a time of joy, a time of giving. there is more joy in the giving than in the receiving but for me this christmas i was brought to tears by receiving a gift of a sheep from the world vision christmas catalogue that was given in my name.
one is blessed to give such a gift, another is blessed to receive the gift in their name, and the receiver is blessed with a gift that continues to multiply with meat, milk, wool and income.
thank you my friend. i love you too.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Friday, December 15, 2006
bone marrow transplants
have you ever considered being a donor? i had thought about this years ago but when i heard about how painful it was i changed my mind. i am afraid of needles & pain so it was out of the question.
recently i was told i was going to have a bone marrow biopsy. i read about it on-line, saw the horse needle they use & thought it was going to be really painful. i wasn't concerned about the reason to have the biopsy but i'm thinking about this huge freaking needle & my low pain tolerance. i asked friends for prayer. as usual God was amazing.
yesterday i'm lying there waiting for the pain to come when the doc says she's done. she said it would hurt when the freezing came out. i went shopping for 3 1/2 hours right after. i vegged in front of the tube last night waiting for the pain to come. it never did.
checked out the national marrow donor program - bone marrow transplants have helped save over 25,000 lives. you can help. all it takes initially is a blood test to see if you are a match. maybe most people aren't but one person may be able to save someone's life by donating their marrow. maybe that one person is you.
recently i was told i was going to have a bone marrow biopsy. i read about it on-line, saw the horse needle they use & thought it was going to be really painful. i wasn't concerned about the reason to have the biopsy but i'm thinking about this huge freaking needle & my low pain tolerance. i asked friends for prayer. as usual God was amazing.
yesterday i'm lying there waiting for the pain to come when the doc says she's done. she said it would hurt when the freezing came out. i went shopping for 3 1/2 hours right after. i vegged in front of the tube last night waiting for the pain to come. it never did.
checked out the national marrow donor program - bone marrow transplants have helped save over 25,000 lives. you can help. all it takes initially is a blood test to see if you are a match. maybe most people aren't but one person may be able to save someone's life by donating their marrow. maybe that one person is you.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
what is christmas?
it's a celebration of the greatest joy, the deepest peace and the richest love the heart can ever know - Jesus.
May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. and as Jesus has poured Himself out as an offering and a blessing to us, may He pour us out as a blessing to others.
May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. and as Jesus has poured Himself out as an offering and a blessing to us, may He pour us out as a blessing to others.
life is not fair
how many times have you said that's not fair. i can think of many times in my life when i thought things weren't fair. i could make a list of things that i thought were not fair. i'm sure most of you could too.
odb dec 2 - We are not the arbiters of fairness. God is, and He knows far more than we do about His plans and purposes. The question isn’t about fairness. In the end, it’s about trust in a faithful God who knows what He is doing. “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice” (Deut. 32:4). Life will never look fair. But when we trust God, we always know that He is faithful.
we question why God would allow something terrible to happen. we rail at God for what we deem are injustices. this isn't a perfect world and He tells us that over and over in the bible. but He is a perfect God and He is always faithful and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God.
odb dec 2 - We are not the arbiters of fairness. God is, and He knows far more than we do about His plans and purposes. The question isn’t about fairness. In the end, it’s about trust in a faithful God who knows what He is doing. “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice” (Deut. 32:4). Life will never look fair. But when we trust God, we always know that He is faithful.
we question why God would allow something terrible to happen. we rail at God for what we deem are injustices. this isn't a perfect world and He tells us that over and over in the bible. but He is a perfect God and He is always faithful and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God.
life and death
i know of a lady that passed away recently from a long battle with cancer. she spoke of her illness as a win / win situation. win - she is restored to good health and to her family. win - she enters paradise. wow! i think that is so cool.
i know of another person dying of cancer and he has a completely different outlook. he hasn't accepted that he won't be going home and that he only has weeks to live.
both christians yet with very different outlooks on life.
