BOLIVIA! HERE I COME!

Well, I almost can't believe it! I'm actually going to Bolivia! This has been a dream of mine for a very long time. This dream has 2 parts:

In the 1960's, my father had 4 siblings that had moved down to Bolivia near the Santa Cruz area and lived in the Mennonite colonies. Now there are many large colonies there with hundreds of relatives that I have never met. It has always been a dream of my parents to go to Bolivia to visit dad's siblings there but that dream was never fulfilled. So now, I feel I am now going in there place, I am fulfilling this dream for them. Dad has a sister that is 92 and a brother that is 76 that are still living - he hasn't seen his brother in 46 years! I am going to do what I do best - take pictures - and I will bring Bolivia home to my parents. :-) I have met one of my cousins from Bolivia a couple of years ago. They are a missionary family near Santa Cruz and so I will be staying with them for 8 days. She will know many of my cousins there and so they will know where to take me to visit my relatives. You can read up on their ministry at www.emmc.ca/journals/dave_lisa_janzen The above photo (right) is taken at a colony near Santa Cruz of the Sugar Cane press in that colony (photo taken by Lisa Janzen). The family photo on the above left is taken in Bolivia. The Bolivian monkey photo is also taken by Lisa Janzen. She has a love of photography just like I do - I think we'll get along quite well for a week. :-)

The 2nd part of this dream is this: I have a dear friend who has been living at Tarija, Bolivia for a few years with her family. They also are missionaries and run a coffeehouse ministry - you can check it out at www.elcandelero.com We have known each other for many years. I will be spending 2 weeks with them. I will be exposed to many different things I'm sure, including bugs. :-)

I know it will be a wonderful experience and I can't wait to come back and share my photos with friends and family back home. I will have many stories to share as well as photos. I will be exposed to many different things on this trip, I'm sure, including different types of bugs like this green one here. Yuck! These photos in this section are from Larry & Colleen's website as well as the map of Bolivia. The bug photos Larry sent to me through email just to let me know what I'll be up against - although he didn't know it when he sent it. :-)

I know God will be with me and He has a wonderful purpose for me going on this trip. His hand has been in the planning and in this heart's desire of mine. I love my kids and my hubby who are sending me with their blessing. I love this wonderful man in my life very, very much - I will miss him greatly. It is so amazing to me how he loves me so much to help me to fulfill this dream of mine. God will bless him for that, I'm sure. I want to be a blessing to those that I will be visiting and I want to be a blessing to those when I return home to share all my pictures.

Remembrance of That Last Day

One day I was working at the computer, music playing in the background. My youngest daughter comes to me with tears in her eyes, she was 8 years old at the time. "Mommy," she says, "this song bothers me." "Why?" I ask as I sit her on my lap and wrap my arms around her. "It makes me think of Grandpa too much." Then we both had tears in our eyes. My husband's father had passed away very suddenly almost 2 years ago. She was still missing Grandpa very much and we all had moments of missing him. Dad had a cardiac arrest, his heart just stopped while he was driving his gravel truck with a full load of gravel in it. We'd been told that when your heart stops, your brain can still function for about a minute. So dad knew enough to put his signal light on and turn his steering wheel right ever so slightly so that his truck drove into the pasture instead of oncoming traffic. He would've been gone by the time his truck had hit the fenceline. His truck finally came to a stop near some corrals between two dugouts. That was my father-in-law's last day on this earth.

The song that was playing on the CD that was hurting my daughter's heart was called "Last Day on Earth" sung by Steven Curtis Chapman. In the song he talks about how he's watching a funeral procession go by and he's praying that God would comfort the broken hearts of those that were saying goodbye. Then it makes him think of what his own last day on earth would be like and how he should live each day. Before he breathes the air of Heaven, how should he be living on his last day on earth. He talks about how if he doesn't see tomorrow here on this earth and instead is face to face with Jesus in Heaven, will he hear the words 'well done' from our Lord.

