Tuesday 4~ The End of the Year

I'm a day late, but it's still The End of the Year!!

 The End of the Year

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 in the new year. We wish you a very Happy New Year!


January is named for Janus the two faced god who looked into the past and future. Some believe he was Noah who may have been worshipped by his progeny. He certainly looked into the pre flood world and the new world.

The Anglo Saxons called January Wulfsmoanth meaning Month of the Wolf and the Wolf moon appears in January.

1. January 1, 1892 Ellis Island opened it's doors. Did any of your relations enter the United States through Ellis Island? If not, do you know your family's history?

I really don't know about Ellis Island, if any of our family ancestors came that way. I know my paternal Great-Grandfather and his mother and others did migrate from Germany, and I'm not sure what year, but I am quite sure it was before 1892.  And I know that my paternal Grandmother's ancestors were also here before then, as one Great-Great-Great Grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War, and her maternal grandfather fought in the Civil War.  I have done some family ancestry research, the one most prominently done was about my paternal Grandmother, and I have shared her history HERE before, "Elva's Story~ A Story of Sacrifice and Love.  I especially wanted to remember her again right now as December 27th would have been her 130th birthday, and her story is so very special.

2. January's birth stone is garnet and the flower is the carnation. Do you have favorite gem stones or flowers? 

My birthstone is Sapphire (blue), for September, and that is my favorite gemstone.  This is the birthstone ring my hubby gave me many years ago...before the Princess Diana ring was so popular! It is a very dark sapphire, so much so that I wasn't sure it was a sapphire until I read the link above about the darker sapphires actually being considered the best! I didn't know that! So now I love it even more! LOL. Really, I love it already because my hubby gave it to me totally by surprise! That is a blessing in itself!

The other ring is my mother's wedding and engagement ring set.  I was blessed to be given this by my father right when my mother passed away. He told me to take it off her finger and keep it. Later I was pleased that my other siblings confirmed that it was okay with them that I should keep Mom's rings. So I wear them proudly and thankfully in loving memory of my mother.

 Flowers? Well, there are so many I can't name them all.  Roses, lilacs, peonies, and simple summer flowers like daisies and sunflowers and zinnias, and so many others. I love most wildflowers too! The Blue Aster is my birthmonth flower (September).

3. January 6 is Epiphany. Many take that day as the final day of the Christmas celebration and take down their decor. What about you?

My family tradition growing up was to always wait until January 6th to take down our tree and decorations, but I always thought it was because January 6th is my mother's birthday! She said they always waited until her birthday to take down the tree, but I don't know if she ever made the connection with it being Epiphany! Maybe she did, but I was too young to understand that.  As an adult in our own home, we have often waited until January 6th, but lately I've usually wanted it cleaned up before then, so often it comes down right after New Year's Day.  I don't like to do it on the holiday itself, as we may have company or we may be doing something special, so I usually wait until after.

4. There is some scientific evidence that January can set the tone for your entire year. What do you think of this? Do you make resolutions, etc? Do you pick a word of the year or have any traditions like that?

I don't make resolutions as I know that I most likely won't keep them, so why stress myself?  However, I have for the past several years selected a "One Word" for the year, and I have seen how God has used that word in my life throughout the year to help me to grow in a certain area of my life, whether spiritual or physical or other.  For 2025 my One Word has been "Wisdom".  These verses from Proverbs 2:1-11 have been my guide throughout the year:

Proverbs 2:1-11 NLT

The Benefits of Wisdom

2 My child, listen to what I say,

and treasure my commands.

2 Tune your ears to wisdom,

and concentrate on understanding.

3 Cry out for insight,

and ask for understanding.

4 Search for them as you would for silver;

seek them like hidden treasures.

5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,

and you will gain knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord grants wisdom!

From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.

He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.

8 He guards the paths of the just

and protects those who are faithful to him.

9 Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,

and you will find the right way to go.

10 For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will fill you with joy.

11 Wise choices will watch over you.

Understanding will keep you safe.

I have not zeroed in on my new One Word yet for this year,  but hopefully by tomorrow I will have a better idea of what it might be. However, I normally do not reveal it until January 1st.  Right now I am still praying about it.  I do believe the Lord will help me discover it between now and then.

