Grampa Peter

A Book With Legs

2011-04-17T08:00:00.004-06:00

Everybody Needs To Know
Who Jesus IS

Today, people still want to know who Jesus is
I know we can’t pave His way with palm branches
And we can't praise Him in person,
But we can still honor Him every day

We can tell people of the great things He has done
And help those that are in need when ever we can (Gal. 6:2),
We need to patiently bear insults that come our way (1 Peter 4:14-16),
Because of the stand we take for Him each day

We need to show love for each other, deeply (v.8).
Being ready with an answer, always for those who ask why
And for those onlookers who ask, “Who is Jesus?”
Why is He so important to you, what will you say?

So we need to let our lips praise His name
And our lives need to express who He is
Matching up with the holy gospel we profess;
Bringing praise and honor to His Holy Name

So let our work and virtue lights shine,
To prove the doctrines that we stand by
We honor God and His Holy Name
When we call Him our Father and live like His Son.

By Peter C. Salmond

Thoughts from my Devotions this morning, it is important to devote some time to Him each morning, so I will remain devoted to Him all through out the day. God BLESS you today.

Safe, In The Hollow Of His Hand

2011-04-15T07:28:00.005-06:00

Hidden and Sheltered

Hidden in the hollow of His hand
He blesses those who wait upon his care
No foe can follow, with His command
No, there is no traitor that can stand there

One does not need to worry of sinking sand
No need to have a shade of care,
For God in in control of this great land
No need to be in a hurry for the spirit is there

We are stayed upon Jehovah, safe with in His hand
Our hearts are fully blessed without a care
We will finding Him as He promised, and we will stand
Having perfect peace and rest, with not a worry but a prayer.

We are safe when we put our problems in God’s hand,
He puts His peace in hearts and souls every where
As we follow each thing at His command
Obedience brings God's blessing every time we go there

By Peter C. Salmond

Our Life, From His Breath

2011-04-14T06:21:00.008-06:00

We Breath, Because of the Breath Of God

God has our days planned, so walk in them (Ps. 139:16)
And we exist now only because of the breath of God (Job 33:4).
We do not know how many breaths we have left—
We can rest in and be sure that He our Father does.

God holds our future in His hands, He knows best
And gives us every breath that we take
Just knowing that He’s by our side, walking hand in hand
Takes away our fear of death, and we look Heavenward.

From our first breath to our last, we are in God’s care
When we get to heaven He will be there
We will see Him as He is, we will stand face to face
And we will forever be with Him, oh what bliss.

Oh how I long to see my Saviors face, with His glory all around

Can I Ever Be Perfect

2011-04-13T07:55:00.002-06:00

Perfection Is In Him And In Him Alone

Luke 12:1-7

Matthew 5:48 - Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

You can hid no wrongs from God ” (v.2).
So, we are to reverentially fear Him,
To ask for His grace to forsake any sin,
And to grow as true believers should grow.

Yeast may be a blessing in the bakery,
For it makes great tasting cakes and things
But it can also remind us to guard against
The permeating influence of sin in our hearts.

God's perfection demands that we
Have a heart that’s pure and clean,
For His grace unites with His holiness
To cleanse our hearts and to make us pure within.

Be sure your sin will find you out. —Numbers 32:23
God is everywhere and knows everything
About you and about me, so be aware of His great LOVE
Always remember that He is also all powerful.

By Peter C. Salmond

Signs Of Warning

2011-04-12T07:33:00.002-06:00

The Warning Signs
Read Luke 11

Warning, rough road ahead, slow down
Do I see the warning, no, moving to fast
God provided plenty of “signs”
To show people the way to live,
But they kept going, doing it their own way.

He tried everything but, God finally
Seen there was only one way for man
To be forgiven, so sent His Son as a sign (Luke 11:30),
A sign, nailed to a cross, shedding His blood
For you and for me, it was the only way.

Yet so many leaders pay little attention to His warning
The wages for sin is death, and all have sinned
It should of been me on that cross but Jesus
Took my place, He paid it all, dieing for me
Through Him, I am set free to live, for Him

But, we can be the same way. When life is going well,
We tend to ignore warning signs
And that we need to turn around,
Away from our sin, and turn to God
And change our sinful ways.

It’s important to remember that
We may be wrong even though life is good
Maybe it's good, because our enemy
Knows that he already has us, so
He does not need to make it hard for us.

God gives us warnings to prevent us from falling
For in time our sin will cause us to fall
But just because we ignored the signs —and fell—
It's not the end, for God said that if we confess our sin
That He will remain faithful and forgive our sins

Cleansing from all unrighteousness and make us
once again pure within, giving to us a brand new start.
You can start that new life today, if you will only
Put your trust in Him, believing and you will be saved
Walk with Him at all times and He will not let you fall again.

By Peter C. Salmond

God sends warnings to protect us, not to punish us.

A Penny For Your Thoughts

2011-04-11T07:03:00.004-06:00

A Little Can Go A Long Way

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."Matthew 17:20

So what is a penny worth. A penny by it's self laying on the ground, to most is not worth stooping down for, and picking it up. The poor little penny. All alone and not worth much there all by him self. It’s easy to feel like a penny in a trillion-dollar deficit, or when someone is saving for a trip and the flights are over $2000.00 each. You could feel like you would not make much of a difference even if you were picked up and put on the pile. What difference could one more penny make.

Let's look at the widows mite. The Widow’s Offering : Mark 12:41-43
Jesus sat down close to the place where the offering plats were sitting, and then as the ushers took the plates and passed them up and down the isles in the church, He watched the congregation as they were putting their money into the church offering plate. Many well to do business men threw in large bills and large checks. But a poor little old granny towards the back, put in two pennies, worth two cents, you may say she put in her two cents worth. But really what was it worth?
After that Jesus called His disciples to him,and said to them,Truly I tell you, this poor old granny has put more into the offering plate than all the others. She has given to me all that she had, that was her last two cents.

But she did it in obedience to me her Lord, when one is obedient in every circumstance and to the teaching of the word, everything adds up. If every believer, every born again Believer would be obedient and act in faith in all things that I have asked them to do, whether large or small things, it would make a big difference in the Kingdom of God. And they would see then that every penny counts when given for the Lord.

You see it matters not how large or small your gift to the Lord
It's your faith and obedience that counts in the end you see
Because , what really counts is in whom you trust
In this life of uncertainty, do you trust in God, or in the almighty ME

My thoughts on these verses, put into today's time and place

Peace of mind will follow when faith and obedience takes first place in ones life.

Heaven -

2011-04-10T07:51:00.004-06:00

Our Final Resting Place

Heaven will be beautiful “a pure river of water of life,
clear as crystal” (Rev. 22:1). Flowing for you and me
To enjoy “the glory of God,” which will illuminate heaven (21:23; 22:5)
The glory of the Lord will shine forever and ever

Heaven will be wonderful, and relaxing for when there
We will enjoy a life without pain or sorrow (21:4)
No more pain killers and no more crying, wow
Life in heaven will be bliss with no more temptation to sin

People “out of every tribe and tongue
Hatti, The Dominican Republic, Rwanda and every people from every nation” (5:9)
Will rejoice in praising Jesus,together, proclaiming Him
As the worthy Lamb who died for us and rose again from the dead (5:12).

We will bask in the glory of the Lord’s presence—forever.
But not for one second will we be bored, no never
And like Him we will be; we will see as He sees
And we will know as He knows, no more questions.

We’ll praise Him and we’ll serve Him
We will bow before Him worshiping at His feet
Walking by His side, or sitting at the side of the river
For all eternity, which is for ever. Amen

Each person on earth has a choice as to where they will spend eternity,
What is your choice? To believe and follow, by your fruit they shall know you
Or do you just believe, it says in the Bible, the devil believes and trembles,
Just belief will not get us into heaven, we need to live what we believe. Read James 2

Taken from the book of Revelations

by Peter C. Salmond

The Victory Is Yours

2011-04-04T07:23:00.003-06:00

On The Winning Side

My sons, be strong in God's grace
Take what you have been taught in Christ
And teach it to others in the human race
So they will qualify also to teach others.

At times there may be suffering and discrase
Every good soldier of the cross of Christ Jesus
Is willing to make this life sacrifice
Staying away from worldly things for His sake.

One who runs a long distance race
Is not victorious unless he abides by the rules
So run the race, your opponent to face
And you will win the victors crown

Hard work is good for the souls pace
As you come in to the finish line
You will see the Fathers pleased face
As you have faithfully and truly ran.

Reflect on what I am telling you and keep pace
And the Lord will give you insight and wisdom
As life's struggles you will face
So run your life always for Jesus Christ

With Christ on your side you are always a winner in the end.

Compassion Unbelievable but Real

2011-04-02T06:35:00.003-06:00

The Love Of The Savior

Colossians 3:12

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering;

Compassion is an inner feeling
Resulting in outward action.
It should be our daily belief(Col. 3:12).
By God’s grace, may we be known to bring relief

Lord, help us be compassionate
Help me show love and concern
For people in their grief;
Letting them know that there is relief

Then tell them of the love of Christ,
Of His great compassion for all
And His grace is sufficient to all who come
And He will bring their souls relief

True compassion is love in action
To everyone around you
No respecter of persons with Jesus
For He died for all who will receive.

By Peter C. Salmond

Gone and Forgotten

2011-03-30T06:23:00.003-06:00

With God All Things Are Possible

Sins confessed are sins forgotten;
The Lord says to you who ask
Your sins will be cast into the deepest sea
To be never remembered again

Look not back to yesterday—
With its failings and its falling
For those are now behind you
So just keep looking ahead

Life is full of failure and regret;
Once we have been forgiven
We are then allowed to forget
And move forward with out delay

Look ahead and seek God’s way
He will be your wilderness guide
Leading you day by day
So keep your eyes on your goal

Aim at the target, you may hit it
And be a winner just the same
Aim at nothing and you will hit it
Every time without fail

Yet without a doubt you will the looser be.
So keep your eye on the finish line
Keep moving ahead one step at a time
And you will cross it and win the race.

Don’t let yesterday’s failures bankrupt tomorrow’s efforts.

Watching My Words

2011-03-29T06:19:00.003-06:00

Answer Softly

John Wayne, Western actor said,
“Talk low, talk slow,
and don’t say too much.”
His advice is hard for me to follow

In other words always speak quietly
Limiting your words to a few
Controlling your speech
Using it as a tool

When dealing with anger
This tool works very well
When used in the right way
I have a tough time using it wisely

The Bible says be “slow to speak” (James 1:19),
And that “a soft answer turns away wrath” (Prov. 15:1)
Keep a guard on what you say at all times
Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.(James 3:10)

My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
Lord, set a guard upon my mouth
My tongue control today; it is beyond me
Help me evaluate each thought and each word

Help me bite my tongue before it speaks
And before my tongue bites me
Before it bites another
That may be a sister or brother.

By Peter C. Salmond

My Sins Are Washed Away. I Am Free

2011-03-24T06:28:00.003-06:00

Let It Rain

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
Cleansing me and making me clean
Washing away all the rotten pain
Of days gone by, and from yesterday.

I know my God's kingdom awaits, no more stain
My sins forgiven all washed away for evermore
My mistakes will never be made again
Someday I'll be going home.

My Lord, I pray it will be soon, I have much to gain
But if you choose to leave me hear a little longer
I will do what I can to relieve a brother's pain
As I wait My Lord for your return, to take me home.

While here Lord, I pray for peace and not pain
You have promised a life fulfilled in you
Walk with me through all the pouring rain
As you lead me my Lord I will follow.

When it rains, give me power to overcome.

By Peter C Salmond

The Thought came from a face book friend. Thanks

Giving Thanks In All Things

2011-03-23T08:01:00.004-06:00

Gracias - Thank You

Oh give thanks for what the Lord had done
“His deeds among the peoples” are great(v.8),
“His wondrous works” are to wonderful for me(v.9)
“His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth”(v.12)
They meet my every need through the works of His hands

"His “salvation” is more than I can fathom(v.35)
I will sing unto the Lord a new song giving Him praise
For who the Lord is: He is good, merciful, and holy (v.34-35)
Like David, we should never grow tired of saying gracias to God
Saying thank you for who He is and for all He’s done for us.

Take time today to offer your sacrifice of praise to Him.
Praise, from deep within my soul, to the King of heaven,
To His throne I bring a tribute of praise and glory
For He has ransomed my soul and healed my sicknesses
He has restored my life to be at peace with Him my Creator

My sins are forgiven, all washed away forever more
For evermore His praises I will sing, for He is my God
A great and glorious God is He, I love Him
For all that He is and for all that He has done
For He is the Lord God almighty.

The heart filled with praise brings pleasure to God.

My thoughts a meditation on 1 Chron. 16: 8-36

Trials Turned Upside Down

2011-03-22T06:19:00.004-06:00

Suffering for God’s Glory

1 Peter 4:12–13
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice nto the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that owhen His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

A Turning Of A Life

Turning the soil brings in air and light
Pulling the weeds, gives plants room to grow
Getting rid of the bad to allow good to come in
All of this allows us to keep them in a straight row

At times we wonder what's up in our lives
But if we are to grow we may need to lay low
Soul turning and weed pulling, to root out the bad
Giving a way for the good to come in to flow

Yes, if we want to see growth in our lives
Trials may have to come our way to help us know
The testings we’ll know, they are there to help us
As we come out the other side we will see we did grow

Those who bless God in their trials will see
The blessings of God through the trials they now know
For they came through them with a glowing light
Praising their God for answered prayers and a new glow

By Peter C. Salmond

Let's Get It Done

2011-03-21T07:21:00.001-06:00

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, Nobody

Once upon a time there were four men named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. But Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it. But Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about it, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, and Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody and Nobody did the job that Anybody could have done in the first place. (anonymous)

Your Words, Honey or Vinegar

2011-03-21T06:46:00.003-06:00

WORDS

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. —Proverbs 16:24

There is power in your words that can build up
Or there can be weight in your word that tear down
So do you have words of encouragement and blessing
Or do you have words of discouragement, causing a frown.

Create a big smile that will last for a mile
Or you can produce a sad face, all around
But if we practice encouraging others always
You will have smiles all around you grown

So in all your contacts with people each day,
Seek to create a smile and not a frown
Be sure to encourage in all that you say
And you will be on your way up and not down

A gentle word of compliment falls lightly
On a soul that is burdened and frail
But it carries great weight in lifting them up
Helping to carry the load they entail.

The Stones In Our Lives

2011-03-20T07:07:00.009-06:00

The Stones Along Our Journey
Joshua 3 and 4

We have seen God’s faithfulness throughout the years,
He has walked with us, and lead us along the way
He has been one with us in our times of joys and tears
Binding us together as one helping us walk side by side

So many times the Lord has helped us through our fears
When we had nothing else but God and each other
He carried us along wiping away our tears
He has answered prayer and given us the strength to carry on

To walk in His way, as others sent up their cheers
They Remember God’s goodness through out all of those years
So when things again get tough they will be a cure for doubt
And we will give God the glory for all of our friends and peers.

That have walked with us, prayed with us, cried with us, and cared
For when things go wrong, they pray and we give it the gears.
Giving our all for the Lords cause, in all that we do for Him
When all is finished, we're heaven bound at the end of our careers.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

By Peter C. Salmond

Victorious Over Anger

2011-03-18T07:41:00.002-06:00

Victory In The Making

My wrath tends to be all pay back
God’s wrath is righteous anger
Softened by His grace and mercy.
His wrath can be His relentless love

It brings evil men to repentance and faith.
We must not take things into our own hands
‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord . . . .
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”

(Rom. 12:19,21).

This must come from the heart,
From the place where our lives flow.
We need to get rid of our anger
And wait patiently for the Lord.

Lord, help me not to get even
When someone does me wrong
Instead, give me strength and faith
To love others and do what’s good and right

When my revenge is restrained
The battle is over and I have won
Then I have a victory gained
And I may have gained a new friend

To Be Or Not To Be

2011-03-17T06:52:00.002-06:00

Is It Really Worth It

Prov. 15:18 A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.

Losing ones temper causes a lot of trouble, but staying calm settles arguments.

You stand before every conflict that flares up in your life with two containers in your hands. One is filled with gasoline the other is filled with water. Now, you can by what you say, keep the anger fire burning. Or you can by what you say,put it out. Which do you use most, gas or water? Why?

Eph. 4:2 -Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Be humble and gentle, be patient with each other, making allowance for each others faults because of your love.

