i won tickets to the Juno All Stars Hockey Game

just chit chatting ... while it melts outside (ooohhhhh ... you should hear the trickle of water, sounds like a spring!)

i won tickets to the Juno All Star hockey game this Friday!! ya!!

the Juno Awards will be in Winnipeg this year (for those of you who don't know ... the Juno's are Canada's Grammy awards) ... being Canadian, a hockey game between the Juno Artists and NHL old timers was arranged ... to be honest, i was hoping to win tickets to the actual award show, but won tickets to the All Star hockey game instead ... the good news is, i might still be able to win show tickets - they will draw for that at the hockey game!

i won 4 tickets ... Leo is coming too ... great, eh!!! please pray for strength for him ...

i'm getting kind of excited about the evening ... i was just checking out the line up of who's who at the game and i see that Brent Butt from Corner Gas (a Canadian sitcom that we love!) will be in the all star group, as well as George Canyon (he came in second at the Nashville Star competition last year); Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair (from the Tragically Hip) and John Berry ... from the NHL old timers i recognized Doug Gilmour, Dale Hawerchuck and Ron MacLean's names ... i hope i can take pictures there!

our seats are in the second row, near the blue line ... atleast there will be plexi glass protecting me from a fast moving puck! i think they hurt a whole lot if you get hit with one ...

as i said, just sharing ... *grin, grin*!

day is done

another day is done ... i had a post i was working on ... something that God blessed my heart with ... but the words didn't string together as easily on paper, as they did in my mind ... ever happen to you? sooooo i wanted to close this day, with words that DO string together so well ... words that i would like applied to my life so that i can bless those i meet ...

"but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" ... Galations 5: 22,23

i was just thinking about .... slivers

one thing about handling firewood, there is ALWAYS a chance of getting a sliver ... i usually wear gloves to protect my "delicate" hands! ... but sometimes i get careless and think, "i’ll just quickly throw some wood in the carrier" ... the result can be the dreaded sliver!!!

the best way to treat a sliver? ... pull it out immediately!

that’s exactly what happened yesterday ... i felt the sliver go in, i automatically plucked it out with my teeth ... problem solved ...

then i thought ... that is JUST like sin in our lives ... if the Spirit of God speaks to us and we notice a wrong attitude or something we’ve done ... if we go to the Lord immediately and say "please forgive me"... He does ... and we feel the better for it ...

but if we don’t ask forgiveness right away ... and knowingly let sin go deeper and deeper ... well the digging out of that sin later on, will hurt a whole lot more than immediate confession ...

even slivers can teach us something! imagine that ...

Vital Need

Our vital need is for a vital faith in God - in the omnipotent God. When oppressed with staggering problems, do not consider their boundaries but rediscover the boundlessness of God.

Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

weekends done

i had such a nice weekend with my sister-in-law and nephew ... it was good to have a change of pace and to entertain family ...

my sister-in-law is a very thoughtful person ...

she brought us flowers

and a yummy cake (no calories ... well i think that’s what the label said?)

my nephew (who gave me his ok to post this pic) knows the way to my heart ... he bought me 2 different photo programs for the computer!!! needless to say i had a big grin on when i saw that!!

but, there is always a down side to every good time ... for folks with chronic pain problems, visits can be tough ... Leo did socialize a bit ... on Easter Sunday we all had our devotions together and watched a good message on TV ... but for the most part, Leo was resting in the bedroom ... at least with family, they understand that he needs to lie down a lot ...

this weekend spring finally arrived ... you could smell that promise of warmth in the air ... the snow is turning to slush and it is even supposed to rain today ...

our company left for their 8 hour drive back to Ontario this morning ... and now i need to go do the beds, etc .... or maybe i just need to look at those photo programs that i downloaded into the computer .... hmmmm ... priorities?

i just thank the Lord for family ... i thank the Lord for His many blessings in my life ... and, i thank the Lord for you ...

