The Origin of the Jack-o’-Lantern. Our Dark Side. How to Cook Rice to Lower Arsenic Levels.

.

The Origin of the Jack-o’-Lantern

“The jack-o’-lantern is now associated with the holiday of Halloween. Where did this mysterious symbol come from? What should we do with that knowledge?

Where did the jack-o’-lantern come from?

The childhood of many a person has been haunted by a dark, headless figure on a horse holding a flaming jack-o’-lantern. Washington Irving’s classic horror story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” has intrigued and terrified millions for over 200 years.

Interestingly, Washington Irving never mentioned his dark rider bearing a jack-o’-lantern. The author only referred to a shattered pumpkin found the morning after the main character’s disappearance. Adaptations of Irving’s story since then have made the famous pumpkin into the glowing jack-o’-lantern that we all imagine today. Since that fateful connection, the pumpkin with a sinister grin has become an integral part of Halloween.

But where exactly did the jack-o’-lantern come from, and what made it fit in so well with this haunting story and the holiday of Halloween?

Why carve up pumpkins?

The origin of the jack-o’-lantern goes back several centuries, starting with pagan customs that predated even the term jack-o’-lantern. In the dark woods of Ireland, England and Scotland, the Celts ruled. In their religion, the shortening days of autumn indicated the merging of the spirit world with our physical world. This merging was believed to fully happen on their holiday of Samhain (pronounced sah-win) on the night of Oct. 31.

Because of this terrifying belief, the Celts prepared for this time when they believed the spirits of the dead wandered the earth. They imagined that some of the spirits just wandered around, while others were vengeful spirits.

People were mostly defenseless against these dreaded spirits, except for the use of costumes and root vegetables such as turnips with carved faces. To add to the effect, they were “then illuminated by coal, wooden embers, or candles as a way to ward off evil spirits” (Merriam-Webster.com, “The History of ‘Jack-O’-Lantern’”). Displaying these ghastly vegetables was said to keep the spirits from visiting a person’s property.

English historian Ronald Hutton states that root vegetables were “hollowed out to act as lanterns and often carved with grotesque faces,” in association with Samhain, later known as Halloween, in the Celtic part of the world (The Stations of the Sun, 1996).

Eventually, the Roman Empire took over and “christianized” this pagan festival of Samhain, creating All Saints’ Day Nov. 1, with All Hallows Eve (Halloween) the night before. As Irish celebrants eventually moved to the United States, some of the ancient practices came with them. In the United States, the pumpkin was abundant and quickly became the vegetable of choice for carving.

But why call it a “jack-o’-lantern”?

There are various ideas about where the name “jack-o’-lantern” comes from. Britannica in its article “Why Do We Carve Pumpkins at Halloween?” states that it started with the Irish tale of Stingy Jack, who tricked the devil. When he died, the story goes, the deceitful Jack was not allowed to go to heaven due to the life that he had lived. The devil, however, wouldn’t allow him to enter his domain either.

Jack-o’-lanterns may appear fun now, but they have a very dark past that involved pagan worship and an attempt to keep roaming spirits away. To God, anything associated with any of those pagan customs cannot be tolerated in any way, shape or form. Destined to restlessly roam the earth forever, the spirit of Jack was given a burning ember by Satan. Placing that ember in a carved-out turnip, Jack wandered the countryside with his ghastly lantern. The superstitious Celts believed that mysterious swamp fires, called ignis fatuus, that actually occurred when decaying matter combusted, were evidence Jack’s spirit was roaming nearby. Over time, “Jack of the Lantern” became shortened to “jack-o’-lantern.”

Carved turnips and other vegetables were placed in the window at night to ward off Jack and other unwanted spirits. Naturally, the ghostly tale of Jack of the Lantern came to be associated with Halloween and added to the allure of the dark holiday.

According to History.com, when the Scots and Irish migrated to the United States, they used the abundant pumpkins to ward off evil spirits and celebrate Halloween (“How Jack O’Lanterns Originated in Irish Myth”).

What does God think of jack-o’-lanterns?

Many today think that jack-o’-lanterns are cute or fun symbols of a holiday celebrated by many Christians, Halloween. (For more about the origin of Halloween, read “Halloween: Should Christians Celebrate It?”) The symbolism in the minds of some has even changed from one of horror and wandering spirits to one of community, according to National Geographic.

Admittedly, very few will set out jack-o’-lanterns this year hoping to scare off evil spirits. Probably no one will do it in honor of Stingy Jack. Does that mean the symbol has been cleaned up and is okay to use?

Some pagan religions, including Wicca, do still use jack-o’-lanterns for their originally intended purpose.

However, the ultimate question is, What does God think of people using jack-o’-lanterns?

God warns us to avoid spirits or anything associated with them (Leviticus 19:31, and Jeremiah 10). He abhors witchcraft and pagan religions, as well as any of the dark arts that delve into an evil spirit world. 

God also has strong words to say about mixing His true religion with false and pagan practices: “Take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods” (Deuteronomy 12:30-31).

Jack-o’-lanterns may appear fun now, but they have a very dark past that involved pagan worship and an attempt to keep roaming spirits away. To God, anything associated with any of those pagan customs cannot be tolerated in any way, shape or form.

God knows the origin of the jack-o’-lantern and will not have anything to do with it. What will you do now that you know the origin of the jack-o’-lantern?”       From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/plan-of-salvation/holy-days-vs-holidays/halloween/origin-jack-o-lantern/

Jeremiah 10

Idols and the True God

10 Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.

² Thus says the Lord:

“Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
³ For the customs of the peoples are ^[a]futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
⁴ They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers, So that it will not topple.
⁵ They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.”

_______

Our Dark Side

 

“Marketing experts know there's something strangely appealing about the dark side of human nature—and they are capitalizing on it.

"Get in touch with your dark side," urges Toyota in an ad for the Matrix VCAM.

"Go ahead, indulge your dark side," Nestle says of its dark chocolate caramel Treasures.

Marketing experts know there's something strangely appealing about the dark side of human nature—and they are capitalizing on it.

Goth and Halloween

One example of this strategy is the successful promotion of Goth characters such as Emily the Strange that are rapidly gaining popularity with preteens. As Karyn M. Peterson of Playthings magazine reports, "Fuzzy zombie teddy bears wielding weapons, cuddly-yet-creepy skeletal pets, designer dolls with ghostly death-mask faces—toys and collectibles like these that embrace dark (and even macabre) themes...are increasingly finding younger and younger fans."

Another example is the annual marketing blitz surrounding Halloween. According to Businessweek, "Halloween is the second-biggest holiday behind Christmas in home-decorating sales, and the sixth-biggest retail holiday for overall sales." Between all the parties, TV shows and special events that accompany this holiday, themes of fear and death have now become normalized as entertaining traditions.

Desensitizing games

Does popularizing evil desensitize us to the true nature of the human heart?

