things that keep me occupied ...

a return to winter ... the cold and wind ... have taken the springtime snap out of my step!

but there is always a silver lining ... i got a late birthday present in the mail - a parallel bible, which will hopefully shed more light on my walk ...

then yesterday i thought i would lighten up my appearance too - with some highlights ...

just some of the things occupying my world this week ...

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.

~Mother Teresa

comfort

In Time of Sorrow
May you see God's light on the path ahead
When the road you walk is dark.
May you always hear,
Even in your hour of sorrow,
The gentle singing of the lark.
When times are hard may hardness
Not turn your heart to stone,
And may you always remember
You do not walk alone.

(A traditional Celtic Blessing)

April!

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

spring ? maybe? maybe not!

spring is playing with us manitobans ... one day it is lovely ... folks are walking, riding, running - enjoying the warm rays ... the next day the ground is covered with that white stuff again!

today was of the lovely variety ...

however, if tomorrow happens to be blustery and cold - i made sure i checked out some good books from our town library ...

i DO hope April will come in like a lamb ... but if not - well it will just be winter's last hurrah!

have a GREAT weekend!

spring rain ...

God's loyal love couldn't have run out,
his merciful love couldn't have dried up.
They're created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He's all I've got left.
God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It's a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
Lamentations 3:22-26 (the message)

fun with pictures

aww inspiration ... sometimes it can be fun!

we have so many "old faithful" wall hangings - i thought i could display most of them here at the condo ... but? well, some just didn't seem to suit the mood of the place ...

and ... i don't like bare walls ... yet ... i was at a loss as to how to fill the space ...

then inspiration hit ... and God smiled ...

i thought why not put some of my own pictures ... plus some postcards from my collection ... in frames ... see what happens ...

the arrangements i've posted were the result ... i know - they are amateur floral pictures and hokey caricatures - but they make me smile when i look at them ... they seem playful ... drawing joy out of the air ... with touches of simplicity ...

*grin* ...

if i can find the right frames (these were a bargain at $4.00 each) ... i might try other types of scenerios ...

yup - there is definitely something wonderful about being at an age when it doesn't matter if things are trés chic ... as long as they are trés fun!

Pictures must not be too picturesque. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

patio furniture

last week i went ALL out and bought patio furniture - pictured above ... it cost me $2.50 ... *grin* ...

there is room for a wooden bench or 2 chairs on our front deck ... but for now - these cushioned little seats will do!

If you want to be happy, be. ~Leo Tolstoy

can you see the bridge?

i took this pic on the first day of spring ... i know, it doesn't look too springy yet! the snowbanks are high and the river is frozen ...

i took it from our front deck because i just realized that i can see "our" bridge from here ... the bridge that is the gateway to cottage country, where our old place is ...

it seems like another lifetime ago that i had to drive on that narrow bridge to get to town ... for mail and groceries ... and now i can WALK to do those things! *huge grin* ...

it was definitely a "letting go" of one type of lifestyle ... to enter into another type of lifestyle ... transitions ... following where God leads and watching in wonder as He opens one door after another ...

even tho' my faith has seemed small at times, it always amazes me how HE can work through that small faith and make something joyful and perfect come out of it ... perfect in the sense of "God is in it" ...

just my morning thoughts ... as well as morning praise and acknowledgement of my Heavenly Father who gives all things for us to enjoy ...

even tho' there is still snow outside my window, Psalm 65: 11-13 is what the eyes of my heart see:

You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the desert overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.

SPRING!

we've opened the door to spring ... and new promise!

blogabilities

2007 has been all about settling into our new home ... and trying to get caught up on life in general ... getting into a routine ... unfortunately, my blogging has been haphazard at best ...

tho' there have been things on my mind to share ... moments when God's personal touch is so real ...

examples ....

i cashed a rebate cheque from canon last week ... since i was near a Christian bookstore, i thought why not spend it on literature that i could give as gifts? i found a number of items ... would you believe, the amount i spent came to the exact amount of the refund cheque! i wasn't even counting or trying to get it right on ... a smile making moment ...

then, i had been thinking of inviting a work friend over for coffee ... i left it and left it ... and just didn't get to it ... so what happened? i bumped into that friend at the grocery store! i invited her over and we had a lovely visit ...

