Monday Musings

The daily drudgery of living. We’re all condemned to it from that first breath. There can be bursts of exuberance during the energy of youth. Even if we hurt something, or get our feelings hurt, we’d usually shake it off and keep moving. That’s been my mantra for many years: keep moving. Now it includes trusting in the Lord. That relentless time progresses whether we want it to or not. Then can come the endless valleys of despair as the body disobeys the demands to perform as it did when, say 20 or so. Those were Golden Years to be sure. Life brings deliberate cruelty by alleged loved ones, life-changing accidents, the death of those close to our hearts, a Government that reflects the evil in it’s populace that makes life doubly hard, add to that living and eating incorrectly, not obeying God’s commands, and slowly one’s body persistently aches from all the neglect and abuse. Praise God for Jesus as we don’t have to spend eternity in these broken shells. He promises a New Life in Him and He never lies.

Recently, there’s been a serpent in our Garden of Eden. It has raised its ugly head again through a family member’s demons. The devil is dripping soothing venom into his ear as he eagerly, underhandedly inflicts the hellish poison with another family member with the means to cause lasting harm. We hadn’t heard from this demonic family member since my husband’s mother passed last September. His evil heart has alienated the entire family unit. He is an intolerant Cretan 👿 that thinks he’s riding high but he is instead a talentless wonder, a narcissist of the first water, a sad little man and he’s gambling with his immortal soul. He is our Captain Ahab on the whale’s back “stabbing from hell’s heart” in the impotent attempt to cut to the quick any and all affection afforded him before death overtakes. Mark my words, retribution is not distant. These are deep waters from which he will not escape. God’s wrath is far reaching. The Holy Scriptures say that the wicked will be cut off. I almost pity him.

I’m so grateful most of us in the family are Children of God. There’s so much love, sympathy and support in the family it’s incredibly heartwarming. Our Lord and God supplies us with the spiritual armor in which to survive all these unwarranted attacks. [Ephesians 6:10-18] Amen?! Be safe out there dear ones. Remember ❤️‍🔥 Who ❤️‍🔥 loves ya best.

Can You Smell That Smell

Lochloosa Lake

Honda NC750X at Lochloosa Lake

Don, Steve, Bobby with Dixie the dog

Steve returned safely from his Florida excursion earlier this week. It’s an 7-8 hour trip down and the same on the return. He said the traffic was wall-to-wall and tree top tall. There are so many people living there now. He said that will probably be his last long trip on 2 wheels, and possibly no more even in the truck. Well, he is 73. It took a lot out of him. Whenever he returns from those visits I have to do the laundry right away. His sister uses some brand of smelly detergent that has such a raucous odor I call it The Entity as it seems to have a life of its own by permeating everything near it. Ugh. I have a sensitive sniffer. In the photo on the right, it’s his brother-in-law Don, Steve, and his nephew Bobby.

Yesterday, we met Steve’s Mom at a local Oncologist for a 2 month check concerning her platelet levels. They had been way too high, but now the Doc said she is normal. A few months previous, by mutual consent, it was deemed much safer for her to take the medical transport available through the Nursing Home. They keep her strapped into a wheelchair so that she remains level, calm and stable. The ride is easier on her rather than trying to shove her into one of our tall pickup trucks. While waiting for the doctor, she shared with us that after being weighed this week, she went from 98 lbs to 91 lbs. That’s quite a significant loss for such a small framed woman! Since I hadn’t been near her for a month, I noticed that she is suddenly getting much more frail. Then, twice while waiting, she had to use the bathroom. I have to go with her for obvious reasons. As always I turn around to give her privacy. This time, though, she couldn’t work the paper, and the odor that now comes from that frail body! Oh. My. Word. It smells like (forgive me) the worse kind of vomit and I’m accustomed to cleaning up after dog sick and other accidents. Wow. I didn’t mind helping, of course, but on the ride home I felt mentally exhausted and kept fighting back the tears. I can see that she is slipping away. Inch by inch. Miserable day by miserable day. Poor dear. And she never complains. I really admire her courage. I’m so glad she believes in Jesus so I don’t have to worry about her final destination. What a comfort He gives us all.

In the mornings, we try to watch the Greg Gutfeld (Fox News) Show that gets posted to YouTube. On one of his shows this week, he talked about a young girl who’s Famous For Being Famous that is now selling a product called Fart In A Jar. Now, I do not for one minute think the product is real back-side emissions. She’s replicating it somehow. But it shows yet another sign of our declining times, don’t ya think? P. T. Barnum was right. There’s a sucker born every minute.

🎄 Ride Safe ✨❤️

Friday

Today’s Devotional
Matthew 7:13-14 NIV

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Yesterday we took Steve’s mom Althea to lunch at Captain Joe’s Seafood in Waycross. Had a great time with her. She’s looking better lately, don’t ya think? Baptist Village takes such good care of their residents. She’ll be 90 years old this coming Hallowe’en. I’m beginning to think she’ll bury us all. lol

I snapped this photo last night. It looks worse this morning.

I have an emergency appointment with the Dermatology group that removed the basal cell from my wrist almost two weeks ago. That area is still hurting really badly. It’s swollen, red and aches. I started picking at the stitches last night (yeah, I know, stop that!). I think I need antibiotics but that’s just my opinion. I’m tired of it hurting. Please pray for me. Thanks. 🙂

Here’s hoping y’all have a blessed and safe Friday.

Stormy Weather

Broken Slash Pine Limb

The wind really took it’s liberties with our place last night. The rain was great, but the accompanying storm was something else! It was quite a light show and it appears that there were microbursts along with it. The storm caused the lights to flicker a few times, the dogs were cowering (bless their hearts), and we lost TV picture off and on. But even with the storms there are Heavenly blessings. The usually scary dirt road has been keeping packed down so that riding hasn’t been difficult. Because of the storms the temperatures overall have been pleasant, for July in Southeast Georgia, that is. 🙂 If all our Summers were like this it wouldn’t be so gosh awful. Thank you LORD for your blessings!

First Baptist Church, Blackshear

Our Church has been adding on. Way in the back, see the structure there? That will be our new Youth Activities Center. But it will also be used for our FAITH Riders meetings and other activities centered around the Church or in any way to serve the community. I’m so blessed to be around all these wonderful folks that are teaching me to love others more than myself. It’s one of Christ’s most important teachings: love others, live at peace with your neighbors. Sure makes my life a lot better too.

Been visiting the Mother-In-Law at the Home as much as physically possible. Steve had noticed that she had suddenly been acting sad. I think he may have figured out why. Her vision has become noticeably hazy. She says that everything appears dark. She had had lens replacement surgery for cataracts awhile back but had not had the follow-up visit, for whatever reason. We’re thinking that maybe she has that PCO (Posterior capsule opacification occurs because lens epithelial cells remaining after cataract surgery have grown on the capsule). I had that growth on the capsule after my lens surgery and got it lasered off. Steve didn’t need to. Not everyone has this problem after surgery. So, tomorrow he takes Mom to our local eye specialist to see what’s going on. I pray that is the situation and they can help her. It must be awful to lose one’s sight.

Amen to that, huh?! He knows all our problems because He has already been to this day and He cares. Well, that’s about it around here. Nothing exciting. I pray that all is well in everyone else’s part of the world.