Friday's Favorite Five

What little things brought you moments of joy this week? Join Susanne and the gang to highlight those things that blessed you this week.

Here's my contribution......(in random order, of course)

1. After being snowed in for 2 days (take a look at the drift across the front of my driveway)....

....and then having the grader bypass my driveway, I was very blessed to have my two younger boys come as soon as I called them. They parked on the road and toiled through the drifts in the front yard to transform the tractor from a lawn tractor to a snow remover (why didn't we do that a week earlier?) and then cleared a wide enough spot through the drift for us to come and go.

Even better, Andrew stuck around for an hour or so for a nice visit.

2. Monday, my truck would not start - even though it was plugged in all day. Because we did not know what was wrong with it, I had to cancel my 'chauffer' appointment with Sherry on Tuesday. This was disappointing because I really enjoy the visits. But.......I was blessed to have the opportunity to spend the afternoon with Sherry anyway when my SIL, her Wednesday driver, called and asked if I would take his 'shift' so he could help Kathryn study and prepare for the final exam she was planning to write this week. So.....the blessing is getting to spend unexpected time with a friend.

Added to the time spent with Sherry, she invited me to come in and watch what they 'do to her'. (She is taking radiation treatments for a tumor on her optical nerve). I was honored that she would include me in the process....and happy to gain a little more understanding of her treatment and condition.

3. Corner Gas.

Jim and I watch a couple DVD episodes of recorded TV most evenings. We have just started watching this series.

Is it because we are Canadian? Westerners? Hicks? that we think this program is so hilarious? Or do urban, eastern, or Americans also 'get' the humor? I know it plays on American stations as reruns (We saw them when we lived in Louisiana)......

If you haven't watched this TV show (likely the only quality TV programming to come out of the Canadian television industry) then find it.....watch it.

Jim laughed so hard at one scene in the second episode, he almost fell off the bed.

The beauty of recorded TV is that you can back it up and watch (or listen to) the comedy again - you can just keep laughing without missing the next line. LOL

4. The trim on this house:

This is a house in the village where I get my mail.....'my' village.....my 'home town'.....I've driven past this house countless times. Yesterday, I was surprised by the new trim.....it was such a pretty, bright surprise on a snowy, white day.

5. My 23 month old grandson's 'take' on snow.

When he saw the piles of snow on the branches of the small evergreen tree out their back door, Seth said 'Mommy.....bubbles, flower'. (Ok, so he called the tree a flower.....he's only just started to use words to communicate) Now, don't think bubbles that you make with soap, a 'wand' and a soft breath.....think the overflowing bubbles in a bath.

I think Seth's word is perfect......

You can just see the 'bubbles' on the branches of the 'flower' in the top corner of the photo.

Blessings abound and are everywhere around, if we only take the time to look for them.

Have a wonderful weekend, y'all.

I'm putting my daughter and her family on the plane so they can spend Christmas with Vinjelu's family in England/Belgium tomorrow. As always when I put them on the plane, my heart will be torn.....happy for them, but missing them before they even leave.

Getting back to 'Normal'

Well, the driveway is mostly cleared, the roads have been graded, and my truck is running again.

I spent $120 to have the guys at the dealership put a $5 cord end on my block heater cord...something my husband or any of my boys could have done for me for $5......but they also did a full system check on my charging system, the batteries, and the block heater. It is good to know that everything is A-OK.

As mentioned a couple days ago, there is a water system specialist coming out tomorrow afternoon to check out what we will need and what the cost will be to deal with the iron and iron bacteria in our well as well as to put a reverse osmosis system on. I still need to rig up a light and clear the space in front of where it is all plumbed in. I had planned to run a couple quick errands in town this morning then work on the basement all afternoon. (Wednesday, that is)

My plans began to change after I was already asleep for the night Tuesday......Kathryn called and asked if I could babysit for an hour and a half while she and Vinj attended the Christmas Luncheon for the Ministerial Group in Wetaskiwin. I figured "No problem, I'll just incorporate that into my errands and anyway, I haven't seen the kids for several days" so ..... off I went into the snow to spend a couple hours with Seth and Taliah. I was just considering telling Vinjelu to take my truck to Edmonton this afternoon (it is his day to drive Sherry) when he called and asked if I could take Sherry so he could help Kath get her essay done in preparation to write her final exam on Friday (she's cutting it a little close, since they are leaving for their Christmas in Europe on Saturday).

