Insurance: Spirit Feeding † Flesh Starving

Posted on April 10, 2024 | Leave a comment

Sounds boring doesn’t it? I never thought I’d be one of those stuffy old insurance agents, but I guess it’s better than a stuffy old accountant. Yes, my wild and crazy days have turned into dull and meticulous as I process property and casualty insurance. I’m learning a lot in the insurance world. One thing is for certain, there are a lot of people out there who buy it and want it, even though they don’t want to pay for it. Can’t blame them. Insurance is one of those things we want to have but we hope we never have to use it.  The chance of loss without any possibility of gain is called pure risk. Pure risk has two outcomes: complete loss or no loss at all.  Why chance it?  

Insurance to heaven is putting trust in our Lord and Savior.  If you haven’t turned to God for forgiveness through Jesus, you are headed the wrong way.  What’s keeping you from reversing your course and running to the One who runs after you?  When you seek Him, you’ll find Him.  Why chance it?

Cheers,

This is part of the A-Z blogging challenge.  Don’t forget to visit some of the other bloggers in the challenge and also check out Crackerberries Kitchen!

 

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Honorable Mentions: Spirit Feeding † Flesh Starving

Posted on April 9, 2024 | Leave a comment

I’m going to cheat today because I’m really struggling trying to get my posts done. Typically I would do an honorable mention of some of my fellow bloggers (Jumping in 2022 which I did in the past) but this year I’m gonna do my favorite posts.  Some are from previous challenges and some are just my favorites.  

Sometimes my muse visits and wants to write poetry so I thought I’d share some of my favs.  When I was a different campaign at work I found myself on the outliers team.  I thought that was a bad thing.  But then I looked at it as a different perspective.  I wanna be an OUTLIER because I was washed clean!

When I turned 50 I thought it was the end of the world, my life was over, but then I realized it was just 50 strands of Gray and I needed to hop on that wagon of life.

As you can see a lot of these poems were inspired by my daughter’s photos.  These are two of my favorites.  If you want to include your thoughts on the photos, just make sure you give Robyn the credit for Steele Battery and Dazbar’s Run!

Hope everyone is enjoying the challenge so far.

Cheers,

This is part of the A-Z blogging challenge.  Don’t forget to visit some of the other  bloggers in the challenge and also check out Crackerberries Kitchen! 

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Posted in Writing

Gratitude Journal: Spirit Feeding † Flesh Starving

Posted on April 8, 2024 | 4 comments


I have found that when things get overwhelming and I’m at my wits end, I have to pause. I pick up my journal and I write. I do this on a daily basis. I have multiple journals. One for every day venting, a prayer journal, a backyard critters journal, a flower journal, recipe journal and one that I don’t use often enough, a gratitude journal. Sometimes I think we all take our days for granted. What am I grateful for today?

• I woke up: another day to bring glory to God.
• Running hot water: third world countries are lucky to have fresh cold water.
• Electricity: that snow storm in Maine still has many customers without power.
• A home, a work at home job, my husband (not necessarily in that order).
These are creature comforts and that list could go on and on. What about God’s creation? What about all He has done for us?

Yesterday I was playing in my flower garden, planting zinnias and Dalia’s. While I was digging in the dirt I could hear buzzing and noticed a huge bumble bee working in the azaleas. A butterfly flitted around my head as if to say thank you for these flowers. I noticed a family of Gold Finches vying for dibs on the bird feeder, their bright yellow feathers stood out in the background of the blue sky. The beauty of creation, God’s painted artwork left a lasting impression.

When we start feeling overwhelmed, overworked, unappreciated, and sorry for ourselves — pause. Take a moment and be thankful. It always helps change my attitude. What kind of things would you put in your gratitude journal?

PS If you are in the path of the Total Eclipse today, be sure to wear eye protection!

Cheers,

 

This is part of the A-Z blogging challenge.  Don’t forget to visit some of the other bloggers in the challenge and also check out Crackerberries Kitchen! 

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Posted in #A2ZChallenge, A-Z Blogging, Christianity, Feed the Spirit • Starve the Flesh, Inspiration, Spirit Feeding • Flesh Starving, Writing, Writing Challenge

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Feline Facts: Spirit Feeding † Flesh Starving

Posted on April 6, 2024 | 4 comments

These are just a few things I’ve learned from my cats and I just wanted to share them with you. You can learn a lot from a cat.

• Live in the moment
• Take care of yourself
• Get plenty of rest
• Bathe often
• Earn respect
• Know who feeds you
• Be curious
• Be attentive
• Rub against the one you love
• Don’t take more than three strokes
• Play regularly
• Fluff around and see

I know this probably has nothing to do with my theme but to be honest if more people paid attention to what they can learn from a cat, we might all be happier.

Cheers,

This is part of the A-Z blogging challenge.  Don’t forget to visit some of the other 218 bloggers in the challenge and also check out Crackerberries Kitchen!

