The Prisoner Of The Lord

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Ephesians 4:1 (NLT)

A little bird I am

Shut from the fields of air;

And in my cage I sit and sing

To Him who placed me there;

Well pleased a prisoner to be,

Because, my God, it pleaseth Thee.

Nought have I else to do;

I sing the whole day long;

And He whom most I love to please

Doth listen to my song;

He caught and bound my wandering wing,

But still He bends to hear me sing.

Thou hast an ear to hear;

A heart to love and bless;

And though my notes were e'er so rude,

Thou would'st not hear the less;

Because Thou knowest, as they fall,

That love, sweet love, inspires them all.

My cage confines me round,

Abroad I cannot fly;

But though my wing is closely bound,

My heart's at liberty.

My prison walls cannot control

The flight, the freedom of the soul.

Oh, it is good to soar,

These bolts and bars above,

To Him whose purpose I adore,

Whose providence I love;

And in Thy mighty will to find

The joy, the freedom of the mind.

~MADAME DE LA MOTHE GUYON

[A Threefold Cord - pg 63]

Little Girls Are So Sweet

An opportunity presented itself this past Fall for me to return to piano lessons.

As a little girl, I took piano lessons at the age of nine until approximately age twelve.

Most of the time, I hated it.

I wanted to quit.

Much to mother's disappointment, I did quit.

Now, as an adult, I am kicking myself.

And I think that's why I wouldn't let the boys quit their fiddle lessons many years ago (not mentioning any names.... Jake & Jared....... [wink]) . I knew they'd someday regret it if they did quit.

So, this piano-lesson opportunity became available, and I've returned to lessons. My teacher is one of the most amazing piano players. His name is Tony Silvestri and he is eighteen years old. He's spectacular and full of talent. I only wish he'd leave his talent in the ivory so that when "I" sit down to play the piano, I sound like him.

Ain't gonna happen, let me tell ya!

Anyways, about two weeks ago I had my regular lesson. The next day or so, Tony sent me a Facebook message with regards to a conversation he had with his student who has lessons just after me. She's a little girl around nine or ten years old (or thereabouts).

Here's how their conversation went:

Little Girl: "I think it's weird that, like, you're 18 and you're teaching older people."

Tony: "Why is that weird?"

Little Girl: "I dunno.... because you're 18, and she's, like, 20!"

Is that not ADORABLE??????

Hahahahahahahaaaaaaaa.......

I love it.

At forty-four, I'll take a compliment anywhere I can get it!

.... including from a sweet little girl.

A Long Overdue Family Update

I am sitting here in front of the computer and I AM NOT MOVING until I finish this post! haha

All week long I've been trying to take half an hour to write a simple update. Then I think, "Well I'll just get [whatever] done first, and THEN I'll write". And of course I get side-tracked. It's happened all week, and today is the day that my hiney is not moving outta this chair until a post is complete!

Before I started the post, I read an article in our local newspaper about a dog that had wandered from its home here in The County and was outside for nine nights in frigid weather. The owners saw evidence of tracks leading to open ice where they assumed their dog had fell in. As the days and week passed, they had given up hope, until a neighbour happened to glance outside one day and saw what looked like the Great Dane in the field. He called the owner and they went out and the poor ol' six-year-old dog was just barely alive. They got him to the vet, and he is coming along fine, after losing a whopping 50 pounds. So naturally, my eyes were welled up with tears by the time I was done reading.

Then I turn to my blog site and get caught up on one of the blogs I follow about a little girl battling cancer. I don't know the family personally.... I just followed a link that I stumbled upon one day in 2009.... but I've been following their progress. They just found out two days ago that her MRI shows more signs of cancer, despite their battle thus far. The family is sickened and heartbroken. They had anticipated a good report after battling this disease for over 19 months now. They struggle with their emotions right now, knowing that the Lord has the power to instantly heal their little girl but wondering why He hasn't.

Honestly....

Why do I bother putting on make up in the mornings only to have it washed off with tears.

We just don't have the answers that we need sometimes to deal with life's situations. We question why we must endure the pain, the sadness, the frightful moments that we encounter.

But God continues to sustain. He promises to never leave us. In fact, He carries us through these times. Sometimes we're like a child who is being carried against their will, where we kick and hit and fuss and scream because we don't understand. But if we just can get to the place where we accept what's been dealt and continue to persevere and move forward, we can look back and see God's fingerprints and presence all over our situation. Those moments of reflection are good for the upcoming trials and tribulations of our lives.

