Tired of waiting.

Almost everyone I'm in contact with are either sick, have the remnants of sickness or are starting up fresh in the sickness mode.

Spring needs to come. It needs to come quickly.

We need that warmth on our bodies again, soaking up all that Vitamin C.

We need the slowness and gentleness of a warm spring day.

We need our bodies to come to a place of rest........not that we're overworked or anything, but it simply needs the newness of spring to rejuvenate and cleanse and heal us.

It's been a very long, very cold winter and I'm getting tired of waiting for it to be over.

As we wait for spring, we wait for Easter.........with great anticipation.

Come Lord Jesus, come.

Foggy?

Coming back to work today from a high powered headache, and a few days in a drug induced state, I felt as if I was on the coast.....it was all foggy and I couldn't get anywhere.

I probably looked weird and most likely sounded quite incoherent, but I was there nonetheless.

Perhaps it was too much "Mutiny on the Bounty" of the day before. Ya, that must have been it.

Anyway, today at work I had an opportunity to give our old boss, "Big Al" a big hug as he was back for a few days from Thunder Bay. He looked like the same old Al and it did my heart good to see him again. Quite the fellow. I miss that guy.

And I had an email today from another co-worker who retired a few years ago and another one from a gal who is taking a leave of absence. There was also a phone call from a fellow who will be retiring shortly and is off using up some of his vacation. I trust his trip to Waskesiu was lovely. I also heard from my cousin in Texas via email, who has just completed her chemo treatments and is now in the healing mode.

As much as I hate computers, I've begun to really believe I couldn't do without the dang things.

So, when all is said and done, today was pretty good, even though the fog was quite thick.

Perhaps the "Son" will burn it off completely tomorrow..........

Talk about confusing.

Today I made a point of just relaxing.....sans mega headache!

I plunked down in front of ye old TV and there on TCM was "Mutiny on the Bounty" black and white 1935 version. I fell asleep. Woke up got a drink and plopped down on the couch again. I fell asleep. Woke up again.

It was "Mutiny on the Bounty" alright but I woke up to the movie in color. Same show and now it was color. Was I dreaming? I DID consume quite a bit of Advil, etc. yesterday and today I was very fuzzy..........so unlike me.;-)

It took a while to figure out that yes, TCM actually DID present 2 back-to-back versions of this movie with the wretched cad, Captain Blye (Charles Laughton - 1935; Trevor Howard - 1962) and his mutinous ever-so-cute First Mate, Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable - 1935; Marlon Brando - 1962).

But I decided that it didn't really matter which version it was....either way, the First Mate was pretty hunky......mutinous, but hunky. I wasn't fuzzy about that point. ;-)

I think I must have recuperated quite well.

....but that barometric pressure keeps falling and the twinges in this old head continue on.

Done in.

Three solid days with one blasted headache is three days too many.

I'm done in.

Perhaps Wednesday can be a day of ridding myself of this drug-induced state.

So, as I said a few blogs ago, I say it once more to all of you at work...."Don't worry about me, eh?"

I hate missing days of work......heck, I hate missing
D A Y S, PERIOD.

Taking a stand.

What do you do when a guest in your home makes crude, racist remarks in your presence?

I asked them what exactly it was they were saying. When it was made clear as to what they were saying, I told the person they were making racist remarks and I thought it was terrible of them to say such things.

I also said that I hoped they didn't make remarks like that all the time in their own home because if they were, they were influencing the younger ones and poisoning their minds.

It was my home. In my(our) home, I do not allow racist remarks without calling the person on them.

THAT is my stand.

A good time.

What can I say about our Women's Retreat this past weekend?

So good.

Talks, laughs, walks, games, songs, food, food for thought, fellowship, praying, introspection, curling, reading, coloring, sleeping, serving, being served, learning, crying, discussions, seeking, being refreshed, making amends.........all of this combined with marvelous facilities, beautiful God-given weather and hosts with pure servant hearts....... a weekend we will remember for a long time.

