Tag: Reading

Writer’s Log – June 5, 2023

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Hey everyone, it’s Monday, June 5, 2023, and I’m currently chilling at my favorite local Starbucks! Can you believe I slept in so late today? 😱 I hit the hay around midnight, but my alarm clock rudely woke me up at 7:00 AM to take out the trash and recycling. Gotta do our part to save the Earth, right? ♻️ After that, I couldn’t resist crawling back into bed and ended up waking up at 11:30 AM. Guess I really needed that extra shut-eye!

So instead of dealing with the usual morning traffic, I had to navigate through lunchtime traffic on my way to this coffee paradise. At least the midday drivers seem more awake and less grumpy! 😄 I ordered my go-to cup of Pike Place coffee (no blonde available after 11 AM, boohoo), found a cozy spot, and kicked off my day by doing my morning devotion. Gotta start the day on a positive note, right?

After that, I spent some time setting up two-factor authentication for Twitter using Google Authentication for iOS. Apparently, Twitter now wants us to have a paid account to use two-factor SMS authentication. Oh well (greedy Elon Musk), better safe than sorry, especially when I’m working on my laptop in coffee shops. I always make sure to use a virtual private network (VPN) for extra security online. The one I use is VPN by Google One, a super reliable app by Google/Alphabet.

To set the mood, I’ve got some fantastic “Happy Summer Morning & Relaxing Jazz Instrumental Music at Coffee Shop Ambience for Working, Studying” playing in the background. It’s perfect for creating a relaxed atmosphere. If you’re interested, you can check it out at this YouTube link: [insert link here] 🎶

Alright, time to dive into some writing and then tackle a bunch of errands. My to-do list is jam-packed today, but I’m ready to conquer it all! 💪 By the way, I’m thrilled to announce that Operation Bye, Bye AT&T Uverse is officially complete! I finally got rid of my cable and switched to AT&T Fiber Optic and streaming services. Huge shoutout to Jason and Andy for making it happen. You guys rock! 🙌

On a side note, I went for a five mile walk yesterday and ended up with a couple of blisters on my feet and toes. Ouch! It’s so uncomfortable, but it’s weird because I never used to get blisters when I was an infantryman in the US Army and walked for a living. Oh well, the joys of civilian life, huh? 😅

There’s still so much on my plate, and I can’t believe it’s already past noon. Time really flies! Anyway, wishing you all an absolutely fabulous and magical Monday. Let’s make the most of it and spread some positivity! ✨💖

Writer’s Log – June 4, 2023

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🌟✨ It’s a spectacular Sunday! 🌞💃 The date is June 4, 2023. I always write the day, date, and year just to make sure I’m on track, haha! 😄

Yesterday was a scorcher! 🔥🌡️ The weather person predicted 82°F, but we soared up to a humid 88°F! ☀️💦 The rain was dancing around everywhere except where I was. Today, they’re saying we’ll have upper 80s with a lower chance of rain. Fingers crossed! 🤞🌧️

Exciting news! 🎉🛫 I just booked my flight back to DFW and the USA from Sydney, Australia! 🇺🇸✈️ I’ll be spending five amazing nights in Sydney this November. After a month of exploring Hawaii, French Polynesia, Tahiti, Pago Pago, American Samoa, and New Zealand, my trans-Pacific cruise will end in Sydney. I can’t wait. It is a #bucketlisttrip! 😍🌏

Last night, I had a blast watching hours of YouTube videos about Sydney, Australia and all the fantastic things to do there. I feel like I know so much about the city, yet there’s still so much more to learn! Seems they have beaches, museums, parks, and lots of food.📺📚

Guess what I did this morning? You got it! After showering and washing my hair, shaving, dressing, and taking my RX’s, I hopped in the car and drove straight to Starbucks for my much-needed dose of coffee and writing time. ☕️📝 Gotta get that word count in before church and Bible study! 📖🙏 Currently, I’m jamming to the Precious Memories Collection by Alan Jackson. 🎶 For those who don’t know, Mr. Jackson is a fantastic country singer, and this collection consists of those classic church hymns that still give me goosebumps when we sing them at church. 🎵❤️

My agenda for today is packed! I’ll be attempting to apply online for my travel visa to New Zealand and Australia. 🌍✈️ No time like the present to get it done, right? I’ll also check in on NASCAR because, let’s go #8 Kyle Busch and Richard Childress Racing! 🏎️💨

Getting my steps in is a must today. When I don’t hit my 10,000 steps, I tend to gain weight instead of maintaining it. As the doctor says, “Eat less, exercise more!” 💪🥗 And as the Apostle Paul says in the Bible, “The things I know I should do, I don’t, and the things I know I shouldn’t do, I do.” 🍦🍿 Bad ice cream and tempting popcorn, why must you be so delicious?

