🎵Cliché Month: You Are What You Eat 🥗🍨
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
To Joke or Not to Joke
Remember those classic funny-book-title jokes from childhood? 50 Yards to the Outhouse by Willy Make-it, Ten Yards to Go by Betty Won’t, or French Cooking by Sue Flay. Every time I see today’s cliché, I think about the funny book title of You Are What You Eat co-authored by Frank Furter and Patty Melt. 🤣
Jokes aside, we have all heard that warning since childhood. Usually, it gets tossed around when someone reaches for a second slice of cake or trades a fresh salad for a double cheeseburger. The physical truth is undeniable—the fuel we put into our bodies directly dictates our physical health, cellular energy, and daily vitality. As Christian believers, it also plays a part in how our temples (of the Holy Spirit) react when we need them to be strong for worship or working for The Lord.
1 Corinthians 6:19 BSB
[19] Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
1 Corinthians 6:19(BSB)
Romans 12:1 BSB
[1] Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
Romans 12:1 (BSB)
The concept in the cliché originated in 19th-century France with lawyer and gastronome Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, who wrote in his 1825 book Physiologie du Goût: “Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es” (“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are”). Over a century later, nutritionist Victor Lindlahr popularized the exact English phrasing in the 1930s and 1940s to promote mindful eating.
Not Easy to Break the Comfort Molds
If you’re like me, most of your life took this advice lightly. But as I age, I start wishing I’d have applied it more when I was younger (and thinner). But the platitude Better Late than Never applies well here as it’s never too late to substitute at least one order of fries for some grilled zucchini.
A friend recently mentioned how those deep-fried or sweet foods that presented comfort in our youth are even harder to break away from when our brains associate them with comfort. But I recently learned that oils used for deep frying (typically seed oils like soy because of their higher smoke point) are prepared in ways I’m not super comfortable with continuing to put in my body. That makes it easier to turn down the desire for comfort and turn up the desire to feel better. (See this Grokipedia page about what chemically refined industrial seed oils really are if you want to know about their use of things like hexane gas and bleaching.)
Feeding the Five Senses
But limiting this concept to what sits on our dinner plates misses a much broader reality. Consumption is not just about calories, vitamins and good and bad fats. We are constantly “eating” through all of our five senses every single day:
- Sight: The visuals, news feeds, and endless digital screens we gaze upon.
- Touch: The tactile comfort of our spaces.
- Taste: The simple flavors we savor.
- Smell: The familiar aromas that stir desires and memories.
- Sound: The conversations, messages, and background frequencies we let into our minds.
Just like a steady diet of junk food leaves the body sluggish, a constant intake of cynical news, gossip, and negativity will leave the mind and spirit completely exhausted. Everything we absorb through our eyes and ears acts like paint and wallpaper on the temple we live in. What goes inside is ultimately what radiates on the outside.
Nourishment for the Ears: Saved By His Scars
Just as balanced nutrition fuels physical strength, intentional listening feeds the soul. Uplifting music and truth-filled lyrics have an immediate way of shifting our perspective, easing stress, and pointing our focus back to what truly matters.
And speaking of fresh spiritual and auditory nutrition, my brother Shayne Savage just released a brand-new single today titled “Saved By His Scars.” This one has some genuinely strong heavy metal riffs and a fantastic set of lyrics. It’s part testimony and all hope. I’m so honored to share another of my brother’s quality songs. They make my big-sister heart just brim with joy. If your daily sound intake could use a faith-filled uplift filled with deep Southern bluesy rock, give his latest release a listen below:
After you listen to this one, go find Shayne on your favorite streaming service and follow him. And don't forget to check my older posts for his first two releases:
SAVAGE GRACE
SAVAGE GRACE WITH LYRICS
MAKIN' CHAINS
Find more info on his website with links to his pages on Meta and more.
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🎬Cliché Month: (don’t) Follow Your Heart 💓
Follow Your Heart?
Have you ever followed your heart only to have it lead you someplace you didn’t expect to go? Maybe you thought you were following true love. Maybe a religious experience turned out to be a little too much like a cult instead of being Bible based. Maybe you were totally certain you were supposed to go to a certain school, job, or address and all the promises fell flat.
Few platitudes are as universally celebrated as “follow your heart.” You’ll find it in graduation cards, you’ll hear animated heroines speak it as a mantra, and Hollywood pushes it as the way to fulfill your dreams. On the surface, it sounds empowering. But beneath the romanticism, there’s an uncomfortable truth: our hearts (emotions) are fickle, easily swayed, and often terrible navigators. Even God’s Word says our hearts are so deceitful that we can’t even know them ourselves.
Jeremiah 17:9 WEBUS
[9] The heart is deceitful above all things and it is exceedingly corrupt. Who can know it?
https://bible.com/bible/206/jer.17.9.WEBUS
Danger and Deceit
This is the danger of following your heart. Even though we’re told things like, “The heart knows what it wants,” or “Listen to your heart,” those efforts often lead us to a broken heart or into hopeless depression. And why? Because they mix up emotional desires with being led through this life by our loving Creator. Only the Spirit of The One who made us can lead to the places He planned and designed for us. Every other direction is hit and miss. Maybe it will lead to someplace great; maybe not. John Bevere speaks on this in his message: “Breaking Intimidation.” He says things of the soul can imitate things of The Spirit.
The affiliate link above is for the book at Amazon, and I’m not certain if that portion is in the book or only on CD, so I asked Microsoft Copilot for a summary of that portion of the message. Here’s that summary…
John Bevere warns that the soul (mind/will/emotions) can imitate the Spirit, creating impulses that feel right, sound noble, and even look “spiritual,” yet still come from human desire rather than God. He uses John the Baptist as the example: everything about his priestly family line suggested a respectable ministry path, but the Spirit led him into the wilderness instead—camel hair, locusts, and a calling no one expected. Bevere’s point is simple and sharp: following your heart is often just following your soul, and the soul, no matter how sincere, “cannot receive the things of the Spirit.” True direction comes from the Spirit, even when it contradicts what seems good.
1 Corinthians 2:14 BSB
[14] The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/1co.2.14.BSB
The Romantic Rebellion
The belief that our inner feelings are the ultimate moral compass took root during the late 18th-century Romantic Era. Poets and philosophers, who reacted against the cold rationality of the Industrial Age, argued that personal passion and raw emotion were inherently pure. Over the 20th century, pop psychology and modern individualism cemented the idea that it was unhealthy to suppress our desires. They suggested that trusting immediate emotional impulses was the highest form of self-discovery.
An Ancient Warning
Long before modern cinema made the human heart into the hero of every story, ancient wisdom urged caution with yielding to wild emotions. In classical philosophy, Plato illustrated the human soul as a charioteer (Reason) struggling to manage two horses—one noble, and the other a wild, rebellious appetite that was “the mate of insolence and pride… hardly yielding to whip and spur.”
Scripture provides more anchors against letting blind, emotional trust lead us to places of destruction or depression:
Proverbs 4:23 BSB
[23] Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/pro.4.23.BSB
Proverbs 3:5-6 BSB
[5] Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; [6] in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/pro.3.5-6.BSB
Rather than letting unchecked desires drag us toward a fire, wisdom calls us to tether our hearts to truth, discernment, and sound guidance.
Leading Your Heart
In the 2008 film Fireproof, there is a pivotal conversation between Caleb and his friend (and boss) Michael that perfectly dismantles this platitude. When Caleb tells Michael he is “in” with The Lord and wants some faith advice, Michael gets very excited. He calls Caleb his brother (but you gotta hear how he says it 😁) and then gives great big-brother-type advice:
“And don’t just follow your heart, man, because your heart can be deceived; but you’ve got to lead your heart.”
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Cliché Month: Read Between the Lines 🧩
It’s a cliché AND a game! What more could we want, right? And though I planned something simple for a relaxing Sabbath weekend, I ended up having to learn some new things, but I’m very happy to share a cool new trick at the bottom. After you look at the rebus puzzles to try and figure them out, you can click to reveal the answers. And this is so much easier than trying to print upside-down text like I tried first. 🙃
So for this cliché, it’s a phrase we all the time whenever we sense some kind of unspoken truth lurking beneath polite conversation. To “read between the lines” is human nature’s built-in radar for deciphering what is meant beyond what is merely said. But long before it became a way to “hear” the subtext in everyday dialogue, reading between the lines was a literal, tradecraft—essential for wartime communication, diplomacy, and survival.
Invisible Ink and Wartime Grids
The idiom traces back to the mid-nineteenth century and has direct roots in cryptography and steganography. Military couriers, spies, and clandestine correspondents needed ways to transport secret directives through enemy territory without raising suspicion. The solution was deceptively simple: write an ordinary, innocuous letter with unusually wide gaps between the lines of text.
In the blank space between those visible sentences, the author penned the real message using sympathetic, or invisible, ink made from organic acids like lemon juice, milk, cobalt chloride, or vinegar. To an officer who tried to intercept the message, the parchment appeared to carry a simple, and maybe even mundane, missive. But once the intended recipient exposed the paper to heat, a candle flame, or a specific chemical wash, the hidden writing would darken and reveal itself. If you did not know to literally read between the lines, you would miss the mission entirely.
A similar tactic relied on physical cutout masks known as Cardan grilles. When a recipient placed a custom stencil over a lengthy, seemingly boring letter, only specific words from alternating lines were visible through the cutouts, spelling out the real message.
Not by Words, But by Things
Visual rebuses operate on that exact same creative frequency—they challenge our eyes and minds to decipher hidden meaning from spatial placement rather than literal text alone. The word rebus originates from the Latin phrase non verbis, sed rebus, meaning “not by words, but by things.”
Originating during the Renaissance as intellectual parlor games across Europe, rebuses eventually evolved into the beloved graphic wordplay puzzles we know today. Placing a word in a specific direction, altering its size, or planting it firmly between physical boundaries forces our brains to decode subtext in a playful, visual way.
Try Your Hand at Deciphering
To celebrate the art of hidden messages, try solving the puzzle card below. Look at the spacing, arrangements, and word positions to unlock each common phrase or idiom.
Click here to reveal puzzle answers
1. For once in my life (four ones in my life)
2. Forget it
3. Try to understand
4. Travel overseas / Overseas travel
5. Breakfast
6. Downtown
7. Eyeshadow
8. Stepfather
9. Once upon a time
10. Potatoes (pot 8 O’s)
11. 3D movie
12. Top secret
Shabbat Shalom and let me know if you had fun with these. You can visit the ESL Vault Rebus Page for a bunch more free puzzles, and you can also find some rebus puzzles—including one called Read Between the Lines at the Google Play Store.
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🎵Cliché Month: Soft as a Kitten’s Ear 🐯
Whispers, Paws, and Unexpected Comfort
There is an unmatched texture in the natural world that immediately melts away tension: the delicate, velvety warmth of a kitten’s ear. It isn’t just soft like fabric, it’s alive and pulsing with gentle warmth. Pair that with the low, rhythmic hum of a cat’s purr—a soothing frequency that scientists say closely mimics the calming auditory comfort a baby hears in utero—and your defenses don’t stand a chance.
Our feline companions have an uncanny intuition for when our hearts are tender. Years ago, I had a sweet boy who was my constant shadow. Charlie always curled tight against my side whenever I would lie down. But there was great comfort in being pinned into place while we both slept.
When liver failure took him from me, my grief sent me to bed in the early afternoon. But then something remarkable happened. As I laid down, our other cat Abbie, who had always been a bit aloof with me and attached to my husband, walked quietly into the room, hopped up, and settled into the exact spot beside me where Charlie used to rest. I mean, the exact posture and everything! It’s like she knew I needed that spot filled just exactly the way Charlie used to fill it, and she held that quiet vigil until I fell asleep. Animals simply know when to offer grace without saying a single word.
From the Dry Goods Counter to the Nursery
We often treat toughness and tenderness as opposing forces, but true strength is almost always anchored in love. When we look back at the grit of the historic night riders from yesterday’s post—like my GG Great Grandfather John Wisdom, “The Paul Revere of the South”—it’s easy to focus solely on the sheer endurance of galloping sixty-seven miles through the dark. But the driving motivation behind that ride wasn’t just cold military duty; it was personal. His mother lived in Rome Georgia, and a son’s fierce love for his mama fueled every mile of that daring journey.
That is why the old idiom “soft as a kitten’s ear” carries deeper feeling than phrases like “soft as silk” or “soft as velvet.” Before the creation of synthetic microfibers, people measured comfort against the living world around them. While high-society writers favored imported silks, everyday speech favored the warmth of the hearth; the down on a baby chick; the fleece of a lamb; and the delicate fur of a newborn kitten.
By the early-to-mid 20th century, American department stores and textile mills grabbed the phrase for their advertising. Print ads for blanket makers like Chatham and St. Marys frequently pitched virgin-wool crib blankets and layette flannels as “soft as a kitten’s ear and warm as a mother’s hug.” Copywriters knew that comparing a fabric to an animal’s ear evoked something a bolt of woven silk never could: living, breathing warmth, gentle vulnerability, and total safety.
The Courage to Remain Tender
Living in this harsh, fast-paced world tempts us to build thick walls around our hearts. After enough disappointments and griefs, it feels safer to become distant and untouchable. But God never intended for our souls to become frozen. In Ezekiel 36:26, He makes the beautiful promise to remove our hearts of stone and give us responsive, living hearts of flesh—soft, beating, and capable of deep empathy.
Ezekiel 36:26 BSB
[26] I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/ezk.36.26.BSB
It takes real spiritual courage to stay tenderhearted because it means being willing to feel deeply and to let God’s gentle peace soothe our rough edges. While we need the spiritual equivalent of the layered oak hull of Old Ironsides to navigate life’s stormy seas, we must make sure the Holy Spirit is the most important layer. Never lose the warmth within. Make your convictions firm, but keep your spirit soft as a kitten’s ear.
In closing, if I haven’t mentioned it before (or if I have) I am really getting a lot from the book Bold and Broken by David and Jason Benham. (Affiliate link included.) And there’s an older country song that carries this message beautifully called Strong Enough to Bend by Tanya Tucker…
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Cliché Month: When the Cat’s Away, the Mice Will Play 🐈⬛🐁
We Love Our Black “Galaxy” Kitty
In honor of National Black Cat Appreciation Day, I couldn’t help but think about how our sleek, shadowed feline companions get a bad reputation—mostly as symbols of superstition. But if you’ve ever known a black cat, especially a tuxedo cat, you know how not-scary they actually are.
Currently, we have a black feral who won’t come in the house, won’t sit on our laps, and gets a bit haughty if she sees us feed another neighborhood cat, but she lives here most of the time. We call her Galaxy because of the white cluster of fur on her chest, sort of like a spinning space galaxy. She likes to be scritched, and sometimes, she will even jump up on the front porch glider and sit close (but not too close) while “making biscuits” in the air. We feel a strong victory when we get her to enjoy our company like that.
But When The Cat’s Away…
The core sentiment of this cliché originated in medieval Latin: “Dum felis dormit, mus gaudet et exsilit antro” (“When the cat sleeps, the mouse leaves its hole, rejoicing”). By the early 14th century, the French had framed it as “Ou chat na rat regne” (“Where there is no cat, the rat is king”), emphasizing the immediate shift in control. In 1599, William Shakespeare referenced the concept in Henry V, pointing out that an unguarded territory invites chaos by “playing the mouse in absence of the cat.”
The common denominator is, of course, that the mouse is very happy to have the house (or castle) all to itself. And after our last indoor cat left to cross the rainbow bridge in January of 2023, we experienced exactly what happens when you have no cats and a closed storage room with a window. (Actually, we still don’t know where they got in.)
After that experience, I’ve thought very strongly about getting another indoor cat to dissuade any new critters from moving in during the cold winter, but thankfully, we haven’t seen evidence of them for awhile.
What Kinds of People Play Cat and Mouse Games?
Real character isn’t proven when authority is standing in the room taking notes; it’s proven in the unchecked moments when nobody is looking over our shoulder. What we are on the inside will eventually come out in our words and our behaviors. Scripture says…
Luke 6:45 BSB
[45] The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/luk.6.45.BSB
Mice may be small, but they make big choices to invade, chew, nest, and poop (yuck) when they think they can get away with it. Some people also make big choices in the abundance of little things they do without caring how they affect the big picture. I think it’s actually that big-picture care that speaks most about the integrity of a person.
I found so many quotes about integrity and character, that I could never share them all with you. But here are a few I like:
“Character is built by thousands of small choices.”
“Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.” — Thomas Paine
“Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.” — H. Jackson Brown Jr.
The Apostle Paul spoke of character to the Ephesian slaves (working class) in how they should obey their bosses…
Ephesians 6:6-7 BSB
[6] And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
[7] Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men,
https://bible.com/bible/3034/eph.6.6-7.BSB
But God Even Loves the Mice
My annual Bible study has had me in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah this week, and I’ve been amazed at the progression of the people as they learn about God’s law and about His grace. They’ve been in bondage due to sin and ignorance, so someone finds the Torah and begins reading it to the people. Many are moved to begin obeying it. This is followed by testimony of all the ways the people have abandoned The Lord and how, when things went bad, they would come back to Him. And what did He do? Over and over again, He forgave them and provided ways for them to come back into His holy presence.
There were some that just refused to be changed, whether by the law or by grace, and they made the prophet so angry that he beat them. But that’s an effect a person with no integrity can have on a person with integrity. They can push your buttons until you feel like pulling your hair out, or doing like the prophet and pulling out their hair. And when their lack of caring causes them to reject The Almighty, it feels even worse.
In case you want to see what The Bible Project says about these 2 Bible books, here’s their message on that subject:
But the goal of personal and spiritual growth is self-governance: deciding for and in ourselves that we WANT to do the right thing simply because it IS the right thing. We move beyond the fear of whether the “cat” is home or away, and we treat every moment as if we want to make the “cat” happy and proud. And we grasp the reality that God knows our (mouse) form and yet He still loves and forgives us. Now that’s a reason to get excited that we have freedom and time to play.
Psalm 103:14 BSB
[14] For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.103.14.BSB
I’ll wrap up with these encouraging words from Hebrews…
Hebrews 4:14-16 BSB
[14] Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess. [15] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. [16] Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/heb.4.14-16.BSB
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🎵Cliché Month: Stop and Smell the Roses 🌹
It seems like everything is a rush and a hurry these days. The chaos of trying to do all, be all, and have all keeps us striving on a regular basis. But does it bring the results we truly long for, like contentment and peace and happiness? And if not, how do we get there?
I think taking a detour that leads to someplace beautiful could be a great start.
Where Did “Stop and Smell the Roses” Come From?
While the sentiment feels timeless and like we’ve been hearing it forever, this modern idiom is often traced—not so far back—to professional golfer Walter Hagen. In his 1956 autobiography, The Walter Hagen Story, he wrote a famous piece of advice: “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”
I guess many people’s favorite flowers are roses, so over the decades, popular culture refined “the flowers” into “the roses.” Eventually, it turned into a universal shorthand for slowing down to appreciate the blessing of the present and whatever is going on in the moment. Even though my favorite flower is the carnation, somehow Stop and smell the carnations doesn’t have the same ring to it. 😉
It’s a Blessing to Focus on What Matters
When the pace of life becomes overwhelming, stopping isn’t just about freezing in place; it is an intentional act of redirecting our thoughts toward sensing all the goodness around us. Thinking, seeing, hearing, touching, and smelling all take just enough time to help us focus on the moment. King David needed a break like this during his time of exile:
Psalm 143:5-6 BSB
[5] I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I consider the work of Your hands. [6] I stretch out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land. Selah
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.143.5-6.BSB
Taking that mental detour allows us to shift our gaze from the chaos of our schedules to the steady faithfulness of our Almighty Creator.
Releasing the Worry of the Rush
Much of our rushing is driven by the anxious belief that if we don’t hold everything together ourselves, things will fall apart. Anxiety isn’t just a topic on commercials advertising some new pharmaceutical relief; it’s a very real part of many lives. Even Christians with all the reasons in life to be at peace often struggle.
I don’t think I’ve shared yet about my diagnosis of severe PTSD (found when I was tested for Adult ADHD), but it has had effects on my health and in getting things done more than once. At the same time, I feel that God has given me experiences to recall and meditate on to bring balance. One of those was a trip to Niagara Falls almost 30 years ago. And it’s a story about the falls themselves that builds my peace and trust in The Lord.
Niagara Falls Erosion and Geology tells about the cracks that led to a couple major collapses at the American Falls with the major one in 1954 taking chunks of the viewing platform and railings at Prospect Point.
On my visit, I heard the story, so when I looked over the edges and saw the piled chunks of cement with pieces of the old railings sticking out, it made it very real for me. What makes it have balance is knowing how the falls became so much stronger as that collapse leaned against the crestline of the American Falls that still stands firm. And not only strength, but white water beauty was added to the scene as well.
Jesus reminds us that He is The One who governs our lives and plans to bring strength and beauty from them as well. And He gives us reason to lean into Him instead of collapsing into worry and grasping with white knuckles a railing that may not promise the safety we seek. He says…
Luke 12:25-27 BSB
[25] Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? [26] So if you cannot do such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest? [27] Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/luk.12.25-27.BSB
If God clothes the delicate petals of a bloom with such care, we can safely pause our striving and trust Him with our days and our moments—and with our whole lives.
An Invitation to Rest in YahShua
Ultimately, pausing to notice beauty clears away the mental clutter at least long enough to hear our Savior speak. He speaks most in His written Word, so while you’re stopped to sense the blessings around you, pick up a Bible and find great and precious promises to give you new strength:
Matthew 11:28 BSB
[28] Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/mat.11.28.BSB
Whether it is literally taking a beat to stop and breathe deeply while you walk in a garden, or simply turning your heart toward quiet gratitude in the middle of a busy week, don’t forget to take a pause today. What is one small, beautiful thing you can stop and appreciate right now?
Something I appreciate is really good song lyrics. This song by Hillary Scott & The Scott Family came from a cave-in (loss of a baby by miscarriage) in her own life. May the lyrics speak to you, readers, as you need them.
