Happy New Year!

Good Morning, or whatever is the best greeting to you, in your part of the world!

Since I last wrote, the time has flown by; and it has been a relaxing few days! We have appreciated the 'R & R'. Our appointments have also been postponed to next week, due to the holiday season. However, we are getting together with an old friend of mine this morning (we 'ran into each other' earlier this week; have not seen each other for years); and interestingly enough, he happens to be someone, who may be able to help us with our endeavours! Also, we have a meeting set up with another individual early next week. We have been working on a few other options; and we have quite literally 'thrown everything upon Him' to Direct our Way, and to Provide us with Solution, as per His Will, His Purpose, and His Plan. We are joyfully and confidently Resting and Abiding in Him; as He IS our Refuge and Strength.

When we were 'out and about' this week, we were also at the Liquor store to buy some New Year's Eve's 'essentials'; and there was a 'sparkling wine' tasting, along with appealing appetizers (which were delicious!); and what a wonderful way to encourage a 'happy buying spree!' LOL! The Spanish champagne was on 'special' (it is our favourite 'champagne!') and so we were all the more appreciative for the 'PR' and tidbit price break. Plus, we 'ran into' an old friend of Alan's; and we have invited him and his wife over later next week.

This is only a short tid post; as I hope to be back a little bit later today. A good friend of ours, from out of town, may be coming to stay over and spend New Year's Eve / Day with us. Hence, we had to pick up some extra 'bubbly'. LOL!

Tidbit - There are No Coincidences.

Bittid - It is good to 'step back' and take time out. Also, if circumstances are a bittid overwhelming, leave it all to Him to work out for you. He has a GOOD Plan for each and every one of us; because He LOVES us all unconditionally. We just have to continue to have genuine HOPE, FAITH, and TRUST in Him.

Love the above photo image of 'Seek and Ye Shall Find'.

Here is also wishing you ahead of time, a Happy New Year; and may 2010 be the best year ever, for us all! Am sure it will be a much better year for most of us! We are looking forward to welcoming in the New Year!

Peace and God Bless.

A pink rose in December!

Good Evening, or whatever is the best greeting to you, in your part of the world!

Eventhough, yesterday and today have been at a much slower pace; the hours still have managed to whirl by us! Yesterday morning, I slept in; and alas missed the 'Hour of Power' (Dr. Robert Schuller - www.hourofpower.org); however, was able to appreciatively watch 'Enjoying Everyday Life' (Joyce Meyer - www.joycemeyer.org) and 'Living Truth' (Charles Price - www.livingtruth.ca). Will share some tidbits in the next day or so.

However, to pick up what I missed from 'Hour of Power', I went online and was delighted to hear the guest speaker, Pastor Josh McDowell! As it happens, my husband Alan, has given away many of his books. ie. 'Evidence Demands a Verdict', to those who appear to be at crossroads in their lives and / or filled with queries concerning Faith. Josh was excellent; and I will gratefully listen to the rest of 'Hour of Power' in a bit. To help encourage those of you, who wish to further 'Seek and Ye Shall Find', here are some of the many insights shared by Pastor Josh McDowell.

"In the University I truly believed Christians had two brains: one that was lost and the other's who were out looking for it. I thought Christians were walking idiots. I met some and was challenged by them. I wanted to know what made a difference in their lives and they said Jesus Christ. I just laughed at them. Then they challenged me to intellectually examine what they said. After much persuasion, I did set out to prove them wrong, probably because I was ticked off.

So I set out to write my first book, Evidence That Demands a Verdict. It would be against Christianity. After going to five countries gathering evidence, I returned to London, England. As I sat in a small museum library, six thirty at night on a Friday, I leaned back in my chair and right in front of everyone, which was probably three people, I said, "It's true, it's true, it's true!"

