A thought for every season

Time flies

2012-02-11T07:36:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we are too busy

2011-11-16T12:35:00.000-08:00

It feels like I am driven. It is difficult to explain. Time seems rushing by and my daily schedule is overwhelming. How can I find time to practice my pieces for Community Band or our church orchestra? The concerts will be in a few weeks. My homework is not done yet for the drawing course I am "trying" to take.

Sometimes I overbook a meeting and have to make a choice which one I should attend.

Medical appointments (out of town) for my husband have broken up my routine and today (Wednesday) I am doing laundry, which I normally do Mondays. I even missed sending one of my newspaper articles.

I know what is driving me. I enjoy all the things I am doing and try to squeeze in any many as possible, for as long as the Lord will give me health and strength. Some of the things I am doing now, like the music, my writing and my crafts and volunteering in the care homes, I enjoy tremendously and would not like to have to give up.

However in a few weeks my age will be three quarters of a century and I do not know how much time I have left. The activities I am doing now I could either not afford years ago, or did not have the time because I was raising a family and foster children.

I am convinced that the Lord is in control of my life and could stop me from doing these things at any time, but He knows that whatever I do I want to glorify and honour Him. When I participated in a girlsclub we learned the verse from Colossians 3:17 "And whatever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him." Even in a secular situation, like the Community Band, I know that the Christians do influence the atmosphere (I do not hear anymore dirty jokes and swear words).

I just wanted to share with you what is driving me these days and the reason why.

Maybe someone can relate ..........

The Inscribe Fall conference

2011-09-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

It is almost two o'clock and I am ready to go. The suite case is packed, the plants have been watered and my little dog is at the neighbour. My birds have also been cleaned, fed and watered and my husband's lunches for five days are waiting in the fridge. Now what do I do? I need to wait two hours before my husband will be home to take me to the bus. I sometimes wonder if I was born early, because wherever I need to go I always like to be there ahead of time. I am always early everywhere I go. Maybe this is a good time to put some of my thoughts on paper. The computer is the last thing that I will shut down. However to stay in touch I bring my little netbook.

I am very thankful that I only have to travel by bus to Saskatoon, approx. six hours from where I live. From there I share a ride with my friend. This will help us both because we can share the cost of the trip and we will have great fellowship together. On Friday morning we plan to leave bright and early so that we can be in time in Wetaskewin. As you can see it is quite an undertaking, but I am looking forward to see some of my friends at the conference and I need to be motivated again. My enthusiasm is at a low at the moment.

However the last few weeks I learned something valuable (we are never too old to learn). I was at a meeting which could be upsetting for me. I found out that as I started to take notes I felt at peace and was prevented from opening my mouth and maybe say something I would regret later. It was an eyeopener, so from now on my notebook will go wherever I go.

After the conference we travel to Edmonton, where Sheri will visit her daughter for a few days and my daughter, who lives in Whitecourt will pick me up and I can spend a few days at her place. I will also see my other daughter, my grand daughters and my sweet little great grand daughters. We might even go swimming I am told. My bathing suit is packed. I am so blessed that I can make this trip and us girls can spend some time together. When I come back the harvest is probable in the bin and my husband will be happy too. He does not mind that I go away to see the children and do some of my own things. That is a blessing.

On Tuesday morning very early my daughter will bring me back to Edmonton and I catch my ride back to Saskatoon, spend the night at my friend's house and catch the bus to go home the next morning.

It will be a packed, but wonderful trip and I wish you all could join me and share my blessings with me.

I am Free!

2011-08-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am free indeed. This little phrase keeps buzzing through my head as we drive the highway on our way from Manitoba to Alberta. I keep saying this verse in John 8:36 repeatedly: "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." The Lord Jesus Christ set me free from being a slave to sin, so now I do not need to worry about anything, because He is in control. It seems that since I am getting older, life becomes more worry some. My husband is a good driver and very confident, sometimes a bit over confident, I think. I did come to the point that I was not willing to drive long distances with him any more. We talked it over and prayed about it and came to a sacrificial agreement: we will not drive 1000 km in one day anymore (from Swan River, MB to Edmonton, AB). So we put it through the test last week. I still had to remind myself that I AM FREE on several occasions and ask the Lord to take away my worry. But the glorious result was that every time I prayed He gave me the peace that I needed to enjoy our trip away from home. We went from home to North Battleford, from there to Edmonton, then to Valleyview, back to Whitecourt, back to Edmonton, then to Saskatoon where we attended a conference (including a cruise on the river) and home from there. All this in ten days and we had a wonderful time with family and friends and just being together on the road. God wants us to be free from any worry or oppression so we can enjoy life to the fullest and share with others what God is doing for us.

