Christian Photographers Community

Hi everyone on a beautiful Friday morning.  We have a zero chance of rain today.  I plan on staying home today, the first day all week and I am looking forward to it.  No major cooking will be needed today as we have the beef roast and when I made the salad last night I had a big bowl of it left so won't have to do that.  Pat has the balsamic mushrooms also that I made a couple of days ago that she hasn't eaten yet.  I have some work to do here at my desk and that will be it.

On my last visit to COSTCO I bought two new king size pillows.  We started using them a couple of night ago and we both like them.  So Pat will be ordering some king size pillow cases.  Right now we are using two regular size pillow cases on each one, which works but looks rather strange. 

They are in the process of delivering the Hardy Plank siding for the new house across the street and the crew is already on site to start putting it on.  This house has really gone up quickly. 

Thank you all for your continued expressions of concern for Pat and for your prayers for her.  She is half-way through with the intensive Chiropractic treatments and was told at the beginning at about this point she will have a plateau level and she thinks she has reached it.  Hopefully soon she will see more progress. 

Carol, it sounds like you all had a very nice vacation in Seattle even if it was tiring.  I hope that Don gets rested up soon.  Was traffic worse in Seattle than in Denver?

Janet, I understand a bit about the Kansas dust as we had the same thing in Missouri when I was growing up and we had to have the windows open in warmer weather and we lived off of a dirt road.  I don't think I was ever called a "sparkplug" before but that was kind if a bit inaccurate.  Sometime I feel more that plug than the spark.  If you go to Branson in December you will be able to see some great Christmas programs if you are interested. 

Marilyn, nice of you to take the hospice class for volunteers.  You are a very caring person.  Hope you had a good hospital day with Freckles.  We each have to decide what is right for us at a given time.  It is easy to get bogged down.

Ruth Ann, sounds like you had your exercise in getting in your groceries.  Having the grocery cart is a wonderful thing and I know from taking in groceries and other things for Stacey for the eight years she lived in Atlanta.  Sometimes it is exhausting just getting the groceries from the garage to the kitchen.  When we have quite a few bags we can put them on the cart we have and that saves several trips.  We just have to bring the bags from the trunk to the garage door into the house and put them on the cart. 

Rise and Shine!  Humming the song, "Morning has broken".   

Larry:  Seattle traffic is gridlock from all the people moving in and houses being torn down for much more dense population.  Denver is now going to require three people in cars on the Xpress lane so it is happening here too.  Houses sell in both places in matters of hours, not days and way over asking price in both cities. 

A new recipe for beef stew last night was a bummer.  Back to my tried and true.  Such a waste. 

During this summer I had a completely new experience.  I was and became a certified flagger for a road construction crew.  It was a challenging job, funneling 3 lanes of major highway into one and being aware of all the vehicles going both ways.  The biggest challenge was the time a police officer turned on his lights to get to the front of the line and then turn them off as soon as he was through the construction zone....He was in no hurry, he was traveling normal speed at the end.  This wound up causing a lot of miscommunication with us flaggers, and could have had a head on collision in that one lane if it hadn't been for the quick action of my co-worker doing the direction of 4 vehicles..... Tracey was an amazing person to work with, not a Christian by any means, dropping the "F-Bomb" at least once in a sentence.  She was very kind hearted, and an excellent driver.  Pray for Tracey as I have let her know where I stand, and now that the seed has been planted, someone needs to water and harvest this lost soul.

This winter I am going to be plowing snow.  Yes you read right. Working with John again, in separate vehicles, doing what at one time was said to be unthinkable for me. 

Don't let anyone tell you that your inner clock cannot be reset as a senior.  Typically I have been a night person, now as a result of this summer having to be at work at 6:30, i am now a morning person. Ready for and into bed by 9 at the latest.

This was just a quick update from me to you.  If you want to see a 6:00AM picture check this out.  Jeanne I hope I did that right!

Have a good day folks Love to you all.

Hello everyone ... I am ready to take the trip I never wanted to take ... to California to put to rest a wonderful daughter taken too soon by the most horrific disease on earth.  I am flying out this afternoon and will be gone at least two weeks, maybe more.  I am thinking I will return on Amtrak ... I will decide that later.  One of my sisters will be on a cruise next week, and her ship will dock in San Francisco on the 29th.  She has suggested the "Sacramento Family" make a road trip to spend the day with her there.  Dot and her girls want to rent a van so we can all travel together ... I'll be there, too.  I think we're renting a van to drive to Twain Harte for Joy's memorial also.  We need to be together as much as possible these days. 

Oh my, that is fantastic, Judy. I am proud of you for taking on such challenges and using the opportunity to share the Word!  All we can do is help plant a seed and pray, leaving the heart-changing part to the Holy Spirit!  Thank you for sharing your news, and the 6:00 am photo!

Thank you Ken.

Jane my heart goes out to you and your family at this time. Our consolation is that she is now totally healed and has no pain.

Hello Everyone...

