For Maria

Ever since I started blogging special entries for the kids, Maria has been asking, "When do I get mine?!" She isn't the subtle one in the family :0) I told her she would have to wait until her birthday. So, as this blessed event is nearing, here is my tribute to our beautiful Maria.

From the moment we discovered your conception, you have filled us with joy, Maria. You were a precious surprise to us (as all our children were) and we have rejoiced in the blessing of your life for 6 years (and 9 months :0)

While I was pregnant, we decided to have a home birth (after two car rides during labour, I had had enough of that!) So, we bought a giant 'blow-up' pool and waited for your arrival. We had to keep it ready, so every night before bed, I would roll the giant pool down the stairs into the living room - hoping that 'this might be the night'. Alas, for two weeks, every morning, I had to roll the giant pool back up the stairs! :0) You were getting pretty big and heavy in there for Mommy to be carrying you around all the time and I was ready to see your beautiful face!

On a chilly January evening, right after we had tucked your brother and sister into bed, I went into labour. Your timing was perfect and the evening was so peaceful. Your father and I walked back and forth in front of our old townhouse for a little while (I was in my favourite, thick, grey sweater - a gift from your Dad - and the only warm covering that would fit by then :0) After awhile, I needed to come into the house and call the midwives. While they were on their way, your Dad and I put on some relaxing music and slow-danced together during the contractions that slowly brought you closer to your very first birthday.

We were so calm, that by the time the midwives arrived, they didn't believe that I was as far along as I had said. Oh well! Believe it or not, you were on the way. We called Auntie Naomi to come and help and started filling up the "fishy pool" (no wonder you love to swim so much!) After a short time in the wonderful, warm water (and some fun photos in between contractions), you came to join your family.

You had thick, black hair and a squishy little face and hands that were all tightened up into little fists. Your Dad and I grinned from ear to ear - and we laughed and cried and rejoiced. Our Maria had arrived and our hearts would never be the same. Aunti Naomi prayed a beautiful blessing over you and we all went to bed in peace.

Tonight, we made chocolate cupcakes for you to take to school tomorrow and enjoy with your classmates. How can I express to you how proud of you we are? You are growing into a fine, young lady and we love to hear how everyone enjoys your company so much. You are a treasure, Maria. You are one of the few people on this earth that can turn your Dad's frown upside down, sweetheart. You are blessed with the gift of giving - you give of yourself and God uses you to bless others with joy, peace and love. We love to hear your precious voice as you sing out with passion and conviction. You have a very sensitive spirit and feel every emotion so deeply that anyone around can share in the moment. You are an intelligent, funny, beautiful, generous and talented person and we are so glad God wanted you to be our daughter.

So, on the joyful occasion of your birthday, let me share with you one of my favourite blessings from the Bible and may it be a comfort to you as you continue to grow into the wonderful woman God has planned you to be:

"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."

Numbers 6:24-26

You are loved, Maria. Happy Birthday!

Love, Mom, Dad, Louis and Regina

Sunday Afterrnoon Blogging

Greetings, my long-neglected blogging friends. Please forgive me for my lengthy absence. I've been battling "side effects" from anti-biotics and trying to maintain some semblence of routine and order around my home (including a Group Lesson this past Saturday a.m. for 9 students and a small effort towards organizing my studies to prepare for an upcoming teacher's exam!).

So, here I am once again. I just finished my "Christmas gift" book - Margaret Laurence, 'A Bird in the House'. In typical "Steph" fashion ... I got to the end and scratched my head, "What was that all about?!" Then, as I turned the book over to read the back cover, everything slowly came into focus. It read, 'these 8 short stories ...' I thought I'd been reading a novel that made absolutely NO sense. Phew! Relief . . . I'll have to read that one again another time :0) What I did read, however, allowed me to share a connection with the author that confirmed my belief that we are not very different from each other on this earth - not really at all. (Another confirmation came after watching my favourite re-runs of 'Long Way Round', Outdoor Life Network with Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman ... love it!) Anyway ...

