Whatever He Says

Dear Friends--Long day today--no time to write tonight so I am publishing a post about Rob and me from the archives; published in October 2007. Some of you will remember it no doubt. :) This week's memoir will appear on Thursday; after Walk With Him Wednesday. Blessings! Belinda My brother and I love each other dearly but we are so different that we make each other crazy when we are together for any length of time. How we sprung from the same loins is a wonder to me. I think that we both picked up odd bits of our parents--different, but very odd bits. What I gain in quantity, he makes up for in quality. My life is packed to the very edges and beyond, with all that I want to do and be and accomplish. He does few things and lives a quiet, unseen life, but everything he does he does in a very particular way, and very well. He makes an incredible difference in Mum's life and is a gift that I am grateful for personally and for her sake. But a few hours into a stay in Robert's wo...

From Belinda's Archives (Feb.19/07) There is a fluttering, thrumming sound as the bird's wings beat, lifting its body briefly from the ground, in aborted attempts at flight. Its bright eyes dart, full of anxiety, head turning in all directions in quick, staccato movements. Another flurry of feathers as it lifts from the ground and drops again, a tiny heart thuds rapidly in its chest. A large pair of hands reaches down and enfolds the creature, gently but firmly. A familiar voice speaks calming words. All is well- she is safe in the hands of her master. Her heartbeat slows and her eye and head movements are no longer frantic... As I face a day with multiple demands and deadlines, anxiety rises in my chest as I try to be still before the Lord. In spite of the quiet of these moments, my heart and mind take flight, captured by images of waiting tasks. Then I remember the verses from a devotion I read earlier this week, “Be silent all flesh before the Lord… ” Zechariah 2:13a KJV, an...

From Belinda's archives Psalm 44:3 (New International Version) 3 It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them. As Frances and I continued our conversation on Saturday, about the pressure I felt at the thought of adding Christmas decorating to my "to do" list--she shared a profound insight; "The God that shows us the path, will also show us the pace at which we are to walk." Any runner has to pace himself if he wants to make the finish line. In life there are times when in a burst of focused energy we sprint forward for a period of time, but then we need to drop back to regain energy and strength so that we are ready for the next burst of energy we need to expend. At these times it may look as if we are dropping behind others in the race--but we are running the race with others, not competing against them. In this race our eyes should be on ...

By Susan (from the archives) Boy, can I put my foot in my mouth.I can't tell you how many times I've been corrected, rebuked, reminded, pleaded with, punished, warned, you name it, for the things that have come out of my mouth and for the things that people are justifiably afraid will come out of my mouth. I have had a deeply seated belief, for a very long time, that I can't say the right thing no matter how hard I try, and that if I do say the right thing, it's only an abherration. The "real me" can't do it, after all. I was in a meeting last week. I was particularly relaxed and just "being myself". That, for me, is living pretty close to the edge. As much as I was enjoying myself, part of me is always poised for the bomb to drop. Sometimes I recognize it myself as it's rolling off my tongue. Other times, someone points it out to me afterwards, but the fear of 'blowing it' is always there. Imagine my surprise when someone at the meet...

By Belinda My friend Irene remembered this post from last October and we laughed about it last week. I hope you enjoy reliving this story about Brenda and "a vote to be counted." It was cell group night and the big back room hummed with conversation and laughter as we shared a meal. Around the big, oval table, there were three generations of our family, and friends who had gathered to do a study after supper. Brenda was still dressed in a suit jacket and skirt as she hadn’t changed since coming home from work. She was animatedly telling a funny story from her day, when we heard the distant chime of the doorbell from the front of the house. I opened the door to find a canvasser from one of the main political parties, holding a clipboard. A young girl that looked like she might be his daughter was with him. He wanted to verify the people he had on his list as residing in our home and also asked if we planned to vote in the upcoming election. I quickly confirmed the names, and s...

From Belinda's Archives I lounged in a comfortable, wing back chair in our big sunny room at the back of the house, chatting with my brother on the phone. As usual, we laughed a lot. “It’s good to look to a funny side of things if you can,” said Robert. Reflecting on the past, he said,“I always took myself too seriously.” I’d been sharing a funny conversation that I’d had with some friends the week before. We were talking about how much has changed in one generation, when it comes to bringing up children.We remembered the amount of freedom kids had a few years ago. We would leave the house in the morning and maybe drop back in for lunch; or maybe not. Nobody worried too much. Parents knew that you were with friends and would come home eventually. Someone said that his mother used to lock him out of the house. As people compared notes, it seemed that this was not an uncommon practice! One person after another said, “Yes, my mother did that too.” Some mothers did it to clean the hous...

