expected ... yet unexpected ... expectantly waiting! ...

my family received an early Christmas present with the birth of a sweet little baby! ... my sister had a little girl!!! ... what a thrill!!! ... and she is just beautiful (babies tend to all be that way!) ...

her arrival made me think of JESUS return ... the bible speaks of a pregnant woman, and about NOT knowing the exact date/time she will deliver ... the signs are all there  - yet we do NOT know when - just that it will be soon ...  Jesus return will be just like that ...

the day my little niece was born was like any other day ... until i got the call at 1pm saying "she's here!" ... my mom said that she had called my sister that day, like every day, to see how she was feeling - and also to ask  how "little emma" was (the name was already picked out, and everyone called the unborn little one, by her name) ... well she got the surprise of her life when my sister said, i'm fine and little emma is fine too - in fact, she's right here in my arms and is just beautiful!!!!  unbeknownst to us, my sister and her hubby had gone to the hospital at 7a.m. that morning and the baby was born around noon ... mom said she was just thrilled and could hardly believe that emma was FINALLY HERE!!!!  she thought it was a dream!!!

now, we all knew my sister was pregnant ... we all knew she was in the 9th month ... we all knew that the baby would soon arrive ... even so, when she was born - it was still a HUGE (and happy) surprise!!!  even unexpected in some ways ...

yup ... I thought, that is just how JESUS return will be ... we KNOW, by the signs He gave us, that He'll return sooner than later ... yet when that soon arrives - we will still be surprised ...

that's why it is so important to not put off asking Jesus to forgive our sins and come into our lives ... to have a relationship with our Redeemer is vital ... we need to be the lights to a dieing world ... Jesus is coming ... Jesus is the HOPE ... and it will all happen when we least expect it ...

even so Lord Jesus ... COME!

a new year approaches ...

i just finished watching the movie "soul surfer" ... wow!  i was so uplifted by the message that came through loud and clear ... it's amazing how the Lord turns adversity into opportunity ... sadness into joy ... and that He knows our load limit - and promises to limit the load!

blessings on you ...

taking time for grace ...

i was going to take a picture of a wren perched on my hanging planter, i had the camera all zoomed in and set to go ... then this beautiful hummingbird flew in for a drink ... he stayed only 5 seconds ... but i was ready ... here i thought i would take a pic of my usual wren visitor - when all of a sudden, an unexpected and certainly lovelier bird of another variety zipped in and zipped out!  i thanked the Lord for being ready ...

it's good to be focused on the everyday - to be ready ... because we never know if we might by chance meet up with something out of the ordinary ... it made me smile at the unexpected ...

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 ...

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

lest we forget . . .

"TAPS"

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

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

onward and upward

May I run the race before me,

Strong and brave to face the foe,

Looking only unto Jesus

As I onward go.

~Kate b. Wilkinson

Any fixing of the mind on old evils beyond what is absolutely necessary for repenting our own sins and forgiving those of others is certainly useless and usually bad for us . ... We must try very hard not to keep on endlessly chewing the cud. ~C.S. Lewis

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 ...

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!

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?" ...