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Our Daily Thread 1-15-15

Good Morning!

 Today’s header photo is from Peter.

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On this day in 1559 England’s Queen Elizabeth I (Elizabeth Tudor) was crowned in Westminster Abbey. 

In 1777 the people of New Connecticut (now the state of Vermont) declared their independence. 

In 1863 “The Boston Morning Journal” became the first paper in the U.S. to be published on wood pulp paper. 

And in 1973 President Nixon announced the suspension of all U.S. offensive action in North Vietnam. He cited progress in peace negotiations as the reason. 

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Quote of the Day

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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 Today is Ronnie Van Zant’s birthday. So its “Gimme Back My Bullets” and “Simple Man.”

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Anyone have a QoD?

52 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 1-15-15”

  1. Good morning.
    kathaleena, what is the title of the book you’re reading? I just read three about Lincoln and Mary Todd and it sounds like it would be another good one to read about that time period. Thanks.

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  4. Morning everyone. I had to go back and read the first line again. It didn’t make sense that Elizabeth Taylor would be in Westminster Abby. Strange consequences of scanning.

    😆

    Good thing I reread my comment> I had “first ling”. Spellcheck doesn’t care if’s a word.

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  6. So I come in to work today thinking of everything that is wrong in my life.
    My bosses never seem to have time to talk to me. I went home upset. Mr. P is in pain AND catching a cold. I didn’t fall asleep until after 11 last night, was awake from 2:30-4:30 because someone would not quit snoring, the alarm clock went off at 5:30, the charger cord to my phone is coming apart and I can’t find the electrical tape, it is raining and 40 degrees outside, the dogs come in wet, turn their nose up at their food and go back to bed. Amos is a traitor and is snuggled up next to Mr. P. I look and there they all are: Mr. P, Amos and the cat all in bed, and Lulabelle is on the floor next to the bed. I, on the other hand have to get dressed, get to work, drive in the nasty rain, be cold and tired from lack of sleep.

    I checked my email and there was this to read. “Everything is Grace”. Deep sigh. It chastised me and I decided not to be as grumpy as I was planning on being today. Perhaps you would like to read it:

    http://www.thelittlestway.com/everything-grace/

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  8. It also helps to thank God that you can walk, that you are physically able to get around in ease. It does not lessen the fact that things could be better, but is a reality check that things could be so much worse.

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  10. Well, fleas aren’t just a first world problem . . .

    I’m glad God has a sense of humor. On days like this, someone has to have one! 🙂

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  11. Husband is dealing with looking in the face of not being able to do any of the things he has done in the past. Not even playing Spider on the computer. He is comfortable sitting but not doing anything. That is a major adjustment.

    The real, how do you deal with chronic pain? How do others deal with it?

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  12. Is that the mighty Mississippi, frozen?

    Yes it is. But that was last year. D3 is walking about ten feet from the shore line on thick ice. If we had allowed her, she probably could have walked the half mile to the island in the background. Sometimes we see deer tracks on the snow that falls onto the ice. This year it hasn’t been as cold, so there is only a thin layer of ice, not safe enough to stand on.

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  13. Kim, I read that link a couple of hours ago; I’ve been doing other things since then. It’s pretty good, but the one quibble I’d have is with it trying to help people psyche themselves up that “you’re strong enough to do this.” (I don’t remember is that was the exact wording.)

    A few years ago I found myself seriously ill and in need of life-saving medical care. I was in pain, very weak, losing weight I couldn’t afford to lose, and so forth. I even called a friend once and asked her if she could come and wash my dishes; they were piling up and I didn’t have the strength to deal with just that simple task. For a while my strength was limited to listening to the Bible on tape, talking on the phone periodically, and making myself something to eat or letting Misten into the backyard. Without medical care within a few weeks, I would have died.

    What I learned during that time (and I’m sure AJ has learned, and Mike has learned) is that my strength really doesn’t mean anything. Nothing. I can move my hand because God lets me. I can breathe because God lets me.

