kittenitis

i haven't gotten spat at in 2 days ... that's a record ... 'cause usually after biting me, scooter puts an exclamation mark "spaaaat" after it! ...
poor guy has it so rough at our place ... we bring bugs into the house for him to play with ... you can't quite see the mayfly in this picture, but it's there ...

we allow him to sleep whereever he pleases ... although this morning we did have to draw the line at the inside of the dishwasher (he had been pulling out some insulation from the door of said dishwasher!)
but he just shrugs off all our kindness ... the good, expensive, specialty food ... the toys we make & buy him ... and washes his hands of us whenever it suits him ... which is probably 23.5 hours of any 24 hour period!


sigh ... he definitely has "kittenitis" ... a really bad case of it, too! ... but i'll get even with him on tuesday ... it's time for a visit with the nice lady vet & and her big needle!



as we laugh at scooters crazy antics ... or cringe with dismay at his ability to climb our wall hangings ... plus his refusal to understand the word "no" - though he figured out, in only one short lesson, what a clanging spoon on his food dish meant! ... i wonder if we aren't just like this kitten when it comes to understanding some of the lessons our Heavenly Father wants to teach us ... i wonder?

summer vacation ...

Finnish scenery, taken by my cousin

Spend the afternoon. You can't take it with you.

~Annie Dillard

an anniversary of sorts ...

leo and i are celebrating an anniversary ... sort of ...

it has been 25 years since leo's first back surgery ... 25 years since chronic pain became the "third person" in our marriage ... 25 years of having our hope for health dwindle and the dreams of our youth eliminated ...

YET, it has also been 25 years of learning to love each other unconditionally, despite obstacles which attempted to destroy our marriage ... learning to walk by faith - when human understanding failed ... 25 years of great valleys - and even greater mountain top experiences ...

an anniversary ... sort of ...

* * * * * * *
points from a charles stanley sermon, that also mark the cornerstones of our faith:

- God controls our circumstances
- God will meet our needs
- God is with us
- God loves us with an eternal love ...

what are we worried about?

thankful reflection ...

"How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! . . . if i should count them, they would be more in number than the sand." Psalm 139:17-18

lately my bike rides have been filled with: "thank You Lord! i love You Lord! ... "

God has given me so much - and has asked only for my love in return ...

God loves me so much - that He guides me with His word,

so that my foot won't stumble ...

God wants my company ... and has prepared a forever home for me in heaven ...

and God loves you in the same way ... His love letter was written long ago, and is readily available for you to read ...

i thank Him for answering NO to some of my prayers ... because when in later years i look back - i can see the reason why He said NO ... and how He gave me something much better instead ... something my heart had really wanted, yet didn't know to ask for ...

my joy in the Lord bubbles over, and i want others to "taste and see that God is good" ... the peace of God which passes all understanding gives me such a hope for tomorrow ... and sustains my spirit for today ...

our lives on earth are short ... God's offer of eternity lasts longer than our minds can fathom ...

"thank you Jesus, for dieing for me ... thank you for forgiving me my sin ... thank you for living within my heart ... thank you Jesus ... "

flower talk

i am once again rejoicing in the flowers that are blooming in my garden ... they are a feast for the eyes ...

they also provide little life lessons ... take for example my two planters ... the exact same flowers were put in each planter ... one started growing right away ( see picture below) ... and today you can barely see the planter itself - because of all the glorious, cascading flowers!

unfortunately, the other plant didn't take (see pic below) ... i replanted it ... fed it ... did everything i could think of - but it sputtered and died ... just like some who profess to follow Christ ...
even though others may have helped them along ... babied and nurtured them ... if their own root system is lacking - their faith will shrivel up ... they could have lead fruitful lives too ... but they didn't dig in for the long haul!

notice the sweet little flower on this hardy plant? without anyone's help, it found a place to grow ... God can sustain us anywhere! we can grow in any circumstance - regardless of how inhospitable it may seem ... if God is the ONE who waters, tends and feeds us - the only thing left for us to do is to bloom ...

