as the year closes ...

all of us "older" folks always say "where did the year go???"... but i mean, really, didn't it go by quickly?  i must readily admit to being glad that 2009 is DONE ... it was an emotional year for me ... filled with family anxiety... it was also a year of drawing on God ... leaning on His wisdom ... reading MORE of His word ... trying to live what i did read ... and my prayers would sometimes just be "Lord i don't know, but You do ... Lord Lord Lord ... please Lord ... have Thy way Lord ... " then many moments of silence, just not knowing how to pray ...

 

the year did hold joyous moments too ... serene times ... watching the diamonds glisten and dance on the river ... or seeing those same elusive diamonds in the fresh fallen snow ... diamonds that you can't grasp in your hand, but that you can feel in your heart ... a gladness that God was always there, despite sorrows ... reminding me that i couldn't "be God" to my loved ones ... i couldn't make maria better ... i couldn't take away leo's chronic pain ... i couldn't make others DO what i knew without a doubt God's Word tells them to, so that they could be freed from the chains that they battle against ...

which brings us to me - and how i want to control things ... you know, just to make peoples lives better ... ... as if that isn't something God wants for them too!!!  and what He wants for me, His child, is to lay my burdens down and rest in Him ... to continue talking to Him about all my concerns - yes ... but then leaving those concerns there and being free to see the beauty He's put in my world ... the glittering water diamonds ... His Word that i can handle and read ... the many  many blessings i have ...

i hope that i can live 2010 as a wiser child of God ... i pray i can be a witness to others who need to hear the things i've learned in 2009 ... and i hope i remember to rest in Him, Jesus - who has redeemed me for all eternity ...

blessings on your 2010, dear blog buds...

Christmas Day

wishing that the peace that passes all understanding,

will rule your hearts and homes this Christmas Day ... 

Merry Christmas, from our home to yours!!!!

This is Christmas

copied from Decision Magazine, "Ruth's Attic" a selection from Ruth Bell Graham's writing:

Merry Christmas (in Finnish)

This is Christmas

It is just before Christmas, but perhaps you don't care anymore.  Something has happened, and now you find no joy or meaning to your life.  Perhaps the most you look for is some temporary form of escape.

Maybe you can't give anything.  There's nothing left to give - or there's no one left to give to.

Listen.

What's Christmas all about anyway?  Wasn't there a death, an emptiness, a need?  Wasn't there a  Love somewhere - infinite, eternal, unchangeable - a Love that gave His only Son?  That's what Christmas is all about:  God coming to Earth in the Person of the Christ Child to do for you and for me what we cannot possibly do for ourselves.

Jesus lived among us and had the same kinds of problems that we do.  You haven't a problem - and I  haven't a problem - that He doesn't understand from close personal experience.  He spent His entire life meeting human needs.  He died on the cross to deal once and for all with our greatest need - redemption from sin.  This Christmas, God is asking you to come to Him.  Bring your failures, your sins, your problems, your fears.   Bring yourself.

This is Christmas.  Redemption's glorious exchange of gifts!

Jesus birthday thoughts ...

i'm allowing my own excitement to grow, as mankind soon celebrates another year - marking the birth of Christ ... i know that the real date is unknown - but that actual date isn't as important as the remembrance of the eternal gift we received ... i could just weep with joy at the hugeness of this gift ... the marvelous grace of God ... i pray that hearts everywhere will stop and pause, peer at the night sky, to see if just maybe the Angels are STILL singing ... and may all wise men (women too) seek the King of Kings and Lord of Lords ... sweet Jesus ... i am so glad You came... and gladder still that you now reside in my heart and home ... YAY for all eternity!

gingerbread creations

isn't this a great gingerbread display!  one of my cousin's from finland e-mailed me the pic today - taken at her kitchen table ... what great gingerbread creations ... i love it!  so homey looking ... you can almost smell the aroma of Christmas ... 

