...across the room to talk about legacy's....

This morning I read a short article by Ron and Gilbert Beers on leaving your legacy. I thought about the wonderful people in my life who are spending Christmas in heaven and how they affected my life ... past, present and future. This article made me think about the legacy that I want to leave. They quote the book of Psalms in the Bible where it says this: "But as for me, I will sing about your power. I will shout with joy each morning because of your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety in the day of distress. O My Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love." To me there is just nothing more important to pass along to my family than God's mercy, His unfailing love, and that refuge and place of safety He has been in my life. I want my family to see God as the One who created them and therefore knows them better than they know themselves; loves them more than they could ever love and to see Him as a Father like no other. The article stated: " Many people think of God as being angry and judgmental, pointing his disapproving finger at our sins and failures. In reality, God is both holy and merciful. In his holiness, he calls us to moral and virtuous living; in his mercy he is willing to forgive us, and he loves us even when we fail. The psalmist is rejoicing that he can rely upon God's mercy, which becomes a protection against the destructive forces of evil." I think it is important to think about the kind of legacy we want to pass on to our children, their children, etc. Depending on how we were raised, we might pass along all the disappointments, hurts, frustrations, attitudes and pain of our own up bringing or we can break the destructive cycles of our pasts and give our children a legacy that will help them be whole and equipped human beings. I saw a lot of little children at the front of the church participating in a Christmas production this morning. They were so cute, uninhibited, adorable and talented. I couldn't help but wonder who their mommies and daddies were and what kind of legacy they are preparing to leave their children. Every day, every decision, every reaction, every word and gesture will comprise the legacy that we leave for our family. It's worth a little contemplation, I think.

....across the room to say THANK YOU....

CHRISTMAS! What a celebration! Everybody wants to be in on the festivities and many who don't even believe in the real reason for this celebration get completely absorbed in the giving and receiving of this special season. Personally I am amazed at the way the people of our city get involved to make sure everyone has a special Christmas by donating food and gifts to be distributed by various organizations.

Most of my gifts have been sent by now and I have been the recipient of a few gifts myself by now. That brings me to the reason for this post. Some months ago we sent a wedding gift because we had not been able to attend the wedding. It was a gift of money. A month or so later I realized we had not heard from these people by way of a telephone call or a thank you note. Since we had just received a call from a charitable organization we had donated to six months ago to inform us they received the cheque just that day I began to wonder if our gift had been received by this couple. I contacted them to find out that they did not receive it. A few days later a very tired looking envelope ended up in our mail box. It looked like someone had used it as a coaster for their coffee cup! In fact it looked so bad I had to buy a new card to send the gift again. That is one reason we need to send thank you notes but not the main reason. I don't know how many gifts I have sent by now and never received a thank you of any kind. I'm left to wonder whether the gift was ever received and I can't help but wonder if it was even appreciated. The gift I received yesterday was a good reminder of how much time a friend will invest in finding something really special, wrapping it in pretty paper and sending it to my house. A gift of money is someone saying "I want to give you something you would really like, so here is some money so that you can choose it for yourself". Whether it is a gift of money or a gift chosen by someone I think it deserves to be acknowledged. There is no substitute for a hand written note (everyone loves mail!) but a telephone call is a great way of thanking your family and friends as well!

May you enjoy the gift of giving and receiving and let's all remember to say "THANKS"!

...across the room for my family...

As I was tidying up my kitchen this morning I wondered what I should take off the counters before Christmas to make room for all the extras that always end up on the counter during family gatherings. Then the thought hit me that "this Christmas there will be no baby bottles, formula, soothers, or the DREADED SIPPY CUPS cluttering up my kitchen counter! Our grandchildren have all been there, done that, and they are all GROWN UP! This will all change again for next Christmas (and I can't wait to have a baby around again) but for this year things will be different. I think I feel the same way about my grandchildren as I did about my children. I loved the wee baby stage. They are so adorable and make complete idiots of the adults (remember cooing at the babies to make them coo back, cheering when they poop and laughing at their garbled baby talk?). Then there's the stage when they'll sit alone in the middle of the floor and never go anywhere! There is so much freedom in the very brief stage before they crawl all over the place and end up under the couch fast asleep like one of ours did! The walking and talking stage is always a real highlight even though they wear out the adults as they walk where they shouldn't and talk endlessly, asking questions and making comments about everything in sight. Our grandbabies are ages 3, 5, 7, and 9 so there are lots of conversations on every level and lots of surprise observations from inquisitive little minds! If I had to choose one particular stage of development I just couldn't do it. I love them all. I cannot wait for my house to be filled with noises from these special little ones in my life and I can't wait for the adults to try to get in some semblance of real conversation above all the "noise"!

I'm counting the days!

...across the room into the REAL world.....

As we were raising our daughters my husband and I agreed on some very important common sense approaches to cleanliness and nutrition for ourselves and our children. One was to limit the use of antibiotics if at all possible. Sometimes I felt judged by other people because their kids were taken to the clinic or even worse the local emergency department at the first sign of a sniffle or cough and mine had to suffer through it! Did you know that even if a child feels sick Monday or Tuesday and is looked after at home, by Friday everybody has just had it and they head to walk-in or the emergency department for their instant anti-biotic fix! Nobody is allowed to ruin the family's weekend by being sick! REALLY! You may quote me:) At our house hands had to be washed after bathroom use and before and after a meal. Fresh fruits and/or veggies were served at most meals (we had to have something crunchy to eat at most meals). Don't think for a moment that this was what really happened at our house every day. We were not the perfect family. I'm just saying this was our desire for ourselves and something we wanted to instill in our daughters. That's just a little introduction into what I really wanted to post today which is an excerpt from a book I'm reading. I totally agree with the following written by Danna Demetre in "Change your habits, change your life":

Experts are reporting that many allergies and immune-system diseases have doubled, tripled or even quadrupled in the last thirty to forty years. Some studies confirm that more than half of the U.S. population has at least one allergy. Many researchers suspect the increase may be due to changes in modern living to include the "hygiene hypothesis," which blames growing up in increasingly sterile homes as the problem. Others have pointed to changes in diet, air pollution, and even the rise in obesity and sedentary lifestyles.

Interestingly, the rise in allergies and immune-system diseases are only showing up in highly developed countries in Europe and North America. The illnesses have steadily increased in other countries as they have become more advanced.

This is what health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola says about this issue:

As society in general becomes more "sterile" it is causing real problems for your immune system, which is becoming increasingly unable to differentiate between real threats and harmless things like pollen and dust-bunnies.

Think about it: how many people do you know who carry a bottle of antibacterial hand sanitizer with them wherever they go? Meanwhile, you're exposed to antibiotics, in your food and by prescription, while most of the food supply is pasteurized or otherwise treated to remove both good and bad bacteria.

And this is the key: while everyone was busy killing all of those "germs" they didn't stop to think about what this would mean for the future generation. Children are now growing up without being exposed to the bacteria, viruses, and parasites that have existed throughout the world - even in developed countries like the U.S. - since the beginning of time.

