Mom.

Here is my mom. I snapped this picture while visiting for a few weeks in January. Now that I'm back home in BC again, I feel dreadfully far away. Mom had a few good days back then. This photo was taken on one of her better days.

Now, six weeks later, she's gone through several chemo treatments. Trooper she is, to yield to this recommendation from the medical staff in the first place. Chemo is anything but pleasant, and in Mom's case has definitely proved to be true to form. The side-affects have presented themselves in the shape of many unexpected and upsetting symptoms. I admire Mom for how she's warriored on, and patiently suffered through it all. Until today. She's had enough.

We'll all support her, whichever decision she makes.

And although we do not know what lies ahead, we'll continue to trust in the One Who does know.

Thanks to all of you who have prayed for us. Please keep praying.

Snapshot Anthology.

Just a few slightly edited photos, downloaded from the camera over the last few days. It has been glorious weather here lately... up until today that is, when it decided to hail, snow and rain with the space of an hour, in precisely that order. Insane.

My welcoming workplace. Stellar view. Especially on a clear, blue day.

One of the mountain views in the neighbourhood.

View from the school playground. Takes my breath away.

Snow-capped mountains and naked trees.

Some pretty faces from the Youth Conference weekend.

More cutie patooties.

And last but not least, traffic light cookies for the Monday Night Bible Hour.

Home Again.

What an amazingly wonderful weekend. If you've never visited our lovely christian friends in the Arlington /Marysville WA area... you really should. Honestly. They're beyond friendly. So sweet. So kind. Always so glad to see you. At least that's what they say to us every time we visit. "Oh, we're sooooo glad you came!" Which is precisely why we keep going back.

Again and again.

The main purpose of our visit this past weekend was the Youth Conference. I know. I hear ya. And I'll be the first to admit that we're not exactly in the "youthful" category anymore, but see, our dear friends welcomed us with such open arms, and we blended quite unobtrusively right into that congregation of young people! Uh-huh. Another reason this old couple keep going back.

Again and again.

No really. There were other "young" couples there at the conference too. Kind of around our age. Well, around MY age, at least.

What a blessing to catch up with old friends and make new friends all in the same weekend! And, wait for it... two days of NOT having to cook meals. Aaaah. I particularly relished that part. They served up some mighty delicious conference lunch and dinner there too.

Really, you must go sometime. And make sure you're hungry.

If you go once, I know you'll want to visit again. And again.

Anyways, down to the message. The "I Am's" from John's gospel.

Just when I thought I had a fair knowledge of these familiar passages of scripture, these very verses challenged me with the greatness of the I Am, who is my Saviour. Am I allowing this great I Am to be the Lord of my life?

The I Am - Who existed before time itself began. Infinite. Incomprehensible.
The I Am - Who became flesh yet never ceased to be God. Miraculous.

The I Am:
- Bread, the only satisfying nourishment for my hungering soul.
          Am I filled daily? Or do I merely nibble?
- whose Light I must shine in this dark world.
          Am I shining brightly? Or hiding under the bushel?
- the Door to heavenly pasture and the care of the Good Shepherd.
         Laying down in the green pasture? Or wanting?
- my eternal future, the Resurrection and the Life.
          Is my focus on heaven? Or on the world?
- whose Way and Truth promises abundant life.
          His way and truth? Or mine?
- in whose vineyard I must grow and bear fruit.
          Abiding in Him? Or withering?

I fail on many counts. Waste time. Make excuses. Complain.

Oh that I will spend more time in the Word. That I will fervently tell others about my Saviour. That I will be content with such things that I have. That I will set aside what is temporal, to focus on the eternal.

And in doing that, I will bear joyful fruit for the True Vine.

The Great I Am.

Hello Weekend.

For me, at least, I can say hello to the weekend. My work week ends Thursday.

And for tomorrow... on my day off... here's what's on my agenda.

The dentist. Bright and early at 8:30.

Delighted that we've found a new dentist living right in our neighbourhood.
Not so delighted that a new someone gets to pick and probe around in my mouth.

Grocery shopping.

Lovin' that I get to do this without the kids in tow.
Not so lovin' that I'm spending money on food. Again. Honestly.

Packing for Youth Conference in WA.

So thankful that I'll get to spend a weekend with some amazing friends, and hear first-hand the "I AM" word study from John's gospel.
Not so thankful that we have to cross at the US border and may end up waiting for hours, just like last time. Argh.

Picking up the girls from school.

Thrilled to have these bright and beautiful little buttons in my life!
But they sometimes push my buttons, though. Not so thrilling.

Bowling with the Monday Night Young People.

