Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. I am so thankful that I do know who I am in the scheme of things and WHO is the head of my home.  That is the most blessed knowledge we can have.  The assurance of salvation and knowing He has prepared a place for us.  Wow!  We can KNOW!  This brings such peace and joy that it is indescribable.  I just have been so busy over the years and now when I look back I have no idea how I ever survived.  LOL  I didn't think there were that many hours in a day.  ha ha.  It amazes me how the Lord helps you get through it all. 

To think of getting 7 little ones ready just for church each Sunday morning and getting there on time. Wow.  Then we always made it our goal to have someone come for dinner each week and spend the day so we could all go back for the evening service.  We lived 50 miles from the church we attended and now I think we must have been out of our minds.  The Lord does enable us to do amazing accomplishments when He heads our home. 

When I went to school Gary tried to take care of the home and he often said "How do you do it?"  My response was I have no idea.  My neighbor once asked me over for tea as she wanted to know "When do you sleep?"  I laughed when she said, "You are the last light on in the block and you are the first one out and hanging clothes each morning." 

We do what is necessary for the time.  I could never manage to keep up now.  I know I would have loved to spend more time with each of the children but I tried to work along side with them doing daily chores.  I always tried to include them and teach at the same time.  I am confident that our home was always shared with others. I pray that our lives were a testimony to our Lord. 

You would laugh at some of the homes we have lived in over the years.  My mother in law could not believe that we would invite people over with what little we had.  Sometimes it was only pancakes or toast and tea.  The main thing was the fellowship.  It surprised her and us that people came in spite of our humble dwellings.  Their visits were always lengthy and relaxed.  We wanted everyone to feel at home.   

Yes, we love books and this is the first thing I pack when we move.  Our minds are a precious thing.  We lived peacefully without a TV for over 25 years but always had our books.  What we feed our minds is so important.  What goes in always comes out in our thoughts or speech.  We need to be so careful in this day and age.  I have to agree that we all push Him down to the 911 status as you so brilliantly stated.  I will have to tell Gary, maybe a poem will come to him.  ha ha

Yes, I do understand what you are saying about the anger in their teen years.  I found that whenever my kids made wrong friendships their attitude was altered.  There are so many differences out in the world in home lives.  It is scary.  I didn't get saved until I was 20 - married and had 2 children.  The Lord has given us a real challenge in this day with all that goes on.  I do know sin has never changed and it has always been around but when I see things that were frowned upon even a few years ago being accepted as normal it shocks me. 

Sin is sin and we do have a CHOICE.  Everyone tries to blame it on the parents or the home or that they were born with a sickness or it is in their genes.  All cop outs.  No one wants to face up to their own responsibility and accept the consequences.  The devil loves to cover up and make the sin beautiful and inviting.  With the media of TV and games he sure has made hatred and revenge and other lifestyles look normal and exciting to our young people.  Even game shows on TV are full of backstabbing and get even or do them better and push them under.  Oh boy am I on a soapbox.  Didn't mean to get carried away but these things make me so angry myself.  I can never understand how these things magnify so quickly. 

I also have never been a poetry person but have learned to appreciate and love the message in poetic form.  It has become a part of my daily devotions and I enjoy reading through the sites with other poets.  We have made many new friends by responding to comments and sending comments to let them know how the poems have spoken to our hearts.  There are many types of poetic form that we cannot get used to but we have found a number of great writers and love their poems. 

The Lord has given my husband so many beautiful songs over the past 30 years and he can sing them and plunk them on the piano but the only instrument he can play are the bag pipes.  If he could learn the guitar he could introduce the songs to others to enjoy and be blessed.  The Lord put us together with a man in his 70's last year in Texas, who put all the notes on paper for us.  He has his master's in music and all we had to do was send him a cassette of Gary singing the songs.  He has a computer program to do this but it was so wonderful to see the songs on the screen when he sent them back to us.  We have become wonderful friends and still correspond.  It was amazing how it happened.  This story, is a bit long but hope you will bear with me.   I started submitting poems to Christian sites and one of them was Fellowship of Christian Poets. 

Gary and I love to read through all the new poems together when he is at home and one night we decided to go to the poet’s page and read the biographies of some of the people.  We both were drawn to on lady and it was funny when we both said lets look at hers.  We read through and found she was one of the editors and it said how she would make corrections and let the poet know. 

