04.08.2024

42°F SW15mph SR0531(0631DST) SS1838(1938DST)

Morning Offering given

Village sleeps

Coffee good, good sleep, Monday has arrived and we begin again

Yesterday was Divine Mercy Sunday
https://youtu.be/WQPLAAQowmE?si=V79uXFrixAbIuYb6

Remember when Peter was denying Christ and Christ looked up and stared at him? Can you imagine the shock that went thru Peter when he realized Christ knew he was denying him? Knew he had denyed him and the shame Peter must have felt for doing so? That shame is a good feeling to feel. It motivates one into action… may the action it motivates in you be one that takes you running into Christ’s arms begging his forgiveness for your human response to fear. May you realize how deeply you have fallen into the pit. May you clearly recall all the gifts and favors Christ has given you. May you repent, turn your life around, and walk faithfully with Christ.

Do you remember this little song? It’s a quick easy way to teach about avoiding the near occasion of sin. (A near occasion of sin isn’t a sin but an occasion where one may be tempted. To put oneself in such a situation is imprudent without a sufficient cause, but not always sinful in itself. However, if one deliberately puts oneself in such a situation in the hope of sinning, one has already sinned by willing to sin.)

O be careful little eyes what you see
O be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little ears what you hear
O be careful little ears what you hear
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little ears what you hear

O be careful little tongue what you say
O be careful little tongue what you say
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little tongue what you say

O be careful little hands what you do
O be careful little hands what you do
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little hands what you do

O be careful little feet where you go
O be careful little feet where you go
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little feet where you go

O be careful little heart whom you trust
O be careful little heart whom you trust
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little heart whom you trust

O be careful little mind what you think
O be careful little mind what you think
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little mind what you think
So, be careful little mind what you think

Know you are prayed for.

03.26.2024

42°F WSW18mph SR0554(0654DST) SS1823(1923DST)

Morning Offering given

Village wet, rain falls…thankful for moisture

Coffee blah

Tuesday of Holy Week, where’s your heart today? With Jesus as he continues his journey to Calvery or shopping for clothing, candy, and food. Out of curiosity will the shoping get you to heaven? In all honesty, I have not had a faithful Lent. My days are too busy and too focused on the world.

On the last Esken book… with this one I will have read them all. They are excellent.

Know you are prayed for.

03.24.2024…Palm Sunday

27°F SE17mph SR0558(0658DST) SS1820(1920DST)

Morning Offering given

Village covered in snow, sleeping

Coffee good

I’m thinking we got a couple of new inches of snow over night. Won’t last long. Temps are already raising. The call is for rain later and into tomorrow. I praise and give thanks for the much needed moisture.

Yesterday I lost my temper with a person I had never met. I took a friend to the Amish Auction in Readstown yesterday morning at 7. We were less than 1000 feet to the auction house drive when an out of state van (IL or MN) passed me (on gravel) and squeezed between and oncoming buggy and the buggy ahead of me. Causing both buggies to hug their respective ditches. The eyes of the woman driver coming toward me were so frighten I doubt I will forget them. I pulled into the parking lot behind him, let my friend out and marched over to the offending van knocking on his driver door window. He opened his door. A wisp of an elderly man in the driver’s seat… I said… “What in the HELL were you thinking? Were you trying to kill all of us?” He said nothing, just sat quietly waiting for me to finish. I continued with ” it is drivers like you who have no regard for others on the road, who are too impaitent to wait another 1000 feet to turn off, that kill entire van loads of people. If you didn’t see those buggies before you passed me you need to have your eyes examined or your head because you almost killed that woman in the on coming buggy!” His van was full of people. I turned and left. Some people shouldn’t be allowed to drive. I need to go to confession. His actions still aggitate me this morning.

Speaking of confession… no one was in the confession last evening… there hasn’t been anyone to hear confessions in over 3 yrs in that confessional. Not that there wasn’t someone able to be there, it is just always empty so no confessions are heard. The service was fast, speedy and lacking for Palm Sunday… But, we were invited to travel to another town for confession and a beautiful Mass. I won’t be traveling in that direction anytime soon. I will head to IA for Easter with our family… there won’t be any services in my regular parish for any of Easter week. The Spanish community will however have Mass there with their priest.

Easter candy is bagged and ready to give out this next week to 5 of my special needs friends. I hope they smile when they receive them.

I am still in the desert, searching for water… all the watering holes I’ve come across thus far are dry or full of mud.

Know you are prayed for.

03.19.2024 1st Day of Spring & Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

30°F WNW20mph SR0606 (0706DST) SS1814 (1914DST)

Morning Offering given

Village sleepy and quiet… so much for all those DST’ers getting out and about because of more daylight.

