Life Goes On ...

And so the weeks pass, and life goes on. 

I have come to the conclusion that every one who is grieving, or lonely, or sad ought to have a Niseach in their lives.

I do realise not everyone can have a dog, but neither am I being facetious. I'm not sure there can be better therapy than having a loving dog as company, and Niseach is as sweet and loving and, erm, needy, as any canine friend could be.

I wuv her. She is the perfect therapy for sadness.

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Dad came out to Aberdeenshire for a few days last month with Marina (my sister) and the family. We visited Barra Berries and enjoyed some fun ...

....and some fruity ice-cream.

It was so good having Dad out and having Marina and the troops here. I miss having them nearby, and feel terribly being away, especially from Dad, these days. 

I keep telling myself that God has a reason for everything in our providence, and our being on the mainland at this time is in God's plan, and is for a reason. It's very possible that only Eternity will reveal the reasons. I leave it at that.


While the folks were here, we went in to Aberdeen - to the shops - one day. I was heading towards the lift in Debenhams, returning to the car and minding my own business, when I saw these ...

You like? Yes, I do too.

But that's not why I'm showing you this photo. These boots were for sale in Debenhams, and the photo below was taken that same minute and shows MY BOOTS.

Well, I'd like to see what Marina has to say about this, I thought! My boots, which are about ** years of age (I daren't let her know) are practically identical to the ones for sale in August 2017 in Debenhams.

Hah! Put that in your pipe and smoke it, I told her! Seems I'm the one ahead in the fashion game after all.

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While we were up in Lewis, Diana, DR's girlfriend, arrived at Marina's house with this...

Now, those of you who know me know that there aren't many ways into my heart, but the ways there are all involve food.

Or dogs.

But food is good, and Hummingbird's Cookies and Cream Layer Cake is a definite way into my heart.

Oh boy, it was good.

Overall, I've found Hummingbird cakes to be spot on every time I've made them. And this one most certainly didn't disappoint.

That same weekend, Diana and DR climbed the Clisham (remind me to tell you about the wellies story - in another post), and took some stunning photos. Here's one of them.

Harris landscape is so different to Lewis - Lewis is flat, Harris most certainly is not! 

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Almost all the time, Calum Stewart reminds me of DR. At other times, I actually think he is DR.  As I sat in DR's flat this particular Sunday afternoon, I kept having to remind myself that this was Calum and not his older brother! They are so alike in so  many different ways. I can assure you, this Mum is not complaining. Not one little bit.

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I've written almost a whole post and haven't mentioned the Builder yet. Thankfully, my blog post is not an indication of his importance in my life.... honestly.

A wee story: a year or so ago, we were in Northern Ireland, and the Builder met this fellow for the first time. This fellow - we'll call him Thomas (because that's his name) - hugged him as they were parting. 

Thomas was then mortified that he had hugged the Builder - a man he barely knew!

We've had such a laugh at Thomas's mortification, but the Builder assured him that there aren't too many guys by whom he'd be happy to be hugged, but Thomas was definitely one of the few!

Friends are such a blessing, and friends with whom we have precious fellowship in Christ is a special kind of blessing. The Builder loves these guys so much.

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Calum Stewart and I left the mainland last week to come to Northern Ireland, and I couldn't help but notice this on the side of our aeroplane.

"Faster than road or rail"

Erm ... I should smile and say so. 

This ve-hi-cle had better chug along more rapidly than any car or any train on road or track. 

Our reason, of course, for going to Northern Ireland was to see this lady. All being well, the Builder will join us when she finally pops, and our first grandchild is born.

Yes, I said grandchild.

Yes, I squealed. Frankly, I can not wait!

*      *      *

And so, as you see, life goes on. We have so many good things in life - things to be enjoyed, but from now on, they will be lived without Mum. 

Mum will not enjoy cake with us any more (she loved food rather like I love food); she will not have fun times in ice-cream shops with the grandchildren any more; she will not be with us in the shops again (she loved shopping - like Marina. Unlike me.) But of course, Mum has enjoyment right now like she never, ever got to experience here on earth. As the catechism she quoted so frequently during her illness says:

'The souls of believers are, at their death, made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection.'