To some extent, this is a good thing. but to children's immune systems, which are not being exposed to bacteria and viruses like they were in the past, it results in an excessive immune response against a routine thing, like a peanut, resulting in allergies and auto-immune diseases.

While "clean living" is certainly a good thing, we must be wise and not take this to an extreme. We also need to stop pressuring our doctors to write prescriptions for antibiotics every time we have a sniffle or a cough. They should not be giving in to these requests, but unfortunately sometimes they do, which results in increasingly resistant strains of bacteria and a much bigger problem for all of us. Don't feel you have to avoid every germ on the planet. Let your kids play in the dirt. Yes, we do need to wash our hands after using the restroom and when in contact with sick people. but that old "ten second" rule for food dropped on the floor not being contaminated is a good one to keep. Our bodies get strengthened by small doses of bacteria. Let's not be afraid to live in the "real" world and leave our hand santizer behind on occasion.

I am no authority on marriage and I speak only from experience and a firm belief that every relationship be it a marriage, friendship, family, etc. can survive anything. One of my great desires in life is to see people work through differences and difficulty to keep their relationship in tact and be strengthened as a person. As I thought about this today here are some thoughts I thought before I ran out of time!!

......my thoughts on marriage......

~great marriages are not made in heaven, but on earth, with time, respect for ones self and each other, understanding, honest communication, mental, emotional and physical support for one another.

~they don't just happen. They have to be cultivated.

~they are worth the effort it sometimes takes to get through the tough times

~can be great fun!

~marriages are forever!

~requires energy

~is not for sissy's

~are designed by God for our benefit!

~have to be based on mutual trust

~can sometimes be exhausting!

~is a gift two people give each other

~marriages are never perfect so don't expect it to be

"By WISDOM a house is built, and through UNDERSTANDING it is established, through knowledge it's rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures". Prov. 24: 3,4

...across the room to encourage you.....

I was reading a book this week and in it was the account of Jesus telling Peter that he would betray Him. Peter who loved Jesus very much was shocked that Jesus would say this to him and of course denied that he would ever do such a thing. We would too, wouldn't we? We are no different from Peter. When all is well with us, things are going great, we're up on the mountain with Jesus we can't imagine our relationship with Him any different, any less, only more.

The author pointed out that Jesus knows our weaknesses. We think we are strong in our faith and yet we fail again and again to love God the way He deserves to be loved and honored. She talks about how Jesus appeared to His disciples after the resurrection and made breakfast for them by the lake. They had all fallen away from Him when the going got rough and this is how He responded to them! Breakfast at the lake!

After breakfast He asks Peter "do you love me more than these?" three times and each time Peter responds with a positive "Yes! I love you!" Of course Jesus already knew that Peter loved Him but Peter needed to be reminded that despite his betrayal, his love for Jesus was real and secure.

The author encourages her readers "...don't let the shame of bad behaviour or a lapse in your faith keep you from intimate time with Christ and being used for His glory. Do you love Him? Do you love Him? Do you love Him?"

Such a great reminder that God never gives up on us, isn't it? HE LOVES YOU! HE LOVES YOU! HE LOVES YOU! So if you need to.....pick up where you left Him, fix your eyes on Him, and get going! :)

...across the room for a year without Jean.....

One year ago today....my life changed forever as my sister breathed her final breath and joined her son Del and our Mom in glory.

I will never forget that day and the week to follow as we looked after the details of our final good-byes to Jean. What I didn't realize then was that it was not my final good-bye at all. This past year has been filled with constantly having to say good-bye over and over again. I think that is what one has to do to come to terms with a loss. It takes time to let a loved one go and this process WILL not be rushed. This year has been long and without a doubt the most painful and difficult year I have had in all my life.

The text book cycle of grieving got all murky in my life it seemed. The shock and emotional release which most people experience more immediately hit me after I returned home. I put my life on hold to be with my sister most of the last six weeks of her life and I have no regrets about investing that time in her family to support them and to be with Jean even though she may not have known most of the time that I was with her. So I can't say that I have any guilt feelings of regret about needing to do more than I did. What I did find was that even though I thought I had progressed in the cycle of the stages of grief they seemed to need to be revisited and they would even merge and overlap to the point of almost immobilizing me at times. The pain of it all was worse than any physical pain I have ever had to endure.

As the year rolls to an end I am definitely experiencing less of it and am enjoying the memories and pictures without having to cry every time.

What I did for myself this year is try to surround myself with people who did not pretend to know it all. Nor did they try to cheer me up when I was sad, offer cliches or pat answers. Only two people told me they knew exactly how I felt and I immediately forgave them for saying it. Friends simply sat with me, didn't mind being around me in my state, asked me to talk about Jean, and were just simply themselves even though I was not. What a gift they have been to me! And where was God in all of this? Right with me! Holding me and whispering comfort, caring for me and loving me through it. He never left me alone.....never got impatient or angry with me. He just let me walk through at my own pace. To be in His presence has been my refuge, my rest, and my great joy!

I can't say that I ever thought that God was going to heal Jean physically. Her healing had been granted in her spirit the last year of her life. She experienced tremendous spiritual healing and understanding of who God is and she believed He was Sovereign and all-sufficient and had experienced Him as such. She trusted Him with her life. So I felt that He was taking her home to be with Him and spoke with her in that fashion, giving her my blessing to go to be with Jesus and promising her that I would be there for her family as much as they needed me to be and that is what I have been doing this year. I love each one of them as my own and would do anything for them.

Jean, I will always remember you as someone with whom I could share matters of the heart, knowing you would not only understand but have personal experiences very similar and often exactly the same and I miss that so much. I will remember you as the one I could call on to pray for me when I felt I really needed someone on my side and I miss that especially these last two days. I can clearly hear your fabulous hearty laugh as I write this and think about you and it seems like it will be forever until I will hear that again but then I know I can hear it forever! I will mostly remember you for your unwavering love and trust in our most amazing Savior and Lord of our lives, Jesus Christ. I miss you Jean!

...across the room to scream Part 2....

Well, since my last post I have spoken with a few dear souls who were brave enough to share how they changed their immediate responses! Apparently it is possible and after thinking about it some more I realized that I have also changed some of my initial responses out of necessity!

One of those (not that I've completely arrived yet, but I'm feeling very positive that I soon will have this one conquered) is the habit of sucking in my breath when my husband is at the wheel. Although he has patiently explained for years now that he has no idea what sucking in my breath means when he's at the wheel (most of the time he thinks one of us is about to die) I simply cannot find words for the moment so I suck in my breath! Usually it means I think he is going to wreck my vehicle in some way! Last weekend, instead of sucking in my breath, I cautioned him in what I classified as a definite yet quite audible whisper, "No, NO, NO!" as I cowered beneath the dash of the car when I saw a vehicle rapidly approach our back end as we were leaving our parking spot. Again, it was my immediate response. For me it felt like a healthy change from the immobilizing breath sucking!

