Back to Basics – The Ten Commandments

Recently God led me to begin reading Deuteronomy.  This book in the Old Testament begins with Moses reviewing the Israelites journey after leaving Egypt; chapter 5 contains the Ten Commandments.  The 10^th, ‘Thou shalt not covet’ struck a chord with me.

lifehopeandtruth.com

Frequently in my current low-income station in life, I often find myself internalizing resentment towards those with money.  In San Diego bay it is quite common to see yachts or fancy sailboats.  If I become aware of a person’s financial ease in life, a negative feeling rises from my gut.  “If I had money,” is my thought, “I wouldn’t want it to be obvious; I wouldn’t drive a fancy car or live in a home that shouts RICH.”  But nurturing those thoughts is coveting.  That never occurred to me.  It is good to not want to flaunt wealth, but this leans toward jealously and wanting to do things for the wrong reason.

To reiterate that last sentence, it is not wrong to want something different, something better, or to want to BE better, but to covet can cause us to take our focus off God and turn it towards the desire to outmatch or outdo others.  My feelings of resentment, loss of Godly focus, the love we need to exhibit towards others, and the sin of jealousy — I am in danger of committing much sin over the tenth commandment.

While on my current pet sitting job, I have loved spending quiet mornings with a cup of coffee and petting Isis.  She is one of the most stunning cats I’ve known, a Bengal with gold-tipped fur.  This morning as I sat in meditation with her, a different and very uncomfortable feeling swirled in my stomach.  God has taught me something about myself, and guilt is mixed with wanting to better my situation.

This is a brief blog entry today, but a message in brief can be as powerful as many words.  Please pray for me to have the strength to overcome.  I will most certainly keep all of you on my prayer list.

 

God Bless,

God Gives Me a Voice

The original title I gave this entry was a bit long, but explains my absence from writing:

Anxiety Makes Me Speechless – God Gives Me a Voice

Upon starting this, I had no idea what to title this blog entry.  Nothing can describe the pain and turmoil that anxiety gives me.  Someone asked me once what depression feels like, and my reply pretty much feels like that, only worse.  When an attack overwhelms me without warning, it can feel like being in a pitch black prison, only with insurmountable flames.  Sometimes I can pinpoint what causes it, other times I am completely bewildered about where the attack comes from.  Three weeks ago an attack lasted an entire week and I was desperate.

Yesterday morning I was in a stage of drifting in and out of sleep, when a nightmare overtook me.  I relived the experience in which I had to give up my beloved studio apartment.  I won’t go into specifics as just thinking those about those details is raising my heart rate.  It was 5 A.M. and dark, but I sped to the living room and  began to cross stitch and picked up Psalms.  How can the devil stay when you are reading the Bible?

Strong heart palpitations woke me this morning, and automatically God put me into the mode of slow, deep breathing, which calmed my heart.  I have yet to do any Bible study this morning, but God is giving me a voice to talk to you about it.

Although I have many favorite passages in the Bible, Psalms is my favorite book.  My NKJV is filled with verses marked by red pencil.

Psalm 3:3 is one of those.   God will protect me from this torture.  Why doesn’t He just take it from me?  I don’t know, but perhaps it is so I can provide comfort to others and testify of His love.

Psalm 2:12 backs up the reason for my faith.

And verses that I will meditate upon today are:

No matter what is happening now, I know that I shall prosper.  Following God’s will in writing this particular post, I am already feeling more peace to my heart.

As always, I welcome and encourage any and all comments.  Have a blessed day!

The Devil is in the Distraction

Did you ever hear the expression “The devil is in the detail”?  Wikipedia says it is an idiom which means, basically, that at first something may look simple but it turns out to be more complicated and more of an effort than expected.  This saying was originally known as “God is in the detail.”

Isn’t that ironic?  And isn’t that the way life and situations seem to turn out?  We  have the best of intentions with doing things for God or completing that to-do list at home, but the devil distracts us and we lose track of time by allowing that new adult coloring book send us off into an entirely different direction, or forgot what we needed to do for Him in the first place.

The Bible cautions us to be ever vigilant for distractions that Satan puts in our way.

