ByGrace

Posting Away . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:18:00 +0000

I posted an entry at the KJV Blog Directory earlier today for their Monday Ministry Highlights! Feel free to pop over there and read about our Sunday school.

It's a rainy, windy, dreary day here, and it's been this way for days and days - typical November weather for Vancouver. I've been staying cozy, sitting in my big comfy chair by the fireplace! I hope you're staying warm and dry this November day!

Simple Woman's Daybook: November 16, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:17:00 +0000

Rejoining the Simple Woman's Daybook . . .

Outside my window . . . rain, rain, rain and wind

I am thinking . . . about my boys this morning - college bills & projects due this week, job hunting for one

I am thankful for . . . our faithful church members

I am wearing . . . my pj's still; going to the gym soon

I am remembering . . . cousins, as I've just reconnected with another one on Facebook

I am going . . . just to the gym today - that's enough!

I am reading . . . nothing other than my Bible right now

I am hoping . . . praying that my biopsy will be good news

On my mind . . . surgery to remove a facial lesion next week (more on that to come)

Noticing that . . . I really need to get down to business decluttering my house

Pondering these words . . . "your labor is not in vain in the Lord" I Cor. 15:58

From the kitchen . . . beef potpie from leftover roast beef

Around the house . . . clear away weekend clutter, catch up on laundry, clean top shelf of the fridge where something spilled

One of my favorite things . . . curling up with a blanket on a chilly, blustery day

From my picture journal . . . part of our city as seen from the deck of our cruise ship in September

Too Sweet

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:32:00 +0000

Mixed Candies

In my last post I mentioned that my HbA1c number (aka glycated hemoglobin) had gone over the "magic number" of 7, indicating that my blood sugar has been too high over the past three months. My blog friend, Barbara, mentioned that she didn't know how to convert the numbers, so I thought I'd explain it a little and show you how the number corresponds to blood sugar control.

When your blood sugar is at normal levels, your blood is thin and watery like skim milk and moves easily through your veins. When your blood sugar is high, your blood thickens from the sugar and becomes more the consistency of corn syrup, thick and sluggish. This thickened blood has a harder time reaching the parts of your body that have smaller blood vessels, such as your eyes and kidneys. This syrupy buildup is like a candy coating that sticks to your red blood cells. Your red blood cells have a lifespan of about 120 days, and once they have that candy coating on them, they stay that way. So the HbA1c, done every 3-6 months, tests your red blood cells to see how much candy coating is on them, giving an average of your blood sugar levels over the past three months.

The HbA1c number is actually a percentage rather than a blood sugar reading. The percentages correspond to your blood sugar levels. The test I had done in July, for example, was 6.8%, which corresponds to an average level of 148. My latest one, taken in late October, was 7.4%, corresponding to an average blood sugar level of 166. Here's a conversion table, if you're interested. You can see that my blood sugar has been going up over the past 6 months, which alerts my doctor that something is not right: I need to have more medicine, more exercise, to eat better, or a combination of the three. In my case, I know that I have been taking my medicine faithfully, but not exercising at all and not eating well. So my doctor told me to tighten up my eating, continue exercising every day for a month, then repeat the test. If the percentage goes down, he'll know that we're on the right track; if not, he'll have to intervene, probably with more medication.

If my blood sugar were allowed to stay high, the blood will have a hard time reaching my eyes, kidneys, and extremities, causing them to be damaged. My mother, who had type 1 diabetes, had kidney failure caused by her high blood sugars over years of time. She was also going blind. Some people lose toes or fingers from poor circulation caused by high blood sugar. So you can see why the HbA1c test is so valuable in monitoring diabetes and preventing complications.

I like to be sweet, but here lately I'm a bit too sweet for my own good! ;) I've exercised every day this week, and my daily blood sugar readings are in a better range. I think my A1c will come down over the month. My goal for the month is to get some form of exercise every day, even if it's just a quick walk around the block. Today I walked to the post office, bank, and grocery store instead of driving. I went to the gym a few days and used the elliptical trainer at home a couple of days. The important thing is simply getting some exercise!

Followup the Followup

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:17:00 +0000

The Patient and the Doctor, 1660S

I went to the doctor today for my annual physical (courtesy of diabetes!) and the followup to the biopsy I had two weeks ago. I don't mind going for followups, but I sure do hate physicals! This time I knew a lot of what was going on, because I had the lab send me a copy of my blood test results. It wasn't pretty, y'all.