Another immediate response of mine (I don't know why I feel I have to tell all my secrets suddenly...ON my blog yet!) is to stand in front of the waste basket cabinet door whenever my husband walks into the room to throw something into the waste basket. It's not that I even know he needs to open that door or wants to throw something away, it's just where I stand when he walks into the kitchen! I do it every time. I can't seem to help myself. The door is under the sink. Why would I stand in front of the oven or refrigerator when he walks into the kitchen. Seems kind of silly. I stand in front of the sink. I'm feeling very strongly that I need to change my position though and will have to come up with a solution. Soon!

And finally, my husband says that when he needs to get my attention all he has to do is go to the bathroom. He claims that as soon as he walks in there, I'm right behind him. It's not like we don't have any other bathrooms in the house. I walk into which ever bathroom he is in! Go figure! It just seems that whenever he walks in there I have something I need to say to him! Before I forget, or before he disappears somewhere in the house that's inconvenient for me!

In retrospect, it's really all about learning to live together, wouldn't you say?

...across the room to scream....

Yes, this is one of those nasty self portraits and yes I know it looks like I'm sticking out my tongue at something but actually it's supposed to look like I'm screaming at the top of my lungs! Why, you ask? I thought you'ld never ask! Because screaming, apparently, is my first reaction to shock! This is not news to me but for some reason my husband seemed surprised by an outburst such as this to something rather trivial to his way of thinking. We were out of town and stopped at a Starbucks before returning home. On our way out of the parking lot we v-e-r-y slowly inched our way over an exaggerated speed bump which caused our car to bottom out. The second I heard the crashing noise my mouth opened and I heard screaming. Extremely LOUD screaming! Then I realized it was my mouth that was screaming. I didn't WANT to scream. I just did! After the noise died down and my husband stopped sticking his finger in his ear to deaden the noise the conversation progressed somewhat like this:

"Why did you scream?"

"I don't know, it just happened!"

"It was just a speed bump. Why would you scream about that?"

"I'm a girl!"

"I can't believe that at your age you would still scream like a scared child." (or something to that effect)

"It was my first reaction. I couldn't help it. Can you control all your first reactions?" (it never crossed my mind at the time but I should have asked him if he could from this day forward control his habit of screaming without any warning whenever he sneezes! I only thought of that right this very minute! That would have been the perfect retort!)

That's when the laughing set in. I'm not sure who started it but we could hardly stop ourselves. Suddenly it just seemed like the craziest conversation in the world and the craziest reaction at my age, apparently!

It got me thinking though. I am in the middle of a 40 day journey to change some of my habits and I wonder whether it is possible to change an immediate reaction. Is it possible to change something that just hits you so suddenly that you don't even have time to think about it before you do it? I would definitely rather not scream when something happens unexpectedly but I also realize that it is my first reaction. This summer I was cleaning my patio doors when a bird flew at me at about waist height. What did I do? I screamed! I have screamed when my husband walked into the kitchen when I didn't expect him and I remember a dream about a burgler in our house who was about to hit me when my alarm sounded. You're right! I screamed! I could write a book about screaming. He is right though. At my age, it's getting a tad embarrassing when I'm out walking with my friends and a cyclist rings his bell to let us know he is approaching and I scream! How can I get myself not to do that, I wonder? Any similar experiences out there? Ideas? Help! I'm a screamer and I can't stop!!

...across the room for my personal review.....

I just read the new Mitch Albom book "Have a little Faith". A quick interesting read and true story about the similarities between an elderly Rabbi and an inner city Detroit Pastor, the characters in the book are the kind of people you want to have in your life. They are interesting, devoted, passionate about what they do and immersed in the lives of the people around them. Neither seem to be concerned about their own comforts and needs and seemingly not at all about their wants. I found a lot of good things in this book about how to live out our faith. While the book kept my attention all afternoon as I read by the fire and keeping in mind Albom reminds us he is not an authority on religion I found that it left me feeling unsatisfied when I finally put it down.

The main reason for that I think is the fact that a search for Truth is not discussed in this book and as far as I'm concerned God and Truth are inseparable. There is really no discussion about the Trinity, or God's greatest Gift to us, His Son Jesus and His work on the cross for our total salvation, the Way, the Truth, and the Life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. No mention of the blood of Jesus Christ atoning for our sins, and the Holy Spirit who is God in us, empowering, regenerating and comforting us. Personally I just can't gloss over these truths in relating a faith journey.

I get the distinct impression when the author states that he hopes all faiths can find something universal in his story he believes that all "roads" lead to God when the Bible very plainly explains that there is only one way to God and that is through His Son Jesus. I'm very black and white about this and anything less than a clear explanation of God's instruction on how to come to Him leaves me feeling very dissatisfied.

Having said all that, I have to say it was a great read and I wish I could have met the Rabbi before he died. I think I would have liked him a lot!

...across the room to share my reading.....

I am really enjoying the works of Oswald Chambers and the fact that his writing is so closely based on the Scriptures. I just want to share some of my readings this week......I like how He describes our condition and our need: "Sin is a fundamental relationship; it is not a wrong doing, it is wrong BEING, deliberate and emphatic independence of God. Other religions deal with SINS...the Bible alone deals with SIN. The Bible reveals that Jesus took upon Himself the heredity of SIN, not our fleshly sins. Jesus Christ rehabilitated the human race; He put it back to where God designed it to be and ANYONE can enter into union with God on the ground of what Our Lord has done on the Cross."

This week I had a conversation with a young lady who talked about praying the "sinners prayer" as though they are magic words that will set us right with God. We talked about salvation being a matter of the heart. So many people seem to be satisfied that they have "said the sinner's prayer" and yet they wonder why their life seems so empty. God isn't there for them. Faith doesn't work for them. Prayers are never answered the way they want them answered. Nothing works! They don't realize that when their hearts are not right with God nothing will happen. As soon as they turn their eyes off God in an act of disobedience and sin their world becomes dark again. Chambers goes on to say that if there is anything that we have not cleaned up in our lives we will not go any further until we are willing to do what the Holy Spirit reveals to us. If He is convicting us of our habitual lies, deceit, broken promises, willful disobedience, we need to take that step of obedience and clean this stuff up and make right our relationship with Him. Chambers says "obey God in the thing He shows you and ... heaven opens and the profoundest truths of God are your straight away!"

...across the room to keep a plant alive....

I'm really not much of a gardener but there are times I get lucky enough to grow some beautiful plants. This was one of my favourites this year. It was tucked away outside in the corner of our house in my favourite designer planter that I bought for a song. It looked healthy all summer and just kept filling that pot and growing down the sides until it almost touched the ground. Two days ago I decided to bring it inside and hopefully keep it alive and beautiful in my house but just in case I lose my green thumbs this winter I took a picture of it. I even bought a new pot (it IS used to the designer pot after all) and a stand so it can continue it's downward spurts throughout the winter months.

Last November after my sister passed away (why do we say it like that?! She has not "passed away"! She has just moved to a better spot and is waiting for us to join her! She is very much alive today!) a friend of mine gave me a Christmas Cactus which will bloom white flowers every year to remind me of my sister (not that I need a reminder!) who loved white flowers! Can you imagine the pressure I felt to keep this thing alive? I kill every plant that has ever been in my house. REALLY! The other day this friend was over and wanted to see the cactus. Thankfully half of it was still alive and even has buds on it. She took one look at it though and said "Oh, WHY did I give you a plant!" LOL. Now I REALLY have something to prove! Like, can't I at the very least grow cactus?!

hmmmm. I wonder if I could grow thistle? They always look so healthy and hardy in my flower gardens!