Your friends are not perfect. The people at work are not perfect. Your kids are not perfect. Your spouse is not perfect. You are not perfect either. So lighten up! Whose faults bother you more yours or others and Why?

Boy as I read these it is something I have to keep in mind all the time. I often think of James chapter 3 at times like this.

PRAYER, Pray Always

2011-03-16T06:10:00.004-06:00

God Answers Prayer

I do not know how my prayers will be answered
But I do know that God answers prayer
He loves to give great things to His children
But He likes them to politely ask.

It may be yes, and the answer comes right away
It may be no, with a final tone on that note
Or it may be grow, wait and pray some more
Your timings not quit right, you need to wait a while.

I like it because I leave my prayers with Him,
His will is wiser than mine and His thoughts better
He knows what is best for me, now and in the future
God’s answers to our prayers may surprise us

His may exceed our expectations, and be beyond our wildest dreams
I am just so very, very thankful that God answers prayer.
He never gets tired of me coming to Him in prayer at any time
It helps when I come humbly on bended knee.

God loves a humble servant, willing and ready to obey.

By Peter C. Salmond

Really Rich or Not

2011-03-15T06:34:00.003-06:00

Rich, Only In Our Own Minds

Rev. 3: 14-22
Many Christians are in an Eden, created by their own hands.

They have every precious stone adorning them, ruby, topaz and emerald,
chrysolite, onyx and jasper,sapphire, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared and made. Yet they are not happy, and are not at peace. We need to be on guard. That we don't make the Eden of God into our own Eden.

Let’s not make the Laodicean mistake. Instead, let’s keep our perspective right about what it means to be rich. True wealth is not measured by what you have but by who you are in Christ. They thought they were rich. But Jesus had a different perspective. In spite of their material prosperity, He saw that they were “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17). So He invited them to become truly rich by seeking what only He could provide: purity, character, righteousness, and wisdom.

When we follow Christ's example, we’re rich beyond belief,
With wealth the world cannot see; and yet they seek after it,
We have new strength and character, that only God can give to us
New righteousness and purity, freedom from guilt and shame.
Free to follow Jesus and walk in His footsteps each day
Helping everyone we meet along life's way.

The poorest person is he whose only wealth is money.

Stuffits

2011-03-14T06:12:00.004-06:00

We have so many things, we cleaned the house to get it ready for sale, and the house still has enough stuff in it so that we can easily live and the garage is half full. So we will have a lot of things for sale over the next couple of months.

Here is a partial list of the big things

MOVING SALE
Call
1-306-763-3025

1 larger wooden Office Desk and chair, (60W, 30D, 29H)– $100.00 OBO

1 Metal -wood topped (54W, 24D, 29H) L shaped (30W, 18D, 26H)
office desk and chair - $125.00 OBO

1 computer desk , (44W, 21D, 27 & 34H) - $25.00 OBO

1 Computer Desk black (24W, 25D, 33H with 6” higher back) $30.00

1 Students desk – 6 drawer- (48W, 17.5D, 30H) $30.00

1 Antique Mirror - (24W,34H) $20.00 OBO

1 Entertainment Unit - (36W, 20.5D, 67H) $125.00 OBO

1 Antique Buffet -(44W, 17.5D, 40H) $400.00 OBO

5 Book shelves
1 wicker shelf – White (19W, 12D, 57H) $10.00
1 Wooden stained - (37W, 8D, 61H) $10.00
1 wooden stained desk shelf, two sided - (57W, 10D, 46H) $25.00
2 wooden plain particle board – (37.5W, 8D, 74.5H) $25.00 each non-painted
2 metal shelves – (29W, 12D, 59H) $10.00
1 Large brown -(30W, 20D, 44H) $50.00

1 Full Set of Encyclopaedia Britannica in original shelf $100.00 OBO

1 double bookcase headboard bed frame no mattress and bedside table – $25.00

2 single bed no mattress $20.00 each OBO

1 bunk bed with mattresses – $150.00 OBO

4 dressers -
7 drawer - (24W, 18D, 50H) $50.00 (very nice dresser)
4 drawer - (45W, 19.5D, 39H) $50.00
White started to refinish - $10.00
4 drawer antique - (34W, 16D, 47H) refinished $250.00 (I refinished it, and it turned out very nice)
4 storage cupboards -
1 White Bathroom vanity- (24W, 9D, 29H) $20.00 OBO
1 White Bathroom vanity - (24W, 12D, 31.5H) $20.00 ) OBO
1 White laundry Cabinet- (24W, 16D, 60H) $25.00 OBO
1 brown wood Sewing Cabinet - (36W, 20D, 30.5H)
without the 6.5 in leg- legs included - $20.00

1 micro-wave stand - $10.00 OBO

1 Antique wooden chair – came out of a grain elevator office – $50.00 OBO

Work bench - $50.00 OBO

Wheel borrow $50.00 OBO

And Many small items to many to name

FOOD, FOOD, FOOD

2011-03-13T07:24:00.003-06:00

FOOD THAT FEEDS THE SOUL

I need FOOD to sustain my physical body,
I also need FOOD for my spiritual one.
God’s Word is “sweeter, than honey and the honeycomb” (Ps. 19:10)
It feeds my soul and makes me whole (v.7)

God's word provides me with nourishment
And it gives to me energy for my spiritual walk
So I must take time to feed on it daily
So that I will grow, grow, grow.

Supplying spiritual strength from day to day
It teaches me what I need to know for me
To share that love with others where ever I go
This is His will, so He feeds me through His word.

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
—Psalm 19:7

That would be me, just a simple man
Seeking to do the will of the Lord
Striving to obey His commands
Walking in the footsteps of the Lord

When I fall short the Lord is always there
I reach out to Him and He makes things right
He gives me strength for another step along the way
Says study and read for I approve of you this day.

By Peter C. Salmond

The View From The Mountain Top

2011-03-12T07:10:00.003-06:00

Get A Clear View

Tucked into the passage known as the Beatitudes, Jesus said: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). This is not just for the few who try to achieve it, but for all who will humbly receive it. To have a heart that is clean in God’s eyes, we need to accept the Father’s pardon through Christ His Son. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse [purify] us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

The Mountain Top View

A mountaintop is a great place to see the stars,
To get a great view of the God's heavens
To feel closer to Jupiter and Mars
One just feels closer to his creator God

But to clearly see God requires a change of heart.
By faith in God I have a clearer vision of Him
His blessed word gives me a rich new start
Giving me a clear vision of my creator God

When I come down from the mountain top part
I need to keep looking up, to the one
Who created it all, putting the view off the chart
For He is the Great Creator God

For I have eyes that are a distorted art
By themselves they cannot see the beauty
On tell up on the mountain top I see His art
From there I treasure the heavenly view
By Peter C. Salmond

SO, to get a clear view of God, focus on Jesus Christ.

Taken from my thoughts on the ODB Devotional

Blessings

2011-03-11T06:27:00.001-06:00

Blessings Overflowing

We must not forget all his blessings
Jesus forgives all your sins, and casts
Them into the deepest sea, they are forever gone
He also can heal all diseases, and broken hearts

He who redeemed my life from the pit
Picked me up when I fell down
Then He fills ones life with love
And compassion comes flowing down to all

He satisfies my desires with good things
From up above, meeting all of my needs
So that my youth is renewed, He makes me strong
I fly like on the eagle’s wings, and sore to new heights

Loaded with benefits daily, I am
Coming down from the Father of all love;
His mercy and grace unending
And His blessings abounding anew

His gifts He gives to me, His marvelous
And wonderful, amazing, unending love
As I add up my blessings they multiply
And my joy overflows and comes spilling out.

Oh what JOY fills my soul as I worship HIM

By Peter C. Salmond
Based on Psalm 103

PRAYER

2011-03-10T06:55:00.000-06:00

A Little Prayer

It is the way that man can talk to God
Communing as friend with friend
A way for a heart to be thankful,
Thanking the Lord, for all things
For all things come from Him

The song birds sing a new song
Each morning as the sun is rising
As the petals of the rose open
To the light of the sun in a new day
Placed in this world by our Lord

Fluffy summer clouds dot the sky
Happily floating across the blue
Telling of His splendor in the day
Passing by the face of the sun
To cool and make pleasure array

The blossoms spring forth in splendor
As the perfume of April blows on the wind
New birth springs forth everywhere on the earth
The withered grass is replaced by the new
Green shuts, shutting up to meet the warm sun

Spring turns into summer, as the fruit begins to form
The Lords production plant is spinning on the big wheel
As the food supplies grow, to meet our stomachs need
For the Lord has promised to meet our every need
We give thanks to the Lord, for all things come from Him

Bronze wheat a-shimmer, purple shade of trees
The apples they turn to crimson red
From a pretty shade of green and gold
The harvest is on its way, the seed sixty fold
Let us be thankful, our Lord of Life, for all of these!

Praise For The Simple Things

Lord help us give praise, for simple sights; -
The blue smoke curling from the cowboys fire
For the stars sparkling all through the night,
Seeing the birds take flight, as one approaches

For dew drops on the flower petals
Sparkling in the morning sun,
For the mountains grand, on the horizon
Dawning snow caps against a clear blue sky
For simple sights let us give praise, Lord!

Let us be grateful, God, for good health
That we have another day to do a good deed
For faith to follow you, thankful for a conscience clean,
Thanks for the desire to worship you and for the gift of prayer;
For giving to us worth by putting a part of you in there

Let us be grateful, God, with humble heart.
Help us come on bended knee to you in prayer
Each day being thankful for all of the little things
That you give and do for us each day
I am thankful Lord that you are always there.

Walking On a Journey

2011-03-09T07:07:00.002-06:00

The Journey

Ex. 3: 8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians (Hatiites), and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites(Canadianites) and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the ...

In life, it sometimes seems as if we are wandering in circles.
We feel lost. We want to ask God, “Are we there yet?
How much longer?” At such times, it helps to remember
That the journey, not just the destination, is important to God.
He uses it to humble us, test us, and show us what is in our hearts.

All God’s testings have a purpose—What might that purpose be?
Someday you will see the light; and will understand the journey.
All He asks is that you trust Him, walk with Him and learn from Him
Walk by faith and not by sight, many times the end is not as we see it
Many times if we could see the end we would not even take the journey.

It’s the journey we are taken on, not just the destination we have in mind, that’s important. So what can we learn along the way and who else can we help as we make the journey.

Just thinking of the incredible journey my little sister has been on with her family, in showing compassion and love to the children God is entrusting to them. My prayers are with them as they face new challenges every day. Yesterday was just another bump in the road. We are praying for all of you. God will work it all out in His time.

Peter's thoughts from his devo's this morning

Small Things With Big Results

2011-03-08T06:34:00.000-06:00

John 6:9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”

To Small, Don't Even think It

You may think your small and insignificant
Thinking you don’t have much to offer,
All though in God's eyes a valuable person
Some day you may become a great author.

What may seem like hum-drum and mundane,
Brings peace of mind to someone you serve
You may just be the one that they needed
To bring their life around the next curve

What may seem to you like just routine,
Could mean to someone a life line
As you faithfully do your job
God called you to do it, to be a sign.

So when you think your to small
To be of any use to your God
You may just be in the right place at the right time
So when someone is blessed, don't think it odd.

We who are small are often used by God to show
His power over all that He does upon this earth
Showing His great love for all mankind
Giving to all the opportunity for new birth.

God uses small people to accomplish great things
In His great kingdom, both here and beyond

by Peter C. Salmond

Put Others First

2011-03-07T06:46:00.006-06:00

DON"T DISTRACT ME NOW

Don't distract a cook mixing a sauce,
It may be to strong in the end
He must forget himself and concentrate
On the amounts of ingredients and the cost

Don't distract a surgeon making an incision,
The incision may get to long, that would not be good
He must forget himself and concentrate on the job at hand
Or it could mean life or death for the patient under his command

Don't distract a clerk completing bill of lading.
Your items that you were counting on may get missed
Not being delivered to the place they were to be
Thus not completing the transactions intended

All of these folks “wear the same rapt expression,
When forgetting themselves in a function.”
They have one thing on their mind
The job and person in whom they are serving

We do not want to here an opps and a sigh
With a strained look upon their face
That would not be good in the least
We want them to forget about themselves

Putting the other guy first

Philippians 2:3-4
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out . . . for the interests of others.”

When I’m listening to a friend,
I need to remind myself to focus on him,
Not to begin wondering how I look,
What he thinks of me, what I should say next.

Let’s put others first by listening in rapt attention,
Concentrating on the one in front of us, forgetting ourselves.
When we hold our tongues and listen, that is good for them
We communicate our care;For an open ear speaks volumes
To a heart that’s in despair.

Listen it may be the most loving thing you do for your friend on this day.

The Art Gallery Opened and God's Glory Came Forth

2011-03-06T05:50:00.005-06:00

Paul declared,in Rom.1:20 “His invisible attributes are clearly seen.” Those who have the witness of creation are “without excuse".

Why? On the flannelgraph of God’s creation, we see God’s order and design. We see His power and glory. This should lead us to worship.

“O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!” (Ps. 8:1).

Holy Devotion To God

God spoke with words of great power when He created the world
He spoke and the heaven's rolled out His glory across the horizon
Causing us to worship Him each time we see a sunrise or sunset
These great handy works of God bring Him glory every time.

They bring honor and worship in His name each moment as
They are displayed across our eastern and western skies
We sit in awe and watch as the colors change, as God
With paintbrush in hand creates a master peace for all to see.

At times I have sat and watched our God at work in nature
And that was my heartfelt devotions to Him
Proclaiming to Him the glory His creation was drawing
From deep with in my soul, welling up from my inner parts

Yes, the sky is His canvas on which He paints
God paints His character, reveled for every eye to see
No one has an excuse,not to believe in the God of Creation
After sitting and experiencing one of His sunrises or sunsets.

by Peter C. Salmond

Just listen to and read Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God;
The skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
Night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words;
No sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
Their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
Like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens

And makes its circuit to the other;
Nothing is deprived of its warmth.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
Refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
Making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
Giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD are radiant,
Giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure,e
Enduring forever.

The decrees of the LORD are firm,
And all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
Than much pure gold;

They are sweeter than honey,
Than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.

But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
May they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,innocent of great transgression.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
Be pleasing in your sight,
LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

THIS IS THE WORDS OF THE LORD

He's Coming Again

2011-03-04T08:10:00.000-06:00

Acts 1:7–11
And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times
or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea
and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Jesus Ascends to Heaven

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched,
He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up,
behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said,

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?
This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,
will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

He Said it. I Believe It, And That Settles It

He is coming again Oh, the rapture of that day
I will get to see Him and behold His lovely face,
Oh how I love Him, I will tell Him how much I love Him,
He died to save me, save me by His amazing grace.

Christ is coming of that I am sure—perhaps today!
Maybe tomorrow, the exact time I am not sure
But He said He would come again, to take me home
He has never broken a promise yet, so why would this

Not be true, He will come again.

A Step Of Faith

2011-03-03T07:50:00.002-06:00

Discipleship Walking

In faith step into the water, He will take care of the depth
In faith walk on water, He will give you the place to put your feet
In faith put one foot in front of the other He will lead the way
When we know God is leading, all He asks is that we follow.

Often He takes us to places, beyond our imagination
Yes, places where we thought we would never be
Even when the storms of life blow us off track
Still we will follow You along life's road

Lord, help me to get relaxed and comfortable in you
In my relationship with you, I want to be resting
Then I will no longer be comfortable just sitting in a pew
But rather being busy going and being a witness for you.

So am I willing to step into the water, of this life
Am I willing to disciple a new or younger brother
Helping them grow and learn how to walk, with strife
Teaching them how to talk and how to lead another.

Through all of this you are never alone, Jesus is there for you
As you let your friend and brother believe in you as well
That you will be there for them through thick and thin
They will always have the Lord and they will have you.

By Peter C. Salmond

Moving Forward and Upward

2011-03-02T06:27:00.003-06:00

As we move towards putting our home on the market asking God for His blessing and favor on having it sold before the biggest move of our lives. I have many different emotions moving through me, and yet I know everything I have is His, for it is because of Him that we have been blessed.

We do not know for sure what lies ahead of us, but we are willing to take one step at a time as He lights our path. I now have 3-4 months before I go back to school, who would have thought it, me going back to school at 55 years old. Maybe, just maybe you can still teach an old dog new tricks. At least I know that God can and He will.

As I was sorting things yesterday God just kept saying in a still small voice, "they are just things. And all you really need is Me, lean on me and follow me." I was comforted and looked forward in faith that He knows what is ahead.

