Presenting...

...the newest creature who takes shelter in our yard - a turkey. Can you believe this? Yesterday, when I pulled into the driveway, this turkey and guinea hen were battling for turf in our front yard! Happy to have my camera handy, I managed this photo. Feathers were flying when the turkey finally trotted off and found refuge in the honeysuckle that covers our fence. I wonder if she has eggs??? Herod, our resident fox, is surely hoping she does...

Just Abbey, because I love this picture of her and because she made our trip to Canada all the more fun just by being there!

If you have not been to Gina's blog today, you really must check out this post. I really couldn't believe that I never knew about the information she has revealed to her readers. Thanks, Gina. Like I said, I've been enlightened!

We saw this statue somewhere near the American/Canadian border, on the American side. Pretty neat, huh? It's funny, but our family was just discussing this very photograph (now statue) when we were inside the CN Tower in Canada. The conversation was in regard to extreme height and how it can cause a queasy stomach.

Here are a few random shots from the Toronto Zoo in Canada...

Canadian geese, what else?

Abbey and Randy, enjoying the beautiful zoo and weather.

Abbey and me among the lilacs.

Some kind of tiger, I think it was Bengal.

Seen in the aquarium. Yikes!

Hungry, hungry elephant!

Lioness...
And her lion.
I couldn't get this guy to look at the camera, sorry.

Two tiger cubs.

The CN Tower

On our first day in Toronto, the CEO of Ionways invited us to dinner at the CN tower, which looks a lot like the space needle in Seattle.

While waiting to be seated for dinner, someone requested that Abbey play a song on the baby grand piano that sat in the foyer, 1,815 feet in the sky!

Before she knew it, a crowd had gathered! She played one more song and the waiter called us to our table.
Here's the view from where we were seated. The entire seating area of the restaurant rotated and provided a beautiful view of Toronto from every angle.

We're having a great time!

The entire restaurant was circular, with huge windows all the way around. You can see stars and the lights of the city in this shot, along with Abbey and Cathy having a good laugh, and Kirk and Jay, discussing serious business.

HAPPY
26th
BIRTHDAY,
DANIEL!

Because going on vacation is something I like to do, and because it's something I really must do, I think my life to be doubly blessed! Besides, our family really needs the break. I'll try my best to blog while I'm away...

I'm posting this picture just because I like it so much. If you look closely, you'll see the word "diligence" written in the clouds behind the main text. I think these women were diligently "bringing in the sheaves" and then agreed to rest for awhile. Looks like wonderful, simple times to me! No television, no cell phones, no computers, etc. - just each other. Sounds like the perfect vacation to me!

"Here birdie, birdie!" In an attempt to draw some of our beautiful backyard birds closer to the porch, I put this little bird feeder on the rail. Over the weekend, the squirrels spilled and ate all the seeds. Then it rained like crazy and the birdfeeder turned into a birdbath. Wish I knew how to keep those pesty squirrels away!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Cheryl Johnston

Here's a special craft you
can do on your birthday!

"I sought the LORD, and he heard me,

and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4

Did you know that there are 366 admonitions in the Bible to "fear not"? That's one for every day of the year plus an extra one for leap year!

Unfortunately, just reading the daily news can oftentimes bring about fear - fear of war, fear of terrorism, fear of natural disaster, fear of disease, etc., etc., etc. If we will keep this verse ever present in our hearts and obey its simple truth, God will surely keep His promise to us:

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is
stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Isaiah 26:3

I hope you have a blessed Lord's Day!

Toronto here we come! Our family is planning a business trip to Toronto for next weekend. But that doesn't mean we can't have fun along the way! We'll be exploring the great State of New York as we travel, which, to us, is a great way to relax! If you are familiar with Toronto and know of any great restaurants, sights to see, etc., your comments would be greatly appreciated!

We hope to see Niagra Falls before we cross the border.

“And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel”

I’ve read this Scripture so many times, but today I saw it differently; today, I applied it differently. Today, this piece of Scripture fascinated me through the application it brought to my mind. Scripture is like that. Those of you who have a relationship with the Christ understand what it means to have the words of the Bible suddenly illuminate the finite mind in a way like never before. It’s a wonderful experience, an experience that brings about a deep appreciation for the Word of God and its remarkable ability to speak to the human heart.

So here I was, on my sofa, cup of coffee in hand, and exploring the Scripture with my family. It was my turn to read a chapter—Luke 2, to be precise. As I read, the story of Simeon came alive in my mind. He appeared there as an old man, one who had waited many longs years for God’s promise to him. To look upon him, one could see the peace of God evident in his weathered face. I reasoned in my heart that the Holy Ghost must have spoken to him in the morning, after his private devotion, leading him to go to the temple—and he obeyed. Soon, Mary and Joseph appeared in the same place where Simeon was—with the child Jesus gently laying in his mother's arms, and Joseph, His earthly father, tenderly showing the way. Simeon’s eyes, normally dim with age, shone with joy at the sight of the promised Deliverer. With tender arms he gathered Him, and buried his face in the Christ child’s neck—tears freely flowing into the little Boy’s garment. Containing his emotion, he raised his face towards heaven, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation...”

