on course

You're blessed when you stay on course,

walking steadily on the road revealed by Yahweh.

You're blessed when you follow his directions,

doing your best to find him.

That's right - you don't go off on your own;

you walk straight along the road he set.

You, Yahweh, prescribed the right way to live;

now you expect us to live it.

Oh, that my steps might be steady,

keeping to the course you set;

Then I'd never have any regrets

in comparing my life with your counsel.

portions of Psalm 119, from the Message

Spring!

my west-coast sister took the above picture yesterday ... spring has sprung in her part of Canada ... i stuck my nose to the screen and tried to inhale the fragance - but alas, all i inhaled was computer dust!!!

though i am believing that soon, very soon - spring will arrive here in Manitoba too!

check out last years praise post on the arrival of spring ... click here ... it applies to this year too! may God grant you springtime in your heart as well ..

Your time has come,

now hasten little snowflakes,

To vanish quite away;

The spring-tide hours are sounding gentle warnings

Forbidding you to stay.

~ M. E. Hathaway

next, please ...

this is our lovely backyard scene ... very peaceful ... very tranquil ... but still quite bland in colour! that's the thing about March ... a person's eyes become starved for more ... we know that there are more colours than just - brilliant white, muddy brown, muted green!!!

4 seasons are a complete meal ... but towards the end of this particle repast, i am craving the next course ... that lovely and delightful springtime ... spring with it's warm sunshine and light rain ... the air takes on a new aroma of promise ... it delights my heart ...

who else but God could have come up with 4 seasons ... each with something to offer ... something to teach ... and something to look forward too!

It was one of those March days

when the sun shines hot

and the wind blows cold:

when it is summer in the light,

and winter in the shade.

~Charles Dickens

good reads

i am so enjoying Breaking Free by Beth Moore ... here's a little bit from this morning's reading:

"A profound change occurred in my daily approach to God when I realized God wanted me to walk with Him. For years I asked God to walk with me. Talk about the clay trying to spin the Potter! I wanted to take my feet of clay and walk where my heart led and count on the Potter to bless my sweet-if-selfish little heart. My clay feet got scorched walking through some terrible fires sparked by the misguided passion of my own heart. Finally I realized God's blessing would come when I did what He said. For safety and the pure enjoyment of God, we are so wise to learn to walk with God instead of begging Him to walk with us." page 186 in Breaking Free.

she says things that we might know - but she verbalizes it in ways that hit home the lesson of maturing in Christ ...

i noticed that Billy Graham's site ( click here ) was offering a Beth Moore book ... if you are interested in trying out this author ...

* * * * * * * *

have you ever visited Osray's being there blog? he makes me laugh and think ... i love it when someone reaches the respectable age of 74 and is still in the stream of life, blogging and encouraging us younger ones!

* * * * * * * *

well blogger is giving me a tough time at the moment (i think they are working on something) ... so i think i should sign off - hopefully i won't lose this post! blessings!

have i told you about .... ?

have i ever told you about one of my sweet little sisters? no? well i guess today is the day ...

we'll call her Maria in my blog ... she is the first of mom's children from her second marriage ... my brother and i thought she was just the cutest baby ever born ...

Maria was also the most mischievous little girl ever born!

she wanted to experience every aspect of life ... to explore ... to travel ... to meet new people ... and more than once, some of these activities got her into a real pickle of a problem ...

but i totally fell in love with my little sister in those early days of taking care of her ... and it broke my heart when at the age of 3, she became a diabetic ... it was before the time of disposable syringes ... the needles seemed huge & heavy ... her little body seemed so small and fragile, as mom would inject the insulin into those tiny little arms ... we all soon learned about insulin reactions and diabetic shock ...

maybe this caused Maria to want to live, love, and experience everything life afforded in such a driven way ...

did i also mention that diabetes is an unforgiving disease? unlike the saving grace of God - diabetes does not give a person much grace, or many chances ...

over the years, Maria has slowed down considerably ... the disease taking over and ruling everything except her sweet spirit ...

i spoke with her this morning ... she tried to catch her breath, as with drug slurred speech she described her doctor's visit yesterday ... she is retaining so much water that her heart is having a hard time keeping things going ... she is pretty well house bound and losing her vision ... she is slowly losing her life too ... she just turned 41 last week ...

Maria is one of the bravest and sweetest women i know ... but for the sake of honesty and not to make her out to be a saint, she has also lived hard and wild - only to return again and again into the waiting arms of Jesus - who has unconditionally saved her soul ...

i feel so very sad this morning as i think of her ailing body ... yet i do rejoice that her Hope IS in the Lord ... and that Hope won't disappoint ...