Tonight I am feeling very tired, so I am posting one of Susan's posts, from March last year. Enjoy! I did. by Susan Stewart The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. Ecclesiastes 1:6 I like surprises. So I don’t usually bother with listening to weather reports. I do enjoy listening to people talk about the weather, though. Especially during our Canadian winters. I almost always chuckle to myself when someone complains about the snow and cold. What do people expect living here in the Great White North?Well, my philosophy is to expect nothing. Not before May 1st, anyway. I don’t look for spring until it is long past due, and you know what? I’m never disappointed. In fact, every upturn in the mercury feels like an unexpected – and undeserved – blessing. Last night late, as I left my car by the laneway and walked tired up the long sidewalk toward our old farmhouse, I felt a strange and unexpected sensation. Out of the da...

(I read this post from the past--January 08--and it brought a smile to my lips. Enjoy! Belinda) By Ang Cat I was in the bathroom the other day and realized that I need to dye my hair again, if I want to maintain that elusive appearance of "no grey." It's emerging, right on the top of my head and creeping down the sides just a few short months after the last application. A mix of black and grey topping off the lighter tones and highlights blended into the rest of my "glory." Why do we do this? I swore I wouldn't be caught in the trap. At the most I only apply dye twice a year. To do this I must let all the colour fall out until I am back to that salt and pepper look that somehow makes me feel older. After all "grey hair is the crown of the aged" isn't it? But wait a minute...I'm not aged. At the ripe old age of 41 I'm only half way through. I know women older than me who have a lot less grey, and they don't dye. It's in my genes ...

Dear Friends, Cleaning out some closets, I found this poem, saved many years ago. I've tried unsuccessfully to find the author, so cannot give credit. To be aware of tone is a reminder that I have needed often. It's not so much what you say, as the manner in which you say it; It's not so much the language you use, as the tone in which you convey it. "Come here", I sharply said, And the child cowered and wept. "Come here", I said he looked and smiled, And straight to my lap he crept. Words may be mild and fair, But the tone may pierce like a dart; Words may be soft as the summer air, But the tone may break my heart; For words come from the mind Grow by study and art, But tone leaps from the inner self, Revealing the state of heart. Whether you know it or not, Whether you mean or care, Gentleness, kindness, love and hate, Envy, anger are there. Then, would you quarrels avoid and peace and love rejoice? Keep anger not only out of your words, Keep it out o...

(Although this post is "from the archives," and was published on May 7th, 2007, it happens that today was also my first day back at work after three weeks of recovery from surgery, and vacation. In the post below, I refer to "First Day," which was referring to the previous week when, in 2007 I had been recording the days of my vacation at home, preparing for Paul's 60th birthday celebration.) This was a different "First Day." First day back from vacation. It was as good as "First Day" last week. We had a house guest for Paul's birthday party weekend--an old friend who used to live with us when we were house parents for a large group of men with disabilities from the early 70's to the early 80's. John is 74 now but there is a huge hole of longing in his heart that never really goes away. "She shouldn't have waited so long to have me," he says of his mother, "I don't know why she decided to have anudder one....

(First published: September 30, 2007) One of my passions is photography. I love the whole process--from that split second when you see a moment--or a shifting of light that must be captured--to experimenting with a photo to bring out its fullest beauty. I often find that a detail that might otherwise be overlooked when considered as part of a greater whole, is revealed as exquisitely beautiful when the photo is cropped. In the same way, a detail of significance in scripture can be easily "read past." The "greater whole" of scripture is essential to consider, but there is a special blessing in focusing in on a passage and allowing God, through the Holy Spirit, to speak through it, revealing a significant truth, or rich depth of meaning that I had not seen before. Recently God spoke through several verses about being an example, or following an example. I thought of Jesus saying, "Do this in remembrance of me," Luke 22:19 as he distributed the bread and the ...

Psalm 55:22-23 (New International Version) 22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; ... 23...But as for me, I trust in you They were outside for hours, enjoying a sunny Saturday morning in the snow; three playmates; two girls and one dog. They were having the kind of simple fun that was a delight for this grandmother to observe from afar. A frozen top layer had formed over the snow--a legacy of the bad storms of the previous two days. This was jumped upon until a hole was made. Then the girls began digging. There is something indescribably fascinating about a hole; and the deeper the better. Molson thought so too. He didn't hesitate to poke his head and shoulders deep into the hole to explore, and sniff the scent of earth, leaving only his big golden retriever hind parts above the ground. Later, I looked at the photos I'd shot quickly from the upper window. In one of them, during a few resting moments, Victoria had laid her head against Molson's furry body. ...

