CONFIDENT

To feel confident is to feel happy.

No so easy when you realize that you need to join the slow walkers club and the slow walkers.

"We cannot live the afternoon of life for what was great in the morning will be little at evening.   and what was true in the morning  will at evening become untrue.
-Carl Jung   Stages of Life.

In the morning I can wake up confident of the things I am going to accomplish but by evening  I look at the unfolded laundry and sigh.  I know it is the important things that count.  I did visit Jim and he has been moved to the forth floor where all the people have mental problems.  He is in a small corner in his room listening to the radio that we gave hi years ago and I am so thankful it still works.
Sitting in a dull drab room with a confused room mate and not even being taken  down to the dining room.  Fortunately his daughter is visiting more and even took him out to MacDonald's one   day.  He shows me articles written up about his great achievements as a Helicopter Pilot.

He smiles in the photos with great confidence.

Glen, Cathy's husband came to watch the hockey game with us and have a good chat.  Exciting news that Des, is having twins.  Her husband is having trouble with this knowledge but I am sure confidence will come as they cope day by day.

Dad has an upset stomach so we are not going to church today.

HOPE

Hope is born on wings of faith and trust.

Hope shines like  through like the sunlight chasing the clouds away.

And when a whole of sunshine like today happens you just enjoy it.  I had a short walk with Haiti in the morning and am making new friends at the dog park.

Hope is seen in the change of the seasons and the tiny, tiny little buds on the trees.  New growth is always amazing.

More birds are flying high in the sky above us looking for  places to build their nests.

Hope produces faith to strengthen and keep us resilient. 

Dad has found new energy to fix the ceiling and it is looking excellent.

I am deciding to end my visiting career  at least for now.  I am going to tell Jim that I will not be able to come for awhile and I have told Joyce I will not be coming regularly.  Jim has his daughter who is coming to see him and Joyce has a son who comes often.  I enjoy the visiting but like today dad will drive me as it is further away. 

Joyce was a faithful church going so my visiting will be as a friend from church.

My purpose is to discover new purposes and writing my blog is one of them.

It is important we do what we do for the right reasons.
I am hopeful!

THE VIEW

Yes Carol and Panteli came with us to view Gannie's head stone.  A wet day for this solemn  and dignified viewing.  We appreciate Panteli and Carol being there with us.

Imagine all the changes she has lived through.  I wish we had asked her more questions.

She had many strong opinions about life and the care of children so she could be difficult at times; just like we all can be.

Raising children is a challenge to us all.

I am reading about a couple who even though they were nearly fifty adopted three children from Haiti.  This gave them another view of life different than the one of successful business people.  Their story is in the book "Both Ends Burning."  Craig and Cathy's heart were touched deeply when they saw the first picture of the little girl and even more so when they flew to Haiti and visited the over crowded orphanages.  Two other children ended up as their family.  The adoption process had been difficult and very expensive so now they are working at changing the restrictions and regulations that caused them so many headaches as well as heart aches.

They were already involved when the earthquake happened in 2010 and were able to bring many children into a safe place into families who really wanted them.  They sacrifice their time together to return to Haiti and continue their new purpose in life.  They tackled these problems with as much hard work as they had done their carriers.

"It has given our life a different dimension rather than just playing golf and living in our own little bubble."    -Craig Juntunen

We can view our lives from the past or be open to viewing our future as still meaningful just by our example and our faith in each other and in our family.

CELEBRATIONS

Happy Birthday Melina!

A great reason to celebrate!

We are so thankful that you and Ken have each other and have a wonderful family together. 

Dad and I send our love and birthday wishes for a good year!

February is a dark and dull month here so we look forward to anything that cheers us up.  Dad has a birthday coming up as does Carol.  We are also meeting with our bookish group to celebrate four February birthdays.

Dad's visit went well.  Dad went alone as I had an upset stomach and I wonder if I ate some nasty gluten.

Carol and Kim are flying to Mexico on Feb. 20 to celebrate some sunny days together.

TURNABOUT

We all seem to be taking turns with the dentist, the doctor, blood tests. ultrasounds etc.  Dad is going to the cancer clinic on Thursday after having his P.S.A. blood test today.

Do not look at the date as my camera gets dates mixed up.  Takes after the owner that is for sure.

Actually it was a rainy miserable day today.  Dad talked me into going to the ladies group at the church and I was glad I did.

I am so thankful he can still drive.

I learned a lot about the refugee family we are going to be welcoming here later this year.  They are from Lebanon.  It is amazing all the things that they are putting in place to help them; and we have two ladies that speak their language as part of our group.  We are two churches together with three individuals.  Raising money is a big part of the planning right now.

The young people in our church are putting on a dinner and games night every two weeks for families.  They are inviting their friends and it is a big success, no one wanted to go home.

Dad has now decided to fix the square hole in the kitchen ceiling because the estimate was way too high.  He has done a good job so far but a lot of mess with sawdust etc. and chucks of plaster.

Yesterday he pruned a big rose bush for me and yes he really did prune it good!

"God is at your side.  God sees, God watches.  He is in Every life, in every thing!"
from "Souls On Fire"

The turnabout came when Jesus revealed to us the Living Word!
An inward and spiritual grace!

INVENTIONS

Dad drives while I take pictures.  Dad went to the doctor but still the same old news.  But he is getting his blood checked and checked for diabetics.  He was at the dentist yesterday and I am going today.  I also finally got my hair cut and dad likes it!

Cameras are an amazing invention!  When I stop to think of it we are surrounded with inventions that some one some time created.  We take most of these inventions for granted.  Inventions make our lives easier and even finding new cures are being revealed through better medical imaging.

Stories have been invented to captivate our interest and stimulate our imagination's.

The Jewish Rabbi's were fabulous story tellers that where meant to appeal to the imagination more than to reason.  Words that give rise to the poetic dreams that are within our souls ready to come to life.

I think that religion was born out of storytelling and the creative spirit that longs for truth that is beautiful and inspiring.  Like many stories words are spoken all of us hear them differently. 

These Jewish tales were interrupted by the English at the command of King George.  Kings were of the utmost importance at that time and understandably influenced their writings.

What we end up with is a controversial and confusing document that most of us find hard to understand. That being said I have found the Bible to be a Holy Book;  full of wisdom and good news upon which my faith has been built.  I believe as I read the Holy Spirit opens my spirit to the presence of God.

This is just some food for thought.

Now I am off to the dentist full of fear and dread.  I wish I could be like dad or Sandra who are very brave! !  Surprise! surprise the girl who cleaned my teeth could have been a stand up comic  that made it almost enjoyable. 

VARITIES

All the girls in Cathy's family are so different.
Just like our family.  Jasmine is the oldest then Desirae, Ava and Tavia.  Graceland is very busy so we have not seen her for a year or so.

They are very good friends who love and care about each but they all think very differently especially when it comes to religion.

A healthy Christian has a mind of their own and knows what they can or cannot believe.  Faith should not be black and white and if we follow the Bible we find contradictions in the writings about just about everything.

Churches are totally different in their beliefs and in the style of worship and their interpretation of scripture. They attract different personalities and different life styles.  We should welcome every one but some churches will attract the broken and the wounded.  Then their are lots of believers who do not go to church but believe in a higher power or a different religion.

It can be confusing but going to the grocery store can be confusing.

Do I buy real butter or butter that says it is not butter even though it is suppose to taste and look like butter.

Today dad is off to the dentist and we may do something later on.  I will visit Joyce today or to-morrow.  She wants to discuss religion but I am not even sure where to start.  She has been a faithful church grower but is now having los of questions.

I am thankful it is a sunny day!