Looking Unto Jesus

Okay, coffee break time.  

Busy, busy busy….The life of the Trenholms.

But that’s okay. If I’m busy, I stay out of trouble. 

Anyway, on to the update.

Last week was busy with Grandpa’s visit, making a slipcover for a wingback chair, a little bit of stomach sickness in everyone except me, but then I felt “off” all week, but it was still a good week.

The girls got lots of time with Grandpa, as did Lowell. I spent time here and there, but the sewing took precedence as I had a deadline before we knew Grandpa was coming. We did head out to see the Kettle Valley Trestles on Friday, and all except me went to Big White Mountain (I went to bed to nurse my migraine.)

Melissa really “took” to Grandpa this time. His leaving seemed to hit her the hardest. Poor little dear.

My parents, Mémère and Pépère, arrive this Friday for a 2 week visit. We are all very excited. The girls haven’t seen them since 2003, but I did got to visit them last June for 2 weeks. That was really nice.

We might do a Trail, BC to Calgary, AB trip when they are here. It would give us a chance to visit friends, family, and see some great scenery that my parents have never seen.  We might even be able to combine a business trip in there to St. Albert, AB.

Besides the touring, some shopping will be in order  as well as maybe showing Mom how I do slipcovers. She is an awesome sewer, but has never seen slipcovers done.

Well, my time is up, as Cynthia and Abigail’s piano lesson is done. Time for some weekly shopping.

Did you ever have that nagging feeling the Lord is trying to tell you you shouldn’t do something,  or maybe it was a case of all doors being closed to a particular event happening.   Sometimes we listen and sometimes we don’t, but praise the Lord we listened this time!

 

For a week or so, we’d heard an odd “bang” in the back end of the 15 passenger van. We just figured it was something loose on the muffler, tail pipe, etc. or something loosed under a seat. However, the light “bang” turned into a full blown “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang” on Monday. It raised Lowell’s alarm bells so heavily that he brought it right into Okanagan Engine Rebuilders, and put a major hold on our planned trip with Grandpa into the mountains to Trail, BC, till we knew what happened.

 

Issue #1 - Lowell was very concerned there was some kind of tranny issue, and there was. Although minor, if it had been left, it could have torn the tranny apart.

 

Issue #2 was where it was made abundantly clear that God either did not want us going on this trip or  wanted it postponed: We had less than 40% of our brakes left! Not a good thing for going up and down the Canadian Rockies!!!!  Wake up call!!!!

 

We needed to leave this morning to make this trip work, but we only got the van back mid-day today.

Okay, Lord, we are really awake now   

 

Issue #3 - As I drove it, the brakes felt very soft, but I forgot to tell Lowell as he had to go to a meeting using the car. When he drove the van this afternoon, he brought it back to the shop only to find out the master brake cylinder was failing. The old brake fluid was about the only thing keeping it together, but when new stuff was put in, it started to fall apart. That would have been really bad in the Rockies!

 

So, OKER replaced it in about an hour, even with the time it took to speed ship the cylinder from a local supplier. Thanks guys!!!!

 

So, all that to say:

Praise the Lord for reviving “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang!” The Lord used that to most likely save our lives.

 

 

First Part of a Series on

Victory in the Christian Home

Click Here for the introduction to this series. 

Here is my favorite illustration on Discouragement.

TOOLS FOR SALE

It was advertised that the devil was going to put his tools up for sale. On the date of the sale, the tools were placed for public inspection; each tool being marked with its sale price. They were a treacherous lot of implements…..Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Deceit, Lying, Pride, and so on.

Laid apart from the rest was a harmless looking tool, well worn and priced very high.

“What is the name of this tool?” asked one of the purchasers, pointing to it.

“That is Discouragement”, replied the devil.

“Why have you priced it so high?”

“Because it is more useful to me than the others. I can pry open and get inside a man’s heart with that when I cannot get near him with my other tools. Once I get inside, I can make him do what I choose. It is badly worn because I use it on almost everyone, since very few people know that it belongs to me.”

My friend, don’t let Satan discourage you in anyway. You are God’s child and have the victory already won. All you have to do is keep your faith on the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. The devil will not have a chance to discourage you, even with his best tools.

Author unknown

Who wants to be a loser? ……..

 

………….

What No takers Didn’t think so. We all want to win, to be victorious.

 

This idea has been weighing on my heart for the last week or so, and the last few days, I could sense the Lord leading me to do a series on it.

Victory in the Christian Home can seem such an illusive thing. One defeated day seems to flow into the next, and we begin to lose any hope of even a small victory. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I know, it’s a lot easier said than done, but God has promised us the victory, and since He does not lie, it is acheivable.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

I’m sure I’ll touch more on that point, but right now, I’m not 100% sure where the Lord is going to lead in these lessons, or how long the series will last. I will try to keep each post short to make it easier to absorb and apply. I am simply hoping they will be a blessing to others, and am looking forward to what I will glean also.

My dh’s father, Harold, arrived Friday night. It was been a year and a half since we saw him last, and we all miss him.

The last time he was here, we drove up to Terrace, BC (17hour drive) to visit some dear friends up there, then down through Liliouet, BC to Vancouver to drop him off at his daughter’s place, so he could take the flight back to New Brunswick. Harold was just amazed at the landscape out here. I must admit, we’ve been in BC for 14 years and it is still pretty amazing.

The trip we are currently planning should be far more modest, only 6 hours, up to Trail, BC, to visit friends and view scenery. We haven’t been up that way since 2002, and Harold never, so it should be a pleasant trip. I’ll see about posting pics.

In the meantime, I have two wingback chairs that I need to do slipcovers for, so it’s going to be a VERY busy next few days as I try to get those done, or at least close to being done, before we go.