i can't paint!

have you ever seen something so lovely that you wish you could capture it on canvas? that’s the way i felt today as i was driving home over the little narrow bridge near our place ... the clouds had parted, allowing the sun to stream through in points of light, little bits of gold radiated from heaven, touching the earth with their pureness ... i wished for my camera (my “little voice” told me to take it ... should have listened!) ... i wished for a paint brush (i can’t paint!) ... i wanted to frame the beauty of the moment .... 30 seconds later, it was gone ... but my smile and wonder remained ... in our everyday, there is always a touch of heaven to be seen.

Quietness

We cannot be the people we should be

without times of quietness. Stillness

is an essential part of our growing deeper

as we grow older ...

-Charles R. Swindoll

this past week i've had a tough time blogging ... i have topics that i would like to write about, but my thoughts just won't flow ... i've been reading blogs, commenting on blogs, but having a tough time writing my own blog ... i guess it's a mild case of "writer's blog" ... :o)

oh, i did want to mention that the weather has been lovely ... a real January thaw hit us and should continue all week, with temps going as high as 6C (around 42F) ... that is almost beach weather!!

Sunday Morning Blessings

When will He return?

When We See Christ

- Esther Kerr Rusthol

It will be worth it all
When we see Jesus,
Life's trials will seem so small
When we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face
All sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race
Till we see Christ ...

may you have Sunday morning Blessings all day long ... with the sweet touch of Jesus to brighten your day ...

have a good weekend 

PRODIGALS and those who love them

Excerpts from PRODIGALS and those who love them

by Ruth Bell Graham:

There is no situation so chaotic that God cannot, from that situation, create something that is surpassingly good. He did it at the creation. He did it at the cross. He is doing it today.
-Bishop Moule

WAIT
Wait for this reasonable aid
And though it tarry, wait.
The promise may be long delayed,
But cannot come too late.
- William Cowper

'Twas He who taught me thus to pray
And I know He has answered prayer,
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair.
- Anon

Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons - but they are helpless against our prayers.
-Sidlow Baxter

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

i enjoy Ruth Graham's books ... she has such insight into relationships ... such faith that in the end, God will accomplish His work in each praying family ... this is a book full of hope, told in short stories ... a busy person can read in bits and pieces - yet get a blessing ...

we all have prodigals in our lives ...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

WEATHER REPORT ... i saw -8C on the thermometer today!!! wa-hoo ... maybe spring is around the corner??? or maybe this is just the January thaw ... either way the days are longer, the sunshine feels warmer ... almost like the bleakness of winter has started to recede!! not that i'm looking for tulips yet (3 feet of snow!!) ... but going outside is soooo nice ... :o) ... just had to share!

dial-up

i'm the snail, living in the dial-up world - while others zoom past me with their high speed connections ...

yesterday was a v-e-r-y s-l-o-w d-a-y .. .. ..

everything i wanted to do, planned to do, was taking forever ....

so i resolved to spend my time in EXTRA prayer for my blogging friends when the internet connections are rolling rolling rolling ... no frustrations - just a high speed connection to the Lord!

The finest thing

Tasha Tudor

Safe and Secure

cuddling

today was a beautiful "warm" January day ... yahoo! it was
-10C (around 15F) ... i recovered Leo's truck from underneath the snow and shovelled some of the deck and carried wood ... it was a pleasure to be outdoors after our subzero temps ... Leo tolerated the day quite well and i even made supper for him (usually with his nausea suppers are something easily digested, with no cooking aroma) ... lots of blessings in these simple things ...

and what about the picture i posted? ... well i'm just heading for bed (fresh air = a tired lady!) and this picture reminds me of how i feel safe and secure when i fall asleep praying ... taken care of by the Angels God sends to guard us ...

sleep tight ....

