Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †
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Posted in Uncategorized
✝️ DAILY DEVOTIONAL, November 14, 2022
Thank you, Dan. No matter how many times I read this sermon, each time I feel more wrapped in the arms of my Saviour.
And thank you for the serene picture above. The Season is nearly upon us, so…
“Each of us in an in keeper who decides if there is room for Jesus.”
Wherever you are, Neal A Maxwell (who wrote this beautiful truth), thank you.🙏
The last two RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous) music videos. RED has an incredible cast (Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, Richard Dreyfuss, Ernest Borgnine, Anthony Hopkins, Mary-Louise Parker, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Lee Byung-hun).
RED – They’re Coming to Take Me Away – Jerry Samuels
RED – Let There Be Guns – Arrogant Worms
Mary, while I like your videos and while I both understand your enjoyment in being polemical, i’d like to take this opportunity to comment on this video. I had an interesting conversation with a good friend over lunch today. She was railing about “people buying assault-weapons of war which aren’t used for anything other than killing people”. She was quite adamant about her belief that average citizens shouldn’t own such ‘weapons of war”. She was also quite3 wrong.
I explained to her that the reason we had a 2nd Amendment, which has specific language to this effect, is to provide an armed citizenry with the ability for common citizens to defend themselves against tyranny.
The 2nd Amendment was a document—completly unambiguous in it’s clear intent—that was created by revolutionaries. In order to defend against governmental tyranny a free armed citizenry needed weapons-of-war like the rifled musket which out-ranged the British “Brown Bess” and the the modern AR or AK pattern rifles. Yes, they are fundamentally intended for killing other humans. But sometimes, in times of extreme threats they become immediately essential for our personal survival as well as the survival of others.
That sentiment was clearly behind the statements we can read in the 2nd Amendment.
The 2nd Amendment is fundamentally about political power sharing—an armed population with the ability to defend itself is an excellent defense against governmental tyranny.
I’m pro gun. I just like humor. An acquaintance became a friend because she needed someone to shoot with and invited me to learn to shoot. I was willing, but scared. She made it a safe and interesting experience, but I was too nervous to make the 1 hr drive home so would spend those nights on her sofa. And that made her a friend. She had a website, Women & Guns, that I made for her and I edited all of her articles. That whole experience made me feel closer to my father, who was an army rifle instructor mother had divorced when I was 6 weeks old. I never knew him but, suddenly, learning about guns gave me a sense of family. So I’m pretty emotionally grateful to the whole gun community for broadening my views.
My friend took me along to shoot with her class that was taught by Mas Ayoob for the teachers of police. That last day was machine guns and drive-by shootings (rented car, but police the brass). Truly, I’ll make fun of everything. Even the things I love dearly. So duck if you see me coming with a camera.
Machine Guns – Marvelous Toy – Peter, Paul and Mary
Funny! I didn’t see a single “machine gun” in that video. I did see three different sub machine guns. An M-3, a Thompson, and an Uzi.
You also didn’t see the lovely gentleman who put a ??? in my hands and said, “Just pull the trigger once. You won’t feel any recoil.” Bless his little heart. And all his happy friends. That was really a lovely group of people. I was very impressed with them all.
In addition to the sub machine guns I saw an M 16 (I believe an A2 model based on the flash suppressor and forward assist) and an M 14. You would have felt that M 14 if you shot it so I figure you shot the M 16.
Sounds vaguely familiar. Many of the early pictures of my father show him with a gun. HIS father carried a colt on his hip and was a deputy sheriff over a lot of the west.
Father:
http://iment.com/maida/family/father/images/gunshouldered3middle.htm
http://iment.com/maida/family/father/images/wwidoughboymiddle.htm
As an army poet, father also wrote poems about guns:
http://iment.com/maida/family/father/poems/poems.htm#convent
Pic 1: Lever action, model unknown
Pic 2: US Springfield, M1903, caliber 30-06
Nope. Was an Uzi if she felt no recoil. Shoots a pistol cartridge (9m) from an 8lb weapon.
Nope. Looks like I was wrong. See the lady at 1:39 with a Steyr Aug.
That’s my friend. When I first got into industrial videomaking from making music videos, all my friends helped me experiment with little videos. I shot a series of videos of my friend and her husband at the shooting range on various shooting stances. Then he gave a demonstration on how to increase pistol finger strength by squeezing various kinds of balls.
I also had a friend who desperately wanted to “go Hollywood” and I directed and shot her in a video she’d written on American Indian Art. She actually passed the video around as a resume and ended up as script supervisor on that talking car show and on Hercules. Sadly, I did a small documentary, as well, on an artist friend who was leaving fandom to be available for a famous actor who she was sure (according to her astrologer) was going to leave his wife. (He didn’t.) The world runs so much easier when friends rely on one another.
Thanks, Mary.
Watched the vid 2x. Your friend’s the only woman I saw. Most people had their backs to the lens, though, so I guess I missed your performance!
Of course he didn’t leave his wife. Stolen milk is always sweeter. Once it’s not stolen it loses it’s appeal.
Best,
Joe
All I could think of was Nigerian scammers. Who clicks on mail like that? But that woman was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known in my life. I would watch men actually stop dead in the street to watch her walk by. And a phenomenal artist! Smart? Wow! It’s just this problem with wanting something so badly you’ll believe whatever you need to believe in the hopes of having it.
ALL submachine guns shoot pistol rounds. The UZI uses a 9 mm, the Thompson and M3 uses the 45 cal APC,
However all of those submachine guns operate on the simple blowback principle. The firing sequence begins from an open bolt position. IOW for the weapon to be cocked the bolt must be back. The mass of the bolt going forward propelled by a spring is what fires the cartridge.
The heavy bolt flying forward and then being blown back imparts a kick even in the Thompson which is a heavier weapon than the UZI or M 3.
The gas operated M 16 has no such problem and imparts nearly zero kick because the bolt is locked to the chamber when it fires and the bolt and bolt carrier group is much lighter than the bolts of the submachine guns.