My average blood sugar for the past 3 months (HbA1c) has gone above 7, which is the "magic number" for avoiding all those complications that go along with diabetes, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney failure . . . and the list goes on. Of course, staying below that number doesn't guarantee those things won't happen, but it does give you a goal to aim for in managing blood sugar levels.

The bad thing is that I know why my A1c as gone so high: lack of exercise and discipline in eating. I sound like a broken record, don't I? So I began exercising faithfully again this week, and it's already working to bring my sugars down. It really is amazing what exercise can do. I'm also eating a lot better. Both things together are helping me feel a lot better.

The biopsy. It was inconclusive. Apparently the sample my doctor took was not large enough, so I'll have to have a second, larger biopsy done. I already had an appointment to see the dermatologist next Tuesday, so he'll take care of that for me. I was really disappointed not to get a definite answer today. To remove the entire lesion will take plastic surgery! I say just go ahead and do lots of work on my face - nip here, tuck there - while they're at it! ;) So we'll see what happens with that.

And that's that. The answer was no answer. We'll followup the followup with a followup! LOL Thanks for your prayers; please keep praying if the Lord brings it to your mind.

Wednesday in the Word: Wisdom

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

This entry is also posted at KJV Blog Directory.

I'm going to cheat a little bit this week and use a devotion that I heard over the weekend that I just loved. Last week, my daughter and I went to College Days at West Coast Baptist College, where our sons attend and our daughter wants to go. Before we left on Saturday morning, Dr. Mark Rasmussen met with the potential students and their parents/sponsors for one last word, and he gave this devotion on wisdom. I immediately thought of this blog and my commitment for today's devotional. Dr. Rasmussen gave some very valuable and practical advice for acquiring wisdom, in the form of an acrostic.

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." Proverbs 4:7

W - Walk with God - "Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long." Proverbs 23:17

I - Integrity - "The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them." Proverbs 11:3

S - Service, Soul-Conscious - "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." Mark 10:45

D - Determination - "But none these things move me . . ." Acts 20:24

O - Opportunities Grasped - " . . . and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14

M - Ministry-Minded - "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." I Peter 4:10

Four Sources of Wisdom

God - "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not: and it shall be given him." James 1:5

Wise People - "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." Proverbs 13:20

God's Word - "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." Psalm 19:7

Reproofs of Life - "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life." Proverbs 6:23

I Just Can't Help It!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:46:00 +0000

There's another giveaway at Green Fairy Quilts, and I just can't help but enter. This time it's the Morning Bloom quilt kit, which includes everything you need to make the quilt top and binding - perfect for someone like me who has never made a quilt yet, but sure does want to try it! Go over and enter for yourself . . . but I hope I win it! ;)

Always Good To Be Home

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:56:00 +0000

Beth and I arrived home last night around 9:30. We'd been on the road/in the air since 10:00 that morning, and we were both just longing to get home and get in our own beds. And that's exactly what we did! We filled Wes in on the biggest things from the week, then we all went to bed. Wes and I were in bed by 10:00.

Beth really, really enjoyed her time at West Coast, so much so that she didn't want to leave. She attended classes on both Thursday and Friday; her favorite was Baptist History (which was a surprise to me! LOL). She also enjoyed the sign language and Christian Womanhood classes she attended. I went to classes on Friday - even at my age! - one each with Samuel and Andrew, and one that I was just interested in, Methods and Materials, a course from the Education major. We also attended chapel both days, which was a blessing. The students hear an average of 10 sermons a week between chapel and church services! Beth is so excited about going to college, but she still has two years of high school left. I told her that is a good thing - she has two years to work and save money toward college!

Speaking of making money for college . . . Beth works hard making jewelry for her Etsy shop, edbdbeadz. If you're interested in giving jewelry for Christmas, consider looking at the items in her shop and see if there's something there you might like to give as a gift. She will give you excellent service and a quality product! Yes, I will shamelessly promote my daughter's work, because she does a good job, this is her only means of income at this time, and this is my blog! ;)

I have a few pictures from the week that I'll share with you tomorrow. Tonight I'm just relaxing and gearing up for another week. I hope your Sunday has been a good one, and I'll see you tomorrow, Lord willing!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

My dad and mom on their recent vacation

Happy Birthday, Daddy and Papa! We love you!

