Troubled Minds in Troubling Times

It is good to be concerned about what you put into your mouth, but we need to be even more concerned about what we put into our minds. Choose your friends, music, movies, television, reading material, and social media with great care. Whether you believe it or not, it will influence you. What you surround yourself with is what you will become like. The Bible has some valuable tips for how to keep a healthy mind and what kind of people we should keep around us and what kind of people to avoid. I highly recommend a Bible study on those topics. -Wendy/Mama Asbell

First Virtual Birthday

The sweater Clint and I purchased Joshua.

Joshua and Bethany share birthdays a few years apart. We sent Bethany birthday gifts and she opened them while we watched through the internet. She was missing home a bit. She teared up a few times, but no one wanted to make it worse for her, so we didn't make it into a "thing."

This was our first virtual birthday!

Good news, bad news

The man who is taking Clint's old position has started. He is exceeding expectations and has already taken a lot of work off of Clint's shoulders! What a blessing for Clint!

Clint had just hired one man for one of the three positions open in Clint's department. However, the man did not show up for work. He went to the ER, and then to the doctor. The diagnosis was so bad that he quit the position before starting. Please cover him in prayer.

Bethany for Christmas

Bethany learned today that her vacation time for Christmas was approved. She will be home for Christmas!! She will give us the firm dates once she is able to book her flight.

Bethany's Ministry to Her New City

Please cover Bethany in prayer for protection, wisdom, and discernment as she ministers to others in her new city.

Pretty Penny

This is Penny as a newly weaned puppy.

This is Penny three weeks after we brought her home.

So, if you read my post about Maggie, you know she passed away suddenly. Clint didn't leave my arms empty for long. My sweet husband found me a puppy and took off from work so we could go buy her. She was in another state, and we had to stay in a hotel overnight. I named her Pretty Penny because that is what Clint paid for her and I wanted to give a tribute to the sacrifice he made for me to have her. We call her Penny. She is already quite spoiled and is sleeping at my feet as I type this. 

Pretty Penny is a sweet little dog, fun to have around, and with some time and training, she will make a good little sidekick and will keep me company. Going from being home with seven children all day to being home with just Emily and Hannah, who are doing their own thing every day, has been a very big change. 

We have had her for about four or five weeks now. I think Clint found her a week or two after Maggie died. Life has been very full with the normal ups and downs, so those times might be off by just a little. 

She is picking up things quickly. Penny is a little stubborn about coming when called, but we are working on that daily with rewards. She loves going for rides and travels when I travel. Marty sleeps most of the time and has some good days and bad days. Sometimes she will play with Penny. Sometimes she ignores her. Other times, she tells Penny to buzz off. Clint's puppy Ratchet loves Penny and they roughhouse a lot which wears both of them out so they sleep better at night.

Pertinent Information

I say this because you know that we live in an important time. 

Yes, it is now time for you to wake up from your sleep. Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost finished. 

The day is almost here. 

So we should stop doing whatever belongs to darkness. 

We should prepare ourselves to fight evil with the weapons that belong to the light. We should live in a right way, like people who belong to the day. 

We should not have wild parties or be drunk. We should not be involved in sexual sin or any kind of immoral behavior. We should not cause arguments and trouble or be jealous. 

But be like the Lord Jesus Christ, so that when people see what you do, they will see Christ. 

Don’t think about how to satisfy the desires of your sinful self. 

Romans 13:11-14 ERV

Stay Salty!

 "To be silent in the face of injustice is to invite greater manifestations of injustice and eventual annihilation. The wicked are never satisfied unless they are committing wickedness (Proverbs 1:16; 4:16; Psalm 36:4; Micah 2:1-3)—silence only spurs them on to greater heights of corruption.

There is only One God and He has only one law-Word. When the people of God refuse to submit to Him in wilful obedience, then they will be forced to submit to another “god”. When people reject God’s revealed will as their only guide for all of life then someone else’s will for all of life will be forced upon them. Either we will serve God in loving obedience or we will serve someone else in terror and confusion—these are the only two options available in God’s universe.

The people of God are to be the salt and the light in these dark times (Matthew 5:13,14). If they fail to be these things then they become worthless and are treated as such by society, i.e., trampled under their feet. There is a great difference between being persecuted for righteousness' sake (Matthew 5:10-12) and being treated as worthless and we should not confuse these two".

