Good morning. I am still recouperating from yesterday when I got up at 5:30 a.m. to fix lunch for my brother and Wes (but he left early). I had to do it early since I had group Bible study when I would have made lunch normally. So I missed two hours of sleep to start the day.
Then I was dealing with frustration over getting a prescription filled. They called Art’s office (that number is not even in my new patient portal) and then they sent it to a pharmacy we have never used.
I was scheduled for two appointments back to back at radiology with a nurse’s visit first which never happened. Then one machine was broken so everyone in the waiting room had a long wait even after they’d been called and asked to delay their arrival time. Since I was new, I had not been informed to arrive later.
The whole system continues to have growing pains. They have just switched over to a new system wide patient portal/communication service. They appreciate our patience while the kinks get worked out😀
Speaking of that: The floor in my bathroom has yet to be replaced. Spoke today with the manager. So tired of this nonsense which has gone on for years, ever since my bathroom rehab.
On a lighter note: I am reading a novel and the characters were decorating a Christmas tree—with strings of chokecherries. Hmmm. Whoever wrote that clearly never had a chokecherry. No one could string a chokecherry because of the big pit. Cranberries, yes, chokecherries, no.
Regarding today’s date: Today is younger granddaughter’s 10th birthday. When DIL was expecting, the doc “warned” her not to go into labor on the previous day because they were overloaded with scheduled cesareans, it being 10/11/12.
I’m grateful I can still be productive and work, I am thankful to have a paying job.
I will be repeating that to myself more than a few times today, I suspect.
The home office space isn’t as pulled together as I’d hoped it would be, but it’ll have to work. The desk is much better, though still a little cluttered.
Kathaleena, would there even be chokecherries around by Christmas? Ours are all gone by mid-August! Between bears and birds and coyotes (and us). Then any that are missed drop off and rot…
So many frustrations in the world. I just called to book my annual physical with my doc and I need to have bloodwork done first (this is different) and it can take 3 – 4 weeks to get an appointment to get that done – you used to just walk into the lab and wait your turn. C really changed so many things.
I filed the update with state disability that I’d returned to work and they actually called me almost immediately to confirm. Kind of shocking as it’s such a massive bureaucracy that usually takes 5-7 days (they tell you online) just to process anything you send in to them. But it’s especially good as the payments will be up to date so I won’t owe any money back to the state (original tentative return date they had was 10/28).
Lots to catch up on, I sat out on the front porch during the staff call as we were getting a wonderful spate of thunder and rain and I couldn’t resist being outdoors (but under the porch roof) to enjoy it all! It was quite a show.
Busy time as I’m returning — elections (and stories to do) looming, Biden’s in town for 2 days (I’ll only be involved if he stops at the port, but looks like he won’t so far), some holiday packages to pitch in on including a multi-school “scary story” contest we sponsor every year, the Christmas Boys & Girls Club athletic ball drive which we also sponsor every year and I’ll be doing all the promos for, LA City Council controversy blowout is ongoing which I may get partially roped into as our CC reporter left on Friday, and just a lot of general catching up to do on my beats, especially the two ports as they weren’t covered a lot in my absence, though main contact on the LA side is out for the Jewish holidays, he told me when we talked a few days ago that he’d be back next week and his assistant is available (but not as helpful as he is). Our local LA City Council race, an open seat this time, was lightly previewed by another one of our reporters a couple days ago, but is really my territory so I will probably need to do something more on that.
Meanwhile, my home work station definitely needs work, I can see now w/desk and chair setup. I may need a back support pillow or two …
Senior editor also is in PT right now for arm issues, this sitting at a computer so long simply is not very good for us. 😦
She only interrupted me three times before her sister came in wearing a blue cast.
The real problem was the computer announcing no internet, then when reluctantly admitting I did have an internet connection, refused to let me log into my email.
We live in such wonderful, glorious times of . . . technology, right?
Just don’t be smug when the rest blame you for the suffering, kinda like now, when the Biden candidate wins again. By not voting, you allow the Bidens, so you need to own that.
That’s reality.”
But did you see Debra’s statement? “The power is really not in our hands through our votes; it’s in the hands of God according to his timing.”
The Bible tells us that God raises up rulers according to His will, and oftentimes, those rulers are not good. So Christians can vote however they prayerfully feel is right – or not vote at all – and God will raise up whomever He chooses. If it was God’s will for Trump to be president instead of Biden, then that is what would have happened. But it didn’t. Don’t blame your brothers and sisters in Christ whose consciences could not vote the way you thought they should, and don’t blame us for what happens under Biden.
