Danny Brooks 'Ain't That The Truth'

Got the blues

There are 3 types of music I have particularly never liked. One is country music (shudder) with all the cheatin' and cryin' and moanin'...give me a break...forgive me if you like it, but I could never understand why I'd want to wallow in sorrow. A close second to that was blues music which I figured was all depressing too. And then jazz....I could never hum along to the melody because I couldn't find it. Well, maybe there's a fourth. I can handle most of my son's punk music until the screaming starts...it's just not soothing, 'by the pond' kinda stuff. So when I heard there was going to be an 'awesome' blues band at our church, I didn't consider going. But I changed my mind and couldn't quite believe my reaction to the concert. I could have stayed for several more hours! These were old guys....I mean, even older than me(!) with the name....Danny Brooks and the Rockin' Revelators! (oh dear). But what incredible talent! And they just jammed like teenagers, strutting the stage and switching up guitars. I bought a CD and took a very long ride home listening to it...one foot on the gas and the other thumping to the music. Me and blues music. Who would have thought it?

To be honest, I still don't think I like any other blues music....just Danny Brooks' music. It was the intense heart and soul of the man that drew me to his music. From the age of fifteen he lived and breathed blues music, so it's in his blood. But he should be dead. His liver was shot from overuse of heroin and booze. Now he is a living miracle with an amazing story. He doesn't preach. He belts out from his soul the pain he has felt, and the hope he now lives in. He's just himself and he's real. As I watched in rapt attention, the words of Donald Miller came to my mind that I had read in his book, Blue Like Jazz, and I understood just what he meant.

"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. But I was outside the Baghdad Theatre one night when I saw a man playing the saxophone. I stood there for fifteen minutes and he never opened his eyes. After that I liked jazz music. Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way."

Risky business

Every year my daughter receives a beautiful single red rose from her father for Valentine's Day. It's his way of reminding her that she is profoundly loved, cherished, and of irreplaceable worth to him. What a wonderful thing to know in your heart - you are deeply loved - not just with words but with promise - the one who loves you will never abandon you.

I have been reading a book by Rob Bell called Sex God, Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality. I snuck the book out of my daughter's apartment because she sneaks my clothes into her suitcase....and also because she stated that every guy needs to read this book. That intrigued me to read it. Rob states,

"Love is handing your heart to someone and taking the risk that
they will hand it back because they don't want it. That's why it's such a
crushing ache on the inside. We gave away a part of ourselves and it wasn't
wanted."

Where Rob went with that thought stopped me in my tracks. He began to paint a picture of how that 'ache' is universal, but it originated with God...God has a broken heart!

"God takes this giant risk in creating and loving people, and in the process God's heart is broken. Again and again and again. Divine heartbreak....The story the Bible tells is of a living being who loves and who continues to love even when that love is not returned. A God who refuses to override our freedom, who respects our power to decide whether to reciprocate, a God who lets us make the next move."

Rob goes on to show how God, whose physical presence we wouldn't be able to handle, desired us to see His deep love. But how could He show us when He couldn't get near us?

"Jesus is God coming to us in love. Sheer unadulterated,unfiltered love.Stripped
of everything that could get in the way. Naked and vulnerable, hanging on a
cross, asking the question, 'What will you do with me?' "

It was risky for Him to go all the way to the cross with such a deep love inside. He was giving away his heart and himself, but some would just hand it back and not want Him. He could have just called the whole thing off. But God is love. He identifies with the crushing ache of abandonment and rejection.

And He knows how it feels to be cheated on.

Some who pledge their love and devotion to Him above anything or anyone, spend all their time with someone else....another love....a more appealing distraction...coveting... cheating....unfaithful.

And I wonder at times if that's me.

Imagine if my daughter received her Valentine rose from her Dad, told him with a hug that she loved him, and then threw the rose to the ground, crushing it below her foot. How would her father feel? Such a depth of love trampled... with words of affection, but no true devotion in return.

I'm thinking that's just a little taste of how God grieves.

I want His risky sacrifice to be worth it.

