Couponless Haul at Kroger!

I just bought all of this for $44+ change!! Seriously .. 

Bread $0.84 each 

Salami 4/$1 

Oikos 10/$10 

Lala $3.99

Bagged produce was from discount shelf $0.99/bag 

Flavored seltzer water $0.19 each 

Welch's juice $1.99 each 

Seasoned chicken $0.99/lb ($3.61 total) 

Braunschweiger $2.50 

There are definitely some deals to be had if you know where to look!! 

Can We Adapt/Change to Keep up with Planet Changes??!

Our world is changing.
Did you see where a huge fissure is splitting Africa and so part will be drifting away? Remember how we were all one continent before EQs etc split us into what we have now? Our continents are "mobile" so can/will continue drifting as the earth changes.
How wow is that?!!
For the US there is an old Navy map and a new Navy map. Both are well worth studying and cross referencing. In comparing these with IMHO a well researched article on the effects of plate shifting I feel 100% confident with their accuracy.
From there check out the flood maps Thor News produces on YouTube. How are the flooding rivers so consistently concentrated in the new ocean in the middle of the US as seen on the Navy maps?!?!!!?
 Do you live in those areas? What is your plan for the next big overdue 9.0+ EQ at the New Madrid fault?? That EQ is supposed to trigger major changes.
How do you see that all playing out? In looking at that last huge EQ at that site I can say it was a violent EQ in a fairly unpopulated area. The Mississippi ran backwards and changed it's course! As the majority of Illinois and some of Indiana is sitting on limestone, which disintegrates over time to sand, this next Huge New Madrid EQ will in effect finish off the process thereby causing that entire area to become one massive spontaneous sinkhole. Instantly the ocean will rush up from the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Michigan will rush down. A new ocean will be formed. The US will become two (2) continents. Countless lives lives lost in split seconds. Absolutely nowhere to run for safety. Nowhere. If you're there you're dead. I really did sit in Joliet and try to figure out how we could buy a boat and live there . . but it just seems to me that a boat would be tossed, flipped, swallowed up. . . it wouldn't have a chance.
Why isn't our government preparing to move those people? We could make a swap~ turn the area to become sea back over to nature and move all those people to the National Parks out west. Yes, this is huge and radical. So is the coming 50+ years overdue 9.0+ EQ at the New Madrid!! It would be a huge prospect to build so many new homes, relocate major corporations and relocate huge numbers of people and wildlife.
It would both save lives and create such a huge bumper crop of jobs as to completely change the economy!!
Add to all this the sea level rise, which, for now, is worrisome. I say "for now" because this is a cycle and the ice caps will refreeze eventually.
As sea level rises, are people/cities/governments inland ready to evacuate shorelines as needed? Rather I see governments trying to find ways to keep out the inevitably rising waters. Hasn't Hurricane Katrina proven you cannot barricade out the sea??! IMHO this is simply putting lives at risk . . especially since the risk of hurricanes to areas like New York City seem to be rising.

I am way more aware of changes in the US as I live there~ please check out info for your own area so you can also prepare! 

Forbidden Tree ~ What I'm Learning

3 

Genesis 

The snake was the most intelligent of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say that you shouldn’t eat from any tree in the garden?”

² The woman said to the snake, “We may eat the fruit of the garden’s trees ³ but not the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘Don’t eat from it, and don’t touch it, or you will die.’”

⁴ The snake said to the woman, “You won’t die! ⁵ God knows that on the day you eat from it, you will see clearly and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ The woman saw that the tree was beautiful with delicious food and that the tree would provide wisdom, so she took some of its fruit and ate it, and also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 

Yes, the woman listened to the snake and picked the fruit then handed it to her husband. We've all heard that so many times and it seems, IMHO, that most paste the blame squarely on her shoulders alone. 

But look at the end of verse 6: "..who was with her, and he ate it." 

Now, go back to Genesis 2:15-17 
¹⁵ The Lord God took the human and settled him in the garden of Eden to farm it and to take care of it. ¹⁶ The Lord God commanded the human, “Eat your fill from all of the garden’s trees; ¹⁷ but don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because on the day you eat from it, you will die!” 