The names change but the game is the same. My liberal friend use to get so mad that I had voted for Trump when he became president. It was my fault that in her opinion our nation was going to hell in a hat basket. I kept saying that based on where we live that my vote was not one that really counted. That being said, as long as I can I will honor the priviledge of casting my vote and fulfill my civic duty. I did that before being a Christian and also after being a Christian. I encourage all to do that but know that some will choose not to do so. That is part of living in the “Land of the Free.”
Should this be on the political thread?
Every vote cast is for a “lesser of two evils” as men and women in this world are all fallen to some degree. Most of us have no problem with casting a vote in those situations (well, not “no” problem but we understand the reality of the world).
I have never not voted for president until 2016 and 2020. My former pastor told me he had to come to the same decision, both of us reluctantly.
Sometimes choices strike our individual consciences as even beyond a “lesser of two evils” decision. And then we must be bound by that in faithfulness to something(Someone) higher, trusting that — as has been said — God’s providence will prevail in all cases. And that will include both good and evil rulers to be over us, according to his will.
We do the best we can in these difficult choices — and hopefully understand that others are making a good-faith effort to do the same.
(summarized) ~ The major theme of Habakkuk is trying to grow from a faith of perplexity and doubt to the height of absolute trust in God. Habakkuk addresses his concerns over the fact that God will use the Babylonian empire to execute judgment on Judah for their sins. ~
On a lighter note…. I am getting a reputation and it is not good. You see in the last week I have had my phone ring during a funeral and several Bible studies. Nothing seems to stop it except that mute button which I hate to push because I don’t remember to turn it back on. They are all laughing.
Continuing saga of my house: the sheetrock folks finished and two of today’s calls were him telling me where to meet him to pay. It looks good.
Turns out that my painter is in Texas so we will meet next week. Plumber called and we will talk this evening. Who knew it would involve so much.
Now about those floors. Can’t remember if I already reported this. I called them yesterday and got a new bid based on leaving out a lot of the rooms. It was better, but I told them that I would need a couple of days to think it over.
So today my friends, the ones that I have stayed with, took their handyman, a nice guy whom I have met, over to my house to see what he thought. He thought that the bid was high and he could do it in December. He knows how to make it look the best. And was even willing to work by room beginning with the rooms that I would use the most. He had also just done his stairs and knew what to do.
They were going to have me get a couple of more bids, but I said he sounds good. They want me to get it all done, so offered to help with the cost.
When I said that i needed a couple of days, I just wanted time for God to show me what He was and is doing.
You are amazing, Jo! Nice to watch how God is blessing you. Glad to know your church has been with you through your struggles and continues to provide in so many tangible ways.
I killed a mosquito with a fly swatter today. She was stalking me at my desk all morning long as I was trying to get back into working. But I kept missing when she’d land and I’d slap. Those little ones are so quick (and their bites are so vicious).
So I fetched the amazing floppy-head, fast-as-lightening fly swatter that never misses with flies — and managed to nab the mosquito with that. So there.
DJ – After your battle with the mosquito, you might enjoy watching “Man vs. Bee” on Netflix. It stars Rowan Atkinson (the actor who played Mr. Bean, if you’re familiar with that character). It is very silly and predictable, but enjoyable, too. The nine episodes are only between approximately 10 and 12 minutes each.
So the earthquake in PNG put a crack in the bottom of both of our water tanks and they both emptied. I had the only insurance. They sent me a form to fill out, but I could not get around to it. It wanted to know if I still owned it and the questions were hard.
Today I got messages that insurance is paying for two new water tanks with a 300 dollar deductible. All based on my insurance. even though I never filled out the form. Probably no one knew it was no longer mine, but I did not have to provide any information. I was just told that the money will be in my account next week.
I agree with Kizzie. I haven’t voted without holding my nose since Reagan. In fact, I’ve ended up voting 3rd party or independent for about half of the elections since then. The GOP keeps getting people I don’t like for either personal reasons (Trump) or policy (both Bush 1, McCain and Romney) or weak (Dole and Bush 2). Of the ones elected, only Bush 2 did what I thought was a decent job when elected, except for getting us into two unwinnable wars. Yes, Trump got some good things done, but the spending spree is part of our current problems.
I would like t see a candidate that I can vote for that has bth personal integrity and the ability to get things done without spending so much money we don’t have.
I’m not nearly as particular as Peter, realizing there will never be a perfect leader or candidate who meets all my expectations or wishes. But I will draw a line in some cases where I just can’t ‘go there.’
