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Hello Kindreds!

This isn't exactly a post... more of an excuse. Emi asked me to apologize on her behalf, since she will be unable to come on the blog for at least six weeks, due to illness. I don't understand all the details, but she is recovering from some kind of severe eye inflammation and can't look at screens at all. She just wanted everyone to know she isn't neglecting the blog on purpose, and she can't wait to be back and scribbling again! I know she misses you all. Prayers for her recovery are really appreciated, thank you! 

Dear  kindreds….

This is a post that is to consist entirely of the musings and collective thoughts that followed the discovery and diving into of a book I happened upon without trying to…. And that has been ceaselessly encouraging me ever since. I’ve lost count of the times I have opened it in tears, and found comfort…. Or opened it with question holes in my heart that were unexpectedly and perfectly filled, and found my eyes filled with another kind of tears. 

That kind of a book. 

Your eyes widen at this, and a not-sure-what-to-make-of-this light enters your questioning gaze. 

Finally you ask it. The question begging to be posed.

What is this book, that it has had such leverage, you ask in polite curiosity. It really wants to be slightly more, but it stuck to that. 

It is a book of poetry, I reply. Eloquence is my strong point, as you can well see. And sarcasm, appropriately wielded and in the hands of an expert, is an art. 

But curiosity gets the better of you. 

“Well, who by then? Wordsworth? Longfellow? Maybe Robert Service? You’re northern, after all, that would make sense. All except the tears part. Was it written on the subject of the Yukon Trail, perhaps? “

“No?”

“Well, then what is it? Modern? Historical? Antiquated? Something newly released and that is why you discovered it!”

Nope. No to all of the above. It comes with an unassuming cover, clearly from another era, yet not so old as to collectible. It is not the kind to catch your eye on the shelf, and a sweetly old fashioned and very demure watercolour graces the front.

Yet the title says it all. Heart Gifts, by Helen Steiner Rice.

You have struck gold. Anything sound familiar about that title? (Always keeping in mind that the discovery of it took place at the very least several weeks after the original HeartSong Moment was written up and posted, maybe more.)

Hidden among dozens of bright and bold covers…. Yet I found it. Or maybe…. I am rather inclined to think it was put there for me to find. I knew the moment I pulled it out that it was coming home with me, and…. It has been a Godsend. That is the long and short and yes, too the the sweetness of it.

As if the thoughts of your heart lay spread out on the page before you, a page you would never have found by yourself…. When you needed to know the Master heard and saw and loved…. Even when you could hardly find the words to pray, and your thoughts stubbornly clung to everything but what truly needed to be thought and asked…

And a gentle, quiet leading brought you to where you needed to be anyway. To see. To hear, to know…. To be refilled and strengthened for the road ahead.

It has blessed me…. Far beyond what I expected when I took it off the shelf. And now…. I cannot but share it, on the grounds that mayhap ye shall find it to be exactly what you need as well🙃

May your days be filled with His Light….

Yours, counting her blessings….

~Emi

Ps. This went up fast-ish, and now it wants to start sprouting all over on me…. So I reserve the right to edit and add on this one😜🤪 Like lots, maybe. Just a heads up (;

One Drop At A Time

One by one, the raindrops fall on the “seed” that is yours truly…. Duly and deeply nicked, albeit unexpectedly and at a cost…. there is something going on at the heart of it. It swells suspiciously, and one might be forgiven for wondering if mayhap and possibly things be nearly set to sprout forth…. Nay, but already are as we speak. New and previously unexperienced things…. Glorious things, scary, frightening things, peace immeasurable, ways where no ways were…. And where the Master makes a way, it always leads to a place He has made ready.

He goes before us, does not fail us….

            

And the raindrops fall, and the heart finds hope in the melody that is them. 

Yes, these garden analogies are likely to continue. Quite. This blog has temporarily turned snapshot journal, and I find myself quite alright with that…. This is a season. Yes, there is more to this than mere thoughts and musings…. This is Life, and the Real Life tendings of my Gardener…. And He is faithful, forever faithful.

See Philippians 2:10-11 and Philippians 4:7….

