46 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 4-14-16”

  2. Good evening, Jo. I hope things are going well for you and your children as they process losses.

    I have another sense of loss myself from not getting to go on my planned conference trip. It’s not such a loss as those children are dealing with. And there will be other conferences.

    I am happy that Miss Bosley is being my purring neck warmer instead of going out to her boarding school this morning. She is a happy homebody.

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  4. Must have had insomnia to be up at 2:01 EDST.
    I wasn’t feeling well so I went to bed at 8:30 last night. Went right to sleep. I woke up at ten and was wide awake.. I finally got back to sleep. It was that way all night. But this morning, I slept to seven.

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  6. Consolation prize is I get to take the rental car back this morning and get my car back!!! When the Enterprise shuttle guy drove me from the dealership to their rental location, he took a back route that took us down main street of the town within the city I grew up in. It has been a number of years since I was on that main street and it has lots of new things. The driver was pointing out all the nice places he could take a date to for dinner. I was amazed at how it all looked. The building that housed my doctor’s office when I was a child still looks about the same. But truly, I could go over there and feel like I was a sightseers in my hometown. And I would not have known that except for the car situation.

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  7. Good Morning Everyone. I am going out with the sales rep this morning. It works better today because Guy will be in a CE class and unable to communicate. It is still rainy and dreary here, but this is the best day for me to do it. I am trying to keep an open mind about it. Part of me balks at the idea but the other part looks at the money and the fact that I have to do something and after talking to a friend yesterday who is 60 and thinking she is no longer marketable, I probably need to do something sooner rather than later.

    QOD: One of the other interviews I went on it for a rather large company. They donate MILLIONS to various charities and each employee is given $25 a pay period that will be donated to the charity of their choice. Sounds like a great company doesn’t it? The flip side is that they only offered me $10 an hour for the job they needed done. Does that sound a little off to you? Perhaps if they increased the pay and got quality people they would be able to donate even more to charity rather than letting out the rumor of how much they donate and then scrimping on wages?
    Thoughts?

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  8. Kim, it does seem an odd way to offer a perk. Some people might want to donate that money to their church and I doubt that is on their list of “charity of your choice.” It seems a bit like using employees to self serve the interests of the employer. It somehow seems to lack true integrity.

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  9. The verse which has been haunting me the last couple months is out of Timothy: “A workman/workwoman is worthy of his/her hire.”

    When that one kept coming up in regards to a decision I was making, I asked for a different verse. I got Luke 10:7 which basically says the same thing.

    That was me. I do not know what God is saying to you.

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  10. In other news, I feel very honored to be asked to participate in a book of essays coming out next year in honor of Oswald Chambers entitled Our Utmost for His Highest: Reflections on the Legacy of Oswald Chambers.

    The invitation came out of the blue and the other writers are well known. So thankful they asked me, too.

    Biography announcement coming in a week or two yet, so I’ll have two OC projects coming out in fall 2017. Exciting.

    And what will probably be for me the final historical novella collection releases in book form this June, The 12 Brides of Summer. My story is The Sunbonnet Bride which came out as an ebook last summer and in a Walmart special called The Prairie Summer Brides.

    It was fun to write those novellas and I learned a lot, but I’m proudest of the work I’ve done on my own–Bridging Two Hearts and the current projects.

    I was tempted the other day with a novella collection called Sea Brides, in which I could write a romance about the first development of submarines in the 19th century. Terribly tempting, but my agent had to shake me back to what’s important and I muttered from Nehemiah for a day: “I am doing a good thing, I cannot come down.”

    So, to England 1919 for me today! The war is OVER!!!!

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  11. Well, the car is a bit like the House that Jack Built. Getting one part off has damaged another, but it too is covered by the warranty, and they have it in stock.

    Good thing I am not trying to reach my previously intended destination by dark! And good thing Juanita did not have her ER problem while we were traveling! God is good! I was concerned about taking care of her on the trip in her frailty, but I was willing to take care of her so she could have a good trip. Her oxygen tank makes things challenging, but, hey, God already gave me Karen, on her ozygen tank and at times a wheel chair, so I consider it the norm.

