Getting in shape for spring

“The North wind doth blow and we shall have snow, 

And what will poor robin do then, poor thing? 

He’ll sit in a barn and keep himself warm, 

And hide his head under his wing, poor thing.”   

— 16th century Mother Goose poem         

     Lately, I’m beginning to feel like poor robin. I keep wondering when will the snow cease coming and allow that lovely sunshine that blessed us today, to usher in spring. 

     I’m ready to say goodbye to winter. 

     

     Today, I observed a large, noisy family of Canadian geese soaring in beautiful formation. 

     I wondered if they were returning from an earlier trek south, or just being revived by the beauty of the day on an "exercise mission," getting their wings in shape. 

     

     So many events keep happening in our world, some great, others not. 

     Being proud of our Canada’s Olympians, I was pleased to see them being given a hero’s welcome as they returned, sporting their 29 medals, 11 of them gold. 

     My heart continues to grieve as I hear of the on-going Hell happening in the Middle East. One wonders how humans, created in God’s image could bow to such evil. But Jeremiah 17:9, in God’s Word, reminds us ... “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” 

     There are those who look toward the future with fear.

     Statistics tell us one in four Canadian adults take anti-anxiety medications. Though we are living in a culture that pushes the word of God away, I have found it to be a great remedy to fear. It points to the One who knows the future and assures me He is in control. 

     Recently, the passing of evangelist Billy Graham got a small spot in the daily news. His messages throughout many years, was "faith in Jesus alone, giving hope of eternity with Jesus." 

     As a young person and a new christian, I was influenced by his then growing ministry in the 1950s. 

     Graham worked for racial harmony and equality, insisting on integrated seating at his crusades in the southern United States. Reaching out to people of colour, he had a warm friendship with Martin Luther King Jr., as they shared their respective roles in the civil rights struggle. 

     Today, we find our world still racially divided. As Dr. Graham faithfully preached over the years, we all need a new heart in order to live peacefully with our fellow man. 

     In Ezekiel 36:26 the Bible says, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.” 

     May we try to approach each day in the strength and optimism our Heavenly Father gives us when we ask.  

     Have fun with the following poem. 

• First read “downward.” 
• For uplifting thoughts, — “read from the bottom up.”      

Today 

Today was the absolute worst day ever  

And don’t try to convince me that  

There’s something good in every day  

Because, when you take a closer look, 

This world is a pretty evil place. 

Even if  

Some goodness does shine through once in a while Satisfaction and happiness don’t last.  

And it’s not true that  

It’s all in the mind and heart  

Because  

True happiness can be attained  

Only if one’s surroundings are good  

It’s not true that good exists  

I’m sure you can agree that  

The reality  

Creates  

My attitude  

It’s all beyond my control  

And you’ll never in a million years hear me say  

Today was a very good day.

by Chanie Gorkin 

— beulah

Maintaining a good outlook on life, my birthday thoughts

     

Early days with my hubby Nelson and sister Merle, celebrating with friends at a party together.

     “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven; a time to be born and a time to die.”   

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2a   

     Another birthday having come and gone, adding to that fast-growing age total, I pause to reflect on the challenges and blessings that come with growing older. 

     Birthdays, having always been recognized in our family and made special for the celebrant, I found myself being treated royally throughout this past weekend. 

     My biggest surprise was to have son Roger, from Abbotsford, suddenly appear, as Debi and I were just getting settled at our table at the local Cactus Club Restaurant. 

     Then, sister Merle and nephew Richard appeared, making for a great celebration. What a lovely surprise!  

     What does it mean to “grow old?” Is it determined by the number of years a person has lived? Or is growing old an attitude, not dependant on one’s age, but rather on a person’s perspective? 

     Statistics tell us that men and women are living longer than their grandparents and are remaining more productive in later life. 

     However, I learned Gladstone was Prime Minister of England at age 83; Benjamin Franklin helped frame the Constitution of the United States at 80; Oliver Wendell Holmes retired from the Supreme Court Bench at 91; Henry Ford was acting president of the Ford Motor Company when he was past the age of 80. 
  
     Perhaps programs that were not available back then, now encourage this generation to take early retirement, while their health is at a premium. Unfortunately, this is not true of everyone. 

     I like Helen Steiner Rice’s thoughts on this subject. 
  
     “An individual’s outlook on life depends on sustaining an abiding faith, maintaining family bonds, preserving present friendships and developing new ones, staying as fit and active as possible, remembering the past but looking forward to the future, retaining a good sense of humour, celebrating life, reaching out to others and keeping a zest for living.”  — Celebrating The Golden Years.  

     Quite a tall order for sure, but it’s much of what I have tried to focus on. 

     As I age, incidents that once seemed small, I now find become a greater concern and challenge for me. 

     Thus far, for reasons known only to God, I have been spared from having to suffer physical challenges. I observe daily, neighbours and friends, some much younger than myself, having to endure the hardships of poor health. I bow my head and say,“Why them and not me, Lord? "Why me and not them Lord?” 

     I have no answer, but only a heart full of thank yous  —grateful, each new day for my faith that sustains me and the many blessings that keep coming. 

