65 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 3-8-22

  1. Good morning Chas. We sure do miss you.
    Good night Jo.
    Good Morning Everyone else.

    Obviously I have been up for while. I’ve read, done morning prayers, and am about to get dressed. Mr P has several doctor’s appointments today so I am home on MiMi duty. Luckily Little Miss has preschool today so I can still get some things done. I have a Zoom meeting at 1 and that is when she gets out of school. I may have to get her early. I am sure there will be no nap this afternoon. She only naps for Papa but I have to remind myself that BG gave up naps at 18 months and this one will be 4 next month so we’ve been lucky.

    Lots going on around here. Mr P will have surgery on the 23rd to re-position the stimulators in his back and to put a new battery in one.

    Liked by 4 people

  2. It is a balmy 10 degrees here and we have been up since 4. Rolled the trash can down to the road, walked around the property with puppy on leash as the deer have been coming through several times a day and I don’t want to have to chase a chasing puppy! 😊
    Kevin yesterday you mentioned about getting a puppy at our age. In hindsight I would never have done this. Late 60’s retired and enjoying time to read, sew, relaxing morning coffee in a nice warm home. Now trudging in the snow 10 degrees outside at 4am and no time for anything but watching a hyper puppy…yep…would never recommend. I am hopeful that she will turn out to be a great dog but right now I’m just tired….. 😂

    Liked by 4 people

  3. Good morning. 4 am seems to be the time today. Up since 3.40. I slept from about 2pm yesterday, so feel really rested.

    I bought Trey a bag of cheerios in honor of Chas. I am hoping that our love and prayers are sustaining him and his family.

    Liked by 3 people

  4. Good morning. My husband and I were just discussing the virtues of having a dog to walk. I know those who get lots of steps in that way. Then I mentioned that I would hate to see our yard after all the deep snow melts, if we had a dog going out every day to do his business. 😦 Pros and cons to everything, I guess.

    Jo, can’t blame a man for trying. Asking is probably a smart thing to do.

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  5. Bible done. Exercise done. Breakfast done. Husband off to Highway District meeting. Guess it is time for school! We generally do a bit of algebra until everybody is situated and then hop into Revelation. They really like the pastor who is speaking so that is encouraging that they are hearing things.

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  6. Kathaleena, that’s why our dog’s outings are almost always on a leash. The yard is too much of a mess to let him out on his own unless we wanted to give him a bath every day. One of my goals for this year is to landscape the back yard so we can let him out there.

    But this way we do get lots of steps.

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  7. Good almost-afternoon, Chas.

    Hi everyone. I have a short break while the still-schooling arrows are at this moment working on memorizing the poems they selected from the Emily Dickinson poetry collection we’ve been studying this school year. Fifth Arrow chose “To March” — March indicating the month — and Sixth chose “The Snow,” of which we have a supply on the ground around here.

    NancyJill, I surely wouldn’t want to be walking a puppy at 4am! There, I said it, too. 😉

    When Hubby worked in the propane-delivery service years ago, he had enough experiences with dogs and their — ahem — excrement in various places that he decided we would never have dogs.

    So far he hasn’t changed his mind. 🙂

    I think I was going to say something else, but I’ve forgotten what it was, and now the timer went off. Time for math!

    Have a good day, everyone, whichever day it is for you.

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  8. Not at all, NancyJill. I love doing the outside chores around here. When it is not wet and muddy or cold and icy. So I have children build character by doing it for me. I keep telling husband we need to down size because in a few years, we may well be empty nesting again.

    So they do them now. I will do them when the weather clears up mid spring until the rains or snows come in the fall. Or I may leave them on anyway and spend my time gardening and mowing.

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  9. We just finished up our Bible study and prayer group time. It is a blessed group of ladies that God put together, and thanks to Zoom we have been sticking together despite distance and some ladies moving on to membership in other churches.

    One lady uses Logos Bible study app to help in her studies of God’s word. I want to look into that myself. She said it is a free app.

    Like

  10. Back to work on my Salvation Story. I talked to Wesley last night and asked about the ones he does for his employment applications, and he said they are not so detailed as this one.

    Like

  11. I remember Logos, it was one of those really early Bible apps I heard about after I got my first home computer in the late 1990s.