So, I went back to my old-faithful read ... Thomas Merton, "The Seven Story Mountain, An Autobiography of Faith". A very interesting gentleman who joined the Trappist monastery in the 1940's. A great quote of his says, "Without a life of the spirit our whole existence becomes unsubstantial and illusory." I've been trying to get through this book for almost 2 years. It just doesn't flow for me like others. I tend to read a few pages and then I need to ponder and think ALOT about what I just read. The back cover reads (yes, I read it first!) "(an) autobiography of a man who withdrew from the world only after he had fully immersed himself in it." I relate to him. On the occasion of this most recent read, the statement that stood out to me the most was, "...it is impossible for people to learn to write unless they also read." And with that, I moved on to my newest read ...

It's an extremely difficult book to read (emotionally, spiritually and visually). It is titled, "The Other Side of Ward; Women's Stories of Survival and Hope", by Zainab Salbi (President and Co-Founder of Women for Women International). She says, "War is not a computer-generated missile striking a digital map. War is the color of earth as it explodes in our faces, the sound of your child pleading, the smell of smok and fear. Women survivors of war are not the single image portrayed on the television screen, but the glue that holds families and countries together. Perhaps by understanding women, and the other side of war ... we will have more humility in our discussions of wars ... perhaps it is time to listen to women's side of history." A little over a week ago, I was out for lunch with my friend, Jenn. As we wondered around Chapters after some wonderful Vietnamese, I stumbled across this fascinating title.

It brought back a memory of learning about a small group of women from the United States (a group of older ladies from a small church), who began to sew quilts for families in Vietnam. They sewed hundreds of these blankets and then flew themselves over to Vietnam and met with a group of mothers with their children on an old, riquety bridge in the middle of a jungle. There is a very famous photo of this event and it is said to have been pivotal to the ending of that war.

Please understand that my next statement is generalist in perspective (something I try very hard to avoid). Nevertheless, at times, a broader perspective can become strikingly clear. In many cases (again, not all cases) but, many cases, men tend to focus on the differences between each other, between people and nations. Perhaps it's gender, perhaps its personality, perhaps both and many other factors. Generally speaking (generally), women tend to focus on things we have in common - we RELATE to each other and people's circumstances, etc. We try to empathize (not all but in general). It is not just interesting, but fiercely important, that men and women (in general) tend to have different strengths and weaknesses.

My husband has recently began a working relationship with a woman. At first, this raised some serious (and not necessarily mature) issues in my mind ... and in our conversations :0) Yet, now that I have had a chance to rationally think through my own fears and concerns (and vent to my nearest and dearest girlfriends :0), I am able to listen to Tony speak of the challenges she faces on a daily basis at work. I am astounded at the reactions of some of the men to her presence (regardless of her ability, strengths, experience and professionalism). It makes no difference whether he agrees with her position or not - because of his integrity and an amazing sensitivity to the female mind, Tony is able to fulfill the calling on his life and recognize the abilities in her that are beyond his own (like relating to certain individuals that he would rather not). There are things to be learned from each other. I have learned to appreciate and respect my husband for who he is in ways that I have never known before. Bravo, hubby, bravo! You are my champion :0) I believe, he has learned to recognize when I am seriously not in a joking mood :0)

Let me leave you with one last quote ... one that either confuses or comforts (or maybe both?)

"And God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." Genesis 1:26-27 KJV

Playing Around with Photos :0)

Reaction vs. Response

Last night, we had a parent meeting at our children's school. The purpose of the meeting was to receive further information regarding a financial situation that has arisen due to the planned sale of the land our school is on. In order to grow, move forward and become increasingly established, our school has decided to enter into an agreement to purchase the land and facility. These are all good things. However, the responsibility of the parents is to provide a serious portion of the down payment for the purchase of this land. Without getting into further detail, there were some parents, who, understandably, were deeply concerned about the affordability of this project. Tony and I were two of them.

Let me say that 5 years ago (maybe even 2 years ago ...) Tony and I would have reacted with negativity, bitterness, jealousy and judgement to the dismal outlook of being able to afford what was being asked of us. It is a wonderful encouragement when you can look back on the person you used to be and praise the Lord for the way He has softened and changed our hearts - for the way He has created spiritual fruit in Your life that wasn't there before.