He is always faithful…. And He will show you so in a thousand ways. Wait for the Light to shine through, kindreds…. I tell you, it is worth waiting for. Not all the darkness in the world can dim the power of the true Light. Beyond your wildest dreams, it’s worth it. Surrender is not losing, it is gaining more than anyone could have imagined.

Living completed, and learning to trust like a child….

~Emily 

In Times Of Darkness

                             Psalm 34:18

The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Kindreds… I have something different for you today. I don’t know what to call it, so I’ll just say it was…. Heart-written.   One of those times when you’re just the pen…. Neither the ink nor the author. And I felt as if I needed to share it, so…. 

If any one of you out there is in the middle of the same kind of dark valley…. Hold on. There is hope. You may not see it, but it has not given up on you. The Light is still there…. The Light is ALWAYS there, and He cares. He’s not letting go…. Hold fast. Even when it looks hopeless. He will be your hope, and the rock on which you may stand.

      

In Times Of Darkness, 

                                  Revive Us Again

Psalm 56:8

Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

Have you ever felt like you were drowning, and you couldn’t swim? Like all the world was dark around you, and not a peep of light shone in? How like a seed, I wonder, would this situation be?

The rain rolls down around it, deep in the earth it cannot see…. When all is dark and muddy, what earthly good can in this be?

The rain, it keeps on coming, in torrents, that, swift and unceasing, soften your shell…. Yet the hopeless becomes the cause of hope, God doeth all things well. 

In drowning, it may sprout forth, the raindrops sweetly sink to help…. What feels a death sentence becomes a life source, a gift the seed could not give itself. 

He knows, He knows that you’re hurting…. But He knows that you need this to grow. So wisely He permits that which breaks you, so that in time, His abundance you’ll know.

Loving you too much to leave you, that small seed encased in the ground…. Knowing that in you, there be blossoms…. After in His love, you shall abound. 

Hold fast, when you’re drowning and can’t swim, when the world around you goes dark…. When it’s cold and it’s wet, and you’re hedged in….

Just hold fast the hope He provides. For He always sends hope when you need it, light for the heart, if not eyes…. Knowing this, hold fast to the light now, all the more when the fear groweth stark.

He goes with you, He promises warmly. And every promise He makes, He does keep. Just keep watch, ye wee seeds in the dark ground…. When the night is o’er, His faithfulness you plainly too shall see.

So rejoice in the grace of our Gardener…. Who protects us in the midst of each storm, nurturing in the midst of great pain…. I’ve found, and I know you will find, too, that He is faithful, and He always shall be.

Rejoice with me in His grace, my friends… Because this is half journal entry. 

The darkness has no power over Him in whom we trust.

Yours overflowingly, having come through the valley, and been brought into a joyful place…. 

Emi

Luke 8:24~25 

And they came to Him, and awoke him, saying, Master, Master, we perish. Then He arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.

And He said unto them, where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying to one another, what manner of man is this! For He commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey Him.

Ps. I know I’ve mentioned Celtic Woman before, but this song in particular…. Rang true for me after every valley. If you need just a twinkling of encouragement wherever you are in your own path at this moment…. This song may provide you with more than that. To me, it has been a lantern of His faithfulness. You Raise Me Up

Heart song moments.

They come unexpectedly, un-sought-for, and always when you need them most. They put hope back in you, joy within you, and give an awed wonder to the eyes of the heart….

Is that an odd thing to be writing about? Probably…. But they’re been on my mind lately, and so I had no choice but scribble and see where the thought led. (Ephesians 5:19 is where it originally started, btw.)

And this is where they went.

                                  Thought of the day~

One raindrop in the middle of a desert—one sweet, cool, precious raindrop—May do quite as much for your heart as dancing in the rain in a summer where drought is nothing but a bad dream, a distant memory. 

One drop of living water when you need it most….

Will go soul-deep, and nourish the heart it falls upon.

He is good, whether the falling rain washes over you, or that one drop falls in the desert to give you hope.

You are not alone.

And Not Alone…. Oh, what a wonderful place that is to be, to know you are.

Yes, this is a hasty post…. But it’s going up exactly the way it is, this morning!

The 30 Song Tag

Hello again, kindreds!!! 

Haven’t we got an intriguing title up top today? I’m so excited I could spin in circles!

