“The RoseBouquet”

Yesterday a dear friend called and we had a lively conversation on many things. One of them was the different between these words. They all sound good, but which one would you rather be?

A hero is a mythological or legendary figure, often endowed with divine strength and ability. Stories and admiration for a hero build up over many years until they may seem larger than real. My friend suggested as an example, when a woman can somehow lift up a car because her child is caught under the vehicle.

My Dad told of one house fire when he and a bunch of other men were quickly called in from a harvest field. He and another man grabbed a hot wood burning cast iron stove and walked it out of the burning house as fast as they could go. Later a whole team of men could not pick it up off the ground outside to move it again. He marvelled that just two of them could walk it out in the excitement of the burning house.

Another example from the Bible would be Samson. He had his brilliant moments of great strength so that he could grab a loose jawbone of an ass lying around, and with it kill off …… men. He was not such a moral and great man otherwise, but he did have several ‘hero” spells in his lifetime.

I don’t know… but I don’t think I am a hero or heroine. Are you?

A champion is a militant advocate or defender, one who does battle for another’s rights or honour, or who competes with others, and does better than all the rest, sometimes winning a prize - such as an Olympic medal. A champion is superior to others in his or her category.

Abraham Lincoln would be a champion for slaves, and set them free in the USA. My friend Betty in Kansas is a champion for the unborn and accomplishes great things on their behalf. This list could grow quickly if I did a bit of research. There have been some amazing champions, and I’m not just thinking of sports.

Moses, from the Bible, would make a great champion for the Israelite people as he went to bat for them before Pharaoh in Egypt, and then led them to the promised land.

I could point to some times in my life when I have done what I could for people in my charge, such as the Pioneer Girls Club (my girls), or when I cared for my parents in Hague. However, I really don’t see myself as a champion in the fullest sense of the word.

Perhaps you do. Or, better still, others would tell stories of how you championed their cause and delivered them out of great troubles. You may even have won awards for being the very best in your class of endeavor.

An overcomer is someone who surmounts tremendous difficulties and gains victories by sheer dint of effort and perseverance. They can do this together with others or alone, but they must struggle against handicaps and circumstances, and all kinds of setbacks. Over and over it appears they may go under and be defeated, but they press forward, or after a rest recoup their strength and rise up to continue towards their goal and dream. The more they wrestle with troubles the stronger they grow.

This feels more like my lifestyle! I think I’m an overcomer. For four days I drove easterward in 1971 all by myself at age 20, to start a new life. I have had to deal with major disappointments in my life, and start over. I gave up a lot to go home to care for my parents. I overcame a lot of loneliness and discouragement there - as I have in every stage of my life, by communing with the Lord Jesus, and talking over all my thoughts and feelings, and of course, also the truths in the Bible. Poor health and poverty and other limitations have been mountains I had to clamber over and make mine.

As my friend Kathy pointed out, now when I make new friends they don’t all realize that while I may appear to be a strong woman of faith and confidence, they don’t realize that I have already overcome several mountain ranges of problems! Nor have I fully arrived, but the strengths I have today have been gained with more than a few broken fingernails.

That is encouraging, isn’t it? If you are struggling to overcome some difficulties pause to look back over the way you have come and see if you are not stronger now for those past crisis you have weathered through.

You may be content to be a hero. May God bless you heartily if you are a champion for others, but I am pleased to day to say that I am an overcomer!

Well, things are happening at last! On Thursday the old furnace went out - in pieces - and the new furnace came in - smaller than a filing cabinet! I had thought it would take at least a day or more to take out the old one, but they were done with that in two hours flat! The pieces were all lying on the grass by the street. (See the photos below in Ruthe’s Roses article section).

There are two guys here right now to finish up the plumbing line changes and then they are done.

Yesterday Jake Wollf, the man who is going to do the carpentry jobs, and the roof came over to re-measure everything carefully so he can order the supplies he needs.

My Aunt Jean’s arrived on Friday, but we arranged for her other friends to pick her up, and they hosted her. I picked her up on Saturday afternoon, and showed her my office and house and then had to get her back so she could attend a birthday party with her friends. On Sunday I went to the same church as they, and from there Aunt Jean and I went to pick up my brother Tom, and we went out to a restaurant for a late lunch.

