Good morning, all. Another restless night. I was up at least every half hour with one or the other or both. Mostly my dad. Last night he got up and had his shoes on because he thought he was needed to go fight the fire. No more watching the relaxing Christmas videos with a fireside view!
Morning and a most blessed Happy Birthday to you Janice!! Hoping Miss Bosley gives you extra purrful snuggles today!
Today is Miss Bee’s birthday as well so you are in great company Janice. Miss Bee is our elderly matriarch at church. I believe she is close to 90 and the dearest saint one could ever know. She was leaving church early yesterday and I caught her out in the lobby and told her I had something for her and I would meet her at her car. I handed her a lovely orchid and wished her a Happy Birthday. “How did you know it was going to be my birthday?!” I told her I read it somewhere….and I did but I don’t remember where I read that information! The Lord knew though ❤️
Oh Mumsee no more Fireplace channel?!! It is so realistic I could see how Grandpa might think there is a fire in the house….
We had more rain overnight which was wonderful to hear. Everything is quite wet this morning, including my poinsettias which I’d left lined up on the top of the driveway when I got home with them yesterday. So they’re now well watered!
I went to bed earlier than usual but Annie had me up a couple times demanding to be fed. The second time her food had been left out but she didn’t know that, I guess.
I had to get the car moved to the front for my neighbors in case they’re headed out for another appointment today, which is always likely. So when I walked back up I got the poinsettias all moved into the backyard for now.
Nancyjill, I think you were the one who mentioned a church survey (anonymous I presume) and just a couple folks took issue with the statement that Jesus is the only way to salvation.
I’ve read that it was, in fact, one of the most “shocking” statements he made – and it’s widely questioned in our culture, of course, so not entirely surprising that a few outlier church members could also also question it, perhaps just more influenced by the culture than they are the Scriptures and Christian teachings.
It’s probably right up there with the call we have to love our enemies!
Snow here but just a skiff. The old men are watching a snow scene and enjoying it. Tonight, I expect will be up saying he needs to get out to shovel the snow or pull a passing car out of a drift.
Meanwhile, hospice nurse and CNA are on tap for today for a visit with grandpa. We hope to learn what they can offer as next steps for dad. He does not have a doctor, his retired quite some time ago. So we need to find him one here if he has to be diagnosed for further help. Or they can provide a dr if they see he is transitioning. But I don’t know when or if hospice kicks in for dementia.
Annie Oakley has been a bit of a pest all morning, the final chapter was her trying to get into one of the lower kitchen cupboards, pulling the door open, then it would BANG back, then she’d paw it open again, then it would slam back shut again.
Finally, I heard some scratching and meowing. She’d gotten inside the door banged shut to trap her. Served her right.
Dj if I recall correctly the anonymous survey was a follow up of a Barna survey which found 60% of “evangelical” Christians said they don’t believe Christ is the only way of salvation. I mean how can one be a follower of Christ and yet believe He is not the Saviour ? Our Pastor wanted to have us take the survey to get a pulse on where our congregants stood on the subject. We are a congregation of about 40 or so mostly over 65 years old. We have a couple 40-50 year old couples and I don’t really know most who attend since we have been attending for just a year and a half.
My husband reminded me of the Christian women’s bookclub I attended at another church. The night we went around the room sharing something about the book and two of the ladies made a statement “how dare God refer to himself as ‘Father’ “. Both of these ladies explained they had a very difficult childhood in connection with their earthly fathers. I cried all the way home that night my heart was so broken for them. Oh that they would know His heart…
I had made an appointment with my PCP for what I thought was an annual physical but they had me down for a six month checkup. Then the doc decided she would go ahead and do lab workup as if for the annual exam. It took some waiting as the printers were not working and lab work had to be reordered by my doc. Art was highly frustrated by it all taking so long since this is his doc, too, and he’d never had such delays. We also had a long wait for the doc up front which is highly unusual for her with early appts. The other thing that made him irritated was the receptionist asked about my unpaid balance. I said that I pay from paper statements and had paid all those. I don’t pay the amount the portal says is due since it is one amout with no breakdown. Who pays just trusting their one big amount is correct? They must consider seniors to all be dummies with money bags.
Thete is also the new issue that if you ask a question on the portal, they can decide if your question is worthy of a charge. I know that AJ is dealing with this same MyChart system which is so much worse than what we had a few months ago.
Then to top it off, the lab tech was out today so I will have to go back. Another parking fee and time to taker care of what we have always done in one stop.
The medical stuff is getting very chopped up with the specialties and virtual/portal/in-person communications taking you this way and that.
Ever since Dr. Welby retired …
I have two dr appointment this week and bloodwork set for early next Monday. Sigh.
