Day Three With Zoey

Like all good parents, I took Zoey to the vet to have her checked out regarding her health etc. Well, it turns out she is actually 10 months old, malnourished, in heat, has ear infection and conjunctivitis of her eyes. Poor Zoe !

Looks like our meeting was more of a rescue . I rescued her and in turn she is rescuing me . The vet had to give her quite a few needles, which in turn made her very sick and she threw up in the waiting room and after we got home as well.

Can Nancy say 'STRESSSSS !' It's a good thing I can pray , as the Lord swept in a calmed Zoey and myself.

Today she is much better, and I expect by tomorrow will be more like a happy puppy should be .

A Good Laugh

They laugh because that is what you do when someone says he can do the impossible.

They laugh a little at God, and a lot with God—for God is laughing, too.

Then, with the smile still on his face, he gets busy doing what he does best—the unbelievable.

Read the story by Max Lucado

The kingdom of heaven. Its citizens are drunk on wonder.

Consider the case of Sarai. She is in her golden years, but God promises her a son. She gets excited. She visits the maternity shop and buys a few dresses. She plans her shower and remodels her tent … but no son. She eats a few birthday cakes and blows out a lot of candles … still no son. She goes through a decade of wall calendars … still no son.

So Sarai decides to take matters into her own hands. (“Maybe God needs me to take care of this one.”)

She convinces Abram that time is running out. (“Face it, Abe, you ain’t getting any younger, either.”) She commands her maid, Hagar, to go into Abram’s tent and see if he needs anything. (“And I mean ‘anything’!”) Hagar goes in a maid. She comes out a mom. And the problems begin.

Hagar is haughty. Sarai is jealous. Abram is dizzy from the dilemma. And God calls the baby boy a “wild donkey”—an appropriate name for one born out of stubbornness and destined to kick his way into history.

It isn’t the cozy family Sarai expected. And it isn’t a topic Abram and Sarai bring up very often at dinner.

Finally, fourteen years later, when Abram is pushing a century of years and Sarai ninety … when Abram has stopped listening to Sarai’s advice, and Sarai has stopped giving it … when the wallpaper in the nursery is faded and the baby furniture is several seasons out of date … when the topic of the promised child brings sighs and tears and long looks into a silent sky … God pays them a visit and tells them they had better select a name for their new son.

Abram and Sarai have the same response: laughter. They laugh partly because it is too good to happen and partly because it might. They laugh because they have given up hope, and hope born anew is always funny before it is real.

They laugh at the lunacy of it all.

They laugh because that is what you do when someone says he can do the impossible. They laugh a little at God, and a lot with God—for God is laughing, too. Then, with the smile still on his face, he gets busy doing what he does best—the unbelievable.

He changes a few things—beginning with their names. Abram, the father of one, will now be Abraham, the father of a multitude. Sarai, the barren one, will now be Sarah, the mother.

But their names aren’t the only things God changes. He changes their minds. He changes their faith. He changes the number of their tax deductions. He changes the way they define the word impossible.

Meet Zoey

This little lady is my new 'baby'. She is seven months old , so is basically potty trained.
At least it seems that way,but I suppose our first night together will tell the story.
She is a cutie, but is in need of a vet to help her with a few issues, one of which will be getting her spayed.

I think we are a match . Thank you Lord.

Oh yes, she does not have a problem with cats or other dogs. Yay ! Though the cats at my sisters seemed to have an issue or two with her this evening, but I am sure we will all get along eventually.

Saying Goodbye

Last Sunday, my brother in laws' mother passed away. She was 87 years of age, and had lived a full life. She went to heaven speedily with a great look of surprise in her eyes and a smile on her lips.

There is just something so special when families gather during a time like this. It seems like all arguments get put to rest and the arms of sadness and loss reach across invisible boundaries we erect and embrace each one in a peculiar way.

I had known Thelma for many years, but was not close in the sense of her immediate family. Still it was an honor for me to be welcomed and embraced by her family . I love the way the Lord speaks to me when eternity is so near.

Part of me is almost envious of the departed since she is now actually beholding the Desire of my heart and I must wait with longing unmeasurable my own calling home.

Today it just felt good to be part of a family. I miss my own family, we are scattered abroad and life is just that way sometimes. So when the moments of belonging to a bigger picture come I am very thankful .

The choices I have made for my life are my choices. I actually enjoy my solitude but there is a place in my soul that also longs to know the fulfillment and safety of belonging, loving and being safely loved in return . Serving, encouraging , needing and being needed .

All this I was privileged to be reminded of today , at the same time, standing so close to the Door, waiting with eager anticipation my first glimpse of the Face of Jesus when it is my turn to enter and not ever have to leave .

This is one view of my new digs. I have not completely unpacked yet since that takes too much energy these days.

Thanks to my brother in law Ron and my nephew in law Mike, Sarah's husband .

Without their help and encouragement it would not have been possible since I am becoming an old fogg and the many restrictions that come with such an age.

I used to work in this building when I was 17 years old and it was then a factory that made clocks. It would be too funny to discover the actual floor I live on is the one I helped assemble electric clocks , way back in 1963.

Then the building was known as Westclox General Time, and today is known as Time Square.

At the bottom of the hill to the east lies the world famous Lift Locks. There is a small tunnel in between the locks so that a single line of traffic takes turns passing beneath .



It is a nice tourist area and very soon the leaves will once again be splendid in their fall colors. Yes, a pretty little town indeed.

Tomorrow I will finally have my phone installed and my very own phone number. Yay !

Meet Christian the Lion here from Randy Alcorns'Blog

Watch the video, it is so amazing and brought tears to my eyes.

Moving

Finally moving into my own little bachelor - ette ? suite tomorrow. Small but with my very own bath tub, stove, and frig.... big windows , above ground and pet friendly .

Private... no one else can enter without my permission !

No A. C. though but soon it will be cooler.

I am exhausted but the outlook is favorable and I am a survivor anyway .

God is so Very Good !

Thirty six years ago today Jesus came and found me . Precious memories of such a great salvation experience. I am forever grateful .

The journey has been filled with adventure, sorrow, and trials beyond measure. The joy of His continual loving Presence and never ending affection make every bump in the road worth it all.

I love You more than ever Jesus.

Invitation

Invitation to Encounter

Intimacy leads to revelation. Intimacy and profound encounters are open to all who are friends of God.
The Lord desires companions who will walk humbly with Him in all circumstance, who will stay faithful to Him even in times of demotion or hardship, and who will partner with Him in prayer.

As Julie Meyer sought the Lord and learned to walk in humility, the Lord unexpectedly came to her in a series of prophetic dreams. Her journey is chronicled in these pages. The dreams she received and recounts here are for the entire Church.

They carry the word of the Lord for this hour in history and they also carry something else: the Lord's invitation for every believer to seek and meet Him for ourselves. As Julie's dreams show, God is inviting every believer to encounter Him. If we give ourselves to Him in all seasons of our lives, agreeing with Him in prayer and loving Him in humility, He will surely encounter us.

Buy Julie's new book in the store.

This is truly a wonderful book and the Lord is so willing to encounter and reveal Himself through this little book given to one of His friends. I am so grateful.

Wednesday August 13 , 1727

It was on this date back in 1727 that the Holy Spirit came upon the Moravians with power, uniting hearts and being the catalyst for a prayer meeting that would start on August 26 of that year that lasted over 100 years. That was a Wednesday, just like today. Here's one account of the outpouring:

Wednesday 13 August - Herrnhut, Germany (Zinzendorf)

No one present could tell exactly what happened to the Moravians on Wednesday morning, 13 August 1727 at the specially called Communion service. The glory of the Lord came upon them so powerfully that they hardly knew if they had been on earth or in heaven. Count Nicholas Zinzendorf, the young leader of that community, gave this account many years later:

read the rest here

Come Holy Spirit You are welcome here.

My Song

Jesus..... I will forever adore You .
Jesus You are Beautiful.

I just want to be with You.
To be just where Your Glory dwells.
I just want to be with You.
My soul, it longs and faints for You.
To be just where Your Glory dwells
Lord I just want to be with You .

--------------------------------------------

How I love you
You are the One for me.
I was so lost.
But you showed the way to me

I was lied to you, You told the truth.
You are the Truth.

I was dying
You gave me life
You are the life
I was dying, and You gave your life for me.

-----------------------------------------------


I set my heart on a pilgrimage , I lift my eyes up

I press on
I'm on way to Zion,
I press on till the end.
I set my gaze on things above .
Choice by choice, and yes by yes
Day by day and step by step
Choice by choice and yes by yes.

I'm a stranger in this earth... I go from
Strength to strength , Glory to Glory
I will appear before God in Zion.

In Your Presence alone I find my Home

WOW

I just love the images from here

I Can Only Imagine

So....I am having an evening of nostalgia ....but really when I think of Bertha....I wonder what she is beholding right at this moment.

Love You So Much Jesus

Tonight seems like a good time to get lost in worship and surrender my heart again and again and again and again.....

The mere edges of His ways !I found this wonderful site, 'Astronomy Picture of the Day' . The photo's are so awesome and cause my heart to worship .

All creation declares He exists and I love this God who is not only into the big details, but the wee small details that concern me just as much if not more.



This is a picture of the international space station passing in front of the sun. It's that tiny little speck in the picture.

Zep 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

He will Joy over thee....and me.... JOY....

H1523
גּוּל גּיל
A primitive root; properly to spin around (under the influence of any violent emotion), that is, usually rejoice, be glad, joy, be joyful, rejoice.



God displays His affections so abundantly and all creation is His witness.

Me too Jesus, keep me spinning and redeem the places the enemy has ruined.



Good Sabbath

Surviving Your Story

I just read this article by John Paul Jackson. I feel it is worth posting.

Surviving Your Story

Do you remember a time when you first got saved, and somebody said you were “overzealous”?

Perhaps you were, in some ways. You were a baby in your faith, and like any young person, you had to learn wisdom.

But here’s the issue: Nothing says you have to lose your dream while gaining wisdom. In a strange and twisted way, some people view having wisdom as a lack of courage, but that just isn’t true. As a brand new believer in Jesus, you dared to be great. You dared to give Him everything and not care what others thought. However, in the process of growing in wisdom, many of us lost our ability to dream of what we could be, of what we are: the hero or heroine of the story God is writing.

That is what we are called to be. A hero. A heroine. Most of us know this at the beginning of the story, but as life treads forward and we’re bogged down in the middle, in the details, it isn’t so easy to remember.

Several times in my life — that’s a conservative estimate — I have wished that my story was different. You know what I’m talking about: sitting down, burying your head in your hands and wishing that the story of your life was, perhaps, more bookish — meaning, you could flip to the end and read the last page and make sure that, at the conclusion of all things, everybody’s still alive; you succeeded in everything you wanted to do; and that for much of the story, you were happy, contented and peaceful.

Yeah. Right.

Some people are like that — last-page readers, and I am pretty sure that all of us, at some time or another, have wished to be like that. There are a few things in particular that drive us toward that end. A cross-country move. A new job. A new relationship. A fresh divorce. A divorce in progress. A layoff. A disappointment. A fear.

Actually, when have you not wanted to flip to the last page and read the ending of the book first? Maybe, if we knew what the ending was, we would have enough grace to get us through all the middle pages. Through the details. Through the hard times. “Just give me hope!” we cry to God. “I need hope.”

The best stories have the darkest trials, the most points of probable failure, the worst ways to die. But they also have the best climaxes, the greatest hope and the likeliest potential of changing the world. Great tests produce great men and women of God.

Think about Jesus’ story. Worst moment: the cross. Best moment: His bride, forever. That’s you. You are part of His climax. What if, at the darkest point of His life, He decided to give up instead of pressing through? What kind of story would that be? Great tests produce great people, kings and queens in God.

Story middles are difficult to traverse and we tend to forget what we knew with all our hearts at the beginning. When I ask people how their “story” is going, most tell me, “God’s not speaking any more! He’s not near me.”

“Are you doing what you used to be doing?” I ask.

“Well, no,” they reply. “I’m not.” And even if they say they are, you can see in their eyes that they really aren’t. In the process of growing up, we forget how to be children. Our childlike faith is left on the back burner as we get our hands dirty trying to balance all the things we feel we have to balance and keep completely under control in order to survive: family, ministry, the office, the books, everything.

But perhaps it is time to read the beginning of the story again.

In this book of life, all of us already know the ending. We live, because He made us to live. We succeed, because He succeeded. We have hope, because we are in love with Him and He takes care of us and our futures. We have this promise, all of us. No matter what happens in the middle of our stories, all of us are promised this ending!

And so, here and now, I would like to bless you in your story. Wherever you are in the book God has written for you, may you find the strength necessary to be the able, in-love hero or heroine He’s called you to be. May you find your feet exactly where they need to be, taking the exact steps He’s set for you to take. May you not be afraid, and may you not be overcome.

No matter what, in God’s story, the Boy gets the girl (Revelation 21:9); the enemy is vanquished; lives are set right; joy is found; and everything, in the end, is always more and better than we could ever ask or even imagine (Ephesians 3:20). You and I, we have this promise. So love like you used to love. Give Him time, like you used to give Him time. And dare to be great, because you were made for this.

Suspicion ?

Sometimes a mango is really just a mango. This one is on me.

The other day at work a call came in for my boss from someone I shall call Sahid... Tell...so and so...(my boss,) that his mangoes are in.

Hmmmm.... she said to her already stressed and a bit demented brain...his mangoes are in ??? I wonder what that really means ?

Today my boss came in and asked me if I liked mangoes .

'I don't know ' I said, 'I don't think I have ever had one.'
(Actually, I am very slow to try something new.)


Then he handed me a mango.

So....sometimes a mango is just a mango. And the joke is on me ....again. Too funny !

Something else I like

Ray Hughes here

Better than watching television these days, at least for me.

Check this out and be blessed. God is on the move....we knew that but I love watching Him do it.

Morningstar :I would love to be in these sevices !

One Year

Today is the first anniversary of my last day with Sam . In the above picture, I prayed for him...and me.... I don't know how I did it ???? still....



Our last walk in the very early morning. He had the best tail..... and the cutest face. He was perfect for me.



Waiting in the car for me, our last ride together. He loved the car and together we travelled many thousand miles . I still miss him. My arms still feel empty and the need to have a pet to love and care for is still part of who the Lord created me to be.

Soon I pray that I will find my next perfect little companion ....and a landlord who will let me have him. I am grateful to the Lord for the abundance of grace that has carried me through this last year.

This is a wedding picture of Min and Bertha taken 67 years ago yesterday.

B's funeral was a celebration of her life and brought many smiles as well as tears , especially for me , from the songs she had chosen , 'He's got the whole world in His hands' to The Old Rugged Cross, and even the scripture reading John 14."don't let your hearts be troubled'. I was truly undone .

Yesterday I cared for Min. At one point he asked where Bertha was . I gently reminded him . The Alzheimer's has robbed him of his memory to a point, but I think it is the silence that makes him wonder where did she go ? Me too. Though I know where she is now, I was acutely aware of where she isn't any longer. With us... making us smile at her joy over winning a game of 'go fish', or singing along with Lawrence Welk, considerably off key, but not bad for one so hearing impaired.

As one day blurs into another in this life, death and eternity make an intense intervention . I am once again reminded that this life is a breath, a vapor, and eternity is where Real Life finally begins.

I can't help wondering at all the Wonder that surrounds Bertha at this moment and I wish I could see her face as she gazes with joy on her Savior.

Remembering Bertha

My Lady Bertha passed away on Monday evening . Her heart just stopped, and she went to Jesus . She died holding Min's hand, just like always,only four days before their 67th. wedding anniversary. Amazing !



I just happened to drop out to visit them last week. B. had suffered two TIA's and had pneumonia, but she was sitting there chipper as ever.

She was seeing things like angels, 'people out there on the water' and that 'little dog'.

These two lovely people have been the greatest gift to me in the last two years. I discovered the wonderful fulfillment of serving in the hidden place, and I miss that.

I am scheduled to work there this Saturday, and now it will just be Min.

I wonder....

Bertha was an amazing Lady and every time I would tell her that she would giggle. It was an honor to love and care for her.

Happy Birthday Aila !

I hope you have a very special day Aila. I love you very much. Gramma :)

Weekend Pic's

Safely back after a lovely time with my family. Many highlights, and lots of memories. Jason did a great job on the grill and Yvonne created an amazing chocolate cake. Can we talk about the corn on the cob ? So yummy !
Hours spent watching movies and cuddling with the girls. Lots of love.

On Sunday we checked out a Vineyard church located by a park and lovely river. The girls were thrilled , and I was so happy to be with my family.



Yesterday we went to the famous By Ward Market, and ice cream and cookies were a big hit.






At the war memorial and the tomb of the Unknown Soldier there were two guards, and so naturally we had to have a picture.



Such beauty in these little ladies

Aila tried on my old reading glasses...now I look like you Gramma!



Leaving is always a sad moment for me , but I am thankful to have had a great few days . Thanks guys. I love you.