Points2Ponder by Alan P. Scaglione

Sometimes, life is as simple as sitting in the water, at the beach, teaching your grandkids about Noah and the Ark.


Picture It: Middle of a beautiful day, just taking in the sun, playing with your grandkids, laughing about how scared they were that the water was going to eat them up, holding my granddaughter Macie Girl while Myty Mykai(mik-eye) pretended not to be scared. He is six now, and his little sister looks up to her “hero-in-training” brother, so he had to show her—he wasn’t afraid of the water, Right Nano? Right Mykai.

POINTS2PONDER Why do we think it’s so hard to teach children about God’s Word these days? Why do we think it’s so difficult to make them understand the stories of the Bible when there are real life examples surrounding them on a daily basis?

We just have to apply them while we are in them.

So I am sitting there, at the shore, with the water surrounding us, and I asked Mykai if he had ever heard about Noah and the Ark? He said he had not. I explained that God covered the land with water as far as the eye could see and Noah was on a boat with his family and animals clean by sevens and unclean by two.

Mykai thinks about it a minute, then he says,”Nano, how could God get water over the land?” And I pointed out all the water in front of us, then I asked him to turn around and see the land behind us. I then said, “What if the same water in front of you was behind you too?” He said, “but, how could that happen?”

And I just pointed down-- all around us was water, coming in, surrounding us on all sides.

Then Mykai has one of those AHA! Moments Oprah is famous for! He got this Big Smile on his face and said, “So that’s how God did it— land underneath, water on top!”

Lesson taught, lesson learned!

On the way home, I asked Mykai to tell us the story of Noah—he remembered it all…down to the Rainbow as a promise never to cover the earth with water again!

We make it so hard…harder than it is…just take the moments right in front of you, the nature all around you, and the stories will unfold themselves…sitting on the shore!

And he even remembered…”7x7 for clean animals; 2x2 for unclean!”

That’s more than MOST adults know about Noah’s Ark!

"I'm Just Sayin" by Alan P. Scaglione



“What I learned from my father—that I passed on to my children!”

My Father’s 90th birthday was this past week. Ninety years! Wow! People live to be ninety these days, don’t they?

With baby boomers retiring and living healthier, turning 90 will soon be one of those things we take for granted.

A moment for a little family history:

Guiseppe Scaglione was the first generation American of our family. His mother travelled at age 12 on a ship from Sicily, alone, no family- and landed in Ellis Island. She then had to be quarantined for 30 days on this crowded ship full of immigrants, all coming to America for streets of gold!

That’s what the posters said- “America has streets of gold!” Their dream for a better life!

He was born in Cook County Hospital, in Chicago’s south side. In 1921, no one used the word welfare, but…he was a welfare child.

“Joe” and his family made their way to Ybor City, outside of Tampa, Fl, where he made it through eighth grade before he quit school.

He was a baker in the army, during the 2nd World War, travelling to Europe and made some memories in London!

He married my mother in 1945. They settled down in post world war America, raising three sons.

I am his youngest son. My Papa, first generation American- all three of his sons graduated college!
90 years—something to celebrate, right?

Did I mention he’s celebrated the last 21 birthdays in Heaven?

Everything I needed to know, I learned from my father- both of them!

My two fathers, heavenly and earthly, together, watching me grow up and become a father, applying what they both taught me about being a father, being an example for my son and now watching my son be an example to his son.

I’d like to tell you that my earthly father taught me about my heavenly father; truth is… I taught him about our heavenly father.

Papa accepted Christ late in life, after observing us for years…but, he did teach me other things about being a father.

Papa taught me “Family First”—always support them, always be there! They should take that for granted-your presence in their life.

He also taught me that “right was right if no one was doing it and wrong was wrong if everyone was doing it- Stand up for what’s right!”

My heavenly Father taught me to truly love my children by giving them the one thing I had that would secure their future- my faith in God.

And to point them to the only place that has streets of gold-- Heaven!

I learned from both fathers the true meaning of being a “father”- give yourself to those you love so their life can be the Best life possible!

My Papa taught me: “As long as each generation improves over the last, the family continues to prosper!”

My heavenly Father taught me: to truly love means to be willing to lay down your life for those you love…love is a verb!

The Word shows us the true meaning of a father’s love in John 3:16 “For God(our Father) so loved(His children)…He gave(His Son!)”

And that’s the definition of being a good father: to love so much…you give your best- so those you love will have a better life.

The best I could give my children was: my faith in God, my reliance on Him for all I need, and my complete trust in Christ!

Papa learned this late in life-

I learned this as a teenager-

My children learned this at the beginning of their life—
So, what will your children learn from you?

Guess Papa was right-- each generation really has improved!