Click HERE for a previous post on this same topic.

Now, if you want to join in the fun, you can CLICK HERE and visit with others who are also playing along!  Happy New Year!

Here's some other good thoughts from Isaiah the Prophet as we approach the New Year...

Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV

18 “Do not remember the former things,

Nor consider the things of old.

19 Behold, I will do a new thing,

Now it shall spring forth;

Shall you not know it?

I will even make a road in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert."

On another note...last night we celebrated our sweet Daughter in love's birthday. They came over and made homemade pizzas  (no picture of that, however), and then we had birthday cake and ice cream.  Rose is such a sweet sweet person, and she is such a wonderful blessing to our family.  Here's a few pictures of the celebration:

I changed the table decor from Christmas to birthday in her honor:

We always take pictures of people blowing out their candles! That's a family tradition!

Rose loves to work in her garden, and so she needed some new gloves. They actually have roses on them...

And she loves to feed the birds and needed a new bird feeder that was somewhat squirrel proof. Time will tell...and who doesn't love a soft new cozy blanket...especially when it dipped down to freezing last night?

All in all it was a lovely little family party.  Hubby was feeling well enough to join us but still has a bit of a cough, so he had to stay away a distance...and I am mostly better and thankful for that...

Okay, now we are ready to begin the big festivities of seeing in the New Year, right here from our couch...well, most likely from our bed because we never stay up that late!  So so long 2025, and we will see you all next year!!  

Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV

24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;

25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.” ’

Thursday Thankfulness...Making Room for Jesus...

As we are drawing closer to the end of the year, I've been reflecting on some thoughts about what I've learned and how God has  blessed me and taught me throughout the year.  My "One Word" for 2025 was "Wisdom", and I've been scratching my head and asking myself if I've truly gained any wisdom this year, or have I stayed the same?  I'm not sure it is anything I can put into words or give any tangible proof that I've grown in wisdom, but as I've sat here contemplating what to write this morning, here's a few verses that have come to my attention while I was inserting pictures from the past few days with no  apparent rhyme or reason...and God helped me find these words to share...

Revelation 3:20 NKJV

20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. 

If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, 

I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

Interestingly, a little later today I saw a post on Facebook with a door much like mine, and the thought was about making room in our hearts for the Baby Jesus during this Christmas season and beyond...opening the door and welcoming Him into our lives both now at Christmas and forever... (look for (The HomespunWife, and her poem, "Is There Room" on Facebook.)  

That made me think about this old hymn, "Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne"...

1 Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,

When Thou camest to earth for me;

But in Bethlehem's home was there found no room

For Thy holy nativity.

O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,

There is room in my heart for Thee.

(you can listen to the whole song here:)

The best part of that song is the refrain that repeats, 

"O Come to my heart, Lord Jesus, There is room in my heart for Thee."

And that is my prayer...that there will always be room in my heart for Christ.

But I got sidetracked there...I was talking about wisdom, wasn't I?   However, when we make room in our hearts for the Lord Jesus, that is probably the wisest thing we could do, Amen?  Anyway, moving along, these were some other verses that I came across this past week:

Psalm 90:12 NIV

12 Teach us to number our days,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Proverbs 2:9-11 NIV

9 "Then you will understand what is right and just

and fair—every good path.

10 For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

11 Discretion will protect you,

and understanding will guard you."

(Morning sky over Still Waters Pond earlier this week)

Jeremiah 6:16 NIV

16 This is what the Lord says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look;

ask for the ancient paths,

ask where the good way is, and walk in it,

and you will find rest for your souls..."

Galatians 5:1 NIV

5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, 

and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

At our Ladies' Bible Study on Monday, one of our sweet ladies gave us each a new journal for a Christmas gift.  There was a variety of types and styles, and we could choose whichever one we wanted.  I chose this one, because I loved the verse that was written on the front:

Matthew 19:26 NKJV

26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, 

“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

(Excuse the picture from my lap while sitting in my recliner early in the morning)

And while we ladies were all talking and getting into our Bible study for the day (we are studying the book of Philippians, btw), one of the ladies said something about our "Lessons and Blessings"...and that struck a chord with me as I looked at us each sitting there with our brand new journals, and I piped up and said..."Oh, what a great thought for us each to pursue as we start the new year with these lovely journals...we should use them to write down our "Lessons and Blessings" for the year and see how God teaches and blesses us throughout the year!"   Everyone nodded and agreed and I thanked the Lord for His "wisdom" at that moment, and I immediately wrote that down on the first page of the journal for future reference and remembrance (because if I don't write things down when I am thinking of them, it will be gone in a flash...)

