SNAP THAT

  " November comes And November goes, With the last red berries And the first white snows. With night coming early, And dawn coming late, And ice in the bucket And frost by the gate.          The fires burn And the kettles sing, And earth sinks to rest Until next spring." -  Elizabeth Coatsworth

 “So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”  1 Corinthians 10:31   If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15 These photos were taken several days ago. I assume these young people were starting an early celebration of Halloween since it was a Saturday at around 4:30 p.m. This post isn't meant to offend anyone.  It is just an opportunity to be clear on my position concerning  Halloween.  I do not celebrate it and I have to say that lately I've been very alarmed to learn that so many Christians do seem to celebrate it. It is virtually impossible not to see the influence of Halloween all throughout the month of October.  Even on television, movie channels show scar

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26 (NIV) After coming from a massage in the building next door, I found these pigeons enjoying a bath. It struck me that they look extremely well fed. They obviously live the life of Riley, as they are not only eating well but they have a huge, luxurious pool to bathe in as well. I kept trying to get a photo of them dipping in the pool and shaking their feathers out but I wasn't fast enough with my camera phone. A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 (KJV) There was a side benefit to watching the birds. I met Maria from Brazil. Maria was standing near by, saw me taking photos and she decided to take photos of the birds too.  We began chatting and I invited her for coffee which she accepted.  W

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."  George Santayana  I was looking for the showtimes for a new film based on Salmon Rushdie's book  and screenplay, "Midnight's Children", directed by Deepa Mehta. Apparently, it doesn't start playing in local theatres until November 2, 2012.  Though it was shown at the recent Vancouver International Film Festival, I didn't get a chance to see it. While looking for "Midnight's Children", I instead found out about a movie called "Come Back Africa", a Film by Lionel Rogosin. It was filmed in secret in late 1950s in apartheid South Africa and is a glimpse into that harsh reality that was life for many black South Africans during the apartheid years. What I liked about this film is that it was filmed in 1950s so is likely more realistic than a recreated story of what took place in the 1950s. I also enjoyed seeing all the old cars and the dress of the day. I w

“There is no blue without yellow and without orange.”   Vincent van Gogh A multi-coloured cotton baby bib with baby blue ;-) Joining with Smiling Sally at Blue Monday today. Have a great Monday!

  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 Hello friends, I am so pleased to announce that Jonah from the Missions of Hope has graduated with his Master's degree in International Development. He has been working very hard these past several years to study and gain his master's degree, at the same time he has been actively involved in his community and in the work of the Missions of Hope. Through God's grace, Jonah managed to get from Kenya to Uganda for the graduation ceremony yesterday. Jonah is second in from the right side of the photo with the green and yellow cloth around his neck. Here Jonah points with his grad cap to the Bugema University logo on top the lovely fountain.   Well done, Jonah!!! I am excited for what the Lord will do for you. God bless and keep you. If you have an encouraging word or message for Jonah, please click

“He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.”    Acts 3:21 (NIV)   I'm joining up with the gang at Skywatch Friday. Click here to see the other submissions. 

"That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest." ~ Thoreau  "Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires."  ~ Lao-Tzu Hello friends, How are you today? I hope you are all having a fantastic week. I have been busy doing a little knitting and a lot of crocheting.  Today was a good day as I took a break from that.  Yesterday was a good day too as I had a chance to clean my kitchen floors and do some laundry.  It felt good to 'catch up' on house work for a day.  Do you ever notice how housekeeping feels good when you haven't had time to do it and you get a chance to catch up? Or is that just me? I just got back from errands and grocery shopping.  I sent my mother a small care package of a hot water bottle wrapped in a cosy leopard print cover and a toothbrush.  Since the weather turned cool she has been complaining of being very cold.  No amount of blankets and wraps seems to help.   I can totally under

Join here and also here .

I was at the university over the past weekend for dinner and enjoyed the lovely Fall colours despite the overcast skies.   Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile.” William Cullen Bryant   I think the colour of the leaves on this tree is stunning.   This scene reminds me of the small forest near where I grew up as a child and taking walks through it to the small watering hole for horses at the end of the trail. I spent time with different family members on those walks and they remain part of my happy memories.  This typical Fall scene always reminds me of the Robert Frost poem below.   The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear, Though as for that the passing there Had worn them re

I made this little baby bib with the multi-coloured blue and green yarn. I just need to add a button. The colours are more vivid than in this photo which was taken in poor night light.   Joining up with Smiling Sally at Blue Monday.