A 2007 Iowa State University study of video game players found that even brief exposure to violent media has a measurably desensitizing effect. The authors of this study expressed the following concerns regarding the way popular media is presented to the public over our lifespan:

"Children receive high doses of media violence. It initially is packaged in ways that are not too threatening, with cute cartoon-like characters, a total absence of blood and gore, and other features that make the overall experience a pleasant one, arousing positive emotional reactions that are incongruent with normal negative reactions to violence. Older children consume increasingly threatening and realistic violence, but the increases are gradual and always in a way that is fun. In short, the modern entertainment media landscape could accurately be described as an effective systematic violence desensitization tool."

Desensitization often starts when we are very young, whether through the surrounding culture and related media or via family experiences. This may lead to a decreased appreciation—or even subtle acceptance—of the evil and all too typical violence that permeates the world such as:

• The attack that occurred in Beijing just after the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
• The practice of slavery—still a problem all over the globe.
• Terrorist plots to overthrow entire national or religious cultures.

Cure for a sick heart

How dangerous is our world to us? The common thread among these and other evils we see today is a sick heart—and we're all vulnerable to infection.

"Who can understand the human heart? There is nothing else so deceitful; it is too sick to be healed" (Jeremiah 17:9, Good News Bible).

God says we all have the capacity to deceive ourselves into thinking good is evil, and evil is good. That's a frightening revelation. Given the right circumstances, we have the ability to commit evil and justify doing so. If we desensitize to the point that we can no longer recognize evil, is it possible that we, too, could become agents of evil instead of just spectators?

Our Creator warns us to carefully guard the thoughts and motives of our heart to avoid falling prey to self-deception. With His help and careful vigilance as to what we allow into our minds, we can prevent the dark side of the human heart from controlling our destiny.

To find out more about how to overcome your dark side, read "The Battle for Your Mind."  From: https://www.ucg.org/vertical-thought/our-dark-side

________

How to Cook Rice to Lower Arsenic Levels

Boiling rice like pasta reduces arsenic levels, but how much nutrition is lost?

See video at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-cook-rice-to-lower-arsenic-levels/

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

“Cooking rice in a high water to rice ratio reduces [toxic] arsenic content”—meaning if you boil rice like pasta, and then drain off the water at the end, you can drop arsenic levels in half. 50 to 60 percent of the arsenic gets poured down the drain, whereas the typical way we make rice, boiling the water off like in a rice cooker or pot, doesn’t help. Or, may even make things worse, if the water you’re using to cook the rice has arsenic in it too—a problem that exists for about three million Americans, as about 8% of public water supplies exceed the current legal arsenic limits.

But “cooking rice in excess water [and then discarding] efficiently reduces the amount of [toxic arsenic] in the cooked rice.” Yeah, but how much nutrition are you pouring down the drain when you do that? We didn’t know, until now.

“Unpolished brown rice naturally contains [nutrients] that are lost when the bran layer and germ are removed to make white rice. To compensate, since the 1940s,” white rice has had vitamins and minerals sprayed on it to quote-unquote “enrich it.” That’s why cooking instructions for white rice specifically say don’t rinse it, and cook it “in a minimal amount of water.” In other words, “the opposite” of what you’d do to get rid of some of the arsenic. But brown rice has the nutrients inside, not just sprayed on.

For example, “rinsing [white] rice [—like putting it in a colander under running water—] removes much of the enriched vitamins sprayed onto the [white] rice…surface during manufacture,” removing most of the B vitamins, but has “almost no effect on vitamins in whole-grain brown rice,” because it’s got the nutrition inside. Same thing with iron: rinsing white rice reduces iron levels by like three-fourths, but the iron in brown rice is actually in it; and so, rinsing only reduces the iron concentration in brown rice by like 10%. But rinsing didn’t seem to affect the arsenic levels; so, why bother?

Now, if you really wash the rice, like agitate the uncooked rice in water for three minutes, and then rinse and repeat, you may be able to remove about 10% of the arsenic. And so, this research team recommends washing, as well as boiling in excess water. But I don’t know if the 10% is worth the extra wash time. But, boiling like pasta and then draining the excess water does really cut way down on the arsenic, and while that also takes a whack on the nutrition in white rice, the nutrient loss in brown rice is “significantly less,” as it is not so much enriched as it is rich in nutrition in the first place.

“Cooking brown rice in large amounts of excess water reduces the [toxic arsenic] by almost 60% and only reduces the [iron] content by 5%,” but does reduce “the vitamin content of brown rice by about half.” Here it is graphically. A quick rinse of brown rice before you cook it doesn’t lower arsenic levels, but boiling it instead of cooking to dry, and draining off the excess water drops arsenic levels 40%. That was using like six parts water to one part rice. What if you use even more water, boiling at 10:1 water to rice? A 60% drop in arsenic levels.

With white rice, you can rinse off a little arsenic, but after cooking, you end up with similar final drops in arsenic content. But the iron gets wiped out in white rice by rinsing and cooking, whereas the iron in brown rice stays strong. Similar decrements in the B vitamins with cooking for brown and unrinsed white, but once you rinse white rice, they’re mostly gone before they make it into the pot.

What about percolating rice? We know regular rice cooking doesn’t help, but boiling like pasta and draining does. Steaming doesn’t do much. What about percolating rice as a radical rethink to “optimize [arsenic] removal”? So, they tried like some mad scientist lab set-up, but also just a regular “off-the-shelf coffee percolator.” But instead of putting coffee, they put rice, percolating 20 minutes for white, 30 for brown, and got about a 60% drop in arsenic levels using a 12-to-1 water-to-rice ratio. Here’s where the arsenic levels started and ended up. The squares are the brown rice; circles are the white.

So, raw brown may start out double that of raw white, but after cooking with enough excess water and draining, they end up much closer. Though, 60%, percolating at a 12-to-1 ratio, was about what we got boiling at just 10-to-1; So, I see no reason to buy a percolator.

But, even with that 60%, what does that mean? By boiling and draining a daily serving of rice, we could cut excess cancer risk more than half, from like 165 times the acceptable cancer risk, to only like 66 times the acceptable risk.”  From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-cook-rice-to-lower-arsenic-levels/

_________

After the U.S. Election, Then What? What Will the Next President Face? What’s Beyond America’s Historic Election. Update.

 

For Scripture Sunday”:

So Mr. Trump is President Elect.

After the U.S. Election, Then What?

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

“We brace ourselves for the coming weeks, months and years as the results of the most divisive presidential election in living memory will come to bear on all the issues facing the country and the world. What can we do to face those challenges?

Karl Fredrickson/Unsplash

After the U.S. elections what matters most is what you personally do.

Fatigue runs deep in the 2016 presidential election campaign. And not just in the United States. The level of discontent—ranging from mild to extreme—over either candidate (or parties) has pushed the limits of decency and discontent beyond bearing.

That level of dissatisfaction casts an ominous shadow over the huge global issues swelling up in nearly every aspect of life on earth. The U.S. President-elect will face an assault from many sectors—from a dangerously aggressive Russia, to anxious instability on every inhabited continent, to a sputtering global economy.

