SNAP THAT

I can hardly believe it but it has been 6 long months since I visited mom. That is simply far too long. I have delayed and delayed my travel due to all the problems I was having with my foot and then my leg and then with a bad cold that lingered. The many highway closures over the long winter season  didn't help. But at last the weather is warming and I will be away for a quick visit  this week. She really wants her room cleaned "properly" so I am taking my own cleaning supplies and will dust and clean all the surface nooks and crannies. Of course the cleaners sweep and wash her floor daily and take out her garbage, but resident's and their families are responsible for keeping their own things organized.  She also wants her closet and clothes organized so I will do that too. Finally, she wants a few more photos put up in her room.  I already know which photos she wants so I will look for a suitable large frame before I leave. You know that ones that have different c

Well it is that time of year again. Time to think of the garden. I wish I could say that I was a good gardener but I most definitely am not. I have yet to have a thriving garden and in those years when it seemed the garden was doing well, I had to travel so often or for too long without anyone who was able to keep the garden properly watered and thriving. I did have someone look after the garden but they didn't have any better green thumb than I do. Also, last year I didn't even clean the garden or plant it.  A friend of mine cleared all the dead leaves and plants and my brother planted the garden with various seeds and starter plants I bought. The birds unfortunately demolished and ate everything that did grow. It seemed they were rather more destructive last year than any other year. I'm not sure why.  Though I didn't get to eat anything from the garden, I am glad that at least the birds got what they need.  This year I will try again but I hope to eat the fruit of

I had fun looking at, and taking photos of, these clouds. Aren't they fantastic?! I hope you have something nice in your sky to entertain you today. For more great sky photos from around the world, click here .

Music has the power to evoke strong emotions in us. I think most of us realize that the emotions can be good or they can be bad.  Today I want to share the music of a wonderful group from South Africa, the grammy award winning Soweto Gospel Choir. This group is coming to my city on April 7th.  I  wanted to attend but hesitated spending the funds for a ticket. Then I learned of someone selling a ticket to the event.  She can no longer attend the concert because her workplace suddenly approved her holiday and she only has a limited window of opportunity to travel to Europe.  Though she isn't selling her ticket at a reduced price she has one of the best seats in the venue where the concert will take place. Because of the circumstances of how I came to know about the ticket and where the seat is located, I really felt God saying it was okay for me to spend the funds to go listen and be uplifted by the inspired music of the choir and also to support them.  The choir members all c

Hello friends, Since I posted last week's  update about young Edwin, both he and Jonah have made 3 more round trips to Nairobi and Tenwek hospitals, for treatment and testing.  Some of the test results have been sent out of country for consultations to help the doctors know best how to treat Edwin's disease of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Edwin sitting outside the family hut. Baby in the family. Edwin's father reading Edwin's medical report. Edwin's brother standing in front of the hut where the entire family lives . He is newly married and trying hard to help his family and make sense out of his brother's medical challenges. Edwin Right  now Edwin is on a drug called Glivec or Imatinib. Based on what I've read this seems to be a very good drug and a newer treatment for this kind of cancer. Edwin needs your prayerful and financial support to continue his treatment and also possible new living accommodations as space is r

My friend Charles put me on to this film. After seeing the trailer I remember hearing about this story on CNN news. It touched me then and it touches me now. I think you will agree. If you haven't already considered child sponsorship please do. Compassion International is one organization I can recommend.  If you can't make a multi-year committment, please consider a donation to Missions of Hope which also does a lot of good in Kenyan villages to help children and their families.  Blessings to you and yours.

Thank you to my new followers. There have been a number of you lately and I am very blessed by that! I finally had the chance last week to organize the correspondence and little things I save for sending to my sponsored boys in East Africa. These little ones, and one not so little one, are precious to me and I enjoy receiving their letters. Though it is hard to believe, I think they also enjoy receiving my letters and the little things I send to them. It lets them know that someone far away cares for them and is praying for them and their families. My newest sponsored boy is actually now a young man. His name is Haile and he lives north of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. He has a father, mother and 5 siblings.  Haile is 20 years old and will continue to be sponsored until he is 22 years old. He writes to me in in his native language which I think is Amharic.  Someone translates his letters for me to read.  When I send him my letters in English, someone must translate them for him to re

