Whatever He Says

By Belinda It's the weekend, the sun is shining brightly with the promise of spring coming soon, and at many intersections, I notice that colourful signs are stuck into the banks of  mud mixed with snow , pointing passersby to the many new housing developments being built in the communities surrounding ours. As I drove to church this morning, I passed one such sign, pointing towards the town in which we bought our first home, and it made me think of how much I didn't want to leave there when Paul felt "moved to move" closer to his place of work nearly 30 years ago.  Looking back, I am so glad that we did move back then. Even though that particular move felt like a bit of a disaster for the first few months, it was all part of God's plan to move us into position for the next step in his life plan for us. And that made me think of all the places I didn't want to leave and that I now would not want to go back to; there have been quite a few! One of my chi...

By Belinda I spent yesterday emptying photo albums, breaking them down for recycling and storing the photos they had contained, in photo storage boxes, about the size of a shoe box, with smaller inner compartments. As I filled these, I added at the front, a small index card onto which I had written the main events covered by the photos in that compartment. Since I record our lives not only in writing, but also with many photographs, this was quite a job and I managed only to do the years from 1999 to 2001 inclusive over many hours yesterday. As I filed away the three years of photographs, I relived those years. There were the births of three granddaughters, a grandson and a God daughter; several weddings; many visits to us from friends and family in England; trips made by us to B.C.,England and Holland and a trip to Canada's far north by Paul and his uncle John. There was a lot of living in those three years! It was hard to believe that the three chubby and dimpled baby gir...

By Belinda Pick up my dog eared and Scotch taped copy of the   Daily Light  and you will be able to trace my family's life in the margins. Countless little notes bear testimony to significant events and as the years go by and our lives continue to unfold, they often grow more precious. What seemed like catastrophe "then" can be seen for the hidden blessing that lay in a turn of events as God continues to plot the course of our lives. This week, two days in a row, there were notations and underlined scriptures. On November 14, a note read, "Brenda, 2005. Lost job at Hollywood Montessori." All of the scriptures for that morning were relevant and encouraging, but the one I underlined was: Proverbs 14:26 New International Version (NIV)   26  Whoever fears the LORD has a secure fortress,    and for their children it will be a refuge. Brenda's spiritual and vocational journey wasn't easy as a result of the school ...

Habakkuk 3:11 (New International Version) 11 Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. I glanced up at a flock of Canada geese flying across the sky like arrows shot from the bows of an army of medieval archers. How full of beauty and grace they were, these harbingers of another winter's approach. Each year seems to fly by more rapidly than the last, with Christmases separated by spring and summer seasons that slip speedily into fall and then winter again. I had been thinking of that when I read my Daily Light on the Daily Path over the weekend. I have a habit of making notes in the margin of my well worn copy of this cherished classic, usually when one of the readings has special significance to some event in my life on the day I read it. Interestingly, in the margin for both November 14th and 15th, there are notes about both Brenda's and Peter's work situations in past years and some of the verses ...

Warm water pools on floor with suds. I scrub hard at this week's dirt and grime. Enjoying the solitude and quiet, I thank God for servant-hearted husband who takes high-spirited children to Grandma's and Grandpa's house for the afternoon. I think a while on the fun they'll have, collecting apples, picking raspberries, father and son shooting their arrows and drawing bows. Grandma's peaceful kitchen where tasty snacks and treats are served to wide-eyed grandchildren. In my mind's eye, I feast on sugar maples with garments of orange, red, and yellow. I think of still water at pond's edge and hope there'll still be a duck or two. I know they'll have fun and come back exuberant, with adventures to tell. Soon I will hear their laughter, animated voices, and the calling of my name, "Mommy....and the stories unfold. I look forward to their arrival. I take scraper to hardened dribble of pancake batter and smile as I remember the cook. Enthusiastic dau...

