ELOHIM IS IN CONTROL

Knowing that Elohim is ultimately in control is the only way I could relax and move forward.

The world is literally going to Hell … and my kids/grandkids are happily singing they are on the highway to hell.

BUT

I have prayed for them. I continue to pray for them. And I am confident that they will turn around at the junction and get back on track 😉

ALL of them were raised in a Christian home - a true Christian home, not a Sunday-only type of example. They ALL KNOW that Elohim is real.

Knowing that Elohim is ultimately in control is the only way I could relax and move forward.

Fear has no place in my Life.

And by 🙏 I will beat the hell out of it in their lives 👊

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I  share this every year because I need the reminder  myself 🥰

Don’t feel sorry for or fear for your kids because the world they are going to grow up in is not what it used to be.

God created them and called them for the exact moment in time that they’re in. Their life wasn’t a coincidence or an accident.

Raise them up to know the power they walk in as children of God.

Train them up in the authority of His Word.

Teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control.

Empower them to know they can change the world.

Don’t teach them to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world but hopeful that they can do something about it.

Every person in all of history has been placed in the time that they were in because of God’s sovereign plan.

He knew Daniel could handle the lions den.  

He knew David could handle Goliath.

He knew Esther could handle Haman.

He knew Peter could handle persecution.

He knows that your child can handle whatever challenge they face in their life. He created them specifically for it!

Don’t be scared for your children, but be honored that God chose YOU to parent the generation that is facing the biggest challenges of our lifetime.

Rise up to the challenge.

Raise Daniels, Davids, Esthers and Peters!

God isn’t scratching His head wondering what He’s going to do with this mess of a world.

He has an army He’s raising up to drive back the darkness and make Him known all over the earth.

Don’t let your fear steal the greatness God placed in them. I know it’s hard to imagine them as anything besides our sweet little babies, and we just want to protect them from anything that could ever be hard on them, but they were born for such a time as this.

~Alex Cravens

WHEN THE HEAT IS UNBEARABLE

Reposting from a friend's FB Page …

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Powerful and gave me chills … had to share ❤️

There was once a group of women studying the book of Malachi in the Old Testament. As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three, which says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” This verse puzzled the women, and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study.

That week this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The refining of silver process.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot – then she thought again about the verse, that he sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered “Yes”, and explained that he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be damaged.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”

He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy. When I see my image in it.”

The perfection stage of silversmith work.

If today you are feeling the heat of this world’s fire, just remember that God has His eyes on you.

The purification of silver process.

-Anne Kephart

BIG MAN HOUSE SLIPPER SOCKS~MOD Revised Unisex Slipper Socks

Warm, manly, house slippers for Holland ;-)

We were unprepared for this cold front - metro Tucson-AZ is unprepared for this cold snap :-(

Arizona is literally "the sunniest State in America": that's why we are here - to wear shorts, tee tops, and flip flops. We came South to escape the cold winter months; and all we have experienced here since Thanksgiving … is chilly, wet winter days.

But the snow and a hard freeze below the usual elevation marker, is a real shock.

For everyone … travelers, Resort hosts, highway patrols, ect.

We're leaving faucets dripping as nightfall arrives, and the heaters are going full force: RV's are not the warmest of homes, but we weren't concerned about being Road Gypsies "down South" because the sunshine and warmth was supposed to envelop us, practically around the clock. Arizona is the land of cactuses, lizards, and tortoises.

Resort Lawn Décor; Arizona things - coral snake, saguaro cactus, & tortoise.

Currently, we are parked at the Lazydays KOA Resort in Tucson-AZ. It's a very nicely laid out Resort, and we are enjoying ourselves - we could enjoy ourselves more if we weren't freezing in our thin clothing … but we don't argue with Elohim Plan ;-)

LAZYDAYS KOA RESORT~Tucson-AZ Post (forgive my appearance - we had spent s few days boondocking in the desert: water was a precious commodity until we parked here to do laundry, shower, ect.): https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/01/lazydays-koa-rosorttucson-az.html

This snowy mountaintop is what we saw when we woke up this morning - seen up there, felt down here in the lowland metro area. Holland is appreciating his new slippers … and I am basking in my "wifyness" (is that even a real word???)

No matter - I'm feeling {it}, so that in MPO makes it a real thing :-)

Unexpected snow; seen on the hilltops … felt here, in the metro valley area.

