From someone far wiser than I...

I am copying a section from a blog I read. (You can find it here.) I am so amazed by this fact that I have to share it. I think I will print it out also and share it with every Christian I know - it is so wonderful and amazing to me!

Here it is:

The Silversmith


There was a group of women in a Bible study on the Book of Malachi. In Chapter 3 verse 3 it says: ‘He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver’. This puzzled the women and one of them offered to find out all about the process of refining silver and report back to the group next time. She tracked down a silversmith and made an appointment to visit his workshop to watch him at his craft. She didn’t mention the reason for her interest.

She watched as the silversmith held a piece of silver in a flame and let it heat up. He explained that to refine silver one needed to hold the metal right in the centre of the fire where it was hottest so as to burn away all impurities. The woman thought of God holding us in such a hotspot from time to time but wondered again at the words of the verse ‘He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver’. When she asked the silversmith if he really had to stay sitting there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined, he answered that yes, he not only must sit there holding the silver steady but he needed to keep his eyes on it every second it was in there. For if the silver was left a moment too long in the heat it would be destroyed.

The woman asked one final question. ‘How do you know when the silver is fully pure?’ He smiled at her. ‘That’s easy! It’s refined when I can see my reflection in it like a mirror.’

I feel like I have been in the fire for several years now. It is comforting to know The Refiner is holding me there - watching carefully to be sure I don't burn. It is also frightening to know He will keep me in the fire until I reflect His image, because I feel like that will never happen. I am too rebellious, too selfish, too much fighting the process. Oh that I could just give in and let The Refiner make me into something beautiful.

If you ever look at my list of blogs I must read, then you might notice I have added one. It is called There is Sand in My Latte and it is written by someone who I think is a friend of one of my sisters-in-law. It is, in my opinion, one of the best written blogs I have ever come across. Take a look and see if you agree.

In other news, I assume anyone reading my blog knows me and therefore already knows this, but just in case I missed telling you... Eric was hospitalized for 4 days this week. We will be visiting doctors next week as we try to determine the exact cause of his problem. I haven't written much and don't anticipate writing much in the near future. I am worn out from dealing with crisis upon crisis.

Check back from time to time. Someday hopefully I will have something interesting to say again.

Misty Morning

Often in the morning it is clear here, then a fog begins to roll up the mountain.
For some reason I think it is pretty. Generally there is too much going on for me to take time to snap photographs, but this week I found time.






It would be nice if there was some sun streaming through the mist. Perhaps some day I'll capture that.

This has been a wonderful week. The kids were on vacation for Chinese New Year and we have been lazy. I am really enjoying lazy, it's my favorite speed.

"The Cone of Shame"

Eric and the kids saw the movie "UP" when it was in theaters and ever since they have laughed about a line in which a dog says he is wearing "the cone of shame".

Yesterday both of our dogs visited the vet and were spayed. When we picked them up we all began laughing and said "The cone of shame"! We're mean, I know. But they do look funny.

Isn't this funny? It looks like Jasper is sticking her tongue out at me because she doesn't like being photographed wearing the cone of shame! (In reality, that is one of Jasper's funny traits - she sticks her tongue out a lot.)

It seems Jade might be genuinely embarrassed by the cone. Every time I try to take her picture she turns away or walks away.

At least the cones are pretty colors!


Although I feel bad for the dogs because they don't feel good right now, I have to confess I am enjoying the fact that they are not feeling good enough to jump all over me. We have hired a dog trainer so are working to eliminate the jumping, but it's not been accomplished yet. So, for now, I am enjoying it.