The Love of Duty

God, thank-you for this morning,
Wrapped up in drops of dew.
I'll start by being grateful
For the work I have to do.

Six lunches to pack for children and dear
Hubby as they go from here.
Nerves to calm for what's ahead
When track and field is what they dread.

The bus is trundling up the road,
Hurry! Here's your shoes and coat!
Good-bye,I love you and remember do
Say "good morning" to the bus driver too.

God,thank-you for this morning,
Wrapped up in drops of dew.
I'll start by being grateful
For the work I have to do.

Escape

Ever have "one of those days?"
In need of an escape?
Sometimes it's as simple as a cup of peppermint tea.
Savor it slowly and dream of a destination you desire.

Here's a new favorite recipe I tried...

Peanut Butter Bars

3/4 c.butter

3/4 c.wh.sugar

3/4c.br.sugar

2eggs

2/3 c. peanut butter

1/4tsp. salt

tsp.vanilla

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1,1/2c flour

1,1/2c.oatmeal

Cream butters and sugars,add dry ingredients.

Spread in greased 9x13 pan and bake for 20-25 min.

Sprinkle with chocolate chips and let melt.

After all shouldn't life be savored

as we learn the  notes?

Sac-ri-fice...

    Sac- ri- fice.... what is it really? Sometimes in my naivety I am tempted to think I know.I am a mother after all,is that sacrifice?

This word has been on my mind frequently in the last few weeks.I am not sure why, but a series of events prompted me to ponder what a life of sacrifice would look like.
I have decided in my heart that  sacrifice is something I should strive for always, but may never truely attain because humanity is indeed fickle in nature.

This weekend ironically two people we know, recieved life from the sacrifice of another life.One,my husbands nephew, underwent a kidney transplant.He is only 21.The other man a friend from our church recieved a lung transplant.Two lives transformed,people rejoice, while two lives were given,and people mourn.

Sac-ri-fice...what is it really.I don't think I know, but thankfully I know the One who does and who has paid it in full. 
 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,  that whoever believes on Him,should not perish, but have eternal life.John 3:16.
 Thank-you Jesus for sacrifice.

Drifting Seaward

Do you ever feel alone on the sea of life?

Do you ever feel like you are being pulled along, and all you can do is hold on?

Take heart ;the water may be rough but we have a Captain at the helm.He knows these waters,He is our True North who we can trust.

We just need to get into the waters;trusting the Arms in charge

of this  vessel.

Do You Know You're Beautiful?

One of my favourite spring events is visiting greenhouses.
So the other day my mother-in -law and I ventured out to a few.I am always in awe of the beauty,and dedication of the gardener.

Every beautiful,original,wonderful flower waiting patiently for it's time.Somehow knowing how necessary time in the greenhouse is to it's vitality.

  can't you hear their plaintive voices saying"pick me,pick me?"
( These places only take cash or cheque,so my hubby will be happy,
as I had little cash and no cheque)

    Just loved this pastoral scene under the trees....

Back home with a few treasures...

Flowers reflect the human search for meaning.Does not each of us,no matter how our life has gone,ache to have a life as beautiful and true to itself as that of a flower?                   (Philip Moffitt)

Monday Mother's Day Musings

I dug way into the archives of 2005 for this picture.

It is one of the ones I hold "precious."

It was taken on my birthday which was also Easter that year.

I wrote this poem for this picture back then but it is still what I feel in my heart today,even though yes, the task is still daunting,and  disappointments are real,and parenting more challenging than I thought it could be,God is always good.

GIFTS...

Dear Lord, when I consider,all the blessings big and small

I truly think my children are the greatest gift of all.

I pray I will not ever ,take this job as trite,

For I know I'm shaping warriors,to live for you with might.

I pray that you will give me,wisdom for the task.

I know your hand will guide them,when I feel life's much too vast.

So Lord,I feel so privileged ,that you chose them for me;

Help me never take for granted,these precious gifts from thee.

Mother's Day 2012.

Dear Mom; I Understand Now....

                            
          I want to dedicate this post to my dear Mother :

                    A Garden Plot

A garden plot's a healing spot;
Just how I do not know,
But as I watched my mother work
Her eyes just told me so.
When she was troubled I could tell;
She'd take her spade and go
To her own private piece of earth
And dig it row by row;
And then she'd kneel and take the soil
To sift it here and there,
Talking softly as she worked-
Perhaps it was a prayer.
A garden plot's a healing spot;
I know the feel of sod
Was my dear mother's way to say,
"I've touched a bit of God."

           (June Masters Bacher)

Ode to the Dandelion

 Oh dandelion,how I love thee....

 You speak to the eternal child in us all.....

 Innocent days,love and laughter'

 Sitting in meadows ; one child among ten.

 Creating memories I love to recall.

                     
                                Some pics from my morning stroll....

Couldn't help but think of this verse...

As for man his days are like grass,

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

the wind blows over it and it is gone...

Psalm 103:15,16.

A Glider flew across the endless blue....

My Canvas

The morning greeting held an invitation;it didn't take long to accept
somehow I knew this was the time to get out in that garden. It had been kindly tilled by my brother-inlaw a few weeks ago,and for some reason, time and weather kept me away.

 I gathered the necessary tools for the job and contemplated my scheme. I have a simple format but it works well, straight rows, with lettuce and such close to the front.My oldest and youngest who was home "sick" could offer there help.I decided this was an education of sorts and she'd go to school at noon.  Soon we had planted peas,onions,potatoes,carrots,radish,spinach,lettuce,and gladiola bulbs.                                      
                                                                     I ask not for a larger
                                                        garden,  but for finer seeds.
                                                                                                (Russel Conwell)

Just as we planted the last potato

the skies opened ,spilling huge droplets of rain. We ran for the house laughing and thankful to the One who waters the earth in due season.





I expect some new phases of  life this summer,and shall try to get
                the honey from each moment.
                           ~Lucy Stone~
                          

Books or Flowers?

If you had to choose either books or flowers, which would you choose?

That would be a real dilemma for me!!

Both are quite undemanding yet both bring such unexplainable comfort, joy,
 and beauty into our lives.

Aren't you just thrilled that we live in a world where there are  books and flowers???

Flowers lead to books which lead to thinking and not thinking and then more flowers and music.Then many more flowers and many more books.       (Maria Kalman)

   I wanted to do a fun post! I hope it brought a smile,    Now out to enjoy that sunshine!

Remembering to Forget

My Verse today....But This One Thing I do:
 Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me.   (Philipians 3 :13)

Isn't that a wonderful verse?
It's so easy sometimes  to beat myself up and let go of  regrets and mistakes.
And I don't always mean the big things ;sometimes it's those silly, little everyday happenings and minute decisions where it would have been very nice to have the foresight of hindsight....."why didn't I stop to pick up chicken feed when I drove right by yesterday?" or "why did I make such an insensitive comment?" or "why didn't I plant my garden last week?" These are small things in reality but if I allow them to take root they can rob me of peace.

So a long time ago I claimed the verse above as I keep pressing on
where some day I will recieve the prize.