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🎵Cliché Month: The Left Hand Didn’t Know What the Right Hand was Doing
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
I didn’t grow up attending a parochial school where students had their knuckles slapped for writing with their left hands, though even if I had, it wouldn’t have mattered for me since I’m thoroughly right-handed. In fact, I only crossed paths with a few left-handers throughout my life until I met my husband, a born-and-bred southpaw. (And, no, right-handers are not called northpaws.🤔)
With August 13th marking International Left-Handers Day, it felt like the perfect opportunity to celebrate him and his unique trait that belongs to only about 10 to 12 percent of the world’s population. It also got me thinking about how much strange, unfair baggage has been historically tied to the left side—and the famous clichés and idioms that followed.
In everyday work and planning, we all know the frustration when the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing. Tasks stall, wires cross, and you end up in a full-blown tug-of-war with your own to-do list. Scripture even reminds us of the practical necessity of coordination—nobody builds a tower without first sitting down to count the cost and make sure all efforts pull in the same direction.
“For which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it? Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was unable to finish.’”
Luke 14:28–30 (BSB)
Yet Scripture also offers a brilliant paradox in Matthew: when it comes to quiet generosity, we are instructed not to let the left hand know what the right hand is doing. In character, humility means doing good without staging a self-congratulatory parade.
“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,”
Matthew 6:3 (BSB)
We truly need both: the intentional coordination where both hands work as a unified team, and the quiet integrity where one hand acts without demanding applause from the other.
Here’s to giving our left hands a little extra appreciation—and making sure both hands stay in sync. How about you: are you a left-hander, or married to one like me? Or maybe both? 🤲
P.S. A fun FYI for you: There’s an old trick I learned from a kid’s album many (many) years ago. If you hold your hands out in front of you with the palms facing away, when you extend your thumb to a ninety-degree angle, your left hand will create the letter “L.” Is that cool, or what?
This is a fun song with a catchy chorus, but I couldn’t find it with lyrics. Still, this is a pretty amazing ensemble singing in this video.
with Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Brenda Lee, Kris Kristopherson, and Willie Nelson
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🎵🎬 Cliché Month: The Elephant in the Room
We’ve all been there: Gathered for a group dinner or party when that relative or friend walks through the door, dramatically sporting a new look. Maybe it’s a huge new tattoo, a noticeable facial piercing, a vibrant shock of wild neon hair, or maybe it’s a new relationship partner that no one saw coming.
Instantly, the conversation stumbles. There is a collective hush followed by a palpable second of silent checking and cross-referencing. Everyone’s gaze darts around the table, evaluating reactions without actually sharing an opinion—positive or negative—out of deep social fear that someone else in the room will disagree. The collective breath is held… and that’s when it arrives.
In that exact moment of shared paralysis, no one is just sitting at a dinner table anymore. Everyone is living out a classic, textbook example of The Elephant in the Room.
(That’s usually when everyone quits playing their White Elephant game for a while—though don’t worry, we’ll untangle that particular tradition in a bit!)
Where Did the Pachyderm Come From?
First, how did a giant mammal end up sitting on our living room furniture in the first place? 🐘
The core concept actually stretches back to an 1814 fable by Russian poet Ivan Krylov called The Inquisitive Man, which told of a museum visitor who noticed every tiny beetle and fly, but completely overlooked a massive, live elephant walking among the exhibits.
Later in 1882, Mark Twain adapted that same image for American readers in his short story Mrs. McWilliams and the Lightning, writing that an obvious truth was “as plain as an elephant in a house.”
Yet, the exact, modern phrase we use today—“the elephant in the room”—didn’t officially become a regular part of our language until the mid-20th century, first appearing in newspapers like The New York Times in 1952 before exploding into popular psychology in the 1980s as a way to talk about unaddressed family secrets. We humans, it seems, have spent over two centuries perfecting the art of ignoring the obvious!
The Psychology of Silence
The defining characteristic of an “elephant in the room” isn’t that the issue is hidden or subtle. It is the exact opposite: the issue is so glaringly obvious that everyone is aware of it. Yet, an invisible social contract keeps everyone tight-lipped.
Why do we do this? Usually, it comes from a mix of social conditioning, a fear of creating conflict, or simply waiting for someone else to speak up first. We convince ourselves that ignoring the massive problem makes it go away and hide, when in reality, the pressure to look at it only builds.
The funny thing about naming the elephant is that once someone finally has the courage to say, “So… are we going to talk about this?”, the collective sigh of relief in the room is almost deafening. Light replaces tension, and everyone can finally breathe again.
Speaking of Unwanted Elephants…
Since we’re on the subject of giant, awkward things in the room, let’s talk about a related pachyderm phrase that hits close to home—especially for those of us in writer’s groups or holiday parties that host a annual White Elephant Gift Exchange like we do in my local LCW group!
Have you ever wondered where that term came from? The history is surprisingly brilliant (and a bit petty).
Legend has it that in ancient Siam (modern-day Thailand), rare albino elephants were considered sacred royal property. Because they were sacred, they couldn’t be put to actual labor. If a noble or royal official displeased the King, the monarch would reportedly bestow a magnificent White Elephant upon them as a “gift.”
On paper, it looked like a high honor. In reality? Feeding, housing, and maintaining a non-working, giant, sacred beast was so astronomically expensive that the gift would completely ruin the recipient financially! It was a passive-aggressive masterpiece: a gift that was far more trouble and expense than it was worth, and one you couldn’t possibly get rid of.
Today, we’ve repurposed that royal headache into a fun holiday tradition where we swap quirky, useless, or eccentric items—hoping to pass off our own “white elephants” to a willing friend. And when we add “stealing” to the mix, it becomes quite comedic to watch the few really good gifts make their way into many hands before their final homes are decided.
Honoring the Real Giants
Since August 12th is World Elephant Day, it’s worth stepping away from our human idioms for a moment to celebrate the real animals behind these two (and more) proverbs. Elephants are extraordinary creatures. They are deeply empathetic, protective of their herds, and blessed with incredible long-term memories that keep their families safe through changing landscapes.
Truthfully, the only thing that makes a proverbial elephant in the room anything like the real thing is sheer size. They are certainly more majestic than most of the subjects we may be trying to avoid. So, I guess a way we can honor them as more than just large creatures is to become bigger (metaphorically) like they are and just stampede right over our fears of telling the truth. Directness paired with grace is always the best path forward. Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, or maybe just watch this clip from Hatari with adorable baby elephants and the fun Henry Mancini orchestration of “The Baby Elephant Walk” song:
Lots of help from Gemini on this one, so here’s a shout of thanks for the helpful collaboration. And one final bit of fun, can you tell whether this elephant is real or not?
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🎵Cliché Month: A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
A Stitch in Time Saves Nine—Or Ten, or Eleven…
It’s one of those old-school clichés we’ve heard a thousand times, usually repeated when we’re putting something off or just at the beginning of a problem when someone is warning us to stop things before they get any worse.
🪡Originating back in the early 18th century, the wisdom was pure and practical common sense: fix a tiny tear in a garment right when it appears. Then, it only takes a single thread. But if it is left to unravel, the cost is greater in multiple ways. It means spending exponentially more time, and it means many times the stitches or patching a massive rip later on.
Folk Origins
The first recorded printing of this idiom was in 1732. Thomas Fuller, an English physician and writer, used the phrase in his 1732 compilation titled Gnomologia: Adagies and Proverbs; Wise Sentences and Witty Sayings, Ancient and Modern, Foreign and British. In the original phrasing, Fuller actually recorded it as: “A stitch in time may save nine.”
Because Gnomologia was a collection of existing regional sayings and folk wisdom, we know Fuller didn’t invent the phrase himself—he collected it from oral tradition. Like most classic proverbs, it emerged organically from daily working-class speech rather than from a single famous author.
Why Nine?
“Nine” wasn’t chosen for exact mathematical precision—it serves two specific functions:
Rhyme & Rhythm (Mnemonic Device): The slant rhyme between “time” and “nine” was intentionally used to make the advice catchier and easier to remember.
Exaggeration/Scale: In English folklore and proverb traditions, “nine” frequently represented a substantial or magical multiplier (e.g., a cat has nine lives, cloud nine, a nine days’ wonder). It simply signified “a whole lot more effort later.”
The High Cost of Clothing
In the 18th century, textiles and garments were completely handmade. That meant they were extremely labor-intensive—and costly. Most people owned very few clothing items, and keeping them usable for as long as possible was a necessity.
The Mechanics of Fabric: Hand-woven fabrics under tension (like work clothes) can unravel quickly once a single thread breaks. Catching that loose thread right away required just one quick stitch—hence the literal advice to act before the entire seam gave way.
Simple Advice
It’s brilliant, simple advice… that almost none of us actually follow on the first try.
Enter procrastination. The word itself stems from the Latin procrastinare—combining pro- (“forward”) and crastinus (“belonging to tomorrow,” from cras). It literally means pushing today’s responsibilities into tomorrow’s territory. But let’s be real: just because the word starts with “pro,” doesn’t mean it’s a pro-level life strategy! 😁
Many of us play that familiar mental game of handing off today’s small, tedious tasks to our future selves. We convince ourselves that “Tomorrow Me” will magically possess boundless energy, pristine focus, and unlimited motivation. So we leave the box in the hallway, skip the small errand, or ignore the growing pile in the corner.
In reality, though, procrastination is just high-interest debt we charge to our future selves. What starts as a minor, easy-to-ignore delay slowly compounds over time. Before you know it, those few skipped “stitches” snowball into a full-scale, all-hands-on-deck effort like I’ve previously described as my Operation Cleanout.
So, what about you? What small “stitches” are you currently leaving for “Tomorrow You”—and why?
My Take
We’ve all heard the golden rule of organization: “Never touch an item twice—deal with it immediately.”
That sounds great on paper, right? But if I’m being completely honest, that rule has never worked for me, no matter how hard I’ve tried. Picking something up only to realize I don’t have the time or energy (or desire) to handle it right now just leads to moving it from one surface to another; one pile to another; or one room (or closet) to another. That’s when you begin to feel like your stuff is more in control of you than you are of it
The real secret isn’t learning how to handle things instantly; it’s learning not to pick them up in the first place until you’re actually ready to act on them.
That’s easier said than done in the digital age. While our digital devices are fantastic at compiling all those previously forgotten thoughts into one place, they are equally great at adding unwanted extra layers to every piece. The digital services mix all the ingredients into a lovely cake, but the notifications pile on so much extra icing that you can barely find the slice underneath!
This is the world for most of us now: Constant pings, live notifications, social media updates, and endless emails. We get pulled into opening messages and checking alerts out of curiosity or habit. The next thing you know, we’ve accumulated a mental inbox of things we want to know about but simply don’t have the emotional bandwidth to act on in that moment. Our FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) makes every read-wait-read notification become another thread pulling on our already tense and worn attention span.
Don’t Lose Hope
The positive turnaround isn’t about beating yourself up over a growing pile or an overflowing inbox. It’s about adding small, deliberate tasks that you know you can accomplish to reduce the overwhelm of so many tasks that feel impossible. When we protect our attention, by refusing to “pick up” an email or task until we actually have the time to process it, we stop generating false stitches that need fixing later. Getting a friend—like the wonderful friend I’ve been blessed with—to help you refocus on one pile or box at a time makes more of a difference than I can put into words. And I never knew just how much I needed her until she volunteered her time and her heart to partner with me in getting victory over my unravelling seams.
Some One Stitch Ideas You Can Use (Compliments of Google’s Gemini)
- Audit Your Digital Gateways: Turn off non-essential social media and app notifications so you aren’t continually tempted to “pick up” messages before you have the time and desire to process them.
- The Two-Minute Rule: If a task takes under two minutes (like hanging up a coat, replying to a quick text, or rinsing a plate), do it immediately before it enters your “tomorrow” pile.
- Process Inboxes in Batches: Schedule specific, dedicated windows during the day to check and respond to email rather than leaving your inbox open continuously as a distraction engine.
- Leave Things “Ready to Act”: If you know you aren’t ready to address a physical project or document, leave it completely untouched at its origin point rather than moving it halfway into your active workspace.
- The Nightly Five-Minute Reset: Spend five minutes before bed clearing off just one primary surface (like your desk or kitchen counter) so you start the next day with clean momentum instead of leftover debt.
- (My addition) Forgive yourself even while not excusing yourself. It’s okay to be an imperfect human. Just learn which imperfections create more chaos than peace, and gift yourself the effort it takes to get victory over them.
Biblical Wisdom on Diligence & Today’s Actions
Scripture frequently reminds us of the value of stewardship of our time, prompt actions, and the subtle dangers of letting small delays accumulate into overwhelming burdens:
Proverbs 27:1 BSB
[1] Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/pro.27.1.BSB
That Proverb reminds us that “Tomorrow You” is built on an illusion of guaranteed time, encouraging us to honor the moments and capacity we have right now.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 BSB
[10] Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/ecc.9.10.BSB
This Ecclesiastes verse emphasizes wholehearted focus when we choose to engage with a task. Doing it with intentional energy prevents half-hearted efforts that require fixing later on.
Proverbs 24:33-34 BSB
[33] A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, [34] and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/pro.24.33-34.BSB
Solomon’s classic warning here highlights how overwhelming chaos and clutter rarely arrive in a single huge event; they creep in quietly through a series of tiny, repeated delays—the exact “unraveled seam” our cliché warns against.
One Day at a Time
I’ll close with this music I feel is totally perfect for all the stitches we may need to do in life. Whether it’s the stitch that saves nine, or the stitches to repair the torn seams, we still only have today to take care of them. And this version changed the lyrics on one line and made it even more fitting. Where the original says “violence and crime,” this one says, “crowding my mind.”
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Cliché Month: Beauty is Only Skin Deep; plus Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
I’m bringing you two related clichés today because they are parts along the same line of looking at real beauty vs false beauty. I write from the point of view of someone who’s never really liked what she saw in the mirror, though I haven’t hated what I see either. It just always seemed like most others were prettier than me. There have been moments where I fixed myself up into something I was more pleased with, but even those never made me feel gorgeous or beautiful.
On the other hand, my acceptance of being more plain than those “real” beauties in my life has driven me to develop inner beauty. Caring how others feel, trying to be helpful to almost everyone, and freely talking about my various failures in life to make sure no one feels like I think I’m better than them has always been among my goals. Even with winning behaviors or skills, if they made someone else feel loss, it took the wind right out of my sails. (Hmm, that’s another cliché, huh?)
Sometime during my travels with the photo studio, a TV was on with a show called Monsters. The episode I watched back then (around 1990) has stuck with me for years even though I didn’t actually know the show or what the episode was called until a few weeks of deep searching gave me the result: Season 2, episode 23, called “The Bargain.” I’ve linked to it on YouTube, but the summary goes like this:
A woman owns a bookstore and has feelings for a customer who doesn’t seem to feel the same. She decides it’s because she’s plain, so when she sees an ad for a new face, she calls the number. Her new face is beautiful but comes with a few prices. In the end, the woman with her old face gets the guy who’d been in love with her inner beauty all along, so she lost everything by focusing on the outer shell. I guess this actually goes a little with yesterday’s cliché to not judge a book by its cover as well.
Now, the second cliché makes a similar point, and the illustration of it is shown perfectly in the old Twilight Zone episode called Eye of the Beholder from season 1, episode 39. But I was unable to find that in a full original episode without commentary. I have linked to the unveiling moment in the remake from 2002 since the point is still shown, and the videography still pulls off some of the tricks of the original.
If you haven’t seen it, I don’t want to spoil this one, so I’ll just tell you that it’s an episode about a woman who has plastic surgery to “fix” her face to give her the beauty of those around her. The surgery fails and the lights come on to reveal that beauty—both hers and others—is not exactly what most expect it to be.
On a side note, if you watch (or rewatch) this full episode, pay attention to the amazing use of shadows and camera angles that hide the actual faces of the cast until the reveal at about 16 minutes in. The strength of the film is in the audio until the lights come on, and you never realize something is being purposely hidden from the audience. It’s done brilliantly.
So how do we look at the world when we’ve been so trained to judge on outward appearances and yet somehow know they are not the answer? The Bible speaks to this in three different ways.
Proverbs 31:30 BSB
[30] Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/pro.31.30.BSB
1 Samuel 16:7 BSB
[7] But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the Lord does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the Lord sees the heart.”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/1sa.16.7.BSB
1 Peter 3:3-4 BSB
[3] Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes, [4] but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/1pe.3.3-4.BSB
Each of us should work on our inner beauty, and we should also strive to see the inner beauty of others. It is that true beauty that will allow us to make genuine connections to each other; connections so strong that they supercede any abundance or lack of external beauty.
This message is portrayed beautifully in the Pure Flix movie called “A Hot Cocoa Christmas” (formerly called “Much Ado About Christmas”) and one I highly recommend is worth renting. I wish I could find the karaoke scene that shows the connection between the couple, but here’s the trailer for the whole movie:
Just imagine a world where the insides truly mean more than the outsides to most people. No more harming others because they’re wearing the shoes someone else thinks they deserve; no more attacking people because of any outward display (age, race, gender, etc.) someone dislikes; no more graffiti and damage to the outsides of buildings or cars or wherever people feel their appearances need to be made; and people dedicated to bringing out the best in others, so their inner beauty can shine. All that would be Heavenly. Dream with me, and let your own inner beauty sparkle. ✨🤩
Shout out to both Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot for helping me find the info for that old show and for pointing out the symmetry arc my mind naturally found by looking at these three sources to present my points.
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Cliché Month: Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover
Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover
That’s the classic advice we celebrate for National Book Lovers Day on August 9th of each year since 1995. Note: The link goes to a page for 2023, but it’s the only one that gave a history. It also has some great quotes about reading like…
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” – George R.R. Martin
Appearances can be deceiving, though, and the true value of any story lies within the content of its pages. I agree… especially if that book happens to be a recipe book.
That makes my mind immediately jump to that classic Twilight Zone episode, “To Serve Man.” The Earth welcomed nine-foot-tall alien visitors called the Kanamits with open arms, largely because of a book they left behind with that noble-sounding title. Humanity judged the book entirely by its cover! Spoiler alert: If anyone had taken the time to actually peruse the pages inside—and decode a bit of the Kanamit language first—they would have realized long before it was too late that it wasn’t a manual for goodwill… it was a cookbook, and humans were the main course. 🙃 Here’s a quick clip from the episode:
The Proof in the Pudding
Thankfully, the recipe books in my home don’t require a government cryptographer to decipher, and their intentions are far more wholesome!
Whether it’s a cookbook, an instruction book, or a novel, every bookworm knows that the proof isn’t just in the reading—it’s in the application. What do you do with the words you read? A quote I’ve always liked says…
If all else fails, read the instructions — attributed to Agnes Allen.
When I first saw that quote over 40 years ago, it was appended by the followup instruction: And if that doesn’t work, follow them. That’s great advice since all the pretty recipe pictures and yummy ingredients won’t mean nearly as much if they’re never matched with a bowl and a mixing spoon. The Bible puts it this way:
James 1:22 BSB
[22] Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/jas.1.22.BSB
Once you make a cozy bowl from a trusted set of instructions, the true value of that book is undeniably in the taste. As another idiom says, The proof is in the pudding. (Which is wonderfully convenient, since August 9th is also National Rice Pudding Day!)
Turning the Page with Comfort Food
This is actually a perfect mashup of holidays—nourishment for the soul and nourishment for the body. One of the many “Today is special because…” sites I visited mentioned that most bibliophiles have more unread books than read books. I resemble that remark. 😁 And that even includes recipe books. That’s partly because I’m more apt to play in the kitchen and try to create something than I am to follow a detailed recipe.
For example, I’ve never made rice pudding, but one of my favorite experiments while looking for ways to sweeten food without sugar resulted in making fried apples with banana. Here’s a picture:
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
By caramelizing the bananas and butter directly into apples already sizzling with butter and cinnamon, you get the absolute perfect sweetness without needing added sugar. (Just a tiny touch from the vanilla bean paste!)
Tasty Fried Apples with Banana
- Apples ( I Prefer Honeycrisp Plus One Fuji or Gala; Peeled and Sliced)
- Banana (Mashed)
- Butter (Generous Amount Based on How Many Apples)
- Ground Cinnamon (To Taste; I Recommend Ceylon over Cassia)
- Vanilla Bean Paste (To Taste/About ¼ TSP)
- Optional Misc Spices Like Nutmeg and Allspice (To Taste)
- Optional Topping (Toasted Oats, Flax, Toasted Pecans, etc.)
Instructions: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced apples, cinnamon, and a touch of vanilla bean paste, and a little water for steam. Cover and simmer until the apples begin to soften and caramelize. In another skillet, add the bananas and mash them with butter until they create a puree. Mix the puree with the caramelized apples and allow the whole mix to brown and caramelize a little more.
Serving Suggestion: Spoon into oven-safe bowls and sprinkle with your chosen topping. Put in a warm oven until time to serve. In my picture, you’ll notice I decorated the bowls with some thin slices of banana before adding the topping. But it was fine without the banana slices or crunchy topping. I think I was just trying to get a fancier picture like my efforts using 2 cutting boards. Whatever your method, please come back and add a comment to let me know you’ve tried them and what you think. Hubby used to like them better than most of those served in restaurants, but he cannot have any banana anymore. (Potassium is a no-no without kidneys.)
And with that, I bid you good reading and good eating. 📚🍮
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Cliché Month: Raining Cats and Dogs
Raining Cats and Dogs: The Truth Behind the Downpour
I’ve always been a cat person, but I’ve had some special dogs in my life as well. The first one I remember was Kute Kitty Kolleen of Keswick. She was a very red Irish Setter, and I was told she put up with me teething on her nose. (Yuck!?) I do not recall my teething days, but I sure loved that dog and her puppy Kollette. They both lived with my grandparents. I’ll save the other dog memories for National Dog Day on the 26th of this month.
