Scam Alerts!

Since I am a member of the "Alexa Silver" generation, I feel comfortable in sharing a couple of warnings with my contemporaries. I consider myself pretty shrewd when it comes to  spotting scams, so when one even tempts me for a moment, I worry about my friends! This one almost got me--but it shouldn't have, and I'll tell you why!

 

Now I knew immediately that I did not order this (or at least did not remember ordering it!!!) But everything about it looked legit. Or did it?  There are no obvious misspellings, but...

Look at the return address. It's on the second line, next to a tiny flag.  See all that gibberish? Totally unreadable. 

Amazon.com (noticationsgapepppnvbaunyfceimhgpfyzxadzx@googlegroups.com)

A legit Amazon return address is very readable. For example: 

Amazon.com (payments-messages@amazon.com)

This is so small, I'm afraid you can't read it on a phone, but it says: Amazon.com (payments-messages@amazon.com) and is actually from one of my emails from Amazon.

So guess what happens when you click on that "View or manage order?" You are asked to give personal information to a scammer! You have been caught! Don't give personal information. If it is a legit communication, they already have your information!

This second one is kinda funny...not serious...but still irritating.   I have a phone which announces who is calling, so I don't answer any calls which come in "Anonymous," "Invalid," or "Unavailable." This week I got one, and this caller was announced: 

It got me. I was afraid one of my fellow silverettes was stuck at Tom Thumb without her phone and having to borrow theirs to call me for help. You are going to think I'm making this up when I tell you who was calling me and why!

You see...my extended car warranty was about to expire, and I was being given one last chance to renew it. 

Honest.

                                                    

My Nemesis: The Car Wash!

Most of the time I drive a dirty car.

I'm not afraid of the car wash. I use the one at the corner of Bowen and I 20. It does not make me feel claustrophobic, and I do love a clean car.

But...

It's just getting into the darn thing! Lining up my front tire with that little slot is not something at which I seem to be gifted. Recently I had to actually turn my wheel severely to the left and drive over one side of the metal slot to fit in, which was disconcerting as all get out, and probably a bit destructive!

I decided today was the day. I've learned to throw myself on the mercy of the guy taking my money. I told him that I am not very good at getting in the groove and that the person supposed to be helping me was often impatient. He seemed quite concerned and sympathetic. But...I guess that wasn't good enough for me. I then proceeded to quite obviously drive over the curb to the right as I exited the payment station (to reinforce the seriousness of my problem I guess!) I died laughing to myself! I've never done that before, but I couldn't have planned it better. I'm laughing hysterically again as I type this!

Being now duly concerned about the safety of their equipment,  the payment guy rushed over to help me get lined up while the official helper, as predicted, assisted with impatience! But I dazzled them both with my exuberant through-the-window thumbs up and smile. Even made the helper melt just a bit!!!

And guess what? It rained on me on the way home!

My Life Has Been Changed for the Better

 

I really started reading the Bible through in January of 2021 just because I thought it was about time! I had briefly tried a few times before, but this time was different. This time I didn't try to accomplish the goal on my own strength. I asked the Holy Spirit to give me HIS strength! And He did. With His help, I never once considered giving up. So the most important decision you can make, if your desire is to read the Bible through, is to lean not on your own strength, but on the strength and power of God through His Holy Spirit.

Tattered and torn, this is the plan I used. It was from my church, and I felt it was excellent. I still have an intact copy should you desire it.

And this is the Bible I used as I read:

This Bible was a gift to me from my daughter-in-love, Terri. It was ideal for my purpose in that it had margin notes which helped me understand more difficult passages.

Friends, the going will get tough some days. I also found this app to be very helpful when reading lengthy chapters in, say... Jeremiah or Ezekiel. It is Bible Gateway, and it has an audio application...read by a golden toned male voice.

I followed along either on the phone screen or in my Bible as I listened, giving myself a double chance at retaining.

Most of you know that I am not a morning person. My goal was always to read my Bible first, but many days I did not get up early enough to do that. So, although I would consider that ideal, it doesn't matter what time of day (or night!) you read. The Holy Spirit was with me 24/7.

Now I know many of you are thinking, "Well, I just don't have as much time as Linda!" And few of you do! I have a lot! But on days that I was thinking "Whoa, this is long," I would compare the time I was spending to the time I spent on social media! This would get me back on track pretty quick!

So how was I changed?

I gained knowledge, understanding, discipline, closeness to my Savior, a greater love of the Scripture, a sense of obedience and accomplishment, a feeling of dedication, and an ever deepening daily gratitude, not necessarily in that order. I am also discovering that my daily reading has become a habit with me! A very good habit! I am feeling a little lost while I await the delivery of the plan I am going to dedicate myself to in 2022!

I was "changed for the better and changed for good." 

A Challenge For You!

Another year of Covid it was. Of placing limits on our social interaction. Of vaccines and masks and caution. Of  losing  friends and watching others suffer sickness.

But I would not call it a "bad" year. In fact, I would never call a year "bad" when I wake up 365 times to see the (late!) morning and greet my Savior. Especially when He has already granted me a long and joy filled lifetime!

But 2021 had some "good" things for me, too. The first happened in April when my daughter Susan and I bravely but cautiously traveled to New York.

  It was just about perfect, but it was not the best

thing that happened!

The second Big Event of my life in 2021 was not a trip.

In fact, it was vastly different. 

In May, I had quite a scare with an illness necessitating the removal of a polyp, along with 12"

of my colon. But...I was amazingly unafraid and trusting.

And the polyp was benign.

It's difficult to say anything that happened in 2021 could be better than this miracle. But...

Skip forward all the way to August for Big Event #3. It was something I thought I would never get to do again. I not only got to take a cruise, it was on my favorite cruise line--Crystal! I spent 7 spectacular days feeling perfectly safe on the Crystal Serenity, luxuriating in every minute!

This trip was spectacular, but not the best!

Then in October I got to fly to Grand Junction, Colorado, and travel by car with my cousin Sarah to her home in Cedaredge.   It was a beautifully different world to me.

Even though we had such a blessed and joy filled time together on her wonderful "mountain" (which she insists is just a hill,) this is still not the very best!

The very best thing that happened to me in 2001 is:

I READ THE BIBLE ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

While I was being blessed with all these other joyous activities, my Bible and my plan were traveling right along with me.

I cannot say that I never got behind. I did.

But I can say, I never gave up! 

I'll remember 2021 as a very good year for this reason.

Reading the Bible daily and from cover to cover has

been a HUGE blessing to me.

Stay tuned, and I'll tell you how "I" did it, 

and how very blessed I have been by doing so!