Miracles

If ever you're in doubt of God's existence...or feel overwhelmed by the clain that science trumps God...well read on!!

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/12/chase-britton-boy-without-a-cerebellum-baffles-doctors/

Whale Hunt suspended...

So it seems that all over the world people are going to extremes to have their causes  recognized.  The newsletter is a thing of the past...makin noise is the quiet protestor....the ones who are energized, and maybe a bit crazy.  This is good news for the whales....maybe the dolphins can get some help too....and maybe the couyntry needs to change up their diet a bit. Is there no Micky D's in Japan?  Maybe I should google that!!!!!!

Hey Pastor?...How'd you know I was coming?!

I went to Church today.
That seems like such an innocuous statement...except for the fact that I've only been to Church twice in the past 1 1/12 years!
Even that may not seem so significant to some, those whose attendance at Church can be measured by decades rather than years.  That was my attendance record for much of my teenage and adult life until, out of the depths of despair, I reached out in desperation and was caught up by the hand of God. It is an experience that I wish all could have.  After that, a fire burned within me, and every moment of my life had purpose...to learn and share God's truth.  It was an exciting time...full of passion and activity. This wasn't just a Sunday thing....this was like breathing...every minute or every moment of every day!
Then how could it be that it's been 11/2 years of abstinence? That's a hard question to answer...many reasons.  Firstly, after being extremely involved in lots of activities/ministries I became ill, and though I continued for awhile, I wasn't physically or emotionally able to be consistent in anything.  I had stopped working several years before, and by then I felt extremely guilty for not being able to function in a reliable way...so I quit, rather than be a disappointment.  Of course quitting was disappointing too and thus began the gradual erosion of my relationship with my Church (who have been awesome despite my failures).  I convinced myself , after awhile, that I was unworthy of my congregation's affections because I had nothing to give them in return...after all "giving is better than receiving...right?! Giving is GREAT....I've loved giving...but receiving is much more painful.  I have experienced allot of pain with respect to receiving, because it involves trust, and I had learned early in life that trust/receiving involves vulnerability and then of course humility.  Vulnerability and humility are pretty scary places to go. So I stopped...going I mean...to Church; Bible study;singing etc! Lucifer has a hay day with those of us who are struggling. We've already plowed the field into which he can sow a multitude of seeds of self doubt and negativity.  We decide that all the parishioner's have nothing better to do with themselves than speculate as to the damnation of our souls as 1 Sunday's absence multiplies into 10! This absence doesn't make the heart grow fonder, but rather reinforces our already miserable sense of ourselves, digging us deeper and deeper into the solace that has become our/my lives (life).
It took allot of preparation to ensure I could attend Church today.(That sounds ridiculous, especially as it's location is so near I could throw a rock at it....well not that close...and I'd never throw a rock at it, but you get the point!!!)I won't go into all the gory details, but with all the illnesses I have , I have to basically shut down all operations and stay in bed for 2 days prior in order to make it to anything!!!! I'm totally serious!!
So I go today, and every one's happy to see me,,,and I didn't break into a massive sweat off, and was able to get up and down for each and every song (though it was harder as the service went on).
I closed my eyes and sang too loud....I was home!  But the most amazing thing is that GOD IS IN CONTROL!!!!  As pastor McCraken delivered his homily (with tables...chairs....cutlery..and co-stars!) he spoke a message directly to ME!! He talked about excuses (!!!!!!) and all the things that I needed to hear!!
So THANK YOU PASTOR AND THANK YOU GOD!!!.

MUBARAK STEPS DOWN!!!!!

"FREE EGYPT, FREE EGYPT", is the chant all over Egypt as they hear the announcement that Hosni Mubarak has stepped down and left Cairo.  The people are shouting, and crying in the streets.  These people who in 17 days have brought down a dictatorship of 30 years!!!! Think of what the ramifications of that are in the Middle East! This is nothing short of miraculous, and surely to bring other dictators to their knees!!!!  It is humbling to see so many risk their lives for what we take for granted...our freedom, and a chance to vote.  I wonder what the percentage of population to voter turnout there is in the free Western World.  But I guess that's part of what freedom is....freedom to vote or not to vote?  This reminds me of course, of the political nursery rhyme....
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall,
All the kings horses and all the king's men'
Couldn't put humpty together again!
Hosni has been scrambled ...and what is left is to clean up the mess. But first....to CELEBRATE!!!

