thoughts to ponder ...

salt mines in the park

I thought i'd post a few scenes from my "work" place ... taken today ... even though i don't have my desk on the beach - it is wonderful to be able to enjoy scenery like this ... as you can see - the trees are yet to bud - even without the vibrant greenery, the area is still beautiful ... to view the pics closer, just click on them and they will open up ...

the winds of change continue to blow gently and persistently in our little world ...

what now, you ask ... well - i will be calling it a day re working at the salt mines in the park ... i plan on handing in my notice next week ... i will work this month and then spend the summer here at condo central with my sweetie ...

i don't know why this is the time ... i just know it is ...

i wonder what lies just around the corner? i wonder?

We Christians must simplify our lives or lose untold treasures on earth and in eternity. Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible. The need for solitude and quietness was never greater than it is today.

~A. W. Tozer

Afraid? Of What?

photo by saija ... design by GOD


Afraid? Of What?
To feel the spirit's glad release?
To pass from pain to perfect peace,
The strife and strain of life to cease?
Afraid -- of that?

Afraid? Of What?
Afraid to see the Savior's face?
To hear His welcome, and to trace
The glory gleam from wounds of grace?
Afraid -- of that?

Afraid? Of What?
A flash - a crash - a pierced heart!
Darkness - light - O heaven's art!
Each wound of His a counterpart!
Afraid - of that?

Afraid? Of What?
To do by death what life could not?
Baptize with blood a stony plot
Till souls shall blossom from the spot?
Afraid -- of that?

~E.H. Hamilton

bike riding ...

yesterday was a GREAT day for bike riding ... t-shirt and shorts weather ... lovely! after doing the housework, i went for a few rides around town ... soooon, there will be green shoots on the trees and the grass will be vibrant ... not quite yet ... but soooon ...

the pic of my bike was taken at the town dock ... i sat and enjoyed the quiet beach area, still slumbering in it's early springtime state ... but soooon to be filled with the laughter of children ...

soooon ...

which reminds me of a chorus for your sunday morning ...

Soon and very soon we are going to see the King
Soon and very soon we are going to see the King
Soon and very soon we are going to see the King
Hallelujah, hallelujah, Amen!

Vance Havner quote

Vance Havner writes:

God marks across some of our days…

“Will explain later!”

"When before the throne we stand in Him complete, all the riddles that puzzle us here will fall into place and we shall know in fulfillment what we now believe in faith - that all things work together for good in His eternal purpose. No longer will we cry "My God, why?" Instead, "alas" will become "Alleluia". All question marks will be straightened into exclamation points, sorrow will change to singing and pain will be lost in praise."

(copied from the Barnabas Blog)

back to work ...

the morning was serene and lovely ... i woke up before the alarm ... and i was rewarded by this sunrise that the digi captured so well ... i don't know how i got the sun to jump across the horizon like that - but that is what it did ... no playing with the images!

today was my first day back to work ... for the season ...

the drive was peaceful and my day was filled with activity ...

poor leo's day was much longer ... he really misses our faithful feline's company ...

"Let the saints be joyful in the glory and beauty [which God confers upon them]; let them sing for joy upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their throats and a two-edged sword in their hands." Psalm 149:5-6

our fearless feline ...

we are so sad today ... we put our fearless feline down ...

he got sick ... and we made a choice as to how to treat this problem ... he was almost 14 years old and has had a good life with us ...

we just didn't want to see his health deteriorate ... but most important - we did not want him to suffer ...

so now we are heartbroken and crying ... we loved him ...

since this is making me cry more ... i'll end here ... my face will be so puffy tomorrow ...

our loveable big bruiser made our days so much brighter ... he was the sweetest of companions ...

lovely, sweet, routine day ...

terrible things can happen ... yet, life goes on, doesn't it? our spirit seems to adjust, even tho' we lose more of our innocence along the way ...

today was a beautiful sunny day, here in my world ... it must have hit 20C (68F) ... i savoured my last days of freedom - before i head off to the salt mines in the park on monday ... i did the normal and lovely routine things ... shopping for groceries ... coffee with friends ... riding my bike ... i was thankful for the normal ... the sweetly mundane ... so very thankful ...

i hope your day was peaceful too, as you went about your day ... thankfully, blessedly peaceful ...

