Update

We will be celebrating a wedding here in Wingham next week on Sunday. They are busy building a new three family house for the young couple, Derrik and Rachel, who will be moving into the kindergarten house till the new one is ready. He went to ask the parents for his bride today.

Joni and I have been working for the last month on a mouse play movie that we are going to show at the wedding. Joni is doing the technology work and I the art. It's turned out pretty sweet, I think we are done.

Hans turned 3 on the 29th of September and I made a snowman cake for him because he is forever asking if it will be winter soon. We had all the kids over and we played "I wrote a letter to my friend" and hide and seek. He got some more toys of course, sweet John deers and a teeny Cat loader from his babysitter Audrey, she's a gift herself.

My house is slowly getting cleaner by the day because I'm taking every minute I can get in to have it done before the wedding; I've got all of next week to work on it. I was backing buns on Saturday and in the afternoon by mother-in-law helped me rack up the lawn and my sister-in law mowed it, so that's behind me. Thanks to God for them.

The Wing-ding women were in US last week...shopping..nice hotel..two nights. The highlight was the last evening where we had a little get-together because we had voted for a secret sister and gave out our 3 dollar gifts. I gave them all a back rub and was the only one enjoying the pool.

Rodney is all relieved that another batch of turkeys are gone off to market; he is now getting the barn ready for more.

Give Thanks

Now that my cook week is done I have time to reflect on what I am most thankful for. Thanks for the challenge Diana and your comments are always appreciated.

#1. Health of myself and all in my family (Judas stepped into another rusty nail on Friday)
#2. Faith, even as a mustered seed. A little faith brings earth to heaven, but great faith brings heaven to earth.
#3. God's word, I know I'd be lost without it. Jesus is considered as the word made flesh.
#4. Fellowship with friends and family.
#5. A free country and Steven Harper, whom I pray for.
#6. My husband and sons.
#7. Food, clothes and shelter.
#8. Smiles, sunshine and laughter.
#9. God's faithfulness and protection.
#10. Wisdom and understanding.

The Invisible Fight

Sometimes I wish I had a black stone for every word I said that was not up building and a white on for everything I've said that was encouraging, and see witch house would be erected first. Isn't it strange how we can break a heart, shatter trust, deeply hurt someone, or loose a friend and not see, hear, or perceive it in any physical way.

There are meager battles going on in each of us, everyday, and we simply cannot see how the other person is fighting with his burdens. Paul talks about fighting the good fight.

So what are we fighting?

I know my personal giant is in my head, and I must daily scramble to keep gracious, positive, forgiving and unselfish thoughts in my mind. Mustering up to keep pride, envy, criticism and worry from entering my heart. Romans 12 warns us not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed be the renewing of our minds.

Who am I fighting?

"Not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers." So does this mean that I'm not to be at odds with a sister or brother but with the devil? The struggle is not against one I strive to love who is made of flesh, but against the evil one who would have discord and sews seeds, in the form of thoughts, to destroy unity.

Lies, Lies, Lies
I'm so sick of lies,
is that all the devil can do.
Spare me
Never do I ever want to hear another lie
There isn't one I haven't heard.

That's from Elisa Doolittle, I sing it when I'm fed up from listening to the enemy tell me how worthless I am.

Why should I fight?

I know there is a war between evil and good, and if I don't try fighting for the good, evil will overcome me. It's like a house, if no one keeps it up, it will be destroyed. The kingdom of heaven is in my heart, if I let The King rule in it, I will reap the blessings. Oh, but where is the new heart I was promised? Will I always have to fight? Out of the heart come all kinds of unclean things. I will just have to do battle till the Lord sees fit to change my heart. He's the one who hardened Pharaoh's heart and I'll leave it in His loving care

It is incredible how silently and subtly the battle is lost or won. How vast and invisible the work of the Lord. I read a passage in Sirach the other day that said we shouldn't look down one people because the Lord does wonderful things that human beings never notice. Wow!!

