Roses...

Whether they're in color or in black and white, pictures of roses always fascinate me.  I received a beautiful bouquet of red ones the other day and no matter what I do, I cannot capture in a picture the velvety deep red shade of these lovelies.  Perhaps I need to use a different setting on my camera, so if anyone out there knows what I should do, please tell me. 

Anyway, here are a few shots while the sun filtered through the front doors.

I did a bit of color adjusting with this one...different but still

captures the loveliness of a rose.

Sometimes pictures look nice in black and white too.

Busssssy...

I've been busier than (as the old saying goes) a one-armed paper hanger.

Here are some pics of what I've been up to....

The whole dress-up gang.

Cynthia, the Egyptian Girl

Cruelle deVille (one half)

Cruella deVille (the other half)

Geisha Girl

"Thor"

My super co-workers.....Captain Arrrrrrrr...Corinne; Witchy-poo Penny;

PeaceMan Deb; and The Fifties Gal...Twila

Twila with her "Poodle Skirt" and saddle oxfords!

Bake sale was a total success!  Thanks to all who

baked and those who bought...a great community service!

Em and Jenn helped with the Youth Table.

Concentration....

The beginning of the freeze-over.

Frosty

Underneath, you can still find greenery.

Hoar frost on the grass.

The present view from our back yard.

See!!  Like I said, I've been busy....well, taking pictures anyway.

From Halloween dress-up at the Forest Centre to the bake sale today at church with some frosty moments along the river bank in between.

Perhaps tomorrow I shall begin to relax a bit....and attempt to stay away from that river bank!!!

Kid's Club....

Last night it was story telling at Kid's Club.  There were also games, supper, coloring and talking.  I did the story.  I knew some of the younger children had never been used to sitting and listening to others.  They craved attention and sought any way to get it....being the center of that attention was their main purpose.  They managed to achieve their goal...but not before I had a chance to talk about a tiny baby who was(almost)  sawed in two by a very wise king.  THAT got their attention!!!  So, if nothing else, perhaps one day they may think about that story..... of how King Solomon used his great wisdom to save the life of a tiny baby and its REAL mother.  Interesting story....you should read it one day....anyway, the kids figured it could have been pretty gruesome had the king actually sawed that little baby in half....but wisdom reigned!

We talked about wisdom....knowing right from wrong and making decisions accordingly that would be the best and most just in that situation.  That is difficult to do...to make decisions impartially, without too much emotion being involved in that decision.

WISDOM.  Solomon asked God for it.  He didn't ask for power or riches.  He asked for wisdom to be able to rule his people.  God answered him not only by giving him wisdom, but because he asked for that particular thing, God saw fit for him to also have riches.  Good and wise thinking, Solomon!!!!

Here are some of the kids who listened????to the wisdom story.  Some adults and teens were there to help out too!

One gal even celebrated her birthday!

The Birthday Girl.

Stickers are always fun!

Playing "The Game"

Ready???for story time????

Such was my evening last.  Tonight was my first night this week to just relax....and I did just that!

The first....

Yes, it was the first....snowfall, that is....and you can bet your socks and mitts it won't be the last.  When you say it fast "another six months or so until we see green leaves again"...it doesn't sound too bad.  But when you say "another oh.....200 days until we see green leaves again", well, that's enough to make you curl up in a corner, and drink tea.

Don't get me wrong...I LOVE the snow.  It's beautiful and clean and it makes the air crispy.  I don't like the extra time it takes to get places, the extra layer of clothing, the boots and the woolies.  And I don't like coming out of swimming at the pool and have my wet hair freeze up in mid air. 

So, we shall take it a bit at a time.  A few weeks at a time.  Halloween is this week and then Remembrance Day followed by a miriad of birthdays and then Christmas and New Years.  After that, we will just have to make up our own list of fun things like "How Many 1000 Piece Puzzles can I Do in One Week?" or "What Will it Take to Get Me Active Outside?" or how about "How Far Can I Skate/Ski/Walk Without Falling on My Keester".  There must be a whole ton of things we can do during the time from New Years to May Long Weekend!  I know you'll come up with many interesting and challenging things....?????