Yes. That's right. There's more coming! More pain. More hurt. More sadness. We might as well accept that fact. BUT!.... [gotta love those "but" moments]... we can rest assured that God does not change, and He will be there to carry us once more.

As this little girl, Kate, and her family walk through this battle, please remember them in prayer. The button on the right side of the blog shows "Pray For Kate". Click on over to their site and support them in prayer.

We've been no stranger to battles ourselves over the last few years. Our household has been turned upside down a few times; but I want to just give some updates to you as to the life and times of The Found Family over the last while.

And it's all GOOD!!!!!

Let's start with Jon & Jake.
I'm grouping these two crazy characters together because they've been glued to the hip over the last number of months.

Jon and Jake have been travelling in portions of Canada and The States, and I think Jon is quite excited to have one of his "little" boys accompanying him. He enjoys having the company and the help. Jake has always had an interest in the truck and helping his Daddy. It was pretty much the only way he could get time to spend with his father, since Jon was away so much of the time when they were younger.

Jake has sat in the passenger seat many times, soaking in every movement Jon makes. He's watched Jon carefully to know when to shift, when to hit the clutch, when to signal, when to brake, how to turn the wheel when backing up, how much distance is needed when turning....... he's catalogued all these things in his head and is now sitting in the driver's seat. Although he was driving that big rig by the tender age of 14 [usually only across the flat prairies, thank the Lord!] and has sat on his Dad's knee since practically birth, helping to steer the truck, he has now become legal to drive the eighteen wheeler.

He got his medical done yesterday along with writing his driver's test for an AZ license. His appointment for the actual driving test is at the end of this month. The loving mother in me is extremely proud of his accomplishments. The worried mother in me wants him to fail that driver's test.

Know where I'm comin' from?

[sigh]

I don't think I'm ever gonna stop being concerned about my kids. Even when I die and I'm in Heaven, I can see myself walking with Jesus, looking down at the happenings on earth and watching my children and saying to Jesus, "Well are You just gonna stand there and let that happen???" He'll smile and wrap His arm around my shoulder, and in a most lovingly caring way, He'll say to me, "Shush up, woman. I've got it covered". haha.

I am glad that Jake and Jon have this time of bonding. It's funny to hear them gripe about one another, but they love each other and I think they'll be fine. They are currently working on ways to cut their road expenses. The purchase of a small refrigerator and 9-volt oven to use in the truck have already saved them money. It's cute to hear Jon get so excited about it. Says he should've done this twenty years ago. haha.

Health wise, they are doing great, although Jon should likely eat more salads. BHAHAhahaha. Sorry, Jonny. Couldn't resist. Jon looked at himself in the mirror the other day and came to the "sudden" realization that he had gained weight. I truly think that their new method of eating in the truck will help his situation.

As they come to your mind, please pray for them... for travelling mercies. It's hard not to worry about them; but I must keep in mind that God is still in control.

As for ME....
I could stand to lose a bit of weight myself. I've porked on the weight since Christmas. Not that my clothes feel any tighter, I just feel fatter. I think it's a lack of exercise. I borrowed my sister's treadmill, and I must say it works amazing.... when I actually USE it! Jared has been teasing me about using it, or rather the lack of using it. I just don't have the energy. And I know once I START using it, I WILL have the energy. It's just a matter of me developing a new routine.

I don't get 'inspired' often, but for some reason a few weeks ago, I was inspired to paint my bedroom. It has had white primer-painted walls for about 18 years now. I thought it was time for a change. hahhaaaa. I guess I just never felt the need to get it painted. There was always something else more important to do. And I'm only ever in there to sleep or fold some laundry. And when I'm sleeping, my eyes are closed and it's dark and I can't see the colour of the walls anyways.

But I decided it was time. So I went to the store when the paint was on sale and picked a colour I liked from the forty-ka-jillion colours to choose from. I chose a nice coloured green.... reminds me of string beans... Jake says it looks like vomit. I've seen a lot of vomit in my days with raising three boys; but I've never seen vomit the colour of string beans.... unless of course I'd just finished EATING them only to see them re-surface!

