Signs of Spring

Ah, it hit 50 today and the sun is out! I had a lot of windows open today!! The snow is starting to disappear from our yard, and I can actually see my raised garden beds out back again! As I look in our backyard, I remember how much work we have ahead of us in getting the yard, flower beds, berries, patio, the rest of the garden area in. I look forward to the finished product! We have some small patches of grass showing along our south sidewalk in the front, and the hope of spring's arrival is getting much, much closer! With this nice weather, I have an itch to go geocaching! I suppose it's an itch, because along with this weather comes ticks and there's nothing like tromping around looking for geocaches to help find those ticks! Yuck! That is the one thing I don't like about spring-creepy crawling ticks. Are you itching yet? I did see my first Robin today! I have seeds sitting here waiting to be started, just have to get all the things I need to start those seeds. My friend and I are sharing seeds this year, since we are buying all organic, non-gmo and it gets spendy, but she's still in Hawaii and won't be home for a few days yet. My mom told me I ordered enough tomatoes to feed several families, but I have never had much luck with starting tomatoes, unlike my mom, so I hope that at least a few grow. I did order five different varieties, so we will have some yummy tomatoes if they do make it. Well enough day dreaming about fresh produce from my garden, a backyard, and caching. I think I am going to go step outside a bit and brush my dog and soak in a few rays of sunshine before this wonderful day disappears!

"Do more than exist, live.

Do more than touch, feel.

Do more than look, observe.

Do more than read, absord.

Do more than hear, listen.

Do more than listen, understand.

Do more than think, ponder.

Do more than talk, say something."
~John H. Rhoades

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. James 1:19

Extra Day

Do you ever find yourself saying 'I wish I just had one more day to....' however you finish that sentence. This year, this week, we all have the gift of an extra day. Every four years we get one extra day in our life, so what will you do with it to make it a life memory? Will it be just another day, or will you take the opportunity to make that day extra special, extra meaningful? Will you, and those in your life, look back and remember February 29, 2008 as a really special day? Take the opportunity to make the most of the extra day you are given this week. You could have a leap year party, call someone you haven't talked to in awhile and catch up, send a card to someone just because you were thinking of them, tell your loved ones how much they mean to you, do something you've wanted to do but you haven't taken the opportunity to do it, plan something that will be remembered until the next leap year rolls around. The main thing to remember is to make the most of the day, and to make memories that will live on forever.

"I refuse to accept seats on the 50 yard line of life. I brought my shoes. I came to play." ~ Nike Ad

"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all." ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Snow Buddies

When the the movie Snow Buddies was being advertised on tv that it was coming on video, my little niece, who is three, turned to me and batted her eyes and said she would REALLY like to see that movie, and I should buy it for her. Since I can't resist my nieces, and I'm a sucker for Golden Retrievers, I bought it the day after it came out! Since the nieces live an hour away, we had to wait until we saw them again to watch it. The girls were both so excited! They stood with the box, asking each puppies name. Fortunately the names of each puppy are on the back of the movie, and they knew who every puppy was before we even put the dvd in the machine. They gathered up every toy puppy they could find at grandma and grandpa's house before watching the movie, and named them after the puppies on the movie. We had a great time watching the movie and giggled a lot. The girls spent the night with us the other night, and one of the main things on their agenda was to watch the movie again, which of course we did!



Just as the girls had a great joy and excitement over the movie, we should have that type of joy and excitement over our relationship with Christ. I think sometimes we try to get to technical and too 'religious' when all we have to do is be real to those around us, and have a real relationship with Christ, not out trying to be holier than thou types, because non-believers will never want that type of life! We just need to show what Christ has done in our lives, with great joy, and allow ourselves to be real so others know it's not about how great we are, but how great our God is and how forgiven we are because we all make mistakes on a regular basis. I think if we truly care for others, they will see the joy, peace, and excitement in us and wonder what is different.

Roberta

It's hard to write much, think much this morning. My thoughts have been consumed with the Bostock/Welker/Sheffler family and the pain they must be experiencing with the loss of their wife, mom, daughter, sister, niece, cousin, and the many, many friends that Roberta touched. I've known this family for 24 years and my heart and prayers go out to them so much. Roberta was so kind, so loving, always smiling. She's the kind of person that others strive to be like, the kind of person others long to be around, but her whole family is that way. Roberta has left a wonderful legacy and will be remembered with warm thoughts and love by all who knew her. Since she was a believer in Jesus, she is celebrating right now and we who share that belief will see her again.

