Face Lift

I've been toying with the idea of getting the house painted for a few years now, and a quote I got at one point was so high that I had second thoughts.  But this year when I realized Daniel was available for summer work and was willing to take on the challenge I jumped at the opportunity.

It's been wonderful, on so many levels to have this happening.
Most of all I love any time I get with my precious son and this allows me to make special cold drinks to serve him while he's outside, share some meals and even grab visits when I'm outside resting while he's painting.  This is my view from the bench where I lay on the patio.

PLUS I am beyond thrilled to see this lovely house get a face lift.  There were spots that had only received one coat and that might have been primer, plus the nail holes had never been filled and painted over.

So I'm living the dream here - laying on the back patio watching the transformation take place.  Here is the back door casing before the face lift...

And after!! 

And since I had both Daniel and Patrice here one morning I had them pop me onto a blanket in the back yard.  Patrice has been concerned that I don't get enough "grounding" so this was my glorious view from that experience. 

Glad to report that I was fully grounded by the time they heaved me back into my wheelchair.  

The Kids Place

My lovely daughter-in-love had the whole gang of us over for supper to show off and celebrate the new deck that Daniel built for them this summer.  I guess they've been eating almost every meal out there and it adds a wonderful outdoor space to their tiny home. 

Nicole has a wonderful hospitable heart and she easily throws together amazing delicious meals.  This one was a little harder for her as she had a migraine during the day, but thankfully it left the scene before all of us arrived! 

Daniel fried up the burgers and Pupcake was his tiny cute self. 

  It's just such a perfect season for family gatherings under the trees and blue summer sky.

I love that Nicole welcomes all of us into her heart and home. 

She is a treasure and I am so happy to see her and Daniel enjoying life together. 

Sky High

Seems I chose a good book to read for the flight home, seeing as the pilot warned us that there would be some turbulence on the way. The little basket of goodies down below was at my disposal for any hunger pangs I might encounter en route. 

I am confident that I could adjust to this form of travel on a regular basis. 

Here is my small picture journal of my flight home.

As you can see there was very little time to concentrate on the book, but I did take the time to recite some of Luke.

I was mesmerized by the clouds,

 the lakes,

and the fields of echinacea... 

What a fun little adventure that was!

Grateful for blue skies and sunshine to welcome us home.

Swept Away

I just love the "suddenlies" and surprises of God!  

On Wednesday I got an e-mail from my dear friend Donara inviting me to a worship conference this weekend in Red Deer.  

In her private jet. 

Just her and I.

I wasn't quite sure if I had the ok from God so while having my devotions the next morning I was hoping to hear something from Him that would confirm either way. My reading was about Boaz and Ruth and how Boaz had commanded his workers to leave "extra handfuls of grain on purpose" for her.

It just felt like the Lord was doing that for me through this invitation. 

 In fact that very week I had supper provided 5 nights in a row!  Someone brought a meal to my house on an evening when I was having company and everything was provided! Then I had a beautiful steak dinner made for me by Ollie and Anita and the next evening it was the yummiest pizza in the park.  Wednesday Lisa invited me for a delicious salmon dinner out on her patio before prayer and Thursday Celia generously provided pizza for a birthday party I was hosting.  

During a week where my hands were aching more than usual it was a wonderful treat. 

"Extra handfuls of grain on purpose..."

I am experiencing the goodness of God in the land of the living.

Over and over and over again...

That's my God - super extravagant, generous and kind.

Touching my life through so many beautiful people. 

And to top the week off I ended up in a private jet with Donara where there was a basket of delightful treats to enjoy as we flew over the mountains. 

These two kind pilots hoisted my not so tiny body up into the jet like two superstars. Look at me sitting up there like a queen!

Donara and I spent time praying and resting on the flight in these incredibly comfy seats.  We were the only passengers which once again felt just over the top extravagant.  

We left cool rainy Kelowna...

and soared over the mountains to the beautiful green farmland of Alberta.

