Cyberattacks on 911 systems

Because the 911 systems keep going down in different regions of the nation, I encourage you to put the nonemergency numbers for the police, fire, and rescue in your immediate and surrounding area in your phone. Making sure I can get help for my loved ones was worth the little bit of time it took.

Who and What are your worshipping?

 worship (n.)

Middle English worshippe, from Old English worðscip, wurðscip (Anglian), weorðscipe (West Saxon) "condition of being worthy, dignity, glory, distinction, honor, renown," from weorð "worthy" (see worth) + -scipe (see -ship).

The sense of "reverence paid to a supernatural or divine being" is attested by mid-13c.

The original sense is preserved in worshipful "claiming respect; worthy of honor by virtue of character or dignity" (c. 1300), preserved as a respectful epithet of address to magistrates, certain Freemasons, etc.  source

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Who and what do you talk about the most? Who or what do you spend your money on? Who and what do you give your time, attention, and affection? Who and what do you put first in your life? Do you watch TV more than you read/study/listen to the Bible? Do you spend more on a vacation than you do ministry all year? Do you say you want more of Jesus in your life and less of you but then do nothing to spend time studying your Bible to learn how to be more like Him? 

Brandon's New Tesla

  

 

Brandon surprised us on our anniversary weekend by dropping by with his new Tesla. He let us check it out and take turns driving it. What a fun (and fast!!) treat! He even took it to our home where he let Emily and Hannah drive it.

We have extended our anniversary getaway. We were going to be home this Tuesday night, but we will stay in our cottage until next Tuesday.

Our love to all!

Giving Thanks in August for What God Has Done!

When people ask me how I have stayed in a relationship with one man for 38 years, I point them to the Lord. 

If you are both making God a priority, you will treat each other well. Perfection is not required, but dedication and consistency are.

Clint asked me to be his girlfriend in 1986. We married in 1988 - 36 years ago!

God is GOOD!

Sunbeam at Our Vacation Cottage

Clint and I are celebrating our anniversary week. 

We have been very happily married for 36 years and have been a couple for 39 years. We have 16 children with 7 here on earth and 9 waiting for us in Heaven.

We have seen our humble little farmhouse grow into a homestead and become abundant. We have not only fully supported ourselves all these years, but we have been able to help many others. We give God the glory! He has had His Hand on us.

Please pray for Timmy

 My neighbor had his life savings stolen from him AGAIN! The last time, it was 11k. He has been able to save $5k in the few years since. He is very distraught. Please pray for him. I have asked him to start a fundraiser through GiveSendGo and also suggested he contact the local news station. 

Two Men

Two of our sons chilling for a minute at our cottage.

Thoughts on Notebook and Digital Planners (Organization)

I was asked what planner I used. I am not very trendy. I truly do not care what others are using. I care about what works best to keep me at my best. Here's my answer:

I found the digital and notebook-type planners had me spending a lot of time keeping them filled in with the different tasks and appointments. There often was not enough room in the designated places in the pretty notebook planners to add all I needed to do. I had to add things to a piece of paper and put them in the planner. The notebook type is also pricey (compared to a simple spiral notebook) and they didn't meet my needs. 

Putting tasks into the digital calendars also consumed more time than I liked. I had to stop everything to check or maintain them, which slowed me down. It negatively affected efficiency.

Over time, I came up with something that works well for me: I send "subject line" reminders to myself from my phone (gmail) to my laptop (yahoo mail). I have the app on my home screen. It only takes seconds to send myself a reminder. I can do this while out and about when I am in the middle of something at home, on a shopping trip, or when someone reminds me of something in conversation, and late at night when I am too tired to move. It works anytime, anywhere. 

From the list of reminders sent to my email, I make a written list each day (sometimes weekly) of what I plan to do and where I need to go. It only takes a few minutes at the beginning of each day. As I complete the tasks, I mark them/delete which only takes a split second. 

For repetitive events like special days (birthdays, anniversaries) and yearly gardening/animal husbandry/home and car maintenance reminders are on a digital calendar that automatically sends a reminder to the same email. I only open the digital when I add something to it which is infrequently now that it is all set up. It remembers the annual things for me and sends the reminders to the email which I use to make the daily/weekly lists. It's very easy and convenient.

We recently set up an appointment for our dog to be spayed. If the appointment was this week or next, I'd send it to my email. Since it is three months out, I made a reminder in my digital calendar which will remind me the day before and the day of the appointment.

For my needs, this method is simple, efficient, free, and has worked very well for about 20 years. And, that is very key. We each need to find out what works for us. I found the fancy notebook planners and the daily digital planners took time away from my tasks and became an extra thing to maintain. I needed something that lightened my load instead of adding to it.

Prayers Please

Brandon just texted me to let me know he will be late for our planned visit due to a car accident. He said he is good. That's all we know right now. Prayers appreciated. Hopefully, he was off the interstate.

Update: He was in Richmond. A motorcyclist clipped his car. Brandon's car has broken plastic, but it is drivable. The motorcyclist got a reckless driving ticket. HW has a policy of immediate drug testing when there is a car accident no matter who is at fault, so Brandon is on his way to get that done now. That's all we know until we talk to him tonight. Thank you for the concern, calls, messages, and especially for the prayers.

The Incident in front of Bethany's Workplace

The reports are all over the place and we have not been able to confirm any of the details. Police told the employees someone shot two people directly in front of Bethany's north-side Chicago workplace. Bethany works very close to the Magnificent Mile. She works in the back, so she heard and saw nothing. A coworker of hers heard the six shots and alerted everyone to take cover and move to the back of the restaurant. They sheltered there for hours. This is because the shooters were still thought to be in the area. There was a woman who went berserk inside the restaurant due to the stress and police not allowing her to leave. That became intense but resolved itself. Once the scene was cleared, Bethany's boss made them reopen the store and resume operations. The different news reports are all over the place with varying details, so we are going on what the police told the employees at the scene. Bethany let us know she was in the back and safe within a few minutes of it happening. The police were already out front and doing their job. She sent us pictures once they were allowed to move freely around the restaurant which was when police were cleaning up and preparing to leave. Thank you for all of the prayers, calls, messages, and concern.