Until next time,

I’m Just Sayin’…

Brother “A”

Points2Ponder by Alan P. Scaglione

“Fountain Full of Priceless Memories!”

There’s this fountain in the middle of the central square in a place called Celebration, Fl. It lights up at night and it goes up and down in orchestrated movements that make young and old alike laugh and marvel at the beauty of water dancing in the air and falling flat. But sometimes, a fountain isn’t just a fountain. Sometimes, it’s a place where family memories are made, where “good times” are had!


At this fountain, I’ve seen:

My son run through it with his 1 year old son, laughing as he unexpectedly gets them both drenched.

My son-in-law and firstborn grandson dodge the water, zigzagging through the water shooting through the air.

My only granddaughter yelling excitedly “Me daddy, me! Take me, I wanna go- run with me!”

My twin daughters and daughter-in-law laughing hysterically as they watched the men AND boys in their lives running through water in mid December at night.

But my earliest memory of that fountain…

My girlfriend Bella hear me say “I love you” for the first time when we met there on Friday nights for our weekly dates where I would “court” the love of my life.

POINTS2PONDER When is a place more than just an address? More than just a physical location? More than just a meeting destination? When it’s the place your family has shared the priceless memories of your lives, from laughter to tears to hugs to smiles, from love to hope.

Making memories—it’s what we do as a family. Sometimes, it’s grandma’s house where everyone meets on Sundays; sometimes, it’s a restaurant where your family celebrates every important milestone; sometimes, it’s a park where all of your birthday parties have been held.

It’s not the “place” that makes the memories, but…it is the “place” that brings them all flooding back at the mention of, or visit to…That Place!

So, call a family member and mention that your family “place” is being torn down or has been painted or has been vandalized and-- see their reaction?

We hold dear that “place” in our hearts because…it holds a dear, special “place” in our hearts!

That Fountain? For my 50th birthday, my wife surprised me there with my whole family. We dined at our favorite restaurant, then we all got into a horse drawn carriage and were treated to a stroll around Celebration, every member of our family in that horse drawn carriage—Priceless!

When the ride was over, they dropped us off at…That Fountain!

Where we ran through the water, laughing hysterically, giddy and goofy, getting unexpectedly drenched and pulling everyone…

Into our Fountain of memories!

I'm Just Sayin by Alan P. Scaglione



Alan and his “Mom”(Aunt Ciria) and Grandsons!



“I’m Just Sayin’”

by Alan P. Scaglione

Mothers! Apparently, you can’t get anywhere without one! And it all goes back to your mother, at least that’s what we always say.

And today, America will go to church, gather at eating establishments, crowd around Hallmark kiosks in Walgreens and Walmart, pick up a corsage-

All to celebrate our Mom on her day!

Be it ever so humble, she makes it “home”!

Home is where the heart is: check out our tattoos, listen to our shout outs on TV—Mom is the one sure thing we can count on!

And some of us have that face…you know the one…the “face only a mother could love!” I know, but...I just had to say it! LOL!

But…what makes a mother? Is it biology only? Or, are there Moms all around us who have “raised us” but never birthed us?

What makes a mom a mom?

I have seen grandmothers who never gave birth to a single child bombarded with calls and cards on Mother’s Day!

I have seen aunts who graciously filled the void for their sister who left her son when he was a senior in high school!

I have seen barren women adopting two infants within months of each other, raising them as their own.

I have seen stepmothers who loved from the sideline, supporting their husband’s children as though they were their own, never overstepping lines.

I have seen sisters who raised the youngest of their siblings when parents were tragically killed in a car accident.

I have seen neighbors take in children instead of sending them to child services, adopting them as their own, even though they already had their own.
All of these….are called MOM Today! And not just today…but every day!


The Word speaks in Proverbs 31:28 about that perfect, saintly, godly mom we all have—“And her children rise up and call her blessed!”

And for all those children attached to all those moms I just mentioned…we say,”WE are blessed to have YOU-- our MOM in our lives!”
So…maybe it’s not just the “birthing” rights that make a mom a mom.

Maybe it’s the “Being There” rights…Moms are always there for you—always!
Today-- Who will you remember to call? Whose pew are you filling? What house will you be driving to? What time will you be expected?
Your MOM may not be tied to you biologically…but she’s still your MOM!
And for those in the thick of things, our young moms, during the custodial years, 2 thru 20(LOL!), I promise…they will call you blessed!

Just feed them, clothe them, nurse them, fund them, nag them and threaten them…in other words….be a MOM! And someday…I promise!
So… to all the grandmothers, aunts, stepmothers, sisters, neighbors and young mothers…

”MOM--we salute you and call you blessed!”

Thanks for the memories…

Now can we please turn on the TV? There’s a game on!