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart. ~Washington Irving

the cold, the song, the chocolate bar ... and other chitchat

our extreme cold conditions continue ... though we try to console ourselves with the fact that edmonton, alberta was -46C, while we were "only" -30C ... everything is relative!

with the cold temps, i went online to check out housing prices in our canadian far south (on lake erie) ... i also checked the weather in that area - a balmy 7C ... ? ... leo and i will have to do a comparative list of why we want to live in extreme cold weather, compared to the banana belt ... it was a nice way to spend a frigid afternoon, dreaming of possibilities ...

my family in finland has sent us little treats inside their Christmas greetings ... today we received a card with an old finnish Christmas carol cd ...

and chocolate ... i just love chocolate ... the finnish faser chocolate to be exact ... i just couldn't help nibbling on a holiday special filled with cinnamon, apple, cherry ... it was yummy ... in the new year i will have to get back to a more cholesterol friendly diet!  but not in december - i will enjoy (as you can see from this almost empty choco bar!!)

that's what i've been up to during these colds days ... but i DO have plans for baking pies ... and watching some Christmas movies ... and visiting ... i want to continue my telephone visiting, plus real life visiting too ... i have quit the hustle and bustle and just relaxed ... i love when that happens ...

blessings on your week!!!

home for Christmas

maria was released from the hospital on thursday!  she was in for 4 months this stretch (making it 9 months in total for 2009) ... when i spoke with her yesterday, she was so very very happy ... her husband had put up the tree and lights ... he was waiting for her to come home so that they could put up the ornaments together ... she realizes that she will be going back at some point (a nurse comes daily for the dressing change on her foot and antibiotic IV change) ... but hopes that this Christmas will be the best one yet ... i pray it will be too ... thank you for praying for her ...


Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.  Ephesians 3:20-21

a new look

well i finally updated my blog!!!  i like the new features ... they make fixing things up so much easier ... and fun! 

the picture that i used in my header was taken at our cottage home ... it was our "backyard" which bordered on to a channel leading to the river ... lots of opportunities for scenic photos! ...

we are still in the deep freeze here - hopefully next week it'll lift ... tho'even this bitter cold has a purpose - the ice fishing enthusiast are hoping for a quick freeze of the river, so they can drag their huts out there and fish ... awww, i remember those days ... not that i would go out, but leo would ... he would load up his ice auger and fishing gear on his little sled with a few pieces of wood to burn (in the pot belly stove in his ice shack),  then he would trudge out and spend a couple of hours trying to bring home supper ... which he usually did ... seems like a life time ago ...

just checking out the new posting method ...

blessings on  you guys as you prepare for your Christmas celebrations ...

chilly temps

the snow fell and so did the temperatures!!! it is officially a mind numbing -22C as i type this ... and tonight it will probably be -30C ... since it was so chilly - i made some chili ... yum ... it turned out great and helped to warm us up ...

my blues have lifted ... it seems they strike, make me sad - then they evaporate as i read the solid, real, Word of God ... "Thou has enlarged me when i was in distress ... the Lord will hear when i call unto Him ... put your trust in the Lord ... Thou has put gladness in my heart ... for Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety." Psalm 4 verses ...

blessings on your tuesday ...

the Christmas blues

i get the blues around this time of year ... just when all the Christmas decorations are out ... when folks start to get into the swing of cooking, socializing, wrapping gifts ... i struggle to keep my head above water ... it seems to happen every year ...

i know i'm not the only one ... other blog buds have shared their experiences ... that's why i'm sharing my feelings now ...

i guess my little family (leo, me, the cat) fall so far from the norman rockwell scene ...

leo is at the stage in his chronic pain life where he doesn't want to go out unless it's a must - like the doctors ... we don't invite folks over as much anymore either, because leo can't visit for long periods (which is anything over an hour!) ... it feels odd to have these quiet years on us ... and it makes me especially sad at this time of year ...

there is also the missing ... those who aren't here anymore ... my dad, leo's folks, others who know no Christmas anymore ... and the missing continues to family far away ... my brother and sister in the west coast ... my mom and younger sister in the north ... maria in the hospital ...

i talk to the Lord about it ... and try to tell myself to "snap out of it!" ... but sometimes i think one needs to just walk through this valley of emotional turmoil and teary eyes before the sound of angels singing joyous songs can be heard ...