Bankers wake up in the middle of the night worrying about the decaying financial culture and lagging performance that grip institutions in Italy, Germany and around the world. And everyone knows that with economic unrest, political unrest—even to the point of boiling turmoil—cannot be far behind.

What does matter is your direct relationship with God and how you act on that relationship in becoming a changed person. Start today.

What hope is there for us?

First, there are reasons why all of this is happening, but there are pathways that we can positively pursue, both collectively and individually, regardless of who is elected to lead.

Shortly before the presidential election, legendary Democratic pollster Peter Hart went to Charlotte, North Carolina, to sample the attitude of Americans. Hart asked a series of questions, asking those present to raise their hand if it described them.

He first asked how many liked both presidential candidates. Nobody raised their hand. Then he asked whether those present liked one of the candidates. Nobody raised their hand. Finally, he asked for those present to raise their hand if they didn’t like either candidate.    Every hand went up.

The conclusion? People want leaders who they can trust and believe in, but they’re not getting them. These same people were asked to describe the America they want. They wrote phrases like nurturing “a culture that improves us as a people,” and most importantly “leading the world in everything, including morals .”

America’s moral compass is malfunctioning and nearly broken. Morals internally govern how we act, both individually and collectively. Morality is the behavioral GPS that drives our individual consciences.

To some it may come as a great surprise to learn that the main cause of our troubles today is spiritual in nature. Sound spiritual principles form the solid foundation upon which morals and subsequent human behavior can be built. Ever hear the phrase “Do unto others as you would have them to do to you”? That’s become known as the “Golden Rule” for a reason.

It was said by none other than Jesus Christ of Nazareth. In Matthew 7:12 He stressed: “Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12, emphasis added throughout). Basically the entire Old Testament of the Bible is summed up in that statement!

James, the brother of Jesus, provides this critical detail for us: “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? … You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it … you fight and wage war …  you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong” (James 4:1-3, New Living Translation).

Does that sound like what the world is in the midst of?

So what’s the solution? The apostle Paul makes it clear for us: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:2, NLT). That represents the starting point for all of us!

Want to change the world? First, surrender your will to God and ask Him to change you. As you become more like God and learn how God thinks, you will change. That positive change will be noticed. Eventually, as God works with you, you will become a light, a spiritual beacon. And people will notice.

Don’t curse the darkness that is all around us. Light a candle. Look for that marvelous light that is the very light of this world, the light that comes from Jesus Christ (John 8:12).

This world, its ways and people are corrupt. But Jesus Christ did not pray to His Father that we would be taken out of the world (John 17:15); He prayed that we would be a strong spiritual light to the world, where our good deeds can appropriately be seen in contrast to this world (Matthew 14:16).

So after the U.S. elections what matters most is what you personally do.

Do you want to make difference? I urgently invite you to request and dig into one of our most popular Bible study guides: Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion,  which can be read online as well.

It doesn’t matter to God what political party you belong to. What does matter is your direct relationship with God and how you act on that relationship in becoming a changed person. Start today. Don’t wait for any election, now or in the future.  The time is now! The time is now to wake up and change.”

From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/after-the-us-election-then-what

_______

What Will the Next President Face?

Estimated reading time: 19 minutes

“In the days of biblical Israel, advisers counseled the king on how to lead the nation based on the Word of God. Samuel guided Saul. Nathan counseled David. Isaiah revealed God's will to Hezekiah. These men of God represented the word of God to the king. What might a servant of God say today if he entered the Oval Office with an analysis of the world and America for the president?

Photos.com

Because of our growing moral corruption, God’s protective presence and blessing will be removed from the land we so dearly love.

It is the first full working day for the new president of the United States. What might he hear if a servant of God gave recommendations from the Bible of how God would expect the president to govern? Let’s imagine.

Good morning, Mr. President. Let me congratulate you on your new responsibilities, and may I offer wishes for your success as you take the helm of the world’s most powerful nation. Your inaugural speech made clear your intent to maintain that position for the nation while at the same time seeking to reach out to both friend and foe to forge a bond of respect and cooperation.

You are coming into office at perhaps the most critical time in America’s existence. The financial crisis of recent months is the most severe in this generation. America’s relative position in the world faces the greatest challenge since the end of World War II. Iran’s nuclear program could soon destabilize the entire Middle East. Many wonder what your administration will do to counter this threat.

God removes rulers and raises up rulers. No world leader holds office without His consent.

Other world problems demand your attention and leadership. The security and prosperity of this nation and the maintenance of the current world order are at stake. Many voices are offering advice on the way forward. Here is an analysis and counsel from God’s Word. The choice is yours as to which way you, and the nation, will go.” 

More at: https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/what-will-the-next-president-face

________

What’s Beyond America’s Historic Election

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

How can we understand God's role in the affairs of the United States in the aftermath of the election of Donald Trump?

Aaron Burden/Unsplash

Great things are in store for you. The time is now to find out what they are.

The come-from-behind, surprise upset victory of now-President-elect Donald Trump shocked billions of people. He won the electoral yet closely lost the popular vote. Embarrassed pollsters, some who derided the President-elect completely, failed to gauge the level of discontent apparent in the American electorate.

Following the unexpected victory, a heady mix of shocked reaction and defiant jubilation engulfed much of America and the world, with many expressing deep concern about potential instability and upheaval.

God has a purpose for humanity, a purpose for current events, and He will accomplish that purposethrough the leadership that He allows.

In the early morning hours following Trump’s victory speech, violence broke out in California and elsewhere on the West Coast as protestors decried the results. Prior to the election, several commentators warned of divisiveness in the election’s aftermath. The Economist magazine warned in October that Hillary Clinton was “deeply reviled” by many potential voters. Other research showed that neither major candidate was preferred and many thought that voting for one or the other was more a matter of selecting the lesser of two evils. Trump himself was openly regarded by many in the media as boorish and unfit to be the U.S. President.

But was this election outcome the result of “the will of the people?”

More at: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/whats-beyond-americas-historic-election

________

We have mostly been working on the plumbing for the guest house.  Ran out of parts for the water, and now have run out of parts for the sewer, so a trip into Conroe is needed.

On the Sabbath, we had a great service and then a tasty potluck of two kinds of meatloaf, one made with organic ground beef, and the other a “meatless” meatloaf made with lentils, veggies and walnuts.  I took a crockpot of organic ground turkey with organic macaroni and veggies. Lots of different veggies and desserts.   One was a pumpkin pie made by Laura who is learning to cook!

The Bible readings were Gen. 12:1-17:27, Isa. 40:27-41:16 and Heb. 7:1-10.  The teaching was Bible verses which show that the Messiah was appointed a High Priest.

The weather is definitely cooler than it has been, and it was a great day.

How To Make Time For The Kids. Healthy Habits. Trip To Palestine!

 

For “Scripture Sunday”, late agaain, as it is Monday.

