last day of September 2007

i took this pic yesterday ... then i added the verse just now ... i love doing these kinds of things ... it always amazes me how the ordinary can become extra-ordinary, with just a little attention to detail ...

i have been busy with helping family move this week ... monday it was my brother (finally into his new house!) ... and today it was my cousin, into her new place ... during the process i discovered that i use totally different muscles for bike riding ... can anyone say hot bath time? ... *lop-sided grin* ...

tomorrow is leo's doctor appt. ... we started seeing this doctor in January (i blogged about it), and he's been so good to us ... now he is LEAVING the area in November ... we are extremely sad ... but God must have a purpose in us seeking out yet another family doc for leo ... we will just continue to pray ...

blessings on your week, blog buds ... you all brighten and cheer my days!

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.

~Albert Schweitzer

4 seasons

here is my latest view ... now you've seen all 4 seasons, just as i have, from my dining room window ... awesome, isn't it?

i still have to pinch myself (or leo!) that we were able to move into this condo ... timing timing timing ... i sometimes read my archives to remind me about God's goodness and faithfullness towards us ... and truly, we do not deserve it ... but that is God - He does it anyway!

just wanted to let you know that we have had a good week ... i've been "relearning", once again, how to rest in God ... not to run ahead of Him ... not to take on things that i don't need to ... but instead to wait, listen ... always praying, letting Him know what's on my heart ... making my requests known to Him ... taking time to enjoy ... to spend time with Leo ... to go for a walk ... a bike ride ... clean house ... normal, lovely activities ... :o) ...

my LCD monitor is still out being fixed ... i have this itty bitty blinky monitor - well i can't stay on it as long ... my eyes just can't take it ... so i must close here ...

may God bless you ... as He's blessed me ...

Vance Havner quote

So, if i make my way through this wild, wan, weird world and don't get excited about the nuclear age and the space era, or if I seem bored - and I am - by things that thrill this world, it is for two reasons: the time is short and the fashion of this world is passing away. The time is short, my time and the age near their end. And the fashion, the scheme, of this world is passing away like a movie reel before my eyes. Every news report I watch means to me that the fasion of this age is passing away. The crowds on the streets hurrying from store to store, the traffic bumper to bumper, the United Nations, the politicians, wars and rumors of wars - the fashion of this world is passing away. I'm in it but not of it; I'm a pilgrim and stranger; I'm not a citizen of old Babylon. I'm looking for another City.

Vance Havner, A treasury of Vance Havner.

last day of summer ...

today was simply a beautiful day in the prairies, this official last day of summer ... i was able to take the bike out for a spin ... just enjoying our town ...the leaves are changing colour at a quick pace ... giving that last hoorah to one season, as another is ushered in ...

i thank the Lord for giving me my lovely little, pre-planned and pre-planted (tho' not by me!) flower garden ... it has continued flowering all summer long, with a minimal amount of care ... yet a maximum amount of beauty ...

these are photo's from my day today ... it was indeed a good one!

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.

~Celia Thaxter

channels only

Channels only, blessed Master -

But with all Thy wondrous pow'r
Flowing thru us, Thou canst use us,

Ev-ry day and ev-ry hour.

it's been a week of struggle ... to be a channel of God's love ... to be NICE, not impatient ... to be caring rather than care-less ... to not carry extra burdens that seem to be strewn in my pathway ...

yup ... it's been a struggle ...

Channels only, blessed Master -

But with all Thy wondrous pow'r
Flowing thru us, Thou canst use us,

Ev-ry day and ev-ry hour.

Mary E. Maxwell, Ada Rose Gibbs

my hope ...

But I will sing of your strength,

in the morning I will sing of your love;

for you are my fortress,

my refuge in times of trouble.

O my Strength, I sing praise to you;

you, O God, are my fortress,

my loving God.

