Training

I have Corwyn on a leash in the house. It frustrates her, but it is the classic way to train a puppy---constant vigilance.

Frequent visits to the outdoors, time for a snack, do a command, reward---back to the crate. Her freedom slowly wanes.

It all makes for a nicer dog, though, and I'm happy to spend the time. She is so smart! She sits on command already, and she is so tiny still!

Growing fast.

As we all do. Sometimes we just gain weight!
But let's hope we actually grow in wisdom and strength of the most important things.

I was so convicted by the little discipline book we read last summer. Perhaps that's why I was able to make such a life change in January, going back to work, changing my lifestyle completely.

I think it had an effect. Discipline requires everything, total commitment. It's full-time training.

Getting up at five each day before work to get my Bible reading time in was a loss of time on the night-owl side of me. I couldn't keep my eyes open after nine.

Corwyn is now in her crate at nine each night, too. She understands that it is bedtime and there is no argument.

As a home-school mom I'm aware of the flexibility of schedules and hours. I think that is one of its strengths. As we launch our kids into jobs and formal education they are more grateful for the freedom they HAD and are much more prepared to take on the disciplined lifestyle.

It's all in the training.

Cherie has become a runner, cross country and track. She is learning the power of discipline too. More running usually helps the meet outcomes. It takes discipline to get out there everyday and run some. She's learning.

She's training.

Of all my children she has had to be the most disciplined in childhood. I hope the best for her.

I have five children, all completely individuals, all different in manner, personality, and habits. They are all delightful, and precious. God has blessed me. They have all had their battles, their defeats. They have come far, and I'm thankful that each of them believes the Bible and follows Christ.

That is the only thing that really matters.

Someone asked me recently about my "unschooling" tendency as a home-school mom. I was very careful to have our daily Bible time. I read Scripture, Bible stories, Daily Bread, Daily Light, One-Year Bible, Bill Gothard's materials (which are EXCELLENT! Don't let his failures keep you from the materials he produced!), and whatever spiritual book that happened to be current and appropriate----OUT LOUD. Not all at once, but as the Spirit led. We had hours to do it. The math, science, and anything else came later, second.

We prayed together every day. Mostly I prayed. They rarely wanted to. That was okay by me. As a mother I had the obligation to train them in knowing Christ, but they had to make the decisions for themselves. There are no grandchildren in the Kingdom of Heaven. Isn't that a truth?

I kept telling them that nothing but Christ really matters. This life is cursory. It's the next life that matters. I told them that my only goal for them was to know Christ.

Yes. Training.

And did they succeed at life? Did these methods of training work?

Well, yes. So far. Three of them are dean's list academics. One had a four-year complete scholarship to Concordia College, Moorhead. Two have published novels. One is a successful army officer, another a successful army reserves officer. Two are happily married! They are all musicians, playing various instruments. All five can draw, write, and sing. They all cook. Four have jobs that pay well. Three are college graduates.

They are compassionate, sweet, fun, loving individuals, and I just have so much gratefulness to God for allowing me to be their mom. God is so good.

And I give all the glory to HIM, as He put it on my heart to train them.

So, Corwyn gets her puppy training.  Just another day at Corgi Hollows.

May you commit your life and your self discipline to Jesus Christ.

Did You Know?

https://m.facebook.com/CarylTV/photos/a.591395967563486.1073741826.338136982889387/1026022057434206/?type=3

Misty Memory

Christlikeness

It's pretty easy to debate non-believers on philosophy or theology. One starts from a completely different premise, so there is little to touch base on, to find common ground. In fact, it is almost impossible to convince any atheist of faith.

It must come from within.

But when you debate spiritual issues with people of faith it becomes sort of hard. For me, at least.

Why? You MUST remain loving. You must try to be kind. You must be considerate. Even if the other person isn't.

That happened to me the other night. It began as a question on Facebook about Trump voters. The question was TO people who supported Trump or voted for him.

Well, that's me. I voted for Trump. I don't like him, didn't support him, but I voted for him. I felt it was a line of defense against the New World Order that Hillary actually represented.

So, I gave an opinion and was promptly accosted by a self described "civil rights activist" who had studied Bible at an evangelical college and had read the Bible in Greek....
You get the picture.

Then I was accused of being snarky for answering the questions put forth!

No good deed goes unpunished...

But the question for me, really, was, "How do I respond in an loving manner to people who come across in bitterness to me, who react to my ideas with rancor?"

How can we be Christlike to our faithful siblings?