And we're doing it again next year, Lord willing. A week later but same place.

So, start saving up now. Come and join us. No cooking. No cleaning. Just pure enjoyment.

The Quest. I'll see you there in '09.

I'm here

I wanted to post this yesterday with a link and now I know how to do it?????

Here you go! Gotta' love it!

Don't worry 'bout me.....

OK. How many of you started singing when you read those title words? Come on now. You know you did and it makes you feel a bit ancient, right?? It's that old song by Marty Robbins. Here it is words and all and the chords too, if you want to get out your rusty, trusty guitar....

"DON'T WORRY 'BOUT ME
Words and music by Marty Robbins

CAPO 3rd Fret/KEY: Bb/PLAY: G
[G] Don't worry 'bout me, [G7] it's all over
[C] now
Though I may be [G] blue, I'll manage some-[D7]
how [P]
[NC] Love can't be ex-[G] plained, [G7] can't be
con-[C] trolled
One day it's [G] warm, [D7] next day it's [G]
cold. [G7]

Don't pity [C] me, 'cause I'm feelin' [G] blue
Don't be a-[D7] shamed, it might have been [G] you [G7]
Oh, oh, oh, [C] oh, love, kiss me one
[G] time, then go, love
I'll under-[D7] stand, don't worry 'bout [G] me.

Sweet, sweet, sweet love; I want you to be
As happy as I, when you loved me
I'll never forget you, your sweet memory
It's all over now, don't worry 'bout me.

When one heart tells, one heart, one heart good-bye
One heart is free, one heart will cry
Oh, oh, oh, oh, sweet, sweet baby sweet, baby sweet
It's alright, don't worry 'bout me."



Not that this song is relevant or anything.....I
just didn't want you to worry about me when you
don't see a blog appear tomorrow.

I'm retreating.......

Be back Sunday...so.....don't worry 'bout me, eh?

Thinking.

I'm thinking about things these days.

My thoughts continually go back to "what is church".

I'm trying to let God have his way in those thoughts too.

I don't want my thoughts to always have preconceived notions and ideas from other people either. Nor do I want to experience God the same way all the time. I need a little rain on the situation.

I want to be thinking whatever is true.....for me.....for my own community of friends....in and out of the church building.

I'm wondering what kinds of things will transpire in the next few years concerning church. I find it very fascinating to watch the beginnings of change........as it has happened many times, sometimes quite significantly, over the many centuries it has existed.

Makes me wonder what Jesus would say to us here, if he walked in on Sunday morning church.

All I can say is, God does good stuff...............those who have ears to hear, let them hear.

Things I like to read in a blog.

1. Real life issues (joys, sorrows, pain, depression, things we like and don't like and why, religious persuasions, and why people love cats over dogs....things like that)

2. Daily accounts of how people are thinking on a particular day. I enjoy knowing that other people are just as normal/abnormal as I am, that they CAN have a bad day and not be afraid to talk about it....here in the open.

3. Hearing about my friends children - what they're up to, how they're feeling, if they're going through difficulties or accomplishing their dreams.

4. There are little things that really bug people. I like to hear about those things and the reasons why they find those little things so irritating.

5. When I read something someone else has taken great pains to put down on uhhhh....paper, it encourages me to think that they cared enough to express themselves.

6. I like to read about how vulnerable people are at times. Some folks tell it like it is without fear of reprisal, I can hear their hearts expressions! Others say things that allows them to be in a position to receive criticism and in that, become very "real". I think that is very brave and gallant and perhaps a tiny bit naive and a whole lot honest. I like that.

Ya, those are some of the things I enjoy reading on a blog.

I like pictures too. You get to see the soul of a person through them.....very much like a painting.

Some day, when I learn how to use this confounded digital camera, I too will post pictures.

A daughter is born.

Yes, it was 31 years ago today our dear daughter came into this world. What a gift she has been to us...... what a sweetheart. She was absolutely the most beautiful baby I had ever seen in my whole life and she just kept getting more and more beautiful....inside and out...so you can understand how lovely she has become to this day!!!