God does not lay a burden on a heart for no reason at all, and as Diane and I think about Rwanda our hearts go back to the people we met and began to love when we were there in May of 2010. It was there, while ministering with my fellow Rwandian brothers in the Lord and with the church we partnered with, and as we saw the Lord build His church in the villages we walked in sharing the gospel with the people,that God was planting in my heart a burden. A burden that all new believers need to be discipled. And that our own Canadian Churches need to start being the example and leading the way in this.

As we leave for Rwanda in a few months, I want to leave this burden at the feet of our pastors here in Prince Albert, and in North America. That they would start giving that gift to the young believers in their congregations and to the new baby Christians being born into their churches.

I am calling it - Intentional Discipleship - It means having a plan and then acting upon it. Giving the people with in our congregations the opportunity to practice, acting on their Christianity and being the desciplers of the young Christians in the church. Come up with a plan and make it work.

Glorify

2011-03-02T06:23:00.001-06:00

GLORIFY HIM

1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

I wonder and many times know that I miss the mark,
But I have a friend that is willing and waiting to forgive
And for me to return to glorifying Him
In all that I do, and say with my fellow man.

You have been been given a special gift by God
In fact you have been given many gifts by Him
When you use them to bring God glory,
They will bring you satisfaction and joy

The gifts we offer back to the Lord
Are special and sweet in the eyes of God
But they are measured by His standards
Is your life a sacrifice of praise to the Lord

Such gifts are highly treasured by your God
After all, we were created to give God the glory.
For He is the one that is Holy and pure
And this is some of the gifts He has passed on to you.

So as you come before Him today on bended knee
And with a thankful heart of praise
Glorify His name, the name above all names
He is Jesus, Jesus Christ our Lord.

By Peter C. Salmond

ALWAYS FAITHFUL

2011-03-01T06:16:00.001-06:00

I Have Fought And He Was Faithful

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. —2 Timothy 4:7 He looked forward to an eternal crown (v.8).

Each day as I walk with God, I praise Him for His faithfulness, as I face each of life's battles, whether I win or lose I can count on Him.

I can always count on God, I know He cares for me
For He is my heavenly Father, and He is always there
He never changes; He always is the same for me
I know I can be sure, I will never have to ask, Are You there?

Yesterday, He was there and walked beside me
Today, He met me as I awoke to start a new day
Forever, He is faithful, He will watch over me all the way home.
I know He loves me, praise His holy name!

In every situation He will be faithful always
When I stumble and fall, He offers me His hand
Helping me up, once again to stand before Him
And to walk beside Him as He leads me.

To God be the GLORY

By Peter C. Salmond

Called To Greatness - Secrets 4 and 5

2011-02-28T06:51:00.002-06:00

#4 Secret

Learning To Do What Makes God Happy

A new believers relationship with God is no different than any other love relationship. You want to do things that make that person happy, and you want to stop doing things that make that person sad.

Jesus put it this way, 'If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15) One of the secrets of a great relationship is to begin changing things in your life based on what pleases or displeases the one who loves you most.

As the new born
-reads God's word
talks to Him as a friend
and spends time with His friends
They will start to understand and know what pleases God
Then they will also begin to understand what it means to become a new creation in Christ. In (2 Cor. 5:17) God tells us this.

Exercise – Finish this sentence- One thing I think Jesus would like to change in me is .................?

Then encourage them to talk to God each morning and turn that part of their life over to Him, and let Him have control of it.

Get them to bring the card to your next meeting for discussion purposes.

Secret #5

Talk About Him

Share your testimony of what He (Jesus) has done for you with someone else every day for the next week. Tell them what has happened in your life. Sharing this will make you stronger in your walk with Him. You will never forget what Jesus done for you if you share it with someone often.

Pray asking God to open a natural opportunity for this action to take place. Praying that prayer every day expecting God to answer. Then discuss the results the next time you meet.

Read the Power In The Basics
From page 196-197 from the book

This book is a must read for the Follower Of Christ

Rotten To The Core

2011-02-28T06:43:00.003-06:00

Appletons Rotten To The Core

Romans 3:10–11 As it is written:“There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;There is none who seeks after God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

—apart from Christ, we’re all rotten to the core.

Jesus Christ has come to people “rotten to the core,
And makes us “a new creation” by faith in Him
In His goodness, He has fixed our problem completely
All the way down to our core. In our heart of hearts

I know I’m a sinner, I know I have done wrong
I need a Savior and Christ met my need;
His death paid the price for He ransomed me
His work is sufficient, when on Him I believe;

I have life eternal when Him I receive
He gives me a brand new start, but I need more
I need to change from the inside out
I need a new heart of hearts.

If my old heart is ROTTEN to the core,
then I need a HEART TRANSPLANT

By Peter C. Salmond

Lost But Not Forgotten

2011-02-26T08:19:00.002-06:00

HELPLESSLY LOST

Romans 5:6 Look at it this way: At the right time, while we were still helpless, Christ died for ungodly people.

When your life seems to have ended at the end of the road
There seems to be no way to turn, to the left or the right
And for sure you cannot turn around and go back
Look up, you are not without hope, have faith in God

For it is because of the wonderful grace of God.
That we have hope when facing trouble
When it seeks to rob you of your very last breath,
Look up for your redemption drawth nigh

When tragedy hits hard taking your breath away
Trying to steal your joys away and messing up your days
Just remember Christ died on the cross for you
So that you might have life more abundantly, claim it, it is yours.

He gives us hope, when things are hopeless
He deserves all of our praise, for He loves us
When we are unlovable, and undeserving of His grace
We have done nothing and can do nothing to return it.

All He asks is for us to BELIEVE and FOLLOW Him

By Peter C. Salmond

When You Are Trusted With A Cadillac

2011-02-25T07:57:00.003-06:00

When you are trusted with a Cadillac prove yourself trustworthy. One of God's newborn babies is such, and that is what makes our care for one of them so vitally important. God has nothing more valuable to trust to His followers than a new believer in His son.

The primary responsibility for the care of someone who has just been born into God's family rests with the person God used to help "Deliver THE BABY"

1 Thess. 2:8, 19-20 Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

When you help someone you care about, "receive Him" and become a child of God (John 1:12), you have, in a sense, served as a spiritual Obstetrician, delivering a baby into God's family. At that point, your mission changes to that of a spiritual Pediatrician, helping the newborn get off to a strong and healthy start in Christ.

We need to help them learn about Jesus by doing things with Jesus
Learn it, do it, and talk about it

I want to talk about five SECRETS of A Great Relationship With God.

I mentioned number one and two earlier in my blogging and now I want to go on to 3-5
Enjoy and learn as you read

Heavens Gates

2011-02-25T07:49:00.000-06:00

Walking On Cloud Nine

Psalm 71:20 You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,Shall revive me again, And bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

I look forward to the day when I will stand just inside heavens gates
And look back over my life, and see all of the storms I have weathered
All of the mountains I have climbed and the heartaches I have endured.
Then I will know and understand why it all happened

And will see the true love of my Father, in allowing it all to be
A part of my earthly life, and why it all had to be a part of me.
For then my labors and trials will be no more, forever
For I will be safe inside heavens door

Forever to be at my Savors side, bathing in blessing galore
With heaven before me and the world behind me
I have nothing more to wonder about, for now I see
As I have never seen before, as I stand looking out of heavens door

God has taken away all of my fear, and I will have peace
When He has wiped away all of my tears, I will cry no more
I will have unending joy and my sorrows will end
I will break into song and sing like I have never sang before.

This, all of this can be yours as well,
Make a choice to follow Him, the rest of your life
And claim the promises of Christ as your own
You are assured that you will never again walk alone.

By Peter C. Salmond

Above Or Below The Line

2011-02-24T06:44:00.003-06:00

Above Or Below The Line

Matthew 16:26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

The Lambs book of Life,
This list does exist, I am not sure what it will look like, but our names are all written down in the Lambs book of life. Not sure how it will look, but it could look like this maybe.

A large board listing the names of every one on earth was posted outside of heavens gates, including their status in Society. As I looked for my name I noticed a line across the board dividing the names. Above the line were the names of those who were “saved”, born again, followers of Christ and below the line all those who were “lost those who had never made the decision to follow Christ.” At the very top was the word Heaven, and at the top of the bottom half was the word Hell. That got my attention. Where was my Name, wow there it is above the line. But I asked my self, where is so and so, is he there or is she. Will my friends make it because of me? What am I going to do about it?

It’s not what I achieve on this earth, that qualifies me for heaven,
It matters not if I am rich or poor; skinny or fat, good looking or ugly
The only thing I must be certain of, is my faith in the right place?
“Have I put my faith and trust in the only one that can determine
Where I spend eternity, Jesus’ is the one, He is the only one
Jesus said," I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me."(John 14: 6) I must follow Him!

In light of eternity, How are you living your life, ABOVE OR BELOW THE LINE??????????

HIS LOVE

2011-02-22T07:07:00.001-06:00

HIS LOVE

Isaiah 49:15 (Can a woman forget her nursing child,
And not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you.)

God will not forget you, you are His child
He has promised to never leave you nor to forsake you
He will be there for you every waking hour
And watching over you while you are sleeping

He will be there to meet your every need
He will always take good care of you
Loving you at where ever you are in your walk with Him
You do the following and He will do the keeping
;
His compassion is without end, forever
His love and care is forever and forever
You can depend on Him through all of earths trials
Even when you are unaware, Jesus love is there

How much does He love us, can we really know?
God’s love for us is expansive,
As far as the East is from the West
He beckons you to come into His love

For His loving arms are open and waiting for you to come
As His open arms on the cross said, I forgive you
Come to the foot of the cross and lay your burden down
Come, Come, be my child and let me watch over you.

By Peter C. Salmond

Don't Hold A Grudge

2011-02-21T07:46:00.001-06:00

Colossians 3:12-14\

(Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.)

Don't Hold On To A Grudge

Arguments and disagreements can lead to grudges,

That leave hurts, that seem to be unrepairable

Yet God calls for us to have a compassionate heart

With love applied we can make compassion a work of art

Grudges left unattended, will cause a rift in the road

Causing a lots of rough rides along the way

God says be kind, love your enemy, and forgive a soul

When we do this our way grows smother and we become more whole

So in order to bring resolution, one must become humble and meek

Setting the example for others that may be sickly and weak

Growing in patients and excepting the one causing you grief

Find forgiveness and then dig real deep finding relief

Family and friends are important in life, relationships a must

So forgive as the Lord has forgiven you, letting the past go

And make the best of the future, building on the good

Our relationships won’t drift, and we will be more understood

When one is not feeling good, because of holding a grudge

In fact one is really sick and tired of the whole thing

Just remember, don't go to the Dr. or call a nurse

Because a grudge is one thing that doesn’t get better when it’s nursed.

Have a good day, and save a relationship by swallowing your pride and forgiving a brother/sister. Be humble and walk with God in LOVE

By Peter C. Salmond

from The Heart

2011-02-20T06:36:00.001-06:00

(Ps. 50:9-10)

“I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats out of your folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills”. What He wanted was their praise and obedience (v.23).

From The Heart

May my worship to my Lord

Be with praise that comes from the heart,

From a heart surrendered to following Him

His ways are true and good, I offer Him praise

May my praise be a worthy offering to You Lord

May it overflow from a heart that is whole

An offering of unconditional love may raise

From deep down within my heart I praise

For Your blessings from above, are mine

You own the cattle on a thousand hills

All that is yours is mine, my heart you see

For you want my praise, and the best for me

At the heart of my worship and praise

Is worship that comes from my heart

For I know the world moves at Your command

For you own every country and land

You want all of me, in every way

Not only my worship, but my everything

All that I am I give to you, my Lord

To be away from you forever I cannot afford.

The heart of worship comes from the heart of hearts

It comes from deep, deep down with in the soul

As I come to Him in all I do

May all and everything I do be only for YOU

My LORD

By Peter C. Salmond

So often when we go to church, we go expecting to be blessed, (entertained as we sit in the pew). When our main reason for going to church should be to bring thanksgiving and praise to the ONE that gave us His all . Because of us worshiping and praising Him we will be blessed and we will be strengthened by fellow believers. Because God blesses those that are obedient to Him.

But the reason we come is to worship Him. We should leave the church asking ourselves not “What did I get out of it?” but rather “Was God pleased with what happened?” Was He please with my worship? What was my attitude towards God and others while sitting in church? Was I there to please God, or to gain the respect and praise from others?

The Bible encourages us, not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching. This does not mean just on Sunday morning. This means not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We need each other all the time. There is strength in numbers.

Every day is a spiritual war out there in the world, we are to be separate from the world and yet we are to be part of the world. The Lord says, "Get away from unbelievers. Separate yourselves from them. Have nothing to do with anything unclean. Then I will welcome you." (2 Cor. 6:17) We need to be in the world, but not doing worldly things. Others need to see that Jesus has made us different in every way and in everything we do.

When you get up in the morning are you prepared for war? Eph. 6: 12 say, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." So I ask again, Are you ready for war?

Verse 13 continues , Therefore- and goes on to say prepare for war, put on the armor of God and go ye into all the world and preach the gospel. Turn to Eph. 6 and read it all from verses 10-20 and see for yourself. If we are not standing with God in this war then we are standing against Him, and we are then fighting a loosing battle, because He has already won the battle over sin and the devil all we have to do is follow Him, he will protect us and He promises us eternal life. When we come to the end of the race of life and we have followed Him and His word, we will cross the finish line and we will win.

All praise and honor and worship will be His forever and ever Amen.

Choices, Choices

2011-02-18T06:36:00.001-06:00

Gal. 5: 22-23 Verse of the day

Make the choice to live a life filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Then enjoy watching what happens around you, it is amazing.

“Life is not made by the dreams that you dream but by the choices that you make.” Your life today is the sum total of all the choices you’ve made up to this point. (not my quotes, not sure who made them)

The choices we make in this life
Will map out the road we will take
We either choose to walk in the light,
Which will take us on the road to right
Or we will choose darkness and wrong
Which will take us down a road that's a way to long
When we make excellent choices we will know
Because we can watch the ripple effect of blessings it will bestow
On those all around us, as we walk down the road of life.

by Peter C. Salmond

Happy Valuntines DAY

2011-02-14T06:35:00.002-06:00

LOVE BETWEEN FRIENDS

John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

Friendship with Jesus, is LOVE unconditional
Fellowship with Jesus is oh so divine;
O what blessings He bestows upon us
Sweet communion with the friend of all friends
Jesus is a friend like no other, Jesus is a friend of mine.

Jesus longs to be your Friend in this world, not just on face book.
For He wants to walk beside us, where ever we go
He is a friend that will never leave us alone
He is the best friend we will ever know.
He wants us to be with Him every where we go

He is a friend that will stick closer than a brother
To Him, our on dieing love we owe

By Peter C. Salmond

The Volcanic Ash Filled The Air

2011-02-12T07:42:00.001-06:00

The Volcano

Ephesians 4: 29. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

31. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

At one time these next few lines were written about me. For a lot of years when I was younger, I was a time bomb with a short fuse. So, I had to do what these next few lines say.

I had to pray, Dear God, please change my heart,

I don't want to blow up any more, I do not want to hurt anyone

And give me a desire; to get passed all of my hurt and pain

I want to be a man of peace, and give you control of my emotions

So that I am not controlled by anger’s fire, but by your sweet Spirit. Amen

I found that losing my temper was not the way to get rid of it.

It only came back stronger and more forceful and hot

Kind of like a volcano waiting to blow, and torch everything in it's way

I am so thankful I gave it away to the One who controls the world

Now the only times it comes back is when I want to take control again, not a good idea!!!!!!

Thank you Lord for always reminding me when that happens and thank you for your forgiveness.

by Peter C. Salmond

Secret #2 In Helping a New Believer

2011-02-02T06:18:00.002-06:00

TALK TO GOD

Ask ten people what is the most important ingredient in making a relationship work, and most of them will likely give you the same answer. "Communication". And it is no less true in a personal relationship with God. So in the early days of belonging to Jesus, A person needs to learn how to talk with the One they have just come to know.

As you meet with a new believer you have the privilege of introducing them to God's exciting invitation to His children: "Let's then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Heb. 4:16) God has invited us to come right into His presents, and claim His forgiveness for our sins, and His help for our needs. This is talking to God. As Paul wrote:"Do not be anxious about anything, butin everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)

Having been introduced to the importance of talking to God, the new believer needs to experience communicating with Him. One possible action lab you can encourage is to write some letters to God before your next get-together. You may even want to give the person a template for the letters that include the following

Dear Lord,

I love you because....