How to Make Time for Them

“It's a fact: The less time children and parents spend together and the fewer thoughts and activities they share, the more powerful the entertainment media, peer groups and other influences will be in shaping the thoughts and lives of our children.

Whether or not a child will adopt the parents' values depends upon the establishment of a close relationship with the parent and a continuing and positive parental presence throughout childhood,”; says Dr. Isabelle Fox, author of Being There: The Benefits of a Stay-at-Home Parent.

Your children need to know you value them and that your time with them is for you a top priority.

“You make kids feel valued by spending regular time with them,”; Dr. Fox says. “When your kids feel valued, they'll identify with you and want to please you. They're not going to learn from someone they don't have a relationship with.”;

Of course, with busy and sometimes conflicting schedules of family members, time together is not always easy to come by. One way to ensure that you and your children spend time together is to block out time on your daily and weekly calendars to be with them, just as you would schedule a meeting with an important client. Some families set aside a regular time each week for family get-togethers. One father told me: “We keep Sunday afternoons free for family outings, day trips, hiking, going to movies, a dinner out and the like. It helps us stay bonded together.”;

You might want to designate one evening a week as family night. Explain to your children that this is a time for family activities and conversation. Plan to feature something interesting each week. It might be miniature golf or a baseball game; other times it might be an evening at home with games and popcorn.

Carefully evaluate your family activities. Simply wandering around a shopping mall as a form of family entertainment on weekends can leave everyone feeling unsatisfied and put the emphasis on wrong values. Instead of the mall, substitute active, family-centered activities such as a trip to a museum, a walk in the woods or a visit to a park or arboretum.

Family time can also mean getting work done together. Rather than dividing up household chores, let everyone help cook dinner, clean up the kitchen or do yard work, laundry and maintenance projects around the house. Not only will your children get to spend time with you, but they will learn to do new things and observe their parents working.”  From: http://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/how-to-make-time-for-them

______

 

 

4 Healthy Habits to Start Right Now

We often intend to start good habits—just not today. So these habits generally never begin. Here are four habits to start now. Not next week or next year. Today!

“I know I need to, but ….”

How often have we used this excuse to describe our relationship with healthy habits? The answer is, too often. It seems like every time we read some article that has scientific backing for a healthy habit, we get inspired to say something like, “Starting Monday, I’m going to ….” Then Monday comes and goes, and we just feel guilty instead of successful.

Motivation is the key to everything. Here are four biblical habits that we need to motivate ourselves to do regularly. The biblical support for each of these healthy habits, as well as some perspectives and hints, should be the proverbial kick in the pants that we all need sometimes.

1. Pray every day for at least as long as a Netflix cartoon episode.

The apostle Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing” ( 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ). The rationale behind this healthy habit is putting a priority on prayer: Isn’t talking to God more important than the time it takes to watch a 20-30 minute cartoon or sitcom on Netflix, play a video game or scroll through Facebook?

Strategy: Make prayer a priority by doing it immediately when you wake up in the morning. King David set an example of regular prayer three times a day: “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray” (Psalm 55:17 ). Even if our prayers at different times of the day are not of equal length, we should make sure at least one of those intervals allows deeper quality time with God. For more ideas and help, read “Plotting Your Prayer Life.”  You can have healthy habits that will positively affect your daily life. Ask God for help to implement these daily habits.

2. Study the Bible every day for at least as long as you check your Facebook feeds.

Remember: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Again, it all comes back to priorities: Isn’t studying the actual Word of God more important than that same amount of time writing a rant on Facebook, checking news websites several times a day or obsessing over work emails? Are we letting other messages obstruct us from God’s message to us?

Strategies: Just like prayer, we have to build Bible study into our daily routines. We could set a phone alarm alerting us to turn the screens off and open the Bible up. We could start studying the Bible during lunchtime. There are options available that give us easy access to the Bible anywhere: online Bibles, audio Bibles, podcasts, Bible apps or the old-fashioned ink-and-paper kind.

We publish many resources to help you study the Bible. Please browse our articles on “Bible Study.”

3. Eat a reasonable diet of beneficial foods, and exercise regularly.

The apostle Paul spoke of the physical body and mind this way: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-18).

This habit has a lot to do with perception: Does treating my body like God’s temple include regularly overindulging in harmful foods and lazily avoiding the movement the body was designed for?

Let’s think about how to apply this. Is trying to eat greater amounts of vegetables than processed sugars an unimaginable thought? Is trying to achieve at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise (anything from a brisk walk to mowing the lawn) an impossible task?

Strategies: Eat a vegetable every day. For exercise, set a cumulative countdown of 150 minutes on a stop watch app at the beginning of the week and regularly dedicate time to achieving that goal. There are many health apps you can download on your phone to track exercise and even give you notifications and reminders.

For further insight on health, read “Healthy Diet.”

4. Sleep!

King David said, “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

Human beings need sleep. Does getting sufficient sleep every night mean that I can’t enjoy my mornings or evenings? Of course not!

Isn’t trying to get between seven to eight hours of sleep a night more important than that extra Netflix episode or that novel that we can’t put down (or other time wasters)? Our bodies rebel in different, unwanted ways when we don’t get enough sleep. When we are tired, we will be less productive at work and less motivated to pray and study.

Strategies: On work or school nights, try to go to bed seven to eight hours before you have to get up. People often want to make up sleep time in the morning, but we are more productive when we get that sleep time during the night. Read “Replace Oversleeping With Motivation” for further insight into healthy sleep habits.

You can do this

You can have healthy habits that will positively affect your daily life. Ask God for help to implement these daily habits. He gives us the strength to build proper habits ( Philippians 4:13 ).

Why not get started today?”

For further insight into healthy habits we need in our lives today, read “Health Science and the Bible.”

_______

3 Obstacles to Your Healthy Habits

“In the last post, we discussed specific habits we need to build in our lives. But there will always be obstacles to maintaining good habits. So what can we do?

When we build the habits of prayer and Bible study, we feel a stronger connection to our Creator. No amount of miraculous experiences or spiritual “feel-good” moments can take the place of that consistent link with God.

When we care for our bodies through good health habits, we get a sense of accomplishment and happiness in our lives. We just plain feel better.

Sounds wonderful, right? Except for the pesky fact that an army of obstacles will try to get us to compromise and abandon these healthy habits. So what do we do? We fight. We fight for our spiritual, physical and mental health.

Imagine these obstacles personified and calling your name.

1. The time-wasting obstacle: “Come waste time with me!”

• I’m your Facebook feed that you just have to check. Once I have you looking at me, I can keep you occupied for at least 20 minutes (maybe more!). The newsfeed never ends, and I make it too irresistible to look away. Funny memes, interesting videos and other people’s lives look deceptively better than yours. How can you resist me?
• I’m all the movies, TV shows, novels, sports, 24-hour news, political debates and screen time that give you a break from reality. I have endless hours of entertainment, intrigue, drama and other people’s reality. How can you resist me?