Happy Easter

Happy Easter!!!

i hope that you are having a wonderful Easter ... thankful that Jesus paid the ultimate price for our very souls ... how cool is that! *smile*

our Good Friday has been quiet ... we watched the Gospel of John movie, which stayed true to scripture ... tho’ we should have watched it in 2 sittings because a solid 3 hours was lots to digest ... not too many "fast forward" parts in it either ... i would recommend it, even as a possible teaching tool ...

the movie got me to thinking about my role as a woman of faith ... even tho’ Jesus’ 12 disciples were men, He did number women in His close circle of friends ... what particularly struck me (and why i posted the above picture) is the fact that it was a woman who first heralded the good news of a Risen Christ ... a woman who first saw Christ ... after centuries of being in the role of a lesser being - it was a woman who first glimpsed His resurrected Glory! ... maybe it was the forgiveness our gender was seeking for Eve’s seduction back in the Garden ... do you think?

i won’t be blogging again until Monday ... we are getting company tomorrow and i am running a bit behind with the domestic stuff ... hope that the Sonshine finds you ... where ever you may be ... blessings!

Victory over death

our world is in such a sad state right now ...
wars, legalized killing in various forms, murder ...
sadness abounds everywhere ...

2000 years ago there was a brutal execution of a Man who didn't deserve to die ...

but the good news is that death couldn't keep Him captive ...

my hope this weekend is found in Him who has conquered death ...
conquered death, so that we may LIVE ...

This Ole House

i first heard this song in the early 70's ... i have always loved it ... i tried to look for a web site that had Rosemary Clooney singing it ... but had no luck with that ... so i've just been "making melody" in my own heart ! ! ! AND i guess "this ole house" could be our bodies as well ... i know i creak when i get up in the mornings! speaking of which ... i had best hit the sack, i have plans for "this ole house" tomorrow!

ROSEMARY CLOONEY lyrics - "This Ole House"

This ole house once knew his children
This ole house once knew his wife
This ole house was home and comfort
As they fought the storms of life
This ole house once rang with laughter
This ole house heard many shouts
Now he trembles in the darkness
When the lightnin' walks about

[Chorus:]
Ain't a-gonna need this house no longer
Ain't a-gonna need this house no more
Ain't got the time to fix the shingles
Ain't got time to fix the floor
Ain't got time to oil the hinges
Nor to mend the window pane
Ain't a gonna need this house no longer
He's a-gettin' ready to meet the saints

This ole house is a-gettin' shaky
This ole house is a-gettin' old
This ole house lets in the rain
This ole house lets in the cold
Oh, his knees are a-gettin' chilly
But he feel no fear of pain
'cause he sees an angel peekin'
Through a broken window pane

[Chorus][Musical Interlude]

This ole house is afraid of thunder
This ole house is afraid of storms
This ole house just groans and trembles
When the night wind flings its arms
When the night is a-gettin' feeble
This old house is a-needin' paint
Just like him it's tuckered out
But he's a-gettin' ready to meet the saints

[Chorus]

Opportunity

"Whenever you see darkness,

there is extraordinary opportunity

for the light to burn brighter."

Bono

My Lord Knows the Way

My Lord knows the way thru the wilderness
All I have to do is follow,

Strength for today is mine all the way,
And all I need for tomorrow,

My Lord knows the way thru the wilderness -
All I have to do is follow.

i hum that chorus often ... and even though i think we are walking where Jesus leads, when big life changes loom in front of us ... well, it is a little scary and i have to hum the chorus a bit louder ... for courage ...

Leo and i were chatting today ... wondering if this will be the year we make a change ... sell our cottage ...

the cottage we live in is our little bit of heaven here on earth ... it has been a wonderful resting spot ... BUT Leo's strength is starting to fail ... it was so noticeable today as we searched a few drawers for an item ... the bending and sitting caused beads of pain sweat to form on Leo's forehead and he had to stop and go lay down ... he used to be such a handi guy ... always keeping the house looking so good ... but .... the spirit may be willing, but his body is definitely weak.

