ThinMint

We didn't watch Trump live this evening as we're all kinds of tuckered out. I'm pretty sure we're still recovering from the bonfire we chaperoned last night. Two buddies of our teen son spent the night. It was great, but we're still airing out his room, because you guessed it: bat guano! Just kidding. I think. Anyway, got the video posted over at The Liberty Tavern. Have a beautiful rest of the weekend!

-5- We feel it. We know it. There are some dark(er) days ahead. Yes, we need to continue working on the physical preps until He shuts the door to our personal ark. More importantly, we need Him to fortify us. We need our minds protected, our hearts unburdened, and our cleverness, wits, understanding and foresightedness sharpened. Whatever hardships and scary moments lie ahead, we must remember that we are children of the Most High. That powerful Resurrection blood is in us so we can rebuke evil and command it to flee; we can call down Heavenly assistance and know Goodness will follow; we can expect miracles. All because of Jesus, we can exercise the authority over darkness we have been gifted. We must live as heirs of God! Focus on What Matters Most. Ask Him what you need to let go of so you can embrace Him wholly. You matter. You are needed. You have a divinely appointed role. You are set apart. God thinks about you, He has plans for you, He gives you Hope. Trust Him.

-4- I think we’re born with an optimistic disposition. Life’s experiences, exposure to the dark deeds of men, heartache and bad memories will naturally dull our brightness. Jesus restores this disparity. He is the Hope that radiates within us. He is literal life. Ask Him to show you the Goodness. Ask Him for help trusting Him if you need it. Pray for His peace –and His joy! After many years of tumbling down rabbit holes, often willingly, sometimes not, I’ve learned that I cannot react to every little piece of dark, dire and dumb news. If I do, I will suffer from Outrage Fatigue™. This brutal pattern ultimately lead to the, Research/Panic/Talk-to-God/Retreat™ cycle. I was tired of swinging on the pendulum. I was also irritated with the riddles, the smugness, the hooey. I changed from wanting to know the truth to asking God to show me His truth. It made all the difference! Evil is going to evil, why would we expect otherwise from evil doers? I rarely react to the “news” these days. Sometimes, the “news” of what these evil doers want to do is hilarious because it’s like watching a bad James Bond villain. Keep in mind that just because they say this or that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. Rebuke then have a cookie 😃 Being a mom, being a homeschooling mom specifically, helps thicken the skin. You receive a stunning amount of unsolicited advice and opinions that go against your goals. So you learn to lean on God, trusting Him to write your story. I am content with what He does for me so I don’t get as thrown off course as I once did. Recognize that constantly focusing on the haywire Out There™ can prevent you from appreciating what is happening In Here™. I have to implement my own version of the Proverbs 31 Woman. I want my kids to know it’s okay to get it wrong. Ask for forgiveness, accept God’s grace. I want them to pray for God to increase their love for Him and for others. I want them to know how important it is to be obedient to His will for their own lives –not what other people who do not know them think they should be doing. I want my children to know they are deeply loved, forever cherished, prayed over. I cannot give this to them if my mind is constantly focused on the crooked. Mostly, I want to be authentic me because this is who God hand sculpted. He personally shaped you, too, setting you apart from the world. We experience conflict when we step outside the parameters He set just for us. Ask Him to re-align your perspectives and expectations to His.