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
2 Corinthians 1:2-4

Satisfaction . . . 

snow in the desert

it rained/snowed in Arizona yesterday - after 143 dry days ... my cousin e-mailed me that there is even snow close to Phoenix ... in Carefree and Cavecreek (their elevation is a wee bit higher than that of Phoenix) ...

i love the desert scenery ... even with the snow ... it becomes 2 worlds that have gotten together for a photo-op ... and as long as it is a short photo-op, it is enjoyable ...

did i mention that i love the desert? ... *smile* ... when we used to go down south, the verse about Jesus going into the desert area to rest a while seemed appropriate ... Arizona was a place to recharge our batteries ... leo felt better there because of the drier climate ... we also found a large and lively church to attend ... we used to call our AZ time a vacation from pain ... it wasn't really, but leo would try to "pretend" that the pain didn't control our activities ...

kinda miss those days ... or maybe it's the healthier leo that i miss ...

just thinking outloud ... maybe because it snowed here too this weekend and poor leo couldn't find a comfortable position to be in ... pain is a cruel companion ... i'm so glad the Lord does away with it "on that Day" ...

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Revelations 21:4

we matter ...

i went for my first good long walk in the neighbourhood today ... even though it was cloudy, the temps were mild and the snow has begun to recede ... it truly felt like a lovely spring day in my corner of the world ...

before i left for my jaunt, i gave my aunt a call ... just to chitchat ... i mentioned my walk, and she told me to be careful when i crossed the highway ... *big grin* ... then leo told me to take along my ID and cell phone ... *another big grin* ...

it's a blessing to have people who care about my well being ... in my small circle, i matter to them ...

we all want to matter to someone ...

even though my heart is blessed that i have dear ones that care, i was thinking that the very BEST is - i MATTER to GOD ... i live a small-town life and my name will never be a household word ... yet i MATTER to the God of the Universe!!!

and YOU matter to this same God in the very same way... now that is awesome star power ... *huge grin* ...

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

to lighten your load ... smile

Everyone smiles in the same language.

~Author Unknown

goodbye Dana ...

i just heard on the news that Dana Reeve died late last night of lung cancer ... she was just diagnosed 7 months ago and was 44 years old ...

i was telling leo that she was a wonderful role model for the caregiver - optimistic and never seemed to tire ... when her husband died, i thought that she might actually be able to enjoy life and see to some of her own interests ... but our life and times are not in our hands ...

still i can't help but feel sad for the tragedy that the reeve's family has seen ... especially the 13 year old son left behind ...

all this is a reminder that life is so temporary ... "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

monday morning chitchat

yes, i am still excited about having high speed and the ability to check out websites that load with the click of a mouse ... i'm a simple soul it seems! it doesn't take much to make me happy ... i'm content with what i have! especially now that high speed is part of the having ... *smiling, shaking head* ...

did you watch the oscars last night?

i watched it and was 65% entertained by it all ... the show was l-o-n-g, as usual ... it did give this country mouse a little glimpse into a totally different lifestyle ... i enjoyed the old hollywood look of elegance ... though the amounts of money displayed in hair, make-up, clothing, gift bags - i cannot fathom being spent in one evening ...

in our real world - it snowed ... everything is covered and brilliantly white ... i had my morning devotions with a world so clean and bright, i should have worn sunglasses! only thing bad about this brightness, it shows the dust bunnies and their hiding places ... sigh ... i best get to it ...

blessings on your monday and week!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

afternoon chitchat ... i went out to shovel and after about 10 minutes i ended up with the shovel handle in one hand and the scoop part stuck in the snow! ... oh oh ... time to quite shovelling i guess!

did i mention that leo and i are reading "The Purpose Drive Life" by Rick Warren? we must be the last people in North America to read this wildly popular book ... we will try to keep to the chapter a day schedule ... we started on March 1st ... it really is an excellent read!

time

TIME ... we all think we have lots of it ... sometimes time drags for us ... or we may wish for times' past ...

there are times when we want to wake up a month in the future ... TIME ...

our only guarantee when it comes to TIME ... is the moment we are living in ...


"Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time"
Colossians 4:5

bible meme

A Bible Meme

i've been tagged by Linda ...

1. Who is your favorite Biblical personage, other than Jesus?

i have to say David ... he loved the Lord with all his heart - yet he was human and made grave errors in judgement ... and sinned big time ... despite all that, God kept on loving David, kept on forgiving David ... i think i've learned more about myself and my relationship with the Lord - by reading about David's life ...