So.....instead of cleaning my basement, I babysat and then spent the afternoon very pleasantly visiting with Sherry. I was even invited in to watch what they do to her ...... I'm going in next week too, to take some photos. I did take a picture today of the machine, but she said I could take pictures of her when she was 'in her mask'......you'll have to wait to see what I'm talking about. In the meantime, one of the photos I took today will (eventually) be on my Photo blog.

The roads were not good at all and I was glad for my nice heavy 4X4 truck, even though parking could always be an issue. However, even that has been working out for us......with someone pulling out just as we need to pull in.

All this means that tomorrow (Thursday) I'll have to spend pretty much all day working in my basement - and not in the nice, orderly fashion that I wanted to do it in - I'll just have to push aside my obsession with doing things in a certain order and 'just do' the one area that needs to be done by 4:00.

After that, I can work a little bit every day in the order I want to do it.

First up.....find the Christmas decorations and make this place look like December!

I may have to shorten my basement work hours in order to finish (begin in earnest) my Christmas shopping.

Today

Well....my plans did not work out yesterday OR today.

My truck would not start, even though it was plugged in all day and my car was not plugged in because there is only one cord. So, I did not go anywhere. The dogs had to wait until Daniel came home to eat. (He stopped and got some food for them)

Instead, I worked in the basement. You wouldn't know it to look down there, but I actually got quite alot done. I cannot wait until it LOOKS like I've done something.

My plans for today have also changed. Since my truck would not start yesterday, Jim cautioned that even a boost may not be enough - he said either the batteries or the block heater are probably not working. Therefore, I called Sherry to say I would not be able to be counted on for a ride today. Fortunately, she has some folks who have volunteered to be 'back ups' for the days her regular drivers cannot make it. I was disappointed...I've been enjoying building a relationship and learning to know this lovely lady.

I called AMA at 9 a.m. (after my truck still did not start) and the recording had me leave my name and phone number because it would be 2 hours and 55 minutes before they could take my call! That's alot of frozen vehicles! Of course, the number covers Edmonton and Calgary as well as our small area.....the actual wait time for the tow truck may only be 45 min.

In the meantime, I'm going to plug my car in so that if I cannot get a tow truck for a boost (or maybe a tow) until tonight, at least I can get to town to do my errands. At least, I hope so.

Hopefully, the problem with my truck is the batteries....they should be still under warranty since they are only less than 2 years old. OR if it is the alternator, that would be OK too since that was only put in last month...again, warranty would cover it. But....it is that time of year, after all....time to have vehicle problems.

Unfortunately, in the last couple years our vehicle problem month has extended to include November and January, not just December.

Jim is still feeling sick. He got a flu bug somewhere, for sure....stomach flu, that is. He was very sick yesterday - his 'guys' were quite worried about him. I can tell by his voice that he is feeling stronger today - and he also asked for a specific meal for supper. Yesterday he wanted NOTHING to eat.

Daniel had a rare evening at home last night so he completed the shelving in the laundry room for me. That will make it easier on the cleaning of the basement - at least until the shelves are full. I'm going to have to make room for him to build more shelves along the wall in the main part of the dungeon....oops, I mean basement.....so the laundry room MAY begin to look rather crowded before it looks real good. (I have to put the stuff somewhere).

I am motivated, though, to get the basement in order. Now that I have started, I am anxious to finish.

I cannot believe it is already the second week of December! I'd better get some decorating done - and some shopping!

First, though, I'm going to have to have at least one vehicle running.

A Look at Today

I got up this morning (for the first time) at 5:30 a.m., packed Jim's lunch and kissed him goodbye (on the cheek since he was feeling sick to his stomach when he left). I crawled back into bed with my book and a heating pad to warm up and by the time Daniel's alarm went off, I was nodding off again. I got up the second time at about 8:30 a.m. and the first thing I did was bundle up against the 27 degree below freezing temperature to go plug my truck in so I can go get dog food in a couple hours. I also took some water to the dog's house and 'pinned up' an old blanket over their 'doggie door' to keep some of the cold air out.

After that, I came in for breakfast.....a smoothie made with FF, SF vanilla yogurt, a banana and blueberries. I had a cup of tea as well.

Books....one of my favorite subjects......

With my breakfast, I am reading "Flirting With the Devil" by Bill Pride. This is the second time around on this book - I read it the first time way back in 1994 (I distinctly remember reading it when we lived on my grandfather's property in New Norway - laying in bed in the little two room house while my children slept in the army tent a few yards away).