Welcome to My World

my world


Welcome to my world ...

here i sit, in my home made slippers (compliments of mom) just amazed that i have been in the blog world for only 3 short months ... i have met so many vibrant Christians online ... who have encouraged and blessed me time and time again ... each in their own unique way ...

you see, i seem to live at 2 speeds ... stop and go ...

the "go" is for summers ... i work from April to September in one of our beautiful provincial parks ... it’s an office job with the full view - lake, wildlife, the cry of the loon ... our home life gets busier as well, with people visiting us on a regular basis.

the "stop" is for the winters ... life quiets down ... sometimes i only go to town once during the week! i can become too much of a hermit during our hibernation season ...

i was seeking a spiritual outlet for the winter ... i prayed about it and the Lord opened my eyes to the blogging world ... soooo, i stuck my toe in the waters of blogosphere and bravely dived in!!! i'm so glad that i did ... i never thought it possible to be friends with folks you have never met! or seen! but it has happened ... when i say i have been blessed ... that is BLESSED with caps! and meeting more brothers and sisters in Christ will just mean that my cup is definitely overflowing ...

i hope my blog has been a reflection of the Lord at work in me ...

i hope you feel welcome here ...

inter-connected lives

a thought from Charles Swindoll this morning seems to sum up how the body of Christ encourages each other through blogging:

Admiration becomes the carbon paper that transfers character qualities by the rubbing of one life against another ...

this thought was further confirmed through Ann's post, which Linda shared ... we all seem to be in synch today ... :o)

Quote from Rick Warren

invite Him in

i was listening to Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback church in Orange County, California, on TV tonight ... here is a what he had to say on the subject of sharing our faith which struck a chord with me:

"If I had the cure for cancer, I’d shout it from the rooftop. If I had the cure for AIDS, it would be criminal if I kept it a secret. But I’ve learned something more important than that, how to have eternal life. How to have my past forgiven. How to have a purpose for living. How to have a home in heaven. And if I don’t share that with other people, THAT is criminal."

a confession

i have a confession to make ... i had a horrible day today ... one of the worst in recent memory ...

i’m confessing now, because it is at the END of the day ... and Lord willing, tomorrow will be better ...

today was a spiritual warfare type of day ... i prayed, read my bible and tried to focus on "the walk" and not just "the talk" ...

last week i did a post on smiling ... today i smiled, but the tears ran down my cheeks ...

i also posted confidently on my victory over the fear of driving during poor winter conditions ... today, i quaked at the mere thought of going out on the highways at all ...

my victories of just a few days ago are like the firewood that turns quickly into ashes in our woodstove ...

as i posted the Psalm 138:7 picture, i read the whole Psalm ... i saw a life line in it for me and grabbed on, and held tight ... my life line was part of verse 8 ... The Lord will accomplish what concerns me ...

the Lord will accomplish ... and only the part that concerns me ...

i’ve been concerned with so many things that i cannot change ... people, situations, weather ... sounds silly, but that's what feeds my worry ...

The Lord will accomplish what concerns me ....

i want to be honest in my blog ... and this little post is very honest ...

i am a woman who is trying to live her life before her Lord and in her home, the best way i know how ... sometimes i fall flat on my face ...

but "The Lord will accomplish what concerns me"....

i guess the victory is allowing the Lord to pick me up again ...

Psalm 138:7

midst of trouble

Haloscan

January 20, 2005

i had a little bit of heart failure here!!! i thought i had deleted ALL the comments from you, my blogging buddies ... but after a little further inspection, it was just the comments on the page showing, that were transformed into the new commenting format! whew!

i thought i would change to Haloscan for commenting ... i liked the way it works on blogs that i have visited ... but i naively (i should do a post about my naivete sometime!) thought that it would start on the first post that i installed it on ... duh, not! i'm so glad that all the comments weren't lost!

the photos i posted were taken today at the back of our property .... notice how deep the snow is ... it was another day of shovelling, sweeping and carrying wood ... but i whistled while i worked ... it was good to get outside, since the air is nice and brisk today!

i hope this Haloscan is a fun commenting program ... check it out ... :o)

Sovereignty of God

Taken from Legacy of a Pack Rat, by Ruth Bell Graham ... page 81

"The fool have said in his heart, There is no God" (Psalm 14:1)

This goes also for those who doubt His sovereignty. Either He is sovereign or He is not. If He is not sovereign He is not God. Therefore when we become so preoccupied with and dismayed by circumstances and certain people that we doubt God's ability to handle them in His own way, and in His own time, then we, too, are fools.

