Regularly Leaping Out of The Box

My buddy, Mary, sent me this Open Letter From Jesus About Christmas and I loved its out-of-the-box-ness.

Practically my whole life I've jumped out of the boxes others cram themselves into. You know, the same ol' crowd mentality way of thinking. Even as a teenager I rebelled against the normal, everybody-thinks-this-way of things, which meant I spent lots of time being sent to my room.

Although, being an introvert, I found my room a refreshing, un-normal place and was happy to go there. :)

Anyway, I hope you'll make your way over to that unique Open Letter. Lots of terrific, out-of-the-rut ideas there.


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Netflix added many old-fashioned tv programs to its instant view line-up. Here are a few:

Bob Hope: The Comedy Hour

The Jack Benny Show

Spike Jones: The Legend

Abbot and Costello: The Colgate Comedy Hour

Red Skelton: America's Funniest Man

The Life of Riley/ Our Miss Brooks


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Tom and I discovered another travel show at Netflix which delights us--it's called: Billy Connolly's Route 66. We enjoy any sort of travel program concerning Route 66 and Billy is quite the character/host. He reminds me of an uncle of mine, emotional, and able to insert a controversial subject faster than the speed of light, but in such a quiet way that it takes you by surprise and disables you from quite knowing how to voice your counter opinion.

Watch these episodes and you may see what I mean.  (But still, we think Billy is a hoot, he quickly grew on us and his Scottish accent truly is like music as someone on Route 66 told him.)

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Speaking of out-of-the-box, some of you will love this article: 15 Creative Home Conversions. Wow. Amazing photos and inspiring ideas which illustrate that probably most of us have scrawny imaginations.

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Of Grocery Prices and Coupons. Yes, Again. :)

Life changes for the better when we learn to view challenges as good for us rather than bad. I know we all wish Life was easier, but is that what we'd really like? Would we actually be happier if nothing ever happened to challenge us? If we never had to use our brains, our talents, our experience or to be clever?

Hmmm. I'm thinking probably not.


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Last week while shopping I heard an announcement over the sound system, something about a contest. I didn't really pay attention until it said the grand prize would be a three-minute free shopping spree there at the store. Oh! "How Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio," I thought. Fun, and so nice to know things like this still exist in 2012.


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Oh and last month I kept track of what I spent for all groceries and supplies from our supermarket and Rite Aid and I ended up saving (with sales and coupons) $20 more than I spent! That was kinda cool, indeed.


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Here's a great relevant blog which Sarah recommended:  www.grocerycartchallenge.blogspot.com/  Thanks, Sarah!



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Oh! One more thing. While stepping into my supermarket this weekend, I thought, "How fun that some kids in our area will grow-up and remember the lovely 1940's, 50's and 60's music while shopping with their mom." Big smile.  

Well, I got into the store and alas! The first two songs were a pop style from today. Now, the songs weren't bad or loud or awful or anything-- they just weren't the usual amazing retro stuff. Well, I began to get all flustered (Oh, bring the good stuff back. pul-ease!!), but took myself by the collar (figuratively) and said, "Debra, relax! Just appreciate all the times you heard that good stuff here. Besides, who says those days are over?"

And then, oh yes! Eventually, a lovely 1950's tune began to play and I smiled and sang along under my breath as I usually do. Oh happy day! 

And what a lesson: If we're pulling our hair out in frustration it's only because we're choosing to do so. We're choosing fear over faith, worry over trust.

Tsk. Tsk. シ


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James 1:2–4



Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
 
 
 
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Please tell me you've already seen the Christian the Lion video.

It's amazing. Tom and I loved it and have watched it a bazillion times (well...), practically sobbing every time, too. But then, we are big babies when it comes to animals.

This will warm your heart! (Turn up your sound.):

Christian the Lion

Well, officially as of today, my God-mandated 'medical leave' is over.

"Darn," said my lazy side.

"Hooray!" said my normal, energetic side.

So it's back to work today and I'm glad. Mostly. Sitting around and healing felt super at first, but tiresome toward the end. I think that's the clue--you know healing has come when you feel antsy to 'get back out there'.

I've a feeling I'll be more grateful for my medical leave in the future. I still feel there is something Big (and not nice) on the horizon for our Country as I hinted at here. My head feels better prepared to face it now, though I've no clear idea what "it" is.

