just a thought for the new year ...

"... God's grace is not only sufficient - it is inexhaustible. Remember the story Roy Gustafson told of the little fish who said, "I am so thirsty but I must not drink too much . The ocean might run dry." Or the little mouse in the granaries of Egypt who said, "I am so hungry. But I must not eat too much. The grain might not last." Or the little swallow, soaring and dipping through the sky, thinking, "I must not breathe too deeply; I might use up all the air."

Whatever the need, whatever the situation, "he giveth more grace"
(James 4:6). ..."

taken from Legacy of a Pack Rat by Ruth Bell Graham ...


to you my dear blog buds ... i wish a new year that is so full of God's grace - for every and all situations - that your cup will continually run over ... so you may glorify HIM, who redeemed us ... that the world will know we are different and children of the Most High ...

O Lord, you are my lamp.

The Lord lights up my darkness.

2 Samuel 22:29

snowy walk

i took these pics a few days ago ... but the walk i had today was very similar ... a light snow ... and milder temperatures ... very tranquil ... *smile*

it was a picture postcard type scene everywhere ...

kids were out with their new sleds ... and the older kids were out on snowmobiles!

it was a great walk ... until i wiped out! ... owie!!!! just checking out my almost 55 year old bones! ... my feet just flew out from under me and i landed on my hip ... i know i'll be sporting a bruise ... i shoulda worn my walking boots ...

we had a quiet Christmas eve ... Christmas day ... and boxing day ... leo and i watched some Christmas movies ... visited via phone with family ... and just enjoyed the lights of home ...

I wish we could put up

some of the Christmas spirit in jars

and open a jar of it every month.

~Harlan Miller

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

remembering christmas past ...

once upon a time ... in a time without chronic pain ... we built our first house ... it was a work in progress ... leo put hours and hours of labour into it ... i was his faithful sidekick "lucy the klutz" ... we had 2 cats and a dog ...

at christmas ... we became giddy kids ... and went all out ... the picture below was from our second christmas in the cortina (the style of house) ...

it took 3 burly men to stand that tree up ... we didn't have carpets yet, so we were able to put wires on the bottom and nail it into the floor so it didn't fall over ... the cats loved it! though it may have confused them a little ... *grin*

decades later we've had a wide variety of trees ... fake, real, card trees, potted plants ... and we've celebrated christmas with family, away from family, with friends and just the 2 of us ...

above is our first condo "tree" ... along with our fearless feline (we miss him SO much) ...

leo and i have spent 35 christmas' together ... not knowing what each one will bring ... or what we will keep as a memory ... we just remain thankful for each one ...

and still - every year - we get that tingly christmas feeling ... that anticipation of "something wonderful" about to happen ... i think that is the coolest part about christmas ... and that in turn always always always, speaks of God's gift of love to us!

He who has not
Christmas in his heart
will never find it
under a tree.
~Roy L. Smith

“Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires; but what foundation did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded an empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.”
~ Napolean Bonaparte

40 below fashions ...

tips on how to dress for the elements ...

first you double or triple all the clothes you have on underneath your coat ...
add a vest over the layers, for a little extra ...
a touque on your head is a must ...
lastly, secure a scarf around your face - the mummy look ...

then with only eyes showing, you are ready to head out the door ... which is a bit frozen and you have to tug on for a while before it finally opens ...

this is how i have been dressing for the past few days ...

with the windchill, it is a bone chilling 40 below ... brrrrrrr ... and ho ho ho !!!!

Winter is the time for comfort,
for good food and warmth,
for the touch of a friendly hand
and for a talk beside the fire:
it is the time for home.
~Edith Sitwell

i take, He undertakes!

if you are still wondering what to get someone for Christmas ... i strongly recommend "Springs in the Valley" by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman ... even tho' it was first published over 50 years ago, the truths in it are timeless and timely!

here is yesterday's reading ... may you be blessed by it!


"He is faithful that promised." (Hebrews 10:23)

God's power will keep God's promises! Promises for the soul, promises for the body, promises for others, promises for our work, promises for our business, promises for time and for eternity: these are all ours! It is not your weakness that can defeat God's promise, nor your strength that can fulfill the promise: He that spoke the Word will Himself make it good. It is neither your business nor mine to keep God's promises: that is His grace.