Mark 4: 1-9; 13-20 (21st Century King James Version)

1And He began again to teach by the seaside. And there was gathered unto Him a great multitude, so that He entered into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

2And He taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in His doctrine:

3"Hearken! Behold, there went out a sower to sow.

4And it came to pass as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

5And some fell on stony ground where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth.

6But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8And other fell on good ground; and it yielded fruit that sprang up and increased and brought forth: some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundredfold."

9And He said unto them, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

13And He said unto them, "Know you not this parable? And how then will ye know all parables?

14The sower soweth the Word.

15And these are they by the wayside, where the Word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the Word that was sown in their hearts.

16And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground who, when they have heard the Word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17but they have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time. Afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the Word's sake, immediately they are offended.

18And these are they which are sown among thorns, such as hear the Word,

19but the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the Word, and it becometh unfruitful.

20And these are they which are sown on good ground, such as hear the Word and receive it and bring forth fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

Glory to God - in all things

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

~ Lilias Trotter

fibre ... need it? got it!

yes that is a pic of scooter ... he is part of the reason i'm not at my computer as often - it's just not possible with that little tyrant attacking me! *shaking head sadly* ...

blessings on your weekend! ... sorry for being a bad blog bud ...

"If you need wisdom - if you want to know what God wants you to do - ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking." James 1:5

be Thou my vision ...

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.

Words: At­trib­ut­ed to Dal­lan For­gaill, 8th Cen­tu­ry
click here HERE for youtube video of this hymn

it was a dark and stormy night ...

storm clouds, taken from our bedroom window
aaaaaaiiiii, not a storm!!!
let me hide under this paper ...
then the hard rain fell ...
is it finished yet?

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

we had another one of those interesting storms last night ... the dark clouds rolled in after an extremely muggy day ... the winds picked up, shaking the trees like feather dusters ... then the rain came down in torrents - flooding the streets ... it only lasted about 30 minutes ... even though i've included pictures of our little kitten, looking like a scaredy cat, he actually didn't seem to mind the weather at all - he took it all in stride! the rain certainly helped to cool things down in a hurry!

blessings on your week ahead

the best sunblock

enjoy the simple things ...

Charge those who are rich in this world that they be not haughty, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17


don't you love it, that the God of the Universe ... who made ALL things ... wants us to enjoy our lives in Him ... and not to just plain enjoy - but RICHLY enjoy ...


and that's exactly what we've done these past few days ... just enjoyed the simple pleasures of small town life ... celebrating Canada day ... thanking the Lord for the abundance in our land ...

the 4th of july will be our neighbours time to celebrate ... we just started the party early!

here are a few scenes taken from our front deck ... our front row seat to the life God has blessed us with!

i dragged out a small leather recliner we have - for leo - so that he could watch the fireworks in comfort ... i settled into a patio chair ... then we watched the sky overhead us explode with colour and light ... there were lots of "ohhhhs" and "awwwwws", as we enjoyed the best light show that an itty bitty town of 1000 could put on ...

the next day, a parade walked by our place ... after the mounties marched by with their famous red outfits ... the floats, old cars, and all manner of other cuteness came along ...

we got quite a bit of candy and other goodies thrown our way from the people on the floats ... i mean, it was really a small town affair - but such simple fun that we grinned all the way through it ...

and just in case the summer becomes too easy going ... too relaxed ... we have our little scooter now ... he has his bursts of energy and plays with great enthusiasm!

yup, it has been quite an event filled time ... plus all the bike rides, flower tending, unexpected company .... we've had a great start to the summer ...

just sharing ... and wish all my american buds a wonderful 4th of july weekend!!!

one more time ...