odb - dec 4 The specter of death is faced by every human being. Yet, whether we face that reality with fear or with confidence is not dependent on having a good outlook or a positive attitude. The way we face death depends completely on whether or not we have a personal relationship with Jesus, who gave Himself to die so that death itself could be abolished. Paul wrote to Timothy that our Savior was the One who “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10). The result is that even in the most disturbing times of life, we never need to be scared to death. We can live confidently and filled with hope, because Jesus conquered death.
if that's how we face death should we not face life the same way. if we have a deeply, personal, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ we do not fear, we have hope. if we don't we need to spend more time with Him.
i know of another person dying of cancer and he has a completely different outlook. he hasn't accepted that he won't be going home and that he only has weeks to live.
both christians yet with very different outlooks on life.
odb - dec 4 The specter of death is faced by every human being. Yet, whether we face that reality with fear or with confidence is not dependent on having a good outlook or a positive attitude. The way we face death depends completely on whether or not we have a personal relationship with Jesus, who gave Himself to die so that death itself could be abolished. Paul wrote to Timothy that our Savior was the One who “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10). The result is that even in the most disturbing times of life, we never need to be scared to death. We can live confidently and filled with hope, because Jesus conquered death.
if that's how we face death should we not face life the same way. if we have a deeply, personal, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ we do not fear, we have hope. if we don't we need to spend more time with Him.
"the battle is far from won."
how dare they! how dare they compare the famines and diseases that are ravaging most of the world with some overly priced clothing line that is being copied and marketed at a more affordable price.
taken from the globe & mail dec 7. my comments in caps.
When you start messing with my brand, it's time to mobilize... THIS MAKES ME SO ANGRY
Do they know it's counterfeit? DO WE CARE? Just as famine and disease ravage the Third World, a devastating clothing condition plagues Canada. According to the folks at urban-wear brand Sean John, knock-off goods are flooding the market, AFFORDABLE PRICES FOR THE AVERAGE CONSUMER harming legitimate manufacturers and retailers. In a passionately worded release, the apparel company created by hip-hop icon Sean Combs stressed that the biggest victims in the garb scam are the consumers -- salt-of-the-earth Canadians who deserve to "spend their hard-earned money on brands they like and trust." Brands such as Sean John, for instance.
In a cause that bizarrely recalls pop musician Bob Geldof's effort to raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief in 1984 GREAT CAUSE, Canadian hip-hop artists are involving themselves in a campaign to halt the trade of bogus tracksuits WANT TO STAND BEHIND A CAUSE - TRY WORLD HUNGER. The catch phrase of the effort is "Don't Buy a Lie," and the whole idea is to raise awareness of the senseless travesty of fake threads. HOW ABOUT THE SENSELESS TRAVESTY THAT WE ALLOW MILLIONS TO GO TO BED AT NIGHT SICK AND HUNGRY.
So, as in 1984, where the likes of Bono, Boy George and David Bowie huddled around studio microphones to sing Do They Know It's Christmas, at http://www.dontbuyalie.com there's a shot of Juno-winning rapper Kardinal Offishall in a recording studio, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the battle cry. Millionaire basketball player Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors is also involved.
Canadian authorities are taking steps to halt the counterfeiting, yet, according to the release, "the battle is far from won."
overheard 35 years ago in sears ladies fitting room. mom is buying teenage daughter a new pair of jeans. while daughter is in change room mom is bringing in various pairs for daughter to try on. daughter is bemoaning the jeans mom is bringing - "i can't wear these - they're not brand names" i felt sorry for the mom who was voicing her concern over the high cost of the more expensive brand names.
THEY ARE RIGHT - the battle is far from won when we who have much are so concerned about 'getting ours' and ignore those who have nothing.
taken from the globe & mail dec 7. my comments in caps.
When you start messing with my brand, it's time to mobilize... THIS MAKES ME SO ANGRY
Do they know it's counterfeit? DO WE CARE? Just as famine and disease ravage the Third World, a devastating clothing condition plagues Canada. According to the folks at urban-wear brand Sean John, knock-off goods are flooding the market, AFFORDABLE PRICES FOR THE AVERAGE CONSUMER harming legitimate manufacturers and retailers. In a passionately worded release, the apparel company created by hip-hop icon Sean Combs stressed that the biggest victims in the garb scam are the consumers -- salt-of-the-earth Canadians who deserve to "spend their hard-earned money on brands they like and trust." Brands such as Sean John, for instance.