The last few nights I had some scary dreams. Last night I was sure that a man was standing in the door opening of our bedroom. When I looked again, he was gone. Again I prayed that the Lord would set me free from those strange dreams and I commanded this whatever I saw to get out of our home and disappear into the pit. The same peace that I received when we were travelling came over me again and I had a restful sleep. This morning I praised and glorified God for His faithfulness. It strengthened my faith and it is wonderful to experience this "peace of God which transcends all understanding" (Philippians 4:7).

2011-06-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

Blog, blog and more blog. Why did I not get out of bed last night and wrote down what was on my mind. The urge was there, but then I was too lazy to get up. Sometimes I think that I should not be writing anymore. I am not producing any books or win any prizes at contests.
Then someone will come up to me and tell me that she enjoyed my little article in the local paper. I guess we all need encouragement at times and I know that eventually I will be driven to write again. This blog is all about "I", but it is good sometimes to spill the beans and let the fingers write what is flowing out of one's heart. This is my contribution for to-day. It feels good to have written it down and I hope someone will read it and understand my feelings.

2011-05-07T14:48:00.000-07:00

Last October, right after Thanksgivings Day I wrote a blog about a car accident where one girl was severely hurt. She spent months in hospital, underwent several operations and still has to have another operation on her back and two on her knees. She is going back to see both specialists this week. She wrote on Facebook and asked for prayer. Her plan for this summer is to be the assistant director in a Bible Camp. She will share this position with another young lady, because she is limited in her movements. The Board will provide whatever she needs to make her stay at Bible Camp work for her. In September she hopes to go back to Bible College and make up for the year she lost because of the accident. Her prayer request is that none of the operations will happen during camp time or when she will be back in Bible School. The testimony this young lady has is indescribable when you think of all the suffering she went through (even a sixteen hour back operation) and the faith she has that the Lord will use her for His glory. She is an example for many. This winter she came back to join our Community Band to play her flute, even when the weather was nasty and she had to use crutches to stay mobile. I praise and thank the Lord for this young adult and know that the Lord will use her mightily.

My burden

2011-04-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

It is Sunday morning and I have a prayer request to share in our church service. However there is a change and we are asked to pray for any of our own needs. I feel that my request does not fit that category so I start to write down what was in my heart and want to share this in my blog.

This week my burden is heavy for the families who are travelling. It is spring break in Manitoba and families are travelling to visit grandparents and grandparents like to go and enjoy time with children and grandchildren. It is important to pray for those who are on the road. I am also thinking of a group of senior high school children who are in Europe during this break and are performing some of their band music. Are they socializing in a manner that is not only honoring to their country, but also to the Lord? Because the Lord has burdened my heart I need to pray.

Of course I have needs too, but it is not always easy to share with others. When I think of travelling I feel anxious. The older I get the more that travelling becomes a burdensome experience. My husband is a confident driver, maybe a bit over confident, according to my thinking. He will never admit that. Going to an airport is an overwhelming experience now that we are both well into our senior years. Yes, there is a season for everything as the Bible tells us. I need to commit these thoughts of my own heart to the Lord, and above all, leave them there.

The Lord will give us grace to endure and to accept what He has in store for us. "His grace is sufficient."

PRAYER

2010-10-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

This past week I spent much time in prayer.

There were prayers of praise, thankfulness and worship when we became great-grandparents of twins. They are healthy and able to go home with their mom after two days. We are looking forward to travel to Alberta to go and see those precious little ones.

This week I shed many a tear when each miner in Chile came up from the mine. Many confessed that their relationship with the Lord changed during the time they were underground. Relationships has been restored and families are back together. We need to keep praying that they will adjust well after this terrible ordeal.

Each day when my husband comes home I ask him if he had a good day out on the field to gather in the crop. If it is a good day we thank and praise the Lord. If the day was not so good and sometimes terrible, we pray for a better day tomorrow. We also thank the Lord for keeping the farmers safe.

Four young people going back to Bible College after celebrating Thanksgiving Day with family at home were involved in a car roll-over and they all got injured. Many people in our town are praying for one girl who was severely hurt. She just underwent 16 hours of surgery to repair her spine. It is overwhelming and almost puzzling to see how the Lord is going to use this mishap to His glory. It brings people together to seek the Lord all through the day.