Psalm 59: 16-17

my hope is in the Lord! my trust is not misplaced! He has never failed to restore my soul or help when i've called to Him ...

leo continues tired, but otherwise fine ... we cannot complain about life, because it is good ... and we have been blessed through the years ... even though this pain walk has been so very odd ... and it can make a soul weary ... after the trials and tests are done, there is much to praise God about ... and hopefully we can be witnesses of His care and love ...

thank you for your encouragement ... and i hope your sunday has been blessed!

trust

what a topsy turvy upside down few weeks this has been ... after being so relieved that leo was better ... he is once again struggling "with something" ... whether it is the pneumonia or his meds creating problems re lack of oxygen in his system - the doctor isn't quite sure ... tho' the meds could be the culprit ...

we knew that one day there would be an issue with the meds ... but they are needed to control the 24/7 pain ... yet they create a whole set of other problems ... such is the round and round world of chronic pain ...

leo is on antibiotics again ... then on monday he'll do more labwork (they want early morning samples) ... for now i'll just watch over him as best as i know how ... and rely on my God to keep us both safe ... He ALWAYS has a plan, my Jesus, even tho' i don't know what it is - i will try to practise what i've always preached - and just TRUST in HIM, rather than leaning on my own understanding ...

blessings to you, dear blog buds ... and thank you for praying for us ...

UPDATE: well it's saturday p.m. now ... today has been much better ... it has been such a roller coaster ride for us lately ... i'm losing track of time! ... leo did have a rocky night - and restless morning - but today was so much better then yesterday ... maybe he still has a "bug" that the antibiotics are working on? that is my hope ... i'm sure it was your prayer that has AGAIN turned the tide ... thank you!!!

sharing chronic pain moments

we had 2 really lovely days last week ... after the antibiotics were all done ... when leo felt "comfortable" ...

then the fall weather pulled in ... and the last couple of nights have been restless ...

i'll give you a glimpse into our household ... into other households of chronic pain sufferers ...

leo didn't have a fever ... that part was fine, but his fingers were like icicles and he was so nauseous ... i put him to bed and tried to warm his body with mine ... he slept fitfully ... awakening in the middle of the night to chills and "yuckiness" ... i got him pills, liquids, did whatever i could to comfort him ... all the while our newest family member attacked my feet from under the bed or dived at me with claws outstretched as i walked by ... it was a black comedy in the making ...

that was 2 nights ago ... last night i had a better sleep, though i think leo still suffered ... and today? well, he's snoozing in his recliner, with squeaks in a dead sleep on the couch ... and me? well i'm just watching and waiting to see what else develops in this chronic pain walk of ours ...

i know the Lord is ever with me, i just get tired sometimes ...

the prayers of my blog buds is always appreciated ...

Isaiah 46:4

isn't that a wonderful promise? ...

HE Will Sustain US ...

and rescue us ...

even to our old age ...

what we're reading ...

the book leo and i are reading together is by Sherwood Eliot Wirt, The Inner Life of the Believer ... i read this book for the first time in 1989 ... and now i'm happy to be reading it outloud to leo ...

part of the jacket says:

Without this inner life, our Christianity is just another hoop to jump through in the circus of existence . . . the assurances we get on Sunday are dissolved into gruel by Monday noon, leaving us hungry. Life is reduced to a macabre existence.

But with it, we are magnificently equipped to face whatever life throws at us...let the planet explode, let the constellations slip their orbits, let the universe itself stand on its ear; it doesn't matter. Our lives are hid with Christ in God.

if you're looking for a book to make you think and to stretch your inner man ... i would recommend this one.

Psalm 42:1

my west coast sister captured this moment last week ... when she e-mailed me the picture, psalm 42:1 immediately came to mind ...

may it always be that way with my soul ... desiring God above all else ...

what matters ...

"But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us ... " 2 Corinthians 7:6a

when i grow weary in the everyday struggle to remain positive ... to feel worthwhile ... when it is hard work to not grow discouraged ... as i watch my efforts fall short of my expectations ... it is at those times i plead with my Redeemer and ask for a new vision ...