The Christian does not consider death to be the end of his life, but the end of his troubles.
~A. Mark Wells

"A heart of gold stopped beating, two shining eyes at rest. God broke our hearts to prove, He only takes the best."

"Live, love, and laugh often, for you never know which moment is going to be your last."

If you knew her, they are putting together a book for the family. The details are:

In honor of Roberta those of us who were touched by her life would like to compile a book of memories for her family. If you have a story or a picture you would like to share, please write it down and drop it off at any of the following locations. First Christian Church or Sandpoint High School or Riverstone Real Estate

Rememberance

We had a friend pass away on Sunday. She only knew for a few weeks that she was sick. She was surrounded by loved ones as she went to meet Jesus on Sunday. She was a wonderful, kind woman, with a quiet spirit, who was an incredible giver. She was always smiling and she took great joy in her two sons, and now daughter-in-laws, and she was looking forward to her first grandbaby who is due to arrive in May. We were in Sandpoint when she passed away, and God seemed to send a message that evening as the sun went down over the area.

View of the Cabinet Mountains from Sandpoint.

Lake Pend Oreille Sunset

Sunset over the home of our friend who passed away over the weekend.

Our prayers are with her family and loved ones.

Double Birthday

Happy Birthday to my mother-in-law and my husband! My mother-in-law's birthday is Sunday and my hubby's is Monday! We had a party today for both of them. I will be nice and not reveal my mother-in-law's age, but as for my husband well, he caught up with me!

Happy 40th birthday! You are a gift to me and I am blessed to have you in my life! I love you!

New Again

Now that Valentine's day is over, it's time to start focusing on Easter. I hope this video sets the tone for your Easter season.

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

To the love of my life, thank you for being there! I love you and appreciate you more than you will ever know. I cherish our times together! Happy 21st Valentine's day together!

To my parents, thank you for showing me the importance of unconditional love and that love doesn't run away but works things out, and that if God is the center of our love, life works much better.

To my sister, thanks for loving me through the good times and the tough times, and for being there for me as only a sister can. I cherish our friendship.

To my nieces, you make my heart spill over with love. You always bring a smile to my face and I LOVE your hugs and kisses.

To family, I love you and thank God for you.

To my friend Brenda, thanks for listening and for your advice and prayers. I treasure our friendship.

To my other friends, thank you for being there for me! I appreciate you and am thankful for each of you in my life!!

To my readers, thank you for reading my blurbs on life. I pray that your life is blessed and that you find joy in your daily routine.

To Jesus Christ, thank you for the ultimate valentine of loving me so much that you died for me!

This is my command: Love each other. John 15:17

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:9-10

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures. Love never ends.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Hope

"I am sick of four walls and a ceiling. I have need of the sky, I have business with the grass." ~Richard Hovey

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and even though there is still six feet where they have plowed and two feet of snow in the yard , around the edges there are signs of flowers and grass!!! Some trees are getting buds, and the sun actually has a little warmth to it when it shines. I think spring may appear this year. I am still looking for my first Robin, because I hear there have been sightings in the area. Maybe I will see one today when I have to go to town! Spring fever hit so hard that I even had a window open for a bit yesterday. It was only 40 degrees, but it was nice to get some fresh air in the house!! Now, I know we have a lot of winter left, but just a sign of spring brings incredible hope for the earth being full of birds, flowers, and green grass again. Isn't it funny how the sometimes the smallest signs of hope give us what we need to make it through another day and we have faith that we will make it to the next season, whether it be from winter to spring, or from our own personal darkness to hope for the future. We can make it through. We just have to keep looking for little signs of hope wherever we can!

"The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day He created spring." ~Bern Williams

I would also like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my friend Jenny. She is an incredible woman, with unbelievable strength. She has great faith amidst great adversity. She is someone I hold at high honors and I am blessed to know her. Happy birthday, Jenny!

Hot Chocolate

I received this email tonight and thought it held some great insight about life:

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During this visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said, "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases, it is just more expensive, and in some cases, even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... and then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate. Your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simple. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

And enjoy your hot chocolate!

Lessons

"If you learn from your suffering, and really come to understand the lesson you were taught, you might be able to help someone else who's now in the phase you may have just completed. Maybe that's what it's all about after all...."

