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

Christmas comings and goings, at Grandma's house

     

     “What life means to us is determined not so much by what life brings to us as the attitude we bring to life, not so much by what happens to us as by our reaction to what happens.”  

— Lewis L. Dunnington  

     Well on our way into this brand new year and being quite aware of our inability of knowing just how 2018 will unfold, the above comment is a great reminder for all of us. 

     Already having to deal with an unexpected water leak in the laundry box behind my washer, causing a small flood that carried on into my den, my attitude and reaction is certainly being challenged. 

     The month of January, especially this one we have been experiencing all across Canada, can make us feel like carrying out some human form of hibernation. 

     I’ve often felt those wise, old bears have it right, as they decide to take time off to rest and renew, hibernating for a few weeks during the not-so-great cold season. 

     As some of my readers may have guessed, I have more or less done that — hibernate, I mean.  

     Christmas came and went, but not before finding me developing a cold malady of sorts. 

     My December calendar — being as booked as it was — got me to Christmas Day feeling quite exhausted and the right time (apparently), to encounter the cold virus. 

     But I had a lovely Christmas week, as various family members came and went. 

     Usually, there are many sets of feet under my Christmas dinner table, often as many as 18 or 20. This year it was delightfully different. 

     Three separate dinners happened throughout the holiday week. 

     

Enjoying one of several fine meals with family during the holiday season.

     
     Christmas Day saw 12 of us around the table. What a treat is was to have Deborah and Mark’s son Jordan, with his family: Rebecca, Lily and Zachery all the way from Fort St. John. 

     
     How special it was to have my Kenyan friend Cecile with us again this year. 

     

Grandpa James and daughter Krista with Melissa and Evelyn.

     The second group that graced my table just a few days later, was my son Roger, with son and daughter Brayden and Ashton from Abbotsford. 

     

Great-grandmother and Melissa are all smiles.

     My grand-daughter Krista and her husband Nathan appeared with my great-grands Evelyn and Melissa, my eldest daughter Karen and her husband James’ family from Richmond, B.C. 

     Then, just prior to New Year's Day (nearly making all the family circle accounted for), my son David and his wife Carolyn arrived from Kamloops, joining with their daughter Sarah and son-in-law Tyler, who live here in town. It made for another happy gathering around Grandma’s Christmas table. 

     Missing from my family was grandson Jonathan and partner Joey, who live in Victoria, B.C. 

     

Mark Harvey skillfully carves the oven-roasted turkey.

     Beginning with Mark’s delicious, baked turkey, the salads and vegetable dishes that kept coming through my front door, along with my own dessert creation (strawberry-rhubarb pies), there was no lack of food. 

     I am grateful to be so blessed with a large family that still wants to meet at Grandma’s house and awed and thankful to live in "a land of plenty.” 

     Though at the moment, I may have less “spring in my step,” I am pleased with my on-going good health, as I approach another birthday. 

    I’ve already discovered that a new year can mean new ways of doing things. 

     

     For the first time in years, I am not hosting or leading a Bible study in my home. 

     I have though, become a part of another women’s Bible study group, as well as participating again this year in the Alpha program to encourage my neighbour, a new Jesus follower. 

     Alpha is a great place to ask questions about God in a welcoming environment. 

     

     Daily, we hear of unfortunate happenings within families and communities. Presently, some of my dear, eastern Canadian family members are in the midst of challenging health issues. 

     How we need each other's  prayers!  

     Here's a great verse of encouragement for us all, as we continue through 2018. 

     “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  

— Romans 15:13 

— beulah

Sharing the joy of a white Christmas

     

     “Kindness is like snow. It beautifies everything it covers.” 

— Kahil Gibran  

     Our recent snowfall has brought a beautiful winter wonderland to Glenmeadows. And, it is the Season that we see an extra dose of kindness being spread around. 

     How our great, big, wonderful world can do with that. Many societies, companies and individuals have been collecting and providing hampers for the many needs surrounding us. As we help those, who for various reasons are a little less fortunate than ourselves, Jesus’ true spirit of love and giving shines forth. 

     As the countdown is on, and only “a few more sleeps” until the big day, many will be feeling stressed. We each find our own ways of celebrating this event called Christmas. 

     It’s been said, "we are a shop-'til-we-drop nation.” I often find myself cramming too much into my daily schedule, not always recognizing or respecting my limits. 

     But then, who wants to miss out on the delicious dinners and Christmas events happening in our community? 

     

     Or, the lovely Irving Berlin’s, White Christmas musical I recently attended at one of our local theatres. Throughout all of our at times, crazy busyness, it might be wise for us to consider how we are relating to those around us — especially our families, but also, that tired cashier at the grocery store. 

     Someone wisely said, “We have not fulfilled our duty to others until we have learned to be pleasant.” 

     Also, a calm, unruffled silence is often the most eloquent response to unkind words. It just might be wise for us to remember, as we gather with groups of family members or friends. You’ve heard the saying, maybe even from your mother. . . "be sure your sin will find you out.” 

     

     Actually, it’s in the Bible — found in Numbers 32:23.  

