Archive by Author

It’s the Most Confusing Time of the Year

20 Sep

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

A popular Christmas song declares “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

For seniors and especially those new to Medicare Open Enrollment which begins October 15 and runs through December 7th it can definitely be the most confusing time of the year.

Photo Credit:Pixabay and Canva

I remember when my husband turned 65, I was so confused. I spent hours making lists and comparing. This past year I discovered the You Tube channel, Medicare School. and it has been a good resource for me and best of all, their videos tend to be short, especially updates. Full disclosure, they are independent insurance brokers, but the information videos aren’t sales pitches.

Photo Credit:Image by healthguru from Pixabay

Here is a word of warning for those new to Medicare this year. You must sign up for a prescription plan. This can be included in a Medicare Advantage plan or If you go the Medigap/supplement route you need to choose a Plan D drug plan. My friend refused to choose a plan, claiming he only took one medication and it was cheap. I warned him it was mandatory and he now has to pay a monthly penalty fee along with the plan premium.

Medicare dot gov is a good tool for choosing a drug plan. If you take several medications it can be tedious typing them in, but it is worth the effort as the website will show a cost comparison between drug plans and your selected pharmacies.

Finally, my favorite tool, Good RX. It is a legitimate savings program and not limited to Medicare. I regularly compare the cost of a medication with insurance and with Good RX. Just this week our daughter went to pick up a prescription and ithe insurance copay was $30.00 and the Good RX cost was $15.00.

I use my card at Publix with no issues.

When Good RX first became available, some pharmacies were not participating but now most are happy to take it. Some even offer to check the Good RX price for me.

To use Good RX there are two choices. One, you can go the the website GoodRx.com enter your prescription, your location and you will see a list of local pharmacies and their price. Here is a link to the common drug, Lipitor. When you choose the deal you will be given options to print, email, or text it to phone.

The second option is to download the app. When I choose a deal I show it to the pharmacy and I am charged the Good RX price.

There are other discount cards out there but I have found Good RX to be consistently cheaper.

I hope this post will be helpful. I encourage you to give Good RX a try. It saves us a lot of money.

I forgot to mention that the Medicare School also has a Facebook page.

I'm a winner

After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

In addition to blogging, I’m a general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  

My 2024 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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What to do When Feeling Trapped.

14 Sep

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Reblogged from Janet Perez Eckles.com

I pulled away from my computer and turned to hubby. “Listen to this story,” I said.

A baby camel looked up to his mother, “Mommy, why do we have these long eyelashes, these big hooves, and a hump on our back?”

She turned to him. “God made us that way for a very special reason,” she explained. “Our large feet are to keep us from sinking into the sand.”

“Why the big eyelashes?” he asked.

“It’s to protect our eyes from the sand.”

“Why the big humps?”

“That is to store fat and have enough energy to go long distances in the hot desert!”

“I see!” The baby camel stretched his neck and looked up at his mother. “The large feet are to keep us from sinking into the sand, the long eyelashes are to keep the sand out of our eyes, and the humps are to store energy to travel…then what are we doing in this cage in the middle of a zoo?”

I have asked the same question. Like the camel, I had all I needed to enjoy life. I had desires, dreams, and prepared my wings to fly high to success. But instead, I found myself in a cage of grief and heartache. Pitiful really, and definitely not the place I thought I belonged. At the age of 30, my eyesight closed in completely. I lost my joy, my purpose, and my freedom. Bars of gloom and desperation surrounded me.

Inside that cage, I longed for days gone by. Days when I could see. Days when life still held promises for tomorrow.

Have you ever been there? Have you known that longing?

If you have, like He did with me, God might be whispering this powerful truth right into your soul:

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18)

When looking forward, we see the freedom from past longings. When we choose to see outside our cage, we see His hand calling. And when we choose to use what God gave us, we can live in the richness of today.

Let’s Pray

Father, I need your reminder each moment of each day that you created me for much more than what I see within my cage. Thank you for showing me the way to the freedom you offer, fresh with your promises.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

What has you trapped these days?

Bonus article on today’s topic.

Janet 

Celebrate with me! My new release, Now I See: How God’s Amazing Grace Transforms the Deepest Pain to Shining Joy won the 2023 Memoir of the Year Golden Scroll Award.

Your copy waits for you HERE.

Let’s Stay in Touch

You and I are only a click away. You can use this CONTACT FORM to leave your prayer request, make a comment, ask a question, or invite me to speak to your group. Or simply reply to this email.