But we are fortunate in that we can use sick time for those appointments — one of my girlfriends who had to go to doctors a lot with some chronic things that hit her in her 50s used take a whole vacation week off to stack up all her appointments. I always felt so bad that she had to do that, it’s hardly a vacation break when you’re constantly going to doctors all week just to get everything taken care of in a chunk.
My one cousin who’s a few years older than I am tells me to get used to the uptick in appointments (I can’t get used to it at all, yet!).
And still working, it does sometimes pose a juggling act. Tomorrow I have an eye appt (annual exam) at 11 and physical therapy at 2. But I really didn’t want to blow a “vacation” day to do that, so I’ll find ways to work around them both and just use the sick time I have on the books for the appointments.
Ligonier Ministries does the theology survey every year, asking folks questions about what they believe. Those surveys typically turn up some very surprising results about what professing Christians say they believe and don’t believe.
I’m grateful for good Bible teaching and Protestant churches that make frequent use of the faith’s historic creeds and confessions and catechisms.
Believers still need to be taught, all of us, throughout our lives.
I am here to report a blessing. We heat with wood. Miguel has nor been able to go to the forest for firewood since he hurt his legs. I don’t run the chainsaw if I can get out of it. This summer, we picked up a couple of trailer loads of wood from a thinning project they did north of town. He cuts it into stove lengths with a radial arm saw.
Miguel has been friends with the city guy, who is in charge of the waste transfer station. They have an area where brush and wood scraps are dumped. Usually, they burn the pile every couple of months. With all of the wind and wildfires this year, they have not burned. Recently, the city got a big shredder and have been working their way through the pile. The bigger logs have been put to the side.
Miguel and the boys got a trailer load of logs this past weekend. Some of them are huge, so not able to load and bring home. We saw that Jeffrey was cutting these up as we were taking our grandson home yesterday.
We have high winds today with a forecast of snow. Miguel said we should unload the trailer and go get the wood Jeff had cut for us. He went to bring a wheelbarrow of wood in, to make it through the storm. He found at the wood pile, a truck load of huge logs cut to stove length, waiting to be split.
From an email:
“Emory has recently partnered with the All of Us Research Program. All of Us is a health research program funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Its goal is to help researchers better understand why people get sick or stay healthy.
The mission of the All of Us Research Program is simple: to speed up health research and medical breakthroughs. To do this, All of Us is asking one million people to share their health data, and samples of blood and urine to build one of the largest health databases of its kind. Researchers can use the database to conduct thousands of studies.
All of Us is asking people from all over the United States to join. People who join will be asked about their health, habits, and what it’s like where they live. By looking for patterns, researchers may learn more about what affects people’s health.”
Janice, we insist on paper billing as well. Today my husband got another nagging letter about checking in virtually. This is probably all great for the younger generation, but we do not want to do everything on the computer. I especially agree about the bill breakdown. The insurance company wants you to make sure the charges are warranted, for one thing. How do you do that with one big bill? I know one guy who had Medicare charged for a whole lot of things he never had done. He did contact someone who helped him report it.
rkessler, that is such a blessing! Rejoicing with you.
Also on those surveys, “evangelical” is a very broad term that many people have adopted without having truly Christian beliefs.
On a post on a C.S. Lewis Facebook page (obviously not run by Lewis himself 🙂 ), there were comments that underscored that fact. The word “obedience” was in the quote, and a woman took issue with the word.
In response to the part of the quote that had to do with unity, one woman insisted that it meant unity with God. When I pointed out (although I very rarely comment on these public pages) that it also means with our brothers and sisters in Christ , she replied that she is a Mary and I am a Martha.
BTW, that woman and I had never had any other discussions, so it’s not a matter of her “knowing” me and making that statement. I’ve never commented on that page before, at least, not that I recall.
Wandering Views 
Good morning, all. Another restless night. I was up at least every half hour with one or the other or both. Mostly my dad. Last night he got up and had his shoes on because he thought he was needed to go fight the fire. No more watching the relaxing Christmas videos with a fireside view!
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🎂 Happy Birthday, Janice! 🎂
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Happy birthday, Janice! I hope you have a wonderful day!
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Happy Birthday Janice.
Some year it’s been, eh?
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Morning and a most blessed Happy Birthday to you Janice!! Hoping Miss Bosley gives you extra purrful snuggles today!
