15 Oct 2026 Spark of Faith

Hello to you. How does life find you as you visit me here? Today was good. I had Thursday prayer group with Lois, Judy, Jeannie and I. We prayed for Pastor Jason and his family. He is recovering from a car accident in which he suffered a concussion. He is sorely missed! He does so much and his absence is deeply felt. I’m so glad he didn’t suffer worse injuries! It’s been so nice having Judy added to our group. She prays so deeply as does my dear friend Jeannie! I love our little group – our little spark of faith.

A little bit later I went over and visited with my Auntie. She made us a pizza for lunch. We had a good talk about negative media. She has felt like the news lately has been a horror show – the work of the devil. We aren’t designed to handle so much negativity! I have noticed it too. We need to focus on Jesus. She told my cousins daughter, a young mother, to avoid watching the news too much. Good advice!

We watched a nice show When Hope Calls:

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/when-hope-calls-cast-release-date-news

When sisters Lillian Walsh (Morgan Kohan) and Grace Bennett (Jocelyn Hudon) were young, their parents died of tuberculosis. The girls were separated: Lillian was adopted and raised by a kind family in the fictional Canadian small town of Brookfield, and Grace grew up in an orphanage. Upon reuniting as adults, the sisters open New Hope Orphanage, which is initially met with uncertainty and suspicion by the Brookfield townspeople. But in Season 1 of the romantic period drama When Hope Calls, Lillian and Grace open their hearts and make connections in their town in order to create a loving home for the children in their care. 

I love having time with my Auntie! She is so gentle and kind. When we are together we try to focus on what is good and light in the world. She is a great comfort to me.

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel:

What you are, the world is.
And without your transformation,
there can be no transformation of the world.

j. krishnamurti

11 Sept 2026 Armor of God and 25 Years

Hello to you, Today has been good. I went with my Aunt to the Sisters of Grace gathering in Nampa. There was a good turnout and lots of delicious food. I helped with a skit my Aunt put together called Fashion of a Lifetime- putting on the full armor of God – from Ephesians 6:11-18 :

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

I was the helmet of salvation in the skit. My Aunt gave me a gray felt hat to put on. There were no pictures taken but that’s ok. We all were in the moment which is rare these days.

Today is a good day to remember this passage with the 25th anniversary of 9/11. It’s one of the darkest days of world history. I will never forget it! I was sleeping after a 12 hour shift and was called by my coworkers and I went and turned on the tv and couldn’t believe what I was seeing! It just didn’t seem real!

Something happened that day – we were all united in a way that only such horror can do. We were all Americans and grieved together. We are living in a time of such division in this country. It’s like we have forgotten – we need to remember we are one.

What is a powerful quote for 9/11?

AI Overview

Powerful 9/11 Quotes For Remembering September 11, 2001 ...

One of the most powerful and enduring quotes for 9/11 is inscribed on the wall of the National September 11 Memorial Museum: “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.” 

This line comes from Book IX of the epic Latin poem The Aeneid by the ancient Roman poet Virgil. At the 9/11 Museum, the letters were forged by artist Tom Joyce using pieces of steel recovered from the World Trade Center site. It honors the lives lost and promises eternal remembrance.

 

6 Sept 2026 Followers Not Fans

Today has been a good day. I’m just home from spending some time with my Aunt and Uncle. We had spaghetti and almost finished watching all of the Little House on the Prairie reboot. They did a really good job with it. My Aunt must have known I was thinking of them and hoping to be invited over! I like spending my Sundays with them!

The day began with church and I got to see and talk to Jeannie. She wasn’t sure she was going to make it to church with Roy’s passing. She shared that before he went he seemed to be reaching into the sky for something or someone that no one else could see. I have heard it said that we are not alone when we pass. I hope whomever or whatever comforted him. I think next Sunday Jeannie wants to go to breakfast with me at the Sunrise. She just needs someone to talk to after all she’s been through lately!

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%209%3A23-26&version=NIV – Luke 9:23-26

https://www.bible.com/bible/111/MAT.22.34-40 – Matthew 22:34-40 Niv

https://youtu.be/kD1LGPiCby4?is=al6dYEKO2Gn6lMW4 – Followers Not Fans – Pastor Jason Boyd

Religions are different roads converging upon the same point.

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel:

What does it matter that we take different roads
so long as we reach the same goal.

mahatma gandhi

26 July 2026 A Prayer of Lament and Star Trek

Hello to you. I am just home from spending some time with my Aunt and Uncle. It’s really hazy out! Lots of fires around us. It feels like the whole world is in flames right now. My prayers go out to everyone dealing with the fires right now.

