Good morning everyone, at last a good night for sleeping. 54° now and I am enjoying this.Humidity is way down.

HAL  like you I like early mornings when things are quiet and the birds are waking. One thing I miss here is seeing the sunrise. I can see sunsets though.

JOY  I have never had crepes but have had my share of pancakes. The first year I was here we would sit out at night till 9:30-10PM. In the winter we met in the library in the evenings, no one there now.

LARRY  my family went for Canasta when it first came out but went back to Pinocle again. We have a Family Dollar store near by but I have never been in it.I have been in a couple Dollar stores but  have not seen a Family Dollar.

PHYLLIS  I checked out the Sweet Woodruff on Google yesterday. Would love to have a flower pot of it in here. Only thing I dislike about winter is having everything closed. We are not allowed to open a window here in the winter to get fresh air in for even half an hour. The reason given is that the baseboard heating runs under the windows and the cold air would freeze the pipes.

LLOYD  glad you slep in yesterday. Will check your link later, I copied it.

DON  9-11 is  one day I don't think any of us could forget.

CALLIE  gosh if we behave we don't have any fun. Do you know anyone who celebrates Grandparents Day? I never met anyone who does.

AMY  I would never miss those butter pecan tarts. @1 son brought me a couple for Mother's day and that was better than anything else.

SHIRLEY  like you I Googled Sweet Woodruff. No flooding here, more like drought, really bad for the farmers who lost most of their crops this year. I have lost inched in height. I think some is because I can no longer stand up straight. Don't understand about your question on eyes. I did have cataracts removed and my eyes do not look as dark as they were but kind of fading.

HAL  keep your onions, I'll have my beans without.

JACKIE  I am not a fan of soap operas that is what we would call your Coronation Street. The few times I have watched a few episodes of one I was disgusted. The so called comedy shows on TV are not comedy at all. Not like what we once had like the Lucille Ball shows of Beverly Hillbillies.

PATRICIA  Farrah  must be fun to watch. Hope it is a cold and not an allergy.

JANE  put me in a room with others, especially strangers I am very quiet. I listen more than speak till I get to know others.

JENNY  I am with you after 9/11 how so many had their flags waving every day. Once again so few do it. I had a good size flag on the inside of one window where I was but here we are not allowed to do that. That son has a flag pole and has the flag up every day. I do remember the wonderful photos you sent me. They were on the old Dell I had and at that time I did not know how to save them to a disk or thumbdrive. I do know now. I seem to write a book here every day.

JOAN  I will enjoy your breakfast this morning. Ants is a good story. Thank you for all today's goodies.

JACKIE  when I was told I was diabetic the first thing I did was not having sufgar in my coffee or oatmeal. Now I would not be able to have either with sugar in it.

Good Morning Everyone,  from the
warm but cooler and sunny,  rocky coast of Maine. 

All is well here.   

We are having the dreaded (but necessary)
"inspections this week.    I don't have to do an
awful lot,  just make sure that things are tidy
and clean....  which I pretty much do every morning,
anyhow.    My apartment is very "lived in" but fits
the inspection criteria as is.   

September is here and the heat and
humidity is finally waning,  Our Presidential Election,
Thanksgiving and the Seasonal Holidays
(Too numerous to list right now) are right
around the corner...   (ho hum).     

I should  spend some time psyching myself
up for what is ahead,  but at the moment,
I am just not ready. 

Back to taking it "One Day at a Time" ....
Wishing everyone the best!

Sandy

What a busy morning.  Housekeepers were here, oxygen delivery was here and the Eucharistic Minister who comes from church every week was here.  The door was swinging open and closed.  After I get some lunch, I am going to try to get a nap.

Bis, good readings today..thank you.

Amy, have a good visit with your son. Our kids are such a valuable asset.

Lloyd, sorry your Nancy is under the weather today. Hope it is just temporary.

Joy, like you, I too am not a morning person. I had another crazy wake up at four a.m. wondering whatever happened to the container of instruction booklets for several of my small appliances. So had to get up and do a search…no luck. I was careless in packing for my move. Took too much of one thing and not enough of some others. So being up that early, and frustrated with myself, is a poor way to start the day. Fortunately I don't have to go anywhere today, so I am just hoping no one comes to see my, and my unmade bed, and my unmade self. Still in nightgown at 10 a.m.