How can you face this obstacle? Do better than most adults in the United States by watching less than the average four hours of television a night. Redeem the time instead (Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:5). In that four hours you could do at least a half hour of Bible study, a half hour of prayer, a half hour of exercise and a half hour of preparing healthy food. And you would still have almost two hours of entertainment, social media and relaxation left over.

You can do this!

2. The necessary obligations obstacle: “I’m more necessary and urgent than God and your health!”

• I’m your job that takes up most of your time during the week. You need me to support your family, so you feel obligated to put me ahead of almost everything else. I try to get you to avoid making time for God and instead whisper, “I’m your job. You can’t neglect me, so spend even more time with me. This is just the way it is.”
• I’m your house that always has something needing to be fixed. You need to spend hours on me in order to provide a nice shelter for your family. I try to make you put your most expensive possession ahead of God and your health. After all, you can’t just let your house fall apart!  

How can you face this obstacle? Hard work is an important virtue, so we can’t just stop working (Proverbs 27:23). But we have to remember that our relationship with God is even more important (Deuteronomy 6:5). If our overall busyness in doing the necessary things in life is keeping us from the more necessary things—spiritual and physical health—then we need to reevaluate and reprioritize our time.

3. The difficulty obstacle: “Change is too hard, so don’t do it!”

• I’m the old habits in your life. I come back to haunt you as much as I possibly can. After a week of great eating, I’m that large milkshake that calls out to you! After sleeping so well, I’m that weekend Netflix binge that tempts you to stay up past midnight. After exercising diligently, I’m the two-week couch potato marathon. After studying the Bible and praying every day, I’m the “urgent” situations that challenge your priorities.
• I’m the doubt in your mind that you can change. I’m the temptation to just give in and not care.

How can you face this obstacle? Changing will never be easy (Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:8-9), but it is something God does and will always expect humans to do—for our own good. So we should get used to it and do it!

For further insight into defeating these obstacles, read “6 Steps to Overcoming Bad Habits.”  From: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/change/blog/3-obstacles-to-your-healthy-habits/

_______

Update:

Gradually getting a bit more work done on the guest house.  Roy has been putting in switches for ceiling lights that were moved, such as in the closet, overhead bathroom light and exhaust fan, and the light above where the new vanity will be. 

On Friday, 10th, after working on the guest house, I cooked the Saturday pot-luck and the Sunday Pentecost meal as both were Sabbaths and we are not supposed to cook on the Sabbath.

On Saturday, the 11th, the Bible readings were Num. 8:1-12:16, Zech. 2:14-4:7 and John 19:31-37 and the Teaching was about Pentecost.  I took a buttered crumb sweet potato casserole, and a dessert made with canned pumpkin in a cherry jello with chocolate chips.  One of the elders brought lamb in a big crockpot that was tender and delicious.  They had the left overs that night after their Pentecost service. 

As we share the church with a Sunday Baptist church, we couldn’t use the chapel for Pentecost on the right day, Sunday the 12th, so our church had it the evening before.  I don’t drive in the dark, so I went to the Penetecost Celebration on Sunday afternoon at The Church Of God, in Huntsville, TX.  It was so good to see some old friends again, but farther than I like to drive on a hot Texas summer afternoon.  The Teaching was “Christ Live Within - We Win.”  I took the big electric chef’s pot that I had prepared on the Friday, of parsleyed cabbage, ground grass-fed beef, onion, sliced new potatoes and carrots, which was very well received and eaten up.

Then on Tuesday, I made a trip to Palestine,…… Texas, that is!  I had the van serviced for the trip, and a neighbor foster-mom came and fed my foster cats.  That’s the view from my daughter’s driveway, Lake Palestine is through those trees, and there is a boat ramp and fishing pier right across the road.

The central air conditioner at my daughter and son-in-law’s place on Lake Palestine wasn’t working.  They decided that as they are so seldom there, that they would just install some window AC’s.  My daughter’s SUV could not pick them up and take them there, because there would not be enough room with herself, one medium size dog, two grandsons, luggage and one enormous dog.  So I picked up the ACs at Lowe’s in Conroe, and delivered them to Lake Palestine in my van. It was a long drive on country roads, but we all had a good time there.  I also took some home-cooked organic food, and they were all surprised that they liked it.  I hadn’t seen these two of my great-grandsons for several years, so it was great to get to know them again.  Nice polite kids, and a joy to be around.  My daughter still had to work on the Wednesday, posting on her computer, but the second evening she took us out for dinner in Chandler, TX to a Mexican restaurant called San Pedros, and we all had delicious avocado, mushroom, onion enchiladas.  I stayed for two nights, Tuesday and Wednesday and then came home a different way, on a boring freeway.  But it is a long way for me to drive, 150 miles each way.

Thursday was spent unpacking the van.  Friday we worked on the guest house and I cooked food ready for the Sabbath,  Dirty Rice, made with beef, carrots, chopped bell peppers and onions.  I was surprised how popular it was, as I don’t care for rice myself.

On Saturday the 18th, the Bible readings were Deut. 6:4, Num. 16:1-19:32, 1 Sam. 11:14-12:22 and all of Jude.  The Teaching was ‘Keep Out of this World”, and what happens if we follow the wrong paths.

This time the elder brought chicken in an alfredo sauce and there were other great dishes, salads, desserts and company, so a great time was had by all.

It is now getting close to official summertime and you can tell it by the temperature rising each day.

Tender Mercies of the Wicked. The Can Opener. The Longhorn. Update.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

The Tender Mercies of the Wicked?

Proverbs 12:10 "A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel."

" King Solomon recognized that a righteous person will not only treat his fellow man kindly, but will also care for his animals.

 

It seems the implication is that the godly person shows more kindness to animals than a wicked person shows to other people—even on a good day. We should treat animals—and people, especially—with compassion, not cruelty.

For more about practicing kindness, see “Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness.”

_________

The Can Opener

An Amazing Fact: "Did you know it was 48 years after tin cans were first introduced before the can opener was invented? Until then, cans were beaten open with a hammer and chisel. The tin can for preserving food was patented in 1810 by a Londoner, Peter Durand. Only one year before, French confectioner Nicolas Appert had introduced the method of canning food by sealing the heated food tightly inside a glass wine bottle or jar. He could not explain why the food stayed fresh, but his bright idea won him a 12,000-francs prize from Napoleon. Appert helped Napoleon’s army march on its stomach while Durand supplied the Royal Navy with canned food.

But tin canning was not widely adopted until 1846, when a machine was invented that increased can production from six cans an hour to 60. Still, there were no can openers, and the product labels would read: “Cut around on the top with a chisel and hammer.”

The can opener was finally invented in 1858 by American Ezra Warnet. But the can opener did not become popular for another 10 years until it was given away for free with canned beef.

 
The well-known double wheel-style opener was invented in 1925, and the easy pop-top lid was invented in France in 1959. Since aluminum cans made their first appearance in America in 1953, some 74 million tons of aluminum cans (about 3 trillion cans) have been produced. Placed end to end, they could stretch to the moon and back about 500 times! Still, about one quarter of all cans are recycled, some 9 million cans every hour. That is good news when you consider that it takes about 200 years for a buried aluminum can to degrade.