I struggle with this. I struggle with responding in love when I am made fun of. I have a family member who routinely scoffs at me, and I've wondered over the years how I should respond to him. It's a question I have wrestled with.

Why does he scoff?
How should I respond?
Can I avoid him?
Should I avoid him?
How can I be loving in response?

He doesn't agree with me on anything, but since he is family I MUST interact with him on occasion. That's hard for me. I ask the LORD, how? How should I act?

How should I act toward the "activist" who disagrees with my Biblical stance (in this case it was self-defense as a believer).

I'm not sure ignoring is the answer. I think the true church must defend itself. Look where we are now! Yes, we are watching the ongoing march of prophetic events which includes apostasy in the end times, but don't you wonder how people who grew up with Christian parents or grandparents can support gay marriage?

I do.

What happened? Biblical illiteracy?

It's a combination of things, certainly, but I think we true believers have an obligation to use apologetics to defend our faith, even on the offense, on the battlefield, on the philosophical turf of the opposition.

Christ did.

We need to keep it on the offense, and when we are falsely accused we need to respond in a Christlike manner.

Love. Soft answers. Kindness. Self examination. Pure heartedness. A ready word.

Showing Christ's love is Christlike. Waiting on His purposes and His action is our recourse, our defense, and ultimately our offense.

We know the end!
MARANATHA!

Praise Jesus!

Corgi Hollows Podcast: Foreign Devil in China, Episode 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MDYDeTQEq0

Announcing the Corgi Hollows Podcast

Ed and I are trying something new. We don't expect much from it, and we are complete amateurs, but we think it would be fun to do podcasts.
We both have a lot to say, right?
Boring for some, perhaps, but things that interest us and a few folk.

I'm going to review books that I've read. I want to talk about Corgis! Ed wants to talk shop----current events, cancer, mental illness, computers, math, science, philosophy, languages, pipe organ, music----basically the things he's an expert on. (:))
Look for the podcasts to appear on the Corgi Hollows YouTube page. I'll link it.

Cool, Clear Waters

The days shorten.

I am a prophecy watcher. There is one thing that convinces me Christ's return is imminent more than anything else, and that is the spiritual blindness that I see around me.

Am I spiritually blind? We all MUST ask that question.

I have discovered that basing my faith on the one thing that God ordains is the only safe path to true belief-----that is, the Bible.

I live or die by the veracity of that document. I have no other post to stake my belief on.

My experiences, though amazing and wonderful, are spiritual, and cannot be fathomed by anyone not born again.

I can revel in them, but they are not transferable.

The only thing I have to trust is God's Word, and everything measures up to it in this world; Science, doctrine, psychology, philosophy, meaning. It all must bow to its authority.

Can I rely on the Word of God, the Holy Bible?
Yes.

The Old Testament is completely reliable. The Jewish scribe, Ezra was instrumental in bringing forward ancient texts from the patriarchs. The OT prophets and writings of David are more reliable than any other ancient document. Archeology continues to affirm the claims of Scripture.

The New Testament is also reliable. I've been fascinated and educated by Christian Pinto's research on the reliability of the King James Version. I like to compare the Martin Luther German to the KJV. I'm satisfied that the KJV is an accurate translation, true to the manuscripts brought to Europe after the fall of Constantinople. These manuscripts are probably the most reliable. Not the Vulgate, nor the Codex Sinaiticus. The KJV was translated from more reliable manuscripts.

I'm thankful for Tyndale, Wycliffe, and the Protestant reformers.

Finding an external authority for a philosophical compass is a beautiful, healing, refreshing thing. The Word of God is that compass for me.

Cool, clear water.

But the days are full of muddying influences. The Word of God is attacked, mocked, undermined. That has always been the case, but perhaps more so now.

As Satan tries to infiltrate Christian institutions he snatches those who are not philosophically anchored.

That's why bastions of Christianity like Harvard, Yale, and other Ivy league colleges are no longer bastions of faith. Satan has won his battles there.

But he doesn't win the war, and everyone should be asking---"Whose side am I on?"

The "intelligentsia"  and self named "intellectuals" who rule in these institutions are a godless lot of sinners. They deny Christ and His commands. They mock the Apostle Paul. They thumb their noses in the face of the living God who created them and all they see.

As Psalm 120 warns, they will get what they deserve.

Simple, childlike, even foolish faith wins in the end.

It's so refreshing in these warming days, days of end-time approach.

The misguided concern over politics and policy will become moot in an instant. The world players act out their parts in the ongoing timeline of Bible prophecy and we faithful ones watch expectantly. We know the end, we see the whole picture.