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  12. Interestingly, to me, is that eighteen year old son (the one working as a cabinet maker) has only been paid once since he started working there three months ago. He is the one I have been concerned is being taken advantage of. But he is fine with it. I don’t think they are charging him rent, he gets to shoot guns, drink alcohol, and smoke cigs. He is a happy boy. He also learned that he does not like to smoke cigs or drink alcohol but still likes to shoot guns.

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  14. My grandson is thinking of becoming a Marine after he graduates high school, which will be next year. His parents are not happy, since he can go to a great university tuition free. We are all praying for wisdom for them all, of course.

    Watching anyone learn the hard way is one of the special pains of loving others. God must know that pain the most.

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  16. Chas, he was unable to do the schoolwork to get a diploma and dropped out of the GED program to be a cabinet maker. He is one of two boys of the nine who has had no interest in the military. But he does like guns. We suggested he get a job at the ammo manufacturers but he doesn’t have the GED or diploma. Certainly limits one.

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  18. KI, fourth daughter could have gone to any Northwest University for free as a former foster child and with her academic ability, on scholarships. Instead, she chose to take out a student loan and then drop out. No understanding some of their choices but we still love them.

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  21. Second and third sons think it worked for them and so far, fourth son is delighted with his choice of the Navy. Though I see they had a rather good size earthquake over where he is.

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  22. Kim, I’m not seeing how those two facts relate to each other. The charity sounds lovely. The salary should be based on the requirements and duties of the job within the marketplace and really doesn’t have anything to do with how the company spends their profits. Or am I missing something?

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  23. This is my lazy day….no where to go, staying home to strip sheets, put sheets back on, make beds, mop, vacuum, wash Windows…etc. I opened all my windows to let in the last breath of spring air before the now predicted 18 inches of snow starts falling tomorrow night and ending on Monday. The Comcast crew is in the hood to lay cable for Internet service in our area….each neighbor is paying 2500 dollars for them to do so….yesterday they cut a phone line…and today, the day I have the windows open, they hit the gas line….I knew immediately….the fire chief, ambulance and a big ol’ firetruck are out on the road….the workers are sitting on the neighbor’s property…I’m praying for no explosions…..and protection for us all….

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  24. Linda, I think Kim’s point is the company boasts of being charitable, but they are not charitable, but are rather stingy in paying their employees. They are noisy about their goodness, but it’s like false advertising. I think there may be a Bible verse that indicates charity begins in the home. I think that applies.

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  25. Finally at home, Lord willing, for 4 days in a row. I have been on the go, either working, watching grandchildren, or other things for the past 3 weeks. We got to go help with the local food pantry this morning.

    On my way home yesterday, I go to stop and see my youngest daughter’s best friend who recently had a baby. What a sweet time! I also got to stop to see an old friend who has moved to be with his son. He is in his upper 90’s. He was tending his son’s custom boot shop, as they had gone OOT for medical appointments. He was sitting in the sun reading his Bible when we came in. His wife was my mentor for many years. I miss her so!

    I noticed yesterday that less than 1 in 10 pump jacks were actually pumping. That is more than last week, when I would have said 1 in 15. I hope we are not importing a drop of foreign oil.

    I must get busy as I have hay and wood to unload.

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  26. Janice, How do we know they are stingy in paying their employees? We don’t have any idea what job they were offering $10 an hour for. Couldn’t that be a very fair rate for the job in that market?

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  27. Michelle, what is bothersome to you about that verse you mentioned? I have not looked up its context. I think God judges the hearts and abilities of people, and like the story of Martha and Mary, He could see that someone does not choose the most important thing according to His judgement. By earthly standards someone may be very weathy because they’ve raked in bunches of money by stepping on other people along the way. They earned their wages. But earthly rewards are not all that should be important to a believer. I keep coming across the Martha and Mary story in my readings lately so that is why I brought it up. Some people I know work so hard to earn their wages, but have no time for God.

