Month: October 2025

Thursday, October 23, 2025 No More Pain

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Original post in June 2023: This painting is for my friend, Sherri, who deals with chronic pain due to neuropathy. She’s always so cheerful when I see her – I don’t think I’d deal with my pain half so well. Now I need to put this one in the mail for her.

Update: I’m reposting this today in honor of my friend Sherri whom the Lord recently called home to Him. She is living out the beautiful truth of Revelation 21:4b:

There shall be no more pain
for the former things
have passed away.

Sherri and I met through homeschooling many years ago and I enjoyed her lively humor and sense of fun from the beginning. We saw each other somewhat regularly over the span of those homeschooling years, but it really wasn’t until our kids were mostly grown and gone that the friendship took off. Whenever we got together I knew I was in for an interesting conversation involving politics, current events, our shared faith, theology, our children, conspiracy theories, prepping for emergencies, health issues and more. Buckle up!

A few years ago, she broke her ankle and I ended up spending some time every week with her for a couple months. Originally, I just thought she might enjoy the company, since she was homebound. However, she came up with the idea that as long as I was there, maybe I could help her with sorting through her stuff. Both Sherri and I have a hard time getting rid of our own stuff, but there’s nothing more fun than helping someone else get rid of theirs. Say no more! I rolled up my sleeves and we spent those afternoons sorting through things, with me forcing her to make constant decisions about whether to keep, give away or throw away every item. Each time I left there were a couple more boxes or bags of things to get rid of. She was probably exhausted after every visit, but honestly it was so much fun. She was such a good sport about it all and the time together was a wonderful blessing to me. When she was back on her feet, she came over to my house to return the favor by helping me get rid of stuff in my craft room. She was every bit as hard on me as I was on her – and I needed it! And through it all, there was always lots of laughter.

Somewhere along the line, we got in the habit of taking each other out for our birthdays every year. It was a lovely tradition, one we both looked forward to. Her birthday was in August, but we didn’t get to it until early September this year. I treated her to a session of red light therapy with me before the meal, which was a hoot. I don’t remember much of what we talked about in particular that day, but it was the last time we were together.

I was shocked and devastated when I heard the news of her passing. Don’t get me wrong – I rejoice that she’s with Jesus and that her long years of pain are over. She is free indeed. But I will miss her tremendously. Everyone who knew her is now poorer without her in some way.

But thanks be to God, I will see her again, and for that I am very grateful.

I’ll probably not delete this in the morning.

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 You Cannot Make a Worm…

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Well, can you?

Some words for you this week:

Man is certainly stark mad.
He cannot make a worm
and yet he will be making gods
by the dozens.
Montaigne

It’s a funny thought, isn’t it? We who cannot make a low creature like a worm persist in thinking we can make gods.

The lowest ebb
is the turn of the tide.
Longfellow

Good old Henry Wadsworth. Tuck that one away for when you are at the lowest ebb. The tide is about to turn!

Courage is what it takes
to stand up and speak;
courage is also what it takes
to sit down and listen.
Churchill

Courage to speak; courage to listen. Never thought about courage perhaps being needed to “sit down and listen.” Thoughts?

The difference between
the right word
and the almost right word
is like the difference
between lightning
and the lightning bug.
Mark Twain

When the kids were in high school, they used a literature course called “Lightning Lit,” the name of which was based on that quote.

For God has not given us
a spirit of fear,
but of power
and of love
and of a sound mind.
St. Paul, 2 Timothy 1:7

Remember this! (I’m telling myself)

This worm of a post will be deleted in the morning.

Monday, October 20, 2025 The Secret Life of Lynniebee

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Have you ever seen the 2013 movie “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”? Walter Mitty is a single man in his early 40’s living an uneventful life in which he takes few risks. This is what he is on the outside, but his inner life is rich with stories in which he jumps off a bridge to save a dog from a burning building, or in which he is a rugged explorer in arctic regions, or again in which he responds with wit, action, and bravery when he is bullied by his new boss at Life Magazine. This secret life of his causes him to zone out from his real life, as he gets caught up in these fantasies which demonstrate the kind of person he would like to be. Things happen that propel Walter to start living a life of risk-taking and adventure, but no spoilers from me. We’ve watched this movie so many times – it never gets old. Highly recommend!