- Dr D. Carlsen

I love how we love on each other

Our family interacts with each other every day through a group chat. 

I love how everyone in our family loves on each other!

Clint's Bonsai

Clint and his jade bonsai have reached an understanding. 

He protects it from the cleaning crew, and it will thrive.
Clint finally figured out a way to keep them from turning off his light!

Pictures and Stories

I have pictures and stories I need to share, but I have had some CA-EBV symptoms flare up so I have had to scale back some of what I was doing. What I have been doing to control it the last several years seems to be working very well. It's just frustrating when I have to slow down for a while and take herbal antivirals to keep it at bay, but it is an easy enough thing to do. It's certainly better than being sick for weeks or months at a time.

Nearly all of the planning, purchasing, and packing for our upcoming vacation falls on me, so I MUST be able to perform well for my family during that time. That influenced me to scale back. I also want to enjoy the many miles of hiking we will be doing. That's my prayer and my goal.

This and That-Clint's Huge Blessing!

Clint has been busy interviewing people to fill positions under him. He has found a replacement for his old job which means he will have someone to take a lot of the burdens off of his shoulders. He has been leaving early a few days a week. Having a few long weekends a month is extra nice! 

Clint has also been asked to be on the Virginia Peninsula (formerly Thomas Nelson) Community College's Electrical Engineering Technology Advisory Board where he will represent his industry and will influence the procedures and methods to strengthen their educational program so that their graduating students are well equipped to enter the workforce. He will also inform them of industry needs and trends to assist in keeping their programs and training relevant to practicing electrical engineering. 

Many people do not know this, but Clint developed his own testing board for electrical engineering at his company. I am very proud of my husband and his excellent character which earned him this position. He deserves every bit of this and much more! It is good to see God continually pouring out a blessing on my hardworking husband who taught himself by taking home and reading the manuals to the machines when he was in his 20s. He is an example to follow!

Clint has also already received a review in his new position and will be getting another raise in January! We are very grateful to the Lord for granting Clint so much favor.

Brandon is LOVING his new job and the travel involved. He is learning a lot about new industries. I've learned some interesting facts about different industries. Interestingly enough, Brandon works at one place which has a military and FBI presence. It is very strict about what he can and can't do and what he can and can't share. I miss the every afternoon talks with my oldest, but we still make time for each other. His dog Girly died so there is no need for him to pick her up every day. Since he is traveling so much, he rehomed Courage to a young couple who wanted him for their one-year anniversary. From the pictures we have received, Courage is currently very spoiled! Brandon has only his two cats at his place now which is a huge difference from a few months ago. All of his livestock came to the home farm. He said with the incredible amount of pay and the perks he's getting he MAY be able to pay off his house in three years! WOW! He purchased it seven years ago. His new employer pays very well and offers many perks which cut his cost of living a great deal. 

Amanda is adding to her reef tank. We are taking her out for her birthday to purchase more fish or coral. We are also taking her out to eat to get one of her favorite meals: Thai Basil Beef. She is still enjoying her new hybrid car and is taking it on a 10-day family vacation where Clint and I have rented three mountain cabins in a secluded area in another state next month. She has been working a lot of OT so she can pay her car off as fast as possible. JSYK, Amanda followed her daddy's example of taking home the machine manuals and reading them to become proficient in her job. She has moved ahead of people with far more seniority because of her drive and skill. We are very proud of her!

Joshua says he likes working for RV dealership more than he did CFA, but he misses working with his friends from CFA. However, he can see them more often because they are not working different shifts. He's been able to go out and do a lot more in the evenings. Joshua says that if you are looking to purchase any brand of an RV--to build one instead. FYI, Caleb echoes that sentiment. After hearing the issues in different makes and models of all years, I have no interest in purchasing another one. He and Caleb ride to work with each other nearly every day. We took Joshua out for a delicious barbecue and sweet potato fries meal from Rick's Cafe and to the Pick and Pull parts yard. We purchased him a new grill and lights to fix what was broken on his truck when he hit the deer.

