Today, Yesterday, & Tomorrow

By Estella Kennedy

This book contains my thoughts and feelings in particular and specific events that I have experienced in my life. I wrote this book to hopefully inspire other people to live life to the fullest. Everything happens for a reason. Events from yesterday, today, and tomorrow are all part of God’s plan for us.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543476309

Estella Kennedy

author decided not to send because her book is about her

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 by Estella Kennedy.

ISBN:            Softcover                        978-1-5434-7629-3

                     eBook                             978-1-5434-7630-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 07/03/2018

Xlibris

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Contents

Introduction

Yesterday Today Tomorrow

I am blessed in everything

January

Playtime

My name

The view from my childhood bedroom

Baptized?

First time going to church

The chicken farm

Mother and her days

Family living room

Generosity

Location

Grandparents’ house

Brothers and sisters

Most important lesson

February

A memory of my grandparents

In the beginning…

Becoming a Christian

My first Bible

My Valentine

Getting to school

Scents and sounds that take me back

Favorite meal as a child

My favorite pet

Childhood chores

My first job

What winter storm?

Favorite dessert recipe

March

Our pastor

God’s special calling for me

First-time prayer

My first teacher

Favorite dress-up outfits

Special hideaway or playhouse

Extracurricular activities in high school

The hardest thing I have ever done

Crazy fads in high school

My first date

Celebrating birthdays

Gardening or decorating tips

April

Most memorable books as a child

Family finances growing up

Memory of first Communion

Most mischievous childhood experience

Most meaningful advice received from an adult

Being rebellious

First learned about sex

Things I wish I had done in childhood

Things most glad I tried

My mother’s best dress

Father’s working clothes

Family weekends

Mother’s best recipes

May

Childhood toys

Understanding God loves me

God led in an unusual way

No dances for me

The family car

Family reunions

Community potlucks

Profound influence

Where I went to school

Attending college

Where I lived during college

Youthful goals and ambitions

Scripture that has guided my spiritual journey

June

Wanting to learn the piano

Popular fashions in high school

How I met my husband

When did I know I wanted to marry him?

The proposal

My wedding attire

My wedding day

Wedding ceremony

No honeymoon

Our first place

Meals during marriage

What I loved best about my father

Traveling together while married

July

A memory from Fourth of July

Participating in a rally or demonstration

Family serving in the military

Learning to swim

Camping with the family

Traveling while growing up

Travel abroad as a child?

Most fascinating place as a child

Driving trips as a family

Relatives coming to visit

Learning to drive

Surviving the Hoover days

Favorite Passage

August

The book that developed my philosophy of life

My collections growing up

Perfect summer day

Outdoor work

My dream

Learning to water ski, ski, roller skate, or sail?

Summer games and activities

Milking cows and spending time on a farm

My first trip alone

Places I’d like to visit

Frightening or difficult experiences

Most unforgettable summer

Entertaining

September

Making crafts

Special outing with Mother or Father

Most tender day in my childhood

Favorite subject in school

Volunteering at church

My best friend

Spiritual strengths

Growing spiritually

From my parents

Calligraphy

Would I do things differently?

My personal style

October

Spiritual legacy

Canning or harvesting experience

The Bible verses that puzzle me the most

Accidents, surgery, and illnesses

My responsibilities as a child

Favorite hobby

My first house

The strangest thing

Most memorable hotel/resort

Did I hayride or bob for apples?

Clubs or youth groups

Helpful home remedies

November

Greatest impact on my spiritual life

Most treasured possession

Bible characters

My pregnancy

How I named my baby

Words

Thanksgiving

Thankful for

Childhood memory about winter

Childhood memories about church

Family customs

New traditions

Favorite Thanksgiving recipe

December

Christmas rituals

Christmas program

Christmas treasures

Memorable Christmas visit with relatives

Favorite Christmas carol

Christmas stocking

Most meaningful Christmas

Most wonderful gift

The time God answered a specific prayer

In the next ten years

Happiest time of my life

Word best describes my life

Advice

Notes

Breaking news

Home folks

About the Author

Introduction

Who am I? You may call me ugly names. That is alright.

I know who I am and whose I am. I am someone special. God made me that way. God thought so much of me; he made me in his own image. Man was created in both the image and the likeness of God. An image is a representation or replica of one person or thing by another. Thank you, God, for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous, and how well I know it.

One dark and cold night—really, it was about 2:00 AM, Thursday morning—God gifted me to the late Mr. Aaron and Sarah Kennedy. Growing up in the thirtieth life was very hard. Mother said she looked at me a many days and said, I wonder if I will live to see my baby get grown. The adults said that in the Hoover days, the stock market crashed in 1929 and that ushered in the Great Depression. Mother said she lost a lot of weight then. She said that the bracelet she was wearing on her arm she could wear it on her ankle. Life went on. Mother lived to see all of us get grown. Mother lived to be ninety-seven, and I was sixty-seven the baby was sixty-four.

Life was a challenge. Daddy worked from sun to sun, and Mother’s work was never done. Mother said that Daddy would go to the bed every night and every morning to see us sleeping. I have been knocked down many times. I always got up because I fell while looking up, talking and listening to God’s instruction. Not if you fall, but when you fall, always fall while looking up and talk to the Heavenly Father. He will reach down and pick you up. Child, hit the ground running like your life depends on it.

Do you know about your home folks, child? They talk about you worse than a yard dog. That is a back in the day saying. I tell you what. They can talk about me as much as they please. The more they talk, the more I bend my knees. I wonder why it was so important for a homegirl to tell her son, to tell my son that I was so poor when we were growing up. I tell you what it was only one of me, but it was a baker’s dozen of them. I took that statement and turned it into a poem. I won a thousand dollars and laughed all the way to Bank of America.

Thank you, God, for making me so strong and wise too.

With your guidance, I cannot go wrong. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthen me. Lord, may I always speak with a soft tongue. A soft tongue can break big bones.

Thank you, Father, for showing me Proverbs 18:21 (KJV), "Death and life are power of the tongue; and they that love