GRRRR - More evidence that I'm not perfect.

Bob and Dorothy came for a visit today.  Bob is our pastor, Dorothy's his wife.  They're a lovely couple, genuine, caring, soft-spoken, and kind.  We are blessed to know them, and privileged to have them as our brother and sister in Christ.

Bob led our family in a short Bible study on the book of James.  He started with James' view of himself, and James' view of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

James 1: 1 James, a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ,

James called himself a "servant" - doulos, slave.  He sees himself as nothing but a servant, but he has the very best Master - God...the Lord, Jesus Christ.  He sees Jesus as the Lord, the Sovereign God; as the Messiah who came to save the lost, and as the anointed one.  

James was the half-brother of Jesus.  They had the same mother, but different fathers.  Jesus' Father was God.  James' father was Joseph.

Pastor Bob asked the children, "What would it have been like to grow up in a home where your older brother was perfect?"  They all agreed that in some ways it would have been neat, but the example would have been very convicting.

Bob thanked the children for their prayers, and told them how grateful he is that we pray for him when he is overseas.  He reminded the kids that they were privileged to have Christian parents who teach them the Word of God and live a Christian life before them. As I sat there listening to the study, I was convicted again that I am nowhere near perfect. During the entire study, I sat there thinking, "I am not even speaking to my husband."

A few weeks ago, I was busy doing crafts with the grandkids on Co-op day.  Rick was busy doing his books, and when he was done with the billing, he brought me the invoices and asked me to get them in the mail.  "Not now," I snapped.  Couldn't he see that I was in the middle of things?

He continued to press me, so I grabbed the stuff and trotted it over to his desk.  "I'll do it later," I said.  "Or you can take it to the corner yourself."

He refused.  I thought he was stubborn.  The mail had gone for the day anyway, so I figured I could do it later.

Two weeks later, he tossed the package at me.  He'd been looking on his desk for something else, and there it was, under some papers.  I completely forgot to mail it.

"I'm sorry," I said, but the apology fell on deaf ears.  It was such a little thing.  I could have stopped what I was doing, and taken a quick trip to the corner.  In so doing, I would have honoured my husband.

Yet, he could have done it himself.  Or he could have sent one of the other FOUR people in the family that have drivers' licenses.  I stewed about it.  

It's not that I didn't feel responsible.  I did.  But I also felt frustrated.  

So, here it is two more weeks later, and our cheque hasn't arrived.  Money is tight.  Tempers are flaring.  

When I think about it some more, it just shows me what a sinner I am.  I should have dropped what I was doing and mailed the invoice.  Rick should have gracefully done it for me, knowing I was busy.  He made it an issue of whether or not I put him first in my life.  I made it an issue of whether or not he has a servant's heart.

We were both wrong.

God, as usual, is good.  When we think we're getting spiritually minded, able to teach, growing in grace, He lets us mess up so we can see what is really going on inside.  "Out of the heart the mouth speaks".  My impatience is evil.  My frustration is sinful.  There is sediment in my beaker, and it's not at all pretty.

I think too highly of myself.  I need to take a lesson from James.  I am nothing but a servant.  

But I do have the very best Master - the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Lord, help me to remember that I am truly nothing but a servant.  You are a Good Master, and you design my days and order my steps to teach my Your ways.  When grandkids are clamouring and husband is demanding and dogs are barking and the phone is ringing, help me to stop and ask You what You want me to do.  Fill me with your Spirit.  Help me to have a heart to serve.  In Christ, I pray.  Amen.

Everything's Amazing...but Nobody's Happy.

It's too true. A sad commentary on the sinful nature of man.

I would take it one step further: it's AMAZING that your heart beats steadily, one beat after the other. It's amazing that you can breathe, all day, all night, every day, and that you don't even have to think about it. It's astounding that you can cut yourself and your body just heals. All by itself. With no effort from you, except maybe washing or stitching the wound.

