The Fish Principle

Please find a time today when you can sneak away by yourself, when all is quiet and the dust has settled.

If your radio or television is on, shut it off.

Go to your computer and be sure your volume is turned up.

There is a blog I follow that is one of my two favourites. It's called A Holy Experience and it's author is Ann Voskamp.

It's a place where I can retreat; and when I read her words and listen to her choice of music, I am taken to a distant place where I am so absorbed in her words and The Word.





Photo by Michelle - Pt. Petre, Lake Ontario - July 2008


On Mondays, she emphasizes gratitude. I started my own Gratitude Journal Blog, Thine Own Dear Presence, but have been very tardy in keeping it up to date. Today's post gives me that boost again to persevere in it's updating.

Please just take a few moments and read today's post called, "when you feel rejected: The Fish Principle". It's a little lengthy, however, I just know......

......You will be blessed.

Thank you, Ann. You are such a blessing, and you are on my gratitude list!

Prayer (How To Avoid Life Crashes)

I love it when something happens or is discussed and then you're in a different place and that particular subject is touched on again, and you think, "Hey God, are you trying to tell me somethin'?"

In my last post, I touched on the subject of attitude.

Then, today's sermon in church was about Prayer, and it included the subject of "attitude".

That's pretty cool when that happens.

After church we were in Sunday School and were discussing the sermon.

One of the points that we discussed about prayer was busy schedules, being able to slow down our schedules to concentrate on prayer.

Then, this afternoon I'm reading a favourite blog that I enjoy following, and, not surprisingly, I read the very subject that we discussed in Sunday School this morning.

Click on over to A Holy Experience and read Ann's post entitled, How To Avoid Life Crashes.

I just love it when these "God moments" happen!

Inconvenient Gratitude

It's easy to be thankful, isn't it?..... when all is going well, when we have what we want or get what we need, when everything lines up perfectly and works out to our advantage?

But what about the times when things are NOT going well, when we DON'T receive what we want or get what we THINK we need, when everything does NOT line up perfectly or when it does NOT work out to our advantage?

Are you thankful in those times?

The following article was written a few days ago, and I just couldn't help but copy it here. Please just take a few moments to read it over.




Inconvenient Gratitude

Am I thankful?
Sure I am. As long as it’s convenient.
As long as the gift-giver is within ear’s reach of my thank you. And as long as what I’m thankful for is good, comfortable, pleasant and smells great.
I never thank anyone for rolling over my toe with their cart in the grocery store or thank someone for an unkind word. And I never thank God for struggles.
I mean, how stupid would I sound:
Thank you, God, for NO MONEY to pay the mortgage today.
Thank you that my seven-year-old has emotional outbursts every morning before school that reduce her to a pile of unbrushed auburn waves and tears on the bathroom floor.
Thanks for spilled apple juice, dried and sticky on the floor.
Thank you, God, for the rejection of friends and that crazy mean email last week. Thank you for the tears it cost.
Thank you for the argument I had with my husband last night. Thank you, God, that he doesn’t understand me.
No.
We are usually thankful for blessings.
Gifts. Encouragement. Provision.
We send thank-you notes to mothers and cousins for baby gifts and Christmas packages. We call our pastors and thank them for the sermon. We are grateful for warm beds and fireplaces that glow in our family rooms.
We are thankful because it’s easy and expected.
But the sweet times, the easy-flowing happy times are not what shape me. I am comfortable and will stay the same if everything always goes my way.
Discomfort is the only way I grow. And I am never grateful for sitting in the valley of hurt and pain. I’m never thankful when things don’t work out like I planned.
I stamp my feet instead and no-fair God. I tell Him He doesn’t know what it's like to be me.
I’m not changed in the lots-of-money, kids-are-well, husband-adores-me days.
But I am changed in the I’m-fat, second-argument-this-week-with-my-mom, worried-about-my-kids days.
This is when I’m moved to trust. I have to because nothing else works.
These are the days when God comes in and under-girds my heart with His own, turns my head to refocus my attention and then asks me to trust.
And I should be grateful that He thinks enough of me to carefully craft difficulty to edge me toward beauty, kindness, and grace with pressure.
I don’t want to just be thankful for the easy. I want to be grateful for the hard. And that involves a choice...one I'm making today.
Will you join me?
by Sarah Markley

When the author wrote, "Discomfort is the only way I grow.....", those words just jumped off the screen at me.