"Happy Birthday" to our Shannon Melody, a beautiful example of loveliness, truthfulness, spiciness, generosity, gentleness, graciousness, intelligence and fun. She has come a very long way with a few detours, mountain tops and valleys thrown in to become a great mom, a faithful wife and a student par excellence.....an overall honest and good person.

Here's to you, Shannon!! May God give you your hearts desires.

Birthday Blessings........

Love,
Mom

Big Sky and Big Weather.

Driving down to Regina and back makes me realize just how large this province is. Actually, driving anywhere in Canada you get a sense that this country goes on forever.

The sky is enormous. It went from sunny, cloudless to total cloud in those 4 hours. We watched the horizon bring a huge front from the west. The line went solid from as far north to as far south as we could see.

Weather fascinates me. It can change so quickly and this time of year it can go from -25C to +5C in a day.

Spring is around the corner. I can smell it and feel it.

The sounds of splashing water on the roads last Saturday are a dead give-away.

Winds.

There are winds that blow to bring a summer or winter storm. Others blow to cool our bodies on a hot day. Yet some blow over the earth to give us our weather, like our jet stream here in North America.

Some winds don't even come from the earth's rotation and amounts of humidity.

Some come from people.....as in "being very talkative"....like in "being a wind bag".

There is another kind of wind that I have experienced once again, being in Regina........THE CONSTANT WIND. I know it's weather related of course, but this wind just doesn't stop.

The only thing that woke me up in the night was the loud whistling outside. Wind. Prairie wind. It continues on and on, never letting up. Outside, it takes your breath away.....and it's COLD.

I think they should plant huge buffers of trees all along the western border between Alberta and Saskatchewan.....hundreds and hundreds of miles of trees. I think it would make a difference.

Perhaps we could hire university students as tree planters to make us a new forest for the southern half of the province. That may stop the wind from coming from the west but I don't think we'll ever be able to stop the wind coming from the south........

Between the winds of the earth and winds of people/politicians......it's the wind of the Spirit of God that truly refreshes...never too cold or too hot or too much or too little. Just right.

IMAX

We packed quite a bit in this the "birthday weekend".....thus far. From eating to shopping to eating to talking and driving and driving and driving.....I miss my small city......where in P.A. it would take no more than 10 minutes tops to get anywhere.....here it takes a minimum of 30 minutes and more, depending on the weather, the traffic, the time of day AND IF you hit the lights right.

We went to the IMAX theatre where we watched a show about hurricane Katrina and how she took a real swath out of the wet lands in the New Orleans area. It was well done. If I had seen the blackness of that wall of clouds and lightening heading straight for me, I do think I may have died of fright before ever managing to get out of the area.

The movie talked about the earth and how horribly it has been eroded over the past 50 or so years in the Mississippi delta and the difference it has made to various species within that area. With Katrina's ravages, she devoured whole rookeries of bird species, not to mention many types of vegetation as well as trees and water animals. People didn't fare well either!

The power of the earth's forces came through. Man has managed once more to survive its terrors and rebuild once more.......but the loss of wetlands will never again be recovered to its former glory. It made me sad.

Enjoy your Sunday. We'll be celebrating daughter's birthday tomorrow...a couple of days early but it's good to be with them for a time.

Overheard at the gas pumps.

You know the story about "my dad is stronger than your dad"?

Well, at the gas pump today in Regina, we saw and heard this story.

Big department of highways plough truck pulls up to one side of the back part of the lane to gas up. A busy day in Regina as the past couple of days it snowed a considerable amount. He's putting the pump away and getting ready to drive away when in front of him in the vacant pump spot, up pulls a young fellow in a van to get gas for his vehicle.

Man with big snow plough says to fellow with little van, "You had better back that van up 'cause I'm drivin' through and if you're not backed up I'm goin' to push you out of the way!" He gets into his truck, starts it up, begins to let the plough down into the "pushing" mode and begins to drive forward. There is loads of room for him to back up his truck.

