Uplifting Sermon

Last night (like most Saturday evenings lately) we went to First Alliance Church. What a great building, wonderful people but the message was the best. I know that we have now heard four different ministers and each one has left me with the feeling, "now that's a sermon" and what a message for the week. I found myself taking notes last night and trust me that is something that I have never felt inclined to do. The sermon last night was about all of us having a small knapsack that we carry with life's burdens. The message talked about us carrying our personal, business, and general life's business of burdens around with us all day/night. The message was clear, concise and I got it! Terry (the minister) filled this small knapsack with small rocks as being our burdens. Not only did I get it, but I could relate to the message. What an evening! Then when we were sitting and having coffee in the foyer one of the young woman that works at our sister-company, came over to find out how long we had been attending this church. She knows Jack's brother & niece from Yellowknife - so this was a great connection with someone that is also very enthralled with the messages being delivered. I feel blessed to be living near a church that can leave a person with a feeling of peace, understanding but most of all with a message that says God is here to help us all with our burdens. We just need to pray and trust in him to let his words help us so that we can lose the burdens. And the people all said "AMEN"!

2010 - A New Year/New Beginning

Here we are January 1, 2010 - is that twenty ten or two thousand and ten? I have heard both in the past 10 days and know that I will soon decide for myself which way I will say the new year.
Every year at this time people make resolutions to try and make changes in their lives both personally, professionally and even healthy or medical. Which did you make? We hear this through the media as well. I sometimes wonder why we proclaim to make one resolution knowing that we might not achieve our goal. But is the reason to make it - a reason to fail. If were not happy about something in our lives then if we make a decision to change it, we should work harder to achieve the goal?
I know that 2009 brought both Jack and I some medically challenging times; some excitement and achievement in personal development; goals for reaching marital pinnacle that we might not of thought ever possible; and the best was receiving God's greatest gifts - son-in-laws and grandchildren.
But once again we have to do self examination for setting goals for ourselves on a personal, career and couple basis. What do we want to change in each of these areas to make us better people? Where do we see ourselves when (twenty ten) 2010 comes to an end and we ask ourselves if we reached everyone of our goals? I know that after becoming a Grandmother has made me want to be a better woman in showing my daughters and grandchildren a new "godly way of life" and to have a belief even stronger than I had in 2009. I want to read the bible more and know more about women in the bible -something that I have thought about for quite sometime. I want more for my job and be a better employee (especially in these times of uncertainty). I also want a better marriage and work on the areas that I know I can improve on to make myself a better wife. I want to be able to help Jack become a better husband; also help him in having a better career and doing what he is passionate about; I want to have both of us continue with our health plan and be more conscientious about what we eat and work out more.
So, that is how (twenty ten) 2010 looks for me - did you make your New Year plan and can you say that you hope to make it to December 2010 and mark off your list as being completed; I know that I hope to be able to do this. Happy New Year my friends and good luck with your plan.

Grandparenting is Great!

Well the month of December rolled around with the addition of two more Grandsons. Todd & Michelle had a baby boy, Ty on Friday, December 4th. Tylan Wils Ashby came into this world weighing in at a healthy 9lbs 7 oz. Grandpa Jack happened to be in Regina at meetings and was able to drive up to Saskatoon to see his first born grandson (after having seen all 7 granddaughters post birth). Jack was thrilled to have a grandson to carry on the Ashby name.
Then on Friday, December 11th, Nicole & Cecil delivered by c-section a healthy baby boy - Wyatt Alexander Prins. Wyatt weighed in at 7lbs 9oz; 20.5" long and is the mirrored image of his dad. Hard to believe that each daughter could have babies and have one look like one and the other look nothing like her!
Jack and I feel very blessed to have been given the pleasure of three grand babies born so close to together at the end of 2009. We are truly basking in the baby mode these days. I have purchased a pink and blue stocking for the mantle to welcome the 2 new Calgary babies and look forward to putting many treasurers into them. I bought bible story books for them when I first heard that the girls were expecting and I look forward to reading with them as they get older. All of these first experiences I get to share with these little treasurers and help mold them into God loving children. I pray that we can bring them to church and have them be part of a great team in showing and teaching about God's work.
Christmas has always been a special time at our home and now I feel that this will be the pinnacle never having been reached before. I do look forward to having our family near by and sharing with these young families all the experiences and richness of the season. May God enter their hearts & souls and warm them into wanting to be part of a church family so that other's can help nurture and surround them with his love. This is my Christmas wish for them.