I don't want to cause more grief and ache for my Father.

I'd like to return the love in more than just words and pretense... and be forever faithful and devoted to the One who would give His very life for me.

It's truly the ultimate love story!

"You lived to die rejected and alone

Like a rose trampled on the ground

You took the fall and thought of me

Above all"

February 15 - An ordinary day

Each day is an ordinary day to most.

But every day has a meaning to someone...a date on the calendar that can trigger a remembrance of happiness...regret.... or perhaps heartache.

While others are immersed in their day, someone quietly may have flashbacks connected with that date.

February 15 is one of those warm fuzzy 'trigger' days for me as I recall years of birthday celebrations for my Dad. If he were still with us he'd be 92 today! Though it's been 14 years since he left us, his positive influence is an integral part of me. He engrained his mark indelibly within me and so in many ways he has never left.

It's amazing to me how deeply those closest to us affect us, positively or negatively. We often don't see in ourselves the reflection of those who have influenced us until we find ourselves acting out what we have absorbed like a sponge over the years.

After all these years I've lived, I still battle a lot of negative stuff that was sponged in as a child and I find it oozing out when I least expect it. The cool thing, much to my relief, is that my abandonment to Christ allows Him to be everything in me that I am not. The key is....abandonment. And it's difficult in those moments that I just don't want to fight the crappy stuff that seems to rise up naturally within me. It's easier to just 'be me'. It's at those times I have to decide what matters most to me - whether to 'abandon' and let Christ's character be everything in that moment, or just go with the flow and perhaps drag someone down with me. "The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being." (The Bible, Matthew 6:21)

I love that we are not doomed to be failures from the negative stuff we've sponged in over the years, no matter how bad. No one is excluded from the freedom Christ will provide moment by moment as we abandon each struggle to Him.

I am so grateful to my Dad that in the midst of negativity, he planted positive in me. He was deeply committed to prayer and simply lived like Christ day in and day out, genuine - not perfect - but abandoned. He is now in a place where calendars and time have no meaning. But because I must live by a calendar I will continue on February 15th to say with fond memories, 'Happy Birthday Dad. Thank you!! I love you!'

"What actually took place is this: I tried
keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I
quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me
how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I
have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer
important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am
no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living
is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me. I am not going to go back on that."

The Bible, Message Version - Galatians 2:19-21

Winter snowscapes

If I can't be outdoors among flowers with my hands in warm soil...then bring on the snow!

Big fish, little fish

Do you have someone in your life who drives you crazy?

Do you feel like you're going in circles?

Take heart. Others have it worse than you.........

End of a relationship

I ended a relationship today. We knew it had to end. The cost was too great. Although it ended with a hug, things had gotten strained.....especially my tendons.

Yes, today was the end of bootcamp with my personal trainer (Woot!!!!!). She was great and I love her, but there were moments I thought I was going to die!

I signed up for all of this... not out of vanity, but necessity. I was truly afraid one day I would no longer be able to move to get out of bed. Pretty well all the women I work with are menopausal (pity the one man among us!). We all ache and groan and compare notes as to how much sleep we got the night before. Our jobs are stationary at a computer all day.

In November I could stand it no longer. I determined that I was going to get my body moving and stop feeling like I'm 80 long before my time. Without any more thought, I joined the gym and agreed at the interview that I would need a trainer to help me. I particularly wanted to build bone and was afraid of hurting myself by just launching out without help. We settled on 13 lessons for the price of 12...no problem. I nearly fell off my chair of a heart attack when I heard the price. (What have I done!) At that point, I couldn't back out, so this would just have to be my Christmas present to myself....and birthday present, and next year's Christmas present...and so on.

I remember the feeling after my first session. I went to my car and sat. I wasn't sure I could raise my arms to the steering wheel. Every ounce of energy was drained from me. I was a zombie in an empty shell. But I knew I was doing the right thing. Each session was that much harder. The trainer worked each muscle until fatigued - completely fatigued. And then there was the mini-marathon in the training room which was gruelling to say the least. Running, jumping, skipping, push ups, crunches = agony. I longed for the end...put me out of my misery!