It is this knowledge that enables us to accept the unacceptable. We can take whatever comes as from His hand, submit to it, and learn of Him all He seeks to teach us through those circumstances.

* * * * * * * *

i need to remember that if i am doing all i know to do - then i need to allow the Lord to do the rest ... He remembers my frame ... He knows my weaknesses ... He is my Heavenly Father ... the quote from Ruth Graham's book just spoke LOUDLY to my heart ... i hope i can soak it in throughout the day ...

******

weather report is -22C with snow ...

Arizona

gold canyon


my cousin sent me this picture the other day ... they winter in Arizona ... mmmmmm ... i love AZ ... i posted this pic on my desktop ... there is just something so peaceful and wonderful about desert scenery ... i could sit on a rock and admire it all day long ...

i know, it's just a tad warmer there too ... :o) ... i could go visit ... but then i would be missing out on my winter at home!!!

i've discovered that during cold weather, i become an eating machine ... i love to snack ... i do need to keep up my strength for all the carrying of wood and shovelling ... but still - it seems like i get insanely hungry - and i've been a notoriously poor eater for most of my life ... a new life experience for me!

i just had a need to ramble and share the desert landscape ...

sing with me?

i miss not having a church home ...
i miss the congregational singing,
voices lifted up in unison to our God ...

as i was singing the hymn The Solid Rock (all by myself) this morning, i thought of my blogging friends and wondered if you guys wouldn’t mind singing along with me ... :o) thanx ...

The Solid Rock
Edward More/William B. Bradbury

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand.
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in Him be found,
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain

Smile

our thermometer hit a balmy -12C when i headed to town this morning ... of course it was "snowing and blowing", to go along with the warmer temps ...

everyone i met today talked about the weather and road conditions ... after all this is Canada and weather is our favourite topic ... some folks looked pretty tired, so i tried to lighten their burden with a smile ... to look directly into their eyes and just grin ... i received smile after smile in return ...

i have a confession to make ... drum roll, big secret being revealed ... i smile a lot ... there, it feels so good to get that off my chest!

we moved often when i was young, and i was the new kid in school for all of my adolescent years ... so i learned early that a smile opens hearts and doors ... it is easier to make friends when you smile ...

of course i don't feel like smiling every day ... life can be difficult, problems do arise ... but if i make it a habit to smile anyway, it can dispel some of the gloom ...

just like my blog ... i hope it makes you smile ... brightens your day ... and even on the days when i have a sad post - i try to throw some humour into the mix ...

smiling is a part of who i am ... Christ lives within me ... i know that i will one day be with Him ... i have every reason to smile ...

Neighbours and Firewood

firewood

i bundled up against the cold and got some exercise today by carrying more wood to the house ... we were going to stop burning wood altogether, 2 winters ago ... once the wood was gone, that was going to be it!

Leo’s chronic back problems and getting wood, just do not mix . . . family and friends did help us get cords of wood for years ... then we found a source of slabs (the portion of wood that is cut off the outer sides of the log) close to home and we managed to cut and stack that by ourselves ... finally it was just me doing most of the carrying of wood ... Leo’s concern was that i would hurt myself in this process ...

so we decided to just use the electric heat ...

when the neighbours noticed that we didn’t have firewood for the winter, they did something about it . . . for the last 2 years, they have been cutting, splitting and delivering firewood right to our yard!!!

i love wood heat and was loathe to give it up . . . but felt that i had no choice . . . i guess with God there are always choices . . . He shows His love in such practical ways, doesn’t He?

the wood heat is comforting ... the exercise and fresh air involved with carrying the wood to the deck, is good for me ... and i think the neighbours feel good about helping us too ...

mmmmm, i love my wood heat! Bless the Lord, oh my soul ... the Lord who keeps me nice and toasty - even when the temperature hits rock bottom!!

Cold enough for you?