WOW! Extremely powerful words. This day, today, could really be our last day on earth - we don't know when we'll breathe our last breath or how we're going to die. I asked my daughter what this meant to her, what the song and Grandpa's sudden death was saying to her. This is what she said, "That when we die, we don't want to keep people guessing if we're in Heaven or not and to make sure that while we are living here that we're living for Jesus." Very profound words. Her greatest concern is that Grandpa is in Heaven. We didn't get a chance to ask Grandpa if he was sure that he was going to Heaven and we regret that now. But God has given us some wonderful signs of hope that someday we will see Dad/Grampa again.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is the only sure way into Heaven. God says that we must believe in His Son, who came down to earth, died for our sins, and rose from the dead to give us eternal life, and is now waiting for us in Heaven to come and be with Him forever. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through me." (John 14:6) How should we be living on this earth? How should we be living each day? We should be living our lives for Jesus and our goal should be to become like Him - to love and forgive like Him and to strive to live a life of purity and honesty and most important of all to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior. Nothing else matters - we can do good things all our life, but if we don't have Jesus, all those good things won't get us anywhere. Everything in this world will eventually come to an end, our lives will end. Where will we be? If we choose not to live for God, and there will be some that will choose that, we are missing out! We only have two options - Heaven or Hell. The 2nd choice is not a good one, trust me. There is nothing else out there - we don't just exist here and then are dead forever. There's so much more to life than this very short one here on earth. We were made for Heaven! God created us to live with Him but sin got in the way. He gives us a free choice because He's a loving God and doesn't force us to do anything - we have the free will to live as we choose. But, I tell ya, choosing not to live for Him is the biggest mistake we could ever make. Let's be certain of our destination and give our lives to Jesus so that we can have the confidence that we will live the rest of our lives eternally with Him in Heaven.

That is how I want to live my last day on earth.


Steven Curtis Chapman's website is www.StevenCurtisChapman.com

What is Love?

In the most recent months, love has really been on my mind. It's so easy to become confused about love and what it really means. I've read 1 Corinthians 13 many times this past fall and have tried to apply it to my everyday life. That passage is often referred to as the Love Chapter of the Bible. Love covers a lot of things - it covers absolutely everything. Check out this picture. God's love is the most powerful thing on this earth!


I got a lot to work on - it'll take me a lifetime to attain this kind of love! To really love, God tells us in His Word that we are to love one another for love is of God, that God is Love (1 John 4:7-10). We are to "love your neighbor as yourself" Matt. 19:19. He also tells us that the greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind" Matt. 22:37. A Greek word to describe unconditional love is the word 'Agape' . This world's love is very conditional and is confused so often with lust. God's love is agape but world's love is often lust. I heard someone say, "I love my wife but I also love....tacos??" How can we say those two things in the same breath if we truly understand the real meaning of love? If we truly understood the real meaning of love we would not use it so lightly.

This is God's love - true love. It never fails, it never gives up hope, it never talks wrong of others, it never loses faith, it is never boastful or proud, it never keeps a record of wrongs, it never gives up, it always endures, it is kind, it is patient, it rejoices when the truth wins out, it is never jealous, it is never irritable, it is not rude, it does not demand it's own way, it does not rejoice in wrong things,.... WOW! What a goal that I desire to live up to! But how can I possibly do this on my own strength? It is impossible! How wonderful and relieving it is to know that this is not something that I can simply attain to and strive for on my own - God is there to help me! He is there to love me so that I can love like Him. God loves me so that I can love others! What a relief! God is so faithful! His love is so faithful! God loves me so I can love others!! There are people in each of our lives that are difficult to love and to like but with God's help, we can love them, I can love them. And with God's help, others can love me when I'm difficult to love or to like.


Let's remember why God sent His Son down here to earth as a baby - to die on the cross for our sins so that Jesus could rise again and give us eternal life. So that we could have a hope that goes beyond this world. John 3:16 says that God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son and that whoever believes in Him will never die but will have eternal life. What a promise! Do we love others enough to share that promise with them? Would we want that promise shared with us? I know I sure would. This world is going downhill very quickly. We cannot put all our hope in this world because nothing in it will last. The only lasting value on this earth is the relationships that we have with other people - those that we love. There is nothing that we can take with us to the life beyond this one - everything and everyone dies eventually. Love is the only thing of lasting value. How we learn to love here on earth is our testing ground.

"Lord, teach me to love the way you want me to love. Love for You, for my husband, for my children, for my family, for my friends, for my neighbors - and anyone in this world is my neighbor, it's not just those that live near me. Help me not to get your true kind of love confused with the enjoyments of this world and the twisted way that this world teaches us to love at times. Teach me to love your truths always and to love your ways and your laws in order that I would be completely obedient to you in all circumstances each and every day. It's so wonderful to learn and grow each day Lord. I never want to lose that desire to follow you and to learn what it means to love you with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my mind. Teach me that Father. In the precious name of Jesus I pray, Amen."

