7 October 2023 Topic Change

What’s a topic or issue about which you’ve changed your mind?

The topic or issue I’ve had the most change about in the past couple of years is spirituality. I have more of a Christ consciousness than I did before. In the past it was simply just God I believed in not so much Jesus. Now after time and experiences the focus has narrowed down to Jesus. I can remember a couple scary lucid dreams I had and the one name I was barely able to say got me free was saying the name Jesus. I have always believed in God but for the longest not just Jesus. I have only just recently declared my belief. Once you say yes to Jesus, you can’t really say no!

I just want to give thanks for my family and friends today. I had something scary happen yesterday and they helped me get through it. I am so blessed to have such a support system!

Psalm 142:7New International Version

7 Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.

30 September 2023 Best Trait

What’s the trait you value most about yourself?

The trait I value the most about myself is honesty. It’s a trait I value in others as well. I can’t stand being lied to. This was something I grew up with. If I got caught lying to my parents there were repercussions. I got caught a couple of times as a teenager doing things I wasn’t suppose to! I can remember saying I was at track practice but really I was going over to a friends house. There was an older guy there who I witnessed get into a fight. The cops had to be called and our parents had to give permission for the witnesses to give testimony. That’s the only way my parents found out what and where I had been! Boy did I get in trouble!

Colossians 3:9-10

9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

27 September 2023 Brand

What brands do you associate with?

Today was really nice. I joined family in celebrating my cousin Heidi’s birthday over at my Aunt Ruth’s house. It’s always nice when we can get together like that.

The brand that came to mind for todays prompt is Full Circle. When I’m in the grocery store I look for that brand. Unfortunately they don’t have all the product I’m looking for but quite a bit. Full Circle is an organic product line like dairy and grains and other various products.

When I’m in the grocery store I look for this brand

Matthew 16:13-20New International Version

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[a] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[b]will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[c] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[d] loosed in heaven.”20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

20 September 2023 Holidays

How do you celebrate holidays?

The way I celebrate holidays has varied throughout my life. There used to be birthday cakes and blowing out candles and that still happens to this day even if I protest lol. Although traditional cake had been replaced with chocolate pudding dessert. The major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas involve family gatherings and lots of food. That hasn’t changed much. Presents at Christmas has really toned down and the Idaho family does a white elephant gift exchange. Now that we have little babies, great grand children, in the mix I can imagine Santa Claus will surface!

Exodus 20:8-11New International Version

8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lordblessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

18 September 2023 Early Lesson

Share a lesson you wish you had learned earlier in life.

The lesson I wish I had learned earlier in life is my value or worth. I don’t think I’ve ever really learned that lesson. To this day I still don’t really have this down. The book by Amy Tan Joy Luck Club talks about this concept. It’s a sort of muti-general trauma that gets passed on from one generation to the next. Not realizing our value or what we have until it’s compromised or gone.

https://youtu.be/tJzxpUkJYXo?si=05oiHpavYP07IU2p – Joy Luck Club Knowing your Worth

1 Corinthians 6:19-20New International Version

19 Do you not know that your bodies are templesof the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

4 September 2023 Tear of Joy

What brings a tear of joy to your eye?

I used to be the “who dropped the hat lady” the person who would cry at the drop of a hat. I’m not really like that any more – the past few years events has really toughened me up. The one thing that still brings a tear of joy is seeing someone I haven’t seen in a long time. I am like a dog I think in that regard! Just so happy, on a soul level, to see you. I can remember the times my parents came to visit Kyle and I in Texas or when when my friend Melinda visited – just such a surprise and so much happiness. There are aspects like this that make me miss the house in Texas.

Proverbs 24:3-4New International Version

Saying 21

3 By wisdom a house is built,
and through understanding it is established;
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful treasures.

19 August 2022 Positive Emotion

What positive emotion do you feel most often?

Hello to you. How are you ? I hope this finds you well. I am doing ok. I had my first dose of Ambien last night and it didn’t interfere with my sleep which was a good thing. It sometimes takes awhile to see what different medicines will do.

The positive emotion I feel the most is gratitude. I’m so grateful to God, the people and animals that are in my life. So much of how my life is right now is thanks to God. My life is manageable and not more than I can handle.

“ the attitude of gratitude turns a frown upside down”

Psalm 107:1-3New International Version

Psalm 107

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.[a]

Ephesians 5:18-20New International Version

18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

14 August 2023 Early Morning Wake up

Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. I just finished an online seated workout through the VA and it was good. I actually got tired and felt it! She wants us to work out on our own at least once this week – strength training.

In this home they put the fire alarms way up on the ceiling!

