feeling thankful ...

i woke up - FEELING THANKFUL ... i gotta testify, GOD has been so good to me ... through it all, i would have no other - but Jesus ... my peace depends on HIM alone, not my circumstances ... to be saved, is to have it all ... 

lest we forget ...

reposting from 2005  ... this poem ALWAYS comes to mind on November 11th ... lest we forget ...

 

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

i remember memorizing this poem in the 4th grade ... it was written by John McCrae in 1915 ... he was a Canadian medical officer in WWI ... i can still recite the poem by heart ... it made it's impact on me ...

today i think of those who have fought for a way of life we take for granted ... lives which ended away from home and loved ones ... we should pause and remember ...

bit of whimsy ...

 

i looked out the window and saw these random tire tracks in the neighbours' driveway - only they didn't look so random - they looked like hearts ... of course i snapped a pic, smiling to myself, thinking how cool ... i imagined God drawing in the snow ...

record setting day in the prairies ...

guess what i did today?

washed windows!!!!

earliest ever ...

it was 20C ... so i went for a walk afterwards ... talk about smiling faces everywhere ... and bikes ... and mom’s pushing strollers ... and t-shirts instead of parkas ... ? ... manitoba? in march? ? ? ?

we even set a record yesterday for the earliest day the thermometer reached 20C/68F in the 140 years that records have been kept in this area ...

tomorrow the forecast is for 26C ...

 

had to share!!! wa hooooo!!!

 

 

"... my heart exulteth in the Lord."  1 Samuel 2:1

11-11-11

we were just watching the rememberance day service from Ottawa ...

yes - we remember ...

and we thank the vets for allowing us the freedom to do so ...

may God bless them richly ...

that little blue dot

see the little blue dot in the lower right hand corner?  compare it to the sun ...  that's where we live!!!!  this NASA graphic really captures the smallness of earth, compared to almost anything else out there !!! 

it reminds me of the Psalm that says:

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

i pray that you rest easy in the knowledge that God is way way bigger than any problem you may face today ...

thankful heart ...

thank you so much for praying and encouraging us ... that just humbles us to be on the receiving end of such care & prayer!!!

it was all good!!!   the ride in was perfect, even through traffic ... we found the underground parking (first time) which was so close to cancer care (an easy elevator ride!) ... we were put in a examining room right away, by the sweet cheerful receptionist – so that leo could lie down and the doctor was even early!!!! he was such a nice man – and he gave us good news ... he found leo’s prostate to be perfectly normal and in good shape for a guy his age ... yay!!!!!!!!! we are so thankful ... our family doctor sent us to the specialist because he felt something abnormal - so as far as we are concerned we wouldn't be surprised if a healing happened ... 

since we were in the city, leo came to costco with me ... for a quick tour around (those big carts make for great walkers!!!!) ... all in all – it was an uplifting experience for a hospital/city visit !!!!

thanx again for your prayers ... they were truly appreciated! (hugs) 

He Arose!

after the sadness of good friday ... the pain, tears and disbelief ... i can only imagine the heart racing excitement of that first Easter morning ... the women were the first to find out that Jesus was Alive ... He had conquered death - what a miracle!!!  and what a gift to us ...

He's Alive!!!!  and we're forgiven - heaven's gates are open wide - He's Alive!!!!!

thank you Lord ...

on that first good friday ...

there were three crosses ... one held the sinless Lamb of God and the other two held convicted criminals ... sinners ... commandment breakers ... just like me ... just like you ...


their lives will be over in a matter of hours ... there were no more life choices left, except one  ...  it is a free will choice ... yes to Jesus ... or ... no to Him ...


it is so clearly illustrated by the crosses ... two thieves, in the same physical agony as Jesus - except that Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb ... hanging there, dieing for them ... dieing for us ... for our sins ... 

we know the story ... one ridiculed Jesus and said NO - who are you anyway?! ... the other said YES ... "remember me Lord, when you come into your kingdom" ...


choices ... our choice ...


for the two condemned prisoners, there was no room for further negotiation ... no sitting on the fence, no waiting until retirement ... it came down to a simple yes or no that MUST be made ...  the time was at hand ... and for us all - it is at hand too ... tomorrow is never guaranteed ...


what answer we give to Jesus, is where we will be spending eternity ...


with Jesus ... or separated from God ... forever ...


 on that first good Friday ... there were 3 crosses ...

"Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel ...  let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.  This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4: 8-12

sometimes it's not what you think

the vacation i went on wasn't really for me ... i mean, sure it was good for me to get out of the "care giver" mode ... but this time - i think i was sent away for leo's sake ... so he could have 2 weeks of uninterrupted time with the Lord ... to really have some prayer time and study time ... which is what he did ... it also gave him time to pray for our friend, who was given 2 weeks to live ...

sigh ... this was the first of our very close friends to die ... we've had family members die, who were also friends ... but this was a friend - who also felt like family ... i included them in a blog post back in 2006 (are we there yet?) ... it seems there have been so many earthly goodbyes lately ...

if there is anything you want to ask about this season in my life - put your email address (if i don't have  already) in your comment - and i'll answer you directly and not publish the comment ... i just felt a need to say that ...

ok - now for some vacation photo's ... because i was still able to be refreshed while away  - i just prayed when i could - believing that God had everything under control ...

 it was peaceful - relaxing - and stress free in Arizona ... i just left my cares at home and lived in the moment ... with no plans  ... *smile* ...

 this is a greek chicken dish ... i tried so many different types of foods!  i'm glad there was a pool at my cousins' place - definitely needed to swim and try and keep the  calories in check!

 here i am with my 2 cousins ... we're off to church ... since leo and i have "church" at home, it was such a blessing to be able to worship with a group of believers ... leo told me he prayed that the message would be clear, that salvation would be presented - and that i would hear old hymns that i loved ... well the service opened with a baptism (no clearer presentation of the gospel there!) AND the first hymns that were sung - count your blessings and blessed assurance  ... well, tears began streaming down my face and into my shirt!  the Lord answered leo's prayers very clearly ... i wanted to take that church home with me, the message was so uplifting!!!  the pastor's dad had died a week prior, so you could tell his heart was tender, the way he shared his message with the congregation ...

 after church -  snowbirds know where to flock for good food ... there was a group of my cousin's friends who we had good fellowship with ...

 oh, on the side trip we took - look what we encountered in the high country!  

 lake havasu city and london bridge was another stop ... it is the most lovely of places ... and it's grown SO much in the 20 years since leo and i had last been there ...

 arizona and the road runner go hand in hand ... i was happy to see one!

and those sunsets every night!  wow ... i loved taking picture after picture of them ... it seemed that a person could not take a bad picture of a sunset there ... God's handiwork was everywhere on display ... my trip encouraged me ... no matter where i am - i know that God is there too ... but i was happy to get back to our own little condo and my husband who loves the Lord and tries to be the man God has designed him to be ... i am thankful ...

thank God there is enough!

as the snow continues to fall in our little corner of the world, i pray that all my american buds have a wonderful and safe thanksgiving day ... blessings on ya!

scene outside my window this morning

"Thank God there is enough. 

In God there is enough love to cover every mistake,
enough light to brighten the darkest hour,

enough power to meet every need." 
~ anon

i know Who holds my hand

I know Who Holds Tomorrow

words and music by Ira Stanphill

I don't know about tomorrow,

I just live from day to day.

I don't borrow from it's sunshine,

For it's skies may turn to gray.

I don't worry o'er the future,

For I know what Jesus said.

And today I'll walk beside Him,

For He knows what is ahead.

Refrain

Many things about tomorrow,

I don't seem to understand;

But I know Who holds tomorrow,

And I know Who holds my hand.

Ev'ry step is getting brighter,

As the golden stairs I climb;

Ev'ry burden's getting lighter;

Ev'ry cloud is silver lined.

There the sun is always shining,

There no tear will dim the eyes,

At the ending of the rainbow,

Where the mountains touch the sky.

Refrain

Many things about tomorrow,

I don't seem to understand;

But I know Who holds tomorrow,

And I know Who holds my hand.

I don't know about tomorrow,

It may bring me poverty;

But the One Who feeds the sparrow,

Is the One Who stands by me.

And the path that be my portion,

May be through the flame or flood,

But His presence goes before me,

And I'm covered with His blood.

Refrain

Many things about tomorrow,

I don't seem to understand;

But I know Who holds tomorrow,

And I know Who holds my hand.

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!

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!

summer is quickly going by

summer is going by quickly in my little corner of the world ... so fast that i've barely had time to take pictures of our beautiful manitoba fields ... full of varied colour and displaying the faithfulness of God! we also have "big sky country" in our world ... for cloud watchers, it is paradise!

the other day i noticed that we have a new condo going up - in the bushes right outside our front door! i don't know if it will ever be inhabited ... it may be just an extra nest for the forward thinking bird that constructed it ... it is amazing how perfectly shaped and well made it is ... another display of God in nature ... where else would these little creatures have learned how to make these nests exactly the size and shape needed ... not to mention what type of material to construct it with!

my peonies are almost finished blooming for the season ... we had a major storm blow through last week and it soaked the flowers and dropped them to the ground, where they started to rot ... i cut off 2 bag fulls of blooms ... but they were spectacular while they lasted ... a reminder for me to enjoy the moment ... that is all that we are guaranteed ...

visitors have also been plentiful these past weeks ... an aunt from finland was here ... it was great to see her ... then my teenage niece and nephew came for a quick little visit a few days ago ... they were vacationing at their grandma's place (my mom) and she took a road trip this way ... leo hadn't seen the kids in years ... he was surprised at how tall they had gotten, and mature for their years ... of course i had to take them for a walk to the beach, while leo and my mom chatted at home (leo hasn't been able to go for a walk since the doctor's visit - the weather and extra pain have kept him indoors - but there is always hope for another day!)