2 little examples of the sweetness of life ... when even the very ordinary seems extra-ordinary, when God is in it ...

not quite spring yet!

ok - so i'm going with a shamelessly cute photo!!! i wish it were springtime here ... but we are getting snow, ice pellets and high winds at the moment ... the poor little kitty pictured above would be holding on for dear life, with flower petals swirling in the air all around it!

on a day like this, i have just been reading ... first the sunday paper ... then a novel by Dawn Ringling (so far it is a good read) ... and of course Amazing Race is on tonight ... *grin* ...

my poor sweetie is not feeling the best with this weather (dampness is so bad for chronic pain folks) ... atleast he has some favourite sports on tv like: curling, basketball and NASCAR ... plus having his wife serve him sub sandwiches and choco milk ... like can't be all bad? ...

thought i'd just post a hello ... and then go put my nose back in the book! maybe tomorrow the sun will come out and play again ... maybe?

O won't that be joy, joy! O won't that be joy!

when life is over, the race is run, And I hear my Savior's "Well done,"

O won't that be joy, joy! O won't that be joy!

The journey ended, the victory won, 'Twill be joy, joy, joy!

~Unknown

irish blessings

i love irish blessings ... in honour of st. patrick's day this weekend - here are some of the gentler irish ones for you ... have a great weekend!

May you always have ...
Walls for the winds,
A roof for the rain,
Tea beside the fire,
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all your heart might desire!

May your neighbors respect you,
Troubles neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And Heaven accept you.

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

God meets us where we are at ...

i love it when God meets us exactly where we are at ... He did this for me - AGAIN - this morning ... but only after i finally quit my fussing - long enough to hear Him speak peace to my heart!

i had been feeling weary ... trying to divide myself up into small pieces to meet the needs of those around me ... or worse yet - trying to carry leo's burden for him ... i just flit from here to there to nowhere!! which doesn't do the "inner" me any good!

so this morning i had a good little chitchat with the Lord ... confessing things (which He already knew!) and taking time to enjoy a sunrise again ... isn't it amazing how confession clears our vision and we once again see the beauty all around?

afterwards i felt so much more like "me" ...

i hadn't turned over my little daily calendar for 6 days - and wouldn't you know it - this morning as i read Charles Swindoll's thought for this day - they were words i needed to hear ... coincidence? or a God thing? ... for me - it was definitely God!

When it comes to the matter of doing His

will, God has not said that you must answer

for anyone else except yourself. Quit looking

around for equality! Stop concerning

yourself with the need of others to do what

you are doing. Or endure what you have

been called to endure. God chooses

the roles we play. Each part is unique.

off to mom's i went ...

here are some scenes from my mom's place ...

yesterday i did the 200 km trip for some "mom and me" time! it was great to just sit and chat ... share stories ... and wander around her home - at leisure - to gawk at all her unique little treasures and homemade crafts ...

i don't know how she has fit everything into her 72 years ... 6 children, 12 books (no big bucks, she is a "poor" author!), a weekly newspaper column (canadian/finnish newspaper)... her numerous crafts, travel, home renovations, keeping up with friends ... the list seems to be endless!

while we visited, she made a pair of mittens ... that is what she does when she "rests"!

we talked about the family and how there is so much illness running rampant at the moment ... it was a subdued visit ... mom herself has heart problems ...

we talked about the Lord ...

then it was time for me to head home ... my home - which means leo and our fearless feline ... yet in that daughter part of my heart, "home" will always be wrapped up with childhood nostalgia and a mother's light touch ...