He answers through His word ... and directs my reading, so that i will once again regain my balance ... because when this world seems the bleakest - that is when i NEED to focus on the things that are eternal in God ... to cheer my flagging spirit on ...

i don't want to talk about the temporary ... i turn my head from the frivolous ... i try not to focus on the things that are - at best - fleeting ... dear Lord, let me not just "chase after the wind" ...

for my own peace of mind and inner encouragement, my focus needs to change ... to care more for those things unseen, yet which are more LASTING than the everyday we feel and touch ...

when my vision is once again SET on the spiritual ... then and only then, will my heart be able to enjoy the temporal ... as i gently touch a fallen rose along the path to my heavenly home ...

readings for this week have been from Ecclesiastes 1 to 6; Psalm 46; 2 Corinthians 6 and 7 ...

for this i am thankful ...

our former backyard, at the cottage

Leo is continuing to improve ... for this i am thankful ...

our little kitten provides many "smile moments" daily ... for this i am thankful ...

the Word of God is alive and ministers to me ... for this i am thankful ...

my own health has been good ... for this i am thankful ...

and tho' some days are difficult, i have a Redeemer who is urging me to use my spiritual sight - and to not lean on my own understanding ... for this i am thankful ...

it is Sunday ... we participated in tv church, and felt the Spirit of God using a sweet bible teacher to minister to our spiritual needs ... for this i am thankful ...

for blogging friends who share and care ... for YOU, i am thankful ...

without faith, it is impossible to please God

An old writer says,

"Faith and reason can be compared to two travelers: Faith is like a man in full health, who can walk his 20 or 30 miles at a time without suffering. Reason is like a child, who can only with difficulty accomplish 3 or 4 miles.

"Well," says this old writer, "on a given day Reason says to Faith, 'O good Faith, let me walk with you.'

"Faith replies, 'O Reason, you can never walk with me.'

"However, to try their paces, they set out together but they soon find it hard to keep company. When they come to a deep river, Reason says, 'I can never ford this.' But Faith wades through singing.

"When they reach a lofty mountain, there is the same exclamation of despair, and in such cases, Faith, in order not to leave Reason behind, is obliged to carry him on his shoulder."


And, adds the writer,

"Oh, what a luggage is Reason to Faith!"

Blaise Pascal wrote in The Pensées, "The last step that reason takes is to recognize that there is an infinity of things beyond it."


page 216 Legacy of a Pack Rat ... by Ruth Bell Graham

Romans 12:12

thankful

leo came home from the hospital this afternoon and we are thankful!

thank you again for your prayer on our behalf ... we are definitely tuckered out, but hoping for better days ahead!!!

blessings to you all ... saija

the view from the hospital room ...

this is the view from leo's hospital room ... yes - you read correctly, my leo ended up in emerge last night because of a 103F fever ... and he was rather incoherent ... not to mention falling down! sooooooooo, at 10 p.m. we were in the small town hospital emerge, where they were waiting for him (i'd called ahead) and he was in a room as fast as the wheelchair could go ... all the bloodwork, xrays, etc., were done quickly & efficiently ... and the antibiotic drip got started right away ...

i slept 3 hours last night ... and the poor kitty was by his lonesome, tho' he has started to eat & drink now ...

leo's fever has left ... but the doctor thinks the cause is still lurking somewhere in leo's lungs ... so he gets to stay another night or two ...

if you would remember us in prayer, i would appreciate it ...

we are thankful that things got taken care of as quickly as possible ... that the hospital is close by ... we know God is in control ... and i have praying friends ... which means - you - to encourage us along ... thanking my blog buds in advance ...

UPDATE as of 9 p.m. ... Leo is doing SO MUCH better! we had a nice evening visit, as his 3rd antibiotic dose, drip drip dripped into his veins ... i'm hoping he can come home on sunday ... thank you so much for your prayers! i felt comforted, knowing that you were all only a post away! blessings to you ...

fearless feline

it's been 4 months now since our fearless feline died ... and just this past week, we have been thinking about maybe getting another one ... but just thinking ... we don't know if we want to have our hearts broken again ... our fearless feline was the most unique, loveable cat we had ever owned (if one "owns" a cat?) ... and we still miss him terribly ...

Cat lovers can readily be identified. Their clothes always look old and well used. Their sheets look like bath towels and their bath towels look like a collection of knitting mistakes. ~Eric Gurney

be Thou my vision ...

cyber hymnal states that this hymn was first begun in the 8th century, then completed in 1912 ... the sentiments have stayed true over a 1000 years ... the poet and composer have long been with the Lord - delighting in the Vision which is now their reality ...

if our eyes are focused on Him who has saved us ... won't that help us see our daily trials and tribulations in proper perspective? it's something i try to practise ... knowing that " ... all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." ...

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.