Why I don’t like Halloween

ghastly movies
ghosts
goblins
gooey candy
graveyards on lawns

Read Sheila Wray Gregoire's thoughts on Halloween at Christianity.ca.
"I didn’t like walking around in the cold and rain. And I didn’t like being scared. Many Christian families approach Halloween with a certain degree of trepidation. We know the evil roots of the celebration but all around us family and friends lure us to participate."

Things We See Outside Our Front Door

A post for Owen

my favourite grandson

Breaking up the sidewalk

Breaking up the street.

The shovel.

The police car.

The Opa bothering the bees.

One Writer’s Balancing Act

Ten Things That Get in the Way of Writing

1. Phone calls
2. Walks in the park
3. Birthday parties
4. Visits from friends and relatives
5. Facebook
6. Volunteering at the Rock
7. Women’s group
8. Mrs. Z.
9. Cleaning house
10. Watching movies

Ten Things That Inspire me to Write

1. Phone calls
2. Walks in the park
3. Birthday parties
4. Visits from friends and relatives
5. Facebook
6. Volunteering at the Rock
7. Women’s group
8. Mrs. Z.
9. Cleaning house
10. Watching movies

When Put to the Test

Would I stand up for what is right or Biblical in a room filled with non-Christians spouting unbiblical views? Possibly I would, but possibly not.

Recently I was in a room full of Christians who talked as if all Roman Catholics were not Christians. I personally know several Roman Catholics who are true believers. These friends of mine believe Jesus died on the cross to save them from their sins.

Did I say anything in that room full of Christians? Did I stand up for my friends?

No.

I need help.

The Truth Project—Philosophy and Ethics

See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah). Colossians 2:8 Amplified

There used to be a distinction between ethics and morals. Ethics were what ought to be. Morals were actuality. Ethics used to be defined by the Word of God.

In our society we base our ethics on the morals of the day. If 51% of the people agree that something is morally right, that becomes the ethical standard. This is just one of the many crude notions of today’s North American society.

Based on a survey using ten questions, only 4% of the general population in America has a Biblical worldview. The scary part of that survey shows that only 9% of born-again Christians in America have a Biblical worldview. Possibly Canadians are different, but probably the statistics in our country would be very similar.

We need help.

To find out more about the Truth Project visit Focus On the Family's The Truth Project.

The Truth Project

(continued from previous post)

Truth is reality, lies are an illusion.

Recently I signed up for the Truth Project. This is Focus on the Family’s 12-lesson, in-depth Christian worldview experience. The lessons are designed to cause transformation among Christians.

Background:
There is a cosmic battle that pits the truth against the lies. This started back with the creation of the world when Satan tempted mankind with a lie. We made a poor choice and history is about God’s plan to redeem mankind to Him, to the truth.

Jesus came into the world to testify to the truth. Jesus is the truth. In John 8, Jesus mentioned there are two fathers. Either we belong to God, the father, or to the father of lies. The reality is that those who do not belong to God are captives. Jesus is the way to the true father. We were all captive until Jesus saved us.

Action:

We must help free other captives.

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity, Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:5&6.

Method:
The idea is to gaze upon the face of God. This will expose us to ourselves, will expose our culture, and will transform us into world-changers. Like Isaiah we will say, “Here am I, send me!”

I need to spend all my time looking at and listening to God.

Rants and Conspiracy Theories

I heard a theory that Obama is being groomed to run the government of the New World Order. That’s why he received the Nobel Peace Prize.



I heard a rant that Stephen Harper is selling the country. It was a long rant that I don’t care to repeat because I believe Stephen Harper is a man of integrity who is doing a difficult job rather well considering the system he has inherited.

I heard a theory that my husband is smarter than I am because he understands what I do while I don’t understand what he does. My husband voiced this theory and I don’t want to disillusion him. It’s good for him to think he is smarter than I am.

What is Truth? How do you know what is true? This is an important question because we make decisions based on what we believe to be true.

(Continued)

The Reality of Divine Healing

Lately I’ve been thinking about healing and past experiences of being healed or praying for people who were subsequently healed, and I realize that healings aren’t usually conspicuous and after they happen I don’t think about what could have been, might have been or would have been.

Except in dramatic cases—like when Christina practically drowned in the pool—after the healing I tend to doubt or even dismiss the existence of the medical condition that caused me to pray.

But, if the healing hadn’t taken place, I would not have doubted the reality of the illness. Then the proof would be obvious.

So thank you Lord for all the diseases I didn’t get, for all the times I was coming down with a cold and it disappeared after I told it to go away in Jesus name. I’m grateful for all the times, you Lord, protected me from the flu. I thank you Lord for all the cases of food poisoning you saved me from, for all the accidents I did not have, for all the pains that did not develop into anything, and for all the blemishes that aren't.