    I realized that we talk about the Christian life as though our ultimate goal is getting stronger . . . almost as though we hope over time to be needing God a little less as we can do it on our own better, like a child growing into independence. But that isn’t it at all.

    We need to know we are weak, because we are. But we need to know He is strong, and to lean on Him. We need to trust Him the way a four-year-old trusts her daddy, not the way a thirty-year-old does. And then, in His strength, we are strong.

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  15. Peter, I was just thinking of that phrase “walking on thin ice” this morning when I reflected on a news story I read last night about how more arrests now are being made in France for “hate speech” (referring primarily to anti-semitism, I believe). Thin ice, indeed, whenever someone decides what’s “hate speech” — and what isn’t. And having laws that allow the authorities, whoever they may be at the time, to arrest you for it. Brave New World.

    Meanwhile, lots of prayers needed here today, I see.

    I’ve been reading a new devotional called “New Morning Mercies” by Paul David Tripp this month. Good stuff, puts the gospel front and center every day.

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  17. Cheryl I think she was talking about mentally strong (unless of course it was medical and you needed antidepressants) not physically strong and finding grace in your weakness. It has also been a couple of hours since I read it. Getting these daily emails helps me. I shared today’s.

    Linda and Michelle, thank you for reminding me about “first world problems”. I know a doctor who goes on medical missions and says he has never have to prescribe an antidepressant. 🙂

    That being said, I am tired of that phrase–first world problem. While I have a sense of humor and was having a big ol’ pitty party on the way to work, I read that and changed my attitude. There are people here in the US who are having overwhelming “first world” problems and can’t cope. Being reminded that at least you aren’t living in a dirt hut, while accurate, sometimes isn’t the answer. This isn’t directed at Linda and Michelle. I hear it and read it on Facebook as well. My rant is over and I will go back to work.
    Love to all.

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  19. Mumsee,

    To be honest, badly. I wish I could give you advice that works, but even after 6 plus years I don’t know.

    I thought for a while that the surgeries, therapy, injections, hot pads, ice packs, braces, and medication would get me back where I was. It did not. Pain killers help sometimes, but aren’t something you can take long term because of what they do to your liver and what not.

    The hardest thing is accepting it. I continue to fail in this. I’ve come to accept that this is to be my lot in life, but I’m still mad as you know what about it. I expected that eventually my body would fail me, but I expected to be much older when that happened. But you can’t dwell on it, because it can be all consuming just like the pain. Depression will join the pain if you dwell on nothing else. Mike, like me and Mr. P and others, will have to learn to get beyond that. I’m getting there, at least I hope so. Know your limitations, and don’t get cocky. Every now and again I think well I’m doing that anyway regardless of the pain that comes with it. But when the bill comes due I regret my bravado. It’s not easy, but don’t do what you know you shouldn’t. Pride comes before a fall, but it also comes before the pain. Swallow it, forget it, and move on. Find a hobby that you can manage that brings you some joy and pleasure. You need that release valve.

    One thing that will help is to try and concentrate on what you can still do, as well as how blessed we are to have someone who loves us, helps us, encourages us, and does some of the things I used to. A good woman and wife is worth her weight in gold. I shudder to think how things would be for me now without Cheryl. She has carried me for years without ever complaining. I cannot even begin to put to words what that has meant to me. Even when I’m being an a&% because I’m in pain, short-tempered, and totally distracted, she loves me and does what she can to help. I can’t tell you what a blessing that is. 🙂

    And of course, God. He’s carried us both, because Cheryl has needed Him too. It’s easy to forget that I’m not the only one suffering here, Cheryl is as well. Prayer helps, and knowing that others are praying to is also a help. Take comfort in that. Know that God knows you’re miserable and in pain. And remind yourself that God doesn’t burden us with more than we can bear. I do this every day, because if I don’t, I start to get depressed further by the futility of it all. And everyday, He gets me thru it.

