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Our Daily Thread 7-26-13

Good Morning!

It’s Friday!!! 🙂

On this day in 1775 the postal system was established by the 2nd Continental Congress of the United States, with Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General.

In 1908 U.S. Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte issued an order that created an investigative agency. It was a forerunner of the FBI.

In 1945 Winston Churchill resigned as Britain’s prime minister.

In 1947 President Truman signed The National Security Act. The act created the National Security Council, the Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In 1948 Babe Ruth was seen by the public for the last time, when he attended the New York City premiere of the motion picture, “The Babe Ruth Story.”

In 1953 Fidel Castro began his revolt against Fulgencio Batista with an unsuccessful attack on an army barracks in eastern Cuba.

And in 1971 the Apollo 15 was launched from Cape Kennedy, FL.

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Quote of the Day

“Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.”

Isaac Newton

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Today in 1791 composer Franz Xaver Mozart was born.

Today in 1942 this song was recorded.

And in 1968 on this day McCartney and Lennon completed this song.

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Anyone have a QoD?

79 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 7-26-13”

  3. I’m up a little earlier than usual. We have a furry houseguest and I wanted to make sure I got her out early.

    She’s a doll. 🙂
    She is so sweet and fuzzy. 🙂

    Even the cat seems OK with her. No problems, and they’ve been nose to nose a few times but everyone seems fine.

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  4. hmmm… I’ll bet I could talk to myself for quite a while on here. Had a good first week. My aide isn’t back yet, but someone else came to help and even put some books together for me. It is so nice to have a smaller class this year. And, until Christmas, class gets out at noon, so I have lots of time to prepare.

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  5. I’m probably the only one who appreciates seeing the posts go up earlier. I really wasn’t looking, but just thought I would check before signing off. We have to sign off and on to the internet as we are charged.

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  6. Good morning, Jo and AJ. I’ve been up for a couple of hours already — much too early when I start the day before the birds do. 😉

    The scripture verse with my devotion today was Psalm 118:24. “This is the day the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

    A needed reminder for me that I can rejoice and be glad in a day that begins much earlier than expected.

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  7. Chas is usually up early too. And 6 Arrows sometimes is too. I’m always up around 6:15 AM EST. Except for Sat. and Sun., when I sleep until 7:00. I only need about 5 hours most nights.

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  8. I was surprised to see today’s posts up this early. I caught the end of yesterday’s, read my bible and devotion, then came back and these were already up!

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  11. For the record, I looked for it before it was even up (a little before 6:00 a.m. Eastern).

    Since “God provides until He provides” keeps popping up, I’m going to throw in my $.02. What’s wrong with simply, “God provides”? Kim’s first mention of it made me wince because it was in reference to God “providing Absalom until He provided Isaac,” implying that God provided something lessor, born of sin, until he decided to come through with the promised Isaac. Theologically, what is “God provides until He provides” saying about that interim provision? Based on the example, it implies a substandard, temporary provision. I just can’t buy that. On the other hand, if it’s equally as perfect as the ultimate provision, then “God provides” should certainly suffice. Otherwise, where would it end – “God provides until He provides and while you’re waiting for that interim provision, He provides and while you’re waiting for that, He provides, ad infinitim”?

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  12. Also, for the record, I don’t believe Roy is writing those commentaries he’s posting, either, as AJ suggested the other day. And I think it would be very sad if he were lying about it.

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  14. And since we’re talking to ourselves, here, one more. Yesterday’s question was “What do you think the meaning of life is?” As a follow up, do you have a personal motto? Mine is “To show the love and grace of Jesus Christ to everyone I meet.” I fail miserably at it.

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  15. Actually, I work from home on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I get up when hubby does and start working when he leaves, which is between 5:30 and 6:00. I check in here before I start doing any real work.

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  16. Whoa Linda,

    AJ said nothing on the subject. I believe you mean Peter.

    If Roy says they are his, I see no reason to not take his word for it. If someone feels they have something that shows otherwise, please share it. But at this point I see no reason to question Roy’s honesty.

