I'll Wait!

isn't it great when some decisions are so easy to make ...

the way to beat high gas prices!

fall is in the air ... but i hope to keep going for bike rides for atleast another month ... 6 weeks maybe? hope hope hope ... it has been great to just get on my bike and go to my aunt's for coffee, then bicycle back ... or get on the bike and ride into town to check our mail ... the small pleasures equal great enjoyment to me ... not to mention good exercise ... *grin*

this pic was taken today ... i'm wearing a very windy hair dooh ... it was super hard to peddle against the wind - though my heart probably thanked me for it!

and still no condo to buy - but i am going to just enjoy september ... regardless!

" ... thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me ..." Psalm 63: 3-8

tuesday morning ...

picture taken yesterday at work ...

sometimes "junk mail" holds gold!!! here is a little group note i received this a.m. ... look at the verse ... *grin* ... it blessed me ... so i'm sharing ...


By Roy Lessin, Co-Founder, DaySpring Cards

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

God has a plan for your life. He brought you into this world to fulfill that plan. It is the best plan that anyone could ever make for you. It is a plan that will bring Him the greatest glory and you the greatest good. From the beginning of this calendar year until its end, God is working out His plan.

As you follow God's plan for your life, you do so by faith. It is important to remember that He is the Guide and you are the follower. He does not need to bring you into His planning room as a consultant to help Him decide what is best for your life. God has called you to trust Him and to take the next step of obedience according to His will. God has said, "I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them." Isaiah 42:16 NKJV

Here are some ways that God is working out His plan:

He is your Shepherd—He is leading you.
He is your Provider—He is taking care of you.
He is your Strength—He is enabling you.
He is your Counselor—He is speaking to you.
He is your Shield—He is protecting you.
He is your Comfort—He is encouraging you.
He is your Father—He is blessing you.

sunday morning in my world ...

there was a slight fog in the area and the sun was streaming through the trees and the fog ... making for such a surreal scene ...

i tried to capture it ... and failed!

yet even the failed attempt looks peaceful, doesn't it? ... a sunday morning in my world ...

trusting ...

i love this verse ... my year started out with it ... and what a year it has been!

we sold our house - and i packed and packed ...
we moved into a rental during the middle of winter ...
we continue to search for a place to buy - 7 months now ...
we’ve said final earthly farewells to loved ones ...
work has had changes - good and bad ...
and i have only this weekend and next, left in the salt mines in the park - then work ends again for the season ...

i hope i have grown as a person through all this - that i've allowed the Lord to work in me and through me ...

and dear blog buds - i truly hope that the condo we are waiting for opens up for us! sooner than later ... would be nice! *smile*

in the meantime ... i'm trusting in the One who holds every aspect of my past, present ... and future! He has a plan ...

as i close, i am humming a favourite hymn, feel free to join in ... *grin*

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

Refrain
But I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.

I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

Refrain

I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing us of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

Refrain

I know not what of good or ill
May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

Refrain

I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

Refrain

when we find ourselves in a fog ...

look up ...

God's vision is always clear ...

before Oprah ... there was Billy ...

oprah's book club seems to be pretty popular ... i must confess to not following her list of "good reads" that closely ... but i know others do ...

before there was oprah's book club ... billy graham had his book "club" ... by club, i mean his monthly offer of a book he recommends ... he's had this gift offer, with no strings attached, for decades now ... and i have greatly benefited from the selections ... he's introduced me to authors i had never heard about before, but who soon became my "favourites" ... at the moment i am reading chuck colson's "the Good Life" ... compliments of the Billy Graham Ministry .... excellent read ...

i do make donations to the ministry, but they never solicit any if someone would just like the monthly offer ...

Radio Bible Class (who puts out the daily devotional leo and i read) also offer books by excellent authors ... they do ask for a donation, but the books have been good ...

what a blessing to live in a time when there is so much uplifting reading out there ...

if you want to check out the 2 websites, you can find them at:
Billy Graham Ministry and Radio Bible Class ...

old hymns

i'm still not completely out of the valley of sadness ... i landed there around the time of lucille's death and i've just been trying to see my way through the thicket on a day by day basis ... there are moments when i catch a glimpse of the sun and smile ... then the clouds appear and cover it all up again ... i think leo may be walking that same rock strewn path as well ... life definitely does have its seasons, doesn't it? the mountain top will be so much sweeter after this valley experience ...

that being said, i thought i'd post an old hymn ... songs like these cheer me the most!