-48C

i have 3 pictures of Leo on my blog . . . and now i have 3 pictures of our thermometer! as you can see, this one is the grand daddy temp of them all . . . -48C . . . which is around 56 below on the Farenheit scale ... we only live a 2 hour drive from the US border, so it's not like we are in northern Canada ... YIKES!!!

not only was the woodstove eating up pieces of log like candy, our baseboard heaters were humming away as well!! the fan that heats the crawl space under our cottage was starting to make loud groaning noises too!!! i chuckle and shake my head as i type this . . . it is so unbelievably cold at the moment .... there is hope for a warm up come tuesday .... there is always hope!!

our blessings are a warm house, wood heat, and no need to go anywhere ... there are always blessings to be found in every situation .... you just need to look!!! Amen? Amen!

Cool Ride

cool ride

my 200 kilometer, car maintenance trip, is complete! i am at home in our cottage, safe and sound ... thank you Lord!!!

what i didn’t share on my blog last night, is that i am an extremely nervous winter driver . . . reason being - 7 car accidents within a short span of time . . . sometimes i was the driver, sometimes i was the passenger, but the scenario was always the same - winter conditions . . .

the last accident was the worst, i totaled the car and went for a doozy of a tumbling ride in the process . . . after that i became extremely skittish regarding highway travel in the winter . . . around town it was fine - but longer road trips were always white knuckle, tension filled, situations . . . it's not that i was afraid to die - i just didn't like the wild rides that car accidents usually gave me!

slowly the Lord has been building my confidence (a new car with traction control and ABS brakes helps!) . . . during today’s drive on icy roads, with extreme wind chill warnings, i found myself wishing i would have taken my camera along ... i admired the bleak frozen landscape (almost moonscape) along the way . . . wisps of snow danced on the highway, hurrying to an unseen rendezvous in the farmers field . . . the little snowbirds swooped down low to the frozen ground only to soar up into the weak winter sunshine . . . i found beauty all around me and completely forgot to fear my #1 enemy, winter driving . . .

it was a good day for overcoming a deep, long held, fear . . .

WA HOO!!! i feel great tonight! oh, the oil got changed too! :o)

Keeping warm

keeping warm


here is a creative "stay warm" idea!! maybe you've seen this pic before? i just love it ... makes me smile . . .

i may have to venture out on our snow covered, windblown, highways tomorrow ... car maintenance time . . . the weather isn't the best to be doing a 200 km return trip in . . . i'll check the websites re roads and then decide . . . my big adventure? ? ?

did you know that digital cameras really hate -30C temps? they do!! they only cooperate while the batteries stay warm and after that they make a very high pitched shreaking noise . . . kind of like the rest of us!!

sorry about all the weather talk, it's part of being a Canadian, eh!

Must keep warm!

just heading for bed ... threw another log on the fire ... looks like we may get a blizzard tonight ... but i do have warm flannel pj's . . . :o) . . . nite nite . . .

* * * * * *
Good Morning!
YEH! no blizzard - just a cold night, with bitter wind chill . . . but it was toasty indoors and the sun is shining brightly this morning . . .

"Destined for Glory", the meaning of suffering

a comment on the visit to doctor post, got me thinking about where i am now in my understanding of the PAIN issue, and how did i get here?

reading is one of the top answers . . .

when we learned that Leo would have to deal with the pain, because there is no cure for arachnoiditis, i picked up book after book on pain and suffering . . . i would read, then share with Leo (this is pre internet days, when you really had to search out stuff!) . . . not only did we seek out physical help (T.E.N.S., bio feedback, etc.), we also needed to learn how to walk spiritually in this new lifestyle ...

"Destined for Glory, The Meaning of Suffering" by Margaret Clarkson stands out in my memory as a turning point book . . . she herself was a lifetime chronic pain sufferer ... sample this quote from page 19:

"We do not know God's reason for doing what He did, and we may not demand of a sovereign Creator that He explain Himself to His creatures. "How small a god that fits in the mind of a man!" an unknown writer has aptly commented. God had good and sufficient reasons for His action; we trust His sovereign wisdom and love."

just sharing thoughts on this life of ours . . .

Madame Guyon

This poem was written by Madame Guyon while in prison for her faith, 1688.

