For Wednesay, March 18th, 2026

 

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18TH, 2026

The moments of our lives may be bright with possibility, dark with fear or sadness, or even plain everyday gray, but God's glory never fades.  May God's glory shine into the exciting lights, upsetting darks, and boring grays of your every day.

Slightly adapted from one of my morning devotionals

In Texas

Sunrise:   7:38 am

   Sunset: 7:42  

pm

Life is a special occasion !

Hallmark

Today is National Sloppy Joe Day which honors the classic messy American sandwich made of ground beef, onions a tomato sauce on a bun.

Often considered a childhood staple, the day encourages enjoying this comfort food at home.  The sandwich has been around for about 95 years now, playing a key role in fast food restuarants and kitchen tables.

One claim states that the sandwich made its debut in 1920, Havana Cuba.  A bar tender called Jose Abel Otero, created and sold a simple sandwich based on a Cuban dish of shredded beef, tomato sauce and spices called Ropa Vieja.

He also sold iced seafood which would melt and get the bar floor wet and sloppy.  Since Jose was know for the wet bar floor, customers linked the two and called him sloppy Joe. The name stuck to both him and the sandwich.

Some years later, Nobel prize winner and popular writer Ernest Hemingway, who was a patron of the Havanna bar, suggested to a friend, Joe Russel, who had just set up a restaurant in Key West, Florida, serves the sandwich but rebrands it as the Havanna sandwich.

Another origin story dictates that the Joe may have been a variation of the common loose meat sandwiches of the 1930’s.  At a Cafe in Sioux City, a cook named Joe added some tomato sauce to loose meat, giving birth to the sloppy Joe,.

In 1969, HUNTS, a ketchup maker, introduced the Manwich, which made a more convenient way of preparing a sloppy joe.  

Celebrate today and make some Sloppy Joes for your family tonight for dinner!  Enjoy!

If you cannot see the bright side, polish the dull side

THOUGHT  FOR TODAY

Lunch Lady:  Have some more sloppy joes. I made ‘em extra sloppy of you.  I know how you kids like ‘em sloppy.

Billy Madison

I’m a Manwich lover and use it to make my sloppy joes.  It’s one sandwich which my whole family enjoyed. I usually serve the sandwiches with a side of macaroni salad and it makes a tasty and delicious meal.

My mom used to make her own sauce, but I never got the recipe.  I seems to me, it had tomato soup in it. It was also very good and everyone loved her sloppy joes. I also remember my oldest son singing the sloppy joe song when he would visit.  He was hilarious!

This meal is quick and easy to make, Just open a can of Manwich and add it to your  browned meat and warm it up.

Today we are supposed to be warming back up the the 80’s and 90’s for the foreseeable future.  So much better than the 60’s.

I didn’t have any pictures of Sloppy Joes but I have lots of them of sandwiches I’ve made so that is what the pictures are of today!

I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Wednesday! 

COUNTING MY GIFTS

A hamburger bun on a blue plate with the words, extra sloppy of ya 

I list at least 3 things every day that I'm thankful for.  There is truly is always something to be thankful for.

14,137.for delicious sloppy joes, a quick and easy meal.

14,138. for warmer weather

14,139.for memories of mom and DS#1

Enter into His courts with thanksgiving — and in His presence is fullness of Joy!

PRAYER FOR OUR TROOPS

Please pray for God's protection of

our troops and HIS wisdom for their

commanders.

 

Almighty and eternal God,

Protect our military

as they discharge their duties

with the shield of your strength,

may the power of your love

enable them to return home in safety

that with all who love them

they may ever praise you for your loving care.

AND bless our Police Officers, Firefighters and EMT’s.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

ADVICE FOR TODAY

 

Have some more Sloppy Joes

a smile,a word of cheer, 

A bit of love from someone dear…

Love,

ma