... so we continue to pray ... would you pray for us too?

God's timing is perfect ... we don't want to drive our stakes in too deep here on earth, because the Lord might just say "you're moving in the morning!"

in search of Spring

i went looking for spring .... some sign that it had ARRIVED ... i knew i had to SEARCH for it because at this time of year, the plum trees are without their blossoms and there isn’t a leaf budding or a blade of grass sprouting ... plus there is 2 feet of snow all around ... but i didn’t let that minor detail thwart my search .... nope, not me ... i resolutely headed into the brilliantly white outdoors to see what i could find ...

Eureka!!! i DID find bits of spring ...

i saw our round pebbly sidewalk stones peaking out from under their covering of ice .... pebbles that collect sunshine and warm the underside of my feet in the summer ... i kicked at some of the ice, to help uncover more of the rough surface ...

i wandered in the yard and looked at the dirty snowbanks ... i took that as a good sign too ... dirty snowbanks mean that a melt is happening ... i also spotted puddles of water in the driveway (in the summer, i sometimes slosh around in the puddles, during summer rains ... they’re meant for playing in, right?) ...

i ventured to the back of the property, balancing myself on top of the hardened snow, trying not to get a "booter" in the process... it was worth the trudge because the melt was in full swing near our depleted woodpile ... i could see the pallets jutting out from under their winter hibernation ...

the sun was warming me, i had to unzip my coat as i headed back to the house ...

then i spotted the next door neighbour ... i strolled over and we had an "over the fence" (there is no fence, so please pretend) chat which lasted a half hour or so ... seeing one’s neighbour outdoors, just loitering, is a sure sign of spring!!!

now i can confidently report ... spring has (sort of) arrived to my part of the world ...

has the Lord blessed your heart with springtime hope?

the path . . .

"No other route would have been as safe and as certain as the one by which we came. If only we could see the path as God has always seen it, we would have selected it as well."
F.B. Meyer

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

we've been thinking about God's direction in our life ... God's leading ... as we look forward, we also need to look back at how God has lead us in the past ... this gives us the faith to believe that God will continue to lead in the future ...

Rejoice!

It's Spring!!!

Psalm 105

(excerpts)

1 Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim His greatness. ...

2 Sing to Him; yes, sing His praises. ....

3 .... O worshipers of the LORD, rejoice!
4 Search for the LORD and for His strength, ...

ANYWAY

People are often unreasonable,

Illogical and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,

People may accuse

You of selfish motives;

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,

You will win some false friends

And some true enemies;

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,

People may cheat you;

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,

Someone could destroy overnight;

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,

They may be jealous;

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,

People will often forget tomorrow;

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,

And it may never be enough;

Give the world the best you have anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,

It is between you and God;

It never was between you and them anyway.

~Mother Teresa~

this arrived in my e-mail this morning ... and tho' i've read it before, i found it extremely ENCOURAGING today ... we just need to keep on keeping on ... the Victory is the Lord's, our job is to remain faithful to the task He has given us ... amen? Amen!

resting

"God sometimes says wait.

BUT He never says worry."
The Up Side by Guideposts

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

i've been enjoying a-tic-in-the-minds-eye and faithmouse

... they have thought provoking cartoons on life and current issues ...

sharing info

 

Irish blessings

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

i love these Irish blessings ... i thought this was a great time to share them ... the sentiment they carry is warm and uplifting, and exactly what i wish for you ...





May you always have ...

Walls for the winds,

A roof for the rain,

Tea beside the fire,

Laughter to cheer you,

Those you love near you,

And all your heart might desire!


May your neighbors respect you,

Troubles neglect you,

The angels protect you,

And Heaven accept you.


May your home always be too small to hold all your friends.


