ANOTHER VIDEO

Since my set of books It Is Written: My Prayer Journey into the Heart of God is now published, I thought it would be a good idea to do a video to tell you a little about it. So without any more ado, here is the video!

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WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

You may have been wondering why I have not posted anything new for a while. I apologize for that, but I have been busy. For one thing, I have been working on preparing another book for publishing. Last week I finally uploaded my manuscript and cover to KDP Print. There was a problem with the spine, so I fixed that and uploaded it again. No sooner had I done that than I realized I had the wrong front cover and spine. Evidently I had designed two front covers and spines to go with each, and somehow got them mixed up when I prepared my full cover PDF.

Continue reading here on my new blog for the rest of the story.

FALL FAIR TIME

A couple of weeks ago I took my friend to the Ilderton Fall Fair. It had been several years since I last went, and my friend had never been, so it was a fun time.

For the rest of the post, please go to my new web site.

IT’S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL

Yesterday I suggested to my friend that we take a walk in Waterworks Park St. Thomas Ontario on Sunday after church. This morning she asked me if I thought maybe we should take advantage of the beautiful weather and go today instead. That is what we did.

We stopped for lunch after Bible study before taking off for St. Thomas, about 3/4 of an hour’s drive from my end of town.

Some of the flowers in the gardens were past their prime, especially the cana lilies, but the colors were still brilliant. I didn’t take many pictures this time. I have hundreds from other walks through this park.

Well, it turned out that my friend’s idea to go today was sent from the Lord. We stood at one point deliberating which way to go. We almost went one way when I decided we could do that later. We walked towards the little bridges spanning the lily ponds. A man and woman came towards us heading for the walk we just turned from. She made a comment about how great the weather was and we stopped to chat. I mentioned my friend’s name in conversation, and it turned out this lady had the same name. I took a more concentrated look at her then, and asked her if she was (I spoke a name). She said, “Yes!” and looked curiously at me. I told her my name and immediately she remembered me. We used to be neighbors years ago when her children were little. It’s a small world after all.

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If we had followed through on the original plan to go on Sunday, or if we had decided to walk the other way, we would have missed each other. I don’t know why we needed to meet this couple today, but I believe there was a reason for it that only the Lord knows just now. But it was a wonderful surprise.

I believe the Lord loves to surprise us because He loves us so much. He loves to give us gifts whether they be spiritual or natural. Today was a gift to be able to spend a beautiful afternoon walking with a friend, meeting an old friend and enjoying the warm sunshine as we sat on one of the benches just soaking up the sunshine. God is good.

I hope you have enjoyed sharing my afternoon in the park. Sorry I didn’t take more photos, but I think these should brighten up your day (or night). Please take a moment to leave a comment in the box below. If you are not following my blog, please check the “Follow” button at the top to receive e-mail notifications of new posts. I will be announcing the publishing of a new blog site in the near future, and I hope you will join me there as well and sign up for notifications. In the meantime, have a blessed day and enjoy God’s wonderful creation wherever you live.

A WALK IN THE PARK

Well, today was a beautiful day to be outdoors. I called my friend to see if she was up for a walk, and she was, so off we went.

I chose Gibbon’s Park this time. There is a narrow dirt path, narrower this year than last with the wild growth, which I like to follow rather than the paved pathway. It’s a little like being out in the woods. There aren’t as many tent caterpillars this year, so it was nicer to go that way. We tried a side path down to the river, but I couldn’t seem to get to where I wanted, so we returned to the main path.

We walked back via the paved path and sat for some time on one of the benches. The sun was warm, the breeze cool–a perfect combination.

We kept going into the main park and sat again on a bench, this time overlooking the river. It was really pleasant. We walked as far as the bridge and took some photos from the middle. The Canada Geese put on a good show for us while we watched.

As we drove out of the park, I stopped along the street where we had seen a gorgeous bush loaded with flowers larger than any I have ever seen of that type. The photos don’t really show the size without including something to compare them with. But trust me, they were huge.

After stopping at an A & W to get a burger, I dropped my friend home then came back about five and a half hours after I left, tired and sore but having enjoyed a wonderful afternoon.

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I hope you have enjoyed another mini tour of another of our nature areas in the city of London Ontario Canada. Please leave a comment below. If you are not already following my blog, please take a moment to click on the “Follow” button to get e-mail updates for new posts. I really appreciate you taking time to read my posts. It means a lot to me. If you have not been here before, please feel free to browse through earlier posts to see what I have been up to.

Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend. God bless you.

LOST IN THE WOODS

Yesterday was a beautiful day, warm, sunshiny all day. My friend and I popped in to Harvey’s for a burger and fries after church before heading for a walk in one of the conservation areas here in London.

I have been to this area a few times, but not in the last two or three years. As we followed the path we noticed yellow arrows on the trees every so often to direct us in the way. That was great until…

After climbing a huge wooden stairway, we continued walking until we came to a sign that told us that beyond that point was private property. We could go no further, but neither could my body go the distance back over the whole path. We were lost.

