*raises hand*
What's so mean about cat piss? Seems a little racist to me.
Posted on 12/24/2021 3:30:21 PM PST by Skooz
Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is having a good evening. This is, I think, the tenth edition of the annual thread dedicated to those among us who, for whatever reason, find ourselves solo on the night before Christmas.
Here in my cozy habitat, it's just me, my faithful hound and, a little later, Ralphie Parker and then George Bailey will make his yearly appearance.
The presents are wrapped and under the tree. After dinner, I'll imbibe a latte and then maybe a little vino.
Anyone else solo tonight?
I understand the sentiment. They are never really happy.
Yep.
📌😇📖
*raises hand*
What's so mean about cat piss? Seems a little racist to me.
I am alone, too, actually.
But it’s a day of prayer for me, anyway, as I’va always lived alone since moving out of my parent’s house - only interrupted by the time I was their caretaker, until finally they went to live upstairs.
Now I’m listening to Bach’s Christmas oratorio and singing along with all my heart and soul.
That always makes me a little emotional, I must avow, but don’t mind, that’s what this glorious music always does to me, and Bach is definitely among the best we’ll be getting to hear this side of Heaven :-)
Though there are others like this beautiful carol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDPwNPAV6tA The choir boy on the left at 2:41 must be in perfect ecstasy :-)
And I often dream that I could be a gospel singer: what glorious, elating pieces of music there are!
I thought that Too.
Completely understandable.
Merry Christmas to y'all as well!
Prayers for your hubby, you, and yours.
note to self: “save burnt pot roast by scrubbing it under running water”
Oh and for a Christmas carol from Germany: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHTFPL_TkYw
And for those who might appreciate this 17th century German hymn (or even might wish to sing along :-)), there is a very apt translation of the original text by Georg Weissel from 1642, penned by English poetess Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878):
1 Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates;
behold, the King of Glory waits;
the King of Kings is drawing near;
the Savior of the World is here!
2 Fling wide the portals of your heart;
make it a temple, set apart
from earthly use for Heaven’s employ,
adorned with prayer and love and joy.
3 Redeemer, come, with us abide;
our hearts to Thee we open wide;
let us Thy inner presence feel;
Thy grace and love in us reveal.
4 Thy Holy Spirit lead us on
until our glorious goal is won;
eternal praise, eternal fame
be offered, Savior, to Thy name!
Amen Amen Amen
Same here. Everyone lives way far away
I thought that only happened at my house.
Oh, very sorry to read that :-(
You and he must be really missing out on a lot of fun...
Thank you very much, and to you, too! :-)
👍
Good lord
I’m sorry
I’ve married a few
Lol
Deepest sympathy from me, too, sir.
:-(
Prayers.
A friend of mine, recently tried to explain an experience he had with God. My friend had a stroke and then recovered over a period of years. He seems to physically and mentally do so well now.
Yet, at a low - and seeming to go much lower, quickly - point in time, after his stroke, my friend was amazed to find himself accelerating out of what he feared was a downward escalation.
Somehow - and I wish that I could remember his words - my friend felt as though God had wrapped His arms around my friend.
IIRC, my friend told me three times, that: “God wraps his arms around you.”
But I still cannot recall, how my friend sensed the build-up to that moment of God’s arms around him . . . or you.
I wish I could remember, but I am embarrassed to ask him to repeat himself, lest he think I failed to *closely* pay attention.
Yet, at least I remember His Arms around you. And, I believe my friend.
Because 10 years ago, God showed up, when I was under extreme pressure, as I was being severely criticized and shunned by several people who had been led to completely misunderstand a series of events, during which, I had failed to show up at Christmas the same year that my father had passed.
God knew what I had actually done, and He showed up to take away all my worries about what was happening in the days that followed. He effectively wrapped His arms around me, then.
Lately, under a certain amount of duress, caused by a weakness of mine, I think that He was trying to mildly give me some pointers - a bit of guidance - but I missed an opportunity because I feared losing a good neighbor.
