Peace Of Mind

When something robs you of your peace of mind, ask yourself if it is worth the energy you are expending on it. If not, then put it out of your mind in an act of discipline. Every time the thought of it returns, refuse it.
(Kay Arthur in 100 Days Of Prayer For Women)
13 April 2014

Peace Of Mind

When something robs you of your peace of mind, ask yourself if it is worth the energy you are expending on it. If not, then put it out of your mind in an act of discipline. Every time the thought of it returns, refuse it.
(Kay Arthur in 100 Days Of Prayer For Women, p. 96)
4 April 2014

Day-Tripper

If you're not in the midst of a trial, then you can be sure one is on it's way. That's the way of life on this earth, so we need to acknowledge it and be prepared. (Kay Arthur, Search My Heart, O God, 9 December)

It is not easy. The line of least resistance is the habit pattern we have built up over past years. Forming new habits is hard work. (Food For Thought, 19 December)

Now I see what I couldn't, wouldn't see! (Iyanla Vanzant, Faith in the Valley, p. 343)

******

I wanted to give Melva one of those Day-Tripper organizers because she needs a new address and telephone number book. I had an At-A-Glance book in the minivan. I bought it a long time ago at a thrift store and never used it. Yesterday we stopped at Staples where I bought one set of address / telephone pages for the binder I was going to give Melva. Later we stopped at the thrift store. I found a Day-Tripper binder with address / telephone pages for 80 cents. And I found a brand-new Mead organizer, sold by At-A-Glace for $2.19. The Mead organizer was very nice with all of the pages, plus a ruler, a page with pockets for business cards and a bag page with a zip lock. I bought both binders. When we got home I transferred the pages from the Day-Tripper to the Mead and gave the Mead binder to Melva. I kept the At-A-Glance binder for myself. I guess I'll make myself an address / telephone book too. I ended up with the empty Day-Tripper binder as an extra. I should have gone to the thrift store in the first place. I knew that!

My test to print at FedEx was a success. There was only one problem. After I used Internet Explorer the computer went crazy and IE loaded itself over and over. I had to shutdown the computer by turning off the power. I'm very concerned that this happened again. It's not a good sign.

Mr. Dickie
5/Jan/2010 10:26

File Recovery

What is over is over and cannot be replayed except in our minds. (Food For Thought, 30 October)

Either you will learn to take your thoughts captive or the deceiver will take you captive with your thoughts. (Kay Arthur, Search My Heart, O God, 6 November)

******

While reviewing some of the files I have saved on Zip disks I found a program I bought years ago. I never have understood how we can tell whether a Windows program can run as a "standalone program." The purpose of the program is to convert files from one file format to another. On the same Zip disk I discovered a folder with genealogy text files I created with the word processor, AmiPro. I did a test to see if I can convert the files to plain "text" files. I was so surprised when it worked. I believe there are many files in that folder I don't have available anywhere else. Once converted I can share them on my Google blogs.

Mr. Dickie

Perspective

... if you're feeling discontented or unhappy, the root of the problem may be your inability to see things from God's perspective. Perhaps you've spent so much time concentrating on the world's perspective that your spiritual vision has become blurred. What we see, what we read, and the activities we engage in can have a destructive influence on our lives.

(Kay Arthur, Search My Heart, O God, 2 November)

We Can Choose to Do Without

At some point, we chose everything in our lives. If we wish, we can choose to do without .... When we feel suffocated by our possessions and obligations, it's good to clear our minds and think about what we really want. Many of us don't think about our values consciously until they become a source of pain. (The Promise of a New Day, 17 September)

Don't make the mistake of thinking you have no choice. (Kay Arthur, Search My Heart, O God, 28 August)

I will spend more time with myself in this lifetime than with anyone else. (Courage to Change, 3 October)

******

Yesterday I continued to work in the yard. I dug up another azalea from the flowerbed by the front porch. We haven't decided where we are going to put it. I also removed the spreading grass from around three azaleas near the kitchen door. While clearing the grass I was reminded that at one time I placed marble chips on the ground near the side flowerbed. Now I regret doing that because it is going to be difficult to remove them. I've long since forgotten why I put them there in the first place.