My preferred method when shooting the M 16 is to have the tip of my nose touching the charging handle. I do that so that every time my eye is the exact same distance from the ring sight and so I have the exact same sight picture every time I shoulder the weapon. But the fact that I can do that demonstrates how little kick the M 16 has.
The ’16 has no brass deflector, making it an M16A1. See it at 0:28 of the vid.
Looked but didn’t see that exchange between you and the man.
That wasn’t on camera. I was the filmer except for a small bit when I was actually shooting. One of the conditions of being allowed there was that I wasn’t releasing the class footage, but just the edited music video. I shot B-roll on all my videos, so I spent a lot of time practicing “following” things. One of my purposes in doing that shoot. The man id’s as the “son” in the song was special forces. Don’t remember anything else about him except that he had an air of authority.
The soldier speaks truth. No M60, Ma Deuce, or .30 Browning. That’s in the next class, eh?
Understand. Got it, love. Good for you! 🙂
Memory of mother: We had just pulled over to the side of the road. My Irish Wolfhound in the backseat had had diarrhea all over the rear white leather seats. As we stood outside the car trying to decide how to start cleaning up the dog and the car, a police car pulled up and a lovely man got out and asked, “Can I be of help?” Mother and I couldn’t talk for minutes for laughing.
And another: Before mother’s last illness was correctly diagnosed, she was being treated with medicines that meant she went everywhere with a throw-up bowl. We were on our way to NYC for a meeting where I was going to get recognition for professional work and had gotten lost in a REALLY bad neighborhood. Frail mother was, as always, fearless. She explained that I should feel safe, as she was there. And if we had any problems, she would throw the contents of her bowl at the miscreants. Mother always knew how to make the world a better place.
🙂
Massad Ayoob has been teaching shooting since at least the 1980s. Massachusetts police officer, IIRC. He famously proved in a court that someone with a knife, 20 feet away, is a deadly threat. The defendant had shot a knife carrying assailant who was 20 feet away. Ayoob’s testimony caused the jury to vote not guilty.
Looks like your shoot was in the early-mid 1990’s, as Ayoob appears young. Ammunition was readily available and cheap. 5.56 (M16) was $125-$150/1,000 rounds. IMI (Israeli Military Industries, same mfgr that made the Uzi) 9mm about the same price. 7.62×51 (M14) about $150-$175 1,000. .45 ACP (Thompson, Grease Gun) about $125-$150 also.
The Thompson is a model 1928. It holds stick or drum (50 rds or 100 rds) magazines. There are two, opposing horizontal slots where the stick magazine joins the receiver. Those slots hold tabs on the drum magazines.
This Thompson is a semi-automatic that was converted to select fire. How can you tell? By the long barrel. The original Thompson, per se, has a 10″ barrel. The one being fired has a 16″ barrel. IIRC, Auto Ordnance in West Hurley, NY made a lot of these in the 1950s and 1960s. Those guns are typically called “a West Hurley Thompson”. They bring about $20-$25k today. An original WWII era Thompson by Savage or Auto Ordnance will start at $25 and go to $40,000; depending on several factors.
All in all looks like a great day with good people, good freedom weapons, and a good instructor. A day in the Old America.
16″ is minimum barrel length in USA. Anything under 16″ is regulated by the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA). Buying an NFA firearm requires one to fill out (in duplicate) a BATFE Form 4 (Application to Purchase NFA Weapon), paste a color photo of you on each application, and send them plus $200 to the US Treasury Dept. Also requires you get fingerprinted on FBI print cards, and send them with the application/$200.
The $200 is a tax you pay for the “privilege” of having that short barrel rifle (or shotgun) “transferred” from the NFA dealer to you.
Once your application is approved, BATFE sends you one of the F4 applications that you send them. Just under your photo will be about a 10 digit number, rubber stamped with black ink. That’s the transaction number.
This form is proof you paid the $200 transfer tax and thus, proof you legally possess the weapon.
Some people call the form a “license” to own a short barrel weapon, and while it’s a license of sorts, it’s legally a receipt for tax paid. As such, it’s tax deductible.
And so, machine guns are regulated under a TAX STATUTE that requires not just registration of the weapon, but payment of the $200 tax! Anytime someone’s convicted of possessing an unregistered machine gun, they’re also convicted of failing to pay the $200 tax.
Every one of those machine guns in your vid is registered with BATFE either on a Form 4 (for non-dealers), a Form 5 (dealers only), or (rarely though) a Form 10 (museum).
>>great day with good people, good freedom weapons, and a good instructor. A day in the Old America.
So very well put. It was exactly that on a clear and perfect summer day.
Is that you at 1:39, Mary? Blue T-shirt? That’s a Steyr Aug rifle you’re shooting. Same caliber as the M16. Swiss manufacture, IIRC. They made a big splash in America in the early-mid 1990s, mostly as a novelty due to bullpup design.
“Bullpup” means the magazine is under the stock instead of under the middle of the rifle. You can just make out the magazine in the stock, under the horizontal slot under your right eyeglass.
The horizontal slot is where the empty cartridge is ejected. You can see one fly out when you shoot.
Having the magazine farther back on the firearm, instead of in the middle of the firearm, means the barrel sits farther back in the weapon and…..all these things means the firearm is much shorter than a comparable weapons.
Shorter=more maneuverable in tight (close) quarters.
Mas was up in New Hampshire at the time. He’s since moved to Florida. His friend who owned the collection was a local NH sheriff and it was the “reward day”, the only day I attended the class, for their hard work over the week. The Boston area range was run by a wonderful older man who was a detective. We used to stay after my friend’s classes to clean guns and listen to his stories. Truly old school. He was found dead in his car at a stakeout. Which is how my friend met her husband. The instructor had always told stories about his large collection of weapons that he’d hidden in the house he shared with his sister. So my friend and her future husband, as students, felt obligated to search the house for anything he might really have hidden. It was minimal, so stories WERE exaggerated. As good stories always are.
