Winter is Beautiful

So my weekend totally did not go as planned.

It was supposed to be an Outlander/Writing weekend with my writing group. TWO WHOLE DAYS this time. I was a little bit giddy.

We set the date about a month ago, so as other invitations came my way (Friday night dinner with a friend, Saturday birthday lunch with friends, and Sunday afternoon jewellery party with friends 'n daughters), I declined.

I had a busy week at work, and was out most evenings, so I doubled up my efforts to get things ready for the weekend by dropping in on two different friends after the baby shower or before a photo shoot to pick up borrowed DVD sets (Outlander and Poldark), cleaned out my truck to make room for people and their things and did some grocery shopping on Friday during my lunch break.

Also during this week, I received an invitation to join a friend and her husband on a Mexican vacation in early February, so I requested the time off, changed the timelines of a few projects so my absence wouldn't be noted, looked into airline tickets, airmiles points and prayed about it.

And then?
On Friday afternoon, the writing retreat weekend got cancelled at 2 pm. Children were sick, husbands weren't capable/encouraging, the timing was off...

Which I totally understand, and was not in the least bit surprised. This happens often. I'm used to it. And if it wasn't meant to be, it wasn't meant to be.

I went anyway. By myself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was seconds away from hitting the "purchase now"button re: airline tickets to Mexico, when I thought I'd just check ONE MORE TIME, that I was still welcome. So with the site counting down for me, that I had 9 minutes left to make the sale, I waited for a reply text.

My phone rang instead.

"I'm so sorry, but it's not going to work out for you to join us. Friends of ours already bought tickets and this is awkward, but sorry. No. We don't have room for you..."

Hahaha.
PHEW. So glad I checked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am OK with the way it turned out.
I'd prayed about it; wondering if this was a vacation I should be taking. Clearly, the answer was no.

Who am I to argue with God?
He has a better vantage point of my life. And if the timing was off re: Mexico. Well, then. That's OK with me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


In the meantime, I've been keeping my eyes open to the beauty of Winter.

I walked along the Vedder :

All of Chilliwack was there with me.

What're we looking at?

Oh, eagles.

He was staring right at me. Not sure he was impressed with me taking his pic.

And I also took about 50 pics of fishermen along the shore.

But that might look creepy if I post them.

I really loved this though:

She's reading while her man is fishing.
True Love.

I walked over the Vedder Bridge because I hadn't done that before.
(When's the last time you did something for the first time?)

... and then drove back to the cabin.

BUT ON THE WAY, this was happening at the Jade Bay Boat Launch:

So I hung around for abit, until it got crowded.

Seems like if you can't get to White Rock, or Crescent or Kits, you go to Jade Bay to watch the sun set...

... so I went back to my end of the lake.


Where the sun does not set over the water. It sets behind us - over the treetops.

It was just a spectacular day.
So much beauty.
Stillness.
Peace.
So many colours.
Such clean scents. (Fresh air, and pine tree scents.)


I decided to stay for another night, then commute to work on Monday morning from the lake.

Supper and my evening project:

I got those last two flower designs filled in and then my eyes started to hurt. And my nose got sort of pluggy. And my throat felt rough.

Grrrr. A cold? Allergies? Too much fresh air? Time to go to bed?

Who knows. But I didn't do anymore colouring.

Instead I prayed. And cried a little bit as I re-read the prayer requests that my friends have sent me in the past few days:

• I asked my Dr to do some tests "to be sure there was no tumour there", and get a clean bill of health before we started snowbirding. 12 weeks later, I was told there is cancer on my hip, liver, lungs, and I have an Anal tumour.
• your prayers are much appreciated right now, we're all just so very sad... it's so hard to start over. Our hearts are broken.
• Please keep praying for my family; these past few months have been especially difficult and this coming week will be extra hard.
• Thank you for praying for us all. He's getting the help he needs but we have a long ways to go. But my health is suffering and he seems very down.
• I am so lonely that some days I just want to die. Can you pray for me?
• Your words in that prayer are powerful. I've printed it off and many of us are praying it. Thanks. I am sorry that you had to go through all the hurt in order to know exactly what to pray for.

 I'll repost that prayer I wrote out in December, in case anyone else wants to pray along with us. And if someone wants to write out their prayer regarding cancer, send it to me, and I'll post it here too. Sometimes we just don't know how to pray, or what to pray for besides 'heal them, God, please.' 

Dear God.

Your will be done.

Your will be done.

YOUR WILL BE DONE.

Today. Right now.

These folks are struggling with addiction and You totally already know that. And You are so on it. I am thankful that You have gone ahead and are putting sponsors, mentors, friends and counsellors in place to walk alongside. Thank you. Thank you. You are preparing places in NA or AA communities, in rehab facilities. in recovery houses, in detox centers, in health facilities for the people I care about. Thank you.

Please stir their hearts and minds with a desire to get clean/sober. Open their eyes and enable them to see clearly the impact that their addiction is having on their relationships, their health, their future, their children, their jobs, their reputations...  God if they have to hit bottom, or lose something precious, please allow that to happen according to Your will. Have Your handpicked team ready to be mobilized when they cry out for help.

Give them strength and courage to give up the drugs, pot or alcohol. Give their families wisdom and patience. Provide their friends with insight and loyalty.

God? Don't stop pursuing them. Call, whisper, knock on their heart's doors, protect their minds and bodies, surround them with people of Your choosing, place Your angels on their roofs and in the doorways, remind them of things they've forgotten to be true, provide them with a vision for a new life, hold their hands as they stumble, speak to them while they sleep, let them hear Your truth in the music they listen to, the internet sites they visit, the articles they read, the conversations they are apart of. USE ALL OF CREATION TO GET THEIR ATTENTION. You know the issues, the pain, the struggles and the lies that brought them to this place. Please work on healing all the hurts.

God? Your will be done. Right now. In Canada. In the US. In Europe.
Please don't get weary calling, caring, loving, holding, protecting, and healing them.

I pray these things in the powerful, Holy name of Jesus,
Amen.

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 Three things I'm thankful for:

1. Beautiful British Columbia
2. Bodies of water. Rivers. Oceans. Lakes. Puddles.
3. Bold requests for prayer.

Shalom friends,
xo