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear." 1 John 4:18

sadness of the day ...

"The whole point of Heaven is to relieve us of the suffering, pain, death and tears brought into the world by the evil of humanity. That is why God says that in Heaven there will be no more sorrow, pain, death or crying.----David Brandt Berg

"There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.--Job 3:17

cloud watching

what do you see in the above pic? i see a dog, sitting and begging ... though he seems to have a smile on his face ...

i took this pic the other night ... my blog bud, jel, has some really GREAT cloud pics posted ... this was just one of those whimsical ones ... :o) ... clouds are so relaxing to watch ...

guess what? i got my bike out today!!! YAY! i went for about a 5 mile ride ... it was wonderful ... i was definitely praising my Lord for the health to peddle those wheels and just "fly" around town ...

hope your weekend has been a most blessed one ...

I just keep trusting my Lord, as I walk along,

I just keep trusting my Lord, and He gives a song;

Tho' the storm clouds darken the sky -o'er the heav'nly trail,

I just keep trusting my Lord - He will never fail!

He's a faithful Friend, Such a faithful Friend,

I can count on Him - to the very end;

Tho' the storm clouds darken the sky o'er the heav'nly trail,

I just keep trusting my Lord - He will never fail!

the God who is always there ...

i'm glad that our God has ears to hear ... eyes to see ... and still speaks to listening hearts ...

He calms the storms of life ... He gives joy during the night season ...

He makes my heart sing ...

shopping is fun? yes, shopping was fun!

i must be one of the world's worst shoppers! unless it involves bookstores, i really prefer to leave the store hopping to professionals!

but today was one of those rare days when i "sort of" felt like going into the city and willingly entered a number of stores ...

i went by myself ... that way when the mood struck to head for home - well, i could just head home!

i had a most excellent time ... and i was amazed ... *grin*

with my little list in hand, i must have hit 8 or 9 stores! WOW!!! and it didn't kill me either!! another WOW!! i actually found things that were needed ... and maybe some things that weren't ... it was just a fun day ... *huge grin* ...

2007 has brought unexpected joy into my life ... especially in areas that needed some lightening up ... and for that ... i am grateful!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

a passing ...

johnny hart, the creator of the BC comic strip died the other day ... apparently he died at his storyboard - still doing the job he enjoyed, making others laugh and also trying to get folks to "think on these things" ...

i was quite surprised when he went against the grain and drew comics that talked about God, creation and even - dare i say it - the life of Christ ... which also included the death & resurrection ...

i applaud one man's mark on our pop culture ... and one man's efforts to make people think about who JESUS was ... who JESUS is ...

rest in peace, johnny hart ...

Christ Arose!

i'm just thankful that the cross wasn't the end of the story ... resurrection was in God's plan from the beginning ... and salvation for us was the ultimate prize ...

i am so very thankful for the price Jesus paid for my soul ...

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

~John 3:16-21

the greatest gift ... one life, for another ...

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.
~ Galations 2:20-21

things that keep me occupied ...

a return to winter ... the cold and wind ... have taken the springtime snap out of my step!

but there is always a silver lining ... i got a late birthday present in the mail - a parallel bible, which will hopefully shed more light on my walk ...

then yesterday i thought i would lighten up my appearance too - with some highlights ...

just some of the things occupying my world this week ...

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.

~Mother Teresa

comfort

In Time of Sorrow
May you see God's light on the path ahead
When the road you walk is dark.
May you always hear,
Even in your hour of sorrow,
The gentle singing of the lark.
When times are hard may hardness
Not turn your heart to stone,
And may you always remember
You do not walk alone.

(A traditional Celtic Blessing)

April!

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

spring ? maybe? maybe not!

spring is playing with us manitobans ... one day it is lovely ... folks are walking, riding, running - enjoying the warm rays ... the next day the ground is covered with that white stuff again!

today was of the lovely variety ...

however, if tomorrow happens to be blustery and cold - i made sure i checked out some good books from our town library ...

i DO hope April will come in like a lamb ... but if not - well it will just be winter's last hurrah!

have a GREAT weekend!

spring rain ...