Thank you for......

I'm sorry for......

Please......

With Love from........

As a new child of God writes thoughts like these to their father, he is practicing the ingredient in powerful praying. And this outline puts talking to God in the same kind of straightforward language we use in our conversations. When you get together again, your new brother or sister can bring those letters so you can talk about how their first communication with God went.

Secret #1 in Discipling a New Baby in Christ Is

2011-01-31T19:54:00.003-06:00

READ WHAT GOD HAS WRITTEN TO YOU

I am quoting from the book - Called To Greatness By Ron Hutchcraft

When I was in college, my roommate Don used to get love letters from his girlfriend. We all knew when he had received one ------- he was in "la la land" all day. I noticed that he would always go off somewhere alone and read what Amy had written to him. Then he would read it again and again. After his fifth reading or so, I want to say, Don, there is no more new information here! But it wouldn't have done any good.

It was when I started receiving love letters from Karen that I began to understand. Now I was reading the same words over and over again. Why? Because when I was reading what she wrote to me, I was being with her--- until I could really be with her.

It is the same way with the new believer and the Love Letters he has received from the One who loves loves Him most ---it is called the Bible. Some one who belongs to Jesus feels he is with Him as he is with Him as he reads what He wrote to him. The lover of Jesus continues to read regularly, until one day in heaven when he will be with his Savior forever.

That's why God tells us, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your Salvation" (1 Peter 2:2) That "spiritual milk" is "the living and enduring word of God" (1 Peter 1:23) known to us as the Bible. So in their first days in Christ , new believers should be introduced to the importance of daily reading God's Love Letter to them. We need to call their attention to the privilege of spending time with Jesus through what He wrote. This is not to be a ritualistic "Bible reading time" but time with a friend.

THE FIRST SECRET OF A GREAT GOD RELATIONSHIP
IS ABOUT TIME WITH A PERSON, NOT TIME WITH A BOOK

As a practical matter, it is important for us to help new believers set a time and a place to meet with Jesus each new day. If we leave Him until we "get around to Him" we never will. It is fundamental to growing in this new relationship that believers set a daily date with the Person who loves them most.

It is important, too, to help God's new child know where to read in the Bible. The "where" should be a book that is easy to understand and easy to apply to your life ______books such as Mark, Ephesians, James, and Proverbs. The "how" should emphasize asking oneself two questions about what he or she reads. Two primary questions would be, " In my own words, what is God saying here?" and "What am I going to do differently today because God said that?" In other words, "Do not merely listen to the word,....do what it says" (James 1:22) The Apostle James compares someone who takes in what God says but doesn't do anything about it to " a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like" (James 1:23-24). If the Bible is supposed to be a believers mirror, then the believer can't just look into that mirror without changing something.

Once you explain the importance of reading what God has written, it is time to give God's new child an "action lab" so she can do what she just learned. So give her a notebook and ask her to write this title on the front of it: "My Times With Jesus" This will be her, "Jesus Journal"

Your challenge to the new believer might go something like this: "Each day for the next week, ask God to show you something He wants you to know, then read a few verses in the book of James. It's easy to apply to your life! Read them two or three times. Then write in your Jesus Journal the date, what verses you read, and your answer to two helpful questions: "In my own words, what is God saying here?" and "What am I going to do differently today because He said it?" When you get together the next time, ask the person to bring the journal so you can talk about how those times with Jesus went.

As the spiritual caregiver for this new member of God's family, you have the joy of giving the person some exciting news about her newly begun relationship. Every day, she has the same message from God that greets many Internet users when they check their E-Mail: "You've got mail." In this case, it's from God Himself.

Inspirational Message

2011-01-30T08:26:00.001-06:00

THE ROSE

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully, and before it bloomed he examined it. He saw the bud that would soon blossom and also the thorns. And he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?" Saddened by his thoughts, he neglected to water the rose, and before it was ready to bloom it died.

So it is with people. Within every soul there is a rose. The Godlike qualities planted in us at birth grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only thorns, the effects. We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.

Some people do not see the rose within themselves, someone else must show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns and find the rose within others. This is the characteristic of love, to look at a person, and knowing his faults, realize the nobility in his soul, and help him realize that he can overcome his fault. If we show him the rose, he will conquer the thorns. Then will he blossom, blooming forth, thirty, sixty, a hundred-fold as it is given to him. Our duty in this world is to help others by showing them their roses and not their thorns. Only then can we achieve the love we should feel for each other, only then can we bloom in our own garden.

Unknown Author

Found on door at Pine Ridge Bible Camp

Children Are Diamonds in the Rough

2011-01-30T08:22:00.001-06:00

Deuteronomy 11:18-21

18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

(God's word)

Study and learn God's word yourself, know what it says

Have God's word at your finger tips for instruction and guidance

Your children will see you leaning on and depending on God for everything

They will be learning that with God all things are possible

That you are weak but He is strong, and He will carry you through

As a family you can depend on Him in everything that comes your way

When you sit down at meals together as a family you talk about the Lord

And dwell on His word, when you travel you pray asking and inviting Him to go with you

When you go to sleep at night your children can learn how to pray

In the solitude of their bedroom, a quiet place to meet the Lord

Waking up with a thankful heart for the Lord watching over them through the night

We can display the goodness of the Lord through poems

And pictures and verses hanging on our walls, teaching His ways

Take stock of yourself, where are you in your relationship with the Lord

And consider your children, your time and your thoughts are being watched;

How would you reply to the Lord should He ask, what have you done

“What kind of parent are you, will your children know who I am because of you?

Children may not inherit their parents’ talent, but they will absorb their values.

We as parents need to ask ourselves these things each and every day.

(By Peter Salmond's thoughts)

Rwanda

2010-10-28T06:27:00.001-06:00

God's Plan
Once you read this, go back to my first two posting about Rwanda, and then you will be back on track with me.

How, did this all happen? How did the Lord get us to go to Rwanda? Well it is a long story happening over the period of many years. Let me tell you the story. It started away back before I ever even met my wife Diane, back when she was just a young teenager or younger.

She went to church every Sunday with her family, it was then at that early age God started tugging at her heart strings, to be a missionary some day. Because of the missionaries that came to her church, of which many of them seemed to be missionaries from Africa, she felt God calling to go to Africa as a missionary.

If anyone who know my wife, she is very fair skinned and has always been very fair all of her life. Because of this natural condition, she some how felt this disqualified her as a missionary to Africa. She felt that there would be no way that she would be able to stand the heat and that she would just burn to a crisp. So because in her young mind, all missionaries went to Africa, she figured out that she would never be a missionary. At that point she did not know or understand as to how BIG of a God she would serve. With God all things are possible.

As she grew and remained open to the leading of God in her life, He lead her to work in Bible camps following her graduation from grade twelve at Caronport High School. She came to Torch Trail Bible Camp in North Central Saskatchewan.

It was while at camp that summer she met me, a young disturbed man, that felt the only kind of a person he was fit to be was a cowboy and that he was no good for nothing and God could not use him so he would just chase cow around all of his life, and there is nothing wrong with being a cowboy, I am still thankful for my early years, growing up as a cowboy in Northern Saskatchewan. But I figured at that point and time in my life is that, that is all there was, and so then that is what I would always be.

When I met Diane, I was in my first year of Bible School at the Nipawin Bible Institute and was just starting to understand that there was more to life than just being a cowboy, I had choices I could make and that God had a plan for my life, which would be a lot different than I had thought. Actually I found out that God wanted me to make the choice to give Him control of my life.

Two months after camp was done that year in 1977, my life would change forever, I became engaged to my beautiful new girl friend who is now my wife, then we proceeded to get married 8 months after we were engaged. So on April 29 1978 we got married. Thus began the rest of my life. I did not know it then but I was signing up for a ride that was beyond my wildest dreams. I have been places and done things that I could never have dreamed of. So it has been and will continue to be an eventful and interesting life as we let God be the guide to our walk on this earth.

Lord willing I will write more tomorrow, but for now enjoy this much of this story.

Please remember as you go through life, whether you are young or old, With God all things are possible.

Welcome

2010-10-26T07:14:00.003-06:00

Face book - friends, welcome to my blog, I hope you will enjoy my ramblings, thoughts and messages. My goal is to honor God in all that I put on it.

Disciple And Discipler

2010-10-25T07:00:00.005-06:00

The verse of the day today reminded me once again that every Christian is to be a disciple and is to also be a discipler. We are responsible for the growth of the New Christians around us, and we are to be encouraging for all Christians in not being a stumbling block to them by the things that we selfishly want to do for ourselves, it may not cause us to sin, but what about our brother?
Verse of the day - Acts 1: 6-8 (The Disciples asked), Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, [1] after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem(neighborhood or city), and in all Judaea (province), and in Samaria (your country), and unto the uttermost part of the earth (to the world).

I had never really experienced the world as such before May of 2010 as Diane and I went to Rwanda Africa with e3 Partners Ministries. It was an amazing trip, I started to tell about it earlier but now I would like to finish telling it.

Since going and experiencing how God is working in another country and learned more about discipleship, God has given me a new burden for Canada,and the church. As well as a new burden for new believers. Every new believer needs a mentor, someone to model the Christian life for them. Someone to walk beside them, as an encourager and someone that can be forgiving and understand that as a new christian they are going to make mistakes. As new babies fall, hurt themselves, get up and do it over and over again until finally the they can walk. Why do we expect new baby Christians to be any different. They to need guidance and someone to lean on as they learn to walk the Christian life.

We as the Church need to provide that kind of service, for those that we see come to the Lord so that they feel that they are a part of the family of God.

Rwanda 2010 Day 2

2010-06-17T07:40:00.003-06:00

The night was short but good, it was so good to get to know Mike and Sidney a bit more that morning. We were beginning to see more and more that this trip was ordained by God. It just made us more excited about what He was going to do in and through us when we arrived in Rwanda.

We seen God allow us to get through airport security with great ease, to Him be the glory. It was 11:00 AM and we were all aboard the Ethiopian Air lines and ready for lift off. We were about to take off on the longest, tiring airplane trip of our lives.

What I didn't realize was that we were going to be landing in Rome, yes I said Rome, one of the cities that the Apostle Paul had walked in. I was pretty excited until I found out we were not getting off the plane and it would be totally dark the whole time we were there. But at least we can say we have been in Rome.

Then in another 5-7 hours we landed again in Abba De sis Ethiopia, then a small hop over into Uganda and then to Rwanda. We had made it and we were seeing a very beautiful land that God had made, and were about to meet a beautiful people also that God had made. We were now very excited to meet the Rwandan team.

On this day God gave me a poem as our plane had been delayed for a bit. So here it is

DELAYED

Has the return of our Lord been delayed
In no way has it been
Our Lord is always on time, His time
He will return as He said He would.

If it seems that His return has been delayed
It is because He want us to draw nearer to Him
He wants us to bring more people Home to Heaven with us
When He returns to take us there.

Delayed- Never, His love constrains Him
Every ear must hear and every eye see
The glory of our Lord and Savior
For He is returning in the sky for you and me

Jesus is coming again although
We don't know when that will be
If we are ready for His coming
We will go with Him. when He comes

He will come from on high for you and for me, if we are ready, waiting and watching.
As well as going about His business of Spreading the good news to the whole world.

Rwanda May 2010

2010-06-13T09:28:00.005-06:00

I have not been on my blog for quit some time, to busy getting ready to go on our trip to Rwanda in May, we were gone from the 16- June 1, it was a fantastic trip and I would love to tell you about it. So here we go for as long as it takes, come along as I relive the trip on my blog.

We went into Saskatoon on the 15Th, and visited with Audrey and Garold, Audrey is a sister to Ron Frank, He and His wife Sheila were teachers for all of our children in the Yukon. Anyhow the connection happened when we sent out our letter looking for those supporters the Lord had prepared a head of time to support us on our trip to Rwanda. Ron and Sheila called us and said that Ron's family were involved in the Frank Sewing School/Factory in Rwanda, and through that we were put in touch with his sister and brother-in- law in Saskatoon. So we had a good visit with them and seen their pictures of Rwanda, it was great in preparing us for what was a head of us. That evening we stayed with Diane's sister Leona and husband Fraser Kent, Leona graciously agreed to take us to the airport early the next morning.

May 16
Departure date, we arrived at the airport in Saskatoon at 8:00 AM that morning. Flight leaving at 10:00 AM. Ps. 146:6- The scripture the Lord gave me before we left- "God is the maker of the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything in them. He is the Lord, who remains faithful for ever". Everything is in His control. This verse and these thoughts calmed my heart as we were leaving to fly many miles over land and sea, across the ocean for the first time in my life to actually leave North America. I knew God had called and still I had a hard time placing my faith in an airplane to carry me across the ocean. But I knew my faith was not in man made things but in the LORD.

So our day was an up and down day of flying from, Saskatoon -Toronto- Ottawa- Washington DC-, so yes a long day of ups and downs
But over all a great day
God held us in His hands
For He is our Heavenly Father

We met up with one of our leaders, Mike Wagner, and Caboose- Sidney Allen, who would on the way to Rwanda bring up the back of our four man team at that point. It was a great time of meeting in person for the first time. So we went to the hotel and went right to bed to get as much sleep as possible before the looooooooong flight to Rwanda the next morning.

I will leave you with the poem the Lord gave me that first day.

Be Not Overwhelmed
We must not be discouraged
When great problems beset us
And we grow weary
In that we must trust our God

We must not be dismayed
Because our life is perplexing
When our God know the way
Through the wilderness

We must not get depressed
When we suffer for doing good
Even though our days are full of trouble
We learn to lean on our Saviors strength

We must not despair
In those days of adversity
When we face that tribulation
Seems our burdens more than we can bear

We must never forget
That we have our Father
A loving Heavenly Father
Who is watching over us up in Heaven

By Peter C. Salmond

Prayer Is Important

2010-04-16T19:54:00.002-06:00

Vessels Of Clay

Although our bodies are just the container

That each day are decaying, as they get older,

And getting closer to the closing day

Our lives here on earth could be only a short time more

Our inward body is renewed each day,

By the treasure that is with in us

Greater is He that is in us, then that is in the world

Praise God the devil has no power over us.

Because of the life and power of Jesus Christ

Who indwells this fragile jar of clay

He is the potter, I am the clay

Mold me and make me, master I pray

I pray that this would be your prayer today

That Christ would be seen clearly in you

Because you remained in the background

And let Christ shine through you from the inside out.

Have a good day and may God bless you today

Rwanda Bound- A History in the Making

2010-03-17T06:21:00.010-06:00

God's Plan

How, did this all happen? How did the Lord get us to go to Rwanda? Well it is a long story happening over the period of many years. Let me tell you the story. It started away back before I ever even met my wife Diane, back when she was just a young teenager or younger.

Poem 2010

2010-03-14T13:46:00.000-06:00

The Kings Kids

We are adopted by the king
We are children in the family of God
We are brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ
Praise God we are the Kings Kids

Duel citisenship that's what we have
We are pilgrams together of this earth
As long as the Lord gives to us breath
We breath as do the Kings kids

We have been saved, born again in Him
We possess the position, as the chid of the King of Kings
In the rights purchased for us by the blood of the Lamb
We are children of the King, Kings Kids

We say “Abba Father” our loving and caring
All knowing, all powerful Heavenly Father
Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills
I am so pleased to be one of your kids

I praise you for we are heirs, joint-heirs with Jesus
The author and finisher of my faith
The wealth of God in Heaven is mine
For I am one of the Kings Kids

Through Jesus Christ the Lord,

Joint-heirs with Him we claim it, then,

According to His Word, heaven will be our home
He said it, I claim it, I am the Kings Kid

A Christian’s inheritance is in another world
This world is not my home
(Eph. 1:5,.Rom. 8:15)
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 5. he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will

2010 Poems

2010-01-23T07:57:00.003-06:00

Don't Give Up, Never Quit

Our strength is in the Lord, He is mine,
Our hope is in the Lord, always,
For He has given a sign,
So don't give up, keep moving on.

Our rest is secure in the Lord, it is on line.
His Word is steadfast and sure;
We are standing on the word so fine,
We stand on a firm foundation.

Still at times we are tempted to recline,
To give up into a deep despair.
Then He reminds me He is mine,
And He will always be there.

We know that He keeps us in His care so kind.
Yes, we’re kept within His care.
He knows the way out of every bind,
When we do His biding strength we will find.

