How to Put Some Heaven in Your Home

— my I'm so wow out with that I probably — can't even speak you want to come say something — else that's all he knows he don't want to get in — trouble how to put a little heaven in your home I don't know why they gave me this — subject but I guess I just found out didn't I but I want to tell you how simple it — is first of all you you paint one shutter of your house — green and then um you won't ever get lost when you go into the — subdivision and then always wear penny loafers when you go to the supermarket don't wear any other kind of — shoes put blue caps on all of your kids eat Cheerios once a week drink — plenty of tab and always close the door when you go out of a room and that's — it you can't get much more simple than that and you got heaven in your — home and sometimes you know you don't follow this formula too well and if your — nerves get on edge you check and see if on those kids haven't taken off their blue cat just check them if it's just one of those days — chances are that one of them's taking off their cap in geometry class — stupid you better believe it's stupid and so are all the millions of — people that think that it's just nothing more than a little simple — formula of plenty of stars in the eyes to make a marriage and a happy — home we'd all be surprised to know how many really how many people how many — pairs of people walk into their new life together dreaming that a good marriage — means Perfection I don't mean to shatter your dreams or crash your trip through outer — space or blow out any of the stars but I want to say something and I understand that a public meeting is not the best place to make some statements — because by in the morning it might be to Canada that Merl beats me with chains — but I feel Brave today so I'll say it there are no — perfect marriages does that make you feel good I figured it would made me feel good when — it finally dawned on me and I want to qualify that statement — by giving you the definition of the word perfect it — means without defect — faultless in its highest form or — degree with no room for improvement — so now you believe me don't you perfect not quite but I'll tell you — what it can be marriage and making a home can be one of the most exciting — challenging Adventures that you ever started out on and I know this is not a Newly Weds — class but sometimes we kind of need to be reminded of when we were nearly wet I — think all freeways no there's a lot of unpaved roads and a — lot of ruts all smooth and even like West Texas no a few mountains and a lot of — Hills always Springtime no all four — seasons cold Winters hot summers some exciting Autumns and spring — Sunshine at intervals but forget the Perfection bit

— there are a lot of people that have fantastic marriages and they don't know it because they forgot what planet they — were living on did you know that a lot of Pentecostals think when you and you know I know you have this sometimes with — new converts this is some kind of a quicky formula to put them in heaven before they get raptured oh if I Repent of my — sins and get baptized in Jesus name get the Holy Ghost speak in tongues come Church two three times a week I will never have another problem as long as I — live that's not true and I tell them it's not true I said no no man this is no sure cure for — problems you got somewhere to run when you have them but it don't mean you quit having them and there are so many people that — have beautiful marriages they have fantastic homes but they don't know it because they're looking for Perfection — and they found the guy with a piece of paper with the dot on it and they didn't see the paper they saw the dot they're — just looking for so much until they Overlook all the nice things that they do have — what I'm trying to say is don't panic when it rains it'll — quit and if he or she gets up with a big thunder cloud hanging over their head some morning I mean don't have a nervous — breakdown storms are not Eternal I never saw one that didn't end sometime or — other you know they'll get all right they don't well feed them — something you knew that'd be my secret didn't — you but the thing that we've got to all come to grips with is this that heaven in a home is hard — work you got to work at it and what we think is that when we got the truth we are on one little sitting — in one little red wagon and Jesus got the handle and it's all downhill and he's pulling it and we don't have to try — no more to do nothing we're through that's it but — without plenty of God and plenty of work and it takes — both and without either you're headed to the court and your kids is going to tup — below or to Grandma's you don't just sit there and just let things take their course and — remember back 900 years ago when you used to be in love and got so star when he I still do that when Merl calls me on — the phone right now I get so excited I really do people think that's stupid man I think it's — great but now living in my house is a man and a woman and a teenage son and a — teenage daughter and all the joys and frustrations and smiles — tears peace and happiness bruises — Cuts success sucesses and failures that go along with being — alive and living on planet Earth it's all there and you heard the — men say we had a good one but all that's there but we are so — bent on this endless search for Perfection that we can't ever make — allowances for human error anywhere and we can never really find — the good because we've got some kind of a little magazine concept I'd say TV but — you don't look at that so some kind of a magazine concept of what it's supposed to be and if all the formulas don't work — exactly like the little pictures in the book man we think it's just a bummer that's not true it can still will be — good and have a few little flaws in it do you see what I'm trying to say the human rights — movement has been successful in convincing even — Pentecostals that whatever brings an individual happiness or fulfillment as they call it whatever that is that it