We are heartbroken

https://www.wavy.com/news/crime/gloucester-teen-charged-with-producing-and-distributing-child-pornography/ copy and paste into your browser to read the story

Asia worked with three of our children. Two of them knew her personally. This hit them hard. Asia has family members who worked with my children, so my children are concerned about them too. Please pray for Asia and her family. Please also pray for the young victims of this disgusting crime and their families.

There are many traps to fall into in this life. The internet has brought both the best and very worst of the world right into our homes. It is a very dark time in history and it should not be a surprise to see some of the things we do. It is still shocking and unsettling. 

Before you jump on Asia's parents and blame them for this, remember she is an adult and has the same sinful rebellious nature as everyone else. She made her own choices. Ministering to her parents is better than allowing your pride to sit in judgment of them. Grace is beautiful and I am so glad Jesus lavished on me so I can show it to others. May each of us endeavor to show grace as quickly and eagerly as He did to us. 

Child porn is one of the most hated sins. It is revolting and brings great anger to most people. There is hope for someone caught up in child porn. His name is Jesus. His death and resurrection were big enough to cover that sin too. May Asia call upon Jesus for salvation.

2 Boys and a Bonus Daughter

Joshua used to work with Caleb but he has a different job now. 

That does not stop him from dropping by and saying hi now and then though.

Elora now works at the same place as Caleb but in a different department.

At least four people have said she is an excellent and diligent worker.
I would not have expected to hear anything less. She is an outstanding person.

He Really Wanted Those Quail Eggs

Our Ukrainian friend wanted us to see how eager he was to get the quail eggs.

He eats them raw with a little salt and pepper on them.
He has since become a regular customer.

Around Here August 2024

I have not done one of these in a long while.

While Clint enjoyed his job at Hoist and Crane, he was made an offer he could not refuse at his old job. He is very content in that position. He does not have as much time for the HAM radio, but he did install a new antenna on the farm which allows him to reach further than he could previously. We have continued our tradition of a monthly weekend away only it's been more often lately. Our anniversary is this month and we will be tucked away in our vacation cottage enjoying the scenery and gourmet cooking together. We might take a day trip out in the area, but we also might just rest together. It's been a fast-paced summer.

Brandon is still working for HW. He wants to transition to a job that will allow him to be home more. I am still helping out when he is traveling. He hopes to get a shed put in his backyard to allow him to work on his cars easier. His garage is full due to the Tesla charging station. HW is giving him a brand-new Tesla EV. My oldest is spoiled by the hotels, restaurants, 

Amanda's reef tank crashed, so she is rebuilding that. Her boyfriend, Joe, is planning to buy her a new tank since her old one has a couple of scratches. That will make it more involved since she will have to drill the glass for the plumbing. 

Joshua is enjoying his new apartment with Jurnee, a long-time friend. Jurnee does most of the cleaning which Joshua says is pretty nice. Jurnee works odd hours, so they rarely see each other. Jurnee and Joshua had Emily and Hannah over for a game night not too long ago. Jurnee was never allowed to have pets, so Joshua took one of our barnyard cat's kittens to their apartment. Jurnee is in LOVE with the kitten.

Caleb and Elora are doing well. They have been married about six weeks. Caleb has been hard at it working on their new home. Caleb took out the three or four skylights. He and I hung out together while his new carport was being installed. He is installing a new floor throughout the entire house. He put in a new larger driveway. He has a friend working on the sheetrock. Elora has been painting. Elora now works at the same place Caleb does but in a different department. They ride to and from work together which is nice for them.

Bethany and Jeremy are celebrating two years together today. Jeremy is enjoying his new job driving for the Chicago Transit Authority. I asked him if the shuttle bus was peppy and he said yes it has some pep. I asked him if he ever put his "foot into it" (aka went fast. He said, "You REALLY aren't supposed to." Jeremy and Bethany also bought a car. That allows Jeremy to get back and forth to work easier and also allows them to care for his grandmother.

Emily and Hannah are getting days and nights out with their siblings. They have had sleepovers at Caleb's, Brandon's, and Joshua's. Joshua took them on an all-day adventure which included seeing Jurnee at work. They are working on their college lessons and helping out around the house. They have season passes to Busch Gardens and have been going at least once a week. Emily was flattered when a young male cashier in Farm Fresh's World Foods ran to open his register so he could wait on her and told her it had been too long since he had seen her. 

I am hoping I don't have to deal with snakes in the quail shed any time soon, but I'd rather deal with the slithery snakes over the two-legged variety any day. I am really enjoying the diversity in the customers who are purchasing products from our farm. I have installed a translator on my phone to help me with the language barrier. I try to get in a daily pool workout lasting anywhere from half an hour to two hours when possible. I have worked out off and on for decades, but I don't talk about it much because it has not helped with the weight issue. It does make me feel better and helps build strength and endurance though. Preserving the harvest from our trees, vines, bushes, and vegetable garden is keeping me quite busy, but it's a blessing to be able to do it for my family. About 15 years ago, I asked my family to give me fruit trees and berry bushes as gifts. I told them I wanted to give back to them and their families. This year, I gave fruit and produce to all of my adult children which was very rewarding. Knowing I can do that year to year for decades is very satisfying. My love to all!

This praying mantis has worked hard to keep the bugs off of my cucumber plant.
I am very thankful for her service!