We discussed how it was strange that she had never commented on any of the ones I sent in. Well, the next morning Gary left for Calgary to go to work and when I turned on the computer there was an email from HER.  I started to laugh and called Gary to read it to him.  She told me she thought there should be some punctuation mark in a certain spot. 

I just had to write her and let her know about the night before and share the humor with her.  She wrote back and we started chatting together.  She also is in her late 60's and she had only been on the computer for 3 years.  I mentioned to her that I had many frustrations as she did and told her how I had purchased a program and a piano keyboard to hook to the computer and hoped Gary could plunk the keys and the notes would become sheet music. 

She wrote back that her brother in Texas loved to do this type of thing.  Well a very short time later that day I received a note from him saying he would love to do this and all he needed was a cassette. 

Now I will have to back up a bit because a few days earlier I turned on BBN radio on the internet and went to the conference room to listen to messages and when I heard the voice I recognized it as a man who had spoken at the very first Bible Conference we attended in Grand Rapids Michigan only one month after Gary came to know the Lord.  I thought "I wish I could tape this for Gary to listen to in his vehicle". 

I called around and borrowed a tape player recorder from a friend in our church.  After taping them all - there is a week of messages available of the one person then it changes to another preacher.  Well, I had the recorder here and the Lord gave me the thought that I should get Gary to sing the songs onto a tape.  I have often thought that if something should happen to him he only has the songs in his head and none of us would know the tune.  He was very, very tired from the long drive home and did not feel like doing so but I kept encouraging him and we got through it even though it was very monotone and unfeeling.  At least they were on tape. 

When I told my friend about it and returned her recorder she asked to listen to the tape.  Well, she gave me back two tapes as she felt the urge to make a copy of it for us and she still laughs about how she doesn't even know why she decided to do so.  So when Bill said to send along a cassette tape I had to burst out laughing as I had the two tapes sitting on the shelf in front of me.  The Lord has such a wonderful sense of humor. 

Then we received an email from a pastor in Ontario to let us know they had formed a quartet and were singing for functions to raise money for missionaries etc.  (Totally non profit)  We love this and thought how we would love for them to have some of the songs when they were done. 

Well, when Bill heard the songs he wrote back to tell us that there were a few of them that he felt should be written in quartet fashion and again we had to laugh. 

Our youngest daughter Stryanna who is now 14 years old got to sing one of these songs at a large gathering at a theme park in Calgary a few years ago and the house was packed with unbelievers and we were amazed that they sat and listened so intently to the words.  We had expected that many would get up and leave when they realized the message of the words.  We were also surprised at the people’s response to the song.  I should send along the words for you to see why it surprised us.  It is on the other computer so I will try to remember.  Well, there I go again.  Good thing I know how to type LOL

Yes, we each have to make CHOICES everyday of our lives and God is so GOOD to help us when we CHOOSE to ask HIM for the HELP.  With HIS guidance we can get through anything.  If only our young people would come to realize this before they make mistakes.  What a difference it would make in the JOY they have in their lives.  No pressure or stress when we GIVE it ALL UP to GOD.  We flounder around trying this and that and trying to do it our own way when HE has the PERFECT way set out before us.  I never knew true peace and joy until I accepted His wonderful GIFT of SALVATION!  I was raised in a non Christian home with alcoholic parents who ran around on each other and fought all the time.  To think that your own children can still choose to do wrong even though they have been raised in a Christian setting and heard the TRUTH all their little lives breaks my heart.  I never heard the TRUTH of the gospel until I was 20 years old and what an awakening that was to me.  To realize I was a sinner - WOW I certainly did not want to hear that.  I was so angry and stubborn and fought against GOD'S TRUTH with my puny little fists flailing in the air.  For days I could not sleep or rest as the battle went on.  I KNEW I had to make a DECISION and DO something or I would go mad.  Funny how we fight, to hold on to the things that tear us down.  We refuse to let go and then when we finally do it is such RELEASE from the things that hold us in bondage.  Praise His Name!!!!

Our Lord is SOOOOO   WONDERFUL!!!     To think that He cares so much for us and doesn't give up on us is so overwhelming.  Even after almost 35 years I am amazed at His faithfulness when we keep falling.  I praise the Lord for His closeness in times of need.  How did I ever survive without Him? 

As I write I am listening to KMBI radio and what a thrill.  “Be Still and Know that I Am God” is playing and it is such a blessing to have wonderful worship music on in the background.  I will really miss having this as we can only get one channel on the radio that has Christian programming part of the day and country western the other part.  The so called Christian radio station in Calgary is more Rock and Roll music than I appreciate. 