— must be done at any cost and did you know that Pentecost bought that they they really — did it has convinced even Pentecostals that they must be happy all the — time and if they will deny enough people's — demands if they will bully enough people around and if they will push their — desires for the moment ahead of everybody else's good welfare for — tomorrow then this total constant happiness is a cinch it's going to be — theirs they have convinced even Pentecostals that — selfishness is a way of life that if you will follow it it is a — sure cure for unhappiness they — have without appearing unenlightened uninformed or naive I'd — um I'd like to disagree with the human rights movement I've read a lot of books and — tended a few seminars and I guess I could relate part of that information to you but the original book on — happiness is um it's just so old and the original book on Heaven is — um well is just so outdated you know with today's modern — technology that you might not be interested but let's see love suffereth — long and he kind it's not puffed up seeketh not her — own it endureth all things it sounds pretty unselfish to — me might interest you to know that I have won wife and mother of the — year every year since I have been married and you might be interested to know that Merl has won — husband and father of the year for the same number of years cuz we do the — voting but we vote for each other you understand sometimes the kids go to the polls — and sometimes they don't that's good but you see — this is my way of saying you make each other what you want or you think them to — be did you know that you really could do that you make — somebody what you think them to be criticism is probably one of the — shest deadliest killer that lives in American homes today and — I'm sorry to say even in Pentecostal — homes I get corrected but I don't get — criticized and there is a difference and you can look it up in the book they were making a study one time — some scientists were making a study on some rats this was pretty unique to me — and they had three sets of rats they had a little maze that they had to go through and at the end of the maze they — got a I don't know what do rats eat anything they can get cheese yeah so they told these scientists they — said this group of rats is a very low intelligence you know way below — par this middle group is average they really did this this this average group — of rats this group of rats over here are very intelligent — rats it's kind we grow and get away from you and um and they they convinced the

— scientists of that or whoever is making the study I don't guess it was a scientist or surely they might have known better — and they said we want to see how long it takes your group of rats to get through the maze to where the cheese — is would you believe that this dumb rats over here they never did get to the — cheese and these pretty average guys right here in the middle they got there but it took them a long time to get — there and these guys over here these little Einstein rats they just ran on in and they — concluded that it was those who were making the study of the rats anybody knows that rats don't have — IQs but they convinced these kids or what it was making the study and they said the way they treated those — rats even a rat could pick up what they thought of them and they responded to the way they were treated they did the — same experiment in a classroom they walked in a classroom these guys that were conducting this whatever you'd want — to call it and they told the teacher they said see the guy over there in the blue shirt and this girl over here in — this red dress there one right over here that's got and they picked out five students at random didn't no more know — those students from nothing and they said they have a very very high IQ you — in fact they are bordering on being a genius so you know kind of watch it and — evidently she did and at the end of that year those five students had — excelled everybody else they passed them all up everybody else in the room but they were not above anybody else because — the guys that told him that didn't even even know who the kids were had never met them didn't know their name didn't know where they were from nothing no — address they just picked them out to conduct an experiment and the result came from the — teachers response to the child she thought them to be whatever and they — just simply became what she thought they was well that's what I did that's how I — got to be an angel now I don't know if few other men — have this problem by the way I am not used to speaking with men in an audience it would just be so neat if you guys would just go to the best of you but — you're here and you can't all fit out there but I know you don't have this problem but just to show you that my — marriage is not totally perfect but it's Fant fantastic I have this problem with my washing — machine it is um it eats — socks could I have a hand from the man and it's very particular it does — not eat Two of a Kind it only eats one so my mother-in-law she's fastidious — is that a good word so she gave me this little mesh bag that you put your son's — socks in if your daughter-in-law has a washing machine that eats them and so she gave me this and she said Joan if — you'll put Merl socks in this and you'll tie a knot in the top of this they can't get out and I said well that sounds good — so I did and I saved me up a big old bundle cuz it's pretty big old bag I saved up — nearly ever socki had I had 14 pairs of socks in that thing and I said Manny — it's going to be so neat to not have him saying where's the navy blue sock you — know so I went in there and I washed the socks and and I did everything right I — thought but somehow it came untied and I don't know what happened — but I wound up with 13 and a 12 pairs of socks well you think that gets him upset — well it does just like you get upset when you can't find the other sock he doesn't like that but he doesn't attack