...across the room to clean the other room.....

It all started with the old refrigerator that came with the house we bought. Definitely on it's last leg, we decided it needed to be replaced before we faced coming home from a holiday one day to a stinky food mess! As usual I had my sights set on something that wouldn't quite work in the space the former owners had carved out for the small unit now in distress. Although the house was well looked after we had toyed with the idea of making some changes. Long story short, one idea led to another and before we knew it we found ourselves head first into a total home renovation project! With no prior experience to rely on I found myself having to learn at a seemingly impossible rate how to step into the "project manager" position and how to make me look like I knew what I was doing! Thankfully we survived the grueling year long endurance test and finished within the projected time frame. By that time we were both so finished with making decisions that we decided to take a break from making any additional purchases like furniture and a few other items. The one room that suffered from this decision was my laundry room/office. This room ended up being the junk room. I couldn't decide whether I should allow this room to function as a combination laundry/office or just let it be a laundry room and create a little office niche in another area of the house. One thousand and seven conversations weighing the pros and cons later I decided to combine the two. The past six months have been the most difficult for me as I tried to ignore the mess in that room. However lately I noticed that I was having a terrible time trying to keep the rest of my house organized and tidy when I felt like there was nothing I could do about the mess behind that one door in the house! Finally one day I went to the big city and bought all the units I thought I needed in order to finish this room. Thanks to my handy husband we managed to clean up that mess in just two short days! Miraculously my house seems to have expanded by so much more than that one space. I love to keep the door of my laundry room open now because it doesn't bother me at all to have people see what's inside! It is clean, neat and tidy! I never want to leave folded clothes on my dryer any more. I want to fold them on my new table and put them away! As for the rest of my house.....I have no trouble keeping it clean and tidy any more either. I love to walk from room to room and see that everything is in it's rightful place. Had I known it would make such a huge difference in my life I would have done this LONG AGO!

This experience got me thinking about my life and in particular my relationship with God. Sometimes I let an area of my life get a little messy. I might develop a habit that I know is not good or right in God's eyes but I choose to ignore how it makes me feel because there is a certain pay off, like perhaps instant gratification. If I persist in this sin it won't take long for me to let some other area of my life slide. Suddenly I don't want to hear from God so I slack off on reading His Word or praying. My life becomes messy. I have known God long enough that I just simply cannot tolerate something coming between Him and myself for long. I miss Him so dreadfully and soon I will find myself on my knees asking His forgiveness and help so that I can clean up, dust off that sin and throw open the doors of all the rooms in my heart for Him with nothing around to crowd Him out! What a great place to be. May we all be able to keep the doors of the rooms of our hearts wide open all the time! PEACE!

(notice no clothes on the dryer?)

...across the room to dance connection.....

It seems all good things must come to an end...including lethargy!

For the past three years, I've been walking on a regular basis, usually at least 4 to 5 times per week, an hour each day. While this is good for me, especially the fresh air and the company of some good friends, I knew for some time now that I needed to get into more of an exercise program. I didn't feel that the walks were very beneficial anymore and that I needed a more rounded exercise program. While I've never felt comfortable in the very public gym setting I didn't seem to have what it took to start my own exercise program at home. Thankfully there are always people in my life at just the right time to spur me on and that's what happened in this situation. They even signed me up so I had no excuses!

The first session was yesterday and yes, I was anxious. I knew we were allowed to work at our own speed but this is a class setting and nobody wants to be the baby of the class so I did my level best to keep up. We concentrate on one specific area each day of the week. Yesterday was leg day! To my surprise I was able to keep up with everyone except for the last ten minutes. I was so pleased with myself! I know now that all that walking has paid off after all! My legs are in pretty good shape. Well, at least they were yesterday. Today is a different story all together. The operative word when sitting down, walking stairs, getting in and out of the car, is "OOOOUUUCCCHHHHH"! Thankfully today's preferred body part was arms. I almost died in that class today and I know tomorrow's pain will be but a memory down the road but for now I'm shaking in my boots! Wednesday is Abs day. I don't know what I'll be exercising because I haven't had abs in years! If I have some they are so well hidden it will take more than a few sessions to find them! The encouragement? The pain must mean something good is happening to my body and if I keep going sooner or later the pain will vanish and I will graduate to the other side of the building called "Boot Camp"!

(no pictures included due to excessive frown lines on my brow caused by pain in nether regions of my body!)

...a walk across the room for a sticky situation...

What's in a name? I think we all like to hear our name. Who would want to be referred to as "hey you" or even worse. Someone I used to know always called his father by his first name and it was done in a demeaning tone of voice accompanied by a snicker. There wasn't much love between them and yet I saw the hurt in the Dad's eyes. I feel for people who have names for which the meaning seems to have changed over the years. In some case, rather derogatory meanings for names that used to be just simply normal.

So this is the problem. I have a friend who has one of those names she feels ashamed of and so to avoid embarrassment, snickers, snide remarks she has changed her name and asked her family and friends to call her by her new name. Mostly I'm not in favour of people constantly changing their names but I really do see her point and understand her reasoning. The issue is that a few of her friends just simply refuse to call her by her new name. I don't understand why a person you love would not call you by the name they know you prefer. So I thought I would do a little survey to see what my fellow bloggers think about this. You could email privately or respond on this blog. How do you think she should handle this situation? I think she is slowly losing respect for these few people she once loved to be around and I can't say I blame her.

..across the room to model...

Throughout my life there have always been people that I thought were exemplary human beings. What I admire most in people is real wisdom, humour, dangerous faith, honesty, and a passion for something other than themselves. I can't say that I've ever wanted to be someone other than myself although I have wished for certain characteristics and attributes I have detected in other people that I thought I did not have. Fall seems to be the time of year when there is more time for introspection and assessment of the year up to this point, at least in my life this is so. As I have thought about this year there have been times of doubt and yes, disappointment too about the way my life has progressed. So much has changed for me this year and I keep sensing the need to remind myself that as I review all that has transpired I need to look at everything from the perspective of who I am today, rather than who I was last year. Last year seemed to be a year of tremendous growth for me in many ways. This year feels like a flat line year....I envision a heart monitor! Oswald Chambers refers to our daily living as a workshop. Spending time with God in other words. Allowing the roots of faith to sink deeper and deeper and our trust in Him to flourish. That is the only way we will be able to rise to the occasion when we stare into the face of difficult situations. Or LIFE! This year as I've asked Him to search me, and try me as the Scripture says, I feel as though I've been tried. He has asked me to test the growth from last year. Mostly I feel like I passed the test. I'm more convinced than ever before of who I am in God's eyes, how very much He loves me, cares for me and that He has a special plan for me that keeps unfolding day by day. The exciting news about all of this is that I feel that He is on the verge of pulling this all together for me to see what He's been trying to do in my life this year and new direction as well. It feels confusing and exhilarating all at the same time. I am truly beginning to understand what He means when He says that all things work together for good to those that love Him! He uses all the things of life to bring glory to Himself and WE are part of that! My brain is in overdrive today. What I wanted to say today is that we sometimes tend to look up to people in our lives as our examples but, as Oswald Chambers wrote in one of the articles I read this weekend, God did not give us the example of a good man or a good Christian to model ourselves after. He gave us the example of God Himself "Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect" .... love one another as I have loved you. He says that the expression of Christian character is not good doing but God-likeness. I like that! I believe that! I believe he is shaping, molding, and transforming me as I allow Him to complete the work He has begun in me. He is the one I want to grow to be like. He is the one I desire to have other people see through me. Keep transforming me O God!