God's Blessings in the New Year

What a wonderful God I serve! We serve! He is so good! He does such a fantastic job of looking after us and guiding us day by day. I don't know how people can choose to live without Him. Life is already so full of confusion and hurt - why not let Him figure things out for us rather than trying to fight our own daily battles in this hurting world.
The journey that God has been taking me on in these past few months have revealed so many truths to me that it has been astounding. So many times we have been deceived over and over again by the master deceiver, our enemy, Satan. So many times he comes as an angel of light to manipulate and deceive our lives and to tell us so many lies. We cannot go through our day without God's Divine Intervention in our lives and His Divine Protection. We need Jesus! There's a song with that title and some of the words, "When will the world see that we need Jesus?" When will it? The world defies God and goes against His Will so many times. Romans 12:2 says "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is." That is my desire! That on a daily basis, God would continue to transform my mind into the likeness of Christ and that I would be protected from the manipulations and the deceitfulness of the enemy.

Lord, open my eyes that I may see. That I may see what You are doing in the world around me. That I may see the lies around me and claim the truth over my life and the lives around me. That I may see what you are doing in my life. That if there are things in my life that don't honor or bring glory to you, that I would have the desire to change and to step away from those things and the courage and strength to do it. I love you God! I praise you for all you have done in my life and I praise you for all you will be doing in my life. I thank you for the challenges because they have only brought me closer to you. May my life be an offering to you and bring you glory, praise, and honor. In the wonderful name of Jesus, Amen.

It is exciting to me everytime a New Year begins. I look forward to what God is going to do in my life and in the lives of my family each day. We are all on a journey with Him and it is joy to live for Him. Is it easy all the time? No, it can be quite difficult. Oh, but the blessings that come with that journey are literally out of this world. Guaranteed! :-) TRUST GOD! I've learned that we need to trust God in capital letters. TRUST That is my journey for this year, simply to TRUST because He knows best and He sees the whole picture.

God bless you this New Year.

Winter Scenes

Winter is a beautiful time of the year. All of these photos are taken around the Shell Lake/Memorial Lake area. Winter can be so crisp and clean. God made each season so beautiful and unique for us to enjoy. I praise Him for His wonderful creation.

Winter at Memorial Lake

We love winter at Memorial Lake! We almost like it more in the winter time than in the summer time. It's so peaceful, quite, and relaxing and the air is so crisp. Having fires outdoors is so enjoyable on a nice winter day with the snow around you. The best part is being able to take the snowmobiles and go sledding at the lake. The farmers leave their gates to their fields open so you're able to go driving across country to all the different lakes around. There's nothing like coming over an open field and seeing a bunch of deer by the trees. You can turn off your sled and just sit there and watch them. It's beautiful! It's amazing how close all the lakes around there are when you're going across country. You see the whole countryside in a totally different way when you're not travelling on the roads. What a great way to enjoy God's beautiful creation. We love to share these great times with friends. They're often taken aback at the beauty of the area especially when they normally only come out to the lake during the summer months - it's totally different in the winter. All seasons are beautiful in themselves. God had such a wonderful way of creating our world for us to enjoy while spending our time here on this earth. He called everything that He created GOOD! It's sad when we take what He's created and make it into something bad - that was never His intent. But that's what sin does - it takes anything good that God made and twists it into something wrong and immortal. It'll be so good when God will end all of that wrong and we will be living in a new place where nothing bad will happen - no more pain, sorrow, tears, death or evil. I can't wait!!

