I’ve watched this video and been deeply affected this morning by the heart of this wise and humble man.
something to say
Another this and that kind of day September 28, 2021
I have nothing much in my head at the moment but I need to come up with a post to meet my daily goal commitment. Besides the discipline of putting something down on paper is actually good for me.
I guess it’s not really fair to say I have nothing in my head. I’ve been reading, trying to work my way through the burgeoning stack, and it has been disappointing. The just-finished read was a collection by an author I normally like, for the most part. The collection was disappointing because all three books were short on story and long on attraction. Lots and lots of time spent aware of each other. It’s boring listening to the same basic thoughts over and over again. A good story with some meat on it makes me happy. Anyway, I can’t even tell you the name of the collection because it’s been removed. The minute it was over.
Currently I’m reading a romance somewhat similar but at least it has a healthy story line running right through the middle of it. It isn’t a very long book either so there isn’t room for it to be plumped out with over the top attraction angst.
Courting Calla: A Christian Romance (Dixon Brothers Book 1)
CALLA VAUGHN has spent the last three years desperately trying to get her life in order so that she can go back to culinary school. No matter how hard she works, though, she feels like she is just treading water and can’t see any way out of the hole dug for her by a con artist who stole her identity.
When flowers she sends to her best friend with a dinner invitation accidentally get delivered to IAN JONES, she decides to cook him the best meal he’s ever had. By the time she admits that the flowers were never for him, he is as convinced as she is that God orchestrated the mistake in the first place.
All that’s left is to tell him the dark secret about her father’s widow. She waits a little too long, though, and is carted off to jail for questioning on felony charges before she gets a chance.
Will Ian understand her situation, or will the deception surrounding Calla destroy any trust he has in her?
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Work has been taking up a lot of my thinking time too. I won’t bore you with the details but a new software program on one of the sites I frequent is still under construction even though it is in full use. Navigation seemed impossible on one task. Today was a good day because the sticky issue has finally been resolved. Another file closed, at least it looks like it from my current point of view. Fingers crossed.
That’s mainly it for my day.
The weather was warm today, in the 30’s C and it should be like that again for several more days. I’m happy for the chance to experience a little more warmth before the bitterness of winter sets in. The illusion of summer is gone though, with darkness quickly falling hours earlier than it did on the longest days. The leaves are turning color and falling faster than I’d like. I’m sad to see the end of summer this year. It’s gone by much too quickly.
There have been bright spots, though, lately. Chatting with friends I haven’t talked to in a while.
There are always things I’m can be grateful for and they over-shadow the sadness whenever I let them. At this moment I’m choosing to see the good things in my life since it looks like I’m digging myself a bit of a hole with all this talk of melancholy over summer’s demise.
Tomorrow’s another day, and it’s looking better already since one dreaded work task has been successfully completed.
If I’m going to squeeze in a bit more reading before lights out I’d better get moving.
Happy Reading to you.
This and that at the end of the day.
This is a time when I just start talking and see where it goes. Usually it starts with a thought, an undeveloped thought. That’s how this one went. A thought and need to stop the endless round and round. It helped. Not sure it makes sense. 🙂 Also, I’m trying hard to be careful, which is constricting, for a few reasons. I hope this gives you hope.
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There is so much going on these days, Scary stuff, if we look at it closely. It’s easy to automatically expect the worst because we don’t have the ability to take a step back and see the bigger picture.
I spent a lot of time tonight watching news clips from contributors who seem more interested in honest journalism than biased manipulation. It’s good to keep up with what’s going on in the world but there is a downside to it. It’s draining and discouraging.
In response to tonight’s viewing session I’m writing to let out some of the angst and negativity. Maybe it will help me gain a new perspective.
All of my life there have been regularly occurring dire predictions about what was going to happen to the world one day. Time lines were built and we lived in fear, differing degrees of it depending on the whether. Whether or not someone, or something, seemed like more or less of a threat at that particular moment.
It was easy to believe that there would be a moment in time when destruction would take over and we would be forced to live in apocalyptic desolation and torment. I think many of us still live with that dreadful expectation. We believe that one day evil will take over the world and we will be living in slavery and punishment. Life as we know it will be over.
Decades-long thinking have been acting as a foundation to the thought pattern that resulted in my discouragement tonight. Intentionally or not, we are programmed to think the way others decided that we should.
What if we are wrong about the predictions of how things are going to go? What if we have been looking at things from the wrong perspective?
