Praise Report

I just have a quick thing to update you on, a few days ago I got The Blue Screen of Death on my laptop, and it refused to work since then until today.

I tried over and over and over and eventually got it to work for about five minutes at a time, after so many tries I eventually gave up hope that it would work again and just hoped to be able to be on here long enough to save my books onto my email.

So I had successfully gotten three books saved and just kept trying and trying and trying and trying and trying and trying and trying and trying and trying and trying.....

Until today! I kept praying that it would work, which, I know, praying that my computer will work...I don't know about any of you, but to me that sounds like kind of a stupid, selfish request. But looking at it on all angles, I have a business that I am trying to build and promote online, as well as this blog, and a few various other things.

So I really do need to have a computer, so I kept praying. I was figuring I would have to somehow buy a new one though, this one was really not working.

But then today I got it out again and tried and tried and tried some more, until it worked. I hurriedly saved my books, (all of them, which surprised and delighted me) and I still had time. I hadn't shut down. So I quickly emailed my cousin and told her what was going on, then I sent a few more emails, and it still hadn't shut down.

And here I am a few hours later writing this, it is working as though it had never stopped. :)

I know this is an answer to prayer, whether it will shut down again or not tomorrow I don't know, but I have already gotten way more than I expected, so I am happy. :)

Leaves and Why We Love Them

Each season does have a charm of its own. :)

We have a really big front yard, and an even bigger back yard. It would not be exaggerating to say that our front yard was at least three times the size of our neighbors' front yards. We have two big trees in our yard, one of which is a very beautiful tree, a very rare tree, called a Ginkgo Tree.

For anyone who doesn't know what this fabulous tree is, I have heard that there are only twelve in Canada, and only two female trees, one of which happens to be in our front yard. So..... how did it get there? Let me tell you. Once upon a time there was an old man in Japan, who--

Just kidding. ;) I have no idea how it got there, and I don't personally really care, I just wish it never had gotten there.
Well, that is not entirely true, in the spring and summer I love it, it is a huge, gorgeous tree with bright green Chinese fan shaped leaves, and the leaves are actually quite interesting to chew on.

(Don't ask me how I know that :P)

This is what it looks like at its finest,

These are its leaves on a less overcast day,

But what I failed to mention was why I mentioned this tree in the first place.

Anyone who has ever raked a yard decorated by a female Ginkgo Tree must have been laughing at my explanation of the tree, note: I said I love it in the spring and summer.

It not only has gorgeous leaves, but, I lament, it also has fruit. I have also heard that they are a delicacy in Japan, (the fruit) so if any Japanese people want to come buy them off of us, please do, we would love to be shed of them.

They are the only fruit I know of which reek so horridly in the harvest time that if you accidentally step on one, your shoes are forbidden to enter the house until they have been thoroughly washed. Did I mention that their nickname around here is Stink Bomb?

So, in leaf raking season, not only do we have 20+ leaf bags in front of our house, about a third of them have been attained at the expense of many a person's poor nose.

But, the way I look at it, it's good for us. It builds character, as Calvin's father would say. (From the comic, Calvin and Hobbes) Yes sir, we will all grow up to be good strong leaf rakers/baggers, and will be able to stand any kind of horrible smell. :)

And now it is all done. (Mostly) We just finished bagging 99% of the leaves in our yards, and have come back in to a nice warm house with rosy cheeks and cold hands, with the promise of hot chocolate coming to us.

Yes, every season does have a charm of its own, and this one has marshmallows. :)

I hope you enjoyed this post, and come back to read more about me and my adventures some more. ;)

A Day to Remember

I know I just posted two days ago, so you may be wondering why I am bothering to post again so soon, so I will make this a short, but meaningful post.

To start off, I said on Facebook that "Remembrance Day has a whole new meaning to me now." That is because this morning my niece/nephew was miscarried. We have been dreaming about this baby for so long, he/she has filled us all with joy ever since we found out about it, and so, when the news was delivered to me, all I could do was sit in shock and wonder, "Why?"

My day was pretty much shot from that moment onward, all I could think about was the cute little baby hands I would never get to hold, how I would never see him/her smiling up at me with big blue eyes.

But then I realized that I couldn't just sit there wondering why, blaming God for this. This had a reason, so I decided to turn my eyes on Him and ask Him to show me the blessing in it. He did. :)

I was reminded of a verse I had read earlier in my personal devotions which said, "For He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living, for all live to Him." (Luke 20:38) I realized that my little niece/nephew is alive. He/she is more alive than could ever be here, waiting for her/his aunt to meet him/her in Heaven.

That made me smile.

He/she is not dead. Just alive in a different place. A wonderful place.

The Sky's Song

Sometimes I write books. Actually I write books a lot.