There were some parents last night who did react in fear - and I felt sympathetic to them. Yet, because Tony and I had not chosen to just react to the circumstance we were facing, but spent the Christmas holidays praying and seeking God, when the time came, we had such a peace about the whole situation we were actually surprised. God is faithful and as we sought His direction and guidance, His will became clear.

First, we spent time seeking his will. We questioned whether or not the Lord wanted our children at this particular school. It is a Christian school and we are thankful that our children are being fed with God's Word everyday, but we honestly let go of thinking that this was the only option available to us. Maybe God wanted us to place our children in a Spanish emersion school? Who knows? He does ... After discussing options, Tony and I each retreated into our own thoughts and spent days seeking God in our own way about His will. When the subject came up again, it was affirmed. Neither of us WANTED our children anywhere else. Our desires were steadfast and we were in agreement. Now what?

The next step was to see if what we desired was in line with God's will. We considered the financial provision for our family to be an answer and if that were to work out, it would be the confirmation of God's plan. In it all, we truly let the results be in God's hands. God has moved us before (recently, actually :0) from our home church and from our home neighbourhood - we have experienced change in huge ways and learned a lot about the process and the way that God can and does work out the details. We have learned, in very small ways, to trust God everyday. It's these moments that build the foundation of our faith so that when we are faced with a seemingly big circumstance, we can remember our trustworthy Lord and remain immovable in our faith.

God has confirmed our desires. Our finances HAVE worked out. There was some re-thinking about priorities and perspectives (yes, we can survive with an unfinished basement for a little while longer :0) and best of all we have a great peace in knowing that God's will is being fulfilled in our lives and the lives of our children. We are excited to see what is to come ...

I awoke this morning with optimism and thankfulness and sought the Lord early. The children and I prayed on the way to school and thanked God for His mercy and His grace and looked forward to the beginning of a new day and sung a song of rejoicing while we enjoyed the beautiful sky and majestic mountains. God whispered to my heart, "Are you reacting or are you responding?" I immediately thought of my friend Dawn and rejoiced again at how she had responded to the Lord in faith during a recent trial. I called her to share with her what God had been up to with me and the children this morning and we began our day with a smile and a light heart. Later, I remembered a quote from my father (not sure if it's an original or on loan ...) It reads, "Do not react, but rather, observe and respond in time." I found that a profound thought and it helped me to focus my attention on my own behaviours; questioning my perspectives during times of trial. I would like to expand this line of thinking with my own faith-based perspective ... "Do not react to the 'whats' of life but rather, learn to trust and respond TO the Lord". Hmmmm ... carying on ....

I was in a rather playful mood this morning and decided to phone my friend Terry to see if I could catch her sleeping and wake her up. (It's one of my favourite things to do! I never realized how much fun it is!)

I didn't get quite the response I had thought - Terry had already tried to call me at home as she and her husband had been up most of the night concerned and praying for a friend from church who had been admitted to the hospital with flesh eating disease. It had been a sudden and serious condition that shocked not only his wife and daughters, but the entire church family. He is still in hospital and we are all waiting to hear good news in hope and faith.

After experiencing such an elation and joyfulness in my heart for the way God has moved me to respond to Him in faith, receiving the life or death news of a cherished member of the church family left me shaking my head. And yet, it also seemed obvious what I needed to do - even though, in this circumstance, the temptation to react with fear was overwhelming simple. Fear is not even unexpected ... this was and is a seriously critical medical situation that has, by precedent, led to a commonly pessimistic prognosis. Nevertheless, I did not give attention to any feeling of feer our doubt on this day. In a moment of faith, I did not consider nor question God's intentions - I only prayed and let go.

What came to my mind was the story of Lazarus and how his sister had cried out to Jesus when she met him on the path, coming to her house. "If You had only been here," she said, "my brother would still be alive." What did Jesus do? Did he rebuke her as he did the Pharisees? Did he become angry as he did with the merchants at the temple? No. He wept.

He had compassion for the family and he wept. It was then that He called Lazarus from the tomb. It was this passage of scripture that I prayed today for this kind and generous husband, father and brother in faith to so many.

Would you pray with me? Would you respond, in faith, to a call to share in this family's trial by praying with them in the Name of Jesus?