You might call me a little crazy, thinking like this but I know these worries are real. Especially with the newest generation growing into adulthood. Their view of the world is serious and worried. They are regularly being presented with possible catastrophic events and for some of them the future of life looks hopeless. I can relate to what they are feeling. I remember as a middle teen lying in bed worrying about aircraft overhead, wondering if it was a Russian bomber coming to get us. After all, how many times had we been told the Russians are coming to take over the world, be ready.
Ok, we won’t keep going on with that thought pattern but worries are real, in our minds at least.
By the way; the Russians did not come, aggressive threats went away, and after awhile life went on and we forgot we were ever worried. Until now. When things seem to be heating up again.
In the normal scheme of life, never mind what’s gong on right now, we seem to grow the most when we experience hard and difficult places. I’ve heard more than one person say I would never want to go through cancer again but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. I’m different because of it.
What if – instead of punishment and destruction coming in our future, it’s something entirely different? What if – the purpose of these earth shaking events is not to defeat us, but to cause us to rise up and grow?
Globally, as a culture we have become weak, lethargic, and apathetic. Most of us have never had the chance or the need to stand up and fight for something.
What if the reason for the hard place we’re currently living in is to cause us to get up out of our soft chairs and become Olympic champions. What if we are being called to rise to a challenge, to become more than we ever thought possible.
Most of us will never be Olympic champions or Navy Seals but what if there is some need close to home that we could become passionate about filling?
I think that’s the secret right there. Passion.
Most of us think … but what could I do?
Paying attention to our surroundings will help us see needs we would normally miss.
So, I got a little off track with that train of thought.
What if – the purpose of these earth shaking events is not inevitable defeat but to strengthen us so that we are useful and evil doesn’t have to win?
I like this view for the future much better than the inevitable one of defeat.
This took much longer than expected, and my brain is fried.
I hope this makes sense to you the way it did in my head.
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I think – We are not meant to be overcome but to be over-comers.
Be encouraged.
This and that September 10, 2021
A little of this and a little of that, again tonight… just because I feel like it.
My daughter asked me to check through family pictures this afternoon, she was in need of photos taken with a particular family member. It needed a big chunk of time to find anything after this many years.
I did find a few that fit her needs. But that’s not all I found. There was one I’ve been thinking of lately that always makes me smile. I think it represents my personality fairly well.
I would never have dreamed of taking such a picture but my son-in-law thought it was a great idea. Since I was oblivious to what he was up too, I couldn’t even change to a more lady-like position.
I have no idea, anymore, what precisely was going on but whatever it was I was the only one small enough to reach. Now that it’s been awhile, this is one of my favorite pictures. Yup, that’s me, climbing on things.
So, this brings me to another favorite picture and I think it kind of goes with my picture. We are like two peas in a pod when it comes to one or two things. That’s my assessment anyway.
We were looking for evidence of her visit a few months after I moved here to Manitoba, back in 2013. At least I was looking through photos. My daughter is already in British Columbia ready for the memorial service tomorrow and needing memories.
Mabel aka Granny, was amazing. Facebook, Face time, emails, messages, all that good stuff right up until the end. This was 85 years young at the time.
This is my favorite picture of her. The pose says it all.
My next favorite thing in this picture is the stuffed snowman on the hearth. It’s a wind up music box. It plays “Cold as Ice” while it swings around. Makes me laugh every time. I have no idea why I think it’s so funny but after a dozen years I still think it’s hilarious.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
I love my mother-in-law like a mother/friend. I’ve been separated from her step-son for 17 years and in spite of it all, she understands and the two of us are still close. She has room in her heart for all of us and I appreciate it more than I can tell. Not everyone can love without choosing sides. Actually, the whole family is good at loving this way. I feel truly blessed.
♥♥♥♥♥
Rest in Peace Mabel. You are a special lady and we all love you.
I can be at peace with her passing because I know I will see her again. Sooner than I might wish, the way time flies by.
My last email to her ended with the chorus from an old Rusty Goodman song about heaven.
Look for me, for I will be there too
I realize, when you arrive, there’ll be so much to view
After you’ve been there ten thousand years, a million, maybe two
Look for me, for I will be there too
The Superpower of the Calm Technique
I just watched the most amazing and helpful video podcast I’ve seen in a long time and I just had to share. It’s called The Superpower of the Calm Technique with Jennifer Kolari. I like learning how to do life better and how deal with triggers and reactions. This was so helpful.