God's loyal love couldn't have run out,
his merciful love couldn't have dried up.
They're created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He's all I've got left.
God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It's a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
Lamentations 3:22-26 (the message)

fun with pictures

aww inspiration ... sometimes it can be fun!

we have so many "old faithful" wall hangings - i thought i could display most of them here at the condo ... but? well, some just didn't seem to suit the mood of the place ...

and ... i don't like bare walls ... yet ... i was at a loss as to how to fill the space ...

then inspiration hit ... and God smiled ...

i thought why not put some of my own pictures ... plus some postcards from my collection ... in frames ... see what happens ...

the arrangements i've posted were the result ... i know - they are amateur floral pictures and hokey caricatures - but they make me smile when i look at them ... they seem playful ... drawing joy out of the air ... with touches of simplicity ...

*grin* ...

if i can find the right frames (these were a bargain at $4.00 each) ... i might try other types of scenerios ...

yup - there is definitely something wonderful about being at an age when it doesn't matter if things are trés chic ... as long as they are trés fun!

Pictures must not be too picturesque. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

patio furniture

last week i went ALL out and bought patio furniture - pictured above ... it cost me $2.50 ... *grin* ...

there is room for a wooden bench or 2 chairs on our front deck ... but for now - these cushioned little seats will do!

If you want to be happy, be. ~Leo Tolstoy

can you see the bridge?

i took this pic on the first day of spring ... i know, it doesn't look too springy yet! the snowbanks are high and the river is frozen ...

i took it from our front deck because i just realized that i can see "our" bridge from here ... the bridge that is the gateway to cottage country, where our old place is ...

it seems like another lifetime ago that i had to drive on that narrow bridge to get to town ... for mail and groceries ... and now i can WALK to do those things! *huge grin* ...

it was definitely a "letting go" of one type of lifestyle ... to enter into another type of lifestyle ... transitions ... following where God leads and watching in wonder as He opens one door after another ...

even tho' my faith has seemed small at times, it always amazes me how HE can work through that small faith and make something joyful and perfect come out of it ... perfect in the sense of "God is in it" ...

just my morning thoughts ... as well as morning praise and acknowledgement of my Heavenly Father who gives all things for us to enjoy ...

even tho' there is still snow outside my window, Psalm 65: 11-13 is what the eyes of my heart see:

You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the desert overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.

SPRING!

we've opened the door to spring ... and new promise!

blogabilities

2007 has been all about settling into our new home ... and trying to get caught up on life in general ... getting into a routine ... unfortunately, my blogging has been haphazard at best ...

tho' there have been things on my mind to share ... moments when God's personal touch is so real ...

examples ....

i cashed a rebate cheque from canon last week ... since i was near a Christian bookstore, i thought why not spend it on literature that i could give as gifts? i found a number of items ... would you believe, the amount i spent came to the exact amount of the refund cheque! i wasn't even counting or trying to get it right on ... a smile making moment ...

then, i had been thinking of inviting a work friend over for coffee ... i left it and left it ... and just didn't get to it ... so what happened? i bumped into that friend at the grocery store! i invited her over and we had a lovely visit ...

2 little examples of the sweetness of life ... when even the very ordinary seems extra-ordinary, when God is in it ...

not quite spring yet!

ok - so i'm going with a shamelessly cute photo!!! i wish it were springtime here ... but we are getting snow, ice pellets and high winds at the moment ... the poor little kitty pictured above would be holding on for dear life, with flower petals swirling in the air all around it!

on a day like this, i have just been reading ... first the sunday paper ... then a novel by Dawn Ringling (so far it is a good read) ... and of course Amazing Race is on tonight ... *grin* ...

my poor sweetie is not feeling the best with this weather (dampness is so bad for chronic pain folks) ... atleast he has some favourite sports on tv like: curling, basketball and NASCAR ... plus having his wife serve him sub sandwiches and choco milk ... like can't be all bad? ...

thought i'd just post a hello ... and then go put my nose back in the book! maybe tomorrow the sun will come out and play again ... maybe?

O won't that be joy, joy! O won't that be joy!

when life is over, the race is run, And I hear my Savior's "Well done,"

O won't that be joy, joy! O won't that be joy!

The journey ended, the victory won, 'Twill be joy, joy, joy!