Driver of van hears what was just said to him, walks over to the driver of the big plough truck and yells up at the guy through the roar of the motor, "You want me to back up, do you??? Well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do! I'm going to report you to your supervisor, THAT'S what I'm GOING to do!!! Who do you think you are? Pushing my vehicle out of the way, so you don't have to back up!!! Who the _ _ _ _ do you think you are????!!!! You WON'T be pushing my vehicle ANYWHERE!!!! Get that A_ _ _ _ _ _???!"

Would that be considered "gas pump" rage......they were't really on a road......

Life is so much more interesting in the "big city". :-(

Sickness

We really don't appreciate our good health, until it's gone.

Like anything, I suppose.

I guess that's why it's good to thank God daily for all we have....from our health, to our families, from our homes, to our food and drink. All provided by the Father's hand.

Speaking of health, I'm thankful Lauralea's surgery went well and also that my Aunt is progressing quite well the past few days from her pneumonia. Leo is doing well also and Mildred too!

We need to keep on praying for one another.

Winter is NOT over yet!!!

Sickness can strike when we least expect it like a Kung Fu madman! HiiiieeeeeeeeeeYA!!!

For Lauralea

It's Lent now. I'm thinking somber thoughts, thoughts of sacrifice and "doing unto others as you would have them doing unto you" kinds of things. I was thinking of Lauralea today and her surgery tomorrow. I thought I'd let you read this hymn and as you do, offer a prayer or two for her and her family. The words are by Francis H. Rowley, 1854-1952:

For Lauralea:

"I Will Sing the Wondrous Story

1. I will sing the wondrous story of the Christ who died for me,
How he left his home in glory for the cross of Calvary.
Chorus:
Yes, I'll sing the wondrous story of the Christ who died for me,
sing it with the saints in glory, gathered by the crystal sea.

2. I was lost, but Jesus found me, found the sheep that went astray,
Threw his loving arms around me, drew me back into the way.

3. I was bruised, but Jesus healed me, faint was I from many a fall:
Sight was gone, and fears possessed me, but he freed me from them all.

4. Days of darkness still come o'er me, sorrow's paths I often tread,
But the Savior still is with me, by his hand I'm safely led."

May God walk closely with you, dear friend, and may He guide the surgeon's hands.....

I love you........

Math

Well, hit me over the head with at least a dozen two by fours, hang me by my winter-peeling heals, make me leap out of a plane at 20,000 feet or sit me down on a bucket of ice cubes wearing only a smile..........yep, I'll take any of those before I will enjoy the thought of doing math of any kind. That would include counting money, invoicing, budgeting, piggy banks, big banks....well, you get my point.....financing, in general.

I actually have good friends who live their lives doing these kinds of things. Chartered accountants, bookkeepers, and ones who just can't wait to figure out their income tax. I simply can't understand it.....the financing, nor the people who do it. To me, it's just one enormous, horrendous thought process from another world.

I always just managed to pass math when in school.....with a huge amount of extra homework, plus a very good teacher who would spend hours after class trying various methods to allow those brain waves to comprehend the marvelous world of numbers. He persevered. I managed to actually pass.

I can memorize numbers. No problem there. I remember phone numbers from 50 years ago, that my friends had. I know my social insurance number, bank account number, health card number, address numbers, credit card number - not many folks memorize those, I'll bet!!! :-( but try and get me to understand what to do with numbers and I crumble like a Mutant Ninja Turtle on his back.

So, what am I doing now at work???? Ya. MATH. Figuring out invoicing....keeping track of budget kinds of things.....using a credit card for purchasing........what the heck is this world coming to anyway? I feel like giving up. It just doesn't go with my grain, but what do you do when it's kind of set upon you. I let people know of my inadequacies in this area of financing. I know what I can and cannot do, believe me. And yet, I spend most of my days, doing stuff with money and numbers. Heck, I even look after all the "Women's Shelter"canteen money and the 'Purified Water" money. It's good that people trust me at least. I would hate to have that responsibility and have people figure I'm some kind of cheap crook. That would definitely do me in.