Caleb is spending as much time with Abby as their jobs will allow. They took a trip together to meet her mother and brother in Covington. Abby is the youngest in a family of eight children, so she has been adequately prepared for our family. In October, Caleb is flying to Indiana for certification in October. Now, he's told me a couple of things they want to train him for, so I am not sure which one this is. I'll have to check in with him to verify and will try to remember to add it here. Caleb also replaced, at his expense, our driveway gate. He has also started building us a new pumphouse with the scrap wood he has been bringing home from his job. We picked him up a part for his Excursion while we were at the parts yard.

Bethany is joining our family weekly through the internet to do Bible study and just "hang out" with the family. She is enjoying the cultural offerings in Chicago and has recently attended a concert with her friend Dave. She asks that we pray for her as she travels to and from work. She works until 11:45 p.m. and has to take a half an hour ride plus a ten-minute walk home. The train is right next to where she works but it is a walk from where she lives. 

Emily is working her way through her high school course. Once she finishes that, we will enroll her in driver's ed and work on that. Then we will enroll her in college. With other children, we have had high school and driver's ed going at the same time, but the requirements for parent-taught Driver's Ed are a bit wonky. It's not self-paced. It is timer based, and that is very frustrating for children who can grasp the concept quickly and desire to move on to the next. She's spent a lot of time in our pool this summer. She painted a picture for Joshua's birthday that really touched his heart.

Hannah is eager to be enrolled in her high school course. We have to wait until she is 14 to do so. She has grown taller and is a delight to be around. She is a tremendous help in our home and on our farm. She is 13 years old and can start a seed, transplant and grow it, harvest the produce, and safely pressure can it. Brandon's goats are on our farm, and one of them kidded recently. Hannah has found the newborn kid to be adorable! She even asked for a plush baby goat for Christmas.

While I am still missing my sweet Maggie and the comfortable routines we had with each other, Clint bought me a poodle puppy! I will share the story about her when I am able. A significant portion of my life is very joy-FULL. However, this season of life is filled with more than a few friends who are in great difficulty, mostly regarding their or their loved ones' health. Quite a few have confided in me, and I am receiving updates on things that are very troubling to the heart. I am not complaining. I feel very privileged that people trust me with this very private information and allow me to minister to them through prayer and a helping hand. It's just very hard especially when there is little to no good news. Some concerns I have shared on the blog, and others I have been asked not to share even with an initial. If you would like to pray for me specifically, pray that I am a good friend, a source of Christian encouragement, and minister to my friends in practical, meaningful ways that truly help lighten their burdens and show them God's love in a way that gives Him the recognition and praise. 

Dear Reader, God is good all of the time. Even during times of trouble. Even when He says no to our desires for healing. He knows more than we do and gives us His best for us even when it causes us more difficulty or breaks our hearts. Like a parent refusing their child something that sounds very good but truly isn't good...like junk food or a very late bedtime, God does what is best even when we can't understand it. We know He cares deeply over our sorrows because it says He saves our tears in a bottle and will wipe every tear from our eyes. He's taking an account of what hurts us and will make it right. My love to all!

"Happy Christians have confidence that God knows and cares about every situation in their lives, whether large or small and can work them out. Therefore, we can approach life with an optimistic outlook, knowing that everything is not going to turn out just like we hoped, but He will be there to see us through whatever happens." Gert McIntosh A Heart for Prayer

Here we go again...in the F-350

Sausage, Hash Browns, Pancakes Breakfast Bowl Price Breakdown

This post goes with: 

https://contentmentacres.blogspot.com/2022/09/inexpensive-meal-ideas-you-can-do-in.html

Some of our family will make 2-3 meals out of these or 2 meals and a snack. My five workers (Clint, Brandon, Amanda, Joshua, and Caleb) enjoy them for breakfast and lunch. These are also nice on Sunday mornings before church.

Each bowl contains 2 pancakes, three sausage patties, 5-6 hashbrowns, and syrup for the pancake. 

Eggs add 16 cents each. I cooked over 90 eggs this week and ran out of all I had on hand.  I did not feel like going to the store, so no eggs in this week's bowl. :-)

pancakes 10 lb bag from SamsClub 6.98, 200-230 pancakes per bag, 35 cents each

sausage patties, sams club, 14.98 for 42, .36 each

hashbrowns 5 lb bag for 4.20, 5-6 hashbrowns is about half a serving, 80 servings per bag = 3 cents each half serving

syrup 1.98 for 24-ounce bottle, filled 16 condiment cups, 12 cents each

condiment cups free

foil sheets (cover bowl) 13.98 for 500  =3 cents each

plastic bowls 12 cents each. Foam bowls from SamsClub are cheaper (3 cents each when on sale), but these hold up better being moved around in the freezer. I wash and reuse most of these 5-6 times each which helps cut costs. Some of the bowls don't make it home.