A little bird I am,
Shut from the fields of air;
and in my cage I sit and sing
To Him who placed me there:
Well pleased a prisoner to be
Because, my God, it pleases Thee.

Naught I have I else to do;
I sing the whole day long;
And He whom most I love to please,
Doth listen to my song:
He caught and bound my wandering wing,
But still he bends to hear me sing.

My cage confines me round;
Abroad I cannot fly;
But though my wing is closely bound,
My heart's at liberty;
My prison walls cannot control
The flight, the freedom of the soul.

Oh! it is good to soar
These bolts and bars above,
To Him whose purpose I adore,
Whose providence I love;
And in Thy mighty will to find
The joy, the freedom of the mind.

Visit to the doctor

every now and then, into this blissful blog world of mine, i think i need to throw in some of the real and gritty of our life . . .

so i’ll give you a glimpse of Leo and i going to the doctor for his quarterly check-up . . . which was today . . .

Leo takes first set of pills at 5 a.m.
i give him his second set around 8:30 a.m.
and then around 10 he manages to get up . . .

it is "doctor day" so he tries not to be grumpy about the 45 minute drive to the clinic . . . i make him some breakfast, we read our devotions together (i read the bible, he reads the devotional), then we watch a taped sermon (Joyce Meyers today) . . . i "gazelle" while watching the tape (multi-tasking!) . . .

it is bitterly cold out and the car needs to be warmed up (i run out to do that) and then it takes Leo about 15 minutes to get his outdoor gear on and get into the car . . . he is sweating before we even begin the trek . . .

the roads are 50/50 . . . some areas ice covered, others bare pavement ... Leo hangs on to the top handle in the car, as he winces whenever i hit ruts in the road . . . the passenger side window fogs up because of the "pain sweat" that the car ride is producing . . .

we always make sure that we are the first appointment so that Leo and i can go wait in a room . . . Leo lies down on the hard examining table to take the pressure off his back . . . we chat about mundane, every day stuff, as we wait for the doctor . . .

the doctor arrives ... we talk ... he talks ... 15 minutes later we are heading home again . . .

we drop off the prescriptions at our local pharmacy and she tells us it will be ready tomorrow . . .

our loveable feline greets us by purring and pawing at the treat drawer . . . we are once again home in our little cottage ... Leo tries not to complain, but at the end of the day - both of us are tired . . . Leo is nauseous, so supper is a no go.

Leo begins to talk steadily about people, places, etc. - and all i hear is negative chatter ... i am getting upset within . . . i know i’m tired ... so i have a half hour nap . . .

i’m glad the doctor day is over . . . Leo can’t tolerate much activity in his life anymore, he needs his quiet space and set routine to function . . .

mundane, sad, with no answers . . . the tapestry today is definitely viewed from "work in progress" side . . . someday it will be finished, but not today . . .

don’t be sad for us, i’m not . . . Jesus is my redeemer and i know there is a purpose to the pain issue in our life, even tho’ it makes no sense now . . . one day it will . . . my job is to keep believing, keeping trusting, keep sharing . . .

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our afflictions so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with wich we ourselves are comforted by God."
II Cor. 1:3-4

Beside Still Waters

peace will come

Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?

Got any mountains you can't tunnel thru?

God specializes in things tho't impossible;

He does the things others cannot do.

- tune/words by Oscar Eliason

The Challenge

Jim Elliott

taking a break

my task today has been putting away the Christmas decorations . . . i was really late taking everything down this year . . . the lights of my card Christmas tree gave our dining room such a nice glow in the evenings . . . well it's dismantled now . . . sigh . . . it was soooo pretty . . .

but i digress (as usual!).

i just wanted to share a neat website with you . . . it is a live webcam of Victoria, B.C. . . . it had snowed there yesterday, according to my sister . . . it doesn't snow there often, the grass is usually green all year round - Canada's tropics so to speak! . . . so click on Victoria and see the pretty port city . . . but do it quickly before all the snow is gone!

must go finish cleaning up now . . .

