Is 24 Hours Always 24 Hours?

Can anyone tell me why thirty days in June is only half as long as thirty one days in January? June days are longer in terms of daylight hours than January. Wouldn't you think the month would seem longer than it does!

Perhaps south of the equator the opposite is true.
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How to Get Rid of Those Pesky Fruit Flies in the Kitchen

There are simple remedies to get rid of those pesky fruit flies or gnats that flit around the kitchen in the summertime. They don't really hurt anything...they're simply annoying and ever-present.

Here's a simple remedy that I used this week.

Place a tablespoon of cider vinegar and about a 1/4 cup of water in a small glass or jar. Place plastic wrap over the jar. If you wish, you can secure it with a rubber band. Poke several holes in the plastic with a tooth pick. You want the holes to be large enough for gnats to crawl through. Once inside the jar they seem to be unable to find their way back out through those same holes. They're sorta klutzy that way.

I've read where others add a teaspoon of dish detergent to the vinegar. I suppose that tends to cause them to be unable to retreat from the vinegar but I did not do that. The jar I rinsed out this morning had two dozen of the critters - dead in the vinegar.

Don't Waste Your Cancer! Or How To Rightly View Your Circumstances

A couple weeks ago I read a message by John Piper written when he had prostrate cancer in early 2006. The message, entitled "Don't Waste Your Cancer" contains ten points that he makes in regards to cancer in our lives and how we, as Christians, should not "waste" the circumstance of it. It has been expanded with comments by David Powlison, so please note that paragraphs marked by "DP" are in addition to Piper's original message.

I won't copy Piper's message here in its entirety. You can go to the message itself to read or print it in full. Piper mentions ten points so you will want to read it all. But here I want to share point #5. Here's what he said:

"You will waste your cancer if you think that “beating” cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ."

Piper continues with this explanation: "Satan’s and God’s designs in your cancer are not the same. Satan designs to destroy your love for Christ. God designs to deepen your love for Christ. Cancer does not win if you die. It wins if you fail to cherish Christ. God’s design is to wean you off the breast of the world and feast you on the sufficiency of Christ. It is meant to help you say and feel, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” And to know that therefore, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 3:8; 1:21)."

I believe that my cancer was part of God's plan for my life before the foundation of the world, before creation began, before I was born. King David, in prayer to God, says it this way in Psalm 139:16 - "Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them."

God is sovereign and awesomely more than we imagine in our wildest dreams. Our lives are like "little stories" that are part of God's "Big Story". From our personal viewpoint we tend to think that it is "our" lives that are "big". And they are! But when considering our miniscule lives in context with the Eternal Almighty Creator God, we must admit that we are just a bit of fluff in terms of time, space and eternity. And when we begin to realize that...that we are the created and that He is our Creator, the one who works in all aspects of our lives, the one who saves us from ourselves, the one who rescues us from the dominion of darkness (Colossians 1:13), when we begin to realize the awesomeness of that, then we are compelled to bow down in humble and grateful thanks. No matter what.
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Tweet, Twitter, and Today's News

I used to think it would be a form of hell-on-earth to reside bed-bound in a nursing home with total inability to speak or move and all the while the TV is spewing some soap-opera. (I intensely dislike soap operas.) One step towards even worse hideousness would be if the TV were tuned to one of those "reality" shows. (Yah, right, they know a lot about reality. Let them live my life for awhile. That's reality. Snicker. ) But the absolute worst scenario would be if I were forced to endure the spew of today's non-stop so-called news channels.

I long for the days when the evening news presented "just the facts, ma'am". No editorializing. No opinionating by commentators who opinionate 24/7.

But NOW! Now they not only pontificate about their own opinions and invite a host of "guests" to add Their Opinion, but they also invite YOUR opinion by tweet or twitter or whatever. Do you realize how really un-profound that is? That somehow my opinion appearing at the bottom of the screen of some national news show is actually important? Is it going to change anything? Is it going to cause someone with decision-making powers to sit up and take notice that, "Hey, she really has a good idea there! Let's listen! Let's put it into action! Let's pass a law!" What! News is now a social event?

Twittering as a social media is fun. I follow a couple friends/family that way. I enjoy the banter that takes place and sometimes they point me to interesting topics. But when I turn on the news channel, I want to hear the news. Just the Facts, Please! Puhleeeeze!
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Yiddle Makes Yiddle Cookies!!!

I'm in a hurry this morning as my brother and I are visiting the VA hospital 65 miles down the road. So today I'm referring you to Yiddle who has posted a yummy recipe for "I Love Lemon" cookies. She makes them bitesize which means you'll end up eating a whole handful instead of one or two! Yikes, Yiddle!!!
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A Word of Wisdom About Your Birthday

Today's headlines mention Nine Nasty Online Scams. You can bop on over there to read about them if you wish.

But I have a word of wisdom as well. I read a number of blogs and am surprised by the number of people who post their full name AND their birth date including year. I read one lady who posted all four of her children's names/birthdays. (I can't remember her name so if I am stepping on toes, please forgive me. It's just that this does not seem like a good idea to me.)

My advice? Don't do that! And if you already have done so, go back and delete those posts.

I've mentioned previously about ourselves being the victim of ID theft. Both events occurred after using our credit and debit cards at local restaurants. You know how it goes! They bring you the bill in a padded folder, you view the bill, place your card confidently inside the folder, and off goes the waiter with YOUR credit card in hand. You'd better hope he/she doesn't have one of those small pocket size devices that can READ your card's data. With that data the dirty low down crook thief has the ability to charge to your account or to take money from your bank account. IT HAS HAPPENED TO US! Word of Advice? Never let your card out of your sight. You can read more about that kind of fraud and what you can do about it if it has happened to you on previous posts here.

P.S. I forgot to mention the time someone used Hubby's name/SS# to get a driver's license several states away from our residence. We found out about it when a collection agency sent us a notice for $$ owed for multiple parking tickets on a college campus. The crook even had a personalized license plate indicating he was using our name. While we were able to convince the agency/State/SocSec that this was a fellow using false ID, and even tho they were able to track this guy, none of them could give us his name or other info due to his "right to privacy". Yah! Right!

When Chemo Takes Your Hair, Don't Forget the Sympathy Factor!

Yesterday I had to attend a meeting of various agency people where we each had input as to where the issue should hence go forward. One of the persons is an attorney representing one of the other participants.

In the past this attorney has been very stern, very protective of his client, very suspicious of my inputs.

Yesterday, knowing I had chemo, and seeing me present myself with a scarf on my head and eyebrows drawn on by hand (not crookedly, I hope), he was a much more kindly and pleasant in our interactions. He even nodded his head in full agreement with one of my spoken concerns.

We have to appear in court on this issue in three weeks. I'm considering going bald. I'm thinking the "startle factor" might cause my words to be heard more carefully by all.

(You do know that I am being facetious, don't you? I don't think I have the guts. )
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