Ahhhh the broad green expanse with the big sky is so lovely to my prairie born heart. 

After I was checked into my own luxurious room with the softest pillowy bed and perfectly appointed bathroom we headed off for some personal prophetic ministry.

Seriously.

This is like something out of a really good book eh?

It's my own personal epic story, authored by God.

A group of four women surrounded me and spoke some beautiful words over me and into my spirit. Thankfully I had the presence of mind to use the recording device on my phone so that I can replay these kind affirming words that are reminding me that I am to wait on the Lord. 

I am in a season where I am to slow down so He can fill me up.

New people will be coming into my life and I am being given Godly wisdom and discernment so that I will know whom I can trust and that which is right and good.

And so on...

The evening worship with Laura Hackett and the IHOP band was a foretaste of heaven and the speaker who followed was Paul Keith Davis who had a lot of very good things to say.

My cup is overflowing and I am feeling cocooned in God's love.

Donara and I are having some beautiful times of prayer and lots of time to rest.

Sweet Summer

My lazy leisurely summer days have disappeared and have been exchanged with days full of all sorts of goodness and busyness.  I'm exhausted but happy and am just ever so relieved to see that there are still lots of days left in this favourite season of mine.

There has been a long stretch of intense heat which has culminated in the province being lit up with hundreds of forest fires, one just across the lake and down a ways.
I've loved the heat and it seems to help my hands to be less painful. Rain would be very welcome though.

There have been dinners and visits on the back patio and I'm trying to keep up with watering all my lovely flowers which dry out so quickly in the hot summer wind.

The apartment has kept us hopping, and we have seen so incredibly many answers to prayer; with 7 of 8 units on the second floor have been vacated, cleaned and filled with new tenants within the time span of 8 months.  So that has led to all sorts of activity, especially for Elsie.  And we're dealing with a devious landscaper that I felt compelled to fire which has not been pleasant.  We are praying for God to vindicate and asking for wisdom to know how to handle the situation.  Elsie and I are quite a ways out of our comfort zone in dealing with these kind of characters and I very stupidly hired him without first getting a written proposal.  He has treated Elsie very poorly with her yard and has taken lots of her money.  Makes me angry.
But God.
He will help us if we call on Him and we surely are.
This situation isn't finished yet.

I had another test at the hospital trying to figure out my swallowing problems, but nothing new has shown up so I guess that's good.  Look at me all tucked into the machine watching my throat all lit up on the X-ray screen.

I don't know why I feel so outrageously happy when I'm there, but my little stop at the "Perking Lot" for a special "Mr. Nutty" latte may have something to do with the euphoria I experience upon my exit.

I've been driving a rental car with hand controls so I can get out and about as long as there is someone on the other end to lift my wheelchair out of the trunk.  So I've been able to go to Prayer, to the Lake to listen to music, to get fixed up at the chiropractor and attend church.  And today I took Mom, Tante Hilda and Elsie for a little prayer drive along the lake and we had our hamburgers and drinks while sitting at a park looking out over the water.  

Live Music in the park on Anita's Birthday.  She showed up for pizza and a drink after delivering a baby and finishing up with the parents. 

Tonight a lovely bunch of dear friends came over to celebrate her birthday.  We ate lots of yummy food and laughed away the warm summer evening, ending with a sweet time of prayer for each other and the birthday girl.  

Since I haven't had time to bake the requisite gluten free cake, a peach stood in for the occasion to hold up the candles.  There has been so much fruit in this beautiful season so we enjoyed peaches and blueberries with whipping cream. 

Pure Sweetness

Dear Tante Hilda mustered her strength and courage again to have us over for one of her extravagant meals.  Here she is in her little kitchen where she has diligently prepared meals for herself and countless others over the past 24 years.  She just loves to be able to prepare feasts and to watch her loved ones and friends enjoy them.  Unfortunately years of struggling with polymyalgia have made this much more difficult for her and then breaking her back and then her heal have added to this conundrum.

