Entirely for Him

Christmas Wish for My Children

2011-12-24T07:59:00.000-05:00

My Christmas wish for MY children! A favourite!

Mercies in Disguise?

2011-12-10T21:43:00.003-05:00

Laura Story - "Blessings"

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

A Message from My Hubby!

2011-08-26T21:25:00.000-04:00

Not So Dear Investigation

2011-08-06T09:49:00.008-04:00

1st clue: a hoof-print in the mud

the calling cards

some of the evidence - hostas almost gone

more hostas eaten up

and more again

hopefully not the "next frontier"

my rose bush - buds all eaten (by a chipmunk)

my rose of sharon - still budding and so far safe

where the critters come from

Friend Therapy

2011-07-14T12:06:00.005-04:00

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Encouragement: pouring courage into someone who needs it.
Yesterday, while driving, I heard Dr. David Jeremiah and "Friend Therapy". It was great to listen and meditate on these verses for a while and then to connect with a good friend this morning on the phone (she called me)!

Listen to "Friend Therapy - Pt. 2" also.

And I encourage you to reach out and give some "friend therapy" out yourself. Not to the friend that you usually reach out to - to someone else. Someone who doesn't have as many friends to reach out to them. Maybe a lonely neighbour. Maybe someone that you don't usually connect with at church or work. Give out some "friend therapy". "Minister concern for one another" today!

~~~

Thanks to Rachel for showing me how to post online pages... ;) I figured it out!

A Fascinating Read

2011-06-29T12:51:00.000-04:00

A friend recommended this book to me and I hope to use it for our grade 12 homeschool this fall. Amazing!

The book contains some rough language and information - however, the story itself is a must-read. Henrietta's contribution to science has helped us all through the years - although she and her family had no idea of her important contribution.

Written by Rebecca Skloot.

Been away from Church?

2011-06-21T11:41:00.003-04:00

I saw this the other day while casually reading the newspaper with my cup of coffee in hand. How sad!

"Whether you are the most active member of your parish, a Christmas-and-Easter Catholic...you will always be welcome."

Wow.

I always thought the "Christmas-and-Easter Catholic" was something that wasn't condoned. Just a situation that others have observed. People calling themselves people of faith - and yet never paying any attention to their faith in day-t0-day life.

"Connect with your faith and your heritage." In death?

How about connecting with your faith ... while you're alive?! It won't help you after death. Sorry to say.

Spring Glory

2011-05-30T14:36:00.004-04:00

My Mother's Day 2010 from Andrew Rose of Sharon - so far no critters have
gone "buffet" on it...
When I was younger, spring was my least favourite season -

but it has become one of my most cherished!

I love the newness of spring - the wonderful smell of spring -

and even the rain in spring.

But this year's rain has been a bit too much!

I love my flowerboxes this year - every year I try something newish, and hope to love it...

but some years I like the colour combinations more than others

Alyssa's garden is coming along - see my lupin in there? It's in solitary confinement - away from the bunnies and deer until it's multiplied a few times, THEN I will let SOME of it out...and see!
Same with my Mother's Day 2010 rose bush from the kids - lovely pink - but in solitary confinement...until it's big enough to be a bit of a critter buffet AND enjoyment for us!
the lilacs have been gorgeous - but they have also been waterlogged
and haven't lasted as long as other years :(

Marigolds and peas - waiting to be planted...maybe I'll eat the pea sprouts - have you ever

tried them? YUM! (I'm hoping a deer doesn't find these before they get dealt with)

a few herbs - nothing like fresh chives or tomatoes...

My Prayper Route

2011-02-13T21:22:00.007-05:00

Kind of a strange photo here, but I was trying to get a pic of my hair after coming back from my paper route last week. It was -27C outside when I left home at 7:30am - brrrr, and my hair ended up frosted. It looked like solidly gray hair!

Anyway, as you know, I have a paper route. In fact, I've had my route for over 9 years now. Most of the people in my neighbourhood know that it's my route, but once in a while I still get a comment like "doing your kids route?"

What started out as a way to exercise AND make a little bit of money (originally it was my scrapbooking money) has turned into exercise and making a bit of money as well as contact with neighbours. I know most of them and have seen many of them through good and bad times in their lives - and they also have shared my burdens. I shared a while back about Joanne, and I have good news to share again with you.

Joanne is doing quite well, although she hasn't heard back from her doctor's about her prognosis and health plan. She'd like to leave the cancer as is and go without treatment, especially if it's a slow-growing cancer -- but she doesn't know for sure if it is a slow cancer. I hope to hear more soon. But even if it's a faster cancer, she may end up opting out of treatment - since, as she says, "I could die of something else before cancer takes me!"

Joanne moved to a senior's residence not too far away and my husband and I went to visit her last week. She was so excited to see us! She looks good (she's 90 years old), never takes the elevators (stairs only!) and finds that the "old people with walkers" are quite slow! haha She seems to have a much happier attitude now - and is enjoying having her meals made for her and access to all sorts of activities and entertainment at her fingertips!

~~~
But back to my paper route - as I was walking the other day, I realized how I pray for those who I know are living with difficulties. I don't know their names many times - but I do know some of their "woes". At one home in lives a couple about our ages with kids around the ages of our kids. I know they're a Christian family because I had some contact with the husband years ago but he wouldn't remember me (he used to chair an organization that I was a part of). When I saw him and his wife at the store a couple of months ago, it was obvious that his wife is going through chemotherapy. I have no idea what type of cancer she has, but I pray for her and their family every week as I pass their home.

At another home - a man just lost his wife suddenly just before Christmas 2010. I pray for him.

A neighbour family is very strange - I don't know why or what's going on, but instead of trying to figure them out, I pray for them instead now.

There are two people on my route whose spouses have left them. They are each hurting and alone.

I just heard from Joanne that another family - one living across from her old home, is going through a cancer diagnosis. The wife has some sort of brain tumour. They have three young boys.

An older man on my route is busy as caregiver to his sick wife.

We live in a beautiful world - filled with great things - and filled with lots of sad things like sorrow and sickness. And God has given me a huge compassion gene - which I don't like many times, but I know that He has a reason for how He made me. For now, I'll just reach out to those who surround me, help when I can, and I will certainly pray for them!

Prayer might not seem like much - but I know that God works in amazing ways. He may not choose to heal those who are going through these times, but I know that He will comfort them and be there for them. Maybe even through me. Use me, Lord.

From now on I'm going to call my route my prayper route!

Winter Art

2011-02-02T12:24:00.006-05:00

There's another gorgeous design on our window today - as Ontario is in the midst of a blizzard. Thought I'd post a pic, referring to this post in 2008! Can't beat God's artwork!

"How could I say there is no God,

when all around creation calls?!"

(Brian Doerksen)

Incredible Basement

2011-01-24T06:43:00.003-05:00

I received this from a friend who always sends a lot of emails...you know the type! Usually most emails end up in the deleted file, but I took a peak at this one and I'm glad that I did! Pretty neat - take a peak.

Grass

2011-01-01T21:12:00.008-05:00

As you know, I have been a "paper-girl/woman" for quite a few years. What started out as some outdoor walking (and getting paid for it) has turned out to meeting neighbours that I normally wouldn't meet and growing relationships. It's been good, but also difficult, because those who I usually meet are people who have no one else or those who have family but come from very broken relationships. One such lady is Joanne.

I met Joanne quite a few years ago - I'd say at least 8 years. She was an elderly woman at the time (in her 80s) but she was so active. She'd be outside cutting the grass (seriously!) and even trimming her hedges. While her face looked like she was in her 80s, her body and movement did not. She kept active and loved being outdoors. We'd often chat.

Sometimes we'd chat about God. She was very angry at God. She had no use for God. But I'd still tell her that I was praying for her (and I was) and I showed her the hands of God through my life. She never shied away from me when I mentioned God - but a wall definitely came up.

I learned that her husband passed away almost exactly when my dad did, in 1990. He died of cancer. Joanne and her husband had one child - a son - and that son passed away a few years later. He lived in Europe and his wife (her daughter-in-law) and children stayed in Europe. They had contact over the years and sometimes they'd come to visit Joanne. But Joanne tired of taking them to the tourist attractions (or so she said) so they stopped coming. She said she encouraged them to spend their money on the places that they'd like to visit, rather than visiting her. I wonder if she really meant that.

While Joanne was a nice woman, she was also bitter in many ways and knew exactly how things were. Or how she thought they were. A lot of the people that I meet are like this.

Anyway, a few years ago Joanne told me that her daughter-in-law had cancer. It wasn't long before she told me that her daughter-in-law died. She was quite sad. The only family left were her grandchildren.

A little more than a year ago, Joanne took me aside to tell me that she had been diagnosed with cancer. It was a rare form of a "woman's cancer" and she had a hysterectomy (at almost age 89). I still remember her fear, asking me if I could Google her cancer and find her some information. She'd been given various websites to check out but did not have access to the internet. I sat with her and went through her sheets from the doctor, trying to calm her down. It must be tough to live alone and have no one to support you at such times.

Joanne was healthy enough to go through the surgery so she did. Everything went well and although it took quite a bit out of her, Joanne kept at it. She had someone cut her grass for her (which drove her crazy) but she got back at the hedges. She didn't open her pool last season, because she knew she wouldn't be able to keep up with it. She missed her swims.

I rarely saw someone visiting Joanne. But I was happy to see that her closest neighbours were able to take her to her radiation appointments (she'd asked me but I wasn't able to) and a couple neighbours were taking turns cutting her grass. It was encouraging to see neighbours supporting one another in an old-fashioned (not seen a whole lot today) way.

A couple of months ago Joanne again took me aside. Her cancer had come back. She was angry. I tried to encourage her. But she told me that fear had taken over. Fear of cancer (she'd watched her husband and son die of it), fear of dying alone, fear of dying. I tried to console her. I tried to support her.

I saw her about 6 weeks ago and she looked good. I thought she must be doing well, despite her sadness.

And then a couple of weeks ago a "for sale" sign went up at Joanne's house. I could see that someone was still around because I saw her tire tracks in the snow (coming out of her garage) as well as her garbage/composting/recycling being put out and put away again. So I knew that she was still around. On December 17 Joanne had her 90th birthday. I didn't see her but I left her a card and note. I never heard from her again.

Last week I saw that the house was "sold" -- and a few trucks were in her driveway. A dumpster has now joined the trucks. I see Joanne's "life" in the dumpster. I went inside Joanne's house a couple of times and it was like a timewarp. The 1950s all the way. Panelling everywhere, chrome everywhere, various shades of yellow and orange everywhere. It even had a musty smell. Joanne said it wasn't worth it to update anything. It would be a waste of her money.

So I haven't seen Joanne, and since she doesn't have any family here, I don't know if she's okay. I haven't seen a death announcement but I don't know who would put one in for her anyway. (I hope to talk to one of her neighbours soon.) I'm hoping that she's in a senior's home now, getting some tender-loving-care. I miss seeing her - and seeing her house be demolished has been quite an analogy for me. Of how fleeting this life is. It is here and it is gone.

I hope most of all that Joanne has a loving person beside her, showing her of her need of a Saviour.

You sweep people away like dreams that disappear or like grass that springs up
in the morning. In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it
is
dry and withered. ...
Seventy years are given to us! Some may even
reach
eighty. But even the best of these years are filled with pain and
trouble; soon
they disappear, and we are gone.

Teach us to realize
the brevity of
life, so that we may grow in wisdom.
Psalm 90:5,6,10,12

Is this for Real?

2010-11-22T21:06:00.004-05:00

This just came to my attention via Facebook. I really don't know what to think.

First of all, the blog address is birthornot so that would mean that when this couple started this blog, their intent was to bring this discussion to the forefront. Obviously they weren't a couple who was excited about their expected baby and then were faced with a difficult pregnancy and began to think about whether or not to abort the baby.

Which makes me wonder why they started the blog - is it a publicity stunt? Is it for information? Is it a genuine quest for guidance?

If it's a genuine request for guidance, I can't believe that they have stooped this low. Is there not anyone that they can trust - who will give them guidance?

I haven't read all of the posts here, but I have read quite a few and looked at their ultrasound pics. This obviously isn't a "blob" but a human child being formed in his/her mother's womb. He/she is fearfully and wonderfully made.

How can a parent kill their own child?

I just don't get it. I know there are always "reasons" - and in certain circumstances, these "reasons" might seem legitimate...but they are never right in my opinion. I know this debate brings out the worst in people, but there are so many options available to couples today. So many families wishing for a child - so many homes open for an unwanted child.

How will this child think about him/herself when/if they are born and find out about their parents pregnancy blog? WOW.

I pray that these parents will see the truth for what it is - abortion isn't an "answer", it's killing a viable human being. I pray that God will have mercy on them, and that they will have mercy on the child that is growing.

Children are a GIFT.

No Impact for Me Too

2010-10-14T07:09:00.021-04:00

No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process, by Colin Beavan.

I just completed reading this book and I have to share some quotes with you. These quotes are just some points that struck me - there's a TON of info in this book. Hopefully they will encourage you to read the book ... and think about what YOU can do to help preserve the world around us!

I'm not a tree-hugger. I don't think that we can actually "save" the planet because God says that it will eventually be burned up. But that doesn't relieve me of any responsibility. As a Christian, I believe that it is my responsibility to be a good steward of the world around me - and the resources that I choose (or don't choose) for myself and my family.

I do what I can because of my responsibility to God. Simple as that.

This is not a Christian book - and it contains some swearing as well as some meditation-zen stuff. It also contains a lot of questions and biblical questions. It made me see my world in a different light.

I recommend this book. The following quotes are from the many pages that I dog-eared...lots and lots to ponder and glean from this experiment. It has made me look even closer at what purchases I'm making and how I can improve my "footprint" in this world. (Note: the quote titles are mine.)

PS Read the book first. I haven't watched the DVD yet, but I do have it and hope to watch it soon. I'll keep you posted.

Life:
"The happiest people, the shrinks discovered, did not live their lives on this perpetual loop. Rather, these folks had raised their baseline mood in ways that did not require repeated doses of new stuff. The people most satisfied with life, it turned out, had strong social connections, found meaning in their work, got to exercise what they considered to be their highest talents, and had a sense of some higher purpose." (pg. 26)

Garbage:
"According to the Environmental Protection Agency, food packaging makes up 20 percent of our solid waste nationwide [US]. The archaeologist studying our nation's trash, it seems, would see that it's not just the city folks who don't have time to cook. A lot of suburbanites aren't exactly finding the time to peel a carrot, either. It's just that instead of getting their throwaway packaging from takeout, they're getting it from the frozen-food section." (pg. 39)

"Think of the grocery store. If you're lucky, in the aisles around the edges you'll find some fresh produce -- some food you can actually cook. But every other aisle -- the aisles in the store's heart -- has shelves crammed with cereal in boxes and vegetables in cans and frozen food in plastic trays. That's the stuff that's destined to become, after a couple of minutes in a microwave and a couple more on a table, or a lap, a full 20 percent of our nation's trash.