A Necklace Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:42:00 +0000

My good bloggy friend, Melody, is giving away one of her necklaces on her blog, With the Fruit of Her Hands. Melody is a devoted Christian, wife, and mother who makes very special jewelry for her online shop, Hope of My Heart Designs. The necklace she's giving away is one of my favorites from her site. If you're a mother, you'll love it too! Go over and leave a comment to be entered in her giveaway!

Leisure Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:26:00 +0000

Coffee shop, Amsterdam, Netherlands

I'm sitting in Panera Bread in Palmdale, California, acting like a lady of leisure who has time to sit in little coffee shops and surf the web all afternoon! ;) I have none of my children with me. Each of the boys had something they needed to do, and Beth wanted to go to college choir practice and just hang around campus this afternoon. She's having a great time, making herself right at home. So I went to Wal Mart and got the boys a few snacks that they can't afford right now and a few necessities. I find a lot of joy and satisfaction in asking what they need and getting it for them.

The Keelys are great hosts. They provided me a room and a way to get into the house when they're not home and told me to come and go as I please. I slept so well last night, then got up after everyone was out the door for school and work this morning so I wouldn't be in their way. They've made me feel very comfortable by going about their normal schedules and giving me the freedom to come and go as I need to. Wes and I so appreciate their hospitality!

I've come to the conclusion that GPS units are evil. I got one in our rental car so I wouldn't get lost between LA and Lancaster, and what does the stupid thing do? Take me on the most inconvenient, roundabout route it could possibly come up with to get to Lancaster! I was not a happy camper when we finally arrived last night. Today I can laugh about it. And it's being a wonderful help and companion getting around Lancaster. But I have clear directions for getting back to LA Saturday morning - directions that don't take me on the scenic route!

I may be back over here tomorrow, depending on what the activities are during the afternoon. I hope to attend at least one class with each of the boys tomorrow morning, then chapel and lunch. See you soon!

Happy Birthday, Ben!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Happy Birthday to my brother, Ben!

Ready To Go!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:39:00 +0000

Excited Lady Traveler

My bag is packed - yes, just one - and I'm ready to fly tomorrow. Beth and I will leave early tomorrow morning to drive to Seattle, then fly from there to Los Angeles. It'll be a long day, not arriving in LA till 3:20, then driving an hour to Lancaster, having supper, and going to church. Beth has baked her brothers' favorite cookies, and I think her bags are packed too. She does have one bag to check, because so many people gave us things to take to their kids and friends down there that we didn't have room for it all! Actually, it's not that much stuff; we just needed an extra bag! ;) You know two ladies couldn't travel with just one bag each.

I'm taking my computer, and there's a Panera Bread somewhere in Lancaster. Hopefully I'll be able to log on once or twice while I'm gone.

Thursday night the college students will have a short play and program that will be live streamed. Sam and Andrew are both in the play. Sam will be James Madison and Andrew will be an anonymous signer of the Declaration of Independence. They'll be wearing powdered wigs, so you might not recognize them, but you're welcome to take a look anyway! ;) Just go to Live Streaming Video at Lancaster Baptist Church's website. It starts at 7:00 p.m., Pacific Time. The Wednesday night service is live streamed also.

We'd appreciate your prayers as we travel. Not only for safety, but for our health as well, with all the flu going around. Beth usually gets sick when we fly, so I'm dosing her up with Vitamin C and cold preventative stuff, and I'm taking some too.

Have a great week!

Doctors Everywhere

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +0000

I've begun a new round of doctor's visits, hopefully for just a short time. This time it's a skin problem. I've had a lesion, for lack of a better word, on my right temple for quite some time now. It wasn't growing, itching, hurting, or changing colors, but it wasn't going away, either. My family doctor's first evaluation of it was that it was non-cancerous, but he wasn't sure exactly what it was. He gave me a small tube of cortisone cream to use on it, and when that was gone, I went back to him. The lesion had shrunk just a little (another indication that it is non-cancerous), but it did puzzle him why it hadn't gone away, so he suggested a visit to the dermatologist. He also wanted to do a biopsy, but since we were about to go on our cruise, he said to come back in October for the biopsy.