"And, lo an angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were very much 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" ... Luke 2:9-10

3 years in the condo!

today, leo and i are reminiscing and praising our Saviour for new mercies ... and for past mercies ... like this condo we are in ... it was 3 years ago today that we got the key ... after a very quick real estate turnaround (2 weeks) ...

from my archives: november, 2006 and december, 2006 - the story is told in short posts ...

our God is faithful ... He knows what we need - and exactly when we need it!

sunday greetings!

here is our little indie ... he is a real cuddle cat ... i was chatting on the phone today, and look who had to come creeping up on me!! leo snapped this pic ... of course, indie is an equal opportunity cuddler, he's purring on top of leo at the moment - watching football! *smile*

our balmy weather continues ... we had a wee bit of snow last night - but it just melted away when the sun came out ... here are two pics from my walk today ... doesn't it just make a heart say "thank you Lord!" ... the beauty all around us ...

thank you for praying for maria ... her surgery went well ... but it's always the healing that seems to give her the trouble ... she has been in the hospital for 3 months this time ... and in 2009, she has spent more time in the hospital than home ...

which brings to mind a good little story from Streams in the Desert (i highly highly recommend this devotional - it would make a wonderful present!):

quoting: This summer someone gave me some beautiful pink flowers, and as I took them, I asked, "What kind are they?" My friend answered, "They are rock flowers. They grow and bloom only on rocks where you can see no soil." Then I thought of God's flowers growing in desperate times and hard places, and I somehow feel that He may have a certain tenderness for His "rock flowers" that He may not have for his lilies and roses. ~Margaret Bottome

The trials of life are sent to make us, not to break us.

a month has gone by!!!!

a month without blogging ... how'd that happen? i have visited many of you - a few times - tho' i may not have left a "hello" ... but i DID want to know how you were doing ... and some of you are like me, just a bit quieter on the blogging front!
we have been enjoying an exceptionally beautiful fall ... nicer than our october ... and no snow!!! ya! the temps have been around the 50F mark on many days ... that is a down right heatwave in the prairies, in november!!! even the canada geese have decided to hang around for a bit longer ...

i've taken advantage with bike rides, walks every day ... just enjoying our little town ...

i've also gone to see maria as often as i can ... when i go to the city, it's an all day thing ... she remains in the hospital ... tho' they have thought of releasing her twice now - but each time they reassess her condition they change their mind before she can head out the door! her spirits have mostly been up ... but her body is another story ... at the moment, they are working on her foot ... it has a "tunnel" in it and they just discovered another area of infection in the ankle ... amputation is the dreaded word we've spoken a few times ... a scary thought - we all pray that they get that infection under control and that healing starts to happen ... i pray that her faith grows in the face of these obstacles ...

leo has been "well" ... he has gone for 2 little walks in the past while ... but even though he doesn't get out often, he remains engaged in the life around him ... which is important ...

i didn't go back to the library this fall ... leo and i decided that with family demands, maybe it was best that i remain available to whatever comes our way ... so far i haven't missed going in to work ...

just thought i would chat a bit with you guys ... i didn't want you to think that i've totally abandoned blogging ... just taking a little break! blessings on you!

"Never doubt God! Never say that He has forsaken or forgotten you or think that He is unsympathetic. He "will restore [your] life again." No matter how many twists and turns the road may have, there is always one smooth, straight portion. Even the longest day has a sunset, and the winter snow may stay quite some time, but it will finally melt.

Be steadfast, "because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Cor. 15:58). He will turn to you again and comfort you. And when He does, your heart that has forgotten how to sing will break forth in thankful and jubilant song, just like the psalmist who sang, "My tongue will sing of your righteousness" (Ps. 51:14)."

~ Streams in the Desert

5 years of blogging ...

The little birds trust God, for they go singing
From northern woods where autumn winds have blown,
With joyous faith their unmarked pathway winging
To summer lands of song, afar, unknown,

Let us go singing, then, and not go crying:
Since we are sure our times are in His hand,
Why should we weep, and fear, and call it dying?
It's merely flying to a Summer Land.
~Streams in the Desert

it's been 5 years since i started blogging ... 5 years of cyber fellowship with you, my blog buds, who love Jesus and want to be a light for Him in this world of ours ...

i have been on the receiving end of so much encouragement and prayer during this time ... my socks have just been blessed right off my feet - well - almost literally! *smile* ... THANK YOU!!!!

what the future holds for my blog ... i don't know? ... i seem to have taken a break from the computer this past 6 months or so ... my thoughts are sometimes disjointed and i don't get the posts written that i want too ... because of that, i am going to put the comment moderator on ... that way, if you don't have my e-mail address and want to leave me a more personal note - or give me your e-mail address, i can delete your comment and no one else will see it, if you want to keep it private ...