However much my grandparents' ghosts might cluck their tongues at my way of life, it is not that my family alone had turned into some sort of monstrous, garbage-making machine. It's not that I'm a marred human being who took a wrong turn, or that I've turned bad in the twenty-five years since my grandparents wielded their influence over me. It's not that I'm the lazy ingrate I thought I was. But it may be that, as a member of the crew of the huge steamship that is our culture, I had acquiesced to some decisions that caused the whole boat to take a wrong turn, and possibly sink." (pgs. 39-40)

"Sure, it was just one piece of tissue, but the problem is, as Heather Rogers points out in Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage, some 80 percent of our products are made to be used only once. As trivial as that paper towel might seem, it points up a multitude of individual and cultural choices we make every day, choices that mean we are sucking resources out of the planet and sending them to the landfill or incinerator, having barely used them.
As long as we're talking about waste, it's worth noting that, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, 4.8 million tons - nearly 10 billion pounds - of disposable paper napkins, towels, cups, and plates is what the United States sends to landfills every year. I don't know why it never occurred to me before, but what we're talking about when we talk about 10 billion pounds of trashed paper products is 10 billion pounds of dead trees." (pgs. 47, 48)

Plastic Bags:
"Every year, we junk some 4 to 5 trillion plastic bags worldwide, according to the Worldwatch Institute. Around the globe, plastic bags, used for a matter of minutes and then thrown away, leave stores and markets in quantities hundreds of times greater than any other piece of merchandise. They are the world's most ubiquitous consumer items and, not coincidentally, its most pervasive throwaway product.
We recycle plastic bags at a rate of less than 1 percent, and thrown-away bags formed some 4 million tons of municipal waste in the United States in 2006. They poison the air when burned in incinerators, or leach nasty chemicals in our landfills for hundreds of years. And thanks to their lightweight aerodynamics, the wind carries an estimated 1 percent of plastic bags out of trash depositories. These renegade bags end up billowing from trees, hanging from fences, or, worst of all, floating in the ocean.
In 1988, across a span of just two weeks, fifteen leatherback turtles, an endangered species, washed up dead on the beaches of Long Island. Alarmed by the deaths, marine biologists performed autopsies. They discovered that eleven of the fifteen dead turtles had ingested plastic bags that blocked their stomach openings. Leatherback turtles, you see, have the unfortunate twin qualities of a taste for jellyfish and bad eyesight. To these nearly blind turtles, it seems a submerged plastic bag looks simply delicious." (pgs. 53, 54)

Stuff:
"Everybody says I want this and I want that. If our assumptions about happiness and the fulfillment of desire are true, well, then, so be it: the economy is rightfully predicted on the fulfillment of desires and it will burn along until there's nothing left to burn. But if that is so, why did Jesus say that a camel can fit through the eye of a needle more easily than a rich man can get into the Kingdom of heaven?" (pg. 115)

Chemicals:
"Corn belt fertilizer washing off the land into the Mississippi River, meanwhile, ends up in the Gulf of Mexico. It turns out what when you fertilize the ocean you get a massive bloom of oxygen-hogging algae. The results if a 7,900-square-mile dead zone in the Gulf that is so depleted of oxygen that it suffocates fish, shrimp, crabs, and all manner of marine life. The EPA estimates that 210 million pounds of fertilizer end up in the Gulf every year." (pg. 122-123)

Light:
"...I read that people without artificial lighting often experience a phenomenon known as "second sleep." They go to sleep when it gets dark, wake up halfway through the night, light a candle, get up for an hour, and then go back to bed. They supposedly end up more rested than people who go to bed later and sleep through the night." (pg. 166)

Water:
"In the United States, for example, the average single-family household uses some seventy gallons of water every day. A full quarter of that we use to flush our toilets. In other words, while 1 billion people in the world don't have access to clean drinking water, Americans are flushing 2.5 trillion gallons a year down the toilet." (pg. 193, 194)

Children:
"More children have died from diarrhea than people have been killed in war and conflict since World War II. A child dies every eight seconds from drinking dirty water." (pg. 194)

Simple Steps:
"To keep toxins out of the wastewater, around the house we use nothing toxic. Pretty simple. We learn to make our household and personal cleaning products from a combination of borax, white vinegar, baking soda, and Dr. Bronner's vegetable-oil-based liquid soap. Baking soda, it turns out, makes the world's best underarm deodorant. A vegetable-oil-and beeswax moisturizer made by a local person is better for our skin than anything we've ever used before." (pg. 197)

Thoughts:
"When I take my last breath, will there be a wish that I had more stuff? ... This life is so short and it will soon be over. What will we use it for?" (pg. 210)

"I'm just suggesting that we should at least wake up long enough to make it an active decision. And yes, it's our decision. It's a decision that belongs to us. Not to the government. Not to big business. It belongs to us." (pg. 215)

"I'd hear criticisms like this constantly throughout the No Impact project. What difference can one person make? Well, absolutely none if that one person doesn't try to influence a difference. But who among us knows how much we will influence the people around us? Which one of us knows which of us, by applying their talents and efforts to what they believe in, may not become a Martin Luther King, Jr. or a Bobby Kennedy or a Betty Friedan or a Nelson Mandela?" (pg. 219)