One good range story. Oh, everyone DID get lead poisoning. The lights in the ceiling were shot out. We heard that was because the local LEOs also shot there. The chief of that town particularly upset the instructor because
his gun was rusted unopenable. They obviously never went frequently enough or seriously enough to keep up their shooting skills.
That’s my friend. She certified to teach police. Used to attend a competition out west every year. Mostly I remember her reviews of various holsters and purses. On the website I had a button with her yelling, “Stand still!” She hasn’t shot for years as her HD finally hit. But she’s meticulous in her mental and physical exercises and hasn’t succumbed yet. And still one of my closest friends. When I was the head of computer programming languages, she was the president of computational linguistics. I sucked her into the Night Before Christmas research and it was her experience with phonemes that led the New Zealand professor we worked for to use that as his main statistical proof that my 5th great grandfather wrote it. She and I transcribed all the 18th century poetry into its sounds, and husband programmed the prof’s data requests.
You and your friend are dynamic women with grit and, I presume, just enough glamor whenever you want. I guess you’d be up for kayaking down the Yukon in Alaska, or backpacking in the Rockies.
Cowboy Action Shooting is what your friend did. Cool stuff. Some of those ladies are fast as lightening. A friend of mine and his wife did it for years. They had the best of everything, from hats to boots and in between.
Great talking with you today, Mary.
Joe
Agreed, Joe. But, no, I’m not the kayaker or the backpacker. I’m the nerd off in the corner with a book or a computer. I’m a compulsive creator/designer. I MUST create. If it’s not videos, it’s fiction, or a new room in the house, or … It truly doesn’t matter what. I’m as happy creating a new way to finish a soft wood board as I am to finish a story. I’m fascinated by everything and everybody. I want to hear all the stories about people and their grandparents and their ancestors. And, mostly, I want to hear laughter. If people make their own, I’m joyful in the corner listening. If not, I’ll make my way closer to encourage the sound.
You thrill me. Everyone on this board thrills me. Conservatives are brilliant! They compose and play music. They’re architects and fishing boat captains. They live lives that don’t touch our own except here – where we can move past the bounds that our backgrounds have built around us. And, here, we touch those people. How can one not be out of our minds excited at being in an emotional and intellectual playground together?
Glamor? Not for years. But my hair is still to my waist and the fashions I exulted in in the 60’s and 70’s still sit in the closet for memories. Maybe I’ll pull them out someday and turn them into another music video.
Excellent, well made points.
Something jumped out at me as I read your post.
The Founding Fathers insured the ability of the American people to fight tyranny if it ever occurred here, in our own government.
They were adamant about that in particular, since that is how the country was founded by them in the first place.
The Second Amendment was not just a way to provide protection against governmental tyranny, it was a public promise government would not be tyrannical, at least by them.
The Founding Fathers provided the Second Amendment to prevent governmental tyranny.
The current crop of politicians are fighting hard to get rid of not only the Second Amendment, but they want to “re-write” the Constitution however they see fit.
Getting rid of the Second Amendment, getting rid of personally owned guns is a high goal for democrats and some republicans.
The end result of that goal eventually leads to tyranny.
The Founding Fathers believed tyranny would not happen if an armed people could fight it. Governments would fear the people.
Governments fear the armed people because they can fight tyranny. Many in government want to disarm the people……because they can fight tyranny.
The contrast is clear.
However, in my vastly sleep deprived state, I’m not sure I made my points clearly!
Did good.
They want us disarmed but can’t accomplish it, though goodness knows they keep trying.
So they constructed the Regulatory State (with all its picayune agencies) which has inflicted its own tyranny.
Tyrants never go through the front door.
Good morning Bet! Done with the surgery on my bride for today. Took them all of 15 minutes. Now waiting for the results tomorrow and going for another appointment in the afternoon. The doctor said that most likely he got it all the first round so after we get the pathology report he’ll throw on another couple of sutures or will take. Off another chunk.
❤️😍
Prayers, Gramps . . . 🙂
Good morning, G, gooder because that’s out of the way…now prayers that it’s only goodest news going forward.
I befriended and was befriended by a burly ex policeman who worked in the meat department in our neighbourhood Walmart, who had a melanoma removed from his shoulder in one go. He is fit and recovered and hasn’t had any issues since.
That is what we’ll pray for your beloved bride. I am so glad this doctor wasted no time. That’s an incredible blessing. Thank goodness you are close to a big medical centre, which I know is a good one.
Y’all take it easy today. Praying for the bestest news🙏😘!!
Thank you Bet, Garrison, Patience for the prayers! Patience, a few months ago my bride had a basal cell carcinoma removed from the side of the nose. Healed and looked great!All glory and praise to El Kavod, the God of Glory.
Yesterday after our discussion on lovingkindness I asked our pastor to check the word hesed on his app that has the meaning of every letter in paleo Hebrew. That’s what he texted me back,
Hesed “khesed”
Loving kindness, covenant loyalty
Exodus 34:6
Paleo Hebrew:
Chet: Wall, fence, separation.
Samek: thorn, support, protect
Dalet: door, move, entrance
Summary: Hesed is a walled-in place of separation where those in covenant find protection and support. There is a door that provides entrance and exit. Jesus is the door.
Oh how lovely! No wonder studying to be a rabbi is so intensive. Of course Jesus would be the door. “No one comes to the Father except through me.” 💕
What gave cause for that specific question?
I am truly smiling, Pa.
~How beautiful and so good to know.
Yesterday I was saying that the word “lovingkindness” was such a beautiful word….the discussion proceeded from there, with G and his knowledge of Hebrew adding thoughts.
Ahh… I missed that.
Yes, lovingkindness is truly beautiful and rare.
Pa, sure is something in so many ways; we only know a tiny bit of.