God wins.

The relief washes over me like cool, fresh water.

A Song of Praise

I magnify the LORD, for He is good.

He is coming as he said.

I praise Him for his blessings, children who follow righteousness, beauty all around me, food and drink, shelter and warmth. I praise Him for small warm Corgi bodies.

I thank the LORD for his goodness. He has promised to love me, forgive me, and help me.

He has done mighty things, even in my life!

He has brought me through dark waters and given me the hope of his coming.

MARANATHA!

He has given me His word, through his disciples and followers throughout the ages.

I will bless his name.

The earth rejoices in His goodness, sparkling sunshine, greens and blues, bursts of floral color. The creatures He made are His, and He provides for them. His goodness is beyond imagination.

My heart praises Him. He deserves all glory and honor.

I praise the LORD for His forgiveness, and I forgive in response to His work. How can I not forgive?

Bitterness may take no root in me.

My soul rests in His peace.

My spirit soars in His presence.

My body groans, but only for a short while.

Praise be to the LORD ON HIGH!


--------------------------------
Psalm 120 was my devotion today. Very inspiring.

The Cost

Believers know there will be a cost to their faith. It's promised in Scripture.

It's like a daily mystery discerning the current cost of following a life bent toward righteousness.

Friends, family, jobs, moods, time, joy, pain, even life itself---all can be costs that can have spiritual implications.

If someone is being a jerk there is a cost, but that hasn't a thing to do with faith.

The costs of a person for faith matters are far more nuanced. Satan does attack, and he can attack with finesse, hitting his target pretty accurately.

So how do we manage the costs? How do we buffer the attacks? How do we survive the wounds?

Examine our hearts. Is there sin in the heart? Idolatry? Winking at wrong-doing?
Fornication? Homosexuality? Bestiality? Adultery? Drunkenness? Dishonesty? Gossip? Gluttony? Envy? Pride? Anger? Lust? Sloth? Greed? Disobedience to parents? The Romans 1 list is a great check for the heart.

A pure heart seeks God, so these things cannot stay. Repentance is in order.
One must turn away from sin to face the wily attacks of the evil one.

It's the only way.

The mark of a believer is that he or she is saved by grace alone, but sin should have no place in daily life. Sinful habits will be painfully obvious to the true believer. Conviction of sin will be forthcoming.

So, turn. Repent. Get a clean heart before God and ask Him for the ability to fight the fiery darts of the devil. God answers prayer, and there are always reasons for His actions.

He may say no. He may use the trial to further His kingdom. He may instantly and boisterously answer!

That's happened a few times in my life. It seems nothing short of a miracle when God brings an immediate answer to prayer. I love reading about these types of answers. The costs of faith seem well reimbursed for these.

But sometimes the costs are like overhanging debts. No may be an answer, but it's hard to discern when you are waiting for someone to come to Christ and you've prayed for them for years. The answer may simply be no, but how do you know?

Patience, trust, and hope are our modus operandi in this counting of the cost. What else can we do?
The Lord will bring about His plan and His desires without regard to our feelings and desires.

But He can and will bring our desires around to His desires and fulfill them as He wills. That is giving us the desires of the heart. God's heart is the main thing.

So, we wait. We hope. We trust.
We pay the price of following a holy and righteous Creator. It's a cost that is manageable and pays great dividends.

It's not optional.

It's inevitable.

It's doable, but only by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Yes.

https://youtu.be/cCtDWFGFJD0

So much RIGHT

https://youtu.be/E-VSIdt_SKM

We’re tormented about a complex, tragic dilemma; they’re hate-filled bigots.

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/448850/liberal-elite-privilege-noblesse-oblige?utm_source=social&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=voegeli&utm_content=noblesse

Liberal Terrorism

https://grandmageri422.me/2017/06/21/person-searched-internet-using-these-words-and-landed-on-my-site-trump-voters-should-be-killed/

Just a Note:

The following post is a clip from Jan's show with Carl.
Carl stayed with us while he attended the paganicon event.
It was a good time of information gathering and fellowship. We were blessed.

Carl Teichrib on Jan Markel's Show

https://youtu.be/GNBsKWwavxg

Katy Perry

https://youtu.be/YMQRFT4bZuc

One Step at a Time

https://youtu.be/AR8biXn9FWI

Don't Miss

http://www.breitbart.com/video/2017/06/17/hannity-media-seeing-now-unelected-fourth-branch-govt-looking-retribution/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

The Day of the Lord

http://www.raptureready.com/2017/06/16/understanding-the-day-of-the-lord/

Must Reading

Bible School Days

These are the achingly sweet days of the year.