So I have just started this new book, I don't know what it is going to be called yet, but in it there is an old man who tells a story to a little girl when she is afraid of a storm, and I thought I would share it with you. It is called The Sky's Song. :)

“Let me tell you a story,” he began, “There once was a little girl who had nothing. She lived in a cardboard box, she had no parents, no friends, no food, nothing. But she was always happy, because she loved to sing.” He smiled, she was no longer clutching his arm, her hand was just resting on it, she was not paying attention to the storm anymore, only to his story. “One day she saw a bird sitting on a tree branch, but it was not singing. She frowned, birds are supposed to sing. She scolded it, 'Bad bird! You are sitting there enjoying yourself, when you owe the world a favour!' 'What is that?' the bird asked. 'It is your duty to sing. You have a voice, so use it! What are you doing just sitting there?' 'Everything has a voice, why do I have to sing?' The bird asked. 'Because your voice is beautiful.' She said. 'So are the others,' the bird replied, 'but it is because my voice is different that they don't sing. They are taught to think that their voices are not as good as mine, so they never sing. I think that is more a crime than me not singing.' 'You are right,' the girl said, 'I never thought of it that way. Why, everyone should sing!' The bird smiled, 'Yes, everyone should. But first we must get rid of the notion that they can't, because if they go on thinking their voices are inferior to mine, they will let me and never try it themselves.' The girl did not reply, she was too busy thinking of a way to get them to sing. 'I've got it!' She exclaimed, and hurried off to try out her idea. She ran to a field full of flowers and sat down. She waited. And waited. And waited some more, but not once did they sing. She looked at them with tears in her eyes, 'You wretched flowers! I came all the way here by myself on foot and you did not welcome me. I shall tell my friends never to come here.' She stood up, and heard a faint voice, on of the daisies calling out, 'Wait! How should we welcome you? All we can do is sit here and wait to be picked!' 'That is very wrong of you to say that!' She scolded, 'You could sing for me.' 'We can't sing,' another one said. 'That is wrong, I have heard you. You have beautiful voices.' 'Really?' One of them asked. 'Honest!' She said, then she waited again. Presently she heard a humming noise, thousands of daises all singing in chorus, just a slight whistle, she had to strain to hear it, but they were. She clapped, 'Lovely! You should always welcome people to this field by singing, it is the most wonderful sound.' She then went to a stray cat in the alley, then the dogs in the neighbourhood, she spent her whole day spreading joy and singing to everyone who would listen. When the sun began to set, singing a happy tune, she sat down, Now, is there anyone I have missed? 'Well done,' she heard someone say. 'I can almost sing again.' 'Why don't you?' She asked the bird. 'Because,' he said, 'Everyone is singing but the sky.' She felt raindrops on her head, 'See, he is crying because he is left out. He still believes he does not have a good voice.' She grinned, and then looked up to the darkening sky, 'Naughty sky,' she whispered, 'Why are you not welcoming me?' It began to pour, her grin widened because she knew it was tears of happiness. Then she heard a sound she had never heard before, thunder. The sky's song. It was so happy to be singing it flashed, and this was called lightning. She loved all of the songs of the day, but the one she loved the most was the Song of the Sky. The bird began to whistle and fly away. The End."

What do you think? :)

Smiles Never go up in Price, or Down in Value

Today was a huge mess of happiness for me, and since I am so bursting with happiness, I thought I'd share about my day, and hopefully it will put a smile on someone's face.

So this morning I got up at 6:00, (not my favorite thing to do on a Sunday,) to go to a Craft Show to sell bracelets for our business. I was feeling, I confess, a little upset, confused, and scared. I did my personal devotions, and seemed to get nothing out of them, so I just quickly prayed for a good day at the show and closed my bible. I looked down and breathed deeply, I didn't like feeling this way, but I didn't know how to change it. Being slightly more detailed in what I was feeling, I felt very not peaceful about my salvation. :P
When I became a Christian I was overwhelmed with peace, but sometimes, I become anxious and stressed about things, and it pushes away that peace. So I prayed for it back again. Something told me to open my bible journal, and there was a verse that said, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are Mine." (Isaiah 43:1) This was so perfect for that moment, and I felt perfectly at peace again.

So then we went to the show, I didn't have Anna and Tabithah (my two little sisters who also sell bracelets) with me, and people don't usually buy bracelets from me, they like to buy them from my little sisters cause they are cuter. So blessing number two was that sales were really good! My prayer for a good show was definitely answered.

Then the lady next to us gave me a date square. Which just made me happy. ^_^

Then, just to make it all even more exciting, a reporter for Cogeco TV came around and asked for an interview with me, so I am going to be on TV!

I was asked several times to look after the booth that belonged to the lady next to us, which was not hard at all, but then she surprised me with a little gift, a cute elephant necklace that I have wanted for a long time, "For my babysitting services." :D

But that wasn't even it. God wasn't done making me smile, my older sister Becky showed up then and gave me a hot chocolate from Tim Hortons.

I cannot say this was just a fantastic day, it had JESUS written all over it. Thank You Lord!!!

I can't even express how good He is, I feel so overwhelmed, and all I can do is say thank you. :)