Today is Miss Bee’s birthday as well so you are in great company Janice. Miss Bee is our elderly matriarch at church. I believe she is close to 90 and the dearest saint one could ever know. She was leaving church early yesterday and I caught her out in the lobby and told her I had something for her and I would meet her at her car. I handed her a lovely orchid and wished her a Happy Birthday. “How did you know it was going to be my birthday?!” I told her I read it somewhere….and I did but I don’t remember where I read that information! The Lord knew though ❤️
Oh Mumsee no more Fireplace channel?!! It is so realistic I could see how Grandpa might think there is a fire in the house….
LikeLiked by 3 people
We had more rain overnight which was wonderful to hear. Everything is quite wet this morning, including my poinsettias which I’d left lined up on the top of the driveway when I got home with them yesterday. So they’re now well watered!
I went to bed earlier than usual but Annie had me up a couple times demanding to be fed. The second time her food had been left out but she didn’t know that, I guess.
I had to get the car moved to the front for my neighbors in case they’re headed out for another appointment today, which is always likely. So when I walked back up I got the poinsettias all moved into the backyard for now.
Nancyjill, I think you were the one who mentioned a church survey (anonymous I presume) and just a couple folks took issue with the statement that Jesus is the only way to salvation.
I’ve read that it was, in fact, one of the most “shocking” statements he made – and it’s widely questioned in our culture, of course, so not entirely surprising that a few outlier church members could also also question it, perhaps just more influenced by the culture than they are the Scriptures and Christian teachings.
It’s probably right up there with the call we have to love our enemies!
What!?
LikeLiked by 4 people
Snow here but just a skiff. The old men are watching a snow scene and enjoying it. Tonight, I expect will be up saying he needs to get out to shovel the snow or pull a passing car out of a drift.
Meanwhile, hospice nurse and CNA are on tap for today for a visit with grandpa. We hope to learn what they can offer as next steps for dad. He does not have a doctor, his retired quite some time ago. So we need to find him one here if he has to be diagnosed for further help. Or they can provide a dr if they see he is transitioning. But I don’t know when or if hospice kicks in for dementia.
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Happy birthday, Janice.
Many prayers for you, Mumsee, as you navigate this new season of life.
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Annie Oakley has been a bit of a pest all morning, the final chapter was her trying to get into one of the lower kitchen cupboards, pulling the door open, then it would BANG back, then she’d paw it open again, then it would slam back shut again.
Finally, I heard some scratching and meowing. She’d gotten inside the door banged shut to trap her. Served her right.
Cupboard had had enough of her, already.
This must be Monday.
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Dj if I recall correctly the anonymous survey was a follow up of a Barna survey which found 60% of “evangelical” Christians said they don’t believe Christ is the only way of salvation. I mean how can one be a follower of Christ and yet believe He is not the Saviour ? Our Pastor wanted to have us take the survey to get a pulse on where our congregants stood on the subject. We are a congregation of about 40 or so mostly over 65 years old. We have a couple 40-50 year old couples and I don’t really know most who attend since we have been attending for just a year and a half.
My husband reminded me of the Christian women’s bookclub I attended at another church. The night we went around the room sharing something about the book and two of the ladies made a statement “how dare God refer to himself as ‘Father’ “. Both of these ladies explained they had a very difficult childhood in connection with their earthly fathers. I cried all the way home that night my heart was so broken for them. Oh that they would know His heart…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Y’all, for the sweet birthday wishes.
I had made an appointment with my PCP for what I thought was an annual physical but they had me down for a six month checkup. Then the doc decided she would go ahead and do lab workup as if for the annual exam. It took some waiting as the printers were not working and lab work had to be reordered by my doc. Art was highly frustrated by it all taking so long since this is his doc, too, and he’d never had such delays. We also had a long wait for the doc up front which is highly unusual for her with early appts. The other thing that made him irritated was the receptionist asked about my unpaid balance. I said that I pay from paper statements and had paid all those. I don’t pay the amount the portal says is due since it is one amout with no breakdown. Who pays just trusting their one big amount is correct? They must consider seniors to all be dummies with money bags.
Thete is also the new issue that if you ask a question on the portal, they can decide if your question is worthy of a charge. I know that AJ is dealing with this same MyChart system which is so much worse than what we had a few months ago.
Then to top it off, the lab tech was out today so I will have to go back. Another parking fee and time to taker care of what we have always done in one stop.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Sorry for all the complaining on my birthday. It was nice to see our doctor. She is always kind and just the best doc we’ve ever had.
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The medical stuff is getting very chopped up with the specialties and virtual/portal/in-person communications taking you this way and that.
Ever since Dr. Welby retired …
I have two dr appointment this week and bloodwork set for early next Monday. Sigh.
But we are fortunate in that we can use sick time for those appointments — one of my girlfriends who had to go to doctors a lot with some chronic things that hit her in her 50s used take a whole vacation week off to stack up all her appointments. I always felt so bad that she had to do that, it’s hardly a vacation break when you’re constantly going to doctors all week just to get everything taken care of in a chunk.