Why does it have to be that way? Why does it have to be uncomfortable or hurting or painful? Why can't everything just be going along jim-dandy and tra-la-lah and carefree.....?

Well, God didn't promise us a rose garden..... not here, anyways. ....Along with the sunshine, there's gonna be a little rain sometimes.... (remember that song?) He does promise us that we'll have a wonderful life in Heaven as we spend eternity with Him, and He also promises that He'll never leave us nor forsake us while we are here in our earthly form. I am thankful for that!

But in the meantime, down here on planet Earth, the pain and hurt and discomfort and inconveniences that we experience... well, to put it plainly, I think it just stinks! HOWEVER, those times of pain and hurt and discomfort and inconvenience, including those "catastrophic moments" that suddenly jump into our every-day lives, will help us to grow; they mature us in our walk with Christ; they strengthen us, through Him, so that each day we learn more how to trust our Lord and feel His Almighty Holy Presence.

HOW do people get through each day by not having a relationship with the Lord? I simply do not have that answer. I don't know how they cope. He's able to keep me going. I don't understand it all, so I must lean on Him. I told someone just the other day, "my needs are being met", just as He promises.

Did you get that? My "needs" are being met; not my "wants", but my "needs". Matthew 6:31-33 says, "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

My needs are met.

I am in a growing season.

I am learning to be thankful.....

......even in the "inconvenient" times.

To read Sarah's article at "(in)courage", please click here.

Remicade Dose #2 - It's A "Go"

Received word today that Dose #2 of Blake's Remicade is a "go" for Thursday afternoon in Kingston.

Blake and I will travel down in the late morning to ensure we arrive on time, and not the usual oopsie-I'm-sorry-we-have-arrived-late-once-again/this-is-becoming-a-habit/"Fraser-fashionably" late.

I think maybe there's some sort of ladies cat fight happening amongst one of the specialist's secretaries and a lady who went to bat for us in getting a compassion dose. Sometimes certain folks like to play the hero and have to be "in the know", and I think that might be what I witnessed with these two ladies (and my apologies if I'm wrong); however, I just want my kid to get his medicine as quickly and as cheaply as possible, no matter WHO arranges WHAT.

Another lady I spoke with today, who had called to confirm the appointment for tomorrow, chuckled away at me as I referred to these two women who seem to be in a cat fight. I laughed and told her, "I just don't want to be in the MIDDLE of it (the cat fight)!" She said, "Well, it's good that you can laugh about it!"

I wanted to tell her that humour is one of the few things that actually helps me face difficult situations. I mean, if you can't laugh about the cards you've been dealt, then you shouldn't be in the game! Not that we have a choice of "being in the game"... after all, the game IS LIFE, and we're all here looking at our cards deciding how we're gonna handle playing them..... might as well laugh about it and enjoy the ride!

Now before y'all think I'm just Ms-Happy-Go-Lucky-and-I-take-everything-with-a-grain-of-salt, let me tell ya that I am NOT such a person and I DO sometimes get cranky and p***y (sorry)..... I mean, just ask Jon! I blew my stack today so wild and crazy-like, I'm surprised the folks in the north end of The County didn't stop, stretch an ear, and say, "Hey, did you HEAR that??? What in tarnations.........?"

Oh well, we all need a little venting maybe. Too bad it was Jon on the other end, but he deserved it anyways....... BUT I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO IT ON THE BLOG! However, when HE gets home...............................

