Big Bucks.....

My husband not only salivates when seeing a nice big buck (top pic) but his pulse rises and maybe even his blook pressure ascends a point or two just reading about them (second pic)!

He and his buddy are off hunting. The meat will be precisely and beautifully cut to perfection, some ground into deerburger and some made into various sausages.

I think in the last three pics, he's daydreaming about hunting and contemplating hunting and getting his manly legs all limbered up for the great hunt.

And the way Wall Street is teetering on the brink these days, it's good to know I have a husband who can provide for our daily bread....even if it is in the form of deer meat.

So, today I thank God for big bucks........and I don't mean $$$$ kind either.

Great flaming fireballs, Batman!!!

ScreeeeeeCH....%$(!!!!&^*$&^()^_(& PinGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG...SLAMMMMMM...BONK%^(^)ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.... BANNNNNGGGGGGGG.....

#%(*)#(&%* ROARRRRRRRR.....SCREEEEEEEEEECH.....click....click.....click....click....click.....

Ya, that was me racing home from seeing Aunt Connie and noticing how beautifully the sun was setting. I figured it was now or never.

I tried not to speed. Raced down the back alley (well, not street raced or anything!!), ran into house and grabbed camera and screeched off down the road to an open field.

This was my gift for this evening....all pink and golden and purple and blue and orange and ....magnificent....

Once again the Creator creates.

God-given days....

Amazing how the sky begins it's decent into fall. The top picture was a beautiful, sizzling summer day. The bottom two are towards evening in late September a week or so ago. They put me in totally different states of mind.

In summer, my bones don't ache, the days are so much longer...it's all warm and good.

In fall, my bones begin to ache, the days begin to shorten very quickly....a downward spiral into cold.

Don't get me wrong. I love winter and white and snow....it's what it does to me physically that is a pain not only in the behind but a pain everywhere else too.

But you know what....they are all God-given days. Days to live and love and appreciate all we have been given. Days to learn how to be obedient...as Pastor Randall preached this morning....acknowledging that obedience to God is the foundation of our lives.........nothing else....so that when the winter storms come rolling in, we are secure in knowing our obedience to the Master is our greatest need.

Timely words.

Scenes from a bathroom window....

Of the eight houses I have lived in over my 60 years, this house has the best window ever....and it's in the bathroom!! None of the houses of my past even had a window in the bathroom, so here I am every morning with new and varying scenic views to greet me, according to the season.

The shutters give the privacy we need but above that is a whole open window letting in streams of morning sun, offering a feast for my bleary eyes of pinks, blues, whites and even sometimes greys.

The enormous elm tree provides summer shade from the stifling morning sun and mounds of hoar frost as the temperatures plummet to frigid.

I like this tiny bathroom. It's the smallest one I have ever had but the window view makes up for it's size.

I'll try and keep you posted on the "scenes from a bathroom window".......as the seasons change.

Will that be 1, 2 or 3 scoops??

Have you ever had someone ask you that? I have.

Granddaughter (above)......every single time we went to "The Scoop" at Waskesiu, (which weren't all that many times....aaaahemmmmm) would ask us that question. And we would answer according to our appetites.

Of course then we had to choose the flavor......out of 20 or so.........

If we chose one scoop, it meant that we had just had supper, two scoops meant we had just had supper;-) and well, three scoops probably meant we had either eaten supper a few hours ago, or we hadn't eaten for most of the afternoon. It all depended...

I think I'm like that with God. When we're talking he and I, I sometimes find myself asking for things that most likely aren't that good for me. Perhaps I ask for more than I should have or certainly more than I need and I end up with a belly ache.

I need to sit back a bit and consider things a bit more before speaking them out.

Perhaps I sould have sherbet instead. It would be much better for me....but alas, too often I choose the triple chocolate fudge/peaut butter cup/tiger-tiger complete with hot fudge and whipped cream for toppings. Ya.

Oh God, when I find myself overindulging with the 'things' of life, come and show me those things that give me Life and health.......not a sore belly!

Feet + Fire = Friendship

What do you get when you put a bunch of girls feet in a hot tub plus you gather a bunch of chairs around an outdoor fire in a back yard.......no, not pruny feet that smell like smoke......

You get friendship.

That's right. Good old fashioned friendship.

We have a good time when we're together. We are not afraid to be ourselves...whoever and whatever that may look like. Sometimes it's pretty funny, other times quite sobering.....

So, cheers to us, the Hot Tub Queens!

May we forever join our feet in bubbling water and cheer each other with bubbling wine....or fizzing soft drink......it all works.....while the fire warms the cockles of our behinds!

Thanks God for friends.

roots....