Coffee good… maybe it will calm the snarkiness I woke up with. The question is do I want it too?

Hay Auction today at the Produce Building.

CFAB… Meeting tomorrow 6pm in HS Bandroom. Volunteers needed for Solo & Ensemble April 6th.

BTM…Bike To Mary…sign up
https://www.facebook.com/BiketoMary/ if you’d like to see what it is about
https://www.goodstreams.org/videogallery/bike-to-mary-pilgrimage/

IF… team must have heard me griping about the slowness… as the little daily article they sent talks about it. I’m still at it and will continue with it until I reach my goal. No matter how long it takes.

NT… coming along. I feel differences and that’s really all that matters.

Cpap… made the call will pickup up new head gear and hose on friday.

Headlines this morning…Just to name a few…
CDC Overestimating Maternal Death Rated in America,Study Finds
Toby Keith Earns 2024 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction
James, Russell Lead Lakers to Big Win Over Visiting Hawks
Concerns of Torture Raised Over Witness Testifying in Jimmy Lai Trail
10 Killed in Port-Au-Prince Suburb as Tensions Rise in Haiti
Freedom Caucus Urges House GOP to ‘Force’ Border Security Measures in Govt Spending
Judge’s Jury Instructions Hold Door Wide Open to Trump Win in Classified Document
Eric Schwerin Testifies Joe biden and the Biden Family Used Alias Email Accounts
Still No Deal to Avert Shutdown as Deadline Approaches

Scripture Readings: 2 Sam 7-16; Ps 89:1-29; 2 Ro 4:13-22; Mt. 1:16-24
Scripture Verse: Ps 84:5 “Blessed are those who dwell in your house, O Lord; they never cease to praise you.”

Please send up prayers for successful surgery for my g’dd SA.

Know you are prayed for.

03.15.2024

35°F NW12mph SR0614 (0714DST) SS1809 (1909DST)

Morning Offering given

Village sleeps

Coffee dripping

IF coming along, I’m in wk 22 of 25 weeks. I feel fairly good. The program needs lots of water and lots of movement to work. Not to mention one being faithful to the eating and fasting periods. The weight has been a slow prosess for me. The loss of inches has done well. I’m thinking this is something I will continue to do for at the least 25 more weeks.

NT is time consuming and expensive. It is however working so in both cases it has been worth it. Both of my feet have feeling in them. The wearing sock feeling is still there but they are not tight in feel. It is a struggle to keep up due to my busy daily schedule. But doable as the program is only 90 days long. I will not miss the suppliments.

Cpap, I am sleeping better, with fewer events each hour. Using this machine is a pain in the patoot… that’s as nice as I can be about it. I still believe there must be a non invasive/none machine way of taking care of this. It is daunting to think this is a forever thing and worse knowing they are keeping tabs on me.

The one thing I have learned during all of this is I don’t like being restricted in any way shape or form. Although things are working, I’m not so sure it is worth the expense or the hassle. I’m not so sure this is where I should concentrate my efforts in life.

Auction today at the produce building. Fresh donuts will be there by 6:30 this morning. Lots of sale items in the lot. Its looking to be a windy day with cooler temps. This begins the weekly auctions at the Produce Auction. https://growersproduceauction.com/

Scripture Readings for today Wisdom 2:1-22; Psalm 34:17-23; John 7:1-30
Scripture Verse Matthew 4:4b “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

Are you still working on that list I asked you about yesterday? Keep adding to it today.

Know you are prayed for.

03.14.2024

42°F NE12mph SR0615 (0715DST) SS1808 (1908DST)

Morning Offering given

Village peacefully

Deespest sympathy to my friend Jody Mc on the passing of her mother. May she rest in peace.

Coffee strong

The Green Farm has it’s fliers out for ordering natural pastured raised meats Broilers. Turkeys, Guineas, Rabbit Pigs. If you are interested let me know I will get a flier to you.

IF on track

NT rountine completed till evening.

Cpap on and off all night long. Just couldn’t get comfortable with it.

First auction of the season at the produce building on Fri (tomorrow). Went by there yesterday and items were being brought in. Am hoping to sneak a peak sometime today.

J Troyer auction is this Saturday on Melrose.

Scripture Readings for today… Ex 32:7-14, Ps 106:19-23, Jn 5:31-47
Verse for today Jn 3:16

Should anyone know of a small house rental in the country send me the info pls. Within a 20 mile radius of Cashton.

The drum came for the printer yesterday. That made me happy. Still waiting for the labels.

Time to get the front porch cleaned and ready for Summer. Not time to take off the acrylic panels because we all know the minute that happens it will snow.