Well, I don't care what Jake says, I think it's a nice colour. The difficult part will now be to find a bedspread and curtains that will match. Should've got those first, I guess, and then chose the paint colour. Oh well. It's done. After 18 years. I like it. That settles it.

Danielle came over to help me tear wallpaper down in my kitchen. (I TOLD you I was feeling inspired! What is WRONG with me???!!!) She LOVES removing wallpaper. Can you believe that? She doesn't want to help me ever put paper ON the walls, nor does she want to help with painting; however she will be here in a heartbeat when the wallpaper needs to come down. I think she might have a psychological imbalance there somewhere. Jus' sayin'.

I also need to finish painting the trim in the living room. I bought the paint and got the hallway trim and doors painted (need to second coat some of it), but then for some reason I moved onto the bedroom. I start a project and then never finish it. Ugh.

Starting Monday, I need to get back into some paperwork again. I procrastinated over the Christmas holidays. Tsk-tsk. Need to get things caught up again in that area.

And other than running Jared around, that's pretty much what I've been doing, folks. Soooooo exciting...... not. haha.

And speaking of Jared....
This is one busy little character. I have been running non-stop with this fellow. He has been quite involved with highschool basketball, which includes an out-of-town tournament tomorrow and Saturday....

However.....

there is something ELSE taking up his time. Or rather I should say someONE!

Jarey has a girlfriend... Jarey has a girlfriend.

I am most pleased to announce that Jared has been "dating" a young lady named Karli. And she's divine. She is very much "mother-approved". What a lovely young lady. She's smart, polite, courteous, thoughtful and beautiful. AND her mother and I get along and can finish each other's sentences! hahahaha. Jon and I have both shared with Jared that he's got a good girl and if he messes this up, we'll be keeping HER and sending HIM on his way! haha.

It's been fun for me to hang out with Jared, while Jake is with Jon, and Blake is at university. I have always enjoyed watching the boys entertain with music and be involved in sports events, and Jared has certainly kept me hopping with the soccer and basketball and hockey games. He gives his all, and never ceases to entertain his Momma.

And finally, we have Blake.

I am sooooooo excited to report that Blake's health has been nothing short of amazing these past two months. Blake received his last dose of Remicade on December 13th, five days before flying to Brasil for four weeks. While in Brasil he experienced no pain with his Crohn's. His dear girlfriend, Anelyse, and her darling family spoiled Blake to great lengths and fed him foods that were obviously intestinal friendly! This week marks his eighth week since the Remicade dose and he feels fantastic. PRAISE THE LORD!

He said he has experienced no pain or other symptoms, and he will receive his next dose this coming Monday (Feb 7th). He has never made it a whole eight weeks without some type of pain, so we are greatly rejoicing!

He continues his studies in New Brunswick, and I will be quite excited to see him in March when we bring him home for his March Break. Not seeing him over the Christmas holidays has really made everyone here at home aching to see him.

And no, I was not upset about him being in Brasil over the holidays. My main concern was his health, and because he had a dose before departure, I was not concerned.... ok... maybe 1% concerned.... maybe 3%... but that's all. I was happy he could spend this Christmas with Anelyse and her family, since we got to have Anelyse here with us last year. And I was very relieved to know that his feet were on solid ground (upon arriving in Brasil and then again back in US and Canada).

He is experiencing an extremely heavy semester this term, so please pray for his mind and for his health during this stressful time. Stress can trigger Crohn's flare-ups, so he must pace himself accordingly. In the meantime, he is so thrilled that his health is presently good. And three cheers to the "higher ups" at his university who have authorized the kitchen staff to prepare healthier meals for their students.

Hip-Hip-Hooray!!!!
Hip-Hip-Hooray!!!!
Hip-Hip-Hooray!!!!

This will help Blake immensely, so he doesn't have to spend time preparing all of his own meals and can concentrate on his studies!

Oh, and might I do a bit of motherly bragging for a moment? Blake made the Dean's List last semester with a 3.56 GPA. We are very proud of him and know that the Lord is gonna use this boy..... man... [ok... but he's ALWAYS my little boy] in so many instrumental ways. The Lord actually already has used Blake for His glory during his whole illness! Expect to see that boy doing some amazing work for the Kingdom!