One very large way in which we are bombarded with distraction is through technology.  One way that I, in particular, lament, is the distraction of cell phones.  The next time you walk in public somewhere, try counting  how many people you see staring at their phone within a five minute time frame.  And this may just be me, but why not carry an actual Bible to church instead of using your iPad, Kindle, or phone, for looking up scripture as the pastor delivers the sermon?

To avoid distraction we must prioritize our time.  Spend time with God first thing in the morning.  Ask Him to direct you and your thoughts throughout the day, that you can be the most productive possible in order to complete His will for that day.  Jesus, in Mark 1:35, rose far earlier than needs be and spent solitary time in prayer.  Ephesians 5:15-16 hears Paul advising us, “So, then, be careful how you live. Do not be unwise but wise, making the best use of your time because the times are evil.”  The worst product of distraction is that “You have abandoned the love [God] you had at first” (Revelation 2:3-4).

Secondly, to avoid distraction, we need to ask ourselves if we are trying to please God or are we trying to please others?  Paul said in Galations 1:10 that if he were still trying to please people, that would NOT make him a servant of God.  I ask myself that frequently; WHY do I want this-or-that?  Can I use it for God?  Something I need to ask myself is that if I get married, will I let my husband distract me from serving God?  When I get a full time job will I allow new responsibilities and people sway the way I know I should be?

Third, cares of this world turn our head from what we need to be doing perhaps more than anything else.  We get so wrapped up in immigration issues, rising petrol/gas prices, how to find the money to fix the car or put shoes on our kids feet, that we forget to let go and let God handle it.  God will provide and protect.  Just handle what He has asked you to do.

To focus, and I have mentioned this before, start the day with God.  Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night…”  Meditate on Scripture, ask God to reveal the meaning of what you read.  DO NOT  rush through and be concerned about reading this-many-pages-a-day.  Study it, seek out His will through the words before you.  I find that if I let someone or something distract me from my God-time in the morning, that the whole day tends to lack focus.

I pray that your focus is fine-tuned to God and His will for you.

See you next week!

#focusedonGod

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_devil_is_in_the_detail

 

Delighting in God

 

Jump for joy!  It’s summer!

(Santa Barbara, CA, 2012)

TOMORROW IS IT!!  One more half-day and school is out for the summer.  As a teacher’s aide, I find it hard to describe the delight felt at the upcoming two and a half months.  Once someone accused me of being in the wrong profession because I was so happy about spring break; she was actually very angry at my joy!   I was stunned at her response.  Now I wonder how God feels at us not taking full delight and joy in Him?

Psalms is one of my favorite books in the Bible.  Psalms 1:2 and 37:4-5 says:

• His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
• Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desire of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

I will talk about those verses a little later.

How do you delight in God?  InTouch Ministries said in a 2015 online post¹ that first we must commit our ways to God.  When I ask Him to puh-leese keep my 17 year old car running, for a better paying job, a loving relationship, etc., I try to consider why I want those things.  I try to think of how I can use what I want for His purposes.  To delight myself in Him, I have to be willing to commit my ways to His ways, which may be different.  For example, when asking for a better paying job, I tell God that with more money I will be able to do more for Him, including getting a place to live.  I can make it a welcoming home for anyone that wants to visit.  It would be so amazing to have a place where people can feel His presence and to feel my faith and trust in our Heavenly Father.  But perhaps He doesn’t want me to leave the school system and being with special needs students.  This year I have touched some student’s lives, and we never would have met without my being in this very challenging line of work.

Practicing the presence of God will bring me closer to Him, and that is huge in delighting in Him.  That is what David was referring to in Psalm 1:2.  To be in-tune with God throughout the day we can better feel His love for us, and we love and appreciate Him more.  I can hear Him much better, and no matter what happens, it is still a good day when I feel His presence throughout the hours.

We can pursue excellence and also further our pursuit of delight in Him.  In 2007, Jacob Wukie² moved from Ohio to train in archery and hopefully win a place on the 2008 Olympic team.  He had trained in archery since a young age, and with the move threw himself with passion into his goal.  When 16 athletes made the first cut, Jacob had placed 17^th.  In retrospect he realized that his heart wasn’t right with God, and he had been training for and relying on HIMSELF to reach the goal.  As “Athletes in Action” reports, Jacob realized that he had not trusted God with what He desired for Him.  With prayer his heart and attitude changed, and a week later, one of the athletes dropped out.  When the results of the second trial came up, Jacob placed 7^th and ultimately placed as an alternate, fourth in the final cut.  Four years later he competed in the London 2012 Olympics, and he and his teammates won silver.