When you’re working for Jesus, you will always have a job.
He will never fire you or will never run out of work.
We are the ones that often do just that,
We give up and quit, but He won't.

By Peter C. Salmond
(1 Kings 19)

2010 Poems Jan.19

2010-01-19T07:32:00.002-06:00

Oh Lord, It Is You

Oh Lord, it is you,
It is you, I give my life to you.
For you are my sword and my shield,
O Lord, I give my life to you.

Oh Lord, it is you,
It is you, I will follow you.
For you are my leader and my guide.
Oh Lord, I will follow you.

Oh Lord, it is you,
It is you Lord, that I will obey.
I will bow at your feet doing your command,
Oh Lord, it is you I will obey.

Oh Lord, it is you,
It is in you Lord, contented I will be.
As I strive to be more like you,
Oh Lord, it is in you, content I will be.

Oh Lord, it is you,
It is in your excellence, Lord, I strive,
To be more like you each day.
Oh Lord, it's in you today.

By Peter C. Salmond

Godliness with contentment is great gain. —1 Timothy 6:6

Jan. 10/10 Poems

2010-01-10T10:40:00.002-06:00

Those Who Have Gone Before
Jan. 10/10

When I think of the Chilkoot Trail and the hearty souls that walked that way.
They had one goal in mind, each one with a plan. Down the trail they go.
The gold rush was the reason, and this was the way to get there.
Rough and rugged beauty and yet much danger along those lonely trails.

They would walk for days and yet all that lay before them was a rugged land,
Bush, rock, mountains and cold hard snow, and a relentless wind.
Would they ever make it, some did, some didn't, some gave up and turned back,
Others died along the way. Out of those that made it, very few found what they were looking for.

They were looking for wealth and riches from the gold they had heard about,
From those who had been there and sent word home, but didn't tell the whole truth.
Many were led astray and many lost their way.
The love of money is the root of all evil, the gold rush had both.

But everyone was following a leader, someone who had gone before.
Yet, there was only one that would have been there first.
No one was sure who he was or if he was even true.
But it must be true at least that is what they say.

In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.
Jesus has been there from the very beginning. The Bible tells us so.
He has been along the road. He has been tried and true.
Our spiritual trail to heaven has been the path our leader have trod, those who have gone before.

These leaders like the Chilkoot trail traveler, also had one goal,
To walk the streets of gold for eternity, up in heaven.
These leaders by faith fought the elements along the way as well.
This path also is not an easy path, at times it is a lonely trail to trod.

Much of it seems all up hill, you pass through rugged lands, fight your way through many a thicket,
You just get over one rock and you think you've made it, you look up, no, another mountain to climb.
From many people along the way you will feel their icy glares and cold ridicule.
Telling you this and telling you that, who are you to believe.

At times along the way, I have wondered, will I ever make it?
Well, some have, others will, some have given up and turned back.
Yet, others have died along the way, with no hope for eternity.
But those that made it were hardy souls with heaven as their goal.

Nothing could stop them as they cleared the trail,
Shared their knowledge and led the way for us to follow.
Yes, the paths our leaders have trod, has not been an easy path.
But we will win, if we follow their example, keeping heaven as our goal.

We owe a lot to the Saints that walked in Bible times, like those in Heb. 11,
We owe a lot to those that brought the gospel to our kin folk,
But we owe the most to mom and dad and to those that have impacted us for Christ,
Setting us on the trail that will lead us to heaven, if we will keep our eyes fixed on Him.

Following the trail markers of those who have gone before, each day as we walk and learn.
Why should the younger generation make the same mistakes as those,
Our ancestors have made for years, when we have them as an example, a warning.
The road signs are there, if we follow and keep on keeping on, we will make it in the end.

On like the gold rush travelers, we will one day walk on the streets of gold in heaven,
We will be rich, beyond our wildest imaginations, we will have it all.
For we will have eternal life with God for ever and ever.
We will have Jesus for all of eternity.

For our leaders that following Christ are clearing the trail in the right direction, so keep on following and being the leaders for those who will follow us.

By Peter C. Salmond

Read: Heb. 11, John 1, Read a book on your Christian Heritage, write a thank you letter to your parents and the leaders in your life that have impacted your life for Christ.

Jan. 9/10 Poems

2010-01-09T22:00:00.003-06:00

Uncharted Waters

God at times leads us to enter uncharted waters
His call is clear to go and yet we do not know where
The fear of the unknown grips our hearts
What will happen to us if we go?

Lord, you lead the way, I don't want to be a cripple
In following Your leading, for I know you care
Like Abraham, we will cling to you, our God
For You know all things, You will see that we get there

Many things are beyond my understanding

I know my world is one that I cannot alone, bare

For I know You hold me in your arms

You will give me the strength I need to do fair

I will not be afraid to entrust
My future to you, my Lord, you are there
For He is the God of the unknown
He is our all knowing God, and is always there

God is eternal, in Him I will place my future forever
(Gen. 12:1-9, Heb. 11)

By Peter C. Salmond

January 8/ 2010 Poems

2010-01-08T07:43:00.003-06:00

The Masterpiece

Jan. 8/10

What God did when He created the world
Was remarkable, He created a masterpiece
On the great canvas in the sky
He held nothing back.

The end result, stunningly beautiful
Yet it was staggering in complexity
So many pieces all molded into one
It was extravagant in all regards

What happened shortly after creation,
It was a crime against a loving and caring God.
God had allowed free choice, man choose his own way,
And not God's, and God's work of art was marred.

Marred by an idea, man thought it a better way,
Our heavenly artist lovingly gave a solution
For man, to repair the smudge he had made,
By painting it red like crimson, making it white as snow.

The Artist paid the price to correct man's mistake,
By giving His life upon a tree He created.
All we need to do is believe in Him,
And follow His way and enjoy His Masterpiece.

The day, will come again for you and me.
Everyone in heaven and on earth will bow
At his feet, at the name of Jesus they will bow,
And those from every nation who have accepted,

Will fit again into God’s plan.
In Christ they will worship together,
In a new flawless heaven and a new flawless earth.
Yes, God made a great creation.

But greater, much greater was His grace!
For when man had sinned and grieved His heart,
He sent Jesus to die in his place
So now we have all eternity to praise God.

My friend, the nice part is that we can begin today.
(Rev. 15, Is. 53:6, Ps. 2:10)
Peter C. Salmond

Jan. 7/10 Poems

2010-01-07T09:40:00.002-06:00

Praise Him In Everything

Jan. 7/10

In the every day tasks that we do,
Praise Him for the strength we have,
In the early morning for the droplets of dew,
As they put sparkle into the new day.

In your house cleaning, and making stew,
For the Lord has promised to be near,
At all times and in everything we do,
He promised strength for every long day.

In the watching of the birds as they flew,
As you walked and talked with a friend,
Helping him along life's way in rue,
Of praise to the King.

Success is not in what you do but in how you do,
God will bless your faithfulness,
You will prosper in all that you do,
Crowned with the honor of the Lord.

The world looks at ones success; God looks at ones faithfulness!
(1 Cor. 2:16, Col. 3:1-20)

Peter C. Salmond

Jan. 6/10 Poems

2010-01-07T09:38:00.003-06:00

The Handy Work Of God
Jan. 6/10
Dear Lord, As I look into the skies,
I stand in awe at the wonder of your work.
I am amazed by your majestic creation,
That moves at your command.

The sun, moon and the stars,
In all of their splendor.
Still today, make the day in to day,
And they make the night, night upon this land.

The clouds they float along in the sky,
Then again they can roll along as well,
With purpose in their movement,
Marked with the masters brand.

The wind, rain and snow,
They all come as the seasons command,
Making your world a land of wonder,
A land where man is proud to stand.

You are a great and awesome God ,
I am so thankful that you never change.
You will always be the same,
I can put my life into Your hand.

The wonders of creation reveal to all of mankind the handy work of my God.
(Psalm 19: 1-10, Jeremiah 33:20-30)
By Peter C. Salmond

Jan. 5/10 Poems

2010-01-07T09:36:00.002-06:00

Done For The Sake Of The Gospel
Jan. 5/10
My son, be strong in the grace and strength of Christ Jesus.
Believe me, hardships will come and they will be tough.
Stand with us as good soldiers of the cross,
Stand firm in your faith.

You may suffer for your faith,
Even to the point of being thrown in prison,
But even there God will be,
He has promised to never leave you.

God's word cannot be imprisoned,
So endure everything that is thrown at you.
For the sake of the people you serve,
That they to may come to Christ.
Pray.
Lord, please give me strength to serve,
In humbleness of spirit, all around me.
Nothing more, but that I fill a small place,
And that you my Lord be glorified.

Glorify the name of the Lord knowing that,
Nothing is too small when done for the sake of the gospel.
(2 Tim. 2:1-10)

Peter C. Salmond

Jan. 4/10 Poems

2010-01-04T08:03:00.003-06:00

Well Done

One day our life on earth will be over
That day will be the day
That we will stand before our Lord
The creator and maker of all

Yes that day will come when we will stand
Before the throne of our God
At the judgment seat of Christ
Where we will meet His Son

Face to face and we will fall
In worship to the King of Kings
Have I so lived that I would hear
'Well done my son, well done.'

Enter into my rest this day
For your service was done well down below
So you will now hear a 'Well done.'
When to heaven you go

(2 Cor. 5:1-11 and Matt.25:21)

By Peter C. Salmond.

From my Memories

2010-01-03T14:10:00.006-06:00

Bear - ling Down On A Fence

Dad was riding along towards home, enjoying the sun as it made a warm glow on his face. He was leisurely enjoying his ride home after a days work in the pasture. When out of the corner of his eye, he he spotted a big old black bear sundering across the pasture, just a little ways up ahead of him. It took him about a moment to think about it, or maybe he never thought about it at all, he just decided right now and then that he was going to have some fun, and give that old bear a run for it's money.

Well the chase was on, he opened the horse up to a full run and before the old bear knew it, a horse and rider was tight on his tail. Which startled him, just a little bit, and he figured he had better head for the tall timbers before he got run right over.

Bears were such a common thing in our pasture those days, that most of our horses would run one down, if we asked them to. We were always surprised as to how close we could get our horses to the back end of a bear, running at full speed when in pursuit.

Dad did not realize how close he was to a fence, and that it did not take him to long to cover the ground separating him from a four wired fence and the perimeter of the pasture. When he looked up, he all of a sudden realized he was approaching the fence very quickly, for it was less than a hundred yards in front of the bear, and he was less then forty feet behind the bear. At this point he realized there was no way that bear was going to be able to stop before it hit the fence, and was pretty sure, the bear was not even worrying about the fence being there.

Dad pulled his horse to a stop, just in time, to see the bear hit the fence. And hit it he did, at full speed. It was then he heard the wires stretching, and breaking, and staples zinging through the air. It was also at that point he knew he had just created a make work project for himself and that his fun had just made it so that he would not make it home for a number of hours. You can only imagine what would happen when a 300 pound bear hits a 4 wired fence at 30-40 km and hour.

So you guessed it, he was fixing fence for a while. But even though he had a quarter mile of fence to repair, he still figured it was a fun time he had while he was chasing the bear.

Dad always told a story so that I could relate and remember it. That was the neatest thing I remembered about dad, is that he could tell a good story. That is likely why I love telling stories myself.

From Mom's Note Book #6

2010-01-03T13:35:00.003-06:00

The Cross In My Pocket

I carry a cross in my pocket
A simple reminder to me
Of the fact I am a Christian
No matter where ever I be

This little cross is not magic
Nor is it a good luck charm
It isn't meant to protect me
From every physical harm

It's not for identification
For all the world to see
It's simply an understanding
Between my Savior and me

When I put my hand in my pocket
To bring out a coin or key
The cross is there to remind me
Of the price He paid for me

It reminds me too, to be thankful
For the blessings day by day
And to strive to serve Him better
In all that I do and say

It's also a daily reminder
Of the peace and comfort I share
With all who know my Master
And give themselves to His care

So, I carry a cross in my pocket
Reminding no one but me
That Jesus Christ is Lord of my life
If only I will let Him be

(I do not know who the Author is)

January 3/10 Poems

2010-01-03T08:12:00.002-06:00

Widen My World

Lord, open my eyes that I might see
Those around me that are in need
That I would be your helper
Lord, widen my world.

Lord, help me be a part of the work
That You are doing in the world
Open my eyes to the world around me
Lord, please widen my world.

Lord, give me eyes to see as You see
Give me hands to serve others
As you have given the example
Lord, widen my world this year.

Lord, give me a heart of compassion
That I would share Your love
To those each day I meet
Lord, widen my world.

Amen.

If I would look through the eyes of Jesus, I would see a needy world.
Matthew 28:16-20

By Peter C. Salmond

January 2/10 Poems

2010-01-02T16:39:00.004-06:00

Traveling Along Life's Way

As I travel down life’s highway
My Savior leads me on
Down the winding pathway
As I face another hard day

Jesus keeps me day by day
I walk with him and He walks with me
Keeping me on the straight and narrow way
In His will I will always stay

At times I want to run ahead a ways

Then the road gets more winding

Yet, from Him I do not stray
For He is with me each day

He has promised to never leave me
Nor to forsake me
Never to leave me alone
He will be with me each and every day.

God’s presence brings great comfort along life's way

(Ps. 25:4-10, Gen. 28:15, Heb. 13:5)

By Peter C. Salmond

Poem 2010

2010-01-01T09:02:00.004-06:00

Another Year At The Door
January 1

Search God's word and find for yourself
Hidden treasures and precious things in store
Dig a little deeper, day after day
You will be surprised as you find more and more.

As a miner digs for mineral deposits
When all is said and done he finds ore;
So as you dig into God's word
You to will find wisdom three score

Search, and you will surely find
Answers to your questions galore
Treasures you will find, enriching your mind
Thus to the future opening the door

As we enter in to 2010 a gift awaits
What do we have in store
Wait and watch for opportunities to shine
You will be surprised, as to what crosses the floor

God’s rich treasures that are proven and true
are there just waiting for you to explore.
(Prov. 2:1-9)

By Peter C. Salmond

From Mom's Note Book #5

2009-12-13T09:23:00.003-06:00

Intro by Peter Salmond
This I believe will be very fitting for Christmas, because many people miss loved ones during this time, those from being separated by miles and those that are separated through death. We must realize at all times that our life on earth is what we allow God to make of it. He makes things so that...........

LIFE IS NEVER HOPELESS
(taken from mom's note book)

Life is never hopeless,
When there is someone needing you.
Life is never futile, when there is something you can do,
Or something you can say that will lighten someones burden
Or brighten someones day.

Don't give away to loneliness,
Depression or despair.
Just because you find you have
To face an empty chair,
You need to put someone there.

The world is full of people
There is much for which to live
Someone needs you.
Someone one wants the things
That only you can give.

My thoughts on the Subject
Christmas is a time to make new memories, with family and friends, we need to make memories that will count and linger in the minds of those we leave behind when we are gone. Things that will last forever in the minds of future generations. For me, Peter Salmond, one of the memories I have is Dad Salmond sitting in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas Morning and reading to us the true meaning of Christmas from God's word the Bible. Luke Chapter 2, then we could open our gifts.

A Joint Adventure

2009-11-13T18:41:00.003-06:00

The Cub Twins

I used to ride a lot with my brothers and my cousins, we did a lot of crazy things together. This time I was not alone. But that did not matter, it was no exception, whenever the Salmond boys were out, they were out to have fun, no matter what they were doing. Well this particular day they were out checking fence and making sure we had no sick cattle at the lease land we used for pasture. When they just happened upon a mother bear and two cubs.

Bears were a pretty big problem to cattlemen those days, so cousin Henry took out his rifle took a bead on the old girl and let her have it. I’m sure he never got her with the first shot, but none the less, when the air cleared she was dead, and her babies were up a tree or two. Two little black bear cubs up a tree without a mother. What were they going to do? Number one, what were the cubs going to do, and number two, what where the boys going to do? They had gone and gotten themselves into a pickle. We may have been a trigger happy bunch, but no one wanted to shoot the baby bear cubs.

Their final decision was to shoot one, and take the other one as a captive, and just see what they could do with a wild black bear cub. Smart, maybe not, but it was a cool idea. So, they roped him, and pulled him down out of the tree, on the end of the rope, and tied all four of his feet together so he couldn't scratch anyone, and throw him onto a saddle in front of one of the guys. Then they all headed for home with cub package. Well, Cubby had a bumpy ride home, and he was about to start a whole new life on the Sampson Ranch. He had a small chain put around his neck at first, and then as he grew, a little bigger chain was put on, just to keep him from breaking loose.

