Pencil in His Hand: A Mother's Journal of Stories, Thoughts, and Poems.

  Monday Medley: Two Stories, A Poem, And More Two Stories, plus a  poem and some thoughts and photos in this longer post Dear Readers, I thought it might be a nice idea to go back to posting several short items in one post. Hopefully every reader will find something that speaks to them.  This week, I am posting a flash fiction piece which was written to encourage folks to think about their eternal destiny. We are living in such troubled times, and I can't shake the feeling that the Lord's return is very near. Please take a moment to ask some very big questions today. My own spiritual journey began when I woke up out of the stupor I was in and began to ask questions like "Is there a God?" And "Where will I go when I die?" There is nothing worse than to go through life in a haze, numbly entertaining and scrolling oneself towards the grave. The enemy of our souls just loves it when we live like this. I pray that we will all take life and eternity a lot more se...

  Cacti babies From my Garden Here is a small window into my garden. In the Southern Hemisphere, we are going into winter after a long, hot, and dry summer. We had some of our first rain yesterday, and the plants are smiling. :) I started sowing Autumn seed last month. So far, I have had some success with egg plant, carrot, and pansy seed. I am waiting on some beetroot and Dusty Miller seed. (That is the informal name.) Dusty Millar is an ornamental bedding plant with white foliage. I still have Swiss chard and spring onions, with new spring onions coming up, and I have some petunias in my favourite colour. Even with life being so busy, I always try to spend some time in the garden. Gardening slows you right down, doesn't it? I've heard people say that God feels very close in the garden, and I tend to agree with that. He is everywhere of course, but perhaps it is because we tend to pause and slow down when we're gardening that we feel His presence more strongly out in His c...

 From My Journal I write in my journals on a daily basis. There is something soothing and healing about getting your thoughts down on old-fashioned paper. *** 16 January 2024 "The Lord is like a strong tower, where the righteous can go and be safe." (Proverbs 18:10) I am being tested in my ability to cope with curve balls and upset routines. I think I did OK today. It wasn't  easy: I am so used to things being a certain way, and I am so timid and insecure at times. Thankfully, the Lord is my strong tower. I am thankful. *** 17 January 2024 "My grace is sufficient for you." (2 Corinthians 12:9) I noticed it now on the front cover of my journal. Most definitely what I need after this long, long day. And now, the gas ran out, and I'm trying to save S's birthday cake. Almost 11 pm, and I need my sleep. Shoo! But "My grace"....and all those precious folk I could share the Gospel with. And school went well despite having just one working computer. I ...

  Every month we would walk down to the bus stop, then catch a turquoise blue bus into the big city. A little girl, her sister, and their mother.  It was easily my favourite day of the month. Our first stop was the big bank where Mom would join the queue, her old-fashioned bank book in her handbag. After that, we would head to various shops. The material shop was high on Mom's priority list. She loved to sew. We'd get bored quickly, although we'd try to make the minutes pass by paging through pattern books. Sometimes, we'd pop into the bookshop: Adam and Griggs. All three of us loved books, so I'm not sure how we managed to get out of there! And then, there were payments to be made of course. A highlight was having lunch, just the three of us at a restaurant: toasted cheese and tea for Mom, hamburgers and milkshakes for us. So many happy memories, all lovingly entwined around our sweet mother. As far as the places go, one of my favourites was Colombo. A very old-fa...