Special Announcement and Tuesday 4: Friendship.

 Greetings from my desk to yours...This will be brief...our WiFi modem is dying and seems to keep dropping in and out. We have contacted our internet provider, and they cannot come to replace it until Thursday.   Right now at this moment it is working, but by the time I finish typing this, it may be back off again, so you may or may not ever see this message.  I didn't have time to do the Tuesday 4 meme today as I had other things planned and had hoped to get it done tonight.  But I don't want to chance it and will just say that most likely you won't be seeing much of me for the next couple of days.  

Of course without the internet, we also cannot watch TV...and I cannot access the WiFi items on my cell phone either, so things could get pretty quiet around here.  I told hubby we need to just take tomorrow off and go someplace, like the beach or some other interesting place rather than sit here staring at the four walls.  It's sad that we've become so dependent on the internet for our communication as well as entertainment, bill paying, GPS, all of the above and more.  We've forgotten how to "live" without it.  I've been reading a lot of Amish fiction lately, and they seem to get along just fine without it or any other modern convenience. We may need to get back to the basics again and try to spend a little more time focused on real life, right here in front of us without any technological interference. Sounds good to me. 

Well, right now we seem to have two green lights on the modem, so I'll keep typing. LOL.  

I don't really have anything much to share anyway...but the other morning I was in a "vintage mood" and decided to eat my breakfast on this vintage china that belonged to my hubby's grandmother. It was a very common pattern back in the day, seems like everyone had some kind of dishes similar to this. I love it and wish I had a whole set of it!

It was perfect for my two fried eggs and two blueberry bran muffins.

Later that day, after we had gone to the store, I had bought some very good fresh Bing Cherries. It made me think about Mary Englebreit's "Life is Just a Chair of Bowlies", instead of the saying "Life is just a bowl of cherries."  So Lily Grace got in on the act and sat in the chair with a Mary Englebreit placemat and had a bowl of cherries.   I had shared more about this particular placemat HERE sometime last year, when I first got it and thought it was so cute.  It's still cute, don't you agree? And it goes so well with the bowl of cherries and Lily Grace  wanted to say hello again!

Still in the "vintage mood", this was the bowl that I used for the cherries...Isn't it a beauty?

Here's the pattern name if you are interested:   It's the only one I have of it. Found it at a yard sale sometime ago.

Well, the internet seems to be holding up while I type, so I might as well try to do the Tuesday 4 meme for today.  Hopefully I will get it posted before it goes down again.

Here goes nothing... LOL.

Friendship

".,,there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" Psalms 18

It's time once again for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.



Let's talk about friendship.


1. Do you have or have you had a special or best friend or do you consider all your friends the same? 

I was blessed all during my school years to have several really special friends. We grew up together, 1st grade through 12th grade, and so we shared many experiences together during all of our stages of growth...early childhood through adolescence and almost adults...Many of us have stayed in touch through the years, and especially now through Facebook.  I don't want to single out any one of them because I love them all.  HERE is a link to a post I wrote about my old school friends, complete with pictures, if you are interested in going down memory lane with me.  I was blessed to grow up when and where I did, and I treasure every friend.

2. Many in the past had close relationships and fell in love through letters. What do you think of online friendships.. are they real ? Are there friends who last a lifetime?

I think our online friendships are very real.  I consider every one of you a special friend, and I treasure your friendship very much.  I have been privileged to meet a few of you in person, and I wish we could ALL meet in person sometime.  Yes,  there are definitely friends who last a lifetime.  See my #1 answer above.  

3. Are there stories, movies or TV programs that you enjoyed because of the friendship or relationship portrayed in it?

I'm trying to think...Anne of Green Gables comes to mind...Here is one of several posts I've written about that particular character.

4. What does friendship mean to you?

All of a sudden I remembered that I had received the book "Friendship", by Ralph Waldo Emerson, as a graduation gift from a lady in my church. So I just went in search of it and found it on a bookshelf...goodness, I've had that book for 55 years!!  I will give one quote from this little book:

"I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.  

Shall I not call God the Beautiful, who daily showeth Himself so to me in His gifts?"...

"My friends have come to me unsought.  The great God gave them to me."

That is an excellent way to describe how I feel about my friends...they are gifts from God to me...to bless my life with their presence and kindness and sincerity.  I am indeed very thankful for all of my friends, old and new, near and far...

Here are some other little quotes that are hanging on the walls around my home that will also give an insight to how I feel about friendship:

Each of these special little plaques were actual gifts from dear friends.

Friendship is a very special gift that I truly cherish. 

