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Happy New Year!

this year of our Lord, two thousand and seven ...

my daily walks ...

you ask, "how have the days between Christmas and the soon to be new year, been?"

"why just splendid!", i respond ... "and yours?" ... *grin* ...

i have taken walks every day, here in our little town ... thoroughly enjoying the sights and sounds of children on holiday, sliding down the hill at the town dock ... of couples walking hand in hand ... seniors going to the local restaurant for coffee ... all the normal, small town activity ...

i smile at everyone i meet and say "hi" ... or ... "isn't the weather lovely?" ... community banter ... face recognition ... some motorists wave, recognizing my familiar green coat ... homemade touque on my head ... i do tend to bundle up!

i also keep up a constant chatter with my Heavenly Father ... "thank you Lord for this peaceful moment" ... "i love you Lord, thank you for this glorious day" ... there is always something to thank Him for ... along with my usual prayer requests ....

on the 27th, there was hoarfrost on the trees ... and as i walked along the sidewalk, tiny pieces started to trickle down and float free ... diamonds everywhere ... it was so spectacular, i thought i had walked into an old-fashioned hollywood movie set!

yup ... i have been thoroughly enjoying our condo ... so many blessings which tend to overflow the heart of one small woman!

What a beautiful thing, God, to give thanks,
to sing an anthem to you, the High God!
To announce your love each daybreak,
sing your faithful presence all through the night,
You made me so happy, God
I saw your work and I shouted for joy.
How magnificent your work, God!
How profound your thoughts!

~Psalm 92 (portions)

sweet reminder ...

As the centuries pass, the evidence is accumulating that, measured by His effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet.
-- Historian Kenneth Scott Latourette

boxing day ...

it's boxing day in Canada ... an old British term ... most folks have the day off, except for retail ...

it was a good day here in our little town ... our first boxing day in the heart of this little community ... we watched kids walking by, pulling their sleds ... going to the town dock to do some sliding ... young couples pushed baby carriages (there is so little snow this year) ... and people have even been riding their bikes! ...

unlike the city, all the stores in town are closed ... all the stores, except for one ... when i noticed people walking to town and coming back with bags - why i put my coat on to go look see what type of Christmas deals could be had! my aunt and i met at this bargain store and we each had a few bags to lug home ... but it was fun ...

now, leo is watching junior hockey ... and i think i will read the paper ...

can you stand the excitement? *smile*

all is well with heart and hearth ... the simple blessings once again rule the day ...

There's a River of Life

I've got a river of life flowing out of me

Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see

Opens prison doors, sets the captives free

I've got a river of life flowing out of me.

Spring up oh well, within my soul

Spring up oh well, and make me whole

Spring up oh well, and give to me

That life, abundantly.

~Author unknown

the intent of my heart ...

i posted this pic last night ... i found the picture first, then the saying ... put them together and now i love the way this poster looks ...

i personally had a really peaceful and wonderful time this Christmas season - all the way to noon on the 24th ... then i got another unexpected e-mail ... what is it with these e-mails lately?

anyway, this one truly hurt my heart ... i was able to shrug off the other e-mail of a few weeks back ... understanding, sort of, where it was coming from ... but this e-mail was so totally unexpected that the rug was taken out from underneath my feet ...

you know that feeling ... where there is an ache in your chest and you just feel awful? that's what i had on Christmas eve and most of the 25th ... i couldn't even shake it with prayer ... tho' i did do alot of that ...

i think maybe my skin was too thin ... i mean, so much has gone on in our lives in a very short while ... mostly good stuff ... yet emotions are still involved ...

well this morning ... as i watched the sunrise here at our condo ... having my morning prayer time ... i realized that God KNOWS my heart ... He knows the INTENTIONS of my heart too ... in this particular case, that i got chewed out for, i only had happiness and joy beforehand ... there was nothing else involved that i know of ... just a joyful sharing ... so my heart was and is clean regarding anything done to anyone else ...

that thought just freed me of guilt ...

i hate when i get sucker punched into feeling emotions that are not legitimate in any way ...

but i love when God teaches me a lesson ... and reminds me that HE KNOWS what is in my heart and mind ... and that is really all that should matter ...


"My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.

And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we're bold and free before God! We're able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we're doing what he said, doing what pleases him." 1 John 3: 18-22

Merry Christmas, from our home to yours ...

Blessings to you, dear blog buds

... as we celebrate the birth of The Holy One!

Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander the Great, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon; without science and learning, he shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of school, he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, he set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times. –Philip Schaff

I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.--H.G. Wells

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. -- John 14: 2-6

almost here ...

the day we celebrate is soon upon us ... the Birth of our King of kings ... who took our form so He could walk among us ...

no wonder believers celebrate with such glee ... we were once captives ... now we are set free!

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!"
Luke 2: 8-14

Christmas feelings ...

Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home.

~Carol Nelson

i posted this Finnish type pic last night, and i thought the quote went with it ... but this morning as i look at it - i realize that for the first time in a very long time, i'm not homesick for anywhere else ... i don't long for Christmas past ... or for people ... or for places ... i am quite content ...

of course it would be lovely to spend this time with family ... or to just once more, touch the face of a loved one that has died ... but it isn't the same sadness that usually overtakes me at this time of year ...

i guess being overly busy - can sometimes be a good thing!

i give thanks to my Heavenly Father for ALL things ... and not being meloncholy at Christmas is definitely one of them!

morning has broken ...

our fearless feline loves the sunrises here at the condo too ... notices how he dwarfs our 6 inch Christmas tree! ... our silly cat ... he watches people going for morning walks ... or walking to work ... it's a small town and you can get anywhere you want to be, in only a few moments ...

leo is still recouping from the uprooting and upheavel of the last few weeks ... folks that don't feel well at the best of times, well they need space and quiet to gather their strength once again ...

and me? ... i've just been puttering every day ... doing a little of this and a little of that ... trying to still be an attentive wife & friend to leo ... as well as an attentive niece and friend to my aunt who lives near by ...

it's in the little things that we find our peace, joy and place in the world ...

* * * * * * * * * * *

How tragic to move through the seasons

of life without realizing their ultimate

purpose! And what is that? The purpose

is obvious; that we might be saved . . .

that we might not trust in ourselves but

in Jesus Christ, our Creator Lord . . .

and, in doing so, receive from Him the

assurance of abundant life now and

eternal life forever.

~Charles R. Swindoll

clap your hands!

my blogging budding David Fisher from Pilgrim Scribblings, combined 3 of my previous posts for a little "blog warming present" to our new home ... check it out here ... of course seeing God's goodness AGAIN, in print, made me teary ... i tell ya, i've had so many happy tears these past few weeks ... and so has my stoic husband ... he used to tease me about the happy tears, until he finally got hit with a few of his own!!! the best kind of eye-water there is, from a grateful heart!

Vance Havner's thoughts one Christmas morning ...

taken from page 41 of "A Treasury of Vance Havner, Twentieth-Century Prophet, Preacher, Pilgrim" ...

The news reports this morning do not sound like peace on earth, goodwill to men, or even among men of goodwill, if you like it that way. Well, it didn't look so good long ago in Bethlehem. But God started something then and He is going to see it through. He who was a Babe in Bethlehem is coming back, and more dear souls than you might think are not only waiting but watching for His return. Here again the candles and paper bags come in. The church is not a little club with its main business now for its members to sit tight and hold hands until Jesus comes. We ought to light our candles after we get them out from under the bushels and the beds and let them shine, not to blind people with a glare, but just to bless people with a glow.

If we ever do that, every day will be Christmas just as every day for a Christian ought to be Easter and Thanksgiving!

my Heavenly Father knew ...

i was putting up some Christmas decorations this morning ... and guess what i came across? a card holder! yup yup ... i had forgotten that we had received it as a present last year!

i smiled to myself as i again thought of the goodness of God ... even in small matters, like a Christmas card holder!

yay ... Christmas cards!

i have always LOVED Christmas cards ... i would rather get a mailbox full of cards & greetings from friends, then to have a tree loaded with gifts under it!

i used to make a card tree ... click here ... at our cottage ... we had lights around the cards and when i looked at it - i would remember friends both new and old, near and far ...