A teacher in the nicest way…
LOL! With the 5-10 Hebrew words that I know. You both are very kind. 🙂
✝️ Only, and always,
GOOD thoughts (prayers) for you, your Bride
and all of your Loves, Pa❣️
—————————///
Recently had Mohs procedure nose/inner eye area; a quarter coin size.
So far, so good.
🌹
Many years on I find that the area, still free of problems, tends to scab a lot and feel hot. But those problems, compared to the possibilities removed, are nothing. Important thing is that Mohs WORKS!
First hand reporting is appreciated!
The entire experience was actually quite spiritual. Can’t really put it into words; just something remarkable… , and the next day repair surgeon was pert near an artist.
—————————-
Glad for your wellness.
I imagine you have follow-ups through the years.?
What I remember was going hysterical over the local. I am NOT a fan of needles, regardless of my acupuncture video upcoming. They do keep track of you until they feel reassured, and if you stay with a dermatologist as a safety precaution thereafter, the spot will always stay checked. But it does do local nerve damage, hence the heat. Just not one of those important things in life. (Now when you run out of peanuts for your chicken and peanuts dish, now that IS one of the big things in life.) Spiritual would not be on my list of words describing it, even if the list circled the globe at least once. Curious if you could describe that more.
I DID have mini strokes and found those absolutely fascinating. I’m a straight-laced, tee-totaler who has never ingested a funny pill in her life, nor had liquor pass my lips. I have never spent a moment before having my head in some very strange place. So it was an experience I look back on with, I can only repeat the word again, fascination.
That local… OUCH! But that was it; no pain of ANY kind during, recovering and now. Nada.
GrandpaM just may have helped find some words for me to explain:
Hesed “khesed”
Loving kindness, covenant loyalty
Exodus 34:6
Paleo Hebrew:
Chet: Wall, fence, separation.
Samek: thorn, support, protect
Dalet: door, move, entrance
Summary: Hesed is a walled-in place of separation where those in covenant find protection and support. There is a door that provides entrance and exit. Jesus is the door.
The doctor thanked me for the prayer.
~ I did not pray aloud, however. 🤔
As for to tea or not to tea:
Nothin like a sweet little electric (lit up) state of mind, I say!
Some say it’s the taste. (eye roll)
If or when I’ve the taste
~it’s for the delightful buzz.
Patience, see my reply to Bet above for another first hand report. 🙂
Thanks, Pa.
~ God Bless Grandma❣
Confiscating firearms is the first step toward an authoritarian state. That’s definitely on the Great Reset agenda.
There are over 400 million privately owned firearms in this country. There’s a reason for that. 🙂
Imagine all those owners saying, “Oh well, if the government says turn them in, I guess I’d better do it.”
And then we all laughed and laughed!!
Hello there, Betsy❤️
Hi, Miss Patience…somewhere in this multi comment thread I left a message for you and Ma. Loving how many comments and conversations there are!!😘
Finally found it.
~Thank you for always including Ma, Betsy 🤗 .
Yes, lots of topics….. it’s very ‘cool’.
Yes…this thread grows daily!! (glad hands!!)
I know that national statistics probably equate 400 to 500 million firearms but I think its more likely to be a billion firearms in private hands. If they know of a figure of legal sold or registered what about family arms passed down and illegal arms in the USA??
You did great!!
Two points to add to the above:
1. There is no right more fundamental than being able to protect your own life and that of others.
2. This former SF soldier has fired literally 100s of different weapons. Not a one that was classified as an “assault rifle” did not have full auto or at least 3 round burst capability.
Which were your favorites, Rah? Any suppressed?
That’s a tough question to answer and you probably not believe the answer.
I guess if I had to choose a single rifle for all purposes defense or offense it I would choose the M 21 system. Heavy barrel, sniper version of the M 14 retaining full auto capability.
Though I suspect that if the MK 14 EBR had been issued in my day it would be my favorite.
Of course neither of those weapons are what you want for CQB. But I really like the power and penetration of the 7.62 round. And I’m big enough to deal with the weight and recoil.
Can’t remember firing a suppressed rifle but did fire a couple of suppressed submachine guns. Specifically a Sten and MP 5K and several different silenced /suppressed hand guns.
I fired every fire arm H&K was producing in 1988 at their factory range. Even an MP5K firing out of a briefcase.
“Behind every blade of grass………..”
Much controversy as to who said that…and the ‘who’ is not as important as the “shall not be infringed upon”. and who said that!
Garrison, while I support your sentiment and reasoning completely, I would like to remind ourselves, that when this document and indeed the entire US Constitution was “founded” – it was written with God front and center. When one might ask does this “covenant” become “invalid”? Does it retain its Godliness if and when the majority of its citizenry have all but abandoned their end of the deal. But yes, I’m also a stickler for “what is written is written”.
And this, oldspeak….no where in any founding document does the wretched, overused, and now trite word “democracy” appear.
Want to confound a liberal? Ask him or her to show you where it does. Then stand back and watch the poor things try to answer.
The AR15 is
a deadly assault weaponan instrument representing freedom and protection.Thanks Mary. You put a smile on my sad post-election face. And mad love to Helen Mirren.
She is something else, no? Not classically beautiful, but oozes an allure and intelligence that are, in my view, much more attractive. And age has not diminished it. What an incredible actress she is.
Whenever I think of mother, I hear the laughter in her voice. Everything was funny to that lady. At her funeral, I passed out the booklet I’d made to keep from going crazy. Among other memories, it contained her receipe for cooking shoe leather. If we stop laughing, we stop living. The vast majority of my friends are liberals. And the quickest way to get them angry isn’t saying, “Trump!” and running quickly. It’s telling a joke about something they believe. Absolutely no sense of humor or self-understanding. I hang around with “my kind” online because we’re a lot more fun!
Mary…give me a person with a sense of humour, adding in a healthy dose of a sense of the ridiculous plus an ability to laugh at one’s self. What a combination! Your mother’s company I’m pretty certain I would have enjoyed very much.
I’ll tell this story on my adored in-laws whose family and friends all that those qualities.
