Bicycles, Nutrition, and Friendships

In another month or so it will be three years since Gary told me he wanted to get a bicycle for my [March] birthday. As just one of several adventurous ideas he was coming up with in our early days together, I stuffed my misgivings for the sake of love, took a deep breath and said "yes." 

My long-time readers may remember in our first years, Gary took me on a kayak, a canoe, an air boat, a two-passenger catamaran (boat), and zip lining. (He also took me to Minnesota to meet his family, but that required no athleticism on my part and they were not scary.)

I had not pedaled a bike in some 30 years and that was an extremely short ride. Before that, my biking experience was back in the early 1960s when my parents gave me a bike for my 11th birthday. A couple of years after that, we moved cross-country several times and out of practicality, our bikes were sold.

When given my first bicycle, it took me just one day to learn to ride it, and at my age, there were no training wheels. Then two months later when Sister celebrated her 9th birthday, she was given a new bike, too. After school we often rode down to Beth and Rhonda's house (two sisters close in age like us) and spent the remaining time before supper riding our neighborhood streets together.

Today I am responding to the weekly Hodgepodge questions. The first one reminded me of my early experiences with a real two-wheel bicycle, hence the memories in the previous paragraphs. 

                                                        Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 587

http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/2025/01/hodgepodge-questions-volume-587.html

1. What was your after school routine like when you were a kid?

When sister and I came home from school, we would change into our "play clothes." I graduated from high school in 1968, just before public schools began allowing girls to wear slacks/jeans to school. Our usual school clothes were skirts and dresses and flats (pumps) for shoes ("sneakers" for gym class along with the obligatory gym uniform). "Play clothes" were slacks or pedal pushers (today's "capri pants") and sneakers. In Southern California, our pedal pushers were perfect for after-school bicycle rides. (Mama did not allow us to wear shorts after we got to the middle elementary school years.) 

2. January 26 is National Green Juice Day. Do you juice, as in make your own in an attempt to get healthy? Do you do the green juices? What's your favorite kind of juice (home blended or store bought, either one)?

Once upon a time (and for many years) I juiced a lot, especially carrots, greens, and apples.  When I grew tired of cleaning the juicer (I had 3 different models over several years), I morphed into green drinks in my "Vitamix" blender with all manner of fresh greens and protein powders, etc. 

Now I have a small glass of orange juice to moisten my daily Cheerios (instead of milk) and swallow 6 Balance of Nature capsules throughout the day. I gave my Vitamix to my daughter, and use my Oster Blender a few times a month for other recipes as may be needed. I've been subscribed to Balance of Nature for two years and it's working well for me.

3. What's something trivial about which you have a strong opinion?

Disclaimer: if I have a strong opinion, then it's not trivial to me, but it may be to others. 

Most likely due to my upbringing of modest clothing choices, I am very critical of what TV news anchor women choose to wear. A female teacher I had in my latter teen years was a public speaker. She told us (girls) we should not wear clothing that is more interesting than what we have to say. Not only do many TV anchors wear distracting clothes, but often very provocative. Their wardrobe choices distract from the news stories they are supposed to be communicating. Do they want people to hear the news they are paid to report or to focus on their appearance? 

.... of course, that's just it. Some want to communicate a very self-focused message with their clothing.

4. What do you need more of in your life? Less of?

I'm blessed to have what I need for myself but perhaps [based on the previous question-and-answer] I need to give more forbearance with the idiosyncrasies of others.

What do I need less of? Crazy drivers weaving in and out at breakneck speed. For a retirement-dense population, we have a lot of insanity on our roads.

5. Give us three adjectives to describe your January. I'm answering this question with 3 nouns describing my January.

appointments

successes

Brrr!

We did not get any snow where we live, but we still covered some of our more vulnerable bushes in anticipation of the cold and rolled out the space heater on the lanai.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

A highlight since my last post was the visit to our home of one of my long-time blog readers and her husband, who live up in the Frozen North but are in our area to thaw out. Our unusually frigid weather arrived with them, but it's warmer now.

She contacted me last year at about this time to introduce herself as a reader of mine since about 2018 (!!!), having found my blog after reading the blogs of mutual friends. The four of us had such a nice visit last year that we were eager this year to pick up where we had left off. 

good friends from
the Frozen North

Recently I came across a quote that I have since misplaced but the gist of it is that we benefit ourselves when we spend time with people who make us better. 

