“The RoseBouquet”

On Saturday I was determined to break down and carry out all that old-fashioned plaster in the walls of my stairwell to the basement. My brother Ernie is coming from Winnipeg the first Saturday of February, and I’m hoping he’ll help me nail paneling into that stairwell. I want to have the messy clouds of dust cleared up by then.

Well, it was seriously dusty, dirty work. I carried out about ten pails of broken plaster pieces and dumped on the ground behind my car, hoping it will work like gravel there, and keep the grass from growing in my parking spot.

However, I didn’t get a chance to try backing out over that stuff because it snowed and snowed all day Saturday and Sunday morning, though I spent more than half an hour digging out my garden path to the car, I decided that it was probably wiser to stay home. No need to put myself or others in danger of an accident. Traffic was moving, I could see, on 22nd Street, just half a block away, but I doubted that the snow plows would get to all the streets I needed to take to get to church.

I took a few photos after I stopped shoveling snow, then went inside, settled down to pray until noon, and worked at fine-tuning my computer’s new operating system. (See photo story here)

That’s another thing I did on Saturday. I wiped my hard drive and installed the newer openSUSE 11.2. (I had the 10.3 for about three years). That kept me busy the rest of Sunday, so I didn’t really mind being snow-bound.

When I got up yesterday I fully intended to walk to the office, but listening to all the weather reports on the radio spooked me a bit, so I called ahead to see if Anne and Priscilla had made it in. Priscilla called me back moments later and advised that I stay home. The snow was knee-deep on the sidewalks in that area.

Well, I had everything I needed at home, so I was happy to take her advice. I still needed to do some trouble-shooting on my computer, and had to set up my emails so I could receive and answer them. That took until late in the afternoon.

Today however, I bundled up in my down-filled coat with the huge hood, big boots with 2 pairs of socks, and two pairs of knit gloves inside of fur-lined jumbo gauntlets (mitts). My stuff in my backpack and off I hiked. I managed okay and only found a few spots where the home-owners had not cleared the sidewalks in front of their homes.

Things are returning to normal, but everyone has their stories of how they coped, and of course the farmers and gardeners rejoice at all that moisture that will sink into the soil for the summer.

The main things happening in my business sphere is this matter of installing new operating systems on computers. Then fine-tuning them the way I like them. Big beautiful roses for backgrounds, windows in my shades of pink and green, and larger fonts, is just the start.

I did the one at the office a couple of weeks ago, and seem to have things working smoothly here. The one at home on Saturday seemed to go by so much faster, because I was using a fully loaded DVD rather than the netinstall which had not worked the previous weekend at home.

However, I found there was much more fine-tuning to do and some things have gone really buggy. Firefox and OpenOffice.org, two programs I depend on all day long were acting sluggish and unresponsive after a few hours. I love to multi-task and have several things open and happening at once, but I couldn’t click or do anything until one error message had shown up, and everything was taking long minutes to show up rather than the split seconds I was used to.

I went searching online with other browsers (and also phoned Jondalar) and tried several “fixes.” All the programs became more cooperative, but one of the fixes may have messed up Firefox because by evening it would only open my home page, for BBN, my favourite online radio. So I started using Konqueror and Opera. The creative resourcefulness I have inherited from my Dad really got a workout as I kept looking for answers.

KMail wouldn’t let some of my email accounts SEND until I discovered that I had to tick TLS instead of SSL for the security method. Things like that.

In the evening I wanted to finish up this next issue of Reflections so it can go to press this week. (Sigh)! What a merry-go-round of problems to work at. I couldn’t access the already proof-read pages, and had to re-do some work from last week. I’ll have to really dig in this afternoon to catch up and do all that I had hoped to do last night!

Throughout all that though, I was aware that I was blessed with good health, I was in a safe, warm place, and God cares for me. These troubles will help me to help someone else eventually.