(I hope that I can continue this post later this fall or winter to share what God has been doing in my life)

...across the room to the kitchen with love......

Let's face it. I just simply love to bake. Pastry dough is one of my favourite to work with and I also enjoy working with yeast dough. It's the texture for me. There's so much satisfaction in getting it just right. When the texture is right you know the outcome is going to be fantastic! I know I inherited this interest from my Mom. What a baker she was!

In the O.R. where my husband works the tradition is that when your birthday comes around you bring your own cake. That way no one gets left out and if you do it's your own fault! So guess who gets to make the cake? The problem is I'm not crazy about making cakes and we're not crazy about eating them either.

So I make tarts! Tomorrow happens to be that special day at our house and that means that I spent a good part of the evening in the kitchen and this was the result of my creativity. You're looking at pear, apple, blueberry and chocolate/meringue tarts. We've sampled the pear (oh MY!), blueberry (much complimenting from the birthday boy!) and chocolate/meringue (oh YES!).

Happy Birthday my Darling!

...across the room to model the new 'do'......

This is the result of dragging myself kicking and screaming to the hair stylist yesterday. One of my pet peeves about getting my hair washed is that most times they shampoo the make up off my face as well. Yesterday before they started with the fire hose I asked them for something to cover my face so as not to disturb my make up! They complied with a paper napkin which was referred to by a much fancier word I had never heard before. I really didn't care what they called it but I did care that it kept wanting to fall off my face. Each time this happened I made a jerking motion to get to it before it slid off. It gave me a break from her hard nails scraping my scalp and a heads up for her to watch where she pointed that hose! I guess they realized my hair was retracting into my scalp out of fear of being cut because they decided that even though I wasn't having conditioner put in my hair they didn't want me to "miss out on the scalp massage!" The massage was nice except for the times that she tried to slide her fingers through some tangles! That's when all that nicely relaxed scalp tightened right back up where it had originally been! However, the massage must have worked because I didn't experience the same constant gushing of sweat off my head onto my face like the last time she cut my hair (she was wondering why my hair wasn't getting dry last time!) The hot flashes happened as I was sitting in the waiting room for my turn under the sizzer. In fact I have to say I was fairly well relaxed in her chair yesterday.

I made sure I let her know that the reason I didn't want my make up washed off was because I had some shopping to do when I left the salon. She seemed to understand that but as usual, I did my shopping and when I got home to redo my hair (is there anyone out there who doesn't have to go home to redo the "do"?) I realized I had pieces of hair beside my nose and inside my ear! Even so, I do think I'll go back and let her get to know my hair but mostly I want to see if she'll remember to cover my face next time!

...across the room for hair cuts, telemarketers, and Costco....

*Two hair cuts ago I decided to try a new hair stylist (actually I try a new hairstylist all the time!). My theory about hair cuts has been "it'll grow out" and thankfully so far it always has. This hair cut was SO BAD and has unfortunately been captured on many pictures for everyone to see for years to come :(

I was so impressed when I met her because she looked at my hairline and took the time to peruse through a magazine with me. I showed her several very different hairstyles that I liked and she said she thought she knew what I wanted. We talked and I didn't pay much attention as she was cutting and when she was done styling I realized she had done EVERYTHING I asked her not to do! In fact, I think she took ideas from all the pictures I showed her and used a little of each on my head!! Now most hairstylists would say you should come back because it takes them some time to get used to your hair and you. I guess in this case it would have worked because I could have told her just to reverse what she did the last time! She SCARES me!

I realized today that she primed me for my cut today. I am hot flashing just thinking about sitting in the chair! This time I AM going back to the stylist I went to a few months ago. I like her and I will give her a chance to get to know my hair (I think she knows me after last time!)

I'll keep ya posted!!

*A friend gave me a book recently that I am thoroughly enjoying (I must remember to tell her!)

The other day as I was reading the author asked the question "why were you born and are you fulfilling the purpose of your creation?" Good question! Why am I here. Am I here just to fill in the time until the day I'm no longer here? God tells us in the Bible "...I am the Lord your God....you are precious in my sight....everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, even whom I have made." Check out Isa. 43

and then in Rev. "Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created."

The author says that we are created for God's glory and pleasure. Our lives are to be lived in such a way as to reflect Him, to show the world the character of God, His love, His peace, His mercy, His gentleness. She says we are created to live for Him and accomplish His will. To miss this purpose is to miss fulfillment. It is to have existed rather than to have lived.

The book is "Lord, I want to know you" by Kay Arthur. Thanks Renita! I love the book!

*Even though we are only two in our house I cannot resist shopping at Costco. I especially love their produce section but unfortunately get carried away buying in bulk. Hence my diet this week has consisted of mostly nectarines, lots and lots of nectarines, and pears! The problem is that of the two of us I'm the one eating most of the fruit. My reasoning behind the bulk purchases is that even if I can't eat all of it before it rots, I'll have enjoyed every bite (their fruit is just THAT good!) and it's cheaper than having to throw out junky fruit from some of the other stores! That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! After I finish this post I'll go eat another rather ripe pear!

*While I was typing the phone rang and when I realized it was a telemarketer I pressed "talk" and then almost immediately "end". Someone told me that if you answer their calls then they end up having to pay for it! I don't always do this but when I'm in "Hot Flush Mode" it somehow calms me down when I do that :) In fact these people have trained me to answer the phone, say hello, and if they don't respond IMMEDIATELY, hang up. The other day a friend called and since I hadn't checked the number on the display before I answered, and since the person didn't respond IMMEDIATELY, I hung up on her! She called again and said "I guess I'm too slow for you!" Speaking of "That Mode"....it has me crying about nearly everything these days. The other day my car left me stranded at Winners and I cried. I called my husband who asked me to stay put until he got there. When I saw his big truck on the street leading to Winners I cried again! Then I drove past his place of work and cried because I thought it was such a wonderful place to work and that he has devoted his life to this very wonderful and noble profession! See what all you youngsters have to look forward to? Oh Lord, please help me not to cry at the hair salon today! PLEASE?!

...across the room for sustenance!....

A friend of mine recently, in the most nasal voice she could manage, made this comment from the old "Saturday Night Live" programs "There's ALWAYS SOMETHING, isn't there?!"