In a cause that bizarrely recalls pop musician Bob Geldof's effort to raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief in 1984 GREAT CAUSE, Canadian hip-hop artists are involving themselves in a campaign to halt the trade of bogus tracksuits WANT TO STAND BEHIND A CAUSE - TRY WORLD HUNGER. The catch phrase of the effort is "Don't Buy a Lie," and the whole idea is to raise awareness of the senseless travesty of fake threads. HOW ABOUT THE SENSELESS TRAVESTY THAT WE ALLOW MILLIONS TO GO TO BED AT NIGHT SICK AND HUNGRY.
So, as in 1984, where the likes of Bono, Boy George and David Bowie huddled around studio microphones to sing Do They Know It's Christmas, at http://www.dontbuyalie.com there's a shot of Juno-winning rapper Kardinal Offishall in a recording studio, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the battle cry. Millionaire basketball player Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors is also involved.
Canadian authorities are taking steps to halt the counterfeiting, yet, according to the release, "the battle is far from won."
overheard 35 years ago in sears ladies fitting room. mom is buying teenage daughter a new pair of jeans. while daughter is in change room mom is bringing in various pairs for daughter to try on. daughter is bemoaning the jeans mom is bringing - "i can't wear these - they're not brand names" i felt sorry for the mom who was voicing her concern over the high cost of the more expensive brand names.
THEY ARE RIGHT - the battle is far from won when we who have much are so concerned about 'getting ours' and ignore those who have nothing.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
God uses angels
or miracles to help us find our way, provide for our needs, or to encourage us.
what an encouragement to hear these stories. things are rough and you're struggling with whatever and maybe you wonder - is God really listening? will He really be there when i need him?
He is listening and He will be there when you need Him.
wow! what an awesoome God we serve.
what an encouragement to hear these stories. things are rough and you're struggling with whatever and maybe you wonder - is God really listening? will He really be there when i need him?
He is listening and He will be there when you need Him.
wow! what an awesoome God we serve.
footprints
another co-worker told us this story today. there is a drop-in centre for homeless youth in abbotsford where they can get something to eat, shower, do laundry, etc.
2 weeks ago when it had snowed a man found a youth standing out on the street in the cold @ 2:30 am. he told him he had to come in out of the cold and took him to cyrus centre. at 2:30 this youth is banging on the door and when the door was opened he told them he had to find God. the youth talked to the person at the door for a moment, explained that the man had brought him there and when they turned to talk to the older man he was nowhere to be found and there were only 1 set of footprints in the snow.
2 weeks ago when it had snowed a man found a youth standing out on the street in the cold @ 2:30 am. he told him he had to come in out of the cold and took him to cyrus centre. at 2:30 this youth is banging on the door and when the door was opened he told them he had to find God. the youth talked to the person at the door for a moment, explained that the man had brought him there and when they turned to talk to the older man he was nowhere to be found and there were only 1 set of footprints in the snow.
God is there when you need Him
the same friend told me that her dad (or uncle?) was travelling through the desert and was almost out of gas. there was nothing in sight for miles but when they crested a hill they saw a gas station. they filled up, talked to the owner for a bit and headed down the road. they returned the exact same way however the gas station they had stopped at previously was no where to be found.
He will provide what you need when you need it. no more, no less.
He will provide what you need when you need it. no more, no less.
is God listening?
a friend wrote this today.
This is just a little encouragement on the Lords Goodness.
For those of you who do not know, without a healing from the Lord, my brother Mick is dying in the surrey cancer ward.
He is a Christian as is my whole family. There has been so much prayer on his behalf and for this we are so thankful.
As he has progressively gotten worse and the pain is uncontrollable even with the morphine, you begin to wonder in our human minds, if the Lord is hearing.
