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Hello Reader,

In our current polarized political climate, I thought a few reminders might be in order for dealing with folks who disagree with you. I know it isn't always possible to "live at peace with all men," but -- as far as it depends on us -- we should try. (Romans 12:18)

That's not to say that we shouldn't hold fast to our convictions -- we certainly should. After all, "God hasn't given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)

But He also expects us to always and only "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15) while seasoning our words with grace. (Colossians 4:6)

We may still end up stepping on toes, but maybe we can avoid stomping around like a bull in a china shop when we do it. 🐂

Free resources for you this week:

• ​5 Tips for Responding to Negativism - ideas for seeing criticism from a healthier perspective
• ​25 Ways to Disagree with Dignity - for conversing with folks who don't see eye-to-eye w/you
• ​Praying for Your Enemies - a free printable prayer guide rooted in scripture
• ​Dealing with Difficult In-Laws - these tips also work with difficult bosses & coworkers
• ​Love Your Enemies Coloring Page - a coloring page based on Luke 6:27-28

What I'm reading this week:

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​What Happens When Women Say Yes to God by Lysa TerKeurst I enjoyed all the inspiring anecdotes Lysa includes in this lovely, thought-provoking book. I shared several of her stories with my family who also found them encouraging and convicting. Each chapter concludes with study questions to further explore the concepts presented and dig deeper into what the Bible has to say about them.

This week's reader request:

I got several requests this week for updated debate night bingo cards, so I made new ones and shared them in time for Tuesday's presidential debate. If you missed playing along this time, you may want to bookmark this page so you can find them before the next Trump/Harris debate.

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On the podcast this week:

I'm sorry to say, my podcast didn't happen at all this week. Too many more pressing responsibilities demanded my attention, and that's what ended up getting cut. But I've been working on the next episode and, Lord willing, will have it ready to publish bright and early Monday morning.

Progress on last week's goals:

I only completed 60% of last week's goals; namely, I ✅ visited my Mom, ✅ made a tree skirt (two-in-one, since it's reversible!), and ✅ sent new memory verses to my kids and grandkids. Sadly though, I didn't ❌ empty my craft basket or ❌ inventory my Christmas gifts, so I'm turfing those two items to this week's list.

Personal goals for this week:

I set these goals Wednesday morning and have already finished a couple of the projects, but I'm leaving the list as is until next week's progress report (that way, I'll know I accomplished something, even if I don't get anything else done).

• empty/organize craft basket in closet
• take inventory of already-purchased Christmas gifts
• host my daughter's Grace Girls group and teach them how to embroider
• have a friend I haven't seen in years over for lunch
• mend my daughter's choir uniform
• make a sample leather bookmark for next week's leather class
• reduce inbox messages by >85% (from 300+ to no more than 50)
• stock up at Sam's Club (did you know they offer free grocery delivery to Plus members?)