Life is astounding. This planet is incredible. We've been watching a series on Planet Earth, and the incredible variety of animals, birds and insects blows us away. How they survive in harsh conditions points to the provision of God...He sends the rain in due season.

Everything IS amazing. We ought to be happy. Life is good, and we are truly blessed.

Be ye thankful, people.

When will it ever end?

We're STILL renovating. And that means we still have wall-to-wall clutter in the kitchen, where we've moved all of the furniture and stacked it in order to lay down new flooring.

There's still drywall dust everywhere. The mudding and sanding and painting seems to go on forever.

One wall in the great room is now prime-painted, but we can see that more mud must be applied to a couple of places before we can continue with the real paint. And that, of course, means more sanding and another coat of primer.

Daniel couldn't help Linda today, because he spent most of the day installing a window in the living room. That's good.

I didn't help Linda, because I spent most of the day praying and teaching and praying again.

So, Linda, lovely Linda, painted merrily away. I lie. It was not merrily...she HATES painting. But, servant-heart that she is, she painted in order to bless her family.

It's at the point that if order isn't soon returned to my space, I think I will have to run away. So run away I shall. I shall run to the only One Who knows what I am truly going through. I shall cast all of my cares, all of my worries, all of my pain and heartaches, all of the frustration of living in chaos and uncertainty on HIM. (Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.)

And, I know that it will work out. (For we know that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord.)

Even this.

Hummus, & Keeping it all in Perspective

Tomato Basil Hummus

Ingredients:

* 2 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or soaked if using dried

* 1 can (15 ounce) whole, peeled tomatoes

* 2 tablespoons of tahini

* 2 ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

* 2 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

* 1/4 teaspoon cumin

* 1 clove of garlic, crushed

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 2 ½ tablespoon basil, chopped

Preparation:

In a blender or food processor, blend the chickpeas. Add tomatoes, olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, basil, and salt until the ingredients form a creamy, paste-like consistency. Pour the mixture into a large serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

We added four sun-dried tomatoes to the above recipe. We also added a couple of shots of Frank's Red Hot, to give it more zing. It was delicious!

Cucumber Rounds with Hummus

Ingredients:

* 1 large cucumber, seedless if possible

* 1 16 oz. can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans

* ¼ cup liquid from can of chickpeas

* 3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending upon taste)

* 1 ½ tablespoons tahini

* 2 cloves garlic, crushed

* ½ teaspoon salt

* 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

In a blender or food processor, blend chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, salt, and olive oil until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Add liquid from chickpeas until desired consistency, creamy and paste-like. Wash and dry cucumber. Cut the cucumber into rounds about ¼” thick or slightly less and lay flat on dish or serving tray.

Top each cucumber round with a dollop of hummus. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.

YUMMY!

Isaiah 22 caught my attention today:
1 ¶ The burden against the Valley of Vision. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops,
2 You who are full of noise, A tumultuous city, a joyous city? Your slain men are not slain with the sword, Nor dead in battle.
3 All your rulers have fled together; They are captured by the archers. All who are found in you are bound together; They have fled from afar.
4 Therefore I said, "Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; Do not labor to comfort me Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people."
5 For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity By the Lord GOD of hosts In the Valley of Vision—Breaking down the walls And of crying to the mountain.
6 Elam bore the quiver With chariots of men and horsemen, And Kir uncovered the shield.
7 It shall come to pass that your choicest valleys Shall be full of chariots, And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.
8 ¶ He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest;
9 You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great; And you gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
10 You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, And the houses you broke down To fortify the wall.
11 You also made a reservoir between the two walls For the water of the old pool. But you did not look to its Maker, Nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago.
12 And in that day the Lord GOD of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth.
13 But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"

God was sending His judgment upon His own people, in the form of invading chariots and horsemen. The people responded by looking to the armouries, by making sure they had water and that the enemies could not get to the water, and by fortifying the wall.

But, in all of their preparations, they did not look to their "Maker, Nor did [they] have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago. Instead of weeping and mourning, they feasted and made merry. They forgot to repent, and look to the Lord for His deliverance.