2. What is your favorite book of the Old Testament?

Psalms ... it speaks to me when i am happy, when i am sad or depressed ... it seems to be the place i go first for whatever emotion may be rolling through my innerds ...

3. What is your least favorite book of the Old Testament?

Lamentations? *smile* ... i don't think that there is such a thing as "least favorite" for me ... maybe just "least read" !!

4. What is your favorite non-gospel book of the New Testament?

i love Paul's writing ... so i probably turn to one of his letters as different needs or questions arise ... in these days that we are living in, i think Revelations is the one i would most like to understand!

5. What is your life verse?

i have "seasons of life" verses ... i don't think i have ever had one verse to blanket my life ... some of the seasonal verses i've shared can be found in these posts: abiding; treasures on earth; small faith but in big God ...

6. Tag five people who might want to play.

if you're reading this - please play along if you have the time ... and let me know - so i can read your bible meme thoughts ...

(p.s. did i mention how much i am enjoying my high speed ... *huge grin* ... )

move over dial-up, high speed has arrived!

i got high speed installed yesterday!!!! YAY ... finally ... one of my big big computer desires ... YAY again!!! ... i was so enjoying my internet time last night, just checking different websites that used to take forever to load ...

sigh ... i'm so happy about it ...

timely conversation

my morning sky ... God's artwork is just amazing!!! don't you think?? ...

just wanted to share an interesting conversation that took place a few hours ago ... i don't know if this will go anywhere or not - but it was timely!

i was picking up my aunt at the bus depot this evening ... just hanging out at the counter as i waited (the bus depot is actually a gas/convenience store) ...

i struck up a conversation with the young woman who was the gas jockey (or so i thought - turns out she and her husband own the place) ... ours is a small town, so of course there are the questions of where do you live? how long have you lived there, etc. etc ... i told her that we had just sold our house and that we were renting ... of course she knew our landlord ... in a small town you never can bump into someone who doesn't know someone you know! ... i mentioned that we were looking for a condo to buy ... she said, "oh, my husband and i were just talking about putting our riverfront condo up for sale".... ? ... ok ... we exchanged phone numbers ...

now i don't know if this will go anywhere or not ... it's just very interesting timing ... i don't normally hang out at the gas bar during evening hours .... plus this was the first time my aunt EVER took the bus ... and why would the conversation get around to this topic with a total stranger ... ?

wouldn't it be a hoot if this turned out to be our place?

we do have other possibilities ... but still? i will let you know if anything comes of this ... it was just one of those interesting occurrences that made me wonder - was this a God-thing?

Golden Moment for Golden Girl!

this is Cindy Klassen ... she is a speed skater, a Winnipeger who won 5 medals in the 2006 winter olympics ... and she loves the Lord!

my heart was just blessed when this very unassuming 26 year old stated that she skates for God ... she shared her faith, when asked about it ... and it was done in such a humble way, that the reporters kept asking her more questions ... they seemed to be amazed at how she credited an injury in helping her faith grow ... "and how did an injury increase your faith?", the reporters wanted to know ... she simply stated that it gave her time to read her bible more and pray ...

Cindy helped Canada reach an all time winter olympic high of 24 medals ... we came in 3rd in all the nations ... the USA came in second at 25 medals ...

i was just blessed to see this child of God do so well in a world wide arena ... and still retain her sweet spirit of humility ...

posting about my mom ...

my mom (pictured on the left) has started blogging ... although, unless you can read Finn, you won't be able to understand much! she has called her site, Salmen ajatukset ... translated means, Salme's thoughts ...

i was chatting with one of my sister's, and we concluded that mom is so young at heart ... she is in the computer age and loves to e-mail, take digi pics and now - a blog! i hope that i will always have that zest for learning and growing as a person ...

oh, she also thinks nothing of jumping in a car and driving over 400 miles - all by herself! *smiling, shaking head* ...

fish out of water

today was a shopping day ... i actually ventured out of the area to do some REAL buying ... i hadn't done that since late November! duh? do i get out much?

along the way i noticed all the ice-fishing huts on the frozen river ... clustered close together with smoke coming out of some chimneys ... cars or trucks parked outside the huts ... just like driving on the river was something that was normal ... ? ... i don't feel comfortable doing that! it just feels wrong for some reason ...

at the moment, i am feeling like a fish out of water ... i think it's because some of my "stuff" is still in boxes, instead of in plain view ... little scripture verses that i like to have around ... hymnals ... i haven't hooked up my speakers to the computer yet, so can't play my music while i type ... and i am making do with a wee little table for my computer because i gave away my corner desk ...

yup, like fish out of water ...

not that it's a bad thing - i just need to get comfortable with my set-up ... and maybe break down and unpack a few more items ... *smile* ...

i think it is good when we leave the known and familiar to forge ahead into the unknown ...

just a few loose thoughts this friday evening ...

