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Morning Devotional...





Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. First Peter 5:7


Our Ultimate Care-Giver

Unnecessary burdens are crushing the life out of people every day. Mental institutions are overflowing and psychiatrists are doing a rushing business because the burden of living is getting to be more than we can bear. Civilization has not made our lot easier except in things pertaining to the body; the burdens of the heart are growing more numerous, and science has found no remedy. The silky voice of the practitioner may soothe the mind for a time, but the disease is too deep to yield itself to such inadequate measures.

Surely we could live longer and better and be far happier and more useful if we could learn to cast our burdens upon the Lord. Then it would not matter how heavy they were, for He would carry them for us.

Because He cares for us we can unload upon God all our anxieties--heavy or light. He does care for us!


Your Word assures me that You care for me. Your care, Father, is expressed is so many ways not least of which is bearing my anxieties.

From Devotions By Dr. Tozer

Thanks, Don, for the devotion.  That means I am next!  Better get that prepared this afternoon.

Congratulations G-Grandma and G-Grandpa!  Hadley is precious!

I told Ivalou that I was pretending Euchre was THIS week...not NEXT week!  So far it is working for me! 

I am running the projector system this Sunday and next.  I need to find someone to do it the Sunday after next since I will be in Florida...I hope!

Looks to be a cloudy and possibly rainy day in Indiana but suppose to get to 50°!!  Yeah!  We haven't seen the 40's for a long time! 

I am ready for church so I had better head that way so I can be there when the Praise Team practices!

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Don, thank you for the devotional for this week.  The thought of our Ultimate Care Giver is so comforting. 

Pat, what a great picture of Hadley Rose.  A sweet name for a sweet baby.  When will you get to cuddle her?

Hi everyone.  It looks like we will have another nice day but expect rain to move in later tonight or tomorrow and it to be rainy for a couple of days as they say the front moving through will stall somewhat over our area.  I really slept in this morning and didn't get up until 8:30 but am now ready to attend church.  Pat is not up to going so will probably bring something home for our lunch.  I am very happy with the new computer my friend gave me and have it setup the way I want it with a few tweaks that I will make as I go on.  I no longer do a lot of the things I used to do on the computer so there are several programs I no longer need to run.  Nothing else new down this way.  Stacey did get to the Food Stamp office on Friday but all that did was to fix it so she can get a letter to go meet with a social worker since her address has changed.  I wonder what people do who are so incapacitated that they cannot go there in person? 

Jeanne, I had not realized that you were close to Granville.  Thanks for the info.  Glad you didn't experience anything beyond the normal winter storm in your area. 

Janet, if you have a USB memory stick you can copy your documents and then go to it (it shows as another drive) and paste them to the memory stick.  If you right click on the My documents file and click on properties you will see what the size in total would be to backup your files.  If it isn't beyond the size of a couple of CDs or DVD just put one of those in the laptop and do the same copy and paste function but select the CD as the paste destination.  A third alternative, which I use and love, is the Google Drive function.  You have a gmail mail address so you have access to 5 Gigs of free storage on the cloud.  On top of the Google Mail Screen next to GMAIL it saves DRIVE.  Just click on it and on the left column you will see "Download Google Drive".  Just do this and sign in with your GMail name and password and then you can simply move all the files you want to protect into that folder and it will sync them to the cloud.  After this is done when you click on them either on your computer or from the Drive function you will see your documents.  I saw almost all of my files onto the Drive except pictures and music since these files are too large.  Google has other solutions to save music and photos in the cloud as well, which are not a part of the storage limit for the Drive.  If you are interested I will tell you about these as well.  Hope this isn't too much information but you asked. 

Marilyn, it looks like Harry would be a very loving cat, at least as loving as a cat can be!  Janet, it sounds like you have inherited a new dog because how can a person not bond to a dog in a short period of time. 

Pat, congratulations to you and Paul on becoming Great Grandparents as that is something really special.  Nita, I see you agree with me on the how special getting to be a great grandparent is. 

Ruth Ann, are you speaking of your son with the terrible headaches improving? 

Don, thanks for that wonderful Thoughts for the Week piece.  It reminds us that we always have someone who is able to bear our burdens when we are willing to surrender them and trust that he will relieve us of them and give us the insight to continue in a better way. 

Etta Sue, glad it is a bit warmer up your way.  Hope the projector cooperates well with you this morning at church.  Do you use a computer as the controller?

Judy, thanks for that song.... I remember singing it, many times, in a trio with my sister and a friend.

Don:  Thank you for devotions.  They are short and to the point that our burdens need not be so heavy. 

We went to the church service today of a record setting of 45 people.  The little shop area was packed to the brim but maybe we can set the chairs differently if this continues.  Someone had brought chocolate croissants to go with the coffee. 