It seems we can toodle (my spell check wants me to insert noodle in there LOL) merrily along for awhile and then BAMM, something happens that wipes that smug smile off our face, shakes us up for awhile, and stirs up some fear and various other killer emotions. As I was rumbling around the country on my motorbike this summer I was thinking about my own life and how I have changed from panicking every time something happens to experiencing this underlying peace that lets me know that ultimately I do not control my life and those around me and I don't have to take on that responsibility. God reminded me of a scripture verse where He tells us

"Peace I leave with you. MY peace I give to you!"

This is not a peace that we can create for ourselves. It is a gift from God. I realized that day on my bike what a precious gift this is that He gives us.

In Jeremiah 16:16 we read

"Your words are what sustain me. They bring me great joy and are my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty."

Just as we need nourishment for our bodies from food to sustain us, the spiritual part of us, our soul needs to be sustained as well.

I read the other day that since our souls were created by the breath of God, it is the Word of God, the Bible which is "God breathed" that sustains our souls. So just as we eat food every day to stay alive, grow strong and healthy, we need to feast on His Words each day to sustain our souls. That way when we face obstacles, hardship, pain and difficulty in our lives, His peace will permeate our very being and keep us in spite of what is happening all around us.

I wrote in my journal one day "What, but total trust and faith in God through our frustrations in life could bring both peace and pain at the same time?! The pain comes from not understanding why things happen in spite of our praying and pleading and the peace comes from trusting God and believing that He is sovereign, in control and is doing what is best."

I want to honour God with my life by sitting at His table and filling up on all the goodness He has prepared for my soul!

...across the room to Barnes & Noble.....

What happens to a person when you leave the comforts of home along with your scheduled busy life and hit the road on motorbike for three weeks for an unstructured, mostly unplanned getaway?! That's what we experienced this summer. We had some ideas about where we would like to go but we are always mindful of the weather systems and how it somewhat dictates our direction when we leave home. Who wants to head into a wild weather system on motorbike or any other vehicle for that matter?!

Since we both ride our own bike we spend a lot of our days with our own thoughts. How interesting?! It wouldn't be much of a good time for someone who doesn't like to think their own thoughts. We all know people who do not like silence so they establish ways of being distracted from their thoughts as much as possible. I am not one of those people. It would drive me crazy. I need periods of silence every day.

I usually take books with me and did so this summer as well but for some reason I just couldn't get into them. My husband read one of my books as well as what he brought with him and I just simply never felt like reading. One day as we were browsing in a book store after dinner I picked up a very nice looking boxed book with a leather like cover and I do admit it was the look of it that first caught my eye. I was actually looking for a gift for someone but as I paged through the book I realized it was exactly what I had been looking for since January! I know. A little late in the year especially since this was to be a book I wanted to read in every day this year! LOL! God works in mysterious ways, let's not forget! I love when I feel like I'm on to something really good and this was one of those times. This book was for me for right now! I couldn't wait to get to our hotel room to start reading.

"My Utmost For His Highest" daily devotional journal by Oswald Chambers is the book I bought. The readings start January 1st but of course that's not where I started! I started the day I bought the book! So what's the big deal? So far EVERY DAY has been a reading about the things I was thinking about, struggling with, praying for, searching out during this time on our bike trip! My heart is about ready to leap out of my body with sheer excitement and thankfulness of how this all came about. Was I ready to read this stuff in January? Probably not. However, God knew what I needed now and so He guided my steps to the restaurant, close to the book store which was close to our hotel and made sure I got what I needed! Ironically one of the first readings in the book was something I did not agree with but instead of being discouraged about it or the rest of the book I marked that page with my own thoughts which further cemented what I believe the Bible to say about that topic. I think it was a matter of Chambers trying to say something but not actually speaking the words on a matter that to me was very important to be clear about.

We can take a break from our lives and surroundings but as Christ followers we take God with us wherever we go and He is just never silent. Not even when I'm on my bike! He can get my attention above the roar of the engine and speak absolute peace into my soul! We have an AWESOME God!

....across the room to end this....

If this looks really good to you I would suggest a drive through Creston, BC to enjoy these bottomless cups of coffee and the biggest cinnamon roll we had ever seen. The topping had a decidedly syrup-ee taste to it. Different and yummy. I'm sure it's not necessary to mention here that this giant roll generated a number of comments from passers by as we smacked our lips and licked our fingers, not to mention enticing a few new customers into the bakery as well!

The best part about this coffee break was the sunshine, warmth, friendly strangers, and most of all the relaxing pace of the day....that is to say, we are in slow mode.

Our ride today brought us into Fernie with no room at our favourite hotel. We were about to leave when the hotel clerk came running out to let us know he called a place on the ski hill that had all kinds of rooms available. We made our way up to a great place with a big balcony, leather sofas, and a bed so tall we almost need a ladder to get into it! The bonus? There's nobody up here! We haven't heard this much quiet since we left home three weeks ago! What a perfect ending to the best holiday ever! Tomorrow, we're homeward bound and I can't wait to get into my kitchen to bake something. Cinnamon rolls, perhaps?

...across the room to make some notes...

The day started off with a nerve-wracking ride across a 7 km. bridge laden with various and sundry road kill.

We kept turning in the wrong direction although in the end it turned out to be the right direction. I was having one of those days where left felt right again.

I wanted to stay in the town where we had lunch because the food was just that good.

We stopped to buy a set of head phones for the GPS and a guy came to talk to us. He asked where we were from and then told us that he came down from heaven in 1972 but he only told special people about that and we were special people.

Our GPS kept telling us to go right so we went around the block.

We finally found a beautiful Hampton Inn, Starbucks and Olive Garden all in the same town.

We stayed!

It was a very good day!

...across the room to remember a little song.....

We arrived in Oregon today and made our way up the coastal highway taking in scenes such as this along the way. I don't know when I've ever enjoyed the ocean as much as I have on this trip. The wind, cooler temps, annoying motor homes, truck/trailer combos etc. didn't even get to me! We found interesting places to stop and little sea side restaurants and coffee shops to unwind and talk about the scenery and the ride.

As I looked across the water as far as the eye can see I was reminded of a song I learned when I was a kid...."Wide, wide as the ocean, high as the heavens above; deep, deep as the deepest sea, is my Saviour's love. I, though so unworthy, still am a child of His care; for His Word teaches me, that His love reaches me EVERYWHERE!"

I couldn't believe I remembered all the words to this little song. Actually I remembered them better than I used to sing them. When I was a kid, not thinking about the words, just enjoying the melody, I used to sing "I, no so unworthy!" I also used to sing "True patrot love, in all our signs command" during the singing of "O Canada"! I could go on! I was always more interested in the melody than the words! Today however, the words spoke to me. That water is looks so enormous, sounds so strong, and seems to be everywhere at the same time. I sang this little song and basked in the assurance of God's great love for me no matter where I am. As another song says "He's as close as the mention of His name". It was a sweet moment in the middle of my day to be reminded of God's love through a song I learned as a kid.

Parents, I hope you don't think that taking your children to church and sunday school every sunday is a chore or not important. The scripture they learn there through memorization or songs or in stories will speak to them throughout their lives. It will get them out of tough situations, help them make the right choices and draw them to God. Throughout my life God has used what I learned as a child in sunday school and church in my life to teach, help and encourage me. Make the sacrifice, take the time, and remember, children learn by example. While I was in church or sunday school my parents were there as well. You'll never be sorry for putting in the effort to be a spiritual leader and example to your children.