Danae's Song

Over the past 4 years, I've taken a number of photos for Cheryl Dupuis, president and founder of Danae's Song. She is the mother of Danae Dupuis, who passed away 5 years ago. The accident was a result of drunk driving and wrong choices. Cheryl has spoken to over 70,000 students in schools throughout SK, AB, ON, MB and even into the United States. She delivers a great message about peer pressure and the consequences of drinking and driving. She is also involved with MADD - Mother's Against Drunk Driving.
It has been an honor for me to take photos for her at certain events in schools and churches. A number of the photos I've taken at different schools include: Marion Graham, E.D. Feehan, Bedford Road, Mount Royal - all in Saskatoon. A number of the band photos are also ones that I've taken as well as the presentation done at Cornerstone Church with the Danae's Song band. I've also driven out to the Red Pheasant Reserve in 2001 to take photos at a presentation done at a school there. In 2003, we were in Regina at CYAID - Canadian Youth Against Impaired Drivers - Conference where over 700 youth from across Canada were present. Also in 2003 Bootlegger at Circle Park Mall had Danae's Song presented there with special guests; the Saskatoon city police chief, the city Mayor, a singer/songwriter, and a cheerleading team from in the city. I enjoyed taking those pictures.
This particular group of photos was taken in October 2005 at Marion Graham High School in Saskatoon,SK where the Danae's Song Foundation began a scholarship program. Any other photos you would like to see or more information that you would like to inquire about, contact the website at www.danaessong.homestead.com
Thank you Cheryl for giving me opportunities to take so many of these photos for you. It's been quite a journey you've travelled on. It's amazing how many hearts you've touched with your message and what's been brought out of this painful stage in your life. It's been wonderful to call you my friend. God be with you my dear.

Forgiveness

This is a talk that I shared with a couple of ladies groups. I wanted to share it with you as well but I've edited it a little so it wasn't quite as long. I pray that it speaks to you.