My revised slipper pattern for Holland.

The slippers were started last night around 10:30 PM (laid aside around midnight), and finished up this morning, around 10 AM.

These slippers make up very quickly - I would have finished them last night, but I started them late in the evening, and thought it prudent to get some shut-eye around midnight ;-)

This pattern I am posting is a revamped 1976 slipper sock pattern.

I revised it because the sizing does not fit my big man's big feet.

Holland is 6'4": he has feet to match.

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MOD BIG MAN HOUSE SLIPPER SOCKS~Revised Unisex Slipper Socks

Materials: Worsted weight yarn - 2 skeins wound together (may be a solid color, or 2 contrasting colors); size #J hook, tapestry needle

Gauge: in sc, with 2 strands together = 5 sts & 5 rows is 2 inches

Terms Used:

sc = single crochet

sl st = slip st

ch = chain

st = stitch

ea = each

rnd = round

rpt = repeat

bk = back

dec = decrease

EO = end off

T = turn

Note: Slipper is worked with 2 strands of yarn, together, throughout.

TOE SECTION:

Rnd 1: Ch 2; work 5 sc into 2nd ch from hook to form a circle. Mark last st of this rnd, then move marker to mark the end of each proceeding row.

Rnd 2: Work 3 sc into ea sc around: you should have 15 sc.

Rnd 3: *2 sc in 1st sc, sc in ea of the next 2 sc, rpt from * around: 20 sc.

Rnd 4: *2 sc in 1st sc, sc in ea of the next 3 sc, rpt from * around: 25 sc.

Rnd 5: Increase  3 sc evenly around: 28 sc.

Start of slipper.

Work even on these 28 sc for a total of 20 rnds. DO NOT EO

BACK SECTION: Ch 13

Ready to start second half.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in ea of the next 12 ch; sc in each of the toe section sts, and then sc on the opposite 12 sts of the foundation chain. Ch 1-T

You should have a total of 55 sts.

From now on, sc in the bk loops (loops away from you) of ea sc.

Rows 2 thru 12: Sc in bk loops of ea sc across; ch 1-T

Ribbed section.

DECREASE ROUNDS:

Row 1: Sc in ea of the next 26 sc, dec over the next 2 sts as follows - draw up a loop in ea of the next 2 sts (3 loops on hook, YO, and pull yarn through all 3 loops on hook) - twice, continue with sc in ea of the next 26 sc; ch1-T

Row 2: Sc in ea of the next 25 sc, dec twice - as before, continue with sc in ea of the next 25 sc; ch1-T

Row 3: Sc in ea of the next 24 sc, dec twice - as before, continue with sc in ea of the next 24 sc; ch1-T

Finishing: Fold back section in half, carefully matching sts. Sl st inside loops of sides together. EO and weave in loose ends.

Sl st closed back seam.

Nice back seam. Finished slipper; nice and warm.

Unexpected & unusual COLD weather ahead … the sunny days carry a bitterly cold wind. BRRR!

EXPECTATIONAL EXPERIENCES; Tucson-AZ

I was up early this morning, so I finished up Holland's slippers :-)

I finished Holland's slippers this morning.

And he slipped his feet into them as he drank his morning coffee … and groused about the snowy hilltops.

And they are keeping his feet toasty warm ;-)

BIG MAN HOUSE SLIPPER SOCKS~MOD Revised Unisex Slipper Socks: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/01/big-man-house-slipper-socksmod-revised.html)

There was visual snowfall in the hills surrounding Tucson's metro area; seen from our front door, this morning: Lazydays KOA Resort, Tucson-AZ

Poor Holland - BOTH times he's been in AZ … it has snowed!

We'll be leaving Tucson on Thursday, and Holland's been good about getting Bleu and I out of the house most afternoons; I think he understands now that we all do better when we are out and about for a little bit - it doesn't have to be a spectacular event … just a short drive, will do :-D

We went for another exploratory drive this afternoon, and saw snow-dusted mountain tops along the way …

We enjoyed a retro-style 'In & Out' Burger and fries for lunch - definitely a repeat!

Bright spot of color on a cold Monday afternoon; Tucson-AZ

Roadside art sculpture near home; Tucson-AZ

We really like Arizona, and if we ever decide to sink roots in one place … it will be in Arizona :-)

THE DAY IS TODAY …

Barely the day started and... it's already six in the evening.