Praying for some worthy men and women to rise to the occasion in this next election.
Dodgers in the bottom of the 9th, struggling to come back over the Padres. But with 2 outs, it’s unlikely.
We cannot say that our vote does not matter because God is in control of who gets into office (or the maker of kings as the bible says). That is fatalism and we can apply that to any number of things such as health. Why bother with exercise and eating properly since God numbers my days is just one example.
How or whether we vote is important just for the obedience of it. (We the people) Like a lot of things, it is ultimately between us and God. Still, if all Christians do not vote and be light and salt politically, we know who will be influencing our country. If two people are top of the ballot in winning, whether we vote or not, does influence who wins. Thus, AJ is also correct that we voted by default for the winner.
The vote is also for the whole party agenda or platform. Like it or not, that is our system right now. There is no platform or perfect that is perfect for sure. How could there be? There never will be since we are all human. We are at a particularly low point and that is sad, but we live with that reality.
Having said that, we are not responsible for everything the person does who we helped vote into office. We can only do our best with limited information. Representative democracy does give us more responsibility than a dictatorship or sovereign form of government. It is the price we pay for having a say.
Kathaleena, God knows the number of my days but gives me wisdom to eat well and exercise. My hope is to have the full number of days He has declared and be able to serve my fellows image bearers until then. I could eat the American diet and exercise the American fingers on remotes and still live the same number of days but maybe not so able to help where I am called.
I suspect the same goes with our vote.
Wandering Views 
Good morning.
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Good morning. I am still recouperating from yesterday when I got up at 5:30 a.m. to fix lunch for my brother and Wes (but he left early). I had to do it early since I had group Bible study when I would have made lunch normally. So I missed two hours of sleep to start the day.
Then I was dealing with frustration over getting a prescription filled. They called Art’s office (that number is not even in my new patient portal) and then they sent it to a pharmacy we have never used.
I was scheduled for two appointments back to back at radiology with a nurse’s visit first which never happened. Then one machine was broken so everyone in the waiting room had a long wait even after they’d been called and asked to delay their arrival time. Since I was new, I had not been informed to arrive later.
The whole system continues to have growing pains. They have just switched over to a new system wide patient portal/communication service. They appreciate our patience while the kinks get worked out😀
LikeLiked by 2 people
A math problem day: 10+ 12 = 22.
This is the actual Columbus Day, and in Latin America it is DÃa de la Raza, or Day of the Race, meaning the mestizo.
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Today I get a 3.5 year old— who will probably overlap with an important Zoom meeting.
She’s returning on Friday to overlap another important Zoom meeting.
I’m the note taker for both.
I think she’ll be watching videos.
I rarely allowed her father to do that.
Sigh.
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M, if there are any homeschool families nearby, maybe hire a girl Mother’s Helper for the times?
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I sent a photo of a historical marker to AJ.
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Sounds terribly frustrating, Janice.
Speaking of that: The floor in my bathroom has yet to be replaced. Spoke today with the manager. So tired of this nonsense which has gone on for years, ever since my bathroom rehab.
On a lighter note: I am reading a novel and the characters were decorating a Christmas tree—with strings of chokecherries. Hmmm. Whoever wrote that clearly never had a chokecherry. No one could string a chokecherry because of the big pit. Cranberries, yes, chokecherries, no.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Regarding today’s date: Today is younger granddaughter’s 10th birthday. When DIL was expecting, the doc “warned” her not to go into labor on the previous day because they were overloaded with scheduled cesareans, it being 10/11/12.
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It’s back to work for me today.
I’m grateful I can still be productive and work, I am thankful to have a paying job.
I will be repeating that to myself more than a few times today, I suspect.
The home office space isn’t as pulled together as I’d hoped it would be, but it’ll have to work. The desk is much better, though still a little cluttered.
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Kathaleena, would there even be chokecherries around by Christmas? Ours are all gone by mid-August! Between bears and birds and coyotes (and us). Then any that are missed drop off and rot…
So many frustrations in the world. I just called to book my annual physical with my doc and I need to have bloodwork done first (this is different) and it can take 3 – 4 weeks to get an appointment to get that done – you used to just walk into the lab and wait your turn. C really changed so many things.
LikeLiked by 4 people
I filed the update with state disability that I’d returned to work and they actually called me almost immediately to confirm. Kind of shocking as it’s such a massive bureaucracy that usually takes 5-7 days (they tell you online) just to process anything you send in to them. But it’s especially good as the payments will be up to date so I won’t owe any money back to the state (original tentative return date they had was 10/28).
