last day of summer ...

today was simply a beautiful day in the prairies, this official last day of summer ... i was able to take the bike out for a spin ... just enjoying our town ...the leaves are changing colour at a quick pace ... giving that last hoorah to one season, as another is ushered in ...

i thank the Lord for giving me my lovely little, pre-planned and pre-planted (tho' not by me!) flower garden ... it has continued flowering all summer long, with a minimal amount of care ... yet a maximum amount of beauty ...

these are photo's from my day today ... it was indeed a good one!

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.

~Celia Thaxter

channels only

Channels only, blessed Master -

But with all Thy wondrous pow'r
Flowing thru us, Thou canst use us,

Ev-ry day and ev-ry hour.

it's been a week of struggle ... to be a channel of God's love ... to be NICE, not impatient ... to be caring rather than care-less ... to not carry extra burdens that seem to be strewn in my pathway ...

yup ... it's been a struggle ...

Channels only, blessed Master -

But with all Thy wondrous pow'r
Flowing thru us, Thou canst use us,

Ev-ry day and ev-ry hour.

Mary E. Maxwell, Ada Rose Gibbs

my hope ...

But I will sing of your strength,

in the morning I will sing of your love;

for you are my fortress,

my refuge in times of trouble.

O my Strength, I sing praise to you;

you, O God, are my fortress,

my loving God.

Psalm 59: 16-17

my hope is in the Lord! my trust is not misplaced! He has never failed to restore my soul or help when i've called to Him ...

leo continues tired, but otherwise fine ... we cannot complain about life, because it is good ... and we have been blessed through the years ... even though this pain walk has been so very odd ... and it can make a soul weary ... after the trials and tests are done, there is much to praise God about ... and hopefully we can be witnesses of His care and love ...

thank you for your encouragement ... and i hope your sunday has been blessed!

trust

what a topsy turvy upside down few weeks this has been ... after being so relieved that leo was better ... he is once again struggling "with something" ... whether it is the pneumonia or his meds creating problems re lack of oxygen in his system - the doctor isn't quite sure ... tho' the meds could be the culprit ...

we knew that one day there would be an issue with the meds ... but they are needed to control the 24/7 pain ... yet they create a whole set of other problems ... such is the round and round world of chronic pain ...

leo is on antibiotics again ... then on monday he'll do more labwork (they want early morning samples) ... for now i'll just watch over him as best as i know how ... and rely on my God to keep us both safe ... He ALWAYS has a plan, my Jesus, even tho' i don't know what it is - i will try to practise what i've always preached - and just TRUST in HIM, rather than leaning on my own understanding ...

blessings to you, dear blog buds ... and thank you for praying for us ...

UPDATE: well it's saturday p.m. now ... today has been much better ... it has been such a roller coaster ride for us lately ... i'm losing track of time! ... leo did have a rocky night - and restless morning - but today was so much better then yesterday ... maybe he still has a "bug" that the antibiotics are working on? that is my hope ... i'm sure it was your prayer that has AGAIN turned the tide ... thank you!!!

sharing chronic pain moments

we had 2 really lovely days last week ... after the antibiotics were all done ... when leo felt "comfortable" ...

then the fall weather pulled in ... and the last couple of nights have been restless ...

i'll give you a glimpse into our household ... into other households of chronic pain sufferers ...

leo didn't have a fever ... that part was fine, but his fingers were like icicles and he was so nauseous ... i put him to bed and tried to warm his body with mine ... he slept fitfully ... awakening in the middle of the night to chills and "yuckiness" ... i got him pills, liquids, did whatever i could to comfort him ... all the while our newest family member attacked my feet from under the bed or dived at me with claws outstretched as i walked by ... it was a black comedy in the making ...

that was 2 nights ago ... last night i had a better sleep, though i think leo still suffered ... and today? well, he's snoozing in his recliner, with squeaks in a dead sleep on the couch ... and me? well i'm just watching and waiting to see what else develops in this chronic pain walk of ours ...

i know the Lord is ever with me, i just get tired sometimes ...

the prayers of my blog buds is always appreciated ...