Larry and Jane, I think it is fascinating to learn of the various Faiths we have in our Country, especially the gentle ones. The Quakers I know here are so nice. Some are very musical, and all are very loving and kind. Once a month we have a Lutheran Minister come to give Communion..very similar to what my Episcopal Faith believes.

Gloria, I miss my Mountains….we lived just 20 minutes from getting into the Mts. when I lived in Hemet, where we were surrounded by four different ranges of Mts. but it was the San Jacinto's that were always the nearest. At dark of night I could see the lights in one cabin off in the distance. And of course snow in the winter.
Now I am back near the beach where I lived most of my adult life, and I do appreciate the moisture in the air here. It was very dry in Hemet. I have my windows open day and night except in really hot weather when I need to run the A/C. I like the outside air too.

Sandy, I live it one day at a time too. And so grateful for each one. Even if I do nothing special, I am content.

Bis, I am so thankful you have a Eucharist once a week. in Hemet our Priest would go to the shut-ins directly after the Church Service. I never needed them, but I think it was a wonderful thing they did. You were kept wide awake with all the coming and going. Now all you need is a grocery delivery…oh, but you do have that too, correct ?

It seem I have read all the messages, so I have no excuse not to get my bed made and myself properly dressed, so off I go…..

June--Were you dreaming about those instruction books or did you just wake up and they came to mind?  Yes, I have grocery delivery when I use it and also a lady I hire to grocery shop for me.

Linda is coming tomorrow--first time she's been here since they moved.  She has some appointments and also is going to take care of a couple things for me.

The last load of laundry is in the dryer but the vacuum refused to come out of the closet.  Nothing I said or did could persuade it.  So I closed the door and left it with it's privacy.  Maybe another day, it will feel more sociable. 

I have a few items that need a bit of ironing so maybe I'll do that while I watch some TV tonight.  Since the vacuum refused to play, I'm not as tired as I might have been. 

Sounds like you had a busy day trying to keep your door closed, Joanie.  Good luck with finding a few zzzs this afternoon. 

Joy, I've found that when I fall back to sleep after waking early, I have weird dreams also.  They are peopled with those I love and who are gone now or by my children at a much younger age sometime we are all the same age and my mother is there as I used to know her.  Nothing is ever scary...just odd!  And like you, I wake up feeling worn out!  Strange!  I wonder what a psychiatrist would make of it.

Get on with your day, Everyfriend, and make it a good one!

Janie--Your vacuum is just being stubborn today.  I went to the couch and rested but couldn't go to sleep.

Good Afternoon,  Everyone... 

It is good to hear that Linda is coming to visit tomorrow,
Joan... Enjoy the time you have to spend with her. 

June...   I wake up a couple of times a night to take
a walk to the "John"  and usually go right back to
sleep 'til the next time.   But occasionally,  I will
get into so called "problem solving" and spend many
hours thinking and re thinking things.

It can be something as silly as tomorrow I will do my
laundry....   but I lay they and literally "get the laundry
ready for doing" in my head,  over and over again... 

That is when I decide to get up and physically do something
to use up all that wasted mental energy...  (I usually get my
best "organizing" done in the wee hours of the
morning when I can't get back to sleep.)

For me it can be very frustrating because sleep time
is time to re energize  both my mind and body,  so when that
gets disturbed  the rest of my day can very easily
be messed up.   

Not being able to sleep when one wants and needs
to sleep can be very frustrating. 

Sandy

One of the strangest dreams I've had was both my husbands were working together on some project for me.  And a few times for some reason I bite hard - on my tongue.  I'm always glad that I have my teeth soaking over night- and even so it hurts!

Hmmm, Jeanne, does "I had to bite my tongue" mean something? (Like they weren't doing it right)

Bis, I don't think I was dreaming about the booklets, but this has happened to me several times recently, where I wake early, thinking of something I am not sure of, so have to get up and investigate. Maybe my sub-conscience wakens me, but trying to go back to sleep is a failure. I have to get up and check it out. As the day progresses, I usually decide to just take the day off, which I am doing. Went out for a walk, and checked out todays menu. Decided I wanted to stay home, and I have plenty to eat right here, so I will use up my leftovers. I will stay dressed as I want to take some more walk-arounds during the afternoon.