Then I realized it—I am like Simeon was. I— should the Lord allow it to be so—can depart from this present world in peace, for I have seen the Saviour. I have seen Him as the Sacrifice for my sin; I have seen Him as my Lord; I have seen Him as my Saviour—and I know Him, I have a real relationship with Him. I am amazed by the transformation God has wrought in my heart and life since I saw the Saviour. I am not the person I was before I repented and put my faith in Christ. Yes, salvation’s ultimate fulfillment takes place when one, with physical eyes, sees our beautiful Saviour. But I am here to testify that I have seen Him in my heart and that there is fulfillment here below while walking with Him and talking with Him until He takes me home. Oh yes, I have seen the Saviour. Have you? If your answer is "yes," then you are ready to depart in peace. How wonderful is that?

A new favorite thing.

Thank you Randy and Abbey for this
wonderful Mother's Day gift!
I absolutely love this and will think of you with love
every time I use it - and believe me, I'm planning to use it, A LOT!

"Apples of Gold" for May is ready for reading. Simply click on the apples to your left and enjoy our publication!

"Hosanna," played by Joel Hazra, son of Nathaniel Hazra, our missionary to Bangladesh.

One of my readers brought to my attention that she was unable to e-mail me via an address on my blog. That's all fixed now. If you'd like to e-mail me, you can do so through my user profile. Today will be a busy one for me. Our new issue of "Apples of Gold" is in the works and my fingers will be preparing its pages so you can read it on line before the week is out! I hope you have a profitable day in the Lord, laying up treasure in heaven for His honor and glory.

"For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also." Luke 12:34

I am a chapter away from completing the book you see to the left. "Mistaken Identity" is the story of Laura Van Ryn and Whitney Cerak, one girl buried under the wrong name, and one in a coma being cared for by the wrong family. It's one of the most unbelievable stories I've ever read. One would expect anger, bitterness, and resentment from the families involved. I challenge you to read the book and discover for yourself how each family responded to the unfathomable roller coaster of emotion each went through as a result of a tragic auto accident.

I need to clarify myself. Please look at my post of Friday, May 9th. Notice beneath the photo of the baby rabbits where it says, "More about this later." Now, some of my good readers thought that the "more about this later" was the next post which told of the demise of our backyard baby bunnies by our neighborhood fox, who we have named Herod. "It seemed so cruel to show us those darling baby bunnies only to tell us in your next post that they were killed by a fox!"


Oh my! Nothing could be further from the truth! It was my intention to explain to you that I had raked up a yard full of pine needles that ended up in a heap beneath the giant pine tree that graces our back yard. The following weekend, Randy decided to dispose of the pine needles and in the process of raking them into garbage bags, uncovered the nest of tiny baby bunnies. That's what Saturday's post was supposed to be about - it was supposed to tell of how the bunnies got there in the first place!


Instead, Abbey woke up at 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning to the very loud cackling of a flock of blackbirds. Rising up out of bed, she drew back her curtains to see what they were so upset about and saw "Herod" plundering our nest of baby rabbits. When Randy went out later that day to see what happened, there wasn't a single rabbit in sight. Herod the fox had carried them off. Thus the post with a photo of a fox and the words that read, "Our rabbit's nest it gone."


I hope everyone understands now. Thanks for reading. I'm sure there'll be more bunnies living in our yard before the summer is gone, and maybe some baby foxes! Now wouldn't that be cute?!

Happy Mother's Day!

We wish our Mom in Arkansas a wonderful Mother's Day. Thank you for everything you have done for us through the years. We love and appreciate you very much!

Saturday, 5:30 am - nature takes it toll...

The rabbit's nest is gone...

Seen in our backyard underneath the giant pine tree...

More about this later.

Be sure to visit Nathaniel's blog and read all about his trip to the Jessore District and how he preached at Surit Mondal's house.

Simple pleasures, like watching a duck family stroll by, are universal!

My Testimony

It was in January of 1981 when I made my first false profession of faith. Two men had come to our home in Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, to speak to me about salvation. They spoke to me from the Bible for quite sometime, prayed for me, and then asked that I would also pray. I remember feeling like I was under so much pressure and so I just said a prayer without understanding how wicked and sinful my heart really was. I did not understand repentance or faith in Jesus Christ. I only prayed because my husband had made a profession and so I thought it was the right thing to do. When the two men left our house, I was glad that their visit was finally over and that I had done what I thought was required of me. My husband and I were both baptized and began to attend church faithfully with our young family. Soon after we began attending church, I started to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit in my heart. I began to doubt my salvation and I remember not wanting to deal with it. I wished that the nagging doubts and fears would just go away.

One day, while going about my daily chores as a young housewife, I could stand the nagging conviction no longer. I stopped everything I was doing and went into my bedroom to pray. And although the Holy Spirit was speaking to me, I did not respond properly. I still did not understand repentance or faith. I was not broken over my heart’s condition nor was I sorry for what my sin had done to the Lord. I was too proud to call someone and ask for help. And so, I just prayed a prayer and clung to it for my salvation. It was a “quick fix” for the doubts and fears that had plagued my heart. I was baptized a second time, but I remained the same, continuing in fear and doubt and unwilling to submit myself to the Truth.