    I’ve occasionally not credited quotes of the day. I have taken Peter’s words to heart though, and am providing a link in the persons name when I get it from BrainyQuote or some such place. But today’s is one of my calendars, so no source link.

    I will do my best to continue to do so, but certain things, like well known historical events written in my own words don’t require it.

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  17. Cut off the end there.

    Also when I do get it from another website, it will contain a link. I will make it a point to, whether it’s Wikipedia or somewhere else. If you note the last few days, you will see this. I don’t want to get in trouble either, and I want to give credit where it’s due.

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  18. SO SORRY – you are correct, it was Peter. And the reason for the suspicision is that his own posts are so riddled with typos and bad grammar that they are unreadable, whereas the scripture commentaries are perfect.

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  19. Good morning…I’ve been up since 4….mountain time….Paul is leading our daughter, son and daughter in law on a hike up to the top of Pikes Peak…it’s on my DIL’s bucket list before she turns 40 next year….she has been training hard this past year and I know they are going to have a great time…..I’m here with the two 10 yr old granddaughters…a day of shopping, lunch and painting fingernails… 🙂

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  20. LINDA the context in which we discussed Ishmael and Isaac and the God provides until He provides comment made me uncomfortable as well. I think it was more along the lines of Abraham and Sara were wrong in using Hagar for a surrogate but God sent Hagar back to them and honored the blessing He had given Abraham. Like it or not Ishmael is the Father of Many Nations as well.
    I have never thought much good came of it.

    I am holding on to whatever promises I can about God providing. For some reason I lack focus and direction on what to do next and cannot make a decision on what to do. For now I am doing some contract work for Guy I Used To Work With. The multiple phone calls within minutes of each other are reminding me why I didn’t want to do that, but work is work. Money coming in is better than no money coming in.

    I also am up earlier than I have been this month. That is another thing I have got to start doing again, get up and have structure. At least I did go to the gym yesterday.

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  21. Personal Motto? Well, I do try to live by the saying that “We (Christians) sometimes are the only Bible some people ever read”. I try to say and do the right thing. I also believe that if I tell the truth I don’t have to worry about covering me behind later.
    Unfortunately I left myself open to questions and it was part of the reason I lost my job. My “ego” (for lack of a better word) is still bruised that I was accused of dishonesty.

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  22. Good morning, everyone!

    nancyjill: What a fun day it sounds like you are going to have with your two granddaughters! Enjoy!!!

    Aj: Wish I could get by regularly with five hours of sleep. I definitely need more, though I frequently get by with five or six hours, my body longs for seven or eight.
    Thanks, again, for providing this blog. I look forward to reading it every day.

    My sister and I have had a wonderful visit. I’m sad it’s almost over. I return home today, where Becca’s been missing me terribly. I’ll be glad to see her, but I will miss my sister. It’s hard to have her living so far away…we were extremely close as children…and I so enjoy her company. I’ll get to see her again when we head to Bandera for my dad’s 80th birthday party at the beginning of August. I’m so grateful we’ve had this time together.

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  23. 6arrows, Thanks for that quote of psalm 118:24. I didn’t know where that was from, just enjoy the song. My class was cuttng and pasting this morning, while I walked around encouraging them and I sang “This is the day” Fun to do. I left pauses for the echo part, but they either didn’t know it, or were too shy.

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  24. Linda – The “God provides until He provides” quote was from my former pastor, but he’s not the one that linked it with Abraham & Hagar.

    What he means is that while we’re waiting for God to provide a job, or a new house, or some sort of miracle we need, He’s already providing for us, often in ways we don’t acknowledge.

    I’ve mostly used this quote to encourage fellow Christians who are unemployed after losing a job, & they have all been encouraged by it. My husband & I have experienced the truth of it as well.

    You asked, What’s wrong with simply, “God provides”? Nothing. My pastor’s quote was merely a way of emphasizing that God provides, even in the tough times, even when we may not recognize His provision because it’s not quite what we want.