this year i will have to try and think up a new way of posting the cards ... any ideas?

~~~~~~~~~~

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month. ~Harlan Miller

freely, freely ...

FREELY, FREELY

God forgave my sin in Jesus' name

I've been born again in Jesus' name

And in Jesus' name I come to you

To share His love as He told me to

He said, "Freely, freely, you have received

Freely, freely give

Go in My name and because you believe

Others will know that I live."

~words & music by Carol Owens ...

i've been humming this song, these past few days ... i think it goes well with this season of gifts and love and birth ...

and since it was the first cloudless morning today, i saw my first sunrise here at the condo ... it was beautiful ... just beautiful ... God gave that to me, freely, as well!

it's taking shape ...

another busy day here at "condo central" ... *grin* ... the above pic is about the only spot that looks sort of homey at the moment ... but we're getting there! ...

thought i would re-post my "perfect Christmas Home" from 2 years ago ... i'm off to slumber land now ... blessings!


December 14, 2004
Perfect Christmas Home

here’s my idea of a perfect Christmas home . . .

there is enough sparkling snow to give that clean crispness to the air, yet it’s not so cold that the vegetation around the home is destroyed . . .

the place looks lived in, not entirely perfect - with the window frames needing a touch of paint ...

there is just something that beckons the weary traveler to stop in for a spell, knowing that there’ll be a seat by the fire and food to fill his stomach . . .

have you been a weary traveler in this life?

do you need a place to rest?may i suggest this perfect Christmas home . . . it can be found any where Jesus is ...

He alone can give us that perfect place to rest . . .

Sunday evening ...

there is a dent in the boxes ... a cozy feel to our new home ... and just a general peace inside ...

when that "peace that passeth understanding" comes to a heart, there are other forces that want to knock that peace right into next week ... but the Lord has given me that gift of contentment and peace and i won't let it go without a fight ... it just feels too wonderful and right to let any grinches step into my heart of hearts!

when the grinch came to visit our house today (in the form of an e-mail) ... i tried to answer it with love and understanding towards this person ... Christmas is very difficult for some folks, and unfortunately they lash out at whoever/whatever is the closest and easiest target ... next came prayer ... then came a hot bath!

now it is almost time to head for bed again ... the day was 95% pleasant ... who can ask for anything more?

Remember

This December,

That love weighs more than gold!

~Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon

we're in ...

we may be in the midst of boxes and we can't find the kitty treats for our poor fearless feline, but we are MOVED IN!!!! truly a Praise the Lord moment!!!

it all went so well ... we started around 9 ... and we're all moved in by 2!!!! there are just a few things to go back and pick up and clean up ... but the beds are in place and made ... leo is watching his hockey night in canada ... and we are grinning!!!

but i am pooped ... so good night, from our condo near the river ... *grin grin grin*

don't hide your light ...

i sit here in the midst of boxes ... soon my computer will be packed and ready to be moved ... i am smiling ... i am tired, constantly planning the next step in my mind ... i am humming ... i feel my 52 years weigh down my body as i lift & tote ... yet, faith springs eternal in my heart ...

the earthly reality and the heavenly hope ...

and as i meet folks in this little town of ours, i tell them ... "did you hear that we found a condo? it is God's Christmas gift to us! we are so thankful ... " ... they smile and say, how wonderful ... and i reply "Yes, God is indeed wonderful" ...

i love that i can share this happy event and turn it into a time of praising God! it makes others smile too ... they catch the song in my heart ...

"God is so wonderful, I can't explain ...

but I can sing Glory Hallelujah, Priase His Holy Name!

He's wonderful, because He saved me ...

He's wonderful, new life He gave me ..

He's wonderful, wonderful, so very wonderful ...

wonderful is He to me!"

i wonder, as i wander ...

Jesus didn't have an earthly home to be born in ... just a stable ... yet, He has given us a home to move to - during this season of celebrating His birth ... i found that so ironic ... and so wonderful ... a present that speaks volumes to me ... it just reminds me again and again, that my true HOME is with Christ ... He knows i think that way ... yet, He gave us this place that we wanted ... and the timing makes me tear up ... a true Christmas present of the heart ...

I WONDER AS I WANDER

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

How Jesus the Savior did come for to die

For poor on'ry people like you and like I

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

When Mary birthed Jesus, 'twas in a cow's stall

With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all

But high from God's heaven, a star's light did fall

And the promise of ages it then did recall

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing

A star in the sky or a bird on the wing

Or all of God's angels in heav'n for to sing

He surely could have it, 'cause He was the King

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

How Jesus the Savior did come for to die

For poor on'ry people like you and like I

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

for Christmas hymns, click here

