tulips...and tea...a time to celebrate

It's tulip time again...

with local tulip fields awash with colour.

We might just check some out this weekend. 

In late fall...

I told you about my friend, Frieda.

She had just planted her tulip bulbs...

when she received the diagnosis that she had stomach cancer. 

Her prayer was that she would live long enough to see those tulips bloom once more.

Many of us went out and planted 'tulips for Frieda'...

and assured her that we would join her in prayer.

Her favorite tulips are red and white...

so that's what I planted in my backyard.

They are blooming now...

and I see them from my kitchen window.

Frieda is still doing well.

An answer to prayer...for sure!

So we arranged to have a 'tulip tea party' with her while 'her' tulips were blooming. 

What a fine time we had.

As usual...

she was an encouragement to us!

She shared with us those things that matter most in life...

things like faith, family and friends.

She feels that every day is a gift from God...

and a reason to celebrate.

And so it is!

On Wednesday...

we celebrated Frieda.
How fitting that our luncheon menu came from the new Celebrations cookbook...
for the most part.
The cookbook which we have not yet seen...

but hope to have in our hands very soon.

Maybe today.

And that would call for a celebration as well!

Life is meant to be celebrated.

Frieda is doing that...

one day at a time.

Have a wonderful weekend...

Surely...

Surely, surely He hath borne our griefs, 

And carried our sorrows, 

Surely, surely 

He hath borne our griefs 

And carried our sorrows

 He was wounded for our transgressions

 He was bruised, 

He was bruised for our iniquities 

The chastisement, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.

 Those are the lyrics to a song from Handel's Messiah.  

The words come from Scripture...
Isaiah 53: 4,5

They carry the message of Good Friday.

Jesus Christ came to earth to demonstrate His love for us...

by dying on the cross for all the people of the world.

I have heard 'The Messiah' played through our speakers quite often lately.
I have enjoyed the beauty of the music...

...and been touched by the words.

 This evening a local choir and orchestra will perform Handel's Messiah.
I plan to be in the audience...
while some near and dear to me are in the choir. 
It will be special...
and meaningful.
And fitting...
for Good Friday.


 

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

He loves each of us

as if there were only

one of us.

~St. Augustine

 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

And that is why we celebrate Christmas.

May you experience the Lord's goodness and blessing

in a very special way this Christmas!

(Though we are having a little snow here today...
the photo is from 'yesteryear'.)

 

 Glory to God in the Highest,

 and on Earth peace, good will toward men. 

 Luke 2:14

At my place it seemed almost peaceful last night...

as the snow fell...

and a hush fell over the land.

But a feeling of sadness prevails...

in light of the events of this week.

My heart goes out to the families who are in the midst of the horror.

In a time of deep despair...

on December 25, 1864 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned the words to 

'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day'.

They seem so appropriate today.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!

flowers for frieda...

I'm planting tulips today.

Normally one plants bulbs a little earlier in fall...

but the ground isn't frozen yet...

so I'm sure they will be fine.

I'm planting with a purpose this year!

Last year I told you about a wonderful woman in my life...

whose name is Frieda.

You can read about her right here...

pears, and prayers and one who cares. 

Frieda has had a difficult journey over the past while...
 with a husband who was very ill.

He passed away last week...

and we attended his memorial service on Wednesday.

Saying farewell  is always easier for those left behind...

when they know without a doubt they will see their loved one again.

That is the kind of celebration of life we attended.

Frieda was at peace.

The day after the funeral she received test results

that indicated she has inoperable stomach cancer...

and may not have long for this world.

She said that when she planted her tulip bulbs this fall...

God had told her this would be the last time that she would be planting her bulbs.

She is hoping to see them bloom come spring.

We are praying she does.

Frieda has prayed for us through the years...

and often reminds us of that.

Now we are praying for Frieda...

that God will pour out His blessings on her in the days she left.

And we are planting tulip bulbs in her honour.

Her favorite colour of tulips?

Red and white.

I have two bags of red bulbs...

and one of white.

Some of our friends  are also planting tulip bulbs this week.

Heidi and Broni (my daughter and DIL) are planting tulips for Frieda.

There's nothing like a mass planting of tulips to brighten a day.

Come spring...

our blooms will surely brighten up this corner of the world. 

And we will think of Frieda who has brightened the day for us...

many times.

He's alive!

 Why do you look for the living among the dead? 

 He is not here; he has risen! 

Luke 24:5-6 NIV

He's alive

He's alive

He's alive

 And I'm forgiven heavens gates are open wide

He's alive!

 

Blessings to you and yours on this Easter Sunday!

Behold the Lamb of God...

Behold! The Lamb of God...

who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:36 NKJV

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

Were you there when He rose up from the grave?
Were you there when He rose up from the grave?
Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when He rose up from the grave?
Were you there when He rose up from the grave? 

to make plans or not...

Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans. ~John Lennon

We had some guests around our table on Sunday afternoon...

including some elderly relatives.

They shared how so many of their friends have passed on.

'But we still make plans for tomorrow', they said.

Of course you do!

When we quit planning...

we quit living.

But this I also know.

Things do not always go according to our plan.

Ultimately...

we are not the ones in charge.

I had not planned for Dad to be sick last week.

We are hoping to do a bit of travelling next month...

but put off booking anything while he was ill.

He seems to be doing much better these days.

On Sunday evening we did our research...

with plans to book our vacation yesterday morning.

Before we got up to meet the day...

we got word that Jeremy was very ill...

and on his way to ER.

We never booked our trip.

He had an emergency appendectomy in the afternoon...

and is hopefully on the road to recovery.

I think maybe today I will throw caution to the wind...

and make some reservations.

I make the plans.

But in the end...

He holds my future.

remembering Aunt Kay...

Over the weekend we had a family reunion of sorts...a rather impromptu one. 

We gathered as a family at the cemetery...to bury Aunt Kay.  The weather was seemingly appropriate...

...damp, drizzly and dreary.  Later in the day...we gathered at the church for a memorial service...a time of remembrance.  And what a good time it was!  Aunt Kay would have liked it...that  I know. 

Two years ago...we celebrated Uncle George and Aunt Kay's 60th wedding anniversary.  I pictured them walking down the road into the sunset together...and hoped it would be a long and happy stroll.  In December Aunt Kay learned that she had inoperable cancer...and so she knew her days were numbered.  But she made the most of them!  I last visited her in her home a few months ago...and she was busy making blankets for her first great-grandchild due in July.  Though she had every intention of meeting the new family member...she thought she should complete her projects while she still felt up to it.  The baby is due to arrive any day.  Aunt Kay never got to meet her first great-grand.  Instead she was called home on the spur of the moment...and most of us never had a chance to bid her farewell.    But we know she is in a better place...and one day there will be a family reunion there...unlike any here on earth!  For now...we are left with the memories.

I found an old photo in our archives...of my uncle and aunt taken sometime in the 70's as they toured Europe with my parents. Uncle George and Aunt Kay lived on a farm just down the road from us when I was growing up.  And so I have fond memories of time spent at their place...sleepovers in a tent, building forts on the ditch bank, watching TV in their living room well before we had one at home, and enjoying good food at Aunt Kay's table.  In those days they looked rather like they do in the photo above.

Over these last years, her grandkids were the love her her life.  I often met Aunt Kay at the fabric store...always buying supplies to sew something special for her granddaughters.  She also showered others with her hand-made gifts.  When our twin granddaughters were born almost ten years ago...Aunt Kay made them each a fleece baby blanket.  For some reason those became Emme and Spencer's favorite blankees and they couldn't sleep without them for many years.  The fleece became pilled...the teddy bear pattern faded...but the blankets got better with age (so the girls thought).  They still have their blankees...and when I told their mom that Aunt Kay had passed away she said, "Aw.  I must tell the girls.  They will sleep with their blankees tonight."  

Aunt Kay is gone.  Uncle George now walks alone.  Lynn and John, Pat, Randy and Cindy, and Brenda and Matt will no longer be gathering around the table to enjoy their mom's cooking.  Goeff, Greg, Deb and Gary, Stephanie and Kayanne will miss their grandmother's prayers.  But they all have wonderful memories.

They grieve...but not as those who have no hope!

 

Great Friday....

On Good Friday we remember the greatness and wonder of God's love...

that He would die for us.

That is why it is called 'good'.

It is also a time of sorrow...

as we consider how our sin caused His death.

May you be blessed this Good Friday...

as you think on these things.

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the prince of glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride

Forbid it Lord that I should boast
Safe in the death of Christ my guide
All living things that charm me most
I sacrifice them to his blood

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live

See from his head, his hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless
Your name

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far to small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless
Your name 

 ~Isaac Watts 1707

we wait....

We wait...not always patiently.

We know that this is how the 'blossom drive' should look on April 6th.  

We wait this year.

We are exercising patience over here.

They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.  Isaiah 40:31

the path ahead is not always clear...

During our cold spell last past week...we had a lot of low-lying cloud in the mornings.

Though there were blue patches and sunshine up above...

...the path ahead was obscured by clouds many mornings.

I was thinking once again what a good reminder it was to 'lift up my eyes unto the hills...from whence comes my help'. 

We really have no idea what lies ahead for any of us...in the journey of life.  We can not see what lies around the bend...tomorrow...or even today!

I'm off to visit an old friend today...one who I have not seen in years.  She was recently diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease...not a diagnosis we would wish on anyone.  Another friend is undergoing chemotherapy this week...her second bout with cancer.  And then there is the friend who has been on kidney dialysis for over a year...he is patiently waiting for a donor.  It looks like his wife may just be a match...and early in the new year they could be going into surgery together. None of them saw it coming. 

