Salty Zebra

 You wake up feeling pretty good. Sure, you've got some soreness and getting out of bed takes more energy than you think it should, but you're better than most days. As you head to the bathroom, you notice a basket of towels and think, "I really should run some laundry today!" And you do. In fact, you start tackling lots of little tasks as you see them. As you clean up from breakfast you do a bunch of dishes. When you walk through the living room you see the clumps of dog fur on the carpet and grab the vacuum for a "light cleaning" that might become a little more. Then you see the sink in your son's bathroom and... Well, you get the idea. Next thing you know it's lunch time and you definitely don't have the energy your started the day with. In fact, you're noticing some of those warning signs that a flare is coming on and you're about to be down for the count, possibly for days. But you had that important dinner with friends tonight!  Thi...

  This January (2025) I had the blessing of being able to cruise in a Club Balcony Suite on Norwegian Cruise Line. I've been conceptually familiar with these cabins, but I've never sailed in one and I wanted to see what the differences were. What makes a Club Balcony Suite different from a Balcony cabin?  First off, lets dispel this "Suite" misnomer. The Club Balcony Suite is not considered a Suite. You do not get the major suite perks like a butler, concierge, special breakfast restaurant, and extra Latitudes Rewards point per night. They do include a few suite perks though, perhaps that inspired the name? These are treats delivered to your cabin on two days of the cruise (one day you get sweets and another bite-sized sandwiches) and a bottle of sparkling wine. You also get one free bag of laundry per cruise.    Club Balcony Suite Bathroom Balcony Bathroom  How about the differences in the cabin itself? The primary difference you'll find will be with the bathro...

 “The law of the Lord is perfect and preserves one’s life. The rules set down by the Lord are reliable and impart wisdom to the inexperienced.”  Psalm 19:7 “Every word of God is purified; he is like a shield for those who take refuge in him.”  Proverbs 30:5   Last Time , we talked about all the proofs that make us comfortable trusting God’s Word and seeing it as the Authority in our lives. One of those things, the many copies and versions of texts that have been found, helps us also to believe in the inerrancy of God’s Word, or the fact that there are no errors in it. When we talk about this, we are referring to the original texts, or as close to it as we can get these days.   The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. Until the invention of the printing press in the 1400s in Europe, the Bible was copied by hand and passed down from generation to generation. These original language texts continued to be copied and passed down even afte...

Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17  Above all, you do well if you recognize this: No prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet's own imagination, for no prophecy was ever borne of human impulse; rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.  2 Peter 1:20-21    Christians look to the Bible as the Word of God.  We trust that what it says is God speaking to us. But how do we know this is true? Let's take a look today at how we can trust the authority of God's Word.   There are two types of evidence regarding the Bible: internal and external.   Internal evidence is what the Bible says itself. In today's verses (above) we read that all scripture is God breathed.   The prophets didn't imagine it or make it up, it came from God.   ...

     Bandana Print Shirt Collar Button Through Blouse – BloomChic  My brain surgeries, and perhaps the tumor itself, had more than a few unexpected side effects. Two of these were me becoming pre-diabetic and having high cholesterol. These both changed shortly after the surgery and without any change in my diet. My doctor has been working with me for quite some time to address these issues - my body is not cooperating so far - but in the meantime I have gained a significant amount of weight, about 50lbs. I weigh more now than I ever have in my life, even when I was pregnant. As you can imagine, that is a challenge for both my physical and mental health. Adding on to the mental side of this, none of my clothes fit anymore. Kick a girl while she's down why don'tcha?    V Neck Crocheted Cut Out Jumpsuit – BloomChic  My husband, in his precious compassion and wisdom, encouraged me to find some new clothes that I would enjoy. I kept seeing ads pop up on Fac...

   I'm writing to you this Valentine's Day from a cruise ship docked in Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica. I was supposed to be on a shore excursion called Real Coffee, Chocolate and Sarchi today exploring a coffee plantation, sampling their wares, learning about Sarchi and hand painted ox carts and having a local luncheon. But instead, I'm sitting in the lovely and comfortable Observation Lounge on the ship typing on my computer. Why? I'm just not 100%. As my husband pointed out, I'm never 100%, but I mean my 100%. For you that might be 60% or even 40%, but I'm trying to say I'm not at my  best. I'm looking very much forward to visiting family in Panama City in two days and then transiting the Panama Canal, and I don't want to miss either of those for not having taken care of myself beforehand.   It was a difficult decision for me because I was looking forward to the shore excursion too. We had also invested in it, it was not cheap, and you have to cancel ...