I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. ~Abraham Lincoln

2 Timothy 2:15

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15

thankfulness ...

i am reading a REALLY marvellous book called the Holy Wild ... it is written by a pastor from B.C., mark buchanan ... this book was a gift from "the other saija" (who found me via this blog) ...

i just wanted to share this one story - an example of mark's excellent writing - very very readable and it hits home to my heart ... he makes a point about thankfulness ...

page 106 - 107 from the Holy Wild

I was in Uganda, Africa about a dozen years ago, in a little township called Wairaka. Every Sunday evening, about one hundred Christians from the neighboring area would gather to worship. They met at the edge of a cornfield, under a lean-to with a rusty tin roof that cracked like gunfire when it rained. They sat - when they did sit - on rough wood benches. The floor was dirt. The band's instruments were old or handmade - bruised, scratched guitars with corroded strings and necks that had warped in the humidity; a plinky electric piano plugged into a crackling speaker; shakers made of tin cans and stones. All of it kept straying out of tune.

One Sunday evening, I was too sour to join in. The music sounded squawky, I was miffed at someone on our missions team, I found the food bland, tasteless. I was feeling deprived and misunderstood. I found the joy of others hollow, mustered-up. I was miserable, and I wanted to wallow in it.

The pastor asked if anyone had anything to share. Many people wanted to, but a tall, willowy woman in the back row danced and shouted loudest, so he called her forward. She came twirling her long limbs, trilling out praise.

"Oh, brothers and sisters, I love Jesus so much," she said.

"Tell us, sister! Tell us!" the Ugandans shouted back.

"Oh, I love Him so much, I don't know where to begin. He is so good to me. Where do I begin to tell you how good He is to me?"

"Begin there, sister! Begin right there!"

"Oh," she said, "He is so good. I praise Him all the time for how good He is. For three months, I prayed to Him for shoes, And look!" And with that the woman cocked up her leg so that we could see one foot. One very ordinary shoe covered it, "He gave me shoes."

The Ugandans went wild. They clapped, they cheered, they whistled, they yelled.

But not me. I was devastated. I sat there broken and grieving. In an instant, God snapped me out of my self-pity and plunged me into repentance. In all my life, I had not once prayed for shoes. It never even crossed my mind. And in all my life, I had not even once thanked God for the many, many shoes I had.

Thanklessness becomes its own prison. Persisted in, it becomes its own hell, where there is outer darkness and gnashing of teeth. Thanklessness is the place God doesn't dwell, the place that, if we inhabit it too often, He turns us over to. "See to it that no one misses the grace of God," Hebrews says, "and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Thanklessness troubles and defiles many, because first it troubles and defiles the one in whom bitterness takes root.

end of quote

this book is so well written that i am reading it like a novel ... rather than a study book ... his writing is full of images that make me think, pray, repent and rejoice!

another day, another problem ...

this is the rarely photographed "South Florida Squirrel" ... *grin* ... come on, it's cute, isn't it?

today was supposed to be my grocery day ... before heading for the garage (our condo has a garage - i love that!!!), i swept the light layer of freshly fallen snow off the back steps ... my heart was thankful and i was living in the moment ...

the next moment found me behind the steering wheel of our car, turning the ignition key - i remained thankful - but ... well, i only heard this "click click click" ... yup, dead battery!

*shakes head, laughs to self* ... again, this wasn't a big problem ... we made a call, and it was all done in short order ... just a change of plans for me and leo did get some fresh air (he hadn't been outside in 2 weeks or so) ... i remain thankful - just puzzled at how car batteries die without any notice ... just like people do sometimes ...

and what does the south florida squirrel have to do with this? nothing, i just liked the gentle humour of it ...

patience ...

would you believe my internet provider pulled the plug on my service - again? yup - they did! first thing sunday morning ...

it was an accounts error, so i had to wait until this morning to call and get it corrected ... they were very apologetic - again ... and gave me a discount on my internet service for a year ...