The Greatest Gift

I have just come to a realization that the greatest gift a grown child can give a parent, is a grandchild. Breanne and her fiance Marc had a baby girl last Monday, November 9th @ 1:58 pm. Lyla Denise Marie weighed in at a whopping 6lbs. 5oz; 19" long and was born with very little, but visible blonde hair. She is beatiful, but then what wouldn't any proud grandparent say. I have pictures to prove it! The family is doing great and all of them have adjusted to this new little one in their home and even Grandpa Jack has adjusted. He was never one to want to go over lots to visit little ones, but admitted to me that he was in need of a "Lyla" fix so we were over on Saturday and he had plenty of time to hold her and be amazed at such a small treasure. We believe that all babies are God's gift to us after rearing our children. We can spoil them; we can teach them about life; we can give them sweets; we can buy them things; and best of all we can teach them about God. They are given to us unconditionally and yet we very protective of them, even though they don't live with us or near us. God has truly blessed us last week. Now we await two more blessings as Todd & Michelle and Nicole & Cecil wait for the births of their sons any day now. God is good.

Congratulations Breanne!

Congratulations to my oldest daughter, Breanne. At 2 weeks short of turning 25 she got her drivers license. What makes this so amazing is that she just found out that she is having a high risk pregnancy, her baby girl is being stubborn and refusing to get in the position to be born, plus her placenta is in the middle of her stomach. As well there are a few more hiccups in this pregnancy. But that hasn't stopped her from achieving her goal of being able to drive with her daughter, later in the new year to baby exercise class, get groceries or just go out for coffee. I'm so proud of her to not be so nervous on her second try and to just believe in her ability to pass. And she did! Even though she is seeing a surgeon tomorrow, not knowing when he will schedule her c-section; knowing that her baby will be small (5-6 lbs) but she is very active....this is not only courage on her part but a test to say that she can do anything she wants. I love you Breanne and I know that God will continue to watch over you during these next couple of weeks before you meet the newest member of your family - your daughter, who I'm sure will be just like you - high spirited, kind hearted and loved by all.

Okay update on this blog...Breanne has been booked for delivery on Tuesday, Nov. 10 @ 1:00 pm...ironically Breanne was born on Sat. Nov. 10 @ 1:09 pm...this would be so cool to have her daughter near the same time on the same day. My daughter & granddaughter both on the same day...how cool would that be!

October is Filled with Exhaustion

Wow we have barely gone over 1/2 of October and already we have had much to celebrate and some to things to grieve.

At the beginning of October I welcomed a new son-in-law, Cecil Prins into our immediate family. Then not more than 5 days later I turned a half of century (50 for those that don't know this) old. My wonderful husband threw a Wine & Cheese social for family, friends and co-workers to come to and celebrate with me. I can't believe that I'm 50, and yet I don't feel that old as well I've been told that I don't look it either (so that's a good thing).

