oh ya...PRAISE THE LORD!

Daily Blessings

I have been experiencing one trial after another for the last couple of years. It has created much inner turmoil and left my stomach in knots. It has left me feeling inner weakness, anger, frustration, guilt, and pain. I have often felt alone. During this time, while trying to cope with my own issues, I have neglected and hurt others...most especially my wife. She too has weathered the same storms as I, yet has always tried to be strong for me. She has always worked through her pain through servanthood and faithfulness to the plan. Through this time I have tried to honor God and be a good christian, yet the pain has been relentless. While I have been licking my own wounds I have forgotten many things. WELL THIS MUST STOP!

On a daily and continuall basis I will.....

1 I will ask my loving companion - How can I bless you today?
2 I will talk to God continually, and not hound him with my pain, but offer instead praises and thanksgiving.
3 I will walk in victory and be a blessing to others to Glorify my Saviour.

Sue and I will be celebrating our 24th anniversary this year. I jokingly asked her if she wanted to "renew" our vows" She laughed and questioned..."are our old vows dead or were they not good enough?"

For the record and boldly to the world I will make this statement AND live it out.....

My wife is the greatest thing that ever happened to me! I want to spend the rest of my life being her faithful and loving husband. I ask God to help me be a good son, brother, husband and father. Lord God, glorify Yourself through me, and mold me to Your perfect plan.

meaning out of meaninglessness

7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. 8 Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun— all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.

Thank You Lord God for my wife, and a way to bring purpose to my own life. Thank You for this perfect completion, who makes me whole. Thank You for giving me this life long companion. Please Lord help me to find simple joy in this life as I eat and drink and enjoy fellowship with others. Lord help me to be a good husband and not fall prey to my own selfish desires or thoughts. Lord God she is perfect the way You made her. Thank You for her self giving love and selfless faithfulness. Lord God, despite the trials and turmoil I feel in this life, You truly are worthy of praise and thanksgiving. Thank You Lord God for You have blessed me well beyond my own understanding or deservedness. Please bless my wife Lord with Your Holy Spirit and continue to be her strength in darkness. I pray this in and through the name of our wonderful saviour, Lord Jesus.

She Did It!

Well she did it! My daughter got her drivers license. I like to joke about women drivers, but somehow women end up having less accidents. Go Figure. I'm a better driver than my wife yet she is the one with the spotless record. My son is a better driver than my daughter yet His insurance bill was going to be $6000.00 and my daughters would only be $2600.00 per year. So anyway, joke as I might, it remains one of lifes little paradox's.

Oh by the way, I'd lend my daughter the convertable Anytime she wants. She is a great driver.

Sharing the Keyboard

As I sit here interacting with the blogoshere I am chuckling because I am sharing the keyboard with a Lady Bug. Its really funny because as I'm busy typing, it is walking across the keyboard. I'm trying really hard not to squish her under my big fat hunt and peck fingers. Several times she has been on the key I was about to pound. I was cautious the first time and gingerly pressed the key so as not to disturb her. I laughed because when the key flew up, it sent her over to the next key which I was about to press. Now she is caught in between 2 keys and she is struggling. No not the spacebar! I use that a lot. Well I guess the good thing is its a really really big key. No problem to share. ...hahhaha and it has quite a recoil! It just sent Madame Lady bug flying..bye bye

Too Late....I Ate the Cake!

Dylan had a bunch of his friends over the other night for a video game showdown. Everyone had the munchies and I said. Are you hungry enough to eat "spotted dick?" One of the guys had heard about it and the others went eeewwww! Well I heated it up just like the directions said and IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!!!

I cut that spotted dick up into 8 equal portions. I counted 6 kids. HHHMM someone would have to have 2 pieces!

I mentioned to a new guy at church that I had had spotted dick the night before. He smiled and with a great english accent said: Well then you need to try Sticky Toffee Cake. oh and Marmite.

Anybody tried Marmite? What is it? What does it taste like? It doesnt sound that great. Do you spread it on bangers? Mix it with mushy peas?

Proud of my Boy

I am proud of my boy. He quit school about a year ago. He felt it was pointless. He felt aimless and without direction. He couldn’t determine what he wanted to do with his life, and didn’t want to waste any more time at school. Against our wishes he quit and joined the work force. He worked like a dog. He spent the last year spinning his wheels in jobs that clearly had no future. He had an accident with his car and it sucked every penny out of his pocket. After one year he had little to show for his efforts. That’s the sad part.

The happy part is that during his work, he got the opportunity to fashion a future for himself. He learned some of his aptitudes and interests. The first job he had was an assembly line production job. He ran a machine. Boring yes…Future no. However, during the plant shut down he had the opportunity to work with the millwrights. He got the chance to work on machines, do scheduled maintenance and repairs. It gave him a taste of a better job and a career idea.

The next job he did was to work with a plumber who specialized in water treatment and pumping. He did many “no water” calls which taught him about pump systems and fluid delivery and treatment. There wasn’t enough work for him and it upset him. He is a hard worker and his boss didn’t share the same work etiquette. Nevertheless, this job was another stepping stone in his journey of future self.

He spent two agonizing weeks working at my office where he learned that people are generally lazy and incompetent. He also learned that if he didn’t get an education or a trade, then he would be doomed to poor pay and little advancement. He had decided to go back to school and this job helped to underscore that importance.