i asked why they kept on cutting my service? and the lady said it had been done by the same person, who still has the "cancel service" message on her computer? hopefully it will be wiped out for good now!!

sunday was a blustery, cold, day ... leo wasn't feeling well - at all ... and we had a water main break in our little town that forced the water to be shut off for an hour ... when they did turn it back on, the pressure was low low low ...

hmmmm?

trivial problems in the scheme of things ... i know ... but it is usually the little things that nag on our patience and want to make us cranky old souls ...

yesterday i won ... i did NOT give in to complaining or rudeness towards my spouse ...

one victory at a time ... yet, one must never rest on yesterday's laurels ... every day there is something NEW to overcome ... and there are ALSO new blessings, like cheaper internet for a year, waiting for us ...

how was your weekend?

tunnel vision

"Where is there a country without sin, crime, lawlessness, bloodshed, disease, death, sorrow and heartache? Heaven is a country in which there is the absence of all that is common to any land, for in God's country there are no barriers, no walls or curtains to divide; no race barrier; no soldiers because there are no wars; no policemen because there is no crime or sin; no undertakers because there are no graves; no physicians because germs, fevers, pestilences, diseases are unknown; no thieves because there is no darkness. Who would not yearn for this better and more desirable country in which there are no separations, no broken homes, no drunkards, no prisons, no hospitals, no beggars, no persons who are blind, deaf, dumb or destitute? What a country! Are you not homesick for Heaven? --H. Lockyer

i think i want to get tunnel vision ... the type that sees only heaven ahead ... a vision that allows me to be fearless during my remaining days on earth ... ready to speak with love about my Saviour, who waits for me ...

yup ... the type of vision that doesn't let petty arguments weigh me down ... because i am heaven bound ...

that type of tunnel vision would be heaven sent ...

dreams come true

David Fisher, from Pilgrim Scribblings is in ENGLAND at the moment ... he is living out a life long dream of visiting this land where so many great preachers came from ... he sounds like a kid in a candy store ...

i love to read about dreams coming true ... :o)

well placed trust

I question not God’s means or ways,
Or how He uses time or days,
To answer every call or prayer—
I know He will, somehow, somewhere.
—Whitney

God may deny our request but will never disappoint our trust.

RBC selection

what we're reading ...

i have books on my shelves that haven't been read yet ... their pages are still crisp and clean, no sign of loving perusal ... somehow they got set aside ...

such was the case with Joseph Stowell's "Following Christ" ... i've had it on my shelf for 10 years ... and it wasn't until just last month that i rediscovered it - and now it's our morning devotional reading (plus the bible of course) ...

i believe in God's timing for everything ... and i think this is the book for us to chew on ...

"When Christ entered the corridors of history, He made an incredible and compelling claim - a claim that no one else has been able to make with such confidence or affirmation in the lives of those who have embraced it. He said, "I am the way and the truth and the life"(John 14:6). Without shame or reservation, He claimed to be the defining and directing force of life. No other person in history has had so many convinced followers who were willing, not only to live for Him, but - after experiencing the reality of His claims and the pleasure of a relationship with Him - to die for Him as well."

page 31 - Following Christ ...

we are about a third through ... it has challenged my heart, and i hope leo's as well ... i would unconditionally recommend this book to you ...

my brother is 50!

i can hardly believe that my "baby" brother turns 50 today! so this is a shout out to him - Happy Birthday Veli Poika!!

we have many shared childhood memories ... one that stands out is the tree incident ...

we were riding our bikes one warm prairie morning ... since i am the elder by 3 years, i wanted to show my brother the proper navigational technique while speeding down a bumpy hill ... i chose a rather steep section and aimed my handle bars toward a stand of trees near the bottom ... i had successful guided my bike through these same trees before ... but instead of gliding through the trees, i smashed right into them! ... the handlebars jammed into my stomach (the scar created, took over a decade to fade!) and i lay in a crumpled heap on the ground ... my poor brother didn't know whether to laugh or cry ... i was in such pain as we walked our bikes home ... the laughter came later - when he saw that i hadn't killed myself ... since then, he has taken great delight in reliving the incident to anyone who would listen ...

so i like to think that i had something to do with him reaching 50 ... after my example, he never did try to speed down a steep hill, just to see if he could glide through a stand of trees ....