Happy that we can go bowling with a group of young teens who attend Monday night Bible Hour.
Not so happy that I know I need the gutter guards. And Kayleigh doesn't. Pfft.

And then we're off to Arlington! Yippee! So excited. And Monday is a Pro-D day, which means... NO SCHOOL!

Recent Recordings.

Miss Lannie is learning to play the violin. Private lessons began two weeks ago. Practise at home is being both encouraged and tolerated. Thanks Mo for advice on uploading the video!



Kayleigh's recently pronounced self-analysis. "I'm half-Irish, half-Dutch and half-Canadian." Whoa. That's a lot of halves. After seeking an explanation of the Dutch aspect, we were dogmatically informed that since Engie was part of her "family", the Nederlands naturally become a part of the mix. Alrighty then. Wat je zegt!

Little helper in the kitchen. Irish stew. Carrots. Gravy. Mashed purdies. She may actually be three-quarters Irish. Just sayin'.

Morning walks to school are typically brisk, and pretty much non-verbal. Afternoon walks home are usually full of conversation about how the hours were passed at school. But this week, on our quiet Tuesday morning walk, we encountered some roadkill. One family's beloved cat had met with fate, and likely just a few hours earlier had lost its ninth life once and for all. Still intact, it lay sprawled on the grassy part of the sidewalk, mouth gaping, eyes bulging. The girls were mesmerized, so a gawk stop was mandated. They got way too up close and personal for my liking. Don't worry, they didn't touch. But yuck. And participating in the "dead cat wake" became an incentive for our morning walks, with much of our morning conversation centering around the daily decomposition of the cat. I'll spare you the morbid details. But curious little minds must discuss these things.

And now that I've successfully grossed you out with imaginary pictures of rotting felines... we made brownie pops to celebrate Love Month. Brownies and raspberry jam, rolled in white chocolate, sprinkled with delightful little red and white hearts.

Which were devoured this afternoon at break-neck speed, by everyone but the blogging lady. Since I'm pretty sure brownie balls will definitely not decrease the numbers on the bathroom scales.

The little ladies are off to school this morning, sans uniform and instead decked out all in rouge for Valentines. By the sounds of it, the classroom focus today will be on parties and not academics. That's ok.. everyone needs to take a breather on Valentines Day. Even me. And when darling hubby lovingly offered to drive the girls to school on this wet and dreary morning, I... crawled back into bed.

Happy Valentines Day!

L.O.V.E.

February. They call it Love Month. Triggered by Valentines Day, I guess. Not that the 14th has ever been a special celebratory day in our house. Yeah, of course we recognize it... you know, send the chocolate treats for the classmates in school, bake the heart-shaped shortbread cookies. But, since I know I am already loved EVERY day of the year, I see no need for ONE day of commemoration.

L.O.V.E.D...

By my husband, the peacemaker, with his quiet spirit and uncomplicated ways.

By my own little girls who, despite wearing me out on a daily basis, are loved inexhaustibly in return.

But most of all, by my Saviour, the Lord Jesus, the One Who loved me and gave Himself for me.

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
(1 John 4:16-18)

God Will Take Care Of You.

If you're feeling a little down, or maybe just need to be entertained, watch this video link. True words sung with incredible enthusiasm by a two-year-old child.

And that from a child, thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 3:15)

I LOVED it!!

Watch it again, and if you don't know Him, trust the One Who will give you eternal life and has promised to take care of YOU!

No. More. Junk.

Reading over the last several entries on my blog... sort of made me realize just how much of a junk food freak I am.

OK, so I just got back from Ireland where I'll admit to inhaling insane amounts of the best chocolate on earth, and even brought a stash home with me. Which I've been, you know, delving into, every now and then. Fairly often, in fact. Every day, a couple of times, actually. 

However... when I stepped on the bathroom scales this morning, it was merely with the notion of reaffirming to myself that my recent wandering ways in the sweets department had not really done any damage. At all.

But. Let's just say, that when I cringingly stepped off that dreaded measuring apparatus, I vowed to begin a whole new food regime. El pronto.

You're laughing!

Trust me, at the sight of those new numbers, I was NOT laughing.

So bye-bye Roses. Twirls. Toffee Crisps. Heros. Flakes. Lion Bars.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

But I honestly didn't love the counters that showed up on the bathroom scales this morning.

So hello to scant and skinny and sensible portions of fruits and vegetables.



  

No mercy allowed. Today I filled up on the H2O and even did a 5k walk at lunch. And believe it or not, I sweated on a 5k walk. Embarrassing, I know.

So I'm bound and determined to see significantly lower numbers the next time I connect with those blessed bathroom scales.

Bah.