 

in spite of me . . .

i like our cozy rental bungalow ... it feels like a good place to wait in ... to wait for our condo? or house? whatever the Lord has in store for us ...

and to think that i despaired for a while!! worried about a place for us to move too ... wondering how the Lord was going to help us out! then i fired myself (click here) and remembered that i had a God who cared for me ... He knew we needed a place to move too and i needed to trust He would find that place for us!

looking back - i can now see how God made sure we would find this place ... even though i kept shaking my head "no" when He presented it to us!

a month ago, i called our local newspaper a day before the weekly edition hit the stands - to see if there were any rentals available ... there was one - this house ... but when we found out that it wasn’t right in town ... i didn’t even ask to see it ...

through a series of events, i was brought back to this house again and again ... first by a friend and then by a mutual acquaintance ... then finally we took a look and loved it! we also found out that we knew our landlord’s sister! ... we weren’t going to rent from a total stranger after all!

every time we raised an obstacle about renting this house ... the obstacle was taken care of ... e.g.. the driveway is long and we didn’t want to worry about snow removal - our landlord just said, no problem - he has a big plow!

maybe you remember how i prayed and prayed about it all ... and searched and searched ... and here it was right under my nose the whole time ...

in spite of me - the Lord lead us here! which is encouraging ... because in spite of me - the Lord will continue to lead and to meet our needs as they arise!

breaking free

"Victory always begins with a cry for help. When we come to the end of ourselves and cry out for help, amazing things happen. ... God wants to surpass our best dreams, and He wants to bring us to the place of obedience that lasts."

Beth Moore from Breaking Free

now that we are moved, i will try to get back to a routine of reading a study book in the morning ... i've heard of Beth Moore, but this is the first book of hers that i am reading ... she seems to have good insight and challenges a person to go beyond just a surface faith ...

and now for the moving central update: unpacking is going quite well, it feels like home already ... maybe some sort of routine will return next week ... *smile* ... one can only hope ... as for now - we are pretty tired!!! so bedtime comes early ... nite nite from a very COLD manitoba (no big thermometer pics - we left it at the cottage!)

high speed ..... zzzoooommmmmm

YAY! i ordered HIGH SPEED ... "and the Lord shall give you the desires of your heart ... "

* * * * * * *

today was the last clean-up at the cottage ... that's what i was up to yesterday ... and finished it today ... it was a big job - but it is behind me now ... and the cottage belongs to someone else as of tomorrow ...

* * * * * * *

YAY ... high speed might even be here for my birthday on Saturday!!! wouldn't that be cool?!!!

the new view

this is our new view ... very rural ... very quiet ... *smile* ... i bet it will be lovely in the summer ... and though it is rural, our town is only 4 minutes away!

this morning i was too tired to concentrate on the Word ... but not too tired to thank the Lord for His many blessings throughout the move ... i just sat, sipping my coffee ... admiring the peaceful new scene, saying "thank You, thank You ... " over and over ...

abiding in Him DOES make all the difference ...

having praying friends/family was another blessing ...

and gratefully accepting the help that was so willingly and generously offered ...

maybe when my mind is more rested, i will see more clearly to share other blessings from these past 2 months ... hey, wait a minute! has it only been 2 months? sheesh, seems like 6 at the moment! *grin* ...

... to be cont'd ...

moved!

all went super well ...
and super fast!!!!!
it took under 4 hours to get us moved (10 people helping) ...

YAY! thank you Lord!
thank you blog buds for praying ...

now to hit the sack for the first night here in the new digs ...

