Super-Sized Gratitude = Praise

Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

    --and forget not all his benefits...
3 
5 (He) who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s."  ---From Psalm 104

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Shh, but usually I avoid the 'there's only one way to think' folks. Life's too short and God's too incredible to sit beside them in stuffy boxes for 70 or 80 years. 

Go insisting there's only one way to praise God (in a church amongst others) and well, you and I probably aren't besties.

No, lately I'm choosing a Praise Lifestyle. How? By the adventure of super-sizing my gratitude.

Like when my ancient Nancy Drew books arrived this week--

--I thanked God for:

Those who gave me birthday money to purchase these. 

The Internet. The zillions of books there.

Ebay and its sellers.

The Nancy Drew author(s).

Old books, old art, old language. 

The mylar upstairs to protect the covers (rather than removing them while reading only to promptly lose them as I used to. Er hem.).

Bookshelves galore in my tiny house.

The 40 years God led me, like on a treasure hunt, to old books in (often) dusty, dark places.

And that, because of Him, my own library is the best one in all of New York state(!) (No really, for me it is. I checked online.) ジ

Books. Family. Friends. My home, garden, wardrobe. 'My' cafe 'round the corner. Music. My adorable closet bedroom. Train adventures. The years at Autumn Cottage. The time we had a farm. This blog. My prepper stockpile. Days with gorgeous weather. The river down the street. Sitting on our front porch, speaking with neighbors who pass by. Grocery delivery. Surprise cards in the mail. Divine protection. Birthdays, normal days, Saturdays with Tom and lunch delivery, movies and closing the curtains upon the outside world.

On and on until infinity, real praise shoves-out complaints and worries about a world gone out-of-control. And praise rejuvenates, thank-goodness.

In a constant atmosphere of praise, nothing can stop God's blessings. Keep praising Him for all He does and is--no matter what's happening--and the future will always appear bright because He is our light.

...let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise---the fruit of lips that openly profess his name...Therefore do not worry about tomorrow..." ---Hebrews 13:15, Matthew 6:34

Are we contemplating more about the bad which might happen or the good which already has?

Let us be busy with good things. 

Busy with gratitude. 

Busy, but with a mind at rest. 

God-covered.

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I've watched many documentaries about The Waltons (many!), but this one is a new favorite. Lots of gratitude spoken about within this hour.

 "I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth."   ---Psalm 34:1

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"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15

My New Best Friends

"Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life."   --- Matthew 10:37, Matthew 19:29

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(Warning: Some of you will click away before you finish. This post is rather like the, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?," verse.)

So some of my old friends are drinking covid-19 (just-do-what-you're-told-and-stay-silent) and BLM kool-aid by the gallon. I try speaking into their lives and they snap at me (or Facebook unfollow) so unless God whispers, "Hang in there," I step away.

Does that hurt? At times, yes, of course. 

But never as much as the crushing blow of grieving the Holy Spirit. I won't risk that for any so-called friend! It's just a thing I believe. So I move on and because He's wonderful, He either revives friendships from long ago or He sends me oodles of new friends.

Except I've not met them yet, well, not in-person. But that's ok: Heaven isn't all that far away. We'll meet there.

In the meantime? I watch them in videos online and hear from their mouths the very words the Holy Spirit told me, usually in wee morning hours in my sweet closet bedroom. My eyes grow wide and I thank the Holy Spirit for all this confirmation via my new friends.

Not for 26 years have I ever felt lonely, well, not for more than a minute at a time (or so). Something huge happened in 1994, but that's another blog post. Let's just say the Holy Spirit became incredibly real to me that year and always I sense His presence. Who could feel lonely with His realness? 

Who's crazy enough to lose that? Hey, not me, anyway.

But the friends He gives me, the old and new ones on 'the same page'-- they are the cherries on top of sundaes, the unexpected pearls in oysters, the gift you received that you thought you never would.

They are blessings on top of the huge undeserved blessing of a wonderful life due to knowing Jesus.

And during these wild, what is happening? days, God uses those friends to help teach and assure and delight any of us who want Him more than mere mortal friendships.

Because He is so very generous to His children. 

Keep Him in that first place spot and everything changes. Absolutely everything.

"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother---- and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother."   ---Matthew 12:50, Proverbs 18:24

"Therefore, "Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord." ---2 Corinthians 2:17

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I shared my 'new friend list' with you before, but here you go again, with some added names--

Glenn Beck
Homestead Tessie

Michael Knowles

Lance Wallnau

Dr. Steve Turley

Dennis Prager

Kynan Bridges

Charlie Kirk

Larry Elder

Sid Roth

Eric Metaxes

Liberty

Mario Murillo

Mike Thompson

Rick Joyner

Jeremiah Johnson

Dr. Pam Popper

Dan Bongino

Phil Robertson

Jack Hibbs

Kent Christmas

... and even more!