*grin*

bits 'n pieces

just by chance my eyes lit upon a scripture treasure card on my bookshelf... it was exactly what i needed and a continuation of yesterday's verse in 2 Corinthians 4, verse 17 ... it says: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." ... it was a good reminder for me to be patient ... AGAIN ...

earlier, i had taken my cares to the Lord - and aired my complaints before Him ... He in turn gave me a peaceful heart and reminded me of how short this life truly IS ... my next prayer will be for wisdom - how to be a better caregiver!

~~~~~~~~

a blog you may want to visit: Dying mans daily journal ... in it Bill shares his experience of knowing his days are numbered ... he writes with such sincerity of heart ... he lives in winnipeg, manitoba ...

~~~~~~~~

Debra's blog also has some very good posts to help us get REAL with ourselves ... blessed my heart ...

~~~~~~~~

it is a perfect winter day in our little town ... snow lightly falling and temperatures hovering around zero ... a day made for walks and reflection ... and counting blessings ...

do not lose heart ...

i love verses like 2 Corinthians 4:16 ... reminders that even though we may feel tired, because our bodies are aging and strength failing, our inward man can still be growing and becoming stronger and stronger ...

today i feel physically wiped ... i think the activities of the past year ... good and bad ... have finally caught up with me! ... or maybe it's that birthday i just celebrated ... either way, i'm hoping for a quiet weekend ... time for recharging batteries ...

blessings on your weekend ...

snow day

my internet came back this morning ... it was a short little outage that my server promised to compensate me for, with one free month ... *grin* ... bonus!

it was a snowy day yesterday (my view pictured above) ... i spent it puttering around the house and also reading ... it was nice to just sit and enjoy the quiet of my world ...

the book i am reading is called Night Light, by Terri Blackstock ... it's the second in the series ... about a world where all modern conveniences cease working because of pulses that disrupt them ... interesting concept ... what would a person do? no blogging, that's for sure!

i just got back from a long walk around town ... now ready to sit and read for a bit ... i'm sooooo bad when i get a good book - i need to know what happens!

computer down

my internet is off until thursday at the earliest ... my provider made a boo boo ... but they should have me up and running shortly ...

just a quick note from the library ...

FYI ... blessings on ya!

The Love of God

The Love of God
Words by Fred­er­ick M. Leh­man and Music by Clau­dia L. Mays


The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Refrain

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

i woke up humming this old hymn ... the words ring true to my ears and heart ... His blessings are new every morning ...

happy birthday to me ...

yes another year is added to the countdown of my own mortality!

so happy birthday to me ... *grin* ...

the song that comes to mind as i think of the years i've lived - is the johnny appleseed song of grace ... please indulge the birthday girl and sing along ...

Oh, the Lord's been good to me.

And so I thank the Lord

For giving me the things I need:

The sun, the rain and the appleseed;

Oh, the Lord's been good to me.

now off to slumberland ... tomorrow the plan is to share the cake that my aunt made with whoever might drop by for coffee ... *smile* ...

busier lifestyle ...

after 3 weeks of bitterly cold weather, it has finally lifted ... we're back to seasonal temps and might i dare say "walking weather" ... how wonderful that sounds!!!!

even though it has been so cold, my life has been busier than usual ... company and settling in here at condo central, have made time fly!

yesterday, one of my childhood buds dropped by ... with gifts and a cake! the cake was a rich chocolate affair, that we quickly ate half of! and the gifts were 3 wooden johan flowers ... they are made by a finnish designer, johan puu ...


as you can see, i wasted no time putting them up ... you can check them out closer on my finnish home ....

the other two were different in colour ... one was red and the other blue ... i really love them ... i'm looking at the flower pictured above, as i type this ... *grin* ...

well i am getting more company today ... and possibly company on sunday ... so i must scoot ...

just had to share the lovely gift ... God's goodness is fresh every day ...

Happy Valentine's day!

The Way of Love

1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2 If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7 If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

8-10 Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