Yesterday I had a very nice surprise when I received an Email from Gene Conger of Cincinnati, Iowa. We hadn't been in touch for a long time. He wanted to know what happened to my AOL website which was taken off the Internet at the end of October 2008. And he told me that he had moved his family website to Tripod.com. It took me quite a while to find his homepage. I actually didn't find it the first time I looked. I think I spent at least a half-hour searching for it. I never did understand why I had so much trouble finding it. I posted the URL to my "News" blog and to my Delicious. Maybe this will make it easier to find.

While searching for Gene's website I discovered a nice biography for Sarah Jane (Pike) Conger who was married to Edwin Conger who served as a U.S. Ambassador. I posted that URL to the "News" and Delicious.

Jim came for an evening visit. He told me an interesting story about what happened when his laptop screen went "white." Blank screens are gut wrenching.

This morning I woke up at 5:00 a.m. I didn't try to go back to sleep. I put the new Concierto de Aranjuez CD in the player and listened to it with my head phones while I did my daily reading. I'm almost caught up. I'm seven days behind in reading from "Until Today!" a book that I recommend highly.

Mr. Dickie

Opps! They Did It Again

The cure for discouragement is encouragement. (Kay Arthur, Search My Heart, O God, 17 September)

When we cleanse, heal and bring ourselves into balance, everyone in our lives will do the same or disappear. (Iyanla Vanzant, Acts of Faith, 20 September)

... an honest appraisal of many of my reactions shows me I have too often resorted to futile and childrish tricks to acheive what I wanted. (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 21 September)

******

The other day a general or generals spoke out about the war in Afghanistan. Almost immediately the current administration ordered the generals to stop talking to the news media. We are back to business as usual. The government wants to wage war and keep the American people in the dark. I think the leaders justify this by saying, "The facts would be too upsetting to the people." Isn't the real reason they don't want us to hear the truth because they know that the people of this country would demand the withdrawal of our military if they they had the facts?

A few days ago the Chancellor of the District of Columbia school system fired 200 teachers. There is a reason she is called Chancellor and not Superintendent. But, that's another story. We are now a month into the current school year. Isn't that too late for rebuilding the teaching staff? How is this leader going to replace 200 teachers while school is in session? What are the children going to do in the meantime? What was the school administration doing during the summer months? Who hired this woman and what were her qualifications?

I don't believe a single person in a leadership position when they tell us, "I (we) have the situation under control."

Mr. Dickie

Wedding Cake Exchange

Wedding Cake Exchange

Today I wanted to refresh my memory about something I'd read in the June 30th entry in How Can I Live by Kay Arthur. On this day, Mrs. Arthur writes about exchanging cake at the wedding party. For a full account of entering into a covenant begin reading with the June 1st entry. On that day she begin writing about covenants and the elaborate steps that entering into a covenant entailed in Biblical days. There are strong similarities between the ritual of the Holy Communion and the steps followed in an ordinary covenant. This is because the Communion represents the New Covenant between God and his people. The June 30th entry in the book outlines the history of exchanging bread as part of the covenant ceremony.

Here's what Kay Arthur wrote about the covenant meal.

After all these things had taken place, they sat down to partake of a covenant meal. At this meal they took bread, broke it, and then placed it into the mouth of their covenant partner with these words, "You are eating me." Then a cup of wine was offered to the covenant partner along with the words, "This is my blood; you are drinking me." Often, unless of course they were Jews, they mingled drops of their own blood in with the wine.

Does all this ring a familiar sound? Remember the little ceremony at the wedding reception, remember wondering if you should order the photographer's ridiculous shot of you with your mouth wide open while your mate fed you a piece of wedding cake? Did you ever wonder where that custom came from? Now you know. Isn't it beautiful! It is a picture of giving yourself to another -- unconditionally, totally, eternally.

An unqualified committal of oneself to another, this, beloved, is covenant. This is salvation. They are one and the same. This is what God means when He says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." (Acts 16:31). It means to give yourself to Christ unconditionally, without qualification; to cease from your independent living; to become one with Christ, bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh.

Oh, there is so much more to share with you on covenant. There are so many rich, precious gems that will so graciously adorn your salvation as their facets brilliantly reflect the light of Truth. ...

Now you know why I object to seeing any bridal couple mash cake in each other's faces. It reflects ignorance of long-standing covenant customs and disrespect for each other and for the marriage covenant which the bridal couple have just made. Please give serious consideration to what Kay Arthur wrote if you are planning to exchange wedding cake as part of your wedding ceremony.
(Richard E. Henthorn)