Once he knew what he wanted to do, it made school easier. He knew now which courses to take. He only needs 4 more courses and right now he is doing exceptionally well. I think he is even going to be on the honor role this year. I can hardly believe it, as school has been a struggle from day one. Its not that he isn’t bright, its just that he was not motivated.

He applied to several colleges for Robotics and was accepted to all. We have been doing campus tours and last week we went to visit Durham College. Durham College was very very impressive. He knew that this was the place for him, and when we returned home, he firmed up the application and paid a deposit. So as of September, my son Dylan will be away to college! I was so impressed with the facilities and the career path he has chosen. I am even a little jealous.

Now all we have to do is figure out how to pay for it. Dylan is confident that he can raise the coin. He has a job lined up for summer, he will apply for some student loans and grants. Sue and I will help him out a bit. He has decided to park his car and live in residence. He wants to immerse himself in the whole experience. He wants out of his comfort zone and will move to the big city of Oshawa.

I am so proud of him it brings tears to my eyes.

Running Out of Time

Are We Running Out of Time?

There just doesnt seem to be enough time to do the things we need to do.

This morning I noticed a lady plucking her eyebrows at the red light.

I suspect her favourite place to pluck her eyebrows is not really the car.

I think she just ran out of time.

hahhaa that reminds me...

I stopped in to Tim Hortons to get a coffee

and the lady had plucked out all of her eyebrows

and drew new ones on.

Whats up with that!

She couldnt even draw straight.

I couldnt help but notice one was obviously longer than the other.

It drove me crazy.

I wanted to tell her.

Any way back to the drive...

I was driving a long a little further and

I noticed a man,

manicure cutting his nose hairs at the red light.

Then I knew.

Truly we must be running out of time.

Is the car the only place he notices?

Perhaps every time he looks in the rear view mirror

he says...

darn I need to do something about those nose hairs.

Well I'm going to give you a word of advice.

Simply pluck those nose hairs.

Reach up and with thumb and forefinger

and

grab on to as many hairs as you can get and yank.

It makes your eyes water,

but it keeps those hairs away longer.

If you cut them then,

all you end up with is an ever growing bush in your nose.

At least if you pluck them,

then you dont have to trim them every morning on the way to work.

And thats all I have to say about that.

Why do they do that? So close and yet so far!

Why oh why?
What a senseless waste of perfectly good carbon matter.
How many squirrels must I kill before the foolishness stops?

He almost made it. He even touched the gravel on the other side.Whatever compelled him to turn around and try to make it back to the side he came from and then change his mind once again. I'm behind the wheel yelling...You are clear you're clear...No dont turn back! DOH!

I wonder how many times I am like that with my fear. I remember doing a deep lake dive where I had to dive down about 15 feet, swim through a cave tunnel for 20 feet and then up into a grotto cave the remaining 15 feet. Can I swim 50 feet under water? Absolutely.
So why is it that when I was half way through, that I let my fear cause me to turn around and go back. I spent more energy returning to my place of safety than if I would have just been bold and confident. At least when I returned, someone wasnt there with a machete to cut off my head, or a boat to run me over!

Sorry Mr Squirrell. I will have the benefit of returning to the cave for a "try again". You on the other hand will be crow food.

Spotted Dick and Other Stuff

Spotted Dick

I received this in the mail today from England. I laughed! The letter said that this item would probably never make it to our shelves, and that it has been the source of some controversy. I read up on it on Wikipedia.

So now I have a conflict. I want to save it, but I want to eat it.
I want to wait and share it, but I want to hoard and eat it myself.
I have shaken it like a present and have determined that whatever is inside of this tin,
I need to have in my tummy.

The letter enclosed suggested that I make a home made version. I am told it is much better. HHHMM, so maybe I selfishly eat this myself and then determine if I should try the home made version. hhhhmmm

Horton Hears a Who is a classic

I remember being read this when I was a kid. I was well acquainted with all the Doctor Seuss books. My favourite was Cat in the Hat and the one about "spots upon thars"...help me out, the name escapes me. What I remember most was the warmth of being read a book. I remember sitting on a knee, or cross legged on the floor as these tails were read to me. I remember now, that I used to read to my own children in the same way. My wife and I subscribed to a childrens book of the month club. We would receive a new book in the mail every month. I still have that collection. I am very fond of some of those books as well. Golly Gum Swallows a Fly, The Lazy Farmer, The Long Nap. Come to think of it, when I went to Bible College, I was asked to Book report on 12 childrens books. Yes I did Cat in the Hat but for the most part I picked up all those books I used to read to my children.

If you have a child or if you are considering having a child I would highly highly recommend taking the time to read to them. Looking back I can see how that time together is lasting and impreshionable. At the time I remember thinking..I dont have time for this. We forced ourselves to MAKE time. That time together is something I will never forget. Not only that, but these cute little books taught lessons that my adult mind needed to hear. These little books taught me life lessons that I had somehow forgotten or overlooked.

Stuff

Thank you for sending me the gift my friend. Thank you for the smile and chuckle, but also the memories. Sorry about the jerk, but also you need to protect yourself from people like that. Many guys will tell you what you want to hear in order to get what they want. Trust me. After the thrill of the catch, they often turn out to be counterfeit. Seek a man who speaks truth. Seek a man that fears God. There is one out there for you. Time is not ticking....its flowing.

ttfn mwa mwa