Yesterday, Today, Forever-

At my age I think I’ve finally realized  that not everything I’ve been told is true, lol. Here are just a few.   Add your own! I’ll meet you there at noon. This won’t hurt a bit. Sure we’re moving, but we’ll stay in touch. I know how you feel. Just wait and see; dad will be mad at you. I know it hurts, but you’ll get over it. Listen to this song, you’ll love it! This product sells itself. It’s really easy to get there. You’ll poke your eye out with that thing. I’m not going to tell you that again. Wow, that dress is so slimming. You haven’t changed a bit. Nice hairdo. This is going to hurt me more than you. I’ll pay you next week, ok? Oh, it was nothing – glad to do it. Yes, you can, it’s just like riding a bicycle. I won’t keep you but a minute. The doctor will be right with you. I wasn’t napping – just closing my eyes. I never shop there. Someday, you are going to thank me for this. Oh no, your kids don’t bother me. We hardly even watch televis...

Part 1 - here         Part 2 - here Photo by Evelyn Krahn - thanks!!   We arrived in October, a gorgeous fall month, with colors I had not recalled being in Germany! But in those years we had more snow than we have nowadays. November and December brought much colder temperatures and even blizzards. It was not an easy start in this new country. These cold, did I say cold, winter months always brought with them days or even weeks of unemployment for our dad. He would often sit at the front window and simply stare out. He could not find other work in the meantime but knew that as soon as the weather turned nice he had his job with the construction crew. Sometimes it would be 8-12 weeks before they could work again. Dad and his crew were conscientious workers and performed their work with pride and excellence. To help with the family finances, and pay off the travel expenses, Mom got a job as a cleaning lady in some very beautiful homes. ...

With thanks to my friend Irene Seaman for permission to use her photos! Thank you for Your majesty, For the beauty that I see, In every tiny flower. Thank you for your faithfulness, Through every thunderstorm no less, With its display of power. Thank you for the sweet refrain Of the light, refreshing rain, Dancing on the lake. Thank you, too, for love you pour Like the ocean waves that roar With the pulsing sounds they make. Thank you that we’re free to soar Like the eagle at the shore, High above the noisy crowds. Thank you for my loved one’s hand, As we stroll along the sand, Our heads in the clouds. Thank you that in everything, Flowers, oceans, birds that sing, We behold your beauty. It’s all from YOU,  this earthly treasure, Yet You’ve made us  for Your own pleasure. I worship You in love Our awesome God above! Karin Ristau

With thanks to my friend Irene Seaman from Academy Florist for permission to use this photo of a lovely bouquet! This is my bouquet to pastors' wives everywhere - from my observations and comments of her people! In her own strength she will never live up to this but she can do all things through Christ Jesus! Her friendly smile is like a smile from God. She warmly welcomes all with loving touch. And though she gives herself away, She's never short-changed;  she's been blessed so much. Her cup, filled with the love  of her heavenly Father, Just bubbles over to others in need. She takes time to talk  with those who are lonely; Her open heart shows in every kind deed. It's easy to love all those who love us, But she sees deeper and through the facade. She even keeps loving those  who have hurt her - with the same kind of grace  she's received from her Lord. She loves her husband,  an anointed of God. She's always supportive...

A friend forwarded me this e-mail.  Quite a message!! A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl. She wanted to know what the United States (or put in any country!) looked like. Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to her and said, 'Go into the other room and see if you can put this together. This will show you our whole country today.' After a few minutes, she returned and handed him the map, correctly fitted and taped together. The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly. 'Oh,' she said, 'on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together.' Sooo........  when we get Jesus back where He Belongs-- our country - yours and mine -  will come together.

A friend had this on facebook today  and I thought I would share it with you!   I was blessed!  HE IS WITH YOU There’s a time to live And a time to die There’s a time to laugh And a time to cry There’s a time for war And a time for peace There’s a hand to hold In the worst of these He is with you when your faith is dead And you can’t even get out of bed Or your husband doesn’t kiss you anymore He is with you when your baby’s gone And your house is still, And your heart’s a stone Cryin’ God, what’d You do that for He is with you There’s a time for yes And a time for no There’s a time to be angry And a time to let it go There is a time to run And a time to face it There is love to see you Through all of this He is with you in the conference room When the world is coming down on you And your wife and kids don’t know you anymore He is with you in the ICU When the doctors don’t know what to do And it scares you to the core He i...

Having heard numerous stories of spiritual abuse within the church - by those who left it - the Lord prompted me to write this poem. Perhaps it will be of help to someone! Pass it on! “What kind of kingdom is this, Lord, Where soldiers don’t defend their King?” “Where some just warm their weekly pews And come for show - to pray and sing? Where they’re boxed in behind high walls Of legalism, fear and shame, Where they waste time in jealousies In playing Satan’s game? Where they are fighting one another, And wound each other in Your Name? Why not join hands?  Take the offensive! The world would never be the same! Do they not know that there’s a war Just right outside their very gates? Why have they chosen safe retreat? Why do they think that Satan waits With his attacks on weary souls, Who seek redemption, seek release From sin’s dark bondage, chains of past? His fiery darts will just increase! It’s time for soldiers of the King To rise in boldness, take a...

The Apostle Paul appeals to Christians in  Colossians 3:16,  " Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and  admonishing one another in  psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,  singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord ." What's your favorite song or chorus?

Part 1 is here After landing in Quebec and clearing customs, we got on a train, destination Winnipeg, Manitoba.  We boarded, but the train wasn’t leaving for a long while yet.  We had to fend for ourselves.  Father had no idea how, but courageously went to buy some food.  Knowing a bit of French was apparently quite helpful as he did come back with something familiar -  fromage – cheese.  The other things he bought resembled nothing we had in the old country.   He bought what they called bread! That stuff was pure white, like cotton, light and fluffy, while back home bread had some substance, was dark, rich, moist and tasty solid rye!  What he brought back and told us was butter  - was horrible, salty and wouldn’t even spread well on bread – tearing it to shreds.  We were not fussy eaters but this stuff was totally foreign!! At least the apples were familiar! I think we nibbled on some cheese and did try the bread and butter becau...

Our grandkids puppy - MILO! My bark sounds a little -- ok, well -- a lot deeper, lol! About midway into our wonderful visit with family and friends, I picked up a horrible cough and now sound like a barking dog! We cut our visit to our daughter and family short and came home. There's no place like home - especially when feeling sick.  As this is NOT the flu, I'm just resting, drinking lots of fluids, and taking my extra vitamins to help my body fight this thing!  I seem to get one of these every 3-4 years it seems!  This too shall pass and I'll hopefully be back at work next week! Thanks for your thoughts and prayers during our time away!