See, this is how it came about. I was tagged for this by the lovely Lizzie Hexam, she of the blog Starlight And Saucepans…. And I have had SO much fun with this🤗 So much so that you may get winded halfway through, because I did not go by any form of word-rations at all. Not even a smidgen. 

It’s also the first tag I’ve ever done, so this feels milestone-ish and very much uncharted territory-ish. Maybe without the ishes.

Now, there’s one thing you should know before we start. Remember that quote of Anne’s, the one that goes “There are such a lot of Anne’s In Me”? It just so happens to fit me to a T. And today everything I write is wanting to come out sounding as if I’m the countriest thing to come from the provinces since Stompin’ Tom Connors. I’ll go back to my customary whimsical self in short order, never you fear. But as for today…. Meet the Emi that climbs trees and goes snowmobiling🤷‍♀️

You will find ample evidence in the following😜 Everybody ready???? Yes? Splendid, I was hoping you’d say that (; Ahem. So. Let us begin!!!

Your favorite song

Oh boy. You do know that I’m absolutely terrible at pinning down just one favourite of anything, right???? Books, teas, movies…. And ESPECIALLY songs. Ask for my current Top Ten, and they’ll roll off my tongue like I’ve been waiting for you to ask…. But just one??!!

I’m going to echo Lizzie, and say One Of My Favourites, and not necessarily my One Favourite! 

Lay Low —Josh Turner…. And yes, you may be seeing him a few more times before all the questions are covered, because I am kinda sorta slightly an enormous fan😜 And please oh please, take a moment and watch the music video while you listen…. It is GORGEOUS, I tell you.

Random pic of a log cabin because they’re lovely and they belong with this song….

                          

Your least favourite song

Ooh, my least favourite!!! Well now, let us see. *props her chin in her hands and thinks very hard* Well okay, not going to pretend, when I dislike things, I dislike them heartily and to the great amusement of my sisters😜 And if you asked my lil sis, she’d tell you pretty much anything by The Brothers Osborne. There would be no doubt in her mind whatsoever. 

But while I don’t exactly ENJOY their music, I don’t know if I would say it’s my absolute least favourite. I’m sure somewhere there must be a song that I am not thinking of that I like even less. Like maybe by Bailey Zimmerman. Sorry, just simply not a fan. Also that is why you see no specific song here X)

A song that makes you happy

Sowin’ Love by Paul Overstreet. It never fails to make my heart smile, and when your heart smiles…. You can’t keep the smile off your face either. It bursts through like sunshine!

A song that makes you sad

Ooh…. A song that makes me sad. That’s…. A surprisingly easy one. Three Wooden Crosses  by Randy Travis and Josh Turner. (See, I told you!) I can never listen to this in the presence of other people…. Because I’ve tried, but I cannot make it through the whole thing without crying. Even though it is, in fact, an incredibly encouraging song. That fact does not make me one particle less teary.

A song that makes you feel guilty

This Is Me—Randy Travis…. I saw someone say this once, and I’ve never been able to hear the song any other way after that….. They said to listen to it, not like a love song, but as if it was God talking to you…. And yeah, there are times when that does make me feel incredibly guilty. Also like crying. Because trying to keep things from the One who knows your heart…. 

A song that often gets stuck in your head

The song Shanti sings right at the end of The Jungle Book, oddly enough. You know, the one that reels Mowgli in whilst Bagheera looks on approvingly and Balloo in horror…. and it then makes him tumble head over heels in love and the river? That one. Actually, this one.  “My Own Home.” And it goes ‘round and ‘round in my head until it bursts upon a world that was neither waiting for nor prepared for it.

A song that reminds you of someone

 Strawberry Roan—Wilf Carter…. My dad always used to sing it growing up, and they are now forever connected in my head (; The quintessential prairie cowboy song.

Bonus Fun Fact I have always wanted to casually throw into a conversation: My dad’s friend’s dad was friends with Wilf Carter. (Yes, that’s a bit of a tongue twister😆) They used to work on the same ranch, anyways.  And nine yr old me was SO starstruck for a very long time after finding that out, because WILF CARTER! MONTANA SLIM!! 