I got this off the local celiac website. Celiac disease can be a pretty serious disease, and I had it for many years before finally being diagnosed by a naturalpathic doctor! After a number of years of going to doctors to try to figure out what was wrong with me, and starting to think I was maybe as nuts as a couple of the doctors had said I was, it was a relief to have a diagnoses, although the diagnoses was not great. I am finally starting to feel a little bit better after following this diet for two years. I have many food allergies, dairy, eggs, garlic, and peanuts, along with celiac disease-no wheat, rye, barley and processed oats. Some days I feel like it's a battle that cannot be won but I know it's something that has to be done. Some days it's tough, but lately I've been able to help a couple people who are having to deal with the same type of food allergies/intolerances and it feels good to be able to help them.

There is a lot of suffering going on with a lot of my friends and relatives-cancer, serious health issues, loss of loved ones, loss of jobs, financial difficulties, marriage problems, and at times it seems pretty dark and we all wonder how we will make it through. It always helps when friends come alongside and offer support, love, and care. It helps to get phone calls, text messages, and emails throughout the week to know that someone is there and available to talk to or pray with you when you need it. If you are going through difficulties, let your friends and loved ones know so they can help you. If you've been through a tough life lesson, some type of suffering, and you made it through, give back to those who may be struggling and need someone to reach out and help them or support them. Don't waste the experience, but use it to help someone else.

Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble. We share in the terrible sufferings of Christ, but also in the wonderful comfort he gives. We suffer in the hope that you will be comforted and saved. And because we are comforted, you will also be comforted, as you patiently endure suffering like ours.
2 Corinthians 1:3-6

Gifts

“Everyone is gifted— but some people never open their package.”

We all have talents, special things that we can do. Sometimes we think they have to be big, flashy talents, but they don't. I think we think if we can't sing or are athletic or do something on a great scale, then we don't have a gift worth giving. However, can you shovel? Then go help out a neighbor who needs the help. Can you cook? Make a meal for someone. Are you good at cleaning? Help out someone who may not be able to physically do that right now. Can you talk? Call up someone who is lonely and bless their day by letting them know you care. God gave each of us talents, gifts, and abilities so use them, don't waste them. If you use them to serve others, you will feel even better about what you did with your talents.

"Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." ~ Henry Van Dyke

"Be creative, use your talents to serve God. 1 Timothy 4:14"

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." ~Erma Bombeck

Stick Together

"A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together!"

This quote made me laugh when I read it, considering the amount of snow we have around here. It is true, one snowflake would verily be noticed, but when many of them come and stick together, it is then that they are noticed and they make a difference. We, as people, can be the same. We can accomplish things on our own, but we work better together. We can make things happen a lot faster if there are more of us working together on the same project, or for a greater cause than just our solitary life. God created us for relationships, not to be alone, so wouldn't it make sense that we should stick together and make a greater difference in our community, our nation, and our world.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!Ecclesiastes 4:8-10

Friday Blurbs

About 10:30 last night, I got a text message. I wondered who could be texting me at that time of night, but my aunt has been in the hospital, so that is all that went through my mind at the time. However, it was from my friend who is in Hawaii for a month, sending me pictures of flowers and the sunset from their deck. Our friendship may have to be re-negotiated when she gets home. haha

It's snowing, again, or still. Yes, it's the theme of the week! Our county, along with most of the region, has been declared a state of emergency so they can hopefully get more funding and help in clearing up all the snow. I thought it was funny last night when the governor of Washington asked for help from Idaho. I know she is in Seattle, but we have plenty of our own stuff to clean up and are shorthanded as it is, so I really doubt she can count on too much help from our state.

My dad said he feels like Bill Murray stuck in the movie Groundhog's Day, and every morning he wakes up to the same thing, and maybe it will stop snowing if he figures out what he needs to do that he isn't doing. I don't think it's that simple, though!!

This is a picture from the front of our house!

This picture is of my parents roof, before dad shoveled it. It was five feet deep, I think mom said.

This picture is of my parents dog, who is sitting on a side roof that they have that is one story high. She was able to walk right up on it without a problem.

It sounds like the weekend is going to be full of snow, as well, so I guess we will just keep on shoveling, we will listen to the weatherman tell us tomorrow that we will most definitely have another six weeks of winter, whether the groundhog does or does not see his shadow, and then we will stay home to watch the Patriots win the Super Bowl on Sunday and keep track of how many billions of dollars some companies spend to advertise during the game.