Whilst they were gathered and enjoying a wonderful meal, complete with preprandial toddies, they were discussing a few in their small Texas town who had absolutely none of those qualities and who went out of their bossy boots way to make everyone miserable. There was no love of humanity or joy in them.
So a fantasy gathering was planned. Invitations would be printed out inviting them all to a grand party at the town hall. Then as they gathered on the night and found there was no party, the miscreants who sent out the invitations (and who would be hiding unseen in the bushes) would watch as these most unpleasant people talked amongst themselves, wondering what they had in common.
I stress this was an event only fantasized about and would have never happened. But oh how they enjoyed planning it in the privacy of their own home.
Laughter cures a lot ills. I can’t imagine life without it.
Great story! Mother’s father was from Sherman TX. I grew up chasing fireflies with a Confederate flag and singing Yellow Rose of Texas at the top of my lungs. I think fantasies about bully revenge are great. It’s that type of thinking that leads writers to create great books.
They are absolutely. So much better than confrontation. All done with humour with no malice.
Fireflies!!! I remember chasing those myself when I was a child. Where have they all gone?? Having said that, last summer I was surprised and really overjoyed to see two quite unexpectedly where we are in the Ft Worth area. Only two, but they were enough to get the memories flowing. And my British husband had never seen one. Just wonderful.
I saw maybe 10 in our yard this summer. The most I ever saw was at a hotel- the summer Star Trek convention – near a creek outside of Baltimore. The creek was lined with tall trees and at night EVERY ONE of them was covered top to bottom with uncountable numbers of fireflies. One of the most awesome sights I remember.
God’s world is an amazing place…..you made me remember this…
“If God can make a bug’s butt light up, just think what he can do for you!”
Amen.
Memo to self: Get heavier pants for the winter.
Dr Who – Rudolph – Duck the Halls
“Adventures of an American Eagle” by Henry Livingston, Jr. (1822)
.
.
.
“That face you make when your town’s high school football team loses their match in the state semifinals”.
Or – the face you make when you head to the pantry for that last homemade brownie … and someone beat you to it! ha!
(BEAUTIFUL kitty, Leon…these pics make my day. Thank you much!)
A whole lotta cuteness in a teeny-tiny package!
Beautiful. Just want to pick her up and hug her.
Good morning, dear Leon. I want one!!
Telling it like it is, “Beat it”. Michael Jackson
Due South – Eat It – “Weird Al” Yankovic
So funny!
Man from Uncle – Eat It – “Weird Al” Yankovic
One more . . .
Someone to Watch Over Me is SUCH a great song. Everyone’s dream.
🙂
Good morning, Mary. Oh how I agree with that!
Howdy Garrison 🙂
Yo, jay 🙂
Morning Garrison!
Afternoon, Gramps! 🙂
Good morning, Garrison. What an incredibly talented lady she was. I wish songs like these, with poetic lyrics like these, were still in fashion. What calm they deliver. Perfect for the start of another week when I suspect we will need some. 🤗
Afternoon Bet 🙂 I first saw her long, long ago on the old Jack Parr tv show. He always showed good taste in his choices of musicians.
Jack Parr!! I’d forgotten about him. Shouldn’t have really because my father loved to watch him in the day when late night shows were worth watching. He also made time every week for the Dean Martin Show…9 pm Thursdays. Don’t know how this remembered the day and the time.
I have such admiration for people who can song and play so beautifully at the same time. All the human moving parts working together with no effort. I enjoyed her very much.
I was sitting at the window today, watching fresh snow melt, and the notion came that tonight I should pray to Our Father a prayer for the protection of all children, and that it should be a stand alone prayer, and that I should ask Our Father to stop all those who would harm children. And it further came that I should ask others to do the same. So, I do so now.
Our gifts from God, in the crosshairs of evil forces the world over, will always have my prayers.
One of my most treasured memories of my dear mother in law was listening to her talk to my first daughter whom she would rock, rock and rock when she was a babe. She didn’t know I was listening.
And one of the things she would say to my first gift was to speak of God, always adding, “…but you’ve seen Him since I have.”
It went straight to my heart then and does so now. Especially as that most loving grandmother has now, I’m sure, seen the face of God once again. 🙏
Consider it done, emet… bless you💕
Done deal.
Michael Jackson at age 12 ” I Want You Back”.
Morning Ya’ll 🙂
https://youtu.be/RbNpaBKdvlc
I could walk a long time down that boardwalk.
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That is a wonderful composition. The colors are perfect and the distant clouds stop the movement perfectly. Very impressive.
🙂
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Good Monday, Jay. 😎
🙂 😉
A Monday morning hello to both you, Patience and Ma🤗🤗 If it is as cold and wet where you are as it is here, stay warm, with ample warm drinks to keep your inner selves nice and cozy.💕
Missed you earlier; sorry.
Thank you, Betsy❣️
It’s not wet. -yet.
Last day for outside tidy up.
Our leaves are only tentatively dropping now. We’ve got a week of lows at freezing and just a touch below. I expect we will see the colours turning rapidly after that, then suddenly all falling. Then the winds to scatter them here, there, and yonder, dancing up and down the street as they do. Messy but very atmospheric.
Good morning Patience! ❤️
Hi, Pa❣️❣️❣️
Afternoon, Patience 🙂
Good morning, Mr jay!! Hooray! Bench Monday once again😍 Bless you for restoring Lucille’s wonderful, peaceful legacy to this church of ours. So good for the soul. Wherever she may be, I think she’d feel honoured.😘
…I’m just imagining sitting on one those benches, looking out onto the seas He created.
Maidin Mhaith Betsy, thank you there are many things I say and do that honor people that have influenced my life which may seem strange to others. When my fellow Treepers reminded me of Lucille’s Bench Mondays I thought it would be good to revive it.
🙂 🙂
Speaking of benches.
There have been many scenes in movies and television shows and plays that are set on benches.
And then there have been countless scenes with porch swings.
Benches and porch swings!