The signed check is given us. How foolish if we fear to present it! Never yet has one single check been dishonoured! "He is faithful that promised."

I take; He undertakes!

We may pray much over a promise, and yet never obtain it. Asking is not taking. Beseeching is not claiming.

I clasp the hand of Love divine,

I claim the gracious promise mine,

And add to His my countersign.

I take, He undertakes.

I simply take Him at His Word;

I praise Him that my prayer is heard

And claim my answer from the Lord.

I take, He undertakes.

~Dr. A.B. Simpson

'tis the season for ... cookies!

look at the lovely homemade cookies my aunt gave me! i am just so blessed .... *smile* ... and now with my lower cholesterol readings, i can crunch away in true enjoyment - not fearing what the numbers will be!

then we received a package from my west coast sister ... there were all kinds of wrapped up gifts ... plus homemade surprises ... it made me smile ...

may the simple things in life - bless your heart today ...

I always believed that

the true spirit of Christmas

demands thought and effort

on the giver's part,

not just lavish spending.

~Inez Hogan

the good way

Ask where the

Good way is, and walk

in it, and you will find

rest for your souls.

- Jeremiah 6:16, NIV

talking about food ...

i got some good news last week ... my cholesterol is now perfectly NORMAL!!!!

YAY!

i was glad that a change of diet was all that was needed ... i was eating too many lean cuisine type meals ... leo doesn't eat normal at all - and the aroma of something cooking can actually make him nauseous - therefore i got lazy in preparing meals for myself ... the result - elevated cholesterol ...

now that i'm back on track, i can enjoy some Christmas treats ... not too many - but some!

YAY! thank you Lord!

Vegetables are a must on a diet.
I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.
~Jim Davis

tis the season ... to get our hearts ready ...

pic copied off 'net

There had been no peace on earth since Adam fell. But, now, when the newborn King made His appearance, the swaddling band with which He was wrapped up was the white flag of peace. That manger was the place where the treaty was signed, whereby warfare should be stopped between man's conscience and Himself, man's conscience and his God.
~Charles Spurgeon

December 1st ...

i know it's not officially "winter" yet ... but with the outdoor reading at
-20C, it doesn't have to be "official" here in our little town - it's here!!

thought i'd just update you on leo's doctor situation ... in case you were wondering ... he has an appt. in january with yet another newbie physician ... this will be his 3rd NEW doctor in 2 years ... tho' i must give thanks on this point - each one has added something positive to leo's overall care ... we keep praying ... and the answers always seem to come in the oddest ways and means ... must be "God thing" ... His ways just aren't our ways!

blessings on you!

setting our minds on Christ ...

God is still in control ... despite upheavel in our old world ... and hate being manifest in all kinds of ugly ways ... yet there is still beauty in the soul who makes God their place of refuge ... the God Who has always been there ...

Happy Thanksgiving

Psalm 100:4

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.(NIV)

Isaiah 40:28

our God is good ... all the time ...

for proof, check out my post from 2 years ago: http://saija.blogspot.com/2006/11/big-news.html

it's still a matter of huge praise for us!

blessings on your weekend!

brrrrrr

i bet you can feel the coolness of the weather in our little town ... the snow was crunching underneath my boots and the water has started to think of freezing up!

there is a stark beauty in the scenery ... the colours are faded - yet appealing ...

today was the first event of the holiday season ... our christmas craft sale ... the town was full of folks looking at what the local artisans had made or baked ... my aunt and i spent a few hours taking it all in ... and finding a few treasures ... it was fun ... *smile* ...

God's timing for my reading material is always spot on!!! and as i was reading louie giglio's book, this particular passage - at this particular time - is so worth sharing with you too!

page 49:

After an eternity of being God, He shows no signs of wear and tear. He has no needs. His accounts are in the black. He's the owner, not to mention Creator, of all of the world's wealth and treasure. He made the gold and silver, and the trees we print our paper money on. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and all the hills the cows are standing on. He holds the patent on the skies above - not to mention the earth, the seas and their depths below, the breeze, the colors of the sunset and every flowering thing. They all are His invention. His design. His idea.

