Hello to you. It’s early afternoon as I write to you after my therapy session through the VA. I am blessed to have a really good therapist. Today we talked about how my physical symptoms affect my life. She came up with something that resonated with me. She said imagine you are hosting a party and your neighbor Joe shows up. He isn’t the most pleasant smelling or behaving person. He is the uninvited guest that you have to keep tabs on the whole party so he doesn’t ruin it. She likened what’s going on with my head and lower back pain to Joe. If I focus on these things like I would focus on Joe, the party will always be ruined for me. I have to find a way to not let these thorns to my life stop me from living my best life.
Are you struggling with some kind of physical and or mental condition that won’t go away? What will you do with your Joe?! As for me, I’m seriously considering whether Joe ever gets invited in the first place! 😂
Oh how I wish Jesus would heal me and all those I do and do not know! It must have been amazing to be healed by him:
Matthew 4:23New International Version
Jesus Heals the Sick
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Drawing I did of my birth mom Jeannie many years ago
Hello to you. I’m home from spending some quality time with my Aunt and Uncle. I really was feeling like I needed some company today! I went over earlier in the day before it gets dark. I got the one thing I really needed and that was a hug from my Aunt and Uncle! Living alone I don’t get physical contact with humans very often. It’s such a simple thing but means the world to me! I am so grateful to have them in my life.
We watched King of Kings: An animated Christian film from Angel Studios, based on Charles Dickens’ The Life of Our Lord, telling Jesus’ story from the perspective of a young boy and his father. We all thought it was really well done.
My Aunt made spaghetti for dinner and it was really good. She even got me to eat and like cucumbers in my salad! She is one of the few people in my life that can get me to try and like things I normally don’t eat on my own!
1 Timothy 6:13-15New International Version
13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
Hello to you on this cloudy Sunday afternoon. I’m just back from church and breakfast at the Sunrise. I should have gotten groceries but decided to put it off. I really dread grocery shopping!
Today we had a guest speaker named Toby Slough. He is an author of the book Not Yet and a children’s book Toby the Goby. When they post his sermon I’ll share it.
Toby Slough
He spent time in Mark 6:30-42:
Mark 6:30-42New International Version
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”
They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages[a]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”
When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”
39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied,
The message from his speaking that resonated with my current journey was about how pain is not the problem. It’s what pain does to us – it makes us a narcissist- everything becomes about us. The two things I have going on sometimes keeps me trapped inside myself. Just where the enemy wants me! The other message today that spoke to me was about focusing on what we have not what we lack. Pastor Jason has put a goal before the church of raising $30,000 for the charities we support. I have not been tithing for quite some time but am thinking I need to be more generous. I need to stop worrying about not having enough money. I will pray about this issue.
Hello there, how are you as you visit me here? Today was long and kind of lonely but we have pushed through it. To be honest I have been missing having someone to come home to me. Link has me to look forward to coming home. I think of him as home as he rises up on his back legs and frantically taps at the front door waiting for me to come in. I miss my ex everyday but I know that ship has sailed. We were communicating a little bit but if I don’t initiate the communication there is nothing from him. He has moved on and I always hope he’s happier now.
The rest of this post is me reflecting on where I’ve been and where I hope to go:
I miss having a husband but don’t like what you have to go through to get one these days. I tried Tinder and that was a cluster you know what. I ended up with someone who wasn’t good for me and wanted more from me than I could give at the time. I just wasn’t attracted to him and that made him nuts. My taste is what I had in my ex and I totally blew it with my manic episodes! He just got fed up with the person I became when I was in untreated mania.
I always said that if I couldn’t make it work with Kyle I wasn’t going to make it with anyone. He wasn’t a perfect husband but pretty darn wonderful and I blew it. Some say he shouldn’t have divorced me but they don’t understand the spiral that happens with mania. When we were first together he knew I had mental health issues but I was being treated and was on meds that kept the mania at bay. When mania happened the last couple of times I was really doing things that hurt and or upset him. We were breaking things. He got physical with me a couple of times out of extreme frustration and it was after that he went to stay with his parents. When he could see I wasn’t going to get the help I needed he decided a divorce was the only answer. I didn’t take that decision very well! I felt so lost and alone. My everyday was like living in a haunted house. Memories of Kyle were everywhere I went from the house to the neighborhood. I wasn’t plugged in to Jesus yet but thankfully had people who were to talk to. I thank God for my Idaho family who were there for me – praying for me. They are the reason I am where I am today! Jesus used each of them to help me escape the nightmare I was in.
It took me awhile, even after I was out of Texas, to fully recover from the nightmare I was living. My Aunt Ruth and Uncle John handled me with tender care the 6 months I lived with them. I didn’t want to shower with the door shut. I didn’t want to eat meals at the table. I didn’t want to watch television. I walked constantly to combat my anxiety. I had nightmares. I saw versions of Kyle everywhere I went. Everything was a trigger to my thinking of Kyle. We had been married 12 years and I was married 16 years in my first marriage. I had grief and remorse over my first marriage too! Kyle and I committed adultery and I really felt bad about that as did Kyle. I just unraveled after he left me and felt this pulling sensation in the back of my body all the time. It was like the enemy had a hold on me and didn’t want to let go.