peaceful season ... moving season ...

For centuries men have kept an appointment with Christmas.

Christmas means fellowship, feasting, giving and receiving,

a time of good cheer, home.

~W.J. Ronald Tucker

Lord willing, i will soon be able to start decorating our new home for our first Christmas in it! this saturday is the BIG MOVE!

we are getting things ready ...

december 9th is our BIG move-in to the condo ... we have been taking smaller items over there since we got the key on the 1st ... we've enjoyed planning where we'll put the furniture, etc. ... things like that ...

we really love the place ... there is enough work to be done inside, to make it feel like a house - yet the major work outside is done for us ... which is great 'cause leo isn't up to alot of the normal upkeep ... i putter around as much as i can ... it is all doable or ignorable! :o)

this busy pattern makes for one tired blogger ...

so this is a quick post - as i head for bed! ... i am smiling smiling smiling ... praising God the whole way!

"Gratitude, like faith, is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it grows."
Alan Cohen

imagine ... only one more sleep ...

photo by sisko

the sale of our cottage, finding the rental and now, finally, the much prayed for condo - all these moments i have shared with you ...

tonight is the last sleep before we get the keys to answered prayer - imagine!

if you have the time, take a journey with me into my archives ... to see how the Lord directed our path to arrive where we are today ...

the cottage we had lived in for 14 years, sold dec 2, 2005 ... we felt so strongly that God was in it ... click here

next came the realization we didn't have anywhere to move! click here

then the Lord gave me verses to cling to, through a scary time click here that started the long list of "no" answers to places we wanted to buy click here

even finding a rental seemed to be extremely difficult click here, though God was up for the task! click here

my anxieties continued, until i had to "fire" the hardworking saija, and let God deal with everything ... click here

after much searching and prayer ... God just "dropped" the condo into our laps! click here

He HAS given me the desire of my heart ... but in the end - it is only God - not possessions or people or places ... that IS the DESIRE of my HEART...

to HIM be the Glory ... now and forever more ...

yup yup ... only one more sleep ... *grin*

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My soul shall be joyful in my God ..."
Isaiah 61:10a

now there are 2 sleeps left!

just in case you are wondering ... 2 sleeps ... count 'em ... 2 sleeps! then we get the keys to our new home ...

my method of packing has been to find a box, see what i had written on it from our first move - at the beginning of this year - then go pack those items in it! rather haphazard, but fun ... :o)

i don't have anything profound at all to write ... the Lord makes my heart sing, in the night seasons and in these mountain top experiences too!!!!

2 sleeps, 2 sleeps, 2 sleeps ... *grin*

3 more sleeps

we had a foot of snow fall today ... it is really getting us into the Christmas mode ... leo and i, of course, feel like the Lord has already given us the perfect gift - a place to unpack & call home! so it was a lovely day of planning, sorting and just enjoying the moment ... *smile* ...

3 more sleeps until we get the keys ...

Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!

For He has done marvelous things;

His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.

The LORD has made known His salvation;

Psalm 98: 1&2

counting down ... condo time ...

4 sleeps before we get the keys ... this whole process of finding the condo and buying the condo, will have taken less than 2 weeks ... isn't God just awesome?!!!!!

mrs grumpy pants

confession time ... i am STILL learning about patience!

you'd think that after an 11 month wait for a condo - my patience with the trivial would be a little better refined! sigh ... well, i was surprised to learn - 'tis not so!

friday, before leaving for a quick trip to the city - i read joe stowell's devotional entitled "life in the waiting room" ... here is part of it:

When life or people don’t measure up to our expectations, being patient can be quite a challenge. But it’s clear that God wants us to develop this character trait. After all, patience is more than a virtue—it’s a fruit of the Spirit. It reflects His very presence in our lives, for He is a patient God. If He weren’t, we all would have been annihilated long ago.

So what’s our problem?

There’s a good probability that our struggle with patience has been unsuccessful because we’ve been trying to focus on our own agendas and timelines and not trusting that, for reasons best known to Him, God may have a whole different schedule for us. Our propensity to live with a short fuse is all about forgetting that God puts us in His waiting room on purpose, because He is often doing something behind the scenes while we wait.

now before i tell you about my little experience, let me just say that when i get tired (excitement over condo = 3 nights of very little sleep), i have great difficulties being "mrs. christian nice lady" ...

sooooooo, now the story ... i drove into the city yesterday, over ice covered roads, to do some very necessary banking re our condo purchase ... i also made arrangements to have lunch with some folks who were in the city for only a few days (out of province) ...

i had already set my mind to the "they will be late" mode, i told myself not to get upset over this ... you see, i am an EXACT and extreme opposite - i have being on time down to an artform!