But the book.....Mr Pride addresses the fact that many believers live as if they were unbelievers. He talks about our habit of rationalizing sin and uses Adam and Eve in the act of the first disobedience to illustrate his arguments. He says that Eve fell for

• lust of the eyes (it looked good)
  
• lust of the flesh (it tasted good) (or so the serpent said)
  
• pride of life (it would make them wise)
  

Mr Pride then goes on to show how we do the same thing and go through the same process of rationalization.

The book is easy to read and although sometimes his illustrations are a little....let's say 'lame', they do make his point. He has many good, thought provoking points.

Somehow, it seems that most books I pick up lately have the same theme......'get your act together', 'get serious about being like Christ', 'live for eternity, not for today', 'deal with sin in your life NOW', 'call sin what it is'. Maybe someone is trying to say something to me?

My light reading this week is 'All She Ever Wanted' by Lynn Austin. This story is about four generations of women in one family and how the choices and life of one (Fiona) contributed to the choices and circumstances of her daughter (Ellie) whose daughter (Kathleen) responded to her choices and how those choices affected her daughter (Joelle). Doesn't sound real exciting, but the stories are interwoven expertly and you are drawn into the lives of all 4 of these women. An underlying theme is that a lack of understanding of one another's lives leads to resentment and rejection. Communication and compassion are necessary in any relationship. This is my second time through this book.

The audible book I am listening to is "This Present Darkness" by Frank E Peretti. A Christian Fiction Classic. Who hasn't read this book? I've always believed this book was inspired. It opened our eyes to the spiritual battles raging around us and to the power and necessity of PRAYER. The narrator is pretty good but the quality of the recording is not great....there is a bit of an 'empty' sound in the background, as well as a distant buzz. It is very disappointing. I keep hoping it will change later in the book. I'm still only halfway through the first part of the download (it is in 2 parts) so maybe the second download is better. In spite of this, I am enjoying the story, as always.

The last person I talked to on the phone was Sherry A. I drive her to radiation treatments every Tuesday in Edmonton. She called to tell me that the powers that be have insisted she come in for a morning appointment on Tuesday so she can see the radiologist after her treatment and would that present a problem for me? Of course not. I can go in the morning just as easily as the afternoon.

The last restaurant was Wendy's.....with my hubby....on Friday in the midst of the blizzard. We had gone to town to get some long underwear for Jim (among other errands) and to visit some of our kids while we were in town. Lunchtime came and what else could we do? OK, OK, I'll be honest. Jim wanted a hamburger and fries and frosty. I had the southwest taco salad.

My plans for today (actually, for this afternoon, since it is already after 11) begin with going to town to get food for my hungry dogs. I'll also stop at the grocery store for the people in the house. I will also stop at Staples to take back the clock I bought for the bathroom. The box says 'silent movement' and it is true that it does not tick tock, but it grinds quite loudly.

When I get home, I will be working on cleaning my basement. My husband has made an appointment with the 'water guy' to come and look at our system with an eye to what we need to clean up our water....iron eater, reverse osmosis, etc. I need to at least clear a space around the water system so he can get in there to look. Oh, and I'll have to rig up some lighting since there is NO LIGHT in the main part of the basement. Whoever made this basement really messed up......there are no windows on the east side or north side of the house and no light fixture in the largest area. Then, someone else built a room which contained the only window in the north end of the basement, cutting of that light source. When I had my library built, that blocked off the window on the south end of the house. The rest of the place is a dark, dungeony, black hole. I need to either do something about that myself or get Danny to help me with 'fixing' the problem. At any rate, that is my focus for this week.....move some things around in the basement.

I am listening to silence.....well, what accounts for silence in my house, anyway. There is always the hum of the computer and the sound of the furnace, if nothing else. Right now, that is all there is....not even a dog barking. It is probably too cold and they are too hungry to be barking outside. Guess I'd better get to town so they will at least not be hungry.

I've actually watched a couple movies this week! Thursday night, since Jim was not going to work on Friday, we watched 'Uncle Buck' starring John Candy. A classic comedy. There are some great one-liners in that movie! Not to mention a good look at the 80's silly fashions.