i am truly truly glad that God has placed each of you in my life ... at this time and for this time ... may He bless your socks off too!!!

the Sonrise which makes all the difference ...

our early snowfall really got me down ... well, for a day or two anyway! ...

however, God's word always puts everything in perspective - then prayer allows the feelings to follow ... we walk by faith, not by sight ... sight can also be spelled f-e-e-l-i-n-g-s for me ... and feelings need to be ignored when we know they are sending wrong messages and causing unrest within us ... bad feelings for me are triggered by cold weather and snow - such a downer, even tho' i was born in the land of ice and snow ... and moved to another land of ice and snow!!!

the bible says "in everything" to give thanks ... not necessarily "for everything" !

so this morning, when i watched the sunrise again on another day the Lord had made ... i rejoiced and was glad in it!

blessings on your week!

this was my sunrise, as seen from our living room window

Canadian thanksgiving

would you believe we got snow for this thanksgiving weekend???!!!! YIKES!!!! i checked my october 2008 posts - and didn't see any snow mentioned anywhere ... so the 10 inches or so that fell last night was a BIG surprise ... just a lesson in being thankful in and for all things ... but snow? ! ! ! ! !

Happy Thanksgiving to all my blog buds!

dry and weary land

"Come, come," He calls you,

"O soul oppressed and weary,
Come to the shadows of My desert rest;
Come walk with Me far from life's noisy discords,
And peace will breathe like music in your breast."

When God places a burden upon you,
He places His arms underneath you.
~anon

exciting bike ride!

i was just sharing this little story with leo - i went for a bike ride today ... close to home i was delayed for about 20 seconds because a truck with a loaded trailer was completely blocking the road ... i had to stop my bike and wait for him to back into his driveway -then i continued merrily along ... and because of that little delay- i missed meeting up with a bear! yup ... there were people yelling & clapping at this 300 pound, very healthy, adult bear who was running across the road!!! i told leo about the bear as soon as i got home, after cutting my bike ride short (wouldn't you??) ... but i had forgotten the part about being delayed those few seconds!! if not for those few seconds, i would have been right where the bear was running across the road!!! i wonder if the bear would have run over me? hmmmm? after leo heard the rest of the story, he started singing "angels watching over me" ... indeed!!

yesterday i was able to go into the city and see maria again ... her spirits are good - her body, not so good ... they are now telling her that she will probably be in the hospital for another month ... thank you guys again for praying for her ... she has so many things that are failing in her body - but if her spirits remain up - that is half the battle won!

the Lord is faithful ... in all things ... whether it's a road trip to the big city and inner city hospital ... or a bike ride in our little town, where a bear could have easily side swiped me!

just sharing ... blessings on ya!

His mercies are new every morning!

i'm ashamed to say that today was the FIRST morning that i got up to take some sunrise pictures!!! when i saw how calm the river was, well i just had to go out to the beach and see the sunrise ... the picture doesn't show how lovely it really was - but you get the idea ... very calming ... very quiet ... a wonderful morning to thank the Lord for everything He has blessed me with ... *huge smile* ...

an update on maria: i was able to visit with her on tuesday ... i got a ride into the city and didn't have to worry about parking in that inner city core area (yay for God's provision in that!)... she had been transferred to a private room, with a beautiful view of the city ... lots of sunshine streamed into her room, making it very cheery ... she said the lights at night were something to see ... she is receiving good care there ... and it was her shoulder area that had a fracture (i had received some wrong info previously), thankfully it doesn't need surgery!!! i don't know how long they will keep her in, her poor body is really suffering with the complications of diabetes ... she wanted me to thank you for your prayers!!!

a week has passed!

again, time has gone by so quickly ... i have composed at least 4 posts - but only in my head - they didn't get on the "printed page" ... what is up with that, eh???

the weather has been just beautiful here in our little corner of the world ... leo has even gotten out for 2 walks ... i was so happy about that ... and i've been bike riding around town ...