Dance as if no one were watching,

Sing as if no one were listening,

And live every day as if it were your last.

what goes in the well ... comes up in the bucket

yesterday i visited one of my favourite places in our quaint little town ... the public library ... i walked in and realized that even the air permeates books ... it enveloped me like the hug from a dear friend ...

my first stop was the "what’s new" shelf ... and i was tickled to see a Francine Rivers’ book, The Priest ... i picked it up and continued my perusal for things to read ...

this year i visit the library every 3 weeks ... last year i went on a weekly basis ... this year i usually pick up 4 books ... last year i would pick up 6 books ... this year i feel refreshed and at peace with my reading material ... last year i read and read and read, yet felt empty ...

so what is the difference? this year i am trying to feed my soul, not to titillate my senses ... i’m not saying that i am reading only study books or Christian novels ... but i am choosing the secular books with more care ...

last year i just wanted to escape my life in a novel ... which is a fine "vacation" occasionally, but definitely not as a steady diet ... i left the table hungrier than when i sat down!

yet somehow i didn’t want to "see" that all i needed was just a little bit of self-discipline in the area of books, and the Lord would bless my "little bit", a whole lot!

i think i’m a slow learner in some areas of my life ... but i am still teachable ... smile ... and i think it counts in God’s eyes ...

All for a Reason .... And only for a Season. 

time out

there is lots of sadness on the news these days ... and folks are stressed at home too ... so i hope this layed back cat, with his energetic friend might give you cause to smile as you go along your way ...

Broken Things

tomorrow Leo and i finish reading Broken Things, Why We Suffer, written by Dr. M.R. DeHaan ... it has been such an excellent book ... RBC carries it ... it is well worth having in your library!

let me quote you this from page 104, 105:


"Yes, God is working out a pattern in our lives. We see only the present and the immediate, but God sees the whole picture of one's life as it will appear when the last stroke of the brush has completed the picture. In this pattern of our lives there are bright spots and dark backgrounds, all of them necessary for the complete portrait. As we pass through the dark experiences of life, we see only that dark piece.

Our experiences resemble a jigsaw puzzle. Here is a black piece that seems to fit no where at all. It does not make sense. Here is a little brighter piece. Other sections of the jigsaw puzzle are dark, and some pitch black, and we cry and moan in these black moments. But by-and-by the Master will take all the pieces that look so disconnected to us now and will carefully arrange each piece in its proper place. Then we shall see His completed work - the work of a Master who makes no mistakes.

Listen, when it is all ready, we shall find that the dark pieces of the puzzle were as important to the completion of the full beauty of the pattern as the bright sections."


And to add to this idea ... CNN showed the interview with Ashley Smith, the lady who calmed down the Atlanta killer and got him to give himself in ... she read to him from The Purpose Driven Life and she had her bible out as well ... God is in every aspect of our world ... even in the dark places, using His children as the light ...

a matter of praise and worship

we’re waiting for spring to arrive ... and just when everything was melting along at a perfect pace, we got hit by another blast of arctic air and frigid temps (last night the thermometer was hovering around -30C ... hmmm) ...

our wood carrier was half full ... that was the last of the wood ... we had burned the supply that our neighbours had delivered to us ... but that was fine, we have been all set to use our electric heat for 2 years now ...

but guess what? last night and today we got 2 separate deliveries of wood ... i am beginning to feel like the woman in 1 King 17; ... the wood is just not running out, like her oil and flour never ran out ... our wood carrier keeps getting re-filled!

i shake my head and smile ... giving thanks to the Lord ... who provides for all our needs and even our wants ... firewood is definitely a luxory "want" item ...

For the heart that finds joy in small things .... 

Passing the Stick

Taking the stick from Michael .

1. You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451. Which book do you want to be?

i hate the thought of burning any books ... so how ‘bout the old DOS IBM books ... old technology ... i might feel comfortable doing that ... tho' the way this question is worded, i would be in peril ... maybe someone should explain this to me!

2. Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?

i think my first crush was Rhett Butler, in Gone with the Wind ... i get right into the lives of the characters i read about ... so feelings develop along the way ...