Lots to catch up on, I sat out on the front porch during the staff call as we were getting a wonderful spate of thunder and rain and I couldn’t resist being outdoors (but under the porch roof) to enjoy it all! It was quite a show.
Busy time as I’m returning — elections (and stories to do) looming, Biden’s in town for 2 days (I’ll only be involved if he stops at the port, but looks like he won’t so far), some holiday packages to pitch in on including a multi-school “scary story” contest we sponsor every year, the Christmas Boys & Girls Club athletic ball drive which we also sponsor every year and I’ll be doing all the promos for, LA City Council controversy blowout is ongoing which I may get partially roped into as our CC reporter left on Friday, and just a lot of general catching up to do on my beats, especially the two ports as they weren’t covered a lot in my absence, though main contact on the LA side is out for the Jewish holidays, he told me when we talked a few days ago that he’d be back next week and his assistant is available (but not as helpful as he is). Our local LA City Council race, an open seat this time, was lightly previewed by another one of our reporters a couple days ago, but is really my territory so I will probably need to do something more on that.
Meanwhile, my home work station definitely needs work, I can see now w/desk and chair setup. I may need a back support pillow or two …
Senior editor also is in PT right now for arm issues, this sitting at a computer so long simply is not very good for us. 😦
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One of my ladies Bible studies will soon study this topic:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/the-five-solas/
The other will be studying the Holy Spirit and we are trying to decide betwween a workbook by Charles Stanley or one by JD Grear.
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We are having our first rain here for quite a long time. How nice to hear that little sizzle sound.
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She only interrupted me three times before her sister came in wearing a blue cast.
The real problem was the computer announcing no internet, then when reluctantly admitting I did have an internet connection, refused to let me log into my email.
We live in such wonderful, glorious times of . . . technology, right?
I’m thankful, now. I wasn’t 2.5 hours ago.
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AJ – Yesterday, you wrote:
“Sure vote 3rd party or not at all.
Just don’t be smug when the rest blame you for the suffering, kinda like now, when the Biden candidate wins again. By not voting, you allow the Bidens, so you need to own that.
That’s reality.”
But did you see Debra’s statement? “The power is really not in our hands through our votes; it’s in the hands of God according to his timing.”
The Bible tells us that God raises up rulers according to His will, and oftentimes, those rulers are not good. So Christians can vote however they prayerfully feel is right – or not vote at all – and God will raise up whomever He chooses. If it was God’s will for Trump to be president instead of Biden, then that is what would have happened. But it didn’t. Don’t blame your brothers and sisters in Christ whose consciences could not vote the way you thought they should, and don’t blame us for what happens under Biden.
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Btw, neither DJ nor I, nor anyone else here who may not have voted for Trump, have been smug about it.
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The names change but the game is the same. My liberal friend use to get so mad that I had voted for Trump when he became president. It was my fault that in her opinion our nation was going to hell in a hat basket. I kept saying that based on where we live that my vote was not one that really counted. That being said, as long as I can I will honor the priviledge of casting my vote and fulfill my civic duty. I did that before being a Christian and also after being a Christian. I encourage all to do that but know that some will choose not to do so. That is part of living in the “Land of the Free.”
Should this be on the political thread?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Every vote cast is for a “lesser of two evils” as men and women in this world are all fallen to some degree. Most of us have no problem with casting a vote in those situations (well, not “no” problem but we understand the reality of the world).
I have never not voted for president until 2016 and 2020. My former pastor told me he had to come to the same decision, both of us reluctantly.
Sometimes choices strike our individual consciences as even beyond a “lesser of two evils” decision. And then we must be bound by that in faithfulness to something(Someone) higher, trusting that — as has been said — God’s providence will prevail in all cases. And that will include both good and evil rulers to be over us, according to his will.
We do the best we can in these difficult choices — and hopefully understand that others are making a good-faith effort to do the same.
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Janice – The comments I was referring to were on yesterday’s daily thread, so that’s why I responded here.
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If we don’t like the results, we ultimately need to take that up with God.
🙂
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Interesting to remember the Book of Habakkuk:
(summarized) ~ The major theme of Habakkuk is trying to grow from a faith of perplexity and doubt to the height of absolute trust in God. Habakkuk addresses his concerns over the fact that God will use the Babylonian empire to execute judgment on Judah for their sins. ~
LikeLiked by 3 people
On a lighter note…. I am getting a reputation and it is not good. You see in the last week I have had my phone ring during a funeral and several Bible studies. Nothing seems to stop it except that mute button which I hate to push because I don’t remember to turn it back on. They are all laughing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Continuing saga of my house: the sheetrock folks finished and two of today’s calls were him telling me where to meet him to pay. It looks good.