Janie, my nice little battery operated Hoover Lynx was pulled out of the closet this morning…I found a really dead dried up moth on the floor, so the vacuum came out and ate it up. My hand-vac seems to have bit the dust, and it really is not that old..it makes me think of me…91 is not really that old, but I do feel I have lost my personal battery powers. I like to think of some of my dreams as a gift visit…some are welcome, some are not, but there is a reason for everything, even our subconscious. It really is "up to us" to make it a good day, isn't it Janie. I think most of us here prefer to seek happiness, even the very small things of life.

Sandy, I agree. Sleep is like a natural medication. Our mind and body gets a chance to really heal through relaxation. I welcome sleep…day or night, whatever the body dictates. And if I should wake at 4 a.m., there is good reason for it, so I accept it.

Jeanne Lee, maybe you mentally want to tell those two guys what is what, and you end up biting it all back to spare their feelings. I think we many times repress what we would really like to say or do, so our dreams give us this opportunity . Life can be so very interesting. There is so little we really know, but our dreams allow us some freedom that we repress in our so-called "rational" life.

Hal, you've got it boy. I think it works the same for either sex. We don't want to rock the boat, so we keep gently rowing.

You know some years back my doctor gave me some Ambient to help me sleep.  It worked okay for a while, but then I started having some terrible dreams and nightmares.  I stopped taking it and the dreams/nightmares persisted.  They now have diminished but still occur on occasion.  But I wake so much during the night that sleep is an in between thing.  And some of my dreams are really crazy.  Last night for some reason I was driving a school bus somewhere and got to a little town and they had torn all the roads up working on them and I was stuck there and no one knew a way out of town......I told you it was crazy. 

Good morning! We are back to fog and rain again this morning. Even though school started around Labor Day, many families were dip netting salmon at Chitna, or out in the woods, hunting for the fall larder. Traditionally, many start school here a week or two later.

I received a letter from my younger sister and my niece who is 5'4" has just become engaged to a real Scandinavian, blonde and 6'5"! My niece has a delicate build and Becky says they make a happy, but odd pairing!

I often have dreams where I'm following an endless set of instructions. I call them my "taking inventory dreams." I've also had dreams about my daughter or my family as it was when I was a child but seen by a grown up which is confusing.

We have a farming community just twenty-five miles south, Big Delta. They have a Mennonite colony there as well as a strong Baptist presence and a colony of Russian "Old Believers," which is the Russian equivalent of our Amish. Then you have the regular Russian immigrants as well as regular American-style farmers. It can sometimes be a volatile mess, and the entire town can be both conservative and insular.

Today, after yesterday will be getting back to some business on the computer and getting my PSP lessons turned into class. I also need to eat very lightly today as yesterday I went a mite overboard on all those fixings.

My first husband was from southern Kentucky and a hillbilly to boot. When we were visiting his parents, his mother said my speech was too fast, and I needed to slow dow so she could understand me! His family was another who put three syllables into a one syllable word.

Farrah is enjoying terrorizing her sack and working off her prey instinct.

Speaking of sugar, I have gotten where I rarely use the stuff. I used to pour a bit into my first cup of coffee and not the subsequent ones. Then I just stopped and now drink it black. I don't use milk in my hot cereals, and my cornbread is made in a cast iron skillet and seasoned with real butter, no milk.

I make strong coffee as I've always worked around men who prefer it that way, and the idea of putting many teaspoons of sugar and then a coffee creamer can make me noxious! We had one employment counselor who almost emptied the entire bowl of sugar into her breakroom coffee with a milk creamer and also used a ton of salt on her food!  After a bit, she became quite heavy and had numerous strokes. I've always kept that in the back of my mind.

I think our dreams are our brain's way of cleaning house. Also, we're told that our conscious mind is rational where our subconscious brain thinks in pictures rather than words. This can make for some odd dreams! I am another who sleeps about two to two and a half periods all night which is why the other day's long sleep was so monumental for me!

Goog late afternoon,  Sun shinning and only in the high 70's

I am going to try and finish the post I started yesterday and lost. 

Patricia, Over the years I have had the same dreams one: I am always loseing my pocketbook 2: I am working in the admitting office and never can complete and admission so I can get the patient to their room. i dream of my husband and sons a lot.
I am so happy you kept your kitty.

Joan, I see our next RH luncheon with are going to have ice/strawberry crepes.

Phyllis, I can find my husband grave easy in Calverton Nat.  as he is in the 2nd to last row, but lines up with the only bench like the one in your graphic.  If anyone has been to a Nat. cemetery the graves all look a like.