God does whatever He wants. His purposes are a sure thing. There's no stopping Him. No containing Him. No refuting Him. No cutting Him off at the pass. No short-circuiting His agenda. God is in control.

lest we forget . . .

"TAPS"

Day is done...
Gone the sun...
From the lake...
From the hills...
From the sky...
All is well...
Safely rest...
God is nigh.

Thanks and praise...
For our days...
'Neath the sun...
'Neath the stars...
'Neath the sky...
As we go...
This we know...
God is nigh.

snow and ice make a manitoba autumn!

the streets here in our little town are icy and snow covered ... old man winter has arrived ... too early for my taste ... but i didn't get a say in it!

the snow does make me think about Christmas ... but it also makes me think of isolation ... i suffer a bit from that seasonal disorder, where i crave more sunshine and warmth ... it's a battle to remain positive at times ...

did you know that i've been blogging for 4 years now?

i started blogging just around the time when the seasonal sadness wanted to wipe the cheer from my heart ... blogging helped battle the blahs! ... the wonderful added bonus became YOU - my blogging buds ... at first i thought i'd be posting into cyber space ... a one way missile ... but i was blessed with "meeting" folks who have cheered my heart through the years ... encouraged me ... prayed for both leo and i ... recommended or even sent me encouraging books to read ... i mean the list has been endless ... endless eternal blessings ...

these past months my posts have been sketchy at best ... my visits to your blogs, haphazard ... i want to continue blogging, but one needs to have the desire to share ... i think i am going through a season of sadness ... now with winter weather arriving, the sadness is more melancholy ...

just keeping you in my loop ... which is sort of loop-ee at the moment! *smile* ...

blessings on your sunday ...

billy graham turns 90

billy graham's birthday is tomorrow - november 7th ... and he will be 90 ... if you want to leave a little "happy birthday" note, you can do that at http://www.billygraham.org/ ...

here is what dr. graham had to say about this birthday:

“I never expected to live this long, and it is hard to believe I have reached the age of 90,” says Mr. Graham. “Every day is a gift from God, no matter how old we are. I have discovered that just because we grow weaker physically as we age, it doesn’t mean that we must grow weaker spiritually. In fact, we ought to be growing stronger spiritually because our eyes ought to be on eternity and Heaven—on the things that really matter.”

i have been so blessed by the billy graham ministry over the years ... the decision magazines and books that they sent - i can truly say that God has used them in my life - to help me grow in grace ...

the world is a better place because of billy (and ruth - who has already entered into her reward)

may God bless billy graham ...

... and with Jesus

There is an infinite variety in the paths God makes, and He can make them anywhere! Think you not that He, who made the spider able to drop anywhere and to spin its own path as it goes, is not able to spin a path for you through every blank, or perplexity, or depression? God is never lost among our mysteries. He sees the road, "the end from the beginning."

Mystery and uncertainty are only to prepare us for deeper discipline. Had we no stormy sea we should remain weaklings to the end of our days. God takes us out into the deeps; but he knows the track! He knows the haven! and we shall arrive.

"and with Jesus

Through the trackless deep move on!"

copied from nov 2nd reading: Springs in the Valley

... pictures taken by my west coast sister ...

normal is nice ...

i had the best of days today ...

it was a lovely fall day weather wise ... 15C or 60F ... perfect for walking to town and doing some shopping (i found some bargains so cheap, it felt like a gift!) ... paying bills ... plus cashing my first pay cheque of the season ... *smile*

i finished cleaning out my flower beds ... it was so warm by the side of the house, i think i could have suntanned!

AND i got to go for a bike ride!!! that's an extremely rare event these days since it has cooled down considerably ... the picture i posted is from my usual biking route ...

i was in and out of the house ... but even so, i did manage to do the laundry and usual housework ... plus chat with leo and play with scooter ...

i mean it was a really lovely, normal type day ... which i am so thankful for ...

written down my day sounds as exciting as watching paint dry ... *grinning* ... but there is something to be said for paint drying - it refreshes everything ...

just sharing the sweetness ...

Be moderate in order to taste the joys of life in abundance.

~Epicurus

when is a bird bigger than a mountain?

this mornings daily bread just spoke to my heart ... about our attitude ... about faith ... about how we perceive our problems ... just had to share with you guys ... blessings on your mid week!