    So, in a way, it’s not a replacement for the simple fact that God provides, it’s an emphasis that He does so.

    As for Pastor Roy’s devotional writings, I still do see some mistakes in them, but not as much as his usual comments. Maybe he is taking more care on writing them well?

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  26. Elvera was ready early today, or I was late. In any case, we headed off for the Y before I had a chance to sign in. I have been back and read the paper. So, when I saw 22 comments when I signed on, I figured you guys were really chatting today.
    Is it Friday yet? I have to start getting ready for Lions soon.
    “God provides until he provides” sounds good, and reassuring. But there is no such scripture that I know of. I think I would know.
    It may be that Roy writes out his post on the word processor and pasts it onto the blog. I do that if I have a long post because sometimes I lose the post. I need to be able to retrieve it.
    I should have done that with this one.
    Let’s see?

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  27. Whoa! Now that I read today’s comments, I see I may have opened a virtual can of worms. I agree with AJ- If Roy says he is writing the devotionals, than I believe him. Perhaps he does take a little more care in getting them right, or he uses a word processor with spell and grammar checkers. Remember, our justice system says “innocent until proven guilty” and we should also follow that policy here.

    As for the “God provides” line in relation to Ishmael, I can see it as valid to say He provides until He provides. Look at it this way. There are two instances that come to mind where God allowed men to have their own way first, then He provided His way later to show that His way is the best way. One of those is Ishmael. God allowed Sarah and Abraham to try in their own strength to get God’s promised child.

    The other instance was King Saul. Israel demanded a king like all the other nations had, so God chose what everyone thought would be a great king. Saul was handsome and tall, a person who looked kingly, even though he was anything but that. After his failure, God chose a man after his own heart, someone who didn’t look so kingly. David was the youngest son, probably in his late teens, not very kingly looking.

    I know these are lame examples, but I think you get the idea.

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  28. Okay, I now have actually looked through the cartoons. There is a creepy one, as the teens of today would say. It shows a lion laying down, looking at a baby wrapped in the British flag. The look on the lion’s face is hard to figure. He is either smiling with gladness that there will be another male in line for the throne, or he is anticipating the taste of that little creature between his paws. I cannot tell what the cartoon means. I think it is supposed to be Aslan form Narnia, hard to tell.

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  29. I didn’t get that one either, Peter. I thought perhaps it had more to do with a Mama Lion looking after her cub. William is supposed to be quite protective of Catherine and now this child after what happened to his mother. (So in this case it would be a Papa Lion?)

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  30. Kim: That’s a good interpretation. With the mane I figured it was a male lion, since females don’t have a mane.

    I just caught up on yesterday’s thread and got a chuckle out of Donna’s light bulb joke. Here’s another:

    How many Bill Gates does it take to change a light bulb? None. He would declare darkness the industry standard. (I saw that one years ago.)

    How many mathematicians? Exactly (2x²+3y³)*(3x³-y)/z. (I made that one up.)

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  33. “God provides until God provides,” seems a worthwhile statement for those going through really tough times as in having to get help from a church or food pantry. To me it means God uses His resources outside of the person’s abilities to provide through their own abilities to produce income or food for their family. Most people, partly because of pride, and also because of the independence of individuals in our nation, do not like to take handouts or charity. I have heard someone who I might consider as needy to say, “I am not a charity case,” when someone offered to give them something they needed. Perhaps the statement, “God provides until God provides,” then can only be appreciated by those who are on the giving or receiiving side of charity. It is a human expression, in my opinion, that is in other words saying, “Get rid of the pride, and appreciate the help God gives in whatever form.”

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  38. Perhaps Pastor Roy tries to write tediously and perfectly for the Lord, and his writing in general is not done in the same manner? The Bible says to do all work as unto the Lord. Not sure if that applies to postings on a blog, but it would seem to indicate so. I need to be more careful to edit what I post, but sometimes I am in a hurry or else if it is a long post, it disappears so I can’t see what I’ve typed.

