Thank You So Much

I spent Christmas with Jon and Katherine at her parents home with the rest of the family , Mike, Ann, Karen, Loic,and his brother Yann(can't remember how to spell his name), not to mention pets Maggie and Oliver.
Oliver was fully recovered from his over indulgence, and subsequent treatment of a four pound box of dark chocolate a day earlier. Oliver will eat anything including panti hose and j clothes. He seen here protecting a tin of cookies hoping they are for him.



Later I was pleased to visit old friends the Allen Family. Kinza was faithfully practicing her latest piece on her brand new violin.



Carol-Ann thank you for your loving hospitality,and letting me play with Mini to distraction.



This little girl with her bear would make my Sam proud as she carries on the Mr.(Ms.?) Bear tradition. The similarities are amazing.



I gotta get me one of these little darlings!

Silent Night

Wishing all my friends the wonder and joy of the Presence of Our Savior throughout all the celebrations of the season. God Bless us everyone. Thank You Jesus for saying yes.

Christmas Wonder

A woman and an angel, a Promise and a Star.
A Word too great for any mind to hold.

A tax law and a journey, a stable and some straw
These tell the Greatest Story Ever Told.

Sing Glory in the Highest, He is come our Great Messiah,
Come bow before this awesome Majesty.

Mighty God and fragile baby, here a lowly manger holds
It's still the Greatest Story Ever Told.



He was just an ordinary baby, but that's the way He planned it
Maybe ... anything but common would have kept Him apart from the children that He came to rescue
Limited to some elite few , when He was the only child that asked to be born

And He came to us with eyes wide open, knowing how we're hurt and broken
Choosing to partake in all our joy and pain.

He was just an ordinary baby, that's the way He planned it
Maybe...so that we would come to Him and not be afraid

He was ordinary with exception of miraculous conception
Both His birth and His death He planned from the start

But between His entrance and His exit, was a Life that has affected
Everyone, who's ever walked the earth to this day,

With no airs of condesention He became God's pure extension
Giving you and me a chance to be remade.

He was just an ordinary baby, that's the way He planned it
Maybe...so that we would come to Him and not be afraid.

I just really liked this picture, and it is true that all creation rejoiced at the coming of our Beloved Savior.

Today I am on my way to Toronto for Christmas. It is pouring rain, which is better than blowing snow. More later.....God bless us everyone.

Dreaming

I had a dream about this little baby. Actually I saw three of them and the red bow was in her hair. Hmmmm....... Wishful dreaming I think.

Sarah's Dinner

Last Saturday my lovely niece Sarah and her husband Mike had the family over for a little pre- Christmas dinner celebration.


Thank you so much , it's always fun to be with you .


Nephew Adam, Niece Holly,and myself with our 'cracker crowns'.


Sisters!




More Sisters ! I know you are as close as we are . A very good thing.

Visitation

The boy child would be 9 years old in the morning. This child of sadness found himself in the midst of a house filled with shadows belonging to others he was supposed to trust. He could not as yet understand his world or even wonder at the why.

December 13th. 9 pm. Bedtime in his home.

He came softly to the living room, though no such thing as real living was ever allowed to show itself . He came to his young mother to say his goodnight.

Suddenly, this boy child dropped to his knees in an attitude of worship, covering his eyes from the brightness he alone was beholding. The mother watched, her heart pounding with a different kind of fear and trembling at her own awareness of the Presence of the Supernatural all around.

She too found her knees as did a little sister.

This mother saw nothing with her natural eyes but her recently awakened spirit was filled with awe and wonder.

Afterwards the child told his story through tears."I saw the stable ! I saw the baby Jesus , the wise men and the Angel."

Even as he recounted his vision, this mother recognized truth as it was written upon her heart. Jesus had visited . He had found us in the night in the lonely frozen wilderness of Winnipeg.

This is a true story and even as I write this , the remembering is strong upon me. This event took place 33 years ago tonight. Tomorrow the boy who is a man, has a birthday.

His path has led him far from his mother and she wonders every year on this day if he will ever remember that night so long ago.

For now, she continues to hold this child of her youth in her heart and before the Lord , loving him from a distance, praying for restoration asking Jesus to visit the boy, now a man. Perhaps this year he will remember.

THE LIFE APPEARED

This week brings to memory the passing of my little Aunt T. three years ago December 4th. In the early hours of this morning I was looking at that morning again in my memory. Some things stay very clearly no matter how much time has passed.

It was around 4 am. and I heard her coughing. I jumped from my bed and dashed to the kitchen, peered around the corner. I was about to ask her if she needed any help, but the coughing had ceased, so I quietly tip toed back to bed. I did not want to rouse her if it was not necessary since her pain and the wandering it cause her to do would mean a very long day. Then I heard a little more coughing and waited again. Silence.

Later that morning , around 9:20 am I went to put the coffee on. I peeked around the corner into the living room where we had her hospital bed set up, to see if Aunt T. was awake yet. Much to my horror she had passed away, and it was very obvious that this was so. I was freaking out and I was so scared ! I tip toed over to her almost afraid that if it was not really true and she opened her eyes, she would surely wonder what I was doing.

Anyway, that was three years ago, and this morning I was asking and wondering why I did not go and rouse her when I first heard her coughing. Was I being selfish in not wanting to wake her just so we could all get our rest, or was it meant to be the way it happened? Well, I wished I had done so, since then I would have been with her all the way home.

But I digress. As I was asking the Lord about all of this He very clearly showed me the truth of her final moments. THE LIFE APPEARED !!!



This is so amazing ! I can't tell you how many images of death and dying fell to the dust in my mind .

1 John 1:1-2 - The Word of Life

1That which was from the beginning, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life.
2The Life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and proclaim to you the Eternal Life`, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.


The Life appeared : was made manifest, to reveal,to remove the lid ,the act of divine revelation. TO BECOME VISIBLE !

So once again I knew, Jesus Himself showed up , once again in triumph , escorting another dear one into Eternal Life. ( I guess He did not really need my help. )

No wonder John the Baptist leapt in his mothers womb at the greating of Mary when she went to visit Elizabeth. The Life appeared !

Lord I do not want to live a life of dullness . Awaken my heart and my hope once again to be stirred to passion at the approach of Life Himself.

From a very early age I have been a puppy person.


When I was 4 years of age the little black dog who is the mother of this puppy was killed by a car out in front of my kindergarten. I remember running home in terror screaming, when some 'big' person told me my dog was dead.

My parents told me it was not my dog that had been in the accident, but 'Character' never came home again. My parents tried to protect me by telling me she had gone to a farm. That is all I remember about that, but it has left a mark.

Four was a very bad year for me in more ways than I want to recall, though I somehow made it through my first year of school and as a reward for all my hard work I remember getting one blue star at the end of a very messy printing scribbler.

This one below did not even belong to us, but I remember insisting that I wanted him in the picture as you can tell by the grumpy look on my face.


Then I had my very own best friend for a while . I still miss holding him close and taking him everywhere . He was such a good boy.



Sam has earned his wings

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Today I returned from visiting the family in Ottawa. Since they will be in Winnipeg for Christmas, we decided to have a little pre- Christmas celebration just for Gramma and the girls . The pictures of the girls decorating the tree are my favorites.













Anneka was singing Noel, Noel, Noel , Noel,
Born is the King of Israel



Anneka asked me if I was going to wrap the presents in paper and put a bow on it and I told her I was just going to use a gift bag. She then offered to help me promising to close her eyes as we put her gift in the bag. Too Funny !



The joy and excitement is lovely and a sweet reminder of what Christmas has always meant to me.



This last photo is not Christmas related, but I was surprised at how quickly these Winnipeg children have adapted and become Senator hockey fans, especially Anneka.She is going to a game with her daddy soon.

Once again thanks for having me guys, I love you very much.

SHE LIVED IN SOLITUDE
AND NOW IN SOLITUDE HAS BUILT HER NEST
AND IN SOLITUDE HE GUIDES HER
HE ALONE
WHO ALSO BEARS IN SOLITUDE
THE WOUND OF LOVE

Trenton

Today I took a drive to Trenton to visit my friend Lillian. We had a small lunch and I smuggled in some home made tapiocca as a treat.
Nancy must not offend the help:)

All in all today went well, peaceful actually, as the opposition were not present to make us nervous.....don't ask....Thank you Lord Jesus!

I continue to read to Lil and make sure she is being properly cared for. She just celebrated her 87th. birthday . Happy Birthday Lil. Please pray.

This Old House

For we know that if our earthly body , this tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building (body) from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

The other evening while walking B. to her place on the couch with M. her hip joints were creaking away like crazy.
She does not have an artificial hip, but a few years ago when she suffered a broken hip they pinned it. Now as she struggles along that hip creaks like an old barn door. We joke about it and try to make light of it.

On Tuesday evening I remembered a really old song from my childhood made famous by Tennessee Ernie Ford, called 'This Old House'.

I had heard the late George Younce of the Cathedral Quartet sing it so beautifully, so I went to Limewire and now it is in my music file.
If I could find a way to put it in my blog here I would, but for now I am going to just give the lyrics,and anyone of a certain age will know the tune.



This old house once knew my children, this old house once knew my wife,
This old house was home and comfort as we fought the storms of life.
This old house once rang with laughter, this old house heard many shouts,
Now she trembles in the darkness when the night wind walks about.

Chorus:
Ain't gonna need this house no longer , ain't gonna need this house no more,
Ain't got time to fix the shingles, ain't got time to fix the floor,
Ain't got time to oil the hinges nor to mend my window pane,
Ain't gonna need this house no longer, I'm gettin' ready to meet the saints.

This old house is gettin shaky, this old house is gettin' old,
This old house lets in the rain, this old house lets in the cold.
On my knees I'm gettin' chilly, but I feel no fear or pain,
Cause I see an angel peekin' through a broken window pane.

Chorus: Ain't gonna need this house no longer....

Now my ol' hound dog lies a sleepin' He don't know I'm gonna leave,
Else he'd wake up by the fireplace , and sit there and howl and grieve,
But my huntin' days are over, for I ain't gonna hunt for 'coon no more,
Gabriel done brought in the chariot when the wind blew down the door.

Ain't gonna need this house no longer.....

In the arrogance of our youth, we think and feel that we are invincible. For many years it is all about us, raising our children as best we can, making the best of what life sends our way.

I remember giving little thought to the fact that my parents were actual people with hopes and dreams of their own. I remembered their struggles and their fights, but really had no idea how their broken dreams had cast a shadow over all of us. I didn't care much back then either but just wanted to get away .

With maturity and Jesus , I eventually came to a deep understanding and appreciation of my mom and dad as people like me. My dad died when he was two years younger than I am now, and I was 32 then.

I understood but I did not really ever get to know them the way I now wished I had. It just wasn't done in those days, at least not in our house.

I am so glad times have changed. I love getting to know and enjoy my children as the wonderful adults they have all become. I am so proud of each and every one of them and all they have accomplished in their lives so far. I remember being their age.

Still, it never occurred to me that someday, I would be the age my parents were when I though them old and so uninformed. Now I have some of the same wrinkles some of the same aches and pains in my joints, and maybe just maybe, my hips will creak like the barn door as well.

I pray that I will always remember my children, my grandchildren, what I have just eaten, what day it is , how to dress, how to lay down, and most especially I pray fervently that I never forget my God.

Funny the memories that and old song can trigger .

Random Thoughts

He said to me, ' You are my servant,' but I said , I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Is.49:4

There are many days when this is exactly how I feel, more than I would like to admit actually. The other evening as I was trying to comfort myself with His Word, I came across this scripture and saw myself admitting to God just these thoughts , wondering if He noticed or cared.

Isaiah experienced this, and so did Jesus , just to mention a couple. I am in good company. The enemy of my soul would have me accuse the Lord and challenge His government of my life , which sometimes I am tempted to talk to Him about. Most particularly His timing and memory concerning promises made.

'Yet what is due me is in the Lord's hand, and my reward is with my God.'

When I gaze into the night heavens and behold the stars blazing with brilliance , when I consider the Big Dipper, my very favorite since childhood ,I am brought once again to peace and trust in the One Who Created all of these.

Recently though this little guy caught my attention. Just look at how God is into detail.



Then He placed this guy and his family in Antarctica, where for many years only God knew they were there and took pleasure in His Majestic King Penguin. Maybe they really do have 'happy feet'.

And Joseph remained in prison but the Lord was with him.

Yawn....

There is a time to rest and that time is 'now' for me.... at least for a couple of hours. Last night or rather early this a.m. around 3:30 or so, M. was up and wandering the house. He did eventually go back to bed, but unfortunately I could not get back to sleep myself. The poor guy.... when he did get up he had on one sock, and didn't know when he had put it on.

I think I am getting too old for this ... loosing sleep that is, though I do feel like I cannot do this care giving for much longer either. It is very tiring most of the time.
The drive home is lovely.


The day is grey and foggy, but when I crest the hill at a certain point the simple view is so refreshing. I live in a beautiful area of the province,and even though the leaves are nearly finshed there is still considerable beauty everywhere.

It is a good sign that I am even aware of this.

I pull into the drive way , bleary eyed, the mucical sound that greets me is so uplifting. The Starlings have come to feast on the berries in the trees in the back yard. Now yes, they then leave their blue droppings everywhere but I am in a forgiving frame of mind today, since their song always lifts my heart.
Our God is such an amazing Creator!

A Great Weekend !

Meet my little friend Mini....she is now five months old and so very cute and very very affectionate! Kinza you are doing a great job with your puppy!

It was so wonderful to be with friends and family for a couple of days. Makes returning a little sad, but the days were warm and beautiful so I remain very grateful for everything, especially my loving children. Thanks for a nice visit...I love you very much.

On the road to Toronto in the morning to visit with my kids....and to see my friends the Allens and their little puppy Mini.

Yesterday I drove to Trenton to spend a few hours with my friend Lillian.

My one weekend off in the month so I must take advantage of the opportunities to visit as often as I am able. I am looking forward to some relaxation and of course lots of hugs...... people and pet hugs that is.....

Well here they are again...still cute and growing a bit. They are beginning to clean themselves and are eating from a bowl...last night I 'baby sat' while Ann went out. I am no 'Mother Nature' let me tell you...but one little guy fell asleep purring in my hand.


The little black one likes to climb inside the pant leg.




Time is passing, but there are some days when I really miss my little Sam. Call that day today.

Colors

On my way to work last night.


This morning out the back door in Lakefield.


And then suddenly there was a rainbow.

Promises remembered.

Intersection leading to the causeway that crosses Chemong Lake.


The colors where I pitch my tent.


The shed where we found the kittens.

This morning this little fellow shared my toast.

The changing of the seasons doesn't feel as beautiful as it looks, but it is good to stop and enjoy the moment along the way.