Anyway, here was what it looked like outside my office building today.

It just stuck to everything...including those whopping big Lodge Pole Pines against the building.  It's all ever-so-pretty, don't you think?

Fa la la la la.....la la la laaaaaa

A productive day...

At work it was busy.  Letters to be typed, merged, mailed.  Items to be ordered for various people.  Guest list to keep up-to-date for a farewell supper.  Emails to send and respond to.  People who needed to be heard and encouraged.

And then husband had a chicken Caesar salad all prepared when I got home, complete with a slice of garlic toast.  Yum! And that was after he made 15 jars of home made peach jam!

Following supper, for me it was baking for the sale this coming weekend, while husband had a committee meeting to chair and attend.

Here are some visible results of our labors today...I hope it makes you want to come to the sale too!  Gateway Covenant - 15th and 15th east - 10 - 2 this Saturday!  Baking AND crafts...and lunch too if you want an excellent lunch for a reasonable price!

Anyway, I thought these looked pretty tantalizing....Christmas Cherry Bars with almond icing. A family favorite!

I could chomp down a few of these...in no time!

Husband's peach jam...all ready for toast.

I do think we make a pretty good team.  He buys the ingredients for my baking and I write up the labels that go on his preserves.:)

It's uhhhhhh.......

Two months 'til Christmas eve!!!

There is so much I love about Christmas, so much I just love to think about.  Memories for one.  Memories of childhood because even though we had very little, we had so much.  We appreciated every single thing that was given to us from a "Christmas orange" to ribbon candy and crayons. I think that's why I remember it so vividly because during the year we had no treats to speak of but at Christmas everything was mystical and magical and full of wonder.  I know now it must have been a great sacrifice to my parents to do the special things they did for us at that time of the year....sacrifices we didn't understand.

As an adult, I now know about sacrifice....about how one gives up something for another...to do without so that someone else might have something instead of me.  I want that kind of Christmas....

But not before Halloween and remembering again on November 11th the sacrifices of a world at war.  Now that was a whole different kind of sacrifice happening....

So tonight I shall snuggle up and think about my children and snow and lights.....and the One whom we celebrate...just two months from tonight.

Sleep well...perhaps the rain will turn to snow.......???:)

How deep....

Sometimes I think about God's love for me.  It's a pretty big thought.  I really can't put words to it but there are others who have.  Here is one song we'll sing tomorrow.  It begins with this verse:

"How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One, bring many sons to glory."

Tomorrow as we begin our six week series entitled "A Season to Grow", we will begin to talk about what God has done for us..as a church and as individuals.  We will begin the job of looking inward, of reflection, of taking stalk of our relationship with God.  Are we going backward...standing still....being luke-warm or indifferent towards God?  How are we viewing our fellow man who shares this planet with us?  Are we being just in our view of others or are we judgemental?  Do we follow through on plans to help others?  Are we walkin' the walk...or just talkin' the talk?  And if we call ourselves "Christians" or "Christ followers", how do others know we are who we say we are?  Are we making a difference in our little corner of the world?  Questions that need to be asked.  Pertinent questions. 
 
And when we begin to answer these questions, it's kind of like being in a probationary review or at least a little slot out of our lives that causes us to rethink where we are in our spiritual walk with the God of the universe.  I get to thinking about this and begin to realize again the importance of the here and now and to think about how I am measuring up.  It will be kind of late to change the world to any degree, lying on my death bed....so it's NOW that I need to concern myself with....not tomorrow...or later.  NOW. 
 

Not sure if ever you think on these things but I surely do.

 

So these next six weeks should bring about a change for the good in my life, if it is what I truly desire within me.  

 

Yes...........change is good, Donkey.....to quote a big green guy.

 

Helping....