    Staff call is done, another day launches. Should be an easy one though. And I still need to get those dog meds picked up, almost running out of a couple of them now, so I think I’ll let my editor know I’ll take an hour or 90 minutes to get that done this morning.

    Now a few others are running low, though, so I’ll have to turn around and put in yet another order …

    I’ve always adopted dogs that were about a year, maybe 2 years, old. Working full time didn’t allow me to go the puppy route and I don’t think i’d want to do it now anyway. My neighbors always get their Labs as puppies, and they are adorable. But …

    I really miss the walking now that my dogs aren’t able to do that (at the most slow strolls that are only a few blocks for Tess, 0 for Cowboy now). We used to head out after dark and take in quite a distance throughout this neighborhood every night. I really miss that.

    Sometimes I’ll drive by one of those blocks and be surprised when I notice a new house going in, or other changes — it’s so strange because these were places I saw every night — and I just haven’t seen so much in my own neighborhood for a while.

    The doctor’s office left a voicemail saying they wanted to set up a new virtual appt in April for me with the new GP, who is a woman but they said they don’t know her name yet. I guess that works, I’ve wanted to run the knee issue by the GP, I had the MRI sent over there (I also need to make sure they have that).

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  12. We (my family of origin) had dogs when I was growing up. Never had to walk them; they did their business outside somewhere on the farm grounds.

    I do remember when our dachshund was a puppy, newspapers scattered across the kitchen floor for a time.

    I enjoyed having dogs, but am ok with not having them now. We have cats, and of course our pet turtle, who is my favorite. 🙂

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  13. Lunch break is almost done. I think of Chas so often during our breaks and want to check in here to see how things are going with the family.

    Love and prayers, Chas, Linda and Chuck and family.

    Liked by 3 people

  14. I have a decent-size, fenced backyard for my dogs so they have their outdoor space (and access in-and-out via a pet door flap, but both are having trouble navigating that now.

    Still, it’s nothing like a farm.

    That was always my dad’s argument against “dogs in the city,” he didn’t think they belonged anywhere but on a farm (he grew up on one) or ranch.

    Dogs do like to get out and sniff, so I’ve found it’s not only great exercise for me but good stimulation for them. They love “seeing” and smelling the neighborhood. 🙂

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  15. And get inspiration (or make silent judgement calls – “what were they thinking?”) surveying house styles, paint colors, charm and curb appeal elements, fence styles, landscaping. lol

    Liked by 1 person

  16. We have just about three acres with no fence. Deer,Bobcats, a bear, a mountain lion, elk , porcupine , raccoon and coyote have wandered through. I would love to open the door and let her go but that cannot happen yet. A bobcat crossed the neighbor’s driveway 2 days ago as I was watching out the front window. Lu stays on the property but as an adult dog she has been attacked by coyote twice. Then there was the time she ran after and treed the bobcat a couple months ago! And my other dogs were not alpha dogs…this one definitely is…and hardheaded about it too! We need to train her to know she is not the boss😂 ( I find myself apologizing to Lulah all the time!)

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Sounds like a cat, not Annie, but maybe one of my neighbors’ two cats, was mauled and killed a little while ago by the dog over my back fence.

    That wasn’t pleasant to hear, the dog owners were yelling and shrieking at the dog to “Let it go! Stop!” but it just went from bad to worse, one of those cases where you just hope the cat died (and I’m quite sure it did). Horrific to listen to, woman through the fence heard me & said she wasn’t sure whose cat it was. I finally had to just go inside and close the door.

    I’ve seen the neighbors’ cats, LiLu and Betty, head over there but they’re clearly wary of the dog when it’s out and in the backyard. My guess is the dog was inside but was let out when one of the cats was already back there thinking it was safe.

    Poor thing.

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  18. Keva was so well behaved, he would do his business off in the bushes where we didn’t need to clean up. Duke on the other hand….so gross. And yes, as the snow piles melt, we pick up and pick up and pick up – we try to do it first thing in the morning when it’s still frozen. Then more melts out during the day. Ugh. But to me it is worth it to have a dog.

    Liked by 2 people

  19. Well, the cat is still alive but back leg is in bad shape. Dog owner came over, sounded like it was Betty, the neighbor’s cat, so he’s over there now talking to them; said he’d take the cat to the vet if they weren’t around.

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  20. The wild can be cruel. Most dogs lose on the cat front but when a cat loses, either the dog pays a significant price but continues through rage or the cat was declawed and that is just extremely sad.