Did you know the Bible teaches that no matter how long Christians are buried, when their graves are opened they will come up with new bodies? We are given a sample of what it will be like when we read the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus. When Christ stood before the tomb of His dead friend, Jesus asked for the stone blocking the entrance to be rolled away. Notice what happens: “Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days’” (John 11:39). The Lord does not need a
special gadget to open graves where bodies have turned to dust. At the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, the dead will rise.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first" - 1 Thessalonians 4:16

_______

"The Longhorn: Texas Tough"

"Traveling through the plains in Texas, you’re bound to see the unmistakable silhouette of the famed Texas Longhorn. As our state’s official large mammal, the mascot of our flagship university, and a surviving symbol of the old American West, the Longhorn is ingrained into our way of life as Texans. 

This time of year in particular, we’re reminded of their storied history. Ranchers have just finished showcasing their best stock at the annual Texas State Fair’s Longhorn Show, and in the midst of football season, the orange Longhorn silhouettes seem to be everywhere.

But only 100 years ago, Texas Longhorns were nearly extinct.

When the first cattle set hoof in the New World more than 500 years ago, they surprised the Spanish settlers who brought them by overcoming the challenging terrain and thriving. The previously domesticated cattle from Europe became tough enough to survive droughts and floods, sweltering heat and bone-chilling cold, while grazing easily on whatever land they occupied. Amazingly, the first Longhorns were even resistant to diseases found in the New World.  They lived longer and reproduced more quickly than other breeds; before long, there were millions of Longhorns roaming free, and feral herds quickly found a home in Texas.

As more European settlers made their way to Texas, Longhorns provided a stable source of meat and income no matter the conditions.  A German traveler making his way through Texas in 1848 remarked, “In Texas, cattle live for the sake of man, but in all other countries man lives for the sake of his cattle.”

Longhorns continued to thrive throughout the 19^th Century and found themselves increasingly in demand. European investors offered ranchers gold to expand their Longhorn operations, and these ranchers were even exempt from the Confederate draft because of their important role in providing food for soldiers.

But not long after soldiers returned home from the war, Longhorns began to suffer. Once trade relationships were re-established between the former Union and Confederate states, mass disease wiped out herd after herd across New England farms – except the Longhorns. Northern farmers blamed the species and began slaughtering them in masses. Sadly, what they dubbed the ‘Texas Fever’ was actually a disease carried by ticks, not the Longhorns, who were simply immune. 

Demand continued to plummet because Longhorn meat did not produce enough tallow, or animal fat, to be utilized in the manufacturing of increasingly popular items like candles and soap. Moreover, Longhorn meat was hard to keep fresh absent prolonged refrigeration, and as a result wasn’t viable as a commercial product in the 19^th Century. As a result, by 1910, Texas Longhorns were almost nowhere to be found.

And if it weren’t for Will C. Barnes, a U.S. Army Signal Corps private turned cattle rancher, Longhorns may have continued down the path to complete extinction. After leaving the military, in 1887 Mr. Barnes led a team of U.S. Forest Service trailblazers across the west and managed to round up 27 surviving pure Texas Longhorns. In 1927, he created a protected home in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma, effectively saving the breed and enabling them to once again flourish." 

From John Cornyn's Texas Times Column.

_______

Update:

One flooring company showed just the linoleum that I wanted on their webpage, but when I went there on Friday to order it, they couldn't find it in their samples.  When I was back in front of my computer, I called them and they finally found it.  But it is a commercial flooring and I think he quoted me a wrong price.  So still looking for lino.

Jay and I also went to some thrift shops, and he found some work shoes and shirts.  He keeps on giving his away.  He gets tired of things.

On Saturday we both went to church, and I had made a pumpkin-choc-cinnamon pie in a graham cracker crust, it was decadent, especially as I took some Redi-Whip to go on it.  There weren't many people there as the weather was bad and some come from quite a way away, like Houston.

The Bible readings were Gen. 18:1-22:24, 2 Kings 4:1-37, and James 2:14-20.  The Teaching was about God's Laws.  How every time the people disobeyed his laws and lived carnally, they were punished.  Like the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, etc. There are lots of laws in the Bible, including dietary laws, and they are all for our own good.

We had to dash between the raindrops from the chapel to the dining hall.  There was a good spread of food including some great corned beef.  We had fun and fellowship while eating the potluck, even though we were a small group that day.

What Does God Say About Witches and the Occult? Pet Owners Should Read This List Of Halloween Safety Tips!

 

On this Halloween:

 

What Does God Say About Witches and the Occult?

Deuteronomy 18:10-12

“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you.”

"God outlawed witchcraft and other pagan practices that appealed to the evil spirit realm for their power. To God, it was an abomination for His people to seek help from Satan and his demons. Still, the Israelites were enticed by these practices again and again.

This was not just an Old Testament concern. The new converts to Christianity also took the subject of magic seriously ( Acts 19:19 ). The apostle John also warns that those who practice witchcraft must repent or they will end up in the lake of fire—the second death ( Revelation 9:21 ; 21:8 ).

How did Western, so-called Christian nations get caught up in a holiday like Halloween that dabbles in the darkness of evil spirits, witchcraft and the occult? See our article “Halloween: Should Christians Celebrate It?”

From: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/what-does-god-say-about-witches-and-the-occult/

_______

Considering Halloween: The Unfruitful Works of Darkness

Ephesians 5:11

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

"God’s way is symbolized in the Bible as light, and darkness symbolizes sin and evil. Many times the apostle Paul encouraged faithful Christians to avoid the darkness of Satan’s lawless thinking and evil influences. For example, he wrote, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

He also wrote to the Corinthians: “For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).

The custom of Halloween, derived from popular pagan festivities to appease evil spirits, is definitely a time of darkness.

Paul continues by quoting from Isaiah 52:11 , “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17).

God’s people are to live no longer as the ungodly do in lewdness and greed ( Ephesians 4:17-19 ). How better to describe the risqué adult costume parties and the demands for treats of the younger crowd but as lewdness and greed?

God calls on us to draw near to Him and to resist the devil ( James 4:7-8 ). Should we not resist a holiday of darkness that celebrates evil?" From: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/considering-halloween-the-unfruitful-works-of-darkness/

_______

Every Pet Owner Should Read This List Of Halloween Safety Tips!

Wouldn't it be awful if he was scared, got out, and ran away!

"It’s almost the spookiest night of the year! While Halloween is a fun and festive time for families, it can be a stressful and dangerous night for many pets. We have put together a list of 9 Halloween safety tips that you can follow to ensure that both you and your pets can stay safe and happy this holiday!"

Read more at: http://blog.theanimalrescuesite.com/halloweensafetytips/

_______

Friday is "Preparation Day" (getting ready for the Sabbath), and as I have my food prepared for the potluck and my clothes ready, we are going to more flooring companies to look at linoleum for the guest house today.

