Guaranteed! This One Thing Will Make Your 2022 Better.

" ... let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger..."   --- James 1:19

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So. Many folks choose a word (or phrase) around now to help guide their new year in a positive way. Perhaps you're one of them.

Well, in 2021 my chosen phrase was 'be slow to speak'.

Wow. Best phrase ever! Probably saved me from 15 tiffs (slight arguments), three large disagreements, 25 instances of looking stupid/scene-stealer-ish/forgetful and a host of hurt feelings.

If you're still searching for your 2022 phrase, Honey, I recommend that one.   ツ

Now, did I remember every time to pause before bursting forth with foolish words? No, of course not. Still being human, sometimes I plowed right through the conviction to listen, think, before proceeding, then tripped right over the Trouble Cliff.

But even so, still, the times I did pause? Whew. They extended the good moments and made them sweeter. And although Tom, Naomi and others didn't notice these changes (being un-voiced, after all), Jesus did--and that's what matters.

I'm thinking He even nodded, smiling, a few times. 

This 'all or nothingness' of new year's resolutions, well, I'm not a prescriber to that. No, I'm more into this:

If we aim at nothing, usually we'll achieve nothing. If we aim at specifics, often we'll hit at least something good, forward-moving, thus improving our life, making it even a little better. And hey, better is better.

--Or-- 

Ten years of partially-achieved goals trumps going all wimpy every resolution-less January 1st.

At least, that's the way I see it.

"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion."   --- Proverbs 18:2

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Remember my oft-mentioned appreciation for vintage music reaction videos at Youtube? How they added enjoyment to these past 2 can-you-believe-it years?

Well, uh-oh.  Ol' Debra has a new addiction hobby: viewing vintage movie reaction videos at aforementioned Youtube. (Oh my. Guess how I've spent my past few days?)

What a delight watching young people enjoying classic films! Ones I wished for years I could discuss with others, but never could for various reasons (I'll not go there).

Instead, just to get you started, let's go here:

These folks were first-time watchers of these films(!) --

It's a Wonderful Life:  Here. Here. And here. And here.

Rear Window:  Here. Here.

Sunset Boulevard:  Here.  

The Wizard of Oz:  Here. And here.

Psycho:  Here. Here.

Home Alone:  Here.  Here. Here.

Home Alone 2:  Here.

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I hope your Christmas was sweet!

Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

 *** 

 "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

Making Lists, Checking Them Twice

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."   --- Isaiah 9:6

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Merry Christmas to my readers who I appreciate much! 

Here's a kinda-sorta gift list for you, with perhaps something for everyone. I've shared a few of these before, but now you can have them all in one place. 

Enjoy, and thanks for reading here so often!

The place to check before you purchase any book? OpenLibrary.org  They just may have what you're searching for--free(!)

Daniel The Cat fell in love with this video yesterday--no, really! I doubt he blinked for 20 minutes. It's another of Tim Janis' peaceful music and scenes ones: Winter Woods.

My favorite 'music timer' at Youtube is here.

Here is the best online collage artist I've found at Facebook.

Some favorite movies I watched in 2021, ones I can recommend, anyway.  ツ

Dancer And The Dame

Finding Normal

The Discoverers

I'll Follow You Down

Life With Dog

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things

Me Again

Shifting Gears

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

The Father

Heaven Bound

My Many Sons

Letters From The Heart

It's a Fixer-Upper

The Identical

Turn Around Jake

Coffee Shop

Scents and Sensibility

The Dog Who Saved Summer (only if you're in the mood for something silly)

Love By Design

Noelle

The Confirmation

The Funeral Guest

The Ride

Yay! Ariel Bissett remodeled another of her rooms beautifully: a guest room. Almost could I see a younger me while she worked, making it simultaneously rather eerie and incredible.

Do you enjoy (very) vintage Christmas tv programs? Here in one place are a few you might like. (The Honeymooners episode will always be my favorite.)

Oh my. The Cottage Fairy will enchant some of you. Her video, How I Take Care of Myself Living Alone was rather mesmerizing. What she shared about needing to balance her life with visiting other people, well, total confirmation for me.  

