December 23rd, 2007

It's still Christmas time.

I am deeply moved with the beautiful gift expression our children sent us this Christmas. They are responding in a vital way to the people of the earth.

"This gift buys, vaccinates and provides shelter for one goat, while also training farmers on how to raise healthy and productive animals".
"This gift helps communities plant 100 trees".
"This gift provides one month of meals for an orphaned child".
"Please don't give us any gifts this year...we are going to give to a worthy cause instead. We will not go into debt, we will give what we can afford".

It's amazing what happens when we step out of the norm for our society, recognizing that the extravagance of Christmas giving and recieving is ...say it...
I am humbled. I am very proud of them. I am delighted with them.
There is so much we can do to help others.

As Christians, we are representative of Christ, as people of God's Kingdom. Jesus' mission was to preach good news to the poor, release for the captives, sight for the blind, freedom from oppression for the downtrodden.. the time of the Lord's favour has come... from Luke 4:18,19.
If we say, "What kind of a God would allow suffering on the earth?", we are asking the wrong question. "What kind of a person am I, that I allow suffering to go on right before my eyes and do nothing about it?"
Imagine the kind of world we would have if all North American Christians would help the poor of our world in some way, imagine...

"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.' Matthew 25:37-40

Lord keep our eyes and hearts open to the needs around us. There is so much work to do. Let us encourage each other in this task.

Thank you so much, my dear children.

'Some people work hard, some people work smart'

Someone said this to me many years ago. At the time, this meant the one speaking was working smart and I was working hard and not accomplishing much because I wasn't working smart. All these years, I have felt that I haven't quite measured up in this person's estimation. It's amazing how one comment can stay in the heart, influencing life and thoughts. It confirms the idea that one should be careful with what one says. Our words have power to uplift and encourage or to keep someone at mediocre for a very long time. It's more than twenty years since this was said to me.

I have finally learnt something better about this idea of working smart.
Working smart is doing the things that really make a difference in life, like spending time, encouraging or helping someone. We are all made in the image of God and precious to Him, therefore we should respect and foster relationship with even those we think a bit strange.
Working smart is remembering that we are responsible for the well being of the earth as well and not be wasteful or overindulgent.
Working smart is spending time studying God's Word, making it foundational to life not just a handy emergency life preserver. We need a prayful relationship with our Creator.
Working smart is loving those who are hard to love and forgiving those who have hurt you. Gather treasure in heaven which is forever, instead of gathering treasure here on earth where things turn to dust.
Working smart is sharing what the Creator has given you so others can be blessed. That's why He gave it to us in the first place.

All these years, I have thought that I wasn't accomplishing much because I work hard and not smart. But now I realize that working smart is not what I thought it to mean. It does not mean you know how to accomplish what's on the list and more. It means rather that you have learnt something about real living and you are trying to live that way. That's what it is...to be a blessing to others and to love the Lord your God with all your heart.

and may the Lord God bless you

Happiness is...

My last post was november 13th! That's a while ago!

I've been going to class, taking notes, reading, taking notes, summarizing, taking notes,responding, taking notes... I figured out that my assignments totalled 6300+ finished words. Amazing. It's a good thing these words didn't all have to be said at the same time, or else myself would have been even more bleary and foggy brained than I am presently. I'm almost done though...only to remember that the exam is in two weeks.Yikes, woman.

My dear little grandson phoned me today. We had a lovely long conversation. We talked about cars and trucks and air planes and breakfast and outside and play and we sang silly songs and did our alphabet. The darling boy made my day! I miss those children so very much and I really shouldn't say this but I cry about them often and think myself very unfortunate that they are so very far away.Then this happens and I'm all better...for a while.

Another wonderful thing happened this week. I received mail from my darling granddaughter. She is doing a project in school. It has to do with a little paper boy called flat Stanley. Well he arrived this week. He is our visitor and we are to treat him as such. He has become a representative of the princess I miss so much! I suppose he is her ambassador. I'm keeping a journal for him and I stick him in my purse smiley face out, or in the seat elastic of my car so he can see out the window. He goes where I go. I introduce him where ever appropriate and people smile and laugh. Ah, imagination is still alive!!

That's it for today. I want to feed my silly dog and do what ever yet...maybe nothing...

Happy December 1st!
It's first Advent; light a candle and remember Jesus.

...there should be no poor among you...

'That's where we need to be generous!' I said to myself.

I just did a paper on the book of Ruth in my studies. I think the research I did will be going through my head for a very long time to come.

God provided for the poor, the orphans, the widows and the foreigners.(Leviticus 19:9,10) Farmers were not to reap to the very edges of their fields or gather the gleanings of their harvest. "Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God." Wow. 'I am the Lord your God'....we would do well to listen. So,the care of the poor depends on our generosity, doesn't it? It bothers me a lot that we live in such a wealthy society and the poor remain in the world, here on our doorstep and far away where we can't see them.

My daughter, bless her soul, challenged me just today. She and her husband are not giving gifts this Christmas and they wish not to receive any either.They have decided to give what they can to an organization that does effective work in Africa in lieu of gifts. Most people will go into debt to buy nice things for others who don't need anything, while so many on this planet don't have the basics to live properly. Time to shake some sense into our heads. I'm one to talk, I know. What am I going to do about this? A serious kick in the pants is needed! Get creative woman! I wrote a cheque for our little girl in Africa and said to myself, 'that's where we need to be generous.'
How do we leave the edges of our fields and the missed and fallen grapes of our bounty for those who really need them? We will have to answer for this some day.

"However, there should be no poor among you"...(Deut. 15:4)... No...kidding.

And...what's with this 'we' business? I...me...that's who's business!

'A'

I think I must have spent a thousand hours on the essay I just handed in today! Footnoting is cruel and unusual punishment. I was starting to cackle and mutter and shout,becoming slowly insane, until finally by about 1:30 in the middle of the night, I finished the confounded footnoting for my essay. There were spots before my eyes already and my stomach was hurting so I drank all the wine that was left in the bottle... and went to sleep. This morning I completed the bibliography, downed some 'breaky', rushed to school and had a great class. My prof is a wonderful teacher. She is so passionate about what she teaches and makes such good sense. I would love to take another course with her next semester instead of doing the next intro course with another professor. I'm going to talk to her about that since she is also my adviser. Good idea.
I got an 'A' on my first three summaries/response assignments! I started to cry. It was a touching moment. I can hardly believe it because all I have right now is a brain ache from all this thinking and studying and writing and footnoting. I'm going to have a restful time this afternoon. I'm not 'hit tin' the books today! My brain is going to think happy thoughts only. So there.

I'm all studied out. I'm all shook up. My head hurts and I had to rest my eyes before. A snore woke me. Is it possible to over study?
I think it may be, because my thoughts are empty right now.

Wednesday, November 7th

Just got back from girl's club. I thought I was done with that, but I can't seem to keep away from it. This year I'm teaching grade 5 girls. They are so much fun! They are so smart and so clever. I'm going to have to pull my socks to make sure they have a challenge or two. Next week is a special night when we can do what ever we want to.
I have to finish my 2500 word essay for school before then. Come Wednesday I'll be all done that so girl's club will be 'happy time' for me. We'll eat of course, play some games, make a graham wafer candy house, they were talking about a talent show...so I've got a few ideas to go on. Google has been very helpful. I found good jokes, tongue twisters and word games which were well received. I plan to look for some more stuff.
They are sweet girls.
Gotta go, I have to send that letter to my darling granddaughter!
It's Wednesday after all!