3. The last book you bought was...?

i’m a firm believer in the public library ... though if you looked around my computer room, you’d think that parts of it are a library! *chuckle* ...

the last book i actually bought was just 2 weeks ago ... HTML in easy steps, by Mike McGrath ... i love to learn new things about this cyberworld that i’ve become a part of ...

4. The last book you read was...?

All for Jesus by Franklin Graham

5. What are you currently reading?

Broken Things, Why we Suffer by Dr. M.R. deHaan
The Battle belongs to the Lord by Joyce Meyer
Suomalaiset, People of the Marsh by Mark Munger
Every Storm, by Lori Wick

6. Five books you would take to a desert island?

my Scofield’s bible that i’ve had for 35 years (it is starting to fall apart now);
Webster’s Dictionary;
a book on survival in the desert (well, why not, right?!);
Taalla Pohjantahden alla by Toinen Osa ... a book that my dad read many times over the course of his life, it was always on his coffee table ... when he died, it became one of my keepsakes;
Just as I am by Billy Graham.

What three people are you passing this stick on to and why?

Debra , because she has the most interesting, eclectic taste in books.
Bekah , because she is a young, sweet Christian woman and i’m curious to see what she likes to read.
David, because he travels a fair amount and maybe his list will reflect his travelling library ...

thanks, Michael ... this was a fun exercise for me ... even tho' i'm supposed to pass this along to only 3 people, i actually wanted to add more blog friends ... it would be interesting to see what you all like to read and even the "why" of it ... so feel free to copy and spread it further into blogdom!

R.C.M.P. Officers remembered

this afternoon we watched the nationally televised memorial service for the fallen R.C.M.P. Officers, gunned down on March 3, 2005 in Alberta ... four young men, in their prime, ambushed by a known cop hater ... the large auditorium was filled with other law enforcement officers ... the platform held the Prime Minister, Governor General and other top dignitaries ... in the front rows, sat the families, those who had lost the most ...

i know many RCMP officers ... i sometimes meet them before they even decide on a full time career in enforcement ... good men and women ... with a real desire to protect and serve ... they generate a feeling of safety ... if they are around, nothing bad can happen to you ...

but something very bad did happen in Alberta ... the job seemed routine enough ... keeping an area secure ... there were 4 Members (that's what they call each other, "Members") ... big guys ... watching out for each other ... but sometimes evil can be a vapour that seeps along cracks and materializes out of the dark ... a high powered rifle, in the hands of a madman, ended the lives of these officers ... then the coward ended his own life - and placed himself in the hands of an all knowing God ...

during the somber service, we learned about these young men ...

one of the Officers was a twin ... his brother, also an RCMP, spoke for the family...

one Member had a black belt and had been an adventurer all his life ... raising the bar for others and achieving excellence wherever he went ...

one was a loving husband and father ... with another baby on the way ...

and one was a follower of Jesus Christ ... the son of a Lutheran Minister who had told his dad a year ago that if something ever happened to him, he wanted people to hear about Jesus and hear about hope ... his father honoured his son's wishes and spoke to a nation in mourning and shock over such a senseless loss of life ... he proclaimed his assurance that he will see his son again ... he also said that God understands a father’s grief, He had a Son too ... who died ... and then he delivered a message of Hope in a Risen Christ ... WOW ...

in the midst of a national tragedy, with the loss of 4 honourable men, the gospel of Christ was proclaimed in a timely fashion, by a grieving father carrying out the wishes of his son ...