One of the best bits of advice I gave you this year? This: rearranging your kitchen so that your spouse's most-used items are on one side and yours on the other. Whew. Life-changing for Tom and myself. 

And for those who love videos of the way things used to be, there's Recollection Road at Youtube.

And just because I think of this type of thing often--

My top 12 favorite books I read (or reread) this year:

The Calico Year by Dorothy Gilman Butters

Mama Makes Up Her Mind by Bailey White

Martha's Vineyard: Isle of Dreams

Eddie by Ken Osmond

How To Age Without Getting Old by Joyce Meyer

A Lantern In Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich

Imagine Heaven by John Burke

Though Long The Trail by Mabel H. Draper

Next Time Around by John Gould

Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography, Pamela S. Hill, editor

The Haunted Attic by Margaret Sutton

Great Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals by William Ratigan

And 'reading vlogs'! 

What took me so long to find these videos by fellow bibliophiles? Oh well, perhaps, for me, this was the right time. 

Anyway, so far Kate Howe has the most similar reading tastes to mine and here's my favorite of her videos so far.

And as I shared at Facebook--

So it's a rare morning that Tom and I even eat pancakes, but I wanted to order these, Cousin T's, because in 2021 Terrence K. Williams has often encouraged me by standing for truth. The pancake mix will arrive today (yay!) and I'm thankful I ordered them because Terrence said he keeps getting death threats because of the image on the box--His Own Face in a chef's hat!! Which just further illustrates that additional controlling spirits were released in 2020, but hooray! How wonderful we can cling to this and know we have victory:

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12

(You can follow Terrence at Facebook, Youtube, etc. Oh, and he always has discount codes for ordering at his website here.)

Update: Oh! We tried these and Tom must've exclaimed 5 times how terrific they tasted.

My favorite part of December? The Somers' in Alaska family's vlogmas videos! Love these folks dearly and appreciate their happy attitudes.

And hooray! I'd been waiting for this: 2021's TCM Remembers finally appeared today. Here you go.

The very merriest of Christmases to you!!

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

 ***

 "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

So If Your December Isn't Busy Enough ...

"Be still and know that I am God."   --- Psalm 46:10

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Ol' Debra's experiencing another transitional time. Not fun, but hey, necessary, this in-between time of pausing before a new thing shows me its face.

So while in this  sort-of waiting room, I'm browsing through Youtube (mostly), searching for interest-sparking ideas. Perhaps one will open an unseen door to what God has for me ahead.

Sometimes we're meant to stand and wait, other times, to seek and then find, but always--we never wait alone. Not alone-alone, anyway, and that's a best part of transition times: growing closer to the One who sits beside us.

Today's post? Just a few places I've traveled lately, some which gave me peeks of (maybe) what's up the road for me in 2022 (a year I'm anticipating, actually). 

Perhaps some of you need a few glimpses/ideas now, also. So well, here you go--some lovely places to peruse.

My Summer Reading Aesthetic  I'm an annoyingly picky reader, so watching her recommendations today was a rare treat: some have promising potential!

Victorian House Tour, First Floor  I've viewed a few Victorian remodels where far too much white was used, but this lady? Wow, perfect color choices in every single room. Oh my, to be young again and decorator-strong this side of Heaven. ツ

Christmas in the 1960's, Life In America  Sometimes in looking back we can decide if something's missing in our Today--then add our own tweaked version.

A First Story Home Tour of the Home Alone House  Okay, this was a very personal early Christmas gift, something for which I've waited 30 years(!) Made my whole week.

This Is How The Elder Rose From The Titanic Looked When She Was Young  Another treat I enjoyed for the vintage-ness of it all.

Top Ten Guardian Angel Stories You Won't Believe  In an earlier blog post I told my own guardian angel story and I always enjoy hearing others.

Local Hero Jim Finch Drove Out To Kentucky's Tornado-Hit Residents To Offer Food  How inspiring when people just get up and do something helpful!

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And as I shared at Facebook:

God's had a specific plan all along in 2021 and frankly? I'm very excited about 2022!