Leo is already zoned out ... poor guy ...

zzzzzzzzzzzz

a new phase begins

this will be the last post from our cottage ... i think these last few days might be a wee bit busy! *smile* ...

i am feeling a little of every emotion imagineable ... we have loved our house, yet as i strip away familiar wall hangings and the rooms start to "empty" of us ... i realize again that a home is what a person puts into it - not the actual structure ... we are the beating heart of this building, not the other way around ... and our hearts will go on beating in our cozy rental bungalow ...

my faith has been stretched and exercised ... cobwebs around my heart have been dusted away ... we are entering another phase in our lives ...

many tasks await ... so i must be off ... i covet your prayers ...

oh, does anyone have any more boxes i could borrow?

abiding

i met this verse twice today ... it's an encouraging one, isn't it?

things seem to be on schedule for "the move" ... if you think of me, please pray for my stamina and patience levels ... i don't want to be unpleasant to leo - as i scurry about doing things and he rests ... i know that he isn't well, but when a body gets tired - well a body might become a wee bit cranky too!

i am learning how to ABIDE in Christ ....

are we there yet?

our faithful feline KNOWS there is definitely something up ... something very very odd ... there used to be books on the shelf he is resting on ... though the look in his eyes is none too peaceful!

i feel like a kid asking "are we there yet? are we there yet?" ... then i look in another closet and see more stuff to pack and decide ... uh, not quite!

we had more unexpected help this weekend ... friends of ours who live 450 miles away, drove down for an afternoon ... and what a busy afternoon ... dump run, shovelling a path for the movers, a truck run to the house ... they slept here one night, then had to head home this morning ... they sure did bless and refresh our hearts ...

i'm a bit weary ... but otherwise in good spirits ... leo is very uncomfortable, yet trying to lend a hand if/when he can ...

we are in the final countdown to our MOVE date ... i will post when i can ...

humming ... "my Lord knows the way through the wildnerness, all i have to do is follow ... "

the Spirit within

our world of packing is winding down to the final week ...

i've been learning things about myself during this time ... and i've been taught lessons in discipline, patience, perseverance ... also lessons in faith ... learning to trust that the Lord DOES give strength at just the right time ...

i shouldn't be afraid to say that "i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" ... because - it's the truth!

long way round

over Christmas i watched the motorcycle adventure of Ewan McGregor & Charley Boorman ... the 7 hour series was called - long way round ... instead of hopping on a plane from London to New York, the guys planned to ride their motorcycles EAST from London and eventually arrive in New York ... instead of the Atlantic Ocean, they would only need to cross the Berring Strait - with their bikes getting a ride in the belly of the plane ...

i was enthralled with this notion ...

the first episode showed the preparation for such an endeavour ... ... then the next 6 episodes catalogued the actual 115 day motorcycle tour ...

i was impressed with the way the guys handled themselves and their positive outlook on the journey ... they rolled with the punches and were so willing to experience the various cultures that they encountered ...

they took the long way round ...

selling our house and everything that has followed, seems to be the long way round for us ... choices we may have made, had we gone from house A to house B, would not be the same ones we are contemplating now ... i mean, we weren’t even considering a condo! now a condo is what we really want ...

our thinking and attitude needed an adjustment ... we needed to go this long way round for that to happen ... and the journey continues ... but at least it has become more of the adventure i hoped it would ...

today we took a few items to our rented bungalow ... walked around and planned out where the furniture would go ... and it felt ok ... even good ...

there remains a lot of packing to do ... the moving date is only 10 days away ... leo’s health still continues to be poor - at best ... and i am still just a little person feeling the weight of this load ... BUT i am leaning on a Mighty God ... and that should make all the difference on this long way round ...

I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders. ~Jewish Proverb

cup of dreams

We "find life" not in seeking it but in coming into a proper alignment with God and his plan for us. As you "lose your life," you find it again. This "life" Jesus speaks of not only includes life after death, but also "life during life." Jesus tells us that he came to "give life in all its fullness" (John 10:10). You should never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. God's plan for you is good. In fact, it is better than any plan you may have for yourself.

- Greg Laurie from Knowing Jesus Personally, New Living Testament.

fired!

ok, i admit it ... for the past few weeks i’ve been trying to do God’s job ...

guess what? i have been absolutely lousy at it! i know, no big surprise there ... *shakes head, foolishly grins* ... sooooo, i fired myself ... all i was doing was getting my shorts in a knot and accomplishing NOTHING! sheesh!

i fretted about a place to live ... the Lord provided many options ...

i worried about help for the move ... one friend drove 1000 miles to come take care of things ... others have offered help before and after the move date ... there are numerous trucks ready to go - with strong young bodies willing to lift & tote that furniture!

i got anxiety attacks over Leo’s poor health ... his health didn’t improve, it just made for a miserable household ...

all along, i knew better!

so i fired myself today ... i think i should let my God, BE my God ... my Redeemer, my Saviour, the Lover of my soul and the One who knows how my particular story should play out ...

when i start to fret again (which is my natural inclination) ... remind me that i am officially fired ... instead, the Lord is back in control!