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Ever heard of the Walker Sisters? Here's a short documentary which many of you will find as fascinating as I did.

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And here's Sean Feucht's preliminary report about what happened while worshippers gathered in Seattle last night. Wow... just wow!

The worshippers in Seattle are the most courageous and bold in America!!!! THEY WIN AFTER TONIGHT!!!

It was absolutely bonkers in so many ways!!

Violent protestors showed up flashing knives! We had an entire satanic cult march through the worshippers the entire time yelling “Hail Satan!”

We had white Antifa yelling & threatening black local pastors!

They yelled obscenities and cursed at my wife and kids all night long!

At one point, I had about 30 stationed body guards around myself and the band (you can see them in this vid) as they kept trying to storm the band and tackle them. They broke drums and guitar pedals!

They killed our generators at one point...yet through it all...SEATTLE NEVER STOPPED SINGING!!!

We saw salvations, healings, miracles and baptisms! It was on another level!

THE CHURCH REFUSED TO BE INTIMIDATED AND GOD KEPT POURING OUT!

Tomorrow you’ll see more proof of this!!!! But we made it out of the lions den of CHOP alive and have story after story of Gods power and might!

I AM SO LIT ON FIRE BY YOUR WORSHIP SEATTLE!! WELL DONE!!!!!! [thank you to the burly bodyguards!]

#LetUsWorship #Seattle

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If We Could Have, But Didn't

"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- -and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man." --- Proverbs 6:6-11

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Back in 2015 when I became all Polly Prepper, I'd read comments after Christian prepper videos (especially), warning us to get ready for a dicey future.

What types of viewer comments did I often spy below the videos? This kind:

"If something happens, God will provide for my family. He'll make food appear, people will drop it off, we'll supernaturally have enough. This prepping stuff isn't necessary when you believe God."

Yikes. 

Five years and various covid-19 repercussions later, I often wonder how many of these folks recall those videos while standing for hours in food pantry lines, praying there'll be food left for their family.

But mostly I pray they're prepping now, though knowing people as I do, well, my faith lacks a bit there. As Tessie titled an April video, If You Don't Prepare Now, You Probably Never Will.

I must agree. 

Yet let me vehemently add here that, yes! God does provide for His children. He certainly does. But He also expects us to do our part. We have a part, He has a part. 

We err when we dump our responsibilities all in His lap.

Anyway, I believe good times will return to our Country. I do! If Christians wake up, cease hiding, pray, speak up, unite and vote biblical values. 

But before better times return? Well, oh dear. I believe we've some rough months ahead, at least six. Yet if we prepare, get our house in order now? Spend time with God and obey His specific, wise plans for us now?

We'll be ready for anything ahead.

And not just prepared and calm, but overflowing in joy, love and wisdom, plenty enough to splash all over others who fainted along the way.

One way God provides? By sending us teachers who share vital information and who warn us.

"But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”   ---Luke 21:36

Love warns.

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So have you felt convicted to store some groceries, but are unsure if you've room enough? Well, join the club. Living in this 860 sq. foot house could challenge any serious prepper.

But here are a couple ideas using Sam The Old Cat's crazy-expensive cat food boxes. Probably I've repurposed 40 of these.

These, below, are in my office/guest room, kinda hidden in plain sight storage. I spray-painted then labeled them and they hold small items like:

Bottles of onion and garlic powder.

Jars of hot sauce.

Envelopes of taco seasoning

Tea, Jello

Sardines, pepper, paprika

Cough drop packages

Protein bars, etc.

Down in Tom's office I use those boxes for canned food. Tho' not a fan of storing cans on their sides, this is more my current-use supply. I don't have an official pantry, alas, so these free up space in other areas for more long term storage.

I have 4 more of these boxes on the shelf, below.

Also upstairs here I have two more sets of shelves where I've stored lots of canned and packaged food, but I've placed an off-white canvas curtain over each to make them look neater.

Did I have to get rid of trinkets, books, etc. so to create room upon these shelves? Yes. Yes, I did. There comes a time when, no matter how large or small our home, we must decide to keep what's most important and then release the rest.

Always, where there's a will, there's a way.

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Okay, this was rather fascinating, fun and bittersweet. Four sisters (the video says friends) began taking a yearly photo of themselves in 1975 and in this video you'll see 40 years worth of changes. (What a wonderful project!)

Oh! And I made a half-batch of Aunt April's Refrigerator Pickles from the recipe I gave you here. They came out wonderfully. Yum.

And lastly, as I wrote at Facebook today:

Reason #26 why I'm anticipating Heaven: Everybody will use wisdom and common sense there. Woo hoo!

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"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15