Lord, thank you for divine health.

Don’t Mess With Reta

(continued from previous post)

To navigate me through the various possibilities for new glasses frames, Reta, a friendly, big-hair lady in a classy pantsuit was assigned to my service. She asked me what I liked.

“A designer person told me I should get something with a strong horizontal line across the top,” I replied.

This seemed to upset the hitherto friendly Reta.

“Well!” she said snatching an ugly pair of thick black frames out from the wall of frames. “You should get what you like. Children will tell their mother what they want her to have. She’ll give in, and a week later she’ll bring the glasses back, because she is not happy with something like THIS.” She jiggled the ugly black frames at me.

“Okay,” I nodded and gulped as I quietly decided to exclude mention of my image consultant from all further conversation with Reta.

She picked three sets of frames from various locations on the wall. They each had a similarly strong horizontal line across the top, relatively small lenses and modern design.

I chose the third pair.

Reta clucked approval, “See, together, you and I can choose the perfect set of frames.”

Yes, indeed.

Now for the haircut, can anyone recommend a good stylist?—possibly someone who doesn’t mind my mentioning the image consultant. I did pay $50 for that.

Improving My Vision

(continued from Awakening My True Identity - Part 4)

Old Glasses - no longer in style.

The day for my eye appointment finally arrived. It has only been three months since the image consultant at the writers’ conference suggested I spring for new glasses—a design to complement my small face and small mouth (she didn’t tell me about the mouth, but I thought I’d add that bit, less you mistakenly imagine my mouth as big to accommodate the many things I have to say).

An eye test revealed that my 'near vision' had improved since the last exam while my 'far vision' had slightly deteriorated. I definitely needed new lenses.

To match my forthcoming improved vision, of course I needed those recommended face-enhancing frames. I tried to remember what the image consultant had said—something about small lenses with a strong horizontal line across the top in a modern design.

Surely, among the hundreds of frames displayed at this particular establishment, there was just such a pair—small lenses, strong horizontal line across the top, modern design.

How hard could it be?

(continued tomorrow)

What NOT to Do when Winterizing the Pool

(continued from previous post)

To rinse the pool’s rather grungy solar blanket, I took it out to our broad, concrete, front driveway. I moved the vehicles down to the end of the drive to make room. I would have parked them on the street, but workmen were redoing our damaged sidewalks. The construction paraphernalia made street parking difficult.


Ripping up old damaged sidewalk to replace with new.

The crew had just finished pouring cement for the strips of sidewalk on either side of our driveway when, at the top of my driveway, I began merrily spraying the bubbled plastic solar blanket with the garden hose. A dark cloud was forming overhead. Maybe it would rain. That would help clean my solar blanket. Thank you Lord.

I was abruptly drawn out of my bubble of gratitude by urgent repeated honking. A workman in a passing van was honking his horn and pointing at me. Suddenly there were seven Italians (at least they sounded Italian) standing out front. They seemed to be agitated. They were pointing at the water running down my driveway, running over onto their fresh cement.

As they pulled burlap over their concrete, these men certainly were not thanking the Lord for the possible rain, or the impossible woman running water into their project.

I quickly turned the hose off and spoke a feeble apology before retreating into the house. Oh, Oh.
Moral of the Story: What's good for me is not necessarily good for you. Or, rain doesn’t make everyone happy.


The Good News: my pool is covered. Let the autumn leaves fall! Let the snow fly!

How to Winterize the Pool?

(continued from previous post)
One semi-sunny Monday after several weeks of misty, rainy weather, I realized, for my psychological well-being, this was the day to close the pool. There were five good reasons to make pool closing a priority:

1) No one had been swimming for weeks, not since before Labour Day.

2) The calendar said October.

3) The pool thermometer said 17 degrees.

4) I had been neglecting to run the pump.

5) And scariest of all, the leaves from the neighbour’s huge maple were beginning to float down.

How To:

Step 1: Pull back the solar blanket. Whoops, it's green again.

Step 11: Vacuum and vacuum and vacuum as the pump drains the pool. Once the water level reaches the required level quit with the vacuuming. The chemicals will have to do the rest.

Step 111: Throw in the chemicals.

Step 1V: Drain the filter and the pump and blow the water out of the pipes.

My pool-closing was going swimmingly, until….


(continued)

When to winterize the pool?

Closing the pool means summer has ended. This is an emotional thing. To winterize is to get ready for winter which shouldn’t be done before autumn.

For psychological well-being, closing a pool has to be timed right. One must not close the pool before Labour Day. That’s just wrong.