I also invite you to visit my WEBSITE. You’ll find more inspirational blogs along with my story, books, and videos.

Janet Eckles Perez

Some say she should be the last person to be dancing. Her life is summarized in this 3-minute video: http://bit.ly/1a8wGJR

Janet Perez Eckles’ story of triumph is marked by her work as an international speaker, #1 best-selling author, radio host, personal success coach and master interpreter. Although blind since 31, her passion is to help you see the best of life.

www.janetperezeckles.com

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Hope in Our Differences

13 Sep

Guest Post

Rebekah Lyn

Reblogged from Rebekah Lyn’s Kitchen

Since the beginning of time, Satan has attempted to mimic and corrupt all that God has created. The current age is not the first time there has been anger & division over differences. Satan mislead Adam and Eve to question to instructions God had given them about eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan didn’t even have to exert much effort to convince them God wouldn’t strike them dead immediately if they ate the fruit. God’s words to Adam’s about this tree were, “for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17).

As the population of the world grew, so did differences among the people. Many fell away from faith in God and worshipped idols made of wood or stone. They looked to the sun, moon, and stars to be their gods. These differences caused wars and the more powerful any one group became, the more differences they found amongst themselves. Throughout history, people have placed a greater value on a group of people that possesses financial wealth while looking down upon, mocking, and oppressing those who labor. Without those workers, though, who would provide the goods and services the wealthy need for survival?

Jesus, on the other hand, came to earth, still fully God but taking on human form and mingling with the lowest people in society. They were looking for the Messiah, but the religious scholars were only talking about one. The 12 men Jesus taught on an intimate level were a diverse group. A tax collector, some fishermen, a zealot, and who knows for sure what the others were. A tax collector was considered a traitor to his own people and yet Jesus called him to follow! The 12 learned from each other, they grew to rely on each other, and their differences strengthened them.

We don’t all have to share the same politics, the same opinions on world affairs. In the end, those topics don’t have long-lasting importance. The only topic that warrants serious discussion is faith. Faith is the root of all differences of opinion. Christians are called intolerant because we believe Jesus is the only way to heaven. Every person has the choice whether they believe that and want to follow Jesus. Nobody is forcing the decision. Those who follow Jesus are called to share this truth, to make people aware, and to encourage others to believe, but Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone does not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet” (Matthew 10:14).

Next time you find yourself in a heated conversation, stop to think about how important that topic is. Is there any benefit in arguing? Can you find a way to respect the differences in your opinions? Look at the people around you as more than their opinions on a handful of explosive topics. Get to know the things that truly make up their character: their hopes, and dreams, their heartaches, and their triumphs. Learn from them and recognize that without our differences, we wouldn’t have scientific discoveries, great writing, astonishing food combinations, or transformative music.

God created us each of to be unique. Why would we want to all be the same?

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Grasping Miracles: A Brush with Death and Divine Intervention

12 Sep

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

It happened a week ago Wednesday and I am still trying to grasp it. Rationally we all know that our lives can change in an instant, whether due to a phone call with bad news, a diagnosis or an accident. But to see it happening is another thing altogether.

Our daughter visited with us Labor Day through Wednesday. We basically chilled, drank coffee and watched movies. We did throw in a couple of trips to town with lunch out. She had spent the preceding Friday, Saturday and Sunday on a high school friends weekend to celebrate their turning 50. We, meaning me, were thrilled to care for her dog, Ollie. He missed her terribly and it made me sad. I confess to giving him some extra treats to cheer him up.

Sad Ollie

Wednesday our daughter wanted to get an early start on her drive home and we almost had her car loaded when disaster struck.

My husband had placed an ice chest on a stair-climbing cart and began to move down the first step. He was having a little trouble getting the cart to roll. I saw him pull up on the cart and then the cart was tumbling down the stairs with my husband following.

Before I could grasp what happened, my husband was lying flat on his back in the yard. He fell forward, so he must have flipped at some point to land on his back.

Our daughter and I ran to him not sure what we would find. He didn’t hit his head or any place on his body during the fall. His only complaint was that his shoulder hurt.

Now let me tell you the miraculous part. There is no way his body could have traveled this far without bouncing on the stairs. I had to use the panoramic setting to take this picture. The flower pot on the porch marks where the fall began and the flower pot in the yard is where he landed.