Joy, I could not sleep last night after watching the history channel, about 9/11 again.  As you said that is one of the days, everyone know what they were doing.  I was playing golf, when the big bell rang, calling everyone off the course.  they told us what had happen, and we all headed home to watch TV. My DIl lives just outside the main gate to Otis AF base where the fighter planes took off.  Also her brother and sister both work for the German Bank in the WTC. She did not find out they were safe until late that night. Her brother had overslept and her sister was in Las Vegas, the first vacation she had taken in years. So miracles do happen.

Amy, I am a day late for one of those cranberry scones, I love anything cranberry.

Gloria, I am sure you are enjoying this weather, the same as I am.

Jane, there were a lot in my husband's family with two letters for names, in fact my mother in law was LC. He was from Ala.

Shirley, I also know that age has a lot to do with how we feel.  3 or 4 years ago I could still Line dance or play golf.  In fact I use to teach line dancing at the Senior Center and here in the park.

Hal, my husband made cornhread, about once a week. He use his mother old iron pan, he would make it with pepperjack cheese sometimes, of course no sugar.  He loved it with buttermilk.  Years ago you could buy raw milk, we had a small churn, witch got lost when we moved.

Larry we have two Dollar stores in town, one is run by and orinental family and the other by people from the near East, but they also sell a lot of Spanish  food.  It is a dollar and up

Now the last of my book, My grandson called yesterday, he is now in Orlando Hosp. it was a 7 hour drive by ambulance for Pensacola. He expects to be there a month. They are suppose to have the best PT team. He said he is determened to walk again.

A hidden witch's castle in one of Portland, Oregon's city parks. It looks to be an elvan stone, fairytale castle ruin but has everything. Drama, young doomed love, ghosts, and controversy. One of Oregon's first hangings as a new terrority.

http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/oregon/portland/portland-castle/

I had written my whole post and when I clicked the "Post" button the whole thing disappeared.  I am not going to try to reconstruct it.  It's time to go watch the news.

Kiran and I had an interesting game this afternoon.  When my Canadian grandson and his mother lived with me many years ago, he was 5 when they came and he brought many of his favorite toys and books with him.  A while back, Kiran and I discovered the Pound Puppy board game with directions and board locations in French and English.  We've been playing it for several years now but today, we decided to play it in French.  I had 3 years of high school French and I still remember a lot of it so she's learning words and pronunciation from the game.  It was pretty much fun!

I hope you all have a pleasant evening.  I intend to do so. 

Yes, June, our days are what we make of them.  It's up to us!

Loved the Castle, Patricia.  I want to go there!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who loses posts.  In another folder, I was nearly finished and hit a certain letter and - poof! - away went the post.  I think hitting the capital I is when I lose most posts, but not always.  Another thing that happens - and it did just happen - is when I hit the Enter button, the font size changes.  And it changed again from smaller to larger to smaller again.  I'm going to quit now while I'm ahead!

Mary Ann

Bis you and Nancy must be kin you both want to watch that depressing News. at least on a good western do not have the actual blood and gore. Good night sweet dreams.

Lloyd

I have had a good long walk of the evening, dishes are washed, bed is turned down, and my book is telling me to go to bed and read, so I will obey.

May you all have a good nights sleep and a happy tomorrow, I send you Love and Hugs and Prayers, always, June

Good Night Everyfriend.  May God bless us, every one!

"His cousin's wife in Tupelo is the only person I know who can make a three-syllable word out of her husband's name, which is Joe !!"   Callie... that's how Cas' aunt talked....I wanted to finish sentences for her but loved to hear her talk.  Got a good giggle out of your post~

"Re, my blackout fall the other day when I was shampooing my hair over the bath".  Jackie...  I plant each foot on the curve of the tub so my feet know where I am, how to balance... (does that make sense?)  I always wash my hair in the shower, leaning back, not everyone's preferred way.  My husband had a bath seat & attached a "wand" to the shower head in his bathroom & sat without bending as he washed his hair.  Hope you find what works for you.

"I was awake earlier and went back to sleep.  When I do that,  I really fall into a deep sleep.  Usually doesn't last long, but I dream the dumbest things and then when I finally wake up,  I feel like I am "drugged".   Takes a little bit for that feeling to wear off and I get fuly awake."  Joy, I do the same, the deep sleep and crazy dreams.   When I wake I feel like I've been in another world or on a trip.

