Strength vs Courage

It takes strength to be firm
It takes courage to be gentle.
It takes strength to stand guard.
It takes courage to let down your guard
It takes strength to conquer.
It takes courage to surrender.
It takes strength to be certain.
It takes courage to have doubt.
It takes strength to fit in.
It takes courage to stand out.
It takes strength to feel a friend's pain.
It takes courage to feel your own pain.
It takes strength to hide your own pains.
It takes courage to show them.
It takes strength to endure abuse.
It takes courage to stop it.
It takes strength to stand alone.
It takes courage to lean on another.
It takes strength to love.
It takes courage to be loved.
It takes strength to survive.
It takes courage to live.
--Author Unknown

 

May you take strength in your courage today, This Day! Thanks for stopping by and visiting. 

 

Peace and Joy,

Susan 

Philippians 1:9-10 (NIV)  ⁹And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,

RD12 - GGs Barrage of Projectiles

This week's questions from from Lid's IRL Girls Group. I'm excited! It makes me feel like part of the GG. lol. So, here's to you, GG.

1. Do you believe, somewhere deep inside, that blondes do indeed have more fun? That they are "dumber" than brunettes or redheads? Be honest! Blondes absolutely have more fun. Being a blonde most of my life, I can attest to this fact. Blondes are not "dumber" than other people. Unless of course you are referring to blonde men. Now that's a whole different animal. ahahaha

2. Which animal would you most like to observe in its wild habitat? This is a tough question. There are so many fascinating animals. Take for instance the silver back gorilla, or the hump back whale, or dolphins, or what about this guy?  

3. This week the U.N. announced that Dr. Mazlan Othman has been appointed the official "Alien Ambassador," should any extraterrestrials contact us. Have you, or has anyone you know, ever seen a UFO? Not me personally, but there are days I actually wonder about my brother. Seriously!

4. Name your favorite Hitchcock film. I can't say that I have a favorite or a least favorite. 


5. Would you rather spend time at the library, the mall, a craft store or home? A craft store? ahahaha That's a good one. I'd rather save myself the heartache and frustration and just go buy the thing. Know what I mean? Can I see a show of hands.....who has not one creative bone in their body? Yep. That's me! Waving both hands frantically. I love spending time at the library. It's a place of discovery. Discovering new subjects or revisiting familiar ones. But my all time favorite place to be is the comfort of my own home. I can reach out with the internet and buy just about anything my little heart desires. Then I still have time to focus on my never ending gottado list or do nothing list. Yep. There's not place like home.

6. Which Disney princess is your favorite? (Or Disney character, if you are a guy) Princess Aurora. aka Sleeping Beauty.

7. What kind of art is your favorite? Impressionistic art is by far my favorite.
 
8. How do you feel about viral videos, that is, videos made by amateurs that end up on Youtube receiving thousands of hits? I don't have feelings about them one way or the other. I don't spend much time there.

9. Where do you buy your jeans? At the store. ahahaha. Sorry, I couldn't resist. I like to try on jeans. There are so many different cuts, styles, and washes that I have to see them on before I'll drop the bucks.

10. Tell me about your first automobile accident. I was a teenager. It was prom night. I was a passenger. We were traveling too fast on a back road. We hit an embankment. Everyone was ok.

11. Have you ever been honest when you knew you would benefit more if you would be dishonest? Yep. You should always do the right thing, even when no one is watching.

12. If you were appointed "Ambassador to Aliens," what would you show and tell first about life on Earth? What would be the most difficult thing to explain? Show them the natural beauty of the planet. Then show them are most valued resource. Our children. 


Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting. If you like to join in with your own answers, hop over to Lidna's at 2nd Cup of Coffee and link up.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

John 3:20-21 (NIV) ²⁰Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. ²¹But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.

September Remembered

This month has flown by at warp speed and October is approaching faster than a speeding bullet. How does that happen? It's fall, and I'm already planning for Christmas. What??? Really??? Yes, it's hard for me to believe too. So, before I flip the calendar to October, I want to recap the month of September with a few photos.
Let me take you  back. Back to the beginning of September and Labor Day weekend.