It’s been over 5 years now that I’ve been here in Idaho. I am much better than I was. It’s been about 2 years since I decided to accept Jesus as my savior. I finally made the choice that God had been patiently waiting for me to make. With this choice and my saying yes some doors have opened. I have gotten more involved with my church and that has made me some friends. I even got baptized which I didn’t think I would do. Now if he would only heal me from what’s going on in my head and lower back I could be of more use – a better vessel for the Holy Spirit. These conditions have prevented me from volunteering as much as I could be.
The other thing missing is a companion to share the rest of my life with. I have kind of resigned myself to my ending up being alone the rest of my life but I don’t know Gods plans for me about this. If I do fall in love again I want him to share in my love of Jesus and of course Link must approve of whoever he ends up being!
Thank you for reading!
Dear Jesus I pray for this world as fallen as it is that more of the lost will find their way to you. I pray for the poor, sick, mentally and physically in decline. I pray for all leaders in positions of power and influence that your will be done through their words and deeds. I pray for an end to all animal cruelty. I pray for an end to all wars that there would be peace. I pray for all children especially those being abused and or neglected. I pray for the children suffering in war ravaged parts of the world. Thank you. Amen.
For a long time, for most of my adult life, Christmas has been a hard holiday for me. Christmas Eve is the anniversary of when I lost my birth mom to suicide. I was only about 10 months old so I didn’t really get to know her. My Dad and stepmom always tried to make the holidays special and it helped me not dwell on things. My Dad and I would decorate the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. Dad loved Christmas or at least he made a good show of it! I have not decorated for Christmas for several years now and hate the materialism that Christmas often becomes. I live in a tiny home so I don’t like getting stuff to have to find a place for and I don’t like shopping. That is why I like Thanksgiving – the focus is on food and family! Now that I’m living near family with little children to celebrate with, I’m thinking may be my heart will be softened! Kind of like the Grinch story. Our families little ones the Cindy Lou Who’s in my life!
Luke 24 NIV – scripture from Sunday
On the Road to Emmaus
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulershanded him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Mosesand all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther.29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Hello to you. It’s the end of the weekend. Today was a good day. At church my friends were there to include Jeannie and a healing Roy. You could see he was healing on his face from the fall. After church I had breakfast at the Sunrise which is always good – got my Emma fix! She and the other staff are so kind to me. My Aunt Ruth invited Link and I over for chili for linner (lunch and dinner) and we watched a good movie based on a true story called The Stray:
The Stray is based on the true story of director Mitch Davis and his family. The film recounts how a stray dog named Pluto wandered into their lives when the family was facing struggles, saving their youngest son and helping to heal their family bonds. Davis stated that Pluto “saved my life and my family in more ways than one.”
It was as we feared as it goes with stories about animals – especially dogs! I won’t ruin it for you but I recommend you have Kleenex!
A good true life story
The second part of my topic today comes after watching a livestream of the Bishop James Long on Tik Tok this evening. He explained really well why there is evil in the world. God created everything but he did not create evil. Evil is a product of free will – choice. He used the example of a knife. A knife is created as a tool to be used for good. The knife doesn’t choose to be used to kill someone. The person who uses the knife for an evil purpose is to blame for what it’s used for. We are created for good but have the free will to make choices that are evil in nature. God is not responsible for our evil intentions. It’s so easy to want to blame God for the evil that happens in this world! Why does he not stop it? If he stopped it all then we would be automatons – mere puppets with no mind of our own. There is justice – we may not live long enough to see it but it will come. We all are responsible for making good choices and taking responsibility for bad choices.
AI Overview – question about where in the NIV Bible is free will mentioned
The term “free will” does not appear in the NIV Bible, but the concept is addressed throughout Scripture through passages about human choice and responsibility. Key passages that illustrate choice include Genesis 2:16, where God gives Adam and Eve a command, and Joshua 24:15, which presents the people with a choice of whom to serve. The Bible also mentions “freewill offerings,” like those described in Exodus 35:29, which were given willingly without coercion.
Passages illustrating human choice and responsibility
Genesis 2:16-17: God gives Adam and Eve a command, presenting them with a choice that has consequences.
Joshua 24:15: Joshua tells the Israelites, “Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…”.
John 7:17: Jesus states that “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God”.
Galatians 5:13: The Apostle Paul writes, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love”.
Passages about “freewill offerings”
Exodus 35:29: “All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the Lord freewill offerings for all the work the Lord through Moses had commanded them to do”.