That brought me, a number of months later on a Saturday night, to place my life in Christ the Savior and Lord. My life was literally changed upside down almost overnight. This is my fiftieth year in ministry, and I'm thankful for that. I think Dr. Schuller started ministry around the same time - when the Dead Sea was not even sick! But it's been a long haul."

Am going to return to the tale at the end of the Christmas dinner evening. If you wish, you can refer to my Dec 26th post, 'The BEST Christmas ever!' if you wish a few bittids. My son stayed on for another hour or so; and it was extra special to have enjoyed a fun visit with him. He thoughtfully, gave both myself and my daughter, the book 'Chicken Soup for the Soul - Celebrating Mothers & Daughters'; and there were a number of wonderful sayings he read to me. One of them is found in 'The Reluctant Rosebud'. ie. There is a quote by James M. Barrie and he says: 'God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December'. Interestingly enough, we have ONE pink rose in bloom in our tidbit garden! When you enlarge the photo, you will see the magnificent pink rose! What a Blessing, methinks! Last year, we were entrenched with heavy snowfall; quite the refreshing contrast this year!

We were out and about this afternoon; and ended up taking meals (nine full bags) to various 'Street People'; ie. The 'Homeless'. We fearlessly 'looked for them' and found them, in various bittid alleys and railway tracks. And wow! Alan and I are all the more Thankful for our Blessings and a roof over our heads! These people have not recently seen a meal; let alone a TLC 'Christmas care package' of food. 'Food, Glorious Food', keeps coming vividly to my mind! The movie musical, 'Oliver' was so illuminating! Our hearts and compassion went out to these 'Street People'. There was also one young woman (who was quite pretty), but her face was distorted horridly by drugs. However, we left her with food and a vest, that Alan had to put on for her. We are Prayful, the food will nuture her today; and that the vest will keep her warm during these cold winter days and nights.

Regardless of one's circumstances / challenges, always best to give and to uplift others! You feel so much better as a result; as you discover your problems are scarce. Particularly, compared to the harsh conditions of the 'Street People'; who are faced more with the reality of death, rather than in their striving struggles to survive.

Earlier in the day, I was soaking in our bath tub (for me, our bathroom is a quiet place for me to have a personal 'Prayer / Talk Dialogue' with Him); and before too long, I was 'Guided' to "Get up! Give away some of the jackets you do not use!". So, I gathered up six jackets (were also from my Mum and my Aunt; that I hoped to wear; but never did), along with a pair of winter boots that Alan does not need. Since, we were not able to locate any more of the 'Street People' today, (they had already 'disappeared' for the day); we have the clothing ready to give to the 'Union Gospel Mission'. Their awesome organization provides so much to so many!

Also, on our way home, we were Blessed with the amazing view of the majestic mountains; with the last rays of the afternoon sun radiating in full force upon them! That glorious sight will remain forever etched in my tid memory; as we would have not seen this glowing scene from our home.

Alan is presently creating up a storm with turkey leftovers in a huge cauldron of yummy turkey soup! It smells so good; and we will be savouring some of this for our dinner tonight! Our neighbours love Alan's homemade turkey soup; and there will be enough to 'spread the wealth'; or rather to 'spread the soup!' LOL!

Today most businesses and banks were closed; inasmuch as Christmas fell on a Friday. Tomorrow will be a full day; as we have appointments set up. My son will be coming over for Alan's turkey soup tomorrow evening.

Peace and God Bless.

The BEST Christmas ever!

Good Afternoon, or whatever is the best greeting to you, in your part of the world!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! All of us, have so many tidbit Blessings and much to be Thankful for! I know it has been a few days since I last wrote; however, there have been many active moments. Even up to and including the 24th, we continued to work towards our tidbitz projects; to which we will return and revisit on the 28th. We are going to simply enjoy and appreciate each and every day; and whatever unfolds, unfolds! That is true for every day; however, all the more so, during this meaningful time of 'Tis the Season'.