Roots. They hold the key to life....for a tree especially. They seek out water to nourish the branches which produce fruit in due season.

A tree planted by the river is usually strong and productive. The leaves are lush as the roots reach deeply to the life-giving waters below, soaking up as much as the roots will allow.

I desire to be like a tree. I desire my roots to go deeply into Christ, the Living Water so that I too, will produce fruitfulness - those things in my life that are honorable and good and true. Lots of times my roots are shallow, they scurry along the surface in search of something else which is never found. I become parched and wither from lack of moisture. Then there are times when my roots strengthen as they sink deeply and I soak up ravenously all that the Living Water will provide.

In the Old Testament, Jeremiah 17:4-8 says:

"This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. 6 They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.
7 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. 8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit."

Strengthen my roots, O God, so I may soak up the delights of your mercy and grace and peace. May I drink freely from your Living Waters.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

Reds....

The color red has such depth. I think I like it because it reminds me of a special holiday that comes once a year and will come again in about three months from now.....(I didn't want to say "Christmas" for fear it may scare a few of you off).

So, ya, red is a very good color in my books.

Some of the trees are only beginning to turn to those lovely shades while others are on full red display. The apple was as red as it was going to get on our tree, so we plucked it and this evening, there will be pie making happening in our house so husband can take a home-grown apple pie on his hunting trip.

I don't think wanting a piece of that pie so bad it will make me want to go hunting though.

I'll stay put and enjoy the reds of autumn before they're covered in the whites of winter.

Flocking up and turning bleak....

That's what it appears to be doing outside these days. Birds are getting together, eating farmers out of everything in sight and in some places in the country side and in town it's looking grey.

I don't like grey.

I don't mind white.....I love the green.......but I really dislike grey.

I puts me in a mood.

And the Cipro XL I've been taking for the past week has taken it's toll on me.

Feel like I've been whooped, whacked and shook up like a mess o' butter in a churn.

Think I'll go to bed now....hope my dreams are in color......not grey......

Whoooooa.....

Time for a nap.......

It's gold out there!!!!!!

Happy Fall......

Oh, I neglected to introduce you to Ebeneezer the Cat, from Mont St. Joseph nursing home. We're becoming fast friends, he and I.

I miss my cats......but Ebeneezer will have to suffice.

Missing in action...

Ya. That's me the past few days. Missing....everything. People. Pastor's last council meeting. Pastor's last congregational meeting. Visiting my poor aunt. Work. Being outside enjoying the lovely sunsets.

Being sick is no fun:-(

So, I shall depend on the high-powered, super-duper antibiotic. Although it has it's definite draw-backs, to be sure. Not sure if I can keep on with it. It most likely is healing up the infection in my nether-regions of Kidney Land, etc. but in the other nether-regions it isn't doing so well. Bummer.....so to speak.

But sometimes when we think we have all the time in the world to pray for people and circumstances, especially when we're lying there doing absolutely nothing, our sickness takes hold of us, body, mind and spirit. I suppose that must be one of the reasons we pray for those who are sick....because when you're sick, you sure don't feel up to praying for yourself.

That's my way o' thinkin'...........

Hope you all are well.

Harvest moon....

I guess that's it....why they call it "harvest moon". The farmers are working their combines until late into the early morning hours, especially these warm nights with not much dew.

Good days to get the grains from the fields and into the bins. They begin in the morning as soon as the sun dries up any moisture from the night before and, barring any mechanical breakdowns, their machinery gobbles up the rows and rows of swath. Sometimes they don't even swath the grain, they just straight combine.

When the moon appears, it looks like daylight out there....and so a good name for it.

Harvest Moon.

So, I shall pray for NO rain....just sweet, warm, breezy days for all those in the harvest mode.

Waiting...

When son phoned last night there was something that he said, or asked me, that no one has ever asked me....at least that I can remember.

He said "And what's happening in your spiritual life, Mom?"

I sometimes find myself asking others that question but I had not been asked that by anyone before, least of all my child.

I felt honoured to have been asked the question. How many people actually care about someone's spiritual life anyway these days.

I thought for a moment. I wanted to answer truthfully and plainly. My answer...."I'm waiting." I then went on to explain what I meant by that.

I'm waiting to hear from God on many things. Waiting to hear him regarding my children, what he has for them, the plans he has set before them and if they will allow themselves to mesh with his plans. I'm waiting to see hopefully some of my prayers fulfilled.

I'm waiting to see what God has for us as a church body. Waiting to see who God has prepared ahead of time to replace our dear Pastor who has been called elsewhere, in order for our church to become all that God wants her to be.