    This says it right: “Life would not be worth living without faith. Faith in God; faith in ourselves; faith in our fellow-men; we should omit none of the three. Without faith in God, there is no hope for the soul; without faith in self, life is a miserable failure; without faith in each other, we should miss the sweet joys of friendship. Keep your faith bright; let its lustre never grow dim!” 

— Ida Scott Taylor   

  


“No one grows old by living, only by losing interest in living.”  

— Marie Ray

— beulah

February, the love month

     My calendar page has turned again! 
February, I welcome you. 

     I know that this month will be filled with blessings of love, happiness, peace and prosperity. I've experienced such already. 

     February is thought of as the "love month." Valentine’s Day reminds us to tell those special people in our lives how much we care for and appreciate them. 

     Love, being so wonderful and unexplainable, yet someone has said,“It is the one thing we can never get enough of and the one thing we never give enough of.” 

     

     I think we need to make every month qualify as a love month.

     During my growing-up years, exchanging valentines with my classmates and friends was popular and exciting. 

     One may find a surprise love note tucked inside your desk from an admiring classmate, too shy to face up. 

     I recently heard of a lady living in Saskatoon, who plans to install, somewhere in her city, a love-letter mail-box encouraging people to handwrite and post actual love memos. Perhaps we need to revive a lost art — memories collected on paper. 

     Having lived in that almost forgotten era, my courtship days over a two-year span was almost entirely through an exchange of handwritten words. 

     

     Nels and I kept the postman busy in each city, (Vancouver and Moncton) delivering our notes of love. 

     In later years, my children asked me why I did not keep such interesting treasures. Looking back, I think the cost of shipping prevented me from even considering it. 

     I like the month of February. 

     Could it be because it’s my birthday month? 

     As a child, it was always exciting to reach another age bracket. But as we age, I’m not so sure we feel the same excitement. I wonder why? 

     January — a happy beginning with special birthdays throughout our family. 

• Krista, my oldest granddaughter; soon to hit 40, (sorry for revealing truth); 

• Merle, my 92-year-old sister; 

• Gordon, my 101-year-old brother-in-law; 

• Carolyn, my daughter-in-law, 59;

• David, my son and webmaster for my blog 

• February will bring more birthdays, 

• to daughter-in-law Lisa; 

• grandson, Jonathan; 

• daughter, Debi. 

     This being Debi’s birthday weekend, I had the joy of celebrating her life with my two loving daughters Karen and Debi. 

     A delicious, seafood dinner at local restaurant, Zabbs’, followed by an overnight girls’ time. 

     Relaxing with a fun game, Ticket to Ride, then catch up time with jovial conversation and then later on, mellowing out with some serious talk and thoughts before retiring. 

     Wow! I am so blessed to have a large family. Birthdays are special and should be recognized, as we have been so uniquely crafted in our mother’s womb by the greatest designer of all time — our Heavenly Father. (Psalm 139:13-14). 

     

     Did the groundhog see his shadow? Are we to have another six weeks of winter? 

     Perhaps it depends solely on where we live. I heard it has been 132 years that the groundhog had be commissioned with determining how long our winters will last. 

     As my last blog revealed, I am progressing through this winter by semi-hibernating, while not neglecting my designated activities. 

     I believe every life needs spells of calm. 

     Every life needs expanses of time when nothing much occurs. Perhaps, once in awhile, I need to sit quietly in the same place and gaze upon static things — a grey sky without clouds, or a still blanket of soft snow covering the hedge of trees near my back patio. 

     Have I ever thought what it would be like to not have a sky above my head or to not have the freedom or ability to see it? Do I, at times, miss the blessing of noticing little things? 

     We all can be too busy, regardless of where we are in our life’s journey. 

     In a recent survey, some children were asked what their greatest wish was for their family. Their answers were not for more money or more things, but more time for family togetherness. 

     That's not easy to attain in our demanding world. I have been there, done that. 

     But who can argue with the awesomeness of a child’s wisdom? 

     Into our new year, occasionally our usual optimism may be found wanting. People are craving peace in today’s world. 

     Recently, I heard from two young women,“I just want peace! Where do I find it?”  

     How wonderful that we can direct them to Jesus’ peace that … "transcends all understanding, as it guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7). 

     I am slowly learning to avoid anxious thoughts that steal my peace.   

     I sent the following poem to Nels during our early courting days. 

     

     Now, I reprint it here as a Valentine tribute and precious memory.   

Because Your Life Touched Mine   

We met as casual strangers, and in the usual way, 

We said, “I’m pleased to meet you,” for want of more to say. 

But soon there came a feeling that something mighty fine 

Within my soul was growing, because your life touched mine.  

So as the passing moments developed into days,

I found myself reflecting, upon your kindly ways 

And all the time this feeling, that something mighty fine, 

Within my soul keeps growing, because your life touched mine. 

Your life of true devotion, and your determined will, 

Shall be my inspiration, to climb the steepest hill 

To fight the hardest battle, to keep myself in line 

And be a loyal Christian, because your life touched mine.      

                   

— beulah