After today, I am on my own. I have done stuff I would never have tackled by myself and have surprised myself at what I am capable of doing if I push myself. The trainer has taught me how to keep going when I want to give up...to always drive for just a little more...a little harder...a little better. It will not always be easy to stay motivated, and there are things I'd much rather be doing, but it feels so good afterwards to have disciplined myself and kept my eye on the goal.

[Of course, you know I can 'spiritualize' all this (don't I always?). Are we so motivated to serve Christ, that we give it all of our effort ....drive a little harder....eyes on the goal? Do we have a mentor....a 'personal trainer' from whom we willingly accept words of correction when they see us falter, and words of encouragement that prod us to do better?]

I have a VERY long way to go. But it has amazed me just how much you can do that you never believed you could, when it becomes important to you. Perhaps desperation is the key. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to have a large piece of cheesecake (kidding!!!)

"Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart. This is why we've thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We're banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers."

From The Message Bible, I Timothy 4:8-10

Not My Job

By now I'm sure most frequent users of the internet have seen this popular 'Not My Job' picture. Gross....but makes the point. (Can't you just smell the fumes?!)

This picture came to my mind as I was pondering a few things....and not because we now have a possum lurking around our house (shudder!!!).

It's just that we are all travelling a 'road' and we all have those who follow us.

Too many of us (myself included) really don't care at times about the sloppy job we do by example and what we're leaving on the road for those coming up behind. And it stinks.

We're selfish by nature. So at times we do what we please or what feels good without regard for the consequences. We leave a mess...for someone else to step over or clean up and we just don't care. We leave a sloppy example of how not to do it and too often we feel no remorse or need to turn back, make restoration, and continue down the road without making the same mess again.

In case you hadn't noticed, this attitude seems more prevalent these days. NOT MY JOB to be loyal to my wife or husband, family, girlfriend or boyfriend. NOT MY JOB to protect and regard them with dignity, building them up and thinking of them more highly than myself. NOT MY JOB to care about my neighbour and encourage others. NOT MY JOB to look after the poor. I just want to live in MY world, with MY friends, and MY interests. It's all about ME and I don't think I'm really hurting anyone. Funny thing is, this ME stuff actually makes us miserable because we're never satisfied! One day it just might be ME that has to go all the way back to where I messed up, get down on my knees and scrape up the dead stinking possom (gag!), straighten the lines in the road, and begin the journey again.

Oh, we all mess up (especially ME!). And we all need mercy and grace for our screwups (especially ME!). Jesus always took notice of the heart of the humble one - the one who acknowledged he screwed up and needed His forgiveness, and truly wanted to be changed. I guess He knew that down the road, it was the one with the remorseful, willing, servant heart who'd really be getting somewhere....devoted....and joyful in the journey.

"...Look what I've done I've ruined it for everyone

I should've held on harder to my innocence...
I...I'm starting over I...I'm starting over
It's never too late.. It's never too late.. For starting over ..."

Starting Over, By Audio Adrenaline

Blessings in the bathtub

Rearranged some pictures in my bathroom today. Moved my favorite plaque to a spot above the bathtub.

Now,

every day I shower

and

every day I'm reminded

that....

...to unwrap

...to be grateful

...to be faithful

"...I want to sign Your name to the end of this day Knowing that my heart was true..."

Lifesong, by Casting Crowns

A profitable addiction! (and cure for boredom)

This evening I stumbled upon a website that I'm sure will become an addiction for me....no it's not Facebook! Far better.... because the more you become addicted, the more you provide rice for hungry people.

FreeRice was established on October 7, 2007 and has two goals as stated on their website: To provide English vocabulary to everyone for free; and to help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free through the United Nations' World Food Programme.

Not convinced? I always check urban legend type stuff out at http://www.snopes.com/ to determine their validity....and this one is true.

Intrigued? Check it out. Even if you never liked English in school, you'll be hooked. It's free. It's simple. Wrong answers don't matter. You learn as you go, and each of your correct answers add up to another 20 grains of donated rice. Win/win. People helped. Boredom cured.