Apart from me, you can do nothing - Jesus

Sleeping Through the Furious Squall

joyful woman wrote this post few days ago ... it encouraged my heart! so i thought i would share it with you guys too!

Sleeping Through the Furious Squall

Mark 4:35-38 "That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

No, Jesus didn't care. That struck me this morning as I meditated on this passage. Jesus didn't care because He knew His Father held them all safe and sound in His hands, and that nothing would happen that was not according to the will of the Father. There was no need to lie awake. There was no need to worry. Not even amid the Furious Squall did Jesus need to care, not even when the boat was nearly swamped.

Do you feel that you're in the midst of a Furious Squall? Could the waves be swamping your boat in huge, cold, suffocating deluges? There's no need to worry, no need to lose sleep. Just keep rowing toward the other side and calm your heart. If you are in the boat with Jesus and He seems to be sleeping through it all, it's because it's going to be okay. You'll reach the other side safe and sound.

copied from joyfulwoman

one track mind!

welcome to the "we're moving and packing" blog!

isn't it amazing how a person can become so focused on just one matter ... everything to me revolves around this packing business! i've even found verses tucked away in the books i am packing, that seem to apply to my current situation ... listen to this ... "But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded." 2 Chron. 15:7 ... are they talking about muscles? and packing? *smile*

we did get out and vote today (Canadian elections) ... and pick up more boxes for - what else? packing!

i should have cornered those politicians earlier - they could have had a really good photo-op at our place ... you know, the heart-warming type of picture where they are helping me pack - while leo looks on from his prone position ... that would have garnered some sympathy votes ... why didn't i think of it earlier! sheesh, eh!

well enough chitchat ... i still have more packing in the computer room to do ...

have you counted how many times i used the "p" word in this post?

i appreciate your prayer for this journey we are on ... but really now, you should live just a wee bit closer - i might need a hand with this packing!

what is hidden in your heart?

last year was a really good year for reading through the bible ... meditating on God's word ... and reading good scripturally based books ... i was being prepared for this journey that i am now on ...

this morning i woke up early, with worry wanting to control the day ... i started to pray, tell the Lord about my concerns ... and He in turn reminded me of verses that calmed those anxieties and set me resting on His promises once again ... He is so patient with me!

i've already been able to look back on these past 2 months - and see the many ways He has helped us out ...

worry is my natural nature ... resting on God's promises is my spiritual nature ...

that is why having the WORD of God in our hearts and minds is so important ... it is the true North ... our trusty compass that will NEVER steer us wrong ...

going rural

from cottage country, we are now going rural!

through a round about way ... even though we didn't think this place was for us at first ... the Lord gave us a feeling of peace when we walked into this sweet little rural bungalow ...

we said YES to renting it!!! YAY!!! it is only 3 km from town ... a place to "wait" until we buy something ... it does have a long driveway, but our young landlord said he would plow it ... we'll discuss grass cutting when that happens - too much of the white stuff on the ground to think about it!

i feel relieved ... now i know how to pack! the packing was my issue - whether for storage? or a place to move? ... i feel at peace ... *smile* ... thank you for praying for us! we are still praying for a condo to open up in town ... but now we have a place to wait in ...

our hard working friend left for home today ... the outside stuff has been taken care of ... now it's just the inside sorting & packing ... whew!

this time of indecision may not have been so much for my benefit, but for leo's ... i know he was praying earnestly for a place - because he saw my stress ... then on tuesday, leo told me not to worry, we will have a place on thursday to move too ... bless his heart, it happened that way! i'm so glad that the Lord humbled us both ... we are 2 stubborn independent souls ... well we used to be 2 stubborn independent souls!

so the saga of our move continues ...

goodbye to a trusty friend

i can't see Leo's boat from the kitchen window any longer ... friends of ours came and hooked the winch to it, pulled it through the snow ... then took it to a safe place to wait for spring ... and a possible " for sale " sign on it's windshield ...

as the guys were leaving our driveway, i saw Leo reach out and pat the engine ... then his trusty fishing boat left the yard ... our world has slowly, but steadily, been changing ... when i wrote the post on moving along, i didn't realize then how prophetic it was ...

i haven't been able to visit blogs this week ... timing and my computer room becoming a guest room have prevented it ... i steal a few moments here and there to post a quick message ... i so appreciate your prayer on our behalf ...