I made 19 bowls this week. That should fill up the rest of the freezer and fridge space. Now I have time to do a Bible study :-)!

Inexpensive Meal Ideas You Can Do in Bulk

Prices are valid the day this was published, but I do not know how long before there will be another round of price increases.

A friend of mine wanted to know if I had any meals that were economical. I started doing price breakdowns for her on some of the things I make for my family. 

Another friend asked me on FB what meals I cook in bulk, so I shared the ones I had the price breakdowns on because the ingredients are listed and it was easy to copy and paste those. Then I added a few off of the top of my head. 

I have shared it here to make it easier for people to get the information. 

Working-mom friends contacted me in private and asked that I share if I do more meal ideas or price breakdowns on meals. Life is very busy right now with the commitments I have, so I am not making any promises. 

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Sausage Egg and Cheese Breakfast Burrito

3 1/2 dozen eggs 16 cents each (9.62 per 5 dozen

4 pounds of sausage 3.00 per pound .24 cents per burrito

2x 24 packs cheese 2.48 per pack of 24, 10 cents each

restaurant foil wrapper .03 each

Total .73 each burrito

add cost of salsa/picante around 50 servings per 1.98 4 cents each

Tater tots added to some breakfasts. Came out to .11 per breakfast. Those packages cost .84 cents each.

*****

Hot Ham, Egg, and Cheese Biscuits

1 piece ham each sandwich, 32 per container, .26 each (Great Value Black Forest Ham)

eggs .16 each

biscuits 1.48 for 8 = 19 cents each

cheese slices 6.78 for 72 =10 cents each

restaurant foil sheets 13.98 for 500 =3 cents each

.74 cents each

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Steak and Egg Ranchero Burrito

Eggs 9.45 for 60 = 16 cents each

foil sheets 13.98 for 500 =3 cents each

tortillas 10", 8 for 1.98, .25 each

Steakumm 21 per box, 10.56 per box, .50 each

onions 3 lbs for 3.28, used 1.5 bags on 49 burritos, 10 each

Jalapenos, free, bits saved from tops cut off to make poppers

1.04 each Burrito

*****

Chicken Cheese Burrito I had a few leftover burritos and needed to do something with them, so I came up with these on the fly.

1 can chicken 2.94 each/ 3 servings each can/.98 per serving

3 burritos .25 cents each

1/4 cup cheddar cheese each or .20ish per burrito (I buy cheddar cheese in the 5 lb bags)

foil sheets 13.98 for 500 =3 cents each

1.48 per chicken cheese burrito

*****

Meatballs with Spaghetti Sauce and Cheese

Meatballs 14.98 per bag of 6 lbs from Sams Club

Cheese 3.54 per pound (I buy 5 lb bag for 17.68) I used 3/4 of a pound OR 2.65 worth

Sauce 1.48 per jar, used two

We get approx 12-15 individual meals from this when served with vegetables and a starch. $1.71 a meal for 12 , 1.37 for 15

I also do meatballs with gravy and other sauces like sweet and sour. Fully cooked frozen meatballs are inexpensive and work wonderfully for meal prepping because you dump the bag in, cover them with whatever you want, and pop it in the freezer or fridge until you are ready to cook it. Fast and easy!

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Homemade Sausage Egg and Cheese Biscuits

Eggs 9.45 for 60 = 16 cents each

cheese slices 6.78 for 72 =10 cents each

Sausage 30 patties for 12.34 =42 cents each

biscuits 1.48 for 8 = 19 cents each

foil sheets 13.98 for 500 =3 cents each

90 cents each

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Salmon Cauliflower Bake

I do not have a price breakdown on this one yet, but it is a very easy meal to prepare ahead of time.

I pour Kraft Sun Dried Tomato Dressing over the frozen Great Value salmon steaks and cook it in the oven. Then I put it over rice or riced cauliflower. I intersperse broccoli between the salmon steaks.

