A Penny for Your Thoughts

Plenty Spoiled

If I am sitting down, she will repeatedly jump a foot in the air, whimper, and cry until I pick her up. We found a way to make it work. She gets the comfort she needs, and I can knock out the online to do list.

Brandon News

Brandon passed all of the security clearances without any problems and has his gov card.

This will allow him to work for HW at facilities that require it. He is more excited about how it allows him to bypass TSA in airports. He just has to show them this ID, and he is passed through without question. No more long waits!

Brandon is really enjoying working at such a diverse group of companies through HW. He is learning and experiencing so much. His boss and coworkers are very pleased with his performance to the point they put him in the field early. Then, they made him the lead on a big project just two weeks after working in the field. He has already chosen a knowledgeable and hard-working mentor from whom he is learning as much as he can. 

When he is in the field, he is working 12-16 hour days. He is loving the paychecks!

My least favorite quote from Brandon:

"Don't worry, mom, they told me how certain walls give way to direct the blast to protect the workers." 

Ugh.

Then there is another more alarming quote I won't repeat, but he does have some risk. Please keep him and these facilities in prayer.

Fun fact: Each place he works at representing HW requires their own drug test at a facility of their choosing. It's really not so much fun, but he gets paid from the moment he leaves his home until he returns. 

He still carries my "books."

Back in 1985, he was carrying my books in the hallways of our high school.

Now, he carries my computer (and some oranges for our dessert) upstairs for me.

Time to Fill Them Up Again

I still have a few in the freezer holding meals and treats, but it is time to fill these up again. To make my investment into these tools work the hardest for my budget, I have to do my part to keep them filled. There are so many things you can fill these with from gelatin-based treats to hearty meals. Brownies bake up wonderfully for me. Chicken Cordon Bleu Puffs are delicious. To find recipes to put your silicone liners to work, internet search "muffin tin recipes" and "egg muffins."

My love to all!

Another Quick and Inexpensive Meal Prep Idea

This has been prepped for the freezer, but it has not been cooked yet.

We only have this 2-3 times a year but it is so quick and easy to prep and get into the freezer for harder days.

• Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage 3.76 a lb (Sam's Club)
• Onions .49 a lb (Sam's Club)
• Green peppers .59 each (on sale Food Lion, I buy tons of them and freeze or dehydrate them when they go on sale so I can keep feeding my family within our budget. For the last sale they had, I purchased 60 and prepped them for meals right away. I made several freezer bags of both sliced and diced peppers. I also dehydrated some. Those 60 will last me about a year.)

There are 2.5 lbs of sausage ($9.40), about 4 green peppers ($2.36), and approximately three giant onions ($3) in each tray. $14.76 per tray. I serve it with biscuits or cornbread muffins. Eight of us can get a hearty meal from one tray so it comes down to $1.85 per meal. Usually, there are leftovers for Clint's lunches. 

I use the half size DEEP aluminum pans with lids. Those were $1 each when I purchased them. I reuse them many times so they end up costing very little.

(I'm a participant in the Amazon associate program which means I'll earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) when you buy through some of the links on this website, in which case I thank you. #amazonaffiliate)

Dear Reader, In the last year, I have been asked by several people to share quick and inexpensive meal ideas. I have more which you can find under the "meal ideas" label below. If you have some quick and inexpensive freezer prep meals to share, please send me an email (see header for email address). Love to all!

Now we know why people visit for so long...

"If the members of a house are ill-tempered and quarrelsome, how quickly you feel it when you enter the house. You may not know just what is wrong, but you wish to make your visit short. If they are kindly, generous, good-tempered people, you will have a feeling of warmth and welcome that will make you wish to stay." ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

We don't mind..most of the time. Sometimes it holds critical things up, but we work through it. Since a lot of our friends are full timing now, we hope to be able to allow people to pull in with an RV, hook up, and stay for free for a few days in the next few years. Should the Lord tarry, we will see what doors He opens for us.

Hate your own sin

 Hate your own sin MORE than you hate someone else's.

We are not saved by obedience

"We are not saved by obedience, for obedience is the result of salvation. 

We are saved by faith because faith leads us to obey." 