Isaiah 46:4

isn't that a wonderful promise? ...

HE Will Sustain US ...

and rescue us ...

even to our old age ...

what we're reading ...

the book leo and i are reading together is by Sherwood Eliot Wirt, The Inner Life of the Believer ... i read this book for the first time in 1989 ... and now i'm happy to be reading it outloud to leo ...

part of the jacket says:

Without this inner life, our Christianity is just another hoop to jump through in the circus of existence . . . the assurances we get on Sunday are dissolved into gruel by Monday noon, leaving us hungry. Life is reduced to a macabre existence.

But with it, we are magnificently equipped to face whatever life throws at us...let the planet explode, let the constellations slip their orbits, let the universe itself stand on its ear; it doesn't matter. Our lives are hid with Christ in God.

if you're looking for a book to make you think and to stretch your inner man ... i would recommend this one.

Psalm 42:1

my west coast sister captured this moment last week ... when she e-mailed me the picture, psalm 42:1 immediately came to mind ...

may it always be that way with my soul ... desiring God above all else ...

what matters ...

"But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us ... " 2 Corinthians 7:6a

when i grow weary in the everyday struggle to remain positive ... to feel worthwhile ... when it is hard work to not grow discouraged ... as i watch my efforts fall short of my expectations ... it is at those times i plead with my Redeemer and ask for a new vision ...

He answers through His word ... and directs my reading, so that i will once again regain my balance ... because when this world seems the bleakest - that is when i NEED to focus on the things that are eternal in God ... to cheer my flagging spirit on ...

i don't want to talk about the temporary ... i turn my head from the frivolous ... i try not to focus on the things that are - at best - fleeting ... dear Lord, let me not just "chase after the wind" ...

for my own peace of mind and inner encouragement, my focus needs to change ... to care more for those things unseen, yet which are more LASTING than the everyday we feel and touch ...

when my vision is once again SET on the spiritual ... then and only then, will my heart be able to enjoy the temporal ... as i gently touch a fallen rose along the path to my heavenly home ...

readings for this week have been from Ecclesiastes 1 to 6; Psalm 46; 2 Corinthians 6 and 7 ...

for this i am thankful ...

our former backyard, at the cottage

Leo is continuing to improve ... for this i am thankful ...

our little kitten provides many "smile moments" daily ... for this i am thankful ...

the Word of God is alive and ministers to me ... for this i am thankful ...

my own health has been good ... for this i am thankful ...

and tho' some days are difficult, i have a Redeemer who is urging me to use my spiritual sight - and to not lean on my own understanding ... for this i am thankful ...

it is Sunday ... we participated in tv church, and felt the Spirit of God using a sweet bible teacher to minister to our spiritual needs ... for this i am thankful ...

for blogging friends who share and care ... for YOU, i am thankful ...

without faith, it is impossible to please God

An old writer says,

"Faith and reason can be compared to two travelers: Faith is like a man in full health, who can walk his 20 or 30 miles at a time without suffering. Reason is like a child, who can only with difficulty accomplish 3 or 4 miles.

"Well," says this old writer, "on a given day Reason says to Faith, 'O good Faith, let me walk with you.'

"Faith replies, 'O Reason, you can never walk with me.'

"However, to try their paces, they set out together but they soon find it hard to keep company. When they come to a deep river, Reason says, 'I can never ford this.' But Faith wades through singing.

"When they reach a lofty mountain, there is the same exclamation of despair, and in such cases, Faith, in order not to leave Reason behind, is obliged to carry him on his shoulder."


And, adds the writer,

"Oh, what a luggage is Reason to Faith!"