And I'm so not alone in these feelings. David Wilkerson is hinting, too, and suggests we all have one month's worth of groceries at home at all times (when people panic, the first thing they usually do is strip supermarket shelves bare. Remember that.). Cindy Jacobs and Hal Lindsay are also 'sounding the horn,' to name just two more. (There are many others.)

(You might want to read Wilkerson's Perfect Peace post first. You'll see what I mean.) 

I can do that. The one-month supply of essentials, that is (keeping in mind that others will need help at that time, too) and eeking out a savings account and doing what I can around the house to make it as comforting and prepared-for-adversity a place as it can be.

And frankly? I appreciate and am comforted by being given something to do to prepare for possible hard times ahead. It's a struggle to sit and do nothing--and being found unprepared is even harder. Staying close to God and remaining as prepared in all ways as He directs--that's about all I can do.

And it will all be enough as long as He directs my steps. As long as He comforts my heart in the midst of any hard times ahead.


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Oh! I just now found this. Can it be that the government is finally "getting it" that they've spread too much fear lately?

"It is this transition from an excess of greed to an excess of fear that President Roosevelt had in mind when he famously observed that the only thing we had to fear was fear itself." .... Lawrence Summers



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Wow. Remember that Ben Stein piece I linked to earlier? Good grief. I read just a few of the 15 pages (or so) of the ensuing comments and got a horrible glimpse at the state of our Nation's people's minds.

What a bleak, determined-to-be-negative state, indeed!

But will I let those depressing, bitter comments latch onto my brain like some science fiction slug-like-creature and bring me down to their miry level? No way. Instead, I will continue to fling and scatter good seeds everywhere I go.

I will keep this blog a positive, un-fear-based place to visit.
I'll smile at people wherever I shop.
I'll send silly comments and gifts to friends at Facebook.
I'll encourage people to give out of hope rather than horde out of fear.
I'll bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things the way Love is supposed to.
I'll do whatever I can to encourage the heavy-hearted friends crawling along my path. I'll remind them that God takes care of people who obey Him--somehow.
And I'll continue to believe that--by reminding people that God can make a way where there is no way--perhaps some extreme negativity will be crushed on our planet.

Anybody can say what everybody else is saying. Anybody can be negative. 

But nowadays, especially, it takes guts and faith and determination to keep Negative-Minded-Body-Snatcher-Types from taking over our minds. If they've not already come to your house to snatch you, I hope you will be ready to fight when they arrive!

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How fun! I just now discovered there's a Happy News Website. 

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“If you will call your troubles experiences, and remember that every experience develops some latent force within you, you will grow vigorous and happy, however adverse your circumstances may seem to be.”
John Heywood quotes

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A huge special thanks to Laura for giving me the gift of a link to the perfect blog, the sort of blog I search for nearly every weekend.

Some of you, too, will love the 16-year-old Everly Pleasant. She and her sisters have this sort of Alcott sisters thing going on (perhaps without even trying) and Everly writes 1800's style with a 21st century twist. Hers is an old soul, my favorite type of soul, and I am beyond enchanted with her blog. Some of you will be, too--I could even name you by name...

(I read Everly's blog and poof! I am 16 once again, full of future dreams and ethereal thoughts and plans to read every lovely book ever written.)

Her little sister, Fairlight Crumb, has a dreamy photo blog and oh the peeks we get into their life and home and yard! Be sure to see her old-fashioned photos, especially.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy... And come away inspired to make your own blog a dreamier place to be.

Need some coupons for healthy products? The latest issue of Family Circle recommended this site, Mambo Sprouts. You'll find coupons for Kashi cereal, Stonyfield Farm yogurt, Clif bars and more.

I mentioned in an earlier post that it pays to learn how to make your own soup and white/cheese sauce. Something else? Spaghetti sauce. I've made my own for decades and saved tons of money and have avoided buckets of added salt. 

As with anything, recipes abound online.

When I was young, the thing to have at the mall was an Orange Julius. Now I can whip up an Orange Julius at home in about two minutes, a low-fat, low-sugar type. The recipe is something like this, below, although I never measure anything. I just make it.