Charles Spurgeon

Secluded Mountain Getaway

Clint rented three cabins in the mountains to enjoy with our family for a couple of weeks. We hope to enjoy a scenic train ride, sightseeing, several nearby off-roading trails, hiking, and more. Everyone will be with us except Caleb, who says he MIGHT come, and Bethany, who has to work.

Thanks, Cassidy!

This is the Viking-styled sweater I gave Joshua for his birthday.

He loves it, and Cassidy complimented me on my taste in clothing.

Low threshold

Marty will soon be 13 years old. She gets cold in the winter, and this winter is looking like it will be even colder.

One at a time, I ordered THREE outfits after carefully following the directions and measuring Marty. I even had people go behind me to make sure they got the same measurements. I used the measurements and the sizing charts on the vendors' pages to place my order.

Every outfit was the wrong size. All of them were way too big. She could walk right out of them!

And yes, I still use the socks as "sweaters" for the dogs. However, Marty has put on weight and doesn't fit in those as well as she did. I can get her in one, but it's not fun for her or for me.

I have a low threshold for aggravating things like this. I did my part, but the manufacturer did not do their part. Three times! Instead of returning the last one, I decided to alter it to fit her. I cut off the material I did not need around her neck and sewed it shut. Then I shortened the strap at her waist. The length was shortened from where I altered the neck area. Now I can help this very loyal girl of mine stay warmer this winter. I am very thankful to God for my ability to sew. I learned a little in Home Economics in ninth grade. The rest, I have taught myself by just doing it.

My beloved Maggie had a $5 jacket I purchased at Roses. That and a sock sweater is all she needed in the winter for her 12.5 years. I sure do miss my tiny white poodle. The tiny black poodle is becoming a good adventure buddy though. Marty is always beside me. She cries the whole time I get my shower. She sleeps most of the time, so I call her my "Sleeping Beauty." She is nice company to have around when the CA-EBV fevers make me slow down like they have recently.

Dear Reader, Since I altered this one, I found several dog outfits for $2 each in a thrift store. They are all too large for Penny and Marty, but so were all of the ones I carefully measured for and ordered! I'm in the same place, but for less money! WIN!! :-D I'll alter those soon. I am so thankful I can sew. What skills have you used today that you can give thanks for?

How to spend $450 in one quick stop...

Livestock feed. There is another protein tub not in the picture. This will last a couple of months, so it's not as bad as it could be. We let our livestock eat a lot of natural foods. The price of livestock feed has certainly increased in the last year though.

I'll take that as a no...

It wasn't really that bad. She knew I'd laugh. I did!

Dear Reader, I am thankful to have children who look after me and try to lift my spirits as much as I look after them. Is there someone you can reach out to right now and lighten their load by making them smile or laugh?

Prayers for Amanda, Please

 Today is a big day for Amanda. Please pray she performs well.

Aren't you afraid of WW3?

I was asked if I was worried about the possibility of nuclear war as we approach WW3?

No, I am not anxious about it, but I have given it consideration.

The answer is that I have done what I think is prudent and reasonable and have gone on with my life. The possibility of WW3 is not an everyday immediate concern to me. In other words, I have given it consideration, made plans, and left it behind me. 

I live on the coast where we see hurricanes now and then. I have been through several natural disasters, seen my immediate neighbor's homes uprooted and moved into the street or their backyard by tornadoes and a flood, had my home declared a FEMA disaster site, had to evacuate my family and pets during a wild fire, and have had a major loss to yet another fire. A co-worker of my husband's was killed when he was hit by his house as it came off of its foundation in a tornado. I have given birth 20 minutes after when I thought labor "might have possibly maybe" started with a tiny bit of discomfort. I was on vacation when my child need emergency surgery. I had a long conversation with a FEMA agent about things he's seen that amazed him. Just a few months ago, a brush fire nearly claimed one of our smaller barns. We are supposed to learn from our experiences. Those events in my life have taught me that the unexpected does happen. I believe God allowed those events in my life so that I would be more prepared for future events. 

