Studied Portuguese! Porque nao?

I hear that!

Lots of days in a row!

Released a new edition of Verbal Surgery! One of my best, Verbal Surgery -489-“Rise ON!” You can tell how I’m feeling by the intensity!
Uploaded to my server.

Link on Facebook.

Ashley and Penelope came over to visit! GREAT to see the girls! Looks like I’ve lost a lot of weight! Lol! Loved her getting my flip flops out and trying to walk in them!

Went over to Providence Christian Academy to see our friend and President of the Board of Whirlwind Missions, Dr. Carl Barrington. What an immense blessing he’s been to us. Truly one of the best people I’ve ever met and the smartest guy I know.

Ashley, Penelope and I met up with our good friend Rob Martin for lunch. I sure have missed that guy. He was a terrific partner and helped our ministry a lot. We went to Plaza Fiesta to eat and watch Penelope play. Can’t believe I didn’t get a picture with him. Here’s one from last year! My has Penelope grown!
Went to the mission to help the kids. I worked outside and had curbside service!
Ashley is doing great with the inside kids!
Two of my girls from Bangladesh had splinters. One in her foot. The other in her hand. They were both pretty brave!

Got gas on the way home.

This letter greeted me. I knew it was coming. Still hard to believe. Not like the insurance was cheap! $1,750 a month just for Kathy and me!
One more thing to be concerned about. We won’t even know what’s available until October.

Keep praying for us, please. Hard times for most churches and pretty much all ministries.

Had a good talk with my Mom. She’ll be coming to visit in December. Amen for that!

Studied Portuguese! The few minutes a day add up!

Finished the Future Perfect tense.

Moved onto abstract objects.

Recorded a new episode of Verbal Surgery called “Satellites Don’t Blink.” I record primarily because it helps ME! But each episode is downloaded around 100 times from people in over 30 countries! Jesse talked to me about Patreon, a way to help people support my work financially. Sounds like a plan!

Went to Walmart to pick up groceries. This sign caught my attention.

Of course I loved this picture.

Went to Westside Baptist to pick up a check they had for me. GLAD that came as we were almost exactly $500 overdrawn. Put us back in the black. Thank you, Lord and Westside!

Had a good talk with my friend John Weldon who is our Youth Minister and been serving as our interim Music Minister.

Picked up Kathy and took her to her Rheumatoid Arthritis doctor. Overall, a pretty good report, although K is still in a lot of pain.

Dropped Kathy back home and went to the mission to talk with Ashley. Hard decisions had to be made to see just how much we can cut salaries and still survive. Heart breaking to see all these cut backs. Who would have thought I’d have to be looking at doing other part time jobs starting at 60? Welcome to the new world.

I saw this bumper sticker on the way to Azalea.

The kids were very eager for help! Fun to have them come into Ashley’s new HOME! It looks SO different, and beautiful!

Always great to work with Ashley!


Then took Penelope to play outside with her fan club.

A very emotional day. Glad I had some baby time to help me feel better.

Woke up Saturday morning to check my email and see this from Ashley.

Obviously, that a big concern right now!

I immediately went to the bank and deposited the check that I got from speaking at the Equip conference into the bank to help Whirlwind.

Also recorded a new podcast, “Fresh Pressure.” Talking to a tape deck is my main form of therapy. I’m always best when I’m yelling to myself.

Studied Portugese.

Did the grocery shopping. I was shocked that Walmart ALREADY had Christmas trees out. What?!
Came home to work on my bike. Needed to repaint the handlebars. They had gotten a bit rusty.

I water my plants every Saturday.

I went to Clarkston to drop off my dolly for Miles and his Dad to use to get the last stuff out of their old house.

Then picked up Penelope. She was such a blessing to me, especially since I was so sad about the financial situation with Whirlwind Missions. I took her to Stone Mountain to see the train!

I have to cover her ears. Gets pretty loud!