This makes a smallish glass for two of us:

3/4 c. orange juice
1/2 c. skim milk (or 2%)
1 tbs. sugar (or less)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. yogurt--if you have it on hand. Otherwise, skip it.

Pour all in a blender at lowest speed for a few seconds. Easy! We love drinking this when we're craving some kind of a snack at night but have previously eaten all snacks in the house.

(Some of you will be tempted to leave comments about how orange juice and milk, together, make you sick. I get that already, ok?)  ツ

Oh, and for those who wondered, our ice-cream maker is made by Rival. There are only three pieces, it's the easiest thing on Earth to use and you store the tub part in the freezer so it's always ready to use when you're craving something cold.

And when you crave some hot coffee? Well, have you ever tried McCullagh coffee? Oh. My. Goodness. 

Our favorite restaurant in town serves it and it's always amazing, even decaf! They recently began selling bags of the stuff and I'll definitely have to get some. McCullagh has made coffee for 130 years-- tons of time to make it perfect, right?

(I've not found a place online to buy McCullagh. Let me know if you do, ok?)


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Did You Know?

Are you familiar with DearReader.com?

You sign-up to have a five-minute portion of a book emailed to you Monday--Friday and by the end of the week, you've read a couple chapters of the selected book. You can sign-up for whatever category of books you prefer and read from more than one book, even. (I currently receive the Good News selections.)

I've found some good books through DearReader and I recently chose to buy this one, a mystery--



--at Amazon.com because I simply must find out what happened at the end!  ッ

Just thought I'd pass along this info. for the readers amongst us.

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For, like, always I've dreamed of living beside a lake. Well, that dream has come true! See the lake outside our windows?





Cool, huh? Looked even nicer when it was surrounded by snow...When the snow returns(as it certainly will) I'll take another photo and share it with you.


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Need a pick-me-up? A Happy Shot in the arm?

Just listen to the song called, Happy, here.

Guaranteed to cheer up even the most whiny of down-in-the-mouthers, especially when you know, for yourself, the Person of whom she sings.

 How good to be reminded of the happiness God gives when we slow down long enough to receive it. When He truly becomes our #1 source of joy and we learn how to drink from that source all our hours of ordinary days.

Play it loud. Play it over and over. Smile, dance, sing along.

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"But let all those that put their trust in you rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because you defend them: let them also that love your name be joyful in you." Psalm 5:11

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Need to read some good news for a change? You'll love this. I promise.


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Changed My Mind! Here's Where I Want to Move

Okay, so being a woman, I have the ol' prerogative to change my mind. So I did.

Now I want to move to Mt. Airy, N.C.. 'Thelma Lou' from The Andy Griffith Show lives there now. You can read an extremely spiffy article about her adventure here.

Sign me up, too. Start loading the moving van. I am so there.


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Go Ahead. Tell Me It's Impossible

Mostly? I like it when people tell me a certain thing just cannot be done. That what I'm hoping to do is Impossible.

Why? Because it gets my blood bubbling. Suddenly I feel energized, able to conquer all. Tell me life is just oh-hum-sad-sickly-tiresome for everyone and in my head this will play: "Impossible? Well, I'll show you!"

Heh. (I'll bet you didn't figure me for that kind of person, did you?)

Always, I've been like that. Mostly because since I was a tiny girl, I've believed God and not just in Him either, but believed what He said in the Bible. 

That He could do anything, always provides what we need, nothing is too hard for Him, including healing people. I believed that as a child, even while growing-up in churches which, much of the time, taught otherwise.

A cute example? I still recall, at 6-years-old, arriving home from church and standing beside my mom while she fumbled in her purse for her key to unlock the front door. She was very pregnant at the moment with my little brother and for the first time I wondered, "How did the baby get inside her in the first place?" And although my family had only recently begun attending church, immediately I thought, "Oh well, God understands all that. Maybe He's the one who places babies inside of mothers."

That personal example of childlike trust still makes me smile today. It still teaches me something, also.

It's good to outgrow some things, and trust me, I've outgrown a whole lot. But this believing God can do what He wants to do--and if He wants to help me, He will--well, I'm not planning on ever outgrowing that. Not ever.


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Have some extra time to read something inspiring and sweet? Here's a true story I really, really enjoyed: A Life Without Left Turns.

"Birds fly in flocks, but eagles fly alone." ... Joyce Meyer


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