When I came to know the Lord He took away the desire to listen to that beat that controlled my life.  That was my addiction.  I had to ask the pastor "what is wrong with me, I don't like to listen to the radio any more?"  He laughed and showed me the verse “His Spirit bears witness with your spirit that you are a child of God.” 

WOW to think that HE cared about little old me so much that He took the time to help me take this out of my life so I could rest in the tranquility of silence in my home to learn from HIM. I soon realized how peaceful my home was without this noisy distraction. 

He just had to take away the electricity and then all distractions, were gone.  I could just enjoy HIM and worship him moment by moment in stillness and quiet.  This was what I needed as my life had always been a whirlwind of dances and dancing and noise and music as well as television constantly on when the radio wasn't taking my attention. 

OOPs there I go rambling on my memories again.  Caught myself just in time to not bore you to death.  LOL.  Must really get control, of those fingers of mine.  ha ha. 

Now Steve Green is singing “The Glory of God” and my emotions are getting the better of me.  Oh how wonderful and powerful the words to these songs are.  They reach right into our hearts and tear out the emotion.  So often I sit and weep with tears pouring down my face at the thought of what our Saviour has done for us while we are so unworthy.  Our pastor's wife would bring a box of Kleenex especially for me as she knew how the words to hymns and the message would touch my heart.  It became our little joke.  I am so thankful that even after all these years the Lord has kept my heart tender to HIS message.  

At church I love to take notes to learn from each message given.  When Gary cannot be with me he really appreciates this as he always goes right to my notebook to share in what was said.  For many years I wrote on bulletins and scraps of paper and have so many boxes of these but finally I smartened up and got myself a nice thin notebook with spiral binding that has a plastic cover and matches the cover of my bible.  Now I can file these in order and look back by the dates.  I am also thankful for Him giving us pastors with good teaching abilities not just preaching skills or charisma.  I love to be challenged and learn from the lessons. 

OH!  “Draw Me Close to You” is now on and even though it is contemporary the words are so great.  (You're all I want, You're all I ever needed, Help me know You are here - Never let me go -  I lay it all down - You are my desire, no one else will do - No one else can take your place - feel the warmth of Your embrace....)  

OOPs off track again.  Sorry.  It is amazing the power of music.  What a ministry!  There is a new song on that I have never heard before, “Keep me in the Center of Your Will.”  What a  very good message.  (I could never live outside the center of Your will).  I will let you go to spare you my constant distraction with songs.  LOL. 

The Lord has really blessed us with wonderful men of God who have a heart for people and an ability to teach and not just be charismatic at preaching etc.  We really appreciate sitting under the ministry of such men who explain and help stir up a desire to study the Word, for yourself and learn new things and a desire to take notes.  We are thankful for the people who have a heart for God and want to share their faith with the unsaved by their lives.  We have made so many great friends for eternity and what a special bond we can have in the Lord.  To keep our hearts tender to what we hear and sing is so precious.  The Lord is so near to us and often tears run down my face as our pastor shares stories and scriptures.  Gary also has a tender heart and responds with tears to messages and songs.  It is so special to share these moments. 

About the BBN radio.  You should be able to get it up and running and then listen while you work and just shut it off when you are done.  Even listening to a couple of songs while I type cheers me up for the day.  It just thrills my heart to have these few minutes of worship.  The other sites are poetry sites that Gary loves to visit so I put these here for his convenience as well.  I put the radio station as my page at Internet Explorer and just click on Now Playing and then minimize it and go to check my emails.  I can leave mine on but when I had dial up this is what I would do.  On the web page they have a icon you can click on to make it your home page at the Internet Explorer. 

When I got my hair cut my husband said, "Wow!"  I was surprised as he so seldom does make a comment.  He loves me as I am and has seen me at my worse and doesn't have a problem but then that goes vice versa.  I appreciate him for who he is and the person I love so who cares what his outfits look like.  I could never understand this thinking.  I have tried to instill in my kids to be who you are and accept others for who they are.  Inner beauty is so much more important.  There are so many beautiful people who are really UGLY and those who are not as beautiful physically yet SHINE WITH BEAUTY! 

No, we haven't finalized the deal for this property as yet and are just renting for the present but all work done needed to be done for safety.  People are honking as they pass by now as they see a constant improvement and want to let us know they approve.  Our neighbor across the road came by to tell us how pleased he is to see all the work being done.  Hopefully, we will be able to know what the Lord will have us to do in the near future.  We are praying!