Yet, I am reminded once again, that I am incapable of doing anything in my own strength. I will offer these inadequacies to the One who has created me. He has said to ask for wisdom, and so, I am asking.

Perhaps he can find a way to get those brain patterns sprinting in the right direction. I am trusting at least that he will, and it will all just fall into place.

May the Lord have mercy on us all...............

Winter skin.

Ever feel like a reptile? Scaly skin? Peeling heels? Cracked thumbs? Sore nostrils? Itchy scalp? The list goes on and on.

The main reason for our reptilian outer skin of course would be "winter skin", when there simply isn't enough moisture in the air to adequately saturate our skin cells. They dry up and we look like we've been baked in an oven all winter.

We can do things to help rectify the problem of dry winter skin.

Having a humidifier on your furnace is one step in the right direction. We don't have one!

Another thing would be getting some nice water-based cream for the occasion. (Lauralea, who sells Avon, has some pretty handy-dandy remedies for the "winter scalies"....is that a word????)

One of the old ways to enhance smooth and supple skin is oatmeal. I've never used it myself as I've always tended to eat the stuff, but they say it is great to smear over ones face. You'll just have to try it yourself, as I most likely won't be giving you any first-hand info in that regard....

My Aunt C. makes some wonderful cream with lanolin, egg whites and water. You have to beat the dickens out of it first until it gets all smooth and creamy like. Good stuff. If it gets too warm though, it smells like an old buffalo, kinda' musty like (ask the girls I work with!!)....and we don't want to be walking around the office smelling like an old buffalo, do we??? So you have to use it when it's fresh. Great for cracked heels and thumbs.

Petroleum jelly - the ever-handy Vaseline, is great not only for taking make-up off, but it keeps your lips very soft.....dab some (on your lips) at bedtime..........preferably after the smooching and stuff or you'll hear from dear husband...."Oh, yuk! What did you put on your lips???!!!", and his lips will just slide off your lips and the mood will be gone.........don't laugh...I know about these things!

If your skin gets very itchy, have a bath with a bushel of baking soda. Now that's even good for the itch in shingles.

Don't sit on heat registers.....like our cats and dogs end up doing. See how they end up scratching themselves.....and we don't want to go around scratching ourselves like that, do we!

Ya, those are some good old remedies. But if you're anything like me, you'll not do any of them and you'll just wait for spring as you scratch your way through winter. Letter openers are good scratchers as well as pens, rulers or anything pointy.

Cheer up. New skin should arrive shortly.

Recognition

Basically, I believe we, as humans, have a very deep need (and desire, for that matter), to be recognized. Recognized for things we've done. Recognized for things we're planning on doing. Recognized for accomplishments that we may be remotely involved in...others have done the main job, but we tag along for the accolades that are handed out in the end.

Aren't we very funny and strange people?

We want people to notice that without us doing "X" job, it would never have been done, and therefore, we would not be in the wonderful "place" that we now are enjoying.

Some even go so far as actually believing that....that they have done "X" when in reality, it has been others who have done the "X", but because they had a hand in a tiny part of "X", they do not hesitate to take ALL the credit. It's important to recognize, I believe, that credit will be given by others, where credit is due.

We fall short in our attempt at being humble. We cannot simply get over ourselves. We NEED others to see the good we do. Why is that? Are we so insecure in ourselves and our relationship to Christ that we need other's approval.....Christ's approval just doesn't cut it on it's own?

But Christ wants that of us. He wants us to be rid of our bragging and boasting. It is good enough that only he knows what we have done to further his kingdom...no one else needs to know. No one needs to know how generous we are with our money. No one needs to know how we did "X" for Mrs. so-and-so. No one needs to know how many "letters" we have following our names and how much education we have achieved.....NO ONE. All of these things are good, to be sure, and we work very hard to achieve these goals, but when we express the importance of these things about ourselves, we turn our accomplishments on to ourselves, not on the ONE who has allowed us to receive these blessings and gifts.

