In a Battle? Perhaps You Did Something Very Right.

"But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”   ... 2 Chronicles 15:7


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When I started this blog in 2004? Oh, what a battle! 

Our computer began acting wonky. Freezing, blacking-out. 
Heck, my brain did the same! Meaningful sentences came to me, yet while typing, I'd forget their second halves. 
Perfect words appeared--then phhhht. They faded into my brain's white space where I could not retrieve them.

And remember how I (recently) felt horrified that my oldest posts screamed, "Debra forgot every writing lesson from high school and college"?

And let's not mention my own self-doubting thoughts nor that a couple folks told me sharing my personal life online was foolish, dangerous and prideful (why would strangers even care to read what I wrote?). 

Wow, right?  Battle-like, indeed, and ok, sometimes I did get all --

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But mostly? I'd remind myself of Bible verses like this one:


"For a wide door of opportunity for effectual service has opened to me --along with many adversaries."   ... 1 Corinthians 16:9


So today if you are facing a battle, with voices chiding you to quit? May you remember that satan does not want us to bless anyone. Only after he sees our consistent determination will he step away and bug some likely-to-slink-away-whimpering, soul.

Whether you're starting a --

women's home Bible study or
a way to help your neighbors or
prepping your home/family for all emergencies or
obeying God by getting out of debt or eating right or
beginning a cooking ministry, writing a book or volunteering, etc.--



--stay upon the battlefield where God placed you. Someday He'll say, "You've finished! Well done. Now let's move on to this new thing I've planned for you." 

And because 'greater is He who's within us', we can win those upcoming early battles, as well.

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."   ... Isaiah 43:19

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Ooooo! I discovered a beautiful thing. A window, via our big screen tv, will sail me happily through winter by going here.

(P.S. Youtube can take you just about anyplace you wish to go. Seek, then find.)  ッ










"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

October This and That

Another Tuesday with Debra.  ツ


1.) Am I still happy that we ripped out our 100 feet of hedges? Well, you decide. Every time I step outside our red front door, this is me on the inside--

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2.) Speaking of that, walking back from the Salvation Army drop-off last week, our neighbor 6-doors-down practically burst out his front door and said, "Your yard looks great now that the hedges are gone." 

We chatted all friendly-like, I thanked him, then nearing home I thought, "Hmm. I've never noticed that guy before in my life, but he certainly knew who I was."

So note to self! Always remember: God is watching that I behave--and so are the neighbors.


3.)  Gee, I hope you're using Rakuten (formerly Ebates). It's truly like getting paid to shop. After Rakuten paid me last time, I bought two pairs of new leggings from Ebay for just $5.50, total. Gotta love that price in our 2019 world.


4.) Ok, I've mentioned this before, but is anyone else enjoying A Very Brady Renovation from HGTV? Each episode feels like a sweet, customized gift from God just for me. (No, truly. Happy sigh. My quirky vintage longings, satisfied. ) 

The end credits flash and always, my mouth feels stiff, crooked, after holding a huge smile the entire hour.

5.) Remember how I have Aldi deliver fresh groceries to my front porch each week? Well, if you're unfamiliar with Aldi, Kathryn will show you the thrill she gets from shopping there. Here you go!


6.)  Woo hoo! Tom and I, (appreciators of Life's simple pleasures), are elated that our tv shows are back. Here are our Top 9 favorites:


1.) Chicago Fire
2.) Blue Bloods
3.) FBI
4.) The Rookie
5.) The Good Doctor
6.) Chicago Med
7.) Hawaii 5-0
8.) Chicago PD
9.) Magnum P.I.



7.) I'd not had an adventure for some months so last Friday, via a taxi, I took Sam The Cat to a nearby vet. (My exciting life, right?) But hey, the cab driver drove like a maniac, so there was that. 

Anyway, Naomi usually drives Sam to a farther-away vet, but she's moved, has a new job and now's unable to. So here's to more regularly scheduled adventures for good ol' Debra.


8.)  Is this adorable, or what?

9.) Gee, we've had many grey, cloudy days lately and, whoa Nellie! All the times I've needed to remind myself that "greater is He who is in me..." and of powerful quotes like this--

That, and all the lamps I've kept burning bright.  ツ (P.S. Each of us must, personally, find what works--and we can! We're not helpless, you know.)


10.)  Saturday morning felt a bit like Christmas! I emptied my closet of Spring and Summer clothing, then opened my drawers and had a reunion with my much-planned-out Autumn and Winter clothes. I gave each an appreciative little pat while I hung them on hangers. 

Don't you love it when you put extra effort into a project and then, later, reap rewards, making your life simpler, more enjoyable?

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And I'll leave you with this which convicted me to the moon and back. (Yikes!) 😶

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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

When God Sends Miracles In a Common Sense Way

"The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health."   ... Psalm 41:3


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One pleasant March day I turned 60 and the next? Man, I got up off the red couch and could barely walk. My legs felt like sitting had morphed them into tree trunks. Stiff-with-some-pain.

So I'd grimace until I 'got going' and walked it off. And don't tell anyone, but sometimes I'd also mutter, "Gah. I do not want to be 60 anymore!"

シ

Well, tiring of my new ancient lady walk (and not being one to grab for medication), I read about inflammatory foods. In a hit-and-miss way, I cut some from my diet and felt a tad better. Only a tad.

Eventually, though, I recalled how, 12 years ago, Naomi gave us a list of alkaline foods, ones meant to keep the acidity inside us, balanced. My head began kinda whispering, "Find an alkaline food list online, use it, and you'll feel better."

Oh my goodness. I did and I do! Feel better, that is. 

I discovered a terrific list, then hobbled to the kitchen, drank lemon juice in water, ate some almonds and prepared a sweet potato using a tiny bit of avocado oil. 

And you'll not believe this, but within an hour the stiffness began to disappear! And 5 days later, it's still not returned to what it was before.

Wow. Say what you will, but I believe God sends us healing miracles via a variety of avenues. And this time? He sent me mine via an online list of alkaline foods which I now take like medicine. 

So of course, my dear blog friends, I must share this 'miracle avenue' with you just in case God's waiting to whoosh you to feeling better in this same way. 

Again, just in case.  ツ






P.S. Oh, and next time I'll give you my new and improved recipe for my daily cup(s) of hot chocolate. While needing to make changes over the years I've tweaked it, again this past week, even.



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How do I truly feel about our 100 feet of hedges being gone?

Marvelous. 

Ten years younger, in fact, due to relief of not needing to care for them. And also, I feel friendlier. Why? Because last week while sitting upon the porch (or watering new lawn seeds), a few neighbors (and even the UPS guy) stopped and spoke with me. 

That never used to happen before, what with those tall, foreboding hedges all fortress-wall-like. I sit outside now and feel so much more approachable. Part of me even asks, "Why didn't we pull down those hedges years ago?" 

Yet I know why. To everything there is a season, even one which means--after 40+ years--this is the first time that I no longer care about privacy outside in our yard.

Never say never (and all that). Just roll with the seasons, learn their lessons, and all will be well. In time.

                     My flower beds are springtime ones so they'll look nifty around next May, like this--

---especially since the lawn will have grown in by then, also.

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                        Shared by Brea Rose Soap Garden over at Facebook. Don't you love Autumn?



                                                                   


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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