My one cousin who’s a few years older than I am tells me to get used to the uptick in appointments (I can’t get used to it at all, yet!).
And still working, it does sometimes pose a juggling act. Tomorrow I have an eye appt (annual exam) at 11 and physical therapy at 2. But I really didn’t want to blow a “vacation” day to do that, so I’ll find ways to work around them both and just use the sick time I have on the books for the appointments.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ligonier Ministries does the theology survey every year, asking folks questions about what they believe. Those surveys typically turn up some very surprising results about what professing Christians say they believe and don’t believe.
I’m grateful for good Bible teaching and Protestant churches that make frequent use of the faith’s historic creeds and confessions and catechisms.
Believers still need to be taught, all of us, throughout our lives.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I am here to report a blessing. We heat with wood. Miguel has nor been able to go to the forest for firewood since he hurt his legs. I don’t run the chainsaw if I can get out of it. This summer, we picked up a couple of trailer loads of wood from a thinning project they did north of town. He cuts it into stove lengths with a radial arm saw.
Miguel has been friends with the city guy, who is in charge of the waste transfer station. They have an area where brush and wood scraps are dumped. Usually, they burn the pile every couple of months. With all of the wind and wildfires this year, they have not burned. Recently, the city got a big shredder and have been working their way through the pile. The bigger logs have been put to the side.
Miguel and the boys got a trailer load of logs this past weekend. Some of them are huge, so not able to load and bring home. We saw that Jeffrey was cutting these up as we were taking our grandson home yesterday.
We have high winds today with a forecast of snow. Miguel said we should unload the trailer and go get the wood Jeff had cut for us. He went to bring a wheelbarrow of wood in, to make it through the storm. He found at the wood pile, a truck load of huge logs cut to stove length, waiting to be split.
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College class is done for the semester. Grades are in. Just a caver for the nexet 4 weeks.
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Nancyjill, we call Miss Bosley ‘Miss B’ at times! Your friend sounds sweeter than our Miss B!
Art has been sharing his favorite comic strip of the moment, Pearls Before Swine. They are funny!😃 Always glad to hear him laughing.
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rkessler, what a blessing, indeed!!!
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Has anyone else been asked to join this study
?
From an email:
“Emory has recently partnered with the All of Us Research Program. All of Us is a health research program funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Its goal is to help researchers better understand why people get sick or stay healthy.
The mission of the All of Us Research Program is simple: to speed up health research and medical breakthroughs. To do this, All of Us is asking one million people to share their health data, and samples of blood and urine to build one of the largest health databases of its kind. Researchers can use the database to conduct thousands of studies.
All of Us is asking people from all over the United States to join. People who join will be asked about their health, habits, and what it’s like where they live. By looking for patterns, researchers may learn more about what affects people’s health.”
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Funny to get this after my doc visit today, but it’s probably just a coincidence.
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Happy Birthday, Janice!
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Janice, we insist on paper billing as well. Today my husband got another nagging letter about checking in virtually. This is probably all great for the younger generation, but we do not want to do everything on the computer. I especially agree about the bill breakdown. The insurance company wants you to make sure the charges are warranted, for one thing. How do you do that with one big bill? I know one guy who had Medicare charged for a whole lot of things he never had done. He did contact someone who helped him report it.
rkessler, that is such a blessing! Rejoicing with you.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Also on those surveys, “evangelical” is a very broad term that many people have adopted without having truly Christian beliefs.
On a post on a C.S. Lewis Facebook page (obviously not run by Lewis himself 🙂 ), there were comments that underscored that fact. The word “obedience” was in the quote, and a woman took issue with the word.
In response to the part of the quote that had to do with unity, one woman insisted that it meant unity with God. When I pointed out (although I very rarely comment on these public pages) that it also means with our brothers and sisters in Christ , she replied that she is a Mary and I am a Martha.
Huh?
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BTW, that woman and I had never had any other discussions, so it’s not a matter of her “knowing” me and making that statement. I’ve never commented on that page before, at least, not that I recall.
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🙂 @5:28
Some also mistakenly think being politically conservative is “the same as” (or required) for a saving faith.
Lots of misconceptions abound today about the faith.
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I sometimes think it’s time to retire the catch-all “evangelical” terminology or category (since it’s so loosely understood and applied).
I find myself not using it at all anymore as it’s widely misunderstood by the broader culture.
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Same here, DJ.
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Rk, that is such a wonderful blessing! As someone who used to heat the house with wood, I really appreciate what was done for you!
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