She’s so happy!

I thought this looked like the horse was crying.

I liked these panoramic shots!


She loves to climb on the rocks, and throw them!

She spent the night with me last night. She would get sad and I would cuddle and comfort her.

It was so much like I feel the Father does to me when I’m sad. I know He wants me to trust and feel his joy and peace. I must admit there has been a big difference between this time and the previous episodes. We continue to make big changes and hard financial decisions.

I know that Ashley and Miles moving into the mission will help the ministry and their family financially. Their last place was $1,250 a month.

I called Pastor Ben about the situation. He’s been wise council for me in the past.

This morning I went to Westside Baptist Church. Pastor said they will be taking up a special offering to help us.

We live by faith, but we live on money! I appreciate their generosity for us SO much!

This afternoon, I also wrote an article on Facebook asking for help.

Also sent Ashley an email that we will forward to all of our supporters. There are nearly 1,000 people on that list. SURELY some of them will help with this!

Catching up on all my admin duties now that I couldn’t get to yesterday. When Penelope is here I try to just focus on her.

I only got a few hours of sleep last night. I wasn’t reallly worried, but my brain has trouble slowing down as I run through all the possible scenarios.

I need to get more rest now. I’m really on edge emotionally. Happens when I get too tired.

Later I want to ride my bike. That also helps relieve stress and help me sleep.

Studied Portuguese this morning. Work on art terms.

Talked with Sleep Central about getting Kathy another CPAP mask. Always takes a long time to get even the simplest thing done.

Picked up my bike from the repair shop. Had new brake pads, rear tire and tube and a piece on the crank shaft repaired.

Is everything about Us and Them? Even our food?

Went to Kroger to drop off the prescriptions for Jesse.

Had fun with Ashley and Penelope. They came over to do their washing.

We went to Lowes to check out a folding door for the mission to keep the back part of their apartment private.
She liked driving the big cart!
Love my girls!

Uploaded a new episode of Verbal Surgery! What triggers you? How do you react? Most of the time the things that upset you aren’t even real! Respond to Verbal Surgery -488- “False Alarm!”

Uploaded to my server.

Link of Facebook.

I’ve had a problem with my bike helmet. Redid and stitched up the straps so they’re stable now.
Went for a 15.47 mile bike ride.

Felt great to get back out on the road! Lots of tree destruction in the neighborhoods.

Could have been a LOT worse! Still don’t have power in parts of Atlanta!

After my ride, decided to wash the cars.
Kathy’s truck is about twice the size of Lil’ Red!

Studied Portuguese art terms!

Yard looks a lot better after my massive clean up yesterday!



I thought these leaf imprints were interesting.


Perhaps something to do with the green leaves?
Had a great talk with my friend Anthony Jacquin in the UK! Always fun!

Got stamps and mailed a letter to a supporter.

Made phone calls to ten churches around Georgia. Had a succesful call back from contact I made two weeks ago! Yeah, baby!

Took our projector back to the church. I used it for the Equip conference this weekend.

Also put my tree outside for sun and water. I need to repot her in a bigger pot.

Helped Minhaz with his college English homework. Enjoyed spending time with the Kendalls.

Penelope is having SO much fun there with all her new neighbors!
Great to see kids of mine all grown up and having their own children!

I downloaded a new book in Portuguese last night. Listened to it today. I’m practicing saying everything on the tape at 75% speed!

Fun exercise!
Looking forward to getting my bike back tomorrow. Had some work done. New brakes. Pretty important!
Took out garbage and recycle. We always have twice as much to recycle as regular garbage. True for you?

Worked on Portuguese gerunds this morning.

Had such fun watching Penelope! Ashley and I took her to Walmart to buy her some new shoes and socks and do the grocery shopping.

Working on her colors.

What does “extra mild” even mean? Ketchup?
We got over 3″ of rain from the storm.
Raked all the limbs and most of the leaves off of the roof.