And on that note, I think I should close this post. You've had lots of reading, and I really have only given you a few hi-lights of what's been going on. But rest assured we are doing well at the moment. It is now our turn to lift up so many others that are in the midst of battle themselves. We were supported by so many during our afflictions, and we want to now pay it forward.

Until next time, God bless.

The Shopping Cart

Ohhhhh.... it's good to be back to my little world of blogging!

After two whole months of no postings, I'm itching to get back into it! I've truly missed it.

I want to ensure that you get some updates on how everyone in the family is doing, and I promise I will post about that in the next few days, but I wanted to talk to you about something in particular today.

A number of years ago, a new grocery store was built in our community. One of the ways to ensure the shopping carts were returned to the store entrance or to the little shopping cart shelters located in the middle of the parking lot was to require the shopper to insert a quarter in order to use the cart. Then, upon returning the cart to the shelter or entrance area, you could retrieve your quarter.

Upon returning my cart one day, a few years ago, a gentleman arrived at the entrance just as I was getting ready to retrieve my quarter. He asked, "Are you finished with this cart?" I replied, "Yes, I am," and I turned the cart around for him. He took hold of the cart and walked into the store. I stood there thinking, "You could have at LEAST offered to give me my quarter back!"

And then it hit me.

How selfish I was over a simple quarter.

I made up my mind then and there that I would turn my self-centered thought into a good thing. I decided the next time someone needed a cart, I would give it to them and not expect the quarter back. It would be a simple blessing. (And, yes, a little ol' quarter CAN be a blessing!)

So the next time I wheeled my cart back to the entrance, I saw a lady heading towards the store. I said, "Do you need a cart?" "Yes," she replied, and she held out her quarter. I grinned and said, "No, no. That's okay. You can keep the quarter". Well, she gave me the strangest look... like she was shocked. I smiled and turned to head back to my car, grinning all the way. I thought, "Oh. That felt real good!"

It is something I've done now for many years. It's likely not added up to all that much dollar wise; however, I just don't think I could measure all the blessing that it has given me, and likely others.

Then just last week I was headed to the entrance to get a cart, and there was one lone cart near the door with the quarter still in it. My first thought was, "Yeah for ME! I've gained a quarter!", but then it dawned on me that someone ELSE was passing on a blessing! There probably wasn't anyone at the door when they were returning their cart, so they just left the cart there to bless someone else. And I guess it was MY time to be blessed in a receiving way rather than a giving way!

Now before you go thinking that I'm being snobbish and arrogant in thinking that I started this whole "quarter blessing" thing, let me assure you I am fully aware that others have been doing this as well, likely much longer than me. But the truth is, it does not take much to do something to bless someone else.

I can tell you that about three or four years ago, it was all I could do some days to even afford the quarter to put in the cart before I could even walk into the grocery store. We were put in a position where absolutely every single penny that passed through our hands had to be analyzed and re-analyzed as to how it was going to get spent! So I am fully aware of the value of that little ol' quarter that goes into the shopping cart slot.

If a simple quarter can provide such a blessing to you, as a giver, and to someone else, as a receiver, won't you consider trying it next time? If there's no one there to pass the cart onto, why don't you just leave the cart there with the quarter in it? You might be blessing someone who doesn't have a quarter handy, or a Mom with her arms full of baby and purse and diaper bag, or an elderly person who needs to quickly get out of the cold wintry breeze.

Or if you're feeling really generous, pop a quarter in the end cart on every row of carts! I hadn't thought of that until just now!

I think I'm gonna need to stock up on some quarters. How about you?

Today's post is for Carolyn P., Luanne, and Danielle..... three people who said they miss my blog. :o)

Merry Christmas From The Found Family

Our very best wishes to you and yours for a wonderful Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

[Please scroll to the bottom of this page and click PAUSE on the blog music first. Then click this link below]

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/DCiUA7UDa3BuhtxfSLQj


NOTE: No elves were hurt in the making of this video!

~Michelle & Jon
Blake, Jacob, & Jared


*This video will apparently not be available after Jan 15, 2011.

Happy Birthday Mom!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy, MoM!!!!!

Today, Nov 22nd, is my Mom's birthday.

Do I dare tell you her age? I guess since she doesn't have a computer and won't see this, it'd be okay to share it with you.

She's 69 years old today.

I can hardly believe it!

I only hope that I am as active as she is when I reach sixty-nine!

