WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES

What a difference a day makes.

Monday was pouring with rain and Tuesday dawned bright and sunny. The children are all heading back to school and all of a sudden the sidewalks are full of excited and happy children.

One day we were looking forward to our son and grandchildren coming for a awesome family celebration and then all of a sudden they are leaving and last night we had a good-bye supper at Sandra and Randy's with roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Too bad Rick missed it. So by today they will all have left and life returns to a slower pace; not that I did much but just be present.

One day last June I was told that I may have cancer growing in my colon and that I needed a colonosocpy. No Way. I was able to talk myself and the doctor out of that as he agreed with me it probably was a mistake. Two months later I get the news that all is fine and I am free of cancer. I have thought over this time about how I would deal with it if the news was bad but I firmly believe we are given the strength and courage we need by asking and praying.

So life is full of happiness and sadness, worry and relief and I am learning to cope with each day as it comes. There are many things in our lives we cannot control. There are the family health problems that get past on generation after generation. It is good to know what health problems your parents have had. We have new ways of dealing and treating illness so that is good.

We cannot control the weather and climate change is a big concern. Nature is a powerful force and I can certainly understand the fear that when the heavens thundered people believed it was god expressing his anger.

I have been blessed with hearing the whisper of love that has drawn me into the greatest mystery of all. I am thankful for the words of Jesus and the promises of comfort and strength the Holy Bible gives to me. It would sadden me if I did not have these words to read.

I feel extremely strongly that we should not destroy what others call sacred and holy.

But we need to confront faith that stirs up hatred and mistrust and fear. Reading the Infidel has allowed me to see into the world of Muslim religion. It saddens me to see the life of this young girl poisoned by violence and hatred and male domination.

She fights to keep her spirit alive and leaves her country to discover another world.
I search the scripture to find out how to live each day with love and acceptance.

A SEASON

Leah and Craig.
"To everything there is a season"
This has meant for Leah having to spend time working at recovery from two car accidents that let her in great pain. She is gradually getting better but hopes of getting back into a nursing career are dimming.

Leah will be continuing her education and hopefully a better future awaits her.
She is a joy to be with and we appreciatte Craig's support of her. We had a fun time celebrating her birthday with her and her mom and dad and brother.

Hopefully this will be a season of healing and new beginnings for her.

HABITS

Carol and Panteli have moved from their home in Tsawwassen to an apartment. It is across from the place where this picture is taken. These places are unique because they are built right on the edge of the water. I actually like their place better because it is up on the third floor among the trees. You are close to nature and also have a view of the park.

A first we had to brake the habit of going to their old house and make the first turn off not the second.

Habits are a part of all our lives, more than we realize. That is why it is good to have good habits that enrich your life and the lives of others. We all have our own opinions that we probably feel strongly about. It takes an effort not to always feel that I have to express what I believe and to just ask
"What do you believe?"
"Why do you believe this or that?"
"Is their room for questions or has what you believe just become a habit?"
"Are you interested in what others believe and how they look at scripture?"

Prayer has become a habit in my life because I have discovered that I need to express what I feel and what I believe. But it is only in the silence that I sense God speaking to me. He challenges me to see new possibilities in my self and in others.

I have fallen into the habit of seeing scripture through the old ways of expression; but now I know that saying to someone that they are sinners and need salvation just does not mean anything to them. Yet to say that we all are very human and we make mistakes but there is a way of transcending our humanity by being open to a voice that can guide us towards what is a better way.

To be fully alive and to be fully human!

AN OBSERVER

Soon the summer hats will be replace by warmer ones. I am observing more signs of fall in the air. September is one of my favorite months.

I am finding more and more that I have become more of an observer and the one who gets waited on in our family get to-gathers. Which I am okay about.

The birthday party was a big success and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Our roles in life are always changing and I am thankful to be where I am today.

Now I will go watch dad make breakfast.

THE ROSE

I was walking along thinking of all the things I had to do this morning when I looked up and saw this beautiful rose.

I am praying that it will not rain today as this is the day we have the party for Leah and Sandra and they have such a beautiful yard it will be nice if we can be outside.

I did not get to church but I have made my cake and will do my casseroles next. I listened to the Hour of Power on T.V. and the music was so uplifting it did my heart good.

The glory of the Lord is shining upon us all
The music of the heavens fills the earth.
If something feels like it is impossible give it to God.
We all carry too many burdens that is impossible for our souls to find rest.
In resting we find healing.
Believe in the love that will never let you go! !