i was at the appointed place, at the appointed time ... and only 20 minutes had elapsed (which isn't bad), when i saw one of the ladies come through the restaurant doors ... only she was coming to pull me out of my comfy seat - to trek to another restaurant ... sigh ... ok ... i left, but i felt the "i'm not happy" bug start to bite ...

it was a short drive to this other eatery - through friday afternoon traffic ... a wait for our seats met me at the door of this noisy place, plus after we were seated - the next chore was to line up, fill your plate - and stand in line so that they could stir fry your food ...

i just had a soup and a sandwich and went to sit at our table - the ladies waited for their stir fry in a line that snaked itself around the chefs cooking it ... another 20 minutes ...

i became "mrs grumpy pants" as i ate lunch by myself - but i needed the time to pray for inner peace and forgiveness for my small mindedness and total non-enjoyment of this visit ... i felt this overwhelming urge to just sit there and bawl - it was then that i realized it must be the lack of sleep and the excitement of the condo plus the long list of stuff needing to be done in a short period - which was taking it's toll ...

i prayed that i would "get over it!" ... and the shorter version of lunch, with the ladies and their spicy stir fry, worked out nicely ...

my sweet aunt, who is a kindred spirit and was at lunch as well, reminded me to read over the joe stowell devotional that i had e-mailed her ...

when i got home - i did just that - and the words rang MORE true after my lack of patience in a trivial setting ...

i wanted to share, 'cause in my blogging world i don't want to puff myself up - and seem like "mrs nice christian lady" all the time ... there can be a grumpy ole soul that wants to make an appearance and shoot holes in the "nice nice" at the oddest times ... i have my struggles with those "little things" that can ruin whole days, if i let them.

* * * * * *
on a happy note ... we visited our condo again ... and now it's only 5 sleeps until we get the keys ... :o) .... i am patiently waiting ...

well placed trust ...

He who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, and shall inherit My holy mountain. Isaiah 57:13

Snowy evergreens pay homage to El Capitan as sunlight bejewels the majestic mountain's crown. Millennia ago, wise men paid homage to a heavenly King who set aside the majesty of heaven to willingly wear a crown of thorns in our behalf.

quote and picture from RBC calendar

Happy Thanksgiving to my American buds ...
there is so much to be thankful for!

this was the sunrise at our place 2 days ago ... i just added the verse to it ... just for you! click on the picture to see it full screen ...

I will praise YOU, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:1, 2

big news!!

it is 1:28 a.m. ... and i can't sleep! so i thought i would check to see if blogger would allow me to post ... yay, i'm in!

so here's my story that i wanted to share:

well it happened today ... just like that ... snap ... done deal!

we bought a condo!!!!!

and it’s the bungalow type we really hoped to get ...

can anyone say "Praise the Lord!!!" ... and say it with real heart & feeling? well i sure can!

the day started like any other, with me drinking coffee and watching the Lord paint the morning sky ...

when leo got up, we had our devotions and prayer time ... and we prayed for a condo, like we always do ...

w-e-l-l ... today we got a call from an acquaintance ... one who wasn’t even sure of my name ... and she asked if we’re still looking for a condo ... i said yes ... she gave me the particulars ... what followed was fast paced, steady chain of events .... i went and looked at the place ... then told the people we’d take it ...

later in the evening, i came back with leo to sign the papers ...

if the paper work can hurry through, the condo is ours as of December 1st ... next week friday ...

can you believe that? when God gets something going, well it GOES ...

and can you see the HUGE grin on my face? and the praise in my heart? and the joy in leo’s eyes? cause that is what the rest of the evening was all about!

we are absolutely thrilled to bits and saying "thank you Lord" with every breath ...

end of story ... now maybe i can go get some shut-eye!

thoughts from Mrs. Charles E. Cowan

 

"They shall mount up with wings as eagles." (Isaiah 40:31) Those who wait upon the Lord shall obtain a marvelous addition to their resources: they shall obtain wings! They become endowed with power to rise above things. Men who do not soar always have small views of things. Wings are required for breadth of view. The wing-life is characterized by a sense of proportion. To see things aright we must get away from them. An affliction looked at from the lowlands may be stupendous; looked at from the heights, it may appear little or nothing. This "light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." What a breadth of view! And here is another great quotation: "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." This is a bird's-eye view. It sees life as a whole. How mighty the bird from which the picture is taken! "As eagles!" What strength of wing! Such is to be ours if we wait upon the Lord. We shall be able to soar above disappointment - no matter how great - and to wing our way into the very presence of God. Let us live the wing-life! taken from Springs in the Valley by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman ... page 164

beauty around us ...

this was the scene outside my window ... taken just a few moments ago ... before the sun burned the icy hoar frost away ...

isn't God's handiwork, which swirls all around us, just amazingly beautiful? ... doesn't it take your breath away?