It’s such a big word – a strong word – a significant word. A word that has very much meaning. I know I don’t always grasp the full concept of that word. There are days where I just don’t feel like applying that word. That’s the human side of me that still needs a ton of work. Just after Anne had asked me if I’d like to share on forgiveness, on Sunday morning on the radio a pastor was giving a sermon called “Frustrating Forgiveness”. That is exactly how I feel at times, forgiveness can be very frustrating and the examples that he gave were just perfect for me to hear. It can be very frustrating especially when it’s something that you are repeating time and time again. For example, how many times do I have to forgive my kids, or my parents, or my friends or my spouse or my dog! Then at the same time, how many times do those same people have to forgive me for the amount of times that I mess up? It’s so easy for me to be frustrated and unhappy with situations around me and seeing how others have messed up, but then when God opens my eyes and wacks me on the head with a 2 by 4, I get the picture very quickly. But then what happens the next day or week? I’m frustrated again! It’s never-ending! Forgiveness is not a one-time event, it’s a continual process of canceling the debts of those who fail us again and again and again! It never ends! That’s why I so desperately need God! I need Him so bad!! But it’s still my choice to choose to forgive. It is my choice to choose to look the other way when I see failures and shortcomings all around me. It is my choice to ask God for the ‘eyes of grace’ – His eyes - to look upon others and myself on a daily basis.
Quote: Forgiveness is not dependent on the other person’s apology.
I’ve been waiting since I was a little girl for certain people to say "I’m sorry.” That may never happen but I can’t wait for that to be said to me before I choose to forgive them. I’ve been hurt many times by other people. But it’s my choice to forgive them. If I want God to forgive me, I need to forgive them. It’s easier said than done though, isn’t it? How about if someone hurts my child? It’s my choice to forgive them or not to forgive them. How about if another Christian woman says to me that Satan loves to use people like me? It’s my choice to forgive her. I’ve had a ton of untactful things said to me by others around me. But after I get over the rudeness of how it was said, God has always had something to show me through it. It’s my choice to forgive them. If I choose not to forgive, then I am stopping God’s blessings on me. I am allowing bitterness and resentment to build a grudging wall around me. That’s what unforgiveness does. It builds walls between me and God and me and others.
Forgiveness is a choice – a daily choice. If I don’t forgive, how can God forgive me? Matt. 6:14 + 15 says “If you forgive those who sin against you your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others your Father will not forgive your sins.” The Bible also tells me that with confession and forgiveness comes healing. James 5:16 “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.” WOW! I want my prayers to be powerful but then I can’t have any bitterness and resentfulness built up inside of me. So, I continually need to make the choice to forgive.
It's my choice to forgive many bad things that have happened in my past, in my childhood, in my home growing up. It's my choice to forgive siblings, or friends, or neighborhood kids for their influence that they had on the bad choices that I made in my adolescent and teenage years. It's my choice to forgive my parents for the mistakes they made. It's my choice to forgive my husband and myself for wrong choices that we made before we met each other. It's my choice to forgive Christians for letting me down and to not hold it against them. It’s my choice to forgive good friendships that have fallen apart. I could go on and on in the areas that I need to choose to forgive. The list is endless and the forgiveness needs to happen on a daily basis.
Forgiveness takes lots of love – God’s love. Another time in the Daily Bread I read of a “woman who came face to face with the officer who brutally murdered her only son and her beloved husband. She chose to love him instead of hurt him in return. Her words were, “Although I have no family, I still have a lot of love to give. I would like to embrace him so he can know that my forgiveness is real.” As this woman made her way to the witness stand, the officer became so overwhelmed with shame and remorse that he fainted. The pain that woman gave him was not sinful revenge but the purifying fire of a God-given love that leads to repentance and reconciliation. Christian love gives and forgives.”
So, what good would it do me if I were to hold grudges against any of these people from my past or in my present? It would do me no good at all! All it would do is build up hard walls around my heart and keep me from God’s blessings. I have no other choice but to forgive because if I want my prayers to be heard by God, I need to forgive. Mark 11:25 says “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins too.” Broken relationships hinder our relationship with God. Eph. 4:31-32 says “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, slander and all types of malicious behavior. Instead be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” True forgiveness means that we treat the one we’ve forgiven as we would want to be treated, to forgive and then to be kind. Is there anyone I’ve forgiven but they still need my kindness? Oh yes! There are people around me that have lots of unrest and who hold many grudges and have no peace. I’ve wondered lately if people not forgiving them, holds them back from experiencing freedom. Maybe to some extent but that person also needs to choose to forgive others around him/her as well. There is so much freedom in forgiveness – both in ourselves and in others.
Forgiveness changes my bitterness to joy. I am able to forgive because I am filled with love. If I refuse to forgive others, then I am missing wonderful opportunities to experience real deep joy and to be able to share it with others. To make my joy grow, I need to forgive those who have hurt me.
Forgiveness is the key to my relationship with God. Luke 11:4 “And forgive us our sins just as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” When Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray, he made forgiveness the cornerstone of their relationship with God. God has forgiven our sins; we must now forgive those who have wronged us. To be unforgiving shows that we don’t fully understand how deeply we need to be forgiven. If I don’t forgive and don’t treat others well, how would God deal with me if He were to treat me in the same way that I’ve treated others? Whoa! I don’t think I want to go there cause I know full well that I haven’t always treated others in a good way at all.