Honoring God through my pictures

I can’t ask for a better paying job and expect to get it if I am going to be selfish with the results.

I love the magic of words.  Whether it is through typing or more-so by writing a letter or in my journal, words flowing from my fingers seem pure magic.  How can little markings put together have power to communicate? I delight in the gift of words from Him, and pray that I serve Him well through this.  Coming up with a blog topic isn’t always easy, but once I get going, I ask that the words that come out are HIS and not mine.

Hmmm . . . throughout the summer I will continue job hunting, but also pursue how I can best use the summer break for Him.  That will be delighting in Him.

See you next week!  As always, please feel free to leave comments, suggestions, etc. on this site.  Thank you for reading.

 

 

1. https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/delight-yourself-in-the-lord
2. https://athletesinaction.org/olympics/devotionals/delight-yourself-in-the-lord

My Adventure with Prayer

 

Picture taken by me, Shelter Island, San Diego, CA

I was trying to come up with a fancy and wordy blog for the week, when it was put within my heart:

“Keep it simple.  Make it personal.”

Prayer can be a difficult topic to discuss; so many opinions on how, where, when, and why.  To me, prayer feels real, personal, and more meaningful when I keep it simple, like God is my friend and is right there sitting next to me.  Well, He is, isn’t He?  God is always there.  And He is our friend, although I hesitate to say it, so I tell Him that I don’t mean disrespect and that I want to give Him all reverence that He is owed.  It ends up being very reverential AND personal, and I feel closer to Him.

In “Prayer, the Great Adventure,” Dr. David Jeremiah says that we are to ask with simplicity, and to pray specifically.

We don’t have to make a big flowery speech to Him, and we are not to use (as the Bible says) vain repetitions.  Father this, Father that, etc.  How would you like being greeted with, “Mary, how are you today?  Isn’t it a great day, Mary?  It’s so good to be alive, Mary.  Mary, let’s go for a drive, Mary.”  You’ve heard prayers like that, haven’t you?  And I recently caught myself rattling off a sentence that sounded routine.  Oh yeah, that’s a prayer He’d appreciate!  I don’t ever want to be casual and routine in my communication with Him, something that would be easy to do if I ask repeatedly – more on that in a moment.

We should also pray specifically.  Instead of my saying, “God, please give me a better job” or “I want a Godly husband,” I should give particulars about the kind of job I want, and the qualities in a husband that I want.  But our prayers should always be “Thy will be done.”  That job we think would be perfect may be a nightmare’s nightmare; God knows how bad it actually is or I am really not a good fit and is keeping me out of the situation.  God may want me to serve Him in other capacities than the things I want.

If we think God doesn’t hear us, don’t give up.  Jesus said to ask, seek, knock; ask, and ask, and ask!  If there is no answer or a delay in answer, God may be preparing you for the answer.  He might also be looking for sincerity.  Do you really want what you are asking for?  Will you appreciate a ‘yes’ answer?  Don’t give up asking until you get the answer.  Ask Him what you can do in the meantime while waiting.

When I ask Him for something, I try to have a godly reason for asking.  For example, when I get a place to live, I want it to be a welcoming home where people can feel God’s love and presence and perhaps have Bible studies there.  I told Him last night that I miss having a pet – couldn’t think of a godly reason for having one, but He understands and I can feel Him smiling at me for it.

I need to work hard at improving job skills, read career advice, and practice interview questions.  Who knows, maybe I will get a job in which writing skill is much needed.   As for getting married, do I have the same qualities (honest, trust, Godly, space to be myself, etc.)?  I am working at getting better with finances (a major source of argument in marriage), and as corny as it sounds, working on skills that could help me be a good wife, a Proverbs 31 wife.

I wish I could remember how old I was; not yet a teenager I think.  For some reason I felt like I was a terrible sinner and retreated to my bedroom.  In tears and on my knees I asked for forgiveness.  Suddenly my tears were stilled, and I heard angels singing.  What a joyous feeling swelled inside my heart!