but then i had a little "mishap" ... last saturday, the side door to our garage slammed hard on my finger!!! can anyone say owie? ... i was going to go visit family, and maybe have a sauna - but instead i was dripping blood and wondering if i needed stitches ... poor leo, i had just left the house, only to re-enter with my bashed up finger! i wrapped it with paper towels and decided to walk across the street to the ambulance bay (we have the paramedics close by - if needed!) ... the young EMT (that is what they are called here - emergency medical technicians) - took a look at my finger, and said that he didn't think it would need stitching - and he bandaged it up for me ... but since it was my right hand, i was so limited in my activities for 2 full days ... no saunas or bike rides ... i also couldn't do much typing - just some one finger pecking!! thankfully, it is healing nicely ...
but my little mishap is nothing compared to maria's latest medical challenges ...

maria at 4

she had been doing quite well over the summer ... they had really gotten into a rhythm with her dialysis, home care people, doctors appointments, etc. ... her husband had even taken her on some outings (he gets his work out pushing that wheelchair!) ... but then on tuesday she was admitted to hospital again ... multiple problems ... her rheumatoid arthritis was taking a toll on her ankle, really infecting it - that was the initial reason for being admitted ... but just an hour ago, i found out that she has a compound fracture of her left arm!!! she had fallen on tuesday and broken her arm - but they didn't diagnose that until just today ... poor thing was talking about a jarring pain in that arm, no wonder! there are other problems too (that is usual with chronically ill folks), so if you think of her - could you ask the Lord to just strengthen her and give wisdom to those who are taking care of her ...

i'll close on a sweet note ... maria's best gal pal became a grandmother for the first time ... this gal pal's daughter named her brand new daughter "sofia maria", in honour of maria ... maria doesn't know yet - but she will be just tickled when she finds out ...

blessings on your weekend ...

* * * * *

Trusting even when it appears you have been forsaken; praying when it seems your words are simply entering a vast expanse where no one hears and no voice answers; believing that God's love is complete and that He is aware of your circumstances, even when your world seems to grind on as if setting its own direction and not caring for life or moving one inch in response to your petitions; desiring only what God's hands have planned for you; waiting patiently while seemingly starving to death, with your only fear being that your faith might fail - "this is the victory that has overcome the world"; this is genuine faith indeed.
~George MacDonald

a river runs through it ...

our town sits on the banks of a very wide and fast moving river ... it is also a watery highway for all kinds of crafts ... like this float plane ...

the condos we live in, aren't the only ones that have sprung up in recent years ... the ones in the pic above were the first built in our little town .... they were almost home to us after we sold our cottage ... but with no elevator and 10 steep steps to the second floor unit we were thinking of buying, we passed on it ... the view was spectacular but the steps would have really been difficult for leo ... i'm glad we prayed much and didn't buy it just because we had no where else to move!!! the Lord was teaching us that old "patience" lesson - which i find most difficult to learn ... you would think i would have no troubles with patiently waiting since the condo He picked out for us has absolutely suited us to a T ... we even have a garage which the spiffy waterfront ones don't ... yay Lord!!!

i love the long boardwalk/dock that anchors our town beach ... most days there are fishermen at the end of the dock ... trying their luck - or just shooting the breeze ... folks from across the river use the berths to dock their boats and walk into town to do their shopping ... we did that too when we lived on the other side, took the boat into town to shop or just pick up our mail ...

our town beach is small ... but much appreciated !!! leo and i walked there yesterday (yes, leo finally got out for another walk - he had a bit of a set back over the summer, but we hope to get out more again) ... there are usually young moms sitting on the beach, picnic lunches stored in coolers on their blankets - all the while they keep their eyes on little munchkins who busy themselves with sandcastle construction - or wading in the water ... such inexpensive, wholesome entertainment for families ... if you had that type of a childhood - then you are indeed blessed!

yup ... that is the river that runs through our life here ... it's the river i ride my bike beside ... and it's the river the Lord uses to still my heart on the sad days when life seems to be only filled with much sighing and soul searching prayers - it's on those days He opens my eyes and lets me see the dancing diamonds on the water - the everyday blessings all around me ... those everyday blessings have eased my burdens and God has caressed my face, with His Fatherly hand ... i am eternally thankful to be His child ...

Psalm 94:18-19

when we find ourselves in a fog ...

look up ...

God's vision is always clear ...

for those tears . . .

For Those Tears I Died
Words and Music by Marsha J. and Russ Stevens
© 1972 Communique Music, Inc.



