my favourite things/ Autumn colours scattered

the Autumn colours
lay scattered all around

a dusting of snow gives covering
to its once brilliance

I lay mulling over this
Cat Ole stretched out
across me
warm and caught up in this season of rest
garden put away
tools in the shed
food in the cellar
sawmill under shelter
home fires burning

it is a black and white world out there again
except for the earthy subtleties one must search for
the lichens and mosses
and softly muted branches growing
close to the ground
a few rosehips
for the
sojourning grouse
through the
coming winter

but there emblazoned
bright in the window
shines all the stained glass

the morning light fixating it
bold and glorious
against this
black
and white
world

they have always hung there in the window

now that the summer glory around them has faded
I see their glory

I am praying for life today
everywhere

we are a window 

we see out at the world
the world looks in

there is the Spring and Summer glory
and the Autumn brilliance
and as Autumn slips into Winter
our life begins to fade
God is the stained glass that becomes emblazoned

we sing Amazing grace
we remember hope
we have faith in the unseen future
of life beyond these muted fadings of life
of a glory that outshines
all others

Love comes to us all
and takes us Home

in its season

when He is ready

Our life will be taken up with His
and shine in all its brilliance
because at that moment
we will see Him as He is
and we will become like Him
a stained glass
emblazoned pure
with His enduring Love
and grace shining
brilliant and beautiful
against our old
and fading
life

When He has tried us
we shall come forth as Gold

our rest will be complete
---------------
our
Cat Ole stretched out across me
Autumn colours scattered

my favourite things

my favourite things/ sighs wrapped with ribbons

I miss these days
young ones sprawled everywhere
laughter spilling over
hugs a plenty

there will be four
little ones
and with Bethany's...
five

sigh

God knows what my sighs say
and He gives patience
and holds this love
wanting to spill out
holds it
makes it ready
takes my antsiness
and squiggles
and helps me wait

I am  not very good at this waiting
I see too plainly
the fun we can have

even this keeps me smiling
as I wait

Wyatt will be seeing his first Christmas tree soon
seeing all the joy
knowing all the love
little St Nicky will be spending his second Christmas
where love is
it will be wrapped in each heart
around their tree

I want to be there
to see all the ribbons
pulled
and hearts opened
and love pouring out

Beth said
Mom
if you make the gingerbread cookies now
and send them
they will be yummy and stale by Christmas

love in a box

I want to see the ribbons pulled
and smiles leaking out

God knows my sighs
and holds these happy tears
these waiting and longing tears
these missing you tears

He holds them all

When the Love box is opened
the tears come out all smiles
and laughter

sighs
wrapped with ribbons

my favourite things

my favourite things/ to know you

To know you 
dear Kieran
to love you dear boy

If I hadn't prayed with my little girl
on those nights Bosnia was at war
when she would awake and sob
so afraid it would come here
and that she might die before she married and had children
I told her...

It is not here dear Shoshi
the war is a long ways off
but there are children there
in Bosnia
who need us to pray for them
they may not live to be married
they may not live to have children
let's pray for them...

she had no more nightmares of her own
but she would wake
and pray for the children
in other lands

who might not grow old
because of war
or sickness
or poverty

she wanted an orphanage
she wanted the God in her heart
to take her to a land where she was needed
to find the children that might
need her heart of God love

Because of this great yearning
we all came to Africa
Because of this spark of hope
to be a difference for someone
we ventured a far off

We came to see Shoshi's Africa
South Africa
Johannesburg
The Love of Christ Ministries
Thea Jarvis
her marvelous family

Kieran

every day was a gift of life for him
a heart not strong enough to raise a growing boy

but he grew

not strong
but still
he grew

and when a boy makes 14
you think well why not 16
or 20
or forever

on his mama's birthday
he said how he would be home after school
to make a birthday tea
with a smile off to school he went

I don't like calls home

he has collapsed
they told Thea
and when she got there
Kieran had already
taken angel flight home
to the arms of Jesus