I have had potassium iodide for a long time.....way before Russia and Ukraine. I live near a nuclear power plant, so it is a good first line of defense should that facility have a meltdown. I don't want to have to wait for an authority to hand it out which could cause delays in treatment. Potassium iodide is inexpensive and helps protect the thyroid from cancer due to nuclear radiation. It has a long shelf life. I've added more to what I've had...just in case something happens and we are advised to take it.

I pressure can and water bath can so I am familiar with and use pectin. I keep that on hand also. Pectin helps bind and pass radiation out of the body. If you would like an education on it, internet search pectin, Chernobyl, and radiation medical research. I purchased additional this year just in case.

My husband battled Lyme and through that, I learned the many good qualities of resveratrol so I have it on hand. Again, your own research should provide the answer to your questions including what kind of foods and herbs in which it is found.

Dear Reader, The Bible tells us that the prudent person sees danger and makes plans for it. Many military experts are telling us nuclear war is a possibility. Some are saying it is very likely. I don't know. Should a nuclear event happen, I have a plan in place, but this is not something plaguing my mind or causing me anxiety. My family and I belong to the Lord and fully trust Him with our lives. If we die, we will be with the Lord...all gain, no loss. Their warnings have made me increase my efforts to get the gospel out.

What scares me and troubles my heart is the spiritual well-being of family and friends. The decisions there will be final and have the most serious and eternal consequences. Time is very, very short, and satan is hard at work, especially in spiritual warfare. We should be very hard at work also. 

My love to all!

My Thoughts About Remembering Baby Due and Miscarriage/Stillborn Loss Dates

As you read it, it should become self-explanatory. I had a friend who said she could not remember all of the dates for her 16 babies that she lost to miscarriage/stillbirth. She struggled with that. She also said she remembered some losses more clearly than others.

Please don't put your expectations of how you think grief should be on another person. God created us as unique people, and we each have had unique experiences that have shaped us to be even more unique. Wouldn't it make sense that we would all feel and do things differently? Does my way of grief make someone else's less genuine? Does their way of mourning make mine less real? Seriously, stop judging people for what you see. Look deeper. If you take a moment to look deeper, you just might see details that will enable you to go further in ministering to them. Isn't THAT our goal...helping each other through hard times, carrying each other's burdens? Telling people how they should mourn is not our place.

"I understand completely. I remember my babies every day and on one special day that I set aside for myself. On that day, I give myself permission to do nothing and just remember, reflect, thank God for those children, be sad, cry, rest, whatever *I* need. 

I saw a meme one time that said any mother who lost a baby remembered the dates the baby was due and the date the baby was miscarried or stillborn because her love was real. I winced. I've lost so many I can not keep track of all of those dates. Nor do I think it would be healthy for me mentally to do so. To remember both dates for each of the nine I lost would give me a year of mourning since they were spread out. I'd be in a perpetual state of remembering and sadness. 

I remember in my own way that brings me comfort and also keeps me focused on the children I have to care for now. These 7 are the ones HE wants me to focus on because He gave them into my care NOW. 

The other babies, I consider on "layaway." Their souls exist, so I still have them, but God is keeping them until the right time. 

And yes, some losses were more traumatic than others and are more "in" my head because of that. One was so bad I had nightmares for years. I could not even speak about it to my husband, who was there, until just a year or so ago.* 

My grief is real and hits me harder some days than others, but it is my grief to work out my way so that it helps me be a better person, a better mother, and a better wife. I believe we are to honor God even in our grief. 

I am so very thankful my grief does not have to meet someone else's (like the meme) expectations to be heartfelt and genuine. 

(((((HUGS))))) I am sorry for your losses, Sxxxxxxxx. Because of who He is, I believe God has something special in store for mothers who had to say goodbye to babies. We will be rejoicing so loudly one day soon!"

*It is a very long story, but a nurse made an error and drugged me up quite a bit. She apologized profusely to me. My memories were so distorted by the drugs that I was too afraid to speak about them. Once I told my husband, he assured me that it was my drugged perception and not reality. 

