Hello to you. For those of you visiting here in the states did you vote? I did a mail in ballot a couple weeks ago. I will be watching for the results. PBS and many other news channels will be covering the races. It will be interesting to see what happens. So far so good for the Democrats. If they do manage to win will there be a peaceful transfer of power? I hope so.
I decided to cut my hair today. It just doesn’t look good longer anymore. When I was younger it looked good on me. I was going to try and find a hair dresser but decided to just do it myself. I like the pixie cut on me.
Here are some Election Day prayers from Hallow:
Short Prayer for Peaceful Elections
These original short prayers from Hallow can help you pray for our country as well as draw closer to God during election season.
Heavenly Father, we ask you today to be with us and our country now as you have been since our first days as a nation. Help us to listen less to harsh rhetoric and more to the Holy Spirit. Help us to feel how Your Spirit will guide us, no matter the election’s outcome. We pray for peace, love and hope, in Your name. Amen.
Christ, our King, we pray today that we can look beyond the current political landscape, in a moment when it seems like it’s the only thing everyone is talking about, and remember that we are builders of Your kingdom here on earth. Prince of Peace, help peace flourish amid division, and strengthen us to live generously and charitably in Your name. Amen.
God, may Your Spirit unify us. May we recognize that we are all created in Your image, regardless of which political candidate we vote for. As we approach this election, open our eyes to recognize that people we may disagree with are still our brothers and sisters, Your children. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.
Hello to you. Today has been good. I went to the Grace House this afternoon for fellowship with ladies that go to Grace. They are so sweet! I was late but that didn’t matter. I’m always glad when I meet with these wonderful ladies.
Today’s prompt is hard for me to answer. The artist that changed my life was David Bowie but there isn’t just one song he sang that affected me. I would say all of what David was affected me in one way or another. He was someone I could relate to with his being androgynous. When I was growing up I was often mistaken for being a guy – mainly my teenage years because I always had short hair and was athletic and thin. I used to spend hours doing drawings of David. My first crush was on a guy that looked like David! I used to spend hours singing along to his songs. I had many of his albums. I was allowed to have one poster on my bedroom wall and it was of David! David’s death was very hard on me. His death was like that of losing a family member.
This picture is close to the one I had
Music had been the soundtrack of my life. At each phase there have been songs to accompany it. For example during one of my hospital stays I was introduced to Blue October and their song Fear. When I think of that hospital stay, I think of that song:
During my time in Florida I went to Celebrate Recovery that was held in the Presbyterian Church I was attending. We would sing Christian songs and one of my favorites was God of Wonders:
I want to close this post with a prayer for our upcoming elections. Here is a prayer I found:
Dear Lord, thank You that we have government representatives who believe Your truth. Remind them to seek Your guidance as they make decisions that affect our country and world. Send them godly wisdom and good counselors. And give election candidates the strength to choose integrity in both their campaigns and their terms in office.
Hello to you. How are you? For those who celebrated Halloween how was it? I didn’t hang out candy for a couple of reasons. My first year living here I dressed up and tried to hand out candy and ended up with lots of leftover candy. They had trunk or treat for the city on the 29th so most people take their kids to that. I heard a lot of negative press about the candy I would have bought. Most of the major brands had arsenic in them! Nothing is sacred!
The National Confectioners Association disputed the findings, stating that the report relied on misleading conclusions and scare tactics rather than established scientific thresholds, and that the products remain safe to consume in moderation. You can read the detailed breakdown via Southern Living. [1, 2]
Today was church with the daylight savings of falling back an hour. I didn’t notice it as much as when we spring forward. I wish they would do away with it! Todays service was a prayer and praise service. We sang a lot with reading out of Psalm 100. I got to see my church fam which makes getting to church good for me. My friend Jeannie came early and we got to visit a bit – loved that. We even got to see Pastor Jason who is still recovering from his accident.
There is change coming sooner than I expected regarding Grace House. They are packing up on the 23rd of this month. I thought we had til January. Our new office/meeting place won’t be ready until next year. So our Thursday prayer group will have to find a new place to meet interim. I had suggested Ridleys that has an open upstairs place that might work out. I don’t know if Lois has checked into that.
Patrick Stewart, the legendary actor known for his roles in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and the “X-Men” film franchise, has died at the age of 86, his representative announced Thursday.
Stewart died “in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny” after a “brief and poignant journey” with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, according to a statement shared on his social media by his longtime spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak.
Today there was a lot of hoopla over 90 days and military installations being prepared to be self sufficient. The alarm bells have been going off for us regular civilians as a result. What aren’t they telling us? Is it just another distraction ahead of the upcoming primary races? I look at my life without a power and water grid and have to admit I wouldn’t do so well. The same with food stockpiles. All the food I usually buy is frozen. If we lost the power grid I would be screwed! I need to buy another bag of Links dog food – worst case scenario I could live off of that lol!
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s new initiative to make military installations in the U.S. self-sufficient for at least 90 days has generated a wide range of responses, including questions about how long it may take to fully implement the plan at hundreds of domestic bases.
