What Mother Said, What Mother Meant: A Collection of Old-Time Sayings for Everyday Living

By Dedra R. Ottley

What Mother Said, What Mother Meant: A Collection of Old-Time Sayings for Everyday Living is an uplifting and heartfelt collection of sayings and reminders that will help readers stay focused on what is important in lifea personal relationship with God and fulfilling his commandments when it comes to living with others.

Opening each section with quaint colloquialisms that the author learned from her mother or other important people in her life, the author invites readers to glean some wisdom from these old but meaningful sayings so that they can lead peaceful, blessed lives with their friends, family, loved ones, and God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 20, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512783629

Dedra R. Ottley

Born on the island of St. Thomas, USVI, Dedra R. Ottley enjoys reading, writing, talking with friends and studying God’s Word Daily. She enjoys ministering to those she meets. Dedra holds a B. A. in Political Science, an M.S. in Criminal Justice and a Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Management.

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Copyright © 2017 Dedra R. Ottley.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8363-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8364-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8362-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017905818

WestBow Press rev. date: 4/20/2017

Contents

In Memoriam

Preface

Acknowledgments

God’s Richest Blessings

Honoring Parents

God Loves Them More

Teach Your Children Right

God—Not the Government!

Parents—No Stumbling Blocks

The Carrier/Gossiper Are Joined Together

Clean Up Your Own Backyard

Kindness

Unspoken Truth Speaks Volumes

Good Deeds Pay Big Dividends

Experience Brings Self-Empowerment

Two Equals One in Marriage

Attention before Vows

Adultery Destroys

Lucky Is the Man

Rule Your Money—Or It Will Rule You

Money and Mercy

Fool Money Dat

Golden Silence

Think First

Friendship Draws Close

Don’t Stay Long

Too Close for Comfort

Enemy More than Friend

Frenemy? Really?

Company Defines You

Unseen Wisdom: Limited Vision

Hard Work and Prayer—Not Jealousy

Lies in the Fiery Furnace

A lie you a tell

Power in the Tongue

Bitter Tongue and Sweet Water?

No Cussing Here

Know-It-All SMH

Reinforce Your Glass House

Belief Isn’t Enough

Heaven Bound

Talk Is Cheap

Heaven Is for Real

Honest Labor: No Shame with God

Virtuous Patience

Greetings

Lead and Follow

Step It Out

Life’s Cycle

Closed Lips: Sails Your Ship

Making Decisions

Rely on or Blame God?

Testing Time

Minister in Pain

Possibilities and Realities

Doubt It Is True

Proceed Cautiously

Make Us or Break Us

Absolutely Not!

Guard Your Talk

Sense Attack

Trouble Comes Eventually

God’s Dependence

The Unexplainable God

Gift from God

Hot Water—Strong Tea

Blessings for All

Tears Anyone?

God Gives Back

God Owns All

Grumble Not!

Ten Thousand Angels

Sugary

Obedience and Righteousness Go Hand in Hand

Body Temple—God’s Ideal

Keep Traveling: You’ll Keep Learning

Another Man

Run from Satan

The First Stair Is Prayer

Prayer Works

He Never Sleeps!

Renewed Strength

God Knows

Wonderful Name

Counteraction

Recommendation!

Grow Up and Listen Up

If It Isn’t in the Word, It Doesn’t Deserve to Be Heard

God Is!

Integrity

Everything!

Trusting God

Done!

Rise Up!

Hang On

Covenant

A Salt-Filled Future?

Hush

Offensive

God and God Alone

Not Promised

Believe it!

Word Power!

Only God

The Pit

Outlaw

Turpitude

Teaching—Not Preaching

Keep on Teaching

Can I Get an Amen?

Incomprehensible

Ready or Not

Nice Nasty

Starting Over

Redress

Heaven Bound

Stand Back

Reverence

In My Father’s House

Surely You Jest

Courageous

Come, Lord Jesus

Love and Forgiveness join hands

Neither One for Us

Say It Isn’t So—But It Is

Prominence

Step by Step

Intensify

No Guilt—No Shame

Dodging

Value versus Mass

Transformation

So Can You

Tresses

Uncovered

Sufficiency

Enemy Love Equals Blessings

Mistake

Gloves Anyone?

Take Warning

Assign

Still God

Twice

Deficient

Cast Away

Showtime

Alive and Well

Floral Arrangement

Damnation

Hear Me

Withdraw

Only One

Stand

Principle

Destination

Gateway

Peril

Gift of God

Insatiability

Bless Them

Not Seen

Exaltation

But God!

Go Fish

Fishing Is Everyday Living

Whose Battle Is It?

