Monday 21 April 2014

On Being Forgiving, Should We Forget?

"When I was a little older, I noticed my dad did not express his feelings as openly as some people, and I remember my mother trying to explain to me that as a young boy, my father learned to hide his feelings. He had learned that his persecutors in Germany were less abrasive if he didn’t respond to their actions against him.
When I was a teenager trying to “find myself,” I realized much of my personal insecurities could be traced directly back to the fact that I was the child of a Holocaust survivor."
 ---Jonathan Bernd—Why I Cannot Keep Silent
 http://thatjewdiedforyou.com/jonathan-bernd-son-of-hans-bernd/

My parents also suffered atrocities during WW2. My dad didn't talk about it but my mom did. My mom was angry and bitter, and held on to her resentment for many years. When my mom came to Christ, she learned her need to forgive the people that hurt her in her past. God provided wonderful opportunities to her to heal that anger. 

All of us have had things happen to us with which we struggle to find that place of forgiveness. I like what Jonathan Bernd says in the above piece, that forgiveness is not the same as forgetfulness. We can forgive and still remember, in fact we must remember. The two (forgiveness and forgetfulness/remembrance) are not intertwined, and can both be handled separately. I am sure Jesus remembered what was done to Him on the cross at Calvary, He remembers all things, and yet He forgives.

Thursday 17 April 2014

Let's Go Dutch! :D

This video is almost like taking a little trip to Holland! I visited the Aflsuitdijk and also remember the things he shows and talks about so it is almost like being there again, but much cheaper! Enjoy the trip!

Wednesday 16 April 2014

Another Chance at Spring...

Today is such a huge contrast from what we had yesterday. The sun is shining, and much of what had a thick blanket of snow on it is now mostly green (ok, and also brown) again. It is approximately +8 C (+39F) and large droplets are falling from the roof from the melting snow.

So I decided to go for a little walk, taking another direction from where I walked a few days ago.


taking a few snapshots along the way...


just a few patches of snow here and there...


and just enough green to give me hope...


that spring really is just around the bend.


There are still bits of snow hanging onto our house...
you can still see some on some of the window sills.
and also some on our porch...and
 ...hopefully soon
we can 
enjoy our outside seating again...

Tuesday 15 April 2014

The Weatherman Was Right

Yep, it snowed last night, in fact it is STILL SNOWING!

this looks like January, NOT mid-April!

I was so hoping to enjoy our meals outside by now...

1Timothy 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.


Monday 14 April 2014

Hello...Spring? Are You There?

Forecast for today is rain...and the weatherman shared that the temperature will go below freezing again, and anticipate more snow (!???!!!??) tonight.

My DH and I visited the eastern end of Ontario over the weekend. Here on the western side, the snow has pretty much disappeared, with a few lingering patches of snow that just refuse to go away.

The east side, on the other hand, still has huge piles of snow where the snowplows have pushed the snow off the roads from the last storm (2 weeks ago).


Just to give an idea, these piles are about 4-6 feet high!

We got back to the west end in the late afternoon yesterday. I stopped to take a few pictures of a river near home, pictures I've wanted to take of this area for a while now, but always in too much of a rush. 





Yesterday it was very windy here, so windy I thought the wind would knock my phone out of my hand while trying to take these pictures










I love the muted browns in these pictures, they remind me of oil paintings from the times of the "Dutch masters" and I hope to paint these some day.

The quiet and somber mood of these river images are reflective of my melancholy mood this morning...it's very windy and drizzly outside right now. I need to be out doing some errands, however the cold wind outside makes me want to stay indoors, in the safe shelter of home.

I'm still waiting for spring...will it ever come to me this year?






Thursday 10 April 2014

False "Men of God"




There are many false teachers these days, I've been posting about the obvious ones on my other blog under "The Gifts of the Spirit" series...but there are those who are just as false, but more stealthy and snakelike...I've always enjoyed John MacArthur, however someone (thanks Lyn) gave me a heads up about him and his ties to the Rockefeller Foundation. You can read about it here.

I found his pre-trib position difficult to bear with, but I didn't find it something that I would dismiss a pastor for...but now this goes a bit deeper...because it looks as though soon people will be required to be chipped (as in verichip aka MARK OF THE BEAST), and these "ministers" (read it as "of Satan") are saying it is not THAT MARK because we who are saved will have been raptured before the MARK makes it's appearance. Sigh. Wow.

In past conversations on Christian forums I've had quite a few people dismiss the chip saying "it isn't the MARK, and even if it were, God knows we have to eat, work, etc, so He is forgiving and will forgive us..." then the martyrs of previous times had it all wrong and died for nothing??? No, dear friends. Be assured that the Bible says that all who take the MARK will go with the false Christ and the false prophet to hell. Too strong for you? Read the book of Revelation for yourself and ask the Lord for wisdom, truly.

"Mr. O"

That has been my name for him, and I'm sticking to it. Mister Zero was in the Netherlands last month for the "Nuclear Security Summit". His reception was rather cool, if not cold, and believe me when I say the Dutch loved Obama, so this was actually a surprise for me. He's not fooling anyone anymore:


Wednesday 9 April 2014

Upsidedown

This life is topsy-turvey sometimes (often times?)...I've been posting about the gifts of the Spirit on my other blog, and it seems to me like the world is getting crazier and crazier...someone posted this on Facebook:


Interesting that when I first was saved it seemed my whole world turned upside-down and for a while I had a horrible time coping. One day I was doing a bit of gardening. The soil where I lived was hardened clay, it was as hard as concrete. I tried everything, soaking it for days on end, but I couldn't dig deeper than a few inches. The only things I could grow were my rosebushes and, well, weeds. Then, as the sweat poured from me, and covered in dirt, trying to get this little piece of ground to obey me, it dawned on me how upside-down everything is in this world is. The plants that are good and beautiful and for food, are so difficult to keep alive, and the brambles and weeds grow like, well, like weeds. It is just like we learn from the book of Genesis. The way the earth is isn't how God created this earth to be. It is upside-down and backwards.

After watching a few videos about how badly some (many?) people mangle the truth of God's word, which I post a little on at my Bible Treasures blog, I needed to get some air. It is such a beautiful day here, after all that snow and such a cold and long winter, it was good to get out for a stroll....

...just down the street...

...it almost seems like I can get away from it all....

...so close and yet so far away....

...it's hard to believe this is right by our home, 
it almost seems like another world from another time...


...truly I am blessed to have such beautiful and quiet neighbors (trees) ...well, it's time to start supper :)

Monday 7 April 2014

Was and Is and Is To Come

Finally, spring is really here...there still are a few patches of snow here and there in the wooded patches, but for the most part it has finally been vanquished!

soon, very soon, we will be enjoying nice meals outside!


 in the distance, it is apparent that the trees haven't budded...yet,
the only green is still from the beautiful evergreens...

Thursday 3 April 2014

Is This a Chupacabra?

The "expert" says he thinks it's some kind of canine however canines don't eat like that with their front paws--raccoon-like-- what do you think?


Tuesday 1 April 2014

About Memes and Trends

meme

noun
noun: meme; plural noun: memes
1.
an element of a culture or system of behavior that may be considered to be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, esp. imitation.


trending now: "Yes, that"





Yeah, ok, slight overdramatization.
When I see "yes, that" I do let out a slightly audible groan, however.

Oh well, back when I used to say "bitchin" (way back, was it the 80's?) or tubular (well actually, I have to confess that I  never got up the nerve to actually say that one) I'm sure I caused some groans and facepalms as well. That just wasn't "cool"....

....That just wasn't "cool"....yes, that.
(groan)