Halloween Is Fun! Carbon Monoxide. "Nature Find". Generator Linkage. Plugged P-trap. Water Heater. Great Campfire. Houdini. Beatlemania. Rain!

 

For "tRaVersing Thursday", or RV Day, but first some thoughts about tonight.

Regular programming will resume after these messages:

Halloween is fun! What's the problem?

"Why would you want to stop kids from the fun and excitement of Halloween? Does it really matter?"

Transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-daily/mans-holidays/halloween-fun-whats-problem

_______

Three reasons to ditch Halloween

Thousands of Christians around the world voluntarily have made the choice to kick Halloween to the curb. They made that decision because there are serious problems with the celebration of this holiday. (Photo by iStockphoto)

"Taking into account the origins and the practices of Halloween, here are three reasons you should completely ditch Halloween from your life and your children’s lives:

1. God forbids the merging of pagan customs into our lives. “You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods” (Deuteronomy 12:31). God demands purity of worship from His followers—not combining paganism with Christianity.
2. God wants us to avoid darkness. Halloween is all about darkness. It glorifies and emphasizes dark characters of mythology—witches, wizards, vampires, ghosts and zombies. These are all associated with either death, Satanism or the occult. The Bible is clear that we should “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” (Ephesians 5:11). No fellowship means no participation!
3. The whole celebration is based on a lie. The entire celebration of Halloween—from the celebrations it sprang out of to the present, commercialized holiday—is based on the unbiblical idea that humans have an immortal soul and live on in another form after death. The ancient Celts believed the souls of those in the Underworld wandered around on Samhain, and the Catholic All Souls’ Day is predicated on the belief that “canonized saints” are serving as mediators for God in heaven. Read “Is There Life After Death?” to learn what the Bible actually teaches on this subject.

Join the thousands of Christians around the world who have made the decision to ditch Halloween!"  More at: Click here: 3 Reasons to Ditch Halloween - Life, Hope & Truth

______

Back to our scheduled program: 

NASCAR RV Camper Killed by Carbon Monoxide

"DEATH AT TALLADEGA. Recently a carbon monoxide poisoning tragedy occurred in the RV camping area at NASCAR’s world famous Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. One man was killed, while his wife is in critical condition.

The Talladega County Sheriff’s Department said the 46-year old man died at a campground outside the racetrack. He and his 38-year old wife were discovered one morning unresponsive by friends. The wife was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where she remained unconscious and in critical condition. Sadly, the poison managed to shut down many of her internal organs. Even if she survives this ordeal, it’s possible she has suffered irreparable brain and heart damage.

What happened? Police said that carbon monoxide apparently leaked from the exhaust system of the family’s RV. The RV had a broken exhaust pipe on its generator, which was left running all night long– leaking deadly carbon monoxide into the living space.

The incident illustrates the importance of having a well functioning carbon monoxide detector in every RV. One of the most popular detectors on the market is the Kidde detector that includes both smoke and carbon monoxide detection, as well as a talking alarm. The talking feature will allow owners to quickly determine the type of threat."  More at: Click here: NASCAR RV Camper Killed by Carbon Monoxide

______

In the market for a motorhome but a little short on cash?

Here's the simple fix -- just find a good motorhome with a blown engine and do the Redneck Fix. It's quick! It's easy! It's inexpensive!

______

7 Gorgeous Alternatives to National Parks

"The other Sunday I decided to go hiking with a friend. It was a gorgeous day and we decided to go to a favorite local spot, Great Falls. As we drove up to the entrance, it hit us. It’s Great Falls National Park, and it was closed because of the government shutdown. We were already in Great Falls and needed a new place to hike.

That’s where the National Wildlife Federation’s Nature Find tool saved the day. We found Riverbend Regional Park just down the road, and it was fantastic! I thought it would be useful to take a few popular national parks and find nearby alternatives while the parks are closed.

A secluded pond at Riverbend Regional Park in Virginia. (Photo by Dani Tinker)

Update: Nature Find is still a great tool to find national, state, city parks and other sites to connect with nature."       List of parks and more at: http://blog.nwf.org/2013/10/7-gorgeous-alternatives-to-national-parks/

______

Keep your generator linkage clean to prevent stoppages

"Onan generators, typically 4000W (3600W for propane), are often a feature on mid- to large-size RVs. You can recognize these ubiquitous products by the presence of a large green box in place of a storage compartment.

While generally quite reliable, these units have a failure mode that is deceptively complex, yielding an error code that essentially says, "Take me to your Onan service shop." If you own or operate an Onan, there's an easy maintenance action you can take to prevent failures and expensive shop visits.

Inside the generator cover (two hand levers to open) you will see the engine and its carburetor at the upper right. On top of the carburetor is control linkage that governs the speed of the engine under different load conditions. If this linkage gets dirty, dusty or corroded, it can start to bind up. Since it's operated basically by air pressure from the cooling fan, it doesn't take much to get it "sticky."

This happened on my RV after several miles of dusty roads. I heard the generator "rev up" a little bit one day after the microwave shut off, and then the generator shut down and delivered an error code 14 — "Overfrequency Fault." Normally, such a fault is due to electronic failure in the generator electronics. But in this case (and several times since), the issue was simply that the feedback linkage could not respond quickly due to dirt accumulation, and the motor over-revved.

Blowing out the accumulated dust and putting a small drop of Tri-Flo on the pivot points was all that it took to get my volts and watts flowing smoothly again. Now, I do this proactively whenever I've been in dusty conditions, or if it's just been a long time since I cleaned up.

A compressed air source helps a lot, but if you're out on the road and don't have such access you can get the linkage free just by wiggling it full-stop by hand (of course, don't do any of this with the generator running). If you see evidence of crusty corrosion, use a TINY bit of lubrication — just a drop of WD-40 or light oil will do. Too much lube will only hasten the accumulation of more dirt." by Greg Illes

______

How to clean a plugged P-trap on an RV sink

"Don't worry if you accidentally drop your ring or your favorite earring down your RV sink. Your P-trap will save it from the holding tank. Here's how easy it is to get into that P-trap and retrieve your lost item."

______

How to flush out your RV's water heater tank

"Here's how to flush out your RV's water heater tank, which will remove sediment and prolong the life of your water heater."

______

See how easily a travel trailer can fall to pieces

"Here's a rare chance to see how easily a travel trailer can go from fully intact to a scrap heap. Here, a fellow decided to use the frame of a water-damaged trailer for another project. In this 50-second video, watch as the trailer easily falls to pieces with a strong tug of a rope attached to a pickup truck."

From me:  Maybe that is why I prefer the better built RVs, like bus conversions, or 'silver bullet' travel trailers.

______

Tools and techniques for a great campfire

"Everyone loves a crackling fire. The Africans of the 13th century had a Swahili phrase for "dreaming the fire," an exquisite encapsulation of the mood around a campfire. Here are some tips for making your own flickering camp delight.