...across the road to keep my pants down....

I bet that title caught your attention! Normally I like to wear chaps when I'm on my bike but honestly this heat has got me 'taking 'em off'! In fact when we arrived in Redding, CA this afternoon I had to shed the new "mother of all leather jackets" I got for my birthday this year too. I felt the heat stroke coming on and it just had to go! One of the problems of not wearing chaps is that the wind catches the hem of my jeans and hikes them up over top of my boots. Hence the handy dandy jean straps! These babies are leg savers! It was so nice not to have to worry about baring my legs and accidentally burning them on the pipes!

Something else I bought at the Harley shop that saved me from heat stroke today was a tube band, long enough to tie around your forehead, neck/throat to keep cool on the ride. The tube is filled with some type of beads that expand in water so the trick is to soak the whole thing for about 30 minutes which is long enough to cool you for a two day trip! Ingenious invention! They even have vests that are made of the same stuff (I just don't know that I could wear a wet vest under my jacket all day!)

We rode from Chico, CA this morning through the Lassen Volcanic National Park. As soon as we entered the park we felt like we had found a new world! Everything looked brighter, sharper, greener than where we came from! Stunningly gorgeous and comfortable temps. Then we got to Redding and almost sweat to death! I think it's possible to see the heat in the air. Looks like fog! Even the palm trees look tired here!

Speaking of tired, there's a king bed waiting for me! G'nite!

...across the room to Silver City.....""

I love doors and doorways and like to take pictures of them when I see one that especially interests me as this one did. The picture didn't turn out well but I still remember the feeling of standing here, looking at this doorway and wondering what the history of this place was. I hope it was a haven, shelter, refuge and safe place to walk into.

As I got on my bike to resume our ride for the day I remember thinking about all the doorways I've walked through in my life. There have been many. So many were great experiences and opportunities to learn and grow.

Some of the doors I walked through were painful experiences and as I thought about those I was asking God to clarify some things for me that I do not understand. I asked Him to speak specifically to me in order for me to be in that place with Him where there is nothing standing between me and God that would block our communication and fellowship. I knew that I was dealing with some things in my life that are not pleasing to Him and I wanted to be forgiven and made clean in those areas.

He brought to my mind a passage from the book of Proverbs 3:5,6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight."

I have to admit that I simply do not understand everything in my life and sometimes I have to just let things be and trust and believe that God will direct the outcome of the parts I do not understand in the way that it needs to happen. My part is to acknowledge Him in everything that I do and say. That's the tough part.

For instance today we stopped at a place to fuel up our bikes and I ran in to use the washroom. I looked around and saw no washroom facility signs so I asked the clerk where they were. She said "Oh, it's broken!" My eyebrows automatically rose to my hairline and my lips mouthed "Don't you ever have to go?" "Oh," she replied "I have a washroom through the back office where you can't go!" I said "PLEASE! You've GOT to be kidding!" as she pointed to a restaurant across the street and said "But you can use their washroom!" I wanted to scream "I HAVE JUST PURCHASED FUEL FROM YOU. You won't let me use the washroom but you would like me to go to the restaurant across the street where I do not want to eat because I just had lunch and use their washroom! Do you not even feel the slightest twinge of shame suggesting something like that?" etc. but I heard that little voice inside me saying "In ALL your ways, acknowledge HIM" and I had to ask myself how that applied in this situation. I don't know what their policy was. I don't know if the toilet was broken. She probably just works there and is not the owner. I have no idea and it doesn't change anything. I had a choice to make and I chose to walk out without making a scene and I'm glad I did.

The Word of God is sharper than a two edged sword and it cuts right through everything. Just when we think we're a special case or start making excuses for ourselves that Word cuts our excuses into bits and exposes them for what they really are. So often we want to make an exception for ourselves for what we would consider wrong for everyone else. But if we actually acknowledge God in everything we do and say He really will make our path straight.

At the end of the day, that's what really counts!

The picture was taken in Silver City.

...across the room to Carson City and Starbucks...

This picture was taken at the beginning of our trip. Our second day, actually. We decided to stay the night in Fernie and the next morning as we were packing up our bikes we struck up a conversation with another biker couple who almost instantly became our photographer, posing us this way and that way (I thought she might run off with my camera. She couldn't stop herself from taking pictures!).

Tonight we're in Carson City, Nevada after a 500km trek on "The Loneliest Road in America". After settling into the Gold Dust West Casino Hotel (I'm not sure there are any hotels in Nevada that are not Casino hotels!) we went for an early dinner and a walk which wonder of wonders ended at a rather lonely Starbucks (not too many coffee drinkers in Carson City I guess)! We settled in on their outdoor patio, just the two of us, to enjoy our refreshments and watch our fellow bikers ride by, looking for hotels or places to eat I suppose. As usual, our conversation drifted from one topic to the next until we settled on "what constitutes a date within the marriage relationship" (thanks in part to our son-in-law's blog!) I have to say I enjoy nothing more than going out for lunch with my husband and I think he feels the same way. We would just as soon cook our own dinner at night and enjoy the comforts of home in the evening but there's something very special about having lunch together during the week when he has a day off and these lunches often turn into two hour "dates"! We are both rather spontaneous people and I have to say that the enjoyment of these spur of the moment decisions to do something together far surpasses any planned date we've ever had. One of my friends and I often talk about how our expectations can spoil or ruin things for us. Spontaneous dates are free of expectation and usually end up being full of surprise! For me, a date is enjoying being together even if it's something as simple as going for a late evening stroll, coffee on the deck after the kids or grandkids are in bed, or cooking a meal together at home. And THAT dear friends, is a rather abbreviated version of our coffee date tonight!

...across the room to Park City, Utah!....

If we could find it in our hearts to stop whenever we travel an exceptional stretch of road I would have pictures to post today but honestly, the best thing to do it seems when you're on your motorbike and you suddenly find yourself on a spectacular road is to just do what comes naturally (shout for joy, smile, let the jaw hang, stare in wonder, shed a tear of disbelief) and keep going! Such as been our pleasure and sheer enjoyment as we've travelled through Montana, Idaho and now Utah. Oh the beauty that is ours to enjoy!

Every day so far I've thought "This is the most amazing rock I've ever seen" or "the colour on that mountain is like nothing I've seen before" only to be even more surprised the next day that there is something even more stunning than the day before. Can this continue? Really? I'm in awe. That's all I can say.

At the moment we are in Park City close to Salt Lake City, Utah. This is actually a ski resort. We only go to ski resorts in the summer on our motorbikes! We love the down town area with all the unique shops and restaurants. Everyone is out and about in the evening and it's just a pleasure to be part of the crowd. We ate on an outdoor patio tonight and enjoyed a little 3 yr. old photographer two tables from us. He chose my hubby as his target and kept calling "Hey man" to get his attention so he could take his picture. I'm sure he took 37 pictures of us eating! He sure was cute!

Arizona, California, here we come!!

...across the room for a GREAT PLAN....

"Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say you will not understand. When you see what I do you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them." Acts. 28:26,27

Those were the final words from Paul to the Romans before he left them although those words originally were spoken by the Holy Spirit to Isaiah (Isa.6:9-10). Everywhere Paul went he told people about his experience on the road to Damascus and how God changed his heart. He told them that God had a plan for his life before he was even born. And so it is with each of us. God has a good plan for each of our lives. The thing is, it won't just happen like magic. We have to participate in His plan for us with open ears, eyes that look for Truth, and hearts that are receptive to His instructions to us in His Word.

However, just like the people Paul spoke to who refused to believe the words God gave him to encourage them to believe in Him, even today, in spite of all the access we have to Bibles and solid Biblical teaching so many have deliberately closed their ears, hardened their hearts, and focused their eyes on lies instead of truth. Truth is so easily accessible. Inside the pages of God's Word, the Bible, He introduces Himself. He tells us that He knows the plans He has for us. Plans for good and not disaster, to give us a future and a hope. In Jeremiah we read that the Israelites were going to be away from their home for a long time but that God had good plans for them and would bring them back. Still, I'm sure they must have despaired at times during those years and felt pretty hopeless about being away from home for such a long time.

I read today that our sins often make us feel hopeless and despair and sometimes it could even be someone else's sinful decisions or actions that make us feel this way. We can't control other people but often their sins directly affect us. I think in these circumstances we just have to remember and believe that God has a good plan and future for all of us. If you are confused about what that plan for your life is or how to hear from God personally, I would love to pray for you or converse with you.

...across the room for cabin number seven.....

This morning I did something I've never done before. I dropped one of my grandchildren off at camp. I couldn't believe how hard it was to leave him in this cabin, walk to my car and start my 4 1/2 hour drive back home!

He seemed a tad nervous so I decided to make it a two day outing. I picked him up at home for the drive to the big city to find a nice hotel where we could spend the evening and night. He chose the hotel (with my approval) and seemed quite pleased with his choice. The food was "the best" "awesome" and "very tasty" and his queen bed was "the best bed ever"! While I checked into the hotel he made conversation with the desk clerk who seemed quite taken with him. After checking our room I escorted him to the hotel restaurant which included a slight detour to the hotel gift store which he decided was an "antique store". I'm not quite sure why. Before entering the restaurant proper he read the menu posted in the entry and then discussed it with the host. Together they decided he would not leave hungry; the clincher being that ice-cream would be included with his meal! After cleaning our plates it was obvious the pool was beckoning and he had little patience to wait for our check. I had to make it clear we could not leave without paying for our meal and then made the mistake of glancing out the window by which time he had left the table in search of our waitress with said check!

An hour in the pool with two new friends prepared him for a good night's rest. Good enough to sleep until the alarm woke both of us at the same time! This is unusual for this early bird!

I can find my way around the big city but I never get anywhere fast due to the fact that I lose all sense of direction and simply always feel the necessity to turn right. Right always seems right to me! Lucky for me this 9 yr. old is fluent in map and helped me find my way out of the city including a stop at the Golden Arches where he ordered a "sausage and bacon McMuffin" (something they don't have a key for on their till! LOL!) I guess he's the first to order one! It was, of course, the "Best Ever Breakfast!"

We arrived at the camp in record time, thanks to my little navigator! Registration was a breeze and meeting his camp counsellor was a very pleasant surprise. Since this was his first time at camp I had hoped that he would get a great counsellor. Someone he would mesh with. I liked him immediately and I could tell he did too. In fact he walked us to cabin number seven where wonder of wonders the top bunks were not spoken for yet! We got my little man all settled in and introduced to another first time camper. I could see he was settling in for the duration, got my hug, and said my good-byes. After a short walk back towards my car I decided to go back to the cabin and take just one tiny little picture for my little "grandchild picture collection". I couldn't help but smile as I walked in to find him as well as his new buddy sitting on their bunks writing in their notebooks! I got my picture for my collection and left. Again!

On my drive home I kept remembering his cabin with the closed door and I wondered what this experience will be like for him. I also thought how trusting it is of his parents, his Papa and I to leave him with total strangers like this. The family that usually protects him, cares for him and watches over him are hours away from him. Then I thought of the people in charge of the camp and all these little campers! What a tremendous responsibility they take on every year as they welcome these kids into their care. It didn't take long for me to start praying for everyone there. Not just my grandson, but the other campers, and everyone involved in providing this experience for these kids. Some are obviously college students who could be making a lot more money elsewhere. I admire them for basically donating their time during the summer months so that kids can have a place like this to come to. Working at a camp is not something I would enjoy but I can participate by remembering to pray and committing all to God's care! I am also in a position to send kids to camp which is what we did for our grandson this year. What a great way to be involved in this fantastic ministry!

...across the room to quote Mark Twain...

"Let us live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry."

Mark Twain

This quote reminded me of my days in the funeral service industry. One of my favourite aspects of my duties as a funeral director was to help families write an obituary. I was always disappointed when they offered to write their own! With experience I developed my own way of getting the information I needed to come up with a write-up that would be honoring to the deceased and a special keep sake for the family. Through family feed back I also realized that this exercise was healing for them as they laughed and cried their way through memories and special events they related to me.

Sometimes of course I was given information that was not conducive to printing in the local newspaper and editing would be necessary. Death can bring to light the most awful truths in a family. Like a secret mistress who suddenly feels she has some rights and needs to participate in the funeral proceedings. I could write a book on the terrible things that people sometimes have to deal with in addition to the loss of their family member!

Thankfully though, the norm was to meet with families who had a good relationship with their loved one. I have always loved biographies and auto biographies so it was just natural for me to listen to families reminisce and talk about their loved one. As they talked I would make notes and ask questions. I preferred to do the write-up after they left the funeral home. It meant that I didn't have to hurry but more importantly, I would usually make an appointment with them to meet at their house so that we could look at it together and I could see where and how they lived. Often by the time I had their stamp of approval to send it to print i would find myself telling them "I really wish I could have known your "loved one"! Many times I just knew I would have enjoyed knowing that person.

Every person has a story to tell. Another aspect of funeral service is to prearrange funerals for people. This is not nearly as intense or sad because nothing has happened yet. There has been no loss. I remember one couple in particular who came to see me in the office to prearrange their funerals. We laughed and talked as we made all the arrangements. Later she told me that when she went home she called her sister and told her "We made our funeral prearrangements today and did we every have a great time! You should go too!" Her sister's response was "You are crazy!"

Often as I heard people's life stories I would tell them "Why have you not written a book about your life!" There are some amazing stories and heroes living right in our neighbourhoods! Do you know your neighbour? Your might be very surprised at their life story! These are the people I got to meet, know and enjoy before their time on earth is up!

Have you ever wondered about your story? Have you ever tried to write your life story or at least a certain aspect of it? It's a great exercise to get it down on paper even if it is just for your own eyes. You may just start dancing for JOY and THANKSGIVING for the life that you have. Or it could help you sort out some of your difficulties if you are experiencing struggles. There's nothing like seeing your life in black and white to gain insight, provide clarity, and pave the way for tomorrow!