True colours

     "In our life there is a single colour, as an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the colour of love."

— Marc Chagall          

     I took a stroll through our local mall today to observe this fall's latest styles and colours on display. I have always had more than a passing interest in colourful clothes and the latest fashions. 
     This preoccupation began early in my life. In my autobiography, Seeds of Love, I wrote several vignettes regarding my emotional connection to certain special frocks I had owned as a young child; The Missing Party Dress, and my Special Christmas Dress, (see pages 22, 35). 
     

     My wartime, spitfire drindle skirt that I wore as a teenager, still remains vivid in my memory. 

     

     During the 1940's, fashion was quite conservative. It lacked colour and stylish touches which only began to appear in the next decade — much to my delight. 
     
     As a school marm, I always thought it was important to appear before my class dressed as colourful and interesting as I could possibly manage. 

     After all, my pupils had no choice but to look at me all day, all week and all year. 
     
     I have no idea why God put me together this way but, I am glad that He did. 
     Perhaps, I have been more aware of the awesomeness of the variety of beautiful colours in this world, because of it. 
     
     God, obviously enjoys colour, too, just as I do. He could have given us a world in black and white. But, just look at the beauty surrounding us in every season. 

     Who doesn't marvel at the charm of golden sunsets, the shimmering rainbows after the rain, the spectacular display of stars on a dark night, the splendour of a blossoming field of wildflowers, the silent beauty of glistening mountains of snow, or, an exhibition of an autumn showing of glorious hues of reds, russets and golds?  
     
     Having colour in my life is so much more than the colourful clothes I might choose to wear. Although, I believe dressing brightly helps with my positive attitude. 

Someone has aptly said, 
     "When you have a rainbow deep down in your heart, your smile will automatically shine through." 
     

 

     "Looking back to my happy childhood days, I believe it was then I began to embrace the beauty and loveliness of life itself. "

— Beulah Eagles

     My family and friends have added so much colour and meaning to my life, that perhaps without them, I might have become colour blind.

     There are few colours I don't warm to, so, I could say I have no favourite colour. It's true, some colours do more for our personalities than others. 

     Remember the era when it was popular to determine whether you were a summer, winter, spring or fall colour skin-type? I think our personality does dictate how comfortable we feel wearing certain colours. 
     

     Regardless of the colours we may choose to wear — more importantly — it's the colour of our thought patterns, for as Marcus Aurelius aptly said, "The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts." 
     

     I've heard about a radio ad for watches that suggested listeners buy a watch with a bright colour band and then wear it with clothes of another colour. 
     As people notice the watch because of its contrasting color, the ad said, "They'll see that you have colour courage, and they'll want to be like you." 

     John Locke has said, "We are like chameleons, we take our hue and the colour of our moral character from those around us." 

     God forbid, that this would be so. Instead, may we be strong in showing our true colours in a positive way — the colour of love.       
     

     

     "I look forward to being older, when what you look like becomes less and less an issue and what you are is the point."   

— Susan Sarandon 

— beulah                         

Into each life, some rain must fall

     

     Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall, a 1944 duet performed by the Ink Spots, featured Bill Kennedy and Ella Fitzgerald: 

Into each life some rain must fall, 

Into each heart some tears must fall. 

But, someday the sun will shine.   

     We all have experienced disquieting times in our lives when our heart feels like it is filled with cold, rainy showers instead of warmth and sunshine permeating our souls. Only occasionally this happens to me, but last week, for a time, I felt a little cast down. 
     

     Most of September I was dealing with health issues, nothing too serious, but I was occupied with appointments: tests, X-rays, etc., so, perhaps all this didn't help. 

   
     I turned in my Bible and then felt a little reprimanded, as I read from Psalm 42:5... "Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God." 

     
     

     I heard that when a sheep is on its back (cast down), it is unable to turn over and get up. 
     It will lie there and eventually die unless the shepherd comes and helps it turn over.    
     