Today began with church we were in Psalm 13 a voice of lament:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2013&version=NIV

https://youtu.be/jjXb0GsggRs?is=fsvYok5eqZQJr-hI – A Prayer of Lament – Bryant Strot

Lament is turning to God with the unfiltered truth of what hurts. A prayer of lament begins by voicing an honest complaint.

After dinner we watched a couple episodes of Star Trek Strange New Worlds:

https://youtu.be/XL4iCAB6MFo?is=FRwTVkaqmfgxIicy – Trailer for Star Trek Strange New Worlds

Core Premise & Creative Style

The series follows the crew of the Enterprise as they embark on a five-year mission to explore unknown sectors of space, seek out new life, and confront unique cosmic phenomena. Unlike many contemporary serialized dramas, it blends campy science-fiction fun, deep ethical dilemmas, character-driven comedy, and intense action.

Parts of it were kind of cheesy but overall it was fun to watch! I can remember watching the original Star Trek in my younger days.

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel:

This is the beginning of a new day.
I can waste it or use it for good.
What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever,
leaving in its place something I have traded for it.
I want it to be a gain, not a loss;
good, not evil;
success, not failure —
in order that I shall not regret the price I paid for it today.

author unknown

8 June 2026 Wishbone

Hello to you. Another day has come and gone. I’ve started watching PBS in the evening. Tonight I’m watching a documentary about the making of the PBS show that features the adventures of a dog named Wishbone. I feel like I’ve been living under a rock with this one! It was an award winning show. It makes me think of when I did cartoons depicting highlights of my dog Sam’s life after he left us. I gave Sam a human voice. When I unbury them I’ll share them again.

The feature-length documentary about the beloved 90s PBS series is titled What’s the Story, Wishbone?. It explores the making and cultural impact of the classic children’s show that introduced a generation to literature. Directed by Joey Stewart, the film is available across major digital platforms.

https://youtu.be/f6L3Qp7SF2U?si=cEXCv4PSMrdWN2sc – A Tail in Twain – Wishbone

6 May 2020 drawing I did last night of Link out in the backyard.

7 June 2026 Into The Wilderness

Good evening to you. It’s starting to get dark as I write to you. I just finished watching a PBS show about the marriage of Queen Victoria. I enjoy watching programs that are about historical figures:

https://youtu.be/KfCDrm5aP50?si=69zbrBhyCA-LrhdP – PBS Queen Victorias dress

Today was church and grocery shopping. The messages today came from Mark 1:9-13 and Luke 5:16:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%201%3A9-13&version=NIV

Luke 5:16New International Version

16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

https://youtu.be/t7KROQ5Cbjs?si=ICLLbJIyA4oCA_h_ – Into The Wilderness – Jason Boyd

Jason asked us to come up with one word that describes what the wilderness means to us. For me the word was loneliness. When I’m alone I am the most vulnerable. Loneliness is like a vast desert and company quenches the thirst. I use to really like going off on my own and communing with nature. Ever since I’ve been having problems with my ears and lower back, the most time I spend alone is walking in the neighborhood.

One of the songs we sang today nearly brought me to tears:

https://youtu.be/j04Bx9pKwpU?si=GCobPwV5eLQDGD_x – I Surrender All

When I have completely surrendered my will to that of the Holy Spirit drastic change has occurred. Both when I quit drinking and smoking I gave up my will to Gods will and claimed victory!

6 June 2026 Nostalgia

Hello to you in your here and now. I hope you are well. I was just watching a video on Tik Toc that made me very nostalgic for my teen years that I want to share with you. It was a compilation of 80’s movies:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8shMYu6/ – Gen X we didn’t know it at the time but this was everything

I am a Generation Xer so a lot of my core memories are from the 80’s. My generation is the last to know what life could be like without smart phones and the internet. My favorite music was also in that time period. I remember seeing the beginning of MTV! One of the first videos I remember seeing:

https://youtu.be/djV11Xbc914?si=rzOizAppFEPx0oad – AHA Take on Me

I grew up without cell phones. I was a latch key kid who relied on a hard wired phone to keep in touch with my parents. I also relied on phone booths when I was away from home. In my early years in the military I worked on computers when they had data cards that had to be processed.

This is what I used early in my military career

If you didn’t want to be found you had an answering machine to collect your calls. I feel like the Internet has been a blessing and a curse! When I went to my first concert, David Bowie, the crowd didn’t have phones to capture it. Everyone was in the moment. Thats not the case these days:

https://youtu.be/8tCC9yxUIdw?si=Mhb8PcuxHUwWWok4 – David Bowie about the Internet (interview excerpt)

A part of me really aches for simpler times. Nowadays everything is moving so fast. We are already into June when it seems like we just had Christmas! Every single moment has a planned event it seems like! Can we keep up?!