God initially commanded the man not to eat from the tree of knowledge. Nowhere does it say He gave the same instructions to the woman. As He created man to lead the woman He also left Adam to instruct and lead Eve. 
He was to impart to her how imperative it was that they fully obey God. Adam failed at this. 
Adam was the one who received the message. 
Adam was to lead his wife and be a strong husband. 
Adam, instead, allowed Eve to approach the tree and pick it's fruit. 
At no point does my Bible say, "Adam grabbed Eve and tried to stop her", Adam told Eve no", "Adam grabbed the fruits from Eve and threw them into the river!" 
Adam stood there listening to the lies the serpent told without argument. 
Adam watched his wife pick the forbidden fruit and eat it. 
Adam accepted Eve's offering of the same fruit and ate it himself. 
Yeah, reading my new Bible is fun. . and eye opening!! 

Okay, so I am very slowly reading through my new Common English Bible. Something about this writing makes the words jump off the paper! It's like I'm there with them. The writing is simple, unadorned. Very clear and easy to read. Mind you, I do enjoy books where I have to look up words on every page as that grows my vocabulary immeasurably, but this Bible grows my understanding in the same way. With this Bible, as compared with my KJV and NKJV, I find myself at work longing to be home curled up reading His word. I have felt that before with the others but not the same as this. Before it was to gain wisdom  . . this is to become closer to Him. It may simply be where I am in my relationship with God right now, but I have several other versions of the Bible and don't long to curl up and read any of those.
I would highly recommend trying the Common English Bible app as well as buying a hard copy. I ordered mine from www.CommonEnglishBible.com It has references to where verses match up with the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as including, off to the side, the verses King James VIII added in. Both are extremely nice for comparison as well as authentication. 
Have you tried the Common English Bible?

When You Can't Get a Doctor Appointment . . .

You're sick, really sick this time ..  and your doctor's office has no available appointments . . 

Or your doctor won't listen . . won't acknowledge the symptoms you're describing . . 

Inevitably the ER becomes the only option. 

But, does it have to? 

Isn't it possible for us to keep a stocked medicine cabinet and first aid kit to handle all but major surgery? 

I, myself, would like to have a better first aid kit. We have several we put together while Matt was in scouts. I'd like to see these sorted and recombined/consolidated. . . 

I'd also like to have a way way more extensive set of first aid skills. It seems like I've been taking some sort of classes in this forever . . babysitting class in 1976 . . Girl Scouts . . Then, years and years later, I began prepping and needed to brush up on skills . . Matt joined Cub Scouts then Boy Scouts and I sat through multiple first aid lessons . . Zoom ahead again to my current job with Visiting Angels and so so many classes including first aid, nutrition, etcetera . . 
And I seriously crave more .  . . 
Okay, so I have to admit I LOVE learning .   . . Can't deny that . .  
Don't want to become a nurse . . I don't think so anyways . . Not right now . . Too many hours away from home . . Yeah, okay, maybe I'll just check into that a bit more . .  
But meanwhile . . 
IMHO, we each need to be able to be responsible for the majority of our own healthcare needs. Yes, there will always be some things we'll absolutely have to rely on a doctor for . . 
But . . 
Times are changing. 
This is not the world we grew up in or our parents grew up in. 
🌀Remember Katrina?!?! 🌊 
Remember how badly our government failed us? And what about the most recent failure after Maria hit Puerto Rico?!?! 
As we sit here and now we should not by any means be relying on others for our own survival. 
We need to look back at how self-reliant pioneers were. Take a couple first aid and CPR classes. Restock our first aid kits. Learn some herbal medicine then plant a nice herb garden. 
One step at time . . 
Learn a skill and put it to use . . 
Then learn another. 
Be prepared to be self-sufficient!! 

In a disaster there may not be a doctor nearby for months. 

Our Spouse's Needs Over Ours

KJVA Bible. Hebrews 10:24

[24]And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 

Still praying through the Love Dare . . it is amazing how this process has made me grow! 

Yes, it is a Dare to love our spouse/ex-spouse unconditionally and to pray for them in an unceasing manner . . and many go into this process hoping to change their spouse, I know I did . . 

But, really, this process changes the reader. 

Going through each chapter/day and looking up each Bible verse as we prayerfully consider the day's lesson can't help but force us to grow. We may not be looking for personal change but reading and rereading what God is asking of us has a way of backing us into a corner where we absolutely must face our attitudes/behaviors good and bad then change appropriately. 

And so . . 

It is much better to look lovingly on our spouses and think of their needs than our own. 

Kudos~ Audrey Weymers at Waffle House!!