"But I like butter milk, cant find the home churned anymore, but the phony buttermilk is okay in a bind."   Hal, my mother-in-law bought "raw" milk to churn when she wanted buttermilk, then she decided that butter was good protein so was eating half a pound A DAY.... her next check up her cholesterol was over the top & big time meds.  Doubt if she explained what she was doing but someone clued her in & she quit.  She knew that I loved "real" butter so did have it for me when we visited.  Her biscuits & cornbread "were to die for"..... I never learned because she didn't use a recipe, only how it felt & looked.   I always brought back the White Lily self rising flour & was delighted to find some in CO last trip.... will be making biscuits when anyone shows up.  Can't remember if the cornmeal mix was White Lily as well..... I can get Gold Medal here, and do a decent job with that.

Gloria, my glasses are like binoculars, the top part (for distance) reduce objects when I hold the glasses out & look through, but the bifocal magnifies to see the date on my watch (that I never wear since getting a FitBit.)  I do have cataracts but Doc tells me years before needing  surgery.  I've been trying to make my eyes adjust to glasses too strong and when I take them off to shop or talk to someone, it takes my eyes longer to go back to normal sight.  One time I had a different doctor give me a really wrong prescription for glasses, actually made my whole face hurt.  When I checked with my old 'scrip it showed way different than those glasses were & I could see fine with them.  Insurance was reason for re-testing with their doctors. 

When I called back to explain that I could not wear the glasses, the lady on the phone talked to the Dr & came back to tell me that "Dr says for you to wear the glasses for 2 weeks and your eyes will adjust".  I was shocked & asked her "why on earth I would want to make my eyes adjust to an astigmatism in both eyes when all my life it was only the one and these glasses make everything blurry".   I think this is what I've been doing to my eyes with the new glasses, trying to make them adjust to glasses that are just wrong for my eyes. 

Are you able to skype with Regina now?  Is she still painting? So glad you are able to talk to us again. 

Interesting link, Patricia.... wish I'd had it last week, my daughter & her daughter & SIL & gr-son were in Portland for the week end.  I'll send her the link to see if they might have visited it.  She sent photos of them being on the beach. 

I keep reading new posts & am not going to talk any more tonight... think I need to button the lips for a week or so.  Don't everybody agree all at once!!

Good evening.

Beautiful Monday here in the Mile High City of Denver. 

SHIRLEY, my optometrist said that the older we get the harder it is for our eyes to re-adjust to different situations.  After I watch TV for awhile I can not read for a period of time....same thing if I have been doing the iPad for a period of time, things do not look right on the TV.  Another example of us getting older I suppose.  Seem everyday I have some new thing health wise to deal with.  Just keep smiling, as it is the only way you can get through all this stuff. 

I have been watching a doctor on here telling all the reasons he thinks Hillary Clinton has Parkinson's.  I do not know much about the symptoms personally, but his experience tells him it is pretty obvious.  How sad if this is the case. 

LARRY, I know many that are not lucky enough to be around grand's and I feel badly for them because I know how blessed I am to have 3 of mine close.  We are going to Chicago again in a couple of weeks to see the two boy grand's there.  Sure miss them being close to see more often. 

Pleasant dreams to EVERYFRIEND. 

GOOD MORNING again to you, JACKIE.

Jenny

JENNY.....good morning....

Good morning everyone. Yesterday after my CNA left I laid on the couch like I usually do and I fell asleep, woke 2 ½ hours later.Very unusual for me to reall sleep in the afternoon. Needless to say I cannot sleep tonight so here I am. Yesterday was a perfect early autumn day. Low humidity and in the upper 70's Clear blue sky and no clouds. Went out for a walk and then sat on the porch waiting for the CNA. Today is supposed to be the same. Sure will enjoy it  if I don't sleep all day.

SANDY  we get inspection here every year when we get certified. The manager goes to every apartment to make sure they are clear and nothing obstructs the windows. Of course we are not all at the same time.

JOAN looks like you had a swinging door yesterday. Hope they were not there all at the same time.

JUNE  when I visited my daughter in San Diego I loved seeing the mountains. The highest point here in RI is 812 feet. Really just a steep hill.

JOAN   I know you will enjoy having Linda there today. Hope she can stay a few days.

JANE  my vacuum will not come out of the closet for me but my CNA can coax it out.

JEANNE LEE  if  I dream I never remember any.

