A God Surprise

Last Thursday, one week ago, Gord and I went to Switzerville to pick up Mom and Dad Wilson and then head to Toronto. Just before we came to Mom and Dad’s house we noticed a group of animals in a field behind a barn. At first we thought they were cattle but second glance made it clear to us that they were deer. Gord pulled over to the side of the road and we counted them, there were 27 deer in that field, 10 in the next and 3 in the field across the road from the Wilson house. We saw 40 deer grazing freely and peacefully on the tender green grass that had been hidden by the heavy snow of winter. It was an amazing sight! And it was 4 o’clock in the afternoon. We felt very privileged to see that some of nature had emerged from the woods to relish the hope of spring. Yes, of course we had our camera with us, we were headed to the homes of our grandpeople, it was in a bag somewhere in the van.

Beautiful People

One week ago today two beautiful people were married.



Congratulations Gerrie (Bella) and Jack.
It was an honour to share part of your special day. Thank you.

Wonder Words / The Girls

These four are off an adventure in their imaginations, traveling on the wheels of words and camping out in a land of wonder. We love you!




If there are two people who can make selecting from of a take out menu fun, it’s these two. They can make almost any task fun. Thank you for being such a blessing to us!

Wise Words

The past few days I’ve been listening for wise words. Now we could go on and debate what makes words wise, but, that will have to wait. Here is a dozen of my favorites.
1. God will never give you on assignment that He will not enable you to complete.
2. You can do it, I believe you can do it, and do it well.
3. I’m sorry
4. You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. (Indira Gandhi)
5. I don’t know
6. The person is always more important than the issue
7. Micromanagement is disempowering.
8. I love you
9. Church is the people, church is not the structure or the programs
10. Do not measure the importance or value of what you do or who you are by human standards
11. I’m a duck! I tell myself, “I’m a duck” and just let it roll off my back.
12. Let God orient you to himself.

Today I talked with a four year little fellow who said he had a headache. I asked him what helped him when his head hurt. He said, “when Mommy kisses it.”

Adjustments

I written this post several times and each time I’ve made had to make adjustments, some large and some much smaller. Each attempt has required adjustments to the extent that I felt it wise to start from scratch, welcome to attempt #5. About 10 months ago Gord retired from Expertech. Retirement is a wonderful thing, but it does require adjustments. On Feb. 4th he began a part-time, contract job with Digitech which he expects will run for the next 6 months to a year. He can choose his own hours, they provide a van for him and lots of little gadgets for measuring and recording information. He will be checking the accuracy of what is on the cable plans with what is in the field and making the necessary adjustments to those plans. No, it’s not California, that contract has been put off for at least another two months. I’ve even adjusted my California dreamin’. So, a new job, new hours, new adventures, new adjustments. There are adjustments for Gord and adjustments for myself of course, because we are a team. Some of the adjustments we are looking forward to and some we just have to work with because it is part of the package. There will be bigger adjustments and smaller adjustments and unexpected adjustments. It seems to me that this would be a good time to work on flexibility. Flexibility should be taught early in life because every day presents opportunity for adjustments.

Motivator

Wade, our grandson, our little man, took two steps on Sunday morning. Two very deliberate, well thought out, steps. Those two steps were all that he needed to bring him from point A, the coffee table, to point B, the toy box. In the past he has chosen to crawl from one point to the other and crawling is good, I remember how excited we were when he learned how to crawl, that too was a major accomplishment, however, the time had come for him to put together all the skills he has learned thus far to develop a new skill, the skill of walking. His mom was there to witness this huge feat and to cheer him on. Soon walking will become the norm and we will see him crawling less and less. Soon he will be running, and falling, and skinning his knees, and getting back up and running again.
So, now the question is, what skills do I have, what have I learned, that if put together would develop a new skill? My Heavenly Father has equipped me everything I need and He already cheering me on, encouraging me to step forward. As I’m typing there doubts rising up, maybe I should go back and hone some of those skills, maybe relearn a few things from the past before I get to hasty about the future. Maybe I need to just sit it out for a while. Oh, and I remember how I fell and skinned my heart last time I tried. Those are the kinds of thoughts that deafen my ears to the cheering that I heard just moments ago, so, we’ll put those aside and deliberately step out and put those new skills to use. Ah, there is that wonderful encouraging voice again. We have everything we need. What do you think, is it time to take that next step? 2Tim. 1:7



Maybe one day soon Wade will motivator me to climb higher. Be careful.



Photos taken by Julie and Dan. Thank you

Swingin' or Chillin'

I love this swing, it offers a gentle rocking motion, dependable creaks and squeaks, and a very comfortable retreat on hot summer days. To me it looks a little bit lonely and a bit forgotten under this blanket of snow, and yet, quietly at peace, enjoying the time of rest. It seems that some were created to be in the swing of things. Even swingers need time to 'chill out' from time to time. At times chillin’ is voluntary, at other times it is imposed on us by circumstances. Whatever the reason, it is here for a season and meant to be gleaned from. If this is your season to chill, lean, glean and enjoy.




This comment is from the SmallGroup Ministries newsletter – (Winter’08 I think.)
I heard a speaker last summer who said ministry is like swinging. We lean back into the past and stretch forward to the future. I vividly remember teaching my children to pump so that I didn’t have to push them all the time. It’s hard at first to get the hang of kicking back and pushing forward. Once the balance and timing gets in sync, however, it seems there’s an invisible force that propels one higher and higher.