You said you'd come and share all my sorrows
You said you'd be there for all my tomorrows
I came so close to sending you away
But just like you promised, you came here to stay
I just had to pray

Chorus
And Jesus said,
"Come to the water, stand by my side
I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied
I felt every tear drop, when in darkness you cried
And I strove to remind you,
It's for those tears I died"
Your goodness so great, I can't understand it
And dear Lord I know now that all this was planned
I know You're here now and always will be
Your love loosened my chains, and in You I'm free
But Jesus why me?


Chorus
And Jesus said,
"Come to the water, stand by my side
I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied
I felt every tear drop, when in darkness you cried
And I strove to remind you,
It's for those tears I died"
Jesus I give You, my heart and my soul
I know now without God, I'll never be whole
Savior, You opened all the right doors
And I thank You and praise You from earth's humble shores
Take me I'm Yours!


Chorus
And Jesus said,
"Come to the water, stand by my side
I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied
I felt every tear drop, when in darkness you cried
And I strove to remind you,
It's for those tears I died"

* * * * * *

i was out walking in the rain this evening ... feeling sad ... overwhelmed and hemmed in by life ... i prayed as i walked along the familiar streets of our little town ... talking to the God who never leaves me, who understands my cry - even before it leaves my mouth- i just spilled all my frustrations out to Him ... He knows exactly what i am thinking all the time - so i may as well be completely honest! and the thing i love love love about my Heavenly Father ... about Jesus who has saved me ... and the Holy Spirit who lives within me ... is that They comforted me ... and not only did i find comfort, but it became a 2 way conversation ... i didn't hear voices - but i did "hear" verses that i've memorized ... verses that were exactly the encouragement i needed ... when i got back home, i was feeling better ... i'm glad that God continues His work in me ... yay Lord!

indie indie indie

cats are goofy, aren't they? ! ! ! ... indie is always cold ... not that i blame him this summer, it has been cold! he is always on the lookout for a warm spot to snooze in ...
he found my sweater the other day, and he wormed his way into the sleeve!!!

but a sleeve tapers ... and even tho' it was nice and cozy in there, he was stuck!

before helping him get out - i couldn't resist one more pic ... *laughing* ...

anniversary #35 ... yikes!

i honestly CANNOT believe that leo and i are now celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary! that's the thing about not having kids, we don't have those "living markers" to help us visualize time ... there is the old mirror *laughing* but i don't look in it much, so that doesn't count!!!

one thing about a long marriage ... and i suppose 35 years is getting to be a "long marriage"! ... you look back and you can see the segments in it ... like an orange ... you can separate that 35 years into parts ... first love ... first home ... turbulent times ... surgery years ... arizona years ... cottage living ... spiritual growth ... many many segments of life ... (posts sharing anniversary's past: number 31 ; number 32; number 33; number 34)

and through the 35 years - 26 of them have chronic pain laced through every memory ... it is a joy stealer of even the sweetest moments ... yet, it has also added empathy and continues to be a teaching tool ...

our union would have been disolved long ago, if it weren't for our shared faith in Christ ... to Him be all the glory ...thank you Lord - for being that glue in our marriage ... and more ... so much more each day!

fun with mom!

i was able to take a little road trip mid-week ... after making sure that leo had recovered from his virus and eye irritation (he had been feeling poorly for a few weeks ... thankfully he seems to be on the mend now) ... i hit the prairie highways and headed south to my mom's ... it's over a 2 hour drive (one way) ... but since she was all by herself, it seemed the perfect time to have a mom/daughter type visit ...

i spent wednesday and part of thursday with mom ... my step-father and mother are trying to sell their little house on the prairie, so that they can move north (about 8 hours from our place) to live near the baby of the family (who is only 33) ... tho' i will be sad to have mom move even further away from us - their current house is in such a remote location, that i will probably see them the same amount ...

mom has a large raspberry patch at her place ... leo's favourite fruit is raspberries! so she encouraged me to go out there and pick as many as i wanted to bring home to leo ...

as you can see, i did exactly that! i brought along my mosquito netting (i don't like to use bug spray) ... it worked great! it even prevented me from eating while picking - a few times i forgot that i had a net in front of my face and brought a juicy raspberry right to my lips, only to put it in my bowl instead!!! while i was picking berries, i would stomp my feet and sing - to let the neighbourhood bears (mom said there is a momma and 3 cubs in the area) know that i was there ... i didn't want to surprise them and vice versa!!