11 When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

12 We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

13 But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

1 Corinthians 13 (The Message)

antiques anyone?

my west coast sister is here in the prairies ... visiting and experiencing our dry cold! we teased her about the timing of this visit ... the dead of winter, during an extremely frigid spell ... she said atleast there's no mosquitoes! :o)

i picked her up from the city yesterday and brought her out to our little area ... we braved the weather to go out walking ... one of our stops was the local antique shop ... she loved it and educated me on the hidden treasures she found ... at a very reasonable price. .... as she handled an item, she would whisper its west coast worth to me ... her eyes would glow as she contemplated a purchase ... it was fun! ... i only wish we would have had more time ...

her visit was a breath of springtime during this prolonged period of cold ... just what my winter weary heart needed ...

sheep ...

i love this picture ... it almost looks like the sheep are being kept safe by invisible means ... even though there is a frosty storm overtaking the rest of the land, they are safe and secure ... totally at rest - not even aware of any danger ...

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.
~John 10: 27-29

focus

at times it seems that everything works against a believer ... distracting us from the REAL task ahead ... i often stop and ask myself ... "will this matter in eternity?" ... that is my own personal checklist ... short, sweet and to the point ...

whatever may be bothering you today ... ask yourself, "will this matter in eternity?" ...

sunrise at 40 below ...

have you ever wondered what a sunrise at -40F/-40C looks like? take a gander at the picture above ... this was the view from our dining room window, first thing this morning ...

there was an eiry glow ... ice mist shrouded the frozen river ... cars drove slowly, with engines whining ... towns folk stoically went for their morning walks, bundled up - layer upon layer upon layer ... schools were cancelled ...

the beauty was there ... in such a breath-taking way ...

cold is peaceful too ... i mean, when was the last time you heard of eskimos wanting to do harm to mankind? or northern countries spoken of as dangerous melting pots?

cold like this is a forced rest to those of us that live on this tundra ... and for me, who needs to finish unpacking ... it was a very fine productive day!

and despite the frigid weather, i could still say " this is the day the Lord has made, i will rejoice and be glad in it! " ... maybe said with a wee bit of defiance!

ode to hibernation!

i have been hibernating!!! when it gets cold ... like -30C and even COLDER ... i hibernate ... a good book ... a warm blanket ... and a hot drink ...

this morning it was -38.5C when i got up ... brrrrrrrr ... i am SO thankful that we are in our condo ... it is cozy, toasty here ... the rental was quite drafty, and we just couldn't stay warm on really cold nights ... but here, we are quite content!

next week, my west coast sister is coming to visit ... um, i sure hope she doesn't freeze! they barely get snow in Victoria - and the grass is green all year round ... but the prairies dance to a different tune, played by jack frost ... and the frosty pipers ...

the cold makes me babble ... *grinning* ... did you notice?

anyway, nothing too terrible profound, just thought i would post - incase you wondered where i was!

just hibernating ...

Inside myself is a place where I live all alone,

and that's where I renew my springs that never dry up.

~Pearl Buck

in praise of small towns

our town has only a few thousand residents ... the surrounding cottage country adds thousands more in the summer ... but those of us who have been here for a while, have atleast face recognition of each other ...

yesterday, when my aunt and i were shopping, i was chatting with our local grocer (who had carried our bags to my car) ... i happened to mention that the shelving units i had ordered, were now waiting for me at the sears catalogue outlet ... immediately he asked how i was getting them home? i just told him the backseat went down in our car, and that was how we'd wrangle them in via the trunk ... oh no no no, he said, he would get them ... after a bit of back and forth (i heard The Voice whisper in my ear to allow someone to do the kindness they were offering to do) ... we agreed to meet after my aunt and i had finished shopping ...