This morning began really early. The notification of a low battery in my bedroom fire alarm went off. It literally scared the poop out of Link. Poor little man just ran around the house pooping. Eventually it stopped chirping. What sucks about changing the batteries on these is the height of where they put them on the ceiling. My Uncle is coming over today to change out the batteries – I hope he will be able to reach! I’m so grateful for my Aunt and Uncle – otherwise I was going to have to hire somebody. I don’t own a ladder anymore!

What’s wild is before bed I had one of my doubting Thomas conversations with Jesus, my Guardian Angel and Spirit Guide. I asked for a sign of their presence and sure enough something like this happened. Of course they are watching over me! I need to quit asking dumb questions. My rational self thinks this was more than likely just a coincidence but it’s interesting that only my bedroom battery got sucked and not the other two.

I guess this could be an opportunity for a public service announcement – when is the last time you checked your fire alarm batteries?!! They take 9 Volt batteries.

1 Kings 18:38-39New International Version

38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

7 August 2023 Happiness

List 30 things that make you happy.

Hello to you. How are you? Todays prompt is tough for me as I think it’s been since before my divorce I’ve been truly happy. Last night I dreamt about being with my ex and we were so happy in the dream he suggested we put our wedding rings back on- talk about my brain manufacturing wishful thinking! Yet it was so vivid and romantic! Truth be told though that ship has definitely sailed. As the years pass since the divorce the more I have come to believe that Kyle was it for me. I always said if I couldn’t make things work with him I would end up alone. Being Bipolar 1 has been a marriage/relationship killer for me.

So what makes me happy? Let’s see – food like desserts, Link, my family, a good movie or television show, a good song, nature (especially flowers and clouds), Jesus – experiencing him at Church and in the world, helping others and that’s about it. Can’t come up with 30!

Something I want to mention happened this past Sunday at church both moved me and made me happy. We were singing and I stopped to look around and I almost started to cry. I thought what if this is like heaven? The song we were singing was Blessed Assurance. One of the reasons I almost cried too was hearing a little girl behind me singing her little heart out! So sweet! I just got to thinking about what heaven might be like. A place where there is peace – no fighting – and a lot of beautiful music all day long every day. I miss singing next to my Mom and Dad at church. The Catholic Church has such beautiful hyms,

https://youtu.be/Bsdl8DSZfRo – Elevation Worship Blessed Assurance (lyric video)

Blessed Assurance

Lyrics

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
Born of his Spirit, washed in His blood

This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long

Perfect submission, perfect delight
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love

This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
Praising my Savior all the day long

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Don Wyrtzen / Fanny Crosby / Phoebe Knapp

Blessed Assurance lyrics © Word Music Llc, Integrity Music, Word Music, Llc, Curb Word Music

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 NIV12

I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil-this is the gift of God.

2 August 2023 Traditions

What traditions have you not kept that your parents had?

Hello there – how are you? Last night I decided to see if it’s the abilify that is causing me to be anxious and run fast – affect my sleep. I took two Depakote instead – sure enough I was able to sleep and feel like I rested. I think my body is used to it. The abilify makes me feel too high. I need to talk to my doctor about all this. I called and left a message for the pharmacist that gave me tapering off instructions from the olanzapine which I wasn’t able to do because I ran out of it and they didn’t refill it. Hopefully she will call me back today.

Todays prompt makes me think of Christmas. My parents and my ex and I used to have a tradition of telling each other what specifically we wanted for Christmas and that’s what we would get. My Mom used to send holiday treats up until a year ago or so. With Dad being in a nursing home things have changed and understandably so. We don’t exchange gifts anymore – just cards. Since moving here to Idaho, I have been indoctrinated into new traditions for the family here. They are similar to what I grew up with but slightly different. They do a white elephant gift exchange where everyone brings a gift of $25 or more and they do a trade.

Psalm 18:1-2New International Version

I love you, Lord, my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield[b] and the horn[c] of my salvation, my stronghold.

One of my favorite Christian songs:

https://youtu.be/-f4MUUMWMV4 – Goodness of God

Goodness of God

Lyrics

I love You, Lord
For Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In the darkest night
You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a Father
I’ve known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God (yeah)

And all my life You have been faithful (oh)
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God (yeah)

‘Cause Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
With my life laid down
I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
‘Cause Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me (oh-oh)

‘Cause Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
With my life laid down
I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
‘Cause Your goodness is running after
It keeps running after me

And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God
(I’m gonna sing, I’m gonna sing)

‘Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God
Oh, I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Jason Ingram / Brian Johnson / Ed Cash / Ben Fielding / Jenn Johnson

Goodness of God lyrics © So Essential Tunes, Capitol Cmg Paragon, Bethel Music Publishing, Shout! Music Publishing Australia