Blaise Pascal wrote in The Pensées, "The last step that reason takes is to recognize that there is an infinity of things beyond it."


page 216 Legacy of a Pack Rat ... by Ruth Bell Graham

Romans 12:12

thankful

leo came home from the hospital this afternoon and we are thankful!

thank you again for your prayer on our behalf ... we are definitely tuckered out, but hoping for better days ahead!!!

blessings to you all ... saija

the view from the hospital room ...

this is the view from leo's hospital room ... yes - you read correctly, my leo ended up in emerge last night because of a 103F fever ... and he was rather incoherent ... not to mention falling down! sooooooooo, at 10 p.m. we were in the small town hospital emerge, where they were waiting for him (i'd called ahead) and he was in a room as fast as the wheelchair could go ... all the bloodwork, xrays, etc., were done quickly & efficiently ... and the antibiotic drip got started right away ...

i slept 3 hours last night ... and the poor kitty was by his lonesome, tho' he has started to eat & drink now ...

leo's fever has left ... but the doctor thinks the cause is still lurking somewhere in leo's lungs ... so he gets to stay another night or two ...

if you would remember us in prayer, i would appreciate it ...

we are thankful that things got taken care of as quickly as possible ... that the hospital is close by ... we know God is in control ... and i have praying friends ... which means - you - to encourage us along ... thanking my blog buds in advance ...

UPDATE as of 9 p.m. ... Leo is doing SO MUCH better! we had a nice evening visit, as his 3rd antibiotic dose, drip drip dripped into his veins ... i'm hoping he can come home on sunday ... thank you so much for your prayers! i felt comforted, knowing that you were all only a post away! blessings to you ...

fearless feline

it's been 4 months now since our fearless feline died ... and just this past week, we have been thinking about maybe getting another one ... but just thinking ... we don't know if we want to have our hearts broken again ... our fearless feline was the most unique, loveable cat we had ever owned (if one "owns" a cat?) ... and we still miss him terribly ...

Cat lovers can readily be identified. Their clothes always look old and well used. Their sheets look like bath towels and their bath towels look like a collection of knitting mistakes. ~Eric Gurney

be Thou my vision ...

cyber hymnal states that this hymn was first begun in the 8th century, then completed in 1912 ... the sentiments have stayed true over a 1000 years ... the poet and composer have long been with the Lord - delighting in the Vision which is now their reality ...

if our eyes are focused on Him who has saved us ... won't that help us see our daily trials and tribulations in proper perspective? it's something i try to practise ... knowing that " ... all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." ...

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

peace that passes understanding ...

i took this picture in Finland, 2002 ... the scripture was added today ... just giving God the praise for His daily blessings ... and the freedom He extends to any who are in need or hurting ...

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make her boast in the LORD; the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.

I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

They looked unto Him and were lightened, and their faces were not ashamed.

This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.

O taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him!

O fear the LORD, ye His saints! For them that fear Him suffer no want.

The young lions lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

Psalm 34: 1-10

continue on ... be faithful

i've just gone through a week of ... depression? could be ... just a sadness that made me weep for no known reason ...

as i rode my bike today, i mentally reviewed the past week ... with it's highs and lows ... and my mind touched on one golden moment ... right in our living room, 2 men shook hands who had not spoken to each other in 7 years ... it was a truly joyous occasion ... prayer had been answered ...

that's when i realized that this past week had just been the valley, after a mountain top moment ... the deceiver had tried his best to get my mind to focus on the negatives & sadness - and take away from God's goodness and grace ...

so with that new light in my heart ... i shall continue my pilgrim journey ... glad to be serving Him who will return for me one day ...

* * * * * * * * * *

this unnamed poem & poet was found in "Legacy of a Pack Rat", page 166 ...
from William Barclay's Commentary on Matthew - A black poet wrote:

"There's a king and a captain high,
And He's coming by and by,
And He'll find me hoeing cotton when He comes.
You can hear His legions charging in the regions
of the sky,
And He'll find me hoeing cotton when He comes.
There's a Man they thrust aside,
Who was tortured till He died,
And He'll find me hoeing cotton when He comes.
He was hated and rejected,
He was scorned and crucified,
And He'll find me hoeing cotton when He comes.
When He comes! When He comes!
He'll be crowned by saints and angels when He comes.
They'll be shouting out Hosanna! to the Man that
men denied,
And I'll kneel among my cotton when He comes."

everyone gets the blues sometimes ...

