ThinMint

My buddy BT shared these AI biblical accounts. Beware that towards the end, our biblical friends pick up an Aussie accent 😁

🙏🏼🕊

Father God – Your children are overwhelmed. You know the heartaches, frustrations, roadblocks, and temptations we are facing. We need You. We can only face the setbacks and disappointments with Your help. We need Your counsel as we face the challenges of parenting, the trials of difficult people, the grief of losing those we care so deeply about, the stress of making ends meet, and the fear of the unknown. We ask for Your strength to be poured inside us. We ask for Your peace to soothe us. We ask for Your mercy to save us. We ask for Your grace to sustain us. We ask for Your wisdom to guide us. We ask for You to give us patience and hope as we wait on Your perfect answer. We ask for Your protection and believe that You have carved out beautiful moments for us to enjoy. It is in the perfect name of Jesus we pray to You.

I took this picture a few weeks ago and meant to write something to go along with it. Shannon's recent post about pairing everyday photos with scripture inspires me! She's right, of course. Can't wait to see where the LORD leads with this 😃

Challenge #38

Why do I post scripture every day with normal, everyday photos? 1. Because scripture is applicable to our normal, everyday life. We should be remembering it, thinking on it, living it out, as we are washing eggs, sitting with our cats, driving through town, reading books, and teaching our kids. 2. Because it exposes the legalism in people on the internet who don't understand that, and walk in a critical spirit instead. 😎 "Why did you use THAT photo?" "You should have a Bible in that photo." "What do cats have to do with this?" "Five stars for the the thought, zero stars for translation." (This from the KJV-only camp, who think that's what Jesus read.) 🤪🤡😘 I'm going to keep sharing verses with everyday photos. It's helping me gain more and more familiarity with passages (and their addresses, especially), and I hear from many of you that you appreciate them, too. Plus, it makes it easy to spot trolls, religious or otherwise, who need to be blocked. 😁🤍

Be Okay Lauren Daigle

For all those who’ve lost a beloved pet, my heart goes out to you 💔. I believe they remain close by you in spirit…just waiting for the day you are reunited in Heaven ♥️. What I’ve learned throughout my lifetime is that they were put into our lives for a reason. Whether it was because you were going through a tough time, grief, or were just plain lonely. These pets filled a void that no human could. I believe they were intentionally brought into our lives by God, to help us get through some challenging times. They have a way of easing our pain, mending our hearts, making us forget our worries. They bring so much joy that imagining a life without them, is at times unbearable. I’ve lost 3 beloved dogs in my 60+ years. Each of them filled my heart with unconditional love. They molded me into the person I am today. I am a better human being because they were apart of my life. When they leave this great Earth , they take a piece of your heart with them. It is devastating to loose them. Words cannot express the sorrow, and emptiness you feel. I was raised with no pets allowed in the house because pets as my mother believed, were meant to live outside. Throughout the years, she began to change her mind. (It was how she was brought up, and of course the times) When I was 1st married at 22, my husband wanted a dog because he had left his family dog when he married me. We went to visit a shelter. The day is etched in my mind forever. This puppy was the last dog from a litter of 9. I wasn’t completely convinced that day because it was a responsibility I wasn’t sure I was ready for. I also feared my mother wouldn’t approve. I was told puppies go quickly, so I said to my husband….if the dog is there tomorrow at the shelter, it was meant to be, and we will adopt him. Well, the next day, we were blessed to know he was still available, and home we all went. My husband worked on a golf course, so of course the dog was named Bogey! He was the 1st dog I cared for. My mom wouldn’t talk to me for weeks after getting the dog. Bogey ate everything from my shoes, to stairs, to doors, to belts, a gift I had wrapped up for a Christmas present. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want a dog at all. 🤦‍♀️. He even ate a dozen donuts I had placed on our kitchen table, box and all! Destruction was what I saw. Life was great for a few years, but tragically my husband was killed in a motorcycle accident. 💔 I spiraled into a very dark place. If it weren’t for my Bogey, sisters, friends, and family, I wouldn’t be here today. Bogey was my comforter, my guardian, my companion, and friend. He gave me so much more than I gave to him. I am grateful to God for putting him into my life because I couldn’t imagine my life without him. My mother who once despised him, would walk him around the neighborhood, and grill steaks just for him ♥️. Bogey wedged his way into her heart, and God had orchestrated the plan. On the day Bogey left this world, it broke my heart, and my family’s too. I couldn’t imagine life without him by my side. God has a way of healing broken hearts, and a plan too. I couldn’t stand living alone. The silence in the air….nobody to greet me after a long day of work……so I decided to visit a shelter, and to my surprise, there was a female dog that caught my attention. When the shelter let us meet, she brought me a ball and placed it on my lap. It was then I knew she was mine. She saved me from a very sad, and lonely life. What I really want to say is that losing a pet is most devastating. It’s the saddest, heartbreaking time. They are there for us in good, and bad times. They never ask for much, and never complain. (Like we humans do) What I’ve learned from my dogs, is that they were ALL precious gifts from God. They are temporarily here to bring us joy, and unconditional love ❤️. They are NOT ours to keep. So hug them when you can. Love them. Show them how you appreciate them…..and thank God for putting them into our lives.

👇🏼 Thank you, 4 Liberty, for letting is read your experience and thoughts. Blessings to you!

👆🏼 I wholeheartedly agree! Cuddle up with your Littles or if you can, Grand-littles to immerse yourself in Winnie's sweet world. It's worth the effort of reading to your faraway Littles via video calls. And it's a real gem for just you to read. The Winnie'isms go straight to the heart.

If you've never read the real, original Winnie The Pooh by A.A. Milne, you are missing out! We're starting it this week in Gaining Ground and we'd love for you to join us. Grab a copy from the library and laugh with us. 🧸😁

Happy birthday to all you June babies! So much fun to kick off the summer traditions! during your birthday month 🩵🤍❤️🩷💜

Got plans for summer reading? Want to get a few more classics under your belt? Here's our summer/fall lineup for Gaining Ground. Some of us are VERY excited. 🤓🙌🏻 Join us for any or all, invite your friends, bring your kids. And if you'd like to gain ground in your writing as well, check out that option here — it’s only $30/month, extremely flexible and light-yoked, and you’ll up your writing game every month you do it: https://gainingground.substack.com/about

I went down a rabbit trail of Biblical archaeology last week, then began asking myself if any of it really mattered. God said, “Yes, yes it does.” Here’s why: https://vinceguerra.substack.com/p/debating-the-true-mount-sinai-and

This one from Vince Guerra is so very, very good 👇🏼

Challenge #37