CHASING THE SUN RISE

I started my walk very early this morning and as I started down the hill noticed the sunrise; so back to our house to get the camera. Then the problem was to find an area free of houses and the sun is rising even higher.

On my walk I see the early morning joggers, the dog walkers and the early morning worshippers going to the East Indian Temple for early morning prayer. Then their are several people heading to Starbucks for their morning coffe. A few early risers are watering their lawns but mostly it is very quiet and peaceful. It is a fresh and cool morning and I have a very enjoyable walk!

I think that growing up I was a bit of a dreamer chasing after happiness.

My earliest dream was to be a writer but I found that no one seemed excited about my writing ability so I was happy just being a reader. I very much wanted a dog which we were never able to have my dad never cared for dogs. Working as a secretary was okay but working in a big company like Saskatchewan light and power where there were so many people was a very unfriendly and stressful place.

Falling in love was magical and I dreamed about a cute little house with a dog and lots of children. Our first house was a triplex that was run down and had a huge ditch in front of the door. I did have nice neighbors and I made friends although we were all busy looking after our children and keeping our houses very very clean.
Being the perfect mom was harder than I realized and I wanted it to be fun. I was very obedient as a child and expected my children would be too. Why won't my children pick up their toys when I ask or later why don't they keep their rooms tidy.
I was not prepared for these noisy, active and demanding little people that demanded my attention continually.

The best part is having the dreams come true in unexpected ways.

I missed capturing the best part of the sunrise as I had to walk and walk to find a place to take a picture. It was fun hurrying along anticipating this beautiful picture.

I was happy when we moved to a brand new home in a nice neighborhood where I could walk to church. This I would do putting two children in a buggy and having the older two walk along. I made some good friends there and was happy to be involved.
Church was easier in those days we listened to the minister and we believed and no one thought of questioning the Bible or God. Heaven forbid!

I wanted to know my Bible better so found a group of Baptists that where starting a Bible Study group. They knew exactly what to believe and I never said a word for the first year because so much was new to be. Born again? Heaven and Hell? Conversion? Baptism? Sinner?

I was chasing after religion with all the answers that would transform my life from a sinner into a saint. I soon found this impossible and as the years unfolded and our little group experienced tragedy I realized that all you can try to be is real!

QUESTIONS

I plan to finish Spong's book this morning.

I agree that religion as practiced in churches that are into behavior control give faith a bad name. Yet, I would never choose to leave the church because it has been and will continue to be a big part of my life. I have met most of my friends there who lives I share and whose friendship I treasure.

We do not know about the next generation as the popularity of religious institutions continues to decline. The more up to date churches with their guitars and drums are still attracting some young people. We have a new minister coming to our church and are hoping he will reach out to the young and the old.

"The task of faith has become therefore not the task of believing the unbelievable but the task of living, loving and being.""
"The mission of faith is no longer to convert; it is to transform the world so that everyone will have a better chance to live fully and thus to commune with the source of love, to love wastefully and to find the courage "to be" and thus to commune with the Ground of Being".

God is calling all of us to be a part of spreading the good news in word and in deed.

I love seeing a church when I drive through a new area and it does give me a sense of security and joy.

We have been given " the uniquely human gift of knowledge and the incredible power to think about and explore the meaning of life that allows us to walk into places where few of us have walked before, to transcend the limits of our humanity and finally to touch that which is Eternal."

The church has promised us answers to all our unanswerable questions. Faith promises "peace that passes understanding" which has taken on new meaning for me.
When we gratuate from this life we will still have more to learn.

Jesus was human and yet in touch with his own divinity so that he could say "the Father and I are one". He opens the door to what we have called Heaven.

"God is ultimately one and that means that each one of us is a part of that oneness".

I have faced death when I was given a diagnose of failing health for which there appeared to be no answers. It was a miracle a answer to prayer when it was discovered I had celiac. Today this condition is common and most people do not reach the point where there bodies are literally starving. I was so very weak and tired, tired of seeing doctors who had no answers and tired of unanswered prayer.
It was at that point I discovered the true power of prayer which was submission and letting go. I was ready for whatever or however God wanted to use my life.

"Eternity is within us" Our lives have been shaped by the love that surrounded us even when we were not aware of it, by the love of others who have touched our lives and especially by those God has given us to love and cherish.

The greatest gift of growing old is seeing my children taking responsibility for their lives and for the lives in their care. I hope and pray that they will find the joy of believing that has been with me all my life even in moments of deepest despair.

We are all called to live life to the fullest and to be all that we can be.
It is amazing to me that I can write in this simple little blog and touch the lives of others. This has been a gift of God to me.