Saturday evening I was snowed in. Trapped in my yard. Not going anywhere, no one coming in. Neither Jim nor Dan would be coming home since there was a huge drift across the driveway (not to mention several large drifts on the 3 miles of road between our house and the highway). I set out to make my weekly pot of soup and to fill the silence with something other than music (I'd had my music going all day) I brought the small TV/video player in to the kitchen and set it on the countertop. I watched "Fools Rush In" while I chopped vegetables and simmered my soup. Of course, that chore did not take as long as the movie, so when the soup was finished, I took the movie to the player in the bedroom and finished it from the comfort of my bed. This is one of my all time favorite romantic comedies....starring Matthew Perry and Selma Hayek. I love the way he proposes to her......"You are everything I never knew I always wanted". Classic. (One of my other favorite aspects of the movie is the way 'Isabelle's' family painted their house in several different bright colors....I'd love to be brave enough to do that to my own house)

So....that's my life at this moment. I'm off to start my truck (I hope) so it can warm up for the half hour or so it will take me to get ready to leave and have a bite of lunch.

Friday's Favorite Five - On Saturday

Sorry I'm late on this post......yesterday was a full day - no time to come on the computer.

But, as I do not like to miss two weeks in a row and I was absent from this group last week, I will take the 'better late than never' attitude and record those things that bless me as I look back at the week just past.

1. My hubby continues to be able to be home every night - most nights he is not here until 8 pm and then still needs to write and send his daily report, but he is here. I am not battling with lonliness anymore, as I had been when he was staying in hotels. Even better, he had an unexpected day off yesterday which we spent braving the incoming blizzard and doing some shopping and visiting in town.

2. My youngest son, who has been looking for work since he returned home from his mission school in Montana/Thailand/Cambodia, finally has a job - at least for this month. (Yes, I know I reported he had work soon after he returned, but that job did not last more than a week or so) He is working for his uncle, doing taping on drywall - something he has done before for my BIL, and will keep him out of the cold winter, yet still have him working hard and with his hands. God is good.

3. Bubble baths. Nice hot bubble baths. And a good book. Need I say more?

4. Dark chocolate. VERY dark. I allow myself one 100 calorie dark chocolate bar (preferably Aero 70% cocoa) a day. Luxury.

5. Answered Prayer. I have had a few answers to prayer this week - some of a personal nature, but one that I want to share. Once a week I take my turn at driving a friend to the city for radiation treatments. The first week I took my truck, thinking it would be more comfortable for her if she felt sick afterward. I found that the 'overflow' parking lot was not designed with 1 ton trucks in mind and determined that I'd be bringing my little car next time. However, the weather did not co-operate and this Tuesday the roads were pretty icy, meaning I was taking my 4X4 truck. As I turned toward the hospital, I told my friend that I was going to check out the regular parking lot in front of the doors before going into the overflow. Of course, it looked absolutely full but I drove slowly behind the single row of parked vehicles and my friend said simply "Lord Jesus, please let someone be pulling out so we can park here". There were no back-up lights, however, and I thought I'd be driving out and back to the little overflow lot when a gentleman walking toward me waved me backward, pointing to a van 2 stalls behind me. I backed up, he got into his van and backed out, leaving me with a parking space that was not only easy to drive into, but would be easy to pull out of as well. (My biggest worry about the overflow lot). THANK YOU JESUS! And thank you to the kind gentleman who cared enough to let me know he was vacating a parking space.

Today is not a very nice day.....I am seriously snowed in - cannot leave my yard - and I wanted to go to church tonight. Daniel will not be able to get home, meaning he will have to crash at someone's house again tonight (as he did last night) and even Jim will not be able to get into the driveway - I told him to stay at a hotel or with his folks tonight. Tomorrow we have a Baby Shower for my granddaughter Ava planned......I will have to decide in the morning if the roads are too dangerous to expect anyone to come to the party or if we should go ahead with it.....and if we do go ahead with it, if the grader hasn't been by my house, how will I get there?

The upside to being snowed in and alone.......there are no expectations on me to be somewhere or do anything for anyone. I can spend the evening doing whatever I want - which is probably going to be making soup and then working on a scrapbook project I am making for a Christmas gift. Oh, and reading some of the other FFF blogs!

And maybe a bubble bath and a good book.

A Slice of my Life

I got up this morning at 5:30 a.m. with my husband. We had stayed in Red Deer last night, at his parents' home. Since Jim is working near Eckville, a mere 1/2 hour away from the city, he had made plans to join Mom and Dad and I to watch the last half of the Grey Cup game in which our team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders were competing. Unfortunately, his afternoon's work did not go as planned and he was not able to arrive until well after the sad end of the game.