— my character did you ever see people that if something went wrong they made you feel like you just went out walking the — streets and going in bars all the time I'm not kidding you some fellas can actually do you if you make a mistake — they make you feel like that you just you're just the scum of the earth well he tells me that I wish you wouldn't — lose my Sal well I wish so too but I do but he doesn't attack my character — now he doesn't like to take out the garbage and that used to bug me so bad oh I couldn't stand that because you see — I read in a book one time that it was man's job to take out the — garbage and that book just messed up my mind because I tried to make Merl fit — the book and he didn't fit nowhere man he just he wasn't in the book it was out of the — list so I said well there's no use me getting all upset about — this I let me see what can he do preach that don't help me here no and I — said well let's see he can um he can barbecue that's pretty good and that comes in handy when you have company so — I'll take out the garbage and you barbecue man we got a good — marriage see but I could have kept on majoring on that I did you know about seven years I mean I don't want you — think I got over this overnight it took me quite a while but I finally got over it you know and man I hadn't got out in — my back yet I'm making it fine we're just doing great he's barbecuing and I'm hauling the garbage — off but you see what happens is that I well both of us we try to look — for things you know that are good and you'll be surprised what you can find if you just start looking and I'll tell you — something else that really is a pet peeve of mine is people that are nice to everybody else except their — companion I can't stand for somebody to be rude to their husband or their wife or even their children you don't even — have to be rude to your children we've always tried to practice good manners and and I think this comes in pretty handy — like I just somebody was telling me that they had quit drinking coffee it was no religious purpose it was a health — thing I said oh no surely not you know because to me um you know it's not the taste of the — coffee it's just the fun that I have taking it to him and all these nice things he says when I hand him a cup of coffee you know he just makes it worth — my while man I haul it in there when he don't even want it he takes one Sip and sets it down he don't even drink it — but it's so much fun to thank you darling you know you say well you may after 21 years he still goes through this much trouble well that's no trouble — to say thank you that's just two syllables it doesn't hurt to thank your — kids if they get you something it's not a sin to say well thank you darling I appreciate that well it takes care of — the criticism and all the Bad Manners another thing that I think probably is a major factor in taking Heaven — out is discontentment with possessions or your status in — life now I'm not saying that I don't ever want any better than what I have I'm not — saying that I have everything but there are — frustrations in trying to meet demands of each other and your — peers I mean what's wrong with just being you why do you have to keep — up who cares and you don't have to leave the label hanging out of your suit to let — people know you shop at Neiman Marcus um I don't have anything against — him I love him and when he has a 90% sale I like to go see him but he don't have many of — them and do you think I care if you know that I shop at bargain — stores well I don't care and I'll give you the directions of how to get there do you think I care if you know I

— go to garage sales and that eight years ago bought one of the darlingest blouses for nickel you ever saw and if you saw — it now you'd have a fit over because it's silk a nickel — honey you think I tried to impress people with where I got that blouse no when they brag on it I say baby this — is my nickel blouse I got it at a garage sale I think Mar wish I wouldn't say that but I I think it's so cute I just — say it anyway but don't drive your family into — a bracket that overloads your budget um we have this woman in our church that they they're always — moving and be kind of like the guy that come home from school and his mama was moved well that they're just about that — bad but what it is is she and I mean it's it's she's the — one she just can't be content with anything she has they were in this apartment — then they bought this trailer they were buying it was going to be their own personal property she got it in her head — she couldn't stand it in that trailer she was crowded out and it was gorgeous it was 80 ft long and 14t wide and had — one of them big old tubs it looks like a swimming pool or something man it was nice but she got — this in her head and she said it was driving her up a wall wall so what she did first thing she did she drove him up — a wall then she drove all the kids up the wall then they were all up here where she had the floor to herself no — but really she did she drove them all crazy she literally drove them crazy so — you know what they did they just let it go back didn't make no money off of it and got a little old apartment that was — so tiny remember remember she's crowded got a little apartment so tiny they had to store half of their — Furniture what she does is she keeps a spirit of discontent just rolling in — that house all the time the kids can't live for God they have a hard time really keeping the — victory because this spirit is contagious and he feels like well I'm not ever really doing doing anything — quite right I'm not ever doing anything really really well and so now he has — this inferiority complex that he can't — do something else you might not want it and you might be surprised to know how good everything is — that you really got when you just start looking for the good that I I think contentment is one of the sweetest — things in a home that there is I can stand to go in a home where everybody nags everybody and everybody just it's — like a a candle of little old feisty dogs they're all just snapping at each other I just can't stand that now time — is not lying around in bundles under trees waiting to be had you don't have time you don't find time — you make time and for all the things that really matter you'll have to make time because — it just won't be there make time to be together all of you and then just you and your companion that's that's not a — sin that's all right if y'all want to go somewhere and leave the kid sometime don't feel guilty because they'll get such a fine Mom and Dad come back home — they'll be glad you left and you'll been in such a good mood and did you know that kids are very sensitive and they tell me that a child — feels much more secure in being real sure that a mother and Daddy love each other even than knowing that they love — them because as long as we're together then my world is it's going to be all right and it just it just gives them a — real secure feeling take time to make memories it's wor work to make memories — it really is um just it's easy to get in a rut and just kind of stay there you know but I — guess if it were not for brother Y and there'd be a lot of memories that we wouldn't have because I get tired traveling and he does too but yet this