I went last Wednesday for that procedure. The biopsy itself was painless. He froze the area around it, then took out a tiny little scoop of it for testing. I have an appointment next week to find out the results. The pain set in later that evening! It felt like something was stinging and burning in my temple. I joked that it felt like someone had taken a slice out of my face! LOL It was sore for a couple of days, but now it's healing nicely and not painful unless I bump it.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about this thing. On Friday of last week my thoughts wandered far and wide and I had myself convinced that I have skin cancer and don't have long to live. On Saturday morning I woke up to God's promises scrolling through my mind, things like, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," and "Lo, I am with you alway." I also remembered, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord is in complete control of my life and health, but that doesn't keep me from being afraid every now and then. I think that's natural, but it's not necessary to remain afraid! Each day brings more comfort and assurance, and I'm sure if this turns out to be something serious, God will make Himself even more real to me.

I did do some research on this lesion. My family doctor called it an erythematous plaque (that's plaque, not plague!), which seems to be a somewhat generic term for "some kind of pinkish thing on your skin." LOL I haven't been to the dermatologist yet, so I don't have anything more specific than that to go on, but the closest thing I could find to match my skin lesion is a condition that is related to diabetes. The plaques are usually found on the legs and hands, but can appear on the face or neck; they're benign and usually go away on their own after about two years. I'm hoping this is what my lesion is. Of course, I'll know more after my follow-up visit with my doctor and the dermatologist. If you think of me, please pray for an accurate diagnosis and peace in my heart no matter what that diagnosis is.

Happy Birthday, Mother!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

This is my mother and youngest sister on vacation a couple of weeks ago.

I love this picture! My mom is in the middle, with her sister, Becky, on her right and my sister, Robyn, on her left. Behind them are Robyn's oldest daughter, Alycia, and my youngest sister, Rebekah.

Happy Birthday, Mother and Grandmama! We love you!

College Days

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:22:00 +0000

Happy November! This first week will be busy. On Wednesday, Beth and I will fly to Lancaster, CA, to attend College Days at West Coast Baptist College. She's very excited. I am . . . moderately excited. If you've been to my blog more than once, you know that our two sons are in college at West Coast, so I am most definitely excited about seeing them. What I'm not so excited about is traveling. We're flying down and renting a car in Los Angeles and driving up to Lancaster. This will be my first time to fly and rent a car without Wes, and I'm just a little nervous about getting the car and taking it back and making our plane on time. I know, when faced with the challenge, I'll be fine, because that's how I roll, as Andrew likes to say! ;)

I'm planning to take my computer with me, so I'll try to blog a bit while we're there. I'm not quite sure what the adult chaperons do while the students attend classes and have activities, so I don't know how busy/relaxed my time will be. Beth is taking her camera, so we should have plenty of pictures to post. When Wes and I were there in September, we forgot to get pictures of the boys and the other Canadian kids who are there, so I have to make up for lost time this week.

Bro. Dane Keely, a staff member at Lancaster Baptist, was here during Teen Camp this summer, and he offered his home if we ever came to Lancaster and needed a place to stay. So while we were there in September, Wes took him up on the offer and asked if I could stay at their house during College Days. He and his wife said yes, so I have the luxury of staying in a home this week! I get nervous staying in others' homes, but I have decided to look for ways to be a blessing to them rather than worrying about being nervous. One sure way to keep from focusing on yourself is to focus on others!

We'll return home on Saturday night to a most likely hungry and lonely husband. At least, I hope he misses us and my cooking! I think we'll get in bed pretty early to be ready for Sunday.

Those are my plans for the week. I hope your week is a good one, too!

Unexpected Blessings Are Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:50:00 +0000

Paris Patisserie, 1889

I just had to tell you about our unexpected blessing tonight. It involves eating - again! Someone had given us a gift card to one of the super-nice steak houses here as an anniversary gift. We finally decided to use it tonight for our date night. Since we had the gift card that would pay for most of the meal, we went ahead and got an appetizer, desserts, and coffee along with our meal and just enjoyed ourselves completely. When time came to pay for our meal, the waitress came to us and said someone had already paid for it! We were stunned, because we hadn't seen anyone we knew, and then we just said, "Praise the Lord!" and gave the waitress a good tip! ;)

The only problem we have now is that we still have that gift card! LOL

Over a Week?

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:59:00 +0000

Oh, my goodness! It's been over a week since I've posted here! Busy days, lots of work to do, lots of crafting, lots of . . . reading blogs. So yes, I've been online, just not writing anything much. I did submit a blog entry at KJV Blog Directory introducing our family and church on Monday Ministry Highlights.