Here are some validating scriptures on that line of thought:

Proverbs 12:26 The righteous choose their friends carefully ...

Proverbs 13:20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise ...

I Corinthians 12:26 Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.

Our conversation over coffee and red velvet cake (with white frosting) was a treat we hope to repeat in future visits!

Until next time, grace and peace!

Reflecting on Challenge and Success

a very cold Daytona Beach sunrise
December 25, 2022

Today I am answering the timely writing prompts from Joyce's Hodgepodge that has some emphasis on challenges we face.

1. What's a winter memory you treasure (can be from any winter in your lifetime)?

Aside from the 8 years I spent growing up in Southern California, I have experienced a lot of snow in several states. One of my earliest snow memories is from upstate New York when my father bought a metal saucer and attached a pull rope to it. He sat my sister and me (ages 4 and 6) in the saucer and pulled us across the unshoveled snow to the corner grocery store to buy bread. We enjoyed that, of course.

Now I am retired in Florida where a snow shovel is not normally required. A couple of years ago we spent Christmas in Daytona Beach where had to cut the trip short due to extreme cold. 

This week Florida's record-breaking snowfall is north of us, but we're still wearing long pants, long sleeves, and warm socks!

2. Tell us about the last time or a recent time you were caught up in red tape. Does it send your frustration level off the charts or is it something you've come to expect when dealing with any sort of bureaucracy?

my desk

Caught up in red tape: Four years after my late husband's death I thought I had dealt with all the closing matters in our finances, property, etc. Things were running smoothly until I decided to trade in my cell phone for a newer model. In the process of that transaction, I discovered the account was still in his name, even though the bills have been coming to me with my name and at my new address, etc. for nearly 4 years. "My" account was actually his and my status was an "add on" as a family member.

It took seven trips to the phone company store to get this changed, including having to show them a notarized copy of the death certificate and unfreezing my credit to verify that I'm in good standing. 

It was a frustrating experience. Did I handle it well? I'll just say I was thankful to have Gary as my sounding board and chauffeur as I made my way through the tangle of red tape. That was over 3 months ago. All seems to be running smoothly now.

3. Do you eat/like fish? Do you cook fish at home? What's your favorite fish dinner? Ever been ice fishing?

Yes, I like fish, especially salmon and shrimp. We often have fish sticks and shrimp here (the heat-and-eat kind from the freezer). Gary can grill salmon very well, but any fish prepared from an uncooked state tends to make the house smell bad, so salmon at a restaurant is preferable. Texas Roadhouse and Long Horn Steak House both grill and season salmon so well.

The closest I've come to ice fishing was when I lived in South Dakota with a fisherman who probably tried it a time or two while I stayed warm and snug at home with our babies. If you want to see how that's done, check out one of my favorite wintertime movies, "New in Town," with Renee Zwellweger and Harry Connick, Jr. Here is the link to the movie trailer: New in Town

4. Did you watch any of the US President's Inauguration coverage on Monday, Jan 20? On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being not at all and 10 being very much) how interested are you in you in politics in general? Do you follow/keep up with/get involved with local politics?

On Inauguration Day we were on a trip out of town, so all we got to see were replays of it later that day. FOX News is on our TV daily, so yes, we are interested in politics. We have been members of the Republican Club here in our +55 community, but we don't get involved more than to vote and talk about politics with neighbors who tend to agree with us.

5. What's the coziest thing you own and what makes it so?

I'm not sure I can narrow it down to just one thing that feels cozy. I have arthritis so in cold weather, wooly scarves are often draped around my neck to keep that area comforted. If the scarf has a hood attached, that helps keep the upper back warm and relaxed.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Regarding Red Tape and morphing into the subject of Tax Season: I did my own taxes a few times as an older teenager when I had part time jobs but when I got married at the age of 20, my husband took over. 