I’ve got some extra editing to tackle today. I’m a bit behind on my goal of completing the recommended edits, but I’m determined to catch up. The book on Hope is still set for release this month, as long as I finish up and send everything back to the publisher. 📚✍️

Somewhere in my busy day, I’ll make sure to dive into the world of J.R.R. Tolkien and Lord of the Rings. Just ten to fifteen minutes a day to get lost in the magic! 🧙‍♂️📖

This evening, I’ll have a tough choice to make: swimming or visiting with “she who can’t be named on the Internet.” 😄🏊‍♀️👵 I’ll probably end up visiting her son, daughter-in-law, and adorable grandchildren. Can’t resist family time!

What are you doing to make your Sunday spectacular? Don’t forget to include the Lord in your day! 🙌❤️

#SpectacularSunday #June4th2023 #BlessedSunday #SydneyBound #CoffeeLover #SundayAgenda #FitAndActive #WritingGoals #NASCARFan #Bookworm #FamilyTime

writer’s Log – June 3, 2023

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Hey hey, folks! It’s Saturday, June 3, 2023, and I’ve got some exciting updates for ya! 🌞 The weatherman says we’re in for a treat today with a high of 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Can I get a hallelujah? 🙌 It’s a nice break from those scorching 90s we’ve been dealing with lately. 

But wait, there’s more! We’ve got an 80% chance of rain ☔️coming our way here in North Texas. Can I get a rain dance going? We always need more of that precious liquid in the Dallas Fort Worth area, am I right? ☔️

So, let’s dive into the adventures of my wild weekend! It all kicked off yesterday when I had a fabulous lunch date with my buddy Dan. Guess what? He and his lovely wife are gonna join me on the trans-Pacific cruise this fall. How cool is that? We’re becoming fast friends, and I’m pretty sure having a breakfast and walking buddy like Dan is gonna be a blast. Plus, I think his wife might appreciate a little break each day from his constant presence when we’re cruising. You know what I mean? 😄

Now, who would’ve thought that going to Walmart could be part of a wild weekend? Well, it totally can! I swung by and grabbed some health and beauty goodies. Oh, and let’s not forget my trip to Michael Stores. Can you believe it? I managed to buy the wrong thing not once, but TWICE! 🙈 But fear not, my friends, because third time’s the charm, and I finally got the right thing, or so I think. Man, it’s a whole rollercoaster of confusion out here, but I’m just gonna go with the flow and hope for the best! 🎢

Next up, let’s talk about the backyard oasis, the swimming pool. It always needs TLC, so I backwashed it, added more DE, and tossed some chlorine in there. I tell ya, buying chlorine is like throwing ten-dollar bills straight into the water. 💸 Last night, I chucked in four of those bad boys. Ah, the things we do for a sparkling pool and living the rest lifestyle!

Now, let’s get real for a sec. We all have those guilty pleasures, and last night, I indulged in some mindless TV series on Apple+. Yep, I called it a time waster, but hey, we all need a little mindless entertainment every now and then, right? 📺 Although I must admit, I’d usually choose a good book over TV, but last night was all about chillin’ in front of the screen. Sigh.

Fast forward to this morning, my lovely peeps! I popped my RXs, did my morning devotional (gotta get that spiritual fuel!), set my pool robot to work, handled some financial stuff like a boss, and you bet your bottom dollar I headed straight to Starbucks. Gotta get that caffeine fix to kickstart the day, am I right? 

Oh, and I’ve got Fernando Ortega’s heavenly Hymns and Meditations playing in my ears, filling my soul with positive vibes and helping me worship the Lord. Can I get an amen? 🙏

Speaking of chores and updates, today I’m bidding farewell to AT&T Verse and saying hello to AT&T fiber optic Internet only. It’s time to cut the cord, my friends! Shoutout to my middle adult child for coordinating this epic switcheroo. You rock, kiddo! 🎉

But hey, it’s not all work and no play! I’ve gotta squeeze in my daily walk and, of course, some quality Lord of the Rings reading time. And with the rain threat looming large, guess where I see myself heading for walking? That’s right, the mall! Gotta keep dry while indulging in some walking therapy, right? 

And tonight, the enigmatic “she who can’t be named on the Internet” and I have some exciting plans. No idea what they’ll be at this time, but the time is all hers. I forward to the surprises that await! 😉 

Oh, and an early bedtime is definitely in my future, ’cause tomorrow is all about church and Bible fellowship class. Can’t wait to kick off Sunday with a dose of spirituality!

