Rise up, rejoice; breathe, summer rain; [it's a] beautiful day, in God's country; all because of you. — U2 song titles

     

     Opening my eyes this morning to a fresh, new day, I realized the rain showers of last night had indeed made everything look brand new. 
     

     "The glistening raindrops shining like tiny diamonds on the shrubs and flowers surrounding my patio, made it seem magical." 

— Beulah Eagles

          
     I immediately felt like singing the song Louis Armstrong made so famous with his gravelly voice: 

"I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom, for me and you.  And I think to myself, 'what a wonderful world.' 

"I see skies of blue and clouds of white...

... what a wonderful world."

   
     I've heard people say, "Where is God?" How can we know He really exists?"  If we believe the Bible to be true, and God is the "God of the Book," then, what a great place to begin looking for His Presence. 

     
     Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." To believe that concept we must open our eyes to the evidence. I believe God reveals Himself to us through His creation. 

"... He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it."  

— Isaiah 42:5

     Is not God everywhere? Let's throw open the blinds that dim our ability to really see. 

     Someone wisely wrote: "The man whispered, 'God, speak to me,' and a meadowlark sang. But, the man did not hear. So the man yelled, 'God speak to me,' and the thunder and lighting rolled across the sky. But, the man did not listen. The man looked around and said, 'God, let me see you,' and a star shone brightly. But, the man did not see, and the man shouted, 'God, show me a miracle,' and a life was born. But, the man did not notice. So, the man cried out in despair, 'Touch me God, and let me know you are here.' Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man. 
     But, the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.'"   

— Author Unknown 

     We have an intelligent designer —worthy of praise.

     I believe Bono — frontman of the world's biggest rock band, U2 — has it right, when he says: 

     "God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives."

     

"God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives and God is with us if we are with them."  

— Bono  

"... If you seek Him, He will be found by you..."

— 1 Chronicles 28: 9b

—  beulah

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

     

     There were many old phrases that I often heard as I was growing up in our Maritime home. I've always been curious as to their origin. 
     

     For example, "I'll just give this a lick and a promise," which means, "I'm in a hurry now, so a quick once over, with an intent to come back later and do it right." 
     

     I remember my parents, Harvey and Lena Estabrooks, using old phrases that they no doubt heard from generations before them.   

     

     "These have become obsolete, or, have even disappeared with the passing of time, which is too bad really, as some are quite appropriate and even humorous." 

— Beulah Eagles

I did a little research into the origin of some of them: 

     The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law, which, stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

"Feather in your cap." 

     Referred to accomplishing a goal... this, from years ago in wartime when warriors might receive a feather they would put in their cap for defeating an enemy.

"Mind your P's and Q's." 

     In English pubs, ale is ordered by the pints and quarts. So, in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and to settle down. It became the phrase, "mind your P's and Q's."

"Wet your whistle." 
     Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used to whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.

"The honeymoon."     

     It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago, that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink.

     

     Mead is a honey beer, and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the "honeymonth" or, what we know today as the "honey moon."

"Goodnight, sleep tight." 

     In Shakespear's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. 

     That's where the phrase "goodnight, sleep tight" came from.      

     

     So, I've really tried to give this article more than, "just a lick and a promise." 

     

Did you know? 

     The sentence, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter in the alphabet. 

     It was  developed by Western Union to test telex twxcommunications.

—  beulah

Children, like sponges!

     

     Someone cried, "Where must this seed be sown to bring the most fruit when it is grown?" The Master heard, as he smiled and said, "Go plant it for me, in the heart of a child."  

     This past weekend, I had the joyous privilege of spending time with my first great-grand child, Evelyn Jane. What a delight she is — already almost 20 months old, and fast becoming an intelligent two-year-old. 

     It's been said, "Grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old." I believe it. 

     Children enrich our lives. Often, while we try to teach children about life, they teach us what life is really all about. 
     I learned much, during those many years when I was blessed with a teaching career, guiding the impressionable lives of so many young children under my care. 
     I thought of it as planting within their lives, learning seeds of love, trust, confidence and caring — quality traits that would become an integral part of their lives, as later on, they stepped out to face the big world. 

     

"Children are like sponges, absorbing everything around them with fascination as they reach out to grasp their world." 

"Children become what they live." 

     How important, then, are our words and attitudes. 
     Children, also, are great imitators. We must give them something worthwhile to imitate. 
     I've often wondered exactly what Jesus meant when He said, "... Unless you become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven... " (Matthew 18:3). Could He have meant that we all need to have the qualities found within a child, to enter His kingdom? Qualities such as: being trustworthy, unpretentious, loving others and having a forgiving heart. 

     "I believe God wants us to approach Him simply, with a wonderment and awe of His creation."  

— Beulah Eagles 

     

     As America's 35th President John F. Kennedy once said,

     "Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future."   