and this is just an ordinary morning - but when a few seconds of it are captured and preserved, we see that there is nothing ordinary about the morning!

may you see the every day beauty - that is around you - this weekend ... and may it warm your heart and lift your spirits to know - God put that beauty there, just for you to see ... because HE is there, even though at times we don't SEE ....

"The simple act of stopping and looking at the beauty around us can be prayer." Patricia Barrett

do you not know?

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth

does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.

Isaiah 40:28

random thoughts

i came across this amazing pic just now ... it's entitled "sunset at the north pole" ... it looks like a huge smile ... kind of, smiling from the top of the world ...

* * * * * * * *

David Fisher has started another blog ... one filled with encouragement ... called the Barnabas Blog ... it's quite delightful ...

* * * * * * * *

i was going to post a picture of me at niagara falls ... one where much of my hair was standing straight up! ... but i looked too goofy ... my family thought it was hilarious ... seems my hair was the only one doing that???? could it have been the excitement of seeing the falls?

* * * * * * *

did anyone notice that Amazing Race was in Finland last sunday? and will be again, this coming episode ... i thought that was neat, though i wished they would have shown some of the prettier spots from the land of my birth - rather then a muddy field and a mine!!!! sheesh, eh!

* * * * * * *
just a few random thoughts - to break in the mid-week for ya!

enjoyable week

it was another week of settling into the rental ... i thought i would share with you the way my computer area looked at the beginning of the week (cramped and makeshift), and the way it looks today (quite functional and grown-up!) ...

we were so sure that the condo we wanted was just around the corner ... unpacking seemed to be pointless ... so we left many things in boxes ...

i also wanted to put off buying a new computer desk until after the move ... but plans have a way of changing!

the above pic is how my world looked for the past 10 months ... it was doable, but ? ? ?

since winter is closing in fast, i wanted to spread out and be more comfortable in my computer world ... i wanted to live today - rather then wait for a future date! afterall, in this world - all we have is the present ...

this is how my computer area looks now ... *big grin* ...

the Lord gave us strength and wisdom as we assembled this "desk on wheels" ... every little piece of it! ... we had some Christmas carols playing in the background and worked together in such a spirit of friendship and love - it was the best cooperative effort we've experienced in our 30+ years of marriage! ...

physically, leo got quite bent over, and had to use his cane for a few days afterwards ... but the sweetness he displayed spiritually, while in obvious discomfort, was definitely a witness of God's grace and work in his life ... and a blessing to me!

How priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men
find refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
Continue your love to those who know you ...

Psalm 36: 7-10

Lest we forget ...

i have lived over a half a century ... war has swirled around me, in other countries ... and vets have shared their stories with me, most likely sparing me from the more gruesome ones ... i have been fortunate to live all these years in a peaceful land ...

that is one blessing i NEVER want to take for granted ...

lest we forget ...

Corrie ten Boom, words of wisdom

Don't worry about what you do not understand of the Bible.

Worry about what you do understand, but do not live by.

To get the most from your Bible, read it with your ears open.

The health department of a country does its utmost to protect the people against germs and infections. What do we do to protect ourselves and others against moral germs and infections?

Let God's promises shine on your problems.

good morning

here i am ... up early ... and waiting for the sunrise ...

i love sunrises ... there is promise and hope in them, heralding a new beginning ...

the picture i posted was taken by an unknown camper at the park where i work ... this was his view one morning ... i captioned it with a quote from Guideposts magazine ...

but i must return to my window seat now ... i don't want to miss God's "good morning" to His waking world ...

jaako's story cheered my heart ...

have you been saddened by the news lately? i'm thinking specifically about a christian leader who thought he could take a walk on the dark side, without anyone knowing ... it is a sobering lesson for us all, how easy it can be to let go of God's hand and step off the narrow pathway - then ... fall ... fall ... fall ... God's grace will forgive a repentent heart, yet there will be a cost to the sinner - which will change the course of his life ...

on sunday i received an e-mail from a friend that helped to cheer my spirits considerably ... in fact, i grinned when i read the story of jaako ... AGAIN i saw the mystery of how God can use anyone - no matter the age - to further HIS love for the ones that have "no voice" at all in this world we live in ...

i've posted jaako's story for you, as told by kellie ... hope it blesses your heart too with a young boy's vision! p.s. i know jaako's grandmother and his great-aunt, so this is indeed a true story ...

Thursday, November 02, 2006
What can a child accomplish?

Well I'll tell you. In a few months Jaako Polkki, 9 y/o friend of mine, has electrified all those he encounters with his mission to help needy children in Malawi.