Disclaimer: May cause addiction.

Click here:

Christmas visitor

I love all God's creatures....sort of....but this visitor to our front porch on Christmas night is a stretch for me to....admire.

I thought I'd met all the city-dwelling critters around our place, so this possum was unexpected. He is much larger and fatter than a cat, more like a small raccoon...but ratlike. MUCH too ratlike. SHUDDER!

To make it worse, he not only ignored the bright porch lights, the frantic dog, and the camera flash on the other side of the window, he actually came up to the window ledge, stood on his hind legs and peered in the window at us! That was downright freaky. Wonder if he unlocks doors?! He really just wanted us to replace the garbage bag full of delectible Christmas leftovers that he had ripped open in that spot just before my husband discovered the mess. So much for the raccoon theory.

I have only ever seen dead possums on the road (or at least they're pretending to be dead...you know they get up later and walk away), and the REALLY dead ones are very dastardly looking. According to my internet research, they hang in trees by their tails and can have a gazillion babies. I admit I was drawn to watching this guy as he lumbered around, not the least bit bothered by us. I suppose I could have stepped out for a really good closeup instead of these poor shots...but, nah.

You know if I'd ditch the birdseed I'd quit getting these visitors I'm sure, but that won't be happening. So after dark now I will be stepping gingerly, with eyes surveying carefully ....and with camera at hand.

Just to know

Sometimes it's a good thing to have just enough light for the next step. If light was shed on everything that we would face in 2008, we might not be willing to step out at all. Perhaps that sounds pessimistic or discouraging, but it is simply the truth.

I attended a funeral just before Christmas, and expect to visit funeral homes twice this week. In 2007 these families did not expect that they would face the death of a loved one before year's end.

Many never knew they would battle serious illnesses this past year. It was always someone else's story. In 2007 it became their own.

Who could have seen a breakup of a family coming in 2007. Could children have fathomed their father, sadly struggling with depression, suddenly moving thousands of miles away from home with little hope of being with him again even rarely, when they were so used to him being a part of their daily activities? How do they sort out their confused emotions when they (the children) love their Dad but know adultery is wrong, but he (the adult) acts like it's okay to walk away from his marriage vow with their mother in order to be with someone else? Who would have seen such a tragedy coming?

Do death, illness, separation, and a myriad of other sad things discourage and disappoint me? Yes. It hurts. It's not fair. It's wrong. But there's a word that has been ringing in my head all through the Christmas season. I got an e-mail in December from an out of town co-worker in which he thanked me for catching an oversight on his part that would have caused hardship for an individual if not caught. He said, 'Thanks Lyn, you're a saviour'. I quickly replied, 'Not quite....we celebrate him on the 25th :-)'. I thought of 'saviour' as a rather uncommon word except in the 'religious' world. From that moment on I couldn't keep the word from my thoughts. The phrase in Silent Night kept repeating over and over...."Christ the SAVIOUR is born...Christ the SAVIOUR is born." It reminded me of hope. It spurred me to do things for others. He came....willingly....to help us. He's the remedy!

Good thing I'm not God, because I wouldn't have bothered coming. Too much pain to endure for all those who would just cast the sacrifice aside, do what they want, and not care. But He sees something in us that to him was worth the price. I don't really get it. But I know I need him. In all the heartache a year can bring, he is there....even on the other side of death.....saving, helping. A saviour rescues and delivers. Just to know he is there for me is enough light for today and gives hope and anticipation for the future.

"Just to know that I can come and
Lay at Your feet
Just to know that I won’t be denied
Just to know that I can call You my “Home”
Just to know….

Just to know all my hopes rest in Your heart
Just to know You won’t forget
Just to know that I am on Your mind
Just to know….

Just to know that You are always near
Just to know all Your promises
Will stay, right here.

Just to know that I won’t be alone
Just to know that You can hold me
Just to know in You I find my home
Just to know,
Just to know."