Chatted with our daughter on SKYPE so that was fun.  Don is searching for some missing files on the computer and taking a break now and will start again.  Everything but that one is there, of course. 

Larry:  How nice that your friend shared his unused computer.  I hope it works well for you. 

Hi everyone on a dreary and soon to be rainy day.  It rained all night but has basically stopped for a bit but the weather map shows we have a lot more headed our way today and tomorrow.  I have my Monday men's luncheon at 1 pm and than a meeting tonight so hope it isn't raining too hard at those times.  By the time I got home from church yesterday I was really tired.  I made a quick stop at Kroger's deli for friend chicken and a couple of salads for our lunch and then rested most of the afternoon.  About 1 am Pat, who was still up, woke me saying we had an email alert from Discover Card that a very large charge had been made, about $700  from Walmart and another charge for a Body Building place had been entered and then reversed.  I immediately called fraud division and assured them those were not our charges.  They immediately canceled our account and will send new cards in a few days and they assured me the charges that were not ours will be reversed.  Fortunately, I was able to go back to sleep in an hour or so since they assured me I didn't need to worry about the matter.  The housekeepers have just left so we have a nice clean house again.  I don't think I have mentioned that since the desktop computer was given to me I have ordered a keyboard cover for the iPad for my birthday from Pat.  It is suppose to come tomorrow.  Love that Amazon Prime account and the two day delivery and no additional shipping charges.

Larry, what a good friend that was to give you a computer.   

It's raining lightly here - not sure whether or not it is the freezing rain that "they" said was possible, but I'm not going outside to find out.     At least it didn't get as cold last night as it did the two nights before, and the rest of this week should be quite a bit milder, maybe even at or above freezing - until Saturday and Sunday when the temperature is expected to dip again.  As the kids say today - "Whatever!".   

Mary left; Kumar the dog stayed, and I had one of those three hour nights.  Three hours of sleep just does't do it for me, so I am going to try to get a nap now.

Larry, thanks for the information, when my mind is clearer I will try to do that.  I have some unused zip drives (?) or flash drives that I thought I could use, just didn't know how to do it. So your instructions are  very helpful, and I appreciate it.

Pat, congratulations on the new great grandchild!!  I have three sweet little girls now, and they are.......GREAT! 

More later......

I didn't even take a nap yesterday afternoon and I had one of those nights that I couldn't get to sleep.  Janet, we should have Skyped or talked on the cells to each other to occupy our awake time!! 

The wind woke me up this morning.  Sometimes I just wish the wind would stop!!  I had a letter to mail and the strong wind about blew me over...twice!!  When I got back into the house, I called Ivalou and told her that she shouldn't go out today.  Mom, years ago fell due to the wind blowing her over on the road and she broke her arm!  I don't want Ivalou to copy cat Mom in that way! 

Then when the mailman went by, I took Ivalou's mail to her, too! 

I have done three loads of laundry...all dried, folded, hung and put away.

We found out Sunday that the youth minister and wife are expecting twins in August.  They have Ellie...will be 3 in October and Emma...will be two in August...then newborn twins in August.  Four under the age of three!!  Glad it is them and not me!!

Etta Sue, our cell phones  should have something on them to tell others "sorry, she is sleeping" or "She's awake, too!"  Wouldn't that be cool?

I have been really listless all day, I guess due to the lack of sleep.  It was really nice when we went out to go exercise early this morning, then got progressively colder.  They are predicting "less than one inch" of snow tonight.  Not enough to do any real good.

IF I can stand it, I plan to listen to the State of the Union address tonight.  But I doubt I can stand to listen to his lies.

I hope you all have a great, restful night tonight!

John and I are home after a long day.  I have posted another prayer request in Prayer and Praise. Please check it out!

Hi everyone.  We expected to wake to a rainy morning as we have to go downtown for Pat to have her pre-op doctors appointment and go to the hospital for the paperwork and whatever.  However, it is not raining and the clouds look a little broken up.  Yesterday they said the heavier rain would probably occur bout 4 pm and we will be long home by that time.  We are not planning on going out to lunch with Stacey today as Pat will be exhausted when she finishes at the hospital and so we will head home.  After I drop her off at the hospital I will go on down and visit with Stacey for a few minutes and take her some dinners Pat prepared for her yesterday that are now frozen.   She will come down in her chair from her apartment and meet me and I won't have to deal with parking.  Should a parking place be available I will take it and go inside and see Stacey and wait for Pat to call saying she is ready to leave the hospital.  That will be it for today.  We have nothing special planned for today although expect we will pick something up for a late lunch.  I did get my new keyboard case for my iPad and think I will really like it.  It is a blue thooth keyboard and the case looks very much like the one I have had on it but a bit thicker. 

Etta Sue, I can't imagine having four children under the three or younger.  We had two in diapers as they were 15 months apart and that was a job. 

I'm home.  Made a quick post last night about Bonnie, (Check Prayer and Praise) and my internet failed. 