1 Chronicles 29:6–9: The people made freewill offerings of jewelry and other materials to help build the temple.
Ezra 2:68 and Ezra 7:16: These verses mention freewill contributions for rebuilding the temple after the exile.
Hello to you. I am writing to you after a wonderful day with family for Thanksgiving. I joined my cousin and his wife at her Mom and Stepdads place in beautiful hilly Emmett ID. My cousin Tony came and picked me up and we had a nice drive. Tawna put together a wonderful meal and I got to finally meet her parents for the first time since I’ve lived here. We had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberries, sweet potatoes rolls with butter and broccoli. I also got to meet their two dogs Dolly and Nora and they are definitely her mom’s fur babies! There was also a dove who had recently lost her mate. I felt bad for her. Tawna’s Mom is so sweet! She loved getting hugs from all of us. She’s a great hugger! I felt so welcome and like I already knew her before we met. Everywhere in the house were Bibles and Bible verses. One sign she had in the kitchen I liked was “Jesus is my healer”
Tawna had us each say what we were grateful for which I really liked. You can tell how much Alice and her husband Al love Jesus. She has a lot of scripture committed to memory. After we let our stomachs settle a bit, cleaned up and looked at some old pictures there was lemon merengue and pumpkin pie with a cup of coffee for dessert. Yummy! What a wonderful day!
Something really sweet happened while we were cleaning up. I heard whistling and thought it was Tawna as she whistles a-lot when she is in the kitchen but no it was her Mom Alice! Alice said whistling helps with whatever she’s doing go much easier. I loved seeing where my sweet friend Tawna gets her sweet nature and unwavering faith from.
Last night I watched The Ten Commandments starring Charleton Heston free with ads on YouTube. I can remember watching it when I was in grade school. After I saw it I have a memory of imagining myself to be Moses when I was doing road guard duty. The winds were violently blowing me around and I can remember stretching out my arms and trying to command the winds to stop! I didn’t have a staff and don’t remember if I was successful or not!
Remembered Dad today and our big Schmidt family gatherings on Thanksgiving – tomorrow we would have decorated the Christmas tree and went early to JcPenny for their Mickey Mouse snow globes
Hello there – how are you? It’s nighttime and close to bed time as I write to you. I was just looking at the stats for my blog for the past couple of days and was delighted to see how many different countries were lit up! I’ve always said that even if my words reach one other person and help them I’ve done a good thing. Sometimes reaching out is just to myself- getting out of my own head the thoughts that tumble around in there. Since I have become more active in my faith, I have been using my blog to reach out. May be something in my posts touches a part of you that needs to be touched. May be Jesus has found a way for me to be useful after all!
If Jesus wants to capture your attention, he will find his messenger to reach you. He uses the most unlikely of candidates to do this work. Lord knows I’m about as broken as you can get but he hasn’t given up on me yet. Once you say yes to Jesus you can never say no again… not without consequences.
Our little miracle Link with his momma Tippie
What is keeping you from Jesus? Sometimes things happen in our lives that make us mad at God. We want to blame someone for our misfortunes. If I were to tell you that for everything that happens in our lives is for a reason even if at the time it seems senseless would that help you to reconsider your relationship with Jesus? I think of each of our lives as part of an extremely complicated board game. So many pieces of this game have to be moved in just the right order by God for even one prayer to be answered. For example after my dog Sam died I spent three years grieving and begging God to bring him back to me. Well his answer came when I found two parts to a Christmas ornament from the Choctaw reservation announcing the arrival of a little drummer boy. I initially thought my friend Erin was pregnant as she is part Choctaw but no her dog Tippie was! We had said that if Tippie ever had a boy we’d adopt. Well Tippie gave us not one boy to choose from but three! Dutch, TJ and Link. God answered my prayers in the time it needed to take. He heard my cries and Link was that answer but so many things had to happen for him to exist. My God is a mighty God who even though I wasn’t a Christian at the time loved me.
The ornament I found and notes I wrote to include a little song
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. 2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted.
3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned; I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[b] 4 You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak. 5 I thought about the former days, the years of long ago; 6 I remembered my songs in the night. My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7 “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? 8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? 9 Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. 11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 12 I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
13 Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? 14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. 15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
16 The waters saw you, God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed. 17 The clouds poured down water, the heavens resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth. 18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. 19 Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Today has been a good day . Today we celebrated as a family my Aunt Ruth’s birthday. There was a good turn out! Seeing my Aunt so happy was wonderful! You’d just see it in her eyes. Especially when she saw her great grandbabies! The Rare Steakhouse which used to be the Rustic Oven, did a great job keeping up with our loud and boisterous group. There were great grandchildren to keep up with! Most of us got breakfast but could have had lunch as that started at 11 am. I had an omelette with French toast as a side. It was very reasonably priced for what we got.
Hebrews 10:24-25New International Version
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hello to you. Just back from a walk – it’s chilly out but not enough to wear a coat.
2 Corinthians 4:16-17 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
To be 