HAL  if you lived around here I could understand the dream of roads all torn up. This state is really working on roads and bridges this year. Election years this state makes a big to do about fixing things that are long overdue. They have been replacing bridges that should have been done years ago. Now they get all the measurements and build the bridge and then move it to the site of the old one, tear it out and put the new one in. Goes faster that way and does not tie up traffic for months. They get  it in place in 1 or 2 days.

PATRICIA  my daughter's in laws were Mutt and Jeff, She was 4'10” and he was 6' 4”.

GLORIA de  your day sounded like we had yesterday. I know I enjoyed a lot of the morning outside. Today is supposed to be the same. With that determination I pray your grandson does start walking. Miracles do happen.

PATRICIA  that castle looks right at home in all those trees.

MARY ANN  I set the size font size so I can read it and at times when I skip 2 lines it is small again. Happens more when I am typing in an email.

LLOYD  I agree a good western is better than watching the news but I still like watching news to find out what is going on in the world.

SHIRLEY  I have a bath stool and I sit on that to shower and wash my hair. If I tried standing, even leaning against the wall I think I would fall. I wash my hair while sitting there, no bending over. Only once did I have trouble with a pair of glasses. Last place I worked we had to wear safety glasses, we were sent to an eye doctor-OLD and he office was dark. Well I got the glasses and I could not see anything right, every thing was blurry. I went back and he looked at them, said they were the right prescription but the lenses were ut in wrong. The left and right lenses were switched. Had to get another pair and they were OK. They were coated for glare and I wore them more than the glasses I had. Your eyes should not have to adjust to the glasses, they should be right as soon as you first put them on. I did have my Skype chat today, They just got back from Arizona last night. They will get the Dish set up the beginning of October then we can get on there.  Another trip the end of this week and then the next one will be the last one. They cannot wait to get there permanently. NO do not button your lip or stop typing. If you did that you would have to start emailing me.

JENNY  I would love to see my late grandson's 2 boys but his widow cut off all ties with our family. The older one is about 10 now and the younger one 7 or 8. The older one was the spitting image of my grandson when he was that age.

Good morning Jackie
Think I will try getting to sleep now.

Glora we are up ear lie but I am going back to bed. we are alike on lot of the same Pages. and all the news dose for me is depress. I cant do any thing with the dummies. the world over has lost its since of good since. good night this morning back to dream Land for me.

Lloyd

Good Tuesday morning, Everyfriend.   There's your choice of fruit and choice of hot or cold cereal to accompany your coffee or tea. I wish everyone a great day!!



Coffee Spill

When my son was about 4 years old, we were driving down the road. I took a drink of my coffee, and the lid came off and spilled all over me. I mumbled a little bit, and pulled over to wipe up the mess.

My son rolled his eyes, shook his finger at me and said, "That is exactly why you are NOT supposed to drink and drive!"


Staying Positive In A Negative World
(By Andrew Wommack)

If you haven't noticed that we live in a negative world, you just haven't been paying attention.

These negative influences have been especially evident during the last few months of the presidential campaign. Each party has spent millions painting a picture of the worst possible scenarios for Americans if their opponent is elected. Not nearly as much has been spent expressing hope.

Add in things like sickness, the loss of a job, or marriage problems, and you can see where, over time, the pressures of the world, if allowed, can steal the love and joy from your life.

In Matthew 24:12, Jesus said this: "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." He said this would be a characteristic of the end times. Jesus was saying that the negative things going on around us - not necessarily in us - would cause the love of many to grow cold.

The word "waxed" used in that scripture is really significant. It goes back to the way candles are made. A wick is dipped into hot wax and then taken out and allowed to cool for a few seconds, leaving a thin layer of wax. The process is repeated hundreds of times until the wick is buried deep within the wax.

The same is true with the heart. If we take our eyes off Jesus and focus on the evil of this world and our circumstances, then, little by little, the layers of negativity harden around our hearts, and the love for God and others waxes cold.

So, how do we stay positive in a negative world? Let me start by using this verse from Joshua 1:9 - "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

Here, the Lord was speaking to Joshua, who was taking over for Moses - a hard act to follow. He told Joshua to be strong and of good courage and not to be afraid or dismayed. These are opposing forces. If you are afraid and dismayed, then you are not strong and of good courage. They counteract each other. So, you've got to do two things and resist two things.