I didn't have to much of a hand in raising him, other than, when my cousins were gone away to the rodeos in the summer I would be asked to do chores, and a part of those chores was, you guessed it, I had to feed the bear. By this time, Cubby was much bigger, and did not like being a captive in the least.

So here was the way I had to feed him. He was tied to a tree on a chain that was about twenty feet long, so his life consisted of about a forty foot radius around the base of that tree. At times his feeding pail would be about ten feet or better inside that radius, and whenever a human came inside that radius, Cubby would attack them. So I had to play a little cat and mouse game with him in order to get him fed and watered every day, whenever I was doing the chores. I would give him just a little bit of food on the side farthest away from the dish, which would keep his attention while I ran around the circle, snuck in up to the dish, pick it up and then run as fast as I could to get out of the way before he finished his snack and wanted to add me to it as well. Once that circus was out of the way, then I could give him his water at leisure as he was busy eating his lunch I had just given him.

Well, now he was getting too big and to hard to handle so what were they to do. He could not be just set free, for he did not have a clue what to do on his own out in the wild, so some hair brain idea had to be thought of. Did I say hair brain, well here is what they decided, put him into an empty truck and nail him into a corner with a piece of plywood, put a load of horses in the rest of the truck and take him to the rodeo and find a new owner for him. But would it work, yeah, someone, given the right deal, would take him off their hands.

So it was, that a group of First Nation guys did just that. They paid a small amount of money for the bear, bought 2 cases of 24 beer and gave the bear all he wanted to drink, got him good and drunk. Then, loaded him into the back seat of their car and took him home. I hope he (the bear) slept all the way home because if not, I would think those guys had their hands full of drunk angry bear.

From Mom's Note Book #4

2009-11-02T20:43:00.004-06:00

The Sun Is Always Shining

If we but look, we will always find
That even the darkest day
Holds a little ray of sunshine
To guide us on our way.
We can find it in a friendly smile
Or in just a warm - Hello
We will find it, if we are looking
Almost every place we go
And once we've found the little ways
To let the sunshine through
Will I find there to guide us
In everything we do.

Sent to me from Pat S.

From Mom's Note Book #3

2009-11-02T20:24:00.003-06:00

What's a Mother

A mother is someone who knows all of our needs
Our hopes and our dreams and desires
With a genuine interest in all that we do
Someone who guides and inspires.

The heart of a mother is full of compassion
Is generous, kind and forgiving
The smile of a mother is loving and tender
And it adds so much gladness to living.

A mother is someone with infinite patience
Who soothes all of our troubles away
Someone with limitless faith in her children
And a love for them day after day

A mother can make a home out of a house
By being just thoughtful and sweet
By her warm understanding and gentleness, too
That, makes life more rich and complete.

A mother is full of true wisdom and strength
Of loveliness, insight and grace
She's someone whose love we will cherish forever
Yes, -- -- no one can take mother's place.

From Mom's Notebook #2

2009-11-01T17:40:00.004-06:00

Help Me As A Mother

- Lord help me to love and to support my children's father.
- Help me not only to hear the words of my child but also his feelings.
- Help me never compare my child with another.
- Help me to allow my child to express the reason for his actions.
- Help me in all that I do to be a good example to my child.
- Help me to guide him in his relationships and to be loving and excepting of his friends.
- Help me to be thankful for the way that you have designed my child.
- Help me to strengthen my child's self image through praise.
- Help me to take pride in meeting my child's physical needs.
- Help me to guide my child in resolving the conflicts he will face in youth.
- Help me to be consistent and fair in my discipline.
- Help me to allow my child the freedom to be what you want him to be.
- Help me in my business to hear my child's needs.
- Help me to be supportive of my child's interests and activities.
- Help me never to expect more of my child then his abilities will allow.
- Help me each day to remember my child in prayer.
- Help me to instruct my child in your ways and to encourage him to see you as a loving Heavenly Father.
AMEN

1 Corinthians 13 taken from Mom's Note Book

2009-10-21T18:18:00.004-06:00

Love Changes Things

The weather might be cold and rough
The times be hard, conditions tough
Most of us feel, we've had enough
Love changes things

Are we at odd with spouse or boss
The children cranky, baby cross
Sleep does not come, we roll and we toss
Love changes things

Are there effects from battle scars
Inflation, turmoil, riots, wars
Some things hurt, or bans and bars
Love changes things

Love conquers pains, the woes and ills
It helps in work and climbing hills
Love leads to peace, to joy and thrills
Love changes things

3rd Bear Story

2009-10-10T11:34:00.000-06:00

Up A Tree and No Where To Go

When I was very young , I started into the life of a cowboy. One of the things I really enjoyed was riding the range. Kind of like the fly, I was at home on the range. I know my kids would say, “Dad that’s so corny.”

Anyhow, I loved riding out, and checking fence, and checking the cattle, watching for sick ones or lame ones. Sometimes, from time to time, I would find a cow that had just dropped a new calf, and I would have the privilege of working with this small newborn calf. This always was a treat, the idea of new life always gave me a thrill. Today, I rejoice when I hear that someone is born new into the family of God, and have that exuberant new zest for live, as they start their new life in Christ.

The other things, I enjoyed about this, was riding alone in nature. The wind blowing softly through the trees, the birds singing their song, somewhere out there in the midst of the forest. It was so peaceful and quiet. It seemed at times, and many times it was, just me and God, out there enjoying His creation. That was a time when I felt very close to my God.

I, also, was a bit mischievous and I liked to have fun. One day, I was riding along in a patch of new land, the trees had been cleared away, and the new grass was trying to take ahold before the cows came and eat it off too short, or pulled it out by the roots. There was brush piles in long rows, and at times you would come upon a hole in the ground, where the roots of a tree had been at one time, before it had been uprooted during the clearing process.

Well, it was in one of these holes, that I spotted my fun for the day. It was a young bear, about two years old or so. He was down in one of those holes, getting a drink of water, left from a recent rain fall. His head was down and his tail up. It was then, I realized, he did not hear me coming, that he never had a clue that anything, or anybody, was anywhere near him. So I thought that I would give him a scare of his life.

So, I brought my horse into a full gallop, and came upon this bear at a very fast pace. As I approached his drinking spot, I let out a blood curdling scream. Well, I had never seen a bear move so fast before in my life. He was off, he went from 0 to 50 miles an hour, in about two seconds flat. Making a break for safety, he headed straight for the nearest stand of trees. Then, aimed at the biggest tree, he made this gigantic lunge, landing on the tree at about six feet in the air. Then he proceeded up the tree with another five or six big jumps. Then, he turned and looked down at me as much to say, "Ha, ha, you didn’t catch me." But boy, was it close.

I laughed so hard, I could hardly stay in my saddle. He looked so funny hanging up in that tree. He was so scared, and little old me, had scared this ferocious black bear. Or, so I thought, at that time in my life. It was fun for me. And at the time, all I cared about was, that I was in control of the situation, and that I was having fun.

Yes, I was in control, and I was on the ground. He, on the other hand, was up a tree, with no where to go. But, I do realize now, that God was the one that had control, I was just a part of the big picture.

Another Bear story

2009-10-10T11:15:00.001-06:00

Barely Prepared
You may not believe this, but one year on my dad’s homestead, we had an oat crop that in places stood over six feet tall. That is until, the bears decided to invade the crop. I think we counted as many as 6 to 9 bears that made that little field their home.

We were poor those days, and we had been hunting bear for a while already, and we had run out of rifle shells. Then one day, dad said to my older brother Chuck, “Go and shoot at those bears again, and make sure they aren’t back in the oat crop. Take the old double barrel shot gun and use it. It should make enough noise to scare them away.” So my brother took the old gun, loaded up both barrels. He put extra shells into his pants pocket and headed away on foot, to scare or hunt bears.

He arrives at the field and walks along the edge of the crop, up to a place in the field where, when working the field, we had to work around a willow bunch. As he walked around it now, he just happened to walk between an old mother bear and her cubs, who just happened to be there as well. They really startled each other, and the old she bear started her advance towards my brother, while he proceeded to bring the old double barreled shot gun into action. As he leveled the gun to his shoulder, took careful aim, and pulled the trigger, not realizing he was pulling the scatter barrel trigger. It goes off and only sprays the old she bear with pellets, and now, she is really ticked off, and continues her advance towards my brother Chuck.

By this time, she was getting a little too close for comfort. So he pulls the trigger for the plug barrel and all he hears is a click. The gun had misfired. Without hesitation, he broke the gun open, the old gun jumped the unshot shell out of the chamber into my brother's waiting hand, which immediately latched onto it and slid it into the other chamber. Snapping the gun back into shooting position, cocked the hammer back. And now, all he could see of the old she bear, was tongue, teeth, and lips. So, in one smooth motion, he lowered the gun down, and pointed it right into her mouth and pulled the trigger once more. The old gun jumped into action, and the old she bear turned tail and disappeared, into the bush, following her cubs, who had been gone for a bit already.

Chuck never waited to see if he had got her or not, the minute she turned tail, so did he. I don’t think he slowed his pace once, he ran the whole half mile home, and never slowed down until he hit the front door of the house. Puffing, and very much out of breath, he tried to relay the story the best that he could. Well, that’s the way I remember him telling it to us. And I remember that as he came through that door, he was still as white as a ghost.

Bears

2009-10-10T11:02:00.001-06:00

Bears

When I was growing up we had many encounters with bears. I am not sure which one to start with but I guess the funniest and the scariest would likely be the best. There is actually two that come very close in this category, The one that I am going to start with I will call:

It Was Barely A Bear

This story begins in the fall of the year, very likely late July to mid-August, we, my brother Chuck and I, were out haying a fare distance from home. So we had taken our tent along, it was one of those big cabin type tents, that slept about six to eight people. So we had all of our stuff packed into the tent for safe keeping. Encluding all of our food, pots and pans, dishes and the works.

We had worked hard all day and we were very tired and had gone to bed at a decent time that evening to get a good sleep, so we could get a good start the next morning. We had to get repairs done to the machinery every morning, while we were waiting for the morning sun to burn the night dew off of the swaths of hay before we could start baleing again.

Our cousins were haying just across the road from us, but they were a little farther ahead of us and they were already hauling their hay home. They had taken a load of hay home, and were coming back to get another one, why they were hauling hay all night long I will never know. But they had stopped in town and had picked up some ice cream. Now you must understand, we loved our ice cream very much. It so happened that either they had bought too much ice cream and they couldn’t eat it all, or they were being nice and decided to bring some out for us. I'm not sure which.

But it was 1 A.M. in the morning and we were sound asleep. So their way of waking us was very inventive. Roy, their hired man would act like a bear, and scare our shorts off and then they would give us our ice cream. Roy, being part Indian, could do a real good imitation of a bear.

Here’s how it all played out. Remember now we were sound asleep in a dark tent, but the moon was shining bright outside. Roy comes in towards the tent on his hands and knees, grunting like a bear, he feels along the side of the tent, until he finds where we have a bunch of things piled along the inside of the tent. With a loud woof, and a big grunt, he swings with all his might, smashing into the pile of pans and dishes, sending them flying all over the tent. You can only imagine our fright.

This brought my brother and me, sitting straight up in bed, wondering what on earth was going on. Was it an earthquake or what? It was then, that we saw the shadow of the bear, big and black outside our tent. It was about that time, that he smashed his hand into our grub box, sending things once again, flying across the tent. I almost met myself coming back as I sprang out of bed.

By this time we were getting pretty scared. My brother reached over and grabbed the big butcher knife, that was in a grub box close by. Lifting it up over his head, he then turned to me and said, “Before I take him on with this knife, I am going to yell, and see if that scares him away first”. With that, he let the wildest, and loudest blood curdling scream I had ever heard. I don’t remember exactly what he said, but he said something that showed everyone on the outside of the tent that we were very scared. Whatever he said, made my cousin realize, that they might be in a dangerous situation, if we had a gun in the tent with us, because chances are, we could of shot first and ask questions later.

At that, he, my cousin started to laugh, and then we were ready to kill them. As they came to the door of the tent, and saw my brother holding the big butcher knife, well, the little Indian went almost as white as one of us pale faces. Later, we had a good laugh about it and then, enjoyed some now very melted ice cream, but it still tasted good even in the middle of the night.

Just Face It

2009-10-09T20:14:00.004-06:00

Thistles In The Face

Once again it was fall, dad was again doing the job he was supposed to be doing. He was hauling in the loads of sheaves, to the threshing machine, to retrieve the grain from them, and then, store it in a bin. My dad had been working hard all day, had put on quite a sweat. It was a very warm day in early fall.

It was middle of the afternoon, and as dad was bringing in his load, he noticed the threshing machine boss was laying down beside the tractor, and was having a sleep while everyone else was working away running the loads of sheaves through the thresher. So my dad was kind of a prankster anyhow, so he looked back at his load wondering what he could do. When he noticed that he had a number of real thistle bundles on the very top of his load. Perfect, he thought, as I drive by, I will reach back with my fork, and dump a bundle off on top of him, that will fix him for sleeping on the job.

So as the front wagon pulled away, dad moved passed to pull into position so he could put his load through the thresher. And as he passed by the sleeping thresher operator, he reach back with his fork and rolled a bundle off. Well, you would not believe how good of an aim he was, as he looked over the edge of his load to see what damage he had done, he saw the bundle land right up side down and land right in the guys face. The thistle part of the bundle is what landed in his face. Boy, was he ever spitting thistles for a while.

Dad realized that he had just better go about his business and not say a word, and maybe the threshing boss would just think that the bundle had fallen off on its own accord. Believe it when I tell you, that my dad was very happy, that is exactly what happened. The guy either knew that he shouldn’t of been sleeping on the job, or else he just thought the bundle had fallen off by it's self, because he never said a word about it. But he also didn’t sleep on the job right away again.
So he might have had a hunch that maybe, just maybe, that bundle was helped just a little bit.

Chucks Life Stories

2009-09-13T09:45:00.004-06:00

Taking A Fit?

I do not know this story real well, other than when my brother was little he developed this habit that if he didn't get his way or something made him up set, he would start to cry, hold his breath, turn red and then send himself into a convulsion. This caused him to fall to the ground, trembling and shaking and trying to get his breath back. This would scare our mother, and being a young mom at the time, she didn't know how to stop this ordeal from happening and was scared he was going to kill himself.

Well, this one day, they were all outside in front of the house doing something in the yard. It was during that time something happened to Chuck and he got angry at the world and went into one of his fitful rages, started to shake and proceeded to fall down on the ground in a convulsive state.

Mom, ran towards him, I am sure wondering what to do this time, that might help her son get over this habit he had worked himself into. As she ran towards him, she saw the rain barrel full of water, just on the other side of him. So she bends down, grabs him by the heels, runs to the barrel and dunks him head first into the barrel of water, and then just as quickly pulls him out again.

Well, guess what? When he came back out of the water, he had his breath back, you might say he was cooled off, but not only was he cooled off, he was also curred, because I understood that he never again through himself into a convulsive state, for the rest of his life.

Now, I do not recommend this treatment for all convulsive babies, but in an emergency, this one time it worked. The moral of the story, if nothing works, use whatever you have on hand to solve a problem that is worth fixing.

Are You A Grouch

2009-09-13T09:16:00.005-06:00

The Grumpy Old Man.
Another threshing story for you. This story is told by my dad, about my dad and his days traveling around with the threshing crews from place to place each fall. It takes all kinds of men to make up a threshing crew. Some of them are patient and kind and there are those who try the patience of the rest of the crew. Some good and some bad. Those who can hold their temper and those who would lose it easily. There was good natured men and there was ornery men. This story is about a good natured man and an ornery man.

My dad was young at the time, good natured, but not yet to the place where he had very much patience. Also at that time in his life, he did not have the Holy Spirit there to help him. I can truly vouch for him that he later made that decision and he did receive more patience. I will tell the story as he was at that time.

This takes place when dad was in his late teens, early 20's. He was working on a threshing crew including other members of his family. Also, a number of their neighbors were working with them. This thrashing crew would travel from farm to farm, threshing each other sheaves.

Each crew had a threshing boss, he was the guy that owned the machine or had been hired by the owner to run the machine. Then there was the field boss, he looked after the loading of the sheaves out in the field. Then there was all of the hired hands, these guys came and worked all day hauling the sheaves from the field to the thresher with their own teams and wagons.