Then the day after the party we were called on to spend the last hours of my uncles life. Little did we know that it would take more than 3 days and we would receive another call (half way into his coma) that my father had his bowel rupture and we were once again on the road to Saskatoon to be by his bedside. My sister quickly arranged an airline ticket from New Jersey to be there as well. We had many tasks to complete as my father would need a hospital bed and some home care. We also found out that the toilet in the house needed repair so Jack stepped in and bought a new toilet and arranged for a plumber to come in and install everything...this is a war time home with many things needing repair due to the age. My dad's health was a concern as he is still on chemo therapy for his Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and so this kind of a rupture with no immune system puts him at great risk. He will, for the next 12 months have to wear a colostomy and we are praying that the surgeon can re-connect him at that time. My dad lost about 6 inches of his bowel and was placed on intravenous antibiotics however will not be able to resume his chemo until things heal. We just pray that he will heal medically and that his life can go back to somewhat normalcy. My mom doesn't drive so we have made arrangement with my brothers to coordinate trips to do banking, get groceries and the numerous doctors appointments that now need to be scheduled. All the while that we were dealing with this, my dear loved uncle passed away on Jack's and my, 18th wedding anniversary (a day that will be in our memory forever). So once again, after getting many things planned and scheduled in Saskatoon we once again headed back to Edmonton to finish up with funeral arrangements. Jack was asked by my uncle to perform the service and what a service it was. My uncle wasn't a religious man but he believed in God and so with that Jack had many points mentioned about the time that they had spent together over the years and how my uncle looked forward to going to heaven to be with his grandson that died many years ago(age of 6). This service was about life and what it meant to him and his family. We also celebrated my Grandma turning 90 in just over a month as almost all (7) of her children (with the exception of my mom) were there. It was like a family reunion with lots of visiting and catching up with everyone. We got home yesterday and feel that we got hit by a train...we had a wedding, a birthday, an anniversary, a serious medical emergency, a death and a family reunion all in 16 days....no wonder we are exhausted!

Thanksgiving - A Time To Be Thankful

I'm not sure about today's caption after this past week. Jack and I drove up to Edmonton to be with my Aunt as my Uncle was slowly, very slowly slipping away for good. While we were at the hospice we got a call from my older brother saying that my dad had been rushed to the Royal Alex hospital in Saskatoon. They were waiting for a surgeon to give them an update but from what the ultrasound and xray showed, he either had a blockage or more cancer but in his bowel. So the surgery would be by laproscopic and it would only take 30 minutes, so that was at 5:30 pm. Well by 8:30 we were quite concerned and when we called no one had come out of surgery to update the family. The waiting is what can cause a family the agony...waiting to die, waiting to live - each so crucial for the family left behind. Well by 9:20 we finally received the call stating that my dad's bowel had ruptured spilling into his body cavity. This wouldn't be so bad except that because he had just had his 2nd last chemo treatment he has no immune system to fight of the poisonous substance that was now floating in the body cavity. The doctors assured my mom & family that they had taken extra care in washing my dad's organs and cleaning out the cavity. They also had to cut 10 inches of bowel off (from the rupture) and it now will wear a bag for the next 6-12 months and hopefully he can be re-attached then. So Jack and I decided that the next place to be was in Saskatoon so we left early this morning to drive to Saskatoon to be with family and support my mom through all of this. My sister arrives in the morning so that all of us kids can make some crucial decisions about home care for my dad. He will most likely need a hospital bed; good thing they already have a walk in shower (no tub) so he most likely just needs a chair to sit in; so we called Darin (Donna works for MediChair) to find out a few things. Plus my sister-in-law, Caren says that the Occupational Therapist will help us in getting the necessities for the house to help out with the care that my dad could require. As for Cancer treatment my dad is on hold while the antibiotics try to do there thing.
Are we grateful for anything? I guess we can ask that question but having faith has taught us a couple of things; one is that God will take my uncle when he knows that his last breath is breathed; two, my dad is alive and so God saw fit that he should live through surgery. Perhaps, another thing God will be teaching all of us is patience to deal with another medical concern and see how us all of us will handle this crisis. We must all be patient and deal with one thing at a time. We are thankful that we drove through a lot of bad winter storms and that we got here in one piece. So yes we are thankful to have faith and believe that God is watching out for all of us.