We went to the state fair,

the zoo,

and ventured a 300 mile motorcycle ride.

Ha! Warp speed indeed! Followed by a Little Black Dress party fund raiser for the local women's center, a visit from my cousin, and another 200 mile motorcycle ride the next weekend.

Last weekend was our local festival with parades and reunions.

This past weekend was another local event with hunting and fishing as the main attraction. There was lots of mossy oak and hairy faces.....if you know what I mean. This guy below put the ache in my heart for one of my own. Too bad we don't have the space for one.

I also did tons of canning which I'll be sharing in another post. Let me just say that October is set to be another crazy busy month. My goal is to post pictures as they happen rather all at once. Thanks for bearing with me on all these pics. I'll be posting more pics on my photo blog, Shutter Clicks. Be sure to check there for updates.

Thanks for stopping by and visiting.



Peace and Joy,
Susan

Matthew 6:33 (NIV) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Monday Musings - Everybody Needs a Break

An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard.  I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of.  He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head; he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.

An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out..

The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour.   This continued off and on for several weeks.

Curious I pinned a note to his collar: 'I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.'

The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar: 'He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3. He's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?'  

Thanks for stopping by and visiting. Have a fabulous week.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Psalm 33:20 (NKJV)  Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.

Flashback Friday - Me? A Bibliophile?

Exactly what is a bibliophile? At first glance, I might think it refers to a person who studies the Bible extensively. Nope. According to Dictionary.com, a bibliophile is a person who "loves or collects books, esp. as examples of fine or unusual printing, binding, or the like." Yes. That can be said of me. I do love books and am thankful I can now read books on line and save bookshelf space. Actually, I think I'm more a reader. "A person who reads."

I'm joining Mocha with Linda this week and Follow Friday 40 and Over with JAVA at Never Growing Old.

Here's Linda's prompt: Did you like to read when you were a child? What were your favorite genres, books or series? Did you read books because of the author or because of the title/plot? Did you own many books? Did your school distribute the Scholastic book orders (or some other type)? Did you visit the library often? Was there a summer reading program when you were young, and did you participate? Do you have any particular memories of your school libraries? What were your favorites and least favorites among the classics (the ones high school English teachers assign!)? If you didn't like reading, do you like it more today than you did then?

My interest in reading changed dramatically when I was in grade school. Probably first or second grade. My teacher was a wonderful "out loud" reader. She brought stories to life. She brought characters to life. When she read to us during story time, she became the cast of characters. She was very animated in her body language and speech. In my mind's eye, I could "see" the farm, the pig, the goose, the spider. I could "feel" their excitement, their curiosity, their sadness. The book? Charlotte's Web by E. B. White.
Over the years, the genres of books I chose has changed. I used to be so hung up on science fiction. Then it was mysteries. For a short time, I read romance novels. Now? I enjoy a book that has adventure with a little mystery, and romance mixed in.

I still go to the library. I love going to the library. I am so blessed to have two library systems available to me. The public library system which today is so different than when I was growing up. Nowadays, I can get a book from any library in their affiliated system. I also have access to the university library system. Which is similar to the public library system only any university library in the state. Pretty stinkin cool if you ask me. Oh the resources available! lol.

My goal is to get the grand-boy more interested in reading. His generation has their nose stuck in video games via the X-Box or Wii, or PS3 or DS or they are in front of the TV watching some politically correct programming that has in-your-face "diverse" lifestyles. That's all I'm going to say about that!
Reading is knowledge. Knowledge is power.

What are some of your favorite books? Do you have a particular genre that you lean towards? Maybe you're not a reader. Please leave me a comment or join in at Mocha with Linda.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Romans 5:3-4 (NIV) ³Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Worried About Squirrels Getting into Your Bird Feeder?