You may not hear angels, and I may not have discussed all how’s, when’s, where’s and why’s — but the big WHY is that it is absolutely vital to communication with God and Jesus.  I pray that you will be on the path to prayer adventure as I am.

Watch for a blog entry next week, when I plan on writing about why I read the Bible and how it helps me stay close to God.  Please leave any comments, questions, and suggestions.

Facing the Coronado Bridge, and the Navy base on Coronado Island  

©Gail Ballard

Drawing Closer to God

Life is busy.  You have a friend who is busy with work, new friends, activities, and perhaps family.  That person draws further and further away and you begin to feel left behind and isolated.  Or it is the other way around.  Lines of communication thin.

For a time now, can’t say how long for sure, it has prodded my mind that something was missing, that my relationship with God is not where it should be.  There is an emptiness of sorts – closeness is not there.  None of us can expect to be close to God if we don’t spend time in prayer or in His word.  My lines of communication tend to be thin, but it is entirely my fault.  I attend church each week and act as a greeter, but that isn’t near enough time for a good relationship.  Prayer is one thing vitally important for communication with God and Jesus.

“How can prayer help?” you might ask.  Let’s go back to that friendship; if someone dear to you doesn’t talk, don’t you feel left out?  Isolated?  Empty?  And we all have had a boss that doesn’t communicate well, and thereby presents another strained relationship.  You don’t know what he/she needs from you, what is expected. God knows all and sees all, but He still wants to hear from you.  He wants to hear sincere expression of your love for Him, of your needs, and hurts (Don’t try that on your boss – ha ha).  Don’t you feel better if you talk over things good or bad with someone that cares about you?  Out of His love for us, He is so pleased to hear us talk to Him and He wants to hear about ANYTHING from you.

As for not knowing what is expected, spending un-rushed time in His word is also vitally important.

If I don’t spend time with Him first thing each day, there is a sense of guilt.  Something isn’t complete.  It only feels right if the Bible comes out and I spend time in thoughtful reading.  In my current living situation it is necessary to go to the coffee shop for java each morning, and being near the airport, a Navy base, and a police hub-station, my choice of shop is very busy with shuttle and Uber drivers, military, and harbor police.  It’s hard to focus sometimes, along with music constantly going.  This week begins an experiment with ear buds.  Even if I don’t actually listen to Amazon provided “focus music”, the ear plugs will hopefully cut down on interruptions.

The Bible teaches us about Him and Jesus.  We learn His likes and dislikes, what is best for us, and laws.  Prayer does that also if done correctly and we listen by soul.

I asked God just now what I should write about next, in more detail – very quickly I heard PRAYER as the answer.  I will be doing some soul searching and reading this week, and will be with you again next weekend.  Please tell your friends and family about my blog!

The Waiting Game — Finding God’s Purpose for Your Life

Enter “purpose” in the search bar in Brainy Quotes¹, and you might not be able to count the number of results.  I scrolled, and scrolled, and scrolled….and couldn’t find the end.  Two of my favorites that turned up on the first page are from controversial figures, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and Joel Osteen.

• Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has a purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.   ~Kubler-Ross
• I believe that God has put gifts and talents and ability on the inside of every one of us. When you develop that and you believe in yourself and you believe that you’re a person of influence and a person of purpose, I believe you can rise out of any situation.   ~Osteen

Without purpose is one of the feelings I struggle with during the summer break after my first year as a substitute teacher’s aide, and not having summer employment.  I have been trying to obtain additional clients for my dog sitting business, and am attempting to return to my career as an Administrative Assistant.  Nada – nothing, and WOW have I been bored!  Even with many interests there is only so much I can do with no income and stretching out what I saved.  And under those conditions, try finding a new place to live.

Yeah, right.