UPDATE: we found a cute little rental home near town today ... thank the Lord! and thank YOU for praying ... will blog more later ...

little by little

we got about 6 inches of snow yesterday ... so it was slow going outside ... but atleast we are getting things done, little by little ... it is truly wonderful to have the help! especially since leo was quite affected by the weather, and not able to do much ...

today is a colder day ... but no snow!

i am still asking, seeking, knocking ... for a place to move too ...

a little update for those of you who are praying for us!

unlikely angel

last week i finished reading Ashley Smith's account of her hostage ordeal ... it made me shake my head and wonder at the way God takes care of His children - giving us choices along the way ... i recommend the book ... it was a pretty fast paced read ... Ashley is nothing but honest in sharing her struggles before this horrific event ... and how God intervened in a miraculous way!

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we have company ... one of our old friends drove 1000 miles to come give us a hand with sorting the outdoor stuff and then the dreaded "dump run" ... YAY!!!! ... i'm hoping for reasonable weather this week ... after all it is January in Manitoba!

our bud said he noticed a decline in Leo's health, since his last visit ...

the Lord has also been bringing more "safety nets" into my life ... just to keep me patient, until the prayed for rental or permanent CONDO comes along! i guess the biggest job will be this move ... after that - we only unpack what we need ...

thanks for your prayer on our behalf!!! blessings on your week!

help through the day

God will be right there in the morning ready to help you through the day with all the power you will need . . . one moment at a time.
Charles Swindoll

updating the saga of our move

we still don't have a place to move too ... can you believe it? in a month we have to be out of our home and no where to go!

i looked at a possible rental place today ... good location, good price, but it was an older home so the rooms were small and our furniture wouldn't fit in there ... plus it was a 2 story - and stairs for a guy with chronic back problems and difficulties walking - well that just wouldn't do ...

so back to calling people - anyone i can think of ... something will hopefully turn up before the movers get here (the movers being our friends/family) ...

i would love to tell you how this experience is making me grow as a Christian ... but i am honestly not understanding it - YET, anyway ... so that kind of sharing will have to happen later ... i am really tired out emotionally by it ...

i'm so pooped, yet sleep hasn't come easily ... and for me, that is usually the last problem i encounter ...

so that is my up-date ... nothing to up-date! when something happens, i will blog about it right away ... for now, it is a waiting game ...

5 weird things about me

Tim, from the The Black Kettle, tagged me (5 weird things about me), so here are some oddities about moi ...

1. i never eat anything that has fallen on the ground ... even in my own house ...
2. i compulsively jiggle the door at work to make sure i locked it ... 2 or 3 times!
3. i love to go visit friends, but want to leave almost as soon as i get there!
4. i didn't own a pair of jeans until i was 19 ...
5. i am shy, yet in a gathering of strangers - i'm the one who breaks the ice ...

if you do the meme, let me know, i'd love to read it ... :o)

just another warm January day ...

Leo had his 3 month doctor's visit today ... it seemed spring time warm out there as we did the 40 minute trip ... so different from last January's doctor visit ... today was a pretty good day overall ... and Leo bought his first cane ... he's been staying away from helps like that because if you can get by - then you get by ... but the cane will help steady him on the days when his legs don't want to do their job ...

so the day has zoomed by ... time to hit the sack praying ... i like to fall asleep talking to the Lord ... that way i hope to wake up praising Him ... to set my heart's clock on the faith timetable ...

oh, i thought i would post a "backyard picture" for you ... soon there will be a new backyard to take pictures of! soon ...

treasures on earth

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ” (Matthew 6:19-21)

this verse has been meandering around my head for a month or so ... especially as i look through our "stuff" ...

then i saw it on my side-bar today ... and would you believe - it was also in our bible reading ... things that make a person go "hmmmm, what am i missing here?" ...

i've searched my heart ... i don't believe i am holding on tightly to material things ... in fact my motto has been "down size, down size ..." as i give away as much as i possible can! without giving Leo heart failure that is ... the less i have, the less i have to pack!!! makes sense to me ... *smile* ...

when a person is moving ... altering their usual state of affairs ... it is interesting to see what our treasures are ... what we value, and take more care in packing ... mine have been things from mom & dad's life together ... from the 10 years they were married ... they seem extra special ...

but i suppose the Lord is pointing out that the real treasures are things that are not tangible ... things we store in our hearts, that no one can yank out of our hands ... things that we don't have to pack!

when the Lord calls us home ... we will walk through that eternal door with only things we carry within ... nothing else ...

i don't know why those verses replay in my mind ... but i am paying attention ...

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update: we are still searching for a place to move into ... even if we rent for awhile ... but you know, rental places are almost as difficult to find in our little town! hmmmmm .... needless to say - i value your prayer!

