Caring

a little help

this morning as i prepared my heart for the day and the week ahead, i thought of Leo’s chronic, 24/7 pain ... his struggles ... and, i felt inadequate in my role as wife and sometimes caregiver to my husband of over 30 years ... but as is the case with our Heavenly Father, He directed me to read this encouraging note from Lloyd John Ogilvie’s little booklet The Beauty of Caring ... so i’m sharing ... blessings on your Monday!

"Should we feel at times disheartened and discouraged, a simple movement of heart toward God will renew our powers. Whatever He may demand of us, He will give us at the moment the strength and courage that we need."
Francois de Salignac de la Motthe Fenelon

A caring person discovers the joy of being a channel of the Holy Spirit. Inflow and outflow are perfectly matched. We are called to care and are given grace. The decision to care opens the floodgate.

When we surrender our lives to be agents of the Lord’s caring in situations and for people, we admit that we do not belong to ourselves. We belong to our Lord and to people who need His love; and with His perfect timing and unlimited resources, He gives us His own Spirit to match the needs. We will be given love, wisdom and the freedom to give ourselves away. The Lord always provides for what He guides!

and the Oscar goes to ...

we all KNOW that the Passion of the Christ was THE movie of the year ... we gave Mel his Oscar by going to see it and now buying the DVD ... and the Lord blessed Mel ... this little cartoon says it all!

copied from faithmouse

Pulla

how was your Saturday?

mine was filled with PULLA ...

pulla is a Finnish coffee bread that has cardamon seeds in it ... you can make various types of sweetbread out of it, but the one that my aunt usually makes is pictured above ... they kind of look like cinnamon buns ...

i was in the middle of doing laundry and just the usual domestic type of stuff this morning, when my aunt called to tell me she was baking pulla ... she invited me over for a sauna (which is always good for my spirits!) and fresh pulla ...YAY ... the day just improved 100% ... :o)

Leo was watching curling, so i left him to it and high tailed over to my aunt’s for a sweet afternoon of rest, relaxation and fresh pulla ...

you probably aren’t jealous at all ... but then again, most of you haven’t tasted her pulla ... and as is her habit, she sent 2 dozen home with me ...

God blesses my heart with the sweet saints He has placed in my life ... sweet saints that bake fresh pulla ... and share ... lol ...

Quotables

the up side

"God grant me the serenity

to accept the people I cannot change,

the courage to change the one I can,

and the wisdom to know ... it's me!"

- John G Miller, author of QBQ! The Question Behind the Question

Happy Birthday Ari, i will always be the BIG sister .... :o) 

a day in the city

snowy, blowy day
my aunt and i headed out to the City today ...

the weather forecast was for a few flurries later in the day ... so the 3 hour return trip should have been pleasant ...

guess what?

they got the weather report WRONG!

the city was fine, only a few snowflakes ... but when i called Leo around 3, he said it had been snowing all day at home ... soooooo i was sort of prepared for the road conditions ...

we were about 10 minutes outside the city when conditions changed ... can anyone say WHITE-OUT ... BLOWING SNOW ... REDUCED VISIBILITY? during one stretch of the drive, i was just "kind of sure" that i was on the road, since everything was white - the sky and the road!

now here is the absolute weird part ... i wasn't nervous ... honest - i wasn't! i knew Leo was praying for us and i knew that God was in control ...

my BIGGEST problem when i drive in the winter is nerves (7 accidents in the snow will do that to a person!) ... i get so nervous - which in turn makes me a poor driver ... today, i felt in control and just kept my speeds down (10 clicks below the posted speed) ... and we managed to have a nice drive home ... well sort of nice - i would prefer not to drive in the snow!!!

just sharing my trauma, which wasn't so much a trauma today ... if that makes any sense??? i should head to bed soon, i think i may be tired! but wanted to SHARE this experience ... i am so amazed that i remained calm ... barely any white knuckles at all!