Yes, the Riders lost.

After playing a great game, they lost because of a mistake. Not because they were outplayed. Not because they missed a pass or a tackle.

They missed because someone on the Riders' team miscalculated in some way and there were too many players on the field when the other team MISSED their field goal, allowing another chance at the kick.

Heavy sigh.

Anyway, Jim arrived just as Mom and Dad and I were finishing up our late supper.

In spite of the disappointment in the game, we had a nice visit for an hour or so before Jim and I headed for bed, leaving Mom to clean up the kitchen. This did not sit well with me, but I knew that we had precious little hours to sleep.

I left shortly after Jim, before the parents were up......and it is a good thing I did since I ran into snow at Ponoka. It is still snowing now so I am glad I travelled those roads before they were too treacherous.

I had a Slim Fast bar for breakfast.

The book I am reading this week is "White Picket Fences" by Susan Meisner. This is a book that was reviewed favorably on two blogs I read.....Living to Tell the Story, written by my cyber friend, Susanne and A Life in Pages written by one of my favorite authors, Angela Hunt. I've read only the first chapter, so have little to say about the book as yet.

Since last Monday, I read "Rescued" by John Bevere and Mark Olson . This is a story that made me very aware of certain truths, which I wrote about in the previous post.

I am still listening to the audio book "Byzantium" by Sephen R Lawhead. Sadly, it is nearly over. I said last week that I did not like the narrator much. This week, I take that back. His even tone actually suited the story well. There is so much action in the tale that much more expression would have been overwhelming.

The main message of the book (besides being a tale full of historical detail) is that Jesus did not come to prevent our suffering but to provide a way through it through His overcoming power and love.

I think the 'question' of what I am wearing is a little tedious since my apparel seldom changes much, therefore, I am not going to answer it anymore.

The last person I spoke to on the telephone was my loving husband, calling to be sure I made it home safely. Before you wonder why I did not call him first, since that is something I routinely require others to do when they are travelling, I DID call him as soon as I arrived home - but his line was busy.

The last restaurant I ate at was Wendy's ..... on Friday. I had picked up my granddaughters to take them home with me, making their parents a little free-er (how do you spell that word, anyway?) to pack, and since we had stopped at Kathryn's before heading out to the farm, they were hungry. It is fun to treat them, for any reason. I had a Southwest Taco Salad while they had kids' meals of chicken nuggets, fries, root beer, and a small frosty.

In explaination of the above, in case you were unaware, Rob and Lana moved this weekend.....into Andrew's house, which they will be renting. For a little while, at least, Andrew will be living in the basement and sharing their meals.

My plans for today include, as priority, the paying of bills (which I started yesterday) and calculating the amount of GST we have collected in the last 3 months, then figuring the amount of GST we have paid on various purchases on behalf of our company, and then sending the difference on to the government. Not one of my favorite jobs, but much better than preparing the federal income tax. Still, I do not enjoy being a tax collector for the government - which is what we are, since we must charge GST on every invoice we send out and then send the monies on to CRA. If I am even one day late, we are charged interest and penalties. Enforced service to an exacting and ungracious master, if you ask me.

I will also be doing some house cleaning and will make a pot of soup for the week.

I am listening to Riley barking outside my window. He is the only dog running around, since I did not let the other dogs out of the pen - which would have made his bed available to him. He is probably saying "Get out here and let me into my house!"

Riley came with me to Red Deer, BTW, that is why he is separated from the others who are resting quietly and comfortably in their nice warm house.

The last movie I watched ....... again, my answers to this question are pretty uniform since I do not watch many movies lately. Sorry....no comment.

Well, that is my story for today. Guess I'll go open the dog's pen and then start my soup to simmering so I can begin my accounting job.

Still, in spite of having to deal with taxes, and in spite of the snow, it is a lovely day and I am blessed indeed.

Will He Know You?

When was the last time you thought about standing before the throne of God, about to have your deeds judged?

When was the last time you heard a sermon about this fearful day?

In the popular teaching of late, focusing on Grace and Love, has the truth of Matthew 7 been glossed over?

Jesus teaches us about the way to Heaven.....

v13. Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. v 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

v 19. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

v21. Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. v22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' v 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers'.

How can we know if we will be among those who are surprised to be told 'I never knew you'?

Verse 24 says "Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts
them into practice is like a wise man who built his house upon a rock"

This, I think, is the key.