Father, we come boldy to Your throne of grace. We share in this family's crisis and together respond with faith and hope. We believe that You are able to do as you did with Lazarus. You, who are our "strength and shield", You who are "faithful to all Your promises and loving to all You have made," we trust in You, O God. Lord, until you so choose to bring this man to Your heavenly dwelling, we pray with steadfast hearts that You would allow this man, who has given his life in devotion and worship to You - lovingly and cheerfully, to be healed completely and rejoice in Your mercy. We ask it in the Name of our Saviour, our Healer, our Redeemer and friend, Jesus the Christ.

"I will exalt You, O Lord, for You lifted me out of the depths, and did not let my enemies gloat over me. O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. O Lord, You brought me up from the grave; You spared me from going down into the pit. Sing to the Lord, you saints of His; praise His holy name. For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favour lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. When I felt secure, I said, 'I will never be shaken'. O Lord, when You favoured me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when You hid Your face, I was dismayed. To You, O Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: 'What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your faithfulness? Hear O Lord, and be merciful to me; O Lord be my help.' You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give You thanks forever." Psalm 30

Come what may, our Father, we pray, Your gracious, merciful and perfect will be done. We stand together, as One Body, One Blood, One Church, In Jesus' Name - on behalf of our brother in his time of need and bring him boldy to Your throne, that you may restore full health and that he may continue to serve you and proclaim Your greatness, even unto the ends of the earth - for the furthering of Your kingdom, according to Your desire, according to Your plan. Lord, hear our prayer, Amen.

"Rosie-Cheek" Weather!

Yikes! Is it ever cold out there! It's rather deceiving because the sun was shining so beautifully today ... but as soon as you step outside - that cold air bites at your cheeks! Ouch!

Well, we're back into the swing of things once again. School has begun again and violin and piano lessons are back on track.

I had an interesting conversation with my father yesterday evening. I am hoping to achieve my Licentiate (not licentious, right Terry?) level in music for teaching. However, I have come upon a road block. It seems, a pre-requisite to this level is Grade 8 Theory (under the London College of Music which is in the UK). I considered doing an Associate level Performance exam instead to try and get around this theory issue (I REALLY dispise theory :0) but alas ... it seems as though one of the components to the Associate Performance level is also a heavy-bit of theory. Ugh!

So, as I was explaining this to my father he said, "So what?! Theory is what it's all about! You should do the theory!" Although my mother was substantially more sympathetic to my whining (she has a musical understanding of the "ugh" of theory :0), my father's words hit a nerve.

"What are you talking about?", I exclaimed, "Theory is just TALKING about music instead of MAKING music! What came first the chicken or the egg?!", I asked. "Music was around long before anyone wrote it down and started analysing it!" But there it was ... the question of our humanity ... My father just laughed and said, "You should do the theory."

I came face-to-face with my own procrastination and unwillingness. I love to create a deep and philasophical argument about almost anything at all, rather than deal with the issue that is staring right at me! It seems, if I'm going to carry on with my studies, I must complete my theory.

Isn't this what we do with our relationships and especially with our relationships with the Lord? We say, "Ok - I'll forgive him/her for this ... but THAT .... THAT I won't forgive" or "Ok, Lord, I'll trust you in this area of my life ... but don't even go THERE!" Either we do or we don't - either we will or we won't. Yet, as black and white and simplified as that seems - the process of transformation is quite different.

As I sat in the doctor's office on Monday (for the second time since I became ill) I bowed my head and breathed a silent prayer while I was waiting. An overwhelming sense of peace came over me and I heard myself praying in my mind, "My health is yours, Lord - my health is yours - come what may." I feel much better and I'm on the mend but more than that - I feel at peace deep within in a way that can not be described.

It takes time to realize that once we come to know that GRACE and MERCY have been given freely to us, we only have to receive. There's nothing else to it. Our transformation comes from the understanding of who the Lord is and how He loves us. Everyday, that knowledge can change, if we let it - if we meditate on it - if we receive it.

I watched an interview on 100 Huntley Street yesterday morning with Phil Vischer (is it Phil? I think so ...) Anyway, he's the guy who created "Veggie Tales" (the reason we can associate so many "classic" songs with Bible Scripture - for example, 'The Bunny' or 'My Name is Daniel...' :0) Anyway, he said, 'until we realize we can just exist WITH God, what we do FOR God is just out of our own ideas and strength' (kind of paraphrased). It was an awesome interview and you could tell he was a man that had been humbled and been through a few things and come out the other side ... WITH God.

