The Bible

THE BIBLE

This book contains: the mind of God, the state of mankind, the way of salvation, the fate of sinners, and the happiness of believers.

Its doctrine is holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy.

It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveller's map, the pilgrim's staff, the soldier's sword, the pilot's compass, and the Christian's charter. Here heaven is open, and the gates of hell disclosed.

Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet.

Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, health to the soul, and a river of pleasure. It is given to you here in this life, will be opened at judgement, and is established forever.

It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labour, and condemn all who trifle with its contents.

Text from

Canadian Bible Society

Toronto, Ontario

www.biblesociety.ca

O Praise Him

I haven't posted a video in a long time, and I thought this would be a great one. I like the boldness and bravery of this young fellow. Oh that we could have a fraction of this courage!

And in keeping with the "praise" theme, ponder this thought:

"Praise is more spontaneous when things go right;
but it is more precious when things go wrong."

It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night. Psalm 92:1-2 NIV




O Praise Him - David Crowder Band

Happy Family Day

Today is Ontario's Family Day.... a day set aside by our provincial government encouraging us to spend time with our family, tightening the bond, strengthening our relationships......

.....hmmmm....

Jake slept in until after noon.....

Jon was up fairly early but just went back to bed to "take a nap" (that was a few minutes after noon).....

Jared slept in a little bit, then did his Math homework, and is currently in the rec-room playing hockey on the XBox.....

I had breakfast and got dishes loaded in the dishwasher......

And it just doesn't feel like "Family Day" without Blake here with us.

So what's on the agenda for the rest of the day? Likely nothing. Think we need to bring in some firewood for the woodstove..... I need to knock down some cobwebs (where on earth do those things come from? YES, by the way, we DO live in a pig sty)..... I need to scrape off about an inch of dust off the furniture in this house.... I meant to get recycling out to the roadside, but assumed they wouldn't be running because of the holiday; however, I was incorrect and the truck came and the truck went and my recycling is still sitting in the woodhouse! Ooodles of it.

It IS nice, though, to have a day of just lazing around.... the weekend was so busy with hockey games. Jared had Rep games in Stirling (win), Picton (win), and Lindsay (loss); Jake had a late game last night in Picton (win). What am I going to do when hockey season is over??? I enjoy it so much. Very proud to watch those boys out there!

With regards to an update on Blake's health, he is feeling great. Says he's not in any pain or discomfort. I am relieved when he tells me that.

I received a call from the Specialist's office with some "temporary" "bad" news. She indicated the authorization for the financial coverage of Blake's medication was not approved for Remicade... the good ol' government doesn't want to fork out money for Remicade; they'd like Dr. D to put Blake on a different medication (one that is not so expensive, but ultimately not as effective either!). However, Dr. D wrote them back and said that other medications have been tried and that Blake's condition is severe enough that he insists on Remicade for Blake's treatment.

We will AGAIN play "the waiting game" until the review panel takes a look at Dr. D's letter and once again makes a decision. Please pray that the hearts of the folks on the panel are compassionate and that they approve Remicade for Blake.

Once again, in order to alleviate any confusion, and just to clarify the process that we're experiencing.... We applied to the Ontario Government's Trillium Drug Program to pay for medicines that Blake needs. Trillium HAS approved Blake and will reimburse for any meds that he needs EXCEPT Remicade. In order for Trillium to pay for Remicade, they need a Section 8 approval from the government. Once the government authorizes it, we can administer Remicade to Blake and Trillium will pay for it.

Trillium CANNOT pay for the Remicade UNTIL the government says so. And THAT is what we're waiting for. So please continue to ask the Lord to stir the hearts of the folks on this government review panel, that they will approve Trillium to cover the cost of Blake's Remicade. And from what I understand, it is not a one-time thing... apparently this is something that has to be reviewed every few months (grrrreeaaat!!!!).

Sorry, I thought we lived in Canada. [insert sarcasm]

Anyways, gang, I'd better get this Maple Leaf butt in gear and get some tidying up done. I hope you're all having a relaxing Family Day!

Happy Hockey Day.... I mean, VALENTINE's Day

Ahhhhhh...... Valentine's Day......

That special one day of the year where the atmosphere is filled with:

the smell of a dozen fresh roses......

the taste of sweet chocolates......

the touch of your loved one's hand......

the sound of romantic violin music......

the sight of your sweetheart, gazing into your eyes......


Huh???

Is THAT what it's supposed to be like this Sunday?


It would appear that it's going to be more like this:


the smell of musty ol' hockey equipment......

the taste of a hot coffee......

the touch of the cold-noise-maker can......

the sound of the Ref's whistle, the period-ending buzzer, and the loud-mouthed parent (not ME, by the way!) screaming "Get some glasses, Ref!"......

the sight of the goalie making another amazing glove save......


Yaaaahhhhhh....

That's what I'M talkin' about........


Yes, I'll be in the arenas on Valentine's Day with our "babies".... along with some other hockey parents (Right Jennifer S.???).

(And yes, folks, "arenas" is plural... not a typo! Jake & Jared... two games... two different towns...)


