Out with the Old, but not all of it!

This is the last day for many things. It is the last of 2009 to be sure, but it is the last of working with some great co-workers for a great company. Although I am grateful to have a contract with the same facility, there are apprehensions with the new governing company, new staff and continuing staff, new policies and procedures.

The last two weeks have been amongst my favourite at work and I am sorry to see their end. Why did GOD decide to save the best until last? I don't know, but it was a treasure. I learned and confirmed wise and wonderful things for future Christmases, for child rearing and educating, for general daily living and for these I am again grateful. The contrast from here will be difficult. There will be no comradery or sense of peace and order, but I hope that I will be diligent to find GOD's hand in all that He gives me in my daily moments. He always does things well; it is I who mangle the opportunities into difficult and uncomfortable minutes, just like I did yesterday over a pair of mittens, a child and an unkind co-worker.

My resolutions this past year have been a list of five statements to remember and will remain so in the coming year:

1. GOD will move heaven and earth to show you His will for your life if you really want to do His will.
2. Trust GOD and He will provide all your needs. Don't look to anybody else. Look to Him.
3. Trust GOD to be your protector.
4. Obey GOD and leave the consequences to Him. Trust Him to make a way.
5. Take GOD at His word. He Who promises is faithful.

Additional resolutions for 2010 will be regarding my most severe short-coming: LOVE

1. Panta stegei - bears all things
2. Panta pisteuei - believes all things
3. Panta elpigei - hopes all things
4. Panta upomenei - endures all things

Onward to 2010 - O Come O Come Emmanuel!
  

The Difference Between Light and Day

Today we have 5 hours and 36 minutes of daylight given to us by a beautiful golden sun.

Sunrise 10:15. Sunset 3:51.

This is an increase of 1 minute and 52 seconds from yesterday.

A total increase of 15 minutes and 20 seconds since winter solstice!

Being so far up yonder, you notice every minute.

My trouble is that I cannot accurately tell the time anymore!

Snowledge

After walking in the cold and snow every day now, I am starting to get to know the temperature and the corresponding effects fairly accurately! (Give or take!)

• 32 degrees -There is a sticky sensation in your throat when you breathe in air below a certain temperature. Snow occurs around this temperature; warmer or colder air brings rains or evaporation.
• 20 degrees - Eyes water. You must cough a few times to acclimate to the outdoors.
• 15 degrees - The air becomes glittery and all objects are covered with white frost. Eyes sting and water rapidly.
• 10 degrees - Frosted objects now look furry and covered with crystal sugar. Your eyebrows and forehead become painful to move. Ears become numb and crunchy. Exhalation vapours disappear quickly into frozen crystals.
• ZERO degrees - Below zero and above zero feels distinctively different. The fountain of tears now falling from your eyes lie in frozen salt tracks on your cheeks. Your nostrils practically snap closed to avoid the painfully drying air. You also discover that you do in fact have nose hair, albeit frozen into stalagtites.

There is so much that I see and discover and enjoy in this white landscape that I find it difficult to put into words. It is as amazing as trying to describe an ocean sunset, an emerging seedling or the birth of a child. You just have to be there!

Post Christmas Plans

It is that time of year again. No; not boxing up decorations or planning resolutions or preparing preliminary tax figures. What I refer to is something monumentally more important and something my sister and I have our own countdown calendar for. It involves strategizing, pen and paper, calculators, catalogues, an art and engineering degree, and dreams that exceed your budget! Every year we dream extravagantly of traditional gardens, then seek each other and our calculators for reality and humour! This year is no exception, and while we cannot share a cup of tea and warm oven offering to inspire us, the distance does allow us to draw up our plans separately, send them off poste haste and see how close we are to a match. Invariably we have a few diferences, but after feeling our ante's upped, and explanations, reasons and motives cross examined, we usually end with identical seed packets picked out with slightly varied garden layouts. So far we have ignored the fact that we could each grow half and share the other. It is too much fun to plan complete gardens and compare notes; this year's garden is no exception! Here is to dreams, seeds, sprouts and the fruits of our labour! Here is to one sweet garden spider making its way to its new home!

How Many Kings by Downhere

Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe, after all we've projected,
A child in a manger?
Lowly and small, the weakest of all
Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mother's shawl -
Just a child -
Is this who we've waited for? 'cause...



How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?



Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior
All that we have, whether costly or meek
Because we believe.
Gold for his honor, and frankincense for his pleasure
And myrrh for the cross he will suffer
Do you believe?
Is this who we've waited for?



All for me...

All for you...

Gleanings and Pickin's

I learned new words, out of the mouths of babes!

Bussfant = nose munchkin

Beezbuh = booger

Re-Educating the Under-Educated

One of the mother's recently asked her son to tell me who invented the light bulb, just to show his recently learned information. He acted shy and declined the spotlight, so I offered that I knew it was not George Washington; he was our first president. (Always put noble examples before children) He still declined the correct answer so his mother helped pitch in. She asked, "Was it Obama?" I was floored. How did we get from George to Barak? It felt that she was trying to intimate that the current president was capable of such enormous contributions and greatness to society. Several times since, she has asked her son other questions and teased him with the same presidential response.