Never seen purple mycellium before.

Blew leaves off of the driveway.

Raked up branches and wheelbarrowed them to the compost pit.

The balloon I got for Penelope at the flower show at Stone Mountain made it through the storm. What?!

Raked the area near my door.

I actually worked for over an hour before I turned Run Keeper on.

Studied Portuguese!

Kept getting “to arrive” and “to come back” mixed up. Grrr.

Lots of branches and leaf litter from the tropical storm yesterday.


Looked like the Fall, but with green leaves. Bizarre!

Had a couple of big trees fall over near our house.

Not much holding them up!

Recorded a new podcast! Had a good chat with my friend Anthony Jacquin in the UK.

Also helped Minhaz with his essay.

And talked with Mustak about storm damage.

I like lichens. They remind me of the rings of Saturn.

Did the shopping.

I thought this was funny.

I wish I could do this today. Too wet and no bike.

More study instead. Exercised my brain.

Called my bike guy to see about the status of repairs. Maybe done tomorrow.

Powerful storm generated by Irma blew through the ATL today!
I was out in it!


Recorded a new edition of Verbal Surgery
“I of the HurriCAN!”
My experiences working with powerful weather and how to change your mind to deal with problems!

Just click on the title and GROOVE!

Uploaded to server.

Link on Facebook.

Made it through the storm! Glad I redid the deck to make it waterproof!

Cleaned the house while I was stuck inside.

And the fish tank!

Studied Portuguese verbs. Needs constant refreshing.

Admin duties now.

Studied Portuguese this morning. Keep learning, brain!

Also focused on verb review.

Went to Westside BC.

I’ve enjoyed playing djembe for the music. Broke a couple of blood vessels in my fingers today. The price of enthusiasm.

Choir did a special.

Pastor Ben preached from Nehemiah and reminded us of 9/11.

Got a new 5 gallon bucket on the way home from church. Needed it to clean my fish tank. I mixed the three gallons of deck stain in the other bucket. Jesse didn’t think it was safe after I did that.

I enjoyed time with Penelope while the kids finished moving the last of their stuff from their old place.

I noticed some severe wear on the rear tire of my bike. Took it to the bike shop to be replaced. It needed a number of other tweaks too.
Preston said I needed one more piece near the gears, I believed he said it was the front fork. I’ve noticed it wasn’t always shifting smoothly into third. I left my bike there to get it finished.

I took Penelope to Evergreen at Stone Mountain. She likes the piano there.

Wail with it, darling!

I brought her back home to Azalea where Ashley and Miles now live! The place looks really cute. Hard to recognize it! Miles is a great dad! He was pushing her around the complex in her car.

Went over to FBC Doraville To drop off the supplies I used for the Equip Conference yesterday.

Filled my car up with gas on the way home.

I noticed an unusual car in my driveway when I got home. Turned out it was Lora, a friend that Kathy has mentored for over ten years! Glad to see she’s doing well!

Supposed to have heavy weather from Hurricane Irma tomorrow, which is now downgraded to a tropical storm.

Early morning! Got up around 5:20am! Yow!

Made my way from Stone Mountain to FBC Jonesboro for the Equip conference.

Beautiful Full Sun Moon this morning!
FBC Jonesboro did a great job hosting the conference!
Over 300 people were there!

I enjoyed speaking to an enthusiastic group.

Came home in brutal traffic around 285. LOADED with cars from Florida. Who can blame them?

I thought the sticker was ironic. “Tropical Twisters.”

Came home to rest. Exhausted. I had to stop on the way home and take a nap on the side of the road. Better safe than sorry. The drivers today were especially erratic.

Studied Portuguese. Go, streak GO

I felt like this today.

Of course when I’m speaking I get super revved up!

Watered my plants.
No exercise today. Just standing and jumping around doing my presentation for two hours was enough!

Got to admit I’ve been sore since the painting and all the biking last two days.