The trip north was basically uneventful to Gravenhurst......from the big bend on, we were on snow covered ice.  I nearly lost it more than once.  I drove to Huntsville, and turned the steering wheel over to John and went through my cell phone, I didn't want to watch the roads.....yes it was that bad.  One car passed us, spun out hitting the guard rails, we passed him only to have him pass again. We watched to see if he spun out again, I'm glad we didn't see him.  We took the back roads, once we were closer to home and were back onto snow pack that had been plowed, stable road, and we could travel!  It was good to be back home!

JudyB:  I have been in dire situations on ice and snow and do remember = what would we do witout prayers?  Once, we were on a mountain pass near Leadville, when the road should have been closed.  Don was driving and I wanted to put a blanket over my head and then the radio played the song, "Nearer My God To Thee".  It made us laugh thinking of that is the song they played as the Titanic was sinking - really?  Actually, the pass was closed but they hadn't closed on the end where we started. 

Talked to my cousin Dale - he is hurting from his knee wound from Korea - yes, these vets who are injured go for years with pain.  We will get together in two weeks.  He remembers me when I was a child.  His twin brother will be there as well.  Their voices sound the same over the phone. 

Time to go to the knitting group - I am the slowest of all.  Have a terrific day. 

Here is an example of our plow units.  Inefficient at best.

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The unit on the right is a trailer that plows the driving lanes, there is no way around these units, I think that is why they are endorsed by the Ontario Government.  However they don't do the job that 2 side by side snow plows do!.

Thank you Jeanne!

Two down and two to go.  I have been to the pool and ate out at Perkins for breakfast.  Ivalou's class lunch was today at Perkins.  I was going to come home and get her and go back to Noblesville but she left me a voice mail on the cell saying she had a ride to Perkins. 

I got to Perkins before the class did so I was sitting by myself.  I saw one of my classmates come in by herself so she sat with me and had breakfast also.  Before leaving I saw another class from Lapel (class of 55, I think) eating there and chatted for a bit with Ivalou's classmates, too.

Now waiting to take Ivalou and our tax papers to our tax preparer.  When we get home, then I can take out the trash and I am done for today! 

Tomorrow Ivalou and I get a perm and a haircut.  Me, the haircut since I have natural curly hair.  And tomorrow night is Wednesday Night Live Bible Study!

It is so nice out today.  Very little wind and bright and sunny.  The temp is 38° and rising!  Nice out!

Hey, was CP down or did everyone go out to eat and not come back?  No one posted after me yesterday.  Sorry...I didn't mean to run everyone away!

Ivalou and I are getting our hair done today and if she isn't too tired, I will run her to Anderson to get her toenails done. 

Sleep was so good last night!  I didn't want to get up.  And no, I didn't watch Obama...maybe you all did and that's why you haven't posted!!

I did watch part of the speech, but then I thought "Why bother?  Plenty of talking heads - both Democrats and Republicans - will explain to me over the next several days exactly what I think and why." 

We are about half way through our latest photo contest.  This time we're voting for the best one of the 2012 challenge winners.  It would be great if lots of folks would vote - you don't need to have ever posted a picture, just let us know what you like.  To check it out and cast your three votes in the poll, CLICK HERE

Hi everyone.  Another dreary, but not too cold and so far not rainy, noontime near Atlanta.  I just got back from Bible study and then tore into the vacuum cleaner bag to see if by change Pat's wedding ring had gotten into the sweeper bag when the lades were here cleaning on Monday.  The little try she put them on apparently got knocked off the table as they were dusting and one of the two rings is now missing.  We have looked under the chair and table and now the vacuum without success.  This was the diamond ring I gave her for our 25th wedding anniversary.  It has to be here in the house somewhere as the other ring was on the tray and she takes them off together.  I saved the contents of the vacuum bag so Pat and check them herself but I felt every bit of material in the bag as well as using a magnet to try to find it.  Norm and Shirley, it sounds like you all partied too heartily and wore yourselves out yesterday but had a nice time on a nice day.  I am looking forward to seeing the pictures from you get together.

We had a good trip to and back from Atlanta and I was able to get a parking place where Stacey lives so was able to visit with her an hour or so while Pat was at the hospital.  She got over to the hospital about 11:30 only to find there was a scheduled appointment for her at 1:15 with the nurse that the doctor's nurse was to advise her about but had not done so.   So she had an hour and 15 minute wait but a hospital volunteer took her down to the cafeteria in a wheelchair and she was able to get her lunch and then he came and brought her back to where she had to meet the nurse.  I ate at Chick-fil-a just up the street and she called me where she was finished and I picked her up.  This way I didn't have to walk the long, long hallways of the hospital from the parking garage and then back to the car.  It worked out well.  It did rain a little on us coming home but not enough to bother. 