Yesterday we had an uplifting refreshing encouragement from the Lord.
We have a friend who is a trucker. He is a wonderful man but what you would call a typical trucker. He does dearly love the Lord, but does not get to church very often because of the long haul and varied schedule.
He was driving last week thru Oregon, which he has done often over the last many years. This time he noticed a restaurant on the side of the road that was called “Heaven on Earth”. He was curious so went in and ordered lunch. Just as he got his lunch, a woman came along with a bowl of soup and asked if she could sit with him. They discussed the hymns that were playing on the radio, and then she said to him “you need to go to the hospital and pray for your friend Mick”.
He was blown away and asked excuse me? She said you have a friend in the hospital named Mick right? You need to go pray for him.
He stated the obvious, I am just a trucker. She said you need to be obedient and not a Moses who told the Lord he was not worthy.
It took him 10 days round trip but yesterday he went to the hospital and with the nurses still working on Mick, and Mom and Dad and my sister in the room he told them the story and then just said a simple prayer for Mick.
Mom and Dad were so encouraged as well as his wife.
Dad said that no matter what happens, the Lord let us know that he hears and knows Mick’s name. What an incredible encouragement.
God is so good!
Isn’t it great to serve such an all loving God!
my friend also mentioned that this trucker who has been on this same route for many years had never noticed this restaurant before.
This is just a little encouragement on the Lords Goodness.
For those of you who do not know, without a healing from the Lord, my brother Mick is dying in the surrey cancer ward.
He is a Christian as is my whole family. There has been so much prayer on his behalf and for this we are so thankful.
As he has progressively gotten worse and the pain is uncontrollable even with the morphine, you begin to wonder in our human minds, if the Lord is hearing.
Yesterday we had an uplifting refreshing encouragement from the Lord.
We have a friend who is a trucker. He is a wonderful man but what you would call a typical trucker. He does dearly love the Lord, but does not get to church very often because of the long haul and varied schedule.
He was driving last week thru Oregon, which he has done often over the last many years. This time he noticed a restaurant on the side of the road that was called “Heaven on Earth”. He was curious so went in and ordered lunch. Just as he got his lunch, a woman came along with a bowl of soup and asked if she could sit with him. They discussed the hymns that were playing on the radio, and then she said to him “you need to go to the hospital and pray for your friend Mick”.
He was blown away and asked excuse me? She said you have a friend in the hospital named Mick right? You need to go pray for him.
He stated the obvious, I am just a trucker. She said you need to be obedient and not a Moses who told the Lord he was not worthy.
It took him 10 days round trip but yesterday he went to the hospital and with the nurses still working on Mick, and Mom and Dad and my sister in the room he told them the story and then just said a simple prayer for Mick.
Mom and Dad were so encouraged as well as his wife.
Dad said that no matter what happens, the Lord let us know that he hears and knows Mick’s name. What an incredible encouragement.
God is so good!
Isn’t it great to serve such an all loving God!
my friend also mentioned that this trucker who has been on this same route for many years had never noticed this restaurant before.
christmas giving
when i was 15 i met of family of 32 kids on christmas eve. there were no singles, only twins & triplets. at night the older kids all gatherered at the family home to go to church at midnight. the younger kids that slept 3 in a bed stacked on triple high bunkbeds got up at midnight to open their one present. their eyes were huge with joy to receive their one gift. i will never forget that awesome sight. then years later as my own young grandchildren said after opening 20 to 25 presents - is that all? are there any more? i will never forget that either.
we can give our kids too much and when we do they don't appreciate what they get.
as you sit in front of your cozy, warm fire consider giving to someone who is sleeping under an overpass. there but by the grace of God go you or i. as you think about gorging yourself on turkey and christmas baking consider giving to the hungry. as you are shopping for friends and family why not pick up something for someone that otherwise won't get anything this christmas.
God has blessed you with enough food to eat, clean water to drink & warm shelter. we can all do more, we can all give more, we can all share.
please - find it in your heart to share this christmas. you too can make a difference.
and as you consider this, consider sponsoring a child. not only do you support a child, you support their whole family, their whole village. make it a gift that will last a lifetime.