The last of the lightness, summer solstice is upon us. After dealing with anxiety a few years back I was affected by light, and dark, and made more aware of the planetary cycles of the earth around the sun. It had a personal effect on me.

Darkness lost its coziness, and light became hope filling.

So June had a special place of sonder for me.

I cling to beautiful moments, and that is my downfall. They are too fleeting.

I remember when I was a child going to Bible School for the weekdays close following the end of the public school year. Every summer we attended.

The birds were always at the peak of their songs, the grass was greener than it would be any other time of year. The skies were blue, and June clouds, fluffy and sheeplike were always sailing them.

The sun was warm, hot in the afternoons when we played dodgeball, kickball, and Red-Rover.

The mornings we sat in the cool church basement with small dull scissors and glue, the smell of damp and crafts still lingers in my mind.

We sang "Deep and Wide," "The Countdown Song," "I'm in the Lord's Army!"

Over and over.

The flannelgraph told the story from the Bible, the paper doll characters acting out the miracles of Jesus, Daniel in the lions' den, Elijah and the widow, Moses and the Hebrew Children.

A brown sack held a peanut butter sandwich. Orange drink from the dairy.

Bible memory time----how many verses did I learn, year after year? They are still with me.

In the afternoon there was a missionary story. We learned all sorts of exciting things about the world. We saw how Jesus changed people completely, wholly, fully.

More songs, more play, a snack. Driving home in the hot car (no A/C those days!) and sleeping hard until the next day.

June days. Bible School is a wonderful memory. One wonders how many lives were shaped by those five short days a year.

Mine was. There took root in me a love for Jesus and his ways while I was still a very young child. I haven't left Him, and He hasn't left me.

My journey has been full of peaks and valleys (like all of us!) but I've had that inner peace of knowing my LORD through it all.

I don't have a shocking story. The LORD didn't save me from a life of waste. I know that I would be a different person for not the Lord's presence. I am His, and HE is mine.

I have the steady, peaceful, quiet testimony of the truth of God's Word in my life. All of my life.
And I know something that few do: IT'S NOT ABOUT THIS LIFE!

It's about the next one, the one that lasts for an eternity.

Because I know the importance of this eternal existence I will not stop talking about, writing about, posting about, living this gospel truth. Jesus is what it's all about.

And if you don't know this, you need to. I beg you! No one is aware of their last moment, and if you breathe your last and don't know Jesus you will have lost everything. Regret is eternal.

Please follow Christ.

We can't go back to Bible School days. Does anyone do Bible school like that anymore?

But Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, forever. Always loving, always forgiving, always speaking to your heart about His truth.

Accept Him now.

I realize that becoming a believer is a spiritual transaction. Spiritual eyes must be opened. I realize that God opens them. If you have any inkling of wanting to repent and believe the Holy Spirit is "knocking" at the door of your heart.

Invite Him in.

You could die in a car accident this morning, a plane this afternoon, a heart attack this evening!  You could be diagnosed with incurable cancer.

Don't face the next moments without Jesus.  He gives us the hope and purpose, the reason for life we need to face this existence.

There is no other religion that compares, and Jesus Himself said that He is the only way. All other religions are false. Have you found eternal peace apart from Jesus?

No. It's impossible.

Even "Christianity" has been perverted by the New Age beliefs, traditions that crept in from paganism, false doctrines, bad Bible translations....

It's up to you to distill the truth about Jesus, and allow Him to guide you on the path of obedience to His Word.

I WILL harp on this. Day in, day out. As a prophecy watcher (God's Words always come to pass!) I see signs of the these times which denote the "last days."

These are the last days.

Israel exists again. (The dry bones of Ezekiel have come to life!)
The New World Order/One World Government is in the works and has the majority of the world under its power already. (Globalism, climate concerns, vaccinations, socialism, elite money managers, the Illuminati)
The earth is groaning. (Mass die-offs, ocean pollution, incoming space events, chemtrails, increased earthquake activity, weather events)
The church is giving in to apostasy. (Moral failure, disobedience, selfishness, hatred)
Signs in the heavens are telling us it's over! (The Gospel in the Stars, planetary movement, sun activity)

We don't have long. It could be days, months, years, decades or even centuries, but it's all happening so fast I don't think it's long. At least it may not be long for you or me.