Oh, but then, what about the many times when I let others down, I do stupid things or make the wrong comment and I hurt someone. To me, at times those are the worst. It takes me days to get over a stupid mistake I’ve made, of it running through my head over and over again and to get over the feeling of being such a failure, knowing that I’ve hurt someone. It’s bad enough when it was done unintentionally but there have been times, I’m ashamed to admit, where a bit of the intention to hurt had been present. I feel so stupid afterwards!! I know I’ve been blinded by my own stupidity in the heat of the moment and in the middle of much emotion – but it takes time for me to forgive myself and to get over it, but I know I need to do it.
The enemy is often there to discourage me and remind me of the things I’ve done in the past. Even though I know I’ve been forgiven – because that’s what the Bible tells me, the enemy loves to bring it back, and maybe there’s an aspect of it that I haven’t asked forgiveness for. Another morning during devotions, this is what I read: “We are always likely to have sin in our lives, sin we don’t even know about because God’s standards are so high our performance is so imperfect. If we are true believers, all our sins are forgiven because of what Christ did on the cross in our behalf. In Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” In Romans 8:1 it says “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” God has declared us not guilty and has offered us freedom from sin and the power to do His will. The Bible also teaches that even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts (1 John 3:20), for He knows everything. Satan will often tell me I’m not good enough and lay on the guilt like you wouldn’t believe, and also remind me of all the things others have done that I had supposedly forgiven them for. And I know in my heart, I have, so why do I keep remembering it? If I were to forget, would I forget God’s mercy and grace? Would I then forget the lessons he taught me through that? I don’t think it’s possible to forgive and forget. God does not teach us to forget but instead He teaches us not to hold sins against each other. Using His example and with the help of the Holy Spirit, He enables us to lovingly forgive those wrongs that we remember. We have things to learn from past mistakes, both ours and others and I don’t think we’re meant to forget. We need to ask God what He wants us to learn when things come back to mind and possibly it’s nothing more than to remember that we’re forgiven. “When we feel guilty, we should remind ourselves that God knows our motives as well as our actions. His voice of assurance is stronger than the accusing voice of our conscience. If we are in Christ, he will not condemn us. So if you’re living for the Lord but feeling you’re not good enough, remind yourself that God is greater than your conscience. God’s forgiveness and cleansing are sufficient; they overrule our nagging doubts. The Holy Spirit in us is our proof that we are forgiven in God’s eyes even though we may feel guilty. If we are truly seeking God, we can stand up to other’s accusations as well as our own nagging doubts. If God has forgiven and accepted, we are forgiven indeed.”
But if I hadn’t gone through the hills and valleys that He’s taken me through, where would I be? I know I am being refined. In Job 23:10 it says, “God knows the way that I take and when He has tested me, I will come forth like gold.” As a Christian I have the wonderful potential of reflecting the beauty of my Savior. But sin has lefts its mark on my personality and that all needs to be removed before the lovely character of Jesus can be seen through me. God brings that change of hardship and trials to loosen my rebellion and my selfishness, my bitterness and my unforgiveness. But through all that, He is building in me perseverance, hope, character and confidence by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:3-5). I am a treasure in God’s eyes but gems cannot be polished without some friction happening. For the gem inside of me to sparkle and shine, I need all the junk to be cleaned off first, for the layers of dirt and grime to be stripped away. I’ve made so many mistakes in my life though and often it’s the forgiveness towards myself that I find the hardest to deal with and to forgive.
I came across an amazing story in 2 Chron. 33 – the story of King Manasseh. He was just 12 years old when he became king and he reigned for 55 years in Jerusalem. He was an evil king, copying the detestable practices of the pagan nations that God had driven from the land of the Israelites. He rebuilt shrines that his father Hezekiah had torn down. He worshipped Baal and other gods. He built pagan gods in the Temple of the Lord! He even sacrificed his own sons in the fire. He practiced sorcery and witchcraft and consulted with psychics. He murdered so many innocent people until Jerusalem was filled from one end to the other with innocent blood. Tradition says that this massive slaughter included Isaiah. Manasseh was more wicked than the pagan nations around him – he did more evil than they did. The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people and warned them but they just ignored him. The Lord sent Assyrian armies in and took Manasseh captive – they put a ring in his nose, bound him in chains and led him to Babylon. Now get this! 2 Chron. 33:12 NLT “But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the Lord his God and cried out humbly to the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed, the Lord listened to him and was moved by his request for help. So the Lord let Manasseh return to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Manasseh had finally realized that the Lord alone is God.” WOW!! After this he tore down all the altars he had built, he restored the altar to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings and thanksgiving offerings on it and encouraged the people to worship the Lord, the God of Israel.
Incredible!! Even a little bit of Manasseh’s evil sickens us and we wonder how God could ever forgive him. God showed justice to the king by warning him and punishing him. God then showed His ultimate mercy by responding to Manasseh’s heartfelt repentance by forgiving and restoring him. We’re not surprised by God’s punishment but we are very surprised by Manasseh’s repentance and God’s forgiveness is unexpected. The king’s life was changed and God gave him a new start. How far does God go to get our attention? God goes a long way to get our attention. Only your repentance and a prayer for a new attitude stand between you and God’s complete forgiveness. I came across a quote “Forgiveness is limited, not by the amount of sin, but by our willingness to repent.”
In a list of wicked kings, Manasseh would be near the top. After a life of idol worship, murder, sacrificing his own children, and desecrating the temple, Manasseh realized his sins and cried out to God for forgiveness. And God listened!! If God can forgive Manasseh, he can forgive anyone. We don’t need to be burdened by overpowering guilt or doubt that we’re beyond forgiveness. Until death – no one, absolutely no one, is beyond the reach of God’s forgiveness. For the soldier’s that nailed Jesus to the cross, for the Pharisees that were glad to see him suffer and die, for those that stood by and mocked him – if any of them would’ve repented and asked for forgiveness, I’m sure God would’ve answered, “yes child, you are forgiven.”