... we did it again ... we got another kitten ... his name is scooter ...

leo was sooooooo wanting a kitty ... he really loves cats (i do too - but not as much as leo!) ... so on monday, we came home with the little guy pictured above ... he was born on may 10th ... seems to be very clean ... and quite independent (which i like!) ... i'm hoping this is a fit for us this time ... í'll keep you posted!

oh glory!

this pic was taken last night ... just one of the rocket bursts from the wonderful fireworks display here in our little town ... leo and i sat on our front deck and enjoyed the show ...

and ... just a few moments ago ... the canada day parade went by our front steps ... *grin* ... i am so enjoying our front row seat to our town's activities ...

i'm waiting for company ... so will post some more pics later ... blessings on your Sunday!

from the over-flowing heart of your blogging bud, saija

have Thine own way, Lord ...

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit ’till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.

Ad­e­laide A. Poll­ard

the incredible shrinking woman

have you ever tried soy ice cream? it's not bad ...
i bought some because summertime = ice-cream in my world ...
ice cream has lots of fat in it ...
i am restricting my fat intake because of my cholesterol problem ...
so it is a whole new world for me out there!

i have lost 4 pounds in 10 days ... :o(

i don't want to lose too much more because i'm not a very big person ... but i guess it is inevitable ...

did i mention how much i love chocolates?

i have barely had any ...

does anyone know of a good chocolate substitute that is low in fats? i do miss the taste of chocolate ... *sadly sighing* ...

other than that - life has been busy in our little town and here at condo central ... the big fire work display happens this saturday ... and the midway is in town ...

today i will be going out for lunch with my library buds ... so i won't lose weight today! though, i will definitely watch what i order!

blessings on you guys!

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:17

God of the second chance

leo and i are reading a good book by greg laurie called "the God of the second chance" ... we've read other books by greg (he's a pastor from california) and have been blessed by his writing ... thought i'd share a paragraph that spoke plainly about the condition of man - and how he/she can view God at times ...


"Why do we run from God? Why do we disregard His plan for our lives? Isn't it amazing that we break God's commandments, ignore His Word, and then - when we begin to reap what we have sown - actually get angry at God about it? In essence, we blame God for a mess that we ourselves have made, a problem of our own design." ...
page 17, The God of the Second Chance


i like his style of writing, it is brisk and no nonsense ... yet he really provides an encouraging view point about God being "the God of the second chance!" ... :o)

just sharing our readings with you this sunday morning ... blessings on you guys!

the trip

i had a good trip to the city ... though it almost started out as a royal pain ... the silly "low tire light" came on just before winnipeg ... "sheesh!", i thought - not ANOTHER flat ... i seem to attract flats! well i pulled over and did the walk around ... and before i could even complete the rotation of the car, a fellow driving a huge "cat" of some sort (i can't tell a front end loader from a dozer), stopped to see if i needed help ...

he checked my tire pressure (i have a gauge and also a pump in the car) ... and since the pressure was a bit higher in the front tires, we both assumed it was just the computer being sensitive ...

i thanked him very much for stopping and helping me out ... as i drove away, i asked the Lord to bless him with the best of days ... not only did he check my tires, but by stopping he provided safety along side a busy highway ... his huge machine was right behind my car ...

after the tire incident, i changed my route to the doctors' office ... i thought i would rather have a flat tire in the city - than on the perimeter around the city ... just in case the light on my dash really meant something! ...

sometimes the Lord takes us on these detours ... or what we think are detours ... instead they could be protection from a nasty situation, and He is keeping us safe ...

the rest of my trip went without a hitch ... my doctors appointment went well ... i will try to get my cholesterol down with diet ... then i visited friends & family in the afternoon and evening ... the next day i did some successful shopping ... successful meaning that i found some needed items at rock bottom prices! :o)

as always, i was so happy to get back to our little town ... but i needed some big city stimulation - just for a day - to give me that renewed love for the quiet of home and surroundings ...

so i close this little post with a picture of our town beach - taken today ... the clouds were majestic ... the weather was perfect ... it was another day that the Lord had made - i rejoiced and was glad in it ...

change

i'm off to the city for 2 days ... however, i did want to leave a new post ... i had fun making it yesterday ... the sky pic was taken from our backdoor - and the quote is an original thought from yours truly (God inspired ... i hope!) ...

blessings on ya!

God never changes ...

(... copied ... i don't know who made this little poster, but i thought it was encouraging ... )