If looks could kill

nasty girl



have you ever gotten so angry at someone that steam comes out of your ears? and even in prayer you think that God is on your side, not theirs? on your team? that He really loves you more and best?

i’ve been there a time or two . . .

then the Lord reminds me that He loves each of us exactly the same . . . He loves me, just as much as He loves you ... and even as much as the person who i may think is nasty ...

sometimes that thought just galls me . . . really it does ...

but according to the bible - that’s the way it is . . .

my thoughts are so finite and i can only "see" through eyes clouded by culture, personal experience and even sin . . .

here’s an obvious statement - God can see the whole picture . . . so i need to "give it up" when steam comes blowing through my ears . . .

we are all special to the Lord . . . He loves us all more and best . . . and that’s a very good thing!!

The Gift

The only gift is a portion of thyself

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Vance Havner

this quote made me smile . . . then think . . . hope it does the same for you . . .

"Ideal environment does not guarantee perfect performance. After all, Adam was in Paradise when he fell! The New Testament was not written on vacation; much of it was penned in jail. Paul was not resting at a pleasure resort when he wrote the Epistles. The Pilgrim’s Progress was not put together in a villa on the French Riviera."

from "A Treasury of Vance Havner"

Can you stand another thermometer picture?

-43C


yes, i have lived in colder . . . in my high school years we lived way up north - and the winters were long and very frigid . . . but as a person gets older, well the long underwear just doesn't do the trick!!!

i wasn't going to post any more pics of our thermometer!! really i wasn't!! but i just couldn't help myself . . . the morning sky was pretty and the air was still . . . plus the tires on the car are probably square . . . have you ever driven a car with square tires? that is an interesting experience . . . they make a thud thud thud sound until the rubber bends back to where it is supposed to be . . .

hmmmm, i want to take a jaunt into town to check the mail and buy some milk ... but do i go out there? those are the major issues in my life this morning . . . stay tuned . . . as my world turns . . .

***********

UPDATE: as Ari mentioned, the cold's not so bad - i just dressed warmly and enjoyed my little trek to town (remember it's a mile on a dirt road, a mile on a quiet country highway, over a narrow bridge and about 4 miles through cottage country) . . . just thought i'd let you know that we now have milk again, didn't want anyone to worry . . . :o)

Tapestry

my mother is a talented weaver . . . the tapestry pictured above hangs on our dining room wall . . . mom made it 35 years ago ...

it takes a great deal of time, much planning and an ability to follow a complicated pattern to get the tapestry to look right . . . so many little details go into the colourful, completed work . . . the right yarns, equipment, even the fancy footwork on the loom's wooden pedals . . . the weaver's needle shuttles in and out after each yarn is individually tied into the proper place . . . the end result is pleasing to the eye ...

i often view our lives here on earth like a tapestry . . . if we trust in the Lord, and let Him guide our path, the end result will be pleasing to His eye ...

at times we may falter because we are viewing this life through a glass darkly . . . only seeing the back side of the tapestry, full of dark thread, knotted bits of yarn . . . the colours muted ... sometimes with no rhyme or reason to the pattern ...

faith tells me that our life in Jesus, is a life well spent . . . a life that flows with the correct colour scheme ... the beauty of which we may not see until the finished product is displayed . . . a life that at the end of this pilgrimage, will be a beautiful handiwork . . . a tapestry of praise to the Maker.

Deeper Roots

Deeper roots make for stronger lives . . .

another great quote from Charles Swindoll . . . and it seemed to go so well with the picture i took yesterday of the treeline behind our house, with the sun trying to shine through . . .

today we are back in the deep freeze for a while (-37C) . . . a good day to spend indoors, puttering around the house, cleaning up after Christmas . . . normal stuff . . . wonderful stuff . . . makes me feel blessed type of stuff! hope your day was normal and wonderful as well.

one step at a time 

One step at a time

one step at a time



one step at a time . . . one day at a time . . .

His strength is made perfect in weakness . . .

i’m a little person, living in a world of giants ...
i’m a weak person, needing super human strength for the task ...

the road ahead seems to be filled with obstacles too heavy for me to remove ... the day is drawing to a close ...

i just need to take one step at a time to accomplish the tasks He has set before me . . .

one step at time . . .

come on girl! i’ve got the strength for that . . . Jesus promised it to me ... and Jesus ALWAYS keeps His promises.

one step at a time ...