May God be glorified ...

highest of duties

One of the highest of human duties is the duty of encouragement ... It is easy to pour cold water on their enthusiasms; it is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet.
William Barclay, The Letter to the Hebrews

in my car

have you ever heard Shania Twain's song "In my car" ?

i thought of that song today as i drove the prairie highways toward the big city ... "in my car, i'll be the driver ... in my car, i'm in control" ... for me, there is nothing more relaxing than taking a road trip ... i listen to talk radio ... or pump up the volume on my latest inspirational CD and sing-a-long ... i chat with the Lord ... i clear my thoughts and delight in driving my car ...

i think it is the "control thing"... when there is so much in a person's life that is "out of their control" ... like Leo's pain ... then to be able to cruise along and guide my car WHERE i want it to go ... well that kinda feels good ...

ALSO, a break is needed from the everyday routine of being there for my husband ... even if it is just a day in the city ... it DOES make a world of difference ...

thank you to my blogging buddies, for praying for us ... i just have to remember to humble myself and ask for prayer more often!! i do get a little proud, not wanting to share the down times ... i only want to make you smile and encourage you ... i guess i need that same encouragement too ...

my roadtrip was relaxing ... and leo had a better day healthwise ... so we will "continue in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving" ... Colossians 4:2

encourage the encourager

Exhortations should have one dominant note, and that note should be encouragement.
William Barclay on Romans 12:8

i would like to encourage those that are suffering ... to encourage the ones who walk along side, as caregivers ... but the road is rocky at times and we stumble over the least likeliest of stones ... even if we know in our minds the truth of the matter ... even if we know in our spirits that God is in charge ... our feelings, those traitorous emotions, try to tell us different ...

the past few days i have been fighting my emotions ... because they have simply not been true to what i believe and what i know ... yet emotions bubble and can spill over, trying to rule the day ... sometimes they win for the day, but in the end the victory ALWAYS belongs to the Lord ...

i don’t like to share negative feelings ... but on the other hand, i don’t want to leave the impression that we have everything under control and that we never have struggles ... we DO struggle with this chronic pain walk ... some days we struggle more than others ...

spring has always been difficult for us ... i get tired of winter and Leo is in more pain because of the humidity ... we KNOW there is this cycle ... that helps deal with it ... it is just one of those darker paths that we need to walk along ... i try to picture a beautifully sunlit meadow just up ahead ... where we can rest for awhile ...

so we try to ...rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and continue steadfastly in prayer... (paraphrased from Romans 12:12) ...

Leo and i are reading "Broken Things, why we suffer" by M.R. DeHaan, M.D. ... he wrote it in 1948, yet it speaks to our hearts today ...

and for my own personal reading, Joyce Meyer’s "The Battle belongs to the Lord" is well worth the time ...

if you think of us at some point during the day ... please turn the thought into prayer ... prayer is what always makes the difference...

It is no secret, what God can do ....

do you remember Stuart Hamblin's old cowboy song "it is no secret"? i found the neatest link that had the word's to the song and Jim Reeve's singing it ... if you want a blessing, click here ...

i'm still humming ...

Wits' End

taken from "A Treasury of Vance Havner" ...

Wits' end is one of the most frequented stopping places on life's journey. We reach the end of our resources, our judgement, our calculations, and still no decision seems best or even good. It can be the fork of the road for either good or bad. King Jehoshaphat was at wits' end when he said, "We know not what to do," but he was on the way out when he added, "but our eyes are upon thee."

It may be declining health, shrinking finances, family trouble, the choice of a trade or profession - you name it - that brings us to our wits' end. The prodigal son came to his wits' end when he came to himself as he fed the swine, He said, "I will arise and go to my father."

Wits' end is a good place to start, because our own wits are not so good anyway. We may acquire knowledge, but wisdom comes from God, and we get that when we ask for it in faith. When we are at the end of ourselves, there God begins. We must place ourselves in God's hands without reservation. We can expect an answer, maybe not what we want, but what glorifies Him.