My fear of losing a good neighbor, stopped me from doing what might have been the right thing to do, finally, for my (I cannot say, here).
The result of my failing, is that I am more alone; yet, I think, maybe, I did help my neighbor to gain peace.
Now with my “more alone,” I try to think of God’s Arms wrapped around.
It is such a hard concept, that a lone individual would matter; but, I do have the memory of Him, coming to my rescue, 10 years ago.
About 3 days ago, I was (without her knowing) praying for the well being - the blessings - for a young lady who has been thru a lot. Her mother passed years ago; her father, relatively recently.
And that was followed by relatives raiding the property; one relative in particular, walking away with items of value; leaving this young lady with the structure (in need of repair). Followed by, most of the structure burning away.
After which, she has been homeless for over a year, now, struggling to keep her head up - in the face of a tendency by people in her life, to use her.
So, I was praying for her, asking for God, Jesus, to bless her.
When suddenly she said to me, how she had been blessed with _____ (I missed again, exactly what). Well, anyway, she right there, a moment after I had prayed for blessings, she is talking about how blessed she was for this and that.
I was amazed.
You can barely believe how, despite her struggles (understatement), she has been trying to help another person who lost his own home and now lives in a friend’s garage.
That fellow now living out of his friend’s garage, has cancer.
My young lady friend, who is homeless, does not even own a winter coat, but she is helping this fellow who is trying to just keep himself a viable part-time garage tenant.
They struggle to do the right thing. There are so many temptation side roads to life, but especially in their lives.
“Especially” because, in order to have at least some happiness in the face of the many, many obstacles in their lives, it is easy to try and forget the burden . . . by getting off that heavy-hearted highway, and unfortunately into some kind of trouble.
On the side roads of temptation, there are so many people who almost professional in that they love to mess with you, instead of loving you as Jesus asks/commands.
Instead of simply being kind.
Kindness, that is an amazing gift, when you have nothing else to give.
With all this going on, and my failing to properly honor the birth of Jesus today (because, I just feel like I have failed), I recall that around Wednesday of this week, I came across another young lady who only moments after we met, told me that she was suicidal.
I was about three feet away from her. I opened my arms wide, and not take a step toward her, I just stood their and looked into her eyes and told her, “I love you.”
And I meant it.
I asked her if she reads, does she like to read books?
No, she said. Followed by her saying, “I’m not smart.”
I said, “I think you are smart.”
It was obvious that she is a young lady who thinks - indications being strong in her manner of speaking.
I suggested that she start up some kind of daily journal?
An eyebrow rised up.
I suggested maybe some reading, anyway.
Thereafter, we parted, and I finished my business at the store. Then, I quickly went to Walmart and picked up a notebook and some books for her to read. Then, quickly back to that store, where I wandered a bit, but found her.
I said to her, “Merry Christmas, these are for you.”
In the lighting of the store, I did not see the moisture develop around her eyes, but I heard her say: “Can I hug you?”
Yes.
As we hugged, I told her again, “I love you.” And, “Don’t quit. Just apply yourself.”
And we parted. Yet, about ten feet away, I turned to see that she was also turning toward me, and I nodded toward her; and then I left the store.
Anything I do, such as that, is Jesus in me, I like to figure. I want people to see something of Jesus. I want to give, kindness. And if I am able, to let a person know that I do love them.
And, I love you.
My prayer, is for God’s arms wrapped around you.
My youngest brother is an extremely bigoted liberal. On top of that he smokes at lot of marijuana, so he is very paranoid. No matter how carefully I word my end of any conversation, he will eventually break out in an avalanche of profane and obscene diatribe. I don't communicate with him anymore. Sometimes I imagine myself beating him to death. Clearly, he and I need a lot of space. His son is like him, only worse. He will physically strike people.
I hope your Christmas is going well. I have been thinking of you.
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