about 45 minutes later, i went back to the grocery store ... when i found mr. grocer, he just said "all done" ... i was puzzled since i didn't think he knew my last name ... how could he get the order from Sears? ... well - somehow he had! ... and since all the business owners know each other, mr sears outlet knew it was ok to release my order to mr. grocer! ... then mr. grocer trucked the 2 heavy boxes to the condo ... he unloaded them by himself - not allowing leo to do anything but open the door! ... like he said, "all done" ... only in small towns, eh!

so yesterday we put the units together and i spent last night unpacking my books ... "my books" said with much love! ...

... contented sigh ...

it may turn nasty cold out there ... but condo central is starting to shape up and feels ever so much like home ... home, in our little town ...

It is summertime in my heart,
It is summertime in my heart;
Since Jesus saved me - New life He gave me -
Even in wintertime, it's summer in my heart!

africa ...

last november i posted about Jaako and his vision to help the children in malawi ... well the little guy is actually there! ... :o) ... he is distributing much needed supplies and sharing the gospel ... now that is some start for a 9 year old! his personal account can be found at hope for malawi

africa seems to be on everyone's hearts these days ... we have all heard of oprah's school that just opened up in south africa ... jaako's vision took him to malawi ... and after 4 years of careful planning and fund raising, a winnipeg teacher - along with her class - has just recently arrived in Senegal ... Lindor Reynolds (a winnipeg free press reporter) went along to document the activities ... winnipeg free press blogs/reynolds ...

yes, i know we have poor here in north america too ... but i think that the level of poverty in a third world country is something we can't truly envision - unless we go there ... i am sure that everyone's lives will be changed forever, after seeing what true need is all about ...

these are just 2 stories that i've been following lately ... just in case you want to take a peek into what some young people are up to ... i find it quite admirable.

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one. ~Mother Teresa

perspective

So much in life depends on "where you're

coming from "as you face your

circumstances. The secret, of course, is

perspective. Even bad news can sound like

good news if it is seen from a certain

vantage point.

~Charles R. Swindoll

currently reading ....

leo chose our morning 'read out loud' book ... he wanted to hear about "heaven, better by far" ...

it has been a good read ... nothing overly deep, yet there have been insights along the way ... a fresh look at familiar passages ... and thoughts from a bible scholar who would soon step across the divide between the here and now ... into the hereafter ...

this was Dr. Sanders last book ... shortly after completing it, he slept away into eternity ...

and as we've been reading this book, the reality of our own mortality has made itself known ... it's taken the form of cancer being diagnosed in close family members ... also reminders in our own bodies of their short term make-up ... only our spiritual lives were built with eternity in mind ...

quoted from page 149, "Heaven, better by far" ...

On one occasion Dwight L. Moody, the great American evangelist, said,

Some day you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody of East Northfield is dead. Don't you believe one word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone up higher, that's all - out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal; a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body fashioned like His glorious body. I was born of the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1856. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live for ever.

enjoying the moment ...

can't you just feel the relaxation pouring out of this laid back cat! he found a sunny spot and took advantage of it ... i can just imagine how warm his fur feels ... he looks so comfy and drowsy, with eyelids half closed ... living in the moment is that good ...

Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life,

and the labors of life reduce themselves.

~Edwin Way Teale

a proverb ...

I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.
Proverbs 4:11-13

on the lighter side ...

this is a typical prairie province winter conversation!

so what do you guys who have to deal with hurricanes and other warm weather problems, say?

doomsday clock ...

i see they changed the doomsday clock today ... the scientists who take care of it, moved it two minutes closer to midnight ... the official reading is "five minutes to midnight" ... apparently global warming was added to the mix ... along with the nuclear threat ...

i'm so glad that my life and times are in God's hands ... there are no surprises to the Creator of the Universe ... He knows ... yes, He knows ...