My selfies is from this morning. I screwed up trimming the beard so now it’s a mustache. Amazing when you forget to get the height on the beard trimmer and buzzcut it before you realize you messed up. A classic senior moment for me, I confess. 

Alrighty, my lovely peeps, that’s the lowdown on my wild weekend so far. Hope you’re all having an absolutely fab time out there, filled with adventures and good vibes! Remember, live it up and make some fantastic memories. Catch you later! ✌️😎 #WeekendVibes #WildTimes

Saturday Coffee Sipping

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Dr. Jim Kepler at EIland Coffee

Hello my wonderful friends and acquaintances.

The last few days in Dallas were terrible. Last Sunday, January 29, at 7 p.m., the temperature dropped below freezing at DFW airport. On Thursday, February 2, at noon, the temperature got to 33 degrees, the first time in 89 hours where we were above freezing. Burr describes the time in between Sunday night and noon Thursday.

Homebound

I was homebound during these hours. Thursday we warmed into the forties and Friday found low fifties as daytime high temperatures. Both nights found below freezing temperatures and roads again icy in the early morning hours. Yucky, yes yucky, is a noble word to describe the past week.

Eiland Coffee

This Saturday morning finds me at Eiland Coffee, an Indy coffee house on Custer Road in Richardson, Texas for morning coffee and writing. I needed a better atmosphere for my morning writing and reading than the national chain coffeehouse provides.

Eiland Coffee is the place for a cozy atmosphere. After a quiet, homebound week, the thought of a coffeehouse with the hustle and bustle of cars snaked around the building and people dashing between the autos to pick up their mobile orders and almost tripping over each other made me shutter. A smile, plenty of seating, world-class coffee, and a great playlist of coffee house light jazz on their music system adds to the atmosphere.

My MacBook and coffee at Eiland Coffee

Morning Pages

My hopes for the weekend are to do my morning pages. What are morning pages?

Morning pages are a stream-of-consciousness journaling habit done every morning. The idea is to wake up, open your morning journal, and write three pages of longhand of any thoughts that come out of your head. I incorporate morning pages into my daily routine before my Bible reading and journaling time.

Walking or lack of it

The ice covered week stopped my daily walking for exercise. I couldn’t risk a fall by going outside. Impassible roads made going to the mall to walk out of the question. Later today I’ll walk somewhere. My heart lets me know when I don’t keep up my enough steps a day.

House Cleaning

Another hope is to have the house cleaned. The housekeeper descended on the house this morning. She wasn’t able to make her usual day because of the inclement weather. I need the house clean as tonight I’m entertaining a three friends.

Fun and Fellowship

A last hope is for an evening of fun and fellowship. Add the guests to a time of food, fun, and catching up and you have the formula for a successful night. Dinner tonight is genuine Chicago deep dish pizzas. We ordered nine pizzas from she-who-can’t-be-named-on-the-Internet’s favorite pizzeria in Chicago.

They were supposed to be delivered yesterday but are weather delayed. The pizzas come in refrigerated packaging (not frozen) and need cooked. They are a little pricy but great.

I hope you have a great day planned. My coffee is great. I’m drinking a 12 ounce Americano this morning.

Take care.
Jimmie.

Devotional: How Christian Love Works

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“How Christian Love Works”

1.   Christian love is thankful for the best in others.

“I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers” – Philemon verse 4 KJV

  • Do you pray for your friends?
  • Are you more concerned about what you can get from your friends than what you can do for them?
  • Are you thankful for your Christian friends?

2.  Christian love seeks the welfare of others.

“I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: ” – Philemon verse 4 KJV

  • Onesimus is a slave.
  • He had run away.
  • Paul lead him to Christ.
  • He is concerned about Onesimus’ safety and welfare.
  • Do you seek the welfare others?

3.  Christian love deals fairly with other.

“Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:” – Philemon verse 12

  • Paul sent Onesimus back to his owner.
  • He interceded on Onesimus’ behalf.
  • He is concerned about following the law and Onesimus’ welfare.
  • Do you deal fairly with others?

 4. Christian love bears the problems of others.

“If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;” – Philemon verse 18

  • Paul pleads for forgiveness of the offense.
  • Paul is willing to takes responsibility for whatever Onesimus may owe his master.
  • Do you bear others burdens?

5. Christian love believes the best in others

“Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.” – Philemon verse 21

  • Paul tells Onesimus that he believes in him.
  • He tells him he knows he will do his best.
  • He encourages Onesimus.
  • Do you encourage and really believe in your friends?

This is an original devotion written by Jimmie A. Kepler on March 19, 2012.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License by Jimmie Kepler.