When he passed 50 years later, our finances had understandably become more sophisticated than the requirements of my teen years. My personal bookkeeper at the time (my daughter) and her CPA took care of my taxes for me. After a couple of years, that arrangement changed. Gary encouraged me to use a nationally-known tax prep business. This will be my third year to use them because I've been very satisfied with them. H and R Block

My biggest stress has been to be sure I have all the necessary documents to submit. Last year after my taxes were filed, I typed up a list of all the documents that were used and put that list into a file folder for this year. Now, as the documents come in, I check them off that list and file them all together in one place. It's a beautiful thing.  

To some this may seem to be a small thing; to me it's huge. It's also a practical illustration of God's promise to me to bring the help I need when I need it and through capable people.

Do not fear, 

for I am with you;

do not be dismayed,

for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Until next time, grace and peace.

Hodgepodge Volume 586 for January 22

To link up with this week's Hodgepodge, click here:

http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/2025/01/hodgepodge-questions-volume-586.html

A January Blog Post

life guard chairs at Jacksonville Beach
January 2019

Today I'm linking up with Joyce and friends to answer the Hodgepodge questions. 

1. It has been said January is 'the month of opportunity, inspiration, and change.' Which of the three do you need most right now? Elaborate.

The holiday season preceding January seems to take a bit more out of me every year, even though I've slowed down considerably. In following BillieJo's blog, Afternoon Coffee and Morning Tea, I've been intrigued with her thoughts on using winter as a time to rest, just as nature does. That seems like a pretty good idea to me. 

So to answer the question, opportunity, inspiration, and change do not resonate with me in the month of January.

2. Do you consider opportunity as something that comes to you or something you create for yourself?

Life has taught me that I tend to be pretty impulsive. I'm thinking opportunity is something I need to allow to come to me because creating it for myself tends to involve decisions that have not been well thought out. 

3. The British Museum opened on January 15th, 1759. Do you like visiting museums? Do you have a favorite?

Yes, I like visiting museums and special exhibits in public buildings. My two all-time favorites are in Washington DC: The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and The Smithsonian Museum of American History. 

Since I have been an avid quilter for much of my adult life, sometime I would like to visit The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky. I have been through Paducah many times (always while en route to either Illinois or Florida), but it's never been at a time when it was convenient to visit the quilts. 

I'll step off the Hodgepodge briefly to share snapshots of some of my quilts. I have made quilts for many babies, both in my family and for church baby showers. But these here were made for home decor.

Carrots for my mother's kitchen wall
(she made the brown autumn leaf decor)

variation of the American flag
for my home

pre-cut pink squares assembled by hand
and hand-quilted
(most of my quilts were machine pieced and quilted)

Kandy Korn table topper

Moose in the Woods 2002

This last one is an Irish Chain pattern (one of my favorite patterns, used many times) with a stenciled moose in the center surrounded by evergreen trees. I never did actually quilt this one but chose instead to  "tie it off" with old buttons. I hung this on the walls of 3 of our houses over the years.

4. It's National Oatmeal Month (yes, apparently it gets a whole month as opposed to a single day). Do you like oatmeal? Yes How often do you eat a bowl of oatmeal? Not often enough. Pouring a bowl of Cheerios is much faster. How do you like yours? I like oatmeal from the packets because preparation is easy. What about an oatmeal cookie? Of course! Include chocolate chips, too! Is that a sweet treat you enjoy? Need I answer this??? 🤭

5. What's something useful you learned in high school?

Driver's Ed is what most quickly comes to mind. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

We watched the confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth. I thought he handled himself very well. I also appreciated the comments by one of the Republicans who addressed faults and imperfections -- which we all have. (Remember Romans 3:23 that says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.") 

When people are repentant of their mistakes, God is not done with them and nor should we. Yes, we need to be discerning in what we entrust to them in the future, but to close the door on them completely is not God's way.

I think of the Apostle Paul, known in the New Testament as a persecutor of Christ-followers until God confronted him in a powerful way that completely changed him for the good. 

Forgive. Relate wisely to others. Leave judging to God. 

Until next time, grace and peace. We all need it. 

The Hodgepodge questions were taken from this link:

http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/2025/01/hodgepodge-questions-volume-585.html

Sunday Afternoon Musings

Amelia Island beach web cam
Sunday January 12, 2025

Visiting the Amelia Island beach web cam this afternoon, it's not surprising to see people fully clothed (meaning, no swim wear). It's winter here in Florida. We've got no snow, although it's come closer to us than most years with some of the white stuff in Atlanta, north of us about a 5-hour drive. 