Amazon Settles with Booklocker! I just learned this outcome yesterday. Booklocker.com is the publisher with whom I published my novel, Ruthe’s Secret Roses. Angela publishes the widely read weekly ezine, Writers’ Weekly, and have often been known to go to bat for authors to get a fair deal from traditional as well as POD publishers.

Here’s the start of their press release:

“As many of you probably remember, in March, 2008, an Amazon / BookSurge representative called us on the phone and told us we (and other Print on Demand publishers) must start paying Amazon to print our books. If we didn’t, they would remove our “buy it now” buttons from Amazon.com.

Our publicity efforts forced Amazon to finally make public what targeted POD publishers claimed to have been told through what some considered intimidating phone conversations. Until that point, Amazon hadn’t appeared to want to put anything in writing. . . . .”

You can read the rest of this release here.

David, the shepherd boy, had to deal with rejection many times in his life, so his friendship with prince Jonathan, son of King Saul, stands out for all its sharp contrasts.

David’s father forgot him when he was presenting his sons to Samuel at a feast. (The one where God wanted David anointed as the next king of Israel). His brothers picked on him when he was sent by their father to their army camp, with food and a need for information about the war.

After David killed the giant Goliath with his slingshot the general public praised and sang about him, but King Saul grew more and more jealous and cruel - even vindictive, throwing his spear at David when in a foul mood. Saul did that more than once.

Yes, in the midst of all this negative pressure from authority figures, David was blessed with a friendship with Jonathan.

Jonathan grew up in the palace, as heir apparent, and had lots of self-confidence and liked adventure. Once, he and his armour bearer made a sneak attack on the Philistines’ camp - ‘just in case’ they would be successful. (They were!)

Another time in war, his father, King Saul, had decreed that no one in the army would eat until the evening. Jonathan had not heard this, so when he found some honey he had some and his eyes brightened with fresh energy. He shared some with the soldiers near him. When his father discovered this he wanted his son killed, but the soldiers defended him and credited the day’s victory to his deed. So he was spared.

Jonathan admired and respected David. They became good friends.

David told Jonathan that Saul was out to kill him, which Jonathan didn’t want to believe at first, but they agreed David would not show up at the king’s table for a couple of days. Jonathan promised to pay attention to his father’s reaction, and come to this field to give David a message by how he shot an arrow and sent a boy to fetch it. Jonathan also asked David to spare his life and those of his family if this should be true.

The second day King Saul was so furious about David’s absence that he hurled his spear at Jonathan! The prince left the table without eating and knowing in his heart, that David was going to be the next king. They met in the field and played out the game with the arrows, but then Jonathan sent the boy home with the arrows and stayed for a tearful farewell from David.

From there David went into the hills and rallied a small army that moved around and tried to avoid King Saul’s raids. Eventually David’s patience and faith that God would bring him to the throne in His time paid off, and in a battle with the Philistines, King Saul fell on his own sword and two of his three sons, including Jonathan, were killed in that battle as well.

David mourned their deaths, and in the course of time was anointed king of Judah. When things settled down to peace, he sent to look for any of Jonathan’s descendants. One small crippled boy was found, and he was brought to live in David’s palace like one of his own family. It was David’s way of honouring his dear friend Jonathan.

When I study the Bible I look for personal applications or lessons to draw from it. What is more obvious here than this example of loyalty to our friends?

From Jonathan I learn the humility to admit when a friend is a rising star and will eclipse me in what I had thought was to be my own role or position. He did not resent or envy David when he realized that God intended to put David on the throne next. Nor do I think he dishonoured his own father, the king, when he went to warn David that it was not safe to come back to the palace, that his life was in danger. It was simply the right thing to do.

David honoured his friend by seeking out for anyone left from Jonathan’s family to whom he could show kindness for his friend’s sake. This reminds me to be kind to the family and friends of my dear friends. I may not choose them as my intimate friends, but I want to show respect to them because of my love for my close friends.