A few thoughts . . .

I've been looking for fall decorating ideas by following links to links to links . . . and finding, much to my amazement, that many Christian ladies decorate their homes for Halloween. If you do, please don't take offense, but considering that the Bible teaches us to "think on these things" in Philippians 4:8 and "to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness" in Ephesians 5:8, I just don't do Halloween at all. I know that most people think of it as harmless fun, so if you decorate or celebrate - that's your choice. Aunt Ruthie at Sugar Pie Farmhouse had an excellent answer to the question of "Do you decorate your house for Halloween?" Scroll down that post to "Time for another Q and A." I agree with her wholeheartedly on the Scriptures she chose!

Wes bought me some beautiful roses for our anniversary! This is quite an unusual bouquet: it only has 11 roses. You see, years and years ago, before we were married, he brought me a bouquet with 11 roses in it. The card read, "Stand before a looking-glass and the 12th and most beautiful rose will be looking back at you." Awwwww!!! Well, with the roses he gave me last week was a card that read, "You're still the most beautiful rose!" I cried. He is the most loving and caring man I could have ever found!

October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and last night our church family treated our family to dinner at a restaurant. We enjoyed it so much, especially getting to know each person just a little bit better. Even one of our newest attenders came, and Wes and I especially enjoyed getting to know him. We have a wonderful group of people here!

Sam starts his new job Monday as a sales person for T Mobile. He's pretty excited about it. After two years of working on campus and traveling with tour groups, he's finally glad to have a job that will enable him to build his savings account. The campus jobs have sure been welcome, as they've paid his tuition, but he's beginning to look to the future and needing to save some money as well as pay for school. So we're glad the Lord gave him this job.

Andrew is still looking for another job. The first one turned out not to be as good as it looked, and long story short, he has been looking for a job since the first week of school. We are praying and trusting the Lord to provide for him, and we're excited to see what the Lord will do to prove Himself faithful to our boy! Here's Andrew at the beginning-of-school luau, with the girl he invited to go with him. That was an interesting story! They had a good time when all was said and done.

A large portion of my time lately has been spent in stocking up my Etsy shop! I'm having a blast making stuff, and I'm excited about the coming Christmas season. I hope lots of people want to send handmade cards this fall and Christmas and tie handmade tags on their gifts! :) I'm working on another custom order right now, which I love. I enjoy doing something that is just what a person wants.

I guess that's all for now. I have lots of blog post ideas floating around in my head; I just haven't gotten them out through my fingers! Hopefully that will change soon. Have a good week!

Pumpkin Table Runner

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:09:00 +0000

My friend Deb, at Mountain Musings, keeps on posting things about quilting that make me drool. This pumpkin table runner is one of those things. I don't even know how to quilt, but I had to go check out the tutorial to make this . . . because the creator, Judi at Green Fairy Quilts, is giving away one of her pumpkin table runners! And I can definitely comment on a blog to win a table runner, even if I can't quilt it! :) So if you like this runner as much as I do, go over and check out how you could win it.

25

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:07:00 +0000

Twenty-five years ago I married my best friend and only love. Today he is still my best friend and only love. How I praise God for this man and for our first 25 years together!

Doctor's Visit

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:38:00 +0000

I had a good visit with my endocrinologist today; I'm pleased with what he had to say. I learned a few things and got some good news I thought I'd share with you.

Exercise seems to be the answer for just about everything! My doctor said he tells all his patients that exercise can do far more for them than he can with all the medication available. So you can guess what his prescription was for me today - daily exercise! He did say it doesn't have to be a full-blown workout at the gym; it can be as simple as a 20-minute walk on the treadmill.

Daily exercise helps control blood sugar immediately, then up to 36 hours, and eventually helps your body become less resistant to the insulin the pancreas produces. This helps break that vicious cycle of eating, blood-sugar spike, insulin spike - which increases insulin resistance. Exercise helps the body use its own insulin more efficiently.

I'm finally understanding why my morning blood sugar levels are so high and hopefully how to deal with them. The liver produces sugar constantly, and during the night sugar is slowly getting into the blood stream. Near dawn, hormones also begin to rise to help me wake up, and these two factors make my blood sugar rise. Right now I'm taking a little extra medicine at supper time, then having a small protein/carb snack before bed to stimulate my pancreas to produce enough insulin to keep my sugar levels more steady till morning. So far . . . sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. The last resort is a long-acting insulin before bed, but that is a long way off unless my overall levels begin to rise.