We don't often drive to either of the coasts (Atlantic and Gulf), which are something like 60+ miles from our house to both to the east and the west. Gary and I aren't much for sand between our toes any more, but I take pleasure in watching the crashing waves via web cam. It's like a mini-vacation.

It's Sunday afternoon and we're watching our Denver Broncos get trampled on by the Buffalo Bills. The Broncos. Anyone who knew my late husband was aware that was his team. Would you believe even though Gary is not from Colorado, the Broncos have been one of his preferred teams? So here we are. I'm sorry this is their last game of the season. We lost, 7-31. Moving on to something of comfort...

A few days ago, Linda included this in her blog post:

After seeing this, all I could think about was Banana Pudding. I asked Gary if he would like some. He gave me a thumbs up and smacked his lips together, which I took to be a definite "yes!" Our next grocery trip included the purchase of Vanilla Pudding (the cook and stir kind), a box of Vanilla Wafers, and a bunch of bananas (6 or more).

In my opinion, it's important to get the "cook and serve" kind, not the instant. The instant pudding mixes tend to get watery after sitting for a while. While our grocery store had banana pudding, it was only in the Instant variety, so I opted for Vanilla Cook and Serve.

I used 3 cups of Saco Buttermilk (3 Tablespoons of the powder combined in a blender with 3 cups of water) for a richer flavor and texture.

To make the pudding, I stirred the boxed pudding mix with the re-constituted buttermilk powder in a large saucepan on the stove. In a clear pyrex bowl I began layering the Vanilla Wafers and sliced bananas (using the entire box of cookies and all 6 bananas). After the pudding came to a boil, the liquid was poured over the wafers and bananas. Thoroughly drizzled between the wafers and bananas, the outcome was wonderful. The bowl was covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for about 5 hours to cool and solidify. 

Mid-afternoon we spooned out generous portions and enjoyed it on the lanai. Yes, as the graphic earlier in this post says, "... banana pudding ... makes everything better." 

Yesterday was especially fun as 4 (no 5!!) bloggers gathered for lunch at a local Bob Evans restaurant. Several of us say from time to time that we need to get together, but as it turns out, that is easier said than done. However, we were able to make it happen. 

Linda and I had only a few miles to drive, while Pam and Terri had to drive 1 to 2+ hours to "meet in the middle" (sort of). And then Terri pleasantly surprised us when she brought along Cheryl, who hails from Indiana but is in Florida right now on an escape from snow. (click on their names to see their blogs)

left right back row: Pam, Linda, me
left to right front row: Cheryl, Terri

We talked about how each of us decided to become a blogger. All of us have been at it for many years (over ten, if I remember the conversation correctly). While now 4 of us live in Florida, back at the beginning when we all began blogging and eventually became friends through social media, we were spread out in Florida, New York, Indiana, and Colorado. 

Over the years we all have gone through serious, life-changing stuff and have grown in our Christian faith in the process. We blog about family, friends, our interests, and the disasters. Clearly, the Lord has preserved each one of us in spite of the hits that sought to bring us down. I see God's faithfulness and goodness when I look into the face of each of these precious women.

Internet graphic

May we determine to cherish the people God puts in our lives because their stories speak to us, and our stories speak to them. 

Until next time, grace and peace.

Watching Our Words

unwinding with colored pencils

This post is my response to Joyce's Hodgepodge questions. To see her blog and to link up with other participating bloggers, click here: 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 584

http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/2025/01/hodgepodge-questions-volume-584.html

.My responses are hi-lited with blue.

1. At the end of every year (or at least since the mid-1970's) Lake Superior State University posts a list of words they think should be banished from the Queen's English for misuse, overuse, and/or general uselessness. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's list includes-

cringe

game changer

era

dropped

IFKYK (If you know you know)

sorry not sorry

skibidi

100%

utilize

and period. 

Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly or even just every now and then? I seldom use any of these words; some I had not heard of before.