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  39. Good morning all, it’s only 7:30 in overcast CA.

    I like the Saul/David illustration better than the Ishmael/Isaac one. John the Baptist/Jesus works too. I totally get “God provides until He provides.” I have lived it. There is maintenance and then there is miracle.

    Not a big reader of scriptures that get posted without much context as I have my personal devotions in the OT and the NT. If I read all the ones posted here, on Facebook or twitter I wouldn’t read the Bible in a year I’d read it in a day 😉 That being said I have read some of Roy’s and have noticed some typos, but not as many. Like Roy I am very dyslexic–though years of writing have made me much better at, well, writing–and learning/writing disability does not and should not suggest lack of intelligence. Just because Roy spells only as well as Einstein, does not mean he is not capable of deep thought however difficult its expression. So like others on here I believe Roy. And Roy, I am sorry if the conversation on here today has been hurtful to you.

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  40. Love the For Me and My Gal video. A friend of mine who past away a couple of years ago was a Broadway composer. His two BFFs were Gene Kelly and Judy Garland. Some day I will have to write the sad, sweet story of that little gaggle.

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  42. I have a friend who is quite intelligent, but she, too, had some kind of learning difficulty that was compounded by an accident that did a little more damage. She has a really hard time getting things typed out on a computer and it takes her hours to get it right.

    I hope what I posted did not in anyway hurt Pastor Roy’s feelings. It was mostly a reminder to myself that I should always try to do my best and remember to edit. I do not have an excuse most of the time.

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  43. It’s my daughter’s birthday today and she turned 21. I gave her a pearl necklace of my mother’s as a gift and it was fun to watch her eyes grow big at a family gift.

    Bittersweet to have my baby be a bona fide adult. I can’t decide if that moves me into the “old” category or not! 🙂

    But I’m thankful for this gift that I didn’t welcome after three boys. She’s given me plenty to ponder over the years, and many opportunities to grow outside of myself.

    Not to mention all the tears . . .

    When I was pregnant with her, my mother said, “If you don’t have a girl this time, Michelle, I wouldn’t bother coming home from the hospital.”

    (That was the front page of her birth announcement).

    Her point was, having a daughter is a sweet blessing no matter the challenges.

    So, I say, thanks be to God for knowing better what I needed than I did. 🙂

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  44. 5 hours of sleep? Can’t even imagine … I definitely require 8-9 hours to feel even barely OK by the time I have to get up. 😉

    I’m still pondering the fact that Chas was late today and Elvera beat him to the door for the Y. Go Elvera.

    Like Karen, I simply see the “God provides until … ” phrase as an important reminder that often we don’t see or recognize the very provision God is giving us because we’re waiting for something else (which may or may not be His provision in the long run!).

    It’s a call to remember that God is ever present in our circumstances, providing His grace, strength — and our material needs (if not our many “wants”) — when we are uncertain and anxious about life and feel like God is absent and we must be in some kind of a free fall away from His care.

    We’ve all been through numerous personal crises in our lives and we eventually emerge from those periods. But sometimes in the midst of them, we need to be reminded that God is still providing for our security even though we don’t see the “provision” as such.

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  45. Well those girls are taking their sweet time in getting ready for shopping…they are enjoying their breakfast and memory books too much! I should have given them the books after shopping!
    Just a note about Roy…(I’m talking about you my friend!)….I have known him to be a man of his word and a man of integrity…he has had struggles in his written words, but not in his mind….I once told him he reminded me of my closest cousin Chris…they even look alike…there is a child like faith planted deep within the heart…I cherish our friendship and our bond in Christ….
    let’s all go have another cup of coffee…shall we? 🙂

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  47. Someone asked about Mumsee and The Nest. If anyone would like to contribute you may email me and I will send you the name and address of their church. I have spoken with their pastor and he said just write on the memo line what the donation is for. I do not want to use their last name on the blog. I am at klb1668 at yahoo dot com

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  48. A 1/2-hour nap? What’s even the point of that? 😉

    I am not a morning person, never was, never will be. And I can stay up late with the best of them.