With August 8th marking International Cat Day and the entire month of August celebrated as National Dog Month. (Wait, cats only get one day and dogs get a whole month? Not fair!) Both of our favorite four-legged companions are sharing the spotlight for this blog. That makes it feel like the perfect moment to dive into one of the most famous pet-centric sayings in the English language: “raining cats and dogs.”
The Slippery Roof Myth
At some point, I heard the story behind the cliché. The legend states that back in the 1500s, homes had thick thatched roofs made of straw and reeds. Cats, dogs, and other small animals would climb up to sleep in the thatch for warmth. Then, during torrential downpours, the wet thatch would get slippery or cave in—literally raining pets through the ceiling and into the living room!
It’s an amusing visual, and one I thought of immediately upon deciding to use this cliché, but it turns out that linguistic historians have largely debunked it. A properly constructed thatched roof was a foot or more thick and tightly packed, so even an abundance of rain wouldn’t send sleeping critters tumbling through the ceiling.
So, where did the phrase actually come from? While its official origin remains mysterious, historians point to two far more likely roots:
- Norse Mythology: In ancient Norse lore, dogs were symbols of the wind (associated with Odin, the storm god), while cats represented heavy rain and atmospheric turbulence (tied to Freyja, whose chariot was pulled by cats). A fierce storm of howling wind and driving rain was figuratively called “dogs for the wind, cats for the rain.”
- 17th-Century City Streets: In 1600s London, poor drainage meant that sudden, severe rainstorms created heavy street flooding. The rushing runoff would sweep up debris and, tragically, stray animals that hadn’t survived the storm, making it look to people passing by as though they had literally fallen from the sky.
Raining Dogs and… Polecats?
Early variations of the phrase in the 1650s actually described severe downpours as “raining dogs and polecats” before settling into the catchy pairing we use today.
Fun Fact: Wait, isn’t a polecat a skunk?
If you grew up in North America hearing “polecat” used to describe a skunk, you’re not alone! But when 17th-century English writers wrote about “polecats,” they were referring to the European polecat (Mustela putorius)—a wild, agile cousin of the ferret. When European settlers arrived in the Americas and encountered skunks, they saw a similarly sized, dark-furred animal with a potent scent gland and borrowed the name “polecat” as slang.
Rain Chaos and Muddy Footprints 🐾
It’s funny all the directions a mind can run from one little thought!
About pets and weather, isn’t it amusing how these idioms stack up? You’d think if it were literally raining cats and dogs, they’d be fighting like cats and dogs just to scramble for cover and get out of the deluge!
Unlike the disciplined ants in the old children’s rhyme (another thought direction altogether,) who politely march one by one, hurrah, hurrah to get out of the rain, a sudden downpour usually brings pure chaos when pets are involved.
So if it rains for you this month, I don’t think you’ll find any cats or dogs falling from the sky, but you may get wet neighborhood cats showing up on your porch for food. Here’s a collage with 4 of our rainbow bridge kitties who were indoor-only cats (2013) plus 4 of the outdoor cats who used to show up at feeding time (2022). We still have 3 of them showing up in 2026.
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
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🎵 Cliché Month: Any Port in a Storm 🛟
As August 7th celebrates National Lighthouse Day, I thought about the first time I heard this cliché. It was after I was married to my military husband. We were discussing some of the bad decisions people make when they are searching for answers. Even though he was in the Army, he still knew this cliché as a description for ports in life that aren’t good but are better than sinking. That’s why I asked the AI to make the dock in the above image have broken planks.
Driven by Desperation
Dating back a few centuries to the age of wooden sail ships, “Any port in a storm” was a mariner’s literal reality. When pitch-black skies and violent storms threatened to overwhelm a vessel on the tossing sea, a captain couldn’t be picky about where he docked. He couldn’t wait for his home harbor or a pristine coastal resort. He had to steer into whatever harbor or rough wooden dock was closest—even if it was known for rocky shores, thieves, or dangerous currents—because a risky harbor was still better than a watery grave.
In everyday life, the phrase has come to mean taking whatever makeshift solution or shelter is available during a crisis, even if it carries its own set of risks. But as my husband noted, settling for a broken port out of fear often leads to a whole new set of troubles once the storm passes.
I’ve selected my share of dangerous ports during the storms of my life. As a teenager, a friend and I got lost while touring The Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. Our house parent left without us, and we had to take city buses at night to an apartment of someone she knew and sleep on the floor until someone could come get us the next day. Anything was better than staying out all night in the dark and dangerous city. And when I was homeless, crawling under the overhang of a building that sat behind a casino in Las Vegas was better than sleeping in a park and watching a gang beat someone up. (That happened on my first night of homelessness, so no park felt like a safe harbor after that.)
Sadly, some people select a port because it looks safe enough, or maybe the person throwing the “rope” seems genuinely helpful, but the next thing these people know, they are roped into addictions or trafficking they never saw coming. Once there, they don’t trust any lighthouse they see because they don’t know if it could be another trick. We must remember this when we reach out to minister to those who’ve made bad choices but truly want to be free.
The Rest of the Story: A Living Lighthouse
On a lighter note, I’ve got a wonderful short video for you as a quick version of a Paul Harvey episode of The Rest of the Story. It’s a fun radio throwback on the maritime legend in the story below! While Paul weaves in the American folklore of ‘Hatteras Jack’—the selfless helper who appeared at the sound of a foghorn—the real-life history of the protective law and the SS Penguin belongs to New Zealand’s famous Pelorus Jack.
The Rest of The Rest of The Story…
(Thank you to Google’s Gemini for this amazing and true story.) Sometimes, the first moments of safety don’t come from a port at all, but from an unexpected guide who will get you to the port. Between 1888 and 1912, ships navigating the treacherous, rock-strewn waters of French Pass off the coast of New Zealand relied on a famous Risso’s dolphin named Pelorus Jack.
For twenty-four years, Jack would leap through the waves, riding the bow waves of oncoming vessels and swimming ahead to lead them safely past the razor-sharp reefs. Not a single ship ever ran aground while following his lead.
In 1904, a passenger aboard the SS Penguin shot at Jack, injuring the beloved creature. Outraged, the New Zealand government passed a historic law specifically to protect Jack by name. After two weeks of healing, the dolphin returned to his post—guiding ships safely through the storm—with one legendary exception: he never guided the SS Penguin again. Whenever that ship approached, Jack vanished. Years later, while trying to navigate without their guide, the SS Penguin struck a reef and sank.
The Only True Harbor
When the tempests and trials of life hit us, it’s so easy to feel tempted to just tie up to the nearest broken dock. But while the world offers many makeshift “ports,” there is only one True Harbor of safety when the crashing waves threaten to pull us under. That safe harbor is also our Lighthouse, YahShua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ).
When you’ve docked in dangerous storms and you suddenly realize the planks beneath your feet are giving way, remember that He is the True Light shining over the rough waters, and He’s ready to guide you all the way home. Here’s what God’s Word says about His Light:
Matthew 4:16 BSB
[16] the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/mat.4.16.BSB
John had only met Him when they were each in their mother’s wombs, but he knew who would soon be bringing salvation to the world.
John 1:9 BSB
[9] The true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/jhn.1.9.BSB
And I love this verse I found in the Psalms about God Himself guiding us into safe harbor.
Psalm 107:29-30 BSB
[29] He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
[30] They rejoiced in the silence, and He guided them to the harbor they desired.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.107.29-30.BSB
Now enjoy this beautiful a capella version of I Thank God for The Lighthouse by Vocal Union…
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Cliché Month: Don’t Spill the Beans 🫘
Don’t Spill the Beans: From Secret Ballots to Grandma’s Kitchen
Most of us know what it’s like to keep a secret. And some secrets are harder to keep to ourselves than others. Maybe a juicy piece of news, a surprise party secret, or some other plan that’s supposed to be a surprise, but a slip of the tongue can ruin the reveal. So, especially when dealing with those who just aren’t good at keeping secrets, someone might tell them, “Whatever you do, don’t spill the beans.”
It’s an everyday expression, but how on earth did legumes become the official currency of confidential information?
The Secret Ballot of the Ancient World
The most popular story behind the phrase goes all the way back to Ancient Greece—known as the birthplace of democracy. Long before paper ballots or digital voting systems, ancient Greek societies needed a simple way to hold secret votes. They decided a simple opaque urn and two distinct colors of beans would be the best solution:
* White or light-colored beans represented a “Yes” vote.
* Black or dark-colored beans represented a “No” vote.
During the voting process, voters would step up to the urn and discreetly drop their chosen bean inside. The dark jar kept their choice hidden from the crowd. The vote was meant to remain strictly confidential until every ballot was cast and official counts began.
However, if someone clumsily knocked over the container—or tipped it accidentally on purpose—the beans would scatter across the floor. The vote tally was revealed prematurely, the secret process was ruined, and the entire election had to start over. All because someone had literally spilled the beans.
Spill it, Girlfriend!
While historians note that the exact English phrase really took off as 20th-century American slang (where “spill” meant to confess a secret or talk out of turn), the ancient image of a tipped jar spilling hidden votes remains the perfect visual metaphor.
A Tipping Point in Pop Culture
When I told my husband the subject of this cliché post, the phrase instantly brought to both of our minds the classic children’s game Don’t Spill the Beans. Do you remember it? It was originally introduced by Schaper Games in 1967 and later made famous by Milton Bradley. The game took the idiom literally. Players carefully balanced small plastic beans one by one on top of a teetering red plastic pot. The goal? Steady hands and precise placement—because one wrong move sent the pot tipping over, sending plastic beans clattering across the table. Now the game is made by Hasbro, and you can get it at Amazon where you’ll notice the “beans” are flat and colorful. But it still looks fun—and frustrating. (Link uses my affiliate shortcut.)
It looks like the ancient Greeks and 1960s game designers had the exact same lesson in mind: balance is everything, and once things tip over, it creates a mess.
When Spilling the Beans Would be a Real Disaster
Thankfully, it never happened, but I shudder to think of what we would’ve missed if it did. For all the history and game-night nostalgia, when I hear this cliché, my mind skips right past ancient Greece and board games and heads straight to my grandma’s kitchen.
Back then, making a pot of pinto beans was a labor of love. Long before they ever hit the stove, Grandma would sort through them by hand, carefully picking out the tiny pebbles hidden among the dry beans. A few times, I got to help her, but she preferred doing it mostly by herself to make sure nothing got missed. Then came overnight soaking followed by hours of slow cooking, seasoned generously with a good amount of bacon grease until the whole house smelled amazing. My mouth waters just to think about it.
So, in our family, “spilling the beans” would have been a crime. After all that work sorting, seasoning, and simmering, nobody dared spill those beans—because everybody wanted to eat them! 😋 (And don’t forget the diced white onion on top.)
I’ll end this with a couple Scriptures for when God Himself will spill the beans. It’s best not to have anything to hide (unless it’s a good surprise,) but there will come a time when all things will be revealed.
Luke 12:2-3 BSB
[2] There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. [3] What you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/luk.12.2-3.BSB
Ecclesiastes 12:14 BSB
[14] For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/ecc.12.14.BSB
Many thanks to Google’s Gemini AI for the collaboration and help in finding this history of this phrase, the history of the game, and the beautiful image at the top.
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Cliché Month: Barking Up the Wrong Tree
Can you see that smug little grin on that sneaky raccoon’s face? He knows he tricked the dog into thinking he’s treed, but I’m sure the chase will be back on again shortly.
If you’ve ever put all your energy into a goal or project and suddenly realized you were far off base, you have experienced barking up the wrong tree. But don’t worry because you’re in good company. Humans, and even their four-legged hunting companions, have been doing that very thing for centuries.
The Frontier Origins…
The phrase “barking up the wrong tree” is a uniquely American phrase born on the early 1800s frontier. Settlers at the time relied on trained hounds to hunt raccoons at night. When cornered, a raccoon’s go-to defense was to scurry up a tree to get away from the chase. The dogs would then surround the trunk and bark furiously—a behavior known as “treeing”—to signal the hunter.
Raccoons, though, are super clever. A smart raccoon would often climb one tree and leap through the upper canopy into a neighboring tree. From there, it could sneakily slip away while the eager hounds would be left at the base of the first tree. Their noisy barking at a completely empty tree was just the distraction needed for the critter to get away before the hunters arrived. (Sneaky little smirking things. 😏)
I think I was about 14 years old the one and only time I went hunting for raccoons with my dad when we lived in Kansas. I only remember three things about it: it was too early in the morning and super dark outside, it was freezing and wet, and my little brother Jason was adorable when he would say, “We gon go coo hun” in his cute 4-year-old voice. Oh, and I remember the big gray Weimaraner he took hunting with us, but I don’t recall if he ever treed any raccoons.
Beyond the Hunt…
It didn’t take long for the phrase to move from describing a factual event between dogs and raccoons to becoming a statement about anyone in pursuit of an illusion. By the 1830s, the phrase leaped into popular print as a shortcut for misdirected energy, mistaken accusations or assumptions, or chasing a false lead. A person didn’t have to be running from a pursuit to confront a pursuer with a firm rejection and the notice that, if they thought they would get their way, they were barking up the wrong tree.
Barking Up the Right Tree…
Many years ago, a visiting young minister used the song “Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones to illustrate the search for real satisfaction. He talked of how the songwriter had experienced fame and fortune and tried who knows how many diversions, and yet sang about trying over and over to be satisfied without ever getting there. Many of us exhaust ourselves barking up all kinds of worldly trees—status, approval, material success—only to find they leave us empty-handed.
In Isaiah 55:1-2, the prophet calls out to the unsatisfied who are barking up all the wrong trees. He calls them to a free and satisfying feast and then asks them to look at the real value of what they have been spending their money on and their work accumulating.
Isaiah 55:1-2 BSB
[1] “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!
[2] Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/isa.55.1-2.BSB
When we change our focus from the empty branches and look to The God and Creator who knows our true needs, we can feast on those things that truly satisfy. We can stop wasting our time barking up the wrong trees and instead bark up the True Vine and receive fruit from The Tree of Life. 🌳🧬
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Cliché Month: Actions Speak Louder than Words
I almost added an ellipsis at the end of the word “speak” in the above illustration. I forgot to ask for it in the prompt, so when Nano Banana created it, I was pleasantly surprised to see this powerful message of “Action Speaks” jump right out at me. Even without the remaining words of the cliché, it’s a solid and true message.
I realized after writing all of this that it’s almost an argument against yesterday’s cliché that the pen is mightier than the sword. I mean, if you’re taking action by a sword, that would definitely be louder than threatening words. But today’s message is more about the actions that must follow the life-changing words of the pen.
Has anyone ever told you they loved you and then made you doubt their words by their behaviors? Or have you ever had someone promise you something from the bottom of their heart with a pinky promise and, no matter how strongly they swore its truthfulness at the time, never fulfilled that promise?
If you answered yes to either of those questions (and I’d think most people could,) you’ve had a demonstration of words being weaker than actions. If the bad behaviors or broken promises have broken something in you, then you’ve truly understood the louder language of actions.
Of course, this also works the opposite way. Like when I moved in with my grandparents at 12-years-old and fell in love with a neighborhood kitty cat that started hanging around our house. When she showed up pregnant, I asked my grandfather if we could bring her inside to have her kittens, and he vehemently said no to my pleas.
One afternoon, a few days later, I got home from school to find a box in my room. Not only was it perfect for Mama Cat, but Grandpa had added some cushiony towels and cut a little area in the front of the box shorter to make sure she could get her oversized belly in there. Those actions were not only a gift to the cat and her kittens, they were a precious gift from my grandfather to me that stayed with me forever.
Actions speak! AND they speak louder than any words—no matter how true and passionate those words may sound. It’s why real Christianity is far more than an emotional confession during fleeting moments of fear or conviction. What you do after you stand back up from your knees makes all the difference. It’s why baptism is one of the first things offered to new converts. More than a ritual, it’s an action that speaks of your plans to turn away from your sins by literally washing them away in the figurative blood of Christ. Your old self, along with the actions you engaged in while in bondage to sin, is buried with YahShua (Jesus) in baptism, so your new self can rise up like He did in resurrection and perform new actions that imitate Him.
What would Jesus do? is much more powerful than What would Jesus say? (Though, in His case, what He said was pretty important as well. 😊)
Even the Bible has strong words about the importance of actions over words. When shallow actions performed by habit spoke to The Messiah that people didn’t really care about Him as much as they did their rituals, He called them hypocrites.
Matthew 15:8 BSB
[8] ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/mat.15.8.BSB
Action that springs from the action of listening with our hearts brings blessings when we act on what we have learned:
James 1:25 BSB
[25] But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so — not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer — he will be blessed in what he does. (Emphasis added by me.)
https://bible.com/bible/3034/jas.1.25.BSB
YahShua says it’s our good deeds that shine a light and glorify God:
Matthew 5:16 BSB
[16] In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/mat.5.16.BSB
In First John, we’re reminded of the power of action and truth:
1 John 3:18 BSB
[18] Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/1jn.3.18.BSB
And in Colossians, we’re reminded how important our focus is whether we are speaking words or doing actions:
Colossians 3:17 BSB
[17] And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/col.3.17.BSB
And I’ll close with a parable of YahShua that perfectly demonstrates today’s cliché. It’s called “The Parable of the Two Sons” and says:
Matthew 21:28-32 BSB
[28] But what do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first one and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ [29] ‘I will not,’ he replied. But later he changed his mind and went. [30] Then the man went to the second son and told him the same thing. ‘I will, sir,’ he said. But he did not go. [31] Which of the two did the will of his father?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. [32] For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/mat.21.28-32.BSB
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Cliche Month: The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword
I know, I know… If you’re a writer, you’ve been told to “avoid clichés like the plague” (the ultimate cliché in itself!) So why am I planning a month of posts all about clichés?
Though the publisher’s advice to avoid using clichés is not empty advice, totally dismissing them ignores a crucial fact: clichés are clichés for a reason. They are successful linguistic vessels that earned their status by capturing universal truths and vivid imagery so perfectly, they had to be repeated—and repeated again.
While clichés can be efficient methods for driving home a point without launching into a wordy diatribe, overused phrases can make writing feel lazy and flat. Still, a bit of clichéd shorthand to convey a warning or some sage advice is powerful when used correctly.
Throughout August, we’re going to take a deep dive into the paradoxical world of clichés to learn the DNA of persuasive language. We will peel back their layers to expose the colorful, often surprising history and background behind phrases that still bring important punches of truth and deep thought to our prose. We will learn how to transform them from lazy shorthand back into powerful tools of expression.
For example, the exact phrase highlighted in neon text above was coined in 1839 by the writer Edward Bulwer-Lytton for his play Richelieu. Beyond the play, it became the ultimate rallying cry for persuasion over force and freedom of speech.
We see the power of the pen throughout Scripture as well. Way back in Deuteronomy, God told the children of Israel to write His commands where they would see and remember them:
Deuteronomy 11:20 BSB
[20] Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates,
https://bible.com/bible/3034/deu.11.20.BSB
In the book of First John, the authors use the pen to share what they have seen with their own eyes and touched with their own hands to those who read their words. In verse 4, they share their purpose:
1 John 1:4 BSB
[4] We write these things so that our joy may be complete.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/1jn.1.4.BSB
God told Habakkuk to write clearly on stone tablets where a herald could pick them up and carry the penned words to others.
Habakkuk 2:2 BSB
[2] Then the Lord answered me: “Write down this vision and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/hab.2.2.BSB
Paul told the Corinthians that he used the power of his pen to write things in ways he knew they would understand:
2 Corinthians 1:13 BSB
[13] For we do not write you anything that is beyond your ability to read and understand. And I hope that you will understand us completely.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/2co.1.13.BSB
And God Himself told Moses to chisel out 2 stone tablets (more than once), so He could use the power of the written word, though He didn’t need pen and ink since He was God and could use His own hand.
Deuteronomy 10:2, 4 BSB
[2] "And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke; and you are to place them in the ark.”
[4] And the Lord wrote on the tablets what had been written previously, the Ten Commandments that He had spoken to you on the mountain out of the fire on the day of the assembly. The Lord gave them to me.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/deu.10.2-4.BSB
So whether it’s the finger of God, a chisel, a paintbrush, an antique pen or feather, a modern roller ball, or a printing press (physical or digital), the power of words conveyed by a writing instrument is significant. The Holy Bible is the most amazing collection of words ever penned, and it still has soul-changing power.
Let’s take this month to learn the power of words, even as used in the form of a cliché, and undo the negative definition of the word cliché. Let’s learn to master the principals that made these succinct moral lessons powerful before they became relegated to the weakness of cliché, ensuring our own words resonate with equal weight and authority.
Many thanks to Google’s Gemini AI for the cool neon word art, the history of today’s cliché, and some inspirational words and editing for putting this all together.
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🎵Drumming on the Mountain; Thoughts on Uncommon Instrument Awareness Day
Yes, July 31st is really a day for becoming aware of non-traditional instruments. While searching for examples, I sure found a lot of weird ones, including a bass guitar made from balloons. That one didn’t work very well, but the video at the end with the marbles is amazing.
I asked Gemini to create an image of people playing some uncommon instruments, and gave it a few ideas. What can be seen in the immediate music circle from left to right is: a hurdy gurdy, a didgeridoo, a theremin (think Star Trek), a glass harmonica, and a hammered dulcimer. And since I’ve included links, you can become aware of all of those when you get the chance to check the links. They’re all relatively short videos on YouTube, and the theremin is a beautiful rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
So, I titled this Drumming on the Mountain because of one of the quiz questions I often get in my “Drops” language lessons app. It asks, “What can be drummed on?” And my multiple choice answers often include libro (book) and mesa (table)—and montaña (mountain). I mean, I know I cannot drum on la niebla (the fog) or la tormenta (the storm), so I started out guessing “mountain” just because that’s all that made sense in the multiple choices. But really, does anyone drum on a mountain? 🥁 🏔️
I hope you enjoy this brief nontraditional instrument introduction. My favorite is the hammered dulcimer since I found one with Greensleeves (aka the Christmas song What Child is This?). It’s a YouTube short, so I was able to keep it on a loop all the time I was typing this. 🎶😊
And now, a super cool instrument that sounds in some moments like a music box, but it actually has lots of sounds created by the percussion of falling metal marbles. It’s absolutely worth checking out.