Matthew Henry commented:

Let us learn hence.

1. To look for distress ourselves. We know not what straits we may be brought into before we die. Those that live in cities may be forced to lodge in forests; and those may know the want of necessary food who now eat bread to the full. Our mountain stands not so strong but that it may be moved, rises not so high but that it may be scaled. These Arabians would the better bear these calamities because in their way of living they had used themselves to hardships.

Our circumstances could change in a moment. We ought not to be too proud when we are successful, when everything's "all as it should be". We ought to remember that every good thing we enjoy is temporary, this side of eternity.

2. To look with compassion upon those that are in distress, and with all cheerfulness to relieve them, not knowing how soon their case may be ours:

"Bring water to those that are thirsty, and not only
give bread to those that need and ask it, but prevent
those with it that have need; give it to them unasked."

We aren't guaranteed that our job will continue till the end of our lives. And we ought not to judge those who find themselves in times of trial, or lay-offs, or medical emergencies. Instead, we ought to offer them a "cup of cold water", or whatever we can give to alleviate their pain and to encourage them to persevere.

Blessed be your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

Blessed be your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's all as it should be
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, Blessed be your name

Dougie Doesn't Know Best

Dougie the Doggie is having a bit of trouble these days. I am not quite sure what his problem is. At first, I thought it was fleas, and treated him (and all the canines) with Advantage. The scratching didn't stop...in fact, it got worse. I have been reading up on all the possibilities, and trying different remedies on this poor old dog.

He didn't like the apple cider vinegar, not one little bit. He howled until I washed it off. I tried Melaleuca oil, which seemed to ease the itching, but again, he tried to rub it off. The next trial cure was Arnica gel. It seemed to soothe his skin, and he didn't scratch as much for a day or two.

This morning, I thought I'd apply Arnica gel again. I heard Dougie thumping his way down the stairs, so I was ready with the Arnica. He came around the corner, took one look at me, and high-tailed it back up the stairs!

I was reading the first part of Isaiah this morning:

Chapter 1:2 ¶ Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me; 3 The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider."

This morning, Dougie was a great example of this sort of rebellion. He did not consider that I, his owner, who has taken care of him since he was a young pup, might know something and might be able to help. In the same way, we children of God rebel against our LORD, and do not consider all of the facts.

4 Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward.

Dougie LITERALLY turned away backward, when he saw me standing there with gel to soothe his sore skin. He scrambled to flee from the one person who could do something about his problem. Don't we do the same thing, though? We're laden with iniquity, full of evil, and instead of fleeing to the One who can help us, we scramble to run away as fast as we can.

5 Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints. 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment.

God sends trials to us in order to bind up our wounds, to soothe us with ointment, to heal us from our diseases. Of course, you'd have to read the rest of Isaiah to find out how gloriously God moves on behalf of His people.

I thank God for this reminder today. God used my little, pathetic dog to teach me more about Himself. I am too quick to deny that there's anything wrong. I flee the other way, trying everything I can to fix my own problems, instead of turning to God, who is the One who has the remedy for whatever ails me.

Dougie, when he finally submitted to me and allowed me to slather him with Arnica gel, made grateful noises in the back of his throat as I rubbed him with the soothing gel. He relaxed and rested on his pillow, sighing once in a while, more content than he has been in a while.

I, too, must submit and allow my God to do His work in me. He must treat my diseases with whatever He deems necessary, in order to soothe me and get me ready for His service.

Go ahead, Lord. Bind up my wounds. Soothe me with Your ointment.

I won't run away.

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;

Fatty the 'Fraidy-Cat

I am sitting at my desk, and my huge dog, Fatty is keeping me company. He is under my desk with his body wrapped around my feet. He's not there because he likes my company. He's not one of those "loyal companion" type of dogs who always wants to be in the same space as its master. No, Fatty is plastered against my legs because he is downright terrified.

There's a storm a-brewing. This is nothing new. We've had plenty of thunderstorms in the past couple of months, and lately it's been an almost daily occurrence.