Which brings me to the good news: barring any problems, I don't have to go back to the endo for a year! I have to keep up my 3-month visits to my family doctor, but that's all. So I'm praising the Lord tonight for a great doctor's visit!

And that's enough about the fascinating subject of diabetes! LOL

We're Home!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:12:00 +0000

Just a quick note to say we're home from our cruise! We had a wonderful time. We visited Victoria, BC; Astoria, OR; San Francisco, CA; and ended in Los Angeles. We also spent two full days at sea without going into any ports. Each day we just took our time and relaxed - it was so nice to rest and enjoy each other. We even struck out on our own and went to a ball game on Thursday! We were in San Francisco that day, and we've already seen the city. We found out that the Texas Rangers were playing the Oakland A's in a day game, so we hopped on their transit, watched the game, and got back to the ship with about 3 hours to spare. We had so much fun doing that, even though Texas choked and lost the game big time! ;) Each afternoon we napped or read - or both - and each evening we had a delicious dinner on board the ship. We went to a few shows in the evening, but a lot of those were things we weren't interested in, so we'd get a latte from the coffee shop and stroll around the ship or sit and watch the people.

Our cruise ended Saturday morning. We picked up our rental car and went to see my uncle and aunt near San Diego (the same uncle who says he isn't an artist!), then drove up to Lancaster to spend the weekend with our boys. I was one happy mama to see my boys! They are doing great. I'm shamefully proud of both of them, I'm afraid. It was just a joy to see them and talk to them, meet their friends, talk to their teachers, and hear about what's going on in their lives. Andrew seems to have fit right in and found his niche. We also saw our "other boy" Ryan, who is from our church here in North Vancouver. He was waiting when we drove up too, and he had fabulous news for us: he got saved last Wednesday! I'm telling you, Wes and I were SO glad for Ryan! He was baptized Sunday morning, so we got to see that too. What a blessing!

We took Sam and Andrew to check on some job possibilities Monday afternoon, then shopping for necessities - such as Little Debbie cakes and Pop Tarts - before we left them on Monday night. I'm afraid I cried just as much as always. Those poor boys; they hardly know what to do when Mom is crying! Just let me cry. I'll be ok. And I was. I'm afraid I miss them more, now, though. This parenting of adult children is a lot harder than I expected! ;)

We traveled all day yesterday (Tuesday) and arrived home late last night. I picked up Beth today from our friends' house, and she and I have been catching up all day today. I sure missed her while we were gone! Especially when we were with the boys. It's always been my habit to know where all three are when we're together, and I kept looking for Beth. So I'm glad to have her home, and now we're all easing back into everyday life. I haven't finished unpacking yet, so I guess I should go do that. There's no place like home!

Wednesday in the Word: Measures of My Heart For God

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:00:00 +0000

The theme for our church this year has been "A Heart for God." My husband has been preaching messages about having a heart for God on Sunday mornings and applying that to different areas of our lives. One morning someone asked him, "How do I know I have a heart for God?" After some study, my husband found these truths in the life of David, a man after God's own heart.

When I have a heart for God . . .

The priority of my life will be my relationship with God. The Psalms are full of David's desire to be close to God. When my heart is fixed on God, I'll make time each day for Him by having a quiet time of devotions. I'll make time each week to go to church. I'll communicate with Him in prayer and allow Him to communicate with me through His Word. My top priority will be keeping myself in fellowship with God. "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." Psalm 55:17

The place of my trust is in the Lord when facing trials. When I have a heart for God, my first thought when something comes up is "I need to talk to the Lord about this," rather than, "We need to call the bank to see if we can get a loan," or "The baby has a sniffle; let's call the doctor!" I'm not advocating neglect of our finances or health, but prayer should be our first reaction to trouble. I believe the Lord will give direction, peace, and comfort for each day's needs. David said, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me." Psalm 56:3,11

The passion of my life is a desire to please God. David's desire to please God overran his natural instincts. When he had opportunity to kill Saul, his enemy, he purposed to obey God and wait for God's timing to become king. He refused to harm Saul: "The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto . . . the Lord's anointed . . ." I Samuel 24:6 What motivates my actions? When my heart is toward God, my passion will be to do God's will. That will include many things in my life - being a witness, keeping my home, loving my husband and children, serving at church, serving others - and the overall motivation for these things will be a burning desire to please God. "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31