    But I have become pretty consistent about getting to bed sometime between 10 and 11 p.m. and getting up at around 7 a.m. “around” being the operative word. 🙂 Weekends don’t count. I sleep until 8 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays most of the time.

    We had some major thunder early this morning shortly after 4 a.m. and some heavy rain in some areas. When I left work yesterday (we’re very near the beach where it’s always a bit cool & foggy in the mornings and evenings), it was overcast and windy, about 68 degrees.

    It feels like October out here these days.

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  49. It seems my email was hacked. You may have received some health advice from me or some such. It is now taken care of and shouldn’t do it again.
    My apologies.

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  56. You know how you can know an unpleasant &/or hurtful fact, but it isn’t right in front of your face all the time? It’s in the back of your mind, not forgotten, but not dwelt upon every waking moment. Then something comes along that smacks you right in the face with a painful reminder.

    I know Emily is an atheist, & I know (from a comment of hers I read) that she thinks her dad & I must be somewhat ignorant to actually believe this stuff about the Bible & Jesus. I know that. I try not to dwell on it.

    Today, I caught a glimpse of the title of a recently watched documentary on Netflix. Chrissy mentioned that the list of documentaries were ones Emily had seen. (I think she tried to go past this one quickly, but my eye caught it.)

    I looked up the one that caught my attention…

    “The God Who Wasn’t There
    2005 NR 62 minutes
    Borrowing the lively approach of documentaries such as Fahrenheit 9/11 and Super Size Me, ex-Christian fundamentalist Brian Flemming’s exposé shines an unflinching spotlight on Christianity and the existence of Christ. Flemming interviews religious experts and Christians of varying backgrounds, ultimately asserting that Jesus Christ is more than likely a fictional character based on legend and that Christian doctrine is rife with contradiction.”

    Richard Dawkins & Sam Harris, both rabid anti-Christian atheists, were listed as being featured in it.

    My heart is aching for my spiritually wayward daughters.

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  57. Husband was outside our office reading a book when I went to tell him to catch the phone since I needed to use the bathroom. Just as I opened the door to tell him, an odd looking car with something on top drove by. My husband said it was a Google Map car getting shots of this street. Hmmm…and I have a big brother named Goog!

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  59. Karen, That may be a good sign. It may mean she’s doubting herself and looking for confirmation for what she believes. She’s not dumb and she’s heard the gospel. We’ll keep praying with you and it all just might come together for her in God’s time.

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  60. Karen, would it help you to know that I have been there, done that? Who was it that said, “I believe, help my un-belief”? I believe in God. I accept salvation through Jesus Christ, but sometimes in my doubts and un belief—I don’t believe. How could there be a God? How do I know there is an afterlife? Are those who believe without a doubt simpletons? What if there is nothing after this life?

    Then I step back, I pray, “Dear God, I am a fool. Help me. I believe (except when I don’t). A peace comes over me and I am a believer again. I also look back at the evidence in my life that there is a God. (BG is the strongest evidence I have to answered prayer. I was told by several different doctors that I would never have her) When I do that, how could I not believe?

    Two things I hold on to:
    1. Always doubt your doubts.
    2. I believe, help my un-belief.

    Your daughters were raised by you and Lee. I am living proof that if you train up a child in the way it should go when she is old she will not depart from it. They know in their hearts what you have taught them. You may not live to see it, but I have a strong conviction that they will return to what you have taught them. I just can’t prove it to you.

    Someone recently mentioned a book How to Pray for Your Adult Children. Perhaps you want to check it out.

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  61. See? Even more evidence that the training comes back when you need it!

    Mark 9:23-25

    New King James Version (NKJV)

    23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe,[a] all things are possible to him who believes.”