You'd think Fatty would be used to them by now. But, oh, no...each rumble and flash brings with it the certainty of sudden death, according to Fatty.

He's always been afraid of thunderstorms, ever since he was a pup and was born outside during a raging storm. His brother, Abraham, is only 6 months' difference in age, and doesn't give a hoot about a thunderstorm. So, it must have been his traumatic birth that did it.

Now, if Fatty were a reasoning sort of creature, I would have to tell him that he ought to consider the evidence. Yes, he's been scared of thunderstorms for a long time, but have they ever actually HURT him? ("Well, no...not really...I guess not," he'd have to reply.)

I'd continue, "So, all the rumblings and vibrations and the loud noise and flash in the sky haven't HURT? Tell me why you are terrified, then."

Fatty would look at me with a dumb look on his face, and shrug. He'd have nothing to say, because we both know he has nothing to fear.

People are a lot like Fatty. Whether they're young or old, male or female, strong or weak, they all have irrational fears. Critter (nearly 9) didn't want to go up to bed this evening, because his sisters are away, and he didn't want to be alone. He asked me if Dan and Pat were coming to bed soon. I reminded him that Jared (25 year old brother, about 6 and a half feet tall) was upstairs already. I could tell by the look on his face that Jared's presence wasn't good enough. He was still scared. He wanted his brothers, in the same room, and nothing else would do.

One of my daughters told me about her irrational fear, experienced just this morning. Her baby slept in longer than usual, and she had a momentary panicky feeling as she went to the baby's room to check on her. We all experience those kinds of "what ifs" from time to time.

I, too, have some irrational fears. Even though I know that God is the Provider, the Creator and Sustainer of all life, I still wonder sometimes if He is going to take care of me. Will Rick get the work he desires? Will we be able to pay our bills and put groceries on the table?

The truth is that I am a lot like Fatty. I KNOW that God has always provided for me and for my family. We have never missed a meal. We've always had a roof over our heads. He has never, ever left us, nor has He forsaken us. He always keeps His promises. So why do I allow myself to fear?

I gave Critter a hug as I sent him to bed this evening. I told him that the Bible has a good verse for times when we're afraid. "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee!"

Psalm 56:3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.
4 In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear.

I wish I could explain that to Fatty.

Stubborn Old Lady

Ya gotta love her! The little old lady who lived in this home and drove the small blue car, died on Sunday of pancreatic cancer. It's intriguing to read her obituary. "Money isn't everything," she had insisted when the developers offered her a million dollars to move. She absolutely refused.

When they started banging and clanging in the process of erecting the huge buildings around her, she simply turned up her opera and figured they'd be done some day. She kept on living in her home, feeding her birds, and coming and going as she pleased.

Good for her, I say.

Soccer

Christopher is in his second year of soccer. Not a practice or a game goes by that he doesn't announce, "I'm SO happy that I'm in soccer!" He loves the game, the running, the competition, the rules, the coaches, and his team players. He rejoices when he sees someone do a good job, and takes defeats without a ruffle in his feathers. He's in it for the fun of it, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't care about winning.

Tonight they won, 16 - 0. One of the moms on the other team told me they were calling our kids the "Steroid Kids". Bah, humbug. They just did well.

Steve, my son-in-law, is in his umpteenth year of soccer. It doesn't matter that he's about 10 years older than the rest of the guys on his team. He plays, rain or shine, year round (indoor soccer in the winter). When he was planning his wedding to my daughter, he had to check the soccer schedule to fit in the wedding and the honeymoon. After all, he couldn't miss a game!

Steve plays hard. He plays to win. He sacrifices his own glory for the good of the team. I watched him tonight, and could tell that he knew where every man was, and he anticipated what they were about to do. He "headed" the ball at least 7 times - hard enough that I teased him about being able to do his paperwork and studying tomorrow.

At one point he was all the way down the field, open to get a goal if someone just passed him the ball. Then the play went the other way, and he high-tailed it all the way back, arriving in time to make an amazing move to stop a man from scoring against his team. We cheered! It was terrific!