We have appreciated the BEST bittidz Christmas ever! I, for one, have always loved Christmas! This year though, I had been thinking about not putting up too many Christmas decorations, if any. However, when my son surprised us with the Christmas tree (nine feet tall!); and also, both him and my daughter / her family were coming to our home on the 25th, everything was 'thrown into enthusiastic action'. Our house and table looked so festive last night; and everything has been majestically worth it!

Alan and I gave the three year old twin boys a hockey game (from Costco) and they were entranced with the game for most of the evening. So were parents and grandparents from time to time! LOL! The little ones enjoyed the (sherry size) crystal glasses we set for them for their 'gingerale wine' at dinner. I shared with them, that these glasses were / are 'special'; and that they (the grandsons) are very 'special' to us all. The little boys loved hearing those words of gentle yet TLC joyful encouragement; and they behaved accordingly! As in very well behaved! Inasmuch as they had been celebrating the buildup of Christmas events, and celebrating Christmas for the last few days with other family members.

There are two bittid pictures; of the 'Before and After'. In the 'Before' photo,(taken last night) perhaps you can spot the (sherry) glasses at the end of table. The 'After' was taken this afternoon; and, as you can see, there is room at the table to welcome whomever shows up!

My son contributed the dinner wine, and my daughter brought an appetizer and a pie (strawberry rhubarb). We supplied the rest! ie. the Turkey (21 pounds - think of all the glorious leftovers! "Food. Glorious Food!", which would include Alan's homemade turkey soup!). Plus, Alan's Scottish Oatmeal Stuffing and his special roast potatoes; my homemade gravy and cranberry sauce; along with brussel sprouts and candied carrots. Actually, the candied carrots were delicious; but did not turn out the best; as I had let them 'over caramelize'. Everyone agreed though, the taste was good; and I will make the bit recipe again; but with some tid changes. LOL!

Tidbit - Bury your hatchet; and clear up any bittid issues. Resolve positively to work things out - transparently and peacefully. Life is far too short; particularly when there is precious family and friends in the mix.

Bittid - Christmas is to celebrate Christ's Birth. At the same time, 'family, family, family' is where it is all tidbit at! Each and every family member is unique in their own way; each with their own 'special' gifts. Good to appreciate each and every family member; and to act with Grace. Love, and Genuine Goodwill towards each other.

We have had a relaxing Boxing Day thus far; and we are totally content to stay indoors and enjoy our quiet retreat, with a cosy fire in our hearth. It is a crisp sunny afternoon; and everything is all the more refreshingly beautiful on this wintery day! Our drains are still hugely clogged; so Alan has gone out to find some major 'super duper' draino of sorts, to masterfully handle the job. However, things could have been / be a lot worse. ie. We could be without water and / or food etc.

So, this Christmas has been an extra 'special' one for our family. I am sure, I am not alone when I write this; as methinks with the tumultous events of this past year, more and more people have been / are re evaluating what is close and dear to their hearts. 'Things' are nice; but do not 'cut it', where it matters most. Rather, it is how we all treat one another. "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you". Empowering and awesome message.

We are going into a New Year. Let us all work towards more harmonious relationships with one another; and enjoy more of a win / win rappoire with all whom we meet. Be it in 'our own back yard'; and / or around the world. 'Life is what you make of it'; and TRUST, 'He IS the Way, the Truth, and the Light'.

Peace and God Bless.

Be calm in the waiting

Good Afternoon, or whatever is the best greeting to you, in your part of the world!

It has been a busy bittidz few days; especially just before Christmas! Monday and Tuesday flew by; and this day is half over! We have been working towards fruition of our endeavours; and there are still further delays. Now with the Christmas Season falling upon us, things will be 'on hold' til next week or early into the New Year. We have been given some other tidbitz options; and we will do our due diligence in exploring potential possibilities between now and then. We TRUST He has a GOOD Plan for us; and we are simply 'biding our time'; 'waiting upon Him'. We are RESTING and ABIDING in Him; and we will enjoy today, tomorrow, Christmas Day, and the whole nine yards! We have many daily Blessings to be thankful for; and we 'Praise Him In ALL Things!'