     Daily the media continues to expose those accused of sexual assault or harassment, abusing their position or taking advantage of their roles. Recently, a breach of ethical standards by our sitting prime minister — breaking multiple rules — is beginning to shake our confidence in government officials who misuse their offices. 

     Even the bread industry’s wide, price-fixing scandal to unjustly increase their profits, has recently been revealed. 

     What has happened to the integrity and truth we believed our powerful leaders would show in their leadership of our great country? There seems to be a flagrant disregard for truth and decency. Though many caught in the act say they just made a mistake, my Bible calls it “SIN” — a word we don’t hear used very often nowadays — sometimes, not even from the pulpits throughout our lands. 

     My dictionary explains it thus — “the breaking of divine or moral law, especially by a conscious act," or, "an action regarded as a serious offence or fault.”  

     

     Sin grieves God. In the Bible, Isaiah 1:18 says, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”  Christ-followers celebrate the birth of a Saviour, because as the angel said to Joseph, “He will save His people from their sins,” and they know they are the sinners He came to save.   

Have a Blessed Christmas everyone!

— Beulah

Christmas: a season to renew friendships

     

     Christmas is in the air!

     The words of beautiful carols keep drifting through my mind.

     I've just returned from a weekly seniors’ luncheon where we were entertained by a choir of seniors from a nearby church. I was especially pleased to hear them perform, as I sang in this same choir a few short years ago. 

     As the words and music of the lovely Christmas carols began to fill my mind, thoughts came, reminding me of Christ’s marvellous entrance into the world that first Christmas. 

     As I approach the Season, I find myself struggling to know how to properly celebrate this beautiful event. 

     Looking beyond the familiar trappings around me that try to portray Christmas, I long to experience its true spirit — the spirit that decorates our hearts the way lights decorate a barren tree. 

     “This will be a sign to you; You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)

     

     Imagine! The eternal, omnipotent, (absolute power) omniscient, (all knowing), omnipresent, (present everywhere at the same time) all-righteous, all-holy, too glorious to look upon — God, was… "laying in a feed trough — a filthy stable. 

     Sounds almost like a myth, but it is fact. 

     When I find it difficult to have a proper Christmas spirit, I need to think about His humbleness and love from that lowly manger — showing me there is nothing He wouldn’t do to bring me into a relationship with Him. 

     A beautiful thought — Immanuel, God with us. Praise God! I am no longer alone! His Spirit is with me and in me. 

     

     Again this year, I am already enjoying the several hours I spend each week helping to man the Salvation Army kettles. 

     Fascinated with the interesting folk I meet and their comments, many pause with a word of thanks for this smiling, friendly, white-haired grannie doing her part to help the less-fortunate. I even think it inspires some of them to feel the urge to help as well, as they toss something into the pot. 

     One gentleman faced me, looked me in the eyes and said, “You are truly a beautiful angel!” (Ha!). 

   

A photo of Norma and I during our travels in earlier years.

     I’ve been recovering this week from a visit with my good friend Norma in Calgary. What a lovely week we shared, renewing our bond of friendship and recalling our many shared escapades since we first met 25 years ago. 

     I say "I’m recovering" as keeping pace with Norma, (soon to be 94 years young) is not exactly an easy task. 

     

Boardwalk Seniors Residence, Calgary, Alta.

I was treated royally at the Boardwalk Seniors Residence where she lives. 

     Norma really enjoyed introducing me to all the staff and many of the residents. She seemed to know most of them, having lived there over five years already. 

     The twice daily, scrumptious meals, the warm and inviting atmosphere, a cozy fireplace in the dining area and entertainment room, active programs, all help the many residents feel it is truly their home. 

     A scenic bus tour of the city, two movie nights, an old-fashioned hymn sing, a night of musical oldies, a visit to a Christmas pageant already, all of which, provide plenty of choices to keep the residents active. 

     

Seniors enjoying conversation together at Boardwalk Seniors Residence in Calgary. Boardwalk file photo.

     
     Norma had me involved in several of the above, as well as the privilege of attending her church and her mid-week ladies’ Bible study. 

     Never a dull moment to be sure. It was quite an eye-opening experience for me. 

     Another bonus for me, was a chance to renew friendships with Jerry and Helen, my brother and sister in the Lord. I met this lovely couple here in Kelowna in April of this year. They graciously travelled across town to greet me. 

     At a nearby restaurant, our time over lunch saw us sharing about how God has blessed our lives since we were last together. 

     Back to Kelowna; the interior of my home has been decorated for Christmas  earlier this past November. My elves, Mark and Debi (who do the decorating), are now holidaying in sunny Mexico. 

     On my return trip from Calgary, Karen and James had decorated the outside of the my home. "Why am I so blessed?"  

     Now, I’m excited about my upcoming weekend visit with my Kamloops family — Dave, Carolyn and Marian.   

     Something to think about — Let’s remember, 

“Your days are numbered. 
Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun. 
If you do not, the sun will soon set, and you with it.”  

— Marcus Aurelius  

— beulah