Yesterday (Monday, Nov. 14/05) Our Daily Bread was about forgiveness.
It’s called “A Past Long Gone”
According to the English novelist Aldous Huxley, "There are no back moves on the chessboard of life." Yet we remain aware of things we have done and things we have left undone. Our sins worry us. They motivate us to wish fervently that somehow we could undo the past.
That's why those who put their faith in Jesus can be thankful for God's message in both the Old and New Testaments. When Paul preached in Antioch, he said, "By [Jesus], everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:39). The law condemned us (Romans 7:10-11), but Jesus offers deliverance and new life (8:1).
Are you worried about what you've done in the past? Rejoice! God has "cast all our sins into the depths of the sea" (Micah 7:19). Are you still concerned about your sins? Rejoice! "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more" (Hebrews 10:17). And "I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions" (Isaiah 44:22).
If you have put your faith in Jesus and asked Him to forgive you, the past is truly forgotten. "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12). Trust and rejoice! —Vernon Grounds

'My sin—O, the bliss of this glorious thought—My sin, not in part but the whole,Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul.' —Spafford

God's forgiveness frees us from the chains of regret.

Forgiveness is the focus of the Good News – forgiveness of sins and freedom from guilt are available through faith in Christ to all people – including you. Have you received this forgiveness? Are you refreshed each day by the thought that you are right with God? My prayer for you is that yes, you are. God bless you!


After I had written this, I had not realized, Anne – the one who had asked me to share – had earlier decided that she was going to play a song sung by Brian Doerksen and his father, “It is Well With My Soul.” It is when we forgive, that it is well with our soul. Anne had not known that I had included that song in my talk and I had not known that she had chosen this song. It was amazing! We felt we were one in Spirit – this was totally a God thing and a complete confirmation for me that this is what God had wanted me to share. That was so cool. I then knew that I had been obedient. God is so good and rewards us so well!!

The following are questions for you to ponder in regards to your own life:

1. What is forgiveness to you?

2. Has there been a time when forgiveness has been frustrating for you?

3. Who in your life do you have trouble forgiving?

4. What actions do you need to take to begin the healing process of forgiveness?

5. Who do you have the most difficulty with forgiving; yourself or others?

6. What character or characters in the Bible has impacted you or speaks to you the most when it comes to how forgiving God can be?

7. Are there any scripture passages that you would like to share that have spoken to you or speak to you the most on forgiveness?

Additional Inspirational Prints

Here's a few more inspirational prints that I've done. When I get more done, I'll post them as well. So far I've had 2 sights that have shared these type of prints so this is the rest of them.

God Looking Down

A while ago I had that wonderful opportunity to take some aerial photos from a very small airplane. I'll never forget that experience. It reminded me so much of how God looks down on us all looking so small and insignificant - to ourselves that is. To God we are VERY significant and super special. We are the best part of His creation because He made us in His image. Isn't that wonderful?? That should make us feel so loved and important.
I had taken a few photos of some friends places and a school and had put a scripture verse on each one. WOW! Did that ever make those places come to life for me. Really, there is not one thing that is ours - everything is God's. The more we acknowledge that everything we have is God's and our attitude towards it changes, God continues to bless us more and more. He is so good!
The motto of this school is to "stand strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." What a motto to have whether its for our home, our heart, our school or our workplace; to stand strong in the Lord is the best place to stand.
Another of my favorite verses is "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!" Putting that verse on an aerial photo of an acreage just brings the meaning of that photo to life. Just like that one verse that talks about the mountains shouting out for joy and the trees clapping their hands. What we make here on earth, and if it's done in the right heart and we know that God owns it, everything can bring praise to God. So, for this acreage owner, their claim is from the bottom of their heart - as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! That's how we can honor God the most, by serving Him wholeheartedly. I hope we can all say that.
As God looks down on us, we may think He sees us as little matchbox cars and houses, but He sees much much more. He sees His beautiful creation in us and He sees how we are going to be when His work in us is completed. It doesn't matter to Him what we've done, but what we are becoming. We are made in His image and we are beautiful to Him.
God bless you today!

Display Opportunities

I've had a number of opportunities to display and share my photos. I love to share my passion for God's creation and I feel privileged each time I've been asked to do so. The following pictures are of some of the places that I've shared my work. Examples of these places: Elizabeth House Bed & Breakfast in Shell Lake, SK (www.elizabethhouse.beedsfamily.com ; Peaches 'n' Cream Craft Shop in Shell Lake, SK (www.rkc.ca/shell_lake ; The Meeting Place in Warman, SK; Earthly Delights in Warman, SK and through the Thickwood Hills Studio Trail (www.studiotrail.com) in the Shell Lake/Memorial Lake area - their website is under www.saskregionalparks.ca .
I'm really excited to see where God is going to take me and the opportunities He's going to give me in the days to come.