I have to tell you about the excellent service I received at the Waffle House on Reynolds Rd in Toledo. On Sunday I took my son and my Mom to brunch. As usual we went to our favorite Waffle House but this time we received even better than normal service.
Our waitress was Audrey Weymers, a new waitress, and she was exceptionally good! She was attentive without being intrusive, corrected a glitch in our order quickly, kept my coffee cup full and checked on us a couple times.
As I sit here I wonder at exactly what it was that made her service special . . I think maybe because she actually cared whether or not we enjoyed our visit.
Normally I tip around $5 regardless of the bill. I start at $5 as I'm seated then add/subtract as the meal progresses. I don't remember ever tipping over $5.
Audrey received $7. 

While I Wait . . and Wait . .

While I wait . . and wait . . yes, it does sometimes seem like forever .. and He used to show me visions of what life would be like once my marriage was restored . . and He hasn't shown me any for a while . . maybe because I need to stand on what He showed me and have a little faith . . LOL 

But, seriously, the waiting can be hard and get so so discouraging .. and not everyone is going to be all, "yippee, you're praying for your ex-husband!"  So all the Debbie-downers are going to want to have their say/offer unsolicited advice and therapy to help you move on. . . and then there's his new gf who calls you up to tell you off and call you so many 'interesting' names because you are praying  .  . . . 

But the peace from following Him and learning to lean into Him and trust His plan . . that makes the waiting time a blessing! 😇 

This morning I stopped by the BTG YouTube to get some encouragement from Sheila . . watching and seeing how her walk and her waiting looked blesses me. This was my comment on her video: [see above]  

We each are solely responsible for listening for His voice and following His lead in our lives. For me this is learning to be more trusting of God  . . I will continue to pray as I wait for God to heal what is still hurting and place more of a burden for obedience to the Bible in both our hearts while He continues to soften our hearts towards each other . . 

                                   🙏

"If God is for you, who can be against you .. " 

                    

🙌 Quietly Walking with Him 🙏

Hey there . .yes, I've been a bit AWOL ..  I'm still sharing some things but . . . my deepest inner personal life is currently remaining  .  well, private and personal . . a lot of quiet time with Jesus as I pray my way through ..  He is showing me  . . healing my heart . . gently guiding and changing me ..  and I know He is working in the areas I need Him . . opening doors to the future He requires to fullfil His Will .   . . and, as it becomes possible, I will share this private walk with you . . once He and I get these blessings of change and growth lined up 🙏

Tbt~ "Less Soap Scum in Your Laundry"

I had completely forgotten about this little trick!! 

💞Love is in da Blog❣️

Love in in da blog time ❣️❣️
My current favorite love songs that affects me like no other:
How He Love Us
https://youtu.be/n5KViKAntjI

Want to join the fun? Check this out:
https://thebeewritesdownloads.wordpress.com/2019/01/31/love-is-in-da-blog-2019-a-music-festival/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Breakfast!

This is a quick, easy, healthy breakfast! And it's fun too!! Use whatever fresh fruit and yogurt you have on hand. Here's what I used:  
Raspberries
Blackberries
Grapes
Blueberries
Peach Chobani
You can also sprinkle your favorite nuts on then add a cherry to make it feel more like dessert!!! 

Winter City Lights on Maumee Bay

Hey there! Welcome back .   . Matt and I made a quick Pokemon go road trip to Cullen Park in Point Place (lots of Pokemon hang out there!!) and I stopped to take a few quick picks of the lights on the water.

If you have time to stop by on a night when there is some ice on Maumee Bay you can hear the treat that is the ice shifting on the waves and wind. It is at the same time interesting and astoundingly eerie!!

Christmas at Wildwood Manor House

Hmm . . Yeti's spending Christmas in Toledo!!

Santa's getting ready!! 🎅

Tea time . .
     maybe with the Mad Hatter?!! 🎩

Supper is served . .

Hanging out with friends and family . .

Stop by again soon!!

The Resolution for Women

Yes, I am back in this book. It tends to center and ground me. I'm in part 2, section 1, chapter 3 . . I've only begun this chapter and am appreciating the emphasis on being whole vs perfect. Feeling like I have to be "perfect or else" is something I truly struggle with. Is my praise/worship, body, hairstyle, clothing, etc perfect enough for God to use me . .? While I know He loves me as I am . . well, I still struggle for the approval. . from Him . . and from those in authority. I dream of a life away from judgement where I can praise and worship authentically as me . . wholeheartedly and unashamed. . that will be a glorious day!! 🙏🎶📖🙌