This photo was taken in the early afternoon (Sunday). You can click to enlarge it. The next two photos were taken about 4:30 p.m. when the sun came out for a short while. Scenic Sunday link

Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored . Earl Nightingale  So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun. Ecclesiastes 8:15 It's Saturday today and I'm looking forward to it. It's been raining a lot over the past two weeks.  Not every day but almost every day and I've been spending a lot of time indoors.  It works out perfectly because it gives me a chance to make a lot of hats.  Some of you know that I'm planning to sell them to raise funds for my favourite charity, Missions of Hope (MOH, see button link on side bar).  I think I'll ha

It has been raining a lot here over the past two weeks and the sun has only been seen 2 or 3 times for a brief period. Today it was a beautiful Friday with glorious sun and partly blue skies. I love the bright orange of the tree in the background (as seen between the branches of the tree). If you have a few moments please read news of Kenya here . I'm joining up with Skywatch Friday today. You can also enjoy a lot of submissions from around the world if you click here .

Hello friends, here is a word from Jonah in Kenya.  I'd be grateful if you could please take a few moments to read up. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 PRAYER REQUEST :  Please pray for Jonah's mom. They have done tests at the hospital where she lives and don't know what is wrong with her.   She has been transferred to Eldoret Hospital. Healing and funds are needed so we ask for prayers. It is God who can provide the answers. Blessings. Kenya Missions of Hope: A Life Well Lived : This week I lost my aunt. It was one of the hardest things to believe.  But I took time to

Wordless Wednesday here .

  Be ye strong … for your work shall be rewarded    2 Chr. 15:7 My friend Jonah in Kenya has had a lot of highs and lows over this past month. He finished his thesis and has now been able to have it bound and attend to all the administrative requirements they had him to at the main campus in Uganda. He is just waiting to get his official grades and graduation certificate later this month but he has done well.  However, he has not been able to move all his belongings from Nakuru to his home in the village. Please keep this need in prayer. No sooner did Jonah complete his thesis then his aunt took ill and died.  Her funeral was just the other day and was very well attended. She was a good strong Christian example and she will be deeply missed.  You can read more here . In other sad news, Jonah's mother is now ill and has been taken to the local hospital for medical tests and evaluation.  She will probably be sent to Eldoret for more testing because the local hospital

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.   1 Thessalonians 4:11–12 NIV I cannot believe that it has been an entire week since I've posted. I think that has only happened twice in the last several years so my apologies to my regular readers. The weather has turned cloudy this week and today the rain accompanied the dark sky.  The rain is expected to last a few days.  It came down rather heavily today but I was fine with my jacket and rain hat as I braved the weather to go to the fabric shop. I was looking for fabrics so I could finalize plans for two quilts. Imagine my surprise when I got to the shop and found a very long line up.  There were also many people hanging around the front entryway, mostly young men.  I quickly realized that the majority of young shoppers were there lookin

Hello friends, It's Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. I am so thankful to God for so many things. Truly, I am thankful for even the simplest of things like the ability to walk, as an example. I don't take anything for granted.  So Thanksgiving weekend is always a special weekend for me.  It gives me a space in which I can focus on what God has done for me. I am thankful throughout the year but Thanksgiving is an extra special time of reflecting on things for which to be thankful. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 My brother, my nephew and his girlfriend were my guests for dinner.  Now my guests have gone home and I am relaxing and feeling tired and stuffed.  Though everyone ate and had seconds,  there are lot of left overs. I guess I over did it in the cooking.  Partly because at the last minute, I decided to invite two foreign students.  I met one of the students at the African Market I went to

Hi friends, I've been enjoying myself making some crafts this week. This is a crochet scarf in shell pattern. It is made in beautiful Fall colours and has metallic thread running throughout which gives it a touch of elegance . Click on this photo to enlarge and see the metallic thread as well as the true colour. It isn't quite finished. I still have to weave in the end threads and then it will be done. When it is finished I will be making another scarf or a cowl/neck warmer, in shades of deep blue and green. Two dishcloths in a traditional pattern. This is a small present for a young woman who just moved from a room, into a new apartment and is setting up house.   My knitted square in a weave pattern. It has crocheted edges. You might remember this work from here . As you can see, I decided on a beige colour trim instead of the blue as I thought this could be used for a lap blanket  or a unisex baby blanket. Once I finish these works and a few others