"For our Light Affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."
2 Cor. 4:17

a story of perseverance

this first day of 2005, i thought i would share an e-mail that i sent out to family and friends on 01/01/01 . . . may the blessings continue on this January 1, 2005 . . .

Happy New Year to you all . . .

I was just printing out e-mail pics that friends have sent us this past while, and as I printed up the photo of our friend Matthew with his beautiful family, I thought I'd start off this year (01/01/01) by sharing his story.

We first met Matt in 1987, during our second winter trip to Arizona. He was a scrawny looking guy and Leo said he was drawn to him because he thought Matt looked like he really needed "saving"!!! Turns out that Matt already knew the Lord, and believe me, that was the ONLY thing going for him!!!

He was living in an apartment he really couldn't afford, no furniture and barely any food in the cupboards. Matt was trying to start "fresh" after a messy divorce that had left his bank account stripped - but more hurtful, his life empty without his two precious daughters. His ex-wife, for reasons known only to her, kept him from seeing the girls and then "disappeared" with them. Matt shared his life story with us over the next few months. It really was sad how he went from having it all . . . to having nothing but the hope that his kids wouldn't forget him. The only positive thing that came out of that divorce was that Matt reached out to the Lord, who had already been trying to get his attention for quite a while!

During that warm Arizona winter Matt hung out with us, went to church with us, shared our meals and Leo gave him rides every now and then - since his only mode of transportation, a bike, got stolen.

We went home to Canada and Matt kept on looking for work in the uncertain job market of the time. He did eventually find a job in South Dakota, at a meat processing plant. It was freezing cold in the plant, work designed for carpal tunnel syndrome (which he got) . . . and having the "usual" Matt luck of those days, he got robbed and beaten up, as well as slicing up one of his fingers quite badly. It got to the point that when Matt called us, we would automatically think "oh, oh, what happened now?". This type of life went on for several years.

We kept in touch . . . even visiting Matt in an improved lifestyle in Texas, where he put on a great Thanksgiving spread for us. He made another move, to the west coast, and spent vacation time with us in Arizona. His life slowly began to improve and his faith mature . . . but he still missed those girls of his.

About 4 years ago he married again, this time to a woman who had been a missionary for many years. She obviously saw some quality in Matt that made her change occupations and agree to be his wife. The Lord blessed them with a child and we thought "finally", Matt has a family of his own again. The Lord also restored Matt's finances and he kept on getting promoted at work until he is now VP of something or other!

It wasn't a downer to hear from Matt anymore (via e-mail). His life seemed to have changed 180 degrees . . . and the best was yet to be . . . which you may have already guessed . . . I'll share his simple little e-mail with you:

Hi, I have good news, my daughters that have been missing for 14 1/2 years called me June 25, 00. They came down for a visit two weeks ago and stayed for a week. It went great! God is good. I talk to them often now.

All is well with the world. I got a new job and will be moving to ********* this fall to take over the job as VP of ********** with 6 hundred employees. I continue to pray for ya'll and not a day goes by that you're not in my thoughts and prayers.

Take Care and God Bless. Matt

I don't need to tell you that I was crying after reading that note. We called Matt right away to get the full story. His daughters, who are young adults now, had retained good memories of their dad. Their mom wanted them to change their last name when she remarried, but they absolutely refused to do that. They had begun to search for their dad. Matt, bless his heart, had always left forwarding addresses at the numerous post offices during his many moves across the U.S. They just followed his trail. One day, the phone rang and a female voice asked for Matt. The woman peppered him with question after question, until Matt asked, "Who is this?" . . . she simply replied, "your daughter".

It was so encouraging for Leo and me to see Matt's prayers and the prayers of so many others on his behalf, answered. So as we start this New Year, I wanted to encourage you, dear friends . . . to keep praying, keep hoping, keep believing. God is still in control. As Matt stated "God is good" . . . and I heartily agree . . . yes, HE sure is!

Saija