Made the shortbread cookies this past morning; was up early. They turned out not to be bite sized; as the cookie cutter I was relying upon, was not the greatest. So I utilized a tid glass instead; and the cookies came out wonderfully solid and large! Feels good to have those done; and our house smells so 'Christmassy' with the aroma of freshly baked shortbread, and fragrant scent of the fir Christmas tree!

We are looking forward to our Christmas Breakfast with my son on the 25th; as well as toasting Christ's special day, with some champagne and orange juice! In the evening, us three, plus my daughter, her husband, and our wee twin grandsons will be over for a Christmas dinner, that we are all contributing towards. Eventhough the economy has been less than stellar, methinks this will be the best and most meaningful family Christmas celebration ever! We are not giving gifts; save to our 3.6 year old grandchildren - a hockey game from Costco and we know that will be well received by all! LOL!

We are expecting a very good friend to visit us this afternoon; and he is welcome to stay on for a bit of dinner and spend the night, if he wishes. He has a four hour drive ahead of him; and it is through treacherous snow / black ice conditions.

We watched the Vision Channel on Sunday; and I will share a few tidbits from each of these three programs; however, I still believe, it is better for you, to tune in for yourselves, to receive the best encouragement and Biblical teachings. ie. 'Hour of Power' (Dr. Robert Schuller - www.hourofpower.org); 'Enjoying Everyday Life' (Joyce Meyer - www.joycemeyer.org); and 'Living Truth' (Charles Price - www.livingtruth.ca). You may know of others, who you can 'Pay It Forward To'; by sharing the websites with them etc.

On 'Hour of Power', Guest Pastor, Max Lucado, gives a wonderful message on 'Why Are We Afraid?' (name of his new book; plus website is: www.maxlucado.com). I had some more ephifanies! ie. As Max shares, 'Fear takes away our joy'; basically 'Fear Less and Pray MORE.' Regardless of one's circumstances; that is a good tidbit to 'keep on trekking'. Through the tougher experiences, one becomes stronger, and all the more appreciative of Him.

On 'Enjoying Everyday Life', Joyce is sharing that 'do not be trapped in the past; you can not have HOPE for your past'. 'Watch for the rewards (even little ones) from Him. Be expectant and think in ABUNDANCE! ie 'Pay Day is coming!' (Say it out loud; you may feel a bittid better!) 'Move on - forward and trust that something GOOD is going to happen to me'.

On 'Living Truth', Charles is sharing about Christ, how He Came, with a Gift of Grace, to save us and to transform us. ie sinners. By the Indwelling of His Holy Spirit, He Guides us, Directs us, and Imparts Gifts to equip us, to continue to share the Message of the Good News! He LOVES us all unconditionally; and, He came at great price to offer us all Everlasting Life.

The picture is of our dear Blue, sitting quietly on our antique chair (embroidery done by my Norwegian Grandmother), who is thoughtfully gazing beyond the confines of our bedroom bay window. Alan and I are also being Reflective, appreciating the Calm, and being truly Thankful for all our Blessings, and Joyful for His Birth!

Hope these bittids are encouraging to all those who read this post. In the bittid meantime, here is wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Peace and God Bless.

Christmas Cheer!

Good Evening, or whatever is the best greeting to you, in your part of the world!

Skal! Just finishing a glass of South African red wine! Alan prepared a savoury meal of pork cutlets / shake and bake from Costco; more economic when you buy the packaged meats in bulk! We do the same with chicken pieces; and Alan always creates such delicious dinners!