The call came on Tuesday at noon, sooner than I had expected. Then again had it come later in the week, would I have been any more ready? I don't know. My bushel of pickling cucumbers had been picked and was ready for pick-up. I had already purchased the necessary quantity of sugar, vinegar, and onions earlier and had yet to make the last-minute collections of fresh sweet peppers and dill. For the last two years I had purchased large quantities of dill from Barrie Hill Farms which is conveniently located a few km north of the Harris farm. Unfortunately for me, Barrie Hill Farms was closed until Thursday, by which time I hoped my pickles would be bottled and lined up like soldiers in neat little rows. The children whooped and groaned when I announced pickling. On one hand, it meant less book work for them but on the other, they would be needed to care more for the twins and help with pickling. My eldest daughter rolled her eyes. Did she remember how short-tempered I was last year? I...

Blood spurted from his head and Josiah was crying loudly. When Olivia yelled, "Mom, Jeremiah hit Josiah with a rock, come quick", I was at the door. "He's bleeding", she screached. I ran to the beach. His mass of curls were covered in blood and it was running down his face and onto the sand. Olivia was screaming now and so were Jeremiah and Josiah. For a split second, I wondered how clean my hands were and then it no longer mattered. I had to get the bleeding to stop. I covered the place with my hand, applying gentle pressure. There was no hope of seeing the laceration - too much hair, too much blood. I wrapped my free arm around Josiah's tummy and pressed his head to my chest, careful to maintain the gentle but steady pressure. The rock was large, probably weighing about a pound. He needed stitches, that much was clear. There was now blood all around me and the deck was covered. It was streaming down his face. I thanked God for his loud and frantic cries, ...

Some days test our mettle. Saturday was one of those days. I woke up tired and irritable and tried to, "put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." I chose to be cheerful, even though I was miserable. Plans got cancelled first thing in the a.m. and the older children were disappointed. Chores got done reluctantly and with complaint but I knew all of us gave the best we had. The day didn't get easier. Even while supervised, the twins were into one mischievous endeavor after another. How they plan and execute these tiny missions in minutes never ceases to amaze me. How much damage can be done in a moment by one toddler is one of life's mysteries. How much can be done by two should be the Eighth Wonder of the world. In five and a half hours here is a sample of a few antics: one upturned full basket of folded laundry, 4 spilled cups of water, acquired and placed in mouth 9 hard candies(yes, I counted),one peeled off corner of wallpaper, ...

The words silenced all thoughts. My heart leaped for joy. I wept. A knowing began to wash over my soul...a sunrise, after night...brightness after murky dark...the freedom of truth...again God's grace. I first read these powerful words from I Kings 19:11-12 on a friend's blog on Thursday afternoon...God's revelation to the prophet Elijah on Mount Horeb (Sinai): Then He (the Lord) said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. I Kings 19:11-12 NKJV Interesting that God speaks...after the wind...the earthquake...the fire...in a still small voice. God chose to speak to Elijah in the proverbial, "calm after the ...

I was hard at work in my sunny, pale green office yesterday morning when the phone rang. As usual the day was flying by; an intense series of quickly answered emails, phone calls, meetings, and churning through the stream of paperwork that seems to grow exponentially like the Amish Friendship Bread will do, that Ellen gave me on Wednesday. The AFB lies flat on my counter top in a clear plastic bag on which Ellen has helpfully marked the dates of the days I have to add flour, sugar and milk and in between I have to "mush" it. By day ten I will divide it into 4 and make a loaf of bread with one of them, giving the other 3 bags to 3 friends. Now my friends are warned--Amish friendship bread is coming--and day 10 is Friday, January 25th. But I'm off on a rabbit trail! Into the middle of my concentrated busyness came an interruption that poured like liquid, golden honey onto the bread of my day, saturating the paper white with sweetness. I heard Lori Lei's warm, low voice ...

Hebrews 13:5b (New International Version) 5...God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." I have to confess that I'm hooked. While in England I have been following the progress of the latest X Factor hopefuls, cheering on ordinary people with extraordinary talents, desperate to win this chance at stardom. There is a fairytale quality to it all, as a choreographer, team of dancers, and their mentors work with them to develop their raw talent into a winning act. I have sat on the edge of my seat with bated breath, wondering who Simon, Louis, Sharon and Danni would choose--feeling elation with those chosen and heartbroken for those who hear those dreaded words--but only after their hope has been spun out until the very last moment for the benefit of the viewing audience--"I like you, you've got talent, I have to tell you though...I'm...sending you home." Although I'm afraid that it's the modern day equivalent of public executi...