We all struggle with feelings of worth, and that is why Mr. Osteen’s words are meaningful.  God has created each of us for a reason and purpose.  Scripture says:

• And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Moreover who He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, tese He also glorified.     Romans 8:28, 30
• … having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to is good pleasure which He purposed in Himself… Ephesians 1:9
• …who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.. 2 Timothy 1:9

After praying and surrendering the situation to God, I begin each day asking, “God, what do you want me to do today?”  The boredom and resulting feelings of depression and of being without purpose are nonsensical.  God most definitely has a reason for me being here!  Perhaps what it boils down to is being impatient.  I need to ask Him to grant me patience and calmness.  I need to ask “Is there something specific You need me to be doing that I have yet to start?”  Don’t expect to sit back and have God to do everything.  You have to deserve it and work for it!

image from Google search

Sometimes God needs us to wait.  Sometimes things happen quickly and sometimes they don’t.  One way to think of it is when you are saving for a new car, a deposit on a new apartment, or you’re going for that dream job.  When you work and save and learn, and you finally get there, don’t you appreciate it more?  You can never take it easy, and you can’t take those things for granted.  You’ve worked for it and you’ve deserved it.  God needs to know you will be appreciative and to treat His gift with respect.

God is developing you and developing the situation.  As Elizabeth Kubler-Ross said, get in touch with the silence.  You are in a waiting game, and God wants you to be the winner.

1. https://www.brainyquote.com/search_results.html?q=purpose

The Power Behind BELIEVING

 

 

mug found at Amazon.com

A bit of randomness this week. . .

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In my quest to fully envelope myself in my word for 2016, I found a book at the library titled “How to Believe.”¹  The author compiled stories and interviews on the development of faith in individuals.  One of these individuals is Richard Rohr, Franciscan priest and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC).   Rohr believes that living a Christian life is not about compiling as many good deeds and works as possible in order to get into heaven, that the only way to get into heaven is by complete surrender to God.

That reminds me of my time in the Mormon church.  They believe that there are different levels of heaven, and the life you lead here will determine where you are placed in heaven.  That is so ludicrous!  I would sometimes worry about being good enough to get high enough in heaven.  What makes it so crazy is that once we accept Jesus as our Savior and are baptized, ALL our sins are washed away.  There are no levels; we don’t earn our place by good deeds.  While we certainly need to live Christian lives here and do works for Him, JESUS earned our place in heaven for us!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Below is a quote from an interview done with Oprah before a short series she did in late 2015:

I know that you become what you believe and that your beliefs really determine what you manifest in your life.  So I thought looking at the idea of what other people believe throughout the world would strengthen the viewers’ faith and ideas in their own beliefs and would also give you a connection to experience what other people believe throughout the world in a way that allows you to better illuminate yourself.²

                                                                — Oprah Winfrey

 I especially love the first sentence of this.  This is part of why I feel such power behind my word for the year.  I believe God is equipping me for the great things He has planned for me.  How do I know that?  I can feel the love and power of HIM behind me and in me.  A song by Lincoln Brewster explains this very well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py7Z3G1zFd0

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One of my favorite “believe” verses is Mark 11:24 –

• Therefore I say to you, Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Non-believers and skeptics would say, “Well, how come my child died from cancer?” or “I prayed that my husband would be safe today, and he died in a terrorist attack –  what about that?”  I can’t answer that.  But I do know that I BELIEVE that God has amazing plans for me, things that I will rejoice in and praise Him for.  If you believe, God will do amazing things for you as well.

 

Have a good week everyone!  Please leave your comments and let me know how I’m doing in spreading my faith in God.

 

One Word

As I sat down to begin this blog, it felt as though I was beginning a wonderful adventure.

Perhaps the best gift I received for Christmas was a tiny book called “One Word” with the subtitle of “…that will change your life.”  The idea is that you select one word for the year and LIVE that word for a year.  You can start your year on January 1^st, on your birthday, or whenever.   Even before I opened the cover, God put within my heart what my word should be.

45 minutes at the most to read this

Believe – it appears 270 times in the Bible in the form of believe or believed.  In Brainy Quotes¹, there are 10 pages of quotes, with reference to matching pages containing believed, believes, believing, start believing, and make believing.  The strength of God behind that word is amazing, and I feel so strong because of it.

What do I believe?

1. That Jesus is the Son of God
2. The Bible is the word of God
3. God has great and amazing things in store for me
4. God has perfect timing.
5. Things may not be as I desire them to be right now, but reference #3 above.
6. God loves me unconditionally.
7. He has put great friends in my path.
8. My sins are forgiven.
9. He will keep my old car running until I can get it fixed or replaced.
10. I have wonderful gifts I can use for Him.
11. Etc.