I can learn something from both Christopher and Steve. Critter teaches me to relax, to have fun, to try my best, but not to take everything too seriously. He is the epitome of enthusiasm.

Steve, on the other hand, teaches me to ignore the pain, to press on, to work together with others on my team, to sacrifice, and to always, always do my best.

Hebrews 12:1 ¶ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Take a look at these links

The Truth about Global warming: Jeff's Blog. A bit of a rant concerning Al Gore's deception of the American (and unfortunately, Canadian) people.

Counter-cultural homeschooling blog: Worth taking a look at. While you're there, pray for Knox, the 8 year old son of the author. He has a serious abscess and has been hospitalized.

A clearing house of feminine articles: Prairie Muffin.

Yahoo groups on raising poultry: Yard Poultry and Pasture Poultry

It's raining (again) and I am reminded of the blog that has most touched my heart this past month. I was able to tell a gas station attendant today that there is a spiritual lesson in all this rain. "It takes a lot of rain to make the grass green," I quoted. "And, God sends a lot of 'rain' into our lives to mold us into the image of His dear Son." Gas station man agreed, and that blessed me. I can't remember a rainier late spring than what we are experiencing this year. It may be global warming (snicker), but instead of being petulant about all this rain, I find myself contemplating our Beautiful God and His mysterious ways. There's been a lot of spiritual rain, too...but I know that God is working to produce the greenest grass possible. It's all good.

Monday - Busy Day!

I had every intention of starting my day with reading the Bible and communing with God. I am reading a book by D. A. Carson which discusses the importance of prayer, so I headed out to my computer desk to get myself a notebook in which I could keep notes about the book. The next thing I knew, I was checking email and signing up on Yahoo groups for raising poultry and keeping dogs healthy.

I got my tea drawer cleaned out. I read the Bible with the children (Matthew 10) and prayed with them. Rick phoned, asking me to make some phone calls and compile a list of stores for him. That took a couple of hours. I folded laundry, managed the children and encouraged them to finish their jobs, and before long it was time to take Critter to his soccer game.

I dropped in at Heather's to borrow some chairs to use while watching the soccer match, and found her discouraged with the tasks at hand. She had done a deep cleaning of her kitchen cupboards, but had SO much to do before bedtime. So, I helped her with her dishes, then headed over in time to catch the second half of the game. Critter's team lost, 4-2, but he told me again how happy he was that I had signed him up for soccer. "I had so much fun," he announced.

After taking the chairs back (actually Elena carried them back across the road to Heather's while I stood and watched an older team play) I popped in at Heather's again, and Steve showed me his course material on Critical Thinking and Sociology. I showed him how to add a shortcut onto his desktop, and we figured out a logic problem together.

We got home around 9. I sat with Rick for a bit, and visited with the older kids, then came back out to my computer to check my email. Watched a video of an ex-polygamist.

Now I am heading to bed. It wasn't a bad day, but all day I felt something was missing.

Tomorrow I will start with the Word of God, and prayer.

He gives and takes away...Blessed is His name!

Blessed Be Your Name
Matt Redman, Beth Redman
c2002 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

Blessed be Your name
in the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
blessed be Your name
And blessed be Your name
when I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
blessed be Your name

(chorus)
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
And when the darkness closes in Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
when the sun's shining down on me
When the world's "all as it should be"
Blessed be Your name
And blessed be Your name
on the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

You give and take away You give and take away
My heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be Your name

It's been nearly a week now since we lost our third horse, Shantel. Botulism had claimed the life of her barn mates the week before, and we thought that Shantel would be fine. Linda wasn't sure...but I began to think that her life would be spared.

It was not to be. Linda came in, white-faced, on the morning of my 53rd birthday. "Mom, Shantel's down." It can't be, I thought. Quickly phoned Heather, then the vet, then out I went to the barn.