"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.'
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
we can give our kids too much and when we do they don't appreciate what they get.
as you sit in front of your cozy, warm fire consider giving to someone who is sleeping under an overpass. there but by the grace of God go you or i. as you think about gorging yourself on turkey and christmas baking consider giving to the hungry. as you are shopping for friends and family why not pick up something for someone that otherwise won't get anything this christmas.
God has blessed you with enough food to eat, clean water to drink & warm shelter. we can all do more, we can all give more, we can all share.
please - find it in your heart to share this christmas. you too can make a difference.
and as you consider this, consider sponsoring a child. not only do you support a child, you support their whole family, their whole village. make it a gift that will last a lifetime.
"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.'
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
God loves a cheerful giver
The richest 2 per cent of adults own more than half the world’s wealth, according to the most comprehensive study of personal assets.
according to The World Distribution of Household Wealth report the average wealth in the US was $143,727 a person in 2000, and in Japan, $180,837.
In India the figure was $1,100, in Indonesia per capita wealth was $1,400, and in Zimbabwe, $1,465. The Democratic Republic of Congo came last with $180. aren't you glad you don't live in the congo.
whether you have a 6 or a 4 figure income God blesses a cheerful giver. i have seen 4 figure income people give more generously than a 5 or 6 figure income person. and i know tight-fisted millionaires.
what are you? there will always be people in more need than yourself. people in north america spend more and more on family & friends at christmas. instead of spoiling your kids & giving them 20 presents, to hear them say "is that all" or "are there more" why don't you give a gift to someone who would otherwise have no gifts at christmas.
Jesus said 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
according to The World Distribution of Household Wealth report the average wealth in the US was $143,727 a person in 2000, and in Japan, $180,837.
In India the figure was $1,100, in Indonesia per capita wealth was $1,400, and in Zimbabwe, $1,465. The Democratic Republic of Congo came last with $180. aren't you glad you don't live in the congo.
whether you have a 6 or a 4 figure income God blesses a cheerful giver. i have seen 4 figure income people give more generously than a 5 or 6 figure income person. and i know tight-fisted millionaires.
what are you? there will always be people in more need than yourself. people in north america spend more and more on family & friends at christmas. instead of spoiling your kids & giving them 20 presents, to hear them say "is that all" or "are there more" why don't you give a gift to someone who would otherwise have no gifts at christmas.
Jesus said 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
6.5 million +++++
people are dying of starvation and victoria's secret special tonight advertises a bra that -
"Not that mere mortals could ever afford the tricked-out "products" on haute display. "The Hearts on Fire Diamond Fantasy Bra," for example, would cost you $6.5 million (U.S.), if you were allowed to buy one. And get this: more than one million Swarovski crystals were used to glamourize the lascivious creations."
i hope their ratings are an absolute disaster. this kind of stuff makes me so angry when i think of all the people that don't have enough food to eat, clean water to drink, clothes to keep warm, shelter to keep warm & dry. it makes me so angry it brings tears to my eyes.
"Not that mere mortals could ever afford the tricked-out "products" on haute display. "The Hearts on Fire Diamond Fantasy Bra," for example, would cost you $6.5 million (U.S.), if you were allowed to buy one. And get this: more than one million Swarovski crystals were used to glamourize the lascivious creations."
i hope their ratings are an absolute disaster. this kind of stuff makes me so angry when i think of all the people that don't have enough food to eat, clean water to drink, clothes to keep warm, shelter to keep warm & dry. it makes me so angry it brings tears to my eyes.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
nbc @ northview
wow! it was very cool! several friends from new heights were also there enjoying the performance. if you've never seen it before it's well worth the $10. there are still some tickets available if you're thinking of going. the performances are thursdays & fridays @ 7pm & saturdays & sundays @ 3:30 and 7pm. even the kids loved it & at intermission you get a variety of delicious treats & drinks.
i'd never seen it before but i think it will become a tradition.
i'd never seen it before but i think it will become a tradition.
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