     

     Likewise, I was reminded I have a Shepherd who cares about me when I am 'cast down' or 'down cast'. 

     
     



     I also read in the aforementioned verse... 

     "I remember... how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God with shouts of joy and thanksgiving." 

     With my days of pain and discomfort, I realized I had not been to the "house of God" (my church) all month — not my usual practice! 
     Today, as I joined with my friends in worship again, I was reminded whose child I am. 
     Who could not have a grateful heart when singing that age old hymn... 

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, 
There is no shadow of turning with Thee; 
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not; 
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. 

     "The Lord's... compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."  

— Lamentations 3:23

     

     So, it is He who raises me up when I am down, as Josh Groban reminds me in the song that he sings so beautifully.

    You Raise Me Up   

When I am down, and Oh my soul so weary; 
When troubles come and my heart burdened be; 
Then I am still and wait here in the silence, 
Until you come and sit awhile with me.  
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; 
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; 
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders; 
You raise me up...
To more than I can be.    

     

     People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed. 

— beulah        

True peace

     

"True peace is not the absence of war; it is the presence of God."

— Loveless

     Did you know that Alfred Nobel made a fortune from the invention of dynamite? 

     We know how that changed the direction of warfare, resulting in many horror stories. 
     Quite amazingly, he made a provision in his will for an annual prize to be given to those who work to promote peace. I wonder, if perhaps after the fact, realizing the harm his invention caused in the wars, even though many good projects were fostered as well, he may have had some regrets. 

     

     Today, this prize is called the Nobel Peace Prize, given as an honour to those who receive it in the name of peace. 
     
     Promoting peace is an honourable pursuit. Whoever promotes it, or serves as a peace maker, deserves a medal or prize to be sure; whether in families, on the playground, in the work place, or in the board room with the leaders of our nations. 
     

     

     Jesus gave it high priority when He said,"Blessed are the peace makers..."            

— Matthew 5:9 

      Lately, I have been doing a lot of thinking about that little word, peace — especially with everything but peace, resounding in today's troubled world. With the senseless violence invading our streets, parks, malls, and even classrooms across the globe, we cannot but wonder where can we feel safe anymore. 
     We ask, "When will all this end and common sense prevail?" The heartfelt anguish so many families have had to bear is incomprehensible. 
     We all would like to see our fellow human beings peacefully dwelling together across our world. But, is that only wishful thinking at best? 
     

     

     As President Obama said this morning in his address to the United Nations Assembly, "Who are we to believe that today's challenges can't be overcome; where nation's do not covet the lands, and all take responsibility to resolve conflicts peacefully." 

     We, along with him, accept that kind of hope with cautious optimism. I believe it was God's original plan for His creation to live on this planet in a peaceful manner. The angels initially heralding Jesus coming to earth, proclaimed, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will towards men." 
     But, because of man's wilful disobedience in the Garden of Eden, Jesus, knowing full well the heart of man, knew we humans needed help. 
     He willingly came to give us a new heart and a desire to pursue peace. It is only as we receive His offer are we then ready to 'love our neighbour as ourself' and find true peace. 

     Let's remember Jesus' comforting words:  "... in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." 

— John 16:33  

     Meanwhile, this world we are in needs our prayers. Help us to pray..."Our Father in heaven, holy is your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."   

— Matthew 6:9,10

— beulah

Gratitude graffiti

          Gratitude Graffiti — a popular hit. 

     Wow! I like keeping abreast of what's going on in the world but, I must admit most of what I hear I could really do without. 
     Then, along comes something positive, and I take renewed hope in my fellow man. How impressed I was then, to hear of Lucila McElroy — a life coach and mother of three, from the Dunbar district in Vancouver — promoting the idea of a "gratitude attitude" involving her neighbours and friends.   
     

     Her worthy goal, is to have the city of Vancouver known as the "Happiest City in the Country." 