Her body rests in the grave - a place Christ sanctified by resting there Himself, but her soul is in the presence of Christ right now. I want to spend more time thinking about this, but I have to confess that these past weeks have seen me spend much more time in sadness that I can't tell her about what Calum said, or what Marina and I ate for lunch, or the new shoes I bought (that even Marina approved of...:) ), or the fact that I was able to get all three washings dry outside, or what I'm making for dinner that evening. You see, there wasn't an aspect of our lives that we didn't blether to Mum about (Marina will say the same thing), and so there's not one thing I do or say or see or eat or read or hear that I don't think, 'Oh, wait till I tell .... '. 

Soon, all being well, Dad's first great-granchild will be born. And so our lives go on. One generation passes away; another is born. Soon it will be myself, and my body will rest, awaiting Christ's return. Family will grieve, and life will go on. How true the little verse that says:

Only one life, 

't will soon be past

Only what's done 

for Christ will last.

We'd do well to live with this in mind.

More Photos of Ness

I said the other day in this post that I would post more photos of our time with newly met friends last week. When they visited the second time, we had a (mostly) sunny, if cool and breezy day. Okay, freezing and blowing a hoolie, if you must know.

This wee fella found this flag somewhere in our house, and was happy to wave it proudly. 

By the way, this fella was such a cute little guy. He was seriously in danger of being kidnapped, both by me and by the girls.

Adorable.

The next photos were taken at Port of Ness, a harbour very close to the northernmost tip of Lewis, but round to the East. Because it's on the east coast, it tends to be much more sheltered that the seas we normally see, which are on the west coast - the Atlantic coast - of the island.

As you can see, the sea was fairly choppy this day. We had a fairly stiff breeze, and, more significantly, it was a north-easterly ... hence the waves here.

This photo is taken from one of the highest points in Ness, and shows part of the district.

We then drove to the Butt.

Once again folks: the BUTT is the TOP. Got it?

Good ;)

All very logical.

And then to Our Beach.

Oh, by the way.... erm, Spot the crofter in the photos .. !

What a great time we had with this family. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I love the internet!

Just a Thought...

An online friend of mine was being criticized the other day for having online friends whom she'd never met, and may never meet (this side of heaven, anyway). When we got talking about it (online!), it got me thinking...


I have been so incredibly blessed by some people whom I've never met, and will probably never meet this side of eternity, through online sermons, lectures and blogs. I have also been blessed beyond words by online friendships God has placed in my life. I have friends for whom I pray, and who pray for me - and I don't just mean that we give each other a mention on our knees before God. I mean true, burdened prayer. Folks who've not experienced the kind of bond that can exist outside of the normal face-to-face meetings may wonder at how genuine, how helpful, how real such bonds can be. In many ways, I don't blame them - I'd have been rather skeptical myself, had I not been blessed with such things in my life.


My friend, the other day, was being warned by her friends that, 'you  may not even like them if you met them in real life'. This made me think of my dear friend, Mr Spurgeon. You see, I am blessed by the words of this man again and again. His words are an encouragement to me. They warm my heart, make me see more of the beauty of my Saviour. They make me love Him more; hate my sin more.


But the truth is: I have never, and will never, meet him on this side of eternity. Had I been alive at the same time as he was, and had I met him 'in real life', I may not have liked him that much (I'm quite sure he wouldn't have been too 'taken' with me...), but the truth remains - through his words, whether on the page, or on the screen, he is a great source of blessing and encouragement to me.


So, the next time any of you are questioned about the possibility of online friendships being true, worthwhile or 'real', maybe you ought to think of some godly writer who 'being dead yet speaketh'. In eternity, when we do finally meet, there will be no sin, and no possibility of us not liking each other, and we will rejoice that God used the one to bless the other.