What an illustration this is of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who gave His life so that we could come to live in His Father’s Palace - in Heaven! It is possible for us to have this Prince for a friend too. He will always treat us royally and be a devoted, never failing Friend.

Do you help your friend get ahead, even at the cost of your own position, especially if you can see it is God’s will? Do you honour and respect those your friend loves, for the sake of your friend, or your memories of that friend?

Say, do you have a friendship with the Prince of Peace, Jesus? Do you seek out those of His family to be kind to them?

[Note: if you missed any articles in this series of article on Friendships in the Bible, and want to read them, you'll find them all linked from this index which is about Friendship]

This last weekend I was convinced that Snowflake was initiating a game of Hide n’ Seek. Normally, when I’m ready to close the computer and get ready for bed, I pick him up and give him a last hug while I carry him to his room for the night. However, on Friday night he wasn’t at any of his usual places. I began to hunt for his new cozy spot.

I could not find him. My house is only 610 sq. feet, and I know every nook and cranny fairly well.

Finally I went to his room and pulled out the bag with the cat food and rustled the yogurt cup inside which I use to measure out his food. Whoa, immediately he came running. I just don’t know from where.

The next night, same thing. I hunted high and low, and and in places it should be impossible for Snowflake to get into, and then hunted through most of them again. No Snowflake.

After more than half an hour of searching I gave up and got ready for bed, but decided to close my door, so he could not surprise me during the night with a leap onto me. (He did that twice at the beginning). I was in bed with my glasses off, and lights out, when it occurred to me that I had not checked the basement. I had assumed that he came up when I did after folding and bringing up my laundry - but did he really? Maybe not…

I got up and stepped into my slippers, took along a flashlight for dark corners, and went downstairs, calling and hunting for my white cat.

From somewhere, it seemed to be high on a shelf, he made pathetic little mewing sounds. Thinking he might have got himself stuck somewhere in the rafters, I began to hunt in earnest. Still no success.

Going back up I brought his bag of food and tried to lure him with that. No go.

Well, I decided, he has no litter box down here, but he could survive a night. It was going on 1 am, I should go to bed.

I had put away the food, turned out the lights in the basement and was shutting the door, when suddenly Snowflake was at the the foot of the stairs. I called out to him, but he just rolled over on his side, which usually means I’m suppose to come pick him up.

With a sigh I headed down to do so, but he got up and went out of reach. Fortunately, when I clapped my hands, he scampered up the stairs on his own initiative and straight to his room.

It was a relief to us both, yet I had to smile at how long and hard he played at Hide n’ Seek.

It’s also been a surprise to me how many people really liked my Christmas gift booklet, “Beggin’ for Hugs.” Snowflake really made a number of friends with that. If you didn’t get to read it or download your copy, it’s here;
Christmas booklet - Beggin’ for Hugs

No doubt you have heard about the earthquake and devastation in Haiti, which is just part of an island in the Caribbean, but oh the awfulness of the event, and the suffering and hardships going on there since then.

I don’t have a TV, so I’ve been following mostly by radio, but I’ve also taken a bit of time to go online and see some pictures and videos, so I am aware of happenings there.
/

So far I have not had the time, or taken the time to sit down and think things through. What should our response be?

Yes, nations are almost competing with each other to send plane and ship loads of aid, and millions, even billions of dollars, and we should be generous too, but how much of that is going to be wasted while organizations find a footing and a way to be effective? Is generosity good if it is given foolishly?

Some people give a little bit to everyone who comes begging, or who puts on a fund-raiser, but after a while they feel overwhelmed and start complaining that the world is full of hands held out, and they start avoiding all charities - unless they are truly moved by the news media’s pictures.

Personally, I feel an obligation to check things out, look for missions and missionaries that have a good, working plan in operation, and who manage the gifts they receive very well. Furthermore, I like to take time to pray and listen for the prompting of God’s Spirit in my heart to know when and how much I should give. I do not like to be pressured or shamed into it by outside forces.

