READING

DAY 26 BIBLE READING

DAY 27 BIBLE READING

DAY 28 BIBLE READING

DAY 29 BIBLE READING

DAY 30 BIBLE READING

Thanksgiving

It's Not Goodbye, Just See Ya' Later!

References

The Truth About Grape Vines

INTRODUCTION

Once upon a time in a land far away. Well, actually, if you go through Dickson, it really ain't that far.

Anyway in this land lived two kids who both claimed a creek. One claimed a creek named Yellow Creek and the other's creek was Cedar Creek.

In the summertime, when the Yellow Creek kid's Mama had to work at the shirt factory, he was left at home by himself. There was no danger in him staying by himself, but he had no one to play with and he got plumb lonely.

On occasions, the Cedar Creek kid would walk about five miles to go to the Yellow Creek kid's house. It might sound a little silly, but both kids turned around and walked the same five miles back to the Cedar Creek kid's house.

Now, these kids weren't mean or nothing, but from time to time they did take a fancy to testing the nerves of the Cedar Creek kid's Mama. One day as they were walking past that ole tobacco barn, they could smell the odor of the tobacco being cured and they wondered just what that tobacco would taste like. Well, they just couldn't stand it anymore and they opened the barn door and took down just one leaf of tobacco that was hanging in the barn. They really didn't know how to smoke, so they decided to make a cigar from the tobacco leaf.

Boy, what a cigar did they make! Now, you know right here that these boys had to have planned this, or else how did they light that cigar? The truth of the whole thing is that one of them boys had a match in his pocket. Well, they only took one puff and then strange things started to happen. The barn started spinning and everything was moving slower than molasses. Their faces turned greener than a frog's hiney. They ran as fast as they could back

to the house and just fell plumb out on the front porch. The cold concrete felt so good and everyone wanted to know what had happened.

Now, the Cedar Creek kid's Mama and Daddy were both madder than a wet hen and they both wanted to know if we wanted another one. But, since we were just laying there thinkin' we were both fixin' to die, we both just graciously declined their offer.

Go ahead and stick a fork in it. We're done. Hope you enjoy our book.

Author Bio

James Harris McClurkan

I was born and raised on Cedar Creek. I was born at home, the old house is still standing, decent shape. As a kid, I was called James Harris. I don’t really know why everybody used my middle name.

Growing up on a farm is not easy. You couldn't call them chores, it was your job. Every morning my job was to feed the mules and chickens. Nothing like going to the corn crib to get corn and grab a chicken snake.

Dad always kept one in there to keep down the mouse population. One day Dad and I were at the hog pin, he caught a black racer, that thing wrapped around his arm so fast it would make

your head spin. It started to tighten up on his arm cutting off circulation. He told me, get this thing off me. I started unwinding it and it popped like breaking dry twigs. Needless to say that was his last attempt.

Now on wash day that was another one of my jobs. I had to fill a big kettle with water, then set a fire under it. When it got hot