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Prompt Response: Rice Cakes with Butter and…
What snack would you eat right now?
I’m keeping this short because, well, because I’m a bit short on sleep, and I’m gonna try to catch up a little. So I found an old draft post with a prompt from back in January (it’s cool that I can save them like this), and now I’m hungry for a snack. But I’ll be good and just imagine eating it. Lol 😂
A simple and tasty snack to me includes these tiny little rice cake thins by the Only Kosher Candy company on Amazon. They are actually pretty tasty, and when I spread a little butter on them, they kinda taste like buttered popcorn. I can eat 2 thin cakes and feel satisfied for at least an hour, so that makes for a perfect light snack.
I added peanut butter and bananas for the picture, but I haven’t actually tried that snack yet. It sounds good to me, though. A little avocado sounds pretty yummy as well.
🧈 🍯🍌🥑
What topping sounds like it would be good for a late night snack to you?
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One More Patriotic Colored Collage 🇺🇸
I spent too much time searching for an old post to make sure there would not be a duplicate, so I’ll work on that one tomorrow. For today, since the month of July is almost over, here’s a collage from the unused patriotic candle images from the 4th.
Even with the same prompts, different AI tools and different filters in each tool can make such a vast array of creations that my extra storage in Google Photos comes in really handy. In case you want to try the prompt in your favorite AI creation tool, (and now you can put prompts right into many search engines,) here’s exactly what I used…
2 patriotic Candles with red and white stripes plus white stars on blue like the USA flag. They are in ornate golden candlesticks burning with a soft glow that illuminates the air around them with sparkling fireworks. The candlesticks should be sitting on a beautifully polished high quality marble table and some silky patriotic flowers of red white and blue should be sitting on the table near the candles. The walls in the room should be gray granite stonework and festive patriotic decorations. The candle flames are peaceful and beautiful.
And I’ll close with one more image just because I really like the knitted pictures Wombo makes. (Even if yarn is not the best material to make candles from, lol 🤣.) Also, I didn’t ask for the eyes, but their training model for the knitted filter must include something about being cute. 😁
Some Bible Verses About Freedom
Galatians 5:1 BSB
[1] It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/gal.5.1.BSB
1 Peter 2:16 BSB
[16] Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/1pe.2.16.BSB
Galatians 5:13 BSB
[13] For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/gal.5.13.BSB
Psalm 119:45 BSB
[45] And I will walk in freedom, for I have sought Your precepts.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.119.45.BSB
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Prompt Response: Remembering Corded Switchboards ☎️
Which outdated technology do you miss the most, and why?
It was the 80s, and I was finally old enough to work. I got a weekly allowance at the girl’s home where I lived, but a job would give me a bit more freedom and money.
I’m not sure why they didn’t have me look for work outside the home, but maybe it was because most nearby jobs would’ve been on Hollywood Blvd, and a small 17-year-old female would not have been safe there. Whatever the reason, I was offered the operator job for the switchboard right there in the home. And I loved it!
I grew up knowing my grandma was a 911 operator (before it was 911), and I always felt she was so special for having that job. I think I mentioned in a previous post that she almost got the job given to Shaaron Claridge to do the voice acting for the Adam 12 TV series. They worked together at the Van Nuys LAPD station, and she was still there at my grandmother’s retirement party based on the signatures on her card.
Anyway, I was so excited to learn those simple plug boards (often called “cordboards,”) and that experience helped me get a job at Thrifty Telephone Answering Service in Van Nuys, California. I tried to search, and they are not likely to still be in business (started in 1948), but if they are, they’ve probably gone totally digital by now. Others I worked with at the time also enjoyed the process when cordboards were the standard, but I doubt you could even find a repair person trained to fix them anymore.
While I was there, I became the night operator and worked all 11 boards by myself. Up to 100 lines per board meant the possibility of 1100 phone calls if all lines were purchased and everyone called at one time. But that never happened—thankfully. The hardest time for me was when the multiple lines for the insurance company that insured people even if they’d had a DWI advertised at 2 in the morning, and they would say, “Call now; operators are standing by.” And I’d be thinking… Operator, no “S” as I tried to answer 6 lines as quickly as I could. That was my nightly workout. Lol 😆
Still, even with those harder times, there was something about that simple technology that made going to work every day more enjoyable than it felt at other jobs. I truly hated leaving there to move to Arizona. But I love my memories of the place and the experiences I had there. And I know that, maybe more than the boards themselves, it may be what the boards brought into my life that makes me nostalgic for them.
On a similar subject but way more current, I found out today about some new type of phone rooms called Warm Call Centers also called warmlines for people to call that don’t need an emergency hotline. They are a growing industry to support people who just need a human ear that isn’t a robot or AI and won’t take away from real crisis calls.
These new warmlines are similar to the former Xerox customer support lines where the operators were trained to offer compassionate advice to callers—even if they weren’t calling about a Xerox problem. There used to be a collection of the funniest or most outrageous calls they’d received, but I can’t seem to find it. I read years ago about someone who called Xerox because she was in labor and didn’t know what to do next.
People really do need real people to be there to listen and respond to them. It’s why I chat with cashiers and don’t like self-checkout. And if I were still out in the workforce, I’d probably apply for one of those jobs at a warm call center. I might even try to break the record they set with a 10-hour phone call. 🗣️📞🗣️📞🗣️📞🗣️😁
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Short Girl Problems 😊
Do you suppose a scenario like this actually exists? 🤔 Well, it does. And that busyness I’ve been telling you about was leading up to a new bed after years of painful mattresses that needed replaced.
Three brief experiences with adjustable beds have kept me convinced since about 2012 that I really wanted one of my own. We’ve shopped off and on, and we almost got one once in 2013, but we still had indoor cats, and I was afraid they could get under the bed and be injured by the motor. Fear can take away even what you really want.
So back then, we opted for the bookcase headboard and a large storage base. When it came time to replace the mattresses, we didn’t want to give up our storage to get a new bed. And then we found out that the newer adjustable frames can be laid right on the platform slats of our old bed. Yippee!
So today, that’s what we got delivered. And I stood next to this huge hybrid mattress rising toward the ceiling, and it came up to chest height on me. That’s when I got very thankful that I’d planned ahead and ordered a double-step stool. My Operation Cleanout friend put it together for me a couple weeks ago.
It’s still a little far away with my super short legs, but it’s doable with the stool’s assistance. Without that, it would be an unending loop of effort and failure like in this humorous video I asked Wombo to make from the first picture it designed. 🪜🧗
I hope that brought a smile to your day. Now I’m going to go climbing for the purpose of getting a really good night’s sleep, and hopefully it will be the first of many nights of comfy rest.
Matthew 11:28 BSB
[28] Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/mat.11.28.BSB
Proverbs 3:24 BSB
[24] When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you rest, your sleep will be sweet.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/pro.3.24.BSB
Goodnight and Sweet Dreams 😴
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Blog Break 2–Busy is as Busy Does
Because of many days of not staying on top of things, I got into some very old dust on the back of a shelf desperately needing organizing. I got lots of steps and busy stuff done to prepare for a busy day tomorrow, but I need more sleep for real preparation. That means, another day of taking a break from trying to write any meaningful words, but I can almost always find some pretty images to share.
These images are called digital squared circles because they are created with software (digitally designed in the Mirror Lab app for Android) and you can clearly see the circle in the middle of the square. I learned about these from a Flickr group I’ve now inherited and need to add more of my own images to. But it’s fun to see what others add—when they follow the rules. (That is, when they actually add squared circles and not just add whatever in haste to get their stuff out to multiple groups.)
And with that, I say goodnight and sweet dreams. I hope my busyness will pay off with some good sleep to revive my creative words. 😴
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Prompt Response: Humor in the Humidity
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
What’s the funniest misunderstanding you’ve ever been part of?
Yes, this story is true. And, yes, it is funny! 🤣😂
See, I spent many years in Northern Arizona where it’s very hot in the summer, but (say it with me), “It’s a dry heat.” Really, unless you are on the backside of the desert between Needles, California and Bullhead City, Arizona on a day when the temperature hits 115°F, it is often more bearable than the extremely humid days during a Midwest summer heat wave.
We got married in early April, so when the summer rolled around in that same year, I experienced a completely different atmosphere in Kentucky. It wasn’t just hot; it was like a sauna in the middle of a steam room! 😮
That’s when the love of my life, who I trusted with every part of me, showed his “genuine” compassion and told me how some people who move from a dry climate to a humid place like Kentucky may have to get their lungs suctioned out.
I’m not naive about a lot of things, and I’m always trying to learn new stuff, but it didn’t seem that impossible to me since just 3 years previous to that moment, my grandmother needed her lungs suctioned because of her battle with cancer. Plus, there was no Internet to search and verify things with in the summer of 1991. And because I trusted my husband, and didn’t yet know about his love of silly storytelling, I believed him without asking any questions.
Fast forward to the next spring. I’ve made it through the crazy hot summer and my first Kentucky winter. Snow and everything. My Arizona uncle called to ask if I’d watched the basketball game where Christian Laettner got the last-minute 3-point shot to help Duke win over Kentucky. We weren’t sports watchers, especially not with a small black and white TV, but that one we saw. 🏀
A little while into our conversation, he noticed a tiny bit of an accent, so he turned the conversation to how I was getting used to Kentucky. When he asked how I was adjusting, I answered, “I guess I’m doing alright. I’ve been here almost a year, and I haven’t needed to get my lungs suctioned out.”
That’s when hubby started laughing really big. And he sputtered the words, “Wait; you believed that!?”
Since then, it’s been one of my funniest stories to share, even if it does make me seem a bit airheaded. 😁 But you best believe that I now check everything—even from trusted sources. Lol 😂
Note: I never believed fish moved in with fluid on the lungs, but because this is a light-hearted true story, I prompted Wombo to add fish to both the lungs and the suction tank. 🐠 🐟
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Word Art Preview
Some days, especially after a serious and word-intense post, I just need to be creative and play with some designs. I dug out these old Word Art images I made back in 2022 at the site: https://wordart.com/ which has even more to offer now with their inclusion of AI tools.
For this design, I added 4 lines of words and told it the shape and colors I wanted. For their free version, you get a 700 x 700 pixel image (I think they used to be bigger), but you’re allowed to use them for anything you want as long as it’s non-commercial. Since I don’t have ads on this page, I should be okay.
So when I say dug out, I mean I searched for these old images in my Amazon Photos, and downloaded them for editing. Then I used my favorite Photo Studio Pro app for Android to add the gradient background along with some butterflies and sparkles. I finished with a sparkling pink frame. And I saved the project in case I want to change any of the decorative steps or add more effects, like a video overlay.
I did one more with the same words but different design elements.
I highly recommend the site if you want to play with words and put them into designs. There are apps and software that can help you grow your image if you want to use it personally but larger, and they have prices for high quality downloads if you want to use them commercially.
One other option I will share is that AI can do some Word Art if you just tell it what you want done. I’ve only tried Gemini so far, and I asked for Psalm 23 in the shape of a lamb. Here’s what it produced:
and Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
I noticed a few mistakes, but this was just a trial run, so I didn’t do the back and forth I normally do when I’m creating images. My reasoning for wanting to do this is for my plans in August and September when I will use cliches and fables for my blog post topics. I’ve got some designs in mind for Word Art to go with those posts, which is why I said this was a preview.
So be on the lookout for my first cliche post on August 1st, but the rest is a surprise for now. If you make your own, feel free to let me know in the comments, so I can come see yours.
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🎵The Tongues of Angels
One more thing happened 43 years ago that still matters today; I prayed to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit. My experiences may not match every person who reads my posts, or any person who reads my posts, and that’s okay. I’m just going to share my own experiences.
Missionettes …
Way back when I was about 9 years old, I was part of a group within the Assemblies of God churches called Missionettes. It was like a lot of other clubs for girls where you earned badges for learning skills. The difference was in the skills—they were all biblically or spiritually based. It was an awesome experience with an amazing and sincere group of girls and a great leader for our particular group.
We had a sleepover in the church one night, and these girls decided that I could not go to sleep unless I was filled with The Holy Spirit which would become evident when I spoke in tongues. It was about 2 in the morning when I quit resisting just so I could go to sleep. 😁 But I did speak in an unknown language, and that was followed by some experiences where I truly felt I’d stepped into the Presence of my Holy Creator.
But then …
When life changed and we moved away from our stepdad and his family, my mom took us back to the Baptist church. They were quick to tell me that no one gets filled with The Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues in this day and age. I believed them and did not allow myself any non-English words in my prayers.
A Little Hope …
By 8th grade, I’d found a wonderful friendship with a girl who was in the Pentecostal church, and when we prayed together, I allowed myself to speak in tongues again. But the Baptist church I attended looked down on that as something not okay. Still, between me and God, that moment with my friend Lynette let me know God was still there for me. And that was the year of being on the honor roll, graduating 8th grade with special awards, and getting glowing compliments from my teachers—and even my principal—in my yearbook. I was like a different person from the ways I’d behaved in 7th grade. (Still smoking, though. I guess I was addicted by then.)
A Time of Giving Up …
If you’ve read many of my testimony posts, you know I went back and forth between my grandparents’ home and my mom’s home. While with my mom, we tried other religions, some New Age teachings, and finally tried to find a “God as we understood Him” within our 12 Step groups. In that last one is where I prayed my I Give Up prayer. I said something like, “But, God, I don’t understand You. If You really loved me, why did You force Your Son to die? Why didn’t You do it Yourself?”
After that prayer, I basically gave up trying to serve God because I was thoroughly confused by all the different ideas people had about Him and what it meant to serve Him. Plus, life was filled with chaos, so with foster care and court visits and moving all over the state, I wasn’t thinking much about God anyway.
A Time of Searching …
That all lasted until I was back in Arizona and ended up at another Baptist church just to get a sale on some rolling shutters. If you read that testimony, you know God used Scripture from John 10:30 to answer my give up prayer, but the preacher told me it didn’t mean what I thought. So off I went into my own thoughts and ideas again, not daring to share them with anyone who might correct me.
A Time of Finding …
And then came all those events with reluctantly attending the Pentecostal church where I repented on July 14th and got baptized on July 16th. That was followed by a prayer meeting on July 19th where the ladies wanted to help me be filled with The Holy Spirit. They did not know any of my past experiences at that time, and they had no idea of the battle raging in my mind while I prayed.
See, I wanted that experience from Missionettes back. I wanted the time of victory that I had during my friendship with Lynette. And I wanted these promises this new group of people were making about speaking in tongues “as The Spirit gave the utterance.”
At one point, I felt like I heard this different language in my mind, and just as I did, the pastor’s wife spoke through my mental chaos and fear and said, “That’s the Holy Ghost, Crystal. Just yield to It.” I thought to myself, well, if it’s wrong, I guess they’ll tell me. So I gave up fighting and began to speak in an unknown—yet familiar—language. And as I spoke, I felt like I was on an elevator platform rising upward to hear angelic voices singing with the ladies in the prayer meeting. It was a moment of perfect peace and perfect joy.
My Thoughts …
There are as many ideas out there about the Holy Spirit as there are stars in the heavens, I think. I once heard of a missionary who was serving in an area where no one spoke any English. Someone got baptized and came out of the water speaking praises to God in English! Another time, I watched a deaf and mute girl suddenly begin to speak a language as she was prayed for, and she signed to her interpreter to ask what she was saying. You know she couldn’t have been faking anything or copying anyone.
Even the highly respected Got Questions website has an article stating that we do not need tongues anymore. It suggests that tongues are only human languages used to spread the Gospel.
But what of my own experiences and those I’ve seen on my own? And what about the Apostle Paul talking about speaking in an unknown tongue. He doesn’t say not to speak at all but rather to speak directly to God.
1 Corinthians 14:2, 14 BSB
[2] For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries in the Spirit.
[14] For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/1co.14.2-14.BSB
Paul also makes a distinction between the tongues of men (that would be languages) and the tongues of angels (heavenly language?) in 1st Corinthians 13, so it would appear that he could speak in these non-human tongues for him to bring it up.
1 Corinthians 13:1 BSB
[1] If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/1co.13.1.BSB
In a recent move among some Bible teachers, a few are swearing off speaking in tongues at all, believing they only spoke what they did within the emotional hype of the moments in which they spoke. If that is true for those teachers, they should definitely stop speaking until they know that it’s truly The Holy Spirit speaking through them.
I have had times where I didn’t know how to pray or what to pray. In those times, I have sought God in a language I did not know, and answers came to me as a result. I believe it’s because The Holy Spirit spoke in ways that bypassed my human understanding and let me momentarily become a conduit of communication between my needs and what The Spirit in me knew would bring answers. I didn’t need to understand in my mind if God knew what would fix things, and I could just trust Him.
Wrapping up…
These testimony posts have been me being very real with my readers. It’s not easy to share these deep and honest parts of myself. I’m not trying to convince anyone that I, Crystal, am perfect or walk a perfect way that everyone else should walk in.
But I do serve a perfect God who has proven Himself to me more often than I could fit into these posts. (Many are tagged with the word testimony if you do a search to see them all together in one place.) And I am grateful for those moments in my childhood where God’s Heavenly Presence invaded my earthly flesh. It’s possible those moments are why I made it through some of my more difficult experiences with often miraculous victories. And I’m even more grateful that 43 years ago, He showed up for me as an adult with understanding and gave me a strong foundation to build a solid walk upon. May I continue to walk with Him, and if you don’t know Him as your trustworthy Confidant, I pray my honesty plants a seed that will grow into your walking with Him one day as well.
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I Break for Creativity
I’m running late on some things today while I rest from sciatica pain, so in my photo memories, these actual fireworks I captured were desperately needing creative editing. The pink one is the most obvious that it’s a real picture because it only needed a little creativity, but I really have fun with the alchemy filter in the Mirror Lab app for Android.
Here’s one before image…
You can see where I got rid of the smoke and added some saturation for better colors. Those simple edits, plus an AI request to clean up the smoke behind the big fireworks were done with the Photo Studio Pro app. (Link goes to the free ad-supported app, but if you have Play Pass, this is one of the included pro apps.) After that I applied the alchemy filter.
One more mid process…
This one has been cropped and had contrast and saturation adjustments before putting it through the strong alchemy filter to really stretch out all those points of light.
Finally, when I got a few I liked (and it got too late to work on anymore of them, I grabbed my 3 favorites and put them in a collage using the Photo Studio Pro app.
And that’s my day and night for this post. I sure would love to see some responses from people trying any or all of these apps I share to tell me what you think and maybe show me some results. I do not use affiliate links to share these, so I’m not even certain what’s clicked on, but it’s important to me to think I’m being helpful to people. And because I have no Apple devices, I can only hope you can find some of these if that’s the system you prefer to work in.
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My 43rd Re-Birthday 🎂
It wasn’t my first baptism, but it was THE baptism that marked a total and complete change in my life. I was desperate to be saved and to have God’s perfect will as the driving force from that moment on.
My first baptism was with many people in a swimming pool. I was sincere, but I was 9 years old, so it wasn’t the kind of sincerity you have after you’ve lived through some of the rough coming-of-age moments that bring you from 9 to 19. In those moments, I had been to juvenile hall; been in foster care; moved around California, Nevada, and Arizona; overdosed; and lived on the streets for a while. I was really ready to stop doing things my own way and see if God’s way was better. (Spoiler alert: life is MUCH better with a loving Creator and Heavenly Father by your side.)
I’d also had a baptism at 14 when my high-school aged boyfriend said he was getting baptized. And since my first baptism was at a Pentecostal church, everyone suggested I needed a Baptist church baptism anyway. Again, I was sincere, and I did make lifestyle changes that followed the baptism. I went from getting suspended in school to being double honor roll and graduating 8th grade with honors.
But the event in 1983 was the significant life change that stuck for the rest of my life—up to and including now. So today, I celebrate 43 years as a new person. The old me was buried with Christ in baptism, and I rose out of the water to walk with Him in the newness of life. ✝️🧬
Romans 6:4 BSB
[4] We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/rom.6.4.BSB
Shabbat Shalom to all, and you are welcome to celebrate with me by sharing your own repentance and baptism stories in the comments. 🕊️
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The Love Story that Created a Love Story
Truthfully, if it wasn’t for this couple’s love story, I may not have turned my life around and started really living for The Lord.
It started with a move from LA to Arizona. Then my sister and our mom moved there, and our mom got a switchboard job at the county courthouse. She met Steve, introduced him to Candie, and the rest is 43+ years of history.
But within that history is the wedding where I got to be the matron of honor because I’m the big sister. 😁 And then, a stubborn ultimatum about someone refusing to attend their special day unless I agreed to visit a church service turned into my ultimate turnaround moment.
It doesn’t matter that I didn’t want to be there. It doesn’t matter that I once walked by that very church with a huff, heard the music from inside, and stated, “You won’t catch me dead in a Pentecostal church!” And it doesn’t matter that my heart was not in it when I attended for all the wrong reasons. What matters is that God set all the details in place to make sure He could get me to a place where I would hear His voice.
Since that night, life has been filled with changes—both good and bad, but mostly good. It has had additions and losses, fill-ups and drainages, moves and stays, and bumps and bruises. There have been moments that challenged my faith, but there have been far more moments that strengthened it. And through all those changes, the Creator who pursued this resistant soul has never left me.
So when you think your little rejected invitation, or your prayers for someone’s soul, don’t really matter—they do. Even if you can’t find the perfect words to win someone, speak from your heart anyway. God may decide to use a couple that isn’t even serving Him yet as a tool to draw a daughter who desperately needs to meet her Heavenly Father simply because their event helps put all the pieces in place. And in return, just look at how God blessed their event to become a marriage and a family that serves Him and has lasted 43 years so far.