READING: Isaiah 40:12-13,25-31

He . . . sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. —Isaiah 40:22Question: When is a bird bigger than a mountain? Answer: When the bird is closer than the mountain.

In reality, the bird is not bigger than the mountain, but it sure looks that way when the feathery fellow is perched on my window ledge and the mountain is far away in the distance.

Sometimes we perceive God this way in relationship to our problems. The troubles facing us seem huge because they are so close—like a big black bird with beady eyes and a sharp beak waiting for a smaller animal’s weariness to turn into helplessness so it can devour it. At such times, God seems as far away as a distant mountain, and we perceive Him as being small and unreachable.

The prophet Isaiah changes our perspective by asking these rhetorical questions: “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?” (40:12). The Lord “gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength” (v.29).

Just as a bird is never bigger than a mountain, no problem is ever bigger than God. It’s all a matter of changing our perspective. — Julie Ackerman Link

The problems that we face each day
Can seem too much to bear
Until we turn our eyes to Christ
And trust His tender care. —Sper


We worship a God who is greater than our greatest problem.

safe harbour

"The brightest souls which glory ever knew

Were rocked in storms and nursed when tempests blew."

~anon

Jesus is the Way Maker

this pic reminded me of a chorus we used to sing ... way back ... do you remember it too?

O here comes Jesus
see Him walking on the water
He'll lift you up
and help you to stand ...

O here comes Jesus
He's the Master of the waves that roll
O here comes Jesus
He'll save your soul ...

Jesus is the way-maker
Jesus is the way-maker
Jesus is the way-maker
He made way for me ...

Once the sun refused to shine
in this sinful heart of mine,
Jesus, He made a way for me ...

it's a scooter world

cat in a bag ... scooter loves to play with household items, rather than fancy store bought toys ...
he is really a wild boy tho! he just goes crazy when we play with him ... we have to be careful to quit while we're ahead - ahead of his bites that is!
then he pretends that he is "the sweetest cat ever", by cuddling with leo during morning devotions ...

this morning, scooter jumped on the kitchen counter, knocking a plate to the floor - breaking it ...

sigh ...

what did we get into? again!


I have noticed that what cats most appreciate in a human being is not the ability to produce food which they take for granted--but his or her entertainment value. - Geoffrey Household

a gift ...

a little outing ...

park near our condo, pic taken today

i got leo out of the house today... yay!!!! ... it was almost 2 p.m. before we left home to vote, but leo was motivated to go ... on the way home, i asked him if he wanted to continue on for a little drive ... i could show him all the new houses that had gone up over the summer ... surprisingly - he said ok! so i leisurely drove the car on the same streets i ride my bike ... we chatted about all the new construction ... leo even asked if i would go around the block on the newest street -where most of the development was - he wanted a better look ...

i enjoyed having leo out somewhere with me ... somewhere other than a doctors' office ... i am on my own so much, that it thrills me when leo wants to come along!

that was my sweet moment of the day ...

just sharing ....

Love puts the fun in together,

the sad in apart,

and the joy in a heart.

~Author Unknown

thanksgiving in Canada

it's a long weekend here in canada! our thanksgiving, long weekend ... and i choose to be thankful! being thankful makes one happier ... feel less stressful ... and it is the only thing that can part the clouds on darker days ... a thankful heart ...

God has done so much for me ... Thank you Lord!!!!!!

faith vs fear

are you feeling some bits of fear trying to settle in the pit of your stomach?
the uncertainty of tomorrow?
the world we once trusted in - turned upside down? ...

these are the times when faith grows -
because what we can physically see and touch, has let us down ...

these are the times when our faith looks up -
because these are the times when our faith is all we have ...
YET ... faith is all we NEED ...

isn't that the truth of it?

when all is stripped away - it's our faith that will hold everything together ...

BE BLESSED ...

the zigzag path

We climbed the height by the zigzag path
And wondered why - until
We understood it was made zigzag
To break the force of the hill.

A road straight up would prove too steep
For the traveler's feet to tread;
The thought was kind in its wise design
of a zigzag path instead.

It is often so in our daily life;
We fail to understand
That the twisting way our feet must tread
by love alone was planned.