Born again

I’ve been wanting to blog forever about my beautiful butterflies. I wanted to explain what I meant in my former blog (see Butterfly house) about how the life cycle of a butterfly reminds me of our new birth in Christ. Remember Nicodemus’ talk with Jesus in the night about being born again? I find a great example of this in the metamorphosis of butterflies.

First of all, they are born once, as we are from our mother’s womb, they are born of an egg that their mother has laid on the milkweed. They are just a tiny warm at first and grow to be a fat two inches by feeding on the milkweed.

Well, the milkweed is significant to me because the word of God is referred to as milk in one of Paul’s sermons. We, as spiritual babies, also need this milk to help us grow and become mature and strong. One interesting thing here about this milkweed is that it makes the larva poisonous to its predators. Our souls also have a ‘predator,’ is it not Satan? Is there safety from him by feeding on the word of God?
Once the worm is fed and fat it finds a safe place and spins a web that will hold it in place while it is changing. It attaches it’s back end to the web and hangs in a J, (for Jesus of course) until it is ready to become a new creature. “If any man is in Christ he is a new creature” Off with the old....... .....and on with the new. Since "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" we are to put off our old sinful nature and become a new person. The worm sheds it's skin while it hangs from it's anchor......this is what I’d call the second birth.

Just as the cocoon stays fastened we must hang on to the rock through any weather, storm or wind. We must cling to the word of God through temptation and trials; stay still and focused on our source of strength in sunshine or rain.
It takes about two weeks for the chrysalis to become a butterfly depending on how warm the temperature. The warmer the sooner it will turn. And all of a sudden……
The skin or house it was in dries up and dies, and out comes something beautiful that can take to the skies. This stage reminds me of our death, our body, or earthly shell, becomes old and useless, and when we die we can go to the mansion that God has built for us somewhere in the heavens.
The butterfly then reproduces (lays more eggs) and migrates all the way to Mexico. Jesus mentions a “regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory” but that mystery is far beyond me. I just know for sure that the butterfly goes into a warmer environment for the winter.

Out of Harms way

Here is a song by Gospel Express that I’d like to share; it has spoken to me in a number of ways lately.

1. Walking along so unaware, that one step ahead was Satan’s snare
His plan was to hush my praise and bring me down in defeat
Satan’s big scheme just might have worked, but there was one thing he overlooked
Some little saint had listened to God and got on their knees

And somebody prayed
(Glory to God they prayed)
Me out of harm’s way
(Prayed me out of harm’s way)
Some spirit filled child has touched the Lord for me today
(For me today)
The Father just told them of my need, and they prayed me out of Satan’s reach
Rejoicing in victory they prayed me out of harm’s way

2. If I had a choice that I could make, to be very rich or to be saved
I’d have to remember all the times I’ve needed the Lord
How badly I needed Him today, and how He just told someone to pray
Knowing my God He’s sweeter and far more precious than gold

You know when you become burdened for someone and you get this sense of worried thought or erg to pray for them? I have come to believe that it’s God’s cue. It happened to me a while ago, a friend called me on the phone when I really needed it with some advice that was heaven sent.


The one line in the song “His plane was to hush my praise and bring me down in defeat” also jumped out at me because I’ve been struggling with a little issue about singing. I’ve had a few directed and judgmental comments from sisters who I love dearly that have really discouraged me. We all love to sing at work in the basement, cutting veggies or whatever our summers work is, but I have been doing so with fear and trembling lately. I used to be able to sing freely from my spirit, and it would flow from my heart but I can’t any more.


It is interesting to note that this is the devil’s work. I was pretty shocked the first time I heard a preacher say that the first thing that is gone when God is gone is that His praise is nowhere to be heard. That was in the days when our choir was at its lowest, and I guess that’s why I was so startled.


The devil has no shame; he will steal everything he can get from us, our relationships, our home, our faith, our marriages, our peace, our future, our family, our health, and our joy. Did you know he will try and keep us from something as pleasant as a good cup of hot chocolate? Simply because it gives us a nice feeling of enjoying something through our senses; it makes for pleasant thoughts, fellowship, and maybe even, the unthinkable, thoughts about God’s goodness. He likes hearing God praised as much as we love something praised that we detest.