We got Shantel in December of 1993. She was actually our second horse, because we had acquired a little filly named Cadence just a couple of weeks before. Cadence was fine, but Shantel stole our hearts.

She was a beautiful Arabian - Chestnut, White blaze and socks, light on her feet. She floated rather than trotting, and we couldn't get enough of just watching her.

Heather, 15 at the time, began to train Shantel. It turned out she was a stubborn mule with an attitude, unless she was in a good mood. She liked men when she was in heat, but when she wasn't in heat she didn't want them around her. We learned to read her moods, and we loved her just the same.

Heather continued training her, and soon discovered Shantel was very smart. She learned quickly and responded well to leg aids and other cues. The two of them became a team, and Heather soon travelled all over our area on the back of that horse. Shantel was a perfect trail horse. She didn't panic when encountering something new, but waited for Heather's direction.

A few years later we got Chance. He was an older gelding that belonged to my friend, Jane. Jane had some new horses, and we needed a second horse, and the timing was perfect, because Linda was getting to the age where she could safely ride. Not only that, but Chance was the first horse that I ever rode (apart from trail rides on boring horses that just followed the tail of the one in front).

You really need two horses if you're going to have a horse. If one was going out, they both did. Heather and Linda did most of the riding, but I did some, too. I have wonderful memories of riding on trails through the bush near our house. I rode with Linda (she was on Chance and I was on Shantel) and with Heather (she was on Shantel and I was on Chance). Only once, Daniel and I went out for a ride together...but it was great fun.

Last year, Jane gave us Antar, an older gelding. He was skinny when he came, because he was at the bottom of the pecking order in their barn. Linda quickly fattened him up. He was a gentle guy, and very obedient. If she had the gate open, getting water, he would NEVER come through it. If she ever scolded him for anything, he'd hang his head in agreement.

I can't begin to express the joy we had with these horses. Simply looking at them in the field brought joy, especially if they were running and tossing their heads in response to the wind. We'd call them, and they would respond, whinnying and coming over to the fence to see what was up.

And now they are gone.

And now we grieve.

But we do not grieve as people who have no hope. We know that God is in control, and that He is always good.

As Christmas approaches, I have been pondering the life of Joseph and Mary, as they were given the astounding news that a child, conceived in the womb of the virgin, would be the Son of the Most High. You'd think that life would be peachy-keen for Joseph after that. He was graciously raising a son that wasn't actually his, and he was doing so "as unto the Lord", I am sure. God allowed him to be humiliated, along with Mary, in front of his family, friends and community. He did this great thing, and did not put Mary away, but travelled with her to the City of David. Again, that would have been hard. Travelling over rocks and hills is hard enough at the best of times, but with a pregnant woman under your care? Much, much more difficult. I am sure the responsibility weighed heavy on his shoulders.

So, baby Jesus was born, and the shepherds came. The angels sang. Joseph moved his little family to a house in Bethlehem, and along came wise men with gifts, and they bowed down and worshiped the Child. Again, you'd think that because this was surely the Son of God, life would go smoothly. You'd think that God would simply put a huge hedge of protection around them, and that trials would be few.

But wait...Joseph was awakened in the middle of the night by an angel, who told him to flee. He had to get up quietly and take Mary and Baby Jesus, and run for their lives.

It's easy for us to read it in the Bible. We all know it to be true. But just imagine the confusion that Joseph must have experienced. "You want me to WHAT? Herod is going to do WHAT?"

Life isn't easy. It wasn't for Joseph, and it isn't for us. Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time to be born, and a time to die. There is a time for laughter, and a time for mourning.

I do believe that I know a little more about suffering and grief, having lost three beloved horses in less than two weeks. Our loss can't compare to the loss of children, so although I think I know a bit more about what Job went through, I also am aware that there really is no comparison.