The personality of my life is humility. David's heart cry as king was "Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?" II Samuel 7:18 Everything I do and everything I have is only by the grace and mercy of God. When my heart is following God, I will realize that I have no reason to boast or look down upon someone else; neither will I envy someone else, because the same grace that works in my life works in others' lives as well. ". . . be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." I Peter 5:5

The purpose of my life is an opportunity to serve. A heart for God will be a servant's heart! David spent most of his life serving his father, King Saul, and the people of Israel, both as a military leader and as king. When my heart is fixed upon God, I will be looking for ways to serve Him and others. I will desire to be like Jesus: "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister . . . " Matthew 20: 28

It's important to note that David was not sinless! He was an adulterer and a murderer, but when he sinned, his heart for God motivated him to repent, confess, and forsake his sin. "Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me." Psalm 51:2,3 Having a heart for God does not mean I will never sin, but that I will confess it as soon as I realize it's there and keep my fellowship with God clear.

How is your heart today? Do you have a heart for God? As I look back over these measures, I see areas where my heart needs some work. Let's purpose to turn our hearts toward God!

This entry is cross-posted at KJV Blog Directory.

Repost: Why Lions Gate?

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:00:00 +0000

I first posted this entry on January 11, 2006, in answer to a question from my dear blog friend, Deb of Mountain Musings. I've updated a few things so that it will make sense, such as living here for over five years now, rather than the 1 1/2 years of when I first posted. The rest of it is just as I wrote it then - we are still in love with North Vancouver and Lions Gate Baptist Church!

Deb asked,

Can you tell us how the name Lions Gate came about?

I'll try to answer that as best I can. I hope I have it right!

As you come into Vancouver, if you look to the north you can see a beautiful range of mountains. The peaks shown here, called The Lions, are a part of those mountains. Until the first part of the 20th century, the only way to cross the inlet was by ferry. Sometime in the early 1900's, the Guinness family, a local beer manufacturer, provided funding for a bridge to span the inlet, and it was named the Lions Gate Bridge - the gateway to The Lions. The picture to the left is of the Lions Gate Bridge on a sunny day, when you can actually see the mountains - although the ones you see here aren't The Lions!

Nowadays, many things on the North Shore, which consists of North Vancouver and West Vancouver, have "Lions Gate" in their names. When we were ready to start our church, Wes wanted a name that would be synonymous with the North Shore, that everyone would immediately associate with the North Shore. He wracked his brains for a name, and finally thought of Lions Gate Baptist Church. He thought for sure that it would be taken already, but when he sent in the paperwork to register the name, it wasn't taken, and so we were able to have that name. Here in the Vancouver area, Lions Gate doesn't raise an eyebrow, but we've had several people from outside this area wonder about the name and what it meant. So thanks for asking about it, Deb. You should have asked sooner!

Just a little extra: this picture is from mid-span of the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Bridge, the only other bridge from Vancouver into North Vancouver. This bridge is east of the Lions Gate Bridge, and is the one we live nearest. You can see the mountains here that are near us. The first house we lived in was in the valley between the two peaks straight ahead. I couldn't see them from the house, because of the trees and other buildings, but one of my favorite things about living here is that we're bordered by mountains to the north, the Inlet to the south, and the ocean to the west. On a clear day, it's breathtakingly beautiful! And any time of year, the lights of Vancouver at night never fail to thrill me.

A totally unrelated story here! When we came to Vancouver in 2002 to visit and see where we felt the Lord might call us, we got in at about 4:30 p.m. on January 7, which means it was pretty much dark. As we topped a hill in Vancouver, as far as we could see were just lights. Wes gasped, and I asked what was wrong. He said he couldn't believe the magnitude of the city, and it had just smitten his heart to see all those lights, representing to him all the people living here who needed to hear the Gospel. Later, in talking to Pastor Gordon Conner in Vancouver, he mentioned those lights. Pastor Conner immediately said, "Oh, that was North Vancouver!" Wes had been looking at maps of the Vancouver area before we came, trying to figure out where the Lord would have us go, and his eyes kept being drawn to North Vancouver on the map. When we learned that the first sight we saw as we entered Vancouver was North Vancouver, our hearts skipped a beat! After spending a week here going up and down the streets of North Van, we knew this was where God wanted us. We fell in love with it then, and after living here for over five years, we're still in love with it. Yes, we miss "home" and family and friends, but we are where God wants us, and that makes it home. I didn't mean to get so long-winded with this post, but I could talk all day about Vancouver and our ministry here!

