Whatever He Says

By Belinda The heat of the day hung gently in the sun porch this May evening. The garden beds are filled now with burgeoning blossoms. A white bridal wreath spirea vies with the deep pink flowering almond bushes and stately pale lavender and deep purple iris stand at attention around the bird bath.  I came out to the porch to study, but succumbed quickly to an irresistible pull to sleep. When I woke up Brenda was outside the sun porch window in purple checkered pajama bottoms and a turquoise fleece jacket, on a lawn chair; head bowed, blond hair falling forward over her face as she filed her toe nails, unaware of my presence nearby as I had the blinds pulled down low against the setting sun. Molson lay at her feet, ears alert, surveying the neighbourhood. I allowed myself the luxury of a gradual return to full wakefulness and then called a greeting. She turned in happy surprise, and, social being that she is, gathered up her manicure accoutrements and came inside ...

By Belinda I got up this morning and came downstairs with such a sense of anticipation. With hair still wet from the shower, and a steaming cup of black coffee in hand, I sank into our soft golden leather couch and pulled out books from my lime green needle-cord book bag. Among other things that I read, I chose to read my favourite psalm: number 84! I read it slowly, enjoying the beauty of the very familiar words.  I noticed verse 5, which says: Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways of Zion. And I wondered what it means--to have a heart in which "are the  highways to Zion." All too soon I had to finish getting ready for church and put aside my pondering for the moment.  In church I thought about today being Pentecost Sunday, and about the wind and fire that came on the first Pentecost after Christ's death. Less welcome thoughts lurked like intruders at the edges of my consciousness, threatening distraction. The thoughts ...

By Belinda Make me fruitful by living to that love, my character becoming more beautiful every day. If traces of Christ's love artistry be upon me, may he work on with his divine brush until the complete image be obtained and I be made a perfect copy of him, my Master Valley of Vision: The Love of Jesus, p.45 I am fast approaching my 62nd birthday and thinking of the fact, that if I do retire at 65, I will have 3 more years in my role at work. Such a short time--and yet the span of Christ's active ministry on earth. I feel the drawing of God to spend time waiting, listening, seeking to understand his call for the 36  precious   months that could fly by in a blur of outside pressures unless I am intentional and deliberate.  I want to follow his purpose and design, to fully step into the place he has made me for, whatever that is. I don't want to "put in time;" survive; meet deadlines or "get by." I long to make the difference God wants me to ...

By Belinda I love 4.30 on Fridays. Not because I get to go home from the office for the weekend, but because a kind of hush descends. Emails stop (actually some time before 4.30 they slow down from the rate of a racing heart on a monitor, to the slow blip, blip of the heart of someone in a deep resting state,) the phone is silent, and outside the streets grow strangely quiet.  Tonight, after a crazy busy and short week because it had a holiday Monday in it, I had more work than would fit into the time available--and another busy week ahead. So I called home to check in with Paul, and sank into the comfort of the quietness. Then I kept plugging away so that I could go home, if not with all my hoped for tasks done, at least with the prize of one or two things completed. Just before seven o'clock, as I was packing up to go, I heard organ music from the house above my office. It was beautiful. I stopped to listen. Someone who lives upstairs plays the piano, but surely this couldn...

By Belinda Thou hast led me to place all my nature  and happiness in oneness with Christ, in having heart and mind centred only on him, in being like him in communicating good  to others; But I need the force, energy, impulses of thy Spirit to carry me on the way to my Jerusalem... The Valley of Vision; Christ Alone p.41 John 17:22-23 The Message (MSG)   20-23 I'm praying not only for them    But also for those who will believe in me    Because of them and their witness about me.    The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—    Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,    So they might be one heart and mind with us.    Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.    The same glory you gave me, I gave them,    So they'll be as unified and together as we are—    I in them and you in me.  ...

By Belinda  I was recently at  Banting Memorial High School  in Alliston and loved the art hanging on the walls in the hall where I was about to watch a play. It's been busy and I'm trying to get to bed earlier lately! So tonight I just want to share the work of some gifted students.