"I'm not going to make myself a martyr. But I am going to keep trying to live my life deliberately. For most of my forty-five years I didn't try hard enough. I got too paralyzed by this question of whether I was the type of person who could make a difference. Finally, during the year of the project, I realized that's the wrong question. The real question is whether I'm the type of person who wants to try." (pg. 224)

~~~
Colin's blog link: http://noimpactman.typepad.com/

Being Perfect

2010-09-27T08:00:00.005-04:00

27 Sep 2010
Rachel Olsen

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence." 1 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

There's a moment I dread when going to the doctor for a check-up. It's not putting on that tissue paper rectangle they mistakenly call a "gown." It's not having my finger pricked for blood tests - though I'm really squeamish about that. It's the moment right after the nurse finishes her questions, grabs her clip board, and announces the doctor will be in to see me shortly. Pulling the door closed behind her, she leaves me alone with it.

I already know what it's going to say about me; I've read it before. It's going to say that I don't measure up. That I'm not reaching my potential. That I don't equal my ideal. It's the height/weight chart that declares the perfect weight for my height – and I'm several pounds away.

It extends no mercy. It offers no grace. It makes no allowances for how old I am, how many babies I've birthed, or the fact that my husband can eat three plates of food every night without gaining an ounce. It demands perfection.

A few years ago I heard a verse that seemed to be the scriptural equivalent of the height/weight chart. A single verse to measure my worth against, and feed my expectations for perfection: "But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48, NIV)

I figured this verse justified dressing my family in matching sweaters, in the middle of July, to take the Christmas card photo because I'd just gotten the perfect haircut. I figured it warranted pricey tooth whitening treatments because I drink coffee and tea, and it shows. And I figured it would be my defense when I drove my family nuts about deep-cleaning the entire house because my new friend said she might stop by.

While the verse came in handy when I needed to justify my quest for perfect teeth, perfect photos or a perfectly clean house, it added to my disappointment, guilt and occasional loathing when my life, body or family didn't match the ideal notions in my head. Rather than fostering perfection, it fueled my self-criticism. Surely this is not what Jesus intended!

In the years since hearing that verse, I've embraced a core conviction that goes like this: If God created life, He alone gets to define it . This conviction drove me to find out what exactly Jesus meant by "be perfect."

Matthew wrote this verse. And the word he used in the ancient Greek language means something a little different than Mr. Webster's English definition. The Greek word here is teleos and it means "complete, full grown, developing."

The first two pieces of that definition indicate something already accomplished, while the third indicates an ongoing process. So this perfection Jesus prescribes for us is already complete and yet still developing. Complete in Him; still at work in us. We're allowed to be a work-in-progress!
All parts of this definition, however, refer to maturity of character, rather than a flawless figure, immaculate home, or the faultless execution of a task. Jesus just doesn't care so much if there's dust on our mantle, a stain on our teeth, or a scratch on our car. He isn't interested in how well our bedspread matches our curtains; He's interested in our spiritual maturity. Jesus teaches I will not find my worth in my ability to reach my perfect weight or accomplish my to-do list flawlessly, but in the fact that I am learning to reflect His character. To graciously give and receive love.

That's good news for a recovering perfectionist. Plus, as John writes in 1 John 3:18-19 of The Message: "My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it."

Dear Lord, thank You for grace! Thank You for mercy! Thank You for empowering me to be like You as I submit to Your Word. And thank You for not caring about dust bunnies or stained shirts. Help me to care less about those things as well and focus my heart more on You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Application Steps:
Spend time reading through the gospels, noticing what concerned Jesus and what did not.

Reflections:
What surface-level thing(s) have you been worrying over lately?

If it's not about your character, let it go as imperfect and rest in God's grace today.

Power Verses:
Philippians 3:8-9, "More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith," (NASB)

3900 Saturdays

2010-07-16T20:19:00.002-04:00

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those Lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whom-ever he was talking with something about 'a thousand marbles..' I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say....

Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It's too bad you missed your daughter's 'dance recital' he continued. 'Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities.' And that's when he began to explain his theory of a 'thousand marbles.'

'You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.'

'Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part.

It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail', he went on, 'and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays.' 'I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.'

'Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life.

'There's nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight .'

'Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time.. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.'

'It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!'

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.

Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. 'C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast.' '

What brought this on?' she asked with a smile. '

Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles.

And so, as one smart bear once said.....'If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you.' - Winnie the Pooh.

Help to Get & Stay Organized

2010-07-05T08:22:00.015-04:00

Secrets of the Organized
by Jill Cooper

Could these 9 tools change your life?

1. Never stop picking up. Try picking up during TV commercials or while you are waiting for something to boil on the stove. You will be amazed how much you can get done in five minutes. Have the entire family spend five minutes picking up the family room or living room before they go to bed. Set a timer for young kids, so they don't get overwhelmed. If your family members go to bed at different times, then have each member pick up his or her items before bedtime. Once this becomes a habit, you will be amazed how much easier picking up becomes.

2. Stop making messes. Keep a trash can in every room. No one likes carrying one small piece of trash from the family room to the kitchen, so it usually ends up on the floor. Keep small trash cans everywhere. In our office, we have two trash cans, one next to the desk for throwing away regular office trash and one next to the shipping table for throwing away envelope tabs, extra invoices and other shipping trash. If you need two trash cans in a room, put them in there. Make it easy to keep things clean. Throw that sticky food wrapper straight into the trash. Don't lay it on the counter to make another mess that needs to be wiped up later. Don't lay that dirty spoon on the counter. Rinse it and put it in the sink or dishwasher. As you're undressing, don't throw your dirty clothes on the floor or on the furniture. While they are still in your hand, put them in the hamper, or if they're still clean, hang them up. Keep the hamper close to where you undress at night. If it is convenient, you will be more likely to use it. Before you leave the bathroom, hang your wet towel on the rod. Don't drop it on the floor or leave it in a pile.

3. Think ahead. What are you having for dinner? Are the kid's papers signed and ready for school? What clothes are you wearing tomorrow?

4. Never, Never Procrastinate. Keep straightening things all the time. For example, when you put away groceries and you see that the cans of soup have fallen over, take two seconds to re-stack them. When you put linens or clothes in their drawers, make sure everything in those drawers is neatly stacked. Pick up as you go. Each time you walk through a room, pick up something.

5. Stop thinking about it! Just do it. Train family members to rinse their own dishes and stack them in the sink (or better yet to put them directly into the dishwasher). It may take a while to develop this habit. For kids, you may want to do something like charge each member a dime for every dish not rinsed or make them responsible for doing all the dishes for a week. Remember Thomas Edison? What if he had given up after his first 5, 10, or 100 light bulbs? Where would we be now if he had thrown up his hands and quit at his first failures? The same is true with getting and staying organized. Keep practicing and you will create a productive new habit.

6. Attitude, Attitude, Attitude. Stop dreading taking care of your home and start taking pride and pleasure in it. Think of an organized home as a special gift of peace and pleasure that you are giving your family. A disorganized one causes turmoil and frustration. Besides, you probably spend more time worrying about it than it would take to clean it.

7. Use rooms for their intended purposes. Don't let kids get undressed in the family room. That's why they have bedrooms. Eat food at the kitchen table or bar, not in bed. This alone can save a huge number of messes. Fold laundry in the laundry room immediately after taking it out of the dryer and put it away immediately.

8. Be a wise steward of your time. If you see something that needs to be clean, clean it as soon as possible. If something doesn't need to be cleaned, don't waste your time. If there is no dust, don't just dust because you dust every Saturday. Don't overbook yourself volunteering at schools, churches or charities. Learn to say "no." Notice that I didn't say don't do these things at all, just control how much you do so they don't take over your life. Don't overbook your children with their activities, either. Get rid of fruitless activities. Many of us spend way too much time talking on the phone, watching TV, shopping unnecessarily or killing time on the computer. These are all time robbers when you devote a lot of time to them.

9. Keep on top of things. If you do small cleanings every day, you'd be surprised how much you can accomplish. In ten-minute increments, you can do each of the following: wash the dishes, vacuum, file a pile of papers or clean your purse. It shouldn't take more than ten minutes for each child to pick up his room before bed and to lay out his clothes for the morning. Don't let the laundry, dishes, toys and paperwork get out of control.

www.livingonadime.com/

www.stretcher.com/index.cfm

Andrea Bocelli tells a "little story" about abortion

2010-06-25T13:52:00.005-04:00

This speaks for itself.

The Rebellious Balloon

2010-06-02T11:33:00.008-04:00

Or maybe it was the exuberant wind. Or maybe the inattentive homemaker.

Whatever it was, yesterday I purchased an "It's a GIRL!" mylar balloon for a baby shower that I was leading in the evening. However, when I stepped out of the car and went to retrieve my purchases, the knot that I'd tied the balloon to the grocery bag handle let go, and the balloon zipped into the heavens. My daughter almost grasped it but it got away!

I began to think about that balloon -- it actually headed towards the church where the shower was to be held. Maybe it was just headed there before me, I laughed! Then I thought that maybe the mom that it was for might just see it that day, since she lives close to the church. I pictured her smiling as the balloon sailed by her and as she looked into the eyes of her new little blessing from Above. Then my mind began to wander more and more...

I pictured a couple in the hospital, the wife in labour, waiting for their expected child. Looking out the window they see the "It's a GIRL!" balloon and wonder if they're having a baby girl also. I pictured the older man in a hospice, seeing the balloon out the window and thinking back to the day when he became dad to a wonderful little girl. I thought of the couple who was wishing for children of their own - seeing the balloon and wondering if they'd ever celebrate their own baby's birth.

Then I thought of the regular person doing their mundane chores -- seeing the balloon go by and thinking "How exciting! A new little girl for someone!"

Okay, so maybe none of these scenarios occurred. But it made me ponder, made me think about how each day, each of us all over the world is going through our own days, some difficult, some happy, some sad, some celebratory. And how we're all in this together -- neighbours in this big world that God created for us. May we truly share one anothers burdens and joys.

Wherever you are today, whatever you are doing - may you look to the Giver of Life and thank Him.

New Every Morning!

2010-05-03T07:53:00.009-04:00

His mercies are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness!

Lamentations 3:23

Mr. & Mrs. Mallard are back in the yard again!

Blooming - so full of promise

After the rain

40 bags in 40 days

2010-04-12T07:42:00.000-04:00

I am not Catholic, however this challenge intrigued me. AND interested me!

I've been trying to get some decluttering done but life keeps taking over.

Years ago I used to follow The FlyLady and her "27 Fling Boogies" helped me to declutter (everyday you try to get rid of 27 things - either in the garbage or donated to charity).

The 40 days challenge is a Lent thing --

and Lent is from Ash Wednesday

until Easter Sunday.

All of which are over for this year.

So, I will try this starting next week -

Monday, April 12 and go for 40 days (for me, May 21).

Wanna join me?

40 bags in 40 days challenge

How it works:

1. Pick what size of trash bag you want to use. (I will use the tall kitchen bags.)

2. Each week for eight weeks, fill one bag (or equivalent). It can be a bag of stuff, toys, clothes, papers - anything, a box of books, an old TV. Anything that you can count as clutter is fair game.

3. Update on your blog how it goes.

4 Have fun!

Drawn for ME!

2010-04-07T07:23:00.001-04:00

Unspoken Voice

2009-10-17T18:42:00.003-04:00

Click here to listen to a song to raise funds for pro-life organizations: Pro-Life Music

I Loved Her First

2009-08-31T10:28:00.000-04:00

We love this song -- thought I'd share it here. We heard it at four weddings this year and it's always been a fav. As our kids grow older we understand these sentiments more & more... ;) Enjoy!

A letter from an Alzheimer's patient, to you

2009-07-15T19:34:00.006-04:00

Good morning. My name is Dr. Alice Howland. I'm not a neurologist or general practice physician, however. My doctorate is in psychology. I was a professor at Harvard University for twenty-five years. I taught courses in cognitive psychology, I did research in the field of linguistics, and I lectured all over the world.

I am not here today, however, to talk to you as an expert in psychology or language. I'm here today to talk to you as an expert in Alzheimer's disease. I don't treat patients, run clinical trials, study mutations in DNA, or counsel patients and their families. I am an expert in this subject because, just over a year ago, I was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

I'm honoured to have this opportunity to talk with you today, to hopefully lend some insight into what it's like to live with dementia. Soon, although I'll still know what it is like, I'll be unable to express it to you. And too soon after that, I'll no longer even know I have dementia. So what I have to say today is timely.

We, in the early stages of Alzheimer's are not yet utterly incompetent. We are not without language or opinions that matter or extended periods of lucidity. Yet we are not competent enough to be trusted with the many demands and responsibilities of our former lives. We feel like we are neither here nor there, like some crazy Dr. Seuss character in a bizarre land. It's a very lonely and frustrating place to be.

I no longer work at Harvard. I no longer read and write research articles or books. My reality is completely different from what it was not long ago. And it is distorted. The neural pathways I use to try to understand what you are saying are gummed up with amyloid. I struggle to find the words I want to say and often hear myself saying the wrong ones. I can't confidently judge spatial distances, which means I drop things and fall down a lot and can get lost two blocks from my home. And my short-term memory is hanging on by a couple of frayed threads.

I'm losing my yesterdays. If you ask me what I did yesterday, what happened, what I saw and felt and heard, I'd be hard-pressed to give you details. I might guess a few things correctly. I'm an excellent guesser. But I don't really know. I don't remember yesterday or the yesterday before that.

And I have no control over which yesterdays I keep and which ones get deleted. This disease will not be bargained with. I can't offer it the names of the United States presidents in exchange for the names of my children. I can't give it the names of the state capitals and keep the memories of my husband.

I often fear tomorrow. What if I wake up and don't know who my husband is? What if I don't know where I am or recognize myself in the mirror? When will I no longer be me? Is the part of my brain that's responsible for my unique 'me-ness' vulnerable to this disease? Or is my identity something that transcends neurons, proteins, and defective molecules of DNA? Is my soul and spirit immune to the ravages of Alzheimer's? I believe it is.

Being diagnosed with Alzheimer's is like being branded with a scarlet A. This is now who I am, someone with dementia. This was how I would, for a time, define myself and how others continue to define me. But I am not what I say or what I do or what I remember. I am fundamentally more than that.

I am a wife, mother, and friend, and soon to be grandmother. I still feel, understand, and am worthy of the love and joy in those relationships. I am still an active participant in society. My brain no longer works well, but I use my ears for unconditional listening, my shoulders for crying on, and my arms for hugging others with dementia. Through an early-stage support group, through the Dementia Advocacy and Support Network International, by talking to you today, I am helping others with dementia live better with dementia. I am not someone dying. I am someone living with Alzheimer's. I want to do that as well as I possibly can.

I'd like to encourage earlier diagnosis, for physicians not to assume that people in their forties and fifties experiencing memory and cognition problems are depressed or stressed or menopausal. The earlier we are properly diagnosed, the earlier we can go on medication, with the hope of delaying progression and maintaining a footing on a plateau long enough to reap the benefits of a better treatment or cure soon. I still have hope for a cure, for me, for my friends with dementia, for my daughter who carries the same mutated gene. I may never be able to retrieve what I've already lost, but I can sustain what I have. I still have a lot.

Please don't look at our scarlet A's and write us off. Look us in the eye, talk directly to us. Don't panic or take it personally if we make mistakes, because we will. We will repeat ourselves, we will misplace things, and we will get lost. We will forget your name and what you said two minutes ago. We will also try our hardest to compensate for and overcome our cognitive losses.

I encourage you to empower us, not limit us. If someone has a spinal cord injury, if someone has lost a limb or has a functional disability from a stroke, families and professionals work hard to rehabilitate that person, to find ways to cope and manage despite these losses. Work with us. Help us develop tools to function around our losses in memory, language, and cognition. Encourage involvement in support groups. We can help each other, both people with dementia and their caregivers, navigate through this Dr. Seuss land of neither here not there.

My yesterdays are disappearing, and my tomorrows are uncertain, so what do I live for? I live for each day. I live in the moment. Some tomorrow soon, I'll forget that I stood before you and gave this speech. But just because I'll forget it some tomorrow doesn't mean that I didn't live every second of it today. I will forget today, but that doesn't mean that today didn't matter.

I'm no longer asked to lecture about language at universities and psychology conferences all over the world. But here I am before you today, giving what I hope is the most influential talk of my life. And I have Alzheimer's disease.

Thank you.

(pgs. 251-254, Still Alice, by Lisa Genova)

Somewhere

2009-07-06T17:23:00.008-04:00

We've been to a few weddings so far this year with a few more to go ... and recently I came upon this song that I hadn't listened to for a very long while. I used to have it on cassette when the kids were little and I used to play it a lot -- thinking about what my children's future mate might be doing at that time! I thought I'd share it here. It's written by Wayne Watson and I couldn't find him singing it on YouTube or GodTube, and the video below has the piano too loud but it's the best that I can do! The lyrics are written below.

Now that I've been married for quite a few years I realize fully how important the decision of one's marriage partner really is. Of course I always knew it was a serious choice, but time and maturity does open your eyes to things that didn't seem as consequential when I was younger. Having a mate whose first goal in life is leading a life that is pleasing to the Lord IS the best. Having "stuff" is the least of important things -- having the Lord in your life and marriage is the best.

Enjoy!

Somewhere in the world today
A little girl will go out to play
All dressed up in mama's clothes

At least the way that I suppose it goes

Somewhere in the world tonight
Before she reaches to turn out the light
She'll be prayin' from a tender heart
A simple prayer that's a work of art

And I don't even know her name
But I'm prayin' for her just the same
That the Lord will write His name upon her heart
Cause somewhere in the course of this life
A little boy will need a godly wife

So hold on to Jesus, baby, wherever you are

Somewhere in the world out there
That little girl's learnin' how to care
She's pickin' up her mama's charms
Or maybe, swingin' around in her daddy's arms

Somewhere in the world to be
Through the future's not real clear to me
Theirs could be a tender love
Grounded in eternal love above

Made in China Boycott

2009-06-08T10:30:00.014-04:00

I received this email a while back and I thought I'd share it here for those who might be interested but haven't seen it.

I'm one who regularly reads labels and makes choices based on what I read...and I especially love to buy Canadian if I can and avoid items made in China. Mainly because I feel that if we don't support our jobs here at home, eventually there won't be jobs here at home! Also because of quality. My rules are these: I will buy Canadian wherever possible. If I can't buy Canadian, I will buy US made items next. After that, I will reconsider if I really need the item and possibly skip buying it. I only shop at dollar stores (I call them "landfill stores") as a last resort and I apply the "Buy Canadian" rules there (Canadian-made greeting cards are often available at dollar stores).

I had to buy myself some new running shoes lately and I know from experience that 99.9% of athletic shoes are "Made in China". Imagine my surprise when I chose a pair and read that they were "Made in the USA!!" Yah!! The price was good AND they were made in the US!!! Win, win!!

Last week I had raisins on my list to buy -- the last package made it past me before I realized that they were from Thailand. Grrrr. So I read the labels and found that SunMaid raisins are from the US. About 75cents more per package but worth it. Those raisins are AWESOME anyway!

Here's to supporting our workers here at home in North America!

I WAS BUYING FOOD THE OTHER DAY AT THE COUNTRY MARKET. ON THE LABEL OF SOME PRODUCTS IT SAID FROM CHINA. FOR EXAMPLE THE "OUR FAMILY" BRAND OF THE MANDARIN ORANGES SAYS RIGHT ON THE CAN FROM CHINA I WAS SHOCKED!! SO FOR A FEW MORE CENTS I BOUGHT THE LIBERTY GOLD BRAND OR THE DOLE IS FROM CAL . TAKES FOREVER JUST TO BUY FOOD AND DO LABEL READING ! !
Are we Canadians as dumb as we appear --- or --- is it that we just do not think? While the Chinese, knowingly and intentionally, export inferior and even toxic products and dangerous toys and goods to be sold in Canadian markets, Yet 70% of North Americans believe that the trading privileges afforded to the Chinese should be suspended. Well, duh..why do you need the government to suspend trading privileges? SIMPLY DO IT YOURSELF!! Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says 'Made in China ' or 'PRC' (and that now includes Hong Kong ), simply choose another product, or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese products, and you will be equally amazed at what you can do without. Who needs plastic eggs to celebrate Easter? If you must have eggs, use real ones and benefit some Canadian farmer. Easter is just an example, the point is do not wait for the government to act. Just go ahead and assume control on your own. THINK ABOUT THIS If 200 million North Americans refuse to buy just $20 each of Chinese goods, that's a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor...fast!! The downside? Some businesses will feel a temporary pinch from having foreign stockpiles of inventory. Wahhhhhhhhhhhh The solution? Let's give them fair warning and send our own message. Most of the people who have been reading about this matter are planning on implementing this on June 4, and continue it until July 4. That is only one month of trading losses, but it will hit the Chinese for 1/12th of the total, or 8%, of their North American exports. Then they will at least have to ask themselves if the benefits of their arrogance and lawlessness were worth it. ! Remember, June 4 to July 4. EVEN BETTER. . . START NOW. If we can't live without cheap Chinese goods for one month out of our lives, WE DESERVE WHAT WE GET!

Rumours, Real or a Hoax?

2009-05-21T11:50:00.012-04:00

Recently we've received quite a few forwarded emails that seem quite legitimate and usually they are about something that is concerning -- like the latest one about a movie about Jesus and his disciples being gay. These emails often get forwarded quickly because they seem so real -- and some are real. HOWEVER, a lot aren't. In fact, most aren't.

The one about the gay Jesus movie was a hoax. But it got a lot of Christians in an uproar. And the emails flew!

Recently we've received one about Christians preachers being banned from the TV/airwaves. Again this sounded legitimate, and concerning. However, again, it is an old email that is being forwarded over and over. Both of these examples are old emails -- a few years old! Yet they are still being forwarded as "true".

I have a suggestion -- before you forward any email, check to see if it's true first! There are sites available that will let you know if they are a hoax. The one that we check often is "Snopes".

Take some time, do a search and see what you come up with. And THEN, if it is legitimate, forward it on! Thanks!

What Is Worship About Anyway?

2009-05-04T10:26:00.013-04:00

I was flabbergasted when I read this article.

In Seattle, Mars Hill churchgoers regularly tweet throughout the service. In New York City, Trinity Church marked Good Friday by tweeting the Passion play, detailing the stages of Jesus' crucifixion in short bursts. At Next Level Church, outside Charlotte, it's not only okay to fuse social networking technology with prayer; it's desirable.

On Easter Sunday, pastor Todd Hahn prefaced his sermon by saying, "I hope many of you are tweeting this morning about your experience with God."
What is "twittering"? (tweeting)
Voelz and David McDonald, the other senior pastor at Westwinds Community Church in Jackson, Mich., spent two weeks educating their congregation about Twitter, the microblogging site that challenges users to communicate in 140 characters or less. They held training sessions where congregants brought in their laptops, iPhones and Blackberrys. They upped the bandwidth in the auditorium. (Finding God on YouTube)
* * *
A while back I saw a guest at our church typing into his
Blackberry during the sermon. I thought that he might be making sermon notes (and maybe he was). But now I wonder if he was answering emails or "Twittering".
Can we ever leave electronic devices alone? For an
HOUR?
Do our minds have to be constantly going? Can't we just "be
still" and listen to God's voice?
It used to be that cell phones were the big annoyance. In
restaurants, movie theatres and sometimes church. Now Blackberrys?
Texting? Where will this end?
Or will it ever?
It seems to me that we are so fixed on our gadgetry that we cannot enjoy silence and calm. Many times we don't greet those walking past us because we're involved in a cell phone conversation already. All of our "quiet" times are filled with gadgetry.
And now worship services too?
What is worship about anyway? Or better still, WHO is
worship about? It's about HIM. God. Jesus. It's FOR
Him. It isn't about us!
Think about it.
And leave the gadgetry at home.
You'll enjoy it.
THE HEART OF WORSHIP, by Michael W. Smith
Verse 1:
When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart

Bridge:
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

Chorus:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus

Verse 2:
King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath

Bridge:
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

Chorus:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus

Chorus:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship,
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus

Tomato Soup Recipe

2009-04-27T13:23:00.003-04:00

I thought I'd archive this recipe here so when (I hope) I'm bombarded with fresh, garden tomatoes, I can make some of this! And it's gluten-free too (as long as the stock doesn't contain gluten)!

Serves 4

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
5 medium very ripe tomatoes, cored and
cut into 8 pieces each (or 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 sprig fresh thyme, chopped
pinch of sugar
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup whole milk (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
4 sprigs fresh chervil or 12 leaves fresh flat-leaf parsley

Warm the oil in a medium nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes or untilvery soft but not brown. Add the tomatoes, garlic, thyme and sugar. Raise the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil, then boil for two minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Transfer to a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until smooth.

Strain the soup through a medium fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the milk (if using). Season with the salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 minutes.

Place equal portions in each of 4 shallow soup bowls. Garnish the chervil or parsley.

Maison du Fort, Quebec City

2009-04-13T16:11:00.002-04:00

1987

today

1987

My neice Emily and I were talking this past weekend about Quebec and Quebec City. I'd been thinking about Quebec since that's where Andrew & I went for the first week of our honeymoon and it was our anniversary on Saturday.

I still have a file of "wedding receipts and confirmations" so I hauled it out today and found how much we paid for our week's stay here -- $150. per person, including "daily continental breakfast, two dinners at "the table d'Hote", taxes and service. That was in 1987. The current price for the two-bedroom/kitchen penthouse suite that we had is $275. per night! (not sure if that's per person or not...)

It wasn't as beautiful in 1987 as it is now, but the views were spectacular -- we could see the Citidel from our kitchen and bedroom windows and the St. Lawrence River and Plains of Abraham from the livingroom windows. Since it is located in the old Quebec City, it is close to everything and the night views were spectacular! From the cobblestone streets to the horse & buggy rides -- lots of walking to do and places to see!

Climbing those stairs to the penthouse was probably the worst part! Lots of exercise!

We'd love to go back -- and maybe take the kids along for a taste of Quebec culture. Maybe one day!

I Believe in Miracles

2009-04-06T07:30:00.006-04:00

On my walks lately I find myself singing this song so I thought I'd share it here today. It's a song that I remember from my growing up years -- when my sisters would have young people's at our house and I would listen in! ~D

Creation shows the power of God

There's glory all around,

And those who see must stand in awe

For miracles abound.

Chorus:

I believe in miracles

I've seen a soul set free,

Miraculous the change in one

Redeemed thru Calvary;

I've seen the lily push its way

Up thru the stubborn sod

I believe in miracles,

For I believe in God!

I cannot doubt the work of God

It's plain for all to see;

The miracles that He has wrought

Should lead to Calvary.

Chorus:

I believe in miracles

I've seen a soul set free,

Miraculous the change in one

Redeemed through Calvary;

I've seen the lily push its way

Up through the stubborn sod

I believe in miracles

For I believe in God!

The love of God! Oh power divine!

'Tis wonderful to see

The miracle of grace performed

Within the heart of me.

(Chorus)

By Carlton Buck and John Peterson

1956, Singspiration Inc.

Don't Forget you're a Christian!

2009-03-30T07:52:00.001-04:00

Recently my friend Susanne posted about her son, Keegan, yelling out the door to his friend "Don't forget you're a Christian!" I told our kids about the post and we got a kick out of it but also a good discussion. The gist of the discussion was that we should all be as bold as Keegan to speak about our faith! How true!

"Don't forget you're a Christian!" has become a saying in our home. At first is was a joke, and now it's still said with humour, but also with a reminder of the boldness that we need. When my kids left with their friends the other day, I yelled "Don't forget you're a Christian!" Their friends looked at me oddly, but it was a starting point for a good conversation. When I left to deliver my papers the other day my daughter came out of her room, said "bye" to me and then said "Don't forget you're a Christian!" That got me thinking...

If we thought about our status as Christians more often, what differences would it make in our day-to-day lives? Would we respond differently to the annoying cashier at the store? Would we respond differently to the person who jutted out in front of us on the road? What about our conversations with our neighbours? Would we speak differently? Would we speak more boldly? How would we respond to the person who annoys us at church? How would we respond differently with our family members?

From the mouths of babes!

Yes, being a Christian is a way of life. It's who we are when we are saved by His grace. And it should affect our every choice, our every action.

Thanks, Keegan, for the reminder!

DON'T FORGET YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN!

Expelled!

2009-03-23T07:12:00.008-04:00

Last week we watched "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed", a documentary by Ben Stein. It was very interesting and we recommend it. Of course this documentary is controversial and I'm not sure from what viewpoint Mr. Stein hails, but the documentary looks into allegations of scientists being denied tenure and even fired if they even mention the possibility of there being an "intelligent design" behind the creation of our world. Mr. Stein questions why scientists would get so angered at this possibility.

I'm not going to argue whether or not these allegations (about the documentary) are true or false, however, I do know that there is a bitterness that comes up (and even hatred) if Darwin's THEORIES (yes, I believe they are theories, not fact) are even questioned. Last week while driving home from visiting my mom I tuned into a talk show where the host was saying how stupid Christians are who believe that the ALMIGHTY GOD created the world. He was saying "How can they be so stupid to believe such a thing?" I thought, "How can you be so stupid to not believe it?? To believe that a "big bang" created all of the awesomeness of this earth instead?"

But I know "why?". Because I have faith and, as scripture says, creation all around me tells of His awesomeness and that He IS the creator! The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. (Psalm 19:1).

And besides that, science itself declares that God is the "Intelligent Designer". You don't have to believe that. But all around us, and even in the intricateness of our bodies, there is proof. Science has come a long way over the years, but it still hasn't been able to stop death, sickness, and the sorrows of this world. We can get transplants, but we need many drugs to avoid rejecting those life-saving transplants. People are living longer but they are still dying. The bible says "The fool says in his heart "there is no God." (Psalm 14:1). And I believe that.