Come on? That’s what you love most about us…right, MOM?



Until next time,

I’m Just Sayin’…

Brother “A”

Happy Mothers Day

To all the great momma's out there and women that have been a momma to someone that is not their child I pray for you a wonderful and blessing filled Mother's Day.

Know you are special!!!!!

Hugs,
Suzann

Points2Ponder By Alan P. Scaglione

“Papa and his Birthday Girls- Amanda and Ashley!”

My twin daughters turn 29 on May 5^th, 2011! WOW! How’d that happen? Seems like yesterday, they were just 2 years old, calling me Poppy! Note to self, if you start a sentence with “seems just yesterday…” you really ARE getting old! LOL

They were the one thing that changed my life the most, except for Christ.

 I was actually:

 Pro-choice BEFORE I met them,

 Anti-children BEFORE I met them,

 Pro-“whatever I want, I will get” BEFORE I met them,

 Anti-“give to others until it hurts” BEFORE I met them…

And yet… honestly, looking back, this PAPA cannot remember my life-- BEFORE I MET THEM!

They are the BEST DECISION I NEVER MADE!

POINTS2PONDER  Why do our children have such a dramatic effect on our life experiences, life expectations and life excellence?

 Why do they change us from being one person into being another?

 And why is it that—to this day, describing and hoping for that most perfect day…is spending time with our kids?

I remember the first thing I thought as I held my “pujalinas” in my arms for the first time (Amanda Blaire born at 2:37 and Ashley Brooke 2:38 pm on Cinco de Mayo, weighing in at 4 lbs 8 oz and 4 lbs 12 oz, 16 in. and 18 inches respectively).

 I named them both, I held them first, and I fed them for the first 10 days of their lives. They were Papa’s Pujalinas!

I was amazed at this double example of a perfect life created, and I wondered to myself:

“How could I have ever believed in pro-choice?”

 So much for the BEFOREs in my life…

Oh yeah…the first thing I thought as I held my baby girls?

I looked at them and then said to the nurse, “Why can’t a girl be President?

 My girls will…you wait and see, someday…35 years from now, they will! Papa’s Girls 4 President!”

Ahhh.. A father’s pride never diminishes!

And…29 years later- with 6 years and counting before they can declare their candidacy(at age 35)

You know? We still haven’t had one! So…

 Allow me to be the first to declare ….

“Scaglione for President in 2020! Perfect Vision in 2020!”

And I already have their birth certificates to prove…born in the USA!!!

Hey??? It could happen!

It Could!!! Happy Bday Brooke and Blaire!

I'm Just Sayin by Alan P. Scaglione

"I’m Just Sayin"

by Alan P. Scaglione

Devastation—Guess it’s not just for somewhere on the other side of the world, like Japan. Nope, sometimes, you go to sleep thinking your family is safe and secure, resting in their beds, protected and asleep. All is well with the world. Then you wake up and the Today Show reports…tornadoes have torn through Alabama, Georgia and…GASP! Tennessee! Wait—I have a daughter there! My baby girl is in Tennessee! You run for your cell phone(no one has landlines anymore!) and…the phone rings and rings and…then, goes to voice-mail! You get that pit in your stomach that comes when you fear the worst and trust the least and your mind races through the gamut! She’s okay, but her phone is out. Her phone is working, but she’s not okay! She’s okay, but the cell towers are not working. She has to be okay!”
You try again and again and again…4 times, 5 times! You are praying like you have never prayed…begging, bargaining…reminding God of all the things you will do that you should have already been doing, IF…IF He will let her be okay! Seven times…voicemail! Eight times…voicemail! Nine times…Helllllooo? 
She answers…she is okay. It was a scary night. There is devastation outside her place. There was howling all night long, like a locomotive. And she says the Hail was at least golf ball size and rained down for hours! 


I honestly… didn’t hear anything after…she is okay!
Guess it’s not always somewhere over there where sudden devastation hits…sometimes, it’s in your own backyard, and it affects those we love!

Makes you ask the question… Why do we go to that frantic begging/bargaining pleading prayer time only when devastation hits??

We found out a town right down the road from our daughter, Ringgold, Georgia, was destroyed. A friend, Rachel, lives there. She was okay, but her job was affected. My niece lives there also. She and her husband were safe, but… that little gas station I always stop at for gas—gone!

In times like these, I am reminded of the passage in the Word, goes something like this:

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves,

 and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways;

then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  II Chronicles 7:14

We used to be a praying nation, not just a “praying during sudden devastation” nation!

We collectively pause and pray for the families of Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee!

 But, while we are at it, let’s pray for the families of Texas, North Dakota and Utah…before we need to!

Until next time,

I’m Just Sayin’…

Brother “A”