Surely he was carried by an angelic being.

He was able to walk on his own into the house and we talked for a few minutes. Gradually he began to find it a bit difficult to take a deep breathe followed by severe pain. Our daughter volunteered to drive us to the ER. I was so glad she was with me.

It took a hefty dose of pain medicine to reduce his discomfort. After head to pelvis CT scans, the doctor gave us the great news that nothing was broken. However his lower lung was severely bruised.

The doctor confided that he had been expecting multiple broken ribs and an air transport to a larger hospital.

Although he has been diligent using the incentive spirometer and deep breathing, he felt congested today. A cautionary trip to a clinic showed no fluid/pneumonia and in fact revealed that the bruising was receding.

Every time I look out the front door I am amazed and thankful that this incident didn’t result in a life changing event. I give God the glory.

I'm a winner

After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

In addition to blogging, I’m a general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  

My 2024 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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Love, the Motivation of our Lives

2 Sep

My Take

DiVoran Lites

1 Corinthians 12:2

If I were to speak eloquently in earth’s many languages and the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn’t express myself with love, my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clangy cymbal.

And if I were to have the gift of prophecy with a profound understanding of God’s hidden secrets, and if I possessed unending supernatural knowledge, and if I had the great gift of faith that could move mountains but never learned to love, I would gain nothing of value.

Clangy cymbal

Photo Credit:Pixabay

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

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Hope in Praise

31 Aug

Guest Post

Rebekah Lyn

Reblogged from Rebekah Lyn’s Kitchen

The words we feed into our brains have tremendous power. When we listen to words spoken in anger, filled with venom and hate, we begin to feel angry ourselves. Even if we just have the television or radio on in the background, without paying attention to what is on or being said, the same sense of anxiousness and anger rises within us. Conversely, if positive, kind words are being spoken in gentle tones, the emotional temperature of a room will cool.

I probably had a subconscious awareness long before I consciously noticed the change in myself. In high school, I was in the marching band and I made a Friday night mix tape I would listen to before football games to get me excited for the night and the show we would perform during halftime. In college, I used music to help me study, recalling specific songs that played as I prepared for a test helped me remember the information I needed.

In my late 20s, I went through a troubled period where I was listening to a lot of songs full of angst and anger, but I also discovered a new Christian radio station that I would occasionally tune into. It took several years, but as I listened to Christian music more often, I noticed I didn’t enjoy the other music as much. I could physically feel my body and emotions change when I listened to those songs I had found so comforting before.

In the Psalms alone, praise to God is mentioned over 150 times. Shifting our focus from the troubles of the world to the greatness of God, the Creator of all things, brings a positive change to our state of mind. For a period I suffered from migraines and often even the medicine didn’t help dull the pain, but if I played praise music, I noticed the pain would fade away. I quickly uploaded all my favorite Christian groups to my iTunes library and created playlists to have the songs that spoke to me the most in one place.

Don’t ask me what my favorite song or group is. That changes depending on the season I find myself in. The group that has been part of my collection since I first found that Christian radio station is Casting Crowns. It’s hard to believe they recently celebrated twenty years together as a band. I still remember the first time I heard “Who Am I?” as I drove into work. It feels like only months rather than years. The very first Christian musician that seemed to see right into my heart, though, was Al Denson. I discovered him at a youth conference when I was in junior high school and played his first cassette tape, Stand Up, so much it finally fell apart. Fortunately, I had found a way to record it on my computer because that album was never made into a CD.

God created us to be in relationship with Him and to sing His praise. When your mind and heart are filled with the words of encouragement God has for us every day, it becomes difficult to harbor anger. Whether I’m stuck in traffic or feeling overwhelmed by a difficult decision, I only have to turn on the local Christian station Z88.3, choose one of my Pandora playlists, or pop in one of the CDs I still carry in my car, and I enter the presence of God. Singing to Him reminds me that He is still in control and has a plan for my life. That brings hope like nothing else.

Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad on their king. Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to Him with timbres and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people; He crowns the humble with victory. Psalm 149:1-4

I’ve started curating songs on Spotify to share with others. Whether you need encouragement or want to sing praise for how great the Lord is, you can find links to both playlists on my resources

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Mastering Homemade Yogurt: From Thin to Creamy Greek Style

30 Aug

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Have you ever made yogurt? Until recently I had no desire to make yogurt. In fact, I thought people who made their own were a bit obsessive. I was sure it would be a difficult and time consuming process.