She is qualified, wise, and articulate. Such a educational and eyeopening experience listening to/watching what she has to say about learning to respond rather than react. Conflicts in a relationship will loose their steam if we practice her techniques. They’ve done some role plays to demonstrate the way it will work. It was interesting to see how the calming influence changed the dynamics even in a pretend situation. Very cool.
Some of the concepts she presents I`ve kind of heard before but she explains things with new information I’ve not heard and it all makes such good sense.
Carey Nieuwhof introduces it this way – Jennifer Kolari on How to Deal with Irrational People, Customers and Team Members, and the Superpower of the CALM Technique.
Usually Carey`s interviewees have written a book but they didn`t talk about it this time although she has written at least one. In a YouTube search I found she has a lot of content related to parenting although she does a lot of corporate consulting as well.
I’m positive you will find this helpful in life’s situations if you are into good emotional health and productive relationships. Check it out.
As promised: This Present Darkness
In my story prompt post this morning I promised to say more about a book mentioned in that piece.
The prompt was angels and I shared a book read many years ago – and never forgotten – where angels, both good and evil, were doing battle in the heavenlies.
Just to make things a little clearer as we go along, I do believe in angels.
This Present Darkness
Amazon quote:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12
After the film in her camera is mysteriously destroyed at a small-town festival, reporter Bernice Kreuger knows she’s found something worth covering up. She brings the investigation to her boss, Marshall Hogan. Along with the local pastor of a struggling church, Hank Busch, they find something much bigger than they expected—a demonic plot to enslave their town and, eventually, the world.
The tiny college town of Ashton becomes the unlikely battleground in a cosmic clash between good and evil. Unseen by the human protagonists, armies of angels and demons wage war against one another in the spiritual realm for the souls of the people of Ashton. Up against supernatural forces, the future of the town seems bleak – but the power of prayer might be able to influence the outcome of the fight.
This fast-paced thriller birthed an entirely new genre, setting the standard for spiritual suspense. It has since sold over 2 million copies worldwide, sparking a renewed interest in the concept of spiritual warfare.
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I do believe in God, and his angels- both good and evil. I think a book like this helps us, in a small way, to understand we are not alone in this world. And someone bigger than us is in charge.
I find it comforting that God is a living, relational being, and if we put time and effort into getting to know him he will become as close to us as our very best friend.
One more comforting thing: he has the heart of a father. He never forgets; not even one of his children. That means every single person on the face of the earth, whether we acknowledge him or not.
This whole thought of the fatherhood of God is a discussion for another day but think about it – no matter how good or bad the behavior of a child, does a parent ever forget and stop loving them?
I’ve noticed the answer to that question is no. In an interview, I’ve heard a broken-hearted mother say of her bomber son… but he’s my son, I still love him.
God loving us has nothing whatever to do with our belief.
I’m a mom, I know about these things. … my kids are my kids no matter what.
I’m grateful that God loves us, and he commands his angels to watch out for us whether we love him back or not.
If we resist his love, that can make protecting us a challenge for him. (think of a rebellious toddler and you will know exactly what I mean here.) Any way, another discussion for another day.
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I wasn’t planning on any of this but maybe someone’s heart needed to hear it.
Happy book Reading.
Story prompt – Angel
This story prompt is courtesy of Sunday Scribblings
Be an angel and bring me a coffee, will ya.
Thanks, you’re an angel.
It looks like angel is a word we use flippantly, much like the word love. In most cases the way we use it doesn’t really mean anything of any significance.
Wouldn’t we be shocked if there actually was such a thing as an angel?
Some of us must think they are real. There are movies, TV shows, sermons preached, and even books written about angels. With a little research into the ways they are portrayed I can tell I’m behind the times. I didn’t know there was a spin off of Buffy The Vampire Slayer called Angel. I wasn’t into a lot of TV back then and it looks like I was missing out.
There were other angel shows and movies I did notice, though, (Touched by an Angel, Twice in a Lifetime, Angels in the Outfield to name a few) and I have to say I enjoyed them immensely.
Then there are books, maybe movies too, where there are angels of both stripes, both good and evil, doing battle in heavenly places. This Present Darkness: A Novel by Frank Peretti is one of them.
Speaking of evil and angels, there is one story I’ve never been able to forget.
It happened in a primitive foreign country many years ago. A team of nurses and their helpers were accosted one night. They heard the war cry of a band of men who wanted to rob, torture, and kill them. They were terrified. Inexplicably, the band of men stopped, looked, and fled. They were faced with a circle of giants standing guard around the nurse’s compound.