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Two books I'm enjoying rereading from my personal library--

(One dark, wind-and-rain-shaking-windows night in 1993, I sat in our kitchen reading a similar shipwreck book beneath a small pool of light. My stockinged feet gripped the baseboard heater and I fell in love with New York state that night. Truly our recent move was a longtime dream come true.)

Great Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals

(Usually I prefer kids lit. written before 1970, but this much-newer series reads like books from long ago. It takes place in a snowy winter and probably this is my 4th time reading this.)

Absolutely Truly

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

 *** 

 "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

The December Rebel

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."   --- Romans 8:14

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Man, I'm so predictable.

Always, the first two weeks of December I find myself thinking:

Maybe I should go on a diet.

I should read more books.

Crafting. I should get back to crafting.

I should start a new (big) project.

Maybe I should rearrange furniture.

Anything except, "I should prepare for Christmas!"  ツ

But then December 14th (or so) rolls around and I become all, "Yikes! Less than two weeks till Christmas. Address some Christmas cards! Buy  gifts online! Hurry!

Sigh. Anyone else do that?  

I try to enjoy December, really, I do. But no, always I'll prefer the remaining 11 months. I love those months! And I love my life, that is, except for December, for reasons I don't even know except for maybe this: I prefer to give to others as God leads, not as the calendar (and the world) tell me.

I far, far prefer being led, not driven.

What a rebel. シ

"But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him."   ---1 John 2:27

"It is December, and nobody asked if I was ready."

--- Sarah Kay

When we allow Jesus to meet our needs, we're then much more free (and have much more time) to give to others.

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 Oh! And I forgot to mention how we lost the Internet for 29 hours due to high winds and now a million twigs are all over our yard---but I'd much rather talk about this:

Oddly, never before yesterday had I thought to search Youtube videos for folks who love to talk about books. I'm. So. Slow.

I watched a couple then, oh! I found Ariel's: Purging Hundreds of Books Because I'm Moving. 

Now, she's just 26 and we don't share the same taste in books, and yet? I enjoyed just listening to her speak. (Some things cannot be explained.)

Then I became curious. This was a video from October 2020, so had she, since, included videos of her new home?

Oh my, yes! In fact, Ariel changed the whole trajectory of her vlog and now shares how she's redecorating her 160-year-old home in Nova Scotia. 

Wow, color me mesmerized! All these early morning hours (since 4:30) I've devoured these videos, below, and one delightful thing? What a difference in Ariel now. A creative new energy bursts from her, having bought her first house and while she dives into her creative-dream-come-true. 

Happy sighs all around for Ariel and for me, even, that I can relive a few decades of my own joys of rampant creativity with paintbrushes, hammers and my trusty aluminum ladder.

I Bought An Old House Without Seeing It!

Complete Office Renovation

Complete 1850's Bedroom Renovation

Living Room Renovation To Look Like Emma's House

Renovating My Staircase, Before And After

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Okay, now this was encouraging to watch:

80 Famus Couples Who Were Together Until Death Did They Part

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Some things to make you smile:

This is why I've always loved my job as a homemaker--it fits this bill exactly! --

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. *** "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

What? Your 2021 Wasn't Fun?

"He leadeth me, O blessed thought!

O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me."  --- Joseph H. Gilmore

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2021, right? 

Whew. What a year in which to grow closer to God! All those opportunities to lean upon His shoulder and love Him more. Wow.

That was the best part (in my opinion).

And Growth Spurt City!  Gee, what a perfect year for sharing: our time, compassion, money, humor, wisdom, food, Bible verses, admonitions, talents, personal discoveries, testimonies and hope for what God's bringing in 2022(!)

Wow, all the challenges, ok, but what chances to turn into the person God (and probably our families, yikes!) had waited ages for us to become!  シ

2021. Certainly not a year for 'hiding our light under a basket', but rather, a year for much sowing of seeds. Oh, the blessings sowers (but not hiders, sorry) will reap in 2022! (You may quote me on that.)

You're leaving this year excited, right? More courageous, more sure of your calling and more in love with Jesus than ever. May it be, indeed.