I believe that when we have rid ourselves of ourselves and we have asked for forgiveness for wanting to "be known" in all we do, we will then experience the true life Christ has for us, in all humility and gentleness and meekness.

I've been thinking quite a bit lately of Mother Theresa of Calcutta. She desired earnestly to do the will of the Father, wanting to help those less fortunate and she did just that. No fanfare. No proclamation in front of her peers that what she was doing was indeed, most excellent.

No. She went about her work, the work of God, humbly, without recognition, all for the sake of those that needed her love and help.....and for Christ's sake.

Oh, God, we have so far to go in this area. You have said "the meek shall inherit the earth". Give us enough sensitivity to give without receiving, to give without expecting anything in return.

Help us, I pray.

Stay home!

As my dear father used to say often in the winter, "It's not fit for man nor beast".

Well, in my father's footsteps, I too say, "It's not fit for man nor beast.....nor women for that matter!!!"

IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT TODAY...D O N ' T! STAY HOME!!!

It's a "sit-by-the-fire-and-drink-tea-or-whatever" kind of day.

Husband and I went out, but we're foolish.........and hardy, of course. :-)

We figured if the ravens can go flying around out there with a minus 42 windchill factor, we can too. Besides, we're gearing up and preparing for our potluck tomorrow so stuff had to be purchased in order to feed the hardy souls that show up to celebrate Gateway's good 2007 we had last year.

It will be great. Oh, and if you're in the neighborhood, come on over to Gateway for some great food tomorrow around noon-ish. We ALWAYS have lots and we ALWAYS have a great time eating together. We'll welcome you.

Church starts at 10 if you feel so inclined, but if you don't feel so inclined, come for the food. And I mean that!!!!

It's shakin' down....

...to be one of THOSE weeks. People are ill with flu, colds and pneumonia. Others are having major surgery.....or not, some are traveling around the globe, some are depressed and angry and agitated while still others are experiencing the pain of a death....not to mention some experiencing relationship and marriage frustrations . And those are people that I know! I know there are the lists of the people YOU know too.

I've been working mornings this week and staying home in the afternoons to rest my body. I must say, I believe that was the best possible medicine I could have prescribed. The shingles are beginning to run their course quite well, beginning to dry up and pain is slowly decreasing daily. There are times when we make decisions for ourselves that are just plain good ones. I'm not only beginning to feel better but I have had some good discussions with God lately....you know, about the people in the first paragraph. So in light of the first paragraph, the week has been heavy.

I believe the celebration our church will enter into on Sunday with a potluck dinner and all, will shake down to be the icing on a pretty disastrous cake! Oh, ya..........

I'm just a red neck.

I'm walking with Lauralea these days ( in spirit) as she is scheduled for surgery....then she's canceled, then she's on......then she's off..........now she's on again. Not enough hospital beds.

So, my next observation....duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh.......would be, NO BEDS = NOT GOOD!!!

Maybe I'm just one of those, you know, ignorant red necks, who really don't know much about the hierarchies of surgical evaluations....like who goes when and who gets bumped out and who gets to stay. We must really be in dire straits here.

I was wondering what would happen here in town if a huge disaster befell us (and it could happen you know), and how we would manage if our hospital here was full to capacity. Not many other hospitals in outlying regions any more - where would those folks go if they were say, bleeding to death or overcome with some kind of fumes.........hundreds of people. Things like this do happen folks but we wouldn't even be able to put them into the one hospital we do have if it were full already.