How many did you have to look up? 

just one: skibidi. (see the Wikipedia explanation of it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skibidi_Toilet) 

Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Skibidi. A talking head emerging from a toilet is crude. I realize this is probably something the younger generations enjoy, but it comes across to me as indecent and invites even worse language and degrading forms of communication. We should be encouraging more wholesome forms of expression.

Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add? If so do share, then tell us why. Yes, but I won't list them. Just assume if it's in the realm of "skibidi" then I'm against it.

2. Your favorite soup? Do you make this one yourself or is it from a can? Just this past week I needed to use up half a carton of half and half that has been sitting in the refrigerator. I combined it with Campbells Tomato soup and it was so very good! 

3. How do you feel about winter? Here in Florida, I welcome temperatures that encourage long pants, socks, and sweaters because that is a blessed relief from our long summers. 

What's one winter activity you look forward to? Just about any activity that is opposite of heat and humidity. We ride our bicycles after breakfast most days of the year unless the temperature is truly frigid and/or the wind is too strong. 

4. The Pantone color of the year for 2025 is mocha mousse (sample pictured here). What say you? The website describes it as 'a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nourishes us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort'. Is this a color I might find in your home or wardrobe? Is it one you might add in some big or small way in the year ahead? This color is beautiful; I've been a fan of brown for a long time. For years I decorated my home with brown, black, off-white, and a rusty orange type of red. 

a chair in my former color scheme

Now that I am with Gary and living with home decor he and his late wife chose, the color scheme is different and I’ve adjusted. (But I did bring with me my brown Queen Ann chair and it fits in nicely.)

I call this "my chocolate chair"

If I were to offer you a choice right now of either a cup of mocha or a cup of mousse which would you say yes to? I’d take the mousse, thank you, since mocha tends to have espresso, which is a stronger flavor of coffee than I like.

But a real favorite of mine is when Gary prepares a mug of hot chocolate and then floats THREE of those huge-size marshmallows on top. Wow! That is a creamy mouthful of joy!

5. Which of the following winter related idioms can best be applied to your life in some way right now? Choose one, then tell us why you chose it.  

snowed under

on thin ice

tip of the iceberg

chill out

break the ice

snowball effect

not a snowball's chance in hell

get cold feet

the cold shoulder 

“The cold shoulder” is another way of saying “rejection.” I’ve done studies on that word and the psychological ramifications of it. Did you know rejection is one of the most painful emotions and terribly cruel? I think all of us have experienced this. 

Also, referring to the first question above, with our current culture being what it is, I think “skibidi” has (unfortunately) “not a snowball’s chance in hell” of being eliminated any time soon. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

In Philippians 4:8, we are taught to think about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. 

Also, from Psalm 19:14,  "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer." 

It hurts my heart to see people, especially those who profess to be devout Christians,  use crude language and to be entertained by it.  

Until next time, grace and peace.

Adapting to 2025

Plumbago bush in our yard
January 2, 2024

Please forgive if you get tired of me saying every winter how thrilled I am to have flowers like this in my yard in the dead of winter. 

my deck in April 2017
Castle Rock, Colorado

After many happy years in Colorado, where snow on my property was most definitely an annual event, now the delights of warmer winters in Florida are a welcome change.

The snapshot of snow-covered deck furniture was taken during my last winter SPRING, actually, in Colorado. My Colorado friends know scenes like this are entirely within the realm of normal. But in all fairness, I hasten to add that the elevation of my home then was 6,000 feet higher than the near sea level where I live now.

what a difference a few feet can make! 😏

Time marches on and so many aspects of our lives quickly change. This new year of 2025 has gotten off to a terrible start, as you all know if you keep up with the news. I won't get into that but will share with you Gary's words to me just about any time I leave the house without him: 

Be watchful, be careful

Look around you

... and similar admonitions to be aware of what's going on around me as I drive, exit and enter the car, enter and exit stores, encounter other people, and so forth. Also, if you see something, say something. This is how we have to live now.