     



     

     "A person's a person, no matter how small. They demand our respect always!"    

—  Dr. Seuss.

       
     
     



And finally, a smile from comedian Phyllis Diller: 

     "Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shovelling the walk before it stops snowing."






—  beulah

A bug's life

     Thank God, it's Friday!  How many of us have used that expression at the close of a hectic week of work? 

     Some label work as a curse on society, and some even blame our first parents, Adam and Eve, for causing it all. 

     To Adam He [God] said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you... cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life... By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food." (Genesis 3:17-19). 

      

     I grew up in a culture where hard work was the norm —necessary to provide for our every day needs. As a result, I learned early on about patience, perseverance and determination — good work ethics that later on helped me in the hard places I encountered. 

     
     The admonition from the Good Book, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat," (2 Thessalonians 10:6) was often quoted in our family. 

     Also, Idle hands finds mischief. We were also reminded of the wisdom of the busy little ant; "Go to the ant, you sluggard, consider its ways and be wise. It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest." (Proverbs 6: 6-8). 
     Voltaire wisely said, "Work banishes those three great evils, boredom, vice, and poverty." Strange as it may seem, work is truly a blessing in disguise. Choosing a type of work you love to do or something you have a passion for, makes it pleasurable and more worthwhile. When you feel successful at something, it doesn't feel like work, but more like a way of life. You feel you are making your contribution to the world. 
     As mandatory retirement in some instances is no more, many people can still enjoy their chosen place of work. 

Who says a fruitful life is over when you reach the senior years? 

     

Michelangelo

Many have accomplished great tasks in their waning years: Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel lying on his back on a scaffold, when almost 90; the Polish composer Paderewski still played the piano superbly at the age of 79; John Wesley was still preaching every day at 88, and Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote the noted poem, Crossing the Bar, at 83. 

     

     Though work can bring us satisfaction, we need to avoid becoming a compulsive worker, remembering to save some for tomorrow. 

      The following poem — a favourite that I committed to memory during my high school days — would often surface in my mind, during some of my challenging days of teaching children, early on in my career. It suggests that as we carry out our chosen work in our own unique way, we will experience fulfillment and be at peace, at end of day. 

Work 
Let me but do my work from day to day, 
In field or forest, at the desk or loom, 
In roaring market-place or tranquil room; 
Let me but find it in my heart to say, 
When vagrant wishes beckon me astray, 
"This is my work, my blessing, not my doom; 
Of all who live, I am the one by whom 
This work can best be done in the right way." 
Then shall I see it not too great, nor small, 
To suit my spirit and to prove my powers; 
Then shall I cheerful greet the labouring hours, 
And cheerful turn, when the long shadows fall 
At eventide, to play and love and rest, 
Because I know for me my work is best. 

— Henry Van Dyke 

A Smile for Good Health 

     Overheard at the water cooler, "The boss said that I would get a raise when I earned it. He's crazy if he thinks I'm gonna wait that long."

— beulah

Saying it with flowers

A rose can say "I love you",
Orchids can enthral.
But a weed bouquet in a chubby fist —
Oh my, that says it all. 

    
     Each Mother's Day, I find myself awed by that precious something called, Motherhood — that beautiful partnership with God, in bringing a new life into the world. 

     Many years ago, as my husband and I brought our first baby daughter home on a Mother's Day — just one week old — we never could have imagined then, the awesome responsibility that would be ours for years to come.     

     Throughout the various stages of parenting, we experience many emotions; joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness and pride. Yet, no other career in life is more fulfilling than guiding a young life to maturity to become all that he or she was created to be.   
     The idea of celebrating mothers on a special day each year began as a tradition by an American, Anna Jarvis, who, in 1907, wanted to honour the memory of her mother. The concept caught on quickly and is now celebrated worldwide. 
     On her first celebration Anna delivered her mother's favourite flower throughout her town — 500 carnations.

     Florists saw this as an opportunity and began encouraging people to wear one on their lapel; a red carnation if your mother was living, a white one if your mother was no longer alive. 

     I recall this being a practice within my family as I was growing up. 
     Soon, the simple celebration of mothers which Anna Jarvis began, became highly commercialized, much to her disappointment. Nine years later, she decried the practice of purchasing greeting cards, which she felt was a sign of being too lazy to write a personal letter, and now, felt the initial intent of the celebration was being abused. 
     Though our appreciation for our mothers or, mother figures, should be shown all year, taking a special day to thank those who sacrifice their time and energy to help us through life's challenges is important. 
     Each one of us, mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher or friend, can influence the life of a child. Somehow though, a loving, praying, dedicated mother has that unique touch like no other. 
    The beauty of a mother is not in the clothing that she wears, the figure she carries, or, in the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a mother is seen within her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart — the place where love resides.   