I just love feeding the birds during winter. There is such a wide range of wintering birds in my area. I put a lot of thought into selecting the type of feeder. Types of feeders include platform, house, tube, and suet. The next big decision is where to place the feeder. It should be easy to see and convenient to refill. I like to choose a location where I can watch the birds while protecting them from predators. The biggest threat in my neighborhood to the birds is cats. Though hawks might visit the feeder from time to time. The biggest threat in my neighborhood to the feed is squirrels.

These pesky tree rats are a down right nuisance when it comes to keeping them out of the bird feeder. I've tried a variety of  baffles and shields to keep them out of the feeders. They are persistent. But nothing prepares a person for this type of bird feed thief!

Seriously! He can have the feed!!! ahahaha BTW, what is that line made of???? 

NOTE: A friend sent these photos through an email to me. The photographer is unknown. 

Thanks for stopping by and visiting.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Psalm 84:3 (NIV)  Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young—a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

Random Dozen - It's Fall Y'all

1. Have you, or has someone close to you, ever won an award for anything? (I just came from my dad's ceremony wherein he was given a medal of honor by the French government for service in France in WWII. Pictures to follow.) Does longevity at a job count? Cause I've gotten that type of an award. My hubby received numerous awards during his military career. 

2. Who is the nearest relative to you who has served in the US Military? See #1! ahaha. My husband and my dad both served our country.

3. Share something that stirs the patriotic spirit in you. Our national anthem and our flag. Let me just take this opportunity to say that it really irks me when people don't remove their hats or stand when the national anthem is played or the flag passes by in a parade. Seriously .....show some respect! 

4. Where are you in the birth order in your family? Do you think your "placement" made a difference in your personality? I'm the middle child. Honestly, I don't know that birth order had as much affect on my personality as other circumstances.

5. Name one trait you hope you carry that was evidenced in your parents or grandparents. Integrity and faith. Yeah, I know....that's two. I have two sets of grandparents. ahaha.

6. If female, do you prefer wearing a skirt or pants? If male, shirt and tie or polo? A skirt. Depending on the time of year and whether or not I've shaved my legs. :)

7. Approximately how many times do you wake during the night? What do you do to go back to sleep? Usually just once. I lay back down, snuggle back in, and I'm back to sleep. 

8. Share a favorite movie quote. It's just so difficult to pick ONE. I can think of several from just one movie. lol. Like: "If I was going to kill you, I'd use my hands." or "Face it girls, I'm older and I have more insurance." "I found out was the secret to life is: friends. Best friends."

9. What is your favorite Fall candle scent? A pumpkin spicy flavor.

10. What is one Fall activity you're looking forward to? An annual bonfire gathering.

11. Tell us about a pleasant surprise that happened to you recently. My cousin visited.

12. What was it like when you first met your in-laws-to-be? I foresee it as a great time of rejoicing. In heaven. You see I haven't had the pleasure of meeting them yet. They passed away before my hubby and I married.

Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting. If you like to post your own answers, just hop on over to Lidna's at 2nd Cup of Coffee. She'll hook you up! 

Peace and Joy,
Susan

2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV)  May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Throne Trip Tuesdays - Who Is on the Throne?

We do not have to look far in our world to see evidence of Satan's activity: Prisons are filled to overflowing. Armies are stretched thin fighting multiple wars. Disease pathogens mutate in increasingly more virulent and resistant strains. Injustice and suffering abound. Sometimes it looks like Satan has free reign on earth.

According to the Scriptures, he does: "The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one." Yes, Satan is on a leash that is held firmly in God's hand--but it is a long leash, extending over all the earth (Job 1:7; 2:2). We might apply to our experience the words Jesus used to describe the church in Pergamos: Satan has established his "throne" in our midst. And lest we be deceived or influenced by him, we must do what the Lord told those in Pergamos to do: "Repent." That is, change our minds. God is in control! God is on the throne! The stain of Satan's presence will one day be wiped clean!