Cancers are affecting half of the population! Famine is rearing its deadly head. Diseases are morphing into horrible, untreatable monsters. Will we lose the bees?

That question concerns me. You do know that if we lose bees our lives will alter completely. Yes. It's true. Bees are that important to our lifestyle. They pollinate fully a third of what we eat.

Do I sit here and worry about all of this?

Of course not. I know I belong to the King of the Universe.

If you do not belong to Him, you SHOULD be worrying. You're living your "best life now" and that's no mistake. It won't get any better than this.

You need to turn to Christ. You need Him on so many levels----help for each day, for each challenge, for hope, for the future, for conquering death, for eternity.

Don't wait a moment.

Pray this prayer: (for help! You can pray what you want---)

Lord God, Please forgive me. I am a sinner. I need you to wash away my sin by your blood shed on the cross. You paid the punishment for my sin, and I believe you did that for me. I place my trust and hope in you, and I want to become your child. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit, and give me the strength to follow you each day. Thank you for saving my soul! Thank you for making my spirit to be born again!
Thank you for loving me, for guiding me, for saving me. Help me to turn away from sin, to repent. In JESUS' PRECIOUS NAME,
AMEN!

Hell

https://youtu.be/IOhOynR9Jxg

No, It Isn't Just One

The shooting this morning by a Bernie Sanders campaign worker is not just a single weird event. The worldview of this individual is one that is prevalent in any person adhering to socialism.

Socialism kills.

There is a godless holding in the socialist's worldview and it leads to deadly acts of human nature. People are sinners. People do bad things.

That's why we need a Savior.

As Bible believers we must respond to people like this daily, taking their verbal abuse, grieving the results of their liberal fascism. You see, fascism doesn't allow for other viewpoints. It simply takes them out physically.

That is why the socialist/communist Chinese don't allow any Christians to speak of Christ's return.

It gives a hope that they cannot control.

They may allow Christianity, but not the promises of His return.

The socialist/ social justice Christians are the same way here in America. Socialism robs the hope from any human trusting in Christ's answers, Christ's return, Christ's prophecies.

There is a correlation.

So abandon the hopelessness of socialism. There is no solution there. The only solution to the world's problems is JESUS CHRIST!

Repent and believe today.

Today is the day of salvation.

Summer Begins

The first full week of vacation starts this morning, and it's gorgeous.

After a day of apocalyptic weather here in the Minneapolis region yesterday we are enjoying cool temps and sunny skies.

Yesterday there were drifts of hail like I've never seen before. Unreal. They had to pull out the snowplows in my old hometown of Coon Rapids! Really, something strange happened.

Cherie begins her horse riding "lessons" this morning. As much fun as owning a horse would be I think we're going to wait until the millennium for that. Then we'll each have several horses, surely. For now "renting" one each week for a few hours works pretty well.

Tomorrow Ed and Cherie start a writer's workshop. They both are pretty prolific writers. I'm hopeful that this workshop will hone their skills.

I'm a believer in homeschooling writers by reading out loud daily for an hour at the least. The books must be well-written, and for a level above their reading level. It's magical. The kids hear correct grammar and voice it in their minds.

Pronunciation can be a challenge, and that is important. Having raised avid readers I always laugh at quirky pronunciations by my children. They understand the meaning of the words perfectly, but having never heard it pronounced they mangle it. The joys of homeschooling!

Cherie has several works and Ed has had at least three blogs. My heart was warmed recently when I read Cherie's Wattpad post on the differences between Old Testament ceremonial law vs. Old Testament moral law. Someone was really paying attention! She articulated her thoughts masterfully.

Puppy news: Corwyn is quite the wild child lately. She seems perfectly content at Corgi Hollows. Topi enjoys tussling with her still, despite puppy nips on his ears. Blackberry still struggles with acceptance, except when they are outside together. She acts like a mother figure, then. Corwyn is darling. She continues to be fetchingly Corgi-ish. Everyone who sees her melts.

There are sad things in the our world right now: a young woman we know has been diagnosed with a rare form of virulent breast cancer.  Please pray for her. Her path is tenuous and hard.

A young family we know needs lots of prayer. Life changes. Hard ones.

Everywhere we look there are new cancer diagnoses, hardships, and dissolution. Some people are struggling with political changes, spiritual changes, or circumstantial changes. Life is hard!

It's time to look to the Chief Shepherd for His help in times of trial.

We are never far from trials. That is our earthly existence. We may weather one storm, but another is coming. It is always important to look into the face of Christ to get through each storm, and to have a loose hold on the material gains we've made.

