By any other name...

I edited this lovely to focal black and white.

She's a beauty, I'd say.

'nite....

Mother's Day...

Well, this is one mother who loves her flowers.

Received red roses from husband and a beautiful card. AND we went to the Ramada for a beautiful lunch with friends V & B....who's children also are not within driving distance.

The women at church took home some mini-carnations, which I added to the roses.

Daughter called with loving and good wishes for the day....which I returned to her, with my love.

Son sent one of those e-cards. It was one where you click on images in the kitchen and it makes a huge mess.....ya, I did that a few times. Such fun....and some loving words from him as well.

I continue to be one blessed individual.....undeserving....but blessed.

And this is my "Mother's Day" prayer for my children (even though they're all grown up) -

God, watch over my children this night...meet their every need of heart and mind and soul and their physical needs too, God.

Keep them nestled in your arms, holding them, comforting them and encouraging them to keep on in this thing called "life".

Protect them from evil.

Soothe and heal their hearts when broken.

Lead them on your path you have for them. Show them your way and allow them to choose. Give them safety in all they do and give them peace as they sleep this night.

Thank you for them, their lives and how they are a blessing to others.

Thank you too, God, for the privilege of being a (sometimes good and sometimes not-so-good) mother to each of them.

Yes, a privilege God....and a true blessing. Amen.

Camouflage...

This guy and gal are pretty good at it, I'd say. They blend right in. You'd think they were two rocks of some sort.

And when I think of turtles I always think of my old boss, Al, who raised some of these critters from when they were very tiny. He really liked them.

There are some days I feel like a turtle.

I get to poking my head into my shell so I can't see anything around me and where nothing can harm me. I don't want to see the world, bother with it, or deal with it. Just leave me in my shell and I'll not see or hear any of the worlds problems. I'll take my book, turn the light on in my shell house and sit and read. People can come and turn me upside down, or push me this way or that and I'll be safe and happy in my own little shell. I'll just sit and blend in with my comfy surroundings.

Ya.

I think that's what headaches do to me. I become anti-social and turtle-like.

Lord, heal this mess of a head so I don't turn inward when I need to be turning outward.

Ugggggghhh.....

Another headache kind of day.

I hope your day has been much better than mine.

'nite....

Here's the church....here's the steeple...

Open the doors and there are the people....or not.

Remember that little diddy when you link your hands together with your fingers inter-locking turning downward, and using your thumb and pointer fingers as doors, you move the doors aside and thrust your downturned fingers upwards to show "the people" in the church?

When we drove past the church in the first picture in downtown Winnipeg, the church had been made into an inner-city day care. Not even sure if they hold services anymore. But the church had been rendered into something else, something different to be of service in God's name. A safe place for people to bring their children while they work hard to make a living to raise those children. Even if "Sunday Services" no longer exist each week, the "service" continues on, in another manner....and in God's name.

Perhaps churches these days are heading in a direction that calls for a new and improved structure of service to God. Churches began with wonderful intentions. An ediface climbing high into the atmosphere, climbing high to reach God and praise him in this way, making a statement to the surrounding area and countryside that this was a place where one could come and find rest and comfort and direction, a place where one could meet God, where it would feel like it was a place that was out of the ordinary, a place of freedom and solitude. And it was...and probably still is.

While I still love these structures, it seems that there are so many more important issues out in our communities these days that perhaps could use one of these "structures" as something more valuable in God's sight. Where people's physical needs are met, with food and clothing. Where people can come in and be accepted, no matter what they have or don't have. Where people find a sense of justice and healing. Where they find that, yes, there is a God because I see it in the people here in this structure, people that actually care about me as an individual and who provide for my needs.

We cannot live in our churches like they are an island, set apart from the realities of life. We need to integrate them into usable, workable, life-giving enclosures where all are welcomed and given help and all are loved equally.

Am I being idealistic? Perhaps.

But the church in the above photo had that same vision too.

May God give us all a new vision for his work.

At least it's wet!

As I looked out the office windows at noon today this sight greeted my eyes in disbelief.

It's May 6th after all. Not a time for snow-covered lawns and trees.

If it had only been November 6th....I could have been singing 'I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" and the like.

But it certainly is not unheard of for this spot in God's creation to turn white in May. I believe it was after the long weekend in May, 1983 coming home from Vernon, B.C. to find ourselves in the middle of a huge blizzard from as far south as Swift Current all the way up to Prince Albert. We were busy on that trip trying to figure out which highway could take us north without going deeper into the blizzard. Snow drifts across the road 2 feet high. Good thing we had a 4x4 truck. It was frightening...being in the middle of nowhere with snow covering the highway making it barely possible to see where the vehicle was, let alone an on-coming one. And I was pregnant with Matthew. Those are the stories you pass on down to your children, right?

Well, I have been praying for moisture these days here in P.A. as the land is very dry. I guess the good Lord knows what is best....but I'm questioning him a bit on this one.

Merry Spring to one and all!

Aaaaaaachew.....

"Pussy Willows"....they look innocent enough.

Fuzzy. Cute. Soft. Cuddly.

First sign of spring. Right?

But the willow tree is not the only tree stretching their arms and breathing deeply, wanting to leaf, as the sun daily coaxes them out of their sleepy little downy dens.

Pollen.

Sneezing. Coughing. Wheezing. Dripping.

Headache.

Gets me every time.

Or perhaps its the barometric pressure whacking me over the head.

The cure???

Drug myself with analgesics/Advil/Tylenol and sleep soundly.

'nite......