It doesn’t matter how cold, wet, or windy August becomes, winterizing the pool before Labour Day can be classified as disrespect for the seasons.

Yet, if one waits too long, the rainy autumn days might take over and lead right into wet snowy days with only a slight chance of Indian summer. One doesn’t want to close the pool in a snowstorm. Cold wet hands are more painful than the word ‘winterize.’

(continued)

Recognizing a Deal—or Not

Hey that’s a good deal, I thought.
The sign outside the local video store said:

Buy Two Movies
Get 1 for a Buck

I could buy a previously viewed movie DVD for $9.99, and get the second one for a dollar. This was almost too good to pass up.

There wasn’t a lot to choose from, but after 20 minutes of reading DVD covers I chose Slumdog Millionaire as a Christmas present for my son and Frozen River based on a true story as the second movie. I had never heard of Frozen River before, but what’s to lose at $1.

I took my choices to the check-out. The clerk smiled as she dug out the appropriate CD’s to place in my chosen cases.

She then informed me, “We have a sale. If you buy 2 movies you get the next 1 for a buck, so if you pick another movie you only have to pay one dollar.”

I looked at the sign again. Of course, it was obvious, or was it?

What do you think? How would you have read that sign? Leave a comment, let me know. I am curious as to whether my brain works differently than yours.

Blogs Worth a Visit - Counting My Blessings

Ellie over at Counting My Blessings sees beauty all around. She will open your eyes to things you otherwise may not have noticed.

Read her blog and I guarantee you will see your world with new eyes. Enjoy!

Blogs Worth a Visit - Whatever He Says

Whenever Belinda puts up a post at Whatever He Says, I'm there. She always has something thought-provoking and/or amusing to say. And, whatever she says is always real.

The philosophy of Belinda's blog comes through loud and clear in the postings:

If I could leave behind only one piece of wisdom it would be to echo the words of Jesus’ mother: “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5) For this is the secret of a life of joy and intimate friendship with God.

Keep up the good work Belinda.

Blogs Worth a Visit - Local Pond

Local Pond is my all-time favourite blog to visit. Going there is like going to a modern-day Little House on the Prairie. Of course, for me the most powerful draw: at Local Pond I catch glimpses of my grandkids, Owen and Julianna.

Blogs Worth a Visit - Interviews & Reviews

At the blogsite Interviews & Reviews you can read reviews of fiction and non-fiction books, followed by interviews with the authors who are Christian.

After Laura Davis reviews the book and interviews the author, she gives the book away in a draw. You enter the draw by leaving a comment.

I like this blog and I'm not just saying this because Laura reviewed my book—although that helped.

Blogs Worth A Visit - 2catsandahusband

Every Monday my friend Betty-Anne over at 2catsandahusband posts Mailbox Monday. If you visit on a Monday morning you'll see a unique and interesting mailbox. This week it's a hammer, last week it was a church, and before that a fish.

That's just Mondays. On Sundays she'll show you a smiley face and on the days between babies and blankets and whatever else strikes her fancy. Check it out.

My Interview with Laura Davis

Yesterday, Laura Davis interviewed me about Blooming. Here is the link to her blogsite: Interviews and Reviews.

The Day I Yelled at Mrs. Z.

Monday afternoon Mrs. Z phoned me, “You will pick me up and take me to the doctor tomorrow morning at 9:30.” This was news to me.

I looked at my kitchen calendar—Tuesday's square was as blank as my mind, but I knew I had another commitment. What was it?

Mrs. Z. continued, “You will take me to the Old Medical Building and I will get…”

“You can take a taxi,” I surmised.

“No, no, I can’t. I have a walker."

“Irene, you didn’t even ask me?” my voice was suddenly unusually loud. I quickly closed the door to Marty’s office. “You phone me and tell me what I must do. I don’t appreciate this.”

“…I am so tired. I have to lie down and rest.”

“Yes, call back after you rest.” There was still an edge in my voice.

“You will be home in half an hour from now?”

“Yes.”

Click.

What had I done? I had yelled at a 96-year-old woman and refused to take her to the doctor. What kind of cruel unchristian person was I?

Then I remembered my previous commitment. Mary, a neighbourhood friend, would be coming over Tuesday morning to use my clothes dryer as hers was on the fritz. I had already postponed Mary’s visit by a day because I was doing my own five loads of laundry.

I called Mrs. Z. back and quietly told her why I couldn’t help her.

She understood and decided to ask her other lady friend, “…the one who was going to do some shopping for me tomorrow.”

Did I tell you I love Mrs. Z? Well right now, I don’t like her (or myself) very much.