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Encouragement from a Blank Page: Spirit Feeding † Flesh Starving

Posted on April 5, 2024 | 6 comments


I had plenty of opportunity to write these posts and have them all ready for the challenge. Prepare, edit, find artwork, etc. But over and over again my mind wandered to something different; writing letters, journaling, on-line shopping, reading, and my worse hate habit: Facebook scrolling. UGH, dislike it so much but I do it so often. Granted my posts end up there the way I have things set up, and I’m thankful to have the followers and readers that I have. But for me personally, if I go down that road, (oh, I just want to check one thing), two hours later I’m mad at myself for opening it up! GRRRRRRRR!

Facebook is like a soap-opera. There is always something going on and no matter how much you miss, you can get caught up the next time you look at it. Here’s something new to try the next time the urge to look at Facebook comes about.

Get a blank piece of paper and number it 1-5. Then make a list with the following:


1. Who are your loved ones?
2. Who are teachers of your children, the bible at church?
3. Who are the people in authority, national, local, work?
4. Who do you know who is in trouble?
5. What are your needs?


After you make this list, say a prayer for each of the people you have listed there and then ask God to help with your needs. He loves to hear from us and there is nothing He cannot do. You’ll be amazed how good a little prayer can make you feel.

Cheers, 

                                                                   

This is part of the A-Z blogging challenge.  Don’t forget to visit some of the other bloggers in the challenge and also check out Crackerberries Kitchen!

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Dragooned: Spirit Feeding † Flesh Starving

Posted on April 4, 2024 | 3 comments

Sometimes I get dragooned into feeling like no matter how much I do it’s not good enough.   My mind wonders back to things I did in the past that I regret. Satan will do that…”he walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he might devour.” Tell us that we are not good enough. Remind us of all those things we  that we don’t like to remember, things that if we could go back in time we might do them differently.

Before I was saved I went to an ATM to withdraw cash for something that I most likely shouldn’t have been doing. When the bills spat out I was surprised to see a $100 bill in the midst of the $20’s. Instead of the $80 I intended to withdraw, I ended up with $160. WOW, right?   I contemplated it for a minute. Don’t ask me what I was thinking because obviously I was not. Maybe I thought the machine knew it spit out a $100 bill instead of a $20 bill and was going to deduct it from my checking account.  I don’t know but I took the bills up to the cash register (it was some rinky-dink store in east-bum-ville) and told the cashier that there was a mistake dispersing the money. You can imagine the look on their face, first it was confusion and then lit right up with “oh I will take care of that for you”. They gave me a $20 for the $100 bill. Back in the early 90’s that was a steal!

Sometimes I think about that Satan dragoons me into thinking I was stupid. ATM’s are serviced by third party companies not the stores. Maybe it wasn’t the ATM incident so much but the activity I was planning to do.  Either way Satan is dragooning me trying to make me regret what I did. When I start thinking about that one thing it leads to another and it turns into a snowball effect.

I listened to my conscience. That cashier made a nice tip that day. Maybe they were in a bind. Maybe that $80 bought diapers and formula for a baby, maybe it paid a light bill. I don’t get to know now.

We all have a little voice that tells us what is right. We have a little voice that likes to dragoon us.  We get a choice. Which one are you going to listen to?

Cheers,

 

This is part of the A-Z blogging challenge.  Don’t forget to visit some of the other bloggers in the challenge and also check out Crackerberries Kitchen!

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Changing Direction: Spirit Feeding † Flesh Starving

Posted on April 3, 2024 | 5 comments


Sometimes we let our minds dwell on the negative that’s going on in our lives. Things we cannot change. Neighbors, positions at work, relationships, money, etc. Even though this minute issues exist, we shouldn’t let that be the focal point of our being. We have to accept the fact that we are not in control. We might think we have to do this in order to do that, so we can get to that next thing. Uh huh, you know what I’m talking about. “Buy gas, go to work, buy gas, come home from work.”

Remember the story of Jonah? He did not want to go to Nineveh. It didn’t matter what he wanted, God said he was going to Nineveh. Sometimes we’re like Jonah. We choose our own path instead of staying on the path that God’s already mapped out for us. It’s easy to do and we’ve all done it. I’m just glad I haven’t been eaten by a whale … yet.

Sometimes when things seem really wrong it’s a good idea to change direction. One morning last year when Tall Cool ☺ne and I were out for our morning walk, we were almost run over by a truck. We both ended up in the ditch (truck never stopped to see if we were okay) and I ended up with poison ivy for a month! We wear reflective vests and headlights, so it wasn’t like they didn’t see us. It was the scariest thing ever, and intentional. We had to change direction. Trust me when I tell you, now when we see lights coming, we get off the road completely.

Change the way you think. Clear the mind from all negative thoughts. A clear mind is a healthy mind. Count blessings. Concentrate on thanking God for where you are right now because the struggle you might be going through right now is part of a bigger plan later on.

What are you struggling with right now? Give them to me and I will put them in God’s pocket with my struggles and He will see us through it together.

Cheers,

This is part of the A-Z blogging challenge.  Be sure to visit other players and don’t forget to check out Crackerberries Kitchen.