In a certain sense we all have secret lives, the realm of our thought lives. And what a strange world it can be sometimes. I have been known to zone out with people while entertaining some sort of inner story or conversation. Like Walter Mitty, I also sometimes envision vignettes in which I am helping someone, making myself notable in some way to others, i.e. creating images that we call “delusions of grandeur.” In the secret life of Lynniebee, I am calm, confident and articulate when faced with an adversarial conversation. In the secret life of Lynniebee, I share the gospel easily and effectively with others.

But also in the secret life of Lynniebee, I am prone to creating whole scenarios out of my anxieties and dwelling on them as if they were real. I’ve been known to blow a health issue so far out of proportion that I’ve imagined my own funeral. In the secret life of Lynniebee, I am always justified when I’m angry. My thought life can become like a stampeding herd of dangerous cattle, out of control. What can you do when your inner life has gone wild?

There’s a reason why we are told to take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul tells us exactly how to corral these wild beasts and tame them. “Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence or anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on those things.” Philippians 4:8. I have learned to get a lasso out whenever I detect an impending stampede. The first lasso I throw out is always the question “Is it true?” You wouldn’t believe how many wild things I’ve taken captive with that one question. But all those other considerations make good lassos too.

The secret life of Lynniebee isn’t a secret to God. One of my favorite verses is “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:23-24. He knows me. He knows my heart. He knows my anxious thoughts. And in spite of all that, He loves me enough to root out those things that are hurtful and then lead me in the everlasting way.

Thanks be to God!

I’ll probably pick some banana peppers and delete this in the morning.

Thursday, October 16, 2025 Pink

~ Foodiness ~ 2 Comments

Pink.

The color of a newly-coiled rose bud,

Cloud glimmers at even,

Miss Hollyhock waving her petals,

A rabbit’s quivering nose,

But best of all –

Best of all!

The color of the perfect lips

Of a newborn child.

Pink.

(Did I mention that our latest granddaughter was born today?)

I’ll probably delete this very pink post in the morning.

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 The Workshop: Dart into Tiny Art Plus a Wee Bit of Sewing

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That title is too long, but I wanted each word to be there. Some people spare words, others multiply them. You know which one I am by now.

Another week of Tiny Art! My goal is to do four of these per week. It’s good practice for me and gives me a reason to leave my craft table all full of open paint sets and other vaguely artsy misc. The usual disclaimer applies: I copied things I found on Pinterest and added my own words.

Behind Door #1:

Who remembers the song “Daisy, Daisy?” It might actually have been called “Bicycle Built for Two.” My mom’s PCA was named Daisy and I could not (COULD NOT) resist singing this part of the song to her whenever I saw her. (At least I spared her the next line: “I’m half crazy all for the love of you.”) It was either charming or obnoxious – let’s hope it was the former.

The Little House on a Little Hill. If you think that house looks wonky, you’re not alone. But while I was working on it, a phrase kept running through my head from Psalm 15: LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? It’s funny what words trigger things to run through your mind.

Behind Door #2:

Poof! No other commentary is necessary.

Lime slice,
Fresh and nice.
My advice:
No matter the price,
Let it suffice,
Limes are nice!

Sometimes poems slip in when I’m not looking.

I’ve also made a couple Tiny Art books by myself, having found the one I bought to be a little TOO tiny. The seller ought to have marketed them as “Teeny Tiny Art Books.”

Lastly, my dear and patient readers, I am working on the third crib mobile of this year. The first two went to granddaughters that were born earlier in the year. This one is for the granddaughter who may actually be born today! Which means I better get hopping on finishing the mobile.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above ye heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
AMEN!

Blog post,
More words than most,
With morning’s roast
It will be toast.