— Christmas um he planned the neatest Christmas for us this year and you know what I wanted to do I wanted to stay home from the — fireplace and he really did too but he knew that there was something else that we would really remember more — than that so he just went ahead and planned it he just totally ignored me how do you like that and I just grinned like I was really off for it but see he — knew me well enough to know I really didn't want to go but I did and because he knew I'd have fun when I got there — and I mean we had a blast we had the nicest Christmas that we've ever had and we made us a fantastic memory — make you a memory and make time to make it communication I suppose is probably one — of the things that would be lacking more today in homes than anything else but communication is work talking isn't — always communicating anybody can rattle their mouth but that doesn't mean that they're necessarily — communicating I suppose that um we probably have our own way of communicating and I I guess you do too — but that's what's so special about getting a couple of cups of coffee and just sitting down in front of the fireplace and praying to God nobody — calls you on the phone or knocks on the door with a problem and just sit there and just talk things over um in the — kids' bedroom at night or sometimes they all Pile in our room and the other night I I sat up with landel till 3:30 in the — morning just talking and yeah we had to get up early and we were tired but he doesn't talk real easily and I caught — him in the mood so I just forgot the clock and I learned so many things about him that I really never even knew before — I learned a lot of secrets about him just 3:00 in the morning I mean we were just laughing we weren't talking anything serious we were just laughing — and talking but you have to make time to communicate because if you don't first thing you know everybody that lives in — your house is going and coming and commuting and one's getting in a car going one way and it's high bye see you — later you're going to be here for sever nope you get what person it just gets to a DOT and a Dash you know and then you have to have a Marse Cod because you — don't even have time to grunt but you have to make the time to — communicate um sincerity and honesty you — know I can dress up and all kind of nice holy clothes and go out in — public give a rousing moving testimony in church you know like pray for me that I won't stay like I am or something like — that and um sing a little song and and I might fool everybody — else but there are some people that really know who I am and that's people that live in my — house and they pick up insincerity quicker than anybody and I — can't stand a fake and you can't either so let's just not be — one but they really do they pick that up like U your attitude about your church — they know if you say the same things when you're talking to the pastor as you say when you're sitting around the — supper table it they're not idiots they can hear and they speak — English and they know what you say and they pick up quickly whether or not you are really — resisting what that man has got to say or whether you're really in there with him they know the difference because — they know if we are real and genuine or if we're just a fake to me that would be — a quick way to just knock Heaven Plum out of the ring is to just live in a house with a bunch of Hypocrites just to — put it in mild English and of course when all else fails you can read — directions don't leave all of the church that you have to the big building with the steeple and the sign out — front it's all right to have church in your house you and your family and God — does make house calls by the way some of the sweetest times that — we've ever had was just holding hands praying you think that sounds oldfashioned I guess it does and it is — but I like it just reading the Bible you know we don't make any big we don't have a prophecy conference or nothing like