Nothing lasts except the spiritual. Wood, hay, and stubble make up the things we've acquired here on earth, and everything passes through the fire.

Will there be jewels that emerge from the ashes? Eternal jewels? Eternal awards?

Let's hope so.

Our study last night touched on this concept of the Bema Seat.

Most people do not realize that there are TWO judgments coming. The Great White Throne judgment is the one where the sheep are separated from the goats, the sheep going to be with Christ and the goats to hell.

The Bema seat, the other judgment, is like an award ceremony for the sheep. Our lives will be reviewed for good and bad. Our salvation is already secure, but the things we did here on earth will be evaluated. Did we waste time? Did we do good? Where did we fail?

I don't believe there will be tears, but there may be some regret. There will be great rejoicing, too! Our King will be glorified by our good works!

So do good works, to glorify the King.

Do you know Christ?
He is the only way. It's true, Bernie Sanders! Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by HIM.

Repent today, and humble yourself before the Lord of the Universe.

Maranatha!

Interesting

https://youtu.be/tc1lbo6DHAk

Corgi Hollows

Work

A word about work:

I've been back to work since January. Five full months. I'm substitute teaching on the average of four days a week, working at the deli when Margaret doesn't want my shifts. The fifty hour weeks aren't happening anymore, and I'm grateful.

Those sort of weeks can be truly killers.

My life has changed, but I think for the better.

I appreciate more. I revel in the moments in the sunshine, sipping coffee or tea, watching my pets snoozing. I pick up a book with discretion, not abandon, and read judiciously.

I value my time.

I think I'd love being a painter, a knitter, a seamstress, but I have to plan these moments now. I can't just fritter away my time. I purposefully plan projects and MAKE time.

This is a good thing.

We humans are created for work. I think we'll have work to do in heaven. Wonderful, fun, fulfilling work.

But there is no reason to think that work can't be fun here too.

I enjoy subbing. I like the kids. I like the teachers. I like the school district I work for. I am happy to get phone calls from teachers planning their upcoming absences, instead of getting a generic call from Kelly Services. I like to look forward to a certain group of people.

And the deli is fun too. I am meeting people with interesting stories and lives. I take a certain amount of pride in little things, like slicing meat perfectly, hitting the exact weight desired by a customer. Why shouldn't I find a certain satisfaction in something so mundane?

Work is good.

I also mark my work here at home more astutely. Getting the laundry done, cleaning the kitchen, clearing out the endless accumulation of STUFF is a worthy calling. It's living. It's work.

It's good work.

Enjoying a perfect spring day in a perfect spot is all the more perfect because it can be savored more poignantly.

That's what I'm learning, a valuable lesson.

Corwyn Adjustments

Corwyn is a delight.

She's feisty. Feistier than Misty ever was. I'm taken aback by her fierceness some of the time. Little puppy teeth are SHARP, and we are all trying to teach her that biting too hard results in a startling "NO" from the victim. She's gradually learning.

Housetraining is slow. She has established her "den," which is the dining room/kitchen area and when no one is watching she hies to the nearest area rug---"grass"--- and takes care of necessities. Arrrgh.

Thankful for 409, Mrs. Meyer's Geranium Scented All-purpose Cleaner, and any other bottle of cleaning fluid at hand. This too shall pass.

She's not dumb. She's very smart!

Topaz, the buff black cat, thinks Corwyn is his personal playmate. We are endlessly amused by his somersaults and antics. We have to monitor this crazy playtime. He gets his beating from puppy teeth, and the two can really tussle.

By the end of the first week she was sleeping most of the night. That's progress!

Puppy days are fleeting. She will be a staid, responsible Corgi before we can even believe.

The constant vigilance will cease.

I would like to ask you to pray for something I cannot share about. The LORD knows what it is, but if you would be in prayer for this matter with me I would be so thankful. It's big. Perhaps at some time I can give a full report, but not now. For now I ask that you would simply pray for my Request.

Life is difficult, complex, hard, surprising, and, of course, unfair.

And wonderful. It's a gift from God.

As soon as we give up our expectations of life we find true happiness.

How many times have we heard that gratefulness is key to joy?
Contentment is key to living a satisfied life?
That poverty can be the freest existence?
People need food, water, and shelter, but some of the poorest people on earth appear to be the most satisfied with life.

There is a reason for that. Their dependence is on God's gifts, and not their own striving. God gives life. He promises to provide for us.

Until death.