2021. A learning year, chocked full of growth potential. Challenging, adventurous and certainly never boring!

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." --- Luke 6:38

I wear the chain I forged in life. He warns Scrooge that it is required of every man, that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide; and, if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. "   --- notes from A Christmas Carol

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful foll’wer I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

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Wow. The encouragers God sent me in 2021! 

Below you'll find a short list of folks for whom I'm so grateful. God knows exactly who will aid and encourage us, who will help us keep standing when we're tempted to tip over in a heap.  シ

The Somers Family

Dutch Sheets

Glenn Beck

Dr. Steve Turley

Joyce Meyer

Liberty

Many Youtube song reactors

Dan Bongino

Michael Knowles

Rabbi Jonathan Cahn

Mike Rowe

Adam The Woo

And Gab! Oh, all the political kindred spirits I discovered at Gab.

My encouragers mean much to me and often I pray down extra-special blessings upon them. 

Not finding encouragers of your own? Remember 'we have not because we ask not' and 'if we seek, we will find'. The Holy Spirit will lead us to whatever we need, for ultimately 'our help comes from the Lord'.

Marvelous news!

(Oh, and a very special thanks to those of you, my Readers, who've encouraged me this year. Thank-you much for faithfully doing your part!)

Oh! These are fun. They're 'timers' at Youtube. What a creative idea, indeed. Check them out, ok? Here's my favorite one.

And this was very cool. Your own tour of the Walton's tv house! I truly enjoyed this video.

Ha! So true.  ツ

Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord thy God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.""Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory ..."   --- Matthew 22:37, 1 Peter 1:8

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

 *** 

 "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 You Forget To Clean House

" ... above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one."   --- Ephesians 6:16

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Hopefully, this won't freak you out. 

Instead, I hope you regularly do this, yourselves.

Tom and I have bought (relatively) lots of houses in our 43 years together(!) and whenever we move into a new one? I walk around and pray through the rooms, you know, to rid them of any residual supernatural garbage.

And no, I don't use smoky sage.   ツ

No, I calmly step around boxes, open a window and demand that anything not of God will, in the name of Jesus, leave and never, ever return. Then I'll close the window (or front door, etc.) and pray that any new voids will be filled with more--

love

peace

joy

contentment

protection, etc.

--or whatever else the Holy Spirit nudges me to say. 

Always pray for good things to replace the bad ones, lest bad ones return with their friends--

“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”   --- Luke 24-26

And then I continue unpacking boxes. 

Do I feel a difference in the rooms afterward? Yes, sometimes I do.

Anyway, while listening to a favorite teacher last week, I remembered that ages had passed since I'd prayed through Hobbit Cottage. See, I don't believe that's necessary only upon moving-in, but rather occasionally, especially if something's been 'pinging' against my brain. You know, like darts, nagging it in small-but-still-there ways (see the verse at the top).

And lately, yeah, some pinging had taken place. Nothing huge, but instead, annoying. I would pray against it, it'd leave, yet later on, return. 

And well, after listening to this teacher describe some ways in which things not-of-God can enter our homes via tv's, computers, arguments, workers, even relatives and friends (unknowingly, of course), books, previously-owned items, etc., I made another 'sweep' through the house. Upstairs I opened the window, prayed, then declared things. 

Downstairs, I swung open the front door and did the same.

Good gracious! Such a lovely difference--no more pinging. And now I'm praying to instantly recognize those annoying 'darts,' to do something about them right away, instead of just settling for annoyances becaused they're tiny.

These days? I believe satan works hard to make us forget what Jesus has taught us so that we'll hide away, afraid, dreading, lest we be confronted and required to stand boldly.

Yet may each of us remember who we are in Christ, holding onto His boldness and what He's taught and placed within us in order to win all battles, tiny or huge. 

In and because of Him we are more than conquerors, after all.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you."  --- 2 Corinthians 5:17, Luke 10:19

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Awww... somehow I missed this: Betty Lynn passed away in October at the age of 95. She was so delightful on The Andy Griffith Show.

Ooooo.... a shed house on the water. So pretty and definitely I would spend most of my time on that lovely covered deck!

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

 *** 

 "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