There are no guarantees in life...but we have this moment today.  Let's make the most of it! 

Praise God

I sing for joy at the works of your hands.

Psalm 92:4

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow...
Praise Him, all creatures here below...
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host...
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.


Written in 1674 by Thomas Ken

creation calls...

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky.

Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities...

his eternal power and divine nature.

So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Romans 1:20 NIV

We had the privilege of visiting Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah yesterday...

and were blown away by God's amazing creation!

As we stood on the rim trail looking down on the scene pictured above...

we commented on the awesome landscape before us.

We got to chatting with a young couple from LA...

who wondered aloud how anyone could think that all this had happened by chance.

What an amazing Creator we have!

How could I say there is no God?

When all around creation calls!!

mother's day blessings to you...

May the Lord richly bless
both you and your children.
Psalm 115:14

For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Luke 6:38

The love you give as a mom...will be returned to you in abundance.

Charm can be deceptive and beauty doesn't last, but a woman who fears and reverences God shall be greatly praised. Proverbs 31:30

Live out your faith in God...He will be your joy.

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

God will give us the strength we need for what we face...if we wait on Him.

Blessings to you on Mother's Day...

more than bread...

Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Deuteronomy 8:3

What are we feeding ourselves? Are we just looking after our physical hunger...or are we feeding on God's Word? That is what gives us direction in our life and helps us face the challenges we meet. God still speaks today...He speaks through His word. Are we listening?

After a few years of including a weekly devotional post on My Front Porch...I have decided to discontinue my Sunday posts. As I am also part of the MGCC team...where a devotional called "Bread for the Journey" appears each and every Sunday...I will be linking to these posts instead...just a click away on my sidebar. Be sure to check them out...there's always something refreshing and thought-provoking over there on Sunday.

Because He Lives...

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.

Come and see the place where he lay.

Matthew 28:6 NIV

Because He lives, we have hope beyond this life. And that is His greatest gift of all...the promise of eternal life to all who trust in Him.

Because He lives I can face tomorrow. I do not need to be afraid. He knows what lies ahead for me...for you. My future will be OK...maybe not always easy, but in His hands.

Today is April 4th...a day that brings many memories. Two years ago today our granddaughter was born...what joy to meet her and hold her. Two years ago today our granddaughter also passed away...what sadness and sorrow we felt. She is not here for her birthday celebration...or for our Easter egg hunt...but she is safe in the arms of Jesus. We know there is hope beyond the grave...and look forward to meeting her again one day.

Because He lives...life is worth the living!

Because He lives...I celebrate Easter.

good friday...

Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

John 1:29

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

~Isaac Watts 1707

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of Glory died

My richest gain I count but loss

And pour contempt on all my pride

See from his head, his hands, his feet

Sorrow and love flow mingled down

Did ever such love and sorrow meet

Or thorns compose so rich a crown

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross

Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross

All who gather here by grace draw near and bless

Your name

Were the whole realm of nature mine

That were an offering far too small

Love so amazing, so divine

Demands my soul, my life, my all

Good Friday is not the end of the story...but it is a part of the journey. Today we remember the cross...the darkness, the suffering and the pain on our behalf.   Good Friday is not just another day...it's a day to thank God for sending a Saviour on our behalf.  It's a day to announce that sin and guilt have been dealt with once and for all. That's why it is good.

palm sunday...

Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

Psalm 118:25-26

 The Royal Welcome...

When they neared Jerusalem, having arrived at Bethphage on Mount Olives, Jesus sent two disciples with these instructions: "Go over to the village across from you. You'll find a donkey tethered there, her colt with her. Untie her and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you're doing, say, 'The Master needs them!' He will send them with you."

This is the full story of what was sketched earlier by the prophet:
Tell Zion's daughter,
"Look, your king's on his way,
poised and ready, mounted
On a donkey, on a colt,
foal of a pack animal."

The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on them, and Jesus mounted. Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome. Others cut branches from the trees and threw them down as a welcome mat. Crowds went ahead and crowds followed, all of them calling out, "Hosanna to David's son!" "Blessed is he who comes in God's name!" "Hosanna in highest heaven!"

As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, "What's going on here? Who is this?"

The parade crowd answered, "This is the prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth in Galilee."

Matthew 21:1-11 The Message

It's Palm Sunday...let's put on the garment of praise....and worship Him...King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

the tie that binds...

Blest be the tie that binds...
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds,
Is like to that above.

The words of a song that we often sang at communion in years gone by, came to mind as we worshiped with believers at this little church in Hawaii on our recent vacation.

We started every day off with a morning walk. One Sunday morning, our walk took us past Living Stones Church where the 7:30 am service was just beginning. Though the little church was already full, there was plenty of room in the oceanfront overflow area...and so we joined the outdoor service. The morning service ended with communion...and though we knew not a soul in the congregation...we felt that 'tie that binds'. How special to share that common bond...our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:7