I awoke heavy ...
and heavy I prayed,
face in the sun,
heart in the shade.
As smoke hangs low
on a sullen day,
my prayer hung there ...
till I heard His voice,
"This is the day
that the Lord hath made;
... Rejoice ...!"

~ Ruth Bell Graham

Billy Graham on 20/20

old time magazine cover ... billy is nearing 90 now

just an FYI for you ... 20/20 on ABC (Friday night - 10 August) is doing a special on Billy Graham, and his ministry to the U.S. Presidents ...



i'm always curious how secular TV covers someone like Billy Graham - someone who always proclaims the gospel ...

the lost ...

sometimes i forget that it's not all about me ... my problems and difficulties and growth in Christ ... it's ALSO and foremost, about those who don't know Him ... Jesus ... my Redeemer and Comforter ... those who are on the outside, not even realizing that Jesus loves them and wants to FREE them ...

it's about the ones who have never heard ... have never understood ... who are rebelling against the God of heaven ...


Romans 5 says ...

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 The blood of Christ has made us right with God. So we are even more sure that Jesus will save us from God's anger.

10 Once we were God's enemies. But we have been brought back to him because his Son has died for us. Now that God has brought us back, we are even more secure. We know that we will be saved because Christ lives.

11 And that is not all. We are full of joy in God because of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of him, God has brought us back to himself.

to go? or to stay put?

i was up early again this past weekend ... saturday found me looking out the window at the faint light on the horizon ... the sun was just starting it's morning climb ... i wondered if i should take a quick walk to the beach - to see what kind of sunrise it would turn out to be ... but, to tell you the truth, i didn't really feel like going out ... however, i asked myself the "why not?" question ... so i went anyway ...

the picture below is one of the 20 that i took ... it was a perfectly lovely sunrise ... tho' this time, i felt a bit cold out by the water - the wind was gusty and unhospitable ... i also noticed a few beer bottles that someone had thoughtlessly discarded in the sand ...

i had a thankful heart, but realized that i wasn't "called to go" ... there was nothing special that God had for me out there - except the early morning quiet ...

so i shivered my way back to the house, spying another beer bottle in the very middle of the road (atleast the person hadn't broken it!) - i picked that one up so that a car wouldn't drive over it ...

i was glad to get back to my comfortable condo ... no more shivering in the wind ...

i turned the coffee on, and started to open the dining room venetians ... below is the sight which greeted me - right outside my own window!!!! a beauty of a sunrise ... just glorious ... sweet ... and mine alone!!!

after i took 2 pictures ... i realized another truth of God ... we don't always have to GO somewhere to see and be with our Creator ... nope! ... sometimes He just wants us to open the blinds - and He will meet us exactly where we are at!!!

harvest season ...

just thought i would share a few photo's i took this week ... my days have been full of visual beauty ... i just love summer in manitoba ... it is brief, yet brimming to the full with God's goodness ... all around ... to see ... if a person only looks ...

crops are being harvested ... i find it calming to watch the combines swath the fields ... reasuring somehow ...

my flower garden has new beauties cropping up, to take the place of the ones which have had their season in the sun ... each offering thrills me and makes me smile ...

and as i was watering these flowers ... i noticed the sunset - which held promise of being one of those "wow" moments ... so i grabbed my camera and went to inspect it in a more open area ...

this is what i captured ... very pleasing to my eye ...

i'm glad that God gives me these moments to rejoice in ... i look for any excuse to look up - and expectantly point my face towards heaven ... waiting ... just waiting ...

blessings on your weekend!

remember ...

just sharing a little poster i found ... to let you know all is well, life is just busy at the moment ... mostly in a pleasant - lots of visitors - type of way!

i'm so glad the Lord gave me this summer off ... it has been a roller coaster ride sometimes, yet to be at home has been glorious ...

blessings to you blog buds ... remember HE loves us with an everlasting love!

only one Person ...

Only one Person can step into a life

and give it happiness even when health fails . . .

and give it peace even when possessions fade . . .

and give it security when savings fly away.