My good friend brought in to coffee this morning a pan of freshly baked chocolate cupcakes that were still warm as his wife baked them just before he came to coffee.  Then the lady who treats us so kindly at McDonald's gave each of us a little packet of heart shaped valentines cookies and they sang Happy Birthday to me.  It was very nice.

Judy, frightening trip I am sure driving on ice packed roads.  Glad you made it safely home and that you and John know how to drive on such roads.  Have to say I really didn't understand what I was seeing in the picture of the snow plow.  What is the big white thing?

Etta Sue, you are getting your taxes done early.  Nice you could visit with friends at Perkins.  I didn't watch the State of the Union either. 

Jeanne, you are right about the talking heads telling us what we think.  I wonder why they think they know better than we do what we just heard.

Carol, nice you are going to get together with your cousin and his twin. 

Larry that is a trailer that the main unit drags behind.  It is filled with liquid to add ballast, there is a blade on it as well.  As you can see by the road it really doesn't clear the road very well.  The back roads are snow pack and we don't mind those, we can do the speed limit on snow pack.  However on the roads these units plow we are extra careful as they quickly become icy.

John has headed to Sault Falls IA.  Headed out I80.  So wish I was with him.

We have had light snow fall all week so far, it is just adding to what we have not a lot, 2 of the dogs love playing in it. 

Time to sing!

Hi everyone ... I just put an urgent prayer request in the prayer room ... Another of Nita's sisters is in desperate need at this very moment.

I want to say something while I am thinking about it, about Mary's perfume sales.  Mary is Hispanic and speaks fluent Spanish, and those Hispanic women really do love their perfume!  So mostly she sells to them!  I rarely even remember to use perfume myself. 

Okay, now that that is done....Larry, glad your trip to Atlanta wasn't as stressful as it might have been, and that you and Pat are safely home.

Judy, glad you and John made it home safely, with the Lord's help.  I am glad I don't have to drive on that kind of roads.  I wouldn't, I would cancel appointments and stay home, because I wouldn't be a safe driver in those conditions.

When I got up this morning, I told Darrel the only thing that didn't hurt was my eyebrows!  Boy, Kristi has really been putting us through our paces.  I know it is good for me, but....ouch! anyway!   

I had to go get a "romantic Valentine" for Beth to send John, take it and help her sign it by holding a pen in her mouth, then go mail it.  We also had toe nail appointments with our sr. ctr. nurse this afternoon.  Now the day is nearly gone already. 

Yesterday I did get another interview done, but still have to get it typed up and ready for the paper.

I guess I am not in a talkative mood today--for a change! 

Hi everyone I have read the posts and now I am going immediately to the prayer requests.

Friends drove from Tucson to meet us and another couple for lunch at the Elephant Bar restaurant today - we picked up our local friends as he just had cataract surgery and is doing very well.  It was in the 30's this morning but I did a good walk walking in the weak sun as much as possible.  Tonight is a service for Ash Wednesday

Otherwise, I am washing clothes.  Jeanne:  I did not even watch last night.  For my true information, I watch and listen to both sides and then figure out what is more likely true.  You just can't trust everything you hear over news media. 

What a day we had yesterday.  We left at 9:45am.  We got to Kay's Beauty College in Noblesville at 10am but they weren't going to start working on people until 10:30am since they had a speaker yesterday morning during class.  Ivalou got a perm and I got a haircut. 

We didn't leave Kay's until almost 2pm.  Then I drove on past our houses and to Anderson.  We ate a late lunch at Hibachi Grill...a wonderful Chinese buffet.  The nail salon was close by so I took Ivalou there.  It was 3:50pm and they were done with her pedicure in an hour.

It was 5:15 when we got home.  What a long day for Ivalou but she is spiffy from head to toe!

I didn't need anything to eat so I played on the laptop until time to go to Wednesday Night Live. 

Today is my class lunch.  Bob and Kitty are going so I am driving there and riding the rest of the way with them. 

Then when I get home, I need to do some things that need to be done for Euchre!

Of to the prayer requests!

Carol, I didn't watch the speech either, I went to watch my granddaughter dance instead.  I do not trust any of the mainstream news media at all any more, get my news from Fox and even then, I weigh it carefully, not taking it as fact just because it is from Fox.  So far, they do a pretty good job, and I pray it continues.  The liberal left hates Fox!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, EVERYBODY!!

We are ready to go to the gym.  I'm less sore than yesterday, so I guess it's time to make me sore in new places and ways. 

Lon came out and installed a new lavatory faucet for us yesterday, and is to return to install a new light this evening.  I have so many jobs for him, but he is trying to fit them in between his other jobs.  This is barter work, to pay for a lot of tools Darrel let him have.

I will come see what others have to say when I get back home.  I need to type up the story I have from the interview I did a few days ago.  Hi, Etta Sue!  I see we were typing at the same time!