~Unknown

irish blessings

i love irish blessings ... in honour of st. patrick's day this weekend - here are some of the gentler irish ones for you ... have a great weekend!

May you always have ...
Walls for the winds,
A roof for the rain,
Tea beside the fire,
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all your heart might desire!

May your neighbors respect you,
Troubles neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And Heaven accept you.

May your home always be too small to hold all your friends.

God meets us where we are at ...

i love it when God meets us exactly where we are at ... He did this for me - AGAIN - this morning ... but only after i finally quit my fussing - long enough to hear Him speak peace to my heart!

i had been feeling weary ... trying to divide myself up into small pieces to meet the needs of those around me ... or worse yet - trying to carry leo's burden for him ... i just flit from here to there to nowhere!! which doesn't do the "inner" me any good!

so this morning i had a good little chitchat with the Lord ... confessing things (which He already knew!) and taking time to enjoy a sunrise again ... isn't it amazing how confession clears our vision and we once again see the beauty all around?

afterwards i felt so much more like "me" ...

i hadn't turned over my little daily calendar for 6 days - and wouldn't you know it - this morning as i read Charles Swindoll's thought for this day - they were words i needed to hear ... coincidence? or a God thing? ... for me - it was definitely God!

When it comes to the matter of doing His

will, God has not said that you must answer

for anyone else except yourself. Quit looking

around for equality! Stop concerning

yourself with the need of others to do what

you are doing. Or endure what you have

been called to endure. God chooses

the roles we play. Each part is unique.

off to mom's i went ...

here are some scenes from my mom's place ...

yesterday i did the 200 km trip for some "mom and me" time! it was great to just sit and chat ... share stories ... and wander around her home - at leisure - to gawk at all her unique little treasures and homemade crafts ...

i don't know how she has fit everything into her 72 years ... 6 children, 12 books (no big bucks, she is a "poor" author!), a weekly newspaper column (canadian/finnish newspaper)... her numerous crafts, travel, home renovations, keeping up with friends ... the list seems to be endless!

while we visited, she made a pair of mittens ... that is what she does when she "rests"!

we talked about the family and how there is so much illness running rampant at the moment ... it was a subdued visit ... mom herself has heart problems ...

we talked about the Lord ...

then it was time for me to head home ... my home - which means leo and our fearless feline ... yet in that daughter part of my heart, "home" will always be wrapped up with childhood nostalgia and a mother's light touch ...


I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. ~Abraham Lincoln

2 Timothy 2:15

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15

thankfulness ...

i am reading a REALLY marvellous book called the Holy Wild ... it is written by a pastor from B.C., mark buchanan ... this book was a gift from "the other saija" (who found me via this blog) ...

i just wanted to share this one story - an example of mark's excellent writing - very very readable and it hits home to my heart ... he makes a point about thankfulness ...

page 106 - 107 from the Holy Wild

I was in Uganda, Africa about a dozen years ago, in a little township called Wairaka. Every Sunday evening, about one hundred Christians from the neighboring area would gather to worship. They met at the edge of a cornfield, under a lean-to with a rusty tin roof that cracked like gunfire when it rained. They sat - when they did sit - on rough wood benches. The floor was dirt. The band's instruments were old or handmade - bruised, scratched guitars with corroded strings and necks that had warped in the humidity; a plinky electric piano plugged into a crackling speaker; shakers made of tin cans and stones. All of it kept straying out of tune.

One Sunday evening, I was too sour to join in. The music sounded squawky, I was miffed at someone on our missions team, I found the food bland, tasteless. I was feeling deprived and misunderstood. I found the joy of others hollow, mustered-up. I was miserable, and I wanted to wallow in it.

The pastor asked if anyone had anything to share. Many people wanted to, but a tall, willowy woman in the back row danced and shouted loudest, so he called her forward. She came twirling her long limbs, trilling out praise.

"Oh, brothers and sisters, I love Jesus so much," she said.

"Tell us, sister! Tell us!" the Ugandans shouted back.

"Oh, I love Him so much, I don't know where to begin. He is so good to me. Where do I begin to tell you how good He is to me?"

"Begin there, sister! Begin right there!"