Knowing someone who knows someone who knew a legend…. Starstruck may not be a big enough word for what I was😄

A song that reminds you of someplace

Now, if you were asking about Adventures In Odyssey episodes…. This would be easy.  But you’re not! Sooooo….     Hum. Huskies And Husqvarnas, by Tim Hus. It never fails to bring to mind all those long road trips from my childhood…. in which the mountain roads would go corkscrewy and lead to places of indescribable ruggedness and wonder. 

A song that reminds you of a certain event

I thought and thought and thought about this one…. And finally came to a conclusion. The hymns sung in my grandparents church are very, very distinctive. Dating back hundreds of years and unchanged, that kind of distinctive. And this is one that always and without fail brings back memories of it for me…. Or rather, this is something that sounds very similar, I couldn’t find the original on YouTube for the life of me. 

Gaelic Precenting

For clarity, no, I’m not Gaelic. Not a bit of it, though I wish I   was (; But aside from the fact that our version is sung in German… This could be an un-identical twin.

A song you know all the words to

The Gambler, by Kenny Rogers…. And in case anyone is wondering, there is only one right version. I’m telling you. It is THIS one. I will argue all night with anyone who disagrees, so fair warning has been given😂  I’m serious, though…. Even his own previous renditions don’t quite cut it. It’s as if by this point in time, his voice had somehow gathered the necessary wisdom and a certain time-worn mellowness needed to make this song so special.

A song you could dance to

Níl Sé’n Lá, by Celtic Woman. Five notes in and my toes start tapping, one minute, and I can hardly sit still! Do yourself a favour and watch the music video, it’s beyond delightful (:

A song that makes you fall asleep

Ohhhhh. Now what do I say??!! I don’t fall asleep to music, sorry😆 I happen to be a light sleeper, and so much as a light being on in the other end of the house will keep me awake. 

But a song that relaxes me…. Your Smile—Josh Turner. I don’t know why, it just gives me the warm-cozies every time,  and I love it all to pieces! 

A song from your favorite band

High Valley’s On The Combine. This song is nostalgic, I’m telling you. Which folks would know, if I’d actually posted the Thanksgiving scribble in October that I meant to. But yes. That is one song that quite literally does sound like home to me🤗 And so does the band…. Win-win! 

Yes, I know folks who would be greatly insulted by me using a picture of a combine that so clearly is not Case IH. See also What Colour You Drive, by the Hunter Brothers to find out why that matters to begin with😜

A song from a band you hate 

Oh brother. Is it bad if I admit I was hoping you wouldn’t ask??? Yes? But saying you hate things ain’t nice, right? So how about a song I Very Heartily Dislike instead. Brothers Osborne—It Ain’t My Fault. Not linking it.  Blame-shifting makes me boil, even in music-ish form. And yes, my sisters think me hating it so fiercely is extremely funny😆 

A song nobody would expect you to love

Ummmmmmm…. Tweedle-Dee-Tweedle-Day-Now-What-On-Earth-Do-I-Say? I am usually pretty predictable. So that makes this much more difficult. By half. Something unexpected to SOME people, now that I can do. How about…. Wajch Moaka, by NW Aunbäden? It’s actually a Low German translation of  WayMaker, but it sings to me in a way its English twin just can’t live up to! I mean, some people will suspect this, if they know me pretty well, but I’m preeeeetty sure it would surprise everyone on here. Does that qualify it?

A song that describes you. 

This is hard😳 Maybe Northern Girl, by Terri Clark…. Let me think about it and come back to it later, eh?

Okay, this is later now! And…. I thought and thought and thought some more…. And I came up very blank. I don’t think that particular song has been written, sorry😆 Going with Northern Girl out of default. 

An underrated song more people should love

Ummmmmm…. Huh. I’m gonna say Jerusalem’s Cry, by Randy Travis…. Or actually, make that Paul Lassey’s Scottish Fougères - Bretagne, because harmonicas are in and of themselves thoroughly underrated! Does that make sense? I’m not sure. Anyways, both songs I heartily enjoy and admire and hardly ever see anywhere, so that counts, I think.