Here is a picture of my Mom with my Dad. It's a picture that was taken a couple of years ago, but it's a really good picture of her, and she would KILL me if I put a picture on here of her that she didn't like!

Jean & Dwain Fraser - October 2008

Last week, Mom showed me a picture of our family from 1974! (less Danielle.... she didn't come along until 1976).







This is my Dad (38 yrs), my Mom (33 yrs), me (on the left) at 7 yrs and my sister, Wannett (on the right) at 5 yrs.

Dwain & Jean, Michelle & Wannett Fraser - 1974
*Wannett - Celia is the spitting image of you in this photo!!!!

A neighbour of ours had gotten married and this picture was taken in their home. I remember these little dresses that Wannett and I wore. My Mom made them. She made many of our clothes when we were little. I remember when I was a teen, she was on a t-shirt-making binge. My nickname was Froggie and she found material with little frogs all over it. hahaha. Oh the memories!







So, back to Mom's birthday. I wanted to tell you a little story about my Dad's "gift" to her today.







Today my Mom had a dentist appointment in a neighbouring city, and since her youngest brother lives in that city, he had invited her out for a birthday luncheon. She asked me if I would mind checking on Dad around lunch time to ensure everything was okay. (My Dad has had multiple mini-strokes over the past decade and has trouble with walking, speaking, hearing, writing, etc.)







So I head down the road to my parents' home, and sure enough Dad is doing well.... sitting in his big recliner watching television with the volume muted while listening to a blaring radio. We chatted for a while and then the conversation turned to Mom's birthday.







I said to Dad, "I guess we should've got some flowers or something for Mom from you, eh?" He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. I chuckled and said, "How's about I find some artificial flowers somewhere here in the house and put them in a vase and you can give THOSE to her!" He gave a big smile, so I knew he approved of our little prank.







I rummaged through the house, and when I went into Mom's bedroom, I found a big clear vase full of pretty lavender coloured flowers that she had in the corner of her room. I brought them out for Dad's approval. He grinned.







I set them on the kitchen table, and then I hunted down some paper and crayons. I proceeded to draw some flowers on the front of a folded homemade card and wrote HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I asked Dad what else he thought we should write and he suggested, "I LOVE YOU". Sounded good to me. So I wrote a big I LOVE YOU in crayon on the inside of the card.







I then grabbed a pen and encouraged Dad to write his own name. He kept saying he couldn't do it (which is correct; many times he has trouble writing because he can't physically do it and because his mind can't remember how to spell due to the strokes). I said, "Oh yes, you can do it. I'll help you."







Well, it took us a while, but he did it. All by himself. One mark at a time.







D - W - A - I - N







Then I said, "How about an 'X' and an 'O' for a kiss and a hug?" Well, he thought that'd be great. So he managed to draw those. Then he looked at it and said, "I don't even know what those things are for!!!!!" hahahahaa. I had to remind him that they were a kiss and a hug. He laughed. But I think he was pretty darn proud of himself for writing his name and a big 'X' and 'O'.







So I took the card and tucked it in the beautiful bouquet of artificial lavender flowers that sat on the kitchen table. I wish I was there when Mom walked in the door. I would have loved to see the look on her face. She called me later and said I had forgotten to blow the dust off the flowers. hahahahahaa.







I later left her a message on her phone. I had the Chipmunks singing Happy Birthday on the computer and made it sound like our dogs and cat were singing to her. haha.







Well, it was certainly an inexpensive birthday, but it was full of valuable memories for ME! We don't usually make a big deal of birthdays at my place, but it was a fun afternoon with my Dad in trying to help him pull a birthday prank on Mom.







I am fortunate to have been born into this family. I cannot think of any better parents or sisters in the world. My parents were not rich with money by ANY means; but they loved us, and we never had a need go unmet. I am so very blessed.







So Mom, I hope you enjoyed Dad's gift. [grin]







Thank you for what you do and for who you are.







HaPpY BiRtHdAy, MoM!!!!!

Honest Abe

Again, I just can't get enough of these hilarious Geico commercials!

You must watch this one. It's priceless.

[Please remember to scroll to the bottom of the blog page and hit PAUSE on the blog music before clicking PLAY on the video.]

Geico Commercial - Honest Abe


Where do they come up with the ideas for these commercials????