Not really under the "romantic" category; but, you know what? I honestly and truly wouldn't have it any other way.


Oh, but Jonny??? I WILL still take that Valentine's Day foot rub!

Happy Valentine's Day to my sweethearts: Jon, Blake, Jake, & Jared.
XOXOXOXO

What Are YOU Doing Here???

Saturday was turning out to be another typical busy day.

After spending the better part of the day at the local arena where Jared had to play two house league games back to back, we headed home. I tidied the kitchen and prepared some quesadillas for supper. The Midget A Rep team was playing in Deseronto that night, and although Jake or Jared do not play on that team, we knew it would be a good game and wanted to go and support the boys' friends. So off we went.

After an exciting game we returned home to put our feet up and watch the rest of the Maple Leafs' game on the tube. (YES!!!! 5-0 shut out for the Leafs'. Welcome Mr. Giguere!)

The phone rang. It was Blake.

Everything was OK with him. I had told him earlier in the week that I had received a survey in the mail requesting Blake to answer some questions regarding his stay at Kingston General Hospital back in October. Rather than mail the survey to him, I asked him to give me a call on the weekend when he had a few minutes, and he could just give me his answers, I'd mark the box for him, and then get the survey returned.

We were somewhere around question #6 when someone knocked on the door. I said, "Hold on, Blake, there's someone at the door". I walked to the door and, lo and behold, there's our "adopted son" Billy. He stood there looking at me with this really goofy smile on his face. I exclaimed, "BILLY!!!! HEY!!!! How're ya doin'?? Come in!!! Hey, I'm on the phone with Blake...." and I handed the phone to Billy so he could talk to his buddy Blake.

Billy takes the phone and says, "Hey Blake, how are ya?"

Blake says, "Fine, Billy, how are you?......"

You might be asking yourself right now how "I" knew what BLAKE said while BILLY was the one with his ear to the phone.......

I knew what Blake said BECAUSE..... the little pooper was WALKING THROUGH MY DOOR WHILE HE WAS TALKING INTO HIS OWN PHONE!!!!

My jaw dropped.

Blake and Billy are BOTH laughing their heads off.... Blake is keeled right over just splittin' a gut!

I am standing there in shock, not quite sure what is happening, and if perhaps I have absent-mindedly slept the whole month of February away and woke up on March 1st, the date that Blake is supposed to be home for Reading Week.

My next thought, once I realized that I was conscious and DID have the correct date in my head, was that perhaps Blake was sick and Billy had driven to New Brunswick to bring Blake home for a treatment without telling me.

But when I realized that Blake was standing in front of me laughing, and had good colour, and wasn't all sickly-like, I knew something else was up.

I blurted out, "WHAT are you DOING HERE????"

Amidst his and Billy's tears from laughing so hard, Blake managed to say that one of his professors had to come to the area for a funeral and had contacted Blake to see if he'd like to ride with them and spend the weekend at home.

WHEW! Blake is not sick, I am NOT losing my mind, I do not have to kill Billy for keeping secrets!

So we continued to laugh and tee-hee about the whole thing for a while longer. I was still in shock that one of my baby birds had returned home to the nest unexpectedly.

Blake and Billy had already stopped at my parents' house to surprise them as well. And from the look on BILLY's face at my door, I think HE's the one who enjoyed this little scenario more than ANY of us. hahahaha. I wish I'd captured it on camera. It was priceless.

So Billy sent Aunt Danielle an email saying that he had a surprise for her, and that Mom (me) would be bringing it to church the next morning.

Dani was, of course, shocked when she saw Blake. About fifteen minutes into the service, our Worship Leader was at the pulpit giving the announcements and then shouted out "BLAKE!!!! HEY EVERYBODY.... BLAKE'S HERE!!!!" hahaha. Guess he must've been concentrating on God or something because he hadn't even noticed everyone else at the back making a fuss over Blake.

Then this afternoon, I had to take Jared to a hockey fundraiser, so Danielle took Blake over to Wannett's to surprise HER. He certainly has an excited family this weekend. Then again, it IS "all about Blake!!!!". hahahhaa

Tonight we are getting together for Super Bowl supper, even though I haven't got a clue about football at ALL, other than knowing they wear helmets and carry, throw, and kick an odd-shaped pig-skinned ball.

I don't really have football on my mind.... it's HOCKEY.... because right now I'm typing this post in the cold arena while Jared is on the ice at his hockey practice. We'll head back to Wannett's to eat and then come back here for Jake's evening game. I have no internet connection here because I don't know the community centre's wireless password; so I will have to post this later when I get a connection.

(Sorry, Jon, that I "stole" the computer from the house. I thought you'd still be working at the garage. I have a feeling you're going through withdrawal, not bein' able to check your Facebook.......)

It was a really nice surprise to have Blake home. Thank you, Dr. Elliott, for thinking of Blake and bringing him home for a few days. The world is a better place today because Momma Bird got a visit from one of her flock.