It's how things get done!

Gettin' it ready...

The gal at work who exudes 'pizzaz' and  has a 'joi de vivre' is moving to Ontario....Deb Weedon.

A few of us are busy planning a "night to remember" in her honor.

Should be a blast.

L-R - Jack (Nicholson) Frost,  Voodoo Mamma WeeDEN, Dr. Hacksaw Atkinson

The thing that bothers me most, other than missing her, is the fact that there is no other person like her anywhere!  She gives us encouragement and joy and and a sense of fun......she's a definite one of a kind!

We have a little less than a month left with her but I find it sad.  I know I most likely won't see her again after these few weeks...and I wonder what her life will be like in Ontario with her family.  I pray that God would go with her....even before her...

People come into and go from my life.  I carry around a sense of loss when they leave but I know that's how life is. 

She will be missed.....a lot....

Practice....

The Worship Team just had practice.  It was good.  Since I am responsible this week to get this organized, we found that this night would be the best night for practice.  The pianist and organist and jambe player all were there practicing with me as I sang through each song for Sunday.

I mention this because, like in any job, it is the teamwork that makes a job function and function well.  If there is lack of leadership and/or teamwork, it will go off on some kind of fuzzy tangent where no one knows where they are or what they were called to do.  It's like that at my job at work and it is the same with leading a worship service on a Sunday morning.  There are differences, of course, but we all need a sense of direction in whatever we undertake.

Teamwork also encourages us in various ways.  Our weaknesses are overshadowed by someone else's strengths and visa versa.  In a good team, we are allowed to follow through on those strengths and when we have weaknesses, others have enough patience with us to encourage us to do better.  THAT'S teamwork!

So, in our practice, we all used our gifts that were given to us and it worked out well.  And my teammates had a great deal of patience with me as I sang!!!  I shall have some help with that part on Sunday.

Enjoy your night...and sleep well my dears....we have much to be thankful for.

I missed you...

I didn't get posting last night.  It was a "meeting" night and things got a bit late.

But I do hope your day went well.

During the course of my day yesterday, I heard stories of illness and sadness and that made me sad too.

Remember that God is in the midst of us and holds us fast and close....He's as near as a whisper.....

Go with God toady....

But...but...butt...

ATTENTION:  This blog posting may be sensitive to some audiences and may be viewed as  personal, distasteful, or much too imaginative....VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. 

So, how exactly does one post about something that is totally much too personal but really SHOULD be posted because it the cause of much consternation, pain and suffering for the past many days.  It has been a pain the butt for me, but honestly, I just don't know if it's worth posting about it here.

Walking is OK.  Sleeping is fine.  I don't DO running, so I'm OK there.;-)  But take me to my full-time office job where one pulls up ones fine ergonomic chair to do the office chores of the day and well, as I say, it's just a pain in the butt.  I like my job, don't get me wrong.  I enjoy the typing and the phone calls and the ordering and the hotel reservations and yes, even the monthly financial bank statement...not to mention the hearing out  of my friends as they tell me their stories of life.

But all of that these days, even with my lovely ergonomic chair, is, as I have said, a pain in the butt.

How many of you out there have been pregnant....not to change the subject or anything....but I want a show of hands.  OK.  So those of you with your arms raised, did sitting in a chair become a thing of pain and loathing for you in your last trimester?  Did your feet swell up and you became like a bloated, dead cow?  And with all that pressure on your "lower parts" with having 15-20 pounds of child plus many extra quarts of unknown liquid, did you ever have excruciating pain after.....shall we say...uhhhh............well, OK males may now stop reading.......................................having a "time of bowel relief" finding huge nodules "down there" where once there were none?  Yes?  Being pregnant has it's perks....and it also has it's new adventures in anal-ity......(I just made that word up).  See where I'm going with this?  I haven't had this problem for....let's see....coming up 27 years....and low and behold, I have to take a rolled up towel with me, wheresoever I may take my butt...which really is everywhere, isnt' it!

So, my next question is....if you're still with me through this very unpleasant conversation...how do you sit on a rolled up towel (in a circle like a donut) inconspicuously in a very public office?

YOU DON'T.

You simply roll up your towel, place it on your chair, and ease into it, pushing at the edges front and back...just so....making like your hands are going underneath your legs and you look like some kind of pervert!  After others have witnessed this disgusting act, you simply stand up, show them your little donut hole, and let them draw their own conclusion about what is going on in your little corner of the office.  You may get a few giggles, a few eyebrows raised, some comments like "too much information"....but it's all OK.

It's all good....a bit humiliating....but good for letting go of ones ego, if nothing else.

Yes, my name is Sharon Kent....and I have hemorrhoids.


We will now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

This pictures just reminded me of....well.....lumps and bumps and such......:-)

Please, please, please...

That was the jest of the sermon this morning by Pastor Seth.  Jesus was talking what the kingdom of God was like as recorded by Luke chapter 17.  He compared it to a widow who, if she didn't plead with a judge, would have absolutely nothing to live on.  She knew she had to bug this big shot guy if she was to live much longer.  The judge, the Bible says, didn't really care much about God or others.  But this old lady was at his door day and night, bugging the heck out of him, for him to do something about her plight.  Well, because she kept coming back and stating her case, the judge looked favorably on her and helped her out (probably just to get rid of her!!!).  So too, when we find ourselves in desperate times, wanting God to act quickly and decisively, we come and ask....mercilessly, unashamedly, persistently.  We ask him for ourselves, for others...whatever the crisis of the day/month/year may be.  Jesus said we are to be like that widow, faithful in our asking, persistent and hopeful.  He said that when he returns (whenever that will be) God wants to find us in that mode.....of hopeful persistence.......of prayer (which basically means talking to God about whatever is bugging us).

I thought it was a pretty good message and a great reminder to not give up hope.  I tend to do that sometimes when something to me seems overwhelming...too much for me to handle.  I clam up and sit there like a bump on a log instead of getting into that place where I am desperate to see an answer, to see something change and to trust God to see that it gets done...by pleading my case to him!

How many times have I not had a prayer answered because I wasn't like that little widow lady.  She had nothing to lose and everything to gain and she stood up and faced that judge like she was David facing Goliath!  Ya' just do what ya' gotta' do!!!

Guess that was the message in a nut shell.  Hope you enjoyed it.:-)

And now, since you have sat so well through this mini-sermon here are some pretty pictures....

Old man river....

Ms. Moore

Ms. Mum

Guess that's enough beauty for one night!

A hand shake, and all is well....

At work on Thursday last, I witnessed the signing of an agreement.  It was a big deal.  Six agencies plus two First Nations groups all agreed to divy up the Prince Albert Forest Management area, (since Weyerhaeuser has now ditched the scene...pretty much)....and shook hands on it.  Shaking hands on something once meant being true to your word without anything being signed.  It meant two people trusted one another to see that what they were shaking hands on, would indeed, come into being.  I trust this day and age, it also will have that high standard of integrity.

This is what I witnessed.

Forest Centre foyer.

Agency Chiefs Tribal Council and Montreal Lake First Nations chiefs.

Environment Minister Duncan...ya, he's young alright!!!

Minister Duncan (Environment), Dave Knight (TOLKO Industries)

and Minister Boyd (Energy and Resources)

The whole gang of participants.

Our own Bob Wynes represented the Forest Service (centre - striped tie).

Big wigs.  Big deals.  Big plans.  I'm trusting for the sake of the environment here in Saskatchewan that all parties will work towards a trustworthy relationship.

It's unfortunate Andrea Atkinson wasn't here to witness this happening.  She has spent many, many, many long days, weeks, months....yes, years...working in the background to see this plan come into being.  A great deal of hard work and determination was applied and she deserves much of the credit.  Congratulations Andrea!!!