It sounds hard to believe but I’ve heard stories similar to this more than once through the decades. Different time, different place, same story. I love to think that someone bigger than me could send his angel armies to protect me in drastic circumstances.
Again, we bandy about the idea of a guardian angel as liberally as we do the terms angel and love.
What if we really do have a guardian angel watching out for us?
If it is true, just think what life could have been like without them, without someone catching us all those times we should have crashed and burned.
I can think of a few times I should have crashed and burned but didn’t and I’m grateful beyond words.
There is a verse in the Bible …
Psalm 91 verse 11, it says “He shall give His angels charge over you. To keep you in all your ways“
I believe and I’m grateful for my guardian angel.
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I couldn’t have planned it better. One of my daily emails had a book suggestion with a reference to angels. This saved me from having to find a picture for this post. I was having trouble finding one to do justice to my guardian angel. I will use this book cover to dress up the post instead.
I’m not sure how the angel angle works out in the Dead Man’s Journey story, not having read beyond the first few pages, but as the character in the opening paragraphs prepares to go for a run he senses an angel presence. Guardian angel.
On further thought: there is another book where I know for sure angels, both good and evil, are part of the story. Frank Peretti has written many books involving heavenly beings and this is one of them. This Present Darkness.
I’ll use a separate post to share more about this book.
They say the veil is thin between this world and the next. I believe that is true. We are not alone on our journey. God and his angels are looking out for us, more than we realize.
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I hope you like the books.
This and that August 14, 2021
So, first off this morning, I’m catching up on sites I follow on YouTube. This particular guy is prolific and it’s very easy to fall behind on his channels.
I love the video I’m about to share and I think you will love it too.
The creator of this series is a Hollywood producer, he has worked on shows like Entertainment Tonight and other shows you may recognize. I can’t think of them all at the moment but I can tell you this… he knows how to do a good job.
He is not just a producer, he also a writer working on the script for an outer space type movie that doesn’t yet have a name.
While researching to make sure his script is production ready he formed a connection with an astrophysicist who, it turns out, is excited about his project. They clicked as like-minded people even though they work in vastly different disciplines. Out of this unlikely friendship they’ve created another video project, totally unrelated to the original film idea.
This explanation may be clear as mud but if you watch their first introductory video explaining how they met and what they are trying to do, it will make more sense.
They have many videos in the new series, already edited and ready to go. This lets us know it’s not a bright idea that will fizzle out after a couple of episodes.
These guys are interesting and funny. They have good chemistry and are relaxed with each other, which makes the watching experience enjoyable. The content is excellent and that makes it even better.
I enjoy listening to these guys and I’m very much looking forward to more. They have a new release scheduled for Saturday mornings, 6 am California time.
Check this out. Jeff and Mike
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Mike is currently on a road trip that started just this morning, well technically he left home last night but couldn’t have gone far. The idea of the trip is to share grassroots America with his fellow countrymen as well as the rest of the world. He’s hardly left home and is already posting short clips on some of his other channels.
This guy is a Type A personality with ADD. He has new ideas popping out everywhere… but he produces and he’s interesting to watch.
At least many of us think so.
He has his detractors like most everyone else on line these days. I’ve heard it said of leaders… if everyone loves you – you’re not doing it right. He must be doing something right.
I’m sure I will share more from this guy. He has a bunch of other channels, with different focus and goals in mind. He also has several episodes he does with his mom. She is an interesting lady and has an exceptional story to tell.
But that will be a post for another day.
Oops, I see he just posted another video on this channel about his mom, must go watch it.
There’s a good chance you will see more from me later on.
Happy Watching and Reading
Reading and enjoying August 11, 2021
The person who really wants to do something finds a way; the other person finds an excuse. — Author Unknown
This was the opening quote in chapter three of the book I am currently enjoying (I’ll share it in a bit) and it resonates with me. So much so that I need to camp on this thought for a moment and while I’m doing that I need to record some thoughts.
It resonates because I’m wrestling with this very thing. Ideas are causing a ruckus in my head and I’m asking myself if I will step outside my comfort zone and find a way to do them or will I listen to the excuses and walk away. I’ve spent years mulling over these ideas in different forms.
In a way, this quote showing up now is validation for the steps I’m taking.
Chapter three is talking about excuses but the true subject of the book is prayer. The kind of prayer Diane Moody, the author, has in mind is conversation with your best friend.
I’ve been in conversation with my best friend about these wild ideas, and many other things too, and He seems to be encouraging me to get on with it and make it happen.
Why would I do this thing I’m alluding to?