    I wish I had more to offer in the way of advice. I’ll think about it more later. And know that I’m praying for Mike and asking God to help him. The same goes for you. 🙂

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  20. I came back to apologize. I didn’t mean to sound so snippy. I have battled depression for about 15 years now off and on. Sometimes the tapes playing in my mind aren’t kind.
    You are worthless
    You are a screw up
    No one likes you
    You look old
    You look fat
    You know they are going to fire you
    You don’t fit it.
    No one truly loves you

    Last March when BG had been gone a year and I realized she wasn’t coming back, I broke. I had to go to the doctor and admit what some of my thoughts were. I take medicine, but someday’s it just isn’t strong enough

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  21. Kim, no need to apologize to me – I totally understand. And I hope you know that I wasn’t preaching at you or even suggesting that was a miracle solution or a simple answer. It was just the mention of one way I cope with things and a quick-hit way to put things in perspective (sometimes). Love you.
    By the way, you are not worthess or a screw-up, we all like you and love you, you don’t look old or fat, and, in fact, you are beautiful.

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  22. Kim,

    No apology necessary.

    None of those accurately describe you. In fact, I’d say the opposite is true. Remember, Satan is a liar. So when he whispers those things to you, remember, he’s lying because it’s what he does.

    If medication helps, take it. Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed. I’ve tried several to help with mine, but none have worked so far. In fact, some seemed to make things worse, so be careful. 😦

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  24. Kim,
    You are His beloved.
    I have a hard time remembering that.
    I have been deserted twice and have learned to live alone and be strong.
    Still, to believe that I am His beloved is beyond my comprehension.
    Thankful that He sees fit to continually remind me.
    Let our words of appreciation for you also remind you of His love.

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  25. Kim, those negative thoughts are all from the accuser. Eve was the first to give him ear and folks still listen to his lies when he throws things at us.
    When I made my comment about the walking it was more selfishly directed at myself. I was thinking of walking from the parking lot over to the state capitol and on to city hall and being grateful I was able to do that because a few years ago I could not have. I could focus on my grad it de for that or think about the crummy weather I was out in and how my cold might flare back up, and worst of all, when I went into the rest room and saw how the drizzle had totally flared out my hair. I looked in disgust at the mirror while a black lady stood beside me with a beautiful sleek hairstyle and thought, well, I could try straightening my hair, but then I would miss the program.

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  26. When I finished gift wrapping my final group of gifts to send to my friend in a flat rate box for her birthday, I packed the box, and got my mailing tape to seal the box. As I was using that nifty packaging tape dispenser, Miss Bosley went over to the smaller Scotch tape dispenser and began batting it around. 🙂
    She will not be left out of any human activity.

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  27. AJ, I’m assuming that at some point you have said, and I may even have read, but I don’t remember. What was your accident, and what is your condition? If that is too personal, then ignore the question. (Well, you could let me know you’ve at least seen the question by doing a bold, italicized, underlined, all cap “none of your business, Cheryl.”) But I feel like I’m “supposed to” know, and other than knowing you struggle with pain and some limitations because of some accident, I don’t know. (And likely others are in the same position.)

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  29. Kim, I’ve also listened to the accuser when I shouldn’t have 😦 I tend to be hard on myself, maybe we all are at times, I don’t know.

    But often I find myself having to consciously flee to the comfort and reassurance of God’s grace in my mess. Today’s devotional (by Tripp) had to do with how often it is repeated in Scripture that God’s love is unfailing and everlasting. Why would that have to be repeated for us so often, over and over again in some of the Psalms especially, the writer asked?

    Because, he said, our human love is flawed at some level — all of our relationships, no matter how close and how loving, are imperfect, prone to missteps and failure along the way.

    But God’s love for us? That’s perfect and forever — and it’s something that is frankly hard for us to fathom, that he loves us “even when” and “even though” ….