Anyways, I really do want to talk to the social worker in Kingston and have her tell me exactly WHO I am supposed to be listening to and taking direction from. I don't want to mess anything up with the kind assistance of those responsible for the compassion dose, nor do I want to get on the wrong side of specialist's secretary. Both are key players in our current game of LIFE and I want to keep
E.V.E.R.Y.B.O.D.Y
happy for the sake of my son's health.

There was a great article that came out today in The Wellington Times. The reporter had come out to the fundraiser on Sunday (Thank you, Kathleen!) and wrote up an article with some pictures. I tried to find the link to the article online, but can't find it. It's in today's edition (October 28th) but the online version doesn't seem to show it. If I find it, I'll post it. If not, you local folks can pick up a copy in one of those little blue stands that are posted all over The County.

I just got off the phone with a gentleman named Keith who is planning a fundraiser for Blake. It's a country/square dance to be held in Allisonville (north end of The County). Details are not in stone yet, but I'll let you know when the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed.

And if you're hungry on Saturday, don't forget that the West Lake Church of Christ is sponsoring a feast of pancakes to be held at Fosterholm Farms Sap Shanty. We so appreciate this congregation's outpouring of compassion, as well as the kindness of the Foster Family to donate the use of their sap shanty. Thank you folks!

I will try and post tomorrow night or Friday to let you all know how Blake does with his treatment. I am praying all goes well and that his body continues to accept this medication so that his "guts" can heal. Please pray for his health to stay strong. With all this H1N1 going around, we must be extremely careful that he does not pick up any bugs. (I think we ALL need to be careful, but you understand what I mean, right? Any signs of infections means Blake will have to wait for a Remicade dose, and we certainly don't want to wait any longer than we need to.)

Take care everyone.

Oh yah, one final note, if you don't mind...... please Pray for Stellan. I have mentioned him before. He's a little boy who has suffered with a heart condition since before birth. I follow his Mom's blog... they're in the States. Stellan was rushed to the hospital yet once again with SVT. He's a sweetheart and needs lots of prayer. You can find MckMama by clicking here on My Charming Kids.

This is a picture of Stellan today. Bless his heart.

Stellan - October 28, 2009

Please pray for him.

Exercising My Brain

This brain of mine is in need of some exercising!



With all this humidity that we've been experiencing the last week or so, the barometric pressure has affected me in such a manner that it literally hurts my head to even THINK! The pressure is so intense, the pain is moving to my face and even my jawline. Sometimes it seems that even blinking my eyes causes me distress! The pain in behind my eyes can get so intense (Matt, how do you spell 'intense'? [wink, wink]) that I have to lay down with complete silence surrounding me.



My late mother-in-law, who studied nursing, told me a story of how years ago doctors would have bricks put around a person laying in bed who was suffering from arthritis, to keep them from moving. They thought that keeping the patient still was the best therapy. However, as time went on, researchers found that the opposite was the most therapeutic..... they needed to get moving, be active, and not be stationary.



So I figure since my head hurts, I need to do some brain exercises. Maybe that will help my brain from seizing up and experiencing brain freeze.... although I don't think anything could freeze in this humidity!!!!







Last December I started reading a blog, Angie Smith's Bring The Rain, and she challenged her readers to join her in memorizing Scripture. They set out to memorize all 24 verses of Psalm 139 within about two weeks. I thought I would give it a try with them and I did pretty well at the beginning..... lost a bit of steam.... regained some momentum..... and now I kind of know most of it, but could improve immensely. Twenty-four verses is a LOT, but I looked back to when I was just a wee one and I remember Mrs. Wilson teaching me in Sunday School and we were instructed to memorize Psalm 23. If I could memorize a whole six verses when I was ten or twelve years old, then I'm sure twenty-four shouldn't be a problem now, right?



I recently came across Psalm 121 and decided that would make for some good memorizing, and I've decided that's my next Scripture to memorize.



And what I'm wondering is...... how many of you brave souls out there want to join me? It's good to do it with someone else because you can encourage one another (or try to get a verse ahead of them! Ooooo..... it's OK to be competitive when memorizing Scripture, isn't it? haha).