In May God told Jaako to go to Africa while sitting in a church meeting. He told his mother. She thought that was nice. Jaako explained that he would need an absent note to take to school because he would be gone for more than two weeks. Jaako's mother became concerned.

After much discussion Jaako's parents, Andrew and Sue, chose to take his passion to go seriously. They saw this was truly the call of God on his life. But Africa is a big place, there are so many in need. How could he chose? Jaako knew what to do. Sue began to read a list of country's. When she said Malawi Jaako said, "That's where I want to go."

To make a long, long story short Jaako has already raised $10,000 through Sunday morning bake sales, a large yard sale and a Malawi feast and silent auction. Local radio and CBC radio have interviewed him, CBC radio has agreed to advertise all the fund raising functions. The local paper ran a front page story. There's a story about him on Breaking Christian News. Elementary schools are putting together Bags of Hope (ziploc bags with school supplies, toiletries and other goodies to give to children) But that is just the beginning, a small beginning. God has told Jaako that he is to raise $800,000. At the rate he is going he should be set for Malawi in a few years.

But that is not good enough for Jaako. His faith is not a small one. His faith wouldn't fit in the Sky Dome because Jaako is leaving for Malawi, with is mother, on January 14th, just a little over 2 months away. Impossible you say? Yes, it has been said. So what. I could quote scripture here. Suffice to say nothing is impossible with God and Jaako knows it.

And now we all do. The flame has been lit in Thunder Bay and is turning into a wildfire. It is about to over take us and spread throughout the world. It started with Jaako, Sue took up the cause, doing all she could. Now others are taking on the cause. Joy Prentice is just one of them. A women who has suffered with chronic pain for 13 years, Joy was just completely healed 2 weeks ago and has taken on the challenge. She is inspiring others to run with it. God told Joy the money will be raised through multiplication. Soon, very soon, there will be an email campaign, a website, on-line donation center, posters all over the city, a documentary in the works and much more coming. The internet is the key.

Keep up to date with Jaako's blog. I will be posting here. I will also be doing all I can spread the word. Link to Jaako's blog on your blog. Talk about it. Post about it. Get the word out.

A 9 y/o boy is bringing hope to the children of Malawi. Don't miss this bandwagon. It's a big one. The biggest one I've seen and I don't want to be left out of the joy of blessing those who really need it.

the recliner story

as we continue to pray about housing (i search the internet & newspapers daily for "the" place!) ... all we can do is wait for an answer to this specific prayer ... however, i don't want to leave the impression that we are discouraged ... nope ... maybe just a wee bit impatient ... *lopsided grin* ... the Lord, as always, continues to show His kindness towards us in so many other ways ... in the every day answers we've experienced to other prayers ...

an example from this past week ...

when leo isn't lying down in the bedroom ... he can be found reclining in his la-z-boy ... we hadn't even stopped to consider how this big ole chair (that we paid good $$'s for 8 years ago) means comfort and ease to him - until it b-r-o-k-e!! yup ... this oversized, made especially for big boys, chair collapsed on one side (the dowlings broke) ... no more useable recliner ...

while figuring out what to do, leo used my small leather recliner and footstool, which was not comfy for longer periods of time ... we live a good hour away from the city and repair people don't come out here to the boonies ... the material on the chair is still in GREAT shape, so it wasn't ready for the trash heap yet ... hmmmmm?????

we ended up calling the company, explaining the problem to the repair guy and asking for an estimate ... he said $75.00 .... ok - that isn't bad ...

now, how to get the chair there? my sweet cousin & her husband offered to be the delivery people (this was before we even asked for help!) ... they picked up the chair ... it was fixed while they spent the day in the city ... and we had it back that same night ... !!! WOW!

the problem of leo's chair was solved so quickly and effectively (the chair rocks and opens better now!) that we are calling it a blessing rather than a major headache ...

i love when that happens!



sunday night: leo wanted me to add this post script ... today we got a call from an old friend ... who happens to be in the furniture business ... he had plans of driving out here to fix the chair for us ... we were able to tell him it was already done ... but just the offer of help, cheered our hearts ... folks are truly kind! we see it as God's hands, which take the shape of a neighbour or friend ...

arachnoiditis and mortality

yesterday i did a search for arachnoiditis ... the condition leo was diagnosed with after his 2 failed back surgeries ... i wanted to see if any new bloggers had popped up since my last search a year ago ... i did find some ... i also found a young woman's blog who had just died due to complications arising from her arachnoiditis ... she passed away in july ... on leo's birthday ...

she had only been blogging for a few months ... her mom wrote the last post ...

this 30 year old woman's name was Kelli ... she testified, with joy, of her faith in Christ ... tho' sad to read - the posts were filled with sweetness midst the pain ...