I was thinking about death last night. We don't like to think about it, but everyone faces it. Everyone dies. Death can be so awful!

Such a horrible consequence to the fall of mankind.

It is a picture we must face and come to terms with.

I dread death, but the LORD has told me that death is swallowed up in victory. So I look to Him to help me face it, whenever it comes.

And I pray for His deliverance. The Rapture. Our blessed hope. We're heading out of this earthly home.

To know the Creator of the Universe is a privilege. To know that He created each one of us in His own image, knitting together our DNA in each womb, fashioning us according to His plan, is an awesome thought.

We are called to serve Him, to glorify Him. We exist because of Him, in Him, and through Him.
Anything else on our part is idolatry.

God is good. He is love. He is worthy of our praise.

I'm watching for His return, and until then I will live each day to His glory. I will thank Him for His uncountable blessings. I will give Him honor and praise. I will live the life of one who seeks to obey Him. I want to be counted as His friend.

"He who loves me keeps my commandments."

I will wait on Him, living each day that He gives to His purposes. This is my will.

I hope it is yours.

Good Summary of Globalism

https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/the-main-reason-for-the-hate-against-donald-trump?utm_content=buffera8e64&utm_medium=social&utm_source=endabortion%2Bfacebook&utm_campaign=buffer

Anthony Patch Interview!

Summer Thoughts

It's gorgeous again today. I work later this afternoon, but this morning I'm drinking coffee with Ed at the sunny table by the bay window.

Here are some birds I've heard and seen at Corgi Hollows:
Blue Jays
Cardinals
Chickadees
Nuthatches
Brown Thrashers
Goldfinches
Orioles
Flickers
Pileated Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Phoebes
Robins
Wrens
Bald Eagles
Hawks
Owls
Catbirds
Red-winged Blackbirds
Grackles
Starlings
Crows
Wood ducks
Sandhill Cranes
Mallards
Canada Geese
Chipping Sparrows
English Sparrows
Warblers
Pine Warblers
Pheasants
Scarlet Tanager---once

Most of these I see daily. The trees and swamps are alive with fowl.  We are blessed with interesting activity outside.

It's an endless source of entertainment and background noise.

Corwyn continues to adjust. There are the daily battles with Topi. We MUST watch them, because Corwyn doesn't like to let up in play, and Topi tolerates more than anyone else would! He's the best cat, but his instincts can kick in and that would be it for Corwyn.

She's sleeping pretty well at night, and that's nice.
She seems such a sensible puppy!

Blackberry has made acquaintance with Corwyn. The puppy has learned to give the old lady space and respect. There is a good vibe between them, but caution.

The grass is growing like crazy around here. Mowing season is upon us. Corn is planted and sprouted across the road, and I think it will obstruct our views by July. That's rural life.

There is still water in places that it wasn't for many years. The tables must be really high. We haven't had rain for a week, but it certainly is lush. I'm still trying to plant things. Maybe after school ends next week. I still have some subbing days next week.

Then it's vacation.

Margaret has been working steadily. She's getting ready for fall classes.
Cherie is done with Spring Track. She's reading, devouring books. Many books. Books she's read before, books she doesn't want to read (I "suggest"), books she wants to read----She's always got a book in her bag.
Ed is gearing up for a summer calculus class, but before that he gets to go to camp "Mak-a-Dream" in Montana again.

He really enjoyed being at that camp last summer, meeting other kids with cancer, and the entire experience. This camp is free for cancer patients, thanks to generous donors.

Our summer is already full.
The calendar is colorful with markered dates and appointments.

We are on the last months of cancer treatment. We have a date in sight to end chemo. It seems hard to believe, but it should come around.

Maranatha! I  can't help it. I just want the LORD to come back and take us to meet Him in the air.
It's going to happen. We just don't know when. All of our cancers, diseases, pain, depression, illnesses, trials, tribulations, hardships, issues GO AWAY!

How can we not hope for such a wonderful promise?!

God's Word is true. It's the only hope for this world.

Repent and believe, because it is your only option.

My world is full of light and dark, but I keep my eyes on the one thing I can trust, and have trusted my whole life---Jesus Christ, Savior. He is the light that gets me through the dark. I can't live without Him.

May HE be your light, too.

Bitterness

It seems strange to be thinking about such a bitter topic when one's world is so full of joy and peace, but perhaps I'm struck by the contrast and the incongruity of it in my own paradigm and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the bitterness that affects people more than they realize.

For starters, little Corwyn has joined our home.