I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship. Louisa  May Alcott, author of Little Women Northeast facing photo. The clouds today are heavy with the rain to come. We've had yet another storm. The wind was rattling through my fireplace all evening and into the morning hours. I finally "conked out" at around 4 in the morning so I didn't hear any more after that. The news said that the winds in Vancouver were 89 miles an hour while on Vancouver Island the winds were up to about 120 miles per hour. Lots of trees were uprooted, roofs of homes were destroyed or damaged as trees fell on them, parks were closed, ferry sailings were cancelled and power went out in many homes.  Many boats parked in marinas up and down the coast were destroyed and schools were damaged. Thankfully it is Spring break right now so schools are not in session.  There was lots of new snow on the mountain highways to the world famous Whistler Village, and going nort

This dish was inspired by a dish prepared by fellow blogger and artist extraordinaire, Kelly Clarkson at Umber Dove . My dish is not as artfully created as it is what I call a "throw together" dish and it hit the spot for me today. I've been wanting to go meatless several times a week/month, or whenever the mood strikes.  This is to help health and my pocketbook.  I've been using more and more varieties of beans which I usually cook from scratch, and also a lot more variety of vegetables and fruits, for some time.  So the meatless meals is a progression in  my changing eating habits. Kelly's dish inspired me to experiment with adzuki or red beans.  I promptly went out and bought a bag of dried adzuki beans after reading her post. I originally intended to make the rice and bean bowl as per her recipe, but instead today I used the beans in stir fry.  I intend to make Kelly's rice bowl another day. On the left side of my plate (in the photo) is a stir fr

I am happy to be able to give you Jonah's update on Edwin's treatment for leukemia. You can read it by clicking on the Missions of Hope title.  If you missed the first part of this story, you can catch up by reading the original posts here and here . Missions of Hope: Edwin Goes to Nairobi (Update 2) : Sorry for not updating sooner about Edwin. Since I last wrote about Edwin we have been doing a lot of travels back and forth to Nairobi. ... If you can help Edwin directly with your finances, please let us know or simply send your gift to kerichojoy[at]gmail[com] via Pay Pal . We need to raise at least another $100 Canadian ( $100 US , $95 Australian dollars , 8100 Kenyan Shillings , 77 Euros , 381 New Israel Shekels , 126 Singapore dollars , 64 British pounds ) by Saturday, March 10, 2012 for the next trip to Nairobi. What ever you can contribute will be gratefully received. Anything extra will be used for another trip and treatment costs for Edwin as he con

Read Part 1 here . Besides having to learn about finances the hard way, I am also the type that has to learn how to relinquish control to God.  God has gifted me with the ability to plan and execute my plans so it is often difficult for me to know when to let God do the work. I'm always trying to steer things to a certain conclusion; a conclusion that I feel is a good conclusion!  It is difficult to simply let go and understand that God who is all knowing and who creates perfection can do far better than I can.   I suspect my issues stem from having a lack of security in childhood and having to be financially reliant on myself for so  long. But God in his loving kindness and mercy has often let me have my way. Then when all unfolds, I sometimes have to conclude that my plan was not really so great after all. It is at those times, that have had to humbly say "Okay God, I made a terrible  mess of things.  What is your plan for me?" A related issue is that of

I heard a good sermon on Sunday. I won't repeat it all but I was captured by the message because the preacher compared God's Word to a mirror which God he has left for us. He said it isn't a  mirror for God to look into and see himself reflected but that God left his Word so that we can look into it and see ourselves reflected as believers. Of course, the Word is much more than a mirror. It is God himself In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 1 John 1:1 But I like the idea that when I read, and learn from the Word of God, the attributes and characteristics of how God wants me to be, will be reflected back to me. I can then have a yardstick by which to know how my spiritual development is coming along as I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. (Phillipians 3:14). The pastor also talked about the value of a soul.  He said the value of a thing is known by the price we pay for it. At least t

A few days ago I brought to you a story about Edwin Bett , who has Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and made a plea for funds and prayer for healing for this young man. I very much appreciate those of you who responded.  We continue to need your support as things are moving quickly and we are stepping out in faith. Today, Jonah of Missions of Hope, accompanied Edwin to the Tenwek Hospital in Bomet, Kenya.  They spent the entire day there and as you can see it was raining heavily. Edwin and Jonah in Tenwek, Kenya. Edwin is a tall young man. I hope both of them can stay dry enough to avoid a cold. Edwin has been referred to Nairobi and so Jonah and he are on their way for further examination and possibly treatment. Letter of referral to Nairobi. Please continue to keep them in prayer and if you can help with the costs, there is a donate button at Missions of Hope, click here. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and runni

I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditures exclude them.  C.S. Lewis  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.  Matthew 6:21 I was inspired to post these quotations on giving today after reading this beautiful post on radical giving by Ngina .