I am always settled where ever I am.  The Lord has given me the desires of my heart to have privacy and be away from the confusion of city living with lots of room to grow things.  I never dreamed this would happen but can only thank HIM. 

We just heard on the news of a 12 year old girl who met a 23 yr. old guy and started following the Goth style of life and has now murdered her mom and dad and brother.  Then we saw on the news that a 15 yr. old is also up on murder charges.  What is happening to our world?  With drugs and cults and crime we would go crazy if we allowed ourselves to dwell on this.  We need to look for the positive and good things that are going on. 

There are so many wonderful kids who are never noticed for what contributions they make to the people around them.  The devil would have us discouraged and give up.  We only are responsible for the small world around us and those HE brings into our lives.  We can do so much more good by just leaning on HIM and trusting HIS direction for us.  He teaches us through these little trials that are allowed to come our way.  I trust in the verse about being content whatever state we are.  With all the troubles that come I would have given up years ago but if I can find something to be grateful and thankful for it picks me up out of my despondency. 

We cannot change most of what happens anyway.  The devil just wants us to worry.  I love that little Sunday school song - "Why Worry When You Can Pray?"  I find when I have these doubts singing a chorus of "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" or other favorite songs it boosts my spirits.  How can you not be happy when singing from your heart?  It is always a CHOICE we have to make. 

I tell my kids that if you do a job with a grumpy attitude it will take forever to finish and your day will be ruined but if you do a job while singing and cheerfully it gets done so quickly you are surprised how easy it really was to do.  For example dishes.  I have timed myself doing a very large load and it has never taken more than 15 minutes from start to finish and I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.  However, some of my kids hated doing this job and it would take them forever to get it done.  I used to tease them about all the time they were missing for playing.  Sometimes they had to add fresh water 4 or 5 times as the water would get cold while they complained and grouched their way through.  It has taken hours and all draining their joy.  Working together with someone on a job can also make a big difference in attitude.  I would rather be joyfully doing something and spending time in my mind with the Lord than dragging along with the devil. 

I do love to do dishes.  The Lord gave me that love for a good reason with all the dishes I have had to wash over the years LOL.  I have had lots of time to spend in His presence holding up my family in prayer while I made that large ugly pile of dishes go through the hot sudsy water and come out glistening clean and perfectly arranged on the drain board.  OOP’s is my perfectionist personality coming through.  What a nice feeling to see the change in the counter tops and splash in the hot water.  So soothing!!!!  Okay another one of those rambling tantrums.  Sorry about that!  

The lady who owns this house called me yesterday and wanted to know if I would like some chickens to have eggs.  She said if I got the little building ready she wanted to buy us six hens and a bag of feed.  Her sister has hundreds of hens and only wants $5 each so we may decide later to get a few more.  I did clean out the room but need to take out a bucket of hot water and bleach to sweep down the walls and roosts to disinfect so no sickness comes to the new arrivals.  It will be so nice to have fresh eggs. 

They did figure out the electrical problem.  Gary immediately said it could be the fuses in the main shutoff breaker box as we had this happen many years ago when the fuses cost about 99 cents.  They went to buy one and had to go quite a distance before finding a place that carried them and then they were about a $7 each.  Life experiences kicked in again and praise the Lord for our remembrance of that time.  However, I have been afraid to try the washer and have another repeat occurrence. 

The washer did finally start working and completed the load okay but when it was seized up it drained the power and dimmed the lights and then everything wouldn't work.  I will wait until Stafford is home to try it again.

I added quite a number of poems to Hallelujah! What a Saviour! the past two days.  Hope you enjoyed the recent poem I sent.  I put it on the blog and then got carried away and kept putting more and more poems and thought you would never find it.  Since it was so cold and I had to stay indoors I thought I would take the opportunity to work on the site.  Gary will need to go in and check the poems and edit any I may have made mistakes on.

I moved my last two rhubarb patches and now they are all in one place and looks pretty good all worked up with the rolled roofing surrounding it to keep that awful grass from creeping back in.  Gary carried 6 (5 gal ) buckets of water to them last night and they perked right up to say "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"  He was surprised that you can see such a difference when you water plants. 