And so that is how I am closing out this old year and looking forward to the New Year, thankful for the "wisdom" God has taught me this past year, and looking forward to the Lessons and Blessings He will show me in the New Year.  I haven't decided upon my new "One Word" for 2026 yet, but I believe God is speaking to my heart and by the time the New Year rolls around I will know what it is. So stay tuned for that. 

But first things first...Christmas is coming next week, and that is what is predominantly in my mind right now.

That, and Blackie, our sweet porch kitty.  He was looking up at me while I was taking pictures of the still very still and dry "Still Waters Pond".   By the way, we are supposed to get some rain tonight and maybe tomorrow, so here's hoping and praying they are right this time!

Somehow when I went back into the house and then went out on the front porch to put out the flag, as is my usual morning routine after I feed Blackie on the back porch, he somehow appeared on the front porch and scooted in the front door when I opened it. He's getting pretty good at that and I have to be quick to catch him. He thinks it's a game and I guess I sort of play along...

Because here's what happened...I grabbed him up and carried him over to look at the Christmas tree (while he wiggled and squirmed and tried his best to get down)

(oh, do you see hubby's big feet? He was sitting in his recliner and taking these pictures. Funny, huh?)

(And please excuse my hair...it

 was still wet from my morning wet my hair and style it and let it dry on its own routine)

As you can see, I had my hands full, so after we walked around looking at all the lights and decorations in the house, I took him back outside and put him down on his own back porch where he belongs! LOL.

A little later that morning hubby and I went to Walmart, and as we were checking out this interesting  lady was walking around wearing a Christmas tree on her head!  It was all lit up and very clever indeed. I did ask her permission to take her picture, and I also asked if her headdress was for sale, but she said "no, it was too much work to make another one."

She looks like a fun person!  That made our Walmart shopping experience a bit more interesting and joyful. You just never know what you'll see at Walmart! LOL.

Another thing I'm  thankful for are crafty people...One of our ladies at church made these cute little candle jars for the choir members...she decoupaged tissue paper on a glass jar, and in this case the tissue paper had all kinds of music notes and scales on it, and then glued a black ribbon and bow around the top to match...

And then put a little string  of fairy lites inside to light it up! You could probably use the little battery operated votive candle lights too if you didn't want to use the wired ones, but it sure made a cute little candle to set about! What a thoughtful gift! People are so clever!

Speaking of choir and music, tonight we go to the little church out in the country for their annual Carols and Candlelight service, and our choir will sing a couple of songs. It's always a very special time.  I will share more about that later.    And our own Christmas Cantata will be presented this Sunday morning in church. We did our dress rehearsal and recorded it Tuesday night. We did okay for the most part, but I know I flubbed up a couple of times, which will probably show up in the recording, but we did our best and hopefully we'll do even better Sunday morning. Praying our voices hold up. There's a lot of colds and illness going around. Tomorrow night there's a group of us who plan to go do some caroling around town at the homes of some of our church's shut-in people.  I am planning to go unless the weather gets too bad or my voice gets too stressed...

Meanwhile, as I've been sitting here writing, I've been enjoying this view from my window here in my "room with a view":

It's kind of cloudy out, and actually now they are saying it's going to start raining in a few minutes (hope, pray!)

You can see we still have a bit of fall color over there on the other side of the pond where there are a few maple trees.   And you can also see how dry the pond is...so please pray for that rain to come here!

This Bluebird has been out there periodically...still too soon for nesting, but they come and go and check things out at their "house"...

And just now there was a bit of a standoff at the bird bath:

I think the Cardinal was patiently waiting his turn for a bath, but that gray Catbird was taking his sweet time...

So finally the the Cardinal flew away and the Catbird had the birdbath all to himself.  I think I could actually hear him singing as he bathed..."O Solo Mio"....LOL.