Thank you for being my friend.

Well, I guess I made it all the way through this post without the internet going down! Maybe it has healed itself...or maybe God touched it with His special grace so that I could share this post with you.

Either way, I am happy I was able to spend this time with you.

Now let's go see what our other friends are writing about over at

Tuesday 4 ~ Friendship  

Thank you, Annie, for making this possible.

I will try to get around to visit you all, but if I don't it will probably be because the internet went back down. So bear with me please, friends!

💕

Tuesday 4 The Internet Age

From Annie our hostess: "Welcome weather weary friends to another episode of Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we challenge you to answer 4 questions on different subjects each week.
Maybe we could talk about the internet this week?
It's all I could come up with as my mind is on hiatus right now."

I think we can all relate to the "mind is on hiatus right now" statement. My mind comes and goes at will. I sometimes wonder if it ever will come back to where it used to be! Probably not. Hard to teach an old mind new tricks, but at least we keep trying to stay in the game.  So here goes another Tuesday 4 post...read on...




1. When did the home internet age enter your life? How much impact has it had?

I am not certain when the "home internet age" entered our lives, but I do remember when we finally got a real computer and not just a word processor thingy that was basically a glorified typewriter.  My husband was working on his Doctorate at Seminary.  He had to write a doctoral dissertation...a book of at least 100 pages.  We did not have a computer. I had a typewriter with correction ribbon, but that's about worthless when you are typing a dissertation. We would type a whole chapter and submit it to his mentor professor for evaluation, and he would send it back with a few "suggestions" and "corrections" , which meant that not only did I have to type that page over, but every page after that because it would change the headings and line up of words and pages...and so basically for every word corrected or changed I would end up typing everything over again. There was no such thing as cut and paste.  Finally, once he completed his dissertation and received his degree we were able to purchase a computer. (This was in the late 1980's, so you can imagine how basic and rudimentary that computer was)  Once I found out how much simpler it was to type a document using a computer, I said I wished we could go back and do his dissertation all over again...NOT!  LOL. It sure would have made my life a lot simpler for sure!  

This was a very happy day...the day hubby received his Doctor of Ministry Degree, pre internet.  I'm not sure which one of us is happier...him or me...and oh! That 80's hairdo... So happy to have our sweet three sons there for the occasion as well...

Hubby's parents were very proud of their "boy"...   (sorry for the poor quality of photo...this is looking through a glass so there are reflections).  It was a happy day for everyone.

The internet didn't really have that much of an impact on us for several more years, and actually our sons pretty much got all the way through school without the internet as well.  We all had to learn how to study the old fashioned way...using a library and encyclopedias that were still in books.  Obviously, the internet has made research much easier for everyone, but I think it makes things too easy and we have gotten lazy in our study habits.

2. How powerful an influence is your phone? For instance, do you feel guilty not answering when you are busy? Do you text back immediately? Does the phone own you? Do you friends feel they should be able to monopolize your time by demanding to know where you were when you didn't answer? Is it intrusive or welcome?

I can remember when we only had a house phone and having an answering machine was a big deal. We would check our messages as soon as we walked in the door of the house to see if anyone important had called.  Now we can't walk out the door (or go to the bathroom hardly) without taking our phones with us.  I know I do feel strange if I forget my phone when I go to the store or anywhere.  However, when I am at church or in any kind of meeting, I mute the sound so I can't be disturbed. No, I don't feel guilty for not answering when I am busy. I still have a personal life and I don't want the phone or social media to control my whole life. I will respond to messages in a reasonable amount of time.  If anyone "demands" to know where I was, etc., they probably really aren't a good friend. Friends respect each other's privacy and time. Oh, and they also respect the time of day they are sending that text or message on Messenger (although I no longer have an audible notification for Messenger...I'd never get any sleep if I did).  I learned the hard way that responding to a message or text in the wee hours of the morning or night can be annoying for others as well...especially if they are in a different time zone than we are! Things to consider and be considerate of others.

3. What places do you frequent on the net and by phone or PC etc.? (pc.. personal computer , laptop, etc.)

Well, obviously I "frequent" blogger, either to write, or to read what others have written, and to comment or reply to comments.  I also frequent  my email, Facebook and Messenger, but only when I have time. I try to be disciplined about the amount of time I spend on social media. Family and home and in person activities have to come first.

I will say that I am thankful for the ability to look up directions/maps, etc., when traveling or looking for addresses to businesses, new doctors, restaurants, etc. That is a real plus and I do use that feature frequently.  I also do some online shopping, which is very convenient...but I still prefer to see things that I am buying in person. I hate to have to figure out how to return something that I ordered online. 