Putting the words of Jesus into practice.

Another way of saying this would be to say we allow ourselves to be changed.

Over and over, Jesus tells us to OBEY and to follow Him.

Do we even know what that means in our North American culture?

It is not as easy as following a set of rules....the Pharisees were experts at that, and Jesus had no good things to say to those rule keepers.

Jesus says in Matt 7:21 that it is only he who does the will of the Father that will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Sometimes, that means we must NOT follow the 'status quo'. We must be willing to be labelled 'fanatical' or even 'extreme' because wasn't that what Jesus was? Being faithful in attending a weekly (or even bi-weekly) church service won't do. Reading your Bible daily isn't going to get you past the Judgement throne with a "Well Done". Even having a set time of prayer won't do it.

No.

I believe that it is only those who TRUELY love God with all their hearts, all their minds, and all their souls who will be known by Jesus on that fateful day. Only those who have allowed Him to CHANGE their hearts and their behaviors will be known by Him.

Going to church, or worshipping with other believers, must be done from a heart of love....a desire to please GOD. Not a desire to be seen. Not a desire to 'hang out with the right crowd'. Not a sense of duty or tradition. Not even as a vocation.

Reading the Word must be from a desire to KNOW Jesus....not to complete a Bible Study, not to amass knowledge, not even so you can preach to the 'unsaved'.

Prayer should be a conversation with the ONE who is always with you and should be a response to His love, as well as a response to our knowing and loving Him.

Even harder......sometimes, it means we must NOT do those things that 'everyone' is doing.

The proof is in the 'fruit'....the way we live our lives. Do we gossip? Do we cheat in business dealings? Are we honest and above reproach in everything? Are we kind, do we have an abiding peace, no matter what our circumstances? Do we curse and take the Lord's name in vain? Do we believe nasty things about one another? Do we hold grudges? Do we live in unforgiveness? Do we love our enemy? Do we do good to those who curse us? Do we strive to reconcile with those who have offended us? Do we fill our minds and our souls with 'trash' through the mediums of books, television, movies, and music?

Bottom line....do we SHOW the world Jesus? Because if we don't reflect our Savior, we are only those who go through the motions in His name and we will not be known by Him before the throne of judgement.

I think most Believers have at least a nodding acquaintance with these kinds of thoughts - but how often do we actually meditate on the fact that our every action and deed will be examined?

John the Baptist preached "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance......every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire"

Over and over again, the writers of the New Testament urge us to put into practice the teachings of Jesus.

Yes, there is Grace.

Thank God, for His Grace.

But do not forget what Paul teaches in Romans 6......"So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not!"

Grace is available for when we falter in our walk. Grace is not an excuse to falter. It is not an excuse to live like those who do not know Him.

I guess what I am trying to say is that we too often focus on the wonderful Grace of God and live like we have nothing to change....like we do not need to produce the fruit of repentance.

There will come a day for all of us when we will stand before the Judgement Throne of God....and it will be a fearful thing......when all our deeds will be judged. Will you be rewarded for your deeds? Or will you be shocked to discover you will spend eternity apart from God....in utter darkness and torment?

The last time I heard a sermon on this subject was more than 20 years ago (of course, I concede that I have not attended 'church' regularly in the last 15 or so years).

Should we not strive to Holiness? To be like Jesus? Should we not be walking carefully, making sure we are entering the narrow gate?

I am not looking to offend anyone here, I am talking to myself and if anyone else is pricked to think on these things and to study them out, that is a bonus.

For myself, I do not want to get to the end of my life and find that I have been lazy in my walk, counting on Grace alone to get me to Heaven. I have a responsibility to DO what I have been taught, by the Holy Spirit, through the Word - to let the Holy Spirit challenge me and change me. He will give me the strength to overcome, but I must take the first steps.

I have many more thoughts on these matters since God has been speaking to me about these things for some months now, but some things are between me and God and some things are so profound I do not know how to express them.

One of the ways God has been speaking to me has been through books....."In Pursuit of Holiness", "Clutter Free Christianity", "The Mark of the Lion" series of novels, and most recently, "Rescued"- a novel by John Bevere. This last book is one I urge you to read.....and then study the Word of God to see if the message is consistent with the teachings of Jesus and His apostles. I have one copy of this novel and willingly lend it to whomever will read it.

I pray that I will not let these things slide from my heart and mind in the busyness of life.