God is a good teacher, and He has taught us many lessons:

1. He gives and takes away. All good gifts are from Him, and He knows best when to give them, and when to take them away. We bow to His will.
2. Blessed is His name. He is Almighty God. He is the One who created horses in the first place.
3. He comforts His children. We feel His presence in our hearts, in our homes. We know that the prayers of God's people have sustained us.
4. We are to hold all of our possessions loosely. We don't know how long we will have that horse, that car, that house, that health, that child.
5. We are to have hope. Just because we lost Antar, Chance and Shantel does not mean that life is over. It doesn't mean that we won't ever have horses again, or that we won't ever have joy again. We have learned that God is good, all of the time, and that Hope is to be found in Him, and in Him alone.

Legend has it that Joseph, as he was fleeing to Egypt, lost his donkey. The donkey died on the side of the road, and the little family had to press on without him.

I don't know if that legend is true, but I do know this: the journey was hard. Joseph may have heard the weeping of mothers mourning as the soldiers killed their baby boys while he was climbing the hills in the darkness. He would have been concerned that Mary would keep Jesus quiet on the journey. There were thieves and robbers to avoid, and wild animals to watch for. It wasn't easy.

God never promised us an easy road. But He did promise that He would be with us every step of the way.

And I am here to testify that this is true.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Janet

Did you ever have one of those days?

One of those days when nothing seems to go right, and you wonder what you accomplished when you fall into bed, exhausted, at the end of that seemingly endless day.

Today was shaping up to be one of those days. I woke, discouraged, because my house was a mess and I was starting today with yesterday's work. (It really pays to be organized and to go to bed with a clean house, especially a tidy kitchen. Mine was a disaster. I got home late with a week's worth of groceries, which we put away, but the dishwasher was full and hadn't been run, so we did not do the supper dishes. The animals and little people had tracked in mud, so the white floor was a curious shade of gray, with interesting patterns. Not a pretty sight.)

One of the first things I did today was to put on a load of laundry. The kids had informed me that there was a problem with the washing machine, but I didn't want to believe it.

I got the kids going on their jobs, after having a talk with them. They simply hadn't obeyed the rules yesterday. Sigh.

Someone came running. "Mom, the washer is beeping and there is an error message."
I went and investigated. F 02. Looked up the owner's manual on the internet, which took forever because we have an unbelievably slow connection. I wouldn't know that except that I work part-time at Carey Outreach Ministries, which is blessed to have high-speed. That brought me "up a notch" in my expectation of how internet should work, so I am impatient as I sit and wait for the 76 pages (in English, Spanish and French) to take their interminably long time to download.

FINALLY, I discover that there is a drain problem. Well, duh. I knew that, because the machine went through the entire cycle, but would not spin, and drained very slowly.

Daniel took the hose off. Yuccky smelling gray stuff came out. He, blessed child, knows how to use the air compressor, so he cleaned out the hose. Put it back on. Same error message.

Took it off again. I reached up inside where the hose connects, and was able to pull out gelly-like gray matter. Ugh. Maybe that will do it. Put the machine back on, waited for the thing to drain. Same old, same old.

So, what to do. I did a search on the internet (slow connection, remember....it took forever) and found the phone number for the store where I bought the machine. Talked to John, the guy who sold it to me. He suggested taking the back off of the machine and cleaning out the pump.

Ok. So, we did that. But, after removing some 12 or 14 screws, we discovered there was no way to access the water pump from the back of the machine. There was a panel in the front of the machine, at the bottom, that had three screws. Maybe that would work.

So, we took the panel off, and lo and behold, found an unscrewable thingamajig. Unscrewed it, and water and junk came pouring out onto the floor (note to self: next time, have a container handy). Daniel pulled the thingamajig away, and found it was completely clogged with hair, labels, nails, a screw, and numerous other small objects. One wonders how that got into that area of the machine. But hey, we cleaned it, put the whole thing back together, and presto! My machine is working. No more clogged drain. A much cleaner receptacle for the soap and other additives.

It is now 4:29 pm, and if my dh were to phone and ask me what I accomplished today, I would have to say, "I did one load of laundry." That is the truth, sort of.