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Boogers : Spirit Feeding † Flesh Starving

Posted on April 2, 2024 | 5 comments




Sometimes you see people driving in their cars picking their nose. What do they do with those boogers? Wait, I don’t want to know. I remember when I was little I used to wipe my boogers on my sister. (Ha ha) Wait a minute now, she wiped them on me too. Don’t get all self-righteous on me!  I know you probably did the same thing with your boogers. And if you didn’t have siblings you probably wiped your boogers somewhere else, like on your mothers couch or under the table. Sounds gross, is gross, and we probably don’t want to know the answer.

Boogers are like sin. We all have them. They are always there. If you don’t pick ‘em they just get bigger and more annoying. Am I right? You know it’s true. Even after you pick ‘em, sometimes they come back. The more we don’t pick our nose the more that booger grows and makes us have to pick it.

Sometimes sin can be that way too.   It is what Paul says in Romans 7:15-20. The more we try not to do that sin that we don’t want to,  the more we do it.  I ate ice cream last night… right before bed! Not that eating ice cream is a sin, but I wanted to do good and be disciplined during this challenge. I’m human and I fail! Dang I hate when that happens! (Great start, huh?) It’s like boogers all over again.

So what do we do? There’s this cool white thing they call tissues. It wipes boogers away like nobody’s business. And you know what’s even cooler than tissues? JESUS. He wipes sin away and makes us white as snow. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and John 8:32 And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

How about you? You got any boogers you need to get rid of?  Give them to Jesus and let Him set you free!

Cheers,

 

This is part of the A-Z blogging challenge.  Don’t forget to check out Crackerberries Kitchen for something tasty!   

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Axe to Grind: Spirit Feeding † Flesh Starving

Posted on April 1, 2024 | 9 comments



At the beginning Z seems like it’s so far away and I wonder if I will be able to accomplish the task and complete the challenge. ♫♫ The ants go marching one by one, hoo-rah, hoo-rah! ♫♫

I have this terrible habit. I’ve been trying to get it under control for a while now but I’ve not been successful. Since this challenge is a discipline I’ve decided to take on a new approach to making a change. One small step at a time, right?

For years I’ve had this ideal weight in mind of what would be my perfect weight. I’ve not been at that perfect weight since before children and my oldest is almost 36. I lowered my standards of what the perfect weight would be to make it more realistic. Even though it’s only 18 pounds away, it seems like a hundred when they won’t shed!

I started paying attention to my habits. What goes in must come out. The best way to get a hold of an issue is to make friends with it. I thank God for the opportunity to open my mind to the possibility of the benefits that can come from the difficulty.

As much as I hate to admit it, I am a stress eater. Every morning right before I sign into work, I find myself getting a granola bar, a bagel, a piece of toast, it doesn’t matter, something, anything. And the sad part about it, I’ve already had breakfast!  I don’t need to eat  I’m not hungry! It’s completely STRESS EATING!

Since I started working on these blog posts I’ve been changing my habits. Instead of something to eat, I grab a water, make a cup of tea and say a quick prayer. I even gave that thorn in my side a name … “Axe to grind”.  And let me tell you it really is a thorn in my side.  I have a wicked case of duodenitis and if I don’t take care of my gut health it’s painful.

It’s not easy. Bad habits are hard to replace with good habits. But once they are recognized and we acknowledge they are an issue, then we can ask for help and make changes. Make friends with the problem in your life, then ask God to show you how He wants you to use it so that you can benefit from it. Water in, stress eating out.

What kind of thorn do you have in your side? Let me know in the comments how I can pray for you.

Cheers,

 

This is part of the A-Z blogging challenge.  Also don’t forget to visit Crackerberries Kitchen.

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Spirit Feeding • Flesh Starving † Theme Reveal

Posted on March 10, 2024 | 21 comments

 



This year’s blog came way too fast. As every year I had all intentions of having my posts done and ready to go so that I have more time to visit other people’s blogs. OMG I’m such a procrastinator.

This is my tenth year participating in the A2Z Challenge. It’s so much fun. Hooking up with fellow bloggers is like a family reunion. I started this post on Valentine’s Day. I figured if I started then and wrote one post a day I’d have all of my posts completed by the time Theme Reveal came out and I could just enjoy reading others posts. Well, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Which brings me to my theme.

Similar to last year I will be in tandem with Crackerberries Kitchen posting a recipe there and a little blurb here. Trust me when I say the blurbs will be short and sweet. As I get older I find the things that used to be quick and easy take a lot longer to complete.

Like the theme for the A-Z team, this year, Crackeberries will be blogging about hope and positivity by feeding the Spirit and starving the flesh.  What does that mean, you ask? Again Pastor John has helped in teaching me more about what I need through this parallel. Black Dog White Dog analogy.  That teaching inspired this year’s theme.