I’d heard about a display in a park near Tom’s place, but no one was in a mood for walking, so we came to my house and sat and visited, and even took a look at a computer that had been dropped off for me on Saturday morning. I had prepared food the day before, so was able to serve a light cold supper. It was a pleasant sociable weekend.

This coming Saturday is the day I’ve set for the seminar I want to offer in my office. Strangely enough, I’ve suddenly developed some nervousness and feel antsy about all the things I need - or want to get done this week - and so far nobody has called to promise to be there. I really have to work at praying and exerting faith to believe that after all God has done to help me come to this point, He is going to see this comes off as it should.

The fellas from Gregg’s Plumbing were suppose to be here yesterday to finish up their work and they were short-handed so they didn’t come. Which means I’m working from home this morning when I had meant to be in the office.

I got a newer/old computer given to me on Saturday, and I have high hopes that it will do even better than all the rest, but it needs some work first. Plus there is a lot of cleaning up and readying for the seminar to do at the office. I wanted to practice my spiel too!

Besides that, a desktop publishing job for Western Tract Mission that was suppose to be ready today to be printed is not ready yet. Last night was not long enough (I mean the hours I could keep my eyes open).

Well,… I suppose things pile up on you sometimes too, eh? You know how I’m feeling.

So your prayers are appreciated, and if you have friends or relatives in Saskatoon and area, do please urge them to call me and to plan on coming to the seminar. I’ll feel worse if I’ve accomplished all my preparation goals, made food on Friday for 8-10 people, and no one but me and Anna show up.

MyPowerMall is having a contest in preparation for something big and exciting to be announced on September 2. To be able to win a very special, exclusive debit card, I need five more sign-ups in my front-line. I think I could manage the SBIY purchase and the qualifying quiz, but do I have five friends here who have been meaning to sign up under me at MyPowerMall.com and just have not got around to it yet? I know some have said they want to, but haven’t come through yet. Right now, up to the end of August would be a PERFECT time to do so!

I have a vision for how I could give a downline to everyone in my downline, but I keep telling myself it would be better to do that project with my students when they sign up. We could all learn from it. However, if my Azaleas course falls through, maybe I can focus more on my own projects and somehow get that done, so I can help many others. I don’t want to guarantee this in case I can’t follow through and keep my promise, but you can be sure that I have great plans, and I have the stick-to-it-iveness to carry it out, if I get enough time.

Oh you think you could help me out with this? Great! It will help you too! Go here and sign up for a Business Mall; MyPowerMall.com/Biz/Home/30799

P.S. I already have 154 in my downline with very little trying, but I need 5 more for this contest.

Okay, I know this takes longer than I think I have time for, but I’ve just gone through my photos of this saga, and have put together a page for you to see this. Believe me, I’ve only picked about 18 - 20 shots. You won’t have to experience every nuance of it.

Curious? Check here; My New Furnace

On Saturday I was at a lovely garden wedding. I enjoyed it and was glad to be there, but when I was driving home I got to thinking that I need a refresher course in social skills.

When I moved to London, Ontario, and moved in with my Aunt Jean, she introduced me to her friends, and took me to dine out, and I gradually learned to drop my country-bumpkin ways and to behave like a city woman with manners. I was polite and listened to others at the wedding, but sensed that I was afraid to initiate moves to some degree.

Fortunately, Aunt Jean is coming to visit this next weekend! I’m going to get a chance at a short refresher course.

Maybe I have become a hard-working geek, concerned mostly with computers and only connecting with most of my friends by email. I don’t have time for a very active social life, but I ought to make sure I know how to eat and talk in public, right?

On Sunday afternoon I was at an Appreciation Program for the volunteers of the Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan (MHSS). Although they pay me for my website work for them, they wanted me to be included. So I got a certificate too, with a fancy gold border.

I had prepared some invitation cards to the seminar I want to offer on August 23rd, but when I saw how many seniors were there, I wondered if I’d have any better luck than at the wedding. However, over refreshments I had some lively conversations with various people, including one woman who came up and introduced herself as Aunt Lydia to a good friend of mine in Edmonton. We hit it off well, and a bit later I introduced her to another genealogy contract/relative who is in her 80s - and they discovered they were related! Agatha (the woman in her 80s) mentioned that she was having problems with her computer, so I was able to pull out my cards and offer her my services. Soon I was passing them out all around that round table! I went home feeling much improved as social miss-fit.

This is going to be one Busy, BUSY week! I’m trying to cram as much as I can into yesterday and today, because I have promised to help with some major cleaning and decorating downstairs tomorrow in the WTM basement.