Barely arrived on Monday and it's already Friday.

And the month is already over.

And the year is almost over.

And already 40, 50 or 60 years of our lives have passed.

And we realize that we lost our parents, friends.

And we realize it's too late to go back – everything passed us by while we were waiting for the ‘right time’ to get started.

So: let's try, despite everything, to enjoy the remaining time.

Let's keep looking for activities that we like.

Let's put some color in our grey.

Let's smile at the little things in life that put balm in our hearts.

And despite everything, we must continue to enjoy with serenity this time we have left.

Let's try to eliminate the “after’s”.

I'll do it after...

I'll say it after...

I'll think about it after...

We leave everything for later like {after} is ours.

Because what we don't understand is that:

Afterwards, the coffee gets cold.

Afterwards, priorities change.

Afterwards, the charm is broken.

Afterwards, health passes.

Afterwards, the kids grow up.

Afterwards parents get old.

Afterwards, promises are forgotten.

Afterwards, the day becomes the night.

Afterwards life ends.

And then it's often too late.

So; let's leave nothing for later.

Because waiting, we can lose the best moments; the best experiences.

Best friends,

The best family.

The day is today.

The moment is now.

We are no longer at the age where we can afford to postpone what needs to be done right away.

Live your life.

Don’t wait for the right time.

It doesn’t exist.

2024 VOTING BALLOTS

OBAMANITE-DEMONRAT INSANITY.ACTUAL DOMESTIC TERRORISM - supported by the obama-biden cartel.

Rabid liberal elites want us to care about January 6: and they are making it a sticking point in the 2024 Election Cycle.

But they flippantly don't care when our cities burn, businesses are blatantly ransacked by belligerent thieves, and jobs are lost due to the politically supported destruction that was applauded by the demonrat-obamanite party over the spring and summer months of 2020, where the ASS Party politicians and talking heads gleefully took to the mic and gave verbal support to the violent blm terrorists that held neighborhoods hostage as thousands of businesses were looted, damaged, or totally destroyed.

These elites don't seem to think much concering all the lives, and livlihoods, lost to fallout; they aren't concerned at all concerning the estimated $2 billion in damage after the DC sanctioned riots across America, egged on by dimwitted politicans and brainwashed {higher-educated} minions. America cannot continue as a properly functioning democracy if our great cities are self-destructing. It should be the top concern of every elected official.

Instead, all they are concerned about is their own self-importance and grandstanding in front of cameras glorifying what amounted to a day-long temper tantrum: one marred by crime and violence.

The demonrat-obama sector of society has done their damndest to turn America into a 3rd world country, WHILE trying to demonize an actual President and 99% of AMERICANS who love this country and want to see it remain FREE AND PROSPEROUS.

The obamanite-demonrat narcissism is staggering. But it goes much deeper than that. Pitting groups against each other and stoking fear and anger is how our elites … our politicians and journalists among them … keep themselves in power, while average Americans are left with the tragic aftermath.

Remember THAT TRUTH while chewing over who to vote for.

PENCIL IN TRUMP'S NAME ON 2024 VOTING BALLLOTS, and vote for America, and Americans.

DETOURS

Maren Morris - 'Detour' lyrics: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERmsiRY2cAE)

This little woman loves her big guy - meeting Holland was a wonderful "detour" that will reap life-long blessings 😘

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January 8th, 2023 Post: We got married Saturday morning, and beat feet to stay ahead of the incoming winter japanese typhoon storm that dumped more snow in the Sierra Mountain range, and stirred up angry waves in the Pacific Ocean.

And 'just like that' … we went from best friend status to lifetime friends as Husband & Wife 😍 I am SO blessed 🥰

We had a lot of fun enroute, and enjoyed the scenic routes both ways. Holland went out of the way to make sure my eyes had memories to enjoy … but he was careful to stay out of the pictures, saying, "I don't like my picture taken; the camera and I are not friends."

But I cajoled a picture out of him shortly after we got back from Reno … and slowly, over the months, he got comfortable with me snapping pictures of him :-)

I'm glad I can capture his presence, and his infectious laughter now; anytime I want to ;-)

My handsome Bridegroom; January 2023

Holland; January 7th, 2024~Tucson-AZ