Sunday ...

it snowed lightly last night ... it looks lovely out there ... though i hope the warm january weather will continue and slowly melt that white stuff! ... that is a little miracle around these parts, the weather!

i think i may be fighting a cold at the moment ... i am eating oranges and taking my vitamins ...

we are also waiting to hear about a place ... even though no one is living there, these folks aren't keen on a winter sale, they prefer spring/summer ... we are praying that they might change their minds! if you could pray along with us, that would be wonderful ...

must go check the fire ... just wanted to wish you a Sunday full of joy ...

thanks guys!

thank you for the encouragement ... and prayer ... i so appreciate it! my anxieties have subsided and i have felt peaceful for 2 days ... nothing has changed with our situation (just the "hope" for change!) ... leo's health continues to restrict him doing much of the prep for a move ... but the thing that i can control, my attitude, has changed ... i am trying to view this as an adventure ... ya, that's what this will be!

just wanted to put a little positive spin on my blogging ...

at the moment, i have a big old 16 pound cat, perched on my desk - his head is leaning on my scanner and one eye is on me - with that "isn't it bedtime yet?" look ... so i will take pity on him ...

nite nite from balmy Manitoba ...

a small faith ... but in a BIG God!

"I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate." Romans 7:15 NLT

lately this verse has taken on more meaning for me ...

it involves my fretting, anxiety and fear ...

you see, i know that God has worked marvelously in my life many a time ... answering prayer, supplying strength, cutting a pathway through a thick jungle of negativity ... He’s made a way for me to see the positive and to hope ...

then my home sold ... which should be a time for celebration - because it was definitely answered prayer ... but i wasn’t prepared ...

i was shaking in my boots ... even though i knew better ... even though God has never let me down ... i was anxious and fretting ... where do we move? how do we move? do i have the strength?

i didn’t want to be such a big cry baby! ... i wanted to have a HUGE faith and be a shining example of the Proverbs woman ... just packing away, making big plans!

duh ... i was a wimpy little girl instead ... and it made me ashamed ...

then i read about the great Apostle Paul ... he said what he wanted to do, he didn’t ... and what he didn’t want to do, he did ...

hey, that was me!!

i didn’t want to worry ... i didn’t want to fear ... yet i did ...

i wanted to have huge faith and be so calm ... but i wasn’t ...

in Romans 8:37 he goes on to say "No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us."

Paul continues the encouragement with the wonderful verses 38 & 39

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." ... these words are God hugs to us trembling saints & sinners ...

please excuse my simple theology of a great passage ... it’s just that when i was going through a fearful time, the Lord reminded me that even the "superstars" of Christianity had their moments too ... no wonder us "little ones" quake sometimes ...

prairie warmth ...

notice i haven’t talked about our weather lately?

not like in January of last year ... yikes! every other post i did seemed to be weather related! it was SO COLD, i’m talking -47C COLD ... i posted pictures of our thermometer so that i would be believed ... brrrr ...

well this year the weather has been hovering around -3C ( ... 30F) ... that is absolutely shorts weather in these parts, at this time of year!

and perfect for us because we have things outside that need to be sorted ... today we spent almost 2 hours working on the shed ... i’m amazed leo lasted that long ... but we did make a dent (sort of) ... we just thanked the Lord that the weather was so great! if our move was in the summer, that shed area is where the mosquitoes hang out ... and in the spring, it is soggy ... so this has turned into a good time!

who knew, eh?

i guess God did ... *smile*

"For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him"... Jesus in Matthew 6:8

time

"Sometimes we limit God. Sometimes we think God must work on our schedules. But God will not be bound by time. God will not be bound by our schedules. God will work when He chooses and with whom He chooses. Therefore, there will be times when our circumstances don't make sense. Even then, we need to trust Him." Greg Laurie from For Every Season

isn't that the truth of it! i like my life nice and tidy ... i like to know the how, when, where ... i would really prefer not to step off the old mountain top into an unknown abyss ...

but with God all things ARE known, aren't they? He will clue us in at the proper time ...

as you've guessed, i'm encouraging myself on! reminding myself that i am in a good place, God's hand, God's will and God's timing ...

so i guess now i can go to bed and sleep in peace ... sweet dreams ...

fresh start

2006 !!!

a fresh start ... new adventures ... time to LIVE! EXPERIENCE! have FAITH!

*smile*

as we walk in this newly opened year ... remember ... we never walk alone ... Jesus said "I will never leave you, nor forsake you ... "

remember the old "footprint" poem? maybe those are the Lord's imprints you see in the sand, as He willingly carries us through our tougher days ...