Turns out that my painter is in Texas so we will meet next week. Plumber called and we will talk this evening. Who knew it would involve so much.
Now about those floors. Can’t remember if I already reported this. I called them yesterday and got a new bid based on leaving out a lot of the rooms. It was better, but I told them that I would need a couple of days to think it over.
So today my friends, the ones that I have stayed with, took their handyman, a nice guy whom I have met, over to my house to see what he thought. He thought that the bid was high and he could do it in December. He knows how to make it look the best. And was even willing to work by room beginning with the rooms that I would use the most. He had also just done his stairs and knew what to do.
They were going to have me get a couple of more bids, but I said he sounds good. They want me to get it all done, so offered to help with the cost.
When I said that i needed a couple of days, I just wanted time for God to show me what He was and is doing.
LikeLiked by 5 people
You are amazing, Jo! Nice to watch how God is blessing you. Glad to know your church has been with you through your struggles and continues to provide in so many tangible ways.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A good, jack-of-all-trades handyman is worth their weight in gold.
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I killed a mosquito with a fly swatter today. She was stalking me at my desk all morning long as I was trying to get back into working. But I kept missing when she’d land and I’d slap. Those little ones are so quick (and their bites are so vicious).
So I fetched the amazing floppy-head, fast-as-lightening fly swatter that never misses with flies — and managed to nab the mosquito with that. So there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
DJ – After your battle with the mosquito, you might enjoy watching “Man vs. Bee” on Netflix. It stars Rowan Atkinson (the actor who played Mr. Bean, if you’re familiar with that character). It is very silly and predictable, but enjoyable, too. The nine episodes are only between approximately 10 and 12 minutes each.
LikeLike
God continues to work in spite of me.
So the earthquake in PNG put a crack in the bottom of both of our water tanks and they both emptied. I had the only insurance. They sent me a form to fill out, but I could not get around to it. It wanted to know if I still owned it and the questions were hard.
Today I got messages that insurance is paying for two new water tanks with a 300 dollar deductible. All based on my insurance. even though I never filled out the form. Probably no one knew it was no longer mine, but I did not have to provide any information. I was just told that the money will be in my account next week.
Simply amazing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I agree with Kizzie. I haven’t voted without holding my nose since Reagan. In fact, I’ve ended up voting 3rd party or independent for about half of the elections since then. The GOP keeps getting people I don’t like for either personal reasons (Trump) or policy (both Bush 1, McCain and Romney) or weak (Dole and Bush 2). Of the ones elected, only Bush 2 did what I thought was a decent job when elected, except for getting us into two unwinnable wars. Yes, Trump got some good things done, but the spending spree is part of our current problems.
I would like t see a candidate that I can vote for that has bth personal integrity and the ability to get things done without spending so much money we don’t have.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not nearly as particular as Peter, realizing there will never be a perfect leader or candidate who meets all my expectations or wishes. But I will draw a line in some cases where I just can’t ‘go there.’
Praying for some worthy men and women to rise to the occasion in this next election.
Dodgers in the bottom of the 9th, struggling to come back over the Padres. But with 2 outs, it’s unlikely.
LikeLiked by 2 people
We cannot say that our vote does not matter because God is in control of who gets into office (or the maker of kings as the bible says). That is fatalism and we can apply that to any number of things such as health. Why bother with exercise and eating properly since God numbers my days is just one example.
How or whether we vote is important just for the obedience of it. (We the people) Like a lot of things, it is ultimately between us and God. Still, if all Christians do not vote and be light and salt politically, we know who will be influencing our country. If two people are top of the ballot in winning, whether we vote or not, does influence who wins. Thus, AJ is also correct that we voted by default for the winner.
The vote is also for the whole party agenda or platform. Like it or not, that is our system right now. There is no platform or perfect that is perfect for sure. How could there be? There never will be since we are all human. We are at a particularly low point and that is sad, but we live with that reality.
Having said that, we are not responsible for everything the person does who we helped vote into office. We can only do our best with limited information. Representative democracy does give us more responsibility than a dictatorship or sovereign form of government. It is the price we pay for having a say.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Kathaleena, God knows the number of my days but gives me wisdom to eat well and exercise. My hope is to have the full number of days He has declared and be able to serve my fellows image bearers until then. I could eat the American diet and exercise the American fingers on remotes and still live the same number of days but maybe not so able to help where I am called.
I suspect the same goes with our vote.
LikeLiked by 1 person