A Mother

When you're a child she walks before you,  
To set an example. 
When you're a teenager she walks behind you,  
To be there should you need her. 
When you're an adult she walks beside you,  
So that, as two friends, you can enjoy life together.  

— Author Unknown

— beulah  

GET YOUR VOTE ON!

     

   

     Our 40th provincial general election is underway. British Columbia was the first province in Canada to establish a fixed date — set to occur every four years on the second Tuesday of May. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives Canadian citizens the right to vote. 

     Voting is an important part of our democratic process. It gives each of us a chance to influence the policies that affect us daily, and to be a part of determining what our future will look like. It is our civic responsibility to become informed of the programs and agendas of these, our hired representatives, and then, hopefully, exercise a knowledgeable vote. Making decisions that affect our future and way of life is no easy task. Some of our earlier leaders grasped the awesomeness of their responsibilities.

Prime Minister Trudeau and Queen Elizabeth II sign the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

     I quote an excerpt from a recent posting from David Mainse's blog, 100 words.

     "Rt. Hon. Alexander MacKenzie (1822-1892) was Canada's second prime minister from 1873-1878, and our first Leader of Canada's Loyal Opposition. Prime Minister MacKenzie arrived at his office at 7:00 a.m. each morning. The prophet Daniel, MacKenzie's political hero, prayed with his window open each day (Daniel 6:10-13). MacKenzie, with the door open and on his knees, would pray out loud for God's blessings on Canada for a new day. This was repeated at noon and again before he left for home at 7:00 in the evening. His staff, who were expected to arrive before him in the morning and leave after him at night, would gather around the door to listen to the Prime Minister pray. All Canadians need to know that this may be one of the main reasons why Canada has been blessed so greatly."

     There is a just God who reigns over the destiny of nations. "God keep our land," a line from our Canadian anthem, is sung with gusto at every hockey game, baseball game, and football game. The commitment of Canada's founders who made Psalm 72:8, the motto of our land, "He shall have dominion from sea to sea," had it carved in stone at the entrance to our Houses of Parliament.

     As a province and/or country, we need to collectively pray that the decisions our leaders make please God.

— beulah 

The tail wagging the dog

    

     Over the years as our family grew, so too, did the variety of animals that became an important part of our household.

     We had a plethora of pets ranging from Hokey and Pokey, the racing turtles;

the albino hamster with its soft, white fur and pink eyes; the noisy, but somehow loveable guinea pig, named Ginny; the gerbils that reminded Nels of tiny rats (though he finally grew to appreciate them); the cute bunny that came one Easter, grew up and took over our back lawn;

to the colourful, exotic fish that inhabited the large aquarium. 
     Our first family pet, for our daughter Karen, was a cute baby kitten. It seemed to mature overnight, presenting us with a large litter of round, balls of fluff. 
     Then, there was always a loving dog added to the mix. Like the time, one of the children brought home an adorable puppy from the neighbour's new litter, saying,"... only to show you Mom, we don't have to keep it." Of course, it was "love at first sight", and a quick vote left Mom out-numbered. We dubbed him, Bo-Bo, which we soon learned was very much a "she". 
     

     Our new family member, (a  Black Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd cross), grew way too quickly and soon, literally, before my eyes, we had a pregnant mother to deal with! We had already acquired a Shetland Collie from friends moving to the States, who convinced us our large back yard was adequate for two dogs. 


     Little did we know then, that nine dogs would be sharing the space. 
     Excitement ran high as we watched the miracle of the birth of Bo-Bo's seven adorable puppies. The family each began labeling one after the other with a unique name, such as Freeway, Velvet, Shy Guy, The Flying Nun (because of its flapping ears and the then current show, The Flying Nun), etc... etc. 
     A new home was found for each of them as they became ready to adopt. Yet another pair of little arms carried away their precious puppy to add to the joys of another family. 
     I believe God created these interesting animals, simply for our enjoyment. They are great as companions, and are sometimes now used in therapy — bringing comfort and healing. 

     In retirement and advancing years, my family has suggested that adopting a pet would bring me companionship. 

     Somehow, I seem to always answer, "I'm quite happy with the occasional warm wags and licks I get from Hailey, the friendly Labrador, or Carlos, the loveable Shih Tzu, and even Ava, the awesome, Siberian Forest Cat." — these are now my animal family members. 

     I savour a few delightful moments, then release them to the safe care of their owners. I relate to my mother's comment following a visit from her grandchildren,"I'm twice glad. Glad to see them come, and glad to see them go." 

     Can you blame her? After all, She had been there and done that, just like me.
     I like the following quotes:  

"The reason dogs have so many friends is because they wag their tails and not their tongues." — Anonymous                                                            

"Dogs come when they're called; cats take a message and get back to you."
— Mary Bly

— beulah