Then murmur not at the winding way,
It is our Father's will
To lead us Home by the zigzag path,
To break the force of the hill.
- anon

Simply following God is the true philosophy of life.

... politics!

while the U.S. vice presidential debate was on last night, we had our own debate on tv, here in canada ... the candidates for prime minister ... all 5 of them (4 men and one woman ... and just an FYI, we have already had a woman prime minister about 15 years ago) ... it was a round table format ... i checked out both debates ...

to be honest - i don't care for debates ... i guess because i don't like arguments ... i like discussions ...

then there are the spin masters afterwards ... twisting whatever was said to represent the view they want the masses (us) to believe ...

there really are no unbiased reporters out there ... lets face it, we ALL have our opinions ... which make it difficult to see clearly ... or report accurately ...

i will be so glad when our elections (14th) and our neighbours elections are done, then hopefully the solutions for pressing problems will be the #1 concern for our elected members ...

Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long,

has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.

~Richard Armour

today ... faith enough for today ...

i thought this was such a timely and spot-on reading from Springs in the Valley ... so i'm sharing with you guys ...

September 30

"Why art thou cast down, O my soul?" (Psalm 43:5)

The other evening I found myself staggering alone under a load that was heavy enough to crush half a dozen strong men. Out of sheer exhaustion I put it down and had a good look at it. I found that it was all borrowed: part of it belonged to the following day; part of it belonged to the following week - and here was I borrowing it that it might crush me now! It is a very stupid, but a very ancient blunder.
- F.W. Boreham.

You and I are to take our trials, our black Fridays, our lone and long nights, and we are to come to Him and say, "Manage these, Thou Wondrous Friend, Who canst turn the very night into the morning; manage these for me!"

Sparrow, He guardeth thee;
Never a flight but thy wings He
upholdeth;
Never a night but thy nest He
enfoldeth;
Safely He guardeth thee.

Lily, He robeth thee;
Though thou must fade, by the Summer
bemoaned,
Thou art arrayed fair as monarch
enthroned;
Spotless He robeth thee.

Hear, thou of little faith;
Sparrow and lily are soulless and dying;
Deathless art thou; will He slight
thy faint crying?
Trust, thou of little faith!
- R.G.W.

time time time ...

yikes ... the time has really flown by these past few days ... i have barely been online!

on monday, i took scooter in to be fixed ... poor little guy didn't know what was going on ... but he has certainly bounced back quickly! we hope that he quits his aggressive biting soon ... otherwise, he can be a sweet little guy ...

then on wednesday, we went to see leo's doc ... this is the new doc since april ... he will be moving to another town, but i think that we will stay put ... the clinic is only 2 streets away, and there should be someone there to take care of leo ... hope hope hope!!!!

today was our condo assoc meeting (of which i am secretary) ...

there just seems to be something happening all the time ... plus i have been really pooped out lately? fighting a cold, maybe? or is it fighting old age? *laughing* ...

a quick FYI for those of my blog buds who wonder what's up with me! hope to visit y'all soon!

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think,

all the walks I want to take,

all the books I want to read

and all the friends I want to see.

~John Burroughs

Psalm 27:13

that's what i love about the bible ...
it always gives us something to hope for!

blessings on your sunday!

chit chat

i was feeling restless yesterday ... the fall weather always brings that out in me ... so i decided to take a drive to our old neighbourhood ...

it is only 10 minutes from our town, yet when i drove over the narrow bridge - it felt like a different world ...

i had plans of visiting old neighbours ... we do keep in touch with them and enjoy their sweet friendship ... but no one was at home ... nor was anyone home at our former cottage (they live in the city and just come out on the occasional weekend) ...
so i parked the car on the road, and did a little walk about on that piece of land that had once been so familiar to us ... one which we had lovingly called home for over a decade ...

the trees we had planted were huge, making the yard feel quite private ... a secluded, mature property ...

and it truly felt odd to be in such a familiar spot - because it felt unfamiliar too ... it had once been a well loved spot, with much of our hard work still on display ... yet - it was definitely NOT home anymore ...

maybe when we get to heaven ... our real destination and our forever home, we will look back at our life on earth and feel the same way ... it was once a place we called home - but not anymore!

just sharing and thinking outloud ...

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in.
Aim at earth and you get neither.
~C. S. Lewis