As I begin this adventure in “believe”, I have the mixed feeling of excitement and being overwhelmed at the task.  And yet it is a welcome task, and I believe that it is the will of God that I embark upon this journey.   Please join me as I share this journey with you.

But you PROMISED!!

First, my apologies for being away so long.   I’ve had numerous ideas for writing, but life got in the way.  Now I’m back and so excited to share what God leads me to say.  The topic list is growing!  More on that at the end of this post.**

* * * *

We have all been promised things, or we have promised something, and promises are broken.  We feel hurt, lied to, and sometimes angry.   God doesn’t do that though – He always keeps His promises, and I was reminded of that on my way to work today.

Dragging through the first portion of my 45 minute commute, I put in a sermon cd from a series presented by my pastor several years ago, titled “Prayer – The Great Adventure.”  But instead of being soothed by God’s words, I was hypnotized by one of His promises.  There, before me spanning the width of the freeway below the off-ramp on which I crept, was the most amazing rainbow I’ve ever seen.  Surpassing the height of the hills behind it, it was the most brilliant reminder of how He loves us.  Though the rainbow is a symbol of His promise not to destroy all living things on earth as He had in the great flood, to me it also says that God promises many things and keeps those promises.

I’ve been unemployed, but am now entering my second month of a temp job that was to have lasted just three days.  He said I would be taken care of.  I suffer from depression and anxiety (anxiety is new, after being without work for 4 ½ months), but He sends me comfort, and my mental health is improving.  We have to prove faithful to God, and He will help us through our fears.

Fear is a part of our human nature; David expressed fear through his prayers in Psalms but always ended those prayers with praise.   Jesus asked to be delivered from the cruelty of the cross, but “…Thy will be done.”  Though we have fear, we need learn to rise above it and trust that God will provide.  Four and one-half months of living off meager unemployment funds was frightening, but I prayed and fought, and God fulfilled His promise by giving me work.  At the start of 2016, what will happen?  Who knows, but I will trust in God and His provision.   He promised, after all!  And that rainbow was a mighty reminder and a celebration in how much He loves us.

Some of the things I’m thankful for today are:

1. God’s magnificence in a rainbow.
2. Posted the picture taken with my cell phone in Facebook, and I was told by a friend how he felt blessed by that picture.
3. Sharing a laugh with a customer over the phone.
4. Company I am temping for listened to an idea I have.
5. No one got mad at me over the phone.
6. I came up with a simple design to make a nice looking rabbit barrier for my veggie garden at the community garden – I love the creativity God gives me!
7. Jaime Oliver’s posts in Facebook on healthy eating
8. Money from my last unemployment claim came through – I had $224 that I didn’t know I had!
9. No accidents on the way back after work yesterday, even though it was raining. (People in Southern California tend to forget how to drive when it rains.)
10. I finally got my door greeter badge for church.
11. I blessed a second person with my rainbow picture.
12. So happy with my new phone; such great features, and it takes great pictures!
13. So blessed by God with ideas for the blog, and so excited.
14. Proud of myself for my performance at work today; better put, for how God enabled me to do a I great job.
15. Amazing clouds when I left work tonight.

I pray you can enter the upcoming holiday season with thankfulness and joy in God!

Oh, #16 and 17 just happened….

16. A thundering rainstorm just started, and electricity flickered off for just a moment.  It was only for a moment.
17. At #14 above, I hadn’t saved my draft for this blog yet, but AutoSave did! Woo-hoo!!

** October 5^th I finally obtained some employment after being out of work since June, and a job that was going to last three days has been extended through the end of the year.  Not only that, but I was given a a $1.50 per hour raise.

Last Saturday I was very excited – I am always happy to go to church and the Saturday “Live at 5” service.   This particular Saturday I was looking forward to hearing what the new sermon series was going to be, and also looked forward to finally having my door greeter name badge.  I was not disappointed; as soon as I saw in the program what the series would be about, I knew it would be wonderful.   Once I have permission to use the title in this blog, I will happily share.