Both so simple. Both of which very probably are a source of many good memories for all who remember them from our pasts.
So true, Betsy…we have a back porch swing where the grandkids hang (lit.) a lot.
And on the porch a wooden sign says, “what happens on the porch, stays on the porch.”
Recently a small GC asked me what that meant! I explained the best I could – all the talks, secrets, the stories, the snacks eaten – everything we do together on the porch and the swing, will hopefully give them good memories of love!
How utterly wonderful, Miss.Della.B! What happens at Grandma’s definitely stays at Grandma’s…especially those times when I’ve sneaked our three nearest to us small sweet treats when they were little….their mother (my daughter) gives me the side eye…she knows. I wouldn’t trade those days for anything. Here and gone so quickly.
I am enjoying your porch swing with all of you in my mind and heart right this moment. Memories like that last a lifetime. And yes…they WILL remember. What a gift to give them!💕
And oh how right you are!!
Long before I started commenting, I was only passing through from time to time; and I saved something from this thread which I loved. And long after that I thought of it and went trawling through my phone to find it. Imagine my delight in discovering it was posted by Garrison, then only a name to me, who became a treasured friend through our church here. I’ll honour him with a repost…
Poo’s logic. . .
“What I like best,” and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better when you were there, but he didn’t know what to call it.” ~ A.A. Milne
What a good soul you are, Mr jay.. I thank you most sincerely for restarting such a loved tradition. And for giving me a chance to repost the above…in honour of another good soul…both of you very dear to me💕
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Yo, jay 🙂
🙂
👍😉🤗
Morning jay!
Howdy Gramps 🙂
14 November 2016 Holly Dunn, American country singer (Daddy’s Hands), dies of cancer at 59
14 November 1992 John J. Cascella, American rock keyboard and accordion player (John Mellencamp), dies of a heart attack at 45
Speaking of magic….
The lady is speaking Mandarin. Don’t know if these are widely used in China or not.
10 days ago, Norway.
On November 8, there was the blood moon, maybe there was a connection?
I went outside to see the blood moon but we had fog and clouds. However, by evening the sky was clear and the moon was huge and yellow, it was very dramatic.
Blood Moons happen during Total Lunar Eclipses. And we had that Nov 7-8.
It is basically the same cause as seeing red skies. The colors on the violet side of the rainbow have been scattered out, leaving the red light to light up the moon.
here is the source and description. Blood Moon – Red Moon – Total Lunar Eclipse (timeanddate.com)
here is a picture relating colors to Oxygen and Nitrogen molecules and their altitude to the colors emitted.
Basically, the pink happens when the solar particles are very energetic.
see source of picture Aurora Borealis Colors Explained – AURORA live
or The Colors of the Aurora (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
You can take all the tea in China…
… drop it straight into the deep blue sea.”
“You can’t stop us along the road to freedom
You can’t stop us because our eyes can see…”
From the scientists at the Institute for Creation Research (ICR), the writers of these daily devotionals I post, some of us at least are going to find this fascinating…
“Created to Sing: Our Gloriously Engineered Musical Ability”
“Next time, won’t you sing with me?” is the closing line of the ABCs so often heard from sweet little voices. Since they don’t know it’s a rhetorical question, it’s amusing to hear them sing the song over and over…and over.
Yet, this endless singing produces lifelong benefits. It aids in brain development by establishing learning processes needed to assimilate astonishing amounts of information. Because singing plays an important role in development, it’d be interesting to know if any non-singing cultures have been identified. It also explains why technical literature links both the auditory and neurological systems together with singing and speaking.
When you think about it, these systems showcase many wonderful characteristics of the Lord Jesus. On the loving side, He made singing such a super-fun activity for toddlers that they gladly partake in this brain-building activity. The technical side is equally fascinating. He integrated the children’s auditory system into the brain’s “encoding” process. In this ABC song illustration, the children not only encode the ABCs but also the sequence of the 26 letters, two short musical arrangements, six musical notes (harmonic frequencies), a sentence, the rhetorical question, and the sounds of words (phonetics). There’s a lot more going on than meets the ear . . .
continues https://www.icr.org/article/Created-to-Sing/
November 14
MORNING
Thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God. Psa. 40:17
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. Psa. 37:23, 24
In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. Prov. 14:26
Who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the LORD thy maker? Isa. 51:12, 13
I am with thee to deliver thee. Jer. 1:8
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Deut. 31:6
I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Psa. 59:16
Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Psa. 32:7
EVENING
How wilt thou do in the swellings of Jordan? Jer. 12:5
For Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest. The priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan. Josh. 3:17
We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Heb. 2:9
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psa. 23:4
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. Isa. 43:2
Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Rev. 1:17, 18
J. Bagster
https://dailylightdevotional.org/11/1114.html
🙏🙏🙏
November 14 Oswald Chambers
Discovering Divine Design
As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me… —Genesis 24:27
We should be so one with God that we don’t need to ask continually for guidance. Sanctification means that we are made the children of God. A child’s life is normally obedient, until he chooses disobedience. But as soon as he chooses to disobey, an inherent inner conflict is produced. On the spiritual level, inner conflict is the warning of the Spirit of God. When He warns us in this way, we must stop at once and be renewed in the spirit of our mind to discern God’s will (see Romans 12:2). If we are born again by the Spirit of God, our devotion to Him is hindered, or even stopped, by continually asking Him to guide us here and there. “…the Lord led me…” and on looking back we see the presence of an amazing design. If we are born of God we will see His guiding hand and give Him the credit.
We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the growth of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never believe that the so-called random events of life are anything less than God’s appointed order. Be ready to discover His divine designs anywhere and everywhere.