p.s. do you think it was the Lord working on an old fear of mine?
p.p.s. i DO know it was HIM ... :o)

day is done ...

stress

my thought for today was "God is personally involved in each day and every detail of your life."

the day started out with disquiet, but thankfully, it is ending with peace ... there was no major problem here at home ... Leo is in pain and it is difficult - nothing new there ... it was cold outside - but it is winter in Manitoba ... the usual culprits for stress in my world ... but then i let those issues (and other "stuff") get me going in the wrong direction this morning ...

the result was disquiet ...

so back to the basics ... pray, read God's word, pray some more ... those tried and true remedies fix a heart that is singing off key ... :o)

disquiet in the morning

good morning
the fire is going strong (-25C this morning, so we need it!) ...
the cat is fed ... i've read my bible ...
made sure that leo has taken his pills ... now i'm on my third cup of coffee ...

it's one of those days that has all the right ingredients for being peaceful and still ...

but i don't "feel" peaceful and still ...

there is a tiny disquiet inside me ... concerns that are building up ... the same old worries (ALWAYS leo's health ... and the health of others in my family) ...

yuck!!! i absolutely don't want to walk around with "worry baggage" ... it solves nothing ... i need to turn it into prayer ...

but ... that seems difficult today ... it is just one of those days ... my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling ... sigh

well, i hear Leo stirring, maybe some more bible reading will give me a KICK START ...

* * * * * *

here is a neat Link i received this morning.

Only one you

unique

There is only one YOU. Think about that.

Your face and features, your voice, your

style, your background, your characteristics

and peculiarities, your abilities, your smile,

your walk, your handshake, your manner of

expression, your viewpoint . . . everything

about you is found in only one individual

since humanity first began --- YOU!

Charles R. Swindoll

He who is not against us, is for us

"He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; But he that harpeth on a matter separateth chief friends." (Proverbs 17:9)

that was the automatic verse on my sidebar yesterday ... it went along with my thinking over the last few days ... my thoughts over the last few weeks actually ... and now that another birthday has matured me (cough cough) ... i want to share these thoughts in my blog ... here goes ......

when my good old dial-up is working faster than a slinky making it’s way down stairs, i surf and read other blogs, besides my regular pick me up ones (you know that means you of course!) ... sometimes my soul gets cast down from the bitterness and hatred that i find out there ... believers beating up on other believers ... not about social injustice ... the plight of third world countries or how we can help ... but most times about imagined attitudes that "the church" holds ... by the way, the church is us - every single believer has a part in the church, which is the Body of Christ ... simple as that ... so i guess these angry folks are kicking themselves as well??? do you think? hmmmm

after a busy day of teaching, healing and generally being the stand up kind of Guy our Lord was, the Apostle John asked Jesus "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us," and Jesus replied "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us." Luke 9:49,50.

hmmmm ... Jesus spent very little time on the answer to that question! it seemed straight forward to Him ... He didn’t go into great detail - he just said FOR HE WHO IS NOT AGAINST US IS FOR US ... simple ...

we all have our job to do ... each in different areas in this walk of faith ... so isn’t it counterproductive to be dictating to our brothers/sisters how they should be doing their job? ... we each need to look within, to make sure we’ve got our own mission going in the right direction ... we are held accountable for our actions ... they are the only ones within our control ...

my view is pretty simplistic ... it is not stated with a fist pounding a desk for emphasis either ... just thoughts on the body of Christ ... which is the church ... which is every believer ...

1 John 4:20 sums it up ... "If someone says, ‘I love God,’and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?"

Safe Am I

Safe Am I, safe am I ...

In the hollow of His hands,

Sheltered o'er, sheltered o'er ...

With His love forever more ....

No ill can harm me,

No foe alarm me,

For He keeps both day and night;

Safe am I, safe am I

In the hollow of His hand.