Tuesday, October 14, 2025 Light My Lamp

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‘Twas a dark and rainy day today. Time to let some sunshine in…

For You will light my lamp;
The LORD will enlighten my darkness.
Psalm 18:28

I long to accomplish a great and noble task,
but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks
as if they were great and noble.
Helen Keller

Deep in their roots,
all flowers keep the light.
Theodore Roethke

A complaining spirit can make unhappiness out of anything,
and a long-suffering patience can find joy anywhere.
Douglas Wilson

But the secret to joy
is to keep seeking God
where we doubt He is.
Ann Voskamp

The morns are meeker than they were –
The nuts are getting brown –
The berry’s cheek is plumper –
The rose is out of town.

The maple wears a gayer scarf –
The field a scarlet gown –
Lest I sh’d be old-fashioned
I’ll put a trinket on.
Emily Dickinson

The blog is meeker than it was…time to put a trinket on or delete this in the morning.

Thursday, October 9, 2025 Of Hedgehogs and Yellow Raincoats

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I entered into a shop in Bayfield and thought it would be like all other shops of its ilk. But as I wandered through the place, admiring its wares, I heard a strange, high-pitched voice saying, “Psst! Over here!”

Puzzled, I looked around but didn’t see anyone, so I kept going.

“PSSST! Wrong way! You’re getting colder! Turn around!” I turned toward the sound of the voice, which appeared to be coming from a rack of beautiful cards made by quilling. Curiouser and curiouser!

A tiny movement caught my eye…and then I saw it (him? her?) – the hedgehog on a card was clearly gesturing to me with its tiny paws. I came closer to hear it better.

“If you don’t buy me for Teresa’s birthday, I will have been brought into this world in vain,” it said. And having delivered its message, it went back to being a card.

Strong words! Compelling words! What else could I do?

As it happened, I already had something for the aforementioned Teresa’s birthday, found many months ago in another shop of vintage items and remnants from estate sales. Teresa and I were there together ambling through the delightful collection of oddments, when she held something up and said, “Look at this! It’s adorable!” And it was: a figurine of a girl on a bench wearing a yellow raincoat, yellow boots, and sitting beside a little hedgehog. Although the item showed its years with small spots and minor discolorations, this did not detract from its charm one whit. Teresa put it somewhat reluctantly back on the shelf and as soon as we parted for our respective cities, I circled back around and raced into the shop hoping she hadn’t had the same idea. She hadn’t.

And now these two hedgehogs have been brought together. I expect the little yellow-raincoat girl is just as happy to have two of them to keep her company – and when they meet Teresa’s other hedgehog named Percival, there will be all sorts of rejoicing.

Happy (pre) birthday, dear friend!

A friend loves at all times…
Proverbs 17:17

This post may have exceeded the limit of hedgehog mentions and if so, will summarily be deleted in the morning.

Wednesday, October 8, 2025 The Workshop: Not Departing from Tiny Arting

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Yes, the Tiny Art experiment continues.

My daughter shared a Pinterest idea of making them look like stamps, so I thought I’d give it a try.

I wanted to write “Home, tweet home” on the birdhouse one, but came to my senses just in time. It already looks too “kitschy.”

Balloons with tangled strings. Happy birthday and all that. Let’s move on to the next pages.

(The photos are kind of dark – perhaps I shouldn’t take them in a dimly lit room at night, eh?)

Pumpkins are once again pushing themselves as subjects for painting as if the month of October is ALL ABOUT THEM.

I went off into a little fancy about the tulips, giggling a bit to myself as I wrote.

I apologize for nothing.

I’ll be deleting this in the morning unless pumpkins take over the world LIKE THEY ALWAYS DO.

Tuesday, October 7, 2025 Tip O’ the Iceberg Quotes

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People say and write interesting things. Profound things. Funny things. Memorable things. Inspiring things. Whenever I copy a quote into my commonplace book, I’m aware that those few things I come across are just the teeny tiny tip of a very large iceberg. Here are a few more.

Stories give us something concrete to visualize: it is one thing to be told that bravery is important; it is another to see Frodo stand at the Council of Elrond and volunteer to take the Ring into Mordor. We need stories to show us what the good life looks like.
Leslie Anne Bustard, Strong Allies

So true. I remember reading The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew as a child. It made me want to be a better daughter and sibling more than any number of lectures could have.

I have now concentrated all my prayers into one,
and that prayer is this,
that I may die to self
and
live wholly to Him.
C.H. Spurgeon

Why use a lot of words when you can distill it all into one simple prayer?