God honors prayer and will give us a peace that passes all understanding when we seek Him.

God's Hand

2010-08-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

This morning I experienced God's Hand after I had written one of my childhood experiences.

When I was still in bed I thought about some of unpleasant memories of my life. The need was there to write them down. I wrote about three pages and let my husband read it off the computer. Then we discussed how I should save it without too many people having access to it. Some people in the story are still living and might have objections. He suggested to delete the whole thing, since I had now followed my heart and wrote it down. I am still thinking about it and suddenly the screensaver gets stuck. This means that I have to restart the computer. Now remember I was still thinking of how to save these three pages, under what heading would be best suitable, so ...... nothing was saved and it was now all gone. The first thought comes to my mind, that this is an answer to a prayer I had not even said yet. The Lord took over and let me have peace with it.

Has any writer ever experienced this, the need to write down something, then not knowing what to do with it and the Lord takes care of it, one way or another? Praise God, He is in control.

Life

2010-08-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

Some one wrote, yes, there is life after 40 ..... Oh yes, I know, there is even life after 50 and 60. But what about after 70. Some of us have the privilege to live after the age of 70 years. Three scores and 10, according to the Bible. When I was at International Music camp I was amazed how many pensioners were still going strong on their musical instruments or voice. It was very uplifting.

After being home a week I visited my friend who just moved into a personal care home. She thought she was moving into another apartment and would get full care there. She wondered what she was doing in this place with all these people. When I stepped into her room it felt like I stepped into a cage. It made me think of my birds who have always lived in a cage and do not know any better. This friend of mine has lived a very active life until about a year ago. Her memory was beginning to slip and some physical problems began to surface. She is not much older than me.

Is that what is waiting for me, being left in a personal care home. I know the care will be excellent, but all you have is your one room and no privacy, no lock on the door .....

The threat gave me a downward look on life and I felt down the rest of the day. On one hand it is a "downer" but on the other hand it spurs me on to do the things I still want to do in life, if the Lord will let me. It is such a comfort to know that God is in control of my life. Nothing will happen to me without His consent. All I need to do is trust Him. Even writing this blog uplifts me and gives me courage to keep going as long as I can. Thank you Lord for the comfort you give.

As David puts it so rightly in Psalm 121:8 "The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever." What a precious promise to hang on to.

music camp

2010-08-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

It is not a Bible camp, but a International music camp for adults. People from all over Canada and the United States bring their instruments and voices and get together to make four days of music. I brought my clarinet and settled in with the intermediate band. Some people did not start to make music until after they retired, others have played for years and are still going strong. We ate, slept and thought music, rehearsed and rehearsed some more until the final concert. For me it was a new and wonderful experience to be with like minded (music) people. It encouraged me to go on and bring music, especially to the elderly who love to hear the old time hymns. It brings smiles on their faces and, according to the nurses, brings a calming atmosphere just before supper. The main purpose for my music is to bring glory to God and peace and quiet to me and those around me. God loves music. David very often sang praises to God. Let us make a joyful noise unto the Lord for as long as we can.

Inscribe Fall Conference in Edmonton, AB

2010-07-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

My registration for the Fall Conference, held in Edmonton, September 24 & 25, 2010, is in.

I am looking forward to see some of my writers' friends and listen to some great speakers, like Rudy Wiebe and Sigmond Brouwer. There are workshops on poetry, non-fiction and blogging.

It is well worth the long ride from Manitoba to Alberta by bus.

I get inspired when I eat, drink, sleep and talk writing for two days straight.

There will be a banquet with special music, so relaxing. There will also be the announcement of the winners of several contests and our work can be critiqued. It is an altogether win, win situation and well worth planning for.

Hope to see you there. I would love to meet you and get to know more Christian writers.

2010-05-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

The Portrait of a Mother

Someone once said that her expression was harsh.

She did not smile very often.

Her face was round; her mouth almost a straight line.

Her brown eyes had depth.

She suffered much pain.

Her memories of a relative who died on the operating table

prevented her from seeking medical help.

She finally had the surgery and survived.

Her love was a jealous and very possessive affection.

She'd spare the food out of her own mouth to feed me.

While in agony of pain she sewed me a coat.

I was only 18 years old when she died of cancer.

On her gravestone it said: "The Lord preserves the simple" (Psalm 116:6).

When I was 19 years old I found out who she really was.

She could never be a mother, but had cared for her niece's child.