~~~
Our family purchased this DVD last year and it's really good. We highly recommend it. You can choose to believe Darwin's theories, but I recommend that you at least consider the science that Dr. Jason Lisle shows in this DVD. Here's a synopsis of Dr. Lisle's DVD:

In 1859, Charles Darwin published his infamous work On the Origin of Species. More than any other, this single work changed the way the world viewed the origin of life and relied heavily on natural selection and mutation to support its claim. In this new DVD, astrophysicist Dr. Jason Lisle (Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder) systematically dismantles Darwin’s claims and shows that the very things Darwin used to propagate his ideas actually undermine them! Dr. Lisle also refutes the dating methods most commonly used to support the evolutionary timeline (billions of years). This DVD clearly shows that God’s Word is the final authority in all matters on which it touches—science included!

~~~

We highly recommend this DVD.

Answers in Genesis website

Good Reading!

2009-03-04T12:04:00.003-05:00

I'd promised to have some book reviews on this blog last summer already! It hasn't been that I haven't read anything good, I just haven't posted about it here as promised! So now that we're all down & out here with the flu, I am doing some reading, I wanted to take this opportunity to recommend "The Claire McCall Series" by Harry Kraus, MD.

I got the first one out of our church library and avoided reading it because it looked like one of those typical Christian-ish love story novels where the beautiful woman has gone through so much trouble in her life and needs a good man, and gets exactly that. A handsome one too! HA! I hate predictable stories.

Well, these novels are not predictable in the least. Because they are written by a doctor, they are filled with medical jargon and information -- not overwhelming but informative and I found that it added another dimension to the story. I felt like I was learning something while being entertained by the story.

This series is about a surgeon-to-be who finds out that her father has Huntington's disease -- which means that she has a 50/50 chance of developing the disease herself. If she has it, it will put an end to her surgery career. That is the gist of the story -- there are many twists and turns and mini-stories throughout the book -- involving all kinds of issues and situations. Nothing predictable (IMO) or "typical".

I highly recommend the first two (Can I Have This Dance? and For the Rest of My Life) -- haven't read the third one yet...but I will as soon as it arrives! I will read more of Harry Kraus' books -- his writing is very, very good!

How True!

2009-02-10T12:13:00.000-05:00

The Legacy I Leave

2009-01-30T08:41:00.006-05:00

This is one of my favourite songs...thought I'd share it here. ~D

Legacy by Nicole Nordeman

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me

And I enjoy an accolade like the rest

You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery

Of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best

At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much
I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights

We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'

But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides

The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy

How will they remember me?

Did I choose to love?

Did I point to You enough

To make a mark on things?

I want to leave an offering

A child of mercy and grace who

blessed your name unapologetically

And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile

To make a lengthy list of all that I enjoy

It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile

Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy
Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred

Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one...

REAL babies...

2009-01-10T09:03:00.006-05:00

Everyone knows I love babies but I guess now I'll have to be more specific. I love REAL babies...here's a crazy (IMO) story!

Perspective

2008-12-22T10:27:00.004-05:00

I can get upset that my window gets condensation on it, that I have to wipe it every morning, and that the condensation blocks my view...

Or I can thank the Lord that I have a window,

And that He paints a beautiful picture for me

every day!

Spiritual Vacuuming

2008-12-09T12:28:00.009-05:00

This is a devotion from a few years ago that I had saved in my bible. I pulled it out recently when we had to deal with some books that had come into our home and did not fit the Phil. 4:8 guideline that we try to go by. I love the vacuum cleaner analogy! I have asked for Susanne's permission to post the devotion here and I am thankful that she has allowed me to do so. ~ D

Dawn,
Yes, you have my permission to use the devotion House of Holiness. Please note the following with the devotion: © 2005 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
Blessings, Susanne Scheppmann

September 29, 2005

"House of Holiness"

Susanne Scheppmann

Co-Editor of Online Devotions,

Proverbs 31 Speaker Team Member

Key Verse: Psalm 93:5,

"Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O Lord." (NIV)

Devotion: My husband, Mark, likes a clean house. Fortunately, for me, he also enjoys vacuuming. We joke that our vacuum covers more miles per week than a NASCAR racer. The noise of suction vibrates throughout our home on a daily basis, picking up small particles of food, dirt, dog hair and who knows what else.

Now here is the weird part, most of the time I do not notice or can't see what the vacuum collects off my floor, until I empty the vacuum bag. Shock washes over me each time I replace the dusty bag of dirt. I realize all that appalling stuff snuck into my carpet uninvited.

While my home stays clean from sundry floor dirt, keeping my home in a state of godly holiness requires daily diligence also. Psalm 93:5 describes God's house as, "holiness adorns your house for endless days." I believe our own homes should reflect holiness also, because God commands us, ". . . be holy, because I am holy. . . (Leviticus 11:44, NIV)." In addition, in the Old Testament the priests in God's house were told, "You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean. . . (Leviticus 10:10, NIV)."

Although, these verses apply within the Old Testament laws, we are called to be holy priests today. Twice in 1 Peter we are told we are a "holy priesthood." So, I must ask myself, What is common or unholy in my home? What has snuck into my life that God considers appalling in His sight?

The way I determine if something needs to be removed from my home-life is by asking the following type of questions:

Would my favorite outfit be modest enough to wear to the door to invite Him into my home?

† If Jesus were sitting with me, would I read this book?

† Could I invite Jesus to watch my favorite afternoon television show and watch it guilt free?

† Would I want to share my popcorn with Him as I watched the latest video released?

Even though our answers might differ to what we believe is appropriate for our own homes, we must be diligent to seek God's heart on what spiritual housekeeping He desires in our lives. For myself, a good guideline is found in Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things (NASB)." These words from the Apostle Paul help me to determine what needs to stay and what needs to go in my home.

An example of this type of decision applied recently in my own life. I had watched a movie on TV that I enjoyed, so much I decided to purchase it. However, when I began to watch the movie, the vulgarity of the language shocked me. I realized the network television had edited the profanity from the movie. It was not honorable, right, pure, or of good repute. I discarded the movie into the trash. Unknowingly, I had brought "spiritual dirt" into my home.

Just as I clean my grimy floors frequently, I battle to keep my home godly. Now if you will excuse me, I hear my husband running the vacuum. I believe I will go run a spiritual vacuum throughout the house, because I often bring home bits and pieces of things that God would not find pleasing to His eyes. How about you? Do you need to run a "spiritual vacuum" throughout your home?

My Prayer for Today:

Lord God, reveal to me anything in my home that would not be pleasing to You. Help me to discard books, movies, or any other type of entertainment that I would not be proud to share with You.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

History Photo

2008-10-28T09:07:00.002-04:00

See how many faces you recognize from history! (click to enlarge)

If Cars were like Computers!

2008-10-19T00:47:00.002-04:00

According to Snopes this is not true, but it's still funny & I thought I'd share it with you! ~D

At a recent computer exposition, Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated: "If General Motors had kept up with the technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."

In response to Bill's comments, GM issued a press release stating: "If General Motors had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull over to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason, you would simply accept this.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive -- but would run on only five percent of the roads.

6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "General Protection Fault" warning light.

7. The airbag system would ask "Are you sure?" before deploying.

8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

9. Every time GM introduced a new car, car buyers would have to learn to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.

1930s Wife -- Take the Test!

2008-10-06T10:42:00.001-04:00

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Superior

Take the test!

This was hilarious! I thought I'd fail because of putting my cold feet on Andrew's, but alas, I did okay!!! HA!

Ministry Appreciation Month!

2008-10-01T06:32:00.000-04:00

Did you know?
- Those in ministry and their families often deal with loneliness, criticism, and financial burdens. They also live with the stress of trying to please the God who called them to ministry while meeting the expectations of their congregations.

- Christianity Today shared that 17% of pastors are experiencing burn out and another 40% are headed for burnout.

- Time magazine reported that 80% of pastors' wives feel unaccepted or unappreciated by their husband's congregation.

- According to Focus on the Family, 4 out of 5 pastors feel their families are negatively impacted by unrealistic expectations.

~~
Since I have three brother-in-laws who are pastors, this issue is close to my heart. You don't have to spend a whole lot of money on your minister -- just let him know that you appreciate him and his work. Pray for him and let him know that you're praying for him. And maybe send him a card to encourage him and his wife! Click here for free ministry appreciate e-cards that you can send.

Something to Ponder...

2008-09-23T07:02:00.000-04:00

John Wesley's Holy Club Questions

These are 22 questions the members of John Wesley's Holy Club asked themselves every day in their private devotions over 200 years ago.

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?

2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?

3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?

4. Can I be trusted?

5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?

6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?

7. Did the Bible live in me today?

8. Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?

9. Am I enjoying prayer?

10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?

11. Do I pray about the money I spend?

12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?

13. Do I disobey God in anything?

14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?

16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?

17. How do I spend my spare time?

18. Am I proud?

19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?

20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?

21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?

22. Is Christ real to me?

My Paper Route

2008-07-31T12:34:00.006-04:00

I have a paper route. No it's not my kids' route. It's mine! Why? Well, here's the story...I love walking for exercise but like a lot of people, I was finding it difficult to get out there and actually walk. Life has a way of getting in the way of whatever you want to do...especially exercise...then I saw an ad looking for a paper delivery person -- and the route was the route that I usually take when I walk! So, after consulting with my hubby, I called the number and went in to meet the woman who later became my rep! That was over 7 years ago!! LOL It's been a fun job -- most times anyway. I've met my neighbours and gotten to know quite a few of them. Most of them are nice, happy people and there are alot who are sad, lonely and some who are downright miserable. I've met them too. There are some who think that they are better than I am because I'm just a lowly paper carrier! And their attitudes are very evident! HA! I think I'm pretty smart -- I mean, I get paid to WALK!

The worst part of the job? Delivering in the lousy weather. Lousy weather to me is icy weather. Trudging through the snow isn't easy either, but it's great exercise and I remind myself of that. Really hot weather isn't easy either -- on some streets there aren't very many spots of shade and that makes it difficult. The other negative aspects of the job is that I need to deliver my papers when they need to be delivered -- however, it forces me to take my walk so that's good! Sometimes it's inconvenient to deliver them -- when we've got other plans or finding a replacement during holiday time. But most times it works out.

I have fallen as least once per year while delivering papers! The worst time was when I broke into a jog and slipped on some wet leaves. I was bruised all along my leg for a few weeks! Then I've slipped on ice and I've tripped in the summer too! It always feels like everyone is watching when I go down -- and sometimes I am being watched! Once while I was talking to the mailman I slid down. Embarrassing!

I've had people stop their cars beside me to chat -- sometimes scaring the daylights out of me because I'm deep into my thinking or praying! Once our mail truck slowed down beside me to let me know how fast I was walking (he clocked me on his odometer!).

The best part of the job? Getting to know the people on my route. I have made some good friends from this job -- I have had some good chats with some neighbours and I always get waves when I'm walking down the street! It's funny but now I wave to everyone who passes by because I've been told various times that "I waved at you, but you didn't wave back!" Oops!

Sometimes getting to know people so well has it's drawbacks -- like this past spring when a single man on my route passed away unexpectedly. He died while on vacation. It really hit me hard. It's not that I was great friends with this man, it was just that we spoke to each other on a regular basis and he had become a part of my life. And then he was gone. A few times after he died I accidently delivered papers to his empty house! Routine is sometimes hard to break.

Last winter I got my first Christmas gift from one of my customers! That was a nice surprise. They gave me a nice card along with some chocolates (that turned out to be gluten-free -- yah! they didn't know that I can't eat gluten) and a Tim Horton's gift card! They didn't know that I love gifts, but this one was really appreciated!

Once I had a customer come out and give me mittens to wear -- I usually don't bother with mittens because it's awkward to grab the papers with mittens, plus when I walk I warm up so much that I'm sweating by the time that I'm done. But the gesture was very thoughtful.

There are certain times that I've learned I shouldn't deliver my papers -- like around the late morning on Saturdays. Why? Because it will end up taking me hours (instead of 1 hour) to deliver them -- because of all of the people that will come & chat with me!! Of course I like chatting, but I also like to get the papers delivered so I can get on with my other activities!

My pedometer gets a good workout when I deliver my papers. I get around 7,000 aerobic steps each time! (I aim for at least 10,000 steps per day, so on paper day it's very easy to get my steps in.) My route is about 4 km long.

Lately I've been an in-style walker -- my kids bought me an MP3 player for Mother's Day! So now I get to listen to some great music while I walk along. Don't worry -- I still stop to chat with the people -- they wouldn't let me get by without that!

Want to get paid for exercising? Sign up for a paper route! The other benefits? Get to know your neighbours, get a tan, get some thinking/praying time -- share your love of God with your neighbours! And you get to keep the extra samples or coupons that come with your papers! I'm still using up the 75cents off per loaf of bread coupons that we got a while back!! Whoo-hoo! ~ D

I'm taking a blog break for the month of August! Stay tuned for more book reviews (I hope!) come September!

Shenandoah Series by Michael Phillips

2008-07-13T16:56:00.007-04:00

Last summer I participated in a book reading program at our local library in which you read books during the summer and review them for the library and win prizes. It was fun because I love reading, but also because I won a free book. BUT, our library doesn't have the program this year so I thought I'd review the books that I've read here, on my blog instead.

The series that I just finished is written by Michael Phillips and is called The Shenandoah Series. There are four books in this series and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed all four of them. In fact, they kept me wanting to read more and I was tense when I finished a book and had to wait for the library to get the next book for me!

The story is set in the 1800s in the Southern United States, just after Lincoln pronounced the Emancipation Proclamation, making the black slaves free. This story has a unique twist in that it is about two unlikely friends -- both around the same age, both orphaned by marauders who went around killing families -- one friend is black, the other is white. Now this may not seem unlikely to you (it wasn't to me) -- the fact that a white would/could be friends with a black person -- but in those days, in that time (and perhaps still now, I sure hope not though), blacks were not seen as persons and it was not accepted that whites would have anything to do with blacks. I cannot fathom that myself, having grown up in a basically multicultural society and having black friends myself. But I have heard that in the Southern States, even now, this sort of racism exists.

Anyway, without giving the story away, I would highly recommend this series. I did find that the first few chapters of the first book (Angels Watching Over Me) went slowly and I got frustrated at the author. But once I made it through those chapters, I was hooked! Let me know what you think!

Here are some excerpts that stuck with me:

That's the trouble with people of all colors -- they judge folks by what they see, which is usually only on the outside. But it's what's inside that counts. That's what makes a person who he or she really is. And sometimes it takes a little work to dig down inside and see what someone's made of, what kind of stuff their character has in it. That's just about one of the most important things in life -- learning how to do that, learning how to find out what people are made of.

...right then the words I'm sorry were too hard for me to say. They ought to be such easy words for people to say to each other, but for some reason they're not. People seem to choke on the two words that would make the world such a kindlier and happier place.

That's the way life is -- you learn thing slowly, especially things about yourself. Sometimes it takes a lot of years before some of the best things in life sink in. If you're trying to get rid of it, self-centeredness seems to gradually fall off you through the years. It's probably not because it gets easier when you get older, but that it gets easier because you've been practicing so long at it.

I think what might make forgiveness so hard for some folks is that they expect other people to be perfect. They especially never want anyone to do or say anything that might hurt them. But when it comes to looking inside themselves, they don't expect their own actions and words and attitudes to be perfect. And they make all kinds of excuses for themselves when they aren't. At least that's the conclusion I've come to from trying to figure myself out. I can be so cantankerously mean-tempered when I'm looking at somebody else, and so sweet and forgiving and understanding when looking at myself. Doesn't make much sense, does it? It seems like we'd want to treat everyone else the same as we do ourselves.

Growth is one of those things you can't see up close. You have to stand back to see how something or someone has changed as time has passed. ...What an amazing thing it was. God had been so good to us!

Yah PIZZA PIZZA!

2008-06-17T12:03:00.003-04:00

This is my pizza that I had recently! Yummy! Below is a copy of the email that I received from Pizza Pizza:

Dear Pizza Pizza Customer:

You had expressed an interest in our Gluten-Free pizza crust, and I'm pleased to announce that we now offer Gluten-Free crust chain-wide in all of our traditional Pizza Pizza restaurants.

Before fully launching, we initially tested this product, and the results of our tests allowed us to further refine our processes before going chain-wide.

I've attached below the press release that was recently issued that provides a little more information.

We appreciate and thank you for your past patronage, and hope to serve you again in the future.

Best regards,
Andrew Martin
Customer Care Specialist

Hot & Fresh Off the Press

Gluten-free pizza makes its debut in Pizza Pizza traditional restaurants

Responding to the dietary needs and trends expressed by consumers, Pizza Pizza will now offer gluten-free pizza at all of its traditional restaurants. The wide-scale introduction of gluten-free pizza by Pizza Pizza follows the favorable results of a recent pilot test of the product in select GTA restaurants.

“The pilot results exceeded our expectations,” said Pizza Pizza’s Chief Marketing Officer, Pat Finelli. “One of our objectives in offering this menu option is to provide a dietary alternative for people that are unable to eat gluten products. The reaction we received from market testing was extremely positive, especially from those with celiac disease. Consumers that had been unable to enjoy pizza were thanking us for introducing this new menu offering and allowing them to enjoy pizza once again.”

Gluten intolerance, or celiac disease, affects an estimated 1 in 133 Canadians, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Celiac Association. It is an inherited immune disease in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged by gluten, a protein found in such grains as wheat, barley and rye. The only therapy for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet.

Pizza Pizza is the first major player in the quick-service restaurant industry to provide a gluten-free crust, which uses rice and potato-based flour as the main ingredient. By choosing the light and crispy rice-based dough – along with toppings from our gluten-free list – consumers can enjoy a delicious gluten-free meal made especially for them. Currently, Pizza Pizza’s gluten-free crusts are available in the 12-inch medium format, the company’s most popular pizza size.

In making the gluten-free crust, Pizza Pizza has implemented a series of procedures and controls to prevent product cross-contamination. Mr. Brian S. Payne, Director, Commissary and Supply Chain Management for Pizza Pizza, says it is no different than handling any other allergen. In addition to having specific utensils for the product, the company has sent all franchisees an updated training guide containing new product information, educational material about celiac disease, as well as cooking and sanitizing procedures.

The gluten-free crust is another in a series of health-conscious innovations by Pizza Pizza. In recent years, the cutting-edge company has introduced whole-wheat multigrain dough, a source of Omega 3’s and fiber, partly skimmed mozzarella cheese and sodium-reduced sauces and cheese to its menu offerings. Pizza Pizza was one of the first in the industry to remove industrially-added trans-fats from its entire menu.

“The introduction of this new gluten-free menu offering is a natural extension of our initiatives in striving to provide our customers with a variety of healthy options that respond to their individual needs,” said Finelli. “We know that a significant segment of the population is gluten sensitive or intolerant, and offering this new menu option is a way of bringing pizza back into their lives and routine.”

For a complete list of allergens and menu options at Pizza Pizza, please visit www.pizzapizza.ca.

Signs of Spring

2008-05-06T10:14:00.014-04:00

take a trip through our "signs of spring" with me!
the view from my kitchen window has become greener and the thermometer has been showing higher temps

my begonia is growing away -- it will be put outside to grow all summer

once the threat of frost is gone

my raspberry plants are growing

my herbs are sprouting yet again!

we're taking more "rubber boot" walks

(these are my friend, Susanne's, three boys

-- I "borrow" them once in a while!)the deer are coming closer again

"mr. & mrs. mallard" are visiting for another year!

(and eggs are hatching -- maybe a baby duck?)

our chickens are enjoying roaming around our yard again

my vinca is blooming!

my rhubarb is growing and we've been enjoying rhubarb cobbler and muffins...
(okay, my family has been enjoying them -- they're not gluten-free so I haven't had any...but I do enjoy making them!)

everything is blooming!

including the weeds...

and the best of all?

clean laundry drying outside on the clothesline!
THANK YOU, LORD, FOR SPRING!

I AM

2008-04-22T13:01:00.005-04:00

This song has really touched me lately -- I've been going through a bit of a tough time and a friend pointed this song out to me. I've owned the CD for a while but it hasn't been until now that this song has hit me. It's so comforting that, when life doesn't seem to make any sense, God has our times in His hands and HE KNOWS!

I dedicate this to my friend, K. I miss you already. ((( hugs ))) ~ D

I Believe!

2008-04-04T18:17:00.002-04:00

One of my favourite songs from one of my favourite artists! With spring all around us and a long winter finally over, how CAN we say there is no God?! Enjoy! ~ D

Donuts

2008-03-13T11:44:00.001-04:00

I received this in an email the other day and thought that it was worth posting. Good thinking stuff!

"DON'T LEAVE IT ON THE DESK"

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course their freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.

"How many push-ups can you do?"

Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."

"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?"

Steve replied, "I don't know.... I've never done 300 at a time."

"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson.

"Well, I can try," said Steve.

"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.

Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it."

Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?"

Cynthia said, "Yes."

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"

"Sure!" Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?"

Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut.

Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship.

When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"

Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own push-ups?"

Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."

Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."

Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"

With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups.

Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"

Dr. Christianson said, "Look!, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.

Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?"

Sternly, Jenny said, "No."

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?"

Steve did ten....Jenny got a donut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say, "No!" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.

Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.

Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"

Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your push-ups You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"

Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."

Professor Christi anson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?"

Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut."

Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"

Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "give me a donut."

"Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Dr Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?"

Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."

Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"

Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.

Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?"

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"

Dr Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone; I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."

"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?"

As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'Into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten. "

Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.

"Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding, "Not all sermons are preached in words."

Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid."

I Will Bow to You

2008-01-05T13:31:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favourite songs! Enjoy! It's sung by Bob Fitts.

Hallelujah!

2007-12-21T20:41:00.001-05:00

Here's something special for you! Enjoy -- and MERRY CHRISTMAS! Christ is born!

The Lord is My Shepherd

2007-12-11T21:11:00.001-05:00

This is so sweet -- from the mouths of babes! How sweet to hear scripture from children's mouths -- recently I've heard so many young children taking God's name in vain. It really saddens me. But this is refreshing -- enjoy!

For Moms!

2007-10-17T19:20:00.001-04:00

If you haven't heard this song, you HAVE to hear it!

Click for more on Anita
Anita Renfroe: Mom's William Tell Overture...what a mother says in a 24 hour period!
All the details on Anita & her career in one place!
Anita's Website
Read about Anita on her own website.
*VIDEO CLIP~~Good Morning America Oct 3 INTERVIEW
The anchors at Good Morning America have fun when Anita Renfroe appears on the show to tell how her Mom Video has affected her life and her career

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxT5NwQUtVM

Here are the lyrics:

Get up now

Get up out of bed

Wash your face

Brush your teeth

Comb your sleepy head

Here's your clothes

And your shoes

Hear the words I said

Get up now

Get up and make your bed

Are you hot?

Are you cold?

Are you wearing that?

Where's your books and your lunch and your homework at?

Grab your coat and your gloves and your scarf and hat

Don't forget you got to feed the cat

Eat your breakfast

The experts tell us it's the most important meal of all

Take your vitamins so you will grow up one day to be big and tall

Please remember the orthodontist will be seeing you at three today?

Don't forget your piano lesson is this afternoon
So you must play

Don't shovel

Chew slowly

But hurry

The bus is here

Be careful

Come back here

Did you wash behind your ears?

Play outside

Don't play rough

Would you just play fair?

Be polite

Make a friend

Don't forget to share

Work it out

Wait your turn

Never take a dare

Get along

Don't make me come down there

Clean your room

Fold your clothes

Put your stuff away

Make your bed

Do it now

Do we have all day?

Were you born in a barn?

Would you like some hay

Can you even hear a word I say?

Answer the phone

Get Off the phone

Don't sit so close

Turn it down

No texting at the table

No more computer time tonight

Your iPod's my iPod if you don't listen up

Where you going and with whom and what time do you think you're coming home?

Saying thank you, please, excuse me

Makes you welcome everywhere you roam

You'll appreciate my wisdom

Someday when you're older and you're grown

Can't wait 'til you have a couple little children of your own

You'll thank me for the counsel I gave you so willingly

But right now

I thank you NOT to roll your eyes at me

Close your mouth when you chew

Would appreciate

Take a bite

Maybe two

Of the stuff you hate

Use your fork

Do not you burp

Or I'll set you straight

Eat the food I put upon your plate

Get an egg A, Get the door

Don't get smart with me

Get a Grip

Get in here I'll count to 3

Get a job

Get a life

Get a PhD

Get a dose of reality

I don't care who started it

You're grounded until your 36

Get your story straight

And tell the truth for once for heaven's sake

And if all your friends jumped off a cliff

Would you jump too?

If I've said it once, I've said at least a thousand times before that

You're too old to act this way

It must be your father's DNA

Look at me when I am talking

Stand up straight when you walk

A place for everything

And everything must be in place

Stop crying or I'll give you something real to cry about

Oh!

Brush your teeth

Wash your face

Get your PJs on

Get in bed

Get a hug

Say a prayer with Mom

Don't forget

I love you**KISS**

And tomorrow we will do this all again because a mom's work never ends

You don't need the reason why

Because

I said so

I'm the Mom

The mom

Ta-da

Paul Harvey and Prayer

2007-10-05T15:13:00.000-04:00

I received this via email and thought I'd share it here instead of forwarding it on. I'm not American, but we have the same problems here. Yes, God help us. ~ D

Paul Harvey says:
I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for
singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin, but I
didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his
Theory of Evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered
because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game.
So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the
entire book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and
asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans
going home from the game.

But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue.

Yes, and this is the United States of America, a country founded on
Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian
churches outnumber all others... better than 200-to-1. So what would you
expect -- somebody chanting Hare Krishna?

If I went to a football game in Jerusalem,
I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.

If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad,
I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.

If I went to a ping pong match in China,
I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.

And I wouldn't be offended.
It wouldn't bother me one bit.
When in Rome.

But what about the atheists?
Is another argument.
What about them?
Nobody is asking them to be baptized.
We're not going to pass the collection plate.
Just humor us for 30 seconds.
If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or
a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom.
Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer!

Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell
thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a
football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our
courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught
us to pray before eating; to pray before we go to sleep.

Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and
their lawyers are telling us to cease
praying.

God, help us.

And if that last sentence offends you, well... just sue me.

The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we let that one
or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority doesn't
care what they want. It is time the majority rules! It's time we tell
them, you don't have to pray; you don't have to say the pledge of
allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that
honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right . But by
golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away. We are fighting
back.

and we WILL WIN!

God bless us one and all... especially those who denounce Him, God bless
America, despite all her faults. She is still the greatest nation of
all.

God bless our service men who are fighting to
protect our right to pray and worship God.

2007 will be the year the silent majority is heard and
we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions...
and our Military come home from all the wars.
Keep looking up.

"AND THAT'S THE REST OF THE STORY"

Keeper of the Home

2007-08-28T19:11:00.000-04:00

I used to have this poem hanging in my kitchen and, when I did some spring (summer!) cleaning a few weeks ago, I found it stored in a box. It's a good reminder of the important job of being a 'keeper of the home'. Enjoy! ~ D

Beautitudes for Homemakers

Blessed is she whose daily tasks are a labour of love;

for her willing hands and happy heart transform duty

into joyous service

to all her family and to God.

Blessed is she who opens the door

to welcome both stranger

and well-loved friend;

for gracious hospitality is a test of brotherly love.

Blessed is she who mends stockings

and toys and broken hearts;

for her understanding is a balm

to her husband and children.

Blessed is she who scours and scrubs;

for well she knows that cleanliness

is one expression of godliness.

Blessed is she whom children love;

for the love of a child is of greater value

than fortune or fame.

Blessed is she who sings at her work;

for music lightens the heaviest load

and brightens the dullest chore.

Blessed is she who dusts away doubt and fear

and sweeps out the cobwebs of confusion;

for her faith will triumph over all adversity.

Blessed is she who serves laughter and smiles with every meal;

for her cheerfulness is an aid

to mental and physical digestion.

Blessed is she who introduces Jesus Christ to her children;

for godly sons and daughters shall be her reward.

Blessed is she who preserves the sacredness of the Christian home;

for hers is a divine trust that crowns her with dignity.

"Little bit" of sin?

2007-07-20T16:04:00.000-04:00

Here's a devotional that a Christian sister sent to me -- wow, what a good reminder! I need to go do some pruning -- how about you? ~D

Author: Elisabeth Elliot

Source: A Lamp For My Feet

Scripture: Matthew 5:29

You Can't Keep Both Eyes
A young man was delivered from a life of self-destruction in the form of drug abuse. He turned from his old ways, but of course was pursued by the enemy and tempted back. It was clear to him that he could not afford to be lenient with himself in allowing the least indulgence in the old habit. One day he said to his pastor, "Don't ever allow me to use the word 'struggle.' Every time I use it I am excusing disobedience, I am really preferring to 'struggle' rather than to quit."

Jesus made this necessity sharply clear when He said, "If it is your eye that is your undoing, tear it out and fling it away; it is better to enter into life with one eye than to keep both eyes and be thrown into the fires of hell" (Mt 5:29).

To struggle--that is, to allow a "little bit" of sin, to be cautious with ourselves, tolerant of a certain amount of plain disobedience, is to try to keep both eyes.

A ministry of Back to the Bible

Meet Jesus Broadcasts Interact With Us Devotions On-line Store

The End of a Generation

2007-06-28T19:31:00.000-04:00

Mabel's 105th birthday, 2006

Last night my mom called to tell me that my great-aunt had passed away. It felt strange to hear -- as if it was just a formality. I mean, Aunt Mabel was 106! We'd known that death was imminent for years. She wasn't sick -- hardly ever was. Just the fact that her body was old and weary. But she kept living. Many, many times she asked us why the Lord wasn't taking her. It became a joke -- how do you answer that question? Why is it that some die young and some live on and on, even when they'd rather be gone? Our world would tell us that it's because they ate well, or didn't smoke or drink, or some other thing that they did or didn't do. But the bible spells it out clearly in Psalm 139 -- "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." (vs. 16)

106th birthday, 2007

Mabel came from very 'good stock' -- most of the women in her family lived to their hundreds, some beyond (Aunt Georgie -- her sister -- lived past 102 years *edited: actually, Georgie lived just past 100 years), some almost to 100 (my grandmother, their sister Lillian, lived until 3 weeks before her 100th birthday), and some well into their '80s (Mabel's twin sister, Winnie, died in her late '80s). As a family we got pretty good at celebrating these birthdays, many times with media coverage. We also knew all about the certificates given by the various government officials when one reaches certain age goals. Those plaques were in each of their homes!

I remember when Andrew & I were dating in the 1980s and I told him about my three great aunts and my grandmother. At that time the great-aunts lived together and looked after each other. The youngest was in her '80s and she was 'looking after' the older two!! I was used to the idea but it was hilarious to him! We'd go to visit them and Andrew would laugh at how they were Toronto Maple Leaf fans and how they could tell you how the Leafs were doing and how they could/should improve their game, who they should trade etc. In fact, at the nursing home that Mabel lived in during the last few years, they'd decorate with Toronto Maple Leaf memorabilia on Mabel's birthday, even bringing a Maple Leaf jersey for Mabel to wear! There was a Maple Leaf flag above Mabel's bed in her room!

These women were funny, witty, and very healthy. My grandmother lived in her own home away from her sisters, and she was in her '90s at that time (for a long while my aunt lived with her and then she lived alone). I don't think that Andrew had ever seen so many old relatives in one place! The family gatherings were loud, boisterous occasions -- certainly not somber, quiet affairs!