He Giveth More Grace

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials he multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

words by Words: Annie J. Flint
Annie J. Flint (1866-1932).
Music: Black­lands, Ray Stead­man-Al­len

32 years ago ...

just a little story for you ...

on our honeymoon, safe in the new bubble of love ... eyes only for each other ... we always teased about how long we'd been married ... driving back to begin our life as "mr & mrs" - having stopped for the night - we were enjoying a romantic supper at some forgotten restaurant ... again, we were staring at each other and holding up our shiny new wedding bands remarking how we had been married for 2 whole weeks ... honestly, there must have been a newlywed glow around us - we didn't notice another soul in the place!!

that must have been why we were so surprised when a gentleman, with a definite british accent, all of a sudden materialized at our table ... he excused himself for interrupting our meal, but he said they couldn't help noticing we were newlyweds ... he wanted to wish us well and then he gave us a pound note ... he apologized for giving us money, but he said it was just a token of their good wishes - he hoped that we would be as happy in our marriage - as he and his wife were in theirs ...

we still have that pound note in our wedding album ... leo and i both always smile when we look at it ... it was a sweet gesture that has remained a lovely memory from our honeymoon - 32 years ago ...

anniversary time ...

our wedding anniversary is coming up on thursday ... this cartoon made me smile ...

i hope i get a chance to post a longer note soon ... lately it has been hit and miss!! sorry guys!

let's go to the beach!

thank you for allowing me to unload on you guys in my last post ... and for sending me hugs and cheery notes in the comments ... i'm trying to play nice in the sandbox and not create any more unnecessary disturbances!

this weekend ... i think we should all go to the beach ...

one of my sisters lives on the west coast and sent me pics of her day at the beach ... they made me smile ... so of course i had to share them, so you can smile along with me ...

the water is so cold that her little pinkies only go into the water every few years ...

she has a wacky sense of humour ...

do you think we look alike? *chuckle* ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every survival kit should include a sense of humour.
~Author Unknown

not all days are wonderful

yesterday i had a really bad day ...

it started out well ... i read the word, prayed ... leo and i had a nice chat about the devotional we had shared ...

then i allowed one teenie tiny comment to shatter my serenity and peace ... i decided to take this comment and run with it ... in the wrong direction!

sigh ...

do you ever do that? implode on yourself?

one moment i am a mature, responsible, faith-filled person ... and the next moment, i become a big baby in a sandbox ... wanting to smack the little boy sitting in there with me - making his mudpies - with my plastic shovel!

yup ... that was me yesterday ...

well the house got really really cleaned ... i do that when upset ... clean like a tazmanian devil ...

later when i ran out of things to clean - i prayed about my sensitive skin and lack of patience (note to saija: read your previous posted scripture verse!) ... and asked God to redirect my thinking ...

He answered with a little sermonette given by beth moore - that i just "happened" to come across last night ... i had never seen her little segment on wednesdays ... but i was sure all ears last night ... and yes, it did apply to me 100% ... go figure, eh?!!!

this morning i felt better ... however there is a little left-over tension around here ... that little boy in the sandbox with me? - well i did happen to kind of kick his mudpies to smithereens ... sigh ... i guess i best just help him build sandcastles instead ...

"Love suffereth long, [and] is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth ..." I Corinthians 13: 4-8

Romans 12:12

i've been listening to some interesting songs from youtube ... here are just 2 videos that i found ... both are interesting and uplifting in their own way ... they might be out of the norm of what you would expect from my blog ... yet i wanted to post the sites anyway! blessings on your mid-week!

click on name: i wish we'd all been ready

and

click on name: Jesus walks

storm clouds

last night our power went out as a wind storm swept in, bringing threatening clouds ... i ran outside to take pictures (of course!) ...



thankfully our power was only out 20 minutes and the clouds became less threatening as they moved across the sky ...


i found the scene around me breathtakingly beautiful ...

this morning i'm reminded of this chorus:

i just keep trusting my Lord, as i walk along ...

i just keep trusting my Lord, and He gives a song ...

tho' storm clouds darken the sky -o'er the heav'nly trail,

i just keep trusting my Lord - He will never fail!

blessings on your sunday!

update: driving to work i heard on the radio that a tornado touched down north of us, just minutes after i took these photo's ... i did think the clouds looked menacing - but? leo says we've already had 2 phonecalls to check on our safety.

comfort or style ...

excuse the barely awake look ... i did have 2 cups of coffee, but it was sort of gloomy out this morning, so i was still trying to WAKE UP!

thought i'd post a current pic of me in my "all purpose" dress ... do you have an all purpose outfit?

this comfy number has been to a wedding, graduation, 60th anniversary party, many work days ... and today i wore it to a funeral ... when i put it on, i can just be myself at whatever kind of function i'm at ... i'm usually a no frills type of person and as long as i'm presentable - well that will do for me ...

"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness..." Isaiah 61:10

the funeral was for my childhood friend's mother ... she had been ailing for quite awhile ... the family, though sorrowful, were relieved that their mom had finished her earthly journey and could rest ...

just a quick note ... wishing you a weekend full of comfort, joy, love of family ... but most important - the presence of God ...

better yet ...