Folks, I really must go and get my gloves back on.... it's FREEZING in here. And something is wrong with the 'k' button on this keyboard.... it is not working properly and it's driving me CRAZY. I wonder if Jonny might have some popcorn stuck under the 'k' key!!!! (Jon, I said please don't eat or drink near the computer! No computer = No Facebook = Sad Jonny)

Anyways, I just wanted to share my happy news with you. Blake will head back to New Brunswick early Monday afternoon from Kingston. Please pray for travelling mercies as they will travel right through the afternoon and evening until the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

Thanks, Blake, for the surprise! You got me good! (Dad thinks you're just homesick, hahahha).

Thanks again, Dr. Elliott, for providing an expected ride home for Blake.

And thanks to you too, Billy, for your part in this scheme. You're a good kid. I just wish I could've got a pic of the look on your face when I opened the door. Priceless.

I'm Sorry

I'm sorry....

It has been ten days since my last post, and I apologize. I have no excuse except the fact that my husband is hogging the computer, I've had writer's block, I've been working on the boys' sports equipment room, I am tired.

How's THAT for excuses. hahaha

And for SOME unknown reason, I have no choice of font or type size.... what is up with THAT? So I have no idea how this will look when I hit PUBLISH POST. (UPDATE: Duh.... I was working in Edit Html mode..... brain cells on winter holidays.)

I've been trying to get in some type of routine lately.... it's not workin' well. I am now involved in a weekly Bible Study. We are studying Beth Moore's "Esther". I'm quite excited to be involved in it..... ANY study actually. I need discipline and need others to be accountable to. If you don't do your homework, you'll get behind at the weekly gathering; so I've been trying to keep up on it. Sometimes I have to do a couple of days' studying in one day, but that's ok. Usually once I get into it, I don't want to put it down.

All is well on the homefront. Kids are back to school today, the beginning of their second semester. Exams are done. We didn't get any phone calls from the school, so I am to assume that the boys passed their first-semester classes.

Hockey has slowed up a bit, since we lost out in the last series of games; however, Coach Staley said that we likely will be rollin' again this weekend. I think Jared will be excited to get things movin' again. Jake's games have continued on Sunday nights. He's scored a few goals lately. Two weeks ago he got elbowed in the jaw by some kid who REALLY needs to be careful to not meet THIS "Momma Pitbull with lipstick". The jab to Jake's face broke the apparatus that holds the face cage on the helmet. Jake wasn't able to close his jaw completely until the next morning. House League is NO BODY CONTACT; however, Jake said this kid, during their handshakes after the game, was going down the line saying to the kids, "I hit YOU, and I got YOU, and I hit YOU....... "Hello, Mr. Referee? Watch the news lately? Mr. Cormier, who was Captain of the Canada Junior Boys, has just been suspended for elbowing to the face...... let's keep that in mind while we're supervising the no-body-contact-House-League games in Picton, OK????" Jake would have LOVED to play Rep hockey where you can play a little more aggressively, but I just don't think my nerves could handle it!

Jon is just itching to get trucking again. Hopefully that will happen within the next few weeks. This economy is stretching everyone to their absolute thinnest! Wish my waistline could say the same thing. haha. Anyways, he's helping a friend move some old freezers today to the scrap metal yard.

I was able to connect yesterday with my youth group leader from when I was a teenager (Hi Mr. A). That is one thing I love about this technology.... being able to find old friends (Not that you're "old", Mr. A; I already clarified that in the email. haha).

I need to finish up our many "thousands" of Thank You's this week. I'm ashamed it's taken this long. I was hoping Blake could help; but it's important he concentrate on his studies and health. We had a scare last week. Received a call that he'd been taken to hospital, dehydrated and throwing up. Not being able to reach my contact at the college, I called the local hospital. The very kind nurse gave me an update and allowed me to speak to Blake. Once I heard his voice, I was immediately calmed in knowing that it was not a Crohn's issue, but rather the stomach flu. He was given fluids and gravol via I.V. and the bloodwork came back fine. Whew! Thank You Omni-Present Lord for watching over Blake!

And thank you to the very kind staff at Sussex Hospital (especially Nurse Nancy for connecting me to Blake!). Wannett and Danielle were prepared to leave immediately to get me to his side in New Brunswick. They were relieved Blake was OK; however, they were disappointed that we couldn't experience a road trip that weekend. Don't worry, sistas, we'll get a Sister-Weekend-Away (maybe a "Sister-WEEK-Away") someday.

After all, it IS all about Blake.

It WAS about Carley for a while. Now it's Blake. Who's next???

SOME day it will be about US. haha.

Well, folks, I need to get some work done today. Just wanted y'all to know that I'm sorry I've put off doing a post. I'll get more on track. I miss my own computer. This computer of Jon's is NOT my friend. We have many battles and exchange words and beeps.... usually the computer wins.

I've even been behind on viewing the 'blogs I follow' because this computer has been extremely slow since I got it repaired, and it takes too long to download some of the pages from the web. I'm tellin' ya, these machines have minds of their own. It's more stubborn than ME, if you can imagine THAT!

So, God bless, folks. If you're a Facebook junkie, I've joined (against my will.... I joined to keep better/easier contact with Blake). Feel free to Add me as a Friend HERE or go to the right sidebar and click on my name under the heading FACEBOOK.

'Til next time, I bid you adieu.