Repost: Principles for Christian Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:00:00 +0000

I've noticed that the pages on my blog that get the most hits (views) are the ones dealing with modest dress. While I'm pretty sure that all of us believe in dressing modestly, we vary quite a bit on exactly what modesty is. Several years ago, I posted an entry containing five principles of modest dress that my former pastor preached. Since there seems to be an interest in this subject, I wanted to repost that entry today. Because I'm taking a break from the computer right now, I won't be able to answer questions right away, but if anyone has a question or comment that you'd like for me to answer when I return, feel free to go ahead and leave a comment, and I'll be sure to respond as soon as possible.

Day Dream

Here are the principles that my pastor preached in one sermon. I wrote them in the back of my Bible because they are a good guideline for anyone, no matter how you feel about the particulars of what a Christian should wear.

1. Modesty - is this article of clothing modest? Does it cover me sufficiently? I Timothy 2:9

2. Not worldly - is this clothing a fad of the world? Does it follow the current trends of the world? I John 2:15

3. Difference - is this clothing distinctly different than that of the opposite gender? Does it immediately identify me as a male or female? Deuteronomy 22:5

4. Unoffensive - is this clothing offensive to anyone? Would it cause my brother or sister in Christ to stumble in his or her walk with the Lord? Romans 14:7,8,12,13 and I Corinthians 10:23 and 8:13

5. Glorifies God - does this clothing glorify God? Does it bring glory or attention to me? I Corinthians 10:31

This entry was originally published on August 26, 2005

Finding Treasure

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Matthew 13:44

I read of a lady recently who had been putting off cleaning out an old purse. When she finally cleaned it out, she found $100.00 and a gift card to a department store that was about to expire! It had been right under her nose every day while she had gone right by it, cleaned around it, and thought about it. She found a treasure that she didn't even realize was there!

The man in this verse may have walked past this particular field every day for years. He didn't pay much attention to it, because it was just like every other field, full of rocks, weeds, briars, trash; but little did he know that there was treasure to be had in that field. And when he finally stumbled across that treasure, he went and sold all that he had to buy the field, so he could have that treasure. It must have been worth a lot to him!

Think about a field; what's in it? There is most likely some dirt and rocks, some weeds, some sticks, maybe a few flowers if you're lucky. If it's a pasture, there will be some leftovers from the cows - you know what I mean! There are insects and bugs, maybe a snake or two. But what might be hidden in the field? My mom and dad used to love to search for "hidden treasure" in fields using a metal detector. They would find old coins and things like that; once they found an old pair of eyeglasses. They had a lot of fun looking for treasure, but they couldn't see those things just by walking in the field - they had to search for them.

How can this apply to our lives? Every person we know has a treasure. Your husband, your children, your parents, your siblings, your friends, and even the strangers you pass every day. Every person also has a field where their treasure is hidden, and that field may not look like it has any treasure in it. There might be lots of rocks and sticks, maybe some smelly, ugly things, maybe some insects that irritate - but there is also a treasure! Are you willing to find that treasure? Are you willing to endure that field in order to get the treasure?

Here are some things to remember about finding the treasures around you:

1 - Recognize that everybody has a treasure! Everyone has something that adds value to their lives, something that makes them special. There is something worth finding in everyone.

2 - Recognize that every treasure is in a field. Everyone has things in their life that aren't as valuable; everyone has things that aren't pleasant to deal with. There are ugly things in everyone's life.

3 - Recognize and decide that you must endure the field to enjoy the treasure. You have to get into the field and dig if you're going to find it.

4 - Do what you can to clean up the field - and start with your own field!

5 - Love the treasure! Do everything you can to cherish it. The man in the verse above sold everything he had to get the treasure. Are you willing to sacrifice to find the treasures in your life?

What treasure is in your life that you're walking past every day because it's in a rocky, dirty field? Is it hard to see the treasure for the field? How can you search for treasure in those fields? What is that treasure worth to you? Are you willing to "sell all you have" to get that treasure? Each person in our lives deserves to have their treasure found and brought to light. What can you do today to find and display the treasures in your life?