Then, a couple of years ago I began reading about people making yogurt in an electric pressure cooker. It sounded simple, except that the pot I had didn’t have a yogurt setting and the setting instructions for my machine twisted my brain.

The idea of making yogurt still tickled the back of my mind. When a friend gave me her Insta Pot, I decided to give it a try. My first attempt wasn’t good and I ended up discarding the yogurt.

Several months passed and every time the Aldi grocery store was out of the Greek yogurt I preferred, I would think about making my own.

I read up again on making yogurt. I found the website Frieda Loves Bread, and it had excellent instructions on making yogurt using Fairlife milk. I also found a recipe for making yogurt on a Keto website I follow. Between the two sites, I decided to give it another try.

The way I understand yogurt, there are two ways to make it, one way makes a thin yogurt and the other makes a creamy Greek style one. Since the Greek style required an extra step, i decided to make the thinner one.

It was very simple with only two ingredients, Fairlife milk and Fage yogurt.

I had accidentally bought a 52 ounce bottle of 2% milk and decided to use it in the experiment. I poured the entire bottle into the Insta Pot, then measured out one tablespoon of the Fage Yogurt which would introduce the needed active bacteria, added it to the pot and whisked it together.

I put the lid on the Insta Pot, turned valve to sealing and then pressed the button labeled yogurt. The machine immediately displayed yogurt and 8 hours. That was it.

Eight hours later, I tentatively removed the lid and peered in. The yogurt was supposed to appear “set.” and it did! The instructions said to put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. I left it overnight. When I tasted it the next morning it was very good!

Fairflife milk sells for around $5.00 for the 52 ounce bottle. A few weeks later I found it on sale for $2.98 a bottle! We were planning to leave shortly for a month in Florida but Fairlife has a long expiration date and would keep until we returned. I bought four of them.

Once we returned home, I decided I wanted to try making the thicker Greek yogurt.

I was feeling intimidated about straining the yogurt so I went to the ever helpful You Tube.

There were a lot of videos on how to strain whey from yogurt, unfortunately each video presenter had a different straining method. One video was done by someone who lives in her RV. She strained the yogurt using cheese cloth over a strainer, then tied the ends together and hung it from a cabinet over the sink and let it drain.

I decided to just go for it. After the Insta Pot did its part, I placed a large wire strainer over a bowl and lined it with cheesecloth. Then I carefully began to scoop the yogurt into the strainer. It almost overflowed. I gave a sigh of relief when the strainer and bowl were safely in the refrigerator.

The recommended least amount of time to chill and drain in the refrigerator was four hours but I would be sound asleep by then, so I left it overnight.

I had some misgivings before putting the yogurt in the refrigerator. I had expected the liquid whey to immediately begin draining but I saw less than one half cup. In the morning I was delighted to see almost a quart of whey in the bowl. As I scooped the finished yogurt into a bowl, it was so thick I could barely stir it. One of the videos suggested adding back some whey until the yogurt was the desired thickness. I stirred some whey in and it worked.

The yogurt was creamy, smooth and delicious.

    I will definitely make yogurt again. How about you, do you make yogurt?

    Here is the link for Friedalovesbread

    I'm a winner

    After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I leaned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

    In addition to blogging, I’m a general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  

    My 2024 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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    Let’s Eat!-Part 11

    25 Aug

    SUNDAY MEMORIES

    Judy Wills

    As I mentioned last time, we have a standing Monday supper meal with another couple.   I’ve previously mentioned some of the places we like to eat  .Another favorite to eat is Italian…well pizza anyway.  There is an eatery in downtown Kissimmee called The Italian Joint where we used to go occasionally.

    Photo Credit:https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-italian-joint-kissimmee

    They make the best pizza – they add garlic to the finished pie before serving it – and it’s delicious!!  Unfortunately, they have stopped opening on Monday evenings, so that is out for our Monday evening meals   However, there is another pizza place in downtown Kissimmee, called Broadway Pizza.

    Credit Google search and Broadway Pizza website

    We meet there occasionally, and enjoy their pizza as well.  Pam and Richard usually get something other than pizza, but Fred and I almost always share a 10″ pizza.  It is so good I could probably eat a larger one, but we are trying to keep our eating in hand.  Boy! is that hard to do!!