'Just to Know'

Written by Rita Springer and David Ruis

Found on Rita's album entitled "Effortless"

A Box of Chocolates

This Saturday we are hosting, along with our next-door neighbours, a 'Cul-de-sac Christmas' open house in our home for those who live in and around us. My neighbour and I travelled house-to-house the other week with tins of goodies and an invitation to welcome the neighbours. I was reminded how many there are who are lonely and experiencing illness....several would have loved us to stay much longer and visit. I have asked myself... just how difficult is this to take a little time on a weekend to visit in a willing neighbour's home? Not very. And yet it is so appreciated by the lonely! My mind went back as it does every year to my favorite little story I have shared in previous blogs....favorite because it's a true story....and it is a poignant reminder that you never know who sits behind a door in your neighbourhood who is just waiting for someone to care enough to share some time with them. Below is that short story. Merry Christmas everyone!!!

He lived across the street from us, sometimes peering out from behind the curtain of his window, sometimes observing the neighbourhood activity from the front porch. Stan kept to himself – not unfriendly, but nevertheless aloof. He was elderly and He lived alone. No cars ever seemed to enter his driveway.

As Christmas was nearing, my husband and I took some Christmas goodies to Stan’s next-door neighbour – an elderly lady whom we hadn’t seen since the weather turned cold. She was overjoyed at our visit. We learned she was nursing her brother who was sick, “dying of cancer”, she whispered, as if to not let him hear from the next room where he lay in a bed. She spoke of deep faith in God and how He gives strength to the weary.

She also spoke of Stan and how she prayed for him. I felt uplifted and thankful she knew the Christ whose birth we celebrated. We could not know as we left her home that in a few short years I would stand by her hospital bed as she would die of the same disease as her brother.

The week grew busier as Christmas approached, but I could not glance at Stan’s house without feeling we must visit him as well. Christmas Eve arrived, and as this was a year b.k. (before kids), we did not have the same bustling activity that we have known since then. Though the fire was cozy, and home was comfortable, we bundled up and made the trek across the street.

There was a dim light in the window and the sound of the television from behind the door. The shuffle of slippered feet followed the doorbell. Stan opened the door and his face lit up as he looked at his young neighbours standing with goodies in hand, wanting to visit him on Christmas Eve. He welcomed us almost with disbelief.

I do not remember if his home had any Christmas decorations or gifts, but I do recall how sad I felt that Stan wore a shirt and tie, dressed up as if expecting company but no one had come. He told us he had a grown son, but the two of them had not spoken in years. The bitterness was evident in Stan’s voice as he abruptly stated his son 'does not come home for Christmas'. He talked and we listened as time slipped by. He thanked us with tears in his eyes as we left, and how thankful we were that we had crossed the street to see him, and perhaps given him the only gift he would receive for Christmas. A short time out of our life had meant the world to him. Stan did not live to see another Christmas.......

Years later, I still think of Stan especially on Christmas Eve. Travelling with our children to Grandma and Grandpa's house that’s always filled with laughter, food, and gifts, Stan has become my reminder. As we drive down city streets, my eyes wander to windows which are darkened, lit only by the flickering light of a television. I wonder what heartaches lie in that household, and if someone sits alone at Christmas and throughout the year, wishing someone would bring some light, some hope, into their world.
Stan reminds me that I’m as busy as the town of Bethlehem was, when a Saviour quietly arrived on the scene… too busy doing nothing of importance to notice the only thing that matters. Christ was so willing to step into our world in spite of an unfathomable sacrifice on his part. Yet shamefully, I am often too busy to step outside my world into someone else’s, even though the sacrifice is miniscule and the reward so rich.

.........We heard a faint knock on our door the Christmas morning after we visited Stan. There stood Stan shivering in the cold, almost breathless, cheeks red, and eyes glistening. He stretched out his withered, trembling hands to offer us a box of chocolates which he had obviously bought that morning at the variety store down the block. “Merry Christmas”, he said, clasping our hands. “God bless you. Thank you so much!”.