Happy Anniversary Steve and Candie. Thank you for falling in love. Thank you for getting married. Thank you for letting God use you both in my salvation story even when none of us knew what He was doing. May God’s holy presence fill your every moment and bless you abundantly in return for this major blessing in my life. In YahShua’s name, Amen! 🙏💕
2 Corinthians 4:15 NLT
[15] All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
https://bible.com/bible/116/2co.4.15.NLT
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🎵Time and Time Again
I thought I’d share my thoughts about Daylight Saving Time(DST).
First, just so you know, there is no “s” on SAVING even if the predicted next word shows it with SAVINGS because so many people use it that way. Lol 🤣. It was literally for the purpose of saving daylight when it was first begun in 1916.
Since the original activation of DST, there have been lots of changes to the process. Most recently, the Sunshine Protection Act passed the US House of Representatives with bipartisan approval on July 14th to make DST permanent. But the idea has gone round and round since 2025 because of the multiple effects it can have based on the time of year.
The biggest concern is the extreme amount of morning darkness when children are waiting for school buses in the winter. Darkness carries more cold and presents more safety fears. On the other side of that argument, the later light could mean students with long bus rides home wouldn’t have to get off the bus in the dark. The bill now heads to the Senate where its future is still uncertain.
My thoughts are based on wanting a later day of sunshine in the summer, but as I get older, I’m not as attracted to that. So while I really wanted the change at one point, I’m less certain of that now.
The truth is, though, no time change will ever be perfect because the actual amount of sunshine and darkness changes throughout the year with the tilt of Earth’s axis. The only real solution would be having multiple time changes that coincide with the actual amount of darkness you’re trying to avoid and shorter work/school days to go with that. Of course, with mid-winter freezes, I’m sure many kids (and even adults) would be all for days that don’t start until the sun comes up. 🌞
But the best Daylight Saving Time will happen in the future—in eternity. In that part of our lives, if we have had our sins washed under the Blood of The Lamb, that same Lamb will light the city in which we will spend our eternity, and there will be no more night at all.
Revelation 21:23 BSB
[23] And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/rev.21.23.BSB
Revelation 22:5 WEBUS
[5] There will be no night, and they need no lamp light or sun light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever.
https://bible.com/bible/206/rev.22.5.WEBUS
So, whether the US Senate passes the bill that just made it through the US House on July 14th, or they let it languish for another year, we can have the peace of knowing that all time is in The Creator’s hands anyway.
Psalm 31:14-15a BSB
[14] But I trust in You, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” [15] My times are in Your hands;
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.31.14-15.BSB
Here’s a musical reminder that time is in the hands of Our Great God:
And as for eternity, here’s a wonderful older song that describes the beautiful City of Gold:
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🎵The Watchman vs The Defender
Today is my 43rd “Spirit-versary” of when I repented of my sins and chose to give my life to Christ. Before July 14th of 1983, I was living a very different life, some of which I’ve shared pieces of in various blog posts. The July 14th repentance story is on my Torah commentary post about Numbers 16 and 17.
Recently, my Bible study has brought me to the book of Ezekiel. This is a hard book to study because the rebellion of Israel has pushed God too far, and He’s got Ezekiel speaking their consequences. In the third chapter of Ezekiel, Yahveh has assigned the prophet the position of a watchman.
Ezekiel 3:17 BSB
[17] “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/ezk.3.17.BSB
I don’t think anyone today who calls themselves a prophet or prophetess would be willing to go through the trials Ezekiel (or other OT prophets) had to endure—especially for a people whom God has said will not listen to him. But even the hard-hearted and hard-headed cannot ignore some of the visual examples Ezekiel had to display. And I’m certain, since it is not God’s will for any to perish (and since He is the same yesterday, today and forever) that God’s hope was to find that remnant who would be moved by the words and deeds of this obedient prophet.
But even with a one-in-a-million hope, prophesying doom and gloom is not the easy path to take. Still, we need the obedient voice of one willing to share the reality of The Law and the dangers of violating it.
The Hard Yet Beautiful Truth
The law defines the boundaries of holiness and exposes what separates us from God. We cannot apply the blood of Christ without first knowing what needs to be forgiven, just as we could not hire a defense attorney unless we know what we need to be defended of.
Ray Comfort (an evangelist) meets people on the street and runs through the Ten Commandments with them asking if they have willingly violated any of them. Most people say yes, and Ray makes them comfortable with their answers by admitting that he is not better than them, and that he has also violated them. He then goes on to tell them about a courtroom scenario where a violation is met with a fine, but someone comes in to pay the fine, so the person is free to go.
Hiding Judgment “Under the Rug”
We live in a culture now that is terrified of being judgmental. We don’t want to offend someone who might turn around and point fingers at us, and—if we’re Christian—we also worry about driving someone away from finding salvation in Christ. In our efforts to love people, we often try to play the part of the defender by excusing bad choices, softening truths, or blurring the lines of God’s law just to make people comfortable.
But when we do these things, when we play the role of defender instead of being a watchman for people’s souls, we are actually stepping into a job that doesn’t belong to us. We are not mediators between the law and the sins people commit that violate it. And we are definitely not called to ignore violations and sweep them “under the rug.” If we do that, no one can experience the blessing and power of forgiveness because we’ve excused the very things that require it.
One Mediator
We’re told in 1st Timothy chapter 2 that there is ONLY one Mediator who can take away human sins without denying or excusing them.
1 Timothy 2:5-6 BSB
[5] For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, [6] who gave Himself as a ransom for all — the testimony that was given at just the right time.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/1ti.2.5-6.BSB
Though we want to be like YahShua, we do not have perfect blood to shed to cover sins forever. True, compassionate ministry looks more like the high priests of old: gently but clearly identifying the law so that people can see their need, separate themselves from their sin, and place it under the perfect sacrificial blood of Christ. And to be like YahShua means to do all of that with love. It reads well in the second chapter of 2nd Timothy in the World English Bible:
2 Timothy 2:24-26 WEBUS
[24] The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle toward all, able to teach, patient, [25] in gentleness correcting those who oppose him. Perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth, [26] and they may recover themselves out of the devil’s snare, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
https://bible.com/bible/206/2ti.2.24-26.WEBUS
Loving Like The Lord
Sometimes, the most loving thing we can do for a person trapped in the bondage of sin is to hold up the mirror of God’s Word and Law so they can find a path toward freedom. Love doesn’t mean affirming captivity; it means pointing the way out of the cell. That Way is YahShua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) who is our righteous Judge and Defender of a law He says has not changed by one tiny letter or pen stroke (jot or tittle in KJV).
Matthew 5:18 WEBUS
[18] "For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished."
https://bible.com/bible/206/mat.5.18.WEBUS
What has changed is that we now have a permanent way to cover violations of the law, so we can be made free of their consequences—consequences that still exist for a law that still exists, but with a fine that has been completely paid in full.
2 Corinthians 5:20 BSB
[20] Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/2co.5.20.BSB
Since we are called to be ambassadors of The Lord and urge people to look at their sins and place them under the blood, let’s stop trying to do The Defender’s job and start loving people enough to tell them the truth—the truth that will set them free to live and walk in the newness of life here and in eternity.
2 Corinthians 5:17 BSB
[17] Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
https://bible.com/bible/3034/2co.5.17.BSB
Romans 6:4 BSB
[4] We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/rom.6.4.BSB
I must tell this story 43 years later because of the wonderful changes it made in my life. Enjoy these two videos with the song “I Love to Tell the Story,” first by Alan Jackson and then a beautiful a capella version by Chris Rupp.
(a capella–no lyrics unless using captions)
Note: I realized this difference between watchman and defender the other day, and I could not figure out how to communicate it without sounding harsh. With some collaboration tips from Google’s Gemini, I’m very happy with the presentation now.
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Kaleidoscope Video Blog Break
I fell asleep in my chair, so I think that means I need to get this done quickly and get to the bed for some real sleep. 😴 But enjoy these multi-toned gray kaleidoscope designs. And even more, you’ll really like this one that’s turned into a video and makes your eyes feel like they’re dancing a nice waltz.
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
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Prompt Response: The Word of God
Which book have you read more than any other?
There are a few books I’ve read more than once, though mostly short ones and children’s books because I have so many I want to read that I don’t want to miss the new ones while I’m rereading older ones. But there is one exception to that personal rule: The Holy Bible.
When YahShua asked His closest disciples if they wanted to run away with others who left due to a misunderstanding of His words, Peter answered this way…
John 6:68 BSB
[68] Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/jhn.6.68.BSB
Who else has the words of life? What other book has the amount of good fruit that comes from the Bible? Many testimonies have been given that detail amazing and wonderful life changes as a result of God’s precious words. They include things like…
- Relationship repairs,
- New Hopes and Dreams,
- Miracles and Answers,
- Education and Wisdom,
- Healings and Life,
- Provisions and Jobs,
- Promises and Protection,
- Comfort and Peace,
- Love and Joy,
- And so much more.
When you’ve come to the very end of yourself and have nowhere else to go, you can turn to God’s Word. When you’ve searched for answers in everything else and found none, you’ll be amazed at the good advice His Word can provide. When you feel completely alone, you can look into His Word and find His presence.
It’s no small thing that The Creator of the universe has preserved these holy words through many centuries to speak directly to those who are looking for Him. He says that when you seek and search for Him with all your heart, you will find Him. And most likely, you’ll find Him in His own Word. As the old acronym says: BIBLE… Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth!
I encourage you to try His Word for yourself. Whether you’ve been taught it all your life by someone else and never really looked for it to speak to you personally, or you’ve never opened it up at all, start with just being willing. When you open it, ask Yahveh Almighty to speak from the written words directly to your heart. He wants you to get to know Him, so He will reach out to you. And when you see Him for yourself, you’ll be so glad to meet Him, you’ll want to love and serve Him forever.
Note: The cute little heart in the corner of today’s image is from one of the images I made for my post on February 24th of this year called “I Love the B-I-B-L-E.” That post has three great music videos about the Bible, and a larger size of that cute sticker. Which, by the way, I was thrilled to figure out how to make into a custom sticker. Using my Samsung tablet or phone, I could press and hold the image and be offered the chance to turn the highlighted portion of the image into a sticker. It took a little editing in the Photo Studio Pro app to get the transparent background, but I’m really happy with the result. Have you ever tried making your own stickers? If so, I’d love to know how you did it and see one if you’ve saved it online.
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🎵The Hospitality of Rest: Why the Sabbath Was Made for Us
Sometimes, a roadblock that changes our plans is exactly what it takes to slow us down for just long enough.
Today, my “Operation Cleanout” friend and I had big plans to build a new project. FedEx had dropped off my package a couple days ago, and it looked like it had been through a war zone. How is it that when your tracking shows your item is out for delivery, and then it gets delayed, it often shows up damaged? We didn’t know if the shelf would be as bad as the box, so we dug out all the heavy pieces. Sadly, even with lots of great packing materials to protect it, the mistreatment was more than it could survive. Our plans were instantly derailed.
(That kinda sounds like life, sometimes, doesn’t it? We think we’re all cushioned against the blows, and then reality hits.)
At first, I felt that familiar, heavy spike of aggravation. Broken momentum tends to undo all my other plans as well. Especially after calling Amazon and finding out that I had to deal directly with a seller in another country. But, as much as I dislike my plans being hijacked by circumstances beyond my control, I was actually more at peace because of having the presence of a good friend to share in the frustrations.
So, we started fellowshipping and talking about God and His Word and His precious promises to us. I noted her resilience to stand on The Word and not compromise what it directs her to do. In our conversation of why we do what we do, we talked about that tendency in modern Christianity to identify Friday-Saturday Sabbath as Jewish and Sunday as a “Christian Sabbath Day.” She doesn’t think that way herself, but I mentioned what I had learned in my Messianic Jewish studies about the fact that Sabbath existed before Moses or Abraham or Judaism. It was the 7th day of Creation!
Later in the day, that conversation came back to me. As the evening approached and the thoughts of this week’s Sabbath rolled in, a verse kept circling through my mind: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”
Mark 2:27-28 BSB
[27] Then Jesus declared, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. [28] Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/mrk.2.27-28.BSB
When we look at the creation story and read about that first Sabbath, we read that God rested on the seventh day. But I found myself asking tonight: If the Sabbath was made for man, why did God rest? He doesn’t get tired.
And then it hit me…
For the first six days of creation, God was working alone. He was building, shaping, separating light from dark, and speaking galaxies into existence. He was being the Supreme Creator and doing Supreme Creator things all by Himself—but not for Himself. At the end of the sixth day, He made us. The prophet Isaiah reminds us of these plans in God’s blueprints in Isaiah 45:18…
Isaiah 45:18 BSB
[18] For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens— He is God; He formed the earth and fashioned it; He established it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/isa.45.18.BSB
The seventh day wasn’t a pause because God ran out of energy or creative ideas. He took the time to pause because the home was completed and His family had finally arrived. He finished the work, turned the garden over to man, and then walked in the cool of the day with him.
Isaiah 40:28 BSB
[28] Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/isa.40.28.BSB
The Sabbath was made for man because God wanted a designated time and space to fellowship with us. It’s not about religious observance and law keeping. It’s about spending time with God and making the time and space for God to spend time with us. It’s preparing a seat at the table, having a fulfilling meal, and then taking a walk together. And though God knew we would need a designated space to fill our wells for the week ahead, He made the Sabbath out of His deep, passionate desire to simply fellowship with us. Picture it like this: The Creator of the universe setting down His tools, turning around with a smile on His face, and saying, “Okay, I’m done working. Now, let’s spend some time together.”
While I collaborated with Gemini on this post, this beautiful statement came out of it:
“The entire multi-day cosmic construction project wasn’t an empty display of power. It was the intentional staging of a home, built specifically so He could move in and share with us.”
So for this Sabbath weekend, the battered box is still in the hallway, and the momentum for that project is still broken. But as I step into this day of rest, I can see my derailed plans as a gift. They slowed me down to talk of this deep subject with a sister in The Lord, and that came back as such a wonderful realization that my future Sabbath days will have a much deeper meaning than before.
If something in your life took a beating this week, and if your own plans got derailed, take a breath and take a break. God has invited us to take a walk in the garden with the One who made it. Let’s meet Him where He’s waiting for us. And as we’re walking, we can sing this wonderful old hymn with a new sweetness in our hearts and voices:
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🎭How The West Was Lost—Or, Pure As The Driven Smog (Part 2)
Behind the Curtains
Okay, so maybe the Aquarius Rising Theater didn’t have curtains, but we definitely had a backstage area where all the stress went to play before the play. It’s in that area where one realizes exactly how much work goes into play acting.
I promised you yesterday that I’d introduce you to the powerhouse woman who made all the difference in my stage presence. This castmate was both an actress and a stunt woman, and she had a commanding influence as a trainer behind the scenes. The actress was Spice Williams-Crosby, whom you may have seen play a saloon girl in The Cherokee Kid with Sinbad or the Klingon Vixis in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. If you want to learn more about Spice and her super health conscious endeavors that make me think she is still just as powerful now as then, check her official website.
Since I was only 16 or 17, I don’t recall if Spice was actually an official director or not, but she definitely directed me and others to pull off a truly great performance. She took our little production as seriously as if it were a high-paying, top Hollywood release. By the end of her training, I knew how to speak and act like a New York newspaper boy, a little orphan girl, and an old Indian woman.
Seven Costume Changes and One Tired Teenager
That newspaper boy had more than one headline to sell, and in between those sales, three little orphan girls had to show up in tattered clothing and then change to more appropriate sleepwear. The fun Irish nanny taught us to have hope for tomorrow with a little song that went something like:
Some fine day when my ship comes in,
I won't care about, never think about,
What my life has been.
I'll have chicken every Sunday,
Never go to work on Monday,
When my ship comes in.
That was the chorus, and I know the verse had the line, “I’ll live the life of Riley, hip hooray” in it, but I can’t recall the rest.
Wild, Wild Mabel
For some reason, though, I can recall all the words and the tune for a song I didn’t sing myself, and that’s the song Wild, Wild Mabel that was sung by Spice.
(Chorus)
Wild, wild Mabel,
Wild, wild Mabel.
There's never been a man who was able
To tame her.
Meaner than a lion, she could scratch and claw.
With a red hot trigger and fast on the draw,
Yes Wild, Wild Mabel was her name.
(Verse--partly spoken)
(Speak)
On a cold dark night,
Back in 74,
Mabel went out
To settle a score
(Sing)
With a tall dark stranger who was known as Dangerous Dan.
(Speak)
A shot was fired,
And the silence was broken,
The door swung open,
With the gun still smokin'.
(Sing)
Yes, Wild, Wild Mabel got her man.
(Repeat chorus)
Wild, wild Mabel,
Wild, wild Mabel.
There's never been a man who was able
To tame her.
Meaner than a lion, she could scratch and claw.
With a red hot trigger and fast on the draw,
Yes Wild, Wild Mabel was her name.
When I shared these lyrics with Gemini to see if they exist anywhere online, I got a little history lesson about an embedded joke in the lyrics. Gemini says, “That is a direct, hilarious nod to ‘The Shooting of Dan McGrew,’ the famous 1907 Robert W. Service poem that practically defined the entire ‘Wild West saloon melodrama’ genre!”
It’s a very long poem, but it has some interesting history and alternate texts, so I recommend looking at its Wikipedia page for all the info, like the fact that Ronald Reagan and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney did their own alternating recital of it.
Stay Tuned for Our Final Act: Part 3
While the orphans were getting ready for bed, the Irish nanny had some comedic surprises of her own as she sang to us about failing at being a “Shoplifters Daughter,” and then walked to the corner of the room to sing the ultimate guilt-trip torch song, “Tears on My Pillow.”
You won’t find these lyrics anywhere else on the internet (or if you do, please tell me where), so make sure to check back tomorrow for the grand finale of this fun journey down my memory lane.
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Blog Break ⛓️💥 Fireworks
I fell asleep in my chair and couldn’t get my mind to complete the task I started for this post, so I’ll try to finish tomorrow. I hope you all had a beautiful Sunday that included giving thanks to our Creator for His love, mercy, and provision. He is so worthy of all praise! 🙌
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America, Bless God!
First, Happy Semiquincentennial (250 years) Birthday, America! 🎂🗽🇺🇸 I’m grateful for this nation that so many flock to because they know there is hope here they may not find in their home countries. It’s up to us to teach them the skills to work for those freedoms, starting with lawfully abiding by the plans we’ve put in place to bring in immigrants and keep out our enemies. We sure don’t want to bring thieves into our own homes and businesses to make it easier for them to case the joint, right?
By the way, that cross in front of the 250 on the cake was unintentional, but I left it there because it seemed right for this post. In the image prompt, I was trying to get 250 candles and sparklers, so I put a “+” sign in front of the 250 to show importance. Wombo turned it into a cross. How cool is that, right?
The Freedom to Bless God
So, what exactly is freedom? Is it getting to make all our own decisions, not answering to anyone above us, and never having any responsibilities? Is it always having everything go our way? Is it a land with no laws that cause someone to feel less than welcome no matter what evil intentions they may be hiding in their hearts?
Or is it a place where we have the freedom to do the right things, and we get to harvest the results of our hard work without someone who thinks of themselves as better than us taking it away just because they can? Even if it’s done under the guise of charity, if we can’t keep what we’ve worked for and choose where to share our abundance, we are missing the true American dream—the dream where we work hard and gain an abundance that we want to share with others.
An Entertaining Example
Even though it’s a Christmas movie (though Christmas in July is a thing now), one of my top movies is “The Ultimate Gift.” It stars James Garner, Drew Fuller (before his 6 seasons on “Army Wives”), and Abigail Breslin in roles that perfectly demonstrate the blessings of hard work and heartfelt obedience out of love. I highly recommend it, and if you’ve got Amazon Prime, it’s there for free. Also, I found it on YouTube with ads. But in case you want to see a preview before you decide, here’s one that’s less than 3 minutes:
Where is the Blessing?
Most of us have likely heard the adage it’s more blessed to give than to receive. That spirit has driven some of the finest moments in the US as a nation. The moments when someone sacrifices for the benefit of someone else even with the risk it may cost them everything. It’s the drive that makes a soldier keep fighting, a woman in labor keep pushing, and a tired parent keep striving to bring a better life to their family. It’s a mix of hope and resilience with a finish line calling out, “Don’t give up!” These people give even before they have a promise of payback much like the biblical patriarchs in Hebrews 11.
Hebrews 11:13, 16, 38-39 BSB
[13] All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
[16] Instead, they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
[38] The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.
[39] These were all commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/heb.11.13-39.BSB
The whole faith chapter:
https://bible.com/bible/3034/heb.11.1-40.BSB
But there is a promise out there. The soldier often survives and makes it back home to a loving welcome and a family. The mother gets to hold her new baby in her arms. The striving parent is able to get a home for their family, or at least a nightly meal on the table. And usually, someone says thanks to them, and it makes all the sacrifices worth it.
Don’t Give Up!
We have a loving Father and Creator who has built a world for us. It’s a place where the law of the harvest allows us to plant exactly what we want to grow. If we care for the plant according to its needs, we will reap a harvest if we’re patient. And all He wants is a thank you and to not be forgotten when things are going well.
Galatians 6:9 BSB
[9] Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/gal.6.9.BSB
An Attitude of Gratitude
In the USA, we have freedoms and blessings now that were just hopes and dreams of our founding fathers. They knew back then that true abundance came by the provision of our Lord and Creator. And beyond the harvests in this life, we have the same great and precious promises our biblical forefathers had. Some happen here, and some come with eternity. All are gifts from God that are worthy of our thankfulness to Him.
People have a choice to be grateful even when things don’t go their way. They can endure the hard things and keep pressing toward the goals they desire, and they can be both satisfied and hopeful at the same time. They can ask God to bless America and still thank Him for the abilities to do the hard work to bring in an abundant harvest. Even more, we can thank Him for the ultimate blessing of His presence through all the moments of this life—good and bad.