Tall Cool ☺ne and I have walked thousands of miles over the last 18 years.  I’ve shared some posts about it in the past on Joe & Ella’s blog.  We all need that encouragement to be better stewards of our bodies.  We committed to calorie counting at the beginning of the year.  Unlike anyone else, starting the resolution is easy, sticking to it, not so much. The struggle is real, my friend, the struggle is real.

Join us on our walk through the jungle of A-Z  as we try to feed the Spirit and starve the flesh, while enjoying some recipes for two over in the kitchen.

Cheers,

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It’s coming

Posted on March 4, 2024 | 8 comments

Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!  My favorite time of year is coming up. Stay tuned next week for the awesome THEME REVEAL. Can you wait? I know I can’t!

The team’s theme for this site for April 2024 will be hope, positivity, and living your best life blogging your best blog. Victorious Blogging.

I kind of have my theme mapped out, but I still have a little tweaking to do.

Who’s with me for the challenge?   Who’s with me to just follow along with my posts?  I really hope you’ll play along.  You won’t be disappointed.  Money back guaranteed!☺

Cheers,

 

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Merry Christmas Eve

Posted on December 24, 2023 | 1 comment

T’was the morn before Christmas, and in every room
Was a total disaster, I needed more than a broom.
The cookies and cakes were bagged and wrapped more or less
But the dishes were strewn across the counter in a mess
Though we’d been down sick, with a flu kind of cough
Christmas was still coming, we didn’t get a day off
No tree decorated, no lights twinkling bright
Last minute planning, makes timeliness tight.
With Christmas Eve service at church just ahead
I reflected on newsletters I’d written and read.
Each year I try to come up with a meaningful newsletter
And speak of things in the past I could have done better
We give and we get and we try to be good
By doing what’s right and living like we should
But people are messy and we have no control
Only God knows what’s going on, deep in our soul
We’re tasked if possible to live peaceably with others
This would include our sisters and fathers, brothers and mothers.
As you can see I’ve mirrored Clement G. Moore
And his poem about Christmas which you’ve heard before.
Mine is not about Santa, or sugar plums and snow
It’s to tell you of someone I think you should know.
King Herod ordered the killing, of all baby boys
Two years and younger, no exceptions, no decoys!
Joseph and Mary followed a star out of danger
One reason why Christ was born in a manager
He lived His whole life without committing a sin
Giving up everything, so our life eternal could begin
Some people reject the free gift He has given,
Thinking we have to give up the way we are living,
God knows our hearts and He’ll make things right
Admitting we’re a sinner will help us to see the light
It doesn’t make us perfect and we still have a long road
But Christ will always be there, to help carry the load
To my kids, and my family, and all of my friends,
I hope this letter is not where it ends,
Christmas is commercialized with Santa and presents,
The true meaning of Christmas is found in Jesus Christ’s presence.
If you’ve not made the commitment and you are ready to start
Say this prayer with me, and mean it in your heart

Dear Lord Jesus:
I admit I am a sinner
I ask for YOUR forgiveness
I believe YOU died for my sins and rose from the grave and now are at the right hand of God making intercession for me.
I turn from my sins and invite YOU to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow YOU as my Lord and Savior. ~ AMEN

Side note: If you made the commitment and said this prayer, comment below so that I can pray for you. God bless and Merry Christmas

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Posted in Blogging, Christianity, Poetry, Writing

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Heart of Gratitude

Posted on November 24, 2023 | 4 comments

Here we are again. That time of year when we think about Christmas newsletters, cards, gifts, decorations, food, family, friends, etc. One thing I’ve learned about Christmas newsletters is this. Hardly no one reads them. They don’t have time. They set them aside with every intention of reading them later, but somehow they get lost in the shuffle of life happening and they don’t get read.

It occurred to me that I could get people to read if I did something similar to what our Pastor does. Pastor John loves FREE! He says FEED THEM and they will come. That’s why every Wednesday during the warm months, there is a FREE MEAL before Wednesday night service. So I though why not try that. A FREE GIFT offering to you if you read all the way to the end of my letter. YES, you read that right! A FREE GIFT!

Remember the free pen debacle? If you received one, you are lucky. Many were destroyed or thrown away by the USPS. Some were returned to me (equally destroyed). The USPS isn’t what it used to be that is a fact. Then again, nothing really is. I still have some of the pens left. If you would like one, please send a self-addressed, stamped bubble envelope and I’ll be happy to drop that in the mail to you.

Over the years, I’ve written thousands of letters to people, numerous Christmas letters (OH the trees I’ve used). My mother says she’s going to send back all of my letters. (She better not!) I’m trying to declutter things I keep. My cousin, Eric says he hoards things like our grandmother did. I’m sure it must run in the family. Not only do I have a hard time not hoarding things, but I also see it in Robyn and Michael. I thought they got it from me but apparently it’s been a trend in our family for years. The things we hold dear to our hearts; that great painting, a piece of jewelry, an action figure, a favorite book. I love my bible. Tall Cool ☺ne’s mom gave it to me on my sister’s birthday in 2008. My life has not been the same since. Things change.