"Oh," she said, "He is so good. I praise Him all the time for how good He is. For three months, I prayed to Him for shoes, And look!" And with that the woman cocked up her leg so that we could see one foot. One very ordinary shoe covered it, "He gave me shoes."

The Ugandans went wild. They clapped, they cheered, they whistled, they yelled.

But not me. I was devastated. I sat there broken and grieving. In an instant, God snapped me out of my self-pity and plunged me into repentance. In all my life, I had not once prayed for shoes. It never even crossed my mind. And in all my life, I had not even once thanked God for the many, many shoes I had.

Thanklessness becomes its own prison. Persisted in, it becomes its own hell, where there is outer darkness and gnashing of teeth. Thanklessness is the place God doesn't dwell, the place that, if we inhabit it too often, He turns us over to. "See to it that no one misses the grace of God," Hebrews says, "and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Thanklessness troubles and defiles many, because first it troubles and defiles the one in whom bitterness takes root.

end of quote

this book is so well written that i am reading it like a novel ... rather than a study book ... his writing is full of images that make me think, pray, repent and rejoice!

another day, another problem ...

this is the rarely photographed "South Florida Squirrel" ... *grin* ... come on, it's cute, isn't it?

today was supposed to be my grocery day ... before heading for the garage (our condo has a garage - i love that!!!), i swept the light layer of freshly fallen snow off the back steps ... my heart was thankful and i was living in the moment ...

the next moment found me behind the steering wheel of our car, turning the ignition key - i remained thankful - but ... well, i only heard this "click click click" ... yup, dead battery!

*shakes head, laughs to self* ... again, this wasn't a big problem ... we made a call, and it was all done in short order ... just a change of plans for me and leo did get some fresh air (he hadn't been outside in 2 weeks or so) ... i remain thankful - just puzzled at how car batteries die without any notice ... just like people do sometimes ...

and what does the south florida squirrel have to do with this? nothing, i just liked the gentle humour of it ...

patience ...

would you believe my internet provider pulled the plug on my service - again? yup - they did! first thing sunday morning ...

it was an accounts error, so i had to wait until this morning to call and get it corrected ... they were very apologetic - again ... and gave me a discount on my internet service for a year ...

i asked why they kept on cutting my service? and the lady said it had been done by the same person, who still has the "cancel service" message on her computer? hopefully it will be wiped out for good now!!

sunday was a blustery, cold, day ... leo wasn't feeling well - at all ... and we had a water main break in our little town that forced the water to be shut off for an hour ... when they did turn it back on, the pressure was low low low ...

hmmmm?

trivial problems in the scheme of things ... i know ... but it is usually the little things that nag on our patience and want to make us cranky old souls ...

yesterday i won ... i did NOT give in to complaining or rudeness towards my spouse ...

one victory at a time ... yet, one must never rest on yesterday's laurels ... every day there is something NEW to overcome ... and there are ALSO new blessings, like cheaper internet for a year, waiting for us ...

how was your weekend?

tunnel vision

"Where is there a country without sin, crime, lawlessness, bloodshed, disease, death, sorrow and heartache? Heaven is a country in which there is the absence of all that is common to any land, for in God's country there are no barriers, no walls or curtains to divide; no race barrier; no soldiers because there are no wars; no policemen because there is no crime or sin; no undertakers because there are no graves; no physicians because germs, fevers, pestilences, diseases are unknown; no thieves because there is no darkness. Who would not yearn for this better and more desirable country in which there are no separations, no broken homes, no drunkards, no prisons, no hospitals, no beggars, no persons who are blind, deaf, dumb or destitute? What a country! Are you not homesick for Heaven? --H. Lockyer

i think i want to get tunnel vision ... the type that sees only heaven ahead ... a vision that allows me to be fearless during my remaining days on earth ... ready to speak with love about my Saviour, who waits for me ...

yup ... the type of vision that doesn't let petty arguments weigh me down ... because i am heaven bound ...

that type of tunnel vision would be heaven sent ...

dreams come true

David Fisher, from Pilgrim Scribblings is in ENGLAND at the moment ... he is living out a life long dream of visiting this land where so many great preachers came from ... he sounds like a kid in a candy store ...

i love to read about dreams coming true ... :o)