I remember a time at Crystal Springs when there was a drought and I was standing by the window with Cilia, an African woman, and it began to rain. So I burst out in song! One that we learned from our missions to Africa: “I am saying thank you Jesus.” It seemed so perfect and fitting to me and I was thankful, but I turned around and the dining room was starting to fill with hungry people and I had thought that there was nobody who could not sing along, and there were about three of us singing. Now that I think back on it I was presumptuous, but that’s just the way I am.

Tornadoes

I’ve finally been back to Decker after two years, and it was great seeing them all again. I had the privilege of seeing my cousin Phillip merry his sweetheart, Marlene, Rodney’s cousin.

I got inspired to write a poem from hearing Uncle Sam talk about husband looking after wife and the other way around, making it a continuous circle. Also God being head, then Jesus, husband and wife in order, and then back to God also forming a ring that has no end.

That idea came together from having watched a tornado a few months ago, and I know the people of Decker had the same experience a number of years back. If you understand how a storm starts, with the friction from the hot and cold air causing the lightening, you should "get it."

Tornado
I am the warm air, ascending. He is the cool, Lightening strikes, sparks fly
I care for him, he cares for me, it’s a circle, spinning
Faster and faster, stronger and stronger
We whether the storm ‘till the finger
Of God touches the earth and
Destroys the work
Of the evil
One

Things

Just the other day I found a sweet little piggy in my laundry, and it was so warm and rubbery right out of the dryer that I kissed it, and put it in my pocket. It brought back such sweet memories of days long gone, and I asked the little pig what he had to say to me about the One who created all things, and he admonished “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman with a rebellious disposition” Proverbs 11:22

You know, we all have our own special way of keeping up our relationship with God. For me it’s walking and talking with Him wherever I am. Doing laundry, I'll be praising Him in song, working together; I can be showing His love and understanding to others. Caring for my children amazes me at how God is looking after all our needs, and sometimes He has to discipline us as well. Watering plants, it’s “Let anyone who thirsts come to Me and drink.” Looking at flowers: “The flowers wither and the grass dies, but My words are forever.” The beauty of the relationship between God and Adam and Eve seems to have been restored because God is accessible at all times and places when He lives inside us. Having Him in our hearts and before our eyes we can walk and talk with Him just as the disciples did. Just thinking or writing about My God doesn't make Satan very happy either.

I was taking a walk a while ago and found a beautiful, red, (my favorite color) small, stone. I picked it up to admire the glitter and asked it to tell me something about its Creator, and it promised “I will remove the stony heart from within you and give you a new heart.” Sometimes I think I’m from another planet, I’m so not interested in talk about shoes, or dresses, food, who’s getting married when, who’s related to who, and who cares about what news. I’m so out of it, but I get so excited discussing things you can’t see with your eyes, like relationships, ideas, humor, feelings, moral issues, things God made, and attitudes.

We were snipping beans a few days ago and they “told” me they do what they were created to do according to His will. They are made for food and praise God by fulfilling their purpose. Wow! What a big job little bean!! You think it’s that simple? Well, what was I created to do then? What is the will of God for me?

1. Show His love, His No. 1 command. To me, that means overlooking other's faults, since we all have them, if I'm going to look for them I can find tones in the mirror. I have been given so much grace by God, worm that I am, I think I can pass this on to the next person as well. I guess one could write forever about love, because there is simply no end to the wonder of it all.

2. Live as sinless as possible. That is a tough one, not only for me, but for all humans. “Sin clings to us like a bur in the woods on our dress” our Reverend Uncle Ernie reminds us often at church. We only have to pass by and it sticks to us like dirt as we live our lives, but thank God we have a fountain in which to wash our hands (souls) as soon as they get dirty.

3. Keep His words; do as He says in the bible. (Refer back to number 1.) Isn't His word what saves us? It is a direct link from Him to us, no wonder it says Holy on my Bible.

4. Praise Him too. I have more means and reason than the beans that have no mouth or tongue. (Well, I just couldn't squish the erg to sing.)