The word dismay means "to fill with dread or apprehension; daunt" (American Heritage Dictionary [AHD]). Can you say you have fought apprehension ("to anticipate with anxiety," [AHD]) about the future? Have the problems facing you or the nation seemed daunting (intimidating or discouraging [AHD])? If so, you have been dismayed.

The Lord doesn't automatically do these things for you - He flows through you. If you get discouraged or dismayed, you stop the process...

Here's another example. In 1 Samuel, we read the story of a terrible situation that David was facing. His father-in-law, Saul, was trying to kill him. He had been running for his life every day for thirteen years. His possessions had been burned, his wives and all of the wives and children of his men had been taken, and his own men wanted to stone him. Not a great environment! Yet it says in 1 Samuel 30:6,

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

Things looked bleak. David was in a situation where everything in the natural said "Be discouraged and dismayed," but David encouraged himself in the Lord. Do you know how he did it? He took the Word and began to encourage himself, and it was only a matter of hours until all God had promised him came to pass and he became king. If he had given in at that last minute, he would have lost.

I see a lot of people today who stand for a period of time and then quit. It's like there are limits on how long they're going to believe God. You might be thinking, Well, how long am I supposed to stand? The answer is simple. You stand on the Word of God and His promises until you're encouraged and it works. Don't quit!

Peter is a good example of what happens when we take our eyes off Jesus and His Word. Matthew 14:28-30 says, "And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me."

As soon as Peter got his eyes off Jesus and looked at the stormy sea, he began to sink. Think about that - he couldn't have walked on the water if the sea had been perfectly calm. All that really happened was his focus changed. Instead of focusing on the promise of Jesus - His command to come - Peter focused on the circumstances, and that is why he began to sink.

If you can maintain your focus on Jesus and His Word in the midst of a storm, you can walk on the water of circumstance. When the doctor says you have cancer, your boss tells you you're being laid off, or your spouse says they're leaving, you can still stay positive. It will take a deliberate effort, but it is absolutely crucial.

You need to recognize that Satan is using the evil and negative things of this world to discourage you, even if they are not your personal problems. You can get discouraged watching politics, reading the newspaper, and listening to the news. If you don't resist this, it will cause you to be discouraged and dismayed, and worst of all, your love for God to grow cold (Matt. 24:12).

The Bible says in Isaiah 26:3 that the Lord will "keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed" upon Him because he trusts in Him. Our peace is linked directly to what we think. We are plugged into this world like no group of Christians has ever been - reading, listening, and watching the same ungodliness as the world and then wondering why we get the same results. It's simple - garbage in, garbage out.

I'm telling you, unless you have a deliberate plan to encourage yourself in the Lord, you aren't going to be encouraged. It is not normal to be encouraged; it's normal to be discouraged. It's abnormal to be strong and of good courage, but it is certainly doable. God's Word will tell you exactly how to do it.



God does not always change circumstances, but he may often change us.

--Author Unknown

Good Tuesday morning.....

...we are getting a bit of everything this morning, grey sky's, rain, thunder and lighting, and heat....
..........................

I dont want to be harking on all the time about MS but....I was inquisitive yesterday to just how many or how few, get MS at a later age, like myself...and my findings show that I am in the 15% bracket of those who get Primary-Progressive MS....and only 5% who get MS after the age of 50....I found myself reading the story of a man who was diagnosed in his early 60s, the same as me......The only differences for him is that  he has Relapsing-Remitting MS, and for that, but not for mine, he is prescribed " Disease Modifying Drugs.." which have no use whatsoever for my Primary Progressive...He is-was also very lucky to be able to finding and seeing a Neurologist on a regular occasion...afraid that would be a no no if he was living in UK...he would be lucky if he got to see one on a yearly basis, or like me, my Consultant doesn't plan on seeing me any more....Here is his story if anyone does wish to read it,..... please, please, do not feel obligated in either reading, nor commenting,.....His leading up to MS, has similarities to mine....Link....


" Just 5 percent of MS patients develop symptoms after age 50, when the condition can be mistaken for other diseases or even normal aging..."

http://www.everydayhealth.com/multiple-sclerosis/living-with/when-ms-strikes-later-in-life/

Good Morning Everyfriend!  I'm up and attem!

Good morning everyone
I too am up and at em but in slow motion it seems. We had a great visit with the kids yesterday and the day was perfect for the long drive.

Today is the day, no more procrastination ,that bedroom is going to get tickled with the paint brush/roller then that job will be done.

Joan,thank you for breakfast.

Enjoy your day everyone.