First of all, I want to say that your photo is lovely, Judy!  Amazing morning capture.  Love it!


Jane, I will be praying for you as you journey to the Memorial Service.  Please take care and post when you are able.


Hi to everyone else.  I've read all your messages. 

Love

Pat...

Jane, my heart and my prayers travel with you. 

Judy, what a great surprise to see a post from you - and a beautiful sunrise photo. (Yes you did just fine!  )  I am relieved to know it was a totally new type of job that has been keeping you busy, and not bad health.  And judging from the past several years you'll be kept busy with winter plowing, too.  Just remember we're here and will be hoping to hear from you more often.

And now some special news from our Pat!  She has agreed that Jack's series "Walking int he Old Paths" needs to be aired again.  Starting this week (actually tomorrow) and for 18 weeks, she will be posting one every week as the devotional in the weekly Thoughts For the Week topic!    The means, of course, the the rest of the "Thoughts" crew gets some time off.   

Hi everyone on a beautiful and clear South Carolina Saturday morning.  It is a very pleasant 72 degrees, or was when I was outside watering my plants.  We are suppose to get to only the mid 80's today. 

I had an enjoyable and laid back day yesterday and the car didn't leave the garage.  As far as I know now that will be the same today.  I got my desk cleared away yesterday so will have a light schedule for the football Saturday. 

Carol, thanks for the info on the traffic situation in both Seattle and Denver.  I think I will stay in North Augusta where we don't have a traffic problem and even across the river in Augusta it isn't a problem.

Judy, what a pleasant surprise.  It sounds like you had a busy summer. Did your job involve standing out in the open with a flag or driving a vehicle to escort traffic through a certain area.  It sounds like the police officer had a pretty high opinion of himself that he couldn't be bothered to take his turn in traffic if he wasn't on a specific call.  I hope the snow plowing job for both you and John go well.  I expect you will stay pretty busy with the job but you sure will have to be out in some really bad weather.  I hope all of your family is doing well.  Please say hi to John for me.  I still remember our nice visit at the truck stop when he went through Atlanta one time. 

Jane, I will be keeping you and your family in my thoughts and prayers these next days as know this will be hard on you all.  Glad to see you are flying rather than driving.

Pat, I hope this finds you feeling better than you did the other day. 

Jeanne, that is good news on the posting of Jack's writing for us to enjoy again or perhaps for some to read for the first time.  All of you who have prepared and posted the weekly Devotional thoughts deserve a big "Thank You". 

I didn't realize I missed a day posting, but it seems I did!  So there were more posts to read this morning, which is always nice!  I have read them all, prayed for each of you as I read.  It's good to catch up with your lives. 

It is very foggy here this morning, and nice and cool.  Forecast says it will warm up as the day progresses.

Not much new here, just wanted to greet you all and tell you that you are an important part of my life.  God bless!

I goofed  - it's not 18 weeks but 15 weeks of Jack's messages, with the first one having been last Sunday, so 14 to go. 

No, Jeanne!  Don't bonk yourself!!  You're forgiven! 

Thanks, Janet.   

Jane:  Being with your family at this time sounds like a very good idea.  Prayer for your strength and health through this time. 

Judy:  Nice to see your note.  You have been busy this summer learning a whole new career - stay safe everyone. 

We are not attending the area gathering picnic today - Don awoke with a sore throat and he is very tired - he is napping right now. 

I received Joni's email today and it really meant a lot to me. 

So I'm sharing it with you all.


More Than You Can Handle?
by Joni Eareckson Tada

Dear Pat,

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."    1 Corinthians 10:13

Every once in a while 1 Corinthians 10:13 bugs me. At those times I'm prone to think God couldn't expect from me what He does from others because mine is a "different story." I especially thought that way when I was lying on my hospital bed:  How can You be putting me through all this?  It's more than I can bear -- even with Your help, God!

The truth is, my story is not different.  Neither is yours.  My quadriplegia hasn't earned me any Purple Heart medals with God.  My bouts with pressure sores and lung problems haven't exempted me from 1 Corinthians 10:13. If the Lord allows crushing hardships to pile on top of all the other baggage that goes with being disabled, I can't whine.  It never can be said of me, "She has good reason to let off steam every now and then."

Whenever I entertain stubborn, stiff-necked thoughts of resentment, I've noticed I don't go forward but backward. The problems aren't easier to handle; they become harder.  I must remember Hebrews 12:4 which warns complainers, "...you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood."  What a good reminder! I'm not a martyr; nobody's drawn and quartered me, laid me on a rack, sawed me asunder, or run me through with a sword -- so things can't be that bad.

True, 1 Corinthians 10:13 may bug you when you think you must disobey because the temptation is too great. But remember, we can never be forced to disobey. We don't sin because we have to; we sin because we want to.

God, thank You for the grace to endure the losses You have allowed in my life. Whatever the trial or temptation, enable me to look to You to provide the way of escape -- and the grace to bear up under the load.

Blessings,

Joni and Friends

Thanks for that Pat.  It is good to be reminded now and then of the suffering and blessings of others.   