Finding God at Christopher Lake

The first time I went to Christopher Lake, my life was in a mess. I was 16 years old, I had left home a year earlier and I was rebelling greatly against everything my parents ever tried to teach me. I wasn't impressed with the God that they gave me a picture of - He just seemed way to stern, serious, not fun, just full of rules and regulations, no freedom, no joy. I didn't want anything to do with Him. I partied, drank, flirted way too much with guys, laughing all the time and just having a ball of fun. That's what life was about. I abused my body with bad choices I made. A very good friend of mine saw how mixed up I was and suggested that I go work up at a Bible camp at Christopher Lake for the summer. It's nothing I'd ever done before, I'd never gone to camp as a kid. She'd already told the Camp Director about me - they'd already been praying for me. So, I went and it was the best summer of my life. Not only did I find new friends who knew this God and had a ton of joy in them, but they also showed me who this God really was. I saw Him for who He was for the first time and it gave me a huge desire to live for Him. I'll never forget that summer.
These pictures I have here, I took at Christopher Lake. They speak volumes to me. The mornings are so beautiful - the sunrises are absolutely gorgeous coming up over the lake. In the morning, God does hear my voice - He hears my thoughts and my prayers all day long. I am learning to wait in expectation - we are to expect greatness from God. There are animals of all kinds around the area, from ducks to bears, to dear, to butterflies. They're a wonderful part of God's creation - a beautiful part. I am in wonder of how beautifully God created everything. We are the best part of God's creation because we are created in His image. We are very special to Him and He takes joy in us and in blessing us. As we live in God's will, He will bless our socks off! Never be surprised at anything He does - He knows best, He knows what He's doing, He's in control and He sees the whole picture of our life. He knows what we need each day, each hour. Trust Him! He wants to be the joy of your life. Being at Christopher Lake that first summer long ago helped me to find that joy. Everytime I go back there God is so faithful and He reveals more of Himself to me each time. Each year our ladies from church have a Ladies Retreat there and it blesses me so much each time. I'm about to go on another one in a couple of days and I expect God to teach me new things again. He is so faithful!
Here are the website addresses of a couple of great Bible Camps at Christopher Lake:
Camp Kadesh www.campkadesh.com and The Quest www.questnet.ca

Aerial Photos

You know, it's incredible how God knows the deepest desires of our hearts before we even know them ourselves. Just a few weeks ago, I noticed small planes flying around and I thought they were probably taking pictures of acreages and such. I thought to myself that it would be really neat to do that sometime and to take a picture of my hometown for my parents from the air. You see, we had just moved my parents out of their hometown into an assisted living home to have more care as their health isn't all that great anymore and so they're missing their old home a lot. It was just a passing thought through my head was that it would be great to get a picture from up in the air sometime. Well, wouldn't you know it, a couple of weeks later, I was taking some pictures of this one family and the father asked me if I could go up in the air to take some aerial photos for him. I was so excited! I told him how that had just been a thought in my head a couple of weeks ago and that it was so incredible how God was bringing this a reality. WOW! It was so cool - God knew this was going to happen! I was just in awe of how He works things together - it's just so incredible! So, a couple of days later I was in the air taking photos. This was only the 3rd time in my life that I had been up in the air and I had never been in such a small plane - just the pilot and me. It was an incredible experience! I'll never forget that feeling of flying around up there capturing so much of God's creation. I got some great shots! Never underestimate God! He knows your thoughts, your desires and your future! He knew my prayer and my desire when it was only a simple thought in my head. I totally believe that our thoughts intercede as prayers. God knows what's best, and He knows how to bless our socks off when we least expect it. We should never be surprised by anything He does because with Him anything is possible when it's a part of His Will. It's so exciting each day to find out what He has in store for me. God bless you today because He's gonna do something in your day too! Expect Him to BLESS YOUR SOCKS OFF!

Birds of the Air

I enjoy taking pictures of birds. There are so many different kinds that God has created and so many colors. Here's just a small sample of bird pictures that I've taken. Birds always remind me of that verse in the Bible that says how God takes care of the birds of the air, how they don't need to worry because He provides for them, but then He also says how much more valuable we are to Him than birds are. We often worry about things or about tomorrow, but God wants us to trust Him that He will provide for our daily needs. So, if He takes care of the birds, He will definitely take care of us.

Deer

On a drive in Northern SK we had an opportunity to shoot numerous deer with my camera. God's angels must've had a lot of fun placing these deer out there just for me to get some great shots. It was great! They're such beautiful, graceful animals.