     




     
     
     With permission from local merchants, she encourages everyone and anyone to consider what they are grateful for and inscribe it on their store fronts, windows and, or, walls. 
     
     Children from schools and even daycares were helped to create their own messages on ribbons, which they then tied to a fence, rather than walls, not wanting children to misunderstand graffiti writing on walls as permissible. 
     

     This in itself, was a thoughtful gesture. She is also taking her message, "gratitude equals happiness" into schools. 

     









     
     This up-beat lady wisely said,"positive thinking becomes a habit only if you practice it." 

   There is too much negative thinking, resulting in destructive habits with some of our youth today. As well, there are many unthinking and ungrateful adults who should be living a better example. I am all for any project that encourages peace and good will toward our fellow man in any of our cities. 

      Go Girl Go... I say. We need to inspire each other to make our own neighbourhood, not only the "happiest place in our city," but, one that shows authentic love, compassion and good will to all. 

     Could this lead to the "peace on earth, good will among men," the angels sang about over two thousand years ago?   

     Isn't it time we give it a try?

— beulah

Seasons of life

     

     "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven."

— Ecclesiastes 3:1       

     "There is no season such delight can bring, as summer, autumn, winter and then spring." 

— William Browne (1591-1645)

     Today is the last day of summer and what a pretty day it is! Though still enjoying my patio with its colourful furniture I purchased this year, I see the hanging baskets and potted flowers are beginning to show a few signs of weariness, as though they've almost finished providing us with their summer enjoyment. 
     The nip I feel in the air confirms it — yes, summer is on its way out!  
     With the autumn equinox arriving Sunday, Sept, 22, according to my calendar, summer will officially end and fall will begin. From longer days and shorter nights, we will now have shorter days and longer nights, with the shortest day on Dec. 21, the winter solstice. 
     
     

     I am glad I live in a place where I can experience the variation of seasons. How refreshing it always is, to welcome spring with its new life, new beginnings and suggestions of new hope it always seems to bring to our world!  
     


     

     The lazy, sunny days of summer — with the buzzing of bees, the fluttering of bird's wings, and the abundant beauty of colorful flowers — comes to an end all too quickly. 
     




     

     Then comes autumn, with King Frost touching the oak, maple, elm and beech trees, changing their leaves to beautiful multi-coloured hues, with rich varieties of reds, oranges and yellows. 




     

     Before we know it, the temperature starts to plummet and winter arrives with all her barrenness, until the snowflakes start to pile up, to envelope the world in a pristine robe of white. 
     


     Experiencing the seasons of the year is much like living through the different seasons of life. We pass through ages and stages, and are constantly met with changes, new offerings continuously being replaced by the old. 
     Change is inevitable whether we like it or not, and some changes are difficult to accept. But, as humans, we will always be changing, for as one need is filled, the next need can now have its voice heard. When we stop changing, we will stop living. 
     

     "I like to think of the Season of Spring in my life as the time when — having enjoyed my carefree childhood — I moved to adulthood, becoming even more alive to the beauty and challenges life had to offer me." 

— Beulah Eagles

     The excitement of choosing one's life profession, as well as the hopes and dreams of finding their life's companion, consumes youthful thoughts and energies, as they did mine. 
     
     

     The Summertime of My Life was filled with awesome responsibilities and joys — as together with Nels, my life partner — we brought into the world, nurtured and guided each of our children to maturity. The Autumn of My Life came all too soon, bringing Nels and I to the empty nest syndrome, as the cycle of life continued, with each child in turn, leaving to create a nest of their own and a new family unit. 
     

     Now, beginning to experience what the word "retirement" meant, it now brought to us many wonderful days of unhurried companionship. The unburdened feelings we shared, as together with friends, trips domestic and abroad were planned, as well, voluntarily sharing our talents in our church with seniors and others, became satisfying to us both. 
     We shared the warm comfortable feeling of just being "us." However, it became increasingly obvious to us that we were drifting into the Winter Season of our lives, as signs of the vibrancy and unlimited energy we both had been so blessed with, were beginning to fade. 
     I have been granted the gift of experiencing each season of life, which many of my friends have not. Even though my body may tell me I am in the season of winter, I would like to think my heart is in the season of spring. 
     I have reflected on the seasons — not to emphasize the brevity of life and that death comes to everyone and everything, but, instead, to revel in the thought that there is yet another Springtime promised; when all shall be made new. 
     

