Answers to Prayer!

HI!! It's been so long since I updated, I feel like a visitor here on Darling Hill! No doubt, you've been stopping by, but I have not been "home" - sorry about that! Much has happened and I'll try to keep each little excerpt short.

Mom's surgery: She's been struggling with hernias of late. As Mom neared the surgery the attacks on her right side were happening daily. Through the Lord answering prayer perfectly, the operation last week was smooth and even our biggest fear (of the anesthesia causing future "delerium") was cast down, as they didn't even have to give her anesthesia! We just praise and thank the Lord for His hand in the procedure and these few days so far, as she's recovering well. Thanks, to those of you who will be (and have been) praying for her.

Other health issues: Thanks to you who know and that have prayed for some physical concerns I had. I'd not put them on the blog. Evidently a fibroid tumor (or more than one. We'll find out the results of yesterday's test soon) were what caused two weeks of excessive bleeding and the "dragging around" of myself through the days to follow. It was truly of God's grace that I was going to work daily and didn't even have any sick days where I had to stay home and sleep. I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath, and going for a walk was almost impossible. After blood tests on Wednesday, when the doctor told me that she thought I may need a blood transfusion I thought, "no", but she called me that evening and said that I was to await a call for Thursday morning. The transfusion went well yesterday and I definately feel MUCH better today. I needed two bags of blood. As they were hooking me up and starting the warming water through the tube, Syd asked, "Where are you drawing her blood OUT from?" They said that there was no blood to draw out, as I was "down" a quart on my dipstick! We had a relaxing 4.5 hrs as we waited for the process to run. The dogs were allowed to come into the room with us and, other than all the people who passed by wanting to come in and pat them, it was a quiet day; followed up in the late afternoon with an ultrasound. All in all, it was a FULL day. Syd says that my cheeks and lips (and FEET, for some reason) are pinked up now and that I look more like the girl  he married. That's always a good thing!

The Spring has certainly SPRUNG here on the hill. Aren't the leaves unfurling quickly!? We're again getting closed in with the blanketing green here in our woods. I know that it happens every year, but it was aptly named "Spring", as everything seems to spring into action, and it seems truly new, like we've never seen it before.

I hope you're having a fresh new day and that you're feeling good health. Though thankful for this recent rain, as I thought of those weeds outside, I know that this weekend I have to get ahead of them. Reading in Genesis 3 today made me remember Adam and the disobedience that not only plunged all mankind into sin, but also cursed the ground. It actually says, in verse 17, "in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life". Those thorns and thistles sure do bring sorrow, don't they? Praising the Lord that we can still grow vegetables and have the beautiful flowers to enjoy, I'll get out there this weekend in the sweat of my face, and pull those weeds! Thank you so much for stopping by Darling Hill today. Take care.

Photos from a Warm Spring Day!

Here are some photos from our walk today. We have a 70 degree April day out there. "Bzzzz!" that was the sound of a bug -the first one that flew by my ear this season! It was a welcome sound.

A few interesting mushrooms we passed along the way

Like Little Miss Muffet's tuffet! A seat fit for a princess...

Ah, Princess Coco!

My brother built nice seats into the stone wall. Mom's house in the background

Everyone poses on the wall

heading home

It's just nice to see "green"! Here come the irises

Then it was home for a little raking and window washing. The windchimes were hung back up also...nothing like windchimes to accompany window washing!

Though I hate to be inside, it's time to start supper. I opened the window to hear the chimes! Thanks for stopping by to check out our pictures. Happy Spring!

Hid With Christ

As my Aunt Jan wrote in the "corner", the bright little coltsfoot flowers are starting to sprinkle the ground along the roadsides and banks. Their sunny faces are a welcome sight. Until she mentioned boiling them and making a cough syrup I had not heard of it. As many of you readers know, I did experiment with the violets last year and certainly plan on making as much as possible again this Spring! The violet syrup is very soothing and supposedly a good expectorant. Syd does tend toward chest colds, I do not. He used it often and it's all used up. I'll post the simple recipe again  when I make more.

We've seen one fawn so far - seemed early. This is the one I stumbled across in the grass next door, from a few years ago.

 This has been a chilling Spring so far. We've been firing up the woodstove off and on. Our water thawed out and we're not having to hand pump the shower, yay! As I sat having my coffee and reading the Bible this morning I just looked around at our tiny little cabin and thanked the Lord for this comfy, warm shelter that He has provided while we sojourn here on earth. Sometimes you feel a little tucked away on the side-hill, but that is why we have a car (and a job in the outside world in some cases), to get out amongst folk; to be salt and light in this dark world. I was reading from Luke this morning, Christ's words to the seventy, while they were reminded that they had the power to tread on serpents; "Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are made subject unto you ; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."

As Christians, our names are written in heaven!! Colossians 3:3 says "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." It is wonderful to be tucked away under the shadow of God's wings, in the hollow of His hand; hid with Christ, in God.

Coco is here with us again this week. The three dogs and I are all getting ready to head out the door to a little office on the hill. I am thankful for the accounting, side-job that takes just two mornings a week. It's a respite from the post office and gives a couple relaxing afternoons to work around the house and visit with Mom.