There are two sides to it. One is to help me grow personally, I definitely need it if I want to have useful years. The other is be an encouragement to others. There are enough negative voices in our world, we need more positive ones.
This quote about finding a way is especially relevant for me right now. Mainly because, earlier today I uploaded a picture to my site created yesterday on locals.com. Putting a picture out there for the world to see is a big deal for this camera shy blogger… admitting to being out there is an even bigger deal. Up until now, I have been trying my best to fly under the radar. My Face Book profile picture is a lilac bush and has been for years. Things are slowly changing.
I haven’t posted to the new site yet, I’m still in the initial set up stages. Maybe this could be part of the first post. Maybe. We’ll see.
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As promised, here is the book I am reading. Diane Moody is down to earth, easy to read, and what she has to say is worth hearing.
Confessions of a Prayer Slacker (Second Edition)
With over 600 “Five Star” reviews.
Let’s face it. Most of us are clueless when it comes to praying. Why is that? And how come we’ve never done anything about it?
In Confessions of a Prayer Slacker, author Diane Moody traces her own personal prayer journey with a touch of humor and a healthy dose of transparency.
‘‘I want my readers to stop the merry-go-round of prayerlessness, quit acting like a bunch of spiritual babies, and get serious about this thing called prayer. Without it, we’ll never experience the warm, one-on-one relationship God desires to have with each one of us.”
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It looks like this post has turned out to be a bit of a teaser since I have neglected to give the name of the new site over on locals.com
That’s OK because I still have some work to do to make sure it performs like it’s supposed to.
There are more things to be said about the subject anyway so another time works well.
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We have no new books today but maybe tomorrow. I did look.
In the meantime,
Happy Reading
Another this and that August 06, 2021
I think there is something wrong with me. I don’t feel like reading.
Shocking!
I’ve finished the book I was reading and can’t seem to settle on any of the five or six that are next in line. This rarely happens, I must be sick or something.
Maybe it’s or something. My mind has been pulled in a number of different directions today and right now it’s hard to settle down to a quiet occupation like reading.
One of the things I’ve been dwelling on this evening is the subject of the next couple of chapters read in the book called The Power of Writing It Down. The author makes a case for writing as a way to improve our health. Studies have demonstrated a change in moods by writing 20 minutes a day for two weeks, an effect that lasts for an even longer period of time.
The authors name is Allison Fallon. Allison is a writing coach and she has a large team of people working with her. Her book has come out of her personal and corporate experiences and in my mind that gives her credibility. The kind of writing addressed in this book is called expressive writing. Medical researchers have studied brain activity during writing experiences and they found that different parts of the brain would light up during different types of writing. What Allison calls expressive writing comes from the subconscious part of the brain rather than the conscious part where we live most of the time.
Today’s chapters talked about writing when we don’t feel inspired. We have nothing to say and yet if we sit quietly, meditatively, and we gradually set aside the conscious noise about all the things our mind goes to when we are supposed to be working or listening; something changes. Our mind becomes focused on a single thought and as we start to write, a conversation happens.
At the end, we read over what we’ve written, in amazement. Where did that come from? I wasn’t even thinking about any of that when I sat down and yet here it is.
Allison stresses that writing out of the subconscious helps us discover who we really are, not who we have made ourselves out to be to please others. It can be a little scary, thinking about what might come out of our subconscious. Maybe, hopefully, it will be positive more often than we might think.
I’ve experienced a little of this writing what I didn’t expect phenomenon while working on some of these this and that posts. I think they have turned out to be some of the best ones. Reader response seems to bear that out.
In the end. Writing like this was a very emotional experience and I was left with a pleasant aura that stayed with me for hours. It was very positive and I would love to have it happen many more times. Maybe it will as I practice this type of writing more often.
I know you have questions so I’ll say this…
The pleasant aura was kind of like when you read a extra specially good book or watch a movie that leaves you with an awww kind of feeling. Or when you do something that turns out so much better than expected and you can’t help but keep looking at it, thinking about how much you love it. And, at the same time you are thinking I can’t believe I just did that.
This turned out way different, and so much better than I visualized going in to this post. I was wanting to practice expressive writing tonight but I was worried at the same time. I’m feeling a big sigh of relief at the way this all went.
I think I can settle down now and read a book for awhile.
Happy writing and happy reading.
Check out Allison’s book, maybe it will inspire you and meet a need, all at the same time.
There was one more exciting thought on my mind tonight but I will save it for another post.
Later.
For the Love of Books 