A song that you often hear on the radio

Okay, this one is easy.  New Old Trucks, by the James Barker Band. Short answer among many XXL ones😜 This whole list might make more sense to people if you take into account that my area has about 3-4 radio stations to pick from, two of which are country, one is gospel, and the fourth I avoid like the plague because it is neither. 

A song you wish you heard on the radio

George Fox’s Billy Green. Yes, I am fairly patriotic (;   No offence whatsoever intended towards the other side of the border, this all happened a very, very long time ago, and I am delighted to be neighbours with you, truly! But I am also a Red-White-And-True patriot, and therefore must needs love this song (; 

                  

A song you listen to when you’re happy

Celtic Woman, Ballroom Of Romance. Oh, but it all but makes me dance where I stand! I’m not kidding, I start bouncing on my toes and spinning where no spin is necessary and just generally being carried along with the music😜 You can’t be down in the presence of anything so merrily lilting, tis impossible!

A song you listen to when you’re sad

The River—Garth Brooks. Sometimes you just need something to flow as slow as you feel at that moment, but that’s still going to help tip your world back to rights at the same time…. And this is usually the one I go to.

A song you listen to when you’re angry

Terri Clark, Better Things To Do. And I take it allllll out of context and just sing it for all kinds of reasons that have nothing to do with what the song is even about😂 But it IS pretty effective, and it lets off steam, and you come out just plain feeling better n almost a leetle bit like laughing (; 

A song you want to play at your wedding

Alan Jackson, That’s The Way…. No explanation on this one, that is just…. If I ever do happen to be blessed with a such an event, this—and the marriage itself—is what I want it to signify. More of a theme song than actually playing then, but it sort of counts! You could call it a Hope Chest song, I guess (:

A song you want to play at your funeral

Oh😯 Now, if I must come clean, this is one subject I’ve  never thought of. Not once. Allow me to set the dial to Processing. 

Processed. A little uncertainly, because this is a new thought, but…. I’m going with  “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)” But honestly…. I don’t know, if I was taking this very seriously, I’d probably think about it for several days (and or weeks X-) before making a decision. 

A song that makes you laugh

Ooh, if I think about this too long, I will scribble down a looooong line, because this is fun!!! With Cattlerack Cadillac and Master Caster and Talkin’ Saskatoon Blues heading the list. Because Tim Hus does not get the attention he so richly deserves, and he is priceless. Okay, next question before this one runs away with me!!

A song that you can play

Uhhhhhh… Half of Für Elise and likewise half of Swan Lake… Front and foremost halves😜 Accomplished, aren’t I?

A song you wish you could play

Slight confession? I can’t actually read music. Not a bit. I always refused to learn it on account of it felt so confining, and I couldn’t “find music” in the written notes. (Yeah, smart move, Emi x) I’d rather just play around and let the music go where it wanted. So… I wish I could play everything!!! 

A song from your childhood

Bud The Spud—Stompin’ Tom Connors. Yes, that’s a real song! By an even realer Canadian legend (;

Your favorite duet

Anything Randy Travis and Josh Turner have done together. I told you I’m an enormous fan! I have not stopped to count up how many times I mentioned them so far, but I think I’m unintentionally beginning and ending with them😆

Your favorite song at this time of year

Hmmmm🤔 The Snowmobile Song, Stomping Tom Connors? Or maybe Skate, by Tim And The Glory Boys…. There really aren’t that many January songs, are there? ‘Kay, I really do not know which one to go with. Just pick whichever one of those fits best to you personally, because Philippa forget to lend me her hatpin today😆

And that, my dearies, was 30 songs. (Well actually, the count mayyyy be higher than that, the list got Emi-ed ;) And I actually surprised myself, I thought I’d have all the answers right off…. Because generally speaking, they overflow for all they are worth, these thoughts of mine! But this actually did take me a wee bit😜 Why is it that songs flee the moment you need them, and flit about your head willy-nilly the rest of the time? I’ll play Davy and say “I wanna know.” ;)

Ahhhhh…. *insert contented sigh here* 

Okay, that was fun. That was a lot of fun. I even reminded myself of some favourites that had slipped my mind recently, and have been very busily getting reacquainted with them…. And remembering hundreds more that don’t fit here, but must be dug out of storage posthaste, because I miss them! 