Mubarak's surprise...

After 6 hours of jubilant communion, the Egyptian people gathered in Tahrir Square were assaulted once again by President Mubarak's lies and narcissism in his address to them which was anticipated as  speech of resignation.  A military person of high rank had appeared at Tahrir Square and stated that .."all their demands would be won".Then after a high spirited ,but very long wait, on comes Mubarak. First, he lied about the attacks, and murders perpetrated on his people (ordered by himself) stating that it "broke his heart" and that he would find each attacker and hold them accountable for their behaviour (which wouldn't be hard because cause they're all in his "black" book listed under "h" for hoodlums!)! He talked incessantly about himself and his "Egypt" as though one was the same as the other, and therefore inseparable.  His speech was filled with condescending remarks and the continual references to the "youth" of this movement, and being influenced by outside conspirators, as if they were so "childlike" they certainly couldn't, or wouldn't have come up with this revolution against him on their own. He blamed absolutely everyone, outsiders, television hosts, foreign leaders and non Egyptians smuggled in, all with revolution on their minds  Once finished, the crowd erupted in angry chants and shouts, as defiant and angry as they were jubilant.  They're chanting.."We're not leaving...he's leaving." Within the hour, large groups of people split off from the crowd and began the march to the State Media station, and/or the Palace.  It's going to be a long night in Cairo.  There is suggestion that perhaps this was a plan between Mubarak and the Military to get the protesters so riled up that Mubarak would have to call in the military to restore order. Who knows what the next 24 hours will bring and what truths in history will be told..

Mubarak close to being gone.....

or is he?  Tahrir Square is buzzing with excitement as the rumor (leaked possibly by CIA Director Panetta...stupid stupid stupid!) that President Mubarak is to announce tonight that he will step down.  The next steps are uncertain, and the future is nervously optimistic.  State run TV is running prequels to programming showing the activity in Tahrir Square with the words "Egypt is changing".  The ongoing commentary is compelling, but as I said yesterday, also frustrating, and that continues today with constant references to where Mr. Obama is, and whether or not he will make any statements about this situation.  It continues to be CNN's concensus that the result of this demonstration will be orchestrated by the mighty U.S. and not the Egyptians who have spilled their blood on the streets of Cairo!! What gall!!  But then....just as I'm about to change the channel (yes I do have other channels!) John King.....no ...JOHN KING SAVES THE DAY!  He stops the parlez dead in it's tracks and says....not once but twice....loosely translated...." We must remember that this revolution is the result of the courage and determination of the Egyptian people not the US....this is NOT a US lead uprising".....Oh how I love him!!!! I wish they could take those words and play them as a prequel to all the Cairo coverage.  Maybe the Egyptians wouldn't view westerners quite so negatively if they felt they were getting the respect the duly deserve.
May God Bless You Mr. John King. You are wise and mighty.

Why did Anderson leave Egypt?

I'm glad to report that I'm having a really good day today despite a few hiccups in my plans and activities.  I have been trying to pace myself by doing just a few things each day, while being totally engrossed in the events in the middle east.  I actually watched Aljezeera (spelling?) tonight and their reporting was quite different from CNN's!....what a surprise...so I was wondering, (ever since Anderson Cooper disappeared from the dingy curtain wrapped room of some unnamed hotel near Liberation Square and reappeared back in the warmth and safety of the CNN newsroom) did they think the protests were over... how much of the world's events, disasters, political decision making, is actually shaped by our news consumption rather than merely "reporting" the facts.  How much pressure do politicians feel when the media is either continuously reporting that leaders are NOT doing/saying anything, and/or slant their statements to make them sound oppositional than they were.  I'm sure that the protesters who risked and some who lost their lives were happy to learn that they really didn't have to do all that...all that was needed was a quick call from the President of the United States to get things done!!  I'm certain that not only the protesters, but Mubarak must have been elated to see how quickly US news turned a 30 year dictator into a simpering idiot!!!  The influence that the media has, is frighteningly strong, and the political impact profound...ie.  Donald Trump may be running for President!?...Sarah Palin !?...I rest my case!  Very scary....(Donald Trump just said that China is Americas enemy...and doesn't China basically own the US debt!!!!!!  LOOK OUT EVERYONE>>>>I'M SO GLAD I'M CANADIAN!!!