— that but I mean you know just little things really just just let them know — that God doesn't just live in the church he lives in the house too and respect for each other's privacy — there are times that all of us need to be by ourselves to read to think to pray to whatever to get our wits together don't beg Grudge any member of your — family their privacy that's the time they get to know themselves now this and I will be closing very shortly I I want — to warn all of us and I want to re remind my myself your mind is very — dangerous your mind is dangerous now suppose — that one day I said to myself you know I'm just — thinking that I'm looking at this magazine and that I see this — girl her name is Virginia your slam and um she looks real cool cuz she's — smoking and I don't like cigarettes and I don't smoke you know never have since I six years — old I'll tell about that in my next seminar but U I wouldn't want to tell it with this big of a crowd but — anyway suppose I just start looking at this and I just start thinking she looks pretty cool you know I mean at my age it — probably probably wouldn't do that but I mean this might happen to your kids even if you don't and I look at that so long that I — say I wonder if I'd look that cute if I had one well I'm sure not going to — smoke so I got me one and I go to the mirror and I just look you — know it's pretty stupid but and I said you know what's really cute — about that is like when they hold this and smoke curls up I think that's real neat I re I really I used to admire — people that smoke so much when I was a kid I really did I thought that was so cool man I've always been Pentecostal don't get no bad impressions of me I've — been this all my life but I thought that was so cool cu the smoke would curl up and they would just sit there so nonchalant like they didn't care that — they were burning up and I thought that they were burn Brave and that was cool and so say I just decide well I think what I I want to just see how I would — look with the smoke just curling up so I light it and then it you know and I say you know what really is neat it's when — they do this number and I'm not going to inhale but I want to just suck a little bit in just to see how I look with — it okay keep playing with these thoughts and one day you will wind up with a — cigarette between your fingers and you will be smoking it's just like people that take their long hair and they pull — it up like this and they let you know oh it's so cute you they'll cut it give them — time when you start toying with the idea of coping out on your marriage and your — home you toy with that idea too many minutes and one day you'll get the — chance to cop out you'll get the chance everybody can have a chance at that that entertains — the idea it won't be hard to be a coward — because floating Downstream is always easy but don't toy with ideas because — the mind is so dangerous it will play tricks on on you you can begin imagining — all the things that are wrong with the people that live in your house and one day you'll be so totally convinced that — they're all wrong until you'll want to walk out but it's because that — mind people talk a lot about the heart well it's got to get up here first and your thoughts become — you on the day that you cease to live in Mortal fear without — giving the rest you'll start — receiving and if God makes heaven and God is

— love then doesn't it stand to reason that love would be the toughest — ingredient in keeping everything together it seems like it would to — me love can win Wars that sharp tongues and temper — fits and giving away a piece of a much needed mind — and pouting or commanding it could never — win that can never win the wars that love can — win and you say well don't live in a dream world this is this is a real world that we live in I know — that that's the reason we better stay all wrapped up in God's — love and so close to Calvary — when we learn that my own desires and just my wishes and this is not even a — popular statement now because now little silly cliches like doing your own thing — and all that junk that's so famous now until when you talk about giving of — yourself to any cause that's very unpopular — even in making a home or a marriage but love just has a way of — winning out there was an institution where they kept the mentally well I guess the — insane they had a place that they called the cage and in this cage they te they kept — people who were totally beyond help there was no way way they could ever be — improved and they had a little girl in the cage one time called Annie and they took the food to the — cage and they just slipped it through the bar sometimes she ate it and sometimes she — didn't and they knew that when Annie died that somebody would take her out of the cage and take her to her — funeral but there was an nurse that worked there and she was of the firm belief — that none of God's creation is totally Beyond hope if love is anywhere — around so this old nurse started taking her lunch to Annie's cage she didn't talk to Annie because Annie would get — very belligerent at times but she just sat down outside the cage and ate her lunch as though she was not afraid of — any and when she left she would leave a — brownie outside all wrapped in cellophane when she would come back the — brownie would be gone but Annie would never say anything this went on for a long enough period of — time that one day Annie was moved out of the cage and she was moved upstairs — her healing continued with love until one day she was released from this mental — prison and they asked her when she was they thought she was going home and she said no I don't — really want to go home she said I want to make an a more indepth study and I'd — like to take the rest of my life now because somebody brought me back to life through love I'd like to take the rest — of my life and dedicate it to helping somebody else and one day the Queen of England — was bestowing a very high honor on Helen Keller the girl that was blind and deaf — but who became a public speaker a writer and you name it and she asked Helen she — said What would you really contribute the fact that now you can do all of these things when at the — beginning you were so hopeless she said well my parents were very good to me they were very kind to — me but to be very honest with you I would have to say that all of the credit

— for what I am today would go to my nurse and Sullivan — and it might be interesting to you as it was to me to know that Annie was Little — Anne Sullivan there's a legend told of a man that made a tour through hell it isn't true — but it's such a neat little story and there was a banquet table that was spread and everybody that was sitting — there had one hand tied behind their back and they had a fork that was 4 feet — long tied to their right hand well try to do it you can and everybody sitting — there was starving to death they were so gaunt looking they were just horrible looking they went on up to the place you — know that the legend said was supposed to be heaven or some paradise and the same table was spread and they had the — same thing there was one hand tied behind their back and in the other hand there was a 4ot fork tied and they all — looked so healthy and they were all so happy and they were all smiling and everybody looked like men they were just — on top shelf you know of everything and the man said what's the difference and he said watch how they — eat and this one put the food food on the fork and fed the one across the — table and the one across the table fed the one across from him and in giving to — each other they all became the winners