Snowdrops and Parsley

Coming home from an afternoon walk I was floored to see the snowdrops bursting forth through the rocks.  Where had they come from?  I had been looking for tulips in the front flower bed but had neglected to check the rocky area near our front door.  I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed them when I left the house an hour earlier.  But here they were... not quite open yet but with more mild weather in the forecast they'll just keep pushing upwards.  And so the cycle continues...amazing!

 

I checked back to last year's photos and to my surprise found that I'd taken pictures of the snowdrops on January 13 then as well.  They were only buds last year on this day but then we'd had record snowfalls and extended periods of cold weather earlier.

Taking my veggie scraps out to the compost later today, I stopped to check the parsley and there, sure enough, was plenty of fresh parsley to add to the soup.  On the somewhat protected bank along our backyard I noticed the grape hyacinths already long and leggy...and there were the bluebells and dwarf daffodils and crocuses all showing up at once.  I hope we don't have a severe cold snap to dampen their efforts.

My friend Hazel next door has lent me a book on gardening: An Ecology of  Enchantment - A Year in the Life of a Garden by Des Kennedy.  It begins with this month, January.  It looks like it will be worth the read one month at a time.  When I come upon something really "enchanting" I will try to include it over the course of the coming year.

Puzzles

I love puzzles!  That's good, since life presents itself in a kaleidoscope of puzzles it seems.  But the puzzles I like to escape to for relaxation or taxation are fun kind of puzzles to solve, like crosswords and sudokus...and maybe once a year a jigsaw puzzle.

This year I thought I should get a 1000 piece puzzle and leave it out for all who passed by to put in a piece or two.

I never anticipated doing almost all of it by myself.  I've never done this large a puzzle before.  Two of my sisters are avid jigsaw puzzlers and wouldn't even begin with anything less than 1000 pieces.  So after opening up the sealed plastic bag in the evening of Christmas Day after things had quieted down, I began the conquest.  Yesterday, I placed the final piece into place and was quite proud about it.  To be fair there were a few others involved briefly and I must say even Big Al humored me by sitting with me to painstakingly get that sky done.
Al thought it would be fun to take a picture of me so that I could post our accomplishment!  So he did...

Happy New Year!

Al and I wish you all a wonderful new year; a year plump-full of love, joy and peace coming to you from our loving, all-knowing, gracious, compassionate, never-tiring Heavenly Father; pouring into your life in the right amount, the right consistency, the right texture to embolden, strengthen and refine you and to fill you up in the way best suited for you so that you can become the whole, complete person as God has specifically designed you.

May it be a year full of just enough adventure, excitement and challenges to keep you alert and focused on the real reason for our existence right here on planet earth.

Revisiting favorite places from our travels via our photos, prompts me to include some on this post.  Here is an image of the beautiful Sea of Galilee, the Sea around which and on which Jesus taught so many lessons and healed so many people. 

In my Bible reading today I focused on the following thought-provoking Scriptures, Jesus' own words while teaching around this remarkable setting:

But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams.
Mark 4:20

Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes.
Mark 4:25

Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am.

Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. 

What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?
Mark 8:34-38

This is once again the Great Reversal:
Many who are first will end up last, and the last first.
Mark10:31

…hmmm, so much to think about…please help me, Lord Jesus.
(Scripture References taken from The Message)
 
Along a similar vein of thinking, I came across this inspirational article in the Abbotsford Times today, written by Alice Maryniuk.  I've enjoyed her writing in the past and always find it well worth reading.  Please check out her column today at the following site by copying it into your browser:


http://www2.canada.com/abbotsfordtimes/news/faith/story.html?id=42e29d75-5ccd-429c-94bb-784245dad6be

Al and I enjoyed a pilgrimage to the Holy Land four and a half years ago.  Here I am walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  I'd love to go back.

Remember this good old song:

"In fancy I stood by the shore one day,
Of that beautiful murm'ring sea.

I saw the great crowds as they thronged their way.
to the Stranger of Galilee...."

-I couldn't find a good clip for it on You Tube but if you like you can check the words and "midi music" just by typing the title into the browser.

ps the photo of Al and me was taken in our computer room with our iMac-
Photo Booth

...a "Merry Christmas"...

I'm still rosy-cheeked and puffing slightly after returning from an invigorating walk in the dusky late afternoon. Every time, as soon as I leave the house, I'm elated that I've begun my walk . I forget about the ubiquitous lists and duties still left undone. Why is it that I even waffled about going for a walk... just because it was dull outside and somewhat drizzly?

The coast was clear all the way down, down, down to the bridge along our brand new not-yet-open nature trail. Going down is fine but I must get back up too without losing too much time. I find I can do it quite easily, certainly better than the first few times. I'm thrilled.

I love walking, alone with my thoughts. This is my "resting" time, my refocusing and regrouping time. I had put a sticky on my desktop last night to remind me to "Enjoy the Sabbath Rest". Not sure just what that means but I wanted to get my mind out of gear. Too many things whirring and sloshing around in that grey matter - time to rest, to worship, to praise, to review the Christmas story according to St. Luke, committed to memory so many years ago. Ah, no mountains visible, no bunnies scurrying, only one human and his dog to exchange a greeting with along the path, nothing striking enough to capture with the camera. But I do capture this hour in my heart.

Having climbed back up the long grade, I like to finish off my walk with four laps around the track - the same track I've walked for more than two decades. No one was on the track, except in the distance I noticed the slight figure of a girl jogging along. It wasn't long before I heard the track shoes behind me. As I turned to smile and wave a greeting, I noticed how young and lithe and beautiful she was - barely a teen I thought- her lovely long hair swishing from side to side as she ran. Whizzing by me she turned and smiled as she sweetly exclaimed, "Merry Christmas"!