Cairo is 7 hours ahead of me, and so all is quiet right now, being midnight there....well this is what I assume, but can't confirm, because there are no live feeds from Egypt due to the government crackdown on journalists and foreigners who under threat, and have been arrested, beaten, even kidnapped.  The army soldiers and tanks remain eerily quiet....not shooting at Egyptian demonstrators, but also NOT protecting them from assault by "Pro Mubarak" protesters, who rode into the peaceful crowds on horse and camel back, wielding knives and clubs embedded with nails!  Mubarak stated earlier today that he must stay in power now because of the chaos that is taking over the country....chaos that he himself has created with his thugs...imposing this chaos and brutality on peaceful Egyptian protesters...the people he is supposed to represent.  Tomorrow "Liberation Square" will be the site of a huge demonstration...the results of which will not be witnessed, and the total destruction never truly measured as in Tienanmen Square in China.  It will be a courageous or foolhardy journalist who may venture out of hiding to cover, or rather uncover, the reality of Mubarak's intentions. May God help them all.

It's Friday now and I'm the last one standing....

Matt's asleep (only for the past hour), the dogs are asleep (Dudley's dreaming about squirrels!) and it's 10 to 4 in the morning!!! I'm watching Nic Robertson; Peirs Morgan; and my fave Mr. Anderson, whose reporting has been on loop since midnight which is perfect for me as I'm busy cleaning up, doing laundry, sorting out drawers and shelves, and trying to find my "home" again underneath the rubble of household mess that has accumulated while I've been a non functioning blob!!! Now I know that I'm supposed to be pacing myself, and I have refrained from sweeping, vacuuming, or mopping because those activities are certain to put me on my back within hours of their implementation....( I wonder how much I would have to pay Matt to do that?)
So this is how it goes.....around and around again...I can do nothing for ages, and become daunted by the accumulation of undone tasks that I simply turn around and go back to bed.... and then all of a sudden... seemingly out of the blue...a power surge hits and pain seems manageable with my medicine cabinet closely available.  I don't know how long this will last and how severe the backlash will be, but at least I'll have some clean clothes to wear while I lie in bed for the next month of Sundays!!!!! Internationally, the "Day of Departure" in Liberation Square is underway, and many brave Egyptians are risking their lives to participate in what could be a lethal interaction with the pro Mubarak and the newly arrived "riot" police.
I can't even imagine what it must be like to be so desperately oppressed that you would rather be dead than to continue to function under such a government. One reporter indicated that the average age of the men in Egypt is 23 years old, with the median annual wage being $500.00!..Yeah, I think that might make me feel desperate. The entire Middle East appears as a tinderbox, with Tunisia and Egypt lighting the match.
I hope I'm awake enough to see what happens...guess I should crash (but maybe I'll fold that last load of laundry first)!

My second promise for 2011 is......

....Not to make promises I might not be able to keep!!!!! The same old same old....take 1 51-2 year "old" woman....add a splash of hormonal instability..combine it with waves of depression, heart disease, and chronic, often debilitating pain and fatigue.....( have I left anything out?)...oh yes....memory problems that often lead to walking in circles around supermarket parking lots...wanting desperately just to give up and walk away from the loaded cart, in favour of some pain meds with a coffee and a 30 minute break (I really really really have wanted to do that soooooo many times) and speech heresy....you know Heme Dopot...that sort of thing spills out of my mouth randomly and makes such perfect sense to me that I just can't understand why the checkout girl, and half the line behind me, are laughing!!!!  Anyway....here I am again...another International Crisis, Egypt, (it's really hard to spell that...I want to put the y in before the g and then i have to change it!) What an amazing mess we humans are in, and how interesting it is to watch as our entire planet seems to be wrestling in the arms of God. I used to be pretty certain that 2012 was just a movie title, but now I'm beginning to wonder.....aren't you? I mean...come on....the snow's so high here the birds are walking to the feeders!!!!
By the way....hey to Ange...thanks for checking in on me!!!!
Remember....I only come out during International Crises!!!!!!