We saw a man coming along behind us, so we asked him how to get out and back to the car. He was good enough to pull up Google maps on his phone and I was able to tell him where my car was parked. He told us we had to go back down the steps and quite a distance along until we came to a path leading to the left.

As I limped along behind my friend, I said to her that my body would never be the same again. I was literally forcing myself to keep going as it was my only choice. Spending the night with the cayotes did not sound in the least appealing. The man overheard me, and said that it depended on whether or not I wanted my body to be the same. I said I didn’t really want it to, and that I knew I needed exercise. The only problem was that I seemed to be getting at least a week’s exercise all in one day, and that was not really wise.

Every so often he would stop and wait for us until he turned down that path himself. He motioned to us that this was the path we needed to take. Later that evening I realized we never saw that man again, not even a distance ahead of us. Was he an angel? Do angels carry cell phones?

It was definitely the right path, and we found our way back to the car. None too soon, I should add, because my legs were almost at the point where they refused to work at all. It was so good to get into the car and know I didn’t have to walk any more.

All evening and today I have been suffering from that way-too-long walk, the first walk I have done in at least a year. But I survived, and that is the important thing. Now I will share some of the photos I took along the way.

This butterfly was difficult to photo as it kept opening and closing its wings and my camera has a delayed reaction, so I would click at the right time, but by the time the camera actually took the picture, its wings were closed again. This was the best I could do.

Darning Needle Dragonfly

This darning needle dragonfly was also difficult to capture on film. They move so quickly and don’t alight for long, but I got lucky with this one not long before my battery died.

More of the wildlife in the conservation area

The turquoise “collar” on this bird (grackle, I think) did not really exist. It was simply the way the sun caught the iridescent feathers at that angle. It was amazing.

Some of the wildflowers we saw along the way. The top is sumac. I’m not sure what the one to the left of the second row is. The center is goldenrod, next chicory (or cornflower). I don’t know what the one on the left of the bottom row is. Next is sweet pea then queen Anne’s lace.

Well, that is about it for my photos. The best thing about this conservation area is that it it right in the middle of a subdivision in the city. I love the fact that there are a number of these areas in London designated as conservation areas, places where we can walk and feel as though we are in the middle of the country yet we don’t have to travel far to get there.

I hope you have enjoyed my condensed tour of our Sunday afternoon walk. Please leave a comment below if you liked it. And if any of you know the names of the wildflowers I couldn’t name, please feel free to share in the comment box as well. If you are not already following my blog, please take a moment to click on the “Follow” button at the top to receive e-mail notifications of new posts.

Have a wonderful week. May God bless you richly.

ANNOUNCEMENT!

It’s an exciting time, and I have a special announcement to make.

My new books are now available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca as well as other Amazon markets.

It is Written: My Prayer Journey into the Heart of God

It is Written: My Prayer Journey into the Heart of God Study Guide

It is Written: My Prayer Journey into the Heart of God Journal for Study Guide

It is Written: My Prayer Journey into the Heart of God Thanksgiving Journal

If you are looking for a book which will encourage you to seek a deeper prayer life, a book which will teach you about prayer, a book which is based on the Word of God, a book with many scripture-based prayers, then you will want to get a copy of It is Written: My Prayer Journey into the Heart of God. Forward by Pastor Cheryl Roach, The Gathering Place and Revival Centre London, Ontario, Canada. Endorsed by Margaret Gibb, founder and director of  Women Together.

If you love to study, you will also want the Study Guide which takes you through the book with questions and suggestions for renewing, or beginning a fruitful prayer life. If you have a small group Bible Study, you may want to use the book and Guide for study in your group.

The Journal for Study Guide gives you more room to write your answers and notes and prayers.

The Thanksgiving Journal is for the challenge I have put out in the chapter on the importance of giving thanks.

Please click on the above links which will take you to the individual pages, or click here to go to the page with all of my books listed.

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit and for allowing me to share my excitement with you, my readers. After the many years I  have been working on this book, it is a joy to see the final result of all the hard work. I hope you will leave a comment in the box below. Again, please check out the Amazon pages. I have linked to Amazon.com, but if you live in Canada, you can find the same results on Amazon.ca. Either enter my name or the book title in the search box.

If you are not already following my blog, please take a moment to click on the “Follow” button at the top. I thank all of you who are already following me. I really appreciate your interest in reading my posts. Watch for an announcement for my new web site which I am currently working on. It’s not quite ready yet, but hopefully soon it will be public. I hope you will all follow me there as well.

I pray that these books will bring great blessing to those seeking a new or renewed prayer life and in the lives of the people who will be on the receiving end of all of those prayers. May God bless you abundantly as you begin or go deeper into your own personal Journey into the Heart of God.