Dear Reader, It has been almost nine years since my last loss. Sometimes I still dream of a baby moving in my womb and dream of a baby I can't find crying for me. Even after all of this time, I wake up from those dreams very, very sad with arms that literally ache. Those dreams bring me to tears. I have to give it over to the Lord, or I'd be imprisoned in my grief. I thank Him for the babies He made known to me for a short time, the children I have now, and the promise of eternity. I ask Him to comfort my heart, remove the sadness, and help me focus on loving and caring for my family in a way that honors and brings glory to Him. I ask Him to help me minister to others with a grieving heart. Then I get up and start "doing" whether I feel like it or not. God is always faithful in giving me comfort, joy, and thankfulness! I am thankful that we do not have to let our grief rule our hearts or our lives. We can love and mourn very, very deeply and still move forward with life knowing one does not detract from the other. We can ask for help to survive the pain and enjoy our lives, and then get busy knowing He will help us. My love to all!

If you have lost a baby or other loved one and need a praying friend who understands grief, my email is in the header.

It's about where your focus is...

"The holiest Christians are not those most concerned with holiness as such, but those whose minds and hearts and goals and purposes and love and hope are most fully focused on our Lord Jesus Christ." J.I. Packer Keep in Step with the Spirit

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How to Help a Grieving Friend

Repost from 10/15/2018: This post has helped a lot of people on both sides of the coin and has been printed as a handout.

Believe me, it's no time for words when the wounds are fresh and bleeding; no time for homilies when the lightning's shaft has smitten, and the man lies stunned and stricken. Then let the comforter be silent; let him sustain by his presence, not by his preaching; by his sympathetic silence, not by his speech. -George C. Lorimer

October 15 is the national day of remembrance for miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss. I've lost nine precious babies to stillbirth and miscarriage. Much of what you read here can be applied more broadly to include other types of loss and pain.

Here is a video from Megan Devine, which a friend recently shared, that shares about what works for those grieving and why other things like "cheering them up" do not. It will better equip you to help the hurting in your life.

When I lost one of my miscarried and stillborn babies, one of the things that helped me the most was someone telling me, "This sucks!!" I knew by their succinct words that they understood my pain. You don't need eloquence to show compassion. Your job isn't to move them to where you want them to be; it's to meet them where they are.

One of the most hurtful things ever said to me, for example, was by a Christian in law who claimed to be pro-life who told me less than 24 hours after the loss of my baby that crying was "feeling sorry for myself." Their words created a lot of pain in my heart. They did not care what I was going through, and their words showed it. Their words suggested I was doing something wrong by mourning my baby. I share this with the goal that others won't say such hurtful things in a woman's time of great pain. It is not helpful, but it is very hurtful. 

Crying is a normal, natural response to loss. Jesus cried in grief too. Would you have said, "It's self pity for you to cry since you are going to raise Lazarus anyway?" Or, would you have shown Him understanding and compassion? Think before you speak. Words hurt and can't be taken back, but they can be forgiven. Be gentle and kind with each other even when you do not understand what the other person is going through.

Please don't add your misplaced expectations to someone else's struggle. You will only burden them further. Acknowledge a person's right to feel as they do. 

If you have had a pregnancy loss, I am praying for you today and offer my friendship. My email is in the header. 

A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, 
but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself.
-A.W. Tozer

I had a friend comment:

That person that said that to you COULD NOT be a Christian! They may be a self proclaimed Christian, but if they really had Christ in their heart they could have never said something so cruel and cold! 

My reply: Christians aren't perfect, and we fail each other often. We have to bear with each other in love to keep unity in the church. I have forgiven them completely and have love for them. Grudges lead to bitterness and that's a weed I don't want growing in my life. It's too destructive! I pray for their well being and success of their business daily. Doing that honors Jesus and gives me peace and keeps me growing in Christ. Their words are a good example to show others what not to say to someone because it does not in any way help. It creates another burden on the person. If we claim to be pro-life, but deny a mother the freedom to mourn a pregnancy loss, we really aren't very pro-life. We have to come beside people and meet them where they are in whatever circumstance life throws at them...not drag them along to where we want them to be. I fail people too and am thankful when they forgive me and bear with me in love.

Amanda's Birthday

For Amanda's birthday, we combined a trip to Pick and Pull which led to us eating at Rick's Cafe. Whenever Clint and I go to Pick and Pull, we swing by Rick's. We have been patronizing Rick's for three decades! Their BBQ is wonderful!