So, back to my theory ... I guess I will spend some time in prayer and ask God if this is the direction I am to go ... and if it is -I'll pray that He makes me willing and grants me the grace, strength and wisdom I need to complete the task, for His glory alone. Pray with me? Thanks!

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4 4:4-7

For Regina

I have been unbelievably ill the last two and a 1/2 days. I've had horrendous chills, fever, muscle & joint aches that were, at times, almost unbearable. Then, a day into my own illness, Regina became ill, AGAIN, with the stomach flu. It has been a wicked flu season - and we've been hit something awful. It looks like we're going to make it and I finally feel well enough to sit up and type a few cohesive (hopefully) words ... although, I have been mixing up my thoughts in recent dialogue with my children :0) For example, "Regina, put that dog in the fridge." WHAT?! or "Louis, call your teeth." WHAT?! Anyhow, this probably isn't really that far from the norm :0)

So, with thanks for prayers and the precious care from family and friends (and some pretty blue antibiotic pills for me!) - we are on the mend. God is good and has seen us through.

I've just put Regina down for a good night's rest. She was a little upset this evening. You see, her sister has gone to spend the night at Mita and Pito's (upon her request) and her brother has gone for a sleep over at his friend Stephen's house. Tony is working - so that left just the two of us! Things went alright for awhile ... we watched Limmony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" (a favourite for both of us) ... ate dried croutons with apple juice and followed up with a dose of "Just for Laughs" - the Gags reel. (I'm going to have to explain myself to Tony for that one in the morning - something about a fake peeing baby ... oh well - I was just glad that Regina had perked up and we were able to share a laugh) BTW ... right about now I know my mother is thinking, "Yup, she's definately feeling better ... the words are flowing again!" :0) Luv you, Mom.

Anyway, bedtime came around, too soon, as far as Regina was concerned. But, be that as it may - the inevitable is just that. After a rather thorough teeth brushing and a loooong good-night to each of our animals, Regina got herself into bed and waited for me to come tuck her in. As I climbed the stairs to her room (resting on every third stair to catch my breath and try to stop my head from pounding with the increasing elevation :0), a fond memory came to mind. I remembered when Regina was just a baby. I would get up 2 or 3 times in the night to feed her in her little nursery. I would hold her in my arms and sit in the rocking chair, in the dark and sing to her, quietly. It was an amazing moment for just the two of us. (She wasn't old enough to criticize my singing abilities or my need for a breath mint yet :0) But, seriously ... those moments are really precious for me and tonight as I knelt beside her bed, I reminded her again of how I used to sing her to sleep when she was still small enough to fit in the crook of my elbow. (She's heard the story alot - but still loves it!)

When Louis was born, our entire world changed. There is no other event I have experienced that changed my life like the birth of our firstborn child. He was and is a miracle to me. And then came Regina.

She was the easiest baby I could have imagined. She was always so content - no matter what the circumstances. We were in the midst of buying our first home one month after she was born and then we hurridly tried to finish a basement on top of it all! It was utter chaos for the first couple months of her life - yet she peacefully watched all the action with those big brown - wait - HUGE brown eyes staring out at us from her comfy little spot in the second hand car seat (thanks to Auntie Shar and Uncle Mark). I had to set a timer to feed her because we were so busy and she would never cry! After the work was all done and things started to settle - I found myself carrying her around all day long. I just loved to hold her and be near her and watch her beautiful face. I would stir soup for Lou while I held (and fed) Regina with my other arm. That was quite a trick! She was a comfort to me then - and she still is. She has been a comfort to many others as well.

When my sister, Shelley, had her gall bladder out, Regina was visiting Nonna and Pop. She held her hand and stayed by her side (I think Regina was 5? at the time). She tucks my dad into bed before for his sleep before he heads out for another shift in his big coal truck when she is there. She makes lunch, washes dishes, sweeps, dusts and has always cheerfully given her opinion on parenting tips for me! :0) And when my mother's very good friend died in November of this past year, Regina was there. She stayed with my mom for hours at the hospital and held her hand and prayed for Margaret - and she didn't want to be anywhere else.