This is also a very fast meal to prep for the family. This is one of our family's favorite meals.

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I also make different "egg muffin" cups..different flavors. My family enjoys these a lot. You can come up with all sorts of different flavor combinations, but they can get crumbly. Cheese really helps hold them together, so I almost always use some type of cheese. Clint really likes the ones I flavor with just a bit of chorizo. One small tube of that packs a lot of flavor into a lot of egg muffins.

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I have to cook according to nine different tastes and preferences, so I do open-ended items often too. For example, I'll cook a bunch of hamburgers and put them in a pan in the fridge. That leaves it up to the family member as to how they will eat it...as a "steak" with different toppings or as a burger on a bun.

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I cook Egg Roll in a Bowl a lot too. It freezes and reheats well.

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I also do a Low Carb Tuscan Chicken recipe for the fridge. I have not tried freezing it because I am concerned the sauce will separate. The whole family enjoys that too. I add extra spinach because I know they will eat it this way. I have substituted pork and it worked out very well.

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I also do soups and chilis that are pressure canned. 

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I have friends who are having a hard time making ends meet and had asked me for low costs recipes. I thought the breakfast ideas would be the least expensive of the bulk meals I make, so I started doing the price breakdowns. All of my family loves the grab-and-go breakfasts, and those are the cheapest so far. They eat them for any meal and even snacks which I don't mind at all.

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Bernice, Yes, I have made my own biscuits, and that cuts costs even lower. I use so many biscuits (6-16 cans or 48-128 biscuits) per cooking session, I usually buy them to save on time and labor. It takes me two days to cook enough meals for everyone as it is, so I am thankful I can buy canned dough to catch a little break there. I have a tortilla maker too. I have also made my own spaghetti sauce, and we have put up our own chicken and pork. We also have our own eggs most of the time which helps. There are other ways we can cut costs if we needed, but again, there is a significant time/labor factor due to the amount I do at one time.

*****

I also do snacks and treats every week for the family. They REALLY like the cupcakes and brownies I make. I make those in silicone cupcake liners. I notice those help with portion control too. Still, they usually eat all of them in the first few days. I alternate between the regular size and the jumbo depending on what is ready to be put back to work. I see those like I do canning jars...investments that are saving me money when filled and not saving me money when empty.

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I also pressure can soups and chilis in pint jars which my family LOVES. They go through those so fast I can't keep them on the shelf.

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Bye to Our Sweet Girly Girl

Hannah resting from painting with Maggie and Girly 

who loved to hang out while we worked.

As of yesterday evening, Girly is no longer with us. She was a great dog who watched over our family and loved Brandon with everything she had in her. Sadly, she passed while Brandon was in Richmond at DuPont, so he did not get a goodbye. She had cancer and when it took a turn for the much worse, we intervened to save her suffering.

In 2015 a friend's father had cancer and passed. Her mother could not handle two dogs, so she parted with Girly. Our friend asked me if our family could take her. I talked with Brandon. Brandon was closing on his house, so he went to get her. Girly instinctively knew Brandon was her master. Their relationship made me smile a lot over the years.

I knew Girly was going to bond closely to him and watch over him when I knocked and opened his bedroom door the next morning after her arrival. Brandon had slept on the floor to comfort a scared Girly. That simple gesture caused her to bond very, very closely with him. Girly jumped up and with her legs and body spread over top of my sleeping son bared her teeth and growled lethally. She was ready to defend her brand new owner. It was the only time she ever growled at any of us, but it told me she'd watch over Brandon when he slept in his new home.

Girly had seen some disturbing things as her former owner departed. She was sad, confused, and filled with anxiety when she came to us. The change was so hard on her. I didn't know what to do to calm her, so I picked her up (she was not a light dog!), sat down with her in an old rocking chair, and rocked her like a baby. After a few minutes, she leaned into me and rested. After a couple of times of that, she would come to me and ask me to comfort her. That's how she and I bonded...me trying to comfort a very scared creature and she figuring out that I cared and wanted to help.

Brandon spoiled her. She often ate whatever he had prepared at his home. He often cooks gourmet meals, so she had some nice meals! He also took her through drive-thrus once a week to give her a drive and a treat. I gave Brandon his old crib mattress for her to use as a bed. She went on camping trips, off-roading, hikes, beach walks, pet stores, etc. That dog traveled so many miles!