If you are at your wits' end, cheer up. It is a great place to start over!

would you believe . . .

photo taken at Fort Bliss in Texas (l988) ... this was after all my accidents in the snow, i told Leo that i had finally found the right vehicle for my type of driving!

today was my shopping day ... the "big" grocery day where i hit all 3 stores in our little town ... halfway there, the "low tire light" came on ... yes i have a car that tells me the tire is low, and i am VERY familiar with this light, because it has come on before ... i immediately pulled over - expecting to see a totally kaput tire (that has happened before too!) ... but this time i couldn't tell - it must have just started to lose pressure ...

now here is the good part ... truly amazing little goodness of God in my life praiseworthy part!!!! the place where i had stopped ... where the low tire light first came on ... was RIGHT in front of our GOODYEAR tire store ... yup ... :o)

i zipped in ... they took me RIGHT AWAY, found a nail in the tire, and fixed it ... i was on my way, without much fuss or bother ... it amazes me how the Lord is SO kind, even in the littlest every day type of problems in my world ...

even though i had a flat .... it was the least possible amount of trouble .... and since we need new tires this year, i was also able to get a quote from them at the same time .... i am shaking my head, smiling, as i type this ... thanking the Lord for His small mercies!

where are you looking?

If you look at the world, you'll be distressed.
If you look within, you'll be depressed.
But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest.
Corrie ten Boom

short, sweet, to the point ... and as most people know, Corrie ten Boom is a Nazi concentration camp survivor ... yet her attitude towards those who mistreated her is admirable ... her journey to a place of complete inner peace may have taken some time, but she did get there and her many books leave an earthly legacy of a woman who's attitude was " ... looking to Jesus".

Debra's last 2 posts touched on our attitudes ... about people who push our buttons and how we respond ... it was something that i hadn't thought of lately but her posts brought back some memories ... how just the image of someone's face can make my blood pressure rise a notch or two!

i used to think that it was "that person" ... if only they wouldn't say or do, such and such ... but more times then not, it was my own attitude that needed a check ...

i don't want to say "i am so much better now at coping" because there is still much much work to do inside me ... but the good news is - the construction is on going ...

Blessings on your weekend!

just playing with stuff

when i'm on the internet ... my phone line is busy ... we only have the one phone line that competes with my dial-up modem ... of course leo thinks that is a good thing, that way he doesn't have to chat with anyone (he's a funny guy) ...

i LOVE trying to learn new things about templates, html's and stuff BUT i feel a wee bit guilty about the time spent online ... in case someone is trying to get a hold of us and it rings busy ... always a little guilt attached to things i love ... :o?

i wanted to see if posting images works - it does!!! ya ... but these penguins are a bit too small to really make an impression ... i'll leave them in anyway, because they are cute!

summer sizzle

ok ... this is the month that gets to be on the dreary, looonnnngggg side, here in mid-Canada ... the sun beats down and feels warm ... you know that there are tulips just itching to burst out of the cold ground ... but that snow is still 3 feet deep!!!

so this afternoon i got an e-mail from one of my work buds with these moose pictures attached ... ahhh, yes ... just a reminder that when summer does come, it can be so sizzling that even God's creatures look for a wading pool to cool off in!

Roots

Strong roots stabilize growth. If that's true of trees it is certainly crucial for Christians. Roots strengthen and support us against the prevailing winds of persuasion. When the mind-bending gales attack without warning, it's the network of solid roots that holds us firm and keeps us straight.

Charles Swindoll

guilty pleasures

i have a confession to make ... but i wonder if you will still respect me once i blurt it out ... sigh ... i hope so ...

i love Amazing Race ... (and Survivor) .... *blush* ... i don't know why - maybe it's the aspect of watching people relate to one another under adverse conditions ... wondering how i would do in the same situation ...

these two shows are ideal for people watchers ... full of relationships and strife and trying to get along ...

tonight is the opening night for Amazing Race 7 ... Leo watched the first 2 with me, but he has copped out since ... i tease him that atleast they are going different places, unlike NASCAR that goes round and round the same track, and football that goes back and forth on the same field ... good point, right?

so my guilty pleasure starts tonight ... and i am looking forward to travelling around the world once again, without leaving my own living room!