of course any visit to mom's is an opportunity for some computer instruction ... she wanted me to help her get more familiar with her laptop and digi camera ... i was happy to oblige!

time is such a fleeting commodity, isn't it? sometimes we look back and say "i wish i would have had more time for ............. " ... the only way to get the time - is take the time ... i'm so very very glad that at least this week, i did just that!

august already!

what a weird summer all over our north american continent, eh ? !!! my west coast sister is broiling in the heat ... and our usually hot prairies are soggy, cool and rainy ... ? ... i guess it's a sign of age that that though i'm not loving the excessive rain, i know i can't change a thing about it! so i'm going with the flow ...

the inner me is another story ... now there's a place that continually needs help ... really! there are spots which need a good spit and polish ... and other places that faith needs to build up, and grow in ...

with that in mind, here are a few good thoughts from recent Streams in the Desert readings ... hope they bless your heart like they blessed mine!

"Never pray for an easier life - - - pray to be a stronger person!
Never pray for tasks equal to your power - - pray for power equal to your tasks.
Then doing your work will be no miracle - - you will be the miracle."
~Phillips Brooks

"God will make our obstacles serve His purposes. We all have mountains in our lives, and often they are people and things that threaten to block the progress of our spiritual life. ... often we pray for their removal, for we tend to think that if only these were removed, we would live a more tender, pure, and holy life. ... These are the very conditions we need for achievements and they have been put in our lives as the means of producing the gifts and qualities for which we have been praying so long. ... The only way genuine patience can be acquired is by enduring the very trials that seem so unbearable today. ... Turn from your running and submit. ... Claim by faith to be a partaker in the patience of Jesus and face your trials in Him. ... "
~F.B. Meyer

".. you can trust the Man who died for you. You can trust Him to thwart each plan that should be stopped and to complete each one that results in His greatest glory and your highest good. You can trust Him to lead you down the path that is the very best in this world for you."
~J.H.M.

He's the lily of the valley ...

i just took these pics ... i love this time of year ... the flowers we inherited start to bloom bloom bloom!

there are 6 different colours of lilies ... i feel rich when i walk outside and take it all in!

the lollipop lilies are my favourite ... they look so happy ... *smile*

the roses are abundant as well ...

and the flower basket in the front ... which struggled so with the cooler spring ... has more than made up for it ... it cheerfully greets me every morning ...

and all these flowers reminds me of this old hymn ...

The Lily of the Valley

I have found a friend in Jesus, He's everything to me,
He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
The Lily of the Valley, in him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He's my comfort, in trouble He's my stay,
He tells me every care on Him to roll.

Chorus:
He's the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,
He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

He all my griefs has taken, and all my sorrows borne;
In temptation He's my strong and mighty tower;
I have all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn
From my heart, and now He keeps me by His power.
Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore,
Though Jesus I shall safely reach the goal.

Repeat Chorus.

He will never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here,
While I live by faith and do His blessed will;
A wall of fire about me, I've nothing now to fear,
With His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
Then sweeping up to glory to see His blessed face,
Where rivers of delight shall ever roll.

Repeat Chorus.

laundry

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood.
The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young
woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.
"That laundry is not very clean", she said.
"She doesn't know how to wash correctly.

Perhaps she needs better laundry soap"

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the
young woman would make the same comments.


About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a
nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband:

"Look, she has learned how to wash correctly.

I wonder who taught her this?"

The husband said, "I got up early this morning and
cleaned our windows."


And so it is with life.. What we see when watching others
depends on the purity of the window through which we look.

The Incredible Patience of God

we just finished reading this book ... and it's another that i highly recommend ... lane adams does a great job of answering the question of "why am i still struggling with lack of growth in my faith? ... "

the book jacket says:

"Many believers become discouraged with the long process of growth in their walk with Christ. In fact, Lane Adams believes it is "the rare spiritual prodigy" who moves rapidly to spiritual maturity. In this refreshing and helpful book, he offers encouragement, candid humor and practical insight for those who are struggling in their Christian life.

In many ways, some Christians today are indistinguishable from the culture around them. They deny moral absolutes of right and wrong, and affirm situational ethics. Their God is one-sided - all blessing and no judgment. In this book, Lane Adams urges Christians to seek a balance between asking for forgiveness and being accountable."