Techniques:  A quality fire needs dry wood and ventilation. Make up a stockpile of multiple wood sizes from pencil-thick through finger size, broomstick, axe-handle, and 4x4s.

Always stack the smallest sizes first, into either a teepee or tic-tac-toe arrangement. Allow lots of air around the wood for good combustion.

Starting:  Anyone can get a blaze going with a splash of charcoal-starter — but where's the art in that? Dream-like satisfaction comes with primitive methods. Some folks will insist that they start their fire with only a match and shaved wood; others might fall back to a Bic lighter and a wax/wood starter pellet. I've seen purists use flint and steel! You choose.

Big wood needs big heat to burn with a good flame. A 4x4 won't burn over the heat from pencils — it will only smoke up the campsite. Don't put the big logs on until you have real heat and coals.

Tools:  A very handy tool is the "Fireside Friend" by Estwing (Home Depot, Amazon, Sears). This combination maul/hatchet is fantastic for splitting wood into smaller diameters. For very large wood, use a regular splitting wedge.

Typically, a poker of some kind is very useful in managing a fire. A pair of very long tongs works for repositioning a log or coals.

Safety:  Common sense but worth repeating:
·    Use safety glasses and gloves when chopping or splitting.
·    NEVER pour any kind of fuel onto a burning fire.
·    Don't leave fire burning or smoldering when you go to bed.
·    Put it out, really OUT. Push your fingers into the dead coals to be sure." by Greg Illes

______

RV Tips.

An alternative to duct tape

"We know we may be stepping onto hallowed ground: RVers love their duct tape. It's the greatest thing for on-the-fly repairs of all kinds. But we found something that you may want to add to your tape deck, if you'll allow it: It's called Waterproofing Repair Tape, made by Nashua, one of the big duct tape producers."  by Russ and Tiña De Maris  More at: http://rvtravel.com/blog/lowtech/2008/01/emergency-repairs-go-step-beyond-duct.html

From me: I have used Nashua tape and it is definitely better than regular duct tape, but consumers say that Gorilla tape is the best. http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/tests/4306415

--------

Fast-cooked meal on a hot day — without heating up the RV
"Reader Sherry Zampino says she's now using an electric pressure cooker to make fast meals on a hot day, outside! Since it's sealed, even outside it doesn't attract critters, but cuts cooking time in a hurry. "I can go from frozen to cooked in about a half hour." Thanks, Sherry!"

------

Handy, and considerate, night lights
"LED "tap" lights near fifth wheel stairs, in the bathroom, and other places where a light is needed during the night can keep you from stumbling, or fumbling for light switches. And it's easier on your partner — the low level of light doesn't disturb sleepers."

-------

"If or when you have a problem with your RV's blinds, check here for ideas about how to repair them." Fix My Blinds.

-------

Is your roof air conditioner dripping?
"Got a dripping roof air conditioner but it's not raining outside? If the a/c drips when operating, you've probably got clogged drain holes inside the unit. Disconnect shore power and shut off the generator. Remove the shroud from the unit and look for debris blocking drain holes in the bottom plate of the roof-top unit."

______

Lots of “Bang” for Five Bucks

"With RV travel, sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference. An example is the humble Camco hose elbow (http://goo.gl/1W30Tb).

What’s the big deal about this little $5 piece of brass? It delivers great bang for the buck.

Solid brass, pardner!  It makes RV camping a little (maybe even a lot) more enjoyable.

The easy grip connector makes for faster and less frustrating water hookups.

It's technically an elbow, although here it looks like a knee.  It’s also good for your equipment.

By adding this piece between your RV and your water connection, the elbow helps relieve unnecessary stress on the hose and fittings.

What? You want a 45 degree angle? Camco's got you covered.  Extending the connection point away from your RV can work wonders in tight spaces.

These hose elbows are available in 90 degree and 45 degree flavors. The two are functionally the same; it just depends on what angle of access suits your needs.

Another view of the drop dead gorgeous 45-degree Camco hose elbow. It's a work of art, isn't it?  As someone once sang, the little things mean so much.  So try a little tenderness, I mean, hose elbow.  Your hose (and maybe your back) will thank you." by C.S. (Sean) Michael

______

On This day:

Houdini is dead, Oct 31, 1926:

"Harry Houdini, the most celebrated magician and escape artist of the 20th century, dies of peritonitis in a Detroit hospital. Twelve days before, Houdini had been talking to a group of students after a lecture in Montreal when he commented on the strength of his stomach muscles and their ability to withstand hard blows. Suddenly, one of the students punched Houdini twice in the stomach. The magician hadn't had time to prepare, and the blows ruptured his appendix. He fell ill on the train to Detroit, and, after performing one last time, was hospitalized. Doctors operated on him, but to no avail. The burst appendix poisoned his system, and on October 31 he died."

______

Ed Sullivan witnesses Beatlemania firsthand, paving the way for the British Invasion, Oct 31, 1963:

"In the autumn of 1963, Beatlemania was a raging epidemic in Britain, and it was rapidly spreading across the European continent. But in the United States, where the likes of Bobby Vinton and Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs sat atop the pop charts, John, Paul, George and Ringo could have walked through Grand Central Terminal completely unnoticed. It wasn't Grand Central that the Beatles were trying to walk through on this day in 1963, however—it was Heathrow Airport, London, where they'd just returned from a hugely successful tour of Sweden.

Also at Heathrow that particular day, after a talent-scouting tour of Europe, was the American television impresario Ed Sullivan. The pandemonium that Sullivan witnessed as he attempted to catch his flight to New York would play a pivotal role in making the British Invasion possible.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote a song explicitly tailored to the American market and recorded it just two weeks before their fateful indirect encounter with Ed Sullivan. That song was "I Want to Hold Your Hand."

Ed Sullivan had his staff make inquiries about the Beatles following his return to the United States, and Brian Epstein arranged to travel to New York to open negotiations. As a result of the chance encounter at Heathrow on this day in 1963, and of Brian Epstein's subsequent coup in New York, the Beatles would arrive in the United States on February 7, 1964, with a #1 record already to their credit."

______

Yesterday:

Jay didn't call to tell me that he was ready to be picked up.  He had left his cell phone here the day before, and his mother had thrown him out again, so he had no access to a phone.  We couldn't have done anything outside anyway, as it was teeming down rain.  But at least we could have got the carpet steamer down from the attic and cleaned the carpets.  I found out afterwards that he had just stayed in bed at his house, sleeping one off. 

Misty timed her 'outs' with the short lapses in the downpours, but we couldn't even take a walk.  She must have a clock in her head, because about 5.00pm every evening she gives a little bark, and licks her lips, which means "Mom, time for dinner."  If I don't fix it right away, she will give another little bark 5 minutes later.  She has me trained.

The foster cats spent the rainy day watching it out of the windows, or playing, or dozing on the couch, just as usual.   

My rainy day was filled with computer work, housework and bookkeeping.

The carpets will have to wait for another rainy day.