There will be a need in Haiti for a long time to come. For now, I’d like to pray that the aid that is rushing in there will be wisely distributed, and that cooler heads, with skills to manage situations will organize the searches, the medical work, and the restoration of that torn and broken place. But I’ll watch for the right moment to step in to help with cash.

Just in the last few months I have become aware of other needy spots in the world, like Pakistan and a number of African countries. Without seeking God’s guidance I really don’t know whom to send the small gifts I can spare.

Beyond that, I do pray and plan for a way to have much more to give. And, I want to have a spiritual filtering system in place, so I can determine my giving more promptly. If you have such an evaluation or filtering grid for making such decisions, I’d love to hear from you.

……………………….
Feedback from last week’s RoseBouquet:
David S. wrote;
Thanks for this very focused, refreshing and lively RB.
So good to see the weaving of suggestions, ideas and new thoughts or re-igniting old ones. Like the imagery of the weather….. Be encouraged….
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Yesterday I received a check in the mail from Disciples’ Cross. That reminds me to tell you the story of my involvement with them. Way-wa-y back, maybe in 2003 or 2005, I found a link to that site, and went to check it out. I discovered that I would have to be an American resident to order the kit. That left me out, but since it looked like such a great idea for a small home business, I told my friend Connie about it.

She ordered the kit, but she and her husband could not seem to figure out how to bend the horseshoe nails just right to form the crosses for the necklaces. Even with the video enclosed in the kit. I bragged that my Dad could figure out such things without an instruction manual as a rule. So Connie sent me the kit.

Sure enough Dad figured it out and decided that he would gladly make those necklaces to sell. Since we could not order directly from Pastor John, the founder of Disciples’ Cross, I went online and found other suppliers and ordered them for Dad. He began to make them in batches of 30 to 50 and 80 at a time. I prepared little cards to put with them, and he got a heat-sealing machine to enclose each in its own plastic envelop. We found some local stores to carry them on consignment. He asked $7 for each, and they charge $14 to the public. I still pop into those stores once in a while to pickup the profits. I always call them a gift from Dad!

Well, there was nothing to stop me from signing up as an affiliate with Disciples’ Cross, so I have put some banners for them on my sites, and basically forgot about them. I guess visitors still click on them, and I make a commission on those who order the starter kit. That’s called passive income.

Now you want to have a look? Disciples’ Cross

P.S. This last fall I gave the kit to my brother Tom, and he has started to make the cross necklaces too. I continue to keep the stores stocked, but now I’ll have to bring the profits of those necklaces to him. He doesn’t have a website, but if you contact me, I’ll forward your email to Tom. It would really boost his morale too. And say, if you order directly from him, I believe he’d let you have them for $7/each rather than the $14 the stores charge.

It doesn’t take long to read the story of Ruth in the Bible. But do the specific details begin to blur in our minds? We may start to assume that Ruth knew she would marry Boaz in the end, when she vowed to her mother-in-law that she would never leave her, or Naomi’s people and God. A fresh re-reading has reminded me that Ruth did not know the outcome at the time she made that famous pledge of loyalty and devotion. A pledge that has often been used at weddings.

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

This vow shows one of the strongest degrees of friendship. That it is between a young woman and her mother-in-law tells me that it is not reserved only for a marriage, but for any friendship.

As a poor widow, Ruth qualified for the provision in Israelite law, that the poor could glean by hand after the reapers. This led to extra kindness from the landowner, Boaz. As Naomi quickly pointed out - he was a potential kinsman-redeemer besides.

So Ruth appealed to him for protection, and by law this included marriage. Boaz made sure he was in legal position to do so and then he accepted the option to redeem her deceased husband’s property, and produce an heir for his bloodline. Naturally, he gained a bride that he admired and was ready to love as his own wife.