Our dining room table is now draped in Christmas tablecloths of red and green. The red tablecloth belonged to my Norwegian grandparents; and the green tablecloth has been utilized by our family for many years. There will only be seven of us for Christmas dinner on the 25th; but I am glad to have started the table setting. Within the next few days, I will bake up some bittidz bite sized shortbread, which will be a scrumptious Christmas touch.

On Sunday morning, I watched the Vision Channel - fantastic; and I was Blessed with some more tidbits of 'ephifanies!' ie. 'Hour of Power','Enjoying Everyday Life', and 'Living Truth'. Their messages on HOPE etc were exactly what I needed to hear at the time! I will share some bittids before too long; however here are their websites again; as methinks you will find them genuinely encouraging and empowering. ie. www.hourofpower.org; www.joycemeyer.org; and www.livingtruth.ca.

We had a great time at our good friends' Christmas party last night. In fact, we were the last to leave! LOL! As we were 'leaving', our host asked us to stay on for a few more minutes - which went into another hour! As the expression goes: 'Time flies, when you are having a good time!' We reconnected with many old friends, as well as meeting some new faces. The food was awesome and 'old fashioned' Christmas merriment was had by all!

Apparently, our host's neck had been extremely painful throughout the entire day and evening; and when I touched the sore area, the ache immediately vanished! I was truly surprised; and yet, he assured me repeatedly, that my hands were 'warm, yet cool'. Interestingly enough, my fingers are even tingling at this tid moment, as I type! So, all I can say is that if that helped him a wee tidbitz, great; and I Thank Him! That was my first 'experience'; albeit Alan has told me, I have the 'gift of healing'.

We are still 'waiting' for word on our projects. The chap was going to meet with the other gentleman yesterday. That did not happen; so there are further delays; hence the meeting has been postponed to a later date. However, not going to let that bit disappointment cloud our hopes and / or take away our joy of celebrating the Christmas Season - Christ's Birth! We are truly hopeful, that He has something in the works; eventhough we do not know what it is; save that it is a GOOD PLAN, in Accordance with His Will and His Purpose. We give Him Thanks for our daily Blessings; and we 'Praise Him In ALL Things'.

Tonight, I received a beautiful phone message from a dear friend, who is in her mid nineties; and she is still with it! She had been thinking about me; and wanted to wish both Alan and I a Merry Christmas! As I did not reach the telephone in time, I called her immediately back. Glad I did; as she was going out for the evening with her daughter, who is a few years older than me. We are good friends as well. Alan and I look forward to sharing some Christmas Cheer and joyful Yuletide banter with our 90+ 'young at heart' friend, over the Christmas Season. She was not sure how much longer she would be around for. So I am all the more thankful I called her right back, as one just never knows. I reassured her, that her positive attitude, her wonderful sense of humour, and being daily genuinely Thankful, are what may contribute to her 'youthfulness'.

We are also looking forward to a good night's rest tonight; so as to be recharged for whatever unfolds tomorrow! We are expecting 'good things to happen!'

Love the above photo image, with its awesome message!

Good Night, Peace, and God Bless.

The morning after and a visit with our Lady Head Vase Collection

Good Morning, or whatever is the best greeting to you, in your part of the world!

Am thankful it is Saturday morning! It is a dismal day outdoors (relatively mild at 40 degrees Fahrenheit); and both Blue and I relished a refreshing walk; which helped to clear my sleepy head a bit. Alan is still fast asleep; his knee has been really sore these past few days; and methinks rest is best for him at this tid time.

Our friend's birthday party was held at a grand old heritage home; and you could feel and sense within its mahogany walls, that this magnificent historical house, had seen much, and had been a happy homestead to an old established family for generations. We arrived a tidbitz later than we had hoped; as our meeting (you can refer to yesterday's posts, if you wish a bittidz of background) flowed for a good hour and a half. The chap, a lovely guy, is intrigued by our endeavours; and we will be having a meeting with him and the other 'pooh bah', late Monday afternoon. It would appear that there is a deal in the works! As the expression goes; 'Where there's a will, there's a way!' Both Alan and I feel that God is definitely Guiding the WAY, as per His Will, His Purpose, and His Plan.