Yes, Quincy emerged from the snow. I know I should not leave him out all winter; next year I'll bring him in

My tulips from last Tuesday still look this fresh! They are a great reminder of Spring!

I hope you'll journey up Darling Hill this morning. Remember to take the time to admire the little sunspots of coltsfoot along the roadside. They'll remind you that Spring really is here and sunny days are ahead.  Thanks for stopping by!

Bound for the Promised Land?

"Having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He hath prepared for them a city." Hebrews 11:13-16

Even though (as the famous hymn suggests) the Promised Land is a picture of Heaven, when we are no longer floundering in the wilderness, praise God, we are IN the promised land! To me it has always seemed that it is more of a picture of the obedient Christian life, one in which I'm allowing God to lead me day by day. Letting God lead daily is certainly "heaven on earth". Does that mean that I never relapse back into the wilderness? Sadly, no. May I never be "mindful of that country" and desire to return to wandering in the wilderness. Reading Numbers 13, even in the promised land there were "giants", briars and troubles. But there, God's people could live, in dependence on their Father day by day. What a privilege to live in the promised land with the promise of Heaven and eternity in the future, where there will never be another giant in the way!

This morning I was blessed by seeing two lone, Tom turkeys, two flocks of girls with their Tom, a blue heron, geese on a pond and even a kingfisher flew in front of my car...all on the way to work. It is a privilege to have these wild creatures living all around us. I'm thankful that the Lord has made us mindful of even just these physical blessings; more importantly the spiritual ones, moment by moment.

Our resident owl sits, waiting, watching closely for an unwary rodent. Syd and watched as he swooped away from our porch the other night with something in his talons. When he reached this perch (I took this picture immediately following the incident) he quickly gulped down his kill. It was amazing to watch how he devoured it, whole! I'm thankful that God has the umbrella of His hand and the living Word over us and has commanded us to keep our hearts with all diligence, to guard ourselves and wait on Him to keep us safe from Satan who seeks, daily, to devour us.

These photos were just cute. It's hard to get the full effect. Sturm was sitting up straight, leaning into Syd and sure looks pleased to be in such a place of honor, safety and security!

resting in his arms

I hope you know the Lord Jesus and are blessed in the promised land of His safety and obedient following day by day. Knowing Jesus as our Savior, we will all be together one day, forever in eternity!

Family and Friends, Near and Far

Yesterday was a special one to me. Though MANY thousands of people share your birthdate, it's friends and family who make it special to you. Thanks to all who made it a special day! I worked at the Post office and had surprises throughout the day. The evening before, Mom and Sarah had a nice dinner for us. My friend, Dottie, brought me these beautiful flowers and the yummy cupcakes (I wish you could have seen the "cupcake tree"). Phone calls came in from people you just don't get to see every day. Sweet Syd remembered my love of white flowers with lily of the valley and a white lilac to plant this Spring. He'd already gotten two white rose bushes. Cards came from special friends, a few are shown here, others hang by my PO desk.

A big surprise came at the end of the day. Our post office almost never gets 1st class mail delivered at the end of the day. Last night I picked up a half-sized letter tray, cut the strap and inside there was only ONE lone letter. I don't know if you can see it, here in the foreground, but it says "Deliver to: Cynthia Veysey..." my address followed. It was such a surprise and joy. A birthday letter from Syd's Mom. She wrote in it that she was sorry that it would be getting to me late. I can't wait to tell her that it wasn't!

"How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them they are more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with thee." Psalm 139:17,18

In The Way

Isaiah 30:21 "...This is the way; walk ye in it..."

Having just read the account of Abraham's servant, going out to find a bride for his son, the entire chapter of Genesis 24 reminds us that our wonderful God leads us all  the way. Abraham's servant was given a specific task by his master. As the servant was "in the way" he exercised faith and prayed to God for specific things to come to pass, to know the exact will of the Lord.

I am thankful that I serve a personal God. He leads me daily in the way He wants me to go. He does so for all of His children.
Lord, help me to exercise faith in knowing just where you want  me to set my steps daily, and moment by moment.

"Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath  not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth; I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren." Genesis 24:27

I am sorry that I've been so lax in writing lately. Spring is coming along here on the hill. The snow on the north side is even diminishing quite quickly. I'm looking so forward to digging in the dirt, setting plants and doing some other outdoor projects around the house; as I'm sure you are too!

Aunt Jan has sent me some good ideas for Aunt Jan's Corner, but I have not got them on there yet, sorry to say. Thanks for stopping by the hill today!

Something or Nothing?

I ask myself this early Sunday morning..."Do I want to be something, or nothing for God?"
We would all probably answer the same thing to that question. We want to be "something for God"!

If I want to be something (only FOR Him) I'd better get ahold of the things that Jesus Himself said are the most important. He boiled all the law and the prophets down to two things: to love the Lord our God with ALL, and to love our neighbor as ourself.

This morning the Lord has lead me, again, to I Corinthians 13. This has been the third week now that He has been teaching me from this amazing chapter. I want to get ahold of what real love is. He obviously wants me to start "getting it" too! I pray for His grace to do just that.

I'm so glad that God does not give up on us. He truly ENDURES ALL THINGS when it comes to people. I pray that you have a blessed Lord's Day. Sorry so short, but have to get ready for church.