As I write this letter, the day after Thanksgiving, it is hard not to look at the numerous things I’m thankful for. Instead of the counter being stacked with dirty dishes to wash, they are all clean and just need to be put away. ☺ Seriously though, I am filled with a heart of gratitude. A lot of times we forget to count our blessings and instead we dwell on the “don’t haves” or the “can’t dos”. I think I’ve said it before that no matter where we are in our life, there is always one person out there who we can help. Someone worse off than ourselves. Tall Cool ☺ne puts it this way “If you are being chased by a lion, you don’t have to be the fastest person, you just have to be faster than the slowest person.” There is always someone we can help.

This holiday season, Christmas season, I implore you to do something completely out of the ordinary. Change your Christmas tradition, make a Christmas tradition. Do something you have never done before. If you have never gone to church, find a service and visit, see what it’s like. (It is life changing, believe me.) Invite a relative or a friend for dinner. Instead of spending a ton of money on gifts, make a donation to a non-profit organization or your local soup kitchen. Read T’was the Night before Christmas, watch It’s a Wonderful Life. Do something new that you have never done.

You have made it to the end of the letter and now it is time for the free gift I promised you. John 8:32 You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten SON that whoever believes in HIM should not perish but have everlasting life.

This is your free gift: eternal life. Repeat after me: Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Enjoy the changes you will see in your life. God bless you all and let the Merry Christmas season begin.

 

P.S. The recipe for those awesome looking sourdough rolls are over in Crackerberries Kitchen.

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Posted in Blogging, Christianity, Family, Holidays, Random, Writing

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Reflections on Feeding the Flock 23

Posted on May 3, 2023 | 4 comments

 

Another A-Z challenge completed. This is something I’ve been doing since 2015. I actually dabbled in it in 2014 but was not very successful.  It disciplines me to actually take the time to write. I always have full intentions of continuing to write throughout the year, but life seems to get in the way.  We all have priorities and each one takes a different precedence over someone else’s concerns. What is important to me is probably not important to you. My cousin Eric writes a newsletter every month about rocks.  For the life of me I don’t know what is so special about rocks? find out by clicking here but he loves it. I applaud him for all the work he puts into that newsletter every month, even though I don’t understand most of what I read.

I enjoy this challenge very much. Every year I get to reconnect with the fellow blogger’s I’ve met over the years.  Every once in awhile I’ll make a few new friends.  It’s like a family reunion online.

This year I stretched myself too far. My theme this year had to do with The Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all the nations…” FEEDING THE FLOCK 23 was my theme. Check out W-WAKE UP.  That’s where my theme idea originated.

I took on more than I should have by opting in to do both blogs. I learned a lot throughout this challenge.  I didn’t think I was going to be able to finish. I lost my stepdad on Earth Day and I still had seven days (14 posts) to go.  How was I going to function and go to work and post a blog each day? Do you know what God said to me?”…O you of little faith.” If GOD leads you to it, He will see you through it. (praise Lord!)

I was successful at posting to both blogs for every letter. I did slack at visiting others and I apologize for that.  I do want to say thank you to those who visited me. Kristin was consistent at leaving a comment on every recipe I posted. ☺ Little comments mean a great deal in bloggy world.

At this time, I don’t have any suggestions about improving the challenge.  I liked the graphics and KUDOS to whoever took the time to do them this year.  If anyone who is reading this post is interested in volunteering to get your talent out there…click here

 

Here are the links for each of the posts this year… the food was supposed to go with the devotion but somehow I meandered and got lost along the way.  It happens.  Hope to see you all next year. And you never know, I might come up with a post here and there.  Stay tuned.

 

THE FOOD


Asian Broccoli Salad
Banana Bread
Cookies
Diet Soup
Enchilada Chicken Dip
Fig Coffee Cake
Grits Casserole
Hushpuppy Griddle Cakes
Irish Sourdough Soda Bread
Jerking the Chicken
Jalapeño Muffins
Jalapeño Artichoke Spread
Kartoffelkloesse
Lemon Cake
Meal Magnificient
Naughty Sourdough Bread
Open-Faced Omelet
Penguins
Potato Sausage Casserole
Quick & Easy Pork Loin
Rosemary Lemon Cookies
Sourdough Starter
Tangerine Salad
Unleavened Bread
Veggie Pork Stir-Fry
Waffles
Xtreme Chicken
Yuppy Brownies
Zymurgy Biscuits


DEVOTION

Anxiety, Allergies and Arthritis
Blessing Blitz
Cat Kisses
Dazbar’s Run
Embrace the Smooch
Friendship
Ground Meat
Halfway
Interpretation
Jake’s Cake
KISS: Keep it Simple Stupid
Letter Writing
Mason Jars
No Darkness
Old Pine Tree
Paper Cuts = Perilous Days
Quite Life
Raccoons
Step in Time
Today is the Day
User Friendly vs. Uncomfortable  

Victory
Wake UP!
X-Ray Vision
Yankees are Allowed
Zombie Apocalypse

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Zombie Apocalypse Bread – Feeding the Flock 23

Posted on April 30, 2023 | 6 comments


The full title of today’s post is Zombie Apocalypse Bread, Zelda and other silly things that have vied for my attention. Does anyone remember the Legend of Zelda? I was obsessed with making it to the next level. Before Zelda it was Mario Brothers and then after Zelda it was Yoshi’s Island and SimCity. More recently there was Farm Town and Candy Crush.  Ugh silly games and other things that take up too much time.