Mildred Leightner Dillon

* * * * * * * * *

did you have a good Sunday? did you feel God's presence all around? i hope so ... my Sunday was peaceful ... telephone visits ... e-mail ... reading ... Leo watching sports ... the snow gently falling ... throwing wood into the fire as needed ... petting a purring cat ... one of those quiet days full of every day blessings ...

eating out

i did get taken out for supper last night (to an actual restaurant) ... that was sweet ... sitting is difficult for Leo ... difficult and uncomfortable, yet we had a nice dinner ... today i got up feeling grumpy (maybe the -39C temp did something to my mood - i was hoping we had seen the last of yucky COLD temps like that!) ... but the day, and my mood, improved as it wore on ...

i just wanted to leave another pic that made me smile ... i've been reading blogs and sending e-mail today, BUT i didn't want to leave my own blog with no new posting ... so whoever pops by today ... this is for you ...

attitude check

spy among us

"Things turn out best for the people who

make the best out of the way things turn out."

John Wooden, UCLA basketball coach

passing of time

all grown up?

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us ..." Ephesians 5: 1, 2a

the picture above is the way i view myself ... grown up garbs on, but a child within ...

not immature ... and certainly not lacking in experience, both good and bad ... but my heart is still expectant, like a child's .... looking to my Heavenly Father ... excited about life, thinking that the BEST is yet to be and WILL be ... so every birthday - IS a happy birthday!!!

thank you for the good wishes ... you've made me SMILE!

* * * * * * * * * *

The age of a woman doesn't mean a thing.
The best tunes are played on the oldest fiddles.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

To me - old age is always ten years older than I am.
John Burroughs

where i blog from

New blogging place
so this is how my blogging area looks now ... with the new screen and the keyboard (wireless) ... but please don't be afraid to come back because this is my last gush about the monitor ... honest!! but it is so nice ... *smile* ... *glow* ... praise in my heart! never thought i would get such a neat area ... honest, didn't even think to pray for it, because it seemed so out of my reach ... go figure, eh? i guess we should pray anyway - never know what lovely things the Lord wants to give us ... and we don't ask!!!

It's Here!

look what arrived today ... :o) ....

oooohhhhhhh .... it is so nice ... i love it!

i can't believe how clear the picture is ... it is a BenQ ... and if you guys have any tips on how to get the most out of it, feel free to share ... i have played with the settings a bit ... i am open to suggestions!

i was teasing Leo that now i have to get a wireless black keyboard and mouse - you know, to match ... he just said to go for it ... what a nice guy, eh ... i guess i'll keep my eyes out for sales (i am definitely the happiest when i buy SALES!) ...

can you tell i'm thrilled to bits?

Bless the Lord, oh my soul!

Waiting

i'll let you in on a secret ...
i'm waiting for something ...
something big ...
my birthday ...
it's this Friday ...
:o)

i'm a low maintenance kind of gal when it comes to gifts and such ... but i do get excited about cards, e-mail and phone calls from family and friends ...

i made a special trip to town today, just to see if i had any mail ... the old fashioned snail mail ... you can imagine (well maybe you can't, but try anyway) my DELIGHT to see the post office box full of cards and postcards (the postcards go into my collection) .... it made me smile ... a few of the cards had such sweet sentiment that they made me cry ... the good kind of crying that us women like to do on occasion ...

i don't know why i get excited at this "grown up" age to get cards and celebrate birthdays ... i think i have a lot of little kid still inside of me ...

i did order myself a birthday present (per Leo's instruction!) ... a 17" flat screen monitor ... that should be in tomorrow ...

so i'll just be waiting some more ... but the good kind of waiting ... thank you Lord!