Dear Readers, I am having a busy evening, cooking up a huge pot of chili and some work to do yet; so I dipped into my store of gems and this one is from Susan. I loved reading it all over again. It was first published August 23, 2007. (I am of the age where I enjoy many things over again: Movies, jokes, stories of all kinds.) Join me in enjoying this! Boy, can I put my foot in my mouth.I can't tell you how many times I've been corrected, rebuked, reminded, pleaded with, punished, warned, you name it, for the things that have come out of my mouth and for the things that people are justifiably afraid will come out of my mouth. I have had a deeply seated belief, for a very long time, that I can't say the right thing no matter how hard I try, and that if I do say the right thing, it's only an abherration.. The "real me" can't do it, after all. I was in a meeting last week. I was particularly relaxed and just "being myself". That, for me, is living pr...

Romans 4:20 (King James Version) 20He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; Hebrews 11:12 (New International Version) 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. Utter helplessness will drive you to your knees. A burden weighed heavy, an overwhelming situation--just too big to strategize a solution to. As we prayed I felt my eyes taken off ourselves and placed upon God. I thought of a verse I have always loved about Abraham. Although I cut my teeth on it, I don't read the King James Version of the bible anymore, but this is one verse that the modern language versions don't quite capture in the same way--Romans 4:12 says of Abraham, " He staggered not..." I just love those three words--" He staggered not ." The Bible is a book full of humanly hopeless situations and the odds are always so far ...

I was in my car, waiting for the lights to change when the woman caught my attention. I watched her as she crossed the road into the plaza. Her dark blonde hair was short and spiky--slightly unkempt--her face was pale and had a slightly quizzical expression. Her clothes were odd. Beneath the skirt of a cotton dress, she wore turquoise leggings and over her dress a short, light brown jacket. "An artistic soul," I thought at first,"Someone who marches to the beat of their own drum." Then she put a cigarette to her mouth and took a long drag on it as she hurried along--and with that small action, my impression changed--her eccentricity seemed of a different kind as she hurried along the street. I thought of how quickly an impression can change based on very limited information and I thought of how limited my ability is to "see" well at all. My friend Irene and I were chatting recently about the Johari Window. This window is a diagram related to how we appear ...

Psalm 139:1-4 (New International Version) 1 O LORD, you have searched meand you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise;you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down;you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD Her husband of forty or so years was doing the talking, but I was watching her. Her subtle response to what he was saying was priceless to observe. I don't remember what he was saying, but I remember every slight shift of her expression.She had no idea that she was being so acutely observed; that I saw her quick glance away as he spoke; the merry twinkle of the eye; the lips pressed together as if to hold back the words that threatened to escape--and the tiniest of smiles. All of them combined to say, "I love that man, but right now he's singing a familiar song that doesn't make as much sense as he thinks it does--and I'm not saying a word." Her response made ...

Proverbs 16:18 (New International Version) 18 Pride goes before destruction,a haughty spirit before a fall. My eyes fluttered open as the grey light of dawn filtered into my room. Stretching in the warm cocoon of my bed, I reached into the crispy cold air of my bedroom with my outstretched arms. Something important was tugging at my sleepy brain, and slowly I remembered; I had an adventure planned for this morning!  As quietly as I could, I slipped from between the covers. Shivering and teeth chattering, I quickly dressed and padded downstairs, careful not to wake my sleeping parents and brother. My parents certainly wouldn't have understood my mission -- and my brother, three years younger, would have wanted to tag along.  Leaving the still silent house with a couple of apples in my pocket, I stepped out into a world already alive with chirping, twittering bird-song and began to run through the frosty grass towards the meadow. There she stood, my frien...

From the Archives: Originally published January 7th 2007 We were talking about the book I'm reading right now, "Cure for the Common Life," by Max Lucado. The book is about finding your Sweet Spot--your purpose--your reason to be--and with the start of a new year my friend was giving this some thought so I told her about the book. One way to find clues to our Sweet Spot is by thinking back to what we did naturally as a child when we had time on our hands. The book says that what we loved to do then may well hold the key to the gifts we have to share with the world now. Childhood; you would think it would be a carefree time--a time of play, exploration, and dreams--a happy time of innocence and wonder. That's what God intended it to be--and although for a fortunate few it is, all too often it is much harder than that. So many people can't even remember a lot of their childhood.She thought for a moment, and her words were casual as she shared a memory that came back ...

Friends, this morning, another post from the archives. It was previously published here on July 13th 2007. May it be a blessing again. *********************************** I flipped through the pages of my Bible this morning looking for something and thought of what lay beneath my fingers--such a treasure. Promises; stories; exhortations; wisdom; prophetic words; visions; encouragement; hope, comfort and so much more are packed in vast quantities within its leaves. God's Word is a surgeon's scalpel--able to skillfully separate thoughts, intentions and motives--when it is read by one with a seeking heart. It is a treasure--hidden in the drawers of motel rooms--and on dusty shelves everywhere. Today--crack one open and read, if you haven't already. If you don't do it regularly, take up the challenge to do so every day for a month. Even if you think that you only have time to read a verse or two, read them slowly. Contemplate. Meditate for a few moments. Allow the Holy Spir...