The party itself was a fun success with a close knit group of about 70 people - ie family members, close friends / neighbours! There was an open bar to begin with, and we all were given a 'drink ticket' for one 'free' beverage before the sumptuous buffet dinner. The setting was in the gorgeous conservatory; and with the beautiful Christmas decorations, several lit candles, and festive table centrepieces, the large airy room abounded with a special and lively 'glow' throughout the whole evening. Our table consisted of 'neighbours'; and we were, indeed, a 'motley neighbourly crew!' LOL! The buffet was to die for; and I heaped my plate full to the brim, and then some! Do not think I will be eating for a while! LOL! The wine that was served, was excellent as well. The family provided a wonderful movie on the life story of our 'young at heart' friend; and then there were speeches to honour her 80th birthday. There was even a couple (her best friend from childhood) who came out from Nantucket, Mass, to share her special day with her! They were very interesting as well; we enjoyed meeting them. Our friend does not believe she is 80! She does not look it; and, in her earlier days, she was a 'knockout!'. That is not to say that she is still good looking and youthful to this day! She is like one of Lady Head Vases - eternally young!

As a tidbit, would like to share a comforting passage from Psalm 143, verses 10 & 11 - "Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God; Let Thy good Spirit lead me on level ground" (verse 10). "For the sake of Thy name, O Lord, revive me. In Thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble." (verse 11). I 'fell' across those verses this morning; and thought 'Wow!'; given some recent obstacles, now ephifanies; that we have overcome and experienced in our daily walk in Him. Particularly with the recent tidbits unfolding.

Another bittid of 'good cheer' to me, is Job 42, verses 10 to 17. I have been 'led' to these last verses of the last chapter, several times. ie When I cheerfully seek and turn to the Bible, that page lterally opens right up to that particular spot! Always gives me goosebumps (in a good way). Those bittids provide a tid of encouragement too, methinks! Eventhough we still have some immediate challenges to overcome; we are leaving it ALL to Him to handle and 'to fret / fear not'.

Am appreciating a quiet leisurely Saturday morning, and am especially grateful for my elixir of coffee today! We are going to simply enjoy the full day! Living one day at a time! Tomorrow, will be the Vision Channel again in the morning; and in the evening we look forward to attending our good friends' annual Christmas party! Their house always exudes such warmth; and I feel as if it was yesterday, when we were at their sparkling Christmas party!

Here are some other pictures of our Lady Head Vase Collection for your tidbitz perusal. The December 13th post and other past posts also provide references. Some photos may be the same; and my apologies for a bit of the glare, seen from our mirrored cabinets. At least this gives you a bittidz of an idea of our collection, which we are offering for sale.

Alan is now up; so I had best go. We also have a few tid errands to do. Here is wishing you a nice Saturday and weekend.

Peace and God Bless.

Before and after!

Good Evening,

Am back for a tid moment! The above photos are also of our Christmas tree - before and after! The tree smells magnificent!

No sooner had I almost completed my earlier post, we received a phone call. It was from one of the major people we were recently referred to contact. He is coming over within the next short while to briefly meet with us, as well as picking up some extra info for our meeting on Monday afternoon, with another very key interested party. Both individuals are extremely enthused about our endeavours; and appreciate the quality vision of our long term plan of stability! We have met the chap before; so this is all to the good, methinks. They want to offer the assistance we need; and this would be an awesome win / win situation for all those participating in the project! We feel that God has a Hand in this; and thus, we are all the more elated with this wonderful bit of news! Will know more tonight and / or on Monday.

We dressed ahead of time for the evening; as after this get together, we will be going immediately out to the special party for our friend. It will be a fun and memorable celebration for her, we are sure! Ho! Ho! Ho!

Until later!

Peace and God Bless.