One of these old guys was known as the Old Crank, or ornery as a she-bear with three cubs. He drove his own team, just as my dad was the driver of his own team. This old guy was never happy and was always getting down on the other teamsters, was always up-set and always getting on everyones case. Not on their tractor (case) either.

You see it went something like this, All of the teamsters would head out to the field in the morning to get loaded, and the first one loaded would be first in line to unload. Each teamster was paid according to how many loads they hauled in a day. Each man for himself, they would let the team walk along the rows of sheaves and the teamsters would walk along side with fork in hand and put their load on. When you had on a load you would take your place on top of the load and head for the threshing yard. Most of the time there would be a long line up at the threshing machine. Sometimes as many as 5 or 6 wagons at a time. A lot of times the drivers would fall asleep while waiting, and after the wagon in front pulled out of the way, the next guy in line could be caught sleeping. Well if it so happened that Mr. Ornery was behind you, the sleeper, he would hauler and yell and really get on your case, until you woke up with a start and got going up to the feeder of the threshing machine. He would use cutting remarks like , “Come on you sleepy head, get your lazy butt in gear, come on I don’t have all day, get those old lazy plugs going before the sun goes down. Or do I have to come do it for you." And so he would rant on and on, just grating on your nerves.

Dad was one of the young guys that got railed on lots. Usually he would retaliate with a few choice words and then move up to where he was supposed to be, and get unload as quickly as possible, and then get on out of there as soon as possible again. Then he would just carry on about his day, was the normal response.

One day as dad pulled up with his load he noticed that he was third in line. Just guess who was in second place? Well, it was Mr. Ornery himself. Guess what? He was sleeping, as sound as can be and the guy in front was almost done. Dad sat there for a bit with the sun shining down nice and warm on his back, when all of a sudden he got a very bright idea.

Quietly getting down from his load, he made haste in carrying out his plan. He went around his own team, past Mr. Ornery’s wagon load of sheaves and up to Mr. Ornery’s team. He ducked in behind the team and reached out quickly and with one swift movement he pulled the draw pin from the Whipple Tree and stuck it into the sheaves at the front of the load. Stepped back out and headed back to his own team, he mounted his load and prepared to carry out the rest of his scheme. He just sat and waited, watching very closely, for just the right time.

The lead team was now just finished and was pulling out of the way, and his fun was about to begin. Mr. Ornery’s team never moved. So dad yelled, "Come on, you old grouch, get those lazy old nags into place." The old man awoke with a start, planting his feet against the top of the front rack of his wagon and yelled at the old team, who in turn settled into their tugs. You can only imagine what happened next. No, I guess I will have to tell you.

The old team took off, the pole dropped to the ground, the grumpy old man was not very big and with the weight of the team and with their strength, the grumpy little old man was seen disappearing down behind the front of his own load, being drug about fifty feet before making his feet again and getting his team stopped. Needless to say this grumpy old man was very quiet for a very long time after this. I'm not saying that dad was right in what he did, but he never had to listen to that grumpy old man any more. The grumpy old man never asked and no one ever told who was the guilty party that pulled his draw pin.

If I ever become a grumpy old man, I would hope that someone would try and become my friend, and in so doing, maybe having a chance to take my grumpiness away. Helping me realize that the whole world isn’t out to get me. That I could actually be someone who could be nice, if I really wanted to be. In my dad's later years, I believe that is what he would of tried to do.

The Heart Of The Matter

2009-09-07T09:06:00.005-06:00

A Merry Heart

A joyful heart is good
Like a medicine
Soothing out the rough spots
Soothing away life's woe's

Bringing a light to the face
Making it shine
Let your voice be heard
Dancing before the Lord

Yes, laughter is good for the soul
Bringing healing to the heart
Sorrow may last for a night
But joy comes in the morning

True happiness is yours
Just reach out and take it
Then let it show on your face
Don't walk around with a dim light

So laugh my friend laugh
For we are laughing our way
All the way to heavens door
Where we will live forevermore

Once we have entered through........

By Peter C. Salmond

Short Memory Not That Good

2009-09-07T07:28:00.006-06:00

If you think you may have heard a story like this before, well you would be right, if you have been following my blog for a while. This was one of the first things I wrote about. Yes, this is the same story, sorry I forgot that I wrote it before.

So it is that, I haven't written about my memories for a while, well here it is again, and I personally will never forget it. Maybe you won't either after hearing it twice. I hope you enjoy it again as much as I enjoy telling it. Watch for more in the days ahead. New ones, for sure. If this doesn't get comments, I guess nothing will. (It's age, I think.)

BLOWER, That’s His Name!

I am the age where I don’t remember much about the threshing days, throwing bundles, filled with thistles and all. But this is a story that I will never forget. It was the day our cat Blower got his name. This was a very funny story, but believe me it was not funny for the cat. I am sure glad cats are supposed to have nine lives otherwise old Blower would have been a goner.

You see, as fall was approaching, we needed to get ready for threshing time. So the old threshing machine had to be checked over from top to bottom, grease nipples had to be greased and all of the chains had to be oiled. Then finally, we would finish by running it for a while just to supple it up a bit and clean out it’s insides of all the chaff and dust and dirt that had collected over the year. Just to clean it up a bit more before the first threshing day came along.

We had brought a few sheaves in just to run through the system to make sure everything was working. I remember watching as my dad and brother pulled the team and wagon up along side of the old tractor we had on the threshing machine. Then, dad started it up, the old machine ground and squealed and finally jumped into motion. What a racket it made as all of the belts, chains, wheels, slates, cogs and paddles started moving very slowly. It was always a fascinating event in the year.

Chuck was about to put in the first bundle and that was when, what I both seen and heard next will never leave my memory. It was a ball of fur, a grey hair ball, a chunk of gray mass, no it sounded like, and it was a cat. It came flying out of the blower spout where the straw usually came out of. But this time ahead of the straw came a cat, that had obviously been hunting mice inside the old threshing machine. He must have been sitting on one of the blower paddles, because he was not even hurt but I won’t ever forget the size of his tail. The hair on his tail was standing up all over his body and his tail was almost half the size of his body. He was flying through the air like a torpedo and if I didn't believe it before, I believe it now, that cats always do land on their feet. He hit the ground feet first and moving very fast, never before or since, have I seen a cat move so fast. That cat no sooner hit the ground and he was off like a lightening bolt, streaking off across the yard. In about 2 seconds flat he went from the threshing machine to the barn, and I believe we never saw him for a number of days. When he did make his next appearance, he automatically became known as BLOWER the cat .

Friendship

2009-08-15T07:16:00.006-06:00

May I call you friend
Come winter, spring, summer or fall
A friend walks with me through them all
So, may I call you friend

May I call you friend
Come rain, wind, snow or hail
A friend would walk beside me up every hill
So, may I call you friend

May I call you friend
A friend would face what I face
Yes, they would do them all
So, may I call you friend

Dear Lord, I do not ask a lot
But may I ask for at least one
Or at most a few who would dare come close
Oh Lord, may I have a friend so true

This friend or friends, I would ask
That first off, they would be
Loyal and faithful to You
And then they would be a friend to me

So, may we begin a friendship
Is the cost too high
Death for the Lord
Was what He was willing to pay

To start a friendship with me
May I call you friend

By Peter C. Salmond

Friend

2009-08-12T21:28:00.003-06:00

What an honor to be called friend
What a name to live up to
To gain a friend you first
Must be a friend

A friend will listen
When my heart is breaking
And will never blame me
For having a problem

A friend will stand up for me
When an enemy attacks
Taking the brunt of the blast
Shielding me when I am weak

A friend will rejoice with me
When I succeed at a hard task
But will also cry with me when I have failed
Then lending a shoulder to cry on

A friend is not afraid to give
To me wise counsel as needed
To keep me from making
A fool of myself

A friend will risk making me angry
If the need arises
In order to make things right
A friend is a friend at all times

The good, the bad, and the ugly times
A friend will be there through them all

By Peter C. Salmond

Revival Of The Heart

2009-08-12T07:05:00.003-06:00

Fill this heart of mine
With an everlasting love
Loving those at hand
With your love

Lord, fill this heart of mine
That I might show that kind of love
To those who need their souls rekindled
With your mighty saving love

Yes, fill this heart of mine
Rekindled, aflame, a burning from within
A fire ablaze and hard to contain
With a far reaching gracious love

Fill up my cup to over flow
That I might be a harbor, a cove
A resting place in a time of need
Were the weary can drink in your love

So Lord, lift me up, let me stand
Leading the way to your throne
So many may come to the promised land
Making these choices their own

By Peter C. Salmond

Under His Wings

2009-08-11T07:01:00.005-06:00

Under His wings, under His wings I rest
It is there, I find refuge from all my sorrow
My heart hungrily turns to the best
For under His wings it finds it can rest

Under His wings, oh, under His wings
When this earth has no strength for my healing
There I find comfort and strength through the tests
For it is there under His wings I can rest

Under His wings, yes, under His wings I rest
For my God holds me close in His arms
As I lean on His everlasting breast
For it is under His wings that I rest

My friend, rejoice always, pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks, for this is the
Will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16, 17, 18

By Peter C. Salmond

The first morning after I went to spend a few days with my oldest sister who was very sick and had just gotten home from the hospital. I had some quiet moments and as I thought about this poem I had just wrote, I knew it was so true in many of my own experiences in life. This became my prayer for her, that she too, would find her strength and rest in God, protected under the shelter of His wings.

A Poem From A Daughter

2009-07-23T07:18:00.003-06:00

In a Note to HER dad a daughter, lovingly said,

"Dad"
There are so many great memories of good time we had when I was growing up
Even though I'm grown and have a life of my own now, I still cherish the memories of the good times with you.
So much of how I live my life and of who I am today is a result of your influence.
You've always been one of the most important people in my life.... and you still are.
So, even though we may not spend as much time together as we once did, I want you to know that you're always with me, right here in my heart.... where you belong.
Written by Larry S. Chengges

Here is her Fathers Response

Dear Daughter
I too, have so many fond memories, of all the fun times we have had over the years, as you were growing up. But now you've done gone , and done it, grown up I mean. Making a life now of your own. But you can count on it, I will always remember those good times, I had with you. So much of who you are, has a lot to do with mom and me. As to how we lived our lives before you, and who we are today, will make a big impact on you in a very big way.

You will always be my favorite daughter, yes my one and only. You were that then, now and always. Don't you forget it! So even though your not sitting on my knee, as much as you once did, I want you to know that there will always be a place for you there, on my lap that is. But where my heart is concerned, you will always be there. Even though we are hundreds of miles apart. You will be there where you belong, very near your daddy's heart. P.S. I love you. Written by your Dad with love on March 26/98

The Joke Is On You

2009-07-20T20:51:00.003-06:00

I believe my Grandpa used to tell this story. It was about a sheep, a male sheep, or otherwise known as a Buck/Ram, I believe he especially was called a Ram, for a very good reason as you will see as I go on.

The story goes something like this. A neighbor had a flock of sheep, in that flock was an old Ram, the owner had trained him to charge (ram) from the time he was a little lamb chop. You see the whole little game was to trick the lamb into charging, and then send him flying head over heels. He now was no longer a lamb, he was a full grown bald-headed daddy sheep.

It was a very funny peculiar sight to watch one of these fights. What was peculiar was how the fight happened and with whom. My understanding is that the fight went something like this. My grandpa's neighbor would get down on all fours in the middle of the barn yard and begin to paw dirt up over his back with one of his hand and making a deep 'baa'ing sound. Well, making this charging stance would always get the old Rams attention and it would make him mad, after all he was the head sheep around here.

It never ever took very long before the ram would hear or notice him, and without delay he would come a charging at his opposition who had challenged him. As the ram got with in striking distance the old neighbor would duck his head down to the ground, just in time so the ram couldn't stop and every time the old ram would go head over heel across the yard. And every time he would get up shake himself off and go back to whatever he was doing before the fight began. But always, you could tell by his actions and the look on his face that he was saying to himself, “Some day, mister, some day, just you wait and see. I will get you back ” But Mr. Neighbor was so proud of his record, in all of these years he had never lost a fight. Everytime it went off without a hitch.

Then one day in late fall, maybe around Thanksgiving an old friend of the neighbor came by to visit. He had been gone for many years and had come home for Thanksgiving, and had just dropped in, as the custom was back then. It happens that as they were 'chewing the fat', Mr. Neighbor asked, “ Have you ever seen our fighting ram?”

“No,” was the reply, “what does this ram fight with, another sheep, a dog or what?”

“Me,” said Mr. Neighbor, “come on out to the field and I will give you a demonstration, as to what my old ram can do, or not.”

So after coffee and cake, the two families took the team and wagon and headed out to the field. In the fall of the year the farmers always had their livestock out grazing on the stubble fields. After getting out there, everyone lined up along the fence to watch the show. Oh my, and what a show it was going to be.

Mr. Neighbor crawled through the fence, and as he had done so many times before, got down on all fours and started his game. Got into a charging stance and started throwing dirt over his back, and made that gruff 'baa'ing noise down in his throat. Getting the rams attention was easy. The ram turned, lowered his head and charged without even thinking twice about it. He got within striking distance, Mr. Neighbor ducked his head as he had done so many times before, but this time Mr. Neighbor, jabbed a straw up his nose, something he had never done before. Mr. Neighbor threw his head back up, this too was something he had never done before, and never before had Mr. Sheep's head ever met Mr. Neighbor's head either, so you might say that they were now going to meet head-to-head for the first time ever. As was said before, THE JOKE IS ON YOU MISTER Neighbor. He who laughs last, laughs the longest.

I think you can only imagine the rest of the story for there is really no words to describe it, how embarrassed he must have been with all of the spectators looking on. All I know is that I would not have wanted to be him at that very moment. I believe for the next few days you might say he was a real Mr. Sorehead.

The Submissive Wife

2009-07-09T21:52:00.004-06:00

I’m not sure where this story came from but I heard it as a boy and I have never forgotten it. It’s a story told about a man who needed to fix the roof on his house. It needed new shakes.

Now his house had a very steep roof, a man could in no way just stand up on this roof, he would need some assistance of some kind. He put it off as long as he could, but the little lady kept after him, finally one day early in the morning he decided to fix it, and have it ready for winter, while at the same time pleasing the little woman.

He decided that his assistant would be his trusty old lariat and the bumper of the old Model T
Car. With a couple twirls of the rope he proceeded to throw the rope easily over the peak of the house, tying the end still in his hands to the bumper of the car. Then climbing to the peak of his house he tied the other end around his waist. Now he was safe and secure.

Then, with shake in one hand and hammer and nail in the other he began his days work. He was so pleased with himself, for by the noon hour, he was almost finished the near side of the roof, after lunch he would have to move the old car back over into the driveway so he could then do the far side next to the bush. As he was coming down for lunch he noticed that he was almost out of nails. But then, hunger over took him as he smelled the wonderful food cooking indoors, he forgot all about more nails. He headed straight to wash up and then straight to the table, he was a hungering.

Not remembering again until he had gotten back up on the roof and had secured himself and started nailing away once again and then he remembered, "Man I need more nails." Not wanting to climb all the way down again, he moved over the roof to the chimney and cupping his hands together, he yelled down the chimney. “Dear, could you run down to the hardware store and grab another couple pounds of 3/4 inch coated nails for me, I want to get this done today and it sure would save me a lot of time if you could do that for me."

The little lady, being the submissive wife that she was, said, “Sure honey, I’ll go as soon as I finish the dishes!" Five minutes later as she was leaving to get the nails, she hollered up at him, “I’ll be back as quick as I can dear." With that she jumped into the old Model T.

As she started the noisy old car up, she never heard her startled husbands' cry as she drove away. As he crested the peak of the house he gave one last desperate yell, but to no avail. He was dragged kicking and screaming all the way to the edge. Then before she shifted gears into second gear he managed to jump or lung off over the edge by the help of the rope and the car, which was now picking up speed. Well, he managed to land on his feet and managed to stay on them for a little way, but his wife now gaining momentum, he lost his footing and down he went, as he was pulled down the driveway kicking and screaming all the way.

The little lady, with her mind set on the task at hand and the urgency of it was not looking back. Therefore never saw hubby lose his feet and that he had started to be a real drag at this point. About four blocks along her way she happened to look into her rear view mirror and couldn’t believe her eyes, what was her husband doing, being a tag along, then she realized he had no other choice.

Quickly stopping she ran back to where her husband lay badly browsed and bleeding with a number of broken bones and many lacerations on his face and body, not to say anything about major road burn. She untied him and helped him into the back seat of the model T, she then drove him to the hospital, where he would spend the next two weeks.