Hegseth recently unveiled FORTRESS — short for Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply, and Survivability — in a bid to prevent homeland sites from being, as he put it, “starved out, shut down, or cut off” during conflict or disaster.
Here is a prayer for peace, safety, and provision when the power grid goes down:
Heavenly Father,
In the sudden darkness and stillness, we turn our hearts to You, the true source of light that never fails.
When the power grid goes down and our usual comforts are taken away, replace our anxiety with Your perfect peace. Give us calm minds and steady hearts to handle the situation practically and safely.
We ask for Your protection over our home and our loved ones. Keep us safe from physical harm, extreme cold or heat, and any dangers in the dark. We especially lift up the vulnerable, the sick, and those who rely on medical devices—please provide a swift way forward and keep them securely in Your care.
Grant us wisdom to navigate this disruption with patience and a spirit of cooperation. Help us to look out for our neighbors, sharing what we have and being a source of comfort to those around us.
Thank You that even when the lights go out, Your presence remains a constant shield and a lamp unto our feet. We trust in Your provision and Your timing.
Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. Today’s prompt is on a topic I have written about off and on through the years. Everyday there is a new report out about how AI is going to bring about the end to mankind. My take on this is responsible programming. I feel that AI is needing to be regulated – we need guardrails! Even the god father of AI has expressed concern:
Overview
Geoffrey Hinton, a British-Canadian computer scientist and cognitive psychologist, is widely known as the “Godfather of AI”. He won the 2018 Turing Award and the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for his foundational work on artificial neural networks and deep learning. [1, 2, 3, 4]What He Says About AI Hinton has become a prominent voice warning about the rapid, uncontrolled development of the technology he helped create: [1, 2, 3]
Risk of Extinction: He estimates there is a 10% to 20% probability (or roughly a 1% to 20% range depending on the interview) that superintelligent AI could eventually lead to the extinction or marginalization of humanity. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Loss of Control: He warns that AI systems could learn to write and execute their own code, achieve recursive self-improvement, and eventually become smarter than humans. [1, 2, 3]
Creation of “Alien Beings”: He describes advanced AI as creating “alien beings” that understand and compress information in ways humans cannot easily track or anticipate. [1, 2]
Near-Term Threats: Beyond existential risk, he highlights immediate dangers, including:
Mass unemployment affecting knowledge workers, administrative staff, and creative fields (while physical trades like plumbing remain safer longer).
Erosion of information integrity through deepfakes, voice clones, and targeted political disinformation.
Deliberate misuse by malicious actors or military applications. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Need for Regulation: After leaving Google in 2023 to speak freely, Hinton has urged governments and tech companies to invest heavily in AI safety research, cooperate across competing entities, and implement strict safeguards before these systems escape human control. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Hinton is not the only one to express concerns.
Several prominent industry leaders and researchers have called for a deliberate slowdown in artificial intelligence (AI) development, most notably following an essay titled “We Must Pace the Frontier” published in September 2026: [1, 2, 3]
Dario Amodei (Anthropic): The CEO and co-founder of Anthropic argued that AI’s growing ability to handle recursive self-improvement is advancing faster than human oversight, calling for a controlled and measured pace to keep up with safety measures.
Elon Musk (xAI): The owner of xAI also voiced agreement with the call to pace frontier AI development.
Demis Hassabis (Google DeepMind): The head of Google DeepMind backed the push for slower development and independent auditing.
Jacob Coxon: A former Anthropic researcher who resigned publicly over existential risk concerns, warning that unchecked progress poses severe dangers to humanity. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI) backed the proposal and agreed to adopt proposed safety frameworks
Not all industry figures agree; critics such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Hugging Face co-founder Clément DeLangue have argued that big labs may exaggerate fears to restrict competition or create artificial demand. [1]
I think we should pay attention to what the experts are saying – AI – super intelligence- is not a hoax.
A Prayer for the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Father in heaven, Creator of all wisdom, beauty, and truth, We come before You in a time of rapid change, seeking Your light and alignment in a world shaped by screens and artificial minds. [1, 2]
Grant scientists, engineers, and global leaders the humility, discernment, and ethical clarity to build tools that serve humanity rather than diminish it. Protect our families, our children, and our communities from confusion, isolation, and the noise of deception. [1, 2, 3]
Help us to remember that technology is only a creation of our hands, while You are our true Source, our Sustainer, and our Guide. Keep our hearts grounded in real relationships, genuine compassion, and love for one another. [1, 2, 3, 4]
When we prompt and when we build, let us seek Your wisdom first, so that all innovation honors Your image in every person and points the world toward Your peace.[1, 2]
I came across this video tonight and it really resonated with me – so much so I felt to share it with you here. I usually try to avoid politics because it’s divisive but I can’t just overlook this:
I almost didn’t make this video because I’m tired. I think a lot of us are. Tired of being shocked, tired of arguing, tired of every new headline somehow becoming another reason to hate each other.
But hearing the President of the United States talk about Los Angeles and San Diego that way really bothered me. Not as a Democrat or a Republican, but as an American and as a person.