The zombie apocalypse bread happened Friday. If you have been following since the beginning over in Crackerberries Kitchen you know that I’ve been experimenting with ssourdough starter. I fully intended to make homemade garlic bread to go with the big pasta sauce for dinner on Friday night. It was a complete disaster and it took up way too much of my time. More time cleaning than it did to fix the mess. I was able to salvage some of the dough and it actually came out pretty good in the end. It should have “yielded” two loaves instead of one, but that’s okay. Live and learn.


Sometimes we get involved in things that are not productive.  Maybe it’s too much screen time. Maybe it’s too many days on the golf course. Maybe it’s binge watching Netflix and living he life of a couch potato. Maybe it’s getting involved in other people’s business. Maybe it’s gossiping about other people. Anything that takes away from our time that is unproductive.

Whatever it is, today is a brand new day. Let’s get our affairs in order.  Let’s get ready! The Zombie Apocalypse is coming, (even though it’s not really called that). He’s coming on a white horse. A glorious horse!


…and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and Ture, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ~Revelation 19:11

Marana tha ~1 Corinthians 16:22

Be blessed,

There are some fermented biscuits over in Crackerberries Kitchen

 

Thank you everyone who played along, followed, commented, and enjoyed the posts.  One more to go for reflections.  I always say I’m going to write more.  It’s probably safer to say “See ya next year,” God willing.

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Yankees are Allowed – Feeding the Flock 23

Posted on April 29, 2023 | 5 comments

When the thought for this post first came to me, it was in the middle of the night, and as usual I was too lazy write it down. I can’t remember exactly where I was going with this, but I think it had to do with the multitude of different nations that are going to be in heaven.

I work for a company that allows me to work at home. A lot of companies do that now after the Covid thing. I have been working at home since 2015. I love not having to commute, not having to worry about fixing my hair or buying a dress-up wardrobe. I am allowed to wear whatever I want as long as my voice is professional and courteous.

Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone was allowed? Too many things are not allowed.  Not allowed to say this, not allowed to say that. Don’t talk politics, don’t talk ‘religion’. No pets allowed, no bare-feet allowed, no cut-off’s, no wonder we have a hard time keeping up with all the rules.

I am on the phone all day long and sometimes people ask me where they are calling. Where I’m from is not where I live and too many times they act surprised that I don’t have the accent that goes along with where they are calling. Lawd, knows I try to get that southern drawl in but I just don’t have it. Sometimes they will ask if I’m a blue state or a red state. They almost never find the humor when I tell them that my favorite color is red but sometimes when I’m feeling down I’m a little blue, so it’s probably safe to say I’m in a constant state of confusion.

I find that people tend to hold stereo-types of others based on where they are from and what they believe. (Terry, Tall Cool 😎ne  knows you don’t care how he did it back home! You’ve always done it this way. 🤪 ) I suppose we all tend to have our own opinions on how things should be done and tend to think it should be done the way we have always done it.  God create each and every one of us special in our own ways (some of us more special than others — I did indeed ride the short bus).

 If you haven’t seen Jesus Revolution definitely put it on your list. I love how Pastor Chuck took care of the carpets when one of his parishioners complained about the hippies with their dirty feet.

Serving all men … “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” ~ 1 Corinthians 9:22

God doesn’t care what side of the tracks we grew up on. He doesn’t care where we came from. Jesus l♥ves everyone. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanses us for all unrighteousness. ~ 1 John 1:9

What are you holding on to that you can confess and let go of today? Today is the day of salvation.

Be blessed,

  Enjoying YUPPY BROWINES over in Crackerberries Kitchen!

 

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X-Ray Vision – Feeding the Flock 23

Posted on April 28, 2023 | 6 comments

Not only could he leap tall buildings in a single bound, Superman had X-ray vision. He could see through things like buildings. Sometimes I can see through people. I know when they are not being completely sincere. Sometimes people do things to toot their own horn but they masquerade it into helping others.  They take on things to fix an issue, but they do it for the wrong reasons. They think it’s the right thing but it’s not really because they want to do it, it’s because they think if they don’t then people will judge them and they will look bad. There’s a saying Tall Cool ☺ne uses from White Men Can’t Jump “You’d rather look good and lose than look bad and win”

Galatians 6:4 ~ Let each one eXamine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another

God says give with a cheerful heart. 2 Corinthians 9:7. We as people too often take on responsibilities because we want to be the superman. We want to take the credit for fixing bad situations. Sometimes we will do it out of guilt. We don’t even realize we are not helping the issue, we are enabling it. How many times have you seen people do something then get upset because they don’t get the response they were eXpecting? I’ve done it more times than I care to mention.