Or, people also have a choice to become petulant and ungrateful with a perpetual demand for entitlement—throwing tantrums and filing lawsuits for every minor offense or discomfort. They can demand that God bless them (and maybe America), and all the pet projects they deem worthy of His blessings.
Which do you think will bring people the most genuine happiness? The demand for a blessing? Or the grateful heart that blesses God first and gives more than it receives. I vote for the latter, so I say,…
“America, bless God!”
Note: I’m grateful for a bit of collaboration with Gemini catching a couple issues where the flow went a different direction.
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Shabbat Shalom Patriotic Style
I love that I can get an idea in my mind of something I think would be pretty, and then try it with an AI design tool. I mostly do that with Wombo because I’m so familiar with it. And this made so many designs to stick with my theme of doing patriotic images for all of July. I had one I liked better except for one thing: the candles were dripping. Of course, that’s what most burning candles do, but because someone might think I’m alluding to the colors running, I decided to use a different one.
Because it’s Sabbath and I want to enjoy some rest after a busy (and good) week, I’m keeping this short, but I will throw in a few more pictures. I’m hoping to create an album in Google Drive of many patriotic and firework images. Maybe I should do about 250 of them. 😁
And I just realized today that I’ve been alive for both the bicentennial in 1976 and now the semiquincentennial. Thankfully, it’s the country that is a quarter of a millennium old and not me. Lol 😂. But it is cool to have been born in the right year to live through both of these anniversary events.
Psalm 91:1, 16 BSB
[1] He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
[16] With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.91.1-16.BSB
I like how sharing the first and last verse of a chapter in the Bible creates a link to the whole chapter. I’ve never tried that before. I guess it doesn’t take much to entertain me. (Grin)
And here are a few extra images before I sign off for Sabbath rest:
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
(Tech Note: I fixed the Jetpack problem by reinstalling. It hasn’t had a recent update, so I don’t know why that worked other than I’d originally installed it to my tablet by a transfer from my phone, and maybe all it needed was a clean install from the Google Play Store.)
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Blog Break ⛓️💥 Patriotic Butterfly
I created a similar design years ago for Zedge wallpapers, but I can’t share them due to their terms of service, so I just started over from scratch with Wombo Dream AI. Then I used the Photo Studio Pro app for Android to add some glitter and a frame from their recently added patriotic set.
The Jetpack app seems to be broken on my tablet, so I’m using the backup WordPress app. I’m so glad I had both installed. But the timing has me running late for a busy day, so I’m just sharing the image with the note that I hope to do patriotic colors and things all month. I’ve got some wonderful fireworks shots to share when I pull them off my camera memory cards.
Blessings during this whole year of USA 250! 🇺🇸🗽🎂🕊️
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Prompt Response: Zucchini
What do you love now, that you hated when you were younger?
Well, y’all already know about my taste bud changes with stewed tomatoes, but I think this one wasn’t about me changing. It was about being reintroduced to something made the way it should be made.
So when I was in the single digits of age, zucchini made me gag like the little girl on the broccoli commercial. Yuck! And then, when I moved to live with my grandparents the summer after I turned 12, everything changed. My grandma made zucchini, and I’d already told her how I felt about it. But she begged me to try her recipe. And just wow! All kinds of yummy!! 😋
What changed? Zucchini in a can versus zucchini cooked fresh on the stovetop with butter. Now I knew; no more canned zucchini.
Later, though, I had fresh zucchini cooked by someone else. They added tomatoes. There was that yuck again. So maybe it wasn’t the can; maybe tomatoes added to zucchini changed its flavor to something that just did not work for me. But as you can see from the picture, that wasn’t the case either.
I’m with Mark Lowry on thinking vegetables taste better when you fully cook the vitamin taste out of them. Lol 🤣 So I’m not sure if the fresh one with tomato that seemed yucky was undercooked, didn’t have enough butter, or just wasn’t seasoned the way i like. But now, as an adult, I can cook it my way—slow-cooked to tender perfection with butter and garlic and a few low acid (orange or yellow) tomatoes.
I was going to do a blog break until I read the prompt, so this is all there is to the story, but it did make me think about something as I was writing…
We each hear the gospel message of salvation in different ways at various life points. Our age or status, or the source and quality of that message, can make all the difference in whether we accept or reject it. Even as a Christian, I’ve heard messages angrily shouted at someone in ways that made me want to run away. So, I could not imagine the rejection going on in the heart of the one being shouted at.
Like my zucchini taste tests, I encourage you to listen to the gospel from different sources and try it until you like it. I’m not talking about what the Bible calls “itching ears.” because that would mean exchanging the squash for another vegetable. I’m talking about reading it, listening to it, studying it, and mostly digesting it until you can proclaim King David’s words to “taste and see that The Lord is Good!”
Psalm 34:8 BSB
[8] Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.34.8.BSB
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🎵 Route 66—Part 2; My Personal Memoir of The Mother Road
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
This time, instead of pictures, I’ll tell you a little story about my first introduction to The Mother Road. (Warning: I think this post shows my ADHD mind a little, but it’s got some fun stuff in it. 😁)
I was 15 and was still living with my grandparents who decided to move from the island in California to the desert in Arizona. The trip included a stop at a restaurant called Pea Soup Andersen’s where I had some of the most amazing split pea soup I can ever recall tasting. I know the two truck stops we gassed up at were in Buttonwillow and Barstow, CA. Looking back at the map, Santa Nella (where the restaurant is located) is about two hours north of Buttonwillow and over four hours from Barstow, so it must have been quite the driving stretch to make that stop.
Hey, I was a teen who didn’t drive (and didn’t want to back then), and I was mostly paying attention to my kitty who was not very happy with traveling for the first time. But I remember the soup like it was yesterday, especially how they put croutons on top.
Anyway, we got to Kingman, Arizona late at night, and it was so dark! It was actually eerie, so I guess it wasn’t one of those nights where the moon lights up the desert like it’s midday.
But it was in adulthood that I learned about the road that served as the main drive through that town. My Uncle Bob (rip) was enamored with the history of it—and the song. (If you click the history link, it’s got a short but interesting post about Route 66 and its decertification followed by some comments that add even more history.) Anyway, it turns out that when Uncle Bob was a firefighter in California, he went to the jazz nightclub where Bobby Troup performed. He even had Bobby write a song for his wife at the time.
So Uncle Bob became one of the biggest fans of my singing and, because of that connection, sent a tape to Bobby Troup who listened and said it was good, but added that nothing compared to his Julie. (Bobby was married to Julie London who played Nurse Dixie McCall on Emergency! where he played Dr. Joe Early.) He sent signed pictures for my sister and me showing him and Julie. Sadly, over the years, those pictures seem to have disappeared—along with a picture of us as little girls with Kevin Tighe. (Kevin played firefighter-paramedic Roy DeSoto on Emergency! We actually stumbled across an episode being filmed once in Sun Valley, so we stopped to watch. He was super friendly with all the fans; and when my stepdad asked if he could take a picture of us with him, he asked a kid near him to hold his coffee and said, “Sure!” with a big smile on his face.)
But I digress. Here is the Bobby Troup version of Get Your Kicks on Route 66 (which was also the theme song of the show by the same name.) If you listen closely, you’ll hear him sing the name of Kingman right after Flagstaff and Winona, and just before Barstow.
If you live along Route 66 in Arizona, you’ll eventually come across the Route 66 Fun Run. It brings out some of the most amazing classic cars to show off as they traverse the scenic stretch from Seligman (yesterday’s post) to Topock, Arizona. Between witnessing that firsthand and sharing in Uncle Bob’s excitement, it was natural to become a bit of a fan myself.
There’s way more I could share—from my numerous stops at Lou Mitchell’s in Chicago to the giant McDonald’s that arches right over the highway on The Will Rogers Turnpike, to the Route 66 museum in Oklahoma City. I’ve included plenty of links, so bookmark this post to come back when you’ve got time for some virtual touring. I’ll try to follow this up on November 11th when Route 66 celebrates its centennial anniversary, though I think that party has already begun in some places!
I have to say, the resilience of the travelers and fans that keep the history alive with memories and celebrations is amazing. It brings to mind the Scripture about remembering the old paths.
Jeremiah 6:16ab BSB
[16] This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths: ‘Where is the good way?’ Then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/jer.6.16.BSB
I will close with the factoid that the song above has been officially recorded well over 500 times. The original was in 1946 by the Nat King Cole Trio. The most recent was by John Mayer in 2006 for the movie Cars, and somewhere in-between, there was even a dark synth-pop electronic version by Depeche Mode. My Aunt Shirley (Uncle Bob’s wife) really liked that version.
Here are those three videos for your comparative listening pleasure.
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Get Your Kicks on Route 66
By Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
These photos are old (mostly 2010) and desperately needed editing, and my Photo Studio Pro just wouldn’t cooperate on the tablet, so it took me a lot longer on the small phone screen. That means, I’m going to quickly share a little photo tour with you, but I don’t have time for a lot of text tonight. This subject was planned because on June 27th, 1985, Route 66 was officially declassified as an American highway.
I wanted to talk about the resilience of The Mother Road and the song that has set records as to the variety of bands and singers who’ve recorded it, but I’ll do that on another post when I’ve had a chance to edit more pictures. In the meantime, enjoy this little photo album of pictures from Seligman and Oatman Arizona.
Next to the cafe, the “town” enhances the parking lot…
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
And the cars have been parking there for a really long time…
You’ll need to take your own car to visit the donkeys in Oatman. They are wild and will not always move because they know they own the town…
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Prompt Response: The Boogeyman Upstairs
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
What’s something you used to believe as a kid that seems ridiculous now?
For my Sabbath break this week, I’m just going to share a quick story in response to the Day One prompt.
I remember being four or five years old and having a sitter. And she cooked my dinner. I can still see the one thing on the plate that I was completely uninterested in; stewed tomatoes. Why I didn’t like them back then I have no idea, because I love them now. Even from a can, they are yummy by themselves, over some cauliflower noodles, or mixed with hamburger meat for a beef and tomato skillet or big pot of cabbage stew.
But not liking stewed tomatoes isn’t my answer. It’s what the babysitter did to try and get me to eat them. She’d say the boogeyman was gonna get me, and then she’d wait for the tenants in the apartment upstairs to move around and say, “See, you can hear him. He’s getting ready to come down here and get you. You better eat those tomatoes!”
Now I know that it was just the sound of people walking around upstairs, but then… I ate the tomatoes!
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Sealed for Your Protection
U.S. Government, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
(edited to 3D using Wombo Dream AI, Gradient/Text added in Photo Studio Pro)
My patriotic self saw the special day from 1782 (The US adopted The Great Seal on June 20th, 1782) and had to make it the focus of tonight’s blog. The original image is public domain, so creating derivatives is okay. And I love the 3D detail I got from Wombo. You can download your own image from Wikimedia Commons at the link in the photo caption.
Seals have so much more meaning than just an image. First, there’s the wonderfully creative-sounding word sigillography. That’s the study of seals (not the critters that look like sea lions, live in the ocean, and dine on penguins in the Antarctic), and a student of seals is called a sigillographer. And you can hear the word pronounced at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2H8xoFnI6LE
If you want to know some interesting history of seals, check Wikipedia, and The National Archives has a huge collection of them if you’re curious.
But the best thing about seals is what they represent. They mark authority and ownership, they prove authenticity, and they offer protection. This even works in our walk with The Lord who seals us by His Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13 BSB
[13] And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth — the gospel of your salvation — you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
https://bible.com/bible/3034/eph.1.13.BSB
Ephesians 4:30 BSB
[30] And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/eph.4.30.BSB
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 BSB
[21] Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us, [22] placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/2co.1.21-22.BSB
Many years ago, I heard a great song (and the story behind it) by singer/songwriter Nancy Grandquist. Pill bottles in stores were in the early years of getting safety seals (after the infamous Tylenol poisonings of 1982) and manufacturers printed “Sealed for Your Protection” right on those stuck-on covers. She read that on a bottle and immediately thought of how Christians are sealed by God for our protection. I had the song on cassette (yes, a long time ago 😁) and I could only find one source with an incomplete song. But a few of the lyrics say…
“If the seal is in place, then you know that you’re safe, and no harm is gonna come to you.” And then the chorus says, “Sealed for your protection …. nothin’ can break through the shield of faith around you.” You are welcome to listen to what I found on YouTube, though it’s not complete and a little hard to understand from the cassette the channel used. Still, it’s a lively tune with a great message.
As I looked for the song, I found a video saying Nancy passed away in the last year, but she really put out a lot of songs. Her own YouTube page is at https://youtube.com/@nanfam?si=g0_II54bxeNoKJHa
On a personal note, I no longer attend the type of church she ministered in (United Pentecostal Church), but I will never be sorry for the changes in my life as a result of the strong doctrine that took me completely away from living for worldly pleasures and brought me to a decision for Christ. It’s nearly impossible to sit on the fence in that type of religion, and I’m still thankful that my life totally changed direction back in July of 1983.
I’m still sealed by Yahveh Almighty for a future He determines and leads me in. I am part of the blood-bought, blood-washed bride of Christ, and I only hope that what I share in these posts will help people to either walk closer to The Lord or turn to Him if they’re walking their own way now. He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life, and He will seal you as one of His own if you’ll trust Him and ask. Let me know if you have any questions about making a choice to serve Him.
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🎵Prompt Response: Happiness vs Joy
What’s a common misconception people have about happiness?
There are many common misconceptions about happiness, but I think the biggest one is that it means the same thing as joy.
Happiness is an emotion. It is something we can choose to receive or to reject. It fully belongs to us to do with as we wish. And because human emotions are not always steady, it means that happiness will ebb and flow like an ocean tide. It’s mostly based on our current experiences, but for those who are good at making lemonade from life’s lemons, it can show up despite sour events in life.
I’m not saying that happiness is not a gift, though; it is a wonderful gift that often fills us up with what we need to sustain us in unhappy times. But it’s not joy. That is something that comes from only one source—God Himself. Because joy is a fruit of The Holy Spirit, it means it belongs to Yahveh, and it’s in His control. And just like The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever; joy is always the same and not dependent on circumstances.
See, we really need both of these in this life. We don’t deserve happiness (that’s another message all together), but we need it for balance. It will give us strength and hope to keep us looking for that next happy day and help us to not be so willing to give up because we know what we’d miss.
Sometimes, though, it’s really not easy to feel happiness. Even those with 24/7 lemonade stands sometimes struggle to be happy in the face of hard events or times. If they are followers of YahShua, though, this is where they can lean into joy. Because His Spirit is inside them to sustain them at all times, they can tap into that deep joy (along with the other fruit like love, peace, mercy, etc.) and make it through the hard times with strength to carry them to the next moment of happiness. They can trade temporary smiles of happiness for permanent hearts filled with God’s joy.
Nehemiah 8:10 BSB
[10] Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/neh.8.10.BSB
Now, for a moment of happiness, look at these adorable pictures from Wombo using the knitting filter.
And when you get the joy, joy, joy down in your heart, you’ll find that the joy of The Lord is your strength.
And while I thought I was almost done with this post, I have to append this note: I was looking for the old Sunday School chorus about the joy of The Lord when I came across the song above. I liked it right away, but before sharing it here, I wanted to research the spiritual foundations of the band. It turns out, they wrote this song specifically for a time of grief in the band when they needed the joy of The Lord to comfort them in unhappy times. (Shout out to Gemini for this important historical note.) That makes me feel like finding this song after everything I wrote before I even looked for it is not just happenstance or coincidence.
And here’s the one I was originally going to share.
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Blog Break: Sharing Some Pictures
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
A very long day that ended with a visit to a medical provider for a UTI and antibiotics means I must simply share some nice photos and then go to sleep quickly. I’m thankful I got my first dose by a shot to start healing faster. And I’ll know tomorrow how much the muscle will hurt since they pack the medicine in that way (have not experienced this before), but the advice was to drink lots of water and move a lot. I spent time walking on the treadmill as soon as I got home, and it eased the pain tremendously already.
Now, enjoy some beautiful rainbow images I captured with my Olympus camera some years ago. I had 4 all together, so I made a collage of 3 with the 4th as a background.
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Great Smoky Mountain Journeys
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
While growing up in the western half of the United States, I had no idea what I was missing a couple thousand miles away. Oh, that first time you see the mist begin to settle over the layers of the Appalachian mountains—it’s a view to remember.
This particular view was during the trip when I got to meet my brother Shayne and sister-in-law Heather for the first time. Sharing the beauty of Great Smoky Mountains National Park seemed the perfect location for our introductions after months of phone and digital communications. It was May of 2019, and this scenic overlook presented itself with perfect springtime majesty.
On June 15th, 2026, the park celebrates its 92nd birthday. Some highlights from the website state that it’s the most visited national park in the United States, it’s loaded with wildlife and places to explore. And it’s also free because of an agreement made when “Newfound Gap Road” was built. (While daily parking passes are now required to stop, enjoying the scenery out the car window does not require an entrance fee or toll.)
One of the best destinations you can drive to on your visit is Cades Cove Loop. There’s an excellent chance of seeing wildlife, so be sure to bring your zoom lens so you can keep your distance while you get the shot (and keep your health). And remember that no matter how cute they seem, they are wild—so no feeding them, no matter what Yogi or Ben may have said on TV! 😁🐻 Any effort to interact with them can result in enough domestication that the animal no longer fears humans and could need to be put down. In the case of the image you see below, I was a long way off and could see the mama bear in the field across the road. All the cars were stopped and many people were taking pictures while the babies made their way across.
Some of the prettiest scenery within the towns of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville is that along the Little Pigeon River. That’s where most of the lodging and restaurants are built, meaning you have great views even when you stop for a rest or a meal. Here’s a collage of images from around the area. It includes an image of The Old Mill Restaurant, where you’ll usually wait at least an hour to get in for some of the best food in the area (or anywhere else, for that matter). And can you believe the color in that November sunset?
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
I’ll close with a slightly manipulated image from late spring of 2020 when the flowers were in full bloom. On the bridge near The Old Mill, they used to have openings filled with flowers, but that has changed now for some reason. It makes me even more glad I got this image way back when trying to be creative and look through the flowers to see the waterfall. And I hope you’ve enjoyed this little visit to The Smokies.
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🎵 You’re a Grand Old Flag Day
“America Bless God”
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
If you could have seen me on June 14th in my younger years, you would have thought, “Oh my, she’s wearing red, white, and blue from head to toe!” It’s still my personal Flag Day rule whenever I leave the house on this special day to wear at least some red, white, and blue clothing and jewelry. And, yes, when I went out to meet some family and a new friend today, I put on very patriotic colors to celebrate the day.
You see, my family raised me to think about the intrinsic value of our homeland—to carry a deep-seated and passionate patriotism that holds respect for flag and country above thoughts and opinions on what’s happening within its borders. It was foundational to my upbringing as a grateful American-born citizen. And I’ve been privileged to witness that same level of patriotism in some not born here but nevertheless grateful to become part of the American experience. It will be exciting to shower my Canadian sister-in-law with red, white, and blue goodies when they move to the states later this year. 🦅
When it was time to prepare for this post, a quick trip through my huge collection of flag photos brought me back to some forgotten snapshots that perfectly capture the spirit of the day. During a visit to the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum (tucked right below Arnie’s Barn at Top of the Rock) in Branson, Missouri, I found these historic flags from our nation’s history.
What makes these two designs so special is the amazing artistry within their threads. Early congressional resolutions simply mandated thirteen stars, but they did not specify a strict layout. That gave early flag makers complete artistic freedom to represent their personal patriotism within these pieces of folk art.
The flag on the left is famously known as the Cowpens Flag Pattern, named after the 1781 “Battle of Cowpens.” On the right, you see the creative variant often called the Wreath-with-Corners layout. Keeping a star in the middle was a popular choice for 19th-century folks celebrating the 1876 Centennial. For personal citizens, it was a break from the rigid structure used for military flags, allowing their artistry a proud form of display.
These unique pieces of American history are a powerful reminder of the intrinsic value of patriotism. They spark the flint from the very first Flag Day on June 14th, 1777, as declared by the Second Continental Congress during the height of the Revolutionary War.
Though they passed the “Flag Resolution” that included the 13 alternating red and white stripes (colors that represent courage/valor and purity), the blue field (representing justice), and the 13 white stars (for the 13 innocent colonies), the date was not represented yet. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the date, but it wasn’t until August 3, 1949, that National Flag Day was officially established by an act of Congress and signed into permanent law by President Harry S. Truman.
These colors and their history inspired songwriter George M. Cohan while on a street corner back in 1906 where he crossed paths with a Civil War veteran. The old soldier cradled a torn and battle-worn American flag. He whispered to Cohan, “She’s a grand old rag,” and that moved Cohen to pen a song in her honor. Public pushback convinced him to change “rag” to “flag,” but the heart of the song remained the same. Here’s a rendition of it with verses and lyrics.
In case you don’t know, this entire week is actually National Flag Week, so as you fly your American colors, join me this week by choosing your own red, white, and blue outfit or jewelry to celebrate and salute our national emblem. It represents a deep, unshakable allegiance to this place we call home.
As a fun side note for my readers who are history buffs: Betsy Ross may get all the fame surrounding our flag, but she was actually only the seamstress. In fact, it was a signer of “The Declaration of Independence” named Francis Hopkinson who was the true creative mind behind the layout and original design.
And I’ll close with one final image I found from back when the YouVersion Bible app had a companion app called Bible Lens for matching pictures on your device with Bible verses. I love the one it found from Galatians 5:13 to go with one of my flag pictures. Photo Studio Pro allowed me to add some sparkles and a vintage frame. I’ll share the verse and then the image with the verse.
Galatians 5:13 NLT
[13] For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
https://bible.com/bible/116/gal.5.13.NLT
Note: Some of the words for the historical information were assisted by Google Gemini, but I’ve edited and personalized all of it before publishing.
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🎵A Very Big Tree
I’m keeping this shorter tonight.
