Yesterday, Today, Forever-

Oswald Chambers once said, “If we obey God, it is going to cost other people more than it costs us and that is where the pain begins.” Our obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit has a powerful consequence. It can cause someone to become upset, frustrated and to suffer inner pain. On the other hand, the result of another person’s obedience to God might also be the cause of our own pain. The purposes of God are often hidden to those involved and He uses us to affect one another in powerful ways. Have there ever been times when you have not wanted to obey immediately because you knew that if you said what the Lord wanted you to say, it would cause another person discomfort or even emotional pain? Not obeying might have been so much easier! It would have instantly resolved the situation and brought emotional relief, but it would have grieved the Lord. If you are a parent, you have been willing to incur your child’s wrath for however long it takes, just because you have draw...

On our trip through the prairies we saw many harvested wheat fields receiving this treatment from the farmer. This reminded me of a poem I wrote years ago. Send your fire, Lord! Like the controlled fire the farmer uses; Bulldoze away the stubble, deadwood and chaff of our life. May our jealousies, gossip, deceit and lies all go up in smoke, Prepare our heart acre so that the seed of Your Word will bring fruit for eternity. Send your fire, Lord! Like the intense heat of the refiner’s furnace; Get rid of the impurities, burn away pride, fear, anger, and all manner of evil. Transform us into the beautiful people you want us to be, Shining as pure, unblemished gold, reflecting Your glory. Send your fire, Lord! Like the powerful flame of the blow torch; Cut through the man-made boundaries, legalistic limitations, and high walls we’ ve erected. Fuse in harmony, unity, and freedom all your people, Men and women, parents and children, That we would be one in the ...

A little cloudy and drizzly the late afternoon we drove  to Hutch Lake  to take some family photos. I'll share on another post. Loved the white aspen against the clear blue sky that greeted us upon our arrival! Tall, slender, perfect spruce on the way to the store where our grandson works! Looking over the tree tops to see the  North West Territories - well, almost - just another 120 km from here. The sun almost ready to set! Abbi & Aidan tossing leaves! The long drive home - so pretty!

HAPPY CANADIAN THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

  We had a wonderful day driving up north to visit our daughter and her family! I had forgotten how beautiful the trip is. We left at 7 in the morning  and arrived about 3:30.  So thankful for a safe trip! The weather was perfect. Hugs and kisses when we arrived! Had a delicious supper casserole  our daughter prepared and have  already checked out the whole town! Wow, has it ever grown since we were  here ten years ago! Have a wonderful week-end everyone! We'll be enjoying Canadian Thanksgiving  with our loved ones. 

from Funk's Toyota, Steinbach, MB The van is packed. The small bookshelf we're taking along  has the back seat all to itself. Yes, the seat belts are fastened around it and for extra cushioning we've got those floor mattresses that we use when  the kids come to sleep over,  tucked right behind the front seat. The trunk space is full of other 'stuff' for our daughter's family and now only has enough room for our personal luggage which we'll put there in the morning. We're planning to leave at 7:00 a.m. It's a long day's drive and we'd like to leave the city behind before the morning rush. It's all gassed up and ready to roll! Thankful for reliable transportation. As the Lord brings us to mind please pray for traveling mercies and good weather! Can't wait to hug them all!  Thank you Lord!

A fantastic sunrise viewed from our balcony! I could never bring myself to lean out the window so that I would have the photo without the window frame. So thankful for such awesome views in God's Creation! 2. Samuel 23: “The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me;    his word was on my tongue. The God of Israel spoke,    the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over people in righteousness,    when he rules in the fear of God,  he is like the light of morning at sunrise    on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain    that brings grass from the earth.’  Have an awesome day!

This is the place we are moving into at the end of the month!  So thankful that both these dead birch have been removed! Hope you're smiling; yup, that's my weird sense of humor! When I was a manager of this manor  and another one a ten minute drive away, I sent the request that these trees be chopped down,  as they had been dead for several years. Every time I visited mom and dad or came to work next door, I had to look at these beautiful logs for someone's fireplace still standing, firmly planted in the ground. Finally, this spring they were removed!  Some things do take a while to get done and I suppose five years was not too long to wait! I won't have to look at them when I move in!! I'm so happy  and thankful - God was teaching me patience!

So thankful for God's awesome creation Love the beautiful colors of fall the cooler nights the geese honking overhead preparing for their journey south the warm rays of the sun caressing my face the rustling of the leaves watching kids playing in them remembering days of childhood the playfulness of the wind and the harvest swaying and dancing the early morning fog moisturizing the skin and so much more  one could go on  and on  and on! Counting my blessings!

We haven't taken a whole family photo  since this one was taken over four years ago!  Meanwhile, little Aidan joined us three years ago  and Oma Laser went to be with the Lord, a year and a half ago.  You can imagine that the adults haven't changed that much,  but the children certainly have! I love our family!  I'm thankful for each one.  Our oldest and our youngest live in town with their families.  Our middle one and family lives a ten hour drive north of us!   Hubby and I and our son with his family  plan to head up there this week-end  to spend our Thanksgiving together.  Looking forward to a time of rejoicing,  cheerful chats,  cousin commotion, fabulous food,  and thankful hearts! Maybe Evi or I will take some family photos - if we don't forget!

So thankful for my hubby! He is a gentle, kind, and caring person! He has the most loving smile and a dry sense of humor. He prefers to be serious though! It's so wonderful to marry one's best friend and be blessed to journey through this life together.  God has given us two daughters and one son; two sons-in-law and one daughter-in-law; and 9 grand next generation! Hubby and I were in the pastorate for several years before he accepted the call to become Professor of Old Testament here in Edmonton where he taught for 30 years before retiring. We've done a fair bit of traveling together and have truly enjoyed our lives. A few months back he started having some symptoms that pointed to one possible diagnosis. A few weeks ago the neurologist gave the diagnosis of Parkinson's. Never a complainer or whiner, my sweetheart is taking this well. Shall we take only the good from the Lord and not also that what we don't like? He had already decided to stop driving a while ba...

This is going to be one busy, crazy busy month! We're moving! To a little smaller 2 bedroom apartment at the site where I work. We'll be in place should we need to ever access more care. Looking forward to getting settled in. We've already got a few boxes full and lined up. We're still taking one week vacation to visit our children up north for the Thanksgiving weekend. How am I going to get through this? I'll tell you! MY SOURCE  How do I conquer the battles of life? What do I do when there's discord and strife? How do I cope when there's turmoil within? When my soul's sad and my heart cannot sing? Who is the source of my strength? How do I juggle demands made on me? Who, what and where should have priority? How do I cope when my energy is faded? When outlook and attitude seem somewhat jaded? Who is the source of strength? Where do I go to recharge my soul? Find purpose in life, to be made whole? How can I give, and, yes, kee...