And with that I will close this post for today.  I am thankful for YOU, and your kind comments on my previous posts. I've been trying to get around to visit but it seems like as soon as I think I'm caught up there's a whole new bunch of posts to read! If you're like me, most likely our time for reading and writing is going to get less and less in the next few days as we get closer to Christmas

I will close with this song that is actually from our cantata, "Close to Christmas".  

 "Come, close to Christmas, behold the wonder, look what God has done, sent His one and only Son...Come, close to Christmas, see, hallelujah, this is what we've waited for, God with us forevermore!

Come and worship, Come and worship, worship Christ the King...Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ the newborn King..."

"O Come to my heart, Lord Jesus! 

There is room in my heart for You."

Amen.

Monday Monday

 Here it is Monday evening already.  So much has been going on I kind of got behind in reading and writing.  Thank you all for your kind words on my last few posts. You always know how to make me smile!  

Have any of you seen the two bright lights in the eastern skies early in the morning before dawn lately?  This was what we saw here yesterday morning...hubby woke me up to tell me about it around 5:15 a.m.  I was actually sleeping quite well, and to be honest I wasn't thrilled at first to be awakened so unexpectedly. 

I had to go out on the front porch in my nightie to take these photos.  Good thing it was dark.

Actually, he wanted me to see these lights because he thought they might be UFO's...so of course I had to look it up online to find out what they really could be...

https://www.youtube.com/live/D5LyCJAoDcg?si=UyDb8KrX0vdq_uIx is a good explanation.  It is Jupiter and Venus, and apparently tomorrow morning (August 12th) will be the final day to see them, and they will appear to be almost together (conjoined) as one.  If you have a telescope or a really good camera, set your alarm and get up and take some pictures for us, okay?  I tried to see them again this morning, but it was too cloudy to see much.

I was glad to be able to tell him they weren't UFO's.  I think he was disappointed. LOL.

Also we have had a lovely full moon this past week. I took this picture at the same time as the other pictures yesterday morning, but of course this was looking into the West, as the moon was setting over Still Waters Pond.  

So that was yesterday's big event, along with going to church, which is always a blessing.  If you want to hear the message and our choir's song, here it is. The music was recorded in February and shared again here since we are still off on our summer break from singing.  The song is "Be Thou My Vision", and the message is from John 15:1-17,"The Vine and The Branches".  It was a good message.

  So, what else is new?  Let me think...the good news is, we were able to get a copy of hubby's lab work from the tests he took last week at Quest, and from what we can tell everything looks very good.  His appointment with the neurologist isn't until next month, so I am glad we could see the results before then and know that there isn't anything terrible on it. We give thanks to the Lord for that good news. Still don't know exactly what is wrong, but hubby seems to be feeling a bit better day by day, so we will just be very thankful and trust God to take care of whatever it is.

Now, here's something you're going to probably go, What? You did What???  I'm sure most of you will remember my post not too long ago about getting a new chair/recliner. If not, here it is for your review.  We all oohed and aahed about the new chair, especially the wonderful feature of massage and heat. Yeah, I loved that part...it really was nice.  But what I never told you in subsequent posts was that the chair itself just wasn't all that comfortable.  I tried my best to make it work, but the upper part--the back of the chair, was built in such a way that it slanted back too far when in the upright position.  When I was sitting up straight I could not feel the chair on my back at all, and I had to put big pillows behind me to fill the gap. I tried my best to make it work, but except for when laying down in the reclining position, I could not get comfortable in that chair. I have back issues already, and that is why I needed the new chair in the first place. But, remember, I ordered it online, and I never actually sat in it before I got it! If I had sat in it beforehand, I would never have bought that chair!  

The good news was that I had 30 days to return the chair if it was unsatisfactory.  Of course, that meant that we had to take it to the nearest Home Depot and they would ship it back where it came from. So after a couple of weeks of trying to make it work, I finally decided that I could not live with that chair. It was causing me more problems than it was helping. I loved the massage and heat, but I couldn't stay in that position forever. So we made the decision to take it back to Home Depot and go look for another chair at a local furniture store. Thankfully our son has a truck and was willing and able to take it to the store for us.

