As I shared yesterday, I took my car in for the oil change - and had the coolant exchanged (whatever that means) as well. It all came up to $378 - which is actually less than I usually spend when I take my car in for an oil change. They also call it the 5K Inspection. Yeah. Makes it 'sound better' when they give you the price, I guess. Anyway, in the inspection it showed I needed rear brake pads as they were down to a '4'. No, at the price of $356 I was not going to have it done there. But I do need to get them done. I remember that my oldest son watched a You Tube, I believe, and changed his own on another car he had. But, I text'd my son-in-law and asked if their mechanic could do it for me for a lot less. I haven't heard back yet so will follow up in the next day or so for I don't want to put it off. If he can't, I will call around for prices and then go for it. But at least I know they are needed fairly soon. The front brake pads were at a 9 so they were ok for now. They also said I needed to look at replacing my tires as they were over 5 years old. Yeah, and? There is still tread on them and if it is age that is causing them to be replaced, that can wait too.
It was a stressful workday with lots of meetings and things to get done (no, I still haven't done the minutes from last month's board meeting yet). Throw in having to take my car in, going back to pick up it up, etc. - It was a somewhat hectic day. So around 4PM I get a text from Gabriel, the salesman at the car dealership, wanting to know when I was going to pick up my car. I text'd back and said I had picked it up at 3PM and right now I just wasn't ready nor interested in letting go of my car. I had had a busy day, and I wasn't interested in meeting with him. He was very nice about it, especially when I commented he could contact me in two months to see if I had any interest. But right now, I just don't even want to deal with it. Too much stuff going on, I don't need to get rid of my car, I just spent $356 on it - naw, I'll keep it. I love my blue car. But I am curious how much he would have offered me for it. But he didn't say, and I chose not to ask (and be tempted, perhaps?). I don't want a car payment. I did tell my 'go to' person at the dealership service area about it and told him that if they want my car so bad, give me a new car, with low mileage, and I'll trade even. He laughed. So did I.
I was able to make it to my grandson's band concert last night and I enjoyed it a lot. I enjoyed even more getting to see my oldest son and his wife. The Jazz band was really good, and it reminded me that I do enjoy Jazz music, although it's been a while since I've listened to it. Maybe I'll remember and ask Alexa to play some for me today. I usually listen to Christian music. Jazz is soothing too. I loved getting a hug afterwards from my grandson and we made arrangements to pick him up on Thursday to take him out for his birthday dinner. Told him to pick - and it doesn't matter to us.
My sister sent me a video of a doctor who talks about water and our need to drink it. I listened to it on the way back home last night and found it very interesting. She said we should drink a glass of water about 1/2 hour before a meal - but do not drink liquid with our meal. I know that sounds strange, but it made sense. Something about the lining of our stomach and what how the liquid increases the lining before we eat to protect us from ulcers, but if we drink it during our meals, it takes away from what our food is giving us in minerals and vitamins.... or something like that. I think I want to listen to it again. I finished listening to it before I went to bed. She shared about a doctor in prison in a foreign country wrote this book called (I think) Your body's many cries for water; you are not sick, you are thirsty. I went through 12 pages of looking at books with Thirst in them and I think that is the one. But it's true. Many times, when we think we are hungry, when we are bored, it is really our body telling us that our body is getting dehydrated, and nothing is going to quench it except water.