We told Amanda we would buy her fish for her reef tank. We ended up buying her some water conditioner and some salt because her tank was not where it needed to be to add more fish. We plan on taking her out again in early November.

I was able to capture some pictures of a few of the many things that delighted my eyes.

Giant Gourami

stunning catfish

This is a huge marine hermit crab. This type of hermit crab is different than the ones that are sold in souvenir shops. The pictures do not do its size justice.

No, Thank You!

 DARPA’s solution to the military’s plastic trash problem? Eat it.

Turning an empty water bottle into new material, like protein powder or gun lubricant, could help create a useful purpose for trash.

https://www.popsci.com/technology/darpa-military-waste-management/

no ordinary people

 "We meet no ordinary people in our lives.” - C. S. Lewis

Dear Reader, This is a good truth to let marinate in our minds to assist us in seeing people the way God would have us to see them. The people God chooses to bring in and out of our lives are there for a Divine purpose. Each person is a unique expression of the image of our Creator with a unique story and talents that can do amazing things for His kingdom. The Bible shows us God even uses the wicked for his purposes to do good! The life of each person we meet can teach us something if we are humble enough to hear the lessons. If we start viewing each person we meet as a Divine appointment, we better value the person and treat our encounters as opportunities. My love to all!

do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation

“In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. ‘How are we to live in an atomic age?’ I am tempted to reply: ‘Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.’

In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways. We had, indeed, one very great advantage over our ancestors—anesthetics; but we have that still. It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which already bristled with such chances and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a certainty.

This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”  -C. S. Lewis

Dear Reader, We cannot live in a permanent state of fear. Constant fear makes the mind, body, and soul unhealthy. We must do what we reasonably can, accept what we cannot do, place ourselves fully under the protection of the Lord, and ask for His peace to guard our hearts. Then, we live each day the very best we can. 

Bethany is in God's Hands

Bethany joins us for Bible study every week. She is sharing the gospel in Chicago and is missing her family a lot. Please keep her covered in prayer. She rides the trains at midnight due to her job. She said there are many homeless people sleeping on the trains at that time. She has never once felt unsafe. She said Chicago Transit Authority has officers stationed in close proximity. CTA has 33,000 cameras throughout its train and bus systems.

Dear Reader, We appreciate the concerns for her safety many have shown. She is an adult and can make her own decisions, and we will support her in any decision she makes that is not in direct violation of God's Word. She has been taught to defend herself and how to be situationally aware. We believe Bethany is the safest person in Chicago because we, and others, have asked the Lord to keep her safe. There is no safer place than in His Hands. God is God everywhere. His powers are not limited by location. He can protect her just as easily there as He can at home.

Safety is an illusion. We often think we are safe when we are not, and we often think we are in danger when we are safe. Our enemy, aka the angry lion, is always looking to harm us. It is putting ourselves under God's protection that makes the difference. Trusting the Lord is never foolish. It is when we examine the core truths of a situation in the light of the Word of God that we gain peace and understanding.

Please Pray for Cousins in Florida

My sweet distant cousin, Kathy, has children and grandchildren in Florida. Katie called her last night and told her their roof was caving in, water was filling their home, the roads were filled with water, and they were unable to leave. They could not talk for more than 30 seconds at a time due to the cell phone towers going down. Kathy has not heard from them since and says she is trying to trust God for their safety. Please pray they are OK and can contact her very soon. Pray for Kathy and her husband as they wait. Thank you!

FYI: Their local news had predicted the storm would travel further up the coast. People were traveling to their town thinking it would be safer because it was at a higher elevation. 

Update: A friend of Katie's contacted Kathy. Katie and her family are all OK. Their house is not.

Update: Please continue to pray for all of them. Katie and her family are in a hotel two hours away from their home. The situation in Florida is pretty bad from what I am hearing from our family and friends who were directly hit by this hurricane. Samaritan's Purse is near one of their homes and is doing a lot to help out.

Pretty Penny, You Better Watch Out!

Article: Amid Today’s Ridicule Of Our Blessed Hope, Dare To Be Enoch

 https://harbingersdaily.com/amid-todays-ridicule-of-our-hope-dare-to-be-enoch/

This is an encouraging, faith-building, uplifting message on the rapture.