That Person is Jesus Christ.

~ Charles R. Swindoll ~

peace like a river ...

with all the stress that our lives in this world can hold ... i'm so glad that Jesus is the one who holds my future ... and when things start to really drag me down - i ask Him for a way to escape the knots in my stomach and the uncertainty clouding my mind ... He provides it ...

a very good friend of ours (leo's high school chum) went to leo's dad's funeral ... he called us tonight to give us details ... he said that leo's mom is looking strong and he chatted with her for a while ... it is always a bonus to get an opinion from someone outside the family ... that was a good thing ...

tomorrow company is coming ... so life continues on ...

sharing my heart ...

lately my blog hasn't reflected my heart ... because i haven't had the heart to blog ...

don't get me wrong ... i am thankful ... God is good ... yet life can still be hard (just like the country song says!) ...

i feel like the dove that Noah sent from the ark ... i fly and fly - searching, yet don't have a place to stop and rest ... tho' i must amend that statement - my bike rides are my rest & prayer time ...

just a brief up-date as to the "why's" of my heaviness of spirit ...

leo's health (or lack of health) ranks #1 ... his chronic pain and the effect of the meds on his body and whole disposition, can sometimes be challenging for us both ... at the moment, we are juggling some pills around - trying to make things a bit better ... tho' sometimes it seems we only make it worse!

then last week leo's dad was put in palliative care (they live 1500 miles away) ... leo's not close to his dad or the sister who does the care-giving ... yet it is still distressing ... there are many factors at work - and i won't be airing any of them here - but boy is it a challenge for me to keep abreast of facts or keep cordial lines open ...

and then the struggles of my family ... i know the pickle that some are in could have been of their own making - and the way they should walk seems to be so clear to me!!! - yet they continue along, getting mired in yuck and sadness ...

everyone has similar problems, i do realize that .... yet, every once in a while they can get so overwhelming ... my wings get tired of flapping and my heart gets heavy from the battle ...

as always, God gives a word of encouragement ... or a word of warning ...

i'll close with what i gleaned from my bible reading today ... and please forgive my bit of complaining here ... it just got to me this morning ...

"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committted to him." 2 Chronicles 14: 9

"Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. ... Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,"' Why did you make me like this?' Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?" Romans 18:8, 20

UPDATE: today, at 5:20 p.m. Eastern time ... leo's dad died ...

gentle humour on a sunday morning ...

There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country. "Is there anything breakable in here?" asked the postal clerk. "Only the Ten Commandments." answered the lady.

========

While driving in Pennsylvania, a family caught up to an Amish carriage. The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humor, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign... "Energy efficient vehicle: Runs on oats and grass. Caution: Do not step in exhaust."

========

A Sunday School teacher began her lesson with a question, "Boys and girls, what do we know about God?" A hand shot up in the air. "He is an artist!" said the kindergarten boy. "Really? How do you know?" the teacher asked. "You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven... "

the sunrise in my world ...

tuesday morning i awoke at 5:25 a.m. to bits of light filtering through the bedroom window ... i felt this nudge within me to go see what kind of sunrise the day held ... i had felt that same call monday too, but slept instead ...

but tuesday i said "ok Lord, i'll go take a peek" ... i stumbled into my clothes and went to the living room ... i opened one set of venetians and said "HOLY COW!" ... there was this red, fireball of a sun, just starting it's morning journey in the sky ...

i ran for my camera, slid into my sandals - then started the mad dash to the beach ... the flip-flop flip-flop noise i was making, echoed in the still morning street ...

i was at the beach in 20 seconds ... and what i saw amazed my senses! God's creation IS awesome! ... the breath-taking view was all mine to enjoy ... and i was glad glad glad to have gotten out of bed ... i would have missed this perfect sunrise!

just sharing a few photo's with you ... i took 60 in total ... but i'm sure i could have easily taken 600 ...

hope you can see a little of that "WOW" factor i saw ... and may it bless your senses as well!

psalm 103 ...

i received this picture in an e-mail from my sister this morning ...

i saw it and thought "WOW"!

she captured such a simple truth in this haunting photo ... you see the wild california poppies blooming ... and the graves of those long gone, stand silently in the background ... making the brevity of life so apparent ...

our devotions for today included psalm 103 ... and the words echoed the sentiments of this photo ... my sister graciously let me use it, to share with you ...

let today count for Jesus, because today is all we have ...