Books!

my computer room is a mess!!! i’ve been pulling books out from their spot in the bookcase and leaving them nearby .... to look at again ... a hunger seems to have started right in my belly to LEARN more, to re-visit books i’ve studied, to pull out those different bible translations ... my memory needs jogging .... my think tank needs filling ... so the room is a mess ... i’ll have to add the clean-up to my "get tuit" list ...

i am a lover of books ... i love to be surrounded by them ... they are a comfort to me ... my idea of excitement is to be able to spend a day at Chapters, or in a big city Library ... mmmmm ... i get chills just thinking about it!

in the meantime, my poor cat has to do a balancing act when he jumps on the computer desk with the stacks of books ... inevitably something will fall with a big bang, making my fearless feline jump 6 feet in the air and take off like his tail is on fire ...

i wonder if there will be huge libraries in heaven? or do you think that in those mansions Jesus has gone to prepare, there will be wonderful private libraries for us lovers of the word? ... you know, with stacks of books on the shelves, filled with the finest literature ... maybe a roaring fire with a comfy chair to cuddle up in ... a cat snoozing in my lap and a good book under my nose ... do you think?

awww ... books ...

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's day ... a day devoted to love ... but what about the rest of the year? hmmmm ... maybe we should just make it a 365 day endeavor!

"A man that has friends must show himself friendly."
Proverbs 18:24A

"...Every road is rough to me that has no friend to cheer it."
Elizabeth Shane

"Who, being loved, is poor?"
Oscar Wilde

"Love is a little blind; when we love someone dearly we unconsciously overlook many faults."
Beatrice Saunders

"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
Jesus

Happiness

making friends

While seeking happiness for others we

unconsciously find it for ourselves

Anon

my work buds

work buds
i had lunch with my work buds today ... and you know what? i really love these ladies! over the years, they have become wonderful friends ... we've worked together for a decade of Spring and Summers ... we've helped each other through family illness, deaths and many women's issues ... i trust them, they trust me ... sometimes as we sit and have coffee, we talk about how easy men are to work with - usually much easier than women ... then we look at each other ... and smile ... these ladies are not catty (in fact they are Lutheran ... :o) ... ), they are kind, generous and i am just SO blessed to be in their midst ... next year will bring about change, one will be retiring ... that makes me happy for her and sad for me ... but life is about change ... as long as we can appreciate what we have been given ... God has blessed me above measure with wonderful work buds and i'm bubbling over and needed to share!

Faith that Makes a Difference

have you ever read Decision magazine? i’ve been receiving it since i was 12 years old ... that’s the year i went forward at an alter call during a Billy Graham Crusade and started my journey of faith ... that walk down to the front of the packed auditorium (scary for a kid!) was a huge step of faith ... i am soooo very glad my young heart heard the Saviour’s voice and responded ...

Billy Graham always writes the first article in Decision ... this month’s message is entitled Faith That Makes a Difference ... it caught my attention ...

apparently there have been surveys done in the U.S., which indicate that people who claim to have "a born again experience live no differently than the rest of the population. Entertainment choices, lifestyles and divorce rates among these people are virtually indistinguishable from society at large."

ouch ...

i looked in my mirror and asked "can folks see Christ in me?"... or do i blend in and give in too often? ... the mirror said "room for improvement, girl!" my mirror is brutally honest at times!

the article went on to say "A true Christian, living an obedient life, is a constant rebuke to those who accept the moral standards of this world."

hmmmm ...

our faith should make a difference if we are following the One we placed our faith IN ... i think we listen to the cacophony of voices all around us on a daily basis, and these voices drown out that still small voice of the Spirit ...

i have to practice listening to that voice ... to be still ... to focus on Christ rather than self ... and to be able to live that faith in the home, the work place and anywhere we meet and mingle with those who aren’t believers ...

i’ll end with one more quote from the article "How could the early disciples turn the world upside down when millions of Christians can’t even keep it right side up today? The answer is simple. They didn’t conform their faith to the world."

To have lived

enjoy the day


Is it so small a thing
To have enjoyed the sun,
To have lived light in the spring,
To have loved, to have thought,
to have done;
To have advanced true friends,
and beat down baffling foes?