One thing that I remember about visiting my grandmother and aunts when I was much younger is that, at that time, they all lived one street over from one another. Both of their backyards had an alleyway behind them with a little garage-type building so you could go from one backyard, across the alleyway and into someone else's backyard! It was pretty neat to me as a child. I was always impressed at how they took frequent jaunts to visit one another, admire the flowers growing in their backyards and have a cup of tea together. What a life! They weren't stuck up, serious women but rather funny and fun women. They enjoyed life.

Another memory is how they dressed. Usually they were in simple dresses, "house dresses" if there's such a thing today, but they had strands of pearls (fake I think) or other 'jewels' around their necks. If they liked it, they wore it. It didn't matter if it was in style or not! Often in winter we'd see them with fur coats or some sort of dressy coat. Aunt Georgie especially always had bright nail polish on and red rouge cheeks. Her cheeks were like those countryish dolls that you see, with two round dollops of rouge on each cheek. I'm sure they would have been a cosmetician's nightmare, but they were Aunt Georgie through and through.

Their houses weren't overly fancy but they were cozy. And I'm pretty sure that tea was always on or would be put on whenever someone popped by. It seemed to me that they didn't care how they looked or what they were busy with -- there was always time for a cup of tea.

So now that generation is completely gone. Many families don't have generations lasting for as long as we did and we're so very thankful. It feels strange that all of these ladies have gone on to their eternal lives.

One thing that I didn't see in these ladies lives was a love for the Lord. Not that they didn't love the Lord, but it wasn't evident to me and it wasn't something that jumped at you from their lives. I know that Mabel professed to be a Christian and my grandmother and Aunt Georgie said that they loved the Lord too. But it wasn't something that you heard them speak of or that you saw from their lives. It wasn't something that was unmistakable. I didn't see opened bibles in their homes, but that doesn't mean that they weren't there. I don't ever recall eating a meal there, so I don't recall praying at their homes. They lived moral lives, and grew up in an era where most people were moral, at least from the outside. As far as I know, they all belonged to churches and attended when they were younger, but I don't know how much. I didn't hear them speak of an active church life. From what I remember, these ladies spoke of knowing the Lord and of going to heaven, and we have to rest in the comfort of that.

I just read this prayer on a friend's blog and it really spoke to me -- this is what I wish my life to be. I hope and pray that there may be no mistake about Who I serve. And may there be no mistake about where I'm headed when I die. I always say that I want to know that I know that I know -- about everything, especially spiritual things. And if I become known as a fanatic for Jesus -- what better compliment can there be?

May God bless you in your life. Enjoy it. And know where you're going -- it has eternal consequences.

Lord of immortality,

before whom angels bow and archangels veil their faces,

enable me to serve Thee with reverence and godly fear.

Thou who art Spirit and requirest truth in the inward parts,

help me to worship Thee in spirit and in truth.

Thou who art righteous,

let me not harbour sin in my heart,

or indulge a worldly temper,

or seek satisfaction in things that perish.

I hasten towards an hour when earthly pursuits and possessions will appear vain,

when it will be indifferent

whether I have been rich or poor,

successful or disappointed, admired or despised.

But it will be of eternal moment that I have mourned for sin,

hungered and thirsted after righteousness,

loved the Lord Jesus in sincerity,

gloried in His cross.

May these objects engross my chief solicitude!

Produce in me those principles and dispositions

that make Thy service perfect freedom.

Expel from my mind all sinful fear and shame,

so that with firmness and courage

I may confess the Redeemer before men,

go forth with Him hearing His reproach,

be zealous with His knowledge,

be filled with His wisdom,

walk with His circumspection,

ask counsel of Him in all things,

repair to the Scriptures for His orders,

stay my mind on His peace,

knowing that nothing can befall me without His permission,

appointment and administration

~~Puritan Prayer

Parliament Hill Flag -- to be mine (one day)

2007-06-07T14:29:00.000-04:00

Hey -- guess what? YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST! I just ordered my FREE flag from Parliament Hill!!! Either from the Peace Tower or from the East or West Blocks. So I'm marking this down here and we'll see how long it takes for us to get it. The waiting list is -- um, 18 YEARS or 9 YEARS! So I will be 49 years old when we get it OR 58 years!! I'm becoming so patient, I amaze myself!! LOL ... ~D

http://www.parliamenthill.gc.ca/text/faq_e.html

Flag - waiting list
How can I add my name to the waiting list for a Canadian flag that has flown on Parliament Hill?

Send a written request that includes your full home mailing address and specifies which building's flag you wish to receive. (There is currently a 18-year waiting list for a Peace Tower flag and a 9-year waiting list for the East and West Block flags.) As a policy, only one flag is sent per household.

Send your request to:
Public Works and Government Services Canada

Office of the Minister

18A1, Portage III

11 Laurier Street

Gatineau, QC

K1A 0S5

or by fax to: (819) 953-1908 or by e-mail to: Minister@pwgsc.gc.ca

Pray for Heather Please

2007-05-25T17:02:00.000-04:00

I don't know Heather personally, but I have gotten to know her a bit through her blog. Heather is a wife and mom and has recently also become a cancer patient. She had problems with her balance and also an ear infection and her doctor sent her for an MRI -- and they found a brain tumour. Her life changed that quickly. She had the tumour removed last week and is now going through chemotherapy and radiation.

Above all, Heather is a Christian and her blog is an amazing testimony to the faith that she has in God. Heather would like to live to see her children grow up and she'd also love to see her grandchildren one day, but right now, all of those hopes and dreams are on the back-burner. Right now she needs to win the cancer battle. Lord willing, that is. Read her blog and be inspired! And please pray -- for her and her family as they go through this valley. May many come to know the Great Physician through Heather's testimony.

You can read more here: http://www.especiallyheather.com/category/brain-stuff/

All gluten-free -- Ahhhhhh! (& HLA DQ2 & 8 testing)

2007-04-28T21:51:00.000-04:00

Today I went to a celiac conference! Although I don't have a definite diagnosis of celiac disease, I learned more today about the disease and about the gluten-free diet (which I've been on for almost 2 years now). It was an encouraging day and ALL of the food there was gluten-free. Lots of samples and a buffet afterwards! It was wonderful! I didn't eat the veggies or salad -- I figured I can (and do) eat those a lot at home. I tried new breads and buns and goodies, and various dishes, all made without a bit of gluten. Whoo-hoo! (only someone on this diet can truly understand how exciting this is!)
Annette Hamm from CHCH TV hosted the day and did a great job! It felt strange to go to a conference by myself but I did meet some new people (the couple that I sat with was from the same town AND have the same gastro doctor as I do!!)
The speakers were Bev Ruffo from the Canadian Celiac Association, Dr. Elena Verdu MD, PhD at McMaster University, Shelly Case, Registered Dietician and author of "The Gluten-Free Diet" (I highly recommend her book -- I've been using it as a resource for a while now and it's great!), and on the panel discussion were Valerie Fines, Dr. Robert Issenman (along with the others). A wealth of knowledge!

The best part? The gluten-free buffet! There was quite a stampede to the buffet table which was kind of funny to me!

*****

RE: HLA DQ2 AND DQ8 TESTING: in January I was told by a staff member at the MDS Laboratory in town that they do indeed do the HLA DQ2 and DQ8 blood testing. By that time, however, my requisition form was out of date. (I've been in the process of acquiring a new one from my doctor.) At the conference on Saturday they mentioned that this testing is not yet available in Canada so I was curious about whether my lab gave me incorrect information. I went back to the lab today and asked them again. This time I spoke to a different woman, who checked the computer database and told me that no, they DO NOT do this testing. Ugh.

Celebrating 20 years!

2007-04-11T09:25:00.000-04:00

Today is our 20th wedding anniversary and it's been a great ride! Although Andrew & I are opposites in many ways, we are also very much alike in many ways. He inspires me and makes me laugh -- and makes me so thankful to have him in my life! I don't like to think about life without him.

Over the past years we have seen quite a few marriages around us crumble and succumb to divorce. We've also seen marriages that are obviously a facade for 'good marriage'. Recently someone said to me that 20 years of marriage is 'nothing' and I have to disagree. No it's not major milestones like 25 years or 50 or 60 years, but in this day and age, every year of a successful and happy marriage is a testament to the Lord's goodness in our lives. And it should be celebrated! For a long while I've longed for a marriage mentoring ministry (where older married couples mentor newly married couples, couple to couple) and maybe one day I will be involved in one. I think that encouragement for marriages is so necessary and sorely needed. And often absent, especially when so many newly-married couples come from broken homes and have not seen a solid marriage at work -- first-hand anyway.

I don't have the answers to what exactly makes a good marriage and a lasting one, but I do know that it takes hard work, patience and a genuine concern for the other person in the marriage. There isn't any room for selfishness or a me-attitude. And having the Lord as the center of everything changes how we view each and every situation that arises. I've told many young couples that marriage can be as good (and I think better!) than those pre-marriage dating days -- when you can't wait to see or hear from your beloved! It's true!

Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox for now and share some photos with you. I was hoping to don my wedding dress today but the weight loss didn't come as fast as the anniversary did, so maybe next year! Here I wore my dress on our 10th anniversay (the kids called it our 'second wedding' back then! LOL).

The Skipping Rope (& update)

2007-03-27T17:42:00.000-04:00

I've had a few blog posts in the works lately, but I haven't had much time to post -- life has taken over. There's the post called 'The Apron', and the one about 'The Bicycle' -- both are partially written down, partially still in my brain. I thought I'd post today about 'The Skipping Rope'.

Spring seems to have arrived here (I say seems because I read recently that since they've been keeping weather records around here, there have only been TWO Aprils in Ontario that haven't had the white stuff...) -- but the calendar says so and so do the kids. First it was the temperature watch -- you know, they see that temperature climbing and they get restless to get outside. Their school work gets done very quickly, so they can enjoy the outdoors. Then the questions start -- can we wear sandels? shorts? tank tops?

Inevitably, after we're through the questions, out come the skipping ropes. Every day. Morning and night. The neighbours knock on the door, the girls whisk outside and they're busy skipping. They bring them along most places that we go. A good, portable game. It's been this way for years.

And I remember back, years ago it seems, doing the very same thing. For me it was in the driveway with friends, and at school. We were always skipping (and playing 'jumpsee' -- but that's another post...).

Anyway, the girls came inside the other night, sad. Why? Well, the trusty skipping rope from MY childhood had broken! It made me think back to those fun times. Skipping with all kinds of friends -- sometimes with friends of friends, kids I didn't know. It was a game that surpassed all other games. There weren't a lot of rules and there wasn't a limit to how many could join in. The more, the merrier. We didn't even consider it as exercise. It was FUN!

For me there were the rhymes that went along with skipping. "Apples, peaches, pears and plums -- tell me when your birthday comes..." and many others. Our girls have a book with all kinds of rhymes and fun skipping tricks to try.

It's been wonderful to see my own kids enjoy the very same skipping rope that I did. And although the one rope has now broken, they did find another one -- another one that was mine when I was a kid! They don't seem to make very long ones now -- or we haven't been able to find them. Today we went to quite a few stores, in search of a replacement rope. But nope, all we could find were cloth skipping ropes or Chinese skipping ropes. I found myself saying 'they don't make them like they used to.' I'm getting old!

Thankfully they found another oldie in the shed. We'll keep looking for a replacement rope. When I was a kid, as soon as spring rolled around (and often before spring arrived), the pretty coloured skipping ropes were on display around the check-outs in most stores. I often got a new one for easter. It brings back memories.

Update: Thanks to Susan at jumprope.com, we now have new skipping ropes! Now if only the weather would cooperate! Here Suzanne skips with her friends - while it's snowing!

Missed Opportunity

2007-03-09T18:52:00.001-05:00

Today I missed another opportunity. You're probably wondering what kind of opportunity that I'm talking about. I had an opportunity to tell someone about the Lord -- but I goofed, and didn't use the opportunity. I feel awful. I was talking with a non-Christian woman about life and life's three S's -- sickness, sorrow and sadness. She was telling me that life is meaningless, and I agreed with her -- but I didn't go on and tell her how life can be meaningful...with the Lord. I find it difficult to make a segue in many conversations to spiritual things, but I know that the Lord gave me this opportunity and I didn't use it as I should have. Here was a perfect opportunity and I goofed up. I became tongue-tied. I didn't proclaim His name. I am ashamed.

I received this email this week and it really inspired me. The beautiful and loving care that John gave to his father is very, very touching. But what really inspired me was what he did after he left his father's death bedside. Read on:

By John Piper.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007. 2 a.m.

The big hospital clock in room 4326 of Greenville Memorial Hospital said, with both hands straight up, midnight. Daddy had just taken his last breath. My watch said 12:01, March 6, 2007.

I had slept a little since his last morphine shot at ten. One ear sleeping, one on the breathing. At 11:45, I awoke. The breaths were coming more frequently and were very shallow. I will not sleep again, I thought. For ten minutes, I prayed aloud into his left ear with Bible texts and pleadings to Jesus to come and take him. I had made this case before, and this time felt an unusual sense of partnership with Daddy as I pressed on the Lord to relieve this warrior of his burden.

I finished and lay down. Good. Thank you, Lord. It will not be long. And, grace upon grace, hundreds of prayers are being answered: He is not choking. The gurgling that threatened to spill over and drown him in the afternoon had sunk deep, and now there was simple clear air, shorter and shorter. I listened from where I lay next to him on a foldout chair.

That’s it. I rose and waited. Will he breathe again? Nothing. Fifteen or twenty seconds, and then a gasp. I was told to expect these false endings. But it was not false. The gasp was the first of two. But no more breaths. I waited, watching. No facial expressions. His face had frozen in place hours before. One more jerk. That was all. Perhaps an eyebrow twitch a moment later. Nothing more.

I stroked his forehead and sang,
My gracious Master and My God
Assist me to proclaim
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of thy name.

Daddy, how many thousands awaited you because of your proclamation of the great gospel. You were faithful. You kept the faith, finished the race, fought the fight. “Make friends for yourselves with unrighteous mammon that they might receive you into eternal habitations.”

I watched, wondering if there could be other reflexes. I combed his hair. He always wore a tie. The indignities of death are many, but we tried to minimize them. Keep the covers straight. Pull the gown up around his neck so it looks like a sharp turtleneck. Tuck the gappy shoulder slits down behind so they don’t show. Use a wet washcloth to keep the secretions from crusting in the eyelashes. And by all means, keep his hair combed. So now I straightened his bedding and combed his hair and wiped his eyes and put the mouth moisturizer on his lips and tried to close his mouth. His mouth would not stay closed. It had been set in that position from hours and hours of strained breathing. But he was neat. A strong, dignified face.

I called my sister Beverly first, then Noël. Tearfully we gave thanks. Get a good night’s rest. I will take care of things here with the doctor and the nurses and the mortuary arrangements. I will gather all our things and take them back to the motel. “I wish I had been there,” Beverly lamented. Yes. That is good. But don’t let that feeling dominate now. In the days to come, you will look back with enormous gratitude for the hundreds of hours you gave serving Daddy. It is my turn to be blessed.

The nurse came to give him his scheduled morphine shot. As she walked toward me I said, “He won’t need that any more.” “Is he gone?” “Yes. And thank you so much for your ministry to him.” “I will notify the doctor so he can come and verify. I will leave you alone.” “Yes, thank you.”

The doctor in his green frock came at 12:40 and listened with his stethoscope to four different places on Daddy’s chest. Then he pulled back the sheet and said, “I must apply some pain stimuli to his nail base to see if he reacts. Then he used his flashlight to test Daddy’s eyes. “The nurse supervisor will come and get the information we need about the mortuary.” Thank you.
Alone again, I felt his cheeks. Finally cool after the fevered and flushed fight. I felt his nose, as though I were blind. Then I felt mine. I thought, very soon my nose will be like your nose. It is already like your nose.

The nurse came. No thank you, an autopsy will not be necessary. Mackey Mortuary on Century Drive. My name is John, his son. My cell phone is . . . . “You may stay as long as you like.” Thank you. I will be leaving soon.

Now I just look at him. Nothing has changed in his face here in the darkness of this dim light. Just no movement. But I have watched his chest so long—even now, was that a slight rise and fall? No, surely not. It’s like sailing on the sea for days. On the land the waves still roll.

He has four-day’s beard and dark eyes. I lift an eyelid to see him eye to eye. They are dilated.
Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for sixty-one years of faithfulness to me. I am simply looking into his face now. Thank you. You were a good father. You never put me down. Discipline, yes. Spankings, yes. But you never scorned me. You never treated me with contempt. You never spoke of my future with hopelessness in your voice. You believed God’s hand was on me. You approved of my ministry. You prayed for me. Everyday. That may be the biggest change in these new days: Daddy is no longer praying for me.

I look you in the face and promise you with all my heart: Never will I forsake your gospel. O how you believed in hell and heaven and Christ and cross and blood and righteousness and faith and salvation and the Holy Spirit and the life of holiness and love. I rededicate myself, Daddy, to serve your great and glorious Lord Jesus with all my heart and with all my strength. You have not lived in vain. Your life goes on in thousands. I am glad to be one.

I kissed him on his cold cheek and on his forehead. I love you, Daddy. Thank you.

It was 12:55 as I walked out of room 4326. Just before the elevators on the fourth floor in the lounge, a young man in his twenties was sitting alone listening to his iPod with headphones. I paused. Then I walked toward him. He stopped his music. Hello, my father just died. One of the greatest tributes I could pay to him is to ask you, Are you ready to meet God? “Yes, Sir.” That would make my father very happy. You know Jesus is the only way? “Yes, Sir.” Good. Thank you for letting me talk to you.

As I drove out of the parking lot, I stopped. The moon was a day past full. It was cold—for Greenville. I looked at this great hospital. Thank you, Lord, for this hospital. I will probably never lay eyes on it again.