Satan's presence is only for a season. The presence of Christ is for eternity for those who hold fast to His name.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.  Helen H. Lemmel

Peace and Joy,
Susan

1 John 5:19 (NIV) We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

Monday Musings - Men Can Fix Anything

Here are just a few snapshots of the ingenuity of men:

My hubby's comment on seeing this next one? "I've seen that!"

Ha! Maybe he's the one who did this! lol
The guys who came up with these solutions are smart.

The guys who came up with these are not!!!

Thanks for stopping by and visiting. Have a fabulous week.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Psalm 122:7 (NIV)  May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.

We Have a Winner!!!

I owe you an apology. I'm sorry the winner wasn't posted yesterday. It was just a little crazy yesterday.

Anywhoo, the winner of the $40 CSN Gift Code is.......(drum roll)...... THENA of Patiently Waiting! Congratulations Thena.  Let me introduce Thena to those of you who don't know her. This godly woman is the mother of six. SIX!!! Whew! Bless your heart, gal. Besides six beautiful children, Thena is also grandma. If you have a special need, Thena has a prayer request blog: Prayers and Praises. How do you find the time? Please stop by and visit her. You will be encouraged and uplifted.


I want to thank each one of you who entered the CSN Gift Code giveaway. Who knows....there may be another giveaway soon. Stay tuned.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Last Day to Enter the Giveaway!

That's right. You have until midnight tonight, September 16 to enter my giveaway. What??? You don't know about the giveaway? CSN is sponsoring a $40 gift code for one of my followers. Would you like to know how to enter? Go HERE and comply with the entry qualifications.


Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting.


Peace and Joy,
Susan

1 Timothy 6:6 (NIV)  But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Y-A-Y! It's Random Dozen Day!!!

Are you like me? I can barely wait for RD12 day! That Lid comes up with fabulous questions and I just love reading everyone's answers. Sadly, I rarely make it around to everyone, but I sure give it the ol' college try. Want to join in? I'll tell you how.....after I get mine in. Here we go!

1. Do you do garage sales? If so, tell me about one great find. If not, tell me why not. I haven't done garage sales in quite awhile. I just don't find the time to do it. Honestly, I'd rather go to the farmer's market.

2. Name the last thing you fixed. Coffee......would you like a cup?

3. Name your A) Favorite item of makeup OR B) Favorite tool Definitely "B." My favorite tool is my husband. He can fix just about anything!

4. Which room in your home needs organizing more than any other? The pantry room in my basement.

5. Which room could use re-decorating? We decorated every room in our house when we bought it last year so I can't really see re-decorating it just yet. I am thinking of changing out the comforter set in my bedroom but that won't be for another year or so.

6. Share something unique about your town. It is the home of General John A Logan. He is regarded as the founder of Veteran's Day.

7. If you could send a one-sentence message to your great-grandchild, what would it be? No God, no peace; know God, know peace.

8. Do you Facebook? Who doesn't? 

9. Describe your favorite shoes. My Fat Baby's! 

10. Do you listen to more talk radio or more music radio? What kind of station is it? Christian Music Radio.

11. How far would you travel for a really good (favorite) meal? We have traveled over two hours to eat at some fabulous restaurants. To get to my absolute favorite restaurant I have to travel over 1500 miles. Crazy!

12. If you were totally honest with yourself (and us) what should you probably be doing right now instead of blogging? I absolutely should be working.

If you'd like to join in, post your own answers then hop over to 2nd Cup of Coffee and link up! Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

1 John 4:16 (NIV) And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

How'd I do on My Summer Gottados?

If you've been following me since earlier this summer, you may recall I was in a slump. I was struggling. Yes. It's sad but true. I needed some motivation. Some prodding. Some nudging. Some ....well, you get the idea. So I made a list of things I wanted to do. You know....I gotta do.... If you missed that post, you can read it here.
So how did I do on my list of gotta dos? Pretty good actually. Let's take a look:

4th of July at Aunt Pam's - This was a great time of food and fellowship with family.

Bike Trip with Jess (me and my buddy are heading out on our Harley's for a few days) This was a great, fun, adventurous journey. You can read about it here. That post also has a link to some of the pictures.