Psalm 103: 14-17

14 For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children,

to read the whole psalm, click HERE

consider the ......

when we moved into our condo last december, we had no idea of what kind of flowers were growing in our little flower garden ... plus we never realized that the side of our garage was actually a thriving flower bed!

take a look at the variety of lily that has been gracing my life with their smiling faces!!!!

God knows the song i have hummed to myself for decades ... and now - in love and probably a bit of humour, gives to me a summertime reminder of His grace and blessings in my life ...

coincidence you say? i think not!

consider the lilies, they toil not nor spin ...
they bask in God's sunshine, they drink in God's rain ...
if God cares for them in such marvellous ways ...
how much more, how much more, how much more ...
will He care for you and supply all your needs every day ....

Against All Odds ...

my cousin hot air ballooning in Finland

this excerpt is copied from Ruth Bell Graham's book, Legacy of a Pack Rat.


Vero Beach
Spring 1971

The little plane lifted off the runway, disappearing into the light cloud cover.

The next day Franklin called from school to say they had arrived safely, adding matter-of-factly that they had had some trouble on the way and had to make a forced landing in Jackson. Nothing more.

So when Calvin Booth, his flight instructor, wrote, we opened his letter eagerly. Racing through his opening remarks, we came to . . .

"You are probably still a bit hazy as to the details surrounding our return trip, so I will seek to briefly cover the events.

The odds are probably at least one in ten thousand against this particular failure, but i feel that the Lord placed us in this position to prove His goodness and constant care in a very dynamic way.

A check of enroute weather at Mobile revealed an area of thunderstorm activity across southern Mississippi and Louisiana so we decided to go north to Jackson and west to Longview. This course took us over a number of larger cities with lighted airports, whereas a direct flight would have taken us over a sparsely settled area in Mississippi and Louisiana. In the area of Jackson, while flying in the overcast, the generator failed and the battery ran down, leaving us without lights, navigation, or communication capability. A quick prayer provided the necessary calmness and we decided to descend out of the cloud and look for Jackson, as we were only thirty or forty miles west of there. Frank and I were mutually thankful for each other and I have only praise for his help and performance during that seemingly endless fifteen or twenty minutes.

When safely settled on the ground, we went up to the tower to express our appreciation for what we thought was a great deal of help on their part, only to find that they didn't even know we were around until lthey saw us on the runway. We were thrilled to see the miracles unfold as the controllers told us that they were demonstrating the airport lighting system to a couple of visitors at the time. They had turned the lights up to full brilliance just as we approached the field and also turned on the flashing strobes which we thought to mean indication of their assistance. We were happy to see the lights and were even happier to be on the ground.

It seems that Franklin is getting more than his fair share of learning experiences lately, but I can assure you that this was a very worthwhile experience for him as well as for his instructor. A lesson learned under this type of circumstance is not soon forgotten. I think that something like this is good from time to time as it renews our awareness of God's role as guardian of our lives."

To what extent God had guarded them that night, we did not learn until four years later.

During the Jackson crusade, someone sent my husband a newspaper article from Jackson dated April 15, 1971, by Wilbur M. Irwin, Pastor, Forest Hill, Jackson.

". . . Gary Cornett, minister of music at Forest Hill Baptist Church, and his wife, Pat, had arrived at the airport at Sydney's invitation to see the various operations. They were allowed to go up into the tower, and Sydney began demonstrating the various equipment. He had received a call from Memphis concerning the small plane but assumed that they had made contact with each other and passed on to other matters. Sydney demonstrated a light-gun which has tri-colored lights. He turned on the red light and a white light while the gun remained inside the tower, but for an unexplained reason he held the gun out the window when he demonstrated the green light and said, 'If I were going to give a pilot clearance to land I would point this light directly at him and turn the green light on.' A fellow worker asked Sydney if he would demonstrate the run-way lights. Sydney started to turn them on, and gradually they got brighter and brighter until they reached the state of high-intensity. The latter degree of lighting is for emergency, and the lights are designed to pierce fog and clouds to give pilots in emergency situations a view of the run-ways.