4. Wikipedia is editable and biased because anyone can edit the articles. Algorithms also determine what you can and cannot find on the internet. So, how much stock do you place in it's information?

I try to read several different resources when I am doing any kind of research because not everything you read on the internet is accurate, obviously.  I've learned the hard way about quoting something and thinking it to be true and then finding out later it was a scam or "fake news".  Therefore I tend to stay away from a lot of "news", "politics", etc. on the internet.  

My favorite Bible verse regarding what to read or watch on the internet or TV is Philippians 4:8  

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, 

whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, 

whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report,

 if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—

meditate on these things."

Thank you, Annie, for coming up with these 4 questions each week. You can go check out what others are writing or join in by clicking HERE.  I do appreciate the ability to communicate with each of you via the internet. I've enjoyed making so many wonderful friends here, people I would never have had the opportunity to meet otherwise.  So there are many pros and cons to using the internet. I prefer to major in the "pros" and not the "cons".  Have a wonderful day!

Meditate on These Things

For many years I have kept the above plaque on the top of my desk, above my computer, to serve as a reminder to consider what manner of things we were reading, watching, researching and contemplating as we surfed the internet and opened windows into a world beyond which we had ever imagined before.

Prior to the computer, this same little plaque sat above our television...for the same purpose.

Here is the complete verse from the Bible, found in the book of Philippians, chapter four and verse 8:

"Finally, Brethren, 

Whatever things are true,

Whatever things are noble,

Whatever things are just,

Whatever things are pure,

Whatever things are lovely,

Whatever things are of good report,

If there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy~

Meditate on these things."

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

The following Psalm is similar in its declaration of what things are truly worthy of our contemplation and prayerful meditation:

"The Law of the Lord is perfect,

converting the soul;

The testimony of the Lord is sure,

making wise the simple;

The statutes of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the Lord is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

The fear of the Lord is clean,

enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold,

Yea, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Moreover by them Your servant is warned,

and in keeping them there is great reward.

Who can understand his errors?

Cleanse me from secret faults.

Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;

Let them not have dominion over me.

Then I shall be blameless,

and I shall be innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth

And the MEDITATIONS of my heart

Be ACCEPTABLE in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."

Amen.

Psalm 19:7-14

After reading the above Bible verses I have to stop and examine my own heart and mind regarding the things I meditate upon. According to the dictionary, some synonyms for the word meditate would be: ponder, muse; ruminate; cogitate, study, think, contemplate, plan, devise, contrive.

Likewise, the meditations of my heart would be things about which I ponder, muse,  ruminate , cogitate, study, think, contemplate, plan, devise or contrive to do. 

The final verse of Psalm 19 above has long been my life verse...first taught to me by my mother when I was a young girl.  She wrote this in my autograph book:  

My First Autograph Book...I think the scribbles along the top came from
one of my children...

I didn't realize until now that my mother had written a heading to her inscription in my book:

"A thought for every day"

I wonder what she would think today if she could see that I have made this verse my life-verse, and it is also inscribed at the bottom of my blog page as a daily reminder to make sure that whatever I write on these pages is indeed acceptable in God's sight.  Her early words have truly impacted my  whole life.  Something to ponder about what we teach our own children and grandchildren...

When I sit down at my computer each day, whether at home or at work, it would be wise to re-read these verses before I click on any icon on my desk-top...and say a little prayer that God would help me to heed these warnings and admonitions before I strike the first key or open the first window. I know that there have been times that I have inadvertently hit the wrong key at the wrong time and had things pop up that I did not intend to or wish to see. Those accidental incidents were sometimes shocking and caused me to recoil as though I'd been snake-bitten. Snake-bitten, as by that old serpent himself, "The devil made me do it."  But another Bible verse comes into play here:

"Thy Word have I hid in my heart,

That I might not sin against Thee."

Psalm 119:11 KJV

The fact is, when we hide God's Word in our hearts, verses like Philippians 4:8 and Psalm 19 will come back to remind us to take our eyes off of the offensive pages and help us to keep our meditations acceptable in God's sight.   Then we can declare with the Psalmist in Psalm 119:15-16 ~

"I will meditate on Your precepts,

And contemplate Your ways.

I will delight myself in Your statutes;

I will NOT forget Your Word."

Lord, please help me to remember these admonitions and exhortations from Your Word today. Forgive me when I fail to do so and help me to stay on the right track in what I say, look upon and write.  Thank you.  Amen.