A simple box of chocolates….but Stan could not know that years later his gift to us has been of more infinite worth than any others we have received!

Basket case

Imagine filling a school bus full of non-perishable food. Then picture doing it about 8-9 more times. Then try unloading these buses of all of the food and sorting it!

I've discovered I live in a very caring community! My husband and I had fun this evening, as we did last week, with many other people helping sort food for the Christmas baskets for needy families within our community. There have been busloads and ambulance loads full of food donations - schools, businesses, and groups provided so very much. I've never seen so much generosity in one place. We formed assembly lines to empty the bags and boxes, group the food, then pack into boxes ready to be distributed to the food bank and to Christmas baskets. I only wish I was available to actually deliver those baskets to families, but it will be done during daytime hours when I am working. I would love to see their faces and know the joy of helping a family in need.

Yes the Christmas spirit is in full swing. But I must remind myself at this season....what about the other 11 months of the year? People still struggle and are needy....at any time. The workers and donations are few at other times of the year.

Note to self: Ask myself monthly, "Am I finding opportunities regularly to donate time to individuals in need, the food bank, and other community endeavours? If not....why not??"

Cool!

The first light snowfall just doesn't cut it. Doggy snow angels are difficult when the leaves didn't get raked and there's barely enough snow to roll in!


















Ahhhh. That's more like it!

















Mmmm. Delicious. Bring on winter!!

Editor's note: The opinions expressed in the preceding article are not necessarily those of the producer, and in fact the preceding poor quality pictures were taken by the wimpy producer through a frosty pane from the warmth of the kitchen.

Storms

This picture is deceiving. The chipmunk is actually looking over the edge at one of the most spectacular views in the world (and he has very good balance!). I took his picture on a mountain in Jasper, Alberta on a day I will never forget. It was a beautiful, warm summer vacation day in Jasper and our family set out to travel on "Canada's longest and highest aerial tramway".

From the upper station...complete with restaurant, gift shop, washrooms....(untouched nature!)... you overlook 6 mountain ranges as far as your eyes can see, glacial-fed lakes, and the Athabasca River - impossible to take it all in with a basic digital camera!

Incredible views. No mountain climbing apparatus required!

At 2277 metres above sea level you become aware of how barren it is....there are suddenly no trees....even the shrubs disappear. All that remains are rocks and beautiful tiny alpine plants. We decided to walk to the summit of Whistler's Mountain - perhaps a 30 minute trek, plus stops to catch our breath as the air got thinner. My son really wanted to say he had stood on the top of a mountain, and of course we wanted to see the scenery from the other side.

Though the sun was shining and it was relatively warm, I noticed a black cloud over another mountain range.

We continued, stopping to take in the views, when we realized that black cloud was quickly advancing. We hoped it would pass by us.

We were a little over halfway to our destination when suddenly the warm summer weather changed instantly to a freezing windstorm! The darkness settled in as the cloud descended over us. The wind howled with such force we had to hang onto each other to keep ourselves upright as a mixture of hail, sleet, and freezing rain beat down on us. I instinctively crouched over my daughter trying to cover her with my light jacket as she shivered on a boulder. I suddenly realized just how bleak it was on that mountain without any protection from the elements, unless of course you were a chipmunk or marmot who can dive into a rocky crevass. Suddenly, a blinding flash of too-close lightning cracked the air, followed immediately by a DEAFENING boom of thunder that reverberated over and over again throughout the mountain ranges. Screaming and PANIC!!!People began to run down the mountain towards the station. I looked up at those whose sillouettes were barely visible at the very top of the mountain and I feared for their safety. I wondered how you get medical help up there fast enough for someone struck by lightning. At that point, I was glad we hadn't made it to the top. People went slipping and sliding by us with flip-flops and sandals on their feet. (I'm sure they were specially made 'hiking' flip-flops...). You could easily spot the seasoned mountain climbers. They were the ones in hiking boots who had pulled protective gear from their backpacks...ready for any weather they would face on the side of a mountain. It's one thing to be on the ground and frightened in a lightning storm. But I have never felt so vulnerable in a storm as that day....to be at such a height that you were actually 'in' the cloud next to the lightning...and having absolutely no shelter close by....it was a terrifying moment.