So, what say you, gang? Wanna give it a whirl? We can break it down like Angie did....
Day One - Verse 1
Day Two - Verse 2
Day Three - Review Verses 1 & 2
Day Four - Verse 3
Day Five - Verse 4
Day Six - Review Verses 1 -4
Day Seven - Verse 5.............
and so on.
Every three days is a review.



I'm gonna start soon, so anyone who wants to learn along with me, let me know. I have heard so many sermons lately about getting into the Bible, reading God's Word, memorizing Scripture, quoting Scripture through the hard times, etc. that I realized I HAVE to do this. I have quoted portions of Psalm 139 as situations arise and am thankful that I can refer back to it, even though it's not 100% memorized yet. I have always appreciated people who could pull Scripture from the filing cabinets in their brains.... even giving the reference as well! That's amazing. I want to be able to do that.



Don't use the excuse that you're not good at memorizing. I used to say that too. Of course the Lord wants His Word in our hearts, so through the Holy Spirit we will be able to do it. The older I am getting, the more I am realizing this is so important. Wish someone had kicked my butt into doing this a long time ago, just like when I was a kid.



Thank you, Mrs. Wilson, for kicking my butt when I was little. Why have you stopped? hahahaha



So, Psalm 121. Below are both the New International Version and the King James Version; however, if you choose to join me, you can use any version you like. I haven't decided yet which one I'll memorize, I like both NIV and KJV.



Psalm 121 (New International Version)
A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you — the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.



Psalm 121 (King James Version)
1I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

And maybe you are currently memorizing something else. If so, let me know.... maybe I'll memorize your choices along with you!

We don't know what tomorrow holds, and someday we might have our Bibles taken from us....... then what will we do?



Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.(Psalm 119:11 KJV)



Have you hid it in your heart? Well then, let's get crackin', shall we?

Selah's "Unredeemed"

Wanna listen to a great song?

Well, of course it's by Selah!

Follow along to the lyrics posted below the video. This was recorded LIVE during an interview of Selah on K-LOVE radio. Todd, the male vocal in this song, says on Selah's blog that this song "sums up what so many of us are feeling and hoping for. That one day God will wipe every tear, that He will make sense of the pain and tragedy in our lives, and that He will one day redeem what has been unredeemed."

(Hey Justin, are you SURE that Allan (the piano player) isn't your brother? You two look sooooo much alike!)








Unredeemed
(Written by Chad Cates, Tony Wood, Brian Petak)
Produced by Bernie Herms

The cruelest word
The coldest heart
The deepest wound
The endless dark
The lonely ache
The burning tears
The bitter nights
The wasted years
Life breaks and falls apart
But we know these are…

Places
Where grace is
Soon to be so amazing
They may be unfulfilled
They may be unrestored
But when anything that’s shattered
Is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see
It will not be
Unredeemed

For every choice
That led to shame
And all the love
That never came
For every vow
That someone broke
And every life
That gave up hope
We live in the shadow of the fall
But the cross says these are all – just

Places
Where grace is
Soon to be so amazing
They may be unfulfilled
They may be unrestored
But when anything that’s shattered
Is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see
It will not be
Unredeemed

Places
Where grace is
Soon to be so amazing
They may be unfulfilled
They may be unrestored
You never know the miracle
The Father has in store
Just watch and see
It will not be
Unredeemed
***

Did I mention I've seen this group LIVE?

(Yah, I know I did..... but I'm gonna mention it again!.... 'cause, you know, it IS my blog......)

'

Me and my gang of girlie-friends went to Cobourg a few years ago and watched them perform. That was when Nicol was in the group, but I'd LOOOOOOVE to go hear Amy perform! (Lord, I'll leave this one in Your hands, OK? You can make it happen! Thanking You in advance.... :O) )

'

Anyways, I thought this was an amazing message of hope to share with you, especially those of you who are hurting at this time. Hang in there.... "you never know the miracle the Father has in store".