-3- We are indeed surrounded by deceptive Christians. Some are deliberately wolves in sheep’s clothing, some are modern day Pharisees, some are buttinskies and some are simply clueless. Christianity is a very broad paintbrush. I’ve read articles, listened to opinions and watched videos that surprised me. These presenters spoke of things I shouldn’t believe, shouldn’t read, shouldn’t eat, shouldn’t wear, shouldn’t speak about, shouldn’t shop from, shouldn’t visit, shouldn’t be friends with… I do not find these kind of declarations helpful. You know what ends up happening when you start analyzing all these Christian influences? They contradict one another. Worse, they are belittling the Lord’s might by boxing Him into their own little ideas and beliefs. It’s so brash and unnecessary to try to put shackles on the Lord! God is perfectly capable of reaching someone through a particular song, sermon, denomination, bible version, person, location. God can send a message, a moment of comfort through others. He often does. What He will not do is cause confusion and conflict. His ways are perfect so His plans for our life can be trusted. Moreover, His plans are not going to look like someone else’s. For example, He might tell some they need to vote while He tells others it’s not time to vote. He will instruct a homeschooling family to use a certain curriculum, and instruct another homeschooling family not to use it. If we allow ourselves to get caught up in others’ assertions (opinions are not facts) then we are taking our eyes of the Lord. Worse, we are walking in spiritual disobedience. You know it will be a good source, a God-directed source, because it won’t leave you confused, fearful, perturbed. The phrase, “Be careful who you follow,” absolutely should apply to those who claim to be a Christian. Our priorities have changed dramatically since Felix’s miracle. We no longer give time to those who proclaim to be Christians, but consistently post filthy language, memes, opinions and “news.” We do not stay with those who make fun of and gang up on others in the chat. We do not pay attention to the doomsayers, handwringers and pessimists. We do not waste time with the haughty, the gossipers, the prattlers and the braggadocios. When considering different sources, ask yourself, “Is this helping me draw closer to the Lord?”

-2- I’ve been awake to some degree or another for decades. Many years ago, I got kinda freaked out about the star shape after doing some research. Shortly thereafter, I cut up an apple widthwise for an elementary math lesson. As each slice hit the cutting board, I became more and more excited. There it was: a star shaped centerpiece! My uneasiness melted away as I regarded God’s beauty and bounty. A few days later I stopped by a nearby country store. The owner had just received a delivery of various fruits from Florida. He pulled one from behind the glass door and with a twinkle in his eye he asked me if I knew what it was. I quietly told him, “Yes. It’s a star fruit. I haven’t enjoyed one since I was a kid.” He gifted me the fruit and the kids and I enjoyed it later that afternoon. These were God moments. Ones He created just for me so I was reassured of His presence, His divine control. Stars belong to God! He, Who cared enough to number and name each one (Psalm 147:4) created the star shape. He created the swirl pattern. We see this pattern in plants, animals, weather and it naturally occurs in some of the foods we eat. He created the rainbow. We see these displays after thunderstorms, and when the sun’s rays hit a bubble or puddle just right. He created the goat, the bull, the rat, the peacock. Our enemy is not very creative. It could only take what was made perfect and get those who hate God to use it for something ugly. As soon as I came to the realization that these things are God’s design, made corrupt by evil doers, I was determined to take these back for what it was created for: His glory! Though it is good to be aware of our enemy’s symbols, it’s also important to know that there is not a pedophile hiding behind every swirl. There is not a satan worshipper behind every “okay” and “peace” hand gesture. If we remain in Him, He remains in us. This means that we will be so in tune to Him, His voice, we will immediately know if something is off. I would encourage you not to read something nefarious into every symbol. The Holy Spirit will alert you if something is amiss.

Q: I feel so overwhelmed… The evil out there punches me in the gut… The symbols, the people… It feels like we are surrounded by a lot of deceptive Christians, too… I’m not sure what is real, what I’m supposed to believe… Who I am supposed to listen to… where I should shop, what I should boycott? … I am very worried about the future and my family… You seem to be optimistic… What are you doing that keeps you sane? A: You feel overwhelmed because it is overwhelming. If we lived near one another, I would invite you over. I would offer you a hug. We’d sit on the deck, sip something warm, eat some cookies. You could share anything on your mind. I would watch your shoulders rise as you unloaded what’s weighing you down. It’s sad we cannot do this, but there is something better. There is only One capable of meeting you no matter what condition you are in. He knows every chamber of your heart, every corner of your mind, every heavy sigh released, every tear shed and every unspoken word. There’s comfort in knowing that He knows us so well, and in knowing that we can talk to Him about anything. There is nothing too tiny about our lives, our feelings, our thoughts. There is nothing too shocking, too intimate, too embarrassing, too awful that we cannot share it with Him. We can share our doubts, our anger, our fear. He wants us to engage and emote, not hesitate and withhold. We’re familiar with, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). Something else to consider. He knows our voice, too. When the 99 bleat loudly, He hears our fragile cry among the din, and He answers, He rescues, He heals. I find, “On Living in an Atomic Age,” by CS Lewis quite applicable, his advice encouraging in its authenticity and simplicity. But, there’s something that is more substantial and satisfactory than what mere man can write. The Lord Himself tells us not to worry. He must have a reason for saying so, right? What does He know that we don’t? So we either trust Him or we don’t. If we bond to Him, if our arms are holding onto Jesus, then we are unable to hold on to worry. We either trust Him or we don’t.