Remember I was to get my new furnace last week? Well they called on Thursday and asked if they could change that to this week Thursday and Friday. Apparently I only need to be there to let them into the house in the morning, and they will manage (though I do want to take some photos). On the Thursday morning I have an appointment for an oil change on my car (another coupon freebie). On the Friday morning I’m going to go pick up Aunt Jean at the airport. I am trying to keep Saturday and Sunday free to spend with her, and my brother Tom.

Incidentally, I’m working at the office here right now.

Yesterday, I wanted to set up my email system so that I could somehow deal with some of them here, and also at home. By God’s grace, I picked up the booklet that was left for me here when the internet router and lines were set up in January. I had not really got around to studying it in any depth. As I went through it, lo and behold, I found out that there is a URL online where I can login and manage my network of computers! I’d thought I’d have to learn how to do that yet, and it is already done! Wow!

I can also do a remote access to these computers from mine at home by logging in with the right password. As long as I leave the computer with the emails running here, and I’ve set up “file sharing” then I can access whatever I want on this computer from my home computer! This is an answer to prayer!

I still have some more fine-tuning to do, and need to set up programs, and put files in place. Three computers don’t want to allow me to load my backup CD from home, so I still have to resolve that matter. I want to make an inventory of used parts and clean them up, and perhaps take them to be sold for me on consignment.

I also would like to decorate the office a bit. A nice frame picture or two of azaleas or roses? Maybe some nice posters and mottos too.

Of course, I dare not leave to last the final planning of my seminar and the four-month course curriculum! If I can afford it, I will even place some ads. I’ve been going through my birthday gifts pretty fast, but maybe there will be enough left over after bills are paid.

If you’d like to do me a favour, would you pray that just the right people will come for the seminar and also to sign up as full-time students to start on Sept. 2? So much hangs on that!

FREE Seminar by Azaleas Virtual Assistants Saturday 9 am. - August 23/08. ONLY 8 Seats Available. Call Ruth Friesen, 653-2417 or 956-7785 to reserve your place. (Lunch is provided). You will learn at least 3 or 4 ways to build a web business, and the pros and cons of each.

(If more than 8 register, Aug. 30 may open up)

If you or someone you know, is within driving distance to Saskatoon, and is interested, then please call me to confirm your chair. The address you will come to is, 401 33rd Street West. Ste 210. You come to the back door and ring the doorbell. My office suite is upstairs.

Yesterday a friend asked why I take time for this RoseBouquet when I am so busy. I have several good reasons and it occurred to me that there are probably others who wonder this too, so I want to take time to answer this well.

1. It is a good business move
2. It keeps me connected to my friends
3. A writer needs a creative outlet for expression

The Business Move

When I first came online in 1999 with a goal of learning to self-publish my novel I slurped up everything I could read or learn about marketing my book - and myself - online. It didn’t take long to learn that you have to have a website, but then, one of the best ways to promote a website and create long-term relationships with your visitors is to have a regular ezine (which is a newsletter or magazine that you send by email). So I started an ezine called the Journal Digest to share my excited discoveries. It did gain me a growing list of new friends.

When I won a domain website, I built it around my novel, and changed the name of that ezine to The RoseBouquet because the theme of my novel was about friendship and mentoring friends, and like the heroine, I tend to think of my friends as unique special roses in a bouquet of friendship. I’ve come to treat this ezine, which has now become a blog and an RSS feed as well, as a more informal, inspirational vehicle, rather than strictly business. But it still accomplishes some of my business goal, of turning visitors to my site/blog etc., into long-term friends, to whom I can promote my book and other links that I want to recommend to them.

An ezine elevates a business owner to something of an expert and professional. Yes, it is work, but I realize that if I dropped this RoseBouquet and then tried to start it up again some months or a year or two down the line, I’d have to start over from scratch. No matter how busy I get, it is important that I keep my writing and publishing commitment to my readers! It’s just plain good business sense.

My Bouquet of Friends

Even though I speak disparagingly sometimes about my social skills, my friends are my most valuable treasures. I try not to crow over a new friend in front of a long-time friend, but I really do feel a special thrill whenever I gain a new friend.

When others get back from trips, they show off their souvenirs. Instead I count up my new friends and try to figure out how to make time to write to them. I used to have an informal pen pal club during those years as a caregiver for my parents. I often put a week into writing a general newsy letter, cranking off copies, and then personal ones to those who had written me. I also made creative decorations for those letters. When I became an online business woman I did not have time for all that work, but The RoseBouquet restores some of that connection for me, and allows me to write a version of my pen pal letter - not just once a month, but weekly!

I already feel badly enough that I don’t have time to nurture and develop each friendship in greater detail with more time. If I were to say I’m too busy to write The RoseBouquet I would feel like I was dumping my precious friends! Horrors! Never! That’s why last year when I was super busy, I think I only begged off once last year. No, I can’t even find evidence of that. The week of Dad’s funeral, and the week after I had an extra short RoseBouquet, but I didn’t just disappear.

A Writer NEEDS to Write!

Only a real writer, who bleeds words when you cut them, can understand this last reason. I am one of those who has to write to stay sane. I write in my prayer journals every morning and find it hard to break away. That keeps me spiritually healthy. But when I don’t write throughout the rest of the day I begin to feel like I’m wearing someone else’s clothes and they don’t fit me!

I recognize that not everyone else feels like I do, but my life online - which includes writing The RoseBouquet, and web pages, and emails - on a good days for about 12 hours straight is designed just for me! I enjoy it very much! Some people are sure they would have a mental break down if they lived my lifestyle. For me it is a dream job.

The only better one would be if I could mentor some friends and show them how to do this too. That’s why I’m looking right now for just the right students for my Azaleas Virtual Assistants business. I want to intern them for this lifestyle. They won’t have to become my carbon copies, but we’ll tailor one web business just for each of them, and I’ll help them discover the delight in doing what they are best at.

So sure, I am very busy, but no, canceling The RoseBouquet is not an option. I suppose I could be boxed in one day in such a way that I have to beg off and excuse myself for a week or two, but you can count on me to resist that with all my might.

I need friends for my business I need to keep in touch with my friends, and I need to tell you my stories. If I get some positive feedback once in a while, and if you find my recommendations useful sometimes - that is icing on my cake!

Last week I spent my birthday celebrating in a rather unusual way. I’d got a book of coupons some weeks ago, and realized that these freebies from Saskatoon businesses will all expire on February 1. But when I’m busy teaching Monday through Friday from 9 - 5 I’m not likely to get around to using them; I better take some time now. Well, why not take the day off on my birthday and see how many free things I could get?

So I did. Some of the coupons ask you to call ahead for an appointment, and some are only to be used at the beginning, or slacker part of the week, so I had made some appointments in advance. At 9 am I took my car two blocks away for a good cleaning. (I had to cut short a long distance call from a good friend in Ontario to do that). When I got back and caught up with breakfast, I started work on my SBI site, but had to walk back to get my car at 10 am. (I also fielded another long distance birthday call).

At 11:45 I went to the office because Joe, Penny & Priscilla were taking me out to lunch at Denny’s. That was nice, but my meal was too big so I took some of it home for the next day.

From there I went shopping for a birthday gift for another friend, and also picked up the commissions at the Christian bookstore where I’ve been selling Dad’s last cross necklaces on consignment. There was enough profit for gas in the car later!

Next I drove across the city to the east side for my appointment at the Arizona Salon. Had to wait a bit, but got well pampered with a good haircut and styling.

Then I went back home and called my brother Tom. He had totally forgotten it was my birthday. However, when I told him I had all these restaurant meal coupons burning a hole in my purse, he was willing to go out for supper with me. We picked Tiffany’s where he paid for his meal and I got mine (same/equal value) for free. It was a huge Greek meal and again, I took home about half of it for the next day.

One of the coupons was for a free specialty coffee a month. Since I don’t drink coffee, and Tom does, I asked if he’d like one free. He was happy to agree. It was caramel this time. I’m going to try to remember to go get him another each month and bring it to him. (That should help keep me more in touch with him too).

Oh yes, I also stopped for the gas from Dad’s cross necklaces. On the way to drop Tom off at his apartment building I mentioned that I had meant to buy myself some mayonnaise. He invited me to take two jars of that out of his fridge as he doesn’t use the stuff. He ended up giving me a ham as well, and a bag of videos for the lending library we are starting at WTM.

I went home and tried to catch up on some emails. But I had this giddy feeling that I’d snuck away for a holiday and it was almost totally free! I just paid for the gift I bought and four small $1 household items for myself.