Why DO storms have to happen anyways? I understand the need for rain...but why the ferocious storms that knock the wind out of you and terrify you? I don't have an answer. But I know the rain falls on the good and the bad....sometimes bad stuff happens to good people.

My mind goes to that story of Jesus....sleeping in the bottom of the boat in the middle of the storm, while his buddies were terrified and wondering why he didn't care. I'm thinking he shook his head at them as he got up and spoke to the wind and the waves to calm down. And they did. (Wow). He was disappointed in them for not just trusting him. I want to be like the seasoned mountain climbers, prepared as best they could, and not surprised at the storms. I want that kind of peace that trusts....no matter how bad the storm that's swirling around me....even if I die in the storm.....a peace that can't be understood is available for those who trust...in the One who speaks to storms and they stop when he wants them to.

"...soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” The Bible (New Living Translation) Mark 4:37-41

"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

The Bible (New Living Translation) Philippians 4: 6-7

He Knows

I have a maker

He formed my heart

Before even time began

My life was in his hand



He knows my name

He knows my every thought

He sees each tear that falls

And hears me when I call


I have a Father

He calls me his own

He'll never leave me

No matter where I go
He knows my name

He knows my every thought

He sees each tear that falls

And hears me when I call

By Tommy Walker

"How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!"

Psalm 139:17, 18 The Bible - New Living Translation

Never Let Go

When clouds veil sun

And disaster comes

Oh, my soul Oh, my soul

When waters rise

And hope takes flight

Oh, my soul Oh, my soul Oh, my soul

Ever faithful

Ever true

You I know

You never let go

You never let go

You never let go

You never let go

When clouds brought rain

And disaster came

Oh, my soul Oh, my soul

When waters rose

And hope had flown

Oh, my soul Oh, my soul Oh, my soul

Oh, my soul Overflows Oh, what love, oh, what love

Oh, my soul Fills with hope

Perfect love that never lets go

Oh, what love, oh, what love

Oh, what love, oh, what love

In joy and pain

In sun and rain

You're the same

Oh, You never let go

David Crowder - You Never Let Go

Somethin's fishy

It may be difficult to tell from this picture, but the larger goldfish on the left is 6 inches long and quite plump. He's in a small 10 gallon tank so he doesn't have a lot of room to move. He was an inch-and-a-half long 'feeder fish'.....40 cents....when we bought him and we put him along with four others in our pond in the spring.

This was their home. Three died. That's why we don't buy expensive fish. But these two troopers survived and have been accustomed to living in the murky darkness of the pond beneath floating hyacinths, eating mosquito larvae, bugs I suppose, and plants, peeking up every now and then for some sunshine. I suspect by the occasional rearranging of the concrete birdbath (to the right of the pond), that these fish have escaped the claws of cats and/or raccoons.

Ah...how I loved sitting by that pond! The pictures bring it all back to me. And you wonder why I hate when the warm weather leaves us.....

As the temperature has dipped below freezing several nights, I have felt guilty just leaving them to freeze to death when the degrees really plummet. Our tiny pond is not deep enough for them to make it. I figure that although we got our 80 cents worth out of these two, they have grown and persevered and deserve a chance to continue living (even if my husband thinks the larger of the two is the right size for frying).

And so, softy that I am, I have scouted out deals on fish equipment, all of which we used to own and had given away. And now, here they live, near the computer, wondering where on earth they are and what are those fishy flakes swirling around? Where's the mosquito larvae and bugs and real life plants, and mud, and snails and wonderful stuff of the outdoors? I suppose they will get hungry enough soon to eat the fish food but the big guy honestly doesn't seem to be interested. He's a little freaked by his reflection that is following him everywhere.

We are undecided whether to introduce them to the pond again in the spring. For now, I will enjoy some relaxation time watching them as they settle into their new home and try to come up with some names for them. Any suggestions??