Colossians 3:23 ~And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.

I am sorry if I am stepping on toes. I’m just pointing out things I see. God gives each of us gifts. See 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 I think He gave me discerning of spirits. Sometimes I like that gift and other times not so much. ~ALL things work together for good to those who love God… Romans 8:28

A lot of scripture today. In the comics Superman has X-ray vision.  When I put on my special glasses I have X-ray vision.  You know who always has X-ray vision? G♥D!

Psalm 44:21 … He knows the secrets of the heart.

Have you ever had X-ray vision? Have you ever had an X-ray?

Be blessed,

  Check out the Xtreme Chicken in Crackerberries Kitchen.

 

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WAKE UP – Feeding the Flock 23

Posted on April 27, 2023 | 7 comments

Introduction



Monday through Friday my FITBIT silent alarm usually wakes me up at 3:25 AM. I need that quiet, prayer, worship, hot coffee drinking, journal-writing, and wake up time before we go for our four mile walk. Sometimes the alarm doesn’t wake me up. When that happens I am woken with the annoying beep, beep, and beep of Tall Cool ☺ne’s alarm clock. Ugh, so annoying. During the month of April I usually miss out on my journal reflections because I’m busy putting a blog post together. (Honest, I tried to have them done ahead of time.)

Wake up calls can be anything from a silent vibration on your wrist to the loud beeping of an alarm clock or even the whistle from a tea kettle on the stove. Something that gets one’s attention. How about a conviction from the Holy Spirit? Have you ever felt that?

I recently felt a nudge in one of Pastor John’s teachings in January. We were going through the book of Romans and in chapter 13 he was teaching on how to be a good Christian in the world. One of the principles he practically YELLED (okay I’m pretty sure he did yell) was to WAKE UP! Salvation is near. Christ’s return is imminent.

I was convicted. What am I doing to be a good Christian? How am I being a good servant to our Lord, Jesus Christ? What gifts am I using to bring glory to Him? Hence the theme of my A2Z challenge was revealed.

What about you? Are you using your gifts? Has the Holy Spirit nudged you? WAKE UP and smell the coffee! 

Be blessed

Enjoy some waffles over in Crackerberries Kitchen.

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Victory – Feeding the Flock 23

Posted on April 26, 2023 | 7 comments

We all want to achieve greatness. We want to be successful in our lives, in our marriages, at parenthood, in our jobs, in our friendships and relationships, and we want to do well in our hobbies. If we aren’t striving for perfection, what’s the point of doing it at all? Tall Cool ☺ne always says, “Do it well and do it once.” Like the carpenter who says to measure twice and cut once. Wayne Gretzky says, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Take the shot. Make the effort.


In 1979 I shot a perfect 100% on the basketball team. I was the only one. And if you take a look at that statistics sheet you’ll see that I was the only one who didn’t foul. For a long time, I thought I was pretty cool being the only one on the girls’ basketball team with that achievement. Was I perfect? Not by any means. I took one shot and by the grace of God, it went in. That was the only shot I made in basketball. After that I hurt my knee and that was the end of that. But maybe that one shot so many years ago was made for me to use in today’s post.

Back then I was a scared little girl who didn’t know much about anything. (I still don’t.) But that one shot made me feel like I could do anything if I tried. Victories come through trials and errors. We have to make mistakes to conquer precision. Be intentional. Even small victories are big victories.

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. 1 John 5:4

If you are visiting from the A2Z challenge, how are you doing? If you have made it this far, that’s a victory in itself. Pat yourself on the back. We only have a few more letters to complete the challenge. Push yourself, you can do it. If you are just browsing blogs, glad to have you aboard. What kind of small victories have you accomplished? Every day we have victories. Sometimes it’s that frown on your face that’s turned upside-down. SMILE! ☺


Be blessed,

Enjoy some VEGGIE & pork stir-fry over in Crackerberries Kitchen

 

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Posted in Writing

User-Friendly vs. Uncomfortable – Feeding the Flock 23

Posted on April 25, 2023 | 5 comments

What’s in your bugout bag?

When Tall Cool ☺ne and I were walking this morning, I was trying to think of what I was going to write for my U challenge today. I had heard some unbelievable news about the uncouthness of someone wanting to paw over the belongings of the man who passed.🤬 I’m not going to write about that just yet, but that day is coming. 

Instead I was trying to stay positive and walk. We walk pretty much every day, Monday thru Friday. Some days it’s really uncomfortable … like when it’s cold, or when it’s humid, or when it’s raining … but I have these really user friendly sneakers that make my feet feel comfortable, even if the other stuff is not so fun. Tall Cool ☺ne has an awesome sense of humor and he makes me laugh a lot. We make jokes about the end times because if we had to hoof it to another area, my bugout bag would be too heavy to carry.  But that’s why we walk, to stay prepared for anything. He reminds me that if exercise was comfortable and fun, everyone would be doing it and we’d have to fight for a spot to walk on the road. Ha ha.

