What is hard for people to understand? I would say mental illness. When someone has a broken bone you see a cast and know what’s going on that isn’t the case with a broken mind. A person can look and seem perfectly “normal” and then out of the blue due something erratic and out of character. This is the way of suicides and murder. The “why” question is so prevalent in these cases.
Proverbs 2:3-6New International Version
3 indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?
Something that has gotten easier as I’ve gotten older is saying no. I used to say yes all the time and would get a resentment as a result. I felt like I had to say yes or I was a bad person. Now I realize that it doesn’t make me a bad person to say no sometimes especially if it’s not in my best interest. Sometimes no is the right answer – a catalyst for something else better to happen. An example is my ex brother in law asked my ex and I to come to Florida to a Ozz fest and I said I didn’t want to go. Well we didn’t go and he ended up meeting his future wife! Spending too much time making a decision means usually the answer is no for now – “too many mind.”
Matthew 5:37New International Version
37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
The teacher I remember and have fond memories of is a grade school teacher at Harvey Dunn her name was Mrs. Maxwell. She encouraged my writing. She gave me a certificate stating that I was the most likely to be an author. She was right. After we lost Sam our cocker spaniel we wrote a book. The title was The Gospel According to Sam an e-book.
Matthew 12:30-32 Niv
30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
I don’t have just one.compliment I have several and they have come from my cousins wife. She always makes me feel beautiful. Whether it’s my hair or what I’m wearing she takes notice. She always makes me feel special.
Genesis 37:32-34New International Version
32 They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”
33 He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”
34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days.
The most confident person I know is my Uncle John. He is a renaissance man, jack of all trades. He can fix most anything and if he doesn’t know what to do he does research and finds out how. I have a vacuum I want to see if he can fix! He takes great joy in taking things apart and putting them back together. I can remember one year we gave him a friction powered flashlight and he just loved it. He took it apart and put it back together just to see how it worked.
Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?
My middle name is Joy and I’d like to think that’s because that’s what my parents felt when I was born. That’s what I’ve been told they felt when I arrived!
Psalm 21:5-7New International Version
K5 Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty. 6 Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. 7 For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.
On the 13th my cousin and I celebrated our birthdays 4 years apart. He celebrated the big 60 and I 56th. We are going to have a family gathering tomorrow. My Aunt took me to our favorite place in Star called the Rustic Table on my birthday and that was delicious. I had filet mignon and we had chocolate cream pie for the birthday dessert. What a treat! It’s a blessing we get to celebrate birthdays together!
Auntie and I sharing dessert
Proverbs 9:11New International Version
11 For through wisdom[a] your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.
How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?
In my experience the best healer of the wounds of life is time. The further I get along beyond a significant event that has happened the less it hurts. There is no cure for grief but time. My cocker spaniel Sam taught me this after his passing. It took 3 years and getting another dog to get some relief from my grief over Sam’s passing. When we lost Sam we realized nothing of this world could fill the void inside- no food, no drink, no material possessions could heal the pain.
James 4:14New International Version
14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
If you could un-invent something, what would it be?
I think if I could in-invent anything in this world it would be guns. I know people including people I love use guns for hunting game but because of a gun I grew up without my birth mother. I lost a cousin. I know people say that if there aren’t guns they would find another way to kill and that’s true. There are other weapons. I just hate the mass carnage guns are capable of specifically automatic rifles.
Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?
A positive example of when I felt loved is when my cousin and his wife came and got me and took me to Idaho from Texas. It was during Covid and they didn’t hesitate to come anyways. It’s been going on 4 years since that happened. So many people were praying for me! I haven’t had someone do that for me before. There have been many other examples of how my family has shown their love for me since then but that was one of the greatest.
As I write to you we are getting more snow – I’m having trouble keeping up with it! I feel so week trying to shovel. I rescheduled my appts to next week in hopes the snow will let up and the roads will be better. It’s crazy out there!
1 Corinthians 13New International Version
13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faiththat can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poorand give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
To be 