I was thinking about the conversation Eve had with the serpent in the garden. Here’s the beginning of it from Genesis 3:1:
Genesis 3:1 KJV
[1] Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
https://bible.com/bible/1/gen.3.1.KJV
Do you see the anxiety-inducing, manipulative question in that statement? “…Ye shall not eat of EVERY tree of the garden?” (My emphasis here.) In many translations, the word “every” is replaced by “any” which still shows the manipulation, but I think every reveals the hidden agenda a little better. Basically, the enemy made ONE tree bigger than ALL the trees of the garden. One tree that God forbade to protect their innocence became more desirable than who knows how many others with wonderful and sweet fruit available to them 24/7.
That manipulation still goes on today, and sometimes even using words from The Holy Bible. Someone will use the word “slave” as an excuse to avoid God and His words, even though far more of them are filled with mercy and grace. A Christian battling with performance or perfection issues will find a verse like “Be ye perfect” larger than “My grace is sufficient.”
So, I just want to remind you today that the garden was bigger than one tree. And God’s plans for salvation are bigger than any man-made set of do’s and don’ts that demand our adherence to earn God’s love. When you encounter anxiety from the written word, ask God to show you through His Holy Spirit how to understand it and correctly apply it to your own life. It will be His pleasure to let you know because it’s His desire for you to spend your eternity with Him.
2 Peter 3:9 BSB
[9] The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/2pe.3.9.BSB
And if you travel while on this Earth and if those travels take you out Arizona way like they did me in May of 2010, stop and see the World’s Largest Rose Tree and museum in Tombstone, Arizona. I wish my pictures were better at showing how magnificent it is, but the images and video on the website should.
And now, since we’re talking about roses, sing along with this beautiful bluegrass version of “Where the Roses Never Fade.”
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Shabbat Shalom & Weekend Blessings
Real life means that even with the joyful activity of lighting Shabbat (Sabbath) candles on Friday evenings, the image you took to remember it may not be the best for sharing. A little camera shake, too much wax on the candlesticks, or a bit of clutter captured in the image, and you’re looking for some creative editing tricks to make your image look prettier. So I took my candle picture to Wombo Dream and described the table and background I wanted, and then I let it work its magic. After a number of creations, I couldn’t decide between the one from the botanical filter and the filter they call abyssal void for my favorite. So, I made a collage in the Photo Studio Pro app and framed the two together. Here are a few more from the same two filters plus a couple more filters…
(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
So we’ve been lighting candles together on Friday nights for over 25 years now. I say the prayer as I first learned it in a brief Hebrew class I took with the sweet friend who opened up this world to me. Understanding some aspects of original Judaism has helped me to better understand both the Old Testament and my Jewish Messiah. When I first started to learn these things (1999), I wrote a poem called YahShua The Jew, and blogged it here in 2016 in a post also called “YahShua The Jew.”
The Hebrew prayer says …
Hebrew:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה הָ׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת.Transliteration:
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Shabbat.
English Translation:
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the light of the Sabbath.
And right after we light the candles, we sing two songs together. The first is “Shabbat Shalom” and the second is from Isaiah 28:16…
Isaiah 28:16 BSB
[16] So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/isa.28.16.BSB
And here are the videos of those songs…
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Color Me Abstract; Quick Image Post
Some days, a few words and a lot of color will do. The above image is a twist made in the Mirror Lab app using multiple processes. I likely took a round kaleidoscope image and added the height map in the alchemy set of processes. That grew the edges and created multiple heights in the circles. From there, I duplicated them in the blur kaleidoscope filter. For tonight, I cropped it to a landscape image and used the Photo Studio Pro app to brighten and then frame it
Now, I have some other bright kaleidoscopes that I left as mandala shapes when I designed them. They are digitally created but oh so pretty. I placed them in a collage using the Photo Studio Pro app.
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
And with that, I’ll say goodnight and see you tomorrow. 👋
Psalm 42:5b BSB
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.42.5.BSB
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Where’s Bob?
Years ago, my aunt in Arizona bought me some adorable handmade tissue box covers. They are the kind of sewing art that makes you want one of every design, so you can have a different one in each room in the house. They are some of the most unique pieces of sewing art I’ve ever seen, and my aunt offered to get me as many as I wanted, but I settled for only two of them. Growing up, it was crocheted covers that adorned everything in the house—from the spare roll on the back of the toilet to the winter doorknob covers to eliminate some of the static. While crafting isn’t my own personal strength, I truly appreciate the artistic abilities of others.
Plus, a beautiful cover gives some dignity to an object that goes through a lot of workplace drama in our house. If you’ve ever reached for a tissue only for the chain to break, you know the drama; the frustration of having to dig blindly into the cardboard to fish the next one out. In our family, we blame “Bob”—the imaginary little guy we picture living inside the box. Bob runs things like a one-man machine with a crank that pops the next tissue up each time you grab one. It can be a thankless job, but we try to tell Bob thank you when we think about it. Whenever the chain breaks, we just say Bob is taking his fifteen-minute scheduled break. Even if it’s not on our schedule, we understand. 😁
So, today, I asked hubby for a tissue, and he reached in to get one, but…
It wasn’t just a broken chain; the box was empty. My husband reached in to dig one out and said, without any fanfare or forced humor, “I guess Bob moved to another box.” It caught me by such surprise that I lost it and just laughed (out loud for real) for a long time. 🤣 Now I’m wondering if Bob moved into the Christmas box to take a nap—or a vacation since it’ll be a while before that one comes out again. We may have to offer him a raise to come back to the polka dot box. Teehee.
I did find an active Etsy seller who’s got 180+ designs of these couches, and the store says they’ll make them to-order as well. I’ve never ordered anything from Etsy, or even set up an account there, but it said it was last active on May 26th, so I hope that’s a good sign that it’s a good store. It’s called Royal Makings, and this link goes straight to the couches.
I hope this brought you a smile. Never forget the value of a joyful heart.
Proverbs 15:13a BSB
[13] A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/pro.15.13.BSB
Proverbs 17:22a BSB
[22] A joyful heart is good medicine.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/pro.17.22.BSB
And with that, I’ll close with a picture that may possibly be Bob’s new job site…
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World Parrot Day
International/World Parrot Day falls on May 31st each year. You can read about the history, events, and suggestions for participating in the day at the National Day Today site. (The link goes right to the Parrot Day page.)
I’m sure you can tell by the above collage that I really like parrots. All of these images were taken in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, at a wonderful place called “Parrot Mountain and Gardens” near Dollywood. Well, I take that back. The colorful one with the blue head (that kinda looks like an angry bird to me) was taken at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. It’s really a Lorikeet and not a parrot, but I didn’t realize that until I went looking for the link for Busch Gardens and saw that it’s on their aviary page. Oh well. I’m pretty sure all the others are parrots, my favorite one being the little gold one named Goldie, who I think is a “sun conure,” but I’m not 100% certain.
I really like all birds, which is odd for a cat person, but I used to know a lady who trained assistant dogs, and because of her way with animals, she actually taught a bird to call her cat, and then the cat would give the bird a ride on its head. So, it is okay to like both birds and cats. 🐦🐈 As far as parrots go, I’ve only owned one. It was a very old, maybe sickly, African Gray, and I had to give him away shortly after getting him. But I’ve also owned parakeets, budgies, and cockatiels. Now, though I just go visit them because they have such a long life span, especially the double yellow-headed Amazon I used to dream of owning, and I wouldn’t want to stress about who would take over if it outlived me. And when I can’t visit in person, I have a few favorite birds I like to visit on YouTube. Here is a sampling of them:
Beaker Beak has an adorable voice and some really cute poses…
And then there’s Apollo who is highly intelligent and strongly trained…
Another favorite of mine is Tico who sings a variety of styles with his guitarist known as The Man (Tico and The Man) and sometimes guest musicians…
And finally Chloe Alexander with her bird (Gallagher, I think), who I heard long before she auditioned on AGT, and I felt so bad for her when the bird refused to sing. This is, I think, before she realized he would just keep singing with her. I had never even heard the song before watching this video, but I love her voice and the bird…
And I’ll close with a few Bible verses about birds (even if they’re not parrots)…
Genesis 1:20 BSB
[20] And God said, “Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/gen.1.20.BSB
Genesis 2:19 BSB
[19] And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and He brought them to the man to see what he would name each one. And whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/gen.2.19.BSB
Isaiah 31:5 BSB
[5] Like birds hovering overhead, so the Lord of Hosts will protect Jerusalem. He will shield it and deliver it; He will pass over it and preserve it.”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/isa.31.5.BSB
Matthew 6:26 BSB
[26] Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
https://bible.com/bible/3034/mat.6.26.BSB
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Sabbath Flora
Some people need to write every day because of how their minds work. My lessons on that have come with years of missed posts, so apparently that’s also how my mind works. But, I also need a Shabbat (Sabbath) rest here and there, so my new plan is to use Fridays to share some of my many image creations.
Today, that starts with a few of my lilies which were used as input images into a few different photo manipulation programs. I’ll share them as simple collages created with the Photo Studio Pro app.
Original lily color enhanced and vignetted.
Original lily with background removed in the Background Eraser app. And when I first got that app, removing backgrounds and replacing them with other colors and designs was about all it could do. Now it includes all kinds of other photo editing tools, so I need to get back and play a bit more. Anyway, after removing the background, I used the Chroma Lab app to change colors and the Photo Studio Pro app to add frames and decorative edges.
(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
I went back to Chroma Lab and did a whole lot of rainbow filters with some added bokeh (background blur), and I really like the way this collage came out.
Finally, I used the lily image as an input image (like a template) for Wombo Dream AI. A variety of filters later, including one that knitted a rainbow lily for me, I got the following collection I’ve put into a collage for you. I think the pink ones for their pretty pink gingham background from Background Eraser be before I used that as an input to Wombo. These designs are mostly from the Abstract Fluid 2 filter, and they are by far my favorites. Can you believe how much variety can be created from only one image? And if a computer can do this, imagine all that God can do with those of us created in His image!
Sweet flower dreams and Shabbat Shalom everyone! 🌸
Luke 12:27 BSB
[27] Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/luk.12.27.BSB
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The Worst Best Gifts
I looked through my draft folder and found one of my oldest unpublished posts. And guess what? It’s probably worth 3-4 posts with all the subjects I tried to include. Granted, when looking through all the gifts in life that come with a healthy dose of responsibility, the list can get pretty long. So, I grabbed the first few paragraphs to share a little part of myself and the way my mind and heart functions.
So, ignorance is bliss according to some. Of course, I can admit it would certainly be more blissful to die instantly in your sleep than to run in terror because you hear a missile screaming toward your bedroom. I guess that’s why so many choose to dwell in an almost-constant state of ignorance—because they desire an almost-constant state of bliss.
Then there are people like me. With gifts of empathy, perspective, and discernment, I’ve noticed many details of my surroundings (and been concerned about the world around me) since as young as I can remember. My aunt used to take me to the lunchroom at the old JC Penny’s where she worked. Though only about 5 years old, on one lunch visit, I offered to share my meal with an employee sitting across from us who wasn’t eating. I was too young to consider why he wasn’t eating, but I couldn’t help being concerned that he might be hungry, so sharing seemed the natural response to that.
For the most part, I have never been able to look at a perceived need in someone’s life without it affecting me emotionally. It’s why I’m desperate to try and fix things even when they’re not my responsibility. It’s a way to deal with the pain of the brokenness I see and feel around me—and within me because of my deep empathetic emotions. That is quite the opposite of ignorance, and it is often the opposite of bliss. It is so opposite that I once asked God to make me less sensitive, so I wouldn’t feel so much hurt, but God made me aware of the total cost for that request. It would require me to be less sensitive to good emotions as well. I chose to endure the pain of sensitivity in order to keep the blessings.
I’ve learned that sensitivity is one of God’s gifts to me, and I cherish it even when it makes me feel worse than I would like. I found a description of how I felt in an article originally published at Squidoo, now owned by Hub Pages. It’s still there and titled The Empath Within — Are You a Highly Sensitive Person? Though it hasn’t been updated since 2013 and has a lot more ads now, it’s a great read even though not written from a Christian perspective. And it cleared up so much of what concerned me that generated the prayer I’d offered. The best part is the list of traits shared by highly sensitive people. Here are a few of them:
The empathic person:
Is emotionally sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of others.
Is rarely concerned with their own achievements, a quiet leader.Has little trouble discussing emotional issues.
Is uncomfortable around disharmonious or emotionally intense people.
It’s a long list, and if you think you may fall into this category, it’s worth reading all the characteristics. The author concludes with a warning to protect your emotions by being careful who you spend time with since some people can exhaust you from a constant stream of negativity. And that’s where the beautiful gift of empathy can begin to feel like it’s not a gift at all. Like Monk (“the defective detective”) used to say, “It’s a gift — and a curse.” I don’t say it’s a curse, but there are people who can drag me down to a point where I think it’s what I’m feeling until I manage to get away from the source and realize it was all coming from them. Thankfully though, there are also people who can lift me up and energize me just from a few minutes with them. God knows how to give us balance.
I’ll close with a note about one of the first books I made an effort to write from a short story I’d written. It was called “The Blind Man’s Desire” and it was about a girl who rode a city bus with a blind man every day. She told him she wished she was blind like him, so she wouldn’t have to see all the awful things in the world. By the time he explained all the good things he missed and wished he could see, she changed her desires and found a lot of good to describe for him to see through her eyes. I guess God was teaching me that lesson long before that prayer.
1 Peter 3:8 BSB
[8] Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/1pe.3.8.BSB
Romans 12:15 BSB
[15] Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/rom.12.15.BSB
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Prompt Response: Faith is the Answer
How do you handle fear and self-doubt?
I’m not sure where I learned the two acronyms in the image above, but I know they weren’t together when I learned them. The idea of the first part is to see fear as nothing to fear. But, in truth, sometimes it really is something that can harm us or those we love, and being in fear is the normal response we need to activate our “fight or flight” response.
Whether it’s a real, worthy of fighting or evasive maneuvers, fear, or the weight of tossing our troubles around in our minds until they harm us whether they come to fruition or not, FAITH is still an answer. Faith may give you the wisdom you need for a proper fight or the direction to run for a good getaway. Or, faith may just tell you to stand your ground and be still because the battle belongs to The Lord. The hardest and easiest part is when faith tells you that nothing will change but that nothing changing also means God is still on His throne taking care of what we can’t control and of our eternity.
On that last part, I can tell you honestly that the idea of losing anyone I love and care for from this Earth is hard. Thinking of my own passage into eternity is hard. And I need statements like the one above to remind me that God’s got it all in His hands.
Still, it’s totally human to fear and doubt. In Psalm 56:3, King David didn’t say he would not fear but rather …
Psalm 56:3 BSB
[3] When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.56.3.BSB
Though, once he acknowledged that he could be afraid, he strengthened himself in The Lord and went on in verse 4 to say …
Psalm 56:4 BSB
[4] In God, whose word I praise — in God I trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.56.4.BSB
When the roots of our fears and doubts are of our own making, they can harm us at least as much as real dangers. Recently, I spent an entire night with my lessons, blog, and sleep all negatively affected because I feared an unknown scenario where I’d received a subpoena. Not being a person who likes to defend myself even when I know I’m innocent, that postal note on a certified letter let my mind wander to many possible scenarios. The next day, I thought of better possibilities (like an old family parcel with water rights finally becoming worth something), but oh how the wandering mind can torture us until we know the truth. And at the end, not one thing I imagined matched the real reason for the letter.
So, did I put those weights of the world on a tray and hand them over to The Lord? Unfortunately, not. And He might have been extending His arms, ready to take over, the whole time. As many times as I’ve written about fear and shared miraculous testimonies, wouldn’t you think I’d know better by now? But alas, I am human and have a lot of experience that has set me up for fear and doubt—probably like everyone who reads this post.
I hope that sharing this helps someone to get through a fearful event or time a little more easily, even if it’s because you now know you’re not alone in being a person who loves and trusts God but still gives in to your fears at times. And I hope creating a visual of someone passing the weight of the world to the waiting hands of God will stay with me (and you) for the next time fear becomes a battle.
I wrote the poem below for my sister in 2015 as we both maneuvered life after losing our mom. You can find it to download in its largest size on my Flickr page at https://flic.kr/p/ybqdqj where I’ve listed a regular copyright but am happy to let people use it for personal and non-commercial purposes. Since I’ve placed it on items for sale at Zazzle, I must protect my copyright to make sure no one comes and says I took it from them, but I’m a big believer in freely I have received, so freely I will give.
(Both the image and words are by Crystal A Murray © 2015)
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Creative Ways to Deal
(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
This is blog post number two because after I had blog post number 1 completed, my check of links revealed that it wasn’t the best idea to share. I was going to tell you all where to get my free phone wallpapers from Zedge, but the link to the regular website is so different from what I see within the app, it became clear I could not share it. Third party ads with misleading statements about activating your account could’ve made it look like that’s what you needed to do in order to grab my creations, and I just couldn’t serve that info with a clear conscience. I did find an alternative I’ll begin working on to share here later, though.
The other issue was that I had put some sample images in a collage, so people would know what they could expect. As it turns out, even though AI images cannot be copyrighted at this time, the terms of service (TOS) for using Zedge pAInt to design includes not being allowed to use those images on a blog or external website, even if it’s not monetized and is only being used to send people to them. 🙃
So, today’s blog post is a lesson for me, and it can also be for you all to learn from my “almost” mistakes, so none of my readers will risk their own violation of a site’s terms. The big lesson being, even if you know the basic rules, ALWAYS read the TOS for the specific user practices they demand. In the meantime, enjoy the collage of peaceful doves, flowers, and butterflies made in Wombo where they have much more user friendly terms.
And here is one more collage of dove images using the following prompt:
2 white peace doves nestling on colorful flowers with deep royal reds, purples, blues, and greens all with gilded edges. A layer of deep green leaves with gilded edges and veins sits beneath the flowers. Soft glittery rays of sunshine stream from fluffy white clouds in the corner and bathe the doves and flowers. One large butterfly made of stained glass hovers near the doves, and many tiny colorful butterflies flit and sparkle throughout the scene.
(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
Use that prompt in your favorite AI image generator and then let me know where I can see what you’ve created. In the meantime, have a really creative day!
P.S. The “How to Deal” in the title was about dealing with extreme nerve pain in my back and leg (detailed in the first post), and how that led me to being creative as a way of dealing with what I could not do. Plus I got notes on my phone from apps saying, “Hey, look what we can do now!” It was a good day to be creative, but since it ended up taking me all night to do so, and since I actually wrote 2 posts, I’m officially skipping what would have been published as the date of May 24th and bringing you this for May 25th. Maybe that will set me on a better path forward. Now it’s time for some sleep for me. 😴
Psalm 4:8 BSB
[8] I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.4.8.BSB
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🎵 Not Comfortless
![A digital image of a parchment scroll nailed to wooden planks as created by Wombo Dream AI. On the scroll are the following Bible verses: John 14:16, 18, 23 BSB
[16] And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever —
[18] I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
[23] Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
With a link to the Bible website at... https://bible.com/bible/3034/jhn.14.16-23.BSB I have listed this image as Creative Commons Zero (CC0) so people can share it freely since the Bible version used is also public domain.](https://crystal-writes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image_editor_output_image-1423944457-177961460619373770593684482955.jpg?w=900)
Creation by Crystal A Murray (CC0 Use Freely)
Because we are in the midst of Shavuot (Pentecost following The Feast of Weeks), I wanted to unpack this major promise from YahShua about not leaving His disciples as comfortless orphans. When read all together, these 3 verses from John 14 say so much about who YahShua actually is, and how He revealed Himself to the disciples (and to us through the Word we have now).
I don’t know that I could ever give the amount and quality of information they have at the Hebrew for Christians website, so I’ll refer you to them for all the details on the Feast of Pentecost that happened 50 days after the Passover. I learned while studying for this that Shavuot in Judaism is kept to remember when Moses was given the Torah (Law) on Mt. Sinai. One site suggested the sound of rushing mighty wind in Acts 2:2 would’ve been like the roaring and thunder they heard on the mountain while Moses was up there, so those gathered in the upper room and Jerusalem that day may have understood the deeper meaning in it.
Acts 2:2 BSB
[2] Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/act.2.2.BSB
Whatever that sound meant to those gathered for the festival, we know what it meant to the 120 believers gathered in the Upper Room that day. It was the fulfillment of the John 14 promises, and it gave them the boldness they needed to proclaim the Gospel of Messiah YahShua from that point forward. Peter himself went from one who denied Christ in front of a few people to one who stood and boldly proclaimed His salvation to many thousands all at once. That’s what real comfort can do.
YahShua (Jesus) told the disciples that if two or three gathered in His name, He would be in the midst of them. Most of us who have followed Him for any amount of time can point to at least one instance where a gathering, small or large, included moments much like the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:32 where our hearts “burned within us” and we knew the Presence of The Lord was there. In those moments, we did not see a body with us, so that confirms the Spirit of Christ who said He would not leave us comfortless but that HE would come to us. The fullness of The Godhead dwelt in the human body of YahShua…
Colossians 2:9 BSB
[9] For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/col.2.9.BSB
… AND, the fullness of that One Spirit (from John 14:23) shows unity with The Holy Spirit even though YahShua said of Himself and The Father, “We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (Emphasis mine.)
Ephesians 4:4-6 BSB
[4] There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; [5] one Lord, one faith, one baptism; [6] one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/eph.4.4-6.BSB
See, we do not have a God or High Priest that is “somewhere out there” and unable to be touched by our needs. We have a very real Savior who longs to be real to us and not just a mystery we cannot know, even though exactly how He does it may be a mystery like it says in 1 Timothy 3:16, which I really like from The Complete Jewish Bible…
1 Timothy (1 Ti) 3:16 CJB
[16] Great beyond all question is the formerly hidden truth underlying our faith: He was manifested physically and proved righteous spiritually, seen by angels and proclaimed among the nations, trusted throughout the world and raised up in glory to heaven.
https://bible.com/bible/1275/1ti.3.16.CJB
Hebrews 4:15 BSB
[15] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/heb.4.15.BSB
But one day, when every knee bows and confesses that Jesus (YahShua) is Lord (Adonai is the actual word translated to Lord here), we will be able to say, “He did not leave us comfortless, but He kept His promises to come to us whenever we called on Him.”