The church is not a club or a content platform.
It is the miracle of bones coming together,
joints connecting,
breath entering dry lungs.
The Spirit does not hover over individual hearts
like vapor over isolated tea cups.
He fills a body.
A living, awkward, breathing, bruised body.
And when the body gathers,
Christ is present in a way that He is not
when you are alone.
Pastor Rich Bitterman

What do you think?

And now, in honor of Voddie Baucham (1969-2025):

We cannot continue to send our children
to Caesar for their education
and be surprised
when they come home as Romans.
Voddie Baucham

Sometimes God is glorified
when sick saints get well.
But more often than not,
God is glorified
when sick saints die well.
Voddie Baucham

This is another brother in Christ that I look forward to meeting in glory. Rest in peace, Pastor Baucham.

I’d love for you to share some quotes in the comments section that caught your eye and made you think.

If I told you that I was going to delete this in the morning, would you believe me?

Monday, October 6, 2025 The Ten O’Clock P.M. Post

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I don’t actually have anything to say at 10:00 at night, and I’m sorry for you to have received this, thus wasting your precious time. However, to make it a little more interesting, I’ll drag a couple photos out of the “never used” photo file.

It’s all quite startling isn’t it? What bold colors! A bird in mid-flight! I took that photo last March or April and upon looking at it realized that I’d forgotten to take the camera off “vivid setting.”

So I fixed it and took another photo of the same three birds, although by this time both the finches were perched and the cardinal looked like it was ignoring them. The finches were probably having the kind of perky conversations that finches have – you know how they go on. If you were there, you might have ignored them, too.

But enough of that. I’ve taken up too much of your time already.

This perky post will be ignored in the morning.

Friday, October 3, 2025 My Moped Moment

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We went to Madeline Island in Wisconsin recently. My husband suggested ahead of time that we would want to rent mopeds to get around on the island. Inwardly, I rejected this immediately because…well, fear has no rationality. The closer the trip got, the more it seemed clear that a moped ride was going to be in my future, whether I liked it or not. I looked at the website of the moped rental place and was reassured that no prior experience was necessary; the staff would show you all you would need to know. But I still would have been happy for a reason not to do it. “Oh no – it’s raining! Too bad!” Or “It turns out I’m really too old to learn something new, Too bad!” In spite of my misgivings, the day came.

I had pictured that the moped training session would start with perhaps a 5-10 minute video, followed by the kind of of hovering instruction a parent gives when teaching their precious child to ride a bike without the training wheels. Instead, the young man showed me the moped and in about 15 seconds covered the three things I needed to do to run the thing. I am not exaggerating (which I need to say because I love to exaggerate). “You’ll do this on the left handle, push this button and do this on the right handle. Have fun!” Not so fast, buster. I asked him to tell me again more slowly and at the amused look on his face, I had to tell him, “I’m not kidding.” So he went over it again. I still wasn’t completely clear on things, so he suggested that if we wanted to practice a little bit there was a parking lot just up the street. Of course my motorcycle-riding hubby did not need any practice, but yes, I want to practice a bit. Perhaps more than a bit.

Somehow I managed to get myself over to the lot, fielding a series of “micro-panics” on the way. (Did I invent that term? I really like it!) Once in the lot, I proceeded to careen here and there, turning awkwardly and not using the two handles (brake on the left, accelerate on the right) very well. While my husband’s back was turned, I ran into a bush and had to extricate myself. I managed to get over to where he was and I said grimly, “I don’t have any muscle memory for this at all.” He responded cheerily, “You’ll be fine!”

And I was. It turns out that once you hit the open road, there’s not a lot of fussing that you have to do with the handles. In addition, there was a great deal of fortifying prayer going on in my mind. By the time we got to the Big Bay State Park (25 minute ride at 25 mph), the micro-panics had subsided almost entirely and I was actually enjoying it. On the way back to the rental place, I was feeling like a pro. Hubby joked to the kids that I was already looking at buying leathers. Ha ha! I feel a micro-panic coming on.

Fear not, for I am with you
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will help you.
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

This post will self-destruct at the first sign of a micro-panic. Oops – gone already!