The observation I make here today is that Ruth’s pledge of devotion to her mother-in-law-friend, Naomi, led to this other friendship that greatly benefited and blessed her with happiness. This happens to faithful friends all the time. Those who are a true and loyal friend in one relationship will gain others and continue to be a great friend in each instance. They usually do not go fawning on everyone they meet, but if they have one fine friendship, and if they choose to be your friend, you can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your heart is safe with them. They will bless you and not hurt you the rest of their lives.

This encourages me to look about for such people. One of the best ways to attract such friends is to resolve to be a loyal and true friend like that ourselves.

Let’s review the friendships we already have. Where we can improve one by a change in our behaviour, let’s give it a try. We need to practice some where. Where a friendship is unhealthy let’s abandon it as quickly and quietly as we can.

If we have no friends whatsoever, let’s look around for someone who needs a friend, even for just a few minutes. Let’s practice a thoughtful kindness to them, and see if our live doesn’t open up into new directions.

You already know what it means to be ruthless. Instead, be a Ruth - her name means a loyal, compassionate friend. I like that meaning, so I wear my name gladly.

[Note: if you missed any articles in this series of article on Friendships in the Bible, and want to read them, you'll find them all linked from this index which is about Friendship]

I think the weather all over North America, maybe all over the world, is playing a game like Musical Chairs. You know how that goes? Some music is played and everyone has to be up and out of their seats moving around. When the music stops everyone sits down right where they are. Or in another version some gifts are passed around and around in a circle while the music is playing. If one of the gifts is in your hands when the music stops, it’s yours!

It came to me last night while doing dishes, that the weather systems are travelling all over the place, and landing in the most unlikely spots. People in Florida, for instance, are having snow and frost on the oranges, while here, where we usually have the bitterly cold and long January days, we are suddenly having a mild spell with temperatures in the afternoon that are above 0 C, or above freezing! People in parts of the world that normally never see snow are having to shovel mountains of it while we have just a few inches this time.

I was talking to my Aunt Helena in B.C. last night and she says its because the weather system from Hawaii is blowing in over the ocean. It’s known as the Pineapple Express. Of course, the normal flow is that whatever comes from the west will blow over to us in a few days.

Well, I feel sorry for you if you’ve ended up with weather you don’t like, but I feel like we’re getting some sort of prize this week!

On Saturday I did some patching on my basement floor with dry mix cement. I may have to do a bit more, and then I want to press on with my tiling project from last winter. There’s only about 25% of the floor left to go.

How are you doing with your goals and plans and new agenda since New Year’s Day? I thought I was doing quite well, but last Wednesday I decided to install the latest version of my office computer’s operating system, (openSUSE 11.2), and ended up doing it a second time after I’d talked to Jondalar and realized I had made a mistake in the partitioning.

That meant that I spent all of Thursday fine-tuning my settings, getting my favourite programs installed, changing my colours and theme to suit my own taste (I’m partial to roses, but you know that). It took all afternoon to set up each of my email addresses again, and it appears that the last day or two’s emails didn’t survive the transition.

I’ve just about caught up on personal emails again, so if you haven’t heard from me, you may want to write again and jog my memory.

At this point, I think about the only thing still to work out is to get my favourite internet radio station, BBN to play again. The sound works otherwise, but not for that. I could not get it to play on the other computer either on Thursday, so that was a long, dull day. I’ve come to understand that having that lovely Christian music playing in the background all day is like a lovely oral fragrance, a sweet company, and mood sanitizer. If I’m addicted to it - so be it!

There a number of blessings related to this new operating system. It is similar to what I had with version 11.1 but with some improvements. And yes, I installed it myself!

People with Windows systems seem to think you have to take your computer to a Geek shop to have it done, but we Linux-users do this often enough that it doesn’t scare us. I am watching for a suitable weekend to do the same on my home computer.

(In fact, I’m toying in my mind with an idea to offer a Saturday seminar in how to do this. What do you think? Does it have merit?)

Oh yes, I’m back to my series of articles on Friendships in the Bible, and what we can learn from them. Today we’ll look at Samson and his False Friends. Come to think of it, maybe he was the false friend.