Moving on to more pleasant topics...

at-home service call

After we bought our Ford Maverick truck in late 2023, we were introduced to the practice of service calls where the dealer sends the workers to our house instead of us having to drive 20-30 minutes to the service center. The above picture was taken as the serviceman from Ford prepared to change the oil in our truck. He moved the vehicle into the street and did it all right there. We've had them come for other services, too. It's worked out very well. So that's something new to us in our rapidly changing world.

my basement storage in Colorado 2017

Another change that has come back to mind recently is my storage options as we packed away Christmas decorations. The husband-and-son-built shelves in the basement of my last Colorado house held even more banker boxes than illustrated in these pictures, all carefully recorded by number with a computer spread sheet identifying the contents for easy location. It was a thing of beauty! an organizational delight! (This professionally-trained secretary was in her glory!!)

These memories came to mind as I wrapped and tucked away the nativity animals into only one of two banker boxes now designated for Christmas. Retirement and other life alterations define my current home with much less square footage. But it's okay. "In acceptance is peace," as the missionary to India, Amy Carmichael, was quoted as saying.

Christmas trees and boxes

I've said before that a few years ago I was more than happy to unload my 6-7 foot artificial tree onto my daughter's family so I could buy a table-top tree that has much fewer ornaments and gets stored away upright in a closet, covered with a plastic bag. 

When Gary and I celebrated our first Christmas together, I saw that he had already been doing that same thing for years. His tree is the white one and mine is underneath the black bag in the corner.

my December wardrobe

Do my readers have special clothing they wear just for the holidays? I try to not buy much along these lines since these things are appropriate for such a short span of time. I've had all of these for anywhere from 3 to 8 years (when you only wear them one month out of twelve, as long as you don't stain them, they take a long time to wear out!). I carefully fold them after New Year's Day to store in a box -- no sense in having them on hangars taking up that space for 11 months.

Veterans Memorial Cemetery
Bushnell, Florida

Continuing on the subject of packing away Christmas, today we drove to the cemetery to retrieve the artificial wreaths we had placed at the graves of our late spouses a month ago. Not all of the grave areas had wreaths, for reasons unknown to us. 

We have taken live wreaths in the past, placing them earlier in the month than the cemetery volunteers do. We have been dismayed at how quickly they dry out and look ugly. We don't know if our graves are to be included in the big wreath-distribution effort, so we have taken our own, and this year (last month) we took artificial ones. 

That has proven to be a good plan. We secured them to the ground with landscaping pins so when we got them today, they were just as we had left them. The red bows were fading from red to orange, but we can easily replace those next year.

Of course, visiting the cemetery is a somber activity, but we like to do it about once a month or so, schedules and weather-permitting. For us it's cathartic. Maybe visiting the cemetery isn't for everyone, but it works for us. 

One of my widow friends, Sue, has said to me more than once that grief never goes away. You learn to live with it. That may smack of hopelessness but it's not. It just means that we love our departed ones so those feelings remain and we learn to accept them. But (at least for me) it does get a little easier. 

from FaceBook

This graphic may be appropriate. Perhaps our goal should be the big dog .... Grow to where the "stuff" doesn't hamper us so much. Our survival and sanity are at stake.

Long Horn Steak House

On a lighter note, as I box up the Christmas memories for 2024, both of us received a number of restaurant gift cards for Christmas (as well as the luxuries of chocolate, fruit, popcorn, nuts and cheeses). We used one of those cards on New Year's Eve for our celebratory lunch. 

Be sure to note the Christmas balls dangling from the cowboy's hand as he galloped through the dining room. If you examine closely the horse's back knees, you can see Gary's handsome head in our booth. He's got a head of pure white hair (which I love!). 

The last of the chocolate disappeared yesterday, which is good because their weight has begun to show up on my bathroom scale!

link to purchase

In early November I began a personal study in my daily quiet times with the Lord with the reading of this book. Adversity in my life in recent years led me to think about Old Testament Joseph and how he handled his troubles. This was an intriguing study that had me underlining and hi-lighting many sentences that spoke to my own issues, helping me to make sense of many things. I highly recommend it.

blooming Azaleas in January

January has got off to a rough start. With our culture as it is, we need to be watchful, to be aware of what is going on around us. But we also need to be looking up to our Lord, believing He has it all in His sight. Nothing escapes His notice. For those of us who know Him and  believe Jesus has redeemed us from our sins, we can confidently agree with the Apostle Paul:

In all things God works for the good

of those who love Him,

who have been called according to His purpose. 

Romans 8:28 NIV

Until next time, grace and peace.