I tried to adopt a rescue for about three months, applied at 4 different rescues, made inquiry. It was discouraging.

I asked about a rescue that was listed as a Corgi/Rat Terrier mix, only to find out that they had just guessed at the breed cross. Possibly no Corgi DNA at all!

I love dogs. I hate to see any dog destroyed or unloved. Blackberry is a mix of Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, and Rottweiler. I'm not a snob, but I do love Corgis, and Corgis are for Corgi Hollows. I had a Corgi hole, and now it's filled.

Corwyn is absolutely darling.

She is spunky and smart, and she's nestled her way into all or our hearts. We wish she could stay this small, but it's just not happening. She's already bigger five days into our time together!

She's growing fast, learning fast, and we are in love.

We enjoyed seeing the farmer and his wife where Misty was born. It was an interesting weekend.

On Thursday we drove down the Mississippi river valley to LaCrosse, WI to head east, through hill and dale, Platteville, and other Wisconsin River hamlets to Kenosha for a wedding. Arriving just in time to help decorate the reception area, afterwards we enjoyed a nice restful night. The wedding was at 3:00 the next day, so we spent a leisurely morning getting prepared.

After a lovely ceremony, (in the rain!) we celebrated the new bride and groom and met new friends at the reception, made lovely with lit candles and white flower arrangements---beautiful.

Bright and early on Saturday we left Kenosha and drove across Illinois and Iowa to Council Bluffs, where we had a Rendezvous with the sheep farmer.

Corwyn was instantly loved.

We brought her to my in-laws' home that night, and then finally home on Sunday. She seems to have accepted us as her new "pack" fairly readily.

It's been a good week at Corgi Hollows. The grass is practically waist high back in the pastures. The vines that keep the rain out of the porch have abundantly leafed. The nights are chilly, but the days are sunny and warm. Not too warm. Just right.

Life is good.

We have had a party and guests everyday since coming home. Everyone wants to meet Corwyn!

Life's a party.

I subbed today, and believe me, those teachers deserve a great amount of praise for these last days of the school year. The kids are just sky-high! I teach tomorrow too, and at least two days next week. Summer vacation is sounding great right now.

We had a scarlet tanager stop by. Astounding colored plumage, distinctive bird call. I loved seeing it.

If only we could live in our own bright little worlds.
But we cannot. We must foray into the depth and darks of life on Earth. We must meet discouragement with understanding and love. We must become sensitive to the needs of others who do not believe the way we do.

Today, as President Trump spoke about the climate initiative on BBC my eye followed the scrolled comments on Facebook regarding the speech.

Not one positive comment, just bitterness rolling out in waves and waves. I think Trump is perhaps the most hated man on earth. People cannot fathom him.

I have lost one friend over this election of Trump. May I remind you that I never liked Trump. I just could not possibly vote for Hillary Clinton. One may think horrors of Donald Trump. The horrors of Hillary were far worse in my opinion. My former friend doesn't agree. There has been a bitter declaration of Trump hatred and a snuffing out of friendship.

Sad. Bitterness. Damage.

There are always many factors in every relationship. There's give and take, understanding, or lack thereof.
Sometimes there are proximity issues. Time. Every friendship battles the mundane distractions of life. It's just so upsetting when philosophies become the dividing forces, and although understandable, I grieve over it.

I wish things weren't the way they are.

I wish people could agree to disagree and still be friends.

It just doesn't work that way. There are always the ones that need to convince you you are wrong, or misguided.

Of course I know the Bible is right. I'm pretty strongly aligned on that premise. But I will talk to you, love you, help you, get to know you ----and keep you as my friend despite a major breach in our philosophies.

Really.

I've been convicted of loving those who aren't very loveable. We're supposed to do that, too.

Some of us have that opportunity every day, every minute, every time we go to work!

So I conclude that those who cannot bridge that philosophical gab may be harboring a spirit of bitterness, and that will finally take its toll on the soul.

 Bitterness hurts. It makes the bones brittle. It gnaws at the heart. It sullies friendships. I know. I fight it too, even when my world is practically perfect. There is always someone who rains on my parade.

So I say this in love and understanding: Don't let bitterness grow in your heart. It will kill you.

As bad as Obama was for Bible believers, bitterness inducing policies---pro abortion, pro homosexual, pro Islam, we all weathered the eight year drought and made it through. The same will be true for the anti-Trump crowd. Weathering conditions is the human experience.

It's fatal when bitterness takes over, though. Truly.

Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you.
Wise words from the author of creation.

May you find strength to forgive, to love.