She did not want this child to know.

This person was the mother who sat with me

and prayed for me when I was ill.

She cried for me when I was in pain.

Her love was genuine.

I will always remember her as MY MOTHER.

Good Friday

2010-04-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

Today a desire of many years came true. I was able to go to the care homes with my hymnbook and a little message. It is not a holiday anymore for the activity workers, so the opportunity was there for me to tell, play and sing about Jesus Christ and what He did for us so many years ago. One lady, who can be very noisy and disturbing was in her wheelchair right next to the piano and she sang her heart out, even when everybody was quiet she gave us a solo and sang "Jesus keep me near the cross." It brought tears to my eyes. Afterwards I gave them all a little token about Easter that they can pin on their message board in their room. I was so blessed this morning. This afternoon I plan to go to another care home, where I normally go on Fridays and will share the same message there. I can only say: "Praise be to God, who made this possible."
This afternoon brought another highlight. Someone came to visit his Dad in the Lodge, brought a guitar and played along with me. It sounded great and everyone was pleased. The young man told me that he fluked some of the hymns, but he sure tried and even sang along with some of them. May the Lord use these old-time hymns to give joy to many a heart today.

Fw: The friendly busdriver

2010-03-31T09:25:00.001-07:00

THE FRIENDLY BUSDRIVER

Travelling through the night on a bus is never a very exciting experience. Whenever you fall asleep, that is if you do, the next town is in sight, the lights go on and the driver announces what town we are entering.

Our bus driver was very kind and twice let people off where they wanted to before or after he stopped at the bus depot. After bringing freight to the bus depot in North Battleford some people departed at the edge of town. After that we went on to the highway and our next stop would be Saskatoon, just in time for breakfast. A young lady approached the driver and told him in broken English that she should have gotten off the bus in North Battleford. She was on the phone with the person who was waiting for her there. The driver politely told the lady that they are about 20 minutes out of North Battleford and his next stop would be Saskatoon. Going back would take him too far from his schedule. What was he supposed to do? He took over the telephone from the young lady and after explaining his dilemma he said: "I cannot leave her in the middle of the night on the side of the highway. Oh, you do not have any transportation?" The driver thinks for a moment and answers: "ok, I am coming back to North Battleford and drop her off at the store there on the edge of town. I should be there in about 20 minutes."

When we arrived in North Battleford, the driver got off the bus, made sure that someone was there to pick up the young lady, accepted the thanks and got back on the bus. He was still smiling, even though he was more than 40 minutes behind schedule.

When we arrived in Saskatoon, we were in time for our next scheduled departure. One of the ladies commented on the friendliness of the bus driver and we both wondered if he was a Christian. He certainly was an example to many of us.

Addy Oberlin

Happy Birthday

2010-03-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

Today we are celebrating a milestone;
Eighty years have come and gone.
Walter, you crossed my path 15 years ago
When both our lives were at a low.
On our wedding day
I was warned about your way:
The do's and don'ts
And wants and won'ts.
Coming from city life
I became a farmer's wife.
There were adjustments for both of us
Living three years on the farm was a plus.
Now we live in town
And have faced our ups and downs.
My love for you is very dear
I hope to share my days with you for many a year.
With Christ in the center of our life
Every day is more precious for me as your wife.

Happy birthday dear, I love you.
Addy

2010-03-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

What does Easter mean to me?

Why is Easter so important? Is it connected with spring and the new life we see leaping up everywhere. When we lived on the farm, we found kittens in the barn and even one time in the combine. The birds were carrying little sprigs or pieces of fluff and we knew it was time for them to build their nests. I have good memories colouring eggs with my grandchildren. We enjoyed wearing a new coat or dress at Easter. The weather is supposed to be mild and the grass is green after the disappearing of the snow.

However all these have nothing to do with Easter. They have to do with spring and God created it this way. Easter is about sacrifice and victory. Just think about the fact that Jesus was hauled into a courthouse, was charged and sentenced to die on a wooden cross. It was the cruelest sentence a criminal could get. Nevertheless Jesus was innocent. God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment for our sins and His blood was shed on a cross. Romans 5:8 tells us: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinner, Christ died for us."

But that was not the end. Jesus overcame death and arose as it says in Matthew 28:6 "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said." Jesus Christ is now sitting at the right hand of God the Father, interceding on our behalf. If Christ had not died and risen from the dead there would not be salvation for anybody, because it is with the shedding of blood that our sins are forgiven.

That is what Easter means to me.