And being the ignorant red neck from the prairies that I am, it just appears that there is so much more money spent in towns and cities further to the east..........like Ontario......big money, huge money, spent on various lovely things that we don't have much of out here in the middle of nowhere. Money for great hospitals and artsy kinds of buildings and all that stuff. I think we need more money out here from down there. I think we need to dig a nice big ditch from Ottawa to P.A. where cash would just flow at a slow even pace, nothing too fast, we don't want to appear greedy, just so we could have things like, more beds for sick folks, which in turn, may mean hiring more doctors and nurses...............of course, I'm just an ignorant red neck, don't forget. Don't know much about these kinds of things.......

But, someone, somewhere needs one big kick in the pants, to my way 'a thinkin'...........

Come spring, I'm getting out my trusty shovel.......join me? I've never tried ditch diggin'.....

Lent

Well, today begins the season of Lent. Forty days before Easter, I believe.

There are folks who give up certain things as a sign of sacrifice....representing Christ's sacrificing his life. There are others who take more time to be in solitude and others offer more of what they have to the poor. Many ways to make it a time of "giving up" something, all with the underlying thought of attempting to offer whatever we have to God as a sacrifice.

I thought a bit differently this year about Lent. Having these blasted shingles and all, I figured the reason I broke out with them was because my body was somewhat run down. A little stressed and a lot tired. It needs to be nurtured. It needs more rest. This past week I've been staying home during the afternoons, just to rest my body.....not necessarily sleep.....just rest. Since I was a kid, I have always needed more sleep than most people. Just how I'm made. Eight hours minimum.

So, in that light, I have decided to make a conscious effort to make my body more whole by getting to bed by at least 10 p.m. Now, I know that isn't giving up anything but I figured that God gave me this body to serve Him and if I don't treat it properly, I won't be doing any serving at all. My offering to God for this Lenten season, is the time I will take to nourish his gift to me....my whole body.

In my rest, I make time to talk to God too, about people and circumstances and about life in general.

I'm attempting to watch more closely what I eat too.....other than the odd custard-filled crepe or dish of ice cream......I'm trying.

God, let this offering of my rested body, be OK with you............

Speaking of gifts.....

I personally, have received two gifts in one week.

One by a beautiful young woman. She brought me a rose on her way to the movies with her husband. They lead very busy lives with three young children but they decided to make a night of it and go out for supper and then a movie. How often does that happen to young parents??? Not often! But in the middle of their evening out, they stopped at a store, picked out a beautiful red rose, complete with a card addressed to "the rose of Sharon blogger" with wishes to get well soon. Just another example of love shown within the Body of Christ. It made me so appreciative on many levels....that someone would actually think about me in the first place, but that it was a very deliberate choice to stop and do an act of kindness. I think that will stay with me a long, long time.....perhaps longer even!!! Things like that, I keep in my heart. I like to keep them there because it's those things that make ones heart a little more thankful, a little more softer, a bit more kind, instead of other unimportant, negative things....like how someone hurt me or how someone slighted me.....you know, that kind of stuff.

OK. that was one gift.

The other gift was not to me specifically.....and yet, it was. At least, I am taking it as that, well a part of the gift anyway.

Our church body sent Pastor Randall and wife Lauralea on a Sabbatical last year. We sent them to the Island of Iona in northern Scotland. We sent them to receive refreshment and a time away together not to mention some quality time with God. They went. They came back. It was good for them to do. But I think the event perhaps will have long-term effects on them. Every now and then the Pastor speaks of things he learned through that time away and Lauralea does as well. While they were there in a gift shop, she was glancing through a book with Celtic crosses. She found one that looked familiar and sure enough it was the same cross pattern she had made of clay for her husband for Christmas several months before. She didn't know when she made it, but it was the cross of Iona. Cool.

Anyway, she wanted to somehow say thank you to all of us, the congregation for their time away on Iona, for the love we had shown them in that act. She, in her pottery class, made a beautiful large clay Celtic cross, hand crafted it was........it had a burnished bronze look. The detail is extraordinary. She presented it to the congregation last Sunday, her way of saying, "thank you". Her way of telling each of us that she loves us.

What gifts. Two in one week.

God gives good gifts too.........eternal life, for one........

A Birthday gift.