here is her blog: http://kelli-larson.blogspot.com/

the good life ...

i just finished reading Charles Colson's book the Good Life ... it has been put on my "must share list", the one i tell friends about ... the list that i look at when i want to buy a good book for someone else ...

i learned so much during the time i spent in its' pages ... things i may have sub-consciously known about before, regarding our post modern area ... yet things that charles colson put into actual words for me ...

this is a book that opened my eyes to how the world around us is trying to make good, bad ... and bad, good ... of course we KNOW this already, but the good life peels away more of the layers to expose the spiralling effects ...

the good life makes it's point by telling "people stories" ... i love to read about the lives of others and chuck (sorry - i've always called charles colson, "chuck", so i must be true to myself!) has made this a very personal book by sharing some of his own experiences, with many famous people ...

the argument for God being Sovereign is so well made through it's pages ... i would LOVE to get this into the hands of anyone with doubts that ...

there is nothing boring or preachy about the Good Life, in fact - i had a hard time putting it down ...

i highly recommend it ... buy it for the sceptics in your life - those you love and want to share the good life with ...

for a more detailed review, click HERE

the journey revisited ...

i feel at loose ends when the seasons change ... my life seems to shift gears into utter quietness as the winter closes in ... and with the added stress of looking for that elusive home/condo to suit our needs (re leo's health issues) - in an area where real estate doesn't come up often - well i start to question my very existence and usefullness!

just a few minutes ago, as i was preparing to blog on a totally different subject, i came across a post i had written almost 2 years ago ... here is what it said:

Life is a journey.

Old cliche . . . but it becomes more real the older a person gets!

[as i read blogs] this morning ... it seemed like i received an answer to a question that i hadn’t even been asking . . . the old question of "if a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there, does it still make a sound?"

. . . if i live my life for Christ - even though it is a quiet life - trying to be the wife that L needs and helping him along in this chronic pain journey, and if there isn’t much leftover to do the "great things" . . . does my life still matter in God’s house?

If i remain faithful to Him who called me to this journey, and if i believe that i am living out my life doing what was laid before me to do . . . then even if it is only the dust bunnies that witness it . . . i will remain steadfast . . .

which leads to another questions, are there dust bunnies in God’s house too?

and as my blogging friend Knitter Kat so sweetly reminded me the other day, my most important job in this life could very well be - caring for leo and being the best wife i know how ... *smile* ...

tho' this "best wife" still would love to find that "best place" for us to live!!! stubborn old gal, aren't i?

an old farmer's advice

An Old Farmer's Advice:

* Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

* Keep skunks and bankers and lawyers at a distance.

* Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.

* Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.

* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.

* Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

* It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.

* You cannot unsay a cruel word.

* Every path has a few puddles.

* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

* The best sermons are lived, not preached.

* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.

* Don't judge folks by their relatives.

* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.

* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.

* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

* The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.

* Always drink upstream from the herd.

* Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

* Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.

* If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.

* Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

head in the clouds

the fall sky is ever-changing and awe inspiring ... it seems that God paints a new canvass, a flawless master piece, every time i look up ... this is what late afternoon looked like from our window ... i found it beautiful ...

it comforts me to see the grandness of our world ... to know that He has not left us alone - to untangle our problems ... but is ever there, ever ready to intercede ...

lately, i have just been doing my normal routine - but always keeping an eye to the sky ... as if i wait for something ...

it's difficult to share the anticipation of my heart ... since i don't know what it is all about ... and when i do sit at the keyboard, my mind becomes a blank canvass ... i do apologize for not being a good blogging bud of late ... but that is my reason ... the words aren't flowing ... though my heart IS over-flowing ...

may this weekend bring you clouds to delight in ... anticipation to stir your heart ... joy in the circle of family/friends ... and most important - the "peace that passeth understanding" in your soul ...

Thou hast given so much to me,

Give one thing more, - a grateful heart;

Not thankful when it pleaseth me,

As if Thy blessings had spare days,

But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.

~George Herbert

thoughts on busy days ...