I'm waiting to see what the next step is in my own spiritual journey. I don't want to be jumping into things that I shouldn't be involved in, nor do I want to go ahead of God before I know what he is leading me into...... but I need to wait and see how he allows me to be used in perhaps new ways. I just don't know yet. I'm waiting and I need patience to do that.

Waiting is difficult. It's difficult because I always think I should be "doing" something...instead of waiting. But I have and continue to learn that in waiting, we begin to know the mind of Christ. In listening, in that small voice, we begin to find his leading. Iwant to make sure though, that I don't miss the boat, just sitting there waiting.....and the boat is off down river, with me not aboard.

So, there is a fine line, I'm finding. A fine line where we must step out in faith, believing in God. Not flying ahead. Not sitting behind. Stepping out.....believing that God is before me....and beside me and beneath me.

Isaiah 40:31 says:

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength,

They shall mount up with wings as eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint."

In waiting I shall become strong.

As God renews my strength, I will be able to be like those birds up there. See how God has made their wings to allow them to take those huge bodies effortlessly into flight, to soar and be free.

And so, I shall wait upon the Lord.

Talking...

It's vital to our being human, this talking business. Perhaps too, it isn't always the verbal messages we give to those in our presence. It can be a glance, a smile, or acknowledging the other person just by looking in their eyes.

I know I keep going back to our summer vacation, but I do believe it was the best vacation, or summer for that matter, I have ever had. It was a time of reflecting. It was a time for husband and I to sit over a cup of coffee either at the Hawood Inn, the Trading Post, the Evergreen Cafe or the 9th hole at the golf course and just be with one another. It was so good. When our children were with us it was all good too.

Daughter phoned this evening. When I said "hello"...she said...."what's wrong?" She knows me that well. The father of a good friend of ours had just past away today and I am feeling the effects of that sadness. She could tell by how I spoke that something was not quite right. So, we talked abuot that and the sadness it brings. It was good to hear her voice and to hear about school and classes and frustrations that come with wanting to do well. She has come so far...and I love her so much.....

Then son called shortly afterward. When I heard his voice I knew he wasn't feeling up to par. We chatted too, about what is deemed important in life, and the things that could/should be left on the back burner in the whole scheme of things. The achieving of excellent grades is not near as important as the practical lessons that we receive from those classes, those lessons that can be put to practical use for those in need. We talked about many things...love, expectations (self imposed and from others), traditions, school, our spiritual lives, death, hunting, finances (to some extent) and of course, our favorite item of discussion......cats (and our lack thereof!!). I prayed for him while he was on the phone with me....he was appreciative.

You see, talking...communicating....we do that with people don't we. We want to know them better. We want to be of help to them. We want to care for them. So, whether we go out for a cup of tea or coffee to sit around and chat or whether we invite someone over for a meal, it always involves interaction one way or another.

It's the same with God. How do we in all honesty, get to actually KNOW God anyway. Well, I've discovered it's the very same way as getting to know my children or my husband or friend. Communicating. Talking. Listening. That's how we get to know God.

It's Sunday tomorrow. How about inviting God out for tea.......

Wind and waves....

It's a great day to pay tribute to the wind and the waves in honor of Hurricane Ike and his several predecessors of late.

When I took the above pics the wind was around 40 km/hr NOT 160 km/hr like it is in Huston as I type this. I hope cousin Sue and Joe have their hatches down and all that.

The power of wind fascinates me to no end...but it also puts within me a fear like no other. The power of it can rip apart what man has taken years to make...in seconds.

I think back on the great Tsunami a few years back and Hurricane Katrina and the many other terrifying storms that have torn through many parts of the world over the years.

Our little waves and breezes here in northern Saskatchewan cannot compare (the recent exception, of course, being the tornado that wreaked havoc to many farms north of town a few weeks back!!!)

I count myself fortunate this night for flat land, open spaces and no waves or winds to terrorize me.

I do pray for those who are in the midst of the storms of life....emotional or physical. May God bring them through unscathed.

Rushes.....and grasses.....

I do enjoy the look of the bull rushes and the grasses in the fall....they look so....so.....hmmmm....fall-ish.....;-)

Everything is color coordinated too. Greens and browns blending into various shades of gold and yellow.

As I've said before, I'm not an autumn person, but the subtle shades can be spectacular when seen all together.

The huge hawk enjoyed the run of the countryside just as much as I did. He looked like a kite with no strings attached!

Still standing...

It's amazing we haven't had a frost...yet. These lovelies are still blooming and still eager to show off.

Whether out in the fields that surround the City or in our own back yard, life in the plant world continues to hold on.

It will be good to look back on these pictures in a few months......

And the apple continues to ripen........nearly ready to be plucked and eaten.