Beware of being obsessed with consistency to your own convictions instead of being devoted to God. If you are a saint and say, “I will never do this or that,” in all probability this will be exactly what God will require of you. There was never a more inconsistent being on this earth than our Lord, but He was never inconsistent with His Father. The important consistency in a saint is not to a principle but to the divine life. It is the divine life that continually makes more and more discoveries about the divine mind. It is easier to be an excessive fanatic than it is to be consistently faithful, because God causes an amazing humbling of our religious conceit when we are faithful to Him.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The message of the prophets is that although they have forsaken God, it has not altered God. The Apostle Paul emphasizes the same truth, that God remains God even when we are unfaithful (see 2 Timothy 2:13). Never interpret God as changing with our changes. He never does; there is no variableness in Him.
https://utmost.org/
Amen🙏
Bet, do you know what happened to our Feral Cat. Did I miss something?
I don’t. But am suspect there’s been a name change?? Don’t want to assume…but hope. Perhaps we will get an in long of this is so. Hoping so anyway.
I have that same sneaky feeling…
Well if she did, she’s giving nothing away. But she normally replies up and down this thread, soooooo…I’ll place a small wager and say it is.
(I just read my reply to you! What the heck!!! I sound drunk!!! Autocorrect…grrrr)
Mornin’ all!
Accurate.
PRAYING ON THE ARMOR OF GOD
Father God, I now follow your command to put on the full armor of God, because my battle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers, authorities, the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the unseen world.
I first pray on the Belt of Truth that it may be buckled around my waist, may I be centered and encircled by your truth dear Lord. Hem me inside all that is true and right, and may I be protected and held up by the truth of your living word, in my Lord Jesus name.
I pray on the Breastplate of righteousness, please protect my vital organs and my inner man, cover my integrity, my spirit, and my soul. Guard my heart for it is the wellspring of life, please strengthen and guard the most vulnerable places in my life with that which is right, good, and noble that I might not receive a fatal blow from the enemy, in my Lord Jesus name.
I pray on the Gospel Shoes of Peace. I choose to stand in the shoes of your good news, and on the firm foundation of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the solid eternal rock. All other ground is sinking sand, I pray that I will not slip or fall, but that my feet would be firmly fitted on your lordship, my Lord Jesus. I choose to stand on you, so that the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus, the eternal Rock of Ages. I receive your holy peace now my Lord, from the sole of my feet to the crown of my head, in my Lord Jesus name.
I pray the Shield of Faith into my hand now. As I take up the shield of faith, I ask that you might extinguish every dart and arrow, that is launched from the enemy to take me down spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, and every attempt of the enemy to destroy my joy. I ask that my faith in you would make it flame out. Extinguish every flaming arrow that would come against me, my life, my family, my home, or my ministry. May my faith always be out in front of me like a shield. Give me the courage to “faith my fears” by choosing to walk by faith and not by sight, in my Lord Jesus name.
I pray on the Helmet of Salvation, that you might protect my mind from the thoughts that can lead me astray. I choose to take every thought captive, and arrest all intentioned ideas and motives that would harm others, or distract me from your holy will for me. I submit every captured thought to the Lordship of my Lord Jesus Christ, and ask that you would imprison those thoughts that are not of you my Lord. Transform my mind and renew my thinking that I may think God thoughts, and have a sober mind that is focused on your glory. Please protect me from being double minded that I may allow my mind, I reject to live an earthly life, because I choose to live a holy one, governed by you My Lord Jesus, the prince of peace, please have my mind to be saturated with the holy mind of Christ, in my Lord Jesus name.
Finally, I take up the Sword of the Spirit which is the holy word of God, I pray this powerful offensive weapon into my hand, and ask that your holy word would be fitting for every encounter I face. As the enemy gets close to me, please give me the insight, wisdom, and skill to wield the word of God to drive away the enemy, in my Lord Jesus name.
May the enemy and his team flee from me, upon hearing the word of God spoken by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit. Give me the sword of the spirit to cut through the wiles of the devil, so that I may discern the schemes of the enemy when he is near.
With all kinds of prayers, supplication, and intercession I pray to you my Lord God as the one who fights my battles. Now that I’m in your holy powerful armor, I walk away covered and ready to face my day as you go before me, and please protect me in the midst of the spiritual warfare in this unseen world, in my Lord Jesus name.
Thank you my Lord, for the spiritual weapons of armor and prayer that you have given me. It is written no weapon formed against me shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses me.
Thank you Father God, my Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit, that I am more than a conqueror in my Lord Jesus. I pray all of this in the mighty name of my Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.
AMEN.
Verse of the Day for Monday, November 14, 2022
✟
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20 (KJV)
Thank You, Jesus, for blessings received and prayers answered!!!
Bless-ed good morning, dear duchess. May your week be full of them.💕
BE MY VOICE
BABY LIVES MATTER
JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN
PLEASE PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER
I came to this loving branch this morning with the intent of posting this wonderful part of Philippians, which I have kept on my phone for a long while. I thought I would read all the morning’s offerings from our congregation first…
…and what do you know!! Here you are, duchess, having beaten me to it! You know how I view “coincidences”😉🙏
So I will simply add what I would have had I posted after…
” My soul rejoices to know the day is coming when God shall finish the work which He has begun .”
~Charles Spurgeon~
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😊!!
Over the last few days, I have been thoroughly disgusted at what my country has become. Most of what I was taught in first grade is a lie. The authoritarians first worked to subvert the Electoral College, then strangely went silent on the issue while pivoting toward the ballot harvesting mechanism in the swing states. I weep for my country and pray for it at the same time. That being said, there has to be some actionable takeaway from (S)Election 2022 to fix the election mess in the battleground states. Since the authoritarians now have a lock on the governing and ballot counting mechanism in the battleground states, the solution is not in those states. Aside from a real American conflict or partition,the correction path truly lies in one or more of the red states to expose the fraud. The fraud is occurring in every state to some extent. This is where we need a Trump or a Trump Jr. to get elected to one of the red states to expose the fraud. Texas would be a prime candidate for a Trump Jr. to expose the fraud once and for all. Florida could have been a great example however it cleaned up its election mess without advertising the fraud inherent in their system that would have gone a long way towards exposing the fraud in the other battleground states. It is important to note that a Trump Jr. could run for governor in a state,in tandem with, Trump running for President; the events do not have to be mutually exclusive.
