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Hello Reader,

You may already know that November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. But did you know three of my sons have Type 1 diabetes?

The first was diagnosed at Easter time, shortly before he turned two. We found out another had it over the 4th of July weekend when he was 13. And the third came down with it when he was only six: we found out he, too, has Type 1 thirteen years ago this month, on the day before Thanksgiving.

That amounts to countless blood tests and insilin injections that w'e given these family members over the years. So, in honor of them, and because diabetes affects over 38 million people in the US alone (with an estimated 9 million more who don't even know they have it), diabetes is the theme of this week's link list.

I'm hoping you never need any of these resources, but here they are, just in case you do...

Free resources for you this week:

• ​Warning Signs You Can't Afford to Miss - do you or any loved ones have these symptoms?
• ​Free Diabetes Logs - these helped us keep track of blood sugars, carbs, and insulin shots
• ​Mixed Blessings - it's easy to thank God when things go well, but what if they don't?
• ​When God Gives Us More than We Can Handle - which He seems to do pretty routinely!
• ​Daily Dozen Food Chart - because, diabetes or no, what we eat impacts our health
• ​I Can Do All Things through Christ Coloring Page - a good reminder for us all

What I'm reading this week:

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On our way to Branson yesterday, my family listened to A Christmas Carol. Dickens' classic tale never fails to move us to tears -- especially when we hear it read by our enormously talented friend, Miriam Margolyes. When one crotchety old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, is visited by the ghost of his long-dead partner, plus three spirits of Christmas: past, present, and future, a miraculous transformation ensues.

This week's reader request:

I know we are not even to 2025 yet, but requests for my 2026 calendars are already beginning to pile up in my inbox, so it should make a lot of people happy to know I just posted those printables yesterday. Take your pick of styles (or check out my 2025 calendars instead).

On the podcast this week:

Loving Life at Home: Episode 65 ​HOW TO OVERCOME BAD THOUGHTS​ Nearly everyone has to wrestle with negative or sinful or intrusive thoughts at one time or other, so in today’s episode, we’re talking strategies for overcoming bad thoughts and taking them captive to the obedience of Christ. Listen Now

Progress on last week's goals:

Breaking those larger tasks into manageable chunks really paid off! I was able to mark everything off my to-do list last week: I ✅ worked a 14-hour shift at the polls Tuesday, ✅ emptied two baskets in my closet, ✅ ordered two nearly all of my Christmas gifts, ✅ visited my Mom in Dallas (and welcomed my daughter home from Jordan), ✅ finished a soldering project, and ✅ repotted three seven plants! It's a great start, but there's still more to be done (especially in my closet)!

Personal goals for this week:

• enjoy a few days in Branson with those who are with us
• empty two more baskets of stuff stored in my closet
• put up Christmas tree (so I'll have a place to store the gifts I've ordered)
• finish Bible Memory project (super excited about this new resource!)
• outline script for a STEM video I need to record before Thanksgiving
• make a new wreath for our door
• clear out 300+ emails from my inbox
• send a new memory challenge to family

An extra freebie for you this week:

A reader quickly let me know that the "Learn More" button on the Table Talk banner I shared last week wasn't working. I'm so sorry! I apologize for any frustration that broken link may have caused!

So I'm sharing it again this week, along with a discount code ( SAVE5NOW ) that will allow you download the book for FREE -- or to save $5 on a different digital download, if you'd prefer.

But act soon. You will only be able to use the code one time, and it is set to expire on December 1.

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