I actually tried a couple of different furniture stores, and I literally sat in every single recliner they had...well, at least the ones in my pre-determined price range.  Sadly, neither store had any chairs with the wonderful massage feature at a price I could afford. The chair I had purchased online was a very good deal, and I soon discovered that I would not be able to replace it at that same price anywhere, so I had to pay a little more for a chair without the massage/heat feature, but one that was actually comfortable to sit in. That was the sacrifice I was willing to make in order to be comfortable.  I found the chair that was the best fit for me last week, and of course they had to actually order it instead of giving me the floor model.  Today was the day for it to arrive at the store.  We opted to pick it up ourselves rather than pay an additional $100.00 to have it delivered. Thankfully our son was willing to pick it up and brought it home and set it up for us today....and here it is:

(that's my OLD OLD green chair in the background. We haven't taken it to the thrift store yet, because we were waiting for this chair to arrive. Now it can go with my blessings!!)

This chair is very comfortable, and hugs my back in all the right places. No,  there's no massage/heat, but because the chair actually fits my body in all the right places, I don't need those features!  I am very pleased and thankful!!!  Oh, and the color of the chair is called "Recruit Fudge".  I can lay there and dream about the fudge that I'm not allowed to eat. LOL!

The moral of this story is don't ever order a piece of furniture that you need for comfort online, unless you can find a place to actually sit in the same chair somewhere first and make sure it is comfortable!  Thankfully Home Depot's online return policy was generous and we had no problems returning it and getting our money back. But what a hassle...especially for our son who has had to do all the manual labor in this situation. He sure is a good sport!!

Here's some words of wisdom for today from James 1:2-5

"2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 

3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 

4 But let patience have its perfect work, 

that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, 

who gives to all liberally and without reproach, 

and it will be given to him."

Amen!

Have a blessed rest of your week!

Monday Monday! Cats, Flowers and Doppelgangers!

Happy Monday morning from Still Waters Pond!

If you were sitting in my "Room with a View" and looking out the window above my computer in the early morning just after sunrise, this is what you would see most every morning: 

Look at those faces...Yes, this is what they do as soon as they know we are up and the lights come on in the house...they sit outside my window and watch and wait...

When they know I am looking back at them, they sometimes turn their heads or pretend they really aren't looking at me...

But the underlying message is, "Don't you know it's time for breakfast?"  LOL.  I try to at least finish my hot cup of tea before it gets cold, but with them sitting out there watching me and patiently waiting, I find that I can't concentrate on what I was trying to do (mostly reading your comments and posts and/or trying to write something sensible...)

And so they win the contest and I go out and feed them...(although this morning I had to chase away that pesky Muscovy Duck before I could feed them...)

And once again peace reigns on Still Waters Pond... (after I chased away the duck a couple more times...)

Now, here's a fun story...well, may be funny now, but it wasn't at the time...this is what happens when you try to do something in a hurry and don't take the time to secure things on the top of a shelf cabinet before trying to move it in order to get to the air conditioner filter to change the filter...Yes, there was a gallon of bleach on top of that cabinet, and somehow the cabinet swayed when I was trying to reach around it, and the plastic jug of bleach fell off the top and of course the lid blew off when it hit the floor of our laundry room, spilling bleach all over the rugs and floor...and splashing all over me!  These are my pants...thankfully they were what I call "house pants" already, ones that I only wear inside the house and not out in public because they might have already had some stains and spots on them, but now they are REALLY pants that I probably won't even wear outside to do yard work...well, maybe I will do that, but that's about it! LOL. Or maybe I'll just start a new style...At least they aren't ripped jeans! LOL. (and people pay good money for those ripped jeans...I wonder what I could get for these??? LOL. ) 

Thankfully the floor was not damaged, and believe it or not, the scatter rugs that I have on that floor did not show any sign of bleaching!  Those inexpensive woven rugs from Walmart must be made of something special....recycled plastic bleach bottles maybe. LOL.  Anyway, I learned a valuable lesson about being in a rush and not taking the time to secure things before acting.  My One Word "Wisdom" might have come in handy for this situation.

Proverbs 15-16

"15 Only simpletons believe everything they’re told!

The prudent carefully consider their steps.