    24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

    25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”

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  62. Jo, how does your version of “This Is The Day” go? Will you sing it for me? 😉

    There was one version of it that I’ve heard, but can only remember the first line: “This is the day that the Lo-ord ha-as made.” If you know solfege, the syllables are (*sol — with an asterisk in front of it — indicates low sol, meaning the sol below “do”): “Do__ do *sol do__ do *sol do re mi fa sol”. [Do__ and do__ are quarter notes, and syllables without a line after them are eighth notes, twice as fast.]

    Anyway, that’s what I’m singing in my head after hearing of you singing the song in the classroom. But I see at lyrics.net when I type in the title “This is the Day that the Lord has Made”, it says there are 17,824 lyrics, 170 artists and 2,465 albums matching that title! So you’re probably singing a different version than the (partial) one I’m remembering. 🙂

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  63. Re: Kim’s 15:45. This was abut 30 years ago.
    Elvera was in the office of Jefferson HS in Alexandria, Va.
    A kid came in and wanted to use the phone. The phone on the desk happened to be an old rotary type.
    He just stared at it. But he got help.
    I remember that the phone company wanted to charge extra for using the pulse rather than dial phone. I never signed for that because the advantage is for them, not me. It saves them time used.
    Same principle. My bank, & others tell me that I can go green and save paper by getting all my statements & bills online. For free!

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  64. Funny you say that Chas. There are still numbers I remember from childhood that I can only remember if I look at a rotary phone. It is like my fingers know where to go on the dial. I still remember one number my mother always told me to dial for her as GL74271

    Because of living where we do in the path of hurricanes I had an old rotary phone – think Big Black and Heavy– until about 2001 that I kept in the bedroom. No power? No problem. I had a phone I could call the power company and complain. We moved from that house in 2001 to a new construction home and the phone wouldn’t work on the phone lines. I don’t know what ever happened to it. It may be in the barn at my stepmother’s.

    Just recently I answered the phone in Idaho. It is a small town so the woman just left me the last 4 digits of her phone number for her call to be returned. When was the last time YOU had that experience?

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  65. I still remember the four-digit phone number my grandparents who lived in town had. Sometime during my childhood, phone numbers went from four to seven digits. I don’t remember our family having a four-digit number, but I remember my grandparents’. (I suppose because I had more occasion to dial their number than ours.)

    My husband’s ring tone on his cell phone sounds exactly like an old rotary phone ringing.

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  66. Kim, I dial just four numbers most every day!!! All of our calls on centre here in Ukarumpa are only four numbers. If we dial off centre we have to use the full number.
    Tychicus, how nice to have a connection. Cal and Steph are very special indeed.

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  67. 6 arrows, you will have to come to my class to hear me sing!
    This is the way I sing it:
    This is the day (echo)
    That the Lord has made (echo)
    I will rejoice (echo)
    and be glad in it (echo)
    This is the day that the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it
    This is the day (echo)
    That the Lord has made

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  69. Linda – Thanks for that different perspective. I wasn’t thinking about it like that, but now I’ll try to see it that way.

    Kim – Thanks for your input, too.

    During the four years she lived with R, Emily was not only under his atheistic & rabidly anti-Christian influence, but also spent a lot of time with his parents, who are involved with a local atheist group. (They’re very nice people, but I have seen the husband post some anti-Christian stuff on Facebook.) Under their influence, she was introduced to these very anti-Christian writings & videos.

    As much as I am concerned for her, I am also concerned for my little Forrest, of course. I pray for my beloveds every day, often with tears.

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  76. Kim, I have dialed only four digits a good part of my life: two years as a teenager, we lived in a small, unincoporporated community–in fact, when we moved there, we briefly had a pary line and were on a waiting list for a private line! And then in college and ten years afterward we used four digits internally, since we “owned” the whole prefix. But elsewhere in Chicago, we had to give ten digits when giving someone our phone number, even within Chicago, since Chicago proper had two area codes and the suburbs had several more. I’m glad to be back in a one-area-code community!

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