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Yeah, cats are good at escaping, too, but she must have been cornered. The back part of their yard is very wooded and that’s where this happened, I could hear them banging against the fence. The owners got the dog away once, but then he got loose and went right back at it, by that time the cat was badly injured, I’m sure.

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  22. Yes, the back leg indicates it was in flight, perhaps headed up a tree or the fence. Hopefully, the vet will make a good call and the cat will have minimal suffering either as it heals or the other.

    Liked by 3 people

  23. Lots happening on here this morning. Folks have dogs here but when they go on furlough have to find someone to watch it. Lately dogs have been stolen, so they are saying you have to keep them inside at night.

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  24. And a cornered cat can often make dogs just back off. We took in a big cat named Nancy who belonged to an elderly neighbor who died and she moved as little as possible, preferring to sleep in the house day and night.

    But when we got terriers, one would sometimes chase her through the backyard (which we figured was the only real exercise she ever got). But when they got to the back fence, she’d turn and the dogs would meekly back off and come back into the house.

    This morning’s attack must have been a case where the dog came up on her so fast that she just didn’t have time to get out of the way. 😦

    She’s a young adult cat, so very agile and savvy about the outdoors; and I’m sure she knew there was a dog in that territory but was able to tell when dog was in or out.

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  25. Good caution from The Gospel Coalition:

    When the Viral Video Is Too Bad to Be True

    ~ When pastors stepped into the pulpit 20 years ago, they held a knowledge advantage over most church members. They usually knew more about the Bible, more about other Christians around the world, more about history and theology. That didn’t mean the congregations would always agree. But to disagree often required too much time, money, and effort for busy laypeople.

    Now you need nothing except a social media account. As Patrick Miller observes in his new article, 19 of the top 20 Christian Facebook pages are run by foreign troll farms. That viral video you shared recently? It might be a deepfake. Such misinformation or disinformation has wreaked havoc in our churches, which have been targeted by foreign agents.

    So how can anyone know what to trust in an uncurated world now dominated by opaque algorithms? If the story confirms everything you want to believe about your enemies, pause before clicking that share or retweet button. It might be too bad to be true.

    We live in a dangerous world, with evil rulers bent on destruction, as we’ve seen recently from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Be careful! Sometimes the cosmic powers over this present darkness pose as your friend online (Eph. 6:12).

    COLLIN HANSEN
    Vice President and Editor in Chief

    https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/avoid-misinformation-disinformation-online/

    ~ The video brought tears to my eyes. A Ukrainian father wept as his wife and daughter boarded a bus to flee the country. His daughter’s hands stretched toward him in a silent plea to leave with the family. His wife’s eyes were swollen and red with tears already spent.

    There was only one problem.

    It wasn’t actually a Ukrainian soldier. It was a Russian soldier. The news agency sharing the story got it all wrong. They probably found the story on Twitter.

    Speaking of Twitter, a day before I saw that photo, a friend texted me a screenshot of a tweet by Matt Walsh where he claimed most Americans (including himself) experience pedophilic desires. I was shocked, so I visited his page for more context.

    Sure enough, the tweet had gone viral and Matt was responding to it. But not because it was real. He was responding because the image was a photoshopped fabrication. …

    … In one week, I narrowly avoided one case of misinformation and two cases of disinformation. But rather than feeling pride, I asked myself, how many falsehoods slipped past my radar? Probably more than a few.

    God’s ninth commandment—do not bear false witness—is being obliterated by social media (Ex. 20:16). Where untruth takes root, social trust declines. Friends begin doubting friends because we increasingly agree, “I can’t tell what’s true anymore.”

    Jesus warned his followers, “I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16). In the era of the social internet, this means rejecting the temptation of cynicism while simultaneously growing wise to how falsehood spreads. Currently, two kinds of falsehood thrive on social media: misinformation and disinformation. Understanding both is the first step toward resistance. …

    Liked by 4 people

  26. Do all of you pet owners have arrangements for someone to take care of your pets if something should happen to you? When we are younger, we don’t think of things like that, but it is a good thing to consider. In my case, Nightingale has promised to take care of Heidi and the kitties if I should die before they do.