24 May 2026 The Water Into Wine Miracle

Hello to you on this sunny Sunday afternoon. Today has been really nice. The day started with me asking for God to show me if I should go to church. I had a really tough night – not a full uninterrupted night of sleep. My feet carried me to what I was supposed to do and I went to church! As always, I was glad I pushed through! We were in John 2:1-11:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%202%3A1-11&version=NIV

https://youtu.be/4SCwUVCij3c?si=E_2lCWsRv_1qNR6a – Water Into Wine Miracle – Pastor Jason Boyd

One of the songs we sang today:

https://youtu.be/UoHrBNTfzIs?si=87iOGC42G9nt74vi – Gratitude – Brandon Lake

https://youtu.be/MhjvAAkXbj0?si=b8uk_rFs8alnC0rB – The Chosen – Jesus Turns water into wine

After church I went and bought groceries finally. It was expensive – the coffee I buy was $15 by itself. I’m so glad I only have to buy for Link and I. I usually have groceries last for almost a month. Then I went to have lunch with my Aunt and Uncle. Link was so happy – he loves them so much! I also got to see my sweet cousin Laura who is helping put together a ladies high tea with my Aunt. I sat with my Uncle John and watched a few episodes of a show called Rosemary and Thyme. It’s about two friends who tend to gardens and solve murder mysteries.

28 Apr 2026 Turning On My Television

Hello to you – I hope this finds you well and safe wherever and whenever you are. As I write to you I have my tv on which is extremely rare for me. What am I watching? Our local corporation for public broadcasting channel 4.1. Even without federal funding they carry on and I’m so glad. One of the shows I saw today was Finding Your Roots. One of the people they traced was Rebecca Hall. It’s really fascinating what is discovered :

https://www.pbs.org/video/hidden-in-the-genes-wxcku0/ – link to episode

PBS is a way to get news and culture. Yesterday I got to see one of my Aunt, Uncle and my favorite shows Father Brown:

internet summary of what the show is about:

https://youtu.be/3E5Kf8PFLyE?si=AYanN8-uUV50mES1 – Father Brown

Father Brown is a British period detective series starring Mark Williams as a crime-solving Roman Catholic priest, based loosely on G.K.Chesterton’s stories, that airs on BBC One and streams on platforms like BritBox. Set in the 1950s Cotswolds, the show follows the mild-mannered but sharp-witted priest as he solves mysteries, often with the help of his parish friends, using his understanding of human nature rather than modern technology. The series is known for its cozy, “howdunit” style and has been running since 2013, with new seasons confirmed. 

Dear Jesus I pray that you be with all those dealing with severe weather issues. I pray you be with the sick, the poor, the unhoused, the addicted and those struggling to recover from trauma. Wrap your loving arms around all those trying to heal from various conditions. Please be with my cousin Heidi, my Uncle Bill and my friends Cheryl and Roy. Amen.

4 Sept 2025 Unchanging and Enough Time

Hello to you. I hope this finds you well today. My thoughts this evening turn to mortality. To legacy. To being enough in the time I’ve had thus far. I couldn’t sleep the other night and found this from Jonathan Roumie. What I got out of it is it’s not how long we live but how deeply we love in the time we are given:

https://youtu.be/hStDYAxjjU0?si=lEchlnmBWJ1gK_3s – Jonathan Roumie and Jesus’s answer as to why he only lived to age 33

Jonathan has a lot of videos up like this on YouTube and I’m gradually getting through them.

Today was my Thursday prayer group and I was finally able to talk to Pastor Jason about a calling I’ve been having about an assisted living home we have here in town called The Cottages. Ever since we went there for Mothers Day in May I’ve been thinking about the place. The thing that has been holding me back is me – specifically my body. Things going on with my body make it hard for me to want to commit to anything. Explaining this to Jason and Lois today brought me to tears. I am willing to serve God but my body mobility and pain keep holding me back. Both Jason and Lois were supportive of me approaching the place to see if there is a need I can fill. Lois suggested keeping it small – just going once a week to say hello- learn the residents names. My plan is to call them on Monday and see what God has in mind for me. Please pray for me – for healing and heeding Gods call. Thank you! 🙏

Link will always look like a puppy to me – unchanging. The only thing that he’s showing of his age is the changing mobility in his back legs. He’s my baby boy!