Eternal Springtime, by Thomas Kinkade

     I am as confident of life after death as I am of the spring that always follows winter. Because Jesus himself, was resurrected from death, I, too, will experience an 'eternal springtime.'

     

     "... in His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish... kept in heaven for you." 

— 1 Peter 1:3, 4

— beulah

GPS for Jesus

     

     I'm now at the stage in my life where I just want to "go to sleep counting my blessings" as the song goes. 

     I'm not interested in celebrating any achievements I may have attained throughout my lifetime rather, I just want to celebrate life with a grateful heart for the many years I have been given and am still enjoying. 
     True, we can always look back with some regrets, one, wishing I had acquired earlier, some of the wisdom old age brings. But, life doesn't work that way. 
     
     So, now, during this time in my journey, I've been thinking God may want me to be a GPS (global positioning system) for Him — directing others I meet along the highway, to what is really important in life.   

      Having lived this long, life has taught me a few things. It's been said, "One is truly wise who gains his wisdom from the experience of others."  
     

     Awhile ago, I came across the following article, Living A Life That Matters, though I have no idea who authored it. It reminds us of how worthwhile and beautiful our lives would be if we could grasp the reason for our existence — especially if we could apply such wisdom in our youthful years. 
     Sometimes we just need to get serious, re-evaluate, and perhaps bring our life into focus. Although a bit long, it's well worth the read!    

Living A Life That Matters   

     

     Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasures or baubles, will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.      
     The wins and losses that once seemed so important, will fade away. It won't matter where you came from or on what side of the track you lived, at the end. It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin colour will be irrelevant.      
     So, what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured? What will matter is not what you bought but what you built. Not what you got, but what you gave. What will matter is not your success, but your significance. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your competence, but your character. What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many people will feel a lasting loss, when you're gone.  
  
     What will matter is not your memories, but, the memories that live in those who loved you. 
     What will matter is how long you will be remembered by whom and for what... Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident. 
     It's not a matter of circumstances, but of choice.    

     







     Let's purpose to be diligent in scattering little seeds of love along our winding pathways of life — blessing many lives in the process.

— beulah

Say what?

     

     Through the centuries, man has shown his wisdom in various ways, such as the writings of King Solomon or Plato. 

     
     Then, there are also short, wise sayings called common proverbs that give a small dose of wisdom. Growing up, I often heard many of these quoted by my parents from time to time, perhaps to encourage me in some way, such as,
"Don't put off 'till tomorrow what you can do today." 
In other words, 
"Get on with it, and do now, what is before you!" 

     How many of these have you heard? Can you decipher their meaning?    

1. A penny saved is a penny earned.  

2. If you make your bed you lie in it. 

3. Where there's a will there's a way. 

4. Make hay while the sun shines. 

5. The grass is always greener on the other side. 

6. A stitch in time saves nine. 

7. The shortest way round is the longest way home. 

8. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. 

9. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. 

10. The pen is mightier than the sword.      

     

     A Grade 1 teacher gave her students the first half of some of these well-known sayings just to see how they — with their limited experience of life— would complete them. 

     

The following are their interesting answers:   

1. Better to be safe than... (punch a 5th Grader). 

2. Don't bite the hand that...(looks dirty).  

3. You can't teach an old dog... (math).  

4. If you lie down with dogs, you... (will stink in the morning).  

5. A penny saved is...(not much). 

6. Children should be seen but not...(grounded).  

7. Two's company, three's...(the Musketeers).  

8. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and... (you have to blow your nose).

— beulah