Girly started losing her hearing a little over a year ago. All nine of us worked together to keep her safe, make her feel loved, and teach her signs for what we needed her to do. 

Girly went from living with two elderly people with a fenced-in yard to Brandon and his family of nine and 14 acres. She had a very full and wonderful life here. Because being alone scared her so much, Brandon dropped her off at the farm every morning so she could be around the family. She'd go home with him every evening. 

She could tell when it was getting close for him to arrive and would ask to be let outside so she could wait in the driveway. If it was too cold, she would sit on the stairs where she could see out of our dining room window and watch for him. I knew he was home by her excited behavior. 

She listened in as we did homeschool and played in the yard right beside our five youngest. She went to so many places and loved camping with us. She was so loyal, so very loyal to Brandon. She loved his return so much she would dance and sing! Joshua was her second choice in a human, but she loved us all dearly. And, we loved her. We're going to miss her a lot for a long time. 

It feels like a "changing of the guard" around here without Maggie and Girly patrolling our place. 

Marty

Even though Maggie has died, I am not without canine companionship. I still have Marty who came with a story and a history. She has been with us about a year and a half now. She is very loyal to me and stays with me 24/7 when allowed. Because she cries nonstop when I leave, I try to oblige her. She has her own spot in the Suburban and loves to go for rides.

Marty came here bleeding from her bowels. Large-sized dry dog food arrived with her which helped me understand why she was so very thin. She could not eat it easily because she has very few teeth. That's why her tongue sticks out most of the time. We have her on soft foods, and she soon was at a healthy weight with a shiny coat.

She has nightmares that terrify her and give me a good scare at night. When she has these nightmares, she will run around the bed and sometimes jump on top of me while she is shrieking. I wake up fast when it happens! She has also run right off of the bed to land hard on the floor. Thankfully, she is not having those horrific dreams as often as she was.

Marty is hard of hearing which has grown worse since we've had her. She also has cataracts which limit her vision. She sometimes barks at our family members until she knows who they are. She can see better peripherally than she can straight ahead.

She is 12.5 years old. She sleeps deeply, so someone arriving home can surprise her and set her to barking until she realizes who it is. I am very fond of Marty, but since she sleeps 90% of the time, she is not a lot of company.

Sometimes we will find another home for a dog we take in and get back to health. Marty will try to bite, but she can't really leave a mark because of her lack of teeth. She's a little harder to understand and live with than most dogs. Because she has had such a rough go with things and because I understand her, I decided early on she would live out her life here with our family.

She lived most of her life in a tiny crate, so living on our farm is a big change for her. She loves a hike! Especially somewhere new! That is when she comes to life and wants to keep going and going even when she is tripping over vines and branches she can't see well. She resists a little when it is time to turn around and go back to the car. We have to keep an eye on her because she will "get into her nose" and fall behind. Her enthusiasm for hiking makes me want to keep going.

When Marty arrived, there was so much bright red blood coming from her bowels I thought she was going to soon die! Lots of love and nutrition turned things around for her. She still has her idiosyncrasies, but she has been a fun little package to open layer by layer. She's a sweetheart if you can look through her weird little ways developed from her former living conditions.

Be Bold!

On our way home this morning, Clint and I saw a man in his front yard with a sign that offered free Bible study, breakfast, and music. We wanted to stop, but I had something I had to do right then. Clint dropped me off at our vacation spot and went back to talk to the man whose name is Joel. Joel told us he recently saw and spoke with a teen who was standing in the median of 17 holding a sign that said, "Jesus saves!" The teen told him he had just received salvation in a youth group. Joel thought about his encounter with the brave young man and felt very convicted about how much more he, Joel, could do for the Lord. So, Joel put the sign in his yard and opened his door to anyone who passed by. Clint asked if he could pray with Joel, and Joel happily prayed with him. Joel and his wife welcomed our family to drop by any time. So now, we have new friends who are also our brother and sister in the Lord.

Dear Reader, I am continually asking myself what can I do to be bold for the Lord. How can I shine more of His light in this dark world? I hope you are challenging yourself also. I believe our time on this earth is very short.