    Occasionally we all eat at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, but only upon occasion.  It is a bit noisier than other eateries, and that bothers us all, as we want this time to be a time for conversation.  The food is “okay” but we like other places where we eat better.  So we do Cheddar’s only once every couple or three months.

    So those are about the only places we eat together with Pam and Richard.  We used to eat at Subway a lot, but Fred doesn’t want us to eat that much bread – you know…carbs…so we don’t eat there very often 

    Credit Google Search and Subway website

    Unfortunately…I happen to thoroughly enjoy their sub sandwiches.  I remember when I was going through chemo that almost nothing appealed to my taste buds, but the turkey sub at Subway.  It was almost a daily occurrence.  I think that’s one reason Fred doesn’t like to eat there…I burned him out on it.

    Another sandwich shop where I like to eat (again with the bread, so Fred isn’t too thrilled with eating there) is a Mom and Pop store called Paul’s Deli.  It is a ways from our house, and deep into Kissimmee, so that’s another drawback for Fred.

    Credit Google search and Paul’s Deli website

    It is a family owned and operated business, and their subs a GREAT!  They have a special for lunch that is half-a-sub with your choice of meats and cheeses, with all the toppings you want.  Hot or cold – take your pick. Really good!

    Credit Google Search and Paul’s Deli website

    This looks like what I get for the lunch special.  Yummmmm

    Pam and Richard got us onto this place some years ago and it is their regular Saturday lunch meal.  The place closes at 4:00 p.m., so it’s not an option for our Monday supper meals together.  Shucks!

    Back in June, 2021, I wrote up a blog about one of our favorite BBQ places in town.  Of course we love 4Rivers, and it is close to us.

    Credit Judy Wills

    But Mission BBQ is about a 30 minute drive away from us, so we don’t get there often.  But we thoroughly enjoy going there.  It is a little different bbq than what 4Rivers offers, and we enjoy the difference. 

    Credit Judy Wills

    On the rare occasion that Pam is off work one day, we like to take them to Mission BBQ, and we all enjoy it.  Mission dedicates their services to the first responders as well as military – active duty and retired.

    Credit Judy Wills

    We almost always get a free dessert – occasionally one for each of us.  At one point in time, we purchased large drinks and kept the cups.  If we bring them with us each time, we get free drinks and refills.  That is just a great place to eat.

    ~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

    Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

      Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

    After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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    Observations on Voting and Housing

    22 Aug

    On the Porch

    Onisha Ellis

    Update on voting

    The voting results are in and most of the ones I voted for won. There were a few disappointments but time will tell how they all perform. Proof not promises has long been my standard. The yard with the most signs which included some I definitely did not vote for, now has a sign for my preferred candidate for president. Interesting.

    I remain puzzled at the dearth of signs for local candidates. Have we become intimidated or simply lazy? It will be interesting to note the amount of signs displayed for the November 5th elections. Will the trend continue?

    Destroying forests.

    On another topic, housing. I would never wish to live in an apartment, much less ones like I see on the television.

    Photo credit: WordPress AI

    Just looking at the above picture I feel a claustrophobic affect on my breathing. Yet as I was walking our grand dog this morning my heart ached as I observed the progress being made on a new town home subdivision. So many trees simply demolished. The machines appearing to me as giant monsters.

    Speaking about the grand dog, he was weird this morning. We are in Florida and it is hot. Usually he is quite happy to come inside after taking care of his business, but this morning, he was not at all interested. He sat on the hot concrete of the driveway staring at the street. No idea what that was about. Was he sensing an earthquake and wanted to be outside? That would be a first. Inside, he continues to stare outside.

    Grand dog Ollie

    It’s almost time for us to return to the North Carolina mountains. I look forward to the cooler weather, but will miss our friends and the sweet familiarity of our home town.

    I'm a winner

    After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

    In addition to blogging, I’m a general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  

    My 2024 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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    Sons and Daughters Destined for Glory

    19 Aug

    My Take

    DiVoran Lites

    Romans 8:14

    The mature children of God are those who are moved by the impulses of the holy Spirit. You did not receive the Spirit of religious duty, leading you back into the fear of never being good enough. But you have received the Spirit of full acceptance, enfolding you into the family of God. And you will never feel orphaned, for as he rises within us, our spirits join him in saying the words of tender affection. Beloved Father! Holy Spirit makes God’s fatherhood real to us as he whispers into our innermost being, You are God’s beloved child!

    Photo Credit:Pixabay

    DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

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