Yep. It’s a long response. I prayed for the Lord to guide the words. Any shortcomings are obviously mine.

I thought this was a powerful video that @Char posted in the chat. See if it stirs your soul, too 🌼

Would love to know what your favorite recipes and traditions are for Thanksgiving 🦃

Good morning and happy Monday!

Trump spoke at a high school in Claremont, New Hampshire (November 11, 2023). Video posted over at The Liberty Tavern.

-4- Why do wait until we’re broken to go to the Lord? We offer Him the tattered remains of our broken heart, pleading with Him to heal it. We beg Him to fix our broken thoughts, our broken habits, our broken relationships. Not that we can’t go to Him with our brokenness. But, why we do we hesitate? Ignore? Make excuses for? I want to be so in tune with Him, so deeply connected to Him that whenever something or someone bumps me, I immediately reach for Him and tell Him I trust Him to make it right. No more waiting until I need to crawl to Him because I just can’t anymore. He doesn’t want this either. He wants us to immediately turn into Him, take refuge in Him, get our strength and peace from Him. Before another night of uncomfortable sleep passes, talk to Him. Nothing else will make sense, be made right or heal until we’ve confessed and surrendered. The Great Healer loves you so incredibly much. Trust Him to mend what’s broken.

-3- I went to see my chiropractor of 15 years. Goodness knows how many times I’ve limped into his office, he frowns while I tell him, “I know, I know. I just get busy. And I feel guilty when the kids need attention and who has the time and money and energy anyway?” It’s almost a routine. I slumped and stiffened as he worked on making corrections. After he was done he asked me, “Why do you wait until you’re broken?” His observation pierced my heart. And it felt like the Lord was asking me this Himself. I wanted to cry right there. I want to cry right now typing this!

-2- Between the twists, turns, ducking, and climbing during the cave tour, I messed up my lower back, causing extreme pain to manifest in my right knee. It was steadily getting worse, but I didn’t slow down. Acres to walk at the farm… standing for hours at different field trips… participating in a Civil War walking tour… taking the kids to a fall festival… baking all week before the neighborhood autumn get together… Then I took the twins to a Japanese festival at the botanic garden. My body finally succumbed to the constant push. I barely made it out the exit of my own accord. Almost immobile, I agreed that I could no longer ignore the warnings my body was screaming at me.

At the end of September we had the privilege of touring Marvel Cave in Branson, MO. The history surrounding the discovery and use of the cave is certainly fascinating. Apparently Osage Indians were terrified of the cave, referring to it as the Devil’s Den because they didn’t understand the noises and smells coming out of the sinkhole. Kinda like a teen boy’s bedroom. The Indians didn’t know it was simply bat noises and bat guano that filled the cave. Having done the tour, I can now identify the smell coming from our teen boy’s bedroom. You guessed it: bat guano! Just kidding. It’s hamster guano. As we toured the cave we did indeed find ourselves marveling at the beauty of weathered rocks and formations, an incredibly deep cavern, tiny water feeders, and the unique and sounds. We were reminded in a deeply, tangible way that God’s beauty knows no bounds.

Courtesy @Patience 2.0