~~~
I want to use these opportunities for Him. It makes me feel awful to know that someone might die, not having heard The Message. I could have said that even the bible talks about life being meaningless (Ecclesiastes) but that through Jesus' death on the cross, we CAN have meaningful lives AND eternal life.

I'm sorry Lord. I know that you would have given me all of the words that I needed. Help me to trust You more. And to not waste the opportunities that you give to me.

Tech Support

2007-02-26T12:32:00.000-05:00

~ Here's a funny one for you!

(Disclaimer: This post is in no way indicative of the condition of my own marriage!! :) )

RE: Installing Husband

Dear Tech Support,

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a distinct slow down in overall system performance -- particularly in the flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0. In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5 and then installed undesirable programs such as NFL 5.0, NBA 3.0 and Golf Clubs 4.1. Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail. What can I do?

Signed,
Desperate

Dear Desperate:
First keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while Husband 1.0 is an Operating System. Please enter the command: "http: I Thought You Loved Me.HTML" and try to download Tears 6.2 and don't forget to install the Guilt 3.0 update. If that application works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5. But remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0 or Beer 6.1. Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will download the Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT install Mother-in-law 1.0 (it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all your system resources). Also, do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0 program. These are unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0.In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend Food 3.0 and Hot Lingerie 7.7.

Good Luck, Tech Support

"Him"

2007-02-19T14:51:00.000-05:00

How do I start this post? Well, I'm posting about a few things here -- first of all, this my response to Making History's 'Image of God' tag http://making-history.blogspot.com/ . I've pondered this tag for a while now and this is what I've come up with: I don't believe that any image can summarize or depict God. Nor do I believe that we should try to depict our awesome God with pictures. BUT, I do believe that through a close relationship with Him we can express what He means to us. Of course no amount of words, flowery or otherwise, can ever summarize how great God really is.

I just received one of my favourite CDs back from a friend so I've been listening to it again and reflecting on my own unworthiness and HIS amazing love for me! I am absolutely nothing without Him -- and I am reminded of it over and over in my life. I know that the world would say that I have a self-esteem problem but I know that any thing that is worthy in me is only because of Him. I can't convince anyone of that - but I have faith, His faith, and I know - and besides, only He can change hearts. But I do hope that anything good in me is only a reflection of Him in me. Thus 'Entirely for Him'. That is what I want to be. Only for Him.

AND, my pondering has also come up because of some medical 'stuff' in our families (I'll leave the details for now). I am comforted to know that ALL of our days are numbered by the almighty One and that nothing, absolutely nothing, comes without the will of our Heavenly Father!!! What a comfort that is!

So here is my contribution to the Images tag. I thank the Lord for holding me in the palm of His hand! What better place is there to be? No place.

You Surround Me (Interspersed with Gaelic)

Karen Padgett, Daphne Rademaker and Brian Doerksen

Ta tu thart orm (You're all around me)
Ta tu i gceartlar mo chroi (In the centre of my heart)
You surround me
Ta tu thart orm (You're all around me)
You indwell me (Ta tu i gceartlar mo chroi)
(In the center of my heart)
You surround me

You surround me Ta tu thart orm
(You're all around me)
You indwell me
You're beside me Ta tu ag mo thaobh
(You're at my side)
Ever present always near

You're the whisper Is tu ag cogar (You whisper)
Calling my name gently Ag glaoch m'ainm
(Calling my name)
Love eternal Gra go siorai (Love eternal)
Reaching to me jealous for me Ag faire orm (Watching over me)
Go headmhar dom (Jealous for me)

I will stay with You forever
Arm in arm we'll walk together
You will never let me go

I can't live my life without You
My whole will to live is for You
you've awakened me to know

You surround me You indwell me
You're beside me ever present always near

You're the whisper calling my name gently
Love eternal reaching to me jealous for me

Is tu ag cogar (You whisper)
Go samh m'ainm (My name gently)
Gra go siorai (Love eternal)

I can't live my life without You
I can't live my life without You
I can't live my life without You

A Dhai fanfaidh me leat choiche
(God I will stay with you forever)
Lamh ar lamh le cheile (Arm in arm together)
Ni scaoilfidh tu me riamh
(You will never let me go)
Ni fiu ni fiu mo bheatha gan tu (My life is not worth it not worth it without You)
Thug tu cuis 's ciall dom' shaoil-se
(You gave meaning and sense to my life)
Mhuscail tu mo chroi (You awakened my heart)

*****

Faithful One

Brian Doerksen

Faithful One so unchanging
Ageless One You're my rock of peace
Lord of All I depend on You

I call out to You again and again
I call out to You again and again

You are my rock in times of trouble
You lift me up when I fall down
All through the storm
Your love is the anchor
My hope is in You alone

*****

Your Faithfulness
Brian Doerksen

I don't know what this day will bring
Will it be disappointing, filled with longed for things?
I don't know what tomorrow holds
Still I know I can trust Your faithfulness

I don't know if these clouds mean rain
If they do, will they pour down blessing or pain?
I don't know what the future holds
Still I know I can trust Your faithfulness

Certain as the rivers reach the sea
Certain as the sunrise in the east
I can rest in your faithfulness
Surer than a mother's tender love
Surer than the stars still shine above
I can rest in your faithfulness

I don't know how or when I'll die
Will it be a thief, or will I have a chance to say goodbye?
No, I don't know how much time is left
But in the end, I will know your faithfulness

When darkness overwhelms my soul
When thoughts and storms of doubt
Still I trust You are always faithful, always faithful

Certain as the rivers reach the sea
Certain as the sunrise in the east
I can rest in your faithfulness
Surer than a mother's tender love
Surer than the stars still shine above
I can rest in your faithfulness

I don't know what this day will bring
Will it be disappointing, filled with longed for things?
I don't know what tomorrow holds
Still I know I can trust Your faithfulness

*****

Psalm 13

(How Long O Lord)

Brian Doerksen, Steve Mitchinson, Karen Mitchinson and Daphne Rademaker

How long oh Lord will you forget me

How long oh Lord

Will You look the other way

How long oh Lord

Must I wrestle with my thoughts

And every day

Have such sorrow in my heart

Look on me and answer

Oh God my Father

Bring light to my darkness

Before they see me fall

But I trust in Your unfailing love

Yes my heart will rejoice

Still I sing of Your unfailing love

You have been good

You will be good to me.

*****

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Look full in his wonderful face.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of his glory and grace.

(Helen Lemmel)

For My Valentine!

2007-02-14T13:23:00.000-05:00

"She was only sixteen, only sixteen, but she loved that boy sooooooooooooo..."
I don't like the rest of that song -

because I DID know what I was doing -- I wasn't too young to know! :)
1982
Anyway, here's a little 'down memory lane' for you - to show off my Valentine!

I love you sweetie - more than I did back then,

and not as much as I will! :) You're the BEST - and I know it!

I thank the Lord for you every day!
1987
Here's to many, many more HAPPY VALENTINE'S!

"Sew on Fire" ministries

2007-02-06T14:05:00.000-05:00

Last night my girls and I along with some ladies from our church went to help at the 'Sew on Fire' warehouse. We'd never heard of this organization before so it was all new to us. It was so amazing! Run by all volunteers, 'Sew on Fire' makes up bags for missionaries to take to all kinds of countries. The bags are made specifically, depending on who they are going to - i.e. children or new moms or teachers etc. They are used as a tool to reach out to those less fortunate than we are - and to bridge the gap to give them the Good News of Christ's saving faith! People volunteer to make baby blankets, receiving blankets and baby layettes, or to sew draw-string-type cloth bags, or people donate financially or specific items like school supplies, toiletry items or little dolls or toys. As Wendy Hagar (the woman who started SOF) told us - donations are mainly 'our excesses'. How sad is that? And yet, how exciting is that?

Last night we helped to put together bags for a mission trip to Colombia and then we also helped fill 200 bags for a mission trip to Uganda!

Ways You can Help
Volunteer your time
Sew bags at home
Donate material, personal hygiene items
Visit our web page often
Donate finances
Knit lady slippers, mitts, and lap blankets
Check garage sales for items needed:-wool - small toys - hockey bags/back packs
Network
Pray l minute per week
Help sort and pack bags
Donate in the memory of a loved one.
Save your Canadian Tire money and donate it to SOF!
Just say yes … Just Do It!

*Note: all photos here are from Wendy's blog - link above.

For my friends...

2007-02-05T15:08:00.000-05:00

Happy Men

2007-01-29T11:46:00.000-05:00

Men Are Just Happier People

What do you expect?
Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours. (I have to add to this one - Andrew would never allow me to post this one as fact in our home! For some reason all the garage stuff that isn't his, is MINE! Hmmmm... ~ D)
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President.
You can never be pregnant.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental $100.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons.
You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier!

A Sad 'Anniversary'

2007-01-22T13:49:00.000-05:00

From my heart...to yours~

This morning I heard on the radio that 34 years ago the Roe vs. Wade http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_v._Wade abortion decision came down. There were various 'modern' women commenting on how great it's been for women and women's rights to have control over their own bodies. Very sad. Control over their own bodies? Since when did control over our own bodies mean the killing of our offspring? How have we, as women, allowed this to happen?

Abortion is not the answer to an unplanned pregnancy. And if you're thinking that it is, please think again. Seek out help from a Christian crisis pregnancy center - there are many around. Choose life! There are many couples out there who would love to adopt your child. And there is a community out there who will embrace you, and your child -- and help you along the way.

I know that this is a very controversial subject, and I'm not looking to start a debate. I'm just telling you my thoughts, since this is my blog -- and since I'm female and also a mother. I've felt new life - and I've seen the life inside of me when the pregnancy was only 6 weeks along! I've seen each of my unborn children's beating hearts! I've seen and felt the squirming of an unborn child. And I have been tremendously blessed!

I'm also telling you what God says. Life begins at conception. Every life is precious. "You made all my delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous -- and how well I know it. You watched when I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." Psalm 139

Yes, sometimes pregnancy isn't convenient. Yes, it can make life more difficult. Yes, children can cost us money. But what we don't calculate is the blessing that it is to have our own children in our lives! And it is very, very clear is that life is started and stopped by God. And God only. Abortion is murder, not a 'choice'. That's it.

And interesting thing about the Roe vs. Wade case is this:

"Jane Roe" switches sides
"Jane Roe," whose real name is Norma McCorvey, became a member of the pro-life movement following her conversion to Christianity, and now fights to make abortion illegal. In 1998, she testified as follows to Congress:
“It was my pseudonym, Jane Roe, which had been used to create the "right" to abortion out of legal thin air. But Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee never told me that what I was signing would allow women to come up to me 15, 20 years later and say, "Thank you for allowing me to have my five or six abortions. Without you, it wouldn't have been possible." Sarah never mentioned women using abortions as a form of birth control. We talked about truly desperate and needy women, not women already wearing maternity clothes.[11]

In a press conference held on January 18, 2005, McCorvey claimed that she was the "pawn" of Weddington, who was looking for a plaintiff to challenge the Texas state law prohibiting abortion. Using her prerogative as a party to the original litigation, she sought to reopen the case in a U.S. District Court in Texas and have it overturned. Her stance was based on claims made since the decision, claiming evidence of emotional and other harm suffered by many women who have had abortions, and increased resources for the care of unwanted children. On June 19, 2003, Judge David Godbey ruled that the motion was not made within a "reasonable time." The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently affirmed that decision. See McCorvey v. Hill, 385 F3d 846 (5th Cir 2004). On February 22, 2005, the Supreme Court refused to grant a writ of certiorari, ending McCorvey's appeal.