"Sydney had scarcely completed these demonstrations when his co-worker said in excitement, 'There is an unlighted plane coming in.' Sydney responded, 'There isn't a plane within 50 miles of us in the air.' Upon closer examination with the aid of binoculars it was quickly learned that an unlighted single-engine plane was coming in for a landing.

". . . In one sense Sydney McAll was demonstrating the lighting and signal system to Gary Cornett, but the pilot of that plane is positive that God's providential Hand was in it all. He commented, 'God's hand was in it. You see, we just left Billy Graham there in Florida and he prayed for our safety before we departed.'"

The writer of that article did not know who the copilot of that little plane was [Franklin, Billy & Ruth's eldest son].

* * * * * * *

"I think that something like this is good from time to time."
Calvin Booth, Franklin's flight instructor, had written us after that flight,
". . . it renews our awareness of God's role as guardian of our lives."

* * * * * * *

The following year Calvin Booth was killed in a plane crash.

it's in the little things ...

it's in the little things, that i feel God's love towards me ...

the picture i've posted today is taken from my flower garden ... the "condo central" surprise from the Lord ...

the orange tiger lillies had already bloomed ... i thought the unopened ones were going to be the same colour ... i was wrong ...

instead this lovely lovely shade of lilly appeared ... and do you know that i had just been admiring this very colour in a friend's garden ... lo' and behold - it appeared in my own ...

it's in the little things ...

this morning i woke up sad ... i am generally a happy person and on most days my glass is half-full, if not downright overflowing ... not this morning ...

leo's chronic pain and his inability to do so many things we used to do ... that is sadness personified ... the fact he can't go bike riding with me, or just enjoy a walk around the neighbourhood ... or even go visiting ... the loss of those simple pleasures - well i want to cry sometimes ...

so today, when i wanted to close my computer - turn off the phones - and just have a pity party ... the Lord gave me a hug ... He used the extra e-mail from by BC sister ... which in turn spurred me to go for a bike ride and visit with my aunt and cousin ... then later in the evening, old friends surprised us with a little 30 minute visit ...

the day is ending better then it started!

i love the Lord ... more importantly - He loves me! ...

it's in the little things ...

peace ...

the world seeks for peace ... but their definition of peace depends on where you live and who is in power ... Jesus offers peace ... unseen ... free ... wholly attainable ... and it sets the captive, troubled, heart free - regardless of circumstances ...

These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him. John 3:16, 17

a compliment

i was in the city yesterday ... visiting ... it turned out to be a really lovely day ...

i also received a genuine compliment that made me feel good ... i was told that i was "nice" ... i know, that doesn't sound like something earth shatteringly wonderful ... but it came from a 3 year old ... and after only 4 minutes (or less) of being with me ... she openly grinned up at me and said " you're nice!" ... i thanked her, and said she was nice too ... then she looked at her mom and said "she's nice!" ... and grinned some more ... i love kids - they either like you, or not ... either way, they let you know!

it is another warm, sunny, summer day here ... i must get my household chores done - then maybe head out for a swim at the beach ... i guess my blogging is suffering from my summer vacation - but you guys are in my thoughts and prayers - and i've posted many a mental note, it just didn't get into the computer!

blessings sent your way!

Happy Canada Day!

here are some scenes of our Canada Day celebrations!!!! we had some awesome fireworks last night ... we watched it from our front deck ... and i took dozens of photo's ...

and we also had a parade march by our place!!!! with candy being thrown from the quaint little floats ...

it has certainly been a wonderful celebration of being Canadian! and all happening right outside our door in small town Manitoba!

Happy Canada Day, eh!