Regina says she wants to be a doctor someday. This Christmas, Tony and I bought her an "Anatomy Torso" with a stethoscope and game cards. My nephew Taylor and I tried to answer some of the questions on the game ... it was a little tricky with Regina pronouncing the rather long words :0) We managed to get about a 1/4 of the answers between the two of us. Ah well ... I hope that if this is the plan God has for Regina's life, that He blesses her greatly with courage, ability, determination, perseverance and much grace to accomplish her goals and see her dreams fulfilled.

Regina, you are a blessing - you are a gift ... and I am so thankful for you, my sweet baby girl. Here's your song, babe. Enjoy :0)

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory ance grace

Regina, I love you

Regina, I love you

Regina, I love you, my dear

Love, Mom

Happy New Year!

Greetings and a very happy new year to you all! I hope that the Christmas holidays were filled with wonderful memories and blessings beyond number. This is a photo of our "First Annual Christmas Day Pyjama Skate!" A quick recap of the last few weeks for us ...

Our kids started getting sick around December 10th ... we're still having a go 'round with the flu (Maria has finally had her turn with the stomach flu as of early this morning and Louis has just received the 'ok' to move onto normal food - minus dairy). Lord willing, this virus will be kicked by the time the kids go to school :0)

This is a photo of the girls at Auntie Shar and Uncle Mark's. With the big flakes of snow falling and the street lamp on their back deck, it was a perfect "Narnia" playland :0)

Christmas has come and gone, once again. Number 11 for Tony and I! They seem to come and go faster every year. We just got home a day and a 1/2 ago from visiting my family over the past week. I always have "mountain sickness" when I get back to the city. I miss the simplicity of small-town living and the beauty of being nestled in the mountains. Ah well ... sigh ... back to the hustle and bustle of city-living. It reminds me of how glad I am that Tony and I make it a priority in our lives to focus on the day-to-day routines and not get too busy with all the 'extras' that can try to crowd into our family life. I'm very thankful to be married to a man that is so devoted to his wife and children - if he's not at work, he just wants to be home with us.


This photo is at my mom and dad's place. Lou made a wonderful fire for us! The sleigh bells hanging on the mantel in the background are from an old sleigh from my father's child hood - he remember the sound they made as the horses pulled the old sleigh through the crisp snow while he and his siblings snuggled under a warm blanket and his mother and father drove the sleigh home. It is a precious memory and those sleigh bells still make a delightful sound!

Some excitement while I was down at my sister's with the kids ... Tony was in an accident (two actually ... one after the other). Everyone is ok - minor damage to the little 'jelly-bean' - just winter driving conditions and slower speeds required :0)

This is a photo at the ski hill of Regina and Maria (on the "Bunny Hill"). It was a great afternoon for them (although Gina complained of sore shoulders for the next couple of days :0)

We took the kids to see the new "Rocky" last night ... let me admit to you right now ... I actually cried at one point :0) Maria sang every time the Rocky-theme came on and we were all clapping for the end. It was a really good movie (we're a 'Rocky' family, already ... and this one was the icing on the cake for us :0) It's definately a must-see if you're a Rocky fan, like us! No swearing, no sexual-anything, no inappropriate humour ... lots of familiar 'Rocky-isms' and good ol' fashioned boxing (I noticed Tony had on his 'heavy-bag' gloves on today :0)

Well, it's very late (I'm having some blood-sugar issues and was on my way for a banana and a glass of milk when I got distracted :0) God bless and Happy New Year! Here's a Psalm to begin 2007!

"O God, you are my God;

I earnestly search for you.

My soul thirsts for you;

my whole body longs for you

in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.

I have seen You in Your sanctuary
and gazed upon You power and glory.
Your unfailing love is better to me than life itself;
how I praise You!
I will honour You as long as I live,

lifting up my hands to You in prayer.

You satisfy me more than the richest of foods.

I will praise You with songs of joy.

I lie awake thinking of You,

meditating on You through the night.

I think how much You have helped me;

I sing for joy in the shadow of Your protecting wings.

I follow close behind you;

Your strong right hand holds me securely." Psalm 63:1-8