Deborah

Proverbs 3:21-26 ..Keep sound wisdom and discretion; so they will be life to your soul and grace to your neck. Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught. Lord, let Steadygaze hear your voice saying, "This is the way, walk in it." Let her know beyond a shadow of a doubt what she is supposed to do. Amen.

I've been watching a nest in a pine tree near my house. It has two babies in it. This afternoon when I went to check it, the mama bird was sitting on the nest. She let me lift a branch and take her picture. This mourning dove reminded me of Psalm 91:4 "He shall cover you with His feathers and under His wings you shall take refuge." See how her feathers are poofed out? And here's the babies:

I'm so glad to hear from you, Abigail, and so glad to hear about your plans to go to college, your improving health and that things with your parents seem better. You are often on my heart. Love, Deborah

I very, very much agree with Cholette! I was in a church that spiritually abused its flock. One day I sat in the congregation and I looked at each family. In EVERY family, the children rebelled and did NOT return to church once they were out from their parent's thumb. I did not want this for my son; I'm so glad my family felt released from that torture. Thirteen years later I am still recovering from the legalistic abusive spirit I encountered at that so-called church.

right on, Linda!

I was reading these scriptures just today-- Joshua 1:8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success." Peter thought he was bold, but when Jesus was being crucified he ended up denying Jesus. But then, once he received the Spirit of the Lord, he (Acts 4:1-13) confronted the rulers, elders, scribes and high priests and proclaimed the saving power of Jesus. Zechariah 4:6 "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts." So Lord, fill Sister In Christ with your spirit and help her with this job, Amen.

No presents for you, Scrooge Dreamster!

Sam here says he doesn't like to be called "Tubby" but he's sorry about your thyroid issue.

I'm hearing what you guys are saying about gluttony being a sin and I agree. We in the church shake our collective heads at drunks and smokers while increasing our waistlines gossiping at church potlucks, and this is not right. If it's okay, I'd like to add my three cents.... My sister in law had weight-loss surgery a few years back and I've seen firsthand how it has changed her life. She lived the first 50 years of her life obese and then morbidly obese. She has a thyroid imbalance and she tried many, many diet plans. Since her weight-loss surgery she has a new lease on life. She's not afraid to go places alone anymore, she smiles a lot more, she's trying new things like riding motorcycle. She joined a new church and has a passion for the Lord now. She likes herself more now too which makes it easier to be around her. It's been at least 5 years since her surgery and she's maintained a normal weight all this time. Of course, this surgery is not without its risks--I know my sister in law got a kidney stone after her surgery and the surgery made kidney stones more likely to happen--but like many issues, a "yes" or a "no" is not a size-fits-all approach (pun intended, Dreamster). One of my sister in law's daughters grew up when my sister in law was morbidly obese--this daughter is now obese herself. The other daughter has had a normal-sized mom for her teen and pre-teen years and has emulated the small-size portions her mother eats. That daughter is normal-sized (although in her early years wasn't) and is even competing today in a state track meet. I don't think this would be true if her mom had not had the weight-loss surgery. ----------------------------------------------- Anybody who knows me knows how much I love animals. Two stray cats have adopted me--Sam and Hannah. Sam has a medical condition and he has to take a pill every day so his bladder doesn't get crystals in it. This medicine makes him less active, so he's an overweight cat, even though I carefully measure his special vet-prescribed food every day and he doesn't get any snacks. Hannah, on the other hand, eats more food, (the same type of food and snacks), and she is not fat. It's been interesting to me to hear the mean things people say about Sam. They call him "Tubby" and other mean things and presume he is lazy and I am feeding him too much. My point? People are prone to rash judgments and can be very cruel to another who isn't "normal" sized. Let's be careful not to harshly judge one another, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ--if we had to walk in their shoes (or in this case, paws) we'd probably weigh more than they do.

Have you considered homeschooling or correspondence school? I know New York has restrictive homeschool laws, but a person can homeschool if you have a lot of determination and not very much money. I homeschooled my son through high school; curriculum ranged from $200-$500 a year.

Have you considered enrolling in a driver's education course that offers behind-the-wheel training? I remember my dad tried to teach me to drive and it was a disaster! Another thing you might try is driving like at 4 in the morning or some other time when traffic is really light.

Has your dad ever been tested for bipolar depression? I had a brother who had it and I know firsthand something like this doesn't just affect the person who has it, but his family and everyone he knows. My brother had severe mood swings, trouble sleeping and lots of financial problems, much like your dad. It seems to me you're carrying burdens for people who should be carrying your burdens and your body is responding to that. Do you have plans for college or a job? I know it sounds cold hearted, but it very well may be you need to focus on yourself so you can get strong enough to deal with this situation with your mom and dad better.

Praise God, Abigail! I'm happy for you and your family!

I've been so out of the loop with my husband having surgeries and an ice storm that knocked out our electricity for several days, but I just wanted to say how happy I am for you too, Cholette! You deserve a break like this! Good for you!

The ladder my husband was on collapsed; he fell 8-10 feet unto a concrete floor--details are in the link I provided. I pray you will find a solution to your own heel problem. Thanks for responding and for your prayers--after I posted this I drove back to the hospital and my husband's pain had decreased and he was even able to stand about 30 seconds.

My husband had heel surgery Friday, but his pain is more intense now than before his accident. The Lord warned me about this accident before it happened: /t12493-woman-grabbing-me-by-the-heel#69578 Please pray for us; this has been a long, long ordeal.

Praise God Craigen does not have diabetes!

I really needed to hear this today. Thanks, Sirianta!

That's what you get for acting like this around my chickens

Really????lol!!!! Maybe they caught on fire!!!!!

After eating them, you might have to do this: