Uncle Bryan and Prayer

He has passed on.
My uncle passed on last week. It was a surprise...a massive stroke. After it happened, there was hope that he may recover, but the damage in the brain was more extensive than previously thought. It was a couple of days of hope before prayers were answered. Not necessarily answered in the way we expected, but he is healed now-free from suffering.

So often we pray our will be done...all with good intentions of course, but we really should be praying God's will be done.

And it is sad in a way...we pray thinking we have got it all figured out and we think we are praying God's will, but when God answers, we are surprised at the way He answers. 'That's not what I prayed,' we think.

“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.'"

Bryan Sisson 1949-2011

Thirst For God

This morning I was doing a devotional with the girls from Michael Warden's Alone with God. The passage we studied was Isaiah 55:1-3a

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live."

This passage was a little more difficult to unravel and apply for my girls; however, we decided that one of the ways they could pursue God and quench their thirst for God is to greet Him and seek Him first thing in the morning, even before they get out of bed and to also document what they were thinking and what they felt the Holy Spirit was saying to them. At the end of the week they are to go over their journal and reflect on what they learned about God and about themselves.

This, I pray, will help them develop a habit of seeking out God first. Not just in the morning, but throughout the day in every circumstance - to give thanks, to ask for help, or to simply commune with Jesus. I am also praying this will help them develop the art of keeping a regular journal.

This morning, the Holy Spirit led my family to commit to the above, I challenge you to read the following devotion that Mr. Warden scribed and see where the Holy Spirit leads you as you thirst for God...

"God has created within us a hunger we cannot easily name. It is a tickling thirst at the back of our souls, ever building through the years the longer it goes unquenched. We know it is there, though we cannot name it, and we spend our years doing everything we can imagine to try to fill it. It is God's homing beacon, set right in the core of our hearts. And it is one of the greatest evidences on earth that God is real.

Watch any person long enough and you will begin to see the hunger and thirst of his or her soul expressed. Perhaps he is caught up in the pursuit of worldly success - but why? Because he hopes it will bring him Life. Or perhaps she is killing herself in order to be beautiful - but why? For the same reason. We all crave Life - which is to say we all crave God - so much that we will try nearly anything to get it. Of course, we do not want to believe that it is God we crave. We'd much rather believe that we crave something smaller, something we can control. And Satan is there, ready to offer a whole cafeteria of counterfeit nourishment for our souls.

But it is God we crave, and nothing less will satisfy. All of the counterfeits that Satan offers have one common trait - they lose their appeal over time. But not so with God. The more of Him we taste, the more we desire.

Where are you getting the food for your soul? Your job? Your friends? Your romantic relationships? Ultimately, they will all run dry. They can never quench the hunger deep inside.

You thirst for God."

Friends...

What do you get when you cross:

Gummi Bunnies, Smarties, Mike 'n Ikes, Lemon and Orange Slices, Sour Keys, Tootsie Rolls, Watermelon Slices, Grapefruit Slices, Fireballs, Sour Gummies, Sour Gumballs, and Toxic Waste, mini golf, movies

...and...

Nine 13/14 year olds???



A FANTASTIC TIME!!!

My daughter has some of the most wonderful bunch of friends I have ever had the privilege of knowing. They really care about each other, they laugh and cry together, they discuss world events and how they can make a difference. They tease and anger each other, but they always forgive and move on...it is a great thing to witness as these "children" move into adulthood.

I stand back and watch this interaction with a sense of accomplishment as a parent and with a bit of envy.

Kids seem to make and retain friends in an unconditional manner; whereas, adults tend to put so many conditions on friendships. We guard ourselves against hurt with fear in the driver's seat of our relationships (or lack of). Children don't hold back, and more often than not, engage in friendships with a pure, fearless heart.

I think of the scripture that talks about Jesus telling us that we must become like little children to enter into the kingdom of heaven -Matthew 18:3

Childlike faith, pure, fearless love...

When I consider the many people I interact with through out the day, and I think about the friendships I have, I cannot help but wonder how many wonderful souls I am shutting out because of my own insecurities.

There seems to be degrees of friendships in our adult culture as we rate how much we can trust our hearts in the hands of others; however, I think that if we take on that childlike faith, pure, fearless love and prayerfully allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, we would have many more friendships and many more opportunities to share the Truth and Love of Jesus Christ. I look at how my daughter interacts with her friends, how she shares Jesus more indirectly by her fearlessness to be a friend, despite differences, and how there is this beauty that contagiously emanates from this group impacting others "outside" this group...something you might expect from a bunch of born-again believers, but rarely see manifested. (That, I believe, is changing though - and I am overjoyed about it!)

Look - we can learn many lessons from children. I know that people can and do take advantage of children and those with childlike faith - we all know that. I want to encourage us to gird ourselves with the Love and Truth of Jesus Christ, and with the security of knowing that we belong to the King. Our identity is in Him and because of that, though we should be wise in our interactions with others (wise doesn't mean guarded out of fear), we should not be afraid to make friends and be a friend.

Right now, in my basement, are a wonderful bunch of friends laughing and singing karaoke without a care in the world - It brings my heart great joy to hear this...I hope to hear it more and more.

To My SamD...

Métamorphose

~
Une rivière gelée,
un parc glacial,
le froid apporte une grise lamentation,
mais le brilliant ciel
apporte le nouveau, la joie.
~
Par: Samantha D.

Apparently we have a plethora of poets in our family ~mp:)

Translation:

A frozen river,

a glacial park,

the cold brings a grey lamentation

but the bright sky

brings newness, and joy.

*Not a perfect translation, it's harder to translate it into English because there are not as many "loopholes" to the language... Sorry if that made no sense. :S*

Fearless in the Face of Danger - Unaware

See this child, fearless in the face of danger. Only a wall of glass separates this hungry tiger from devouring this little one. Yet the child is not intimidated.

The child is captivated by the awesomeness of this creature, unaware of the danger...unaware.

Is ignorance bliss in this instance?

The child has had the opportunity to view this creature from a perspective that most haven't. And, this child will walk away unscathed.

What a memorable moment. I am sure the child will subconsciously, if not consciously hold this experience close to his heart and it will have an effect on the development of his character, to be sure!

Now, what if that child was you? What would you be thinking? Would you be so fearless? So brave?

When my oldest daughter was 3, we were visiting a zoo near Gowganda, Ontario. And as an unlikely place for a zoo as it was, it did have tigers. Three tigers. We were separated from these tigers by two fences that were each about 10 feet high. The distance from the tigers to us in total was about 10 feet. It was amazing to see these creatures so close, but as a mother, it was also very terrifying. You see, one of the tigers paced the fence closest to the path that visitors walked by. As my daughter and I came close to this fence, the tiger immediately locked its gaze on my daughter. It watched her and panted as it paced, and you knew that if there were no fence between us, my daughter would have been dinner. It was horrid! I quickly walked past this area with my daughter's hand firmly in mine to get to a safe distance out of the sight of the tiger. My daughter in the meantime, just looked on with casual interest, unaware that she was the object of this tiger's instinct. Unaware.



Many of us are facing hungry "tigers", something wanting to devour us. But God is protecting us. He is that glass that separates us from the creature that seeks to devour us. He is our parent who keeps us safe. We can trust our Father to protect us from danger unaware, just as we can trust our Father to lead us to safer ground when we are aware of danger.


I have commented on this scripture before: 1 Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.1 Peter 5:7-9 (in Context) 1 Peter 5 (Whole Chapter) Unlike this little child in the picture and my daughter, we are called to be aware. Aware of the enemy of our soul who would come like a thief to steal, kill, and destroy. John 10:10


We may be surrounded by tigers, lions, and bears (Oh my!), but know this:
God is protecting us. We need to be aware of and confident of His presence and protection. God has wonderful plans for us...do not become fearful, but trust Him. Keep your eyes on God, on His promises, on His character, and rest in the knowledge that God is faithful.


Psalm 116:6 "The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me."
Psalm 116:5-7 (in Context) Psalm 116 (Whole Chapter)

John 17:14-16 (in Context) John 17 (Whole Chapter)

Follow-up to "My Apple Trees...And How They Came To Be..."

So, as the end of summer approached, I was very excited to sample my apples...from apple trees I had grown from seed. (See "My Apple Trees...And How They Came To Be..." under the Family label.)
I expected the, now red, apples to grow into the size of a small Macintosh at least, but as the weeks progressed, I realized my apples were not going to grow any bigger. "Oh well, at least I had apples", I thought. They tasted great too!! They only grew to be about 2 inches in diameter at the most, but they were good. Someone told me that it wasn't a good season for apples, but honestly, I think they were just trying to be nice. We will see how next year's harvest unfolds. In the meantime, I will head out to the Farmer's Market and see if I can get some fresh apple cider from someone whose apples grew just a tad bigger...Ahh autumn...

Two From One

Blue eyed wonder, laughter genuine;
Creative, inspiring, funny and wise is she.

Another.

Musically talented, fair and intelligent;
A novel monster, clever and quiet to read.

Both.

Beautiful, loving, full of life;
Treasures from God, dear to me.

His Banner Over Me Is Love

Hello Beautiful People,
I thought I would drop a note before I continue on...Here are some pics from the cottage.. Wind in the pines...

This pic needs no comment.

This is how I get water inside the cabin:)

The screen door...the cottage would not be complete without it!

My Poppa.

It is not about the destination, but about the journey....

Haliburton Forest and Wildlife

Well, my voyage starts at the Haliburton Forest and Wildlife. I grew up in this area and I have seen many changes over the years. It is a beautiful area. This place holds many beautiful memories for me. Mostly swimming in the lake...my Grandmother was sure I was part fish. I remember picking blueberries and wintergreen berries...the creak of the screen door, the mice in the cabin, exploring the forest, the big egg and leftover breakfasts at the break of dawn, Poppa fishing, the wind in the pines and the comfortable mat of pine needles beneath my feet....and the hammock...ah yes, playing in the hammock!

There is no electricity here, although I understand you can get cell service now (not like I have tried...) This is a place to enjoy God through His creation...and to enjoy family and friends that would pop in for a visit. Many a tale have been spoken on this point, for the conversations have been hearty and thoughtful...it is amazing what a person will discuss when they have no technology to distract them...


This place is sacred of sorts...to me...this place hold precious memories of family, childhood, exploring nature, and laughter...much joy.


Here, my journey begins...

You know what? As I am writing this, I am praying that others would have the blessing of having a place like this in their world. A place where memories are sweet and joyous...I pray this for you, whoever reads this. You deserve beautiful, sweet experiences, everyone of you. I believe God desires this for each of us, and I pray that this season, each of you would receive the beauty and sweetness of God's gift to you. Whether it would be family, friends, nature, or His Presence. Look for it. Receive it. And gratefully bask in it! ...All to the Glory of God.

Random Thoughts

The lesson for today is: Pinesol and paint fumes will cloud your thinking, make you irritable, and tired! You may end up with a headache too. Arg. This is the 3rd paint job on this room and I am thoroughly sick of painting, but I have to (want to) get it done - tonight.

I have had a quiet house all week. Both of my girls are at camp learning to windsurf. Hopefully, the weather cooperated with them for getting out on the lake. In this time, I have gutted both of their rooms and tidied. With my oldest's room, I also added a coat of paint. The paint job before was unfinished and I was not happy with the colour; Sam didn't mind the colour so much, but she also didn't mind if it morphed into a new wavelength...And that it did. I took the original paint which was a translucent magenta (don't ask...) and mixed it with white to get this funky pinky/violet. I hope she likes it, and if she doesn't, well...let's just say, she will be buying the paint and applying it on her own.

Having all of this quiet time reinforces my desire to get into the workforce (outside the home). I now have a new appreciation for people who live alone, it can be downright boring at times, especially when the weather is incompatible with the activities you would like to do during the day!!

I also learned that I still need to work on self-discipline....you know, like making a list of things to do and actually doing them!

All in all, it has been a great week. But I do miss my girls:)

That's it. No Word thoughts, nothing profound today - unless you consider the advice at the beginning...perhaps this is why this post is as it is... Now, to finish that painting...or maybe I will put up my curtain rods....

YAWEH-YIREH

As I have been dunging out my abode, I came across a special piece of work my youngest wrote. When she was about 8, my daughter was learning about Psalms and as part of the process, she was asked to write her own Psalm to the Lord. She agreed when I asked her if I could share her work on my blog...

The Lord My Provider
You fill my cup and my plate

You know when I need

And you know when I am full

You are my YAWEH-YIREH

I feel complete.

By: Reena

Personal - Just Me One Morning...

I have not yet had a coffee this morning and I am feeling somber. Outside there is a mist that nearly obstructs the view beyond the house across the street. There are birds singing in the distance; their song seems less lively than on a morning filled with sunshine. All in all, a state of blahness is setting into my day.

I woke up this morning thanking God for different things, praying for people I care about, and asking for His help and guidance throughout this day. ...Shine through me this day God, somehow, shine through me...

I read the Word, I am reading the book of Jeremiah, and I ponder the words...I end with Jer. 45 and I am reminded of how I used one of the verses in a posting not too long ago...Should you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not.

Where will this day lead? Someplace wonderful, I pray.

I am getting my house in order right now - I felt impressed upon to do so. I have gotten rid of a lot of junk and garbage. It feels good to do this. I am working on my kitchen right now. New appliances are arriving in August, after I replace the floor, counter, and backsplash. I intend the new counter to be a granite - 'verde butterflies' - it is dark with greens, gold, and black...It should look quite nice.

I really should do some reading today. I have about 6 books on the go, four of them in seriousness...and one of those is my study book for my RN exam. It would seem as though I am in a constant state of information overload. Light reading is not in my agenda lately...although, I am reading Kate DiCamillio's "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" out loud to my youngest at bedtime.

A red cardinal and a yellow finch arrive simultaneously on the lilac tree outside my window and linger there together...an unlikely couple, but a beautiful sight to behold. I like birds. I had a canary, but he died a few weeks ago (I believe it was because of the chemicals that were used on the broccoli - I did wash the broccoli quite thoroughly before giving it to Tweet...apparently not thoroughly enough...) ...The cardinal flies away first and the yellow finch flits from branch to branch and a minute or two later, it too flies off. A nice distraction to my morning.

I am feeling the need to grind some beans...Canadian coffee, Kicking Horse Coffee - Grizzly Claw dark...yep, it is time to brew...

As I listen to the coffee brew, I am grateful for a quiet house...it is 8:15 a.m. and everyone is still sleeping...and I don't mind at all! Normally, I am up around 6 a.m., but I was tired this morning. Perhaps it was my late night workout at the gym with the steambath and sauna afterward that tired me out?

Ahh, the sun has almost burned its way through the clouds...and it is gone....

Coffee is ready...I'll be back...

Ahhhhh....I like coffee. I didn't use to drink but on the odd occasion. That was 4 years ago. Thanks to the nursing program at the university and a certain Prof that spoke a "prophetic" word over us (...or was it a curse???)...what did she say? "If you don't drink coffee, by the time you finish this program, you WILL drink coffee." ...I did resist for about a year and a half...but the draw was too great and I was weak, I was willing...the fragrance led to tasting, and tasting lead to a full affair...coffee and I are partners...(Little humour there, don't get alarmed...)

My day has begun and I can feel the coffee feeding my brain cells, it is a good thing. I am looking forward...forward.

...So God, what would you have me do for You this day? Do you have anything you want to say to me? Help me to hear you Holy Spirit.

Please bring great blessing to all who read this...prosper them mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and financially...and may they give You the glory, for it is You, Lord Jesus, who deserves all our praise and thanks! Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness...

Thank you for this new day.

Meet Zoey...

Another blonde beauty added to my family...She was left behind when some people moved from their apartment...We adopted her from the Humane Society. A German Shepherd/Lab mix - well behaved, intelligent, healthy, good with kids...

She is a blessing to us that we are very thankful for...our cat on the other hand is not so impressed...

...And We Have Blossoms!!!

New apple blossoms unfolding from my apple tree...Horray...(the story is below).

My Apple Trees...How They Came To Be...

I like to garden. I love getting my hands dirty; I love the colours of the flowers and the leaves, the smells each produce, and the textures produced from the smallest petal to the largest tree as a whole.

Gardening has been a part of me right from my earliest memories. I lived with my mom and my grandparents for the first 4 years of my life, and I remember going out to the vegetable garden with my Poppa to weed and harvest the produce. Poppa would work away and I would usually abscond a cucumber and plop myself down in between the rows of veggies and munch away. If it wasn't a cuc, it was beans, or peas, or carrots, or strawberries, or...whatever I could get away with. Poppa was very good about me helping myself...Grandma on the other hand, was not as forgiving - especially when I decided the pea patch would be my target!

We had gooseberries too...oh, those were the days...

Later on in life, my dad's mom - Grandma Pat - had a very prosperous garden center where I learned even more about plants, furthering my love for gardening. I would work in the garden center planting seeds in the spring in the greenhouse, and unless you have been in a hot, humid - filled with new growth, greenhouse, you may not appreciate the delightful earthy fragrance that would be reminicent of a rainforest, or even a forest on a hot muggy day after the rain. Either/or, the smell was very pleasant to me.

Grandma Pat's father started the garden center and Campbell's Garden Center still stands today. The location of the center has moved from by the river to out to the highway, but it remains in the family with my aunt continuing the business.

It was Grandma Pat's father who bought apple trees from an orchard nearby and planted the parent tree to my trees below. The apples are like a Mackintosh but they are actually a heritage apple whose name Grandma Pat can not recall.

From the parent tree, which is about 100 years old, I took 66 apples and buried them in my garden. In the spring, I had 6 seedlings. Of the 6 I gave 4 away and kept 2. For the past 6 years I have babied my trees. When I moved to my current location, I couldn't decide where to put the two trees, so I kept them together. Four years later, I was afraid to dig them up to separate them, so I left them and I forged ahead, bravely pruning them this spring...

And look!!!! I have buds!!! I will have blossoms!!!!
The picture is not the best, but when the flowers begin to bloom, I will take a better pic.

I could not be happier! I didn't think that my trees were going to blossom so soon (they have been through 2 moves, less than optimum soil conditions at times, and a newbie pruner). People kept telling me they would not blossom for another few years...Ahh, I am pleased. I normally do not 'baby' my plants. If they do not thrive under normal conditions, including drier-than-normal, then I do not replace them....harsh, but practical. My apple trees were different. They carry a heritage, a positive memory trigger to my youth, they are the result of my diligence and care. I will continue to nurture my trees and I look forward to the fruit they will produce...with great pleasure, I look forward to their fruit! I will keep you posted on their progress...

A little view of our trip to Niagara Falls

Okay, so the trip to Niagara Falls was nice, we didn't win provincials, but the girls had fun - on the court and in the pool at the hotel (there needs to be sound absorbers in the pool room, my ears are still buzzing from the laughter and screams...).

My aunt came and took in a game with us and we visited the falls - and I forgot my camera! Jen got a few pics, she hasn't sent them to me yet though...Some of the pics I do have include the ones below...

Provincials....Go Power!!!

Sam seriously rethinking this Skywheel ride...oops...too late, you're stuck now... (the American falls are behind Sam...) The Skywheel gives a great view, 175 ft above Niagara Falls...

Overlooking Sir Adam Beck's hydro station on the Niagara river....

What I was so keenly observing...a view of the hydro station on the American side...

On to something more fun...waxing your hand at Ripley's....First pick a hand position (Sam went with the Spock greeting or the Nanu-nanu greeting...), dip it in cold water, and then in the white wax....

Then dip in the green wax...

Dip in cold water again to set the wax...

Once the wax hand was removed (it slid off with a little prying), it was filled with wax grains(?)...

Sealed with some hot wax on the bottom...and there you have it!

Sam with her hand!

Reena's final product....

I LOVE YOU!

My Girls...

I have two wonderful daughters that bring great joy to my heart...It has been quite a journey with them. When they were small there were times where I would think to myself, I need to remember this moment - like a kodak moment, ingrained on my mind forever...unfortunately, I don't have a photographic memory...so I am left with snippits of the past, like when Sammi would chase the girls (our chickens at the time - laying hens) and try to pick them up and hug them...after we collected their eggs...

I realize now that even though I don't have a photographic memory, the Lord blesses me with moments each day with my girls that warm my heart and sometimes leaves me laughing so hard I can't breathe...(The Brits are coming, the Brits are coming...where are the Brits from?...Britland!)

I sometimes get so wrapped up in my day and in my concerns, that I forget to embrace those moments with my girls that would not only fill my heart, but nourish theirs as well. It is so easy to ignore the hearts around you that need nourishment, especially when your heart is hungry...Ironically, it is when you feed others, that you get fed! How many times have I felt a hundred times better when I reach out to others even though I didn't feel like it?! I can be difficult, but it is do-able...and everybody benefits in the end!

I learn a lot from my girls. They are very intelligent, observant, thoughtful, funny, talented, and entirely lovable!!:) I am thankful for them and I will continue to try to create more 'kodak' memories with them as time goes by, for their benefit as much as for mine.

If any of you have kids, don't forget to nourish their hearts with love and attention, and your heart will also be nourished...