12/31/2023 0 Comments Goodbye 2023Jer. 33:3 – Call unto me and I will answer thee, and shewest thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not. Sun Dec 31, 2023 – the end of a year. As we stand on the precipice of another year, this is a wonderful verse with which to end. We don’t know what the future holds, but God does. We simply need to call out to Him to lead and guide us. He does answer; but He doesn’t always say “yes”, so that can be a scary thing. Looking back over the year I can see areas that have changed and stretched me; looking forward can be uncertain. So it’s wonderful to know God has the future and nothing I face in 2024 will be a surprise to Him. As I looked at the picture of the calendar year I hung on my wall, I wondered, “What will I be thinking next year at this exact moment? Will I be happy with what I accomplished; satisfied that I have done my best for my God and my country and my neighbours? Will I even be here at this point next year?” Whether you make New Year’s Resolutions and keep or break them, having a New Year is a good time to reflect a bit. The golden oldie by Robert Burns “Auld Lang Syne” has wrapped it up; don’t forget the good times, the good memories. But don’t stay stuck in the past, either. A new year dawns, and it’s time to forge ahead and see what God has in store when we call upon Him. It was a delight and a challenge and a commitment to write these Scripture thoughts each week. I hope they have been of value to you. I wasn’t sure whether to continue to write or not; 2022 I did a recipe a week, 2023 a Scripture reference a week, and wasn’t sure if I should do a weekly blog for 2024. So I asked, and have heard from some of you, and Lord willing, will plan to try another year. Join me each week and we’ll travel around North America in 2024! God bless you as you serve Him in the new year.
0 Comments
12/24/2023 0 Comments Merry Christmas!Phil 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ This year has amazed me with these Scripture references I just “randomly “stuck into different weeks being exactly what I needed for that week. If God can use such a little thing to bring comfort or encouragement to me on a weekly basis, just think how much He cares and is concerns Himself in every aspect of your life too! What a beautiful verse to come up for Christmas Eve day. Jesus was the epitome of beginning and ending the “good work” of salvation for us. As I start my much-needed break, I look back over the year and sometimes wonder, “Did I really accomplish anything? Will what I have done ever be of value?” This verse is such an encouragement to stay faithful – He who has called you to whatever task He’s given you is not discouraged, overwhelmed or puzzled. He began a work with you, and He’s not going to quit on you. So don’t quit on yourself. Sometimes you (at least I do) need a breather, a chance to step back and renew, but remember this verse assures us we can be confident He’ll continue to work in us until Christ returns or calls us home. What a good thought as we approach the end of another year. Merry Christmas to all – and may the peace and joy of this season stay and grow in your hearts as we face whatever 2024 throws at us! We have barely any snow (shock!) but the hoarfrost was absolutely lovely - tiny delicate spikes on my ironwork!
12/17/2023 2 Comments Alive, almost there...12/10/2023 0 Comments Dark Days of December
12/3/2023 0 Comments It's December!
11/26/2023 1 Comment Food for Thought
11/21/2023 0 Comments Abundance!!11/12/2023 0 Comments Which path?
11/5/2023 1 Comment To hear, or to listenZacc 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
This is an excellent verse to remind me who is really my “boss”. It’s also a solace when I get frustrated, angry or worried about world events we see happening. The might and power of men and politics may seem to be overwhelming - but it will never succeed in destroying what Jesus accomplished for us so many years ago at Calvary! The previous paragraph was my first thought at reading this verse. But as I read it again this morning, I was confronted with the thought that it needs to be more personal. I need reminding in my daily life as I work with students, as I send out multiple cards to friends that have suffered loss, as I make decisions as producer for our community theatre group, as I check out customers at MCC, as I help clean up at a catered dinner at the senior centre – am I allowing God’s spirit to work in me? Can people see Jesus in me, or a brusque person trying to do it all on her own? It’s been an intense week for many reasons, and as I read this verse a third and fourth time it struck me – what a two-edged verse this is; both a challenge and a comfort. As I yield to the challenge of keeping my activities in line with God’s Holy Spirit, He will enable me to do things in a much better way. “Stop & Listen” is needed in both the physical and spiritual realms. My challenge this week will be to take that time to truly listen with my heart, and not just with my ears. My mom used to say, “God gave us two ears and only one mouth for a reason.” That’s easier said than done – who wants to try this challenge with me?! It may make a world of difference in what you face this week if you just put “Stop and Listen” is a few places you see often. 10/29/2023 1 Comment Worth more than money! |
CategoriesFebruary 26, 2021
|
What a week! As a teacher on a Hutterite colony for grade 5-12, life is non-stop from 9:00-3:30. This coming Friday is the end of quarter, so report cards will be due. So that always makes one extra busy.
But I had 2 highlights in this week. The first: I came home and stumbled over something on my step. When I picked it up and entered, I found out I was holding MY copy of my book! I felt like a mother receiving her first child. The awe and wonder of holding something I'd created and labored over for - yes, about nine months- well, that is quite the feeling. The second: Last night the doorbell rang. I answered and a man stood there with a floral arrangement. I was sure he'd come to the wrong house, but he had the right name. Imagine my amazement when I saw that friends from the States had arranged these lovely roses to be delivered to celebrate this milestone in my life. In today's Covid restrictions, such a thoughtful, kind gesture means SO much! I never get flowers, so I'm still just smiling over it. |
January 5, 2021
How many of you make New Year's Resolutions? How many of you don't because you know you won't keep them?
As I look at 2021 and wonder what this year will bring, I've decided to try a couple resolutions.
A poet once said, "It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all." I feel that can be applied to resolutions too. As I start this year as a new author, I'm scrambling to figure out what I'm doing! This has definitely pulled me out of my comfort zone. I've asked the Lord, "What have I done? Am I stepping off this cliff to float or fly?"
So my New Year's Resolution is to have a website and put a blog on it. Will this last? It will be interesting to look back in December 2021 to see what has happened here! Tech stuff is NOT my thing. But as a teacher, I always tell my students, "Just try. You never know what might happen." So how can I do less than I preach? I will try this. No guarantees, but I've made a start! Happy New Year to you all!
As I look at 2021 and wonder what this year will bring, I've decided to try a couple resolutions.
A poet once said, "It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all." I feel that can be applied to resolutions too. As I start this year as a new author, I'm scrambling to figure out what I'm doing! This has definitely pulled me out of my comfort zone. I've asked the Lord, "What have I done? Am I stepping off this cliff to float or fly?"
So my New Year's Resolution is to have a website and put a blog on it. Will this last? It will be interesting to look back in December 2021 to see what has happened here! Tech stuff is NOT my thing. But as a teacher, I always tell my students, "Just try. You never know what might happen." So how can I do less than I preach? I will try this. No guarantees, but I've made a start! Happy New Year to you all!