What Non-Homeschoolers May Not Know

2007-01-19T17:35:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Kendra at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/PreschoolersandPeace/257413/ who posted this excellent article about homeschooling. Although we're out of the younger (and messier) grades of school, I'm posting this for the many other homeschoolers who read this blog (and their families!) who could use this advice being distributed! ~D

What Non-Homeschoolers May Not Know • Jan. 10, 2007
Posted in Musings and Miscellany
We've been educating our children at home for ten years now. In those ten years, I have observed that there are expectations that non-homeschoolers can place on homeschooling moms simply because they lack the practical knowledge of what it means to homeschool.

If you are the mother, grandmother, sister, friend, father, or brother of a homeschooling mom, here are some things you should know:

1. Educating children at home is a full-time job. Don't get irritated if she consistently allows the answering machine to do its job. If she were a teacher in an institutional classroom, you probably wouldn't think of calling her during school hours, so try to realize that while still at home, she is keeping regular school hours, too.

2. Unlike homes in which the children are gone for eight straight hours, her home is in a constant state of activity. The children are not only home, they are home making messes. All day long. Their mother doesn't even have the opportunity to go into their rooms while they are at school and weed out the junk. And if she is like me, you might find odd homeschooly things lying around- like the month we had a dead turtle in the garage fridge.

3. Housekeeping and homeschooling are mutually exclusive. If she is doing her job educating her children academically, then her house is not being cleaned. If she takes the day to clean the house, then school wil not be accomplished.

4. Place realistic expectations on her- she cannot simultaneously teach school, make three square meals, keep a house that looks like it has sprung out of the pages of Architectural Digest, have her nails done, drive children to extracurricular activities, and have all the clothing laundered and pressed. Something's gotta give, and in my experience, it is usually her personal care. So don't expect her to don the latest styles, have her roots meticulously dyed at just the right moment, and her aforementioned nails filed and polished to perfection. And while most of us aren't slovenly, we just tend to put some superfluous aspects of personal care at the bottom of the to-do list.

5. For many of us, homeschooling isn't an option. Many believe it is not only the best way for their family, it is the only way. Many see homeschooling as a Scriptural directive. When sharing a particular struggle unique to homeschooling, comments like, "Well, why don't you consider putting them in school? Maybe homeschooling just isn't your thing" aren't helpful. Instead, offer a listening ear and your fervent prayers on her behalf.

6. If you are truly concerned about the state of her emotions, home, children, or marriage, offer practical help to ease her burden. Personal time is at a premium for her, so consider offering to take her kids for the day so she can recuperate. If you like to do laundry, offer to come over and get the loads going, fold, and/or iron. If you like to cook, consider putting together some meals that she can store in the freezer for days when time is at a premium. If she teaches a broad spectrum of ages and grades, consider offering to come in once a week or more to teach preschool to the little ones. One grandma I know created "Nana U" for her preschool grandson (number five of seven) and not only did it ease her homeshooling daughter's burden, it created a special bond between grandma and the child.

But there’s a caveat here: ASK her what would be most helpful to her. Don’t presume to know what would help her. Taking the oldest children for the day might be fun for you, but it’s quite possibly not at all helpful to her. The living room might need to be vacuumed, but it’s not helpful if she’s trying to take a nap. Someone once told me, “If it’s not wanted, it’s not helpful.”

7. Think about what a financial burden homeschooling may be placing on the family. The loss of her possible income can be a real struggle nowadays, and you might be able to buoy her for another year by offering to purchase little things like simple school supplies. Gifts for the children like books on subjects of interest to the child, field trip fees, museum memberships, and the money to pay for music lessons or other extracurricular activities are the best thing you could give a homeschooling family. Not only does a homeschooling mom not need one more thing to manage or pick up, she would be thrilled to see you take an interest in the many academic items on her wish list.

8. Simple questions like, "How can I pray for you?" and "Is there any way I can help you?" are like a cool breeze in her life. Don't assume you know her needs- ask. You could just be the vessel God uses to carry her on through this very demanding and ultimately rewarding season of her life.

My Kisses are Gluten-Free?

2007-01-17T11:46:00.000-05:00

Here's some new fashion for the gluten-free folks in the world like me!!
Click on any pic to see it larger!

Tag - You're It! Six Weird Things About Me

2007-01-13T16:15:00.000-05:00

TAG YOU'RE IT....
Since you are reading this, you are tagged....only if you want to that is.....LOL

THE RULES:
Each player of this game starts with the 6 weird things about you. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state the rules clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a Hug that says you are tagged in their Hugs and tell them to read your blog.

Here are my Six Weird Things!
1. I hate pennies. Hate their smell, hate holding them. I could live in a world without pennies.

2. I cannot empty pockets out before the laundry gets done - I gag BIG TIME if I do. So if you don't want the stuff in your pockets washed, take them out yourself!

3. I cannot clean the heat registers out - I gag BIG TIME! Especially when I hear stuff from the registers being sucked up by the vacuum cleaner. Sometimes I can gag just thinking about it...got the gag factor from my mom!

4. I cannot stand when people hand you a candy that is already out of it's wrapping. And, if it's got a fluff on it - I'm gagging....

5. I sometimes write things on my to-do list after I've done them, just so I can mark them off as done!

6. I love to buy new socks even though most times I walk barefoot, all year round!

Ever Wonder?

2007-01-06T12:45:00.000-05:00

Here's a funny that I found ~ Enjoy!
If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes?
Why do we say something is out of whack? What's a whack?
If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
When someone asks you, A penny for your thoughts, and you put your two cents in, what happens to the other penny? Or do you get change?
Why is the man (or woman) who invests all your money called a broker?
Why do croutons come in airtight packages? It's just stale bread to begin with.
Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person drives a race car not called a racist?
Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites?
Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?
Why isn't 11 pronounced onety one?
If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?
If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?
Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?
I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older, then it dawned on me...they're cramming for their final exam!
I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks so I wondered, what do Chinese mothers use? Toothpicks?
Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen could look for them while they delivered the mail?
If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?
No one ever says, "It's only a game," when their team is winning.
Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?
If a cow laughed, would milk come out her nose?
Whatever happened to preparations A through G?
If olive oil comes from olives, where does baby oil come from?

Three Responses to Jesus' Birth

2007-01-01T21:12:00.000-05:00

Our sermon on Sunday morning was very thought-provoking. I'll attempt to summarize and share it with you (this is a very, very brief outline of what we heard, but enough - I hope - to make you think too!) -

Rev. Bro said that there were three responses to Jesus' birth in the bible:
(1) Hostility
(2) Indifference
(3) Worship

The Jews went back to their regular routines and believed that the Messiah had not yet come. Herod hated Jesus - he acted like He wanted to know Jesus, and worship Him, but he wanted to kill Jesus.

The leaders showed indifference. No interest. They were deaf to it's message. Rejection of Christ - who is on the throne - creates an attitude of indifference.

The magi came to worship Jesus. They were led by God's grace to visit and worship Jesus, the Christ-child. They were unlikely Christ worshippers - they were astrologers, which God's Word forbids. Yet they were led by a star and the Word of God - to see Jesus. They did not give up the search for the Messiah. They offered gifts with sincere gratitude to the Lord. They responded by falling down in worship to the King!

What is the attitude of our hearts?
How has this past Christmas affected us?
Are we just relieved that all of the busyness is over?
Is our life worship to the Christ-child - who is the Saviour?
Are we worshipping the King with our heart, soul, mind and strength?

What is YOUR response to Jesus' birth?

All nations will come to Your light. Mighty kings will come to see your radiance. Isaiah 60:3

A Baby, Yet a King!

2006-12-21T19:16:00.000-05:00

Every knee will bow before Me;

Every tongue will confess to God.

Romans 14:11b

Fun Christmas Quiz

2006-12-07T11:04:00.000-05:00

Most of you know that I rarely fill out these kinds of things (except maybe to pass on to my sister Melanie) and I rarely forward these emails...so I thought I'd share this one here! ENJOY!

If you fill out the quiz on your blog - please list your blog link on a comment.

Your Name: Dawn

> 1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? – I really, really like egg nog but I also like hot chocolate. I guess I would say egg nog over hot chocolate but I do drink hot chocolate more because it doesn't have as many calories/fat!

> 2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Around here - Santa is only on some gift tags - especially gifts for me! tee hee Did I ever tell you that I love gifts??

> 3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? – As I get older, I'm preferring simpler and white lights are simpler. Sooooooo...the short answer? White lights on the outside of the house, but I do like the colours all twinkly on the tree inside. NOT flashing lights though - hate those!

> 4. Do you hang mistletoe? – Yes - just a fake one. The kids make a big deal of it and try to get Andrew & I under it. I don't mind!

> 5. When do you put your decorations up? – When the kids were little, we decorated sometime after Suzanne's December 16th birthday. Now, the kids have the tree up and decorated (we have a fake one now) often by December 1! I like having the tree up longer (and we couldn't do that with a real one - okay, not without having a grand mess!). I do like it down quickly after New Year's though.

> 6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Hmmmm...I really enjoy the turkey and I used to enjoy the stuffing. Maybe one day I'll try making some gluten-free stuffing - but for now, I'll stick to the turkey. I have to add a dessert here though - I'm a fruit cake lover - but I can't eat it now, although last year I bought a smidgen of gluten-free fruit cake for about $12!!! That's how much I love it!! And I'm NOT ashamed to say it! ;)

> 7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child – Waking up and seeing the gifts under the tree! We never saw the gifts at all until Christmas morning and it was always so exciting. We each had our own 'spot' under the tree where our pile would be. We didn't have extravagant gifts - but lots of little, inexpensive, practical things and one larger gift ($20?).

> 8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I'm going to leave my friend Mandy's comments here - because they're perfect! What is the truth about Santa? I must not have gotten the memo!

> 9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? – Since we were married, we've opened gifts a few days before Christmas day. Never on Christmas eve (we're too busy getting preparations for Christmas completed). I do enjoy opening them on Christmas day though - as it was a tradition when I was growing up. But we have church on Christmas so it is too rushed.

> 10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?- Helter skelter! HA! All of the decorations have a story to tell, and although our tree doesn't look like a Martha Stewart one (not even close!) - I love it!

> 11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? – LOVE, LOVE, LOVE snow! Bring it on!

> 12. Can you ice skate? – Yes! Love it too. I'm not good by any means - but I can skate and do - twice a week with the kids!

> 13. Do you remember your favorite gift? – Yes - first, my first baby girl Suzanne! (Every year I ask her if I can wrap her up and put her under the tree! - She says 'no' BTW!) My next favourite gift is a Willow Tree figurine that the kids gave me - I always lament that I can't carry the kids on my hip any longer (it's been a while) and the figurine that they bought has a mom holding a baby! I cried when I received it and I will always treasure it.

> 14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? - Again, I'll let Mandy's answer stand: That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life! “It’s not in the snow, that may or may not fall, and it’s not in the gifts around the tree. It’s in the love heaven gave, the night our Savior came, and that same love can still be found wherever you are, cause Christmas is all in the heart…” Steven Curtis Chapman > ...But I do really like gifts and am like a child when it comes to them!

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Mom's pumpkin pie - which I can no longer eat :( . I also love Andrew's mom's trifle - which I can no longer eat...

> 16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Opening gifts together with the kids and sharing time together. And watching a Christmas DVD together after.

> 17. What tops your tree? – A lace angel. We had a beautiful star but it broke. The angel is pretty though.

> 18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? - This is a tough one! I do love giving but I hate the fact that many have forgotten what giving is all about - it's about what someone else wants to buy for you, not what you want (although a good gift-giver will take that into consideration)! That being said, I do put a lot of thought into the gifts that I buy which makes my life difficult sometimes!!! And getting gifts? Well, you know that answer already!

> 19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? – We have an old cassette tape (!!) from Focus on the Family which had a song called 'It's So Good to Have You Home'. If I could ever find that cassette on CD, I'd be so happy. I've looked and looked... Favourite Christmas hymn? I think 'Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus' and 'O Come, All Ye Faithful'. I hate the Christmas dittis that are on the radio over and over at this time of year.

> 20. Candy Canes? – They're pretty, they're tasty but I rarely eat them! I was searching everywhere for one the other day though - made some peppermint fudge and I needed one to smash and sprinkle over the fudge - would have looked pretty, if I'd found one!

Your thoughts please?

2006-12-01T16:35:00.000-05:00

I received this as an email and I'm not sure what I think of it. I find it very thought-provoking and it's very cleverly written - the message is straight-forward and good, but then I'm hesitant about it being something supposedly being written by God. Hmmm...what do you think?

RECALL NOTICE

The Maker of all human beings
is recalling all units
manufactured,
regardless of make or year,
due to a serious defect
in the primary and central
component of the heart.

This is due to a malfunction
in the original prototype units
code named Adam and Eve,
resulting in the reproduction
of the same defect
in all subsequent units. This defect has been
technically termed
"Subsequential Internal
Non-Morality,"
or more commonly
known as
S.I.N.,
as it is primarily
expressed.

Some other symptoms include:

1. Loss of direction

2. Foul vocal emissions

3. Amnesia of origin

4. Lack of peace and joy

5. Selfish or violent behavior

6. Depression or confusion
in the mental Component

7. Fearfulness

8. Idolatry

9. Rebellion
The Manufacturer,
who is neither liable nor at fault
for this defect, is providing
factory-authorized repair
and service free of charge
to correct this SIN defect.

The Repair Technician,
Jesus,
has most generously offered
to bear the entire burden
of the staggering cost
of these repairs.

There is no
additional fee
required. The number to call
for repair in all areas is:
1-800- P-R-A-Y-E-R. Once connected,
please upload
your burden of SIN
through the
REPENTANCE
procedure.

Next, download
ATONEMENT
from the Repair
Technician, Jesus,
into the heart component. No matter how big
or small the SIN defect is,
Jesus will replace it with:
1. Love

2. Joy

3. Peace

4. Patience

5. Kindness

6. Goodness

7. Faithfulness

8. Gentleness

9. Self control

Please see
the operating manual,
the B.I.B.L.E.
(Believers' Instructions Before Leaving Earth)
for further details
on the use of these fixes.

WARNING:
Continuing to operate
the human being unit
without correction voids
any manufacturer warranties,
exposing the unit to dangers
and problems too numerous to list
and will result in
the human unit being
permanently impounded.

DANGER:
The human being units
not responding to this recall action
will have to be scrapped in the furnace.

The SIN defect
will not be permitted
to enter Heaven
so as to prevent
contamination
of that facility. Thank you
for your attention! GOD Please assist where possible
by notifying others
of this important
recall notice,
and you may contact
the Father any time by
"kneemail"

Glorying in God's Perfection

2006-11-21T13:25:00.000-05:00

Glorying in God's Perfection

"If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place,

I am a housekeeper, not a homemaker.

If I only have time for waxing and polishing,

my children will learn of cleanliness, not godliness.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.

Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on the newly cleaned window.

Love wipes up the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.

Love is the key that opens salvation's message to a child's heart.

Before I became a mother, I took glory in my house of perfection;

but now, I glory in God's perfection of my child."

-Author Unknown

A good reminder!

Looking for a job? Hmmm...

2006-11-14T13:11:00.000-05:00

Bloggers Need Not Apply
By Ivan Tribble
What is it with job seekers who also write blogs? Our recent faculty search at Quaint Old College resulted in a number of bloggers among our semifinalists. Those candidates looked good enough on paper to merit a phone interview, after which they were still being seriously considered for an on-campus interview.

That's when the committee took a look at their online activity.

In some cases, a Google search of the candidate's name turned up his or her blog. Other candidates told us about their Web site, even making sure we had the URL so we wouldn't fail to find it. In one case, a candidate had mentioned it in the cover letter. We felt compelled to follow up in each of those instances, and it turned out to be every bit as eye-opening as a train wreck.

read the rest here: http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2005/07/2005070801c/careers.html