God’s word is like that sometimes. User-friendly when everything is going well. We want to hear about the free gift, no more pain, no more tears, a brand new body, streets made of gold with pearly gates. Yes, everything good.

We don’t want to hear about the lusts of the flesh, sin, and convictions. It’s hard for man to acknowledge that all the days of his life he shall work the ground. (Genesis 3:17-18) as it is for some wives to acknowledge that the husband is the head of the household, just as Christ is head of the church. (Ephesians 5:22)

“…narrow is the gate and difficult is the way…” ~Matthew 7:14

People think that becoming a Christian means they can’t have fun anymore. Some people think that when you become a Christian that means you don’t sin anymore. That’s not how it works. Once we make the choice to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit fills us with a mindset of where we want to live a holy life. On this side of eternity we will always fight with the flesh. The will is the desire to do well, but the ability to perform is lacking. That’s why we keep short accounts with God. On this side of eternity, there will always be sin. But be of good cheer… He says,

“…In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33

Being a Christian is not always user-friendly and sometimes it’s very uncomfortable. But we have to get uncomfortable to grow and if it were always user-friendly there would be no room for growth.

How about your life? In your encounters have you ever experienced something that is user-friendly but also uncomfortable? How do you handle those things?

Be blessed

 

There’s unleavened bread in the kitchen today.

 

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Today is the Day – Feeding the Flock 23

Posted on April 24, 2023 | 3 comments

Mel’s new toy (thanking my friend Jody for the picture)

The above picture was taken in South Carolina April 23, 2014.  

When people are dying, we talk about funny things that happened.  Apparently my sister and I were running our mouths when we were going somewhere, and Dad told us to shut up for a f#$&ing minute. We, in kind, did what he said. Later when he was cleaning out the car he came across this note.  He probably would have blistered our butts had we been around when he first found it.  He tucked it away in his black box and forgot about it until 2012. He sent it to me for safe keeping. Maybe he knew something then that he never told us.  The note is about 45 years old now.

Today is the day. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Today is the day of Salvation. Saturday I wrote about a step in time. I was concerned about my stepdad. That morning I was able to talk to him via facetime chat and although he did not respond verbally, I know he heard my voice. I am okay with that. We (OK I) talked and he listened. While he was laying in his bed all snuggled up with the blankie Tall Cool ☺ne and I sent him, I prayed the sinner’s prayer with him. I know he heard me because he did a little raspberry with his mouth. He always blew me off when I tried to tell him that Jesus is the way.

I don’t know why people think that everyone is automatically going to heaven. It’s not automatic. It’s a choice we get to make. I told him that there would be no more pain, no more tears and he would have a brand new body without aches and pains in heaven. All he had to do was admit he was a sinner, ask for forgiveness and let Jesus into his heart. ♥

I’m keeping the good memories of him. I am thankful for all the times we had together and the teaching and corrections he gave me.  Sometimes it was brutal, but it was necessary.   He passed later that afternoon. Whether or not he accepted the free gift of salvation, we won’t know until we get to heaven. Have you made your peace with God? Have you accepted the free gift? You’ve got 60 seconds. Secure your eternity and say this prayer with me:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. ~AMEN

Be blessed,

 

There’s this tangerine thing  (Michael said,  “Use tangerines.”) over in the kitchen today.

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Step in Time – Feeding the Flock 23

Posted on April 22, 2023 | 7 comments





Today is Saturday and I had hoped to be all caught up with the last of the blog posts. I’m weary and I’m sad. My stepdad is in a hospice bed on his last breaths, and writing a blog post is probably the last thing that should be doing right now.

I probably should be on a plane on my way to Maine to pay my last respects. Isn’t that what people do when their loved ones are dying? I don’t know.

The older I get the more I learn that I don’t know as much as I thought I did when I was younger. And when people go to see their dying loved ones in the hospital is that really how they want us to remember them? My heart is heavy.

It is life. We live, we die. We step in time to make our lives be something worthy. Make every step count. We don’t know what the next step will take us to. Only God does.

“There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless, the Lord’s counsel — that will stand.” ~ Proverbs 19:21

Be blessed

 

There’s sourdough in the Kitchen

 

 

 

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Raccoons – Feeding the Flock 23

Posted on April 21, 2023 | 5 comments


These little critters might appear to be cute but they can destroy a bucket of pecans like nobody’s business. It took us awhile to find out what was making the mess of pecans all over the porch each morning. We thought it was the squirrels. We caught them red handed. They would come, like a thief in the night, open the container and have a feast of pecans, leaving the shells all over the porch. We figured out that we need to put a heavy rock on top of any containers we didn’t want them digging into. They are smart little critters. We never know when a thief is going to come.

God’s word says

~”But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night …” 2 Timothy 3:10
~”Behold, I am coming as a thief…” Revelation 16:15

Have you ever had critters come to your house? Did they make a mess of things? How did you take care of it?

Are you ready for the thief who will come in the night? We should be vigilant because of the unexpected timing of His return.

Be blessed.

 

Feel free to check out the special today in Crackerberries Kitchen

 

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