So I gotta ask… how goes it with you and Jesus? Been working on the relationship? Time consuming isn’t it? Knowing him changes things… well just about everything doesn’t it? I’m challenging you today to get out your journal (if you don’t have one get one) make the list… everything you wouldn’t want Jesus to know about you. Yep, I’m serious… all those things you think make you less get ’em on paper, all those bitter things you hold inside, write ’em down. Get it out of your head and onto paper. When you think of more later, write them down.

Know you are prayed for

03.12.2024

49°F WSW12mph SR0619 (0719DST) SS1806 (1906DST)

Morning Offering given

Village sleeps… of course it is, it’s really only 415 in the morning!!

Coffee is good

HAPPY BIRTHDAY… Jason!

IF… on track

NT… morning routine completed

Cpap… used

Scripture for today… Ez 47:1-9, Ps 46:2-9, Jn5:1-6
Verse for today… A clean heart create for me, O God; renew within me a steadfast spirit. Do not drive me from before our face, nor take from me your holy spirit. Restore to me the gladness of your salvation; uphold me with a williing spirit. Ps 51: 12-14

Be sure to check out who the remaining presidental candidates are. There are more than you think. Too bad the news media chooses to let you think there are only 2 left in the running. Don’t be a sheep… get off your duff and go do the research on your own. Don’t let anyone convince you that a vote cast for anyone other than the two front runners is wasted. What are you looking for in a candidate? Which one will lead the nation? Which one is working for you the citizen? Which one emulates your beliefs/values/etc? No vote is ever wasted… don’t buy the lie.

Know you are prayed for.

03.06.2024

22°F ESE9mph SS0629 SS1758

Morning Offering given

Coffee what is it about that first sip, from the cup from the first fresh brewed pot. Takes me somewhere else.

The man is off this morning with Noah won’t see him till late tonight

NT… who would think it would be so difficult to find 35 mins 2xs daily to do this? But I do, and it’s working for me, or I’m kidding myself into thinking it is. Either way the tight sock feel on my feet is lessening, the toes on my left foot feel much better and less and less like little fat sausages, the toes on my right are better but still feel like fat sausages for a part of the day.

IF… need to keep at the water consumption… it is a must for everything to work together properly.

Cpap… doing it, you know what I think. Yes, the events have lessoned greatly.

I have a handicapped van sitting in my garage. I need to find a day to get it in order. As in, power washing, and power airing the inside. Disgustingly filthy. It will be used twice a day, 3 days a week. It was insanely cheap, is in descent shape body wise and mileage wise. I will put covers on the seats. Don’t ask… really don’t ask. I tell you only because you will see it and ask… It was a weak moment… don’t ask.

Lent, lets talk about Lent. How’s it going for you? Did you get a special devotional for it? How is that? The one I got, I dislike, no not because it’s good thought provoker, but because it is too for lack of better wording, fluffy, progressive, and just not for me. I switched to the one I used last year. I feel unsatisfied- is that a good thing or bad?- time will tell. Perhaps my sights are set too high… can you do that in Lent?

Bible reading for today… Deut 4:1, 5-9; Ps 147:12-20; Mat 5:17-19
Bible verse for today… Jn 6:63c, 68c… Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; You have the words of everlasting life. Just something to repeat in your head throughout the day to keep you in touch with Jesus.

Firefighter/police employee… arrested for child enticement… pray for those involved in this.

Know you are being prayed for

03.05.2024

31°F NE7mph SR0631 SS1757

Morning Offering given… Jesus take me as I am, summon out what I should be, set your seal upon my heart, Holy Spirit dwell in me.

Coffee good

NT… morning routine completed

IF...continues. Ya know how sometimes when you suck in your gut it feels like you reach your backbone? This morning it feels like that.

Cpap… used/hated, dry mouth ugh. Need new mask, headgear, and hose. It’s farting at me.

Wild fires Texas panhandle & Canada: Powerlines destroyed, homes destroyed, towns evacuated, people & animals killed. Please pray for those who have lost everything and those who may be in the path of the fires. Anyone know how they started?

Scripture on Complete Conviction… John 3:19-21, 16:18, Acts 19:8, 28:24, 1John 3:19 Read them, mull them over.

Are you still cultivating your relationship with Jesus or have you fallen back into your old ways of going thru the motions without engaging your heart? Being a good friend is hard work, you know this. Don’t give up, if you find yourself just going thru the motions head to confession. Yeah I know doesn’t seem to be anyone in that confessional these days does there. What is the point of it if the priest isn’t present? What is the point if you have to make an appointment. Well hey, I got news for you… no one comes cause the priest is never there. The priest gives the impression its no big deal. People follow their lead. I hear they just don’t want to spend time there if no one comes. Perhaps they need to spend time there praying for their flock. Okay, rant over.

Hope your day is a good one.

Know you are prayed for.