16 The wise are cautious and avoid danger;

fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence."

Oops!  I guess that "fool" who plunged ahead with reckless confidence might have been me!  Lesson learned!!

Okay, moving on to something pretty...I bought this lovely Portulaca plant at a farm market the other day. It just made me smile, and I needed some color on the front porch:

Of course, it closes up in the late afternoon, but it opens back up in the sunshine.  I hope it survives!!

And speaking of flowers...we took a little walk early this morning before it got too hot...and we went back to that walking trail where the vacant lots are where old historic houses used to be...

And now there are lovely Crape Myrtles blooming where those houses once stood! There's something new popping up everytime we go by there! I love it!

Again, a reminder of those who once lived here and loved their homes and gardens and planted beautiful flowers that would stand the test of time way beyond their own lives here on earth...

There's a lot of this Lantana blooming everywhere around there as well...It's kind of a wild flower, but many people planted them. They are colorful and lovely...and attract butterflies!  

I didn't see a butterfly this time, but there's some kind of little bee/bug on that flower above, enjoying the nectar!

And now for the mystery "Doppelganger!"  

If you are a member of my family, or if you knew my father and saw this picture on Facebook yesterday, you might have wondered where this picture came from and where was he?  Because when I saw this picture on a friend's post, I about fell over.  This man was at a wedding of my friend's nephew in Ohio over the weekend.  He is apparently the brother in law of our friend.  

And even though my mind knew it couldn't be a picture of my father, because my father has been in heaven since 2011, to say I was flabberghasted would be a huge understatement! It also sent me scrambling to find a picture of my father that would corroborate my thoughts...and this was the first one I could put my hands on.  And yes, I know there are subtle similartities and differences, but if you knew my father, you would definitely see what I saw in that picture above, and be just as amazed. He's even wearing a plaid shirt, similar to what my father loved to wear!

I immediately texted my friend and asked her who that man was, and she told me his name and some other basic information.  Of course, I wanted to know MORE...like, who were his parents, was he on Ancestry.com and could we possibly be matched somehow by DNA...you see, because my father's mother was adopted, and even though I've done extensive research and have discovered who her birth parents were, there's still so much we don't know...and anyone who has done the DNA test knows that we have distant "cousins" all over the world.  But I didn't want to bother our friends or their relatives any further and interrupt their happy weekend celebrations by probing and asking more questions, but it sure got my attention!! And the more pictures she shared of him throughout the weekend, the more similarities I could see between him and my father, and even my grandmother! 

 

My Grandma Elva Sowers Hill Mursch

However, I've decided that after I finish this post I will let it go and just chalk it up to one of those strange "coincidences" in life...like perhaps there really is such a thing as a "Doppelganger!" I know I've been told that I look like a lot of different people throughout my lifetime...

Per AI Google Search:

"A "doppelganger" is a person who looks almost exactly like another, but who is not related to them. It's a term borrowed from German, meaning "double-goer" or "double walker," and can refer to a ghostly double or a person who resembles another. “Canadian photographer Francois Brunelle spent 12 years tracking down real life Doppelgängers -- two individuals who are not related but could pass for identical twins -- and photographing them” as mentioned in an article on chasejarvis.com.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Meaning:
The word "doppelganger" literally translates to "double-walker" or "double-goer" in German.

Appearance:
Doppelgangers are known for their striking physical resemblance to their counterpart, often including facial features and hairstyles.

Not Related:
They are not related to the individual they resemble and are not identical twins.

Folklore and Literature:
In folklore and literature, doppelgangers are often portrayed as supernatural entities or ghostly doubles, sometimes with sinister or ominous connotations.

Real-life Sightings:
While often associated with the supernatural, doppelganger sightings have also been reported in real life, leading to discussions about their potential existence.

Modern Usage:
The term is now commonly used to refer to any person who closely resembles another, even if the resemblance is purely physical. "


I will close with these few Scripture verses about the image of whom I really want to resemble in life...That is the image of of Christ...not in looks so much as in my whole being and spirit and heart...

2 Corinthians 3:18
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.


1 Corinthians 13:12-13
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

And the most important thing to remember is this:

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

And with those thoughts to ponder  I will close this post.  Have a blessed and beautiful rest of your week...