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  30. Peter, I’m glad you wouldn’t let her go out any further. When I saw the picture, my instinct was to say, “No, get back here!” River ice is not to be trusted. When I was in my teens, two little boys drowned playing on the ice on the local river. It took days to find their bodies. Someone always goes through the ice on the local lake, usually snowmobilers that took chances. One year, five people drowned. Natural formed ice must be treated with respect and caution. We go skating on our swamp, but the water is never more than three feet deep in any place, and we don’t want to ruin the ice by going on it when it isn’t properly frozen.

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  31. Cheryl,

    Mind your own business! 🙂

    I’m kidding. 🙂

    OK, short version. In “08 I was hit head on at 50mph by an 87 year old diabetic who passed out at the wheel. Totaled both cars. Got a 30,000 dollar helicopter ride and couldn’t see a thing. 😦

    We both lived, but paid a price. He broke his collar bone and pelvis. They also discovered he had cancer so he was treated for that too.

    I sustained injuries to both knees from the dash board, one which still requires surgery because there’s a big old bone chip floating around. I’ve had injections in both, as well as lot’s of physical therapy. I also now have arthritis in both knees. I hobble when I walk. I can’t sit, stand, or lay for any length of time.

    My right shoulder was the worst and required 2 surgeries and nearly a year of therapy 3 days a week. It’s still not right and never will be. Arthritis, loss of motion, inability to lift more than a few pounds, and frequent daily pain. And now I have carpal tunnel too. It’s also my dominant arm, so I’ve had to learn to do a lot of things lefty now. And now from overuse of the left, I suspect I need rotator cuff surgery too, and so does my doc. And acute tendinitis in the left elbow as well.

    I already had a bad back from a previous injury, the accident made it worse. And my hips have been acting up too. When the knees bother me, it affects the hips and back as well.

    This has prevented me from doing what I’ve pretty much always done, driving for a living. I’ve driven everything from tanks, 18 wheelers, tanker trucks, construction equipment, even those monster size quarry trucks. That is no longer possible. I can’t even drive a car very far without paying a very high price in the pain dept. As you can imagine, when someone losses the physical ability to provide, and live the active lifestyle they prefer, fighting off depression is a daily battle. I’ve also been diagnosed with PTSD. I never knew you could get that from a car accident, but it turns out you can. Yay. 😦

    And that about sums up the short version.

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  32. Linda, I Shall be Near to Thee by Erin Lindsey McCabe is the name of the book. I just finished it. It was very interesting. It is amazing how many women did disguise themselves as men to fight in the Civil War.

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  34. AJ we need to get you, Mike, and Paul together to compare aches and pains. At least two of you can play Scar Search.
    Paul was able to see a civilian doctor today If is A step in A direction.

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  36. AJ, I learned that about PTSD from the WVU ladies cone received last spring, that the major cause of PTSD in our nation is from auto accidents.

    Kim, I still need to contact my friend to see if she can get the names of books that might help with the vet’s PTSD. I guess I have not yet asked because I know her husband has an overload of patients and I don’t want to make him have to think about anything work related while at home. They are still grieving the loss of their cats, and both wife and husband have pain issues, too. She is the one who has not been able to walk much for years now.

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  37. Thanks, the real. You nailed just how he is feeling and I was able to read it to him over the phone. He is helping a neighbor drive to the VA hospital in Spokane. See? He can do something, he can drive and he enjoys it. He does pay for it, though, so that may be on the list for removal as well.

    Yes, PTSD can come from a lot of things. An abrupt, violent life change seems to do it.

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  39. Wow, AJ, either I hadn’t heard that whole story or had forgotten parts of it. And 2008 wasn’t that long ago (well, in Obama years it was a really long time ago,I guess, it feels like 2 decades at least, right?).

    I’ve been blessed with (so far) a fairly problem-free health life, but that, I know, can change in a heartbeat. And it will undoubtedly change with age, I also realize. 😦

    Cat story: I was getting ready to go to bed last night and could hear Annie meowing. But I couldn’t see her anywhere. It was kind of coming from the amoire that sits wedged in a corner. I opened the doors (she does like exploring in there), no cat. But I could still hear her.