    What brought this question to mind today was a Facebook post by an animal shelter trying to find a home for an older dog whose owner had died. They said that the dog was scared and not doing well with the noisiness of the shelter. I’ve seen similar posts about dogs or cats whose owners died and they ended up in a shelter. I know that they are “only animals”, but it makes me sad.

    Liked by 2 people

  27. When Mr. P and I went out of town I had two different conversations with ex-husband concerning Amos. He had “medical power of attorney” over Amos and swore to me that if anything happened he would take care of it and if need be he would hold Amos until the end. I am lucky.

    Liked by 3 people

  28. Well, Espn belongs to daughter so she would take her back. The cats belong to the house so would probably stay with it. Fourth daughter plans to take the horses in a couple of months. The sheep and goats could be butchered and eaten. Same with the chickens and turkeys and rabbits. And seventh son’s wife would love to take Jake. So, I guess we are covered.

    Liked by 1 person

  29. Yes, they do mark their territory.

    Someone once said it’s like reading the daily news (or like Facebook nowadays) for dogs, to go on a walk. They learn who came by before them, then they add their 2-cents / comment for the next dog that comes along, and on it goes.

    Liked by 1 person

  30. It is now known that I am in process of changing churches. Pastor 1 broke the ice with a text/question about son. It was a good opening for me to say I was probably going to join the other church. It is all being handled diplomatically by both of us. I was informed he is friends with the other pastor which I had already assumed. My reason to leave is true: more opportunities for me to serve using my skills and talents in the larger church. That is enough said.

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  31. We had a dog that killed our neighbour’s cat and then later on a stray – both had wandered into the fenced yard. Sigh. It was very sad and we felt terrible. This dog also got out of the yard once and managed to steal a coyote pup right from the den and bring it home!!! It was very young (too young to have left the den) and husband had to finish putting it down. Every time the coyotes howled after that, I told the dog they were coming for him (he had the grace to look scared and guilty)

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  32. coyote karma

    Interesting as I see owners of a dog that kill a cat — even if it’s in their fenced yard — can be held financially liable, mainly I’d guess for vet bills but also for damages. Cats are considered property.

    Liked by 1 person

  33. Thank you for your prayers. They are being felt by our entire family. Today we moved Charlie to Beacon Place our local Hospice house. Caring for him at home was getting harder and we could not make him comfortable. As we sit with him tonight he is sleeping peacefully and is getting excellent care from the nurses.

    Liked by 6 people

  34. Oh Linda. I saw your name and my heart hurt for a second. I know this has been hard on all of you.
    By the very fact that you are all Chas’ family we love, support, and pray for you. He knows how much you all care and are doing what is right for him and for all of you.
    There is little left we can do for our friend but we can lift you up and pray for peace for all.
    He always called Elvera The Sweetest Woman in Earth to us. Many of us (me-it’s me) think he must be The Sweetest Man on Earth. The proof is in how much his family lives and cared for him
    Blessings to you all.

    Liked by 5 people

  35. Linda, we do think of you and the others in Chas’ realm much like hovering angels caring for him at this special time. If we ourselves had angel wings and supernatural transport systems we’d be hovering right with y’all. If he tolerates hugs, please give him a few extra from each of us each day and remind him how much his blog family loves him and have felt blessed by his prayers through the years. May you all get some needed rest now. Thankful he can be more comfortable where he has moved to for now.🙏

    Liked by 3 people

  36. Linda, Thanks for making the hard decisions and giving Chas the rest that he needs.
    We are praying for you all.

    It is getting hard to come on the blog.

    Liked by 5 people

  37. To add to my earlier comment about pets, I have decided to not have any more pets after my current ones die. I will still be able to share Nightingale’s dog Janie or any other pets she might add to our home, so I won’t be totally missing out, but won’t have all the responsibilities that go along with them.

    Liked by 1 person

  38. I was digging thru the photos and found some of Chas, his family, and even some of you with him. So over the next few days I will share them with you all again, and his family. 🙂

    Liked by 5 people

  39. Many thanks for your 7:43 update tonight, Linda. To your whole family:

    The Lord bless thee and keep thee.

    The Lord make His face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee.

    The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace.

    Liked by 3 people

  40. I was thinking of Jo’s comment about people going on furlough and finding care for their dogs and remembered the Greeks going on August vacation back to the islands, and leaving the dogs on the street for somebody to care for. If you all go, who does the caring seemed a reasonable question.

    Liked by 2 people

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