Don't Wait

don't wait
to pray for someone
to encourage someone
to admonish someone
to help someone
to cheer up someone
to congratulate someone
to remember someone
to serve someone
to greet someone
to check on someone
to smile at someone
to thank someone
to appreciate someone

don't wait
to be asked
to do something for someone... with someone... because of someone

Day Two

a relaxing day
Panera bread is yummy
good deal on coat, boots, earmuffs and sweatshirts
chinese cookbook - my first of many
there was traffic!

they say it's cold today
but my nose hairs didn't freeze
and i didn't even shiver much
although it did cool off in the evening
but still, my nose hairs didn't freeze

Wok Inn
chinese fast food
right down the street from where we're staying
nice chat with the lady there
able to fill that chinese food yearning


Becky's Diner

Day One

to the "land of the free"
first, they make you wait and feel very small...
and grateful that you were not turned away
then you pay your money
and walk through the door to the other side
to the "land of the free"

in the "land of the free"
everything is cheaper
if you have 'the loyalty card' ... one for each store
and everything can be bought
in multiples for even cheaper
well, almost everything
cuz the clementines -
they're 8 dollars a box
in the "land of the free"

in the "land of the free"
'everything moves a lot faster' than back home
or so they say
but one thing's for sure
'every meal is bigger' than back home
in the "land of the free"

ice storm!

They Know

we all cried.
i started it.
the girls bawled. some wailed down the hall.
the boys looked on, andthen ran off very quickly.
"it's not fair," one of them said. "this sucks."

i'm glad i have three weeks to process all the changes with them.
i will miss them

Senses

Recently had this sense... an overwhelming sense
I wasn't expecting it
Not even looking for it
But it came and it covered over me
Covered like a warm blanket
A safe, secure, warm blanket
It was a sense that
Everything was going to be okay
I needed to "hear" that
And I did

Thankful

i'm thankful for my home. i like it a lot. it's a place of refuge. a place where i can just "be in my own world" again, to think and regroup.

i'm thankful for moments when things are all silent. except the humming of the dryer in the background. no need to talk or respond to anyone. only good verses and songs to fill the mind.

i'm thankful for the sun shining on my face. it's way too bright, but it reminds me of joy... and warmth even if it might be a bit chilly outside.

i'm thankful for my comfortable clothes. they aren't expensive nor even trendy. but they are comfy. and i feel comfy.

i'm thankful for laughter. laughter that comes from and because of good friends and family. moments that bring smiles to my heart even after everyone is gone.

i'm thankful.

Change happens

Thanksgiving Prayer I

I have some good friends. I know they are good friends. We don't get to spent a whole lot of time together, but that doesn't matter. When we do get together, I leave refreshed, and encouraged. For me, that makes a good friend.

I think about these friends. And I think back to when Ifirst met each one of them. At different times and places, and for different reasons. And how over time, we have in our own ways, changed, and grown. And how each of our life circumstances have also changed and grown.

And I know I am blessed because of these friends. And God is faithful and good.

Other Side

Was recently on the other side of the world...
... other side - physically, socially, emotionally, financially, academically...

Hmmm, the other side of the world is vastly different, yet somehow, strangely similar as well.

Connections

connections are a good thing.

connected in the hallway with someone who also recently had shingles. she told me of these horrible ongoing things that can happen to people who've had shingles. she found out all this information on the internet. i was intrigued because i certainly hadn't heard about those thing.

so i...

connected on the internet and read site after site after site, looking for all those horrible ongoing things mentioned by my first connection. didn't find any. however, i found a brief mention concerning the dosage of the strong antiviral drug that i have been taking: "...3 times a day for 7 days..." 7 days?!?!?! wait a minute, mine is for 21 days!!!! now, i'm onto very specific website searches. yup, they all say 7 days.

so i...

connected by phone with a favourite relative of mine who just happens to be a pharmacist. she connected with her fellow pharmacist who just happens to be an expert on shingles. yup 7 days...

so now i...

• hope i have good connections with the insurance company to get my the money back.
• am glad for that very first connection, despite her talk of horrible ongoing things that don't seem to be very true
• no longer take those drugs
• am considering connecting with another family doctor

Dirt

been cleaning out the cutlery drawer.
our cutlery drawer is double-layered.

i had a bit of time, so i decided to just organize some things. when i took out the forks from the fork section, i was somewhat mildly shocked to see the amount of dirt that had collected in that section... bits of this and that had somehow fallen in over the period of a year... the same with the spoon section, knife section and chopsticks section.

the real surprise was what i saw when i cleared out the bottome layer of our double-layered cutlery drawer. it was just as full of this and that... bits of dried up pasta... a melon seed... crumbs and whatever.

how in the world did this all dirt get into not just the top layer, but the second layer of the drawer?!? it's not like we purposely open the drawer and sweep things from our counter into it. and i know things don't just fall through the counter to the drawer underneath like osmosis. so how does the dirt get in their, and how does it make its way to the back corners to collect?

i know there is a very real spiritual correlation here...

I Peter 1:3-6a

All praise to God
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

It is by His great mercy that
we have been born again
because God raised Jesus
from the dead

Now
we live with great expectation
and
we have a priceless inheritance
an inheritance that is kept in heaven
for you
pure and undefiled
beyond reach of change and decay

And
through your faith
God is protecting you
by His power
until you receive this salvation
which is ready to be revealed
on the last day
for all to see

So be glad

Bringing Heaven on Earth

Musings after a converstion...

Do church
Then do lunch
Do some work
Do some studying
Do some laundry
Do some chatting
Do some courses
Do some workout
Do some homework
Do some shopping
Do some ironing
Do some overtime
Do some cooking
Do some relaxing
Do some chores
Do some shovelling
Do some napping
Do some ...
Do church

Hmmm, What happened to bringing heaven to earth?

Shovel

never thought i would dread the idea of needing to shovel... yet again.
but the snow is beautiful even as it falls now

wispy twirling drifting swirling along
big flakes of lightness
landing ever so gently
on the white carpet below

but oh, are my arms and legs tired

Good Chats & Good News

i like good chats.
i don't often have good chats usually because i'm too worried about what needs to be chatted about.
but once in a while, thanks to others who chat well, i lose that worry.
and then i chat.
chats about everything under the sun... and God... and people's lives with God.
nice chats.
encouraging chats.
i have had some good chats.

i like good news.
now, there's always good news abounding, i know that.
but when i'm told the good news in person, that's gooder than good news.
news about everything under the sun... and God... and people's lives with God.
good news.
encouraging news.
i have had some good news.

yup

I'm Still Here

i'm still here...
will be back soon...