    I finally figured out she’d gotten on the top of it and probably jumped down into the corner behind it to explore some more, but then found herself trapped.

    So I had to shove the thing out from the wall just enough for her to get free.

    Cracks me up how endlessly curious cats are, Annie is always exploring and re-exploring cabinets, spaces behind furniture, you name it.

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  43. Wow, AJ, that’s quite a mess!

    Donna, at least she got behind something you physically could move!

    I once had to get Misten out of a serious jam, and it reminded me how very important it can be that our pets (and also our children) can trust us, and that I had taught Misten to obey.

    I had an oak bench in my backyard, and I was sitting on it, and I invited her to come up with me. She wasn’t allowed on the furniture in the house, but I’d sit on that one and she would lie down and put her head in my lap.

    I don’t remember if she made some noise or if I just happened to see, but I looked over and her rear end had slipped off the bench, and from the “waist” down she was behind the bench. Her back paws were on the patio, so at least she had some support. Problem is, there was only something like 2 1/2 inches between the slats on the back of the bench and the slats on the bottom of the bench, and Misten is a lot bigger than that. How her body slipped through, I have no idea. I encouraged her to come back out, and she tried, but I realized that it wasn’t possible. She was stuck. And she was at risk of serious internal injury if she struggled.

    Well, I realized that I could get a screwdriver, and screw a couple pieces loose enough that she could get out. Problem is . . . that meant going into the house, and leaving her there, and she just might panic when I walked away and she tried to follow and realized she was stuck.

    So I stood up, and said in a very firm voice, “Misten, stay!” She couldn’t do anything but stay, of course, but if she “obeyed” me and didn’t try to move, she would be OK, or at least she might be. If she fought, she might have a real problem.

    I got the screw driver and loosened two screws. She knew immediately when it was loose enough that she could get out, and she scrambled out. I carefully felt her abdomen to make sure there was no hint of problems, and nothing felt tender or out of place. Realistically I probably should have taken her to the vet for a checkup, but funds were limited and I just watched her stools and her activity for any sign of problems. I also measured her, and her abdomen at its smallest was something like three times the depth of that gap. (I forget the actual numbers involved.) But somehow she got into it, and she emerged without any injury.

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  44. oh, the frustration of little things
    last week the tv in this home quit working.
    Today I just got out my kindle and added books to it from my computer – I download to my computer and then use the cord to add them to the kindle.
    Now the kindle will not turn on, and yes I did just charge the battery.
    The little light goes on for a moment and then just goes off with nothing happening.

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  46. AJ, I figured you were probably OK with talking about it since you’d made several references to it. But I thought I’d probably missed the “story” and everyone else knew . . . then I realized that in such situations, there usually is more than one person who doesn’t know, so I’d ask. Thank you for telling us.

    My brother lost his leg in an accident years ago. I was so little I don’t remember it (other than vague memories of visiting him in the hospital, but I don’t remember him with two legs). But because of that, I’ve always known life can change in an instant. My best friend’s husband had stitches on a good part of his face during their wedding because of an accident with a drunk driver just a week before–and she could so easily have not had a wedding at all!

    It’s good to know that God is sovereign. I think if I didn’t know that I’d tend toward fearfulness, but I know that He is.

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  47. Reading this thread today through tears and with prayers for all the pain expressed here, but also for all the love shown. This place is truly a blessing to me, and I thank you very much, AJ, for the work you do to keep the blog going.

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  49. Well, I could *barely* shift the amoire, it is very big, tall, cumbersome — and full.

    But Annie’s little, so getting it just a few inches away from the wall gave her enough room to scoot out.

    Guess she was trying to get to Narnia. But there was no snow on her, so I guess she didn’t make it.

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  52. Wait. If books need to be deleted from a Kindle if it gets up around 400 volumes, then it isn’t much of a substitute for a library! I suppose it must have some limits on storage space, but I’d always heard that one benefit is “you can take your whole library with you,” and 400 would about be the A’s. 🙂 But quite a limit, nonetheless.

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