Waiting also for Barron in the years to come. He has learned at his father’s knee for love of country and his mother’s with languages. A striking young man. Who knows what the world holds for him.
Greetings Treepers!
Please pray for my Mother in law. She is in the ICU with congestive heart failure and other complications.
Please also pray for my wife. She’s been very attentive and is weary.
Grace to each of you! And thanks! 🙏✝️🙏
Praying for God to lay his healing hand on your MIL and for Him to give you and your wife strength as you both need to be there for support for your MIL and for each other.
Dear Frank, of course we will. Almighty God has her in the palm of His hand, as He has you all as you watch and wait. There is no question of this. May her doctors and nurses be compassionate ones, administering their healing gifts, given to them by the Great Healer himself. And may His peace, so precious, rest with each one of you. I know your wife is worried and tired. Knowing you, you will look after her in her vigil, my dear brother.🙏💕
🙏🏻🙏🏻
Continuing prayers Frank!
Atlantis, could the ancient legend be real?
Colorado legalized psilocybin and mescaline under supervision at licensed psilocybin healing centers. They must be the new world order opium dens.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7z5vm/colorado-votes-to-decriminalize-shrooms-and-other-psychedelics
Wow, a step up from the already legalized marijuana.
They so much want to get the masses doped up…I guess they think it’s easier to influence and control the compromised.
so sad.
Mary Jane was always the foot in the door. Just like “legalizing gay marriage” was a similar foot in a similar door in order to move stealthily to the depravity we see today, and on eventually to legalizing paedophilia in the name of “it’s who you choose to love”.
There is always, always a foot in the door…
Colorado has turned into a cesspool, they also have legal assisted suicide, aka Death with Dignity.
Assisted suicide is making hideous progress in Canada. It will now be available to those with “mental issues” and children (if their parents give the go ahead).
How Christ must weep…..
I believe that the world is being judged right now for its sins. If only more people would 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
I both cases that is assisted homicide.
Yes, this and so much more.
I guess the highly concentrated wacky tobacky wasn’t giving these clowns a big enough psychedelic experience.
. . . but deliver us from the Evil One.
The Jesus Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.
Amen!
The 50th Psalm
Septuagint
Prayer of Saint Ioannikios the Great of Bithynia (+ 846)
My hope is the Father, my refuge the Son, my protection the Holy Spirit. O Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.
Amen, Amin🙏
From Small Compline
Rejoice Virgin Theotokos, Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, for thou hast borne the Savior of our souls. (Thrice)
Was on the lookout for a fun break:
We Have The First Evidence of Bumble Bees Playing with Toys, And It’s Utterly Adorable
. . . Galpayage and colleagues created a playground of sorts for 45 buff-tailed bumble bees (Bombus terrestris).
The set-up provided them with the option of walking directly to a food foraging area through a clear path or choosing to be diverted by an obstacle course of little wooden balls on either side of the thoroughfare instead.
On one side those balls were fixed in place, but on the other side they were loose.
The curious little animals did not disappoint – each investigated the balls, giving ball-rolling a shot at least once.
video and article at link:
https://www.sciencealert.com/we-have-the-first-evidence-of-bumble-bees-playing-with-toys-and-its-utterly-adorable
The more videos I happen upon which involve animals, insects, etc doing simply remarkable things, the more I believe/know we do not understand even half of these of God’s creations and what they are capable of.
Right up into the 1930s the scientific consensus was there was highly intelligent life on mars.
https://realclimatescience.com/2022/11/consensus-science-off-the-rails/
Watusi. In 2014 HS kids dress up in 60’s clothes to make this vid.. They did an excellent job!
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Speaking what was attempted during the Trump Presidency and was working. Soggy Bottom and the eggheads are back to their favorite rut.
[Herald Interview] Biden must alienate Pyongyang from Beijing for N.Korea policy to work
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20221114000669&np=1&mp=1
There was a discussion of JD Vance over on presidential politics thread today. Reminded me of this song. Here it is, with lyrics. Every garage band at the time learned this one.
Test comment. Haven’t been here in quite a while… sorry for the initial character spam, post button was red and I thought there was some kind of error 😉
You’re good to go, Winston👍
Greets Treeps!
MILaw Zoe has graduated from ICU to a less nursing intensive floor.
Her breathing has improved. The blood transfusion has perked her energy level and her appetite. Her lungs are clearing. She will need a few more days in the hospital but she’s improving!
Thanks so much for your prayer and kind words.
Coram Deo ✝️
So glad, Frank!! Prayer works. He can change things in an instant. Such good news, my friend🙏
lilbirdee12’s prayer:
Our Heavenly Father, Your children come to you tonight to ask for healing and peace throughout our country so that we may return to being One Nation Under God. Guide us to be leaders in Your Kingdom, spreading Your Love and Salvation to all. Forgive us our sins and deliver us from evil.
Lord, we ask for a blanket of protection over all our troops and law enforcement who serve to defend and protect us. Bless our representatives with the strength and wisdom they need to achieve the path You have chosen for us.
Please place Your Guardian Angels of Protection around Donald Trump and his family as they seek to lead America back to You. Also, we pray for Angels to protect and support our Sundance as he works for justice and peace.
Grant us patience, Lord, as the evil ones try to anger us and cause us to fall. Spread blessings over Israel and Netanyahu.
We humbly ask that You please comfort those who are grieving and in pain.
And prayers up for all political prisoners. Prayers up for Julian Assange and for all the protesters of January 6 who were or are entrapped in DC. And, thank you, Lord, for restoring Pastor Pawlowski.
Thank you Father, for Your love and the gift of Life.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Amen.
Amen
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Watch from 7 minutes. Money is the root of all evil
Exercising my right to reply 🙂
“For the love of money is the root of all evil” 1 Timothy 6:10.
✝️ Lord, thank You for the day. Amen.