Matthew Arnold

a day of surprises ... big and small

fluffy and the moose


i hope you have a good mid week ... a day full of surprises ... unexpected company ... overcoming a fear ... seeing the humour in your situation ... a day that leaves you glad to be alive and puts a smile on your face ... a presence of God in the smallest of details ...

Still I will Trust

Still I Will Trust
Isaiah 41:10

Still I will trust, though all my hopes lie shattered
In broken fragments at my feet:
Though all my plans, like driven leaves, are scattered
By winds of darkness and defeat.
For in my need I hear my Saviour saying,
In answer to my pleading and my praying,
“I am thy God, be not afraid:
I will be near, be not dismayed!”

Yea, in the deepest shadows of death’s valley,
Where sorrows circle me around:
When all the powers of darkness seem to rally,
And scarce a ray of light is found;
Then will I trust in Christ with great rejoicing,
In Him who once again His love is voicing -
"I am thy God, be not afraid;
I will be near, be not dismayed!”

So will I walk with Christ, in faith believing,
With childlike trust, whate’er betide:
And from His hand His strength and love receiving.
As in His presence I abide.
Thus shall I journey on to His glad morrow,
Where I shall hear him say, “Lay down thy sorrow,
Come dwell with Me in realms above,
Where all is light, and life, and love.”
- Albert Simpson Reitz

I found comfort in this poem in the days when Leo didn't yet know the Lord, and I prayed earnestly for his salvation; in the dark days of his surgeries and disappointments, because there was no cure for the chronic pain and God said "no" to healing; in the darker days of a marriage in trouble ... the Lord has never once let go of my hand and has always given me a song in the night ... He will do the same for you ...

i couldn't resist!

Pray Today


this was on Bekah's blog and i just couldn't resist ... had to copy it! ... it's such a sweet picture ... innocence and trust are written all over it ... and it made me smile ... i guess that's my gauge on a lot of things ... did it make me smile? ... there are so many things in this poor dieing world of ours to get sad and bent out of shape over ... let's hold on to the sweet moments when they present themselves ... amen?

In every pew sits a Broken Heart

how did you spend your superbowl Sunday?

Leo watched the game and i read "In every Pew Sits a Broken Heart" by Ruth Graham (daughter of Billy Graham) ...

this book actually made my heart hurt ... it was just so authentic and honest ...

Ruth was the middle child in the Graham household, and never caused grief during her growing up years ... unfortunately, in later years she made some poor decisions that did cause hurt to her and her family ... she writes "If I had my way, life would have been easy and I would have needed God for little, if anything. Consequently, I would have missed opportunities to know Him better."

the book is written in a unique style ... she tells a story about an event in her life, then she has a little devotional to show what the Lord taught her concerning the matter ... so it isn’t just a "read" but a study at the same time ...

she’s experienced divorce and problems with her children, therefore speaks from an "i’ve been there" perspective ... i didn’t find it a "happy read", but it definitely spoke to my heart and i hope to take some of her hard earned lessons with me.

Sunday thought

God's wisest saints are often people who

endure pain rather than escape it. Like

their Savior, they are men and women

"acquainted with grief." I recall that Jesus

"learned obedience from the things which he suffered"

(Hebrews 5:8 NASB), not in spite of those things.

Charles R. Swindoll

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand ..." Exodus 33:22

Habits

"It is always possible to be thankful for what is given rather than to complain about what is not given. One or the other becomes a habit of life ..."
Elisabeth Elliot.


habits ... we all have them ... good habits we try to cultivate in ourselves and in others ...

it is my habit to make my bed AFTER i have been up for an hour or so ... some people make it immediately ...

it is our habit to watch the news together in the evening, if we skip the news, it seems like the evening is just not complete ...

saying "thank you" or even smiling is a habit ... something we may have worked on in our early years, but now do automatically ...

how about our attitude or thought life? have you done a check lately? the standard i use is: Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things." ...

wishing you a day full of good habits!

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