Mammoth Cave  - Did not get to Mammoth Cave but we did go to the St Louis Science Center where they had a Real Pirate exhibit. The exhibit had over 200 artifacts from the Whydah, a pirate ship that sank near Cape Cod over 300 years ago. This is the only pirate treasure ever recovered. We got to touch REAL pirate treasure. It was awesome!

We also went to City Museum were we went down a 10 story spiral slide. This is definitely a place for small children with lots of tunnels to climb through. 

St. Louis Zoo - We totally went to the Zoo. We had so much fun. I'll post a few pics of that adventure soon.

Water Park - Didn't make it there. But I did make it poolside a few times. Does that count?

Make a craft (I'm going to need some ideas with this one. I seriously lack in crafting ability. Seriously.) - I'm still waiting on some ideas for this item. So...nope didn't do this.

Read a Bible story every day. The grand-boy and I read several stories together. Daniel in the Lions Den, Jonah in the Whale, David and Goliath, the talking donkey, the handwriting on the wall. 

Have a water balloon fight - bought the balloons. They're still waiting to be filled and thrown.

Go to the library. Read at least 10 books. - Ha! 10 books. What was I thinking? I went to the library and got my new card. That's as far as it went. The current book I'm reading only gets picked up every few days. Kinda hard to finish a book like that.

Bake cupcakes. - Bought the cupcake pan. Does that count?

Have a squirt gun fight - Nope.

Go to the pool every other weekend (at least) - Yep. Did this one.

Make s'mores. - Sadly the marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers are still in the cabinet waiting to be cooked and smooshed.

CANNING:

Refrigerator Pickles - These are delicious. So much so that I only have one jar left.

Zucchini Relish - Lots of this. I'm giving most of this away as gifts for Christmas.

Peach Jam - Delicious.

Tomato (some with basil. this stuff is amazing) - Have eight pints of these wonderful tomatoes.
Salsa (maybe) Thank you, Gigi for sharing your recipe.

Apple Pie Filling (definitely) - Apples are just being picked in my area. I'll be canning this very, very soon. I'm adding applesauce to the canning list too.

FREEZING:

Strawberries

Blueberries

Raspberries

Peppers (green, red, yellow, hot)

Herbs

I froze plenty of berries. I add these to plain yogurt with honey for a delicious snack instead of ice cream or blend together for a smoothie. Pies, breads, and other treats are just waiting to be baked with berries. I'm still freezing peppers and herbs. I tend to eat or cook with them faster than I can freeze them. 

I did start that exercise program of doing something at least three days a week.  Actually, I went big. Well big for me. Have you heard of the Couch-to-5K running plan? That's the program I started. I've never been a runner but this schedule looked like something I could actually do. AND, I'm running every week. Usually three times each week. Some weeks less. Some weeks more. I'm not a 5K runner yet. But I'm now able to run a few minutes, walk a few minutes, run a few minutes without collapsing from lack of oxygen. ahaha The crazy thing? I'm enjoying it. Crazy I tell you! I learned about it on FB. Go figure. Here's a link to the FB page and to their website.

How did you do on your summer list? Do you have a list for fall? What are some of the adventures waiting for you? Thanks so much for sharing my summer journey with me.

Peace and Joy,

Susan

Philippians 2:1-2 (NIV) ¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

How to Clean the House and Giveaway Reminder

1.  Open a new file in your PC.. 
 
2.  Name it 'Housework.'

3.  Send it to the RECYCLE BIN.

4.  Empty the RECYCLE BIN.

5.  Your PC will ask you,  'Are you sure you want to delete Housework permanently?'

6.  Calmly answer, 'Yes' and press mouse button firmly...

7.  Feel better? I sure do!

                Works for me!
  
Don't forget about my giveaway of a $40 gift code from CSN stores. Enter by commenting HERE. 

Peace and Joy,
Susan

1 Peter 3:8 (NIV)  Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.