Some Fish Need to Be Put Back

Tongue in Cheek Can Make One Weak

The Greatest of All

No Excuses for the Bruises

Keep Living and Keep Learning

Choices from the Caribbean Sea

All One and Two Is Three

On Hurricane Season

In Honor of Jesus Christ—the Only Begotten Son of God

Epilogue

In Memoriam

Isa Adina Matthews

Sunrise: November 12/13, 1923

Sunset: March 25, 1974

Age at Death: 50

No, she wasn’t perfect; it just seemed that way. She loved us all unconditionally, and we knew her well. We all called her Momma—it was simply that way. Yes, Momma was our grandmother, don’t you know? We all loved her as mother and friend. She went to sleep too soon, singing, There’s a deep settled peace in my heart. What a song to sing as she closed her eyes from this world full of sin. She sleeps in the bosom of Jesus, and sooner than we can imagine, she will rise. We will eternally be united. We all still miss Momma—she was our foundation on earth. But God!

Dorothy P.

Sunrise: October 9, 1916

Sunset: September 8, 2002

Age at Death: 74

Many days, I can still hear her saying, Dedra, you catch more bees with honey than you do with vinegar or Dedra, one mother can raise five children, but five children cannot take care of one mother. I miss my friend. But God!

Andrew Joseph Bridgewater Junior

Sunrise: September 28, 2006

Sunset: June 24, 2013

Age at Death: 6

A. J. had such beautiful, captivating eyes. He didn’t see completion, but his love was no surprise. I’ve spent many a nights thanking God for having known him. There’s a hole that is still in my heart from the day A. J. died. But God! I know, during the resurrection, he’ll be all mine. We will be together again. But until then …

Dason Anderson Anthony Junior

Sunrise: March 8, 2012

Sunset: March 15, 2012

Age at Death: 7 Days

Dason was the only niece or nephew whose name I didn’t know until after he fell asleep. How could seven days bring an end? Only God knows—and we trust Him. After all, he created this earth in six days and rested on the seventh day. Dason’s purpose was fulfilled in seven days. Completed, finished, ended—until we meet on that beautiful day.

Preface

Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

—Ephesians 6:2–3

Growing up, my mother had many sayings she often said to us children or while speaking to others. I have never asked my siblings, but I used to think mother was a bit nutty—and I’m not talking about almonds—until I got to know Jesus and began studying the Word of God.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Timothy 3:16)

Mother never said her sayings were biblically sound, and I’m not sure she knew. She probably grew up hearing them from her mother, who learned from her mom, going back generations. As I ventured outside of my home, I heard many of the same sayings being repeated. I thought, Oh, my. Are they all crazy—or is there something deeper to the things older people say? Why can’t they just speak plain English?

I’m sure you grew up with many sayings from your childhood that have helped you along the way. They helped shape the person you are now and who you hope to be. Maybe you have forgotten some of them or never gave thought to the sayings of yesteryear. But God has a way of bringing things back to our remembrance and helping guide us on the path in which we should go.

I believe God has led me to such a path. For many years, I’ve been writing down these sayings and trying to find each scripture that went along with them. Nonetheless, God made mothers, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, and older individuals to help us remember that we all need guidance in this journey of life. As Jesus spoke in parables, I look at these sayings as forms of parables.

Outside of thinking my mother was amongst the craziest people on earth, I was often left confused by what she said. Really, Mother? Your best friend is your worst enemy. I didn’t ask; I simply placed them in my memory bank. One day, I realized Mother wasn’t crazy after all. The worst enemy you can ever have on earth is one who used to be a friend you have shared many of your secrets with. I’m sure you can relate. For years, I contemplated putting these sayings in a book. I wrote them down, lost them, and then got them back. I prayed and asked God what to do? And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it (Habakkuk 2:2).

So what you have here are sayings (a few are in my native dialect since they just sound better that way) that my mother said when I was growing up. I learned many others when I ventured outside my home—eventually outside of the Caribbean Sea. I’ve met many people on this journey of life, and those I hold dearest in my heart have taught me a lot with their wise old sayings.

I’m sure you will hear your mother, grandmother, aunts, uncles, or other person in your memory coming through on these pages. If you learn just one thing from this book, I pray that it brings you a smile and some comfort. If so, then it was worth it all.

Some of these sayings will not have a scripture reference. This is not because they don’t have scripture; it is because I know you would have gotten the picture by this time and can simply enjoy the sayings or go hunting through the Bible to find them. Whatever your preference, enjoy.

Peace and blessings.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to My Angel Cakes (Courtney M. Bradshaw) for being my biggest cheerleader. I love you, niece! Jesus loves you best!

Thanks to my closest friends for keeping me humble and sane—even when you didn’t know what I was up to. I love you all. Thanks for loving me. Without God and your girlfriends, where would we be? I appreciate you (Proverbs 17:17; 27:9; 18:24). Ladies, let us not forget: Never give up your friends for a man. When a man leaves you, your girlfriends remain.

Roses may be red and violets may be blue, but God gave me the best when he blessed me with friends like you: (LeCreasha Randall, Beverly Smith, Edmaurine Presson, Jacquelene Adiele, Sandra Cofer, Michele Arrington, Raphelia Penn, and Madeline McQueen).

All my love,

Queen Dee

God’s Richest Blessings

Vivian V. Matthews (John 19:26; Psalm 51:5): Mother, thanks for giving me life, instilling a sense of self-love, and seeing greatness in me. First there