I don’t think we should ever become so loyal to a politician that we lose our ability to say, “That was wrong.” No elected official should be above our questions, our criticism or our accountability. They represent us. We do not belong to them.
So this isn’t me telling you how to vote in November. It’s me asking you to please vote, to think for yourself, and to remember the humanity of the people on the other side of your politics.
No American life is a small price to pay.
Spin of the World Prayer Wheel;
Never do to others what you would not like them to do to you.
A place that I visited that felt like home was Germany. I was stationed in Germany for a couple of years and within that time we traveled to so many beautiful places in Germany and surrounding countries. My ancestors came from Germany. When I went out in public it was hard to tell if people were German until they opened their mouth to speak. I looked like them and they looked like me. I think it was my great grandfather who was a pastor in Germany. They also painted stage coaches for German royalty. My Grandpa was a pastor too! I loved living in the village of Fliessem before we moved into base housing which I hated. I loved the German people.
Visiting German King Ludwig’s Neuschwanstein Castle was definitely one of the highlights! I can remember how I felt seeing the Singers Hall. It was like I was being watched. I felt so sad that King Ludwig had this beautiful space created that was never used in his lifetime:
No, the Singers’ Hall was never used for its intended purpose during King Ludwig II’s lifetime, but it has been used frequently in modern times. [1, 2]
The beautiful Singers Hall in Neuschwanstein Castle
Spin of the World Prayer Wheel:
Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Wellspring of our lives.
No word of ours can contain You; But You are the sea on which we float, You are the wind that fills our sails, You are the storm that batters us, You are the calm that brings us peace.
Open our ears to hear Your word, Open our eyes to see Your beauty, Open our hearts to be warmed by Your love.
Free us from our lonely prisons of fear and selfishness, And make us over, day by day, into bearers of Your peace.
Hello to you. It’s afternoon as I write to you. I am fighting cravings for pizza. I have already gone over 2,000 calories for today so ordering a pizza is out of the question!
Today was bible study and there was a great turnout. I think we had 12-13 ladies. There were many I hadn’t met before. We are using the Truth Adorned book. We spent time in Titus. The phrase I had to read came from Titus 2:13 :
Titus 2:13New International Version
13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearingof the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The focus of the “Truth Adorned” or “Adorned” style Bible study (frequently based on Titus 2) is living out the beauty of the gospel together through intentional, cross-generational Christian community and mentoring. [1, 2, 3]
The central idea is drawn from Titus 2:10, which states that believers should “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” in everything they do. Rather than reducing the Christian life to a rigid list of rules or trying harder on one’s own, the study emphasizes how God’s grace transforms character, behavior, and relationships.
Today was special. Taking and actually opening my Bible – using my Bible – was a first in a long time! During my last manic episode I was using my Bible practically everyday. I would read passages out loud and different voices came out as I read.
My friend Jeannie was with us. She’s been having a hard time with Roy’s two daughters. They keep dragging her into the middle of everything! They haven’t been very nice to her. We were going to get together and eat at the Sunrise but she can’t now. It’s ok and I understand! I wish things were easier for her.
Spin of the World Prayer Wheel:
God, I offer myself to Thee – to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!
alcoholics anonymous – the big book – third step prayer – 1939
Hello to you. It’s evening as I write to you. Today marks the end of summer and you can tell fall is here as it’s getting dark earlier! Some of the trees are changing into their autumn dresses. Such a beautiful time of year.
Self-care?! What’s that?! I don’t do much these days! The older I get the less I care about how I look. About the only things I do is trim my nails, color my hair and put lotion on my ever drying skin. I am doing the Tai Chi each day and try to get out and walk. As I get older I have resigned myself that I want to age gracefully.
Tomorrow I am going to Bible study at Grace House. It will be good for me to have something to look forward to each week. I will get to see friends outside of church – enrich friendship. I am not doing the book but just going for fellowship. I have been asking God what he wants from me and some of the answer has been getting out of the house and have fellowship with others. I hate leaving Link by himself but he’s a good boy while I’m gone. Even if he does his business in the house I have floors for it. Easy to clean up.
Spin of the World Prayer Wheel:
Dance as though no one is watching you, Love as though you have never been hurt before, Sing as though no one can hear you, Live as though heaven is on earth.
Today was both a celebration and a time of sorrow. Middleton Grace Bible church celebrated 10 years and we mourned the loss of 14 year old Carson Chrapkowski from a hit and run accident near Middleton High School:
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.
1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me. 3 He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me—[c] God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.
4 I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts— men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.
6 They spread a net for my feet— I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path— but they have fallen into it themselves.
7 My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. 8 Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. 10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.
I have been praying about what Jesus wants for me – what should I be doing. Well he is working that out for me through one of my friends from church. Today Missy invited me to go to her bible study starting this Wednesday. I didn’t have an excuse to say no and sometimes the answer is yes! Missy makes it so easy to say yes – no excuses. I told her I don’t do books but come to listen and have fellowship. I have to remind myself about this life that it’s not what I can’t do but what I can. What else am I doing?!!