here is a picture of me and my very spry, active mom (she is 74) ... her energy always amazes me and totally leaves me in her wake! i pray the Lord gives her many more active years ...

just sending out blessings to my blog buds - both old friends, new friends and those who just happened by ... life is made sweeter by you ... !

doctor's appointment

today was leo's doctor's appointment ... if everything goes along "normally" for him, we go in every 3 months ... and today was the day ... this is leo's 4th doctor in as many years ... in fact, if you type in "doctor" in the search browser at the top left of my blog, you'll see how many times i've actually written about that topic! it is so important for everyone to have a family doctor they can trust ... but this is especially so for folks with any chronic problems ...

i have to testify to how God has been good to us in this regard ... it seems every doctor in the past 4 years has added something positive to leo's well being ... they have been really good guys ...

i always go in with leo - and my standard joke is that they get 2 for the price of one! i get to know the doctors as well as leo does ...

today was an extra special visit because we walked to the clinic! it is only 2 blocks away and leo has been doing so well with his little walks ... his doctor was impressed with how good leo looked and how his walking has improved ... *smile* ... i thought how wonderful it is to have the clinic so close! we used to drive 45 minutes to another town for these appointments - and then the wait was l-o-n-g ... the doctor was usually 45 minutes late! it was a horrible time for me ... i must admit that i prayed MUCH before and after those trips ... and poor leo - it was so uncomfortable for him ... he can't sit for long periods (like 5 minutes) without a lot of discomfort ... i used to dread dread dread the appointments ... plus i've been doing all the driving for the past 5 years ... the winters were just the worst ... what a blessing it now is to be able to walk to our appointments ... i've shared in past posts how the Lord wonderfully worked it out for good - when leo's long time doctor left his practise and forced us to step out in faith to find another doctor - which lead us to a town closer to us - which eventually led us back to our own small town clinic ...

so many things recently have seemed like misadventures ... especially the family doctor issue - i have to confess to being fearful of the future at times ... worried (though i like to use the word "concerned", when in reality it is that sin of worry that plagues me) - then the Lord takes pity on me, hears my prayer, and once again delivers me out of that anxiety pit and plants my clay feet on the Rock ... He opens my eyes to a better way through the change that so scared me at first ...

i'm just praising my Saviour, Who is so patient with me ... and answers my prayers in the way that is BEST for me ... which may or may not be what i asked for!

blessed be His name!

Glory to God - in all things

"Take the hardest thing in your life - the place of difficulty, outward or inward, and expect God to triumph gloriously in that very spot. Just there He can bring your soul into blossom."

~ Lilias Trotter

well, it's a start!

i just took these pics of the "flower garden" ... finally - springtime is finding us ...
as you can see ... we are at the very very early stages of bloom ... in fact the trees are still bare, with only a hint of bud happening ...
so those of you who have been enjoying flowers blooming and the smell of freshly mown grass ... count your blessings! we have yet to even hear a mower in our parts!!!

but all is well - the temperature is forecast as a balmy 21C (70F) today ... wow-wee!!!!! it doesn't take much to make me happy ... a few buds coming up - and seasonal temps ...

hope you are all BLESSED this week day ... i'm feeling that way ... *HUGE GRIN*

Pass it on

by Kurt Kaiser

It only takes a spark to get a fire going,
And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing;
That's how it is with God's Love,
Once you've experienced it,
Your spread the love to everyone
You want to pass it on.

What a wonderous time is spring,
When all the tress are budding
The birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming;
That's how it is with God's love,
Once you've experienced it.
You want to sing, it's fresh like spring,
You want to pass it on.

I wish for you my friend
This happiness that I've found;
You can depend on God
It matters not where you're bound,
I'll shout it from the mountain top - PRAISE GOD!
I want the world to know
The Lord of love has come to me
I want to pass it on.

I'll shout it from the mountain top - PRAISE GOD!
I want the world to know
The Lord of love has come to me
I want to pass it on.

seasons of life

i took this picture yesterday ... i was enjoying my first outdoor sauna of the season ... the ice was still trying to cling to the shoreline, but the warmth of the sun was loosening it's cold grip ... soon - very soon - there will be no more ice on the waterways and the first flowers will be breaking out in every garden ... *smile* ...

My favorite weather is bird-chirping weather.

~Loire Hartwould

our God is OverWhelming!!!!

thank you Lord! thank you praying buds!!!

we just got back from the doctor's ... the new doc had no problem in taking leo as a patient - in fact, he even remembered leo from our ER trip in august (everyone usually remembers leo ... )

then he asked if it would be more convenient for us to come to the clinic in our little town ... rather than the 20 minute trip to the hospital clinic ... *HUGE grin* ... we replied, yes - that would work out just fine!!! we live 2 streets away from our town's clinic ...

God is so merciful to us - in all ways ...

we are just so so thankful ...

YAY LORD!