I remember years ago I had a coleus plant and suddenly you would notice it sad and laying drooped over and as soon as you gave it a cup of water you could almost watch it straighten itself up and perk right up.  That little plant taught me to watch my plants and to set a special day to water them so I wouldn't forget.  I liked to water them on Sunday as that was not a hectic day and I could relax and visit for a while.  LOL 

All my plants were given to me by friends and I would remember each friend in prayer as I took care of their gift to me.  It made it such a special time and I really learned to love my plants for reminding me to pray for those I would likely forget throughout the week. 

When someone does come to my mind I know the Lord has shown me they have a need of some kind.  That is why I love jobs like dishes, weeding, hanging clothes and yes, even ironing.  Even as a little girl I loved to iron and became very proficient at doing men's shirts.  We lived in a house where a young fellow worked in an office and had to dress up so he paid me 25 cents a shirt to iron them.  He had about 20 shirts so I had a real system to iron them and I laughed when I watched Martha Stewart last year and saw that her method of ironing shirts was the same as mine and I didn't have anyone to tell me how back then.(I was only 10 years old).  LOL 

The guys tore out the small window on the south side of our house and are going to put in a patio door but it got too late so they had to cover the hole with plastic to keep the heat in and the cold out.  It is not very attractive to look at especially with the drywall torn off the ceiling and walls as well.  I feel like I am living in a  construction zone.  LOL. 

I have to go into Calgary tomorrow as Stacey wants to take me to look at dresses for our daughter Stelena’s wedding.  She found a few she thought I would like so that should save some time.  I do hate shopping.  I just don't want fancy froo froo types that usually go for weddings.  I like plain and classic styles.  Even a skirt and nice top would be fine with me but I do like blazers so we will see.  As to the wedding no we don't have to do anything but be there for her.   It is so far and I do hate traveling so not looking forward to that part.  It is 1800 miles one way so also expensive for gas.  We do have diesel but the price keeps going up up, up. 

We shopped from 4 until 9 p.m and Stacey had me try on dress after dress.  I was totally exhausted.  (maybe wiped is the word I want LOL)  Well, first I tried on that blue one that was the original plan to try on and everyone liked it but Stacey wanted to be absolutely sure I got the best dress so on and on we went.  Good thing I am a quick dresser (not sure it that is a word).  I also try to hang up all outfits as I just can't leave them for the salesgirl.  Well, guess what at 8:45 we went back to the blue dress to be sure and try it once again as now it was decided that everyone liked the blue one.  Well, guess what we ended up buying the blue dress.  Can you imagine. There was a skirt and top in cream color that actually flattered my figure without having to worry about wearing a girdle etc. But no one liked the color on me as I am so pale complexioned.  It was unanimous that the blue one was best so all that time and work was for nothing. 

It was so nice of Stacey to purchase such a nice dress for me so I would look good at the wedding.  I could never afford the price ($180 but on sale for $159). 

Everyone else will be happy that the color complements my eyes.  Ha ha. 

Yes, it is a beautiful dress if only I didn't have to go and shop to get it.  LOL  I will have to take a picture and send it to you to get your verdict.  Gary liked it when I modeled it for him.  I am only uncomfortable with my permanently pregnant tummy (after ten pregnancies).  I don't look forward to holding my breath all day but the alternative of wearing a girdle, I do hate.  Oh well, must bear with it for the sake of the wedding.  Ha ha. 

The chickens arrived and WOW we have 130 hens.  When we brought water into them they got excited and crowded together to one end of the room and one hen got squashed and almost died so I am now making a pot of chicken stew.  There won't be much meat but at least it wasn't wasted.  Now, when we went to Calgary I found a dead hen on our return but I didn't know how long it had been dead so just threw it on the burning pit.  It is a shame to lose them like that.  They get stressed and will turn on one another.  We are now up to 114 eggs per day. 

Hopefully I will get some cartons soon so I can put up a sign to sell some.  My fridge is absolutely full and we will need to get another fridge just to keep the eggs in.  If I sell them for $2 doz. I could make $20 a day and possibly this will be how I can raise the gas money to go to Ontario for the wedding.  We are praying about this concern at present. 

We found out we have to be in Ontario by June 14 for the rehearsal.  LOL as if Gary doesn't know the procedure by now.  He has done this a few times in the past. 

Stafford finally got the patio door put in and it looks lovely except for the open studs around it.  Have to wait for the wiring to get done before that can be covered but at least we don't have the big hole in the wall anymore and I can use the door. 

Well, that about brings us up to date on happenings in our household so I will sign off for now.