I don't know what happens when we become seniors but I was reduced to mush! I wept for joy that she bothered to give me that extra greeting. How beautiful! I started to weep and asked the Lord to protect her and keep her safe all her life and to bless her. I started thanking God for many things: the gift of salvation, His unfathomable and unconditional love, my terrific husband and his great heritage, my wonderful children with their equally wonderful spouses and for our seven beautiful grandchildren!! I thanked God for my heritage, my parents and ancestors.

My parents were Godly people. My father especially, was a global kind of man in many ways. He was an emotional man seeing beauty all around him. In his senior years he would be moved to tears at the sight of a flower, at the sight of Mt. Baker, the view of which he factored into two homes he had built for our family. And he was moved to tears at times by his children and grandchildren, not by frustration as perhaps in earlier years, but in recognizing the richness and fullness that children bring along with themselves.

I remember when Dad first saw pictures of Jennifer and Carlton signing their marriage certificate at their outdoor wedding ceremony more than eight years ago by now, weeping for joy at the beauty of the young couple beginning their life together, repeating over and over with deep emotion, "...you-ti-ful, you-ti-ful"! - he always omitted the "b" when he said, "beautiful".

The "trumpet sounded" for my Dad seven years ago this past week, and he left this world. He was ready. He taught me so much. His values were stellar, grounded on Godly principles - and he was constant as the North Star. His sense of humour remained in tact almost to the end of the last 92+ years God gave him here on earth.

I thank God for my Dad and the rich legacy imprinted on my life through him.

Dad loved music with a passion. He was thrilled with the rich baritone voices of Metropolitan stars from the last century such as Jerome HInes and William Warfield (especially the latter's rendition of "Old Man River") among others. Hines' performance of "The Trumpet Shall Sound" from Handel's Messiah is spectacular. Please listen - you will be blessed. You can find it at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYsls-s4GIw (copy and paste-doesn't seem to want to imbed)

For Unto us a Child is Born

More than 2,000 years ago God sent a Gift, the perfect Gift, a Saviour in the form of a precious little baby boy! Imagine: a world-changing and life-changing gift!!*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQVQOW1c0DQ&feature=related
(copy and paste link into browser to listen to: "For Unto Us a Child is Born" from Handel's Messiah)


40 years ago today, Al and I were blessed with a life-changing event; the birth of our first child, a son- a precious Christmas gift.



Today we embrace our son and wish him a very Happy Birthday and pray God's continued blessing on him. And we embrace the love which our Lord holds out to us today and always - and to all who will accept it - with deep gratitude.**

* Christmas story taken from:
Matthew:1:18-25 and 2:1-12
Luke: 1:26-56; 2:1-20
Scripture to music from Isaiah 9:6
**Picture of Big Al with Colin taken December 17 at Nathan and Megan's school Christmas presentation

How about this?

...and just why are we so excited?

...aha...Christmas came early...what is this?



...a new iMac....wowie!


...Carlton and Daniel help with the setup and onsite tutorial...very necessary and very much appreciated...

...ahhhh...so what do I do now?....
Just turn it on and...




....this is what happened...


...my first post with my new iMac...

...Thanks to Jenn and Carlton for all the help and for guiding Big Al to the right computer!

The first and last photo were taken with the Photo Booth Application built into the computer - very handy dandy.


We all got into the act....where did Jared disappear to?

Christmas Season

During this wonderful Advent season I am grateful for many things. Uppermost in my thoughts recently is the fact that God doesn't change. He remains strong and steady and Holy.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.(Hebrews 13:8)
God doesn't second guess Himself. He is all-knowing, He is all-wise, He is compassionate and forgiving. What a great Anchor and Foundation the Lord has laid for us - He is the foundation.

Four years ago we had the privilege of touring the Holy Land, visiting many Biblical sites. I was revisiting some of those places in my mind, as I reviewed my pictures from that time.*

In Nazareth we visited the Church of the Annunciation.
Here I was drawn to this painting of the angel Gabriel imparting the stunning news to the young virgin, Mary:

Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God...
For with God nothing shall be impossible.(from Luke 1)

We were told by our guide that each holy site is enshrined within a church built many years after the event and when rebuilt, it was always on the same site.

Here a cordoned-off section indicates the "exact" location of the specific event. The picture below shows the purported spot where the Angel Gabriel spoke to Mary.
I was wondering what it was that set Mary apart from all the other Jewish women of her day, to be chosen to become the mother of our Lord.

In Bethlehem we visited the Church of the Nativity.
What a trip that must have been for Mary and Joseph to walk or travel by donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem - uphill all the way! Here Al is waiting his turn to descend into the grotto.

Again tradition says that the star in this picture indicates the exact spot where Jesus was born.

*With my first digital camera around my neck in tourist fashion I took lots of pictures never quite knowing if I was actually getting a picture. I hadn't taken the time to read my manual and get to know my camera properly. The picture of the painting of the Annunciation is particularly garish because of the flash. I'm still glad I got it. I was trying to locate this painting of The Annunciation among the many that have been painted by many artists but couldn't find it. Neither could I find a picture of the enclosure online, although my records show I took it in the Church of the Annunciation.

The pictures in the Church of the Nativity have been taken by thousands others I'm sure and can be found in abundance on the web along with great descriptions of the history of this church including who is responsible for the church now (what...2 different denominations?!), why the doorways were intentionally kept low. Could it be to keep marauders from galloping in on their horses and trampling this sacred place?