"I cried because I had no shoes.  And then I saw the boy who had no feet."

Joni is an amazing woman!  Her resilience and honesty are so refreshing, and the way she bears up under her burdens puts me to shame.    She wrote Beth a personal letter not long after Beth had to go into the Care Home, also sent her a book, and it meant so much to her.  Joni shows what a blessing one can be in spite of many physical problems.  God is still using her life.

Thank you, Pat, for sharing this.

Last week, I introduced you to Judith who made the lovely graphic that I posted that she did to go with Jack's de votional. 

Judith has managed to register and I'd love it if you'd welcome her.

Here's the Introduce Yourself post:  Judith

Hi, friends,

My goodness, it's been busy in here. I love it.

I've had a quiet day, but will be out and about tomorrow. It rained more than 2 1/2 inches today, so that should help with this long time we've gone with no rain at all.

May our Lord draw you up to his chest and envelop you with the warmth and safety of His great love.

Ruth Ann

i think it's wonderful too, Ruth Ann!  Maybe we'll start to get more posts in here!

Hi everyone on this beautiful Sunday morning.  The sun is out and it is still fairly cool here in the low 70's.  I am ready for Sunday School and Church this morning and then will stop to get something to bring home for our lunch as the kitchen is basically closed for business on Sunday's. 

Last evening I fixed us Tilapia and steamed cabbage and green beans.  The fish and green beans turned out well but a few of the cabbage leaves had a bit of a singe to them but still tasted fine.  I had not made steamed cabbage before.  I stayed awake late last evening watching the Georgia/ Missouri football game.  It was an exciting game and Georgia got the win by scoring with only about 1 minute to go and then Missouri fumbled and that was the game. 

I am rushed for time this morning so will try to hold my comments to only a few. 

Pat, I am glad that Judith is going to join us here and hopefully will share more of her graphics work.  Thanks for sharing Joni's writing.  It is good to be reminded that God is always there for us even in very difficult and painful times. 

Ruth Ann, that is a significant rain and sure the ground appreciated it.  We didn't get a drop of rain yesterday. 

Carol, I hope Don is feeling better and less tired today.

Good Morning I am ready for church. After service today there will be a memorial service for Monte who passed away last Sunday. One of the sisters has prepared the whole luncheon to be served afterward. This is the same sister who did all the preparations for my wedding and for the wedding of another couple. I spoke with Peggy, (Monte's wife) yesterday, she is doing well and we talked about my visit with Monte  last week Thursday just two days before he went home. She said he was so pleased with my visit , that he had been fighting  his  leaving but my visit reassured him that it was OK to go because the church family would take care of Peggy.

Happy Sunday, everyone!  It is a lovely, cool, Fall-feeling day here in my corner of Kansas.  We attended Church and Sunday School this morning, now are mostly resting.    Of course, Darrel is watching Football.

Beth and John were at church, too.  They both like this church a lot, as people go out of their way to greet them.  I appreciate that.  And they understand that Beth can and does hear and understand them; she just cannot respond in a way they would understand.  John and I, and most of the girls who take care of her can understand her, but not those who aren't around her much. 

I"m trying to eat popcorn and type at the same time.  It isn't working well at all. 

Marilyn, I'm so glad you went to visit your friend before his homegoing.  That is so important, and a comfort to his wife as well, it sounds like.  Keep blooming where you are planted!

We are still waiting for rain!  Glad your area got some, Ruth Ann!  Rain is vital!

I have two phones next to me - waiting for news on youngest son who fell off a tall ladder this afternoon.  He is being evaluated at the hospital right now and will either be admitted or go home.  A concussion - in and out of consciousness.  Also, his knee needed stitches.  Praying and praying.  Don has a cold, so he cannot go to the hospital or out.  I just had to write - knowing all of you care. 

Fastest Update Ever!

Prayers worked.  Our youngest son is going home - no concussion and he has stitches on his knee so will be on crutches. He will call us later when settled.  He was overreaching on the ladder and stepped back on the wrong spot - in the house- falling on a hard floor. 

We are so relieved. 

Janet:  How nice for Beth and John to be in church with you.  Treasure each moment, I am sure you do. 

We had a message that grandson in school in Minnesota is dating and both of them went to church this morning.    I finished binding a flannel quilt this afternoon - yea, so glad that one is over.  It has been heavy to handle. 

Welcome Judith!  Where do you live?  I am SW of Denver.  It is sunny and warm today - about right for this time of the year. 

Ruth Ann:  That was a heavy rain for your area.  It sounds like you needed the moisture. 

Pat:  Thank you for sending us the notes from Joni.  Such an inspiration.  So glad to see you posting!   

Carol-rejoicing with you over the good report on your youngest son!  Also on the grandson and date!  Those things make us Moms so happy! 

I am spending far too much time on computer.  Every day I say to myself, :I am NOT going to do that tomorrow..and when tomorrow comes, I do it again.  I MUST stop!  Other things far more important, need my attention!

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