It gave me pause for concern that our children are having 'his' name set before them continually, always with the possibility of him doing something magnificent, great and enormously capable.

Let us choose our examples wisely and our inferences carefully. Little ones are watching, listening and learning. As for me, George was a great man, unparalled as a general and president. I choose him for my example.

Traditions, New and Old

This Christmas I have been formulating what I would like my future Christmas celebrations to contain and pertain to. On paper, I have written a theme and flow of what it should look like next year. How exciting to anticipate 364 days from now!

Coming soon to a blog near you!

Christmas Day!

Joyeux Noel!

Merry Christmas

Holiday Ornamentation

The Holidays have arrived. Are you prepared? I

have not been a part of the bustling scene, nor the decorative process this year. There are a few of my own traditions that I have missed, but it also has been sweet to remember that Christmas goes on with or without our customary glitz and glamour. It has taught me that GOD originated over the top, outrageous beauty and splendour as well as breath taking intricate simplicity. Being created in His image, we are merely reflecting a portion of His creative abilities when we decorate, but in so doing, I want to remember to reflect His heart more than any thing else. I have loved having a true white winter to celebrate Christmas. That has been all the decoration I have needed to remind me of the true Christmas.

Jon McNaughton's Masterpiece

How Great You Are

Intelligent Design

As I walk through this landscape, I have often wondered at the function and form of the natural surroundings. Having gone from summer to autumn to winter, I have observed that "He doeth all things well"!! Seeing the slender birch trees and their delicate branching seems astonishing to me that they could survive the weather that is giving my fingertips such grief when ungloved for a few seconds to help the children re-glove, and yet, as I see the effects of varying temperatures, my amazement has turned to grateful wonder that GOD maketh no mistakes.

The colder weather turns the trees to magnets, attracting the smallest particles of moisture to cloak the branches with an insulation of frost while the above zero temperatures attract the snow onto the most slender of branches, each one bearing a load of ten times the branch's girth.

Today there is a breeze which is blowing the nimble branches and shaking the lightest of snow off. Without that slender flexibility, I am sure that the branches would break under the weight. Amazing!

Close Encounters

I followed within a minute or two behind a wandering moose in search of tasty twigs, amidst the swirl of falling snow. While I have seen several within 50-100 feet, I was able to hear this one in the brush along the path. Yesterday, the colder temperatures brought out more moose, and I passed another within fishing rod distance, close enough to smell a delicious steak, I mean appreciate the beauty! His shoulders were hunched and his head lowered as he munched sugar coated branches. I bid him 'adieu' with a watchful eye.

On The Depths of the Mercy of GOD

"Let us give ourselves to God without any reserve, and let us fear nothing. He shall love us and we shall love Him. His love, increasing every day, will take the place of everything else to us. He will fill our whole hearts; these hearts which the world has intoxicated, agitated, troubled, but has never been able to satisfy; He will deprive us only of those things that make us unhappy. He will cause us to do in general what we have been already, but which we have done in an unsatisfactory manner; whereas, hereafter, we shall do them well, because they will be done for His sake."  ~Fenelon~

O Tannenbaum

My perfect Christmas trees!

They are such a delight on my way to and from work or errands. I have never enjoyed holiday trees more, except for the lovely ones on the work property, but then what makes them more beautiful are the white lights glowing through the snow. These pictured are laced with red lights which adds a false sense of warmth to the subzero surroundings!

PROOF that our flag is still here!

Chainlink fencing - Arctic style

Snow makes EVERYTHING photogenic

Natural 'FROST'ing

The World On Time

If your packages do not arrive on time, don't blame UPS...

blame the weather man!

4 X 400

For six hours last night, I had 4 boys, ages 2-7, inside a 400 square foot condo. With snow, cold temperatures and a moose lurking outside, perhaps my neighbors were not as keen or adventurous and perhaps the parents had a few trepidations when driving away. However, within a few moments of introductions between the older two, sharing a meal together and onward to playtime and the promise of a fort, the evening wove moment by moment into a web of friendship and life skills for all.

Inspiring greatness was the common theme throughout the evening and I was amazed to see its profound effect. Seeing both of the two year olds eager to play with a lovely dump truck complete with full tilt bed, and expressing said desires in non-verbal forms of communication, I querried, "Wasn't it kind of Child #1 to bring toys from his house so he could share them with you?". Child #1 looked at the favoured object, walked over to Child #2, laid the toy down and said "Sharing"! I was unprepared for this gesture of kindness despite knowing and seeing that children are in fact capable of being generous. Perhaps I, too, was expecting more mayhem and less nobility.

Throughout the evening, I saw many examples of sweetness in response to the call for greatness. My heart was blessed, my eyes opened, and my love and appreciation for these future men was profoundly affected.

Transplanted Seedlings

In just a few days, I will be saying goodbye to two very dear children, brothers, whom I have developed a great affection for. They will be moving far away, and most likely will remain distant during this life. I am very sad to not be near their Little Lord Fauntleroy charms. As I reflect back on my time with them, I wonder if I tended the seed well enough. Did I learn enough from my Master Gardening classes to teach them adequately? Will the boys weather life's storms and delights in such a way to become better men? Will they be receptive to the Master Gardener? My prayer is that I will one day see them transplanted into Heaven.