Over the next several years as a faithful church member, my marriage began to crumble. My relationship with my husband was very strained as we fought about every little thing. Huge walls went up between us as unresolved hurts remained unresolved. Ungodly pride drove us further and further apart. A deep root of bitterness took residence in my heart and I would not forgive my husband even if he did apologize. This was my life at home and in my heart I was very miserable.

At church I showed a different face. I taught Sunday school and junior church and even took some college courses. I helped to run the bookstore and worked in the nursery. My husband thought he was called to preach and so I took on the role of a future pastor’s wife—getting involved with college related activities alongside my “preacher-boy” husband. What a hypocrite I was—pretending to serve the Lord with gladness when in my heart I was a miserable wretch. I didn’t enjoy serving the Lord and I knew it. And the bitterness that so deeply dwelt in my heart caused me to blame everything the Holy Spirit convicted me about on other people. I really believed that the sin in my heart wouldn’t be there if people hadn’t hurt me. If only I would have realized how my sin had hurt the Lord. But pride kept me glued to my false profession and I continued my game of charades. This went on for nearly ten years as I anxiously waited for my husband to finish Bible College so we could move to New York where he felt he was called to serve. Somehow, I thought things would get better once we were there.

Moving day arrived in May of 1989. We said goodbye to all of our friends in Grand Forks and began the long trip to the East Coast. When we finally arrived in Sayville, we were received with much love and kindness by the Graf family and the members of First Baptist Church. The Lord, in His omnipotence, allowed us to live in the apartment directly above our pastor and his family. It was there that things began to get worse, not better like I thought they would. Both my husband and I agreed to regular counseling. Pastor Graf worked with us faithfully but our relationship remained the same—full of thick walls, hurt feelings, and unresolved conflict.

It was in September of 1989 that the guest speaker for our Fall Bible Conference preached a message entitled The Tragedy of the Tare. I listened with great conviction as he began to describe Satan as the ringleader to a vast parade of religious people who professed Christ, yet lived their lives in hypocrisy. He described how Satan, waving his baton of deceit, continued to lead them on in this parade of religion as the people continued to follow him with their “floats of religious good works,” believing all along that the end of the parade would be heaven. Tears began to flow down my face as the Holy Spirit revealed to me that I was a member of that religious parade—flaunting my “float of good works” to a crowd of watching church members while in my heart I harbored bitterness, pride, and hypocrisy.

I went home immediately after the service and for the first time in my life, I began to see myself for the awful, wicked sinner I was. I saw my pride, my hypocrisy, my bitterness, and my unforgiving heart. I saw how my sin had helped to hurt my marriage. I saw the great offence I was to a holy God and how my sin had hurt Him. And it was all very ugly to look upon. Yet, for all of this, I still didn’t understand why I hadn’t been saved in Grand Forks. I felt confused and very frightened. Because I was afraid of what people would think of me, I found it very difficult to admit that I was truly lost. I argued that my heart’s condition was a result of my bad marriage and that it wasn’t my fault.

But God, with great loving kindness and patience, continued to draw me unto Himself, giving me no rest and no peace as I struggled with my pride. It was exhausting for me and I became very weary in a battle I knew I could not win. I was lost beyond the shadow of a doubt and I was a desperate sinner wanting a Saviour more than anything in this world.

On June 3rd, 1990, I went forward to be saved immediately when the invitation began. I didn’t care what anyone thought—I only wanted to know Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. When I bowed my head to pray, I distinctly remember thinking that I wanted my prayer to be perfect. And so I prayed a very lovely prayer. It was not an honest prayer, but a prayer prayed with pride. I did not come clean with God and when I finished talking, I knew I was still lost. It was then that I finally “let go.” I poured out my heart to God in repentance, telling him what a hypocrite I was trying to serve Him with all the wrong motives and how I wanted to be saved more than anything. I had indeed repented and now I was ready to exercise faith in Jesus Christ. This was a difficult step for me as my past life experiences had produced an unwillingness to trust any figure of authority. However, I was extremely desperate in my horrible, lost condition. I found that there was nothing else I could do but simply trust the Saviour. And so, with “faith as a grain of mustard seed,” I called out to God for salvation. In an instant, I was different. I felt completely calm and settled. I felt no need to cry; I only knew the peace that passeth all understanding. All the doubt and fear I had carried for so long was gone.

I have not been the same since that day. My life has changed dramatically since the Lord removed the root of bitterness in my heart and healed my marriage. The Lord cares for me, He comforts me, and He corrects me when I am wrong. He has given me the freedom to live right, to love right, and to forgive. He has given me a wonderful place to serve Him and a new hope for the future. My Lord has done great things for me, whereof I am glad.

This morning, at about 7:30, a WHITE SQUIRREL scampered across our front lawn and into the neighbor's. How weird is that? According to the White Squirrel Research Institute, the squirrel I saw is not an albino, only a variation in color of the common gray squirrel - though the white squirrel is rare. A true albino would have pink or blue eyes; the one in these photos has black. Have you even seen one of these?