While he was in there, she had to finish the roof, also she had remembered what he had said about getting the house painted on the inside and out before winter as well. So she decided to surprise him and get that all done while he was away. So she set to work, for the next week and a half she was like a busy little beaver, painting all day long, cleaning the brushes out and then dumping the clean up down the outhouse hole. This went on day after day. It was oil base paint I might add. She had done a wonderful job and she was very proud of herself. She had it all done with a couple days to spare so that the fumes would be all gone by the time her hubby got home from the hospital.

On the day she left to go and get her husband, the fumes were almost gone, the house and yard were in great shape and everything was set. Oh, he would be so pleased with her. She was right, he was so happy, he loved her so much, there would be new rule in their house from this day forward, he said, "From now on there will be no more smoking in the house, we want to keep it smelling nice and new as long as we can."

So that evening after he was settled back in his room, and was ready for night, he went out to make a pit stop before going to bed, and to have his evening fix. Entering the outhouse, he parked on the throne as he had always done, pulled out a stoggie and light up a match, lighting his stoggie he then threw the still burning match down the hole.

The next thing the little lady heard was a very loud explosion and then a blood curdling scream and as she ran to the door she saw hubby rolling around in the grass trying to get himself unlit , and then he laid still, with only a few whiffs of smoke still sifting up from his motionless body.

Needless to say, she was on her way to the hospital once again, this time he had third degree burns of a different sort. But still, even if she wasn’t nearby at the time of the explosion, well just the same it all happened by her hands once again. All because she loved him and was a very submissive wife.

A Muddy Day At The Corral

2009-06-28T20:58:00.008-06:00

It was Spring, only it was miserably wet and cold, the corrals where a mucky mess and they only got worse as the day got longer. We were tired and the cows were getting very miserable and did not want to cooperate.

When we worked in the corrals doing cattle we each had our job to do, that we were to do during that day like it or not. Mom was the secretary, as we needled the cows, read their tag number, screamed out the number above the bawl of the herd.. and then Mom, believing that she heard us right would then write it down in a record book .

The place where she sat, was always nice and dry, but not always warm. In the little barn we had set up right close to the head chute where we would catch the cows so that we could do work on them. In the end of the barn was a window with a lid, which could be flipped up for such a time as this.
Chucks job was to read the tag numbers, take off the horns, put the tag in if the animal didn't have one or had lost it, and do all of the heads up stuff.

My job was pushing the critters up the shut and playing around twisting tails and causing a distractions while Chuck done his thing at the other end. You might say I got the tail end of the deal. Many times I got my feet stepped on and sprayed with water mixed with a lot of other brown looking stuff. (POOOOOp) One time in the spring I remember getting the brownish green stuff directly from the source. I had ran up behind her and kicked her in the bottom, I should of known better, that sure did get her going. If you know what I mean? Well she got going alright. With a long juicy squirt of poop right down the front of my unsnapped western shirt. You got it, it ran right down my bare belly, and you can imagine where else Yuk!!

The girls and Bubby would make sure the chutes were kept full. They were younger and always done what they could to help out. They were not very old, but even at their young age they could put in a pretty good day.

Dad always gave a hand where ever he was needed. Those years he was fighting cancer and it was tough on him and he couldn't do as much as he once had, but he was always there for us. He was our guide and teacher, he made sure we were taught so that we would know how to work so we could look after ourselves when he was gone. He never stopped pulling his load of the work and always joined in with our fits of laughter when ever they happened to start.

Well, like I had said earlier, things were getting pretty muddy around the old corral, and the old cows were getting tired of being pushed around. So things were getting a little tense. As Chuck let another old cow out, I pushed an old black Angus brute up the chute to the head squeeze, and with a rattle and a shake of the head gate, a clatter and a bang she was caught. “There you old cure”, I said, “that’s as far as you go for now.” As I gave her another big kick just for good measure.

Now it was Chucks turn, he could start his doctoring the old gal. But she would have none of it, she through her head this away, she through her head that away, she through her head up, she through her head down. But as I said, she was going no where special at the time. A couple of times she and my brother almost met heads, and once or twice she almost throw him off his feet.

Now back in those days Chuck had a bit of a temper as did I, so watch out anybody or anything that was close by because there would be fur flying if you no what I’m a get-en at if anything got in our way. I was right there a watching close being yanked back and forth as I tried my distraction tactics, on the tail- end. I held onto that old poopy tail for dear life just a twisting and a shouting, not sure I was doing any good though. But what next? The old girl wend down on her knees and started to pray, and my brother by this time was every thing but......... Praying-that is.

I need to stop and let you know that the owner of the cattle we were doctoring was helping out as well, and watching all of the commotion. As this hole episode unfolded his eyes got bigger and bigger with anticipation as to what would happen next.

All of a sudden Chuck lost it and with a big swing of his foot and a scream that would of curdled milk, he kicked the old bag (cow) right squarely in the side of the head. As his big boot met her face a large piece of mud mixed with all of that poop and what have you, fleeewwwwww off of the toe of his boot and went spiraling to wards that open barn window where our mother was setting keeping books.
Just as the mud was passing through the open window, mother opened her mouth to yell something to Chuck, but you know what none of us are sure to this day what it was she was going to say. Because it was about that time that the spiraling clump of mud and all of it’s added ingredient entered mothers mouth . Well you have never seen anything so funny in all of you live long days. There was a spitting and a sputtering going on like you have never seen before. While she was spitting and sputtering, the rest of us got into one of those laughing spells, that is all of us, but the owner of the cow. He was as serious faces as can be, for a long time but when he seen no one else had stopped laughing, he to caught the bug and we all had another belly jiggling laugh. Including mom, she laughed too once she got the mud spit out all over the little barn walls. Let me tell you, that was one year we didn’t have to chink any cracks in that barn.

But the owner could not believe that mom wasn’t mad, and there was no cursing or swearing going on at all, just a lot of laughing. He said, “ I have never seen such a family as this before. In most families this would have caused a big fight. But not you guys, you just laugh. Well none of us likely thought at the time as to why that was, but I know now it was because we loved each other and Jesus God’s own Son was very present in our home. So I know it was God who should have gotten the glory that day. It was because of the love of Jesus, that is why we are like we are.

I know it was almost dark when we finished that day and as we sat around in the little line shack that evening eating supper, the talk would very often go back to the not mud in the eye episode but to the mud in the mouth and we would all burst out laughing again.

We as a family had fun at what ever we done, whether it was work or play, mind you there wasn’t much play so we just played while we worked. It was a lot of fun. There are many a story I could tell that relates to the corral at the Neeley Lake Co-operative pasture. Maybe as this book goes on you may just hear a few more.

The Barrel Jump

2009-06-07T09:05:00.004-06:00

I was born when I was very young, and from that day on and before dad was the manager of a Cooperative Community Pasture, running about 1200 head of cattle every summer. The Neeley Lake Coop Pasture was where I got my cowboy training on the job. So because of that I started riding at a very young age. We had to ride every day in the pasture, checking the cattle for sickness and checking fences and so on.

I remember riding with my mom the most, and with dad when he was able. Dad was sick lots those days and so never rode as much as he once did. I had two brothers and four sisters, I remember riding a lot with them as well. My oldest sister was away from home already so I only knew her by her married name and from going to visit at their place. My oldest brother and I rode and did the most things together, more than I did with the girls. But even when my youngest brother came along I even got to ride with him a bit.

Well, I told you all of this to tell you that it was from these experiences together that these following stories derive from. After riding so many miles together and experiencing many adventures together, I figure a fellow should have just a few stories to tell. So the first one is one that I will call...............

THE BARREL JUMP

We were members of a 4-H club and we trained our horses to do different activities in our spare fun time. One of those activities was teaching them to jump over things. One of the things we had them jumping was two 45 gallon drums sitting on the end with a pole across between them. On this particular day my eldest brother Chuck was riding his horse Chub and I was riding old Shorty, Meachy was riding Dusty, Charlie was riding Skip, Marbles was riding Rudy and Bubby was riding on Socks.

We were all having a ball trying to get our horses to jump over all of the different obstacle's we had set up. All of the horses were doing really good on all of the jumps, except for mine, every time I came to the barrel jump he would, instead of jumping it, dodge it and would almost dump me off on my head. This had happened a number of times and I was getting very frustrated with him, finally Chuck said, "Get off the old brute and let me see what I can do with him." After all big brothers could do anything, so he would make him jump it.

So I got off and he got on, and was going to attempt to have Shorty jump over the barrels this time and not around them. Now you have to get the picture here a bit before I go on, my older brother is eight years older than me, he is taller and has longer legs, he is in his twenties and I am not quite a teen yet. Get the picture - long legs, short stirrups. Well, needless to say he didn't take the time to lengthen the stirrups, there he was perched up on Shorty like a jockey, ready for the half mile open and was about to make him jump close to a four foot jump.

Chuck rode out a little ways, back from the barrels and turned his mount around and charged full speed towards the barrel jump. He was fully expecting Shorty to dodge around the jump as he had done with me so many time before. So Chuck now poised and ready was he for the steed to bolt when to his surprise he did not, instead he arose to the challenge and jumped that pole that was in front of him, but Chuck even jumped higher than Shorty did, for as Shorty lunged over the pole, Chuck arose from the saddle and went as high as his little short stirrups would let him go and then came down head first over the head of his mount, Chuck landed and rolled first and then Shorty landed a second later, missing Chuck as he went rolling across the ground out of harms way, away from the pounding hooves of the steed he was riding. You had to be there to see how funny it looked, he was like a large frog being hurled through the air.

I don't think I had ever seen dad laugh so hard, well he laughed so hard that he sat down on the ground and just hooted and hollered and the rest of us joined in. No man or animal was hurt in this altercation, just Chucks pride was hurt a little, but proud of the fact that he did get the old horse to make a successful jump in the end.

I don't remember if I personally ever got that horse to jump over that jump again or not, but I can only imagine that I did because we didn't hardly ever stop trying until we succeeded in what we had started out attempting to do. I also know that I taught a lot more of our horses to jump and had a lot of fun doing it.

A Day In the Life Of A Handyman

2009-06-06T21:34:00.006-06:00

The morning actually went pretty good, finished up the tub surround in the trailer I was working at, repaired the step and then started on the toilet and the shower it's self. That's when everything fell apart and nothing worked out, so at the end of the day I had the toilet fixed, I think, and the plumbing all taken apart, ready to start putting the new shower fittings in, but that will have to wait until Monday morning, then it will be a new day and the start of a new week. It will all go better then, I'm sure. But today was a very long day.

I can hardly wait until Wednesday, we are taking a few days off and going to visit our grandchildren in Albert, oh yeah, our daugher and son-in-law live there too, I guess we will visit with them too. lol, I am looking forward to seeing all of them, and to a change of pace and hopefully a little bit of a rest.

Our reno's here at home have slowed to a snails pace, another couple of evenings and I should have the first half of the baseboards on. Then to cut and fit the last half, then a second coat of paint and finally the last and final fitting with touch up painting to make the project complete. Maybe by the end of June we will be almost back to normal around our house.

Anyhow it has been an interesting day.
Hey, invite a friend to church and just see what might happen. I did and he has now been there two Sundays in a row. "Our God is an awesome God." Come on now sing it. I can just hear you now, you have it stuck in your head and you will be singing for the next couple of days.

KO by a Friend

2009-06-01T22:01:00.005-06:00

May 31, 2009

I came over a hill along the road and walking along the side of the road was a man. He was carrying two hockey sticks and a backpack. He was hoping for a ride, so as I often do when I am traveling alone I stopped, and pick him up as I have done with many other young men over the years. It wasn't long before I found that this young fellow was hurting from the paths he had chosen in his life. He had been KO by a friend at a nightclub the night before, in a town where they had been playing a floor hockey tournament, so because of that fight he'd had enough and decided to walk home. This was the plan the Lord had in mind for him that day. So Him and I would have a chance to meet.

Sunday morning and I am on my way to a nearby town to preach that bright sunny Sunday morning. God knew I would still make it to the Church in time, even if I did stop to help this young man along the way. I found that he wanted to talk and ask questions about life. He said, "I am at a fork in the road and I have to make a choice, either I go the way of my ancestors or I go God's way."

His question basically was this, how can I be Scottish (or what ever race/nation you want to put in there) and Christian at the same time? If I follow God, will I have to give up who I am as a person? My answer was absolutely not, you may have to let go of some of the things you do, and your friends will likely change some what, but God only wants you to be able to find out who you truly are. He wants to make you better, and stronger as a person. God has a plan for your life, it is our job to walk in it. This begins by having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

He struggled with life and all of the obstacles his enemy the devil places in his path. How do I say no to the devil? Just pray, when you know he is tempting you, pray harder. The devil can't stand it when we ask Jesus to come into our situation, for he cannot stand to be in the presence of Jesus. Then Jesus will give us the strength to say no, because as a child of the King you have access to the throne of God.

My question to this young man and to you, are you at a cross roads in your life? Then pray, read God's word and seek Him, and He will help you chose the right path for your life. He will never leave you nor forsake you, He will always be by your side. All you need to do is reach out to Him.

Lord, Forgive Me When I Whine

2009-05-31T07:49:00.005-06:00

My daughter wrote about being thankful for the freedom she has here in Canada, but also the freedom she has to make good choices that will help others and ourselves. As I read her blog, it reminded me of the above title. So below is the article that follows it. With personal thoughts of mine inserted.

Today, upon the bus I saw a lovely girl with golden hair, I envied her, she seemed so happy. When she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle. She had one leg, and used a crutch. But as she passed, she smiled. Oh, my God, forgive me when I whine. I have two legs. The world is mine.

{Lord, I want to thank you, that I can still go for walks with my wife, and with my grandchildren romp and play. Oh yes, and I still can put in a full days work and get a full days pay. Yes, Lord with this author I must say, Please forgive me when I whine. For indeed the world is mine.}

I stopped to buy some candy. The lad who sold it had such charm. I talked with him. He seemed so glad. As I left, he said to me: "I thank you. You have been so kind. It's nice to talk with folk like you. You see," he said, "I'm blind." Oh, God, forgive me when I whine, I have two eyes. The world is mine.

{Lord, I want to thank you for my two good eyes. Your beauty to behold. The scenery that I have seen through out the years, has taken my breath away at times and those memories I have forever more. I have the privilege of seeing the smiles on children's faces as they play, oh to see that joy is really something to behold. Yes, Lord please forgive me when I whine. For I know that the world is mine.}

Later, while walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue. He stood and watched the others play. I stopped a moment, then I said, "Why don't you join the others, Dear?" He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he couldn't hear. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two ears. The world is mine.

{Lord, I want to thank you for two good ears. For each day that I awake, I can hear the birds singing in the trees or hear the honking of the geese over head. To hear the wind in the trees and to hear the water lap upon the shore. To hear the children's laughter as the play with me, and hear them say, "Grandpa, will you come and play?" Lord, forgive me when I whine. The world is mine.}

With feet to take me where I want to go, with eyes to see the sunset glow, with ears to hear what I would know .... Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I'm blessed indeed. The world is mine.

{With my feet to take me, my eyes to guide me, and my ears to listen with, I have much to be thankful for. Lord thank you for your many blessing, and forgive me when I whine. I am blessed indeed and the world is mine. All I have to do is step forward and receive it.}

All of the inserts are written by Peter C. Salmond

Striving

2009-05-26T21:25:00.005-06:00

"This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe." (1 Tim. 4: 9-10)

I have always enjoyed and loved spring, it is a time of growth and renewal, it's a time of new life and hope. My wife and I often go for walks together along an asphalt path along the North Saskatchewan River, the path starts just a block from our house, at times we have seen these little trees pushing up through the asphalt and reaching up to the sun. Those delicate little plants showed amazing power as they pushed past the heavy weight of the dirt and tar that stood in the way as they came out to greet the sun shinning down from up above.

All through the 20 years of working with children in Bible Camps in the Yukon and in Saskatchewan, I have seen children who have managed to survive and even thrive despite the very difficult home life they came from. Alcohol, drugs, physical and sexual abuse and poverty due to gambling and so on, who are now dedicated Christians, because Christians who cared have planted their love into these little hearts, and they in turn have responded to the gospel of Jesus Christ. These children are those who have strived to reach out for God's love, and now they in turn are giving that same love to their own people and to everyone they meet. I pray often that I, as a father, gave my children the desire to always want to reach out to God and His love, at all times not just in the tough times. My deep desire is to see this message of hