Whispers…

Sometimes, the winds and rain of life’s storms can become so loud and overpowering, all one can do is hold fast to something solid.

All strength has been spent in search of answers, directions and/or solutions to escape the storm’s fury.

But, what if one is meant to endure a storm, rather than escape it? What then?

I find that when things are beyond my control, my understanding, and my own strength… I seek God!

Here’s the place where my thoughts, my opinions, my plans of escape, and the sound of my own voice, need to take a time-out!

God most often will speak softer and quieter, the more agitated and anxious I become. You would think that he would simply raise his voice over my own babbling, just as I would do to my children when they were small.

But I’m not a small child any more. Those days are far behind me, so I’ve no excuse for not listening when my heavenly father counsels his daughter.

Here’s why I am eternally compelled to seek this God that I speak of so often… He whispers!

I’ve had ups, downs, successes, failures, and really big Uh Oh’s!

God has walked with me through each and every storm of my life, whether it was of my own design or something completely undeserved. He stayed, comforted, encouraged, and counseled… but always in the quiet, after I’d settled down into his lap, as it were. I learned a long time ago that when I felt the most anxious, it was because I wasn’t listening for God’s quiet voice.

There were times that I became angry with God for not speaking louder, telling myself that I could have avoided a thing all together, had He spoken up!

The funny thing is, I doubt I would have listened to His counsel anyway… it’s what I often did over the years. You know I like to keep things honest.

I would be less than truthful if I didn’t admit that I still do this on occasion. It gives me hope to know that I live in grace.

I doubt I’ll get all this stuff right in just one little ole earthly lifetime… I’m pretty sure that’s what eternity’s all about.

Now that I’m getting older, it’s even more important that I listen more carefully for His whispers. My hearing isn’t what it used to be. Fortunately, in my case, God often speaks clearly to my heart through scripture.

You know why he does this to me?

Cause I can’t read and talk at the same time…

Hugs

Show me the money…

Daily writing prompt
Something on your “to-do list” that never gets done.

I finally quite making those ridiculous to-do lists, as they only reminded me of what seemed to never get done!

Since there are no longer any of those discouraging lists lying around, I’m free to take one day at a time, while savoring my successes and rethinking my failures.

Whether I ever come to any financial success is no longer a priority, but rather, where I put my faith and hope. God speaks to me freely, and without handing out any lists.

I know that we like to make lists to make us feel like we are moving forward, or getting a thing accomplished. I suppose that’s all well and good, to a point. However, for many folks, we tend to take things a bit over the edge. Notice how I’ve said we, because I’m no different than anyone else.

It’s alright to make a list of things essential for the day’s comings and goings, but beyond that? Perhaps we should just put “don’t let the tires out of your nasty neighbor’s tires” and, “smile when you feel like crying” on those lists.

My point is that we often put the wrong things on our to-do lists, which is why they never seem to get done!

We humans tend to make things an awful lot harder than we need to, especially when it comes to our to-do lists.

I vote for a to-do list burning party! I’ve got the cookies…

Musical Monday…

Even when waters are deep, hold to your faith in Him. May this mornings song encourage you to keep going, even when you are weary, and your strength is gone…

Have a blessed Monday… hugs

(2025) Come On In…

Daily writing prompt
What’s your favorite thing to cook?

This may be a repost of last year, but it’ll do. Plus, we’re no longer in that hotel room, so don’t panic!

Since I’m too lazy to look back and find my answer from last year’s prompt, you’ll get a fresh answer, though it won’t be a so called “favorite”… but it’ll still probably make you hungry.

Our room only comes with a microwave, countertop range (two spots to boil or fry something), a glass mixing bowl, one frying pan with a lid that belongs to a smaller pan, and a handful of kitchen utensils, and there’s no cooking going on in here, unless I want every single item we own to smell like our last meal. For everyone’s benefit, I’ll write about what I used to cook, instead.

There was my mother’s homemade chili, hamburger/cornbread casserole, or her lasagna… that lasagna was to die for!

During my children’s young years was the proving ground for my culinary skills, which were quite undervalued and appreciated, in my opinion. While they may offer mixed reviews, I feel quite accomplished in both cooking and baking. In truth, due to the creation of the Easy Bake Oven, my baking is probably the better of the two.

Meal wise, a sure fire winner would be my Brown Sugar Burgers. But only use the good buns, because the cheap kind always fall apart like wet paper! I think that I may have written about a Chicken, Mushroom, and Artichoke Fettuccini Alfredo, with fresh Sourdough Garlic Bread. Oh well, I won’t bore you with the details, but it was really good!

Dessert wise, I’ve been told that my Snickers Cheesecake was better than ‘you know what’, but my personal favorite desert would have to be in the cake department. It’s a homemade pound cake with French Vanilla Cream Cheese frosting, covered in fresh strawberries. The strawberries were sliced and covered in a sprinkling of sugar overnight. I always used the syrupy juice to drizzle across the top of the cake, right before it was sliced!

Hands down, cookies will always be my prize winner, but sometimes we have to remember the rest of all that yummy food. With that being said, I’ve done my part in offering a sincere answer to the prompt, but there are other things I wish to spend my time doing this morning, so I’m off for now…

You didn’t think I would forget the cookies, did you?

Thursday Thoughts…

Thought #1 – What if everyone bought bags of wildflower mix, and just threw them out the window on their way to work every day?

Thought #2 – Why is it so adorable when a baby toots, but when I do it, everyone at the checkout counter gets mad?

Thought #3 – I want to take a sharpie, park myself in the doorway of my local grocery store, and demand all the employees offer up their pay stubs for me to verify. I don’t think that would last long, at all!

Thought #4 – What if all medical professionals had to provide proof of qualification, skillsets, bedside manners, and personal recommendations for each patient they cared for, before we paid our bill?

Thought #5 – If everyone on earth decided to run in the opposite direction of the earths natural rotation, all at the same time, would the earth start spinning the other way? (This was a joke, so don’t start thinking I believe the earth is flat, or anything like that nonsense.)

Thought #6 – If I were to ever have a kitty again, I would want one of those huge Maine Coons, I think. And, I’d teach him to talk so that he could explain why I only get to snuggle him when he feels like it. Why are cats sometimes so rude?

Thought #7 – I can remember dreams from all the way back when I was a small child, and yet, I can’t seem to remember where I last saw the fingernail clippers.

Well, I guess I’m all out of thoughts. But in my defense, it is only 10 in the morning… and I really do want some oatmeal… with raisins… and brown sugar… mmmmmmmm…

Ok, one last thought for this morning… Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, so make sure you enjoy it!

Hugs

Nocturnal Olympics…

Daily writing prompt
What are your favorite sports to watch and play?

There are so many activities to choose from when it comes to the Olympics, right?!

Just add a bit of honey to a cup of chamomile tea, and put on your favorite pair of night goggles, and then let the games begin!

There’s Snore Skiing, Dream Car Driving, or Powder Puff Pfootball… ok, that one was reaching a bit.

Well, what about 40 Wink Figure Skating? Or Siesta Skating? No?

Ok, ok… how about Dozing Dragon Dancing? That’s a tough sport to enter though, just saying…

I don’t like to brag, but I’ve actually earned my wings in this sport, so to speak.

If you’ve never tried Catnapping, you really should. It’s the rage, right now!

(I wouldn’t recommend this if you’ve an allergy to the little furballs, though. No worries, because they’ve a competition that’s adjustable for those with kitty boo sensitivities…

There’s even a Bedtime Baking category…

How’d you think I was able to keep up with all these cookies that I bake for you each morning? You better grab one before I roll on them.

Wednesday Words…

According to Eustace, I should be eating more spinach. In truth, I think we all should!

Lately I’ve been craving it something fierce. I suppose that I probably look and feel a great deal like Olive Oil did, from that old Saturday morning cartoon!

Out of curiosity over my severe cravings, Eustace and I got to reading some things about natural foods.

Check this out! I clipped this off a nutrition calculator:

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
1 cup (180g)
Calories41
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0.47g1%
Saturated Fat 0.08g0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 126mg5%
Total Carbohydrate 6.8g2%
Dietary Fiber 4.3g15%
Total Sugars 0.77g2%
Includes –g Added Sugars–%
Protein 5.3g11%
Vitamin C 17.6mg20%
Vitamin D 0mcg0%
Iron 6.4mg36%
Calcium 244.8mg19%
Potassium 838.8mg18%
Phosphorus 100.8mg8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

No wonder Popeye was so strong!

Depends on what’s being lottered…

Daily writing prompt
What would you do if you won the lottery?

While most may assume the lottery to mean cash money, there are a number of other possibilities…

Such as peanuts! Why can’t there be a lottery for a lifetime supply of peanuts?

Or flowers, perhaps…

What about a lifetime supply of all the most beautiful spring blooms? Wouldn’t that be heavenly? Well, at least the fragrance would seem sent from above, in my humble opinion.

Then there’s babies…

Ok, so maybe that’s going a bit too far… but you can’t blame a girl for trying!

Now, books as a lottery?

SOLD!!!

Since the likelihood of an All-You-Can-Read book lottery isn’t that high for me, at this moment, how about we settle on a Cookie Lottery…

Yep! If it ain’t broke, then don’t try to fix it!

Uh Oh! They want another list…

Daily writing prompt
What books do you want to read?

Honestly, I can come up with a much bigger list of books that I’d like to read again. From what’s currently being published willy nilly, I can’t say that I’ve any list at all!

Why do they ask these kinds of questions, anyway? Personally, I think it feels like they’re just trolling once more, in search of more information to sell to the highest bidder on the market.

However, in keeping with my earlier commitment to make honest efforts in my answers to these repeat prompts, I will leave you with a short, and probably repetitive answer…

Books I’ve read that are worth another go:

  1. Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary
  2. Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman
  3. Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hannard
  4. All of C.S. Lewis’s work
  5. All of the Love Comes Softly series by Janette Oke
  6. The entire Redwall series by Brian Jacques
  7. The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien

I’m sure if I thought about it long enough, I could make that list go on for a good while. But, since my tummy is growling for some oatmeal, I shall cut this off, here. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day…

Cookies can be considered a breakfast item, can’t they?

Monday Messages…

What’s the deal with the whole i before e except after c, song and dance? And, am I the only one who thinks that there’s not a big difference in the word’s pronunciation and meaning if you flippy the little letters around?

So, why did they make that rule, then? I’m going to find out!

Simply because a rule doesn’t make sense doesn’t mean that it’s wrong. Although I think it’s a rather silly rule of the English language, rather than something that makes any real sense, maybe we should just ask Google…

According to the ai generator,

“I before e, except after c, or when sounding like ‘a’ as in ‘neighbor’ and ‘weigh'” is a popular English spelling mnemonic: use IE (like believe, thief) unless the letters follow a C, where you use EI (receive, ceiling), or when they sound like a long ‘A’ (neighbor, weigh). It’s a useful guideline but has exceptions, so memorizing tricky words like weird, seize, and height is also key.

How it works

  • IE: In most words with a long ‘e’ sound, ‘i’ comes before ‘e’ (e.g., believe, piece, thief).
  • CEI: After the letter ‘c’, the order reverses to ‘ei’ (e.g., receive, ceiling, deceit).
  • EIA: When the sound is like the ‘a’ in neighbor, use ‘ei’ (e.g., neighbor, weigh, vein).

Common exceptions (memorize these!)

  • weird, seize, leisure, height, science, glacier, caffeine, protein.

Why it’s not a perfect rule

  • English spelling is inconsistent due to influences from other languages, so this is a guideline, not a strict law.

Nope! I still think it’s more of a confusion than any help! Can’t we just keep things simple?

All this early morning research made me hungry. It’s off to share some oatmeal with Wiwohka. She makes it the best! Oh, don’t think I forgot about you, too…

Oatmeal cookies, of course!