It doesn't seem right
this not growing old

I would not have known this boy
would not have known my love for him

if there had not been a war in Bosnia

if I had not prayed with one little girl
full of fear and tears

Love wanders over the miles
it has no distance that will keep it away
it penetrates fearful hearts
and broken spirits

it always finds a way to capture
a needy heart
to heal a broken one

This Jesus who holds Kieran
also holds me

I cannot understand the veil that hangs between life and death
but I know who is both there and here
and holds us each one

One day our eyes will see plainly
our hearts will no longer fear
His perfect love will
bring us all home

Kieran has gone ahead
and will be
waiting
dear friends

All tears and sorrow will be gone on that great day of rejoicing
Jesus
our hope of glory




my favourite things

my favourite things/ Thanksgiving

I will enter His gates with Thanksgiving in my heart
I will enter His courts with praise
I will say this is the day that the Lord hath made
I will rejoice for He has made me glad

everyday
all day
when I rise
when I lift up my countenance through the day
when I lay me down to sleep

I love to be thankful

it is never tiresome

This is the day I love every year
but I love most to live it every day

He has given me so much

this is my everyday gift back to Him
to give thanks

my Jesus
my Redeemer
my Friend
my Ever Faithful One
my Strength
my Deliverer
my Defender    
my Provider
my King
my Eternal One
my Father
my Everything

I am ever thankful

my Today Yesterday and Forever
my Hope of Glory
my All in All
my New Wine
my Kinsman Redeemer
my Saving One
my God
my Immanuel
my Vine Husbandman
my Indescribable One
my Name Above All Names
my Great and Holy One

today we awoke with the sunshine
shared an awesome breakfast together
put in a window
in the house love built

we went to church
with joy in our hearts
and came back fuller
~overflowing~

we shared Bobbie's favourite meal
spaghettis
a siesta
and then sawed wood
beautiful 2X6's

all around us Your beauty
golden leaves dancing to the earth
warm sun to dry our puddles
enough laughter to call our cup full
strength to bake a cake for a neighbour
and hotsauce enough for the winter

another meal shared
and all the while thankful
that we have been so blessed
enough to give away
always enough
this overflowing of Your good gifts

ever thankful

Thanksgiving



my favourite things

my favourite things/ birthdays again and again

I never tire
of this again and again
one year added to another
another cake
that makes 27
more candles
makes me smile to see them covered in chocolate flavoured whipping cream
a baby this year to celebrate with them
my Bethany so blessed
to bless her man

last year
we celebrated together
here
across the Rockies
past the Prairies

this year
his parents have them together
all wrapped in love
and smiles
baby Wyatt
I can see his eyes sparkle
and his enduring smile
And mama Beth quiet and content
and Stephen bursting
for all the love

such joy this thing of having family
my heart swells
to see how God
puts the pieces of our lives together
and wraps and intwines each  memory
with threads and moments of pure joy
just enough hope and faith to endure the storms
and enough grace to prove
that nothing can separate us
from this Love of God

family
His gift to us

I know you will celebrate well
this new year of life
dear son

Stephen
I love calling you son

you are like a strong tree
planted by the waters

He makes you a shelter for
Beth and Wyatt

and He shelters you all~
in His Love

Happy Birthday
again and again

we love you



(some of the Autumn here on your birthday time)

My favourite things ~

my favourite things/ this is the house that Love built

my favourite things/ this being grateful, this being joyous, this feeling happy, this fullness

How can I not

this being grateful

I have marvelous children
hearts so loving
kindness spilling over like harvest seeds
a home being built and knit together with love overflowing
a heart finding kidlets that were just meant to be found
a man to stand with me and watch God build all this joy

the moon has been filling up these past days
and it too is spilling over this beautious joy
that lifts
and heals
and pulls one on
towards the Light
and hope
and believing
for all He is

enough

He is always enough

my sigh is satisfied
it slides out long and soft
and floats on the morning mist

this happy spills out
and even the beastlies catch it
and the barnyard sounds are content
and the air is full
and my heart is fine
peace

this perfect peace

this fullness

my favourite things