But they won’t all fit in tonight, because it is getting LATE and tomorrow is Monday. And no, Ms. Lorrie Morgan, I disagree. Mondays can too be good days!  

Ahem. Distracted. And the next line in my head is “But it’s Sunday now and everything’s alright.” And what d’you know, so it is! But I do believe I was about to say Goodnight when I got song-ambushed. Is that what I was going to do? Well anyway, I am now…. All good things must come to their right and befitting end, even days. The delightfulest (yes, sleepily permitting myself to make up words) variety seeming to come to the most hastened of ending points…. 

Which is not fair. It really isn’t. But farewells…. *sniff* must still be said…. It is inescapable. 

So “Goodbye, And May You Always See A Happy Face In Your Looking Glass”, ye kindreds dear….

Yours meanderingly,

~Emily

Ps. Now, this being my first tag ever, I think I’m just going to leave it at this. For one thing, I have not the foggiest notion whom to tag😜 So if you read this, and you fancy a go at the list your own self…. Please, please do take it up, and let me know how it goes on your end! 

I should perhaps post a clean list of questions here just in case…. That would be smart. But it’s already so long, this post…. Soooo, if you click on the link right up at the top, where it says Starlight And Saucepans, you will find it waiting for you there! 

To Sow A Seed

11      For as the soil makes the sprout come up
         and a garden causes seeds to grow,
     so the Sovereign  LORD will make righteousness
         and praise spring up before all nations.

                        Isaiah 61:11

             ~*~,~*~,~*~,~*~,~*~,~*~,~*~,~*~,~*~,~*~,~*~

    Hullo again, my lovelies! 

Yup, you guessed it…. Another scribble has come, and taken over the controls very deftly indeed. It also stubbornly wanted to be about gardens, in the dead of winter. 

Here I sit shivering (well, not really :P it’s warm inside, if not out!) in temperatures that would make most folks stare goggle-eyed, and ask in faint voices whether perhaps the thermometer was malfunctioning…. And flowers sprout up in my scribbles. Highly irregular, wouldn’t you say? But one cannot overrule the ideas of scribbles, especially the ones that come with a grain of solemnity infused therein… Without you necessarily having meant them to. Forgive me if I wax a bit philosophical in with the flowers, it wanted to come out that way!

I have a feeling I may yet be continuing with the garden analogies quite a lot this year, they are popping up all over like earthworms after a rain….

In fact, a quaint little story I read once keeps coming to mind…. The story of a moonflower.

I can’t for the life of me remember the title, but I’m fairly certain it was Jan Karon who wrote it….

And it was so sweet that little-me went straight away and wrote what I thought was poetry on the subject of moonflowers that were in the habit of flooding the moonlit world with perfume.

And now I’m awfully glad to say I have no idea where that scrap of paper went, because I’m quite sure it would not sound half so much like poetry to me now as it did then X-)

Anyway. What brought on this streak of reminiscing is the moonflower, once again.

Now, I was thoroughly enamoured with the idea of them for quite a long time afterwards, and when I finally found an actual packet of moonflower seeds…. I thought I’d been handed a diamond mine. I’m quite certain I dreamed about them that night, and maybe even on successive nights. (Why no, I have never been ezackly quite normal, however did you guess??)

And upon opening that packet on planting day, I found some of the biggest seeds I’d ever seen. So big you could almost call them kernels. 

But just planting them wasn’t enough. First, the packet said, they had to be nicked. Deeply nicked. 

It was either that, or filing a small hole neatly past their defences, exposing the heart of the seed.

Now, this seemed like unnecessary cruelty to a helpless and innocent flower-that-was-not-yet to me. 

But the truth of the matter was, their outer shell was so thick, that unless it was penetrated, the water you must needs soak them in before you could plant them, took a very, very long time to get to the heart of the seed. And if it doesn’t get to the heart…. It cannot germinate, and that seed may as well be thrown away. It doesn’t have a chance.

I wonder…. How often the Gardener has to do that with us? 

Yours musingly….

-Emily

Ps. I have NO idea where that 11 snuck in, it does not even exist until I hit publish. And I tried fixing it soooo many times, but it is stubborn. So it is there still. Excuse it…..