Today is our granddaughter's 14th birthday. Wasn't it only yesterday I sat her on my knee to feed her mashed up carrots and stewed applesauce with a bottle of milk to top it all off? Seems like it was just recently we attended her first school Christmas concert. I think it was a week or so ago that we would put her on the swing at Waskesiu, pushing, pushing, pushing, like it would never end.

Life is like that. Fast!

Today, she stands as a beautiful, tall, confident and intelligent young woman, waiting for her chance at life and all that it offers her. High school next year and the beginning of new challenges. We love to watch her enjoy life. I think she's a happy person, a sensitive and caring girl, one who loves us and we know it. She is a good daughter to her parents (most of the time....she's a teenager, after all!!!) a good friend to others, and involves herself in her French, flute, basketball, dance classes and honor roll school work.

So, Happy Birthday, dear sweet Brittney! The rest of your life awaits you. Live it to the fullest and may God watch over you every day of your life.

I know it's your birthday, but YOU are God's gift to us and we are thankful!

We love you Darling..........oh, and "don't slip in the shower!" :-)

Grammy and Grampy
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Smoking.

I was thinking of some of my friends who have reconsidered their habit of smoking and have quit their addiction.

It's quite an achievement, I must say. I'm very proud that they have been able to do it too. Not an easy task.

Some folks I know, have gone back to the habit. The addiction was simply too great to overcome. I feel for those people because I know they will have felt disappointment in themselves. They will feel weak for going back. It may even depress them to the point of not trying again.

Well, the Bible says there is a season for everything under the sun. I believe there is even a season for people to fall back into their old ways....and there is a season for them to go ahead without their old ways.

The book I'm reading by Henri Nouwen "The Inner Voice of Love", speaks of those kinds of life's disappointments and disillusionments......with himself.

Be encouraged friends. There are seasons to be sure, of difficulties....and those too will end.

Community

I've been thinking about community quite a bit lately.....the Christian community in particular, I suppose.

What is it?
Why do we have it?
Are we dependent upon it?....and for what?
What makes it work?
Are people drawn to it innately?
What is important about contributing to community?....and why do we sometimes shy away from contributing in any way to it?
Are we dependent upon one another, as the Body of Christ, enough to help one another through rough times?
Are we in close enough relationship to Christ, to offer "helpful criticism" to one another?
If Christ is within us, as a community, why do we find it difficult sometimes to minister to the down-and-out, the "outcasts" of our society? Didn't Jesus come to do that, in particular???
Did Jesus come to welcome us to worship every Sunday and say at the end of our time together, "see you next week?"
Why are there those folks who chaff against the leading of the pastor, when it is the pastor whom God has called to serve and lead us?
Why do we come together every Sunday? and when we do, if we have Christ within us, why is it that we come with negativity, mistrust and a judgmental spirit?
How can we love one another, as Christ himself has loved us?

Ya, those are some questions that have been rattling around in my brain the last while. Husband and I had quite a lengthy discussion in this regard today. We talked about all of those questions and came away with many answers.

The common thread of course was, relationship. Relationship to Jesus.

Sometimes we wander off, far away from Him and community and we don't even realize it....until someone asks the question:

"How is your walk?"

Happy February 1st!!

A new month.

I like February. Have you noticed how the days are lengthening? Considerably too! We eat supper in the daylight!

Makes my heart glad. So, the sun can stay out as long as it wishes, now that January is over. I have it in my head that there should be sunshine from February 1 to September 1......after that, it's all cloud baby!!! Seven months sun.......five months cloud. I like it. We'll see how it all works out, eh?

And don't forget tomorrow is Groundhog Day. If that dang beast sees his shadow, we'll be in for another 6 weeks of winter......but it's OK 'cause I like the sun.........NOW.

On a roofing note......the shingles have been progressing down from the peak......of my shoulder, that is. Dang, if that doesn't hurt.

Have a good nite all. My drugs are doing wonders! Praise the Lord.....and pass another pill!