Even drinking coffee and tea is not going to quench your thirst - only water can. A person gets up and has orange juice and coffee first thing in the morning - but it doesn't quench the thirst - they need to drink a cup of water. This doctor also talked about how diabetes and cancer come in to the body because we don't drink enough water to get certain vitamins and minerals into our pancreas and allow... well, I can't remember it all and don't want to give you the wrong information. If interested in listening to what she has to say, let me know and I'll send the video to you. It's about an hour long - and she draws pictures. But in the book, I mentioned above, the doctor imprisoned said that people would come to him (in the prison) because he was a doctor and he had nothing to give them to make them feel better. So he would give them a cup of water. When they came back again, he gave them another cup of water. So on and so on. After a couple weeks, people started feeling better; had more energy, were losing weight, and were claiming the doctor healed them. Hence, the book, telling all about it. But the bottom line is, our bodies need water. I think she said a 200-pound person needs to drink at least two quarts of water a day. It also gets rid of constipation.... hello, anyone? You don't drink it all at once but start with a cup of water first thing in the morning - before coffee. (Actually, I do that without knowing this for I take my pills first thing in the morning with water, before I get my coffee). And I drink water throughout the day.... I've cut way back, but I'm understanding I need to have a certain amount. I'm willing to give it a shot to keep disease away from me and have more energy. Anyone else? It's real interesting how water can heal the body.... to the point one guy who had ulcers, had diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure - within a year or two after purposely drinking water throughout the day and not at meals.... was taken off all medication by his doctor - including the insulin!
She also talked about how our table salt is not good for us - and the reason we keep adding more and more salt is because it numbs our tastebuds in our mouth to where we can't taste it. Sea Salt is depleted of minerals. She suggested Celtic salt, which I've never heard of but am going to check it out. It is 'hand drawn' from wherever it is and is not mass produced like Sea Salt and table salt is. Celtic salt is full of minerals that are good for you - 56 of them, I think she said. But don't quote me! Anyway, checking it out.
(see how easy it is to ramble about things I read and listen to? And 'people' wonder how I can come up with so much to write about!) LOL
Isaiah 25:1 (NKJV): O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt you, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
Have you ever thought about all the things that God has done for you? For many of us, He has healed us. He has given us life, and even NEW life in Him. He provides for us. He meets our needs. He loves us unconditionally and will always be FOR us. He is always faithful and true. He may not always give us our heart's desire, but He always gives us what we need. I know that for a fact! I have not received all the things I have prayed for over the years, some prayers intense, some prayers demanding, some prayers timid and unsure.... and He always answered. I didn't always LIKE the answers I received. But one thing in my devotions that I read this morning came to mind....
Did I pause to thank God for the non-answers as well as the answers to prayer? Oftentimes we will get an immediate answer to our prayers, and we say, 'Thank You, God!' immediately! And mean it. But sometimes we don't get the answer we want, and we just feel disappointed and go on our way. An example that comes to my mind is my older sister. I miss her so much. When things happened that was taking her life away, I prayed intensely for healing, for life, for her. I put all my faith out there and I truly believed that God was going to do a miracle and bring her back to life. Granted, someone drinking antifreeze is usually 'dead' within a few hours. But they had her on life support for three days while the situation was investigated, and I prayed that God would restore her life in her. I believed. But it didn't happen, and the plug was pulled. Why didn't God answer my prayers for her? I don't know. But He is God, and I am not. Could it be that if He had brought her back to life, that her life would still be as miserable as she was before? Yes, I even prayed that the antifreeze would take away the arthritis.... crazy prayers... I wanted my sister alive, and I was willing to pray any kind of prayer to get her back. But God said NO. And I realize that I never thanked Him for His 'NO' answer. Why should I thank Him? Because when my sister was alive, she did not have any quality of life to speak of. She had a son who treated her shamefully and a daughter who had nothing to do with her, a granddaughter who disowned her. Her one grandson loved her and took time to visit with her when he was in town, and called her on occasion, but still, it wasn't often. My sister allowed arthritis to take over her life and used it as an excuse to live in bed, rarely getting up and even more rare, going out of her apartment. Even on my last trip to Indiana I only saw her once - when our brother picked her up and brought her to dinner. I tried twice to go visit, and both times she told me no. She always had an excuse. So, Father, I thank You for Your 'NO' answer to keep her alive. You knew what her future would be like if she had lived. It wasn't good. I miss her. A lot. But I have to trust You for the answer You gave me.
God is always faithful, even when we don't understand the why.
Oh my - I have really rambled on this morning, haven't I! And, since I have, I will hush. Hope that you have an amazing day!
Blessings!