Philippians (Php) 2:10-11 CJB
[10] that in honor of the name given Yeshua, every knee will bow — in heaven, on earth and under the earth — [11] and every tongue will acknowledge that Yeshua the Messiah is Adonai — to the glory of God the Father.
https://bible.com/bible/1275/php.2.10-11.CJB
I’ll close with this very upbeat song from way back when I was learning to follow Him as a new believer…
And one more video of a song I’ve never heard before, but I really like it, and I like the images they used …
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Real Oil-Cell Kaleidoscopes
What’s a simple pleasure in life that brings you joy?
The simplest pleasure is taking my oil-cell kaleidoscope out into the sunshine and just becoming lost in the beauty of light shining through dichroic glass. The largest image is from my kaleidoscope by Shelley Knapp, and the smaller ones are from taking that same image to Wombo Dream AI and designing similar images without the natural flaws.
I have a lot of them from my original oil kaleidoscope on my Flickr site where you can view the album with the Knapp kaleidoscopes and see the beautiful details. And below, I’ll share my YouTube video of the scope in action.
I may come back and add a few more from different kaleidoscopes when I’ve edited them, so save this post.
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🎵Writer’s Weekend—Blog Break
I found an old golden hour sunset that I was trying to edit, and I couldn’t get it quite where I wanted it without turning on the computer with better software. That’s when I decided to ask Wombo to add the swing and the woman, and now I can take a little break for tonight.
We had a great writer’s meeting today, and I’m so impressed by the hearts and writing talent of those in our group. But it also means I get home a little late and have so much on my mind that a single topic for a blog post is a little hard to focus on. I wouldn’t trade it, though, and I hope it just gives readers an excuse to read old posts they may have missed. 😁
But just for fun, here’s a little squeeze box (accordion) tune to go with the funny fish poem I posted about in April called I Fished in a Tree.
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🎵No Fear Invited
Well, this one is turning out to be a much bigger presentation and study than I planned, so I’m not going to do the whole thing just yet. But let the Scripture above (placed on a real Indiana sunset) be an encouragement for you.
1 John 2:24, 27 BSB
[24] As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father.
[27] And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/1jn.2.24-27.BSB
Remember what you have been taught from God’s Word. Search your heart for those truths God Himself has hidden there by His Spirit. Do not be misled, either in knowledge or emotion, by fearful words being shared in the name of Christ. Ask for, and practice, discernment. Paul reminds us that practicing discernment makes us better at it.
Hebrews 5:14 BSB
[14] But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/heb.5.14.BSB
If you’ve begun to hear the fearful whispers about UFO/UAP “secrets” being revealed that will challenge your beliefs in God, plan now to not be overwhelmed by the news. Do not invite the fear to dwell in your heart. Know that God is The Creator of the WHOLE universe, so that includes any and all entities that may be outside our visual realm here on Earth. Trust The Lord and do not doubt that He has everything in His hands and in His control. He has already been to the future and nothing takes Him by surprise. No matter how anointed someone says they are or seems to be, they do not have more knowledge (gnosticism) than God or His Word, so keep your heart in The Lord, and send fear on down the road.
There is much more to say on this subject, but I want my presentations to be accurate and truthful, so I will add to this when I have spent more time in prayer and Bible study. But I wanted to get the introduction to you as I’ve been seeing more and more talk of these things, and Christians need to be prepared to carry the banner of God’s Word in comfort and strength to those who do not yet follow our Savior and may be overcome with fear. Keep yourselves in The Word and Spirit, so you will have truthful answers for any who might ask your thoughts on these teachings when they are dispensed to the masses.
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Picture in Picture
I’m cheating tonight. I got on some very long learning tasks and wore myself out, so I’m sharing some of the many picture-in-picture creations I’ve made with Photo Studio Pro by KVADGROUP. This isn’t even a tiny bit with all you can do in the app, but I’m falling asleep, so I hope you enjoy it. I have one more collage of strawberries to share and then it’s sleep time.
(CC BY-NC-SA 4.o)
Psalm 118:24 BSB
[24] This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.118.24.BSB
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I Love 🥰 Emojis
What are your favorite emojis?
Ask anyone who gets messages from me. I love emojis! 💝 There’s something about being able to say a lot with a tiny form. A picture speaks a thousand words, right? And when I downloaded Google’s Gboard keyboard and got access to their “emoji kitchen” to create my own, that was the whipped cream and cherry on top.
I’m not sure why “Day One” chose this for their 1921st prompt, because so many emojis only show up as little boxes here on WordPress, but I still love the idea, so I’m experimenting. I’ve downloaded a lot of the mixed ones I created to share in a collage, and they’ll show fine since they’re pictures. Like this set of train emojis from messages I sent to my sister while she was on the train last year.
I really love the train that’s slipping on a banana peel. That was from combining a train emoji with a banana emoji. You should be able to tell what was combined to get each image. I highly recommend the Gboard app for the personal dictionary and the Glide Typing abilities as well. I don’t know if it’s available anywhere but the Google Play Store, but if you can get it, I’m relatively certain you’ll have fun with it. Go to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.inputmethod.latin
And here are some new ones I just made tonight. As you can tell, I like combining the cactus with different things. Oh, and sparkles. I love adding sparkles to other emojis.
Most of these should be obvious, but the wooden globe may not give away that it’s a combo of the earth and a wooden stump. The frying pan is the combo of a dinner plate and an egg. But I cannot do a train and a cactus, so here’s what you get when you choose to do the two types of cactus 🌵 and 🏜️ (I hope these show) inline with a text…
So, yes, I think you can clearly see that I really like using emojis as a communications tool. I hope this inspires someone to have some fun with these great compact emotions.
Now, since April 27th is also “National Tell A Story Day,” I have one more treat for you. It’s a very old story, some sites say a song, that I learned when I was a teenager. I never sang it until I taught it to my nephews and had them sing it like a military marching cadence for their uncle. As I searched, it seemed all the sites had slightly different words, so I’m using the ones I recall from my years of repeating this tongue tangler of backward, inside-out, and upside-down words..
I started with the introduction of...
Ladies and gentlemen, hobos and tramps,
Cross-eyed mosquitos and bowlegged ants.
I stand before you, not behind you,
To address you, not undress you.
Admission is free, pay at the door.
Pull up a chair and sit on the floor.
I come to this end, not to this out,
To tell you a story--I know nothing about.
~~~~~~~~and then the story~~~~~~~~
One bright day in the middle of the night
Two dead boys got up to fight.
Back to back they faced each other
Pulled out their swords and shot each other.
A deaf policeman heard the noise
And came to kill the two dead boys.
If you don't believe my story is true,
Ask the blind man... He saw it too!
One day, I’ll tell you the story of Petey the Snake. But it’s best to hear it, so I’ll need to get over myself and be willing to record it. But wait, there’s more. I just had to make my juggling emojis with the knit filter. Too cute!
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My Own Creative Muse
Like the character Cameo in yesterday’s story, I feel like I have the voice of a “muse” in my mind that drives me to create. Unlike Cameo, I haven’t turned away from that voice completely, though I’ve gone through dry spells. Maybe that’s why the story came to me and made me examine the relationship between our thought lives and our real lives. And if you ever battle with the still, small voice like Elijah, maybe Cameo’s journey will be enjoyable for you as well.
Though it’s not time to share more of her story yet, I want to share just a little from recent creative endeavors. The above photo is a close-up from the first good blooms on an azalea plant hubby got for me a few years ago. He did the research to find out what would make it grow, and it paid off well. I’m thrilled with the plant and with the pictures. I added a sparkly frame on this one because I knew how it would affect the images I got from Wombo Dream AI. Get ready for a barrage of pink and full instructions for any why might want to try designing images in Wombo.
So my first stop was to their browser page because they recently updated it with a new “edit” button. You can upload an image, and then tell it how you want it edited. Maybe you want the flowers in purple or the sky in green. Put your thoughts in the prompt box, and let it go to work. I told it I wanted the image in stained glass. The outputs were the same in the app as in the browser, so here are some from the app before I added the frame…
You can visit the website without downloading the app, so you can make your own fun edits at https://dream.ai/ and click on the “Start Creating” button. On the creation page, you can use my prompt (below) if you like, or create your own. When you add a prompt, you’ll notice a button that says enhance. That button will add some fancy extra prompts that are well trained into the AI. Once you have the prompt you want, it’s time to select a filter. Anything that doesn’t say “Premium” is okay to use. The latest filters are V4, and the V3 filters also work well. Once your filter is selected, you can choose generate to make your picture. It will download with a watermark if you don’t have premium, but it’s not bad and may be able to be cropped out in another program if it really bothers you. Here’s the prompt…
Turn these beautiful magenta azaleas into a stained glass window.
This is just the beginning of what you can do. You’ll notice you have image sizes to choose from in case you want to make a phone wallpaper size or a Facebook header size. And then you can look toward the bottom for the browse button where you can upload your own image. Or mine if you’ve downloaded it. That’s why I make most of my images Creative Commons. At some point, the page may ask you to create an account in order to download your images. I’m not sure if the gallery to store your images comes with every account, or only on the app, but having lost a number of gallery photos when they crashed last year, I recommend actually saving your favorites to a permanent location.
Now, because I’m a fan of abstract creations, there is a V2 filter I go to often. I’ll share the collage and prompt for that, and I hope to hear from readers that you’ve tried this for yourself and had as much fun with it as I do. The prompt (for use with the image at the top and with their enhanced additions) is…
Turn this into a beautiful stained glass window with the original magenta pink azalea and pink glitter frame colors intact. Intricate lead lines separating vibrant glass pieces, sunlight streaming through to cast colorful reflections, delicate floral motifs surrounding the azalea, subtle gradients blending pinks and purples, the window set against a softly illuminated stone wall, enhanced by shimmering highlights on the glitter frame that catch the light at different angles.
And here are the images…
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A Way (to Play) with Words
Since I’m in a poetry vein for April, I thought I’d create a decorated word tile poem from Magnetic Poetry® and show you how I do it.
First, go visit the Magnetic Poetry® Online website at https://magneticpoetry.com/pages/play-online
Once there, you’ll click one of the boxes to choose the set of tiles you want to work with. They are just like the ones you can get for home except that you won’t drop one and lose it until you find it under the refrigerator years later. 😂 You can choose from “Original Kit,” “Poet Kit,” “Mustache Poet,” or “Nature Poet” on the front page. Once you select your kit and go to the play page, they’ve also added “Love” and “Geek” to the selections.
On that page, you’ll have a myriad of words to play with. In addition to regular words, you’ll also notice the s, ing, r, es, and other endings you may need to create the right tense of your poetic lines. You’ll notice my “you + r” to make “your” in the above image, and the combining of in and to for “into” in one line. It’s a little bit of work lining them up (in real life kits as well), but it’s part of the creative fun. Also, the pile of word tiles you see is not all that’s available. You’ll see a button to add more words at the bottom, and it will give you a whole different batch from the same kit.
After you’ve played and created some fun lines, you can save and share it if you’re willing to give them your name and email address. If you plan to order any poetry tiles for home, you’ll likely give that to them anyway unless you choose to order from another source like Amazon. If you want to do what I did, just screenshot the whole page. But, before you do that, I recommend you move the piles of unused tiles as far away as possible, so you’ll have plenty of room for cropping your final image.
Once I’ve got my screenshot, I open the image in the Photo Studio Pro app. I can’t tell you how other programs/apps work yet because that’s all I’ve played with so far. In the app, I crop out all the extraneous page info and save just the white background with black-on-white words. It’s not bad just like that, but I like pretty papers and stuff, so my next step is to use the app’s blend menu to create a background. They have a lot of gorgeous designs to choose from, or you can choose your own images or browse an online page from Pixabay public domain images. You can even have their AI design a background for you. And then, you’ll just use the slider to make the image as dark or light as you want with your words.
Here is a collage of my screenshot, then cropped, then blended image…
I saved my original cropped image as a “project” in the app, so I can go back and play with different backgrounds if I want. And there you have it; a way to play with words. I’d love to see your creations if this technique works for you. Maybe I can create a group on Flickr (my favorite photo site) just for people doing the online poetry tiles. Now, go play with words.
Here’s one more quick set of small ones I made recently…
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🎵 Savage Grace Release Day!
(All Rights Reserved)
I’ve listened to the song multiple times now, and it’s got great lyrics, vocals, and music. Super proud of my brother!
As I promised from his story in yesterday’s post, I’m bringing my readers the video release and some links where you can get a copy for yourself. If you are a radio listener, you’re welcome to ask your local Christian station to give it some airplay as well. Help me help him make this a great release week with lots of interest.
So first, here’s the link from YouTube…
Next, here’s his website info where you can find his Facebook and Instagram pages, check out some of his merch, and sign up for his newsletter… https://www.shaynesavage.com/ And while you’re there, I recommend a scroll to his Liner Notes (blog) for some perspective posts. The latest post is all about the difference in faith and trust. Go directly to that one by visiting the next link…
I’d love some comments here, or if you stop by his Facebook page, please tell him you found out about him from his big sister. 😁 Enjoy the music, and thanks for letting me have a little time to promote this talented musician and singer.
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Grace by DNA Story–About Shayne
It all started one Valentine’s Day in 2018. A life-changing blessing with a journey that still continues.
Back in the early 2000s, hubby found a company that did DNA to look for genealogical connections. I was happy when he found a few cousins and wanted the same experience. But they didn’t do women’s DNA. Fast forward to Ancestry DNA, and they did. So my gift was the test kit, though I was really hesitant to spit in that tube. That hesitancy pushed me to the middle of the year, but I think the timing was perfect.
Shortly after my results came in, hubby was viewing the site since we had it in his name, and he told me, “You’ve got a message on Ancestry that I think you’re gonna want to see.” And there was this beautiful message from someone Ancestry said could be a very close cousin or grandchild. What? I’m thinking, wait I’ve already seen how the numbers look for my first cousins, and these numbers are way higher. I did some quick research to see how the stats work on DNA, and ours were more likely to be half-siblings. I’d met my other half-siblings, so this new connection was both confusing and exciting.
I wrote back right away and told this new relative that I thought he was likely my brother, and I’d be so excited to get to know him better. Then I called my half-sister in Texas and told her I thought we had another brother. There’d been a bit of distance between my dad and I for a few years (that’s a whole ‘nother story), so she called him to ask if we had another brother. At first, he said we didn’t, so I checked with his brother, my uncle, and he said he wasn’t even in Arizona during that year. Now this called for prayer. In the meantime, we spoke on the phone, and I learned that he’d been adopted as an infant and had never met anyone to whom he was blood related.
Fast forward to May of 2019, and Shayne, with his wife Heather, were on their way from Canada to the US for our first meeting. That’s the first image above, but the airport background wasn’t pretty, so I replaced it. Hubby made them the welcome sign they’re holding and has been a huge support as God has expanded this territory in my life. It would take too many words to tell you all we discovered about each other, but it was so neat every time Heather would notice similarities and state, “Oh, you guys are definitely brother and sister!” Though he’s a bit bolder as you can see by his fishtank antics. 😁
We met again in October of 2019 in Nashville, and shortly after that, I was able to fix things with my dad enough to get a phone call from him and then plan a visit to see him and his wife. During those calls and visits, I was able to tell him all he was missing by not acknowledging this son of his, and I quoted him a Bible verse to dissuade some of the guilt he may have been fighting about not having been there all his life. Of course, he was excused because of not knowing about Shayne, but I still wanted him to feel like God showed favor to him because of children he had fathered–not necessarily children he had always raised. That verse is…
Psalm 127:4-5 BSB
[4] Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children born in one’s youth. [5] Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. He will not be put to shame when he confronts the enemies at the gate.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.127.4-5.BSB
Now forward to November when Hubby and I were able to get a stay in Branson, Missouri, for ourselves and my sister and brother-in-law. She’s the one with whom I share both parents, and we were raised together for most of our growing up time. We all went together to the small Missouri town where our dad lived with his bride of 10 years, Cheryl. We had a wonderful visit with both of them, and we left with encouragement for our dad to contact Shayne. On Christmas Day of 2019, my brother heard his father’s voice for the very first time. (happy tears)
All the wheels were put in motion for Shayne to meet his (our) father after the winter weather let go in Canada, but that was 2020, so you know what happened there. Borders couldn’t have been shut any tighter. And again, we all went to prayer. In the meantime, I lost a very dear aunt in Arizona who was like a mom to me and my sister. That was just before the lockdown, and it filled the year with chaos and stress. Meanwhile, a good friend was watching her mom struggle with Alzheimer’s, and I was trying to be supportive of her. A crazy year but God’s presence sustained all of us.
Sometime in the late summer of 2020, my brother was able to find a way to get him and his wife Heather across the Canadian border. And they drove down to meet Dad. I was getting the play-by-play and so excited for both of them. Almost a week later, I got a call from the friend whose mom was struggling offering to take me to Missouri to see my brother and my dad. I will never be able to pay that gift back, and I’m forever grateful for the moments she gave our family before Dad left this world. And the miracle of timing for my brother to meet his father and our father to meet his son. (melt)
Again, there’s so much more to tell (which is why I want to write the Grace by DNA book), including the fact that I got another sister out of the deal because Heather and I also shared a lot of similarities–especially about spiritual things. So I’ll close this here by telling you why I chose to share all of this today. It’s because tomorrow’s blog will be all about a big event for my brother, and I’m super proud of him. He is releasing his first single from what will be his first album. I’ll share his website and teaser for tonight, and all the release stuff, including why he chose his particular performer name, tomorrow.
This YouTube page has links to Shayne’s website (where you can sign up for his newsletter), Facebook, Spotify, and Instagram…
https://youtube.com/@shaynesavagemusic?si=j2u8FhzTK-7x8PjG
And here’s the teaser from his Insta post…
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🎵Photo Walking
What’s the most fun way to exercise?
Daily Prompt by Day One
If I can get myself out the door with a camera around my neck, I tend to enjoy the steps I get a little more. A trip–back in 2022–to Azalea Path in Indiana is my favorite of all time. I’ve been there more than once, but that year, we just seemed to arrive during the best color display I’ve seen there. Here’s a collage of some of the captures from that day, all straight out of the camera (SOOC). It was cloudy, so I used a higher color setting, but I was very happy with a few of the shots out of 1200+ I captured. I especially love the ones with waterfalls.
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And even though these are not lilies, this reminder from the words of YahShua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ The Messiah) are a fitting comfort that goes well with such an array of colors.
Luke 12:27-28 BSB
[27] Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. [28] If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!
https://bible.com/bible/3034/luk.12.27-28.BSB
And since I used that verse, well, I might as well share the beautiful song with the same words, right?
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🎵A Little Purple Bliss
After all the heavy-on-theology posts of the last couple months, I think it’s time for a little purple playfulness. My irises started blooming, so while I was outside talking to a neighbor, I got some shots with my Pixel 9 phone camera. With a favorite selected, I went to Photo Studio Pro (by KVADGroup App Studio at Google Play Store) to crop and frame it, and then to my Mirror Lab app to create kaleidoscope designs. They were a little more dull than I liked, so I took a few of those designs to Wombo Dream AI and tried a few different filters for variety. Once I had a nice collection of images, I went back to Photo Studio Pro to put them into a collage with one of the Mirror Lab images as the frame background.
So there you have it. If you’re a purple lover, you should really enjoy this one. 🟣 💜🟪 And just in case you REALLY like purple, here’s an article at the Houzz website with lots of pictures of purple kitchens: https://www.houzz.com/photos/purple-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~a_88-7?pg=5
And with that, I say goodnight and I hope you had fun during International Jumping Over Things Day.
Oh, and just because I can, I have to include this video of Sheb Wooley singing One Eyed, One Horned, Flying Purple People Eater…
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🎵Proverbs 22: Self-Pottering Much?
I’m keeping this one short to allow readers to just enjoy the many wacky images in the collage. You can read all of Proverbs Chapter 22 at Bible Hub in the Berean Standard Bible (or change to a different version once you’re there) by clicking on the highlighted words.
My focus is on verse 2…
Proverbs 22:2 WEBUS
[2] The rich and the poor have this in common: Yahweh is the maker of them all.
https://bible.com/bible/206/pro.22.2.WEBUS
And I want to add the verse from Isaiah 64:8…
Isaiah 64:8 WEBUS
[8] But now, Yahweh, you are our Father. We are the clay and you our potter. We all are the work of your hand.
https://bible.com/bible/206/isa.64.8.WEBUS
I chose these to follow up on the Potter topic from yesterday about letting God remake our hearts. And the reason He can remake them is because He knows the original mold and how it was intended to come out. So when we see Him as our Creator, Maker, Father, etc., we can trust that we are, indeed, fearfully and wonderfully made as He designed.
But so often, we think we know best. Like a teenager who thinks they know everything about life, and parents know nothing, we all have our moments where we are certain our own way is better. An abundance of the Proverbs were written to warn people to avoid that kind of thinking.
Back in 2024, I wanted to see what Wombo would do with a prompt about a clay vessel trying to create itself. That’s where I came up with the term self-pottering to describe the effort of trying to make our lives perfect on our own and without God’s assistance or guidance. The crazy results in the collage, and especially the facial expressions, show the failure well. And for that reason, we want to pray for God’s perfect will above all else. That goes perfectly with the song Have Thine Own Way, Lord…
Pray with me for my desire to avoid self-pottering (and the anxieties that come with it) and keep the final verse active in my life:
Have Thine own way Lord
Have Thine own way
Hold over my being absolute sway
Filled with Thy spirit till all can see
Christ only always living in me
Christ only always, living in me! May it be your prayer, too.
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