WHAT IS SUCCESS?

The question was asked in one of my FaceBook groups the other day: What are you doing towards your success?

My answer probably looked atypical, because I do not view success as most business people do. For one thing, even though I was in business for years, I do not consider myself a businesswoman. I realize that, as an author, I am in business. I am in the business of selling books. At least, that is how the public sees it. It is also the way other business people see it. But I consider what I do more as a ministry than a business.

My answer went something like this: If even one person is helped, encouraged, finds hope from each of my books, I will consider that success. If I reach and help many people, I would not consider that more of a success than helping one person.

What am I doing towards success? I write the best I can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, that which the Lord inspires me to write. I hope to share the gospel and the love of God with my readers in such a way as to inspire them to better things, to a closer relationship with the Lord, to a deeper desire for the things of God. I share my books on my blog, on social media, with friends.

What more can I do? I can pray. And that leads me to my newest book, It is Written: My Prayer Journey into the Heart of God. It should be published by the end of this week. Along with the book is a Study Guide to be used either personally or in a small group study. Two journals will accompany these books, one a Thanksgiving Journal to be used for a challenge I have put forward in the book, the other a Study Guide Journal for extra notes for those who choose to use the Study Guide. Together, I pray that my readers will find their way into a brand new place in prayer for the first time, or into a fresh, dynamic renewal of prayer in their lives.

I will be back to let you know when the books are available on Amazon.

Announcement! The books are published and are now available on Amazon. Check my post here with links to each book on Amazon.com.

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Have a wonderful day and be blessed.

ANOTHER UPDATE

Just a short note today to bring you up to date on what I have been doing. My book, It Is Written: My Prayer Journey into the Heart of God is currently being read by Margaret Gibb, founder of Women Together, as she has generously agreed to endorse it. In the meantime I have been working on a study guide to go along with the book. I do not have a specific publishing date, but hope they will be available within the next month or so. I plan on publishing them together, so it depends on how long the study guide will take to finish.

Then, I have been side-tracked on another issue. My computer keeps telling me I need to update Windows. But the only problem is that I don’t have enough disk space to accomplish that. So I have spent days deleting many, many documents that I have no use for. Also, I discovered I had never resized many of my hundreds and hundreds of photos. Plus I had numerous duplicates that I had no need for. I am not quite finished yet, but I am getting closer to creating enough space for my update. Quite a chore, but one I have wanted to accomplish for some time now.

Some things I just have to be forced into doing. I suppose that is the way life often works, even in the spiritual realm. The Lord asks us to do something, but we are “too busy” to obey, so we keep ignoring it. Eventually, He gets our attention one way or another and we are forced into following His instructions. Often the thought of what we must do appears to be a mountain which, once we begin, we find is not much more than a hill. Yes, it takes effort to climb it, but it’s not really so bad after all.

I hope you are having a productive week. Thank you for taking time to drop by to read my post. I really appreciate you. Please take a moment to leave a comment in the box below before you leave. And if you have any extra time, please feel free to browse through my other posts. If you are not already following me, I would be happy if you would take a moment to click on the “Follow” button. You will receive e-mail notifications when I add a new post.

May the Lord bless you abundantly throughout this week and always.

STILL EDITING and WRITING

My apologies for having neglected my blog over the past couple of weeks. I have been editing my book It Is Written: My Prayer Journey into the Heart of God. Finally, on Thursday evening, I finished what I think was the fourth recent edit and, hopefully, the final one except possibly a final read-through.

I e-mailed the manuscript to Margaret Gibb, founder of Women Together, and she is currently reading it in order to endorse the book for me. Then there will be just the last minute things to do before I upload to KDP Print.

It’s exciting to see another book so close to being in my hands. I am now writing a companion workbook to use either in a group study or for personal use. This is a new area of creation for me, and I am enjoying it. I have 30 pages done as of Saturday night (first draft, of course), and hope to be able to publish both books together. I will let you know when they are available on Amazon. If you would like a preview of part of this book, check this post and follow the links to read the rest of the topic.

Other than this, I have been occupied with the usual things such as prayer, going to church and Bible Study. I had a lovely afternoon yesterday. A friend invited me to lunch after church. After eating, we sat out on her little patio enjoying a cup of tea and the beautiful weather. 

Well, this is just a short post, but I will be working on the study book this week and I just wanted to keep you updated on what is happening in my world.

Thank you for stopping by and reading my post. I hope you will take a moment to share your thoughts with me in the comment box below. And if any of you are not yet following my blog, please take another moment to click the “Follow” button to receive e-mail notifications of future posts.

Oh, and please watch for an announcement of my new web site sometime in the future (hopefully not too-distant future). I hope once it is made public that all of you, my followers on this blog, will skip over to the new site and sign up there, too. This site will remain and I may possibly post from time to time, if only to share new updates on my new site.

God bless you all. I pray you will have a wonderful and exciting week.