So when she sent out this most recent invite we certainly made the effort to be there to enjoy the fruits of her labour.  It was amazing, as usual, and even though she is very self deprecating we convinced her just to say "thank you" as we raved about the delicious fare.

She lives about half a block from a large grocery store and she troops valiantly back and forth with her walker and basket, making sure that there is a large supply of anything we might possibly want.  Her house is also full of joy and the presence of Jesus. Her giggles and laughter and songs fill the airwaves with heavenly sounds and I know that there are years worth of prayer and worship permeating the space she calls home.  She exercises her amazing gift of hospitality extremely well despite the fact that she has to battle through some anxiety and lack of confidence.

I'm sure she has entertained angels and hers is probably one of their favourite places to stop in. 

We certainly has a most delightful and delicious time together! 

Music Festival At Bottega

Such an amazing location for a music festival. This guy was trying to tell me something...

So many fabulous musicians...

Exceptionally good friends modelling pottery that was raising money for the needy in Romania.

Even my sweet chiropractor showed up with her Mom.  Moose was a bit of a handful though.  

There were spaces for playing games.  Although chess is so intense I don't know if it actually qualifies as a game or as work.  

And music under the stars.

Twas just lovely.

Considering

I'm having a holiday of sorts.
Spending lots of time laying on my bench here in the back yard.
I hear bells tinkling in the gentle breeze, oak leaves are peaking over the roof and a very blue sky is providing a magnificent backdrop.
Blue and Green.
Must be two of God's favourite colours.
The dogs lay nearby enjoying my company and the summer warmth.

I've had no car for a week now and it's been restful. I have had the opportunity to catch a ride to various places with each of my three kids and this has been something sweet.
For me at least.  I so value time with these precious ones and now that they are adults it is not as frequent as my mother's heart would like so I know to drink it in when it happens!

The quietness gives me pause to think and consider.
What is an "accident" anyways?
It feels unfortunate, to say the least, to inconvenience and hurt others through our own lack of attention.  Even though I had the "right of way" and no responsibility was assigned to me I struggle on and off.
My temperament is one that seeks to make things right for others and I have spoken to my insurance agent twice now about taking some of the responsibility, feeling like that would make things better somehow.  She reassures me it won't, but she will have her advisor look into the matter again.

But in God's economy it's another whole story.
His Sovereignty, our trust and obedience.
I've got to know that He holds all this in His Hands and I love that He promised us that HE WOULD work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes.  That's a super big deal to me.
I feel His peace as I trust that He knew from the beginning that this would happen and there are opportunities for me in this.
Opportunities to pray and to bless, to rest and to trust.
To worship and to wait.
He is never in a hurry and I want that beautiful quality.
Timeless and trusting.
Content in the moment.

I'm going to let God be God (as if I have any choice - but it's the conscious choice to put His goodness before my eyes as I continue to rest before Him and in Him.)  I feel an incredible sense of rest and there is Shalom, when I let go of the whole "assignment of blame" thing.

So I looked up verses to bring some perspective...

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted."  Job 42:2

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."  Proverbs 19:21

"The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all."  Psalm 103:19

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps"  Proverbs 16:9


So I will wait on Him. 
 To sort out the details.  To take care of those parts of my body that got just a little bit hurt in the accident.
To look after the dear girl that I bumped into.
To guide my heart, to lead me in paths of righteousness and to continue to deliver my loved ones and I from the evil one.

At the Beach

I'm so glad Becci came with the kids to give us the impetus to have a pizza picnic at the lake!  Oma and Tante Hilda thoroughly enjoyed sitting together in the shade and looking out over the beach and water. 

Oh wondrous valley with sunshine, water, wind and willows.

Opportunities to rediscover the beauty of family and reconnection.

The little bodies squirming with life and excitement, the older ones contentedly looking on.

 Uncle Daniel showing the boys a picture of the huge Sturgeon that was caught this weekend by him and his friends.

Cousins heading out to swim...

This is something beautiful.