christmas past, christmas present

i miss christmas' past ... when we were able to gather with family - the noise, the children and wrapping paper strewn everywhere ... days that have gone by ...leaving only sweet memories and faded pictures as reminders ... 

these days, as christmas time quiets down for us, the stillness helps my cluttered brain settle on my heart celebration of Jesus'  ...  His redemptive visit to planet earth ... then i look to the future and think of His return visit ... thoughts that my earth bound mind has trouble visualizing  ... yet the spirit born within me, hums and thinks on these things ... angels singing, wise men bowing and lowly shepherds (that'd be me) kneeling with awe ... Jesus has come!

same day pics

i don't usually have a sunrise

and a moon picture

for the same day ... it just worked out today - i happened to notice how lovely they each were ... just in different ways ...

i'm glad the Lord has set a definite span for each day ... if it's a good day, we want it to go on and on ... if it's a bad day, we are glad it's over ... then it all evens out for the many normal days inbetween ...  

the fall season continues to be a challenge for us ... i get a little of that seasonal sadness thing ... and leo gets more pain because it tends to be damp at this time of year ...

i was reading psalm 34 this morning and it encouraged me at the start of  the day ... "i will bless the Lord at ALL times .." ... and now at the end of the day... "the Lord redeemeth the soul of His servants; and none of them who TRUST in Him shall be desolate." ...

the goodness of the Lord ...

this morning i was reading Psalm 33 and a  notation i had made during one of my previous readings of it, made me smile ... verse 5 says:  "He loveth reghteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." ... after which i saw my note - "Look for it!" ... most of the time God's goodness is soooo obvious that a blind man can see it ... but sometimes we are focusing within - so we miss all the blessings around  ... i'm glad today is one of those days when His goodness is easy to see!!  but i STILL always LOOK FOR IT!

flower talk

i am once again rejoicing in the flowers that are blooming in my garden ... they are a feast for the eyes ...

they also provide little life lessons ... take for example my two planters ... the exact same flowers were put in each planter ... one started growing right away ( see picture below) ... and today you can barely see the planter itself - because of all the glorious, cascading flowers!

unfortunately, the other plant didn't take (see pic below) ... i replanted it ... fed it ... did everything i could think of - but it sputtered and died ... just like some who profess to follow Christ ...
even though others may have helped them along ... babied and nurtured them ... if their own root system is lacking - their faith will shrivel up ... they could have lead fruitful lives too ... but they didn't dig in for the long haul!

notice the sweet little flower on this hardy plant? without anyone's help, it found a place to grow ... God can sustain us anywhere! we can grow in any circumstance - regardless of how inhospitable it may seem ... if God is the ONE who waters, tends and feeds us - the only thing left for us to do is to bloom ...

Mark 4: 1-9; 13-20 (21st Century King James Version)

1And He began again to teach by the seaside. And there was gathered unto Him a great multitude, so that He entered into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

2And He taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in His doctrine:

3"Hearken! Behold, there went out a sower to sow.

4And it came to pass as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

5And some fell on stony ground where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth.

6But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8And other fell on good ground; and it yielded fruit that sprang up and increased and brought forth: some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundredfold."

9And He said unto them, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

13And He said unto them, "Know you not this parable? And how then will ye know all parables?

14The sower soweth the Word.

15And these are they by the wayside, where the Word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the Word that was sown in their hearts.

16And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground who, when they have heard the Word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17but they have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time. Afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the Word's sake, immediately they are offended.

18And these are they which are sown among thorns, such as hear the Word,

19but the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the Word, and it becometh unfruitful.

20And these are they which are sown on good ground, such as hear the Word and receive it and bring forth fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

it's Valentine's day again

we recycle cards ... all types of cards ... we have every card we've EVER given each other saved and ready for re-use, to re-give to each other ... just one of those quirky things - maybe some of you guys do that too?

well i must qualify that ... i do make new cards, or buy new cards for Leo ... i get out more often - and he barely does anymore - so Leo's card store is: our card drawer!

now i'm finally getting to the point of this little post ... yesterday, before i left for work, i placed the card i had bought for Leo by his pills (i knew he couldn't miss it there!) ... and he had left his card for me on the sofa ... we exchanged cards without seeing what the other had picked out ... now take another look at the picture above - we both went with a white background, surrounding a simple heart insert ... and rather than a funny inner note - both cards included strong love sentiments ... *smile* ... i thought that was a neat little coincidence ... or is it just the 34 Valentine's we've shared together?

hope you all have a day filled with the sweetness of God's love for us all ...

* * * * * * * * * * *

Looking back, I have this to regret, that too often when I loved, I did not say so.

--David Grayson

You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.

--Jessica - age 8

If we discovered that we had only five minutes left to say all that we wanted to say, every telephone booth would be occupied by people calling other people to stammer that they loved them.

--Christopher Morley

joy is possible

joy is possible ... even IF we do listen to the daily news ... or have our expectations not met by loved ones ... or worse yet - believe the materialistic hype of the commercials bombarding the airwaves at every turn ...

joy is possible by spending time with Jesus ... He calms all stormy seas, and restores peace ... especially at this time of year, it is so crucial to stay close by His side ... giving him our cares and worries ... our anxieties ...

joy is possible ... may you experience Jesus at every turn ...

wintery day

it's been snowing here for about a week now ... not heavy ... it started as light, soft, snowflakes ... now the consistency is more like icing sugar ... the temperature is hovering around 0F ... and will only get colder towards the end of the week ...

we have had very little sunshine ... the prairies are known for sunshine - so most of us prairie folk are feeling deprived of those golden rays ... it makes for meloncholy mood swings ...

the book that i talked about in the previous post, is a perfect read for these days ... personally, we seem to be up against trials, both small & large ... trials that want to trip us up ... just to see how hard the fall will be! not even a thought of IF we fall - but WHEN ...

we are trying to "tick the joy column" in our choice of how to respond ... not that we're happy about the car not starting this morning ... or leo & my sister maria both feeling horrible because of the weather ... or even the family tug of war about getting together at christmas (where? who? what? and why can't you drive 60 miles!) ... but happy comes and goes with the weather or full tummies or a good book ... the attitude of counting everthing JOY, comes with spiritual maturity ...

we have much to learn yet ... so we try to take life one step at a time, in faith, trusting Jesus (the Author and Finisher of our faith) ... no one said it was all going to be easy ... but then, nothing worthwhile ever is ...

blessings to you ...

enjoy the moment

i'm babysitting my aunt's china rose (hibiscus) for the summer ... it loves the window area i've placed it in - in fact it has taken over a large portion of our dining room view! leo says i can't keep it ... *grin* ...


what i have found so interesting about the lovely flowers this plant produces - is how quickly they come - and go - ... i mean you could pretty well blink and the blooms have dropped off and died ... that's only a slight exaggeration!


when you capture the flower in full bloom - it is breathtakingly lovely ...


but you must pay attention ... otherwise, the blossom just withers and falls - it's loveliness never to be gazed on again ...


it seems the Lord has been bringing flowers and the brevity of their life - to my notice ... especially in the last 2 years ... i seem to notice their beauty more ... and also the lack of effort they require ... they would still blossom and sway smilingly in the wind, even if no one noticed but the birds of the air ...


take time .... take time ... to notice what is around you ... enjoy the moment ... and give all the praise and glory to God ...