Seven Ways to Cultivate Joy

This week our little part of the earth has begun to wake and warm up from a long, cold, and tiresome winter season. Last Sunday saw the start of Daylight Saving Time. So it is still light out as we finish our evening meal.
All this, as it were, turned over the soil of my heart and prepared me to receive the message of  Today's Topical Bible Study from BibleStudyTools.com entitled Seven Ways to Cultivate Joy from Insight for Living.
What I propose to do is to write a series of 7 posts that will focus on these 7 ways. This then is post 1.
"1. Rehearse with God the reasons you trust Him. Tell Him which of His attributes is your favorite right now. Read the praises of Scripture back to Him — begin with Psalm 103. Join with another believer in prayers of thanksgiving, and delight yourself in His character."
At Kelly Creek Community Church pastor Mike Martinig has just embarked on a series on the Attributes of God. As I think about it my favorite attribute of God is that He is a promise-keeping God. When I read my Bible I revel in the love that God, my Heavenly Father, has for me as I see all He promises me.

A request for submissions-

What is your favorite attribute of God? Why?    

On a more serious note- I am receiving many comments from this guy "anonymous". Usually he wants to sell me something, it makes me blush to think about it. So I am asking you to join The Ministers Cat so I won't miss your comments. Thanks.
John Dalziel 

Valentine's Day Poetry "Love is not all"

I found this love sonnet on a U of Toronto website: 

St. Valentine's Day Gifts | Representative Poetry Online Check it out. There are some real treats!

Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink

Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain;

Nor yet a floating spar to men that sink

And rise and sink and rise and sink again;

Love can not fill the thickened lung with breath,

Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;

Yet many a man is making friends with death

Even as I speak, for lack of love alone.

It well may be that in a difficult hour,

Pinned down by pain and moaning for release,

Or nagged by want past resolution's power,

I might be driven to sell your love for peace,

Or trade the memory of this night for food.

It well may be. I do not think I would.

Edna St. Vincent Millay

Sonnet xxx, "Fatal Interview"

A New Year, A Breath of Fresh Air

In my first post of 2014 I wrote of my excitement about the spiritual discovery of the term Immanuel. I truly intend to follow up on that but ... as I embark on this new year I am also facing the prospect of a change in my physical life as well. On Tuesday I met with a surgeon, Dr. Yee, in Vancouver to set the wheels in motion to get a Diaphragmatic pacemaker:

A diaphragmatic pacemaker, in medicine, is a surgically implanted device used to help patients breathe following complications from spinal cord injuries. For a full discussion of what is involved in having a Diaphragmatic pacemaker check out the article in Wikipedia.

Since my accident I cannot breathe without a ventilator. This means that, at my bedside or on the back of my wheelchair I have a machine that breathes for me by forcing air into my lungs. The diaphragmatic pacemaker allows me to breathe more naturally by stimulating my diaphragm. The advantages:

1. I will not be as susceptible to pneumonia.
2. My senses of taste and smell will return.
3. I will not need the ventilator all the time.
4. My voice will be stronger.

So, am I excited? YES
I am expecting a call for the operation this summer.

A New Year ... Renewal

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
(Revelation 21:5 KJV)

As I set forth into another year it does my heart good to read that God is in the business of renewal. Each year as we end with the wonderful story of God renewing His relationship with us the sense of a fresh start fills me with new energy. So I have decided to restart The Minister's Cat. In this year my focus will be on one of the names of our Lord:

Often I tend to focus on the name "Jesus" which means "Savior" but this year I am going to focus on what my Savior saved me for. Yes, I mean "for" Stay tuned, more to follow.

The Minister's Cat on YouTube

Over Christmas I amused myself by viewing several versions of Charles Dickens "Christmas Carol on YouTube. (my favorite is still the black and white one with Alistair Sims) However, the 1970 version with Albert Finney has the guests at Scrooge's nephew's party playing the game. It is around the 1hr 11 minute mark. Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7cPJmlQmNI  The adult version is competitive. When playing as family I suggest cooperation.

Today Deer Tomorrow . . .

 Spring

Spring is sprung.

Harbinger

For me it is the first crocus

On the Wet Coast I call home.

In the West Kootenays where

I grew up

Bare pavement and the

Appearance of the first

Bicycle signalled Spring.

The grass is riz.

Busi-ness

For landowners, like

My friend Gerry,

It signals long months

Of lawnmower stories.

Another friend, Al,

Professional gardener

Awaits the time of planting

Making beds afresh

To receive new plants.

I wonder where the birdies is?

Musing

I sit in my

Powered chair.

Look out my

Studio window.

I see the deer,

My eco-frienidly

Lawnmowers,

Munching peacefully.

But, where are the birds?

Postscript

Today I visited Your Dollar Store With More and bought . . .
a bird feeder.
Watch this blog for updates.

the April PAD Challenge?

What is the April PAD Challenge?
April is poetry month, and Writers Digest has poem a day (PAD) challenge. I did not connect at the beginning but I'd like to share day one: A Communications Poem

Yesterday I wanted to speak

To you. What I had to say

Was important to both of us.

So important that I could not

Find words.

A reef knot tied my tongue

And fear froze my tonsils.

Fear of rejection?

How foolish!

Fear of failure?

Not my duty.

What would I tell you?

God loves YOU!

And has . . .

A message for me.

“when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

To check out the PAD challenge visit the WD poetry blog.