But when I think about it, we accomplished so much more. We tackled a problem and worked a solution. We kept at it until we reached our goal. We saved money by not having to call in a repairman. The leaky water had to be cleaned up, so we got the floor clean, and while Daniel and I were concentrating on all of that, the rest of the family did their chores, scrubbed the living room and kitchen floor, and played with three of my grandchildren.

I guess one of those days wasn't so bad, after all.

The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.

Treasures in Heaven

Matthew 6:19 ¶ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.


There's a little more of my heart in heaven now. At the beginning of the month, our precious grandson Jack was born too soon. Just yesterday, another precious grandbaby went straight from my daughter's womb, into the arms of Jesus.

I remember how excited we were to find out little by little that there were to be FOUR new babies joining the family in the spring. First, my nephew and his fiancee were having a baby in the first week of March, followed by three grandchildren coming in quick succession through March and April. In 1999, we rejoiced to have four little boys join the family over a 9 month period, but this was to be in SIX WEEKS!! We were so very thrilled, looking forward to seeing all of these treasures as they grew and learned and explored this wonderful world!

Sadly, it was not to be. First, Heather began cramping and labouring far too soon. Baby Jack was born at home. He was beautiful - perfectly formed, yet tiny enough to fit into the palm of a hand. Collar bones, fingers, toes, button nose, rosebud mouth. Truly we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that my soul knows right well. Our hearts were lifted to heaven, and we bowed to the will of our Father, Who knows best.

I changed my signature line to reflect that we were expecting our 10th and 11th grandbabies...no longer would we await the 12th.

Then, Adeena, my eldest daughter, began spotting. She knew something was wrong; in fact, had known for some time. Never underestimate the intuition of a woman who is pregnant. An ultrasound indicated the baby was not viable. The yet unnamed but much loved baby was born last night at 20 weeks' gestation. Baby had a large mass which pushed the legs to an odd angle. There were other problems. This child was not meant to survive.

We were able to hold the baby and marvel at the beauty of little legs, hands, feet, and one ear that was normal. God was so gracious to give us a caring nurse who patiently helped us examine every aspect of this dear wee thing who did not live on this earth, yet we know is in the Lord's hands.

We felt the prayers of God's people. Unbelievable peace in the midst of tragedy. God is so very good.

Things this grandmother has learned in the month of October:

1. Every baby, every child is a gift from God, the giver of life. Never take them for granted.

2. Never assume that "it" can't happen to you. It can, and it may. But God gives grace.

3. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, knit together in our mother's womb. Whether it is a 13 week fetus (Latin for baby!) or a full term fetus, each baby is an intricately assembled miracle. Marvel! Bow the knee! And repent of your inaction in not speaking out against abortion.

4. Sin has its consequences. The wages of sin is death. These little babies did not lose their lives because they sinned - but sin, when it entered the world, marred the beauty and harmony of every single system and aspect. Babies born too soon, or with birth defects, remind us of the fall. We do not live in a perfect world.

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;
21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

The glory which shall be revealed in us, because of the marvelous grace of God, will be incomparably wonderful. God will wipe away all of our tears. He will make everything right.

5. God's love never fails.

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


6. It is good to live in community. God blesses us through the prayers and kindnesses of others. We had a perfect peace that passes all understanding. We could tangibly feel the prayers of God's people and the Comfort that only comes from the Holy Spirit. I have read email after email with tears running down my cheeks, because people care, because they have experienced loss or tragedy or pain, and they understand.

2 Corinthians 1:3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.


5. Life goes on. People who lose a loved one often wonder how everything can be so normal. Why are people shopping? Buying a coffee at Timmy's? Going to work? Why doesn't the world stop when my world has been shattered, they think. But God has ordained our steps and ordered our days. He makes the sun to come up in the morning and the moon to rise at night. He is the only Giver of Life, and He can be trusted.

My life's verse is comforting: Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

God is always in control, and He is always good. Some may trust in horses, some may trust in chariots, but we will trust in the name of our God.

In Christ,
Janet, who is thankful to be married to dear husband Rick for 32 years today.