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  28. Kim’s question, I was also perplexed. Wondered who was telling the world how much they were giving and why. But a company gets to decide how much to pay the people, other than the minimum wage deal. And the people get to decide whether or not to work for the company. Some folks want more money in their pocket, others are happy with less if their work satisfies them and they like the company. Maybe folks like working for this company, it has a kind atmosphere, and it works. Maybe not and they are scrounging for workers at low pay to make ends meet. Not enough information.

    Kind of like, if I know a farmer who has thousands of acres and some nice equipment, it does not mean he has lots of money in his pocket.

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  29. Irony, Janice. When I asked for a different verse, God gave me the same one. That’s when I hit my palm on my forehead and thought, “I guess that’s the message.”

    It has turned out very clearly to be the message for me in this decision.

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  31. Linda, the company is desperate to fill this position, but either the candidate is not qualified or is unwilling to work for that amount. Even in the Sunny South that is now a competitive wage for the job. It is a customer service/sales position calling on clients all over the world. You don’t want just anyone with poor speech and little knowledge talking to multi-million dollar projects in Dubai.
    My view is that if they paid a competitive amount to the right person they would increase to the amount that they could still give away 8 million or so a year. The job was tailor made for me, but I cannot work for that little. I currently don’t make enough, which is why I am out looking again.

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  32. Thanks, Kim. The additional information fills in the gaps. Sounds like you are right, but like Mumsee alluded to, eventually, they’ll get the message.

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  33. When I made my comment on Kim’s comment, I was taking into account that Kim knew the job and what others offered in comparison for the type work. I agree that it is that management’s choice to do what they wish on compensation and charitable giving. But they could be making a mistake with their choice. I am just supportive of how Kim is viewing the situation. Something about the situation is not right. My brother sees situations where companies take advantage by making it look like they are giving something when they really are taking advantage of less than knowledgeable people. He has done a lot of job searches. So I guess some of my thought is also based on his experience as reinforcement.

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  34. I want Kim to get that job as a cook and get paid fifty dollars an hour. Which is even more than she made here. But, I suspect, she enjoys cooking more as a hobby than a full time occupation. And, Kim, you know what your job skills are worth. Did you tell the company so they could consider it? Sometimes, they are more than happy to hire a more qualified person at a lower rate unless the person speaks up and then they are willing to adjust. At least, that is how it has happened for husband in husband’s world. Not being an employed person, I don’t really know.

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  36. On my way back from picking up my car, I stopped by Lowe’s and got a flat of ajuga to plant where it got wiped out last year. I hope it will do well considering how much got demolished. Since I got stuck in some utility truck work along the main road I took a back road where some friends from high school lived with their families. The neighborhood looks completely different since about half the houses have been turned into McMansions after having been ranch type houses. I keep finding I no longer recognize my home stomping grounds. It seems rather strange in some ways.

    Allergies are wearing on my eyes. I had to do my usual rounds of picking up financial reports from Art’s church and then going to the pharmacy to pick up his meds. I guess it is good I am here to be the gopher in action 🙂

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  37. I read Oswald Chambers as I eat breakfast. Today, after reading the April 15th entry, I was blessed to read August 28th on prayer and think on Michelle and the article she will be writing on how this post impacted her life. Powerful

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  38. I enjoyed the L’Engle article. Fourteen year old “different” daughter has had me reading those aloud to her. It is amazing how much she picks up from it. We are starting the fifth book this evening, I think.

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  39. AJ here,

    The exam went better than I thought. This doctor actually seemed to do his job, and actually examined me. 🙂

    I’ll know more in a month or so.

    Thanks for praying all. 🙂

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  41. I’m white

    Got my results from Anscestry DNA … 77% Great Britain;
    12% Ireland;
    9% Scandinavian

    With minor ‘trace’ genes from Finland/northwest Russia and Italy/Greece

    100% European

    AngloSaxon, baby, that’s me

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