And to those of you who have been an encouragement to me over the past year or so; and to those of you who have truly become dear friends, and who are ever before me in my prayers.... even if it's God's will that we never meet here on earth, it is true that both emotionally and spiritually, y'all have been a great blessing in my life.


And if God wills it that we do get to meet here.... I do pray we like each other too ;)

How our Love Spreads

This is a quote from J.C. Ryle:

"If we love a person, we like his friends. We are favorably inclined to them, even before we know them. We are drawn to them by the common tie of common love to one and the same person. When we meet them we do not feel that we are altogether strangers. There is a bond of union between us. They love the person that we love, and that alone is an introduction. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ! The true Christian regards all Christ’s friends as his friends, members of the same body, children of the same family, soldiers in the same army, travelers to the same home. When he meets them, he feels as if he had long known them. He is more at home with them in a few minutes, than he is with many worldly people after an acquaintance of several years. And what is the secret of all this? It is simply affection to the same Savior and love to the same Lord."  


I love this quote. 



I love it because it was sent to me in a lovely e-mail this  morning. And I love it because it speaks exactly of how I feel.


There is definitely an immediate bond when you meet people who are loved by those whom you love.


And I feel that especially for the children of people I love. I feel very protective of the children of people who are dear to me, even if they are wayward, even if they are prats, and even if they are way, way off where they ought to be.


Yes, the bonds we have in Christ run deep. So deep that they reach those we've never met. So deep that they reach the families of those we love. And even so deep that they reach the friends of those we love.


Who wouldn't want to be part of the family of Christ! If you are still outside of Christ, come to Him, join with us, and be part of the best family on earth...

DR's BBQ

My boy is eighteen.

Anyone noticing a particular theme in this guy's life, by any chance? 

Friends, family, food and fellowship. Hey, I love alliteration. Especially when it's all true.

Special friends too.... Lest anyone think the USA is the only place the boys visited and loved, they both appeared at the barbecue last night in these t-shirts.

Yes, yes, yes, we all know you guys were on holiday.

Yes, we know you have a wonderful time.... but do you have to keep rubbing it in!

(Don't you love the decor in the background. Ahem.)

 One day, I'm gonna steal this wee fella...

 ...and these two.

 When the puddings came out, 

 the young folks were much too polite, it seems.

Not so, the adults!

 This pair got out for the day.

I could say so much more. So very, very much more, but safe to say, they're back where they belong today.

 Lots of fun and singing around the campfire eventually became too much....

for some folks!

Ten-pin Bowling

After dinner last night, we went ten-pin bowling.

Of course, I was streets ahead of the rest of them.

 It's all to do with technique...

 And the leg kick

Yes, I found the leg kick to be absolutely necessary. Mind you, the necessity wasn't for good scoring, but rather to keep me from falling flat on my face.

As the game progressed, I became more skilled...

 Can you tell?

 All that effort.... I think I pulled a muscle...

 Put on a brave face, Anne. You cannot seriously tell folks you pulled a muscle rolling a ball down an alley.

I mean, if I'd been playing squash, or doing karate, or running a marathon. Or even just running. Maybe even just up the stair.... then there would be some excuse. 

But chucking a ball down an alley? 

 After all that effort, can you see where the ball has gone? Into the gutter.

Never mind, my faithful band of followers were there to console me. What a delightful crowd of people I own as friends. Huh!

This fellow's technique wasn't much better...

... but was he competitive? 

You are dead right he was. So, so competitive!

Isn't this one adorable..

... except when she's laughing at my downfall.

Oh, talking of technique: we have...

 Katie's egg-laying technique;

the Wee Guy's chucking-the-scraps-to-the-hens technique

You know, I have no idea where that thought came from. I haven't seen scraps being chucked to hens in about thirty years, and yet this is what came to mind when I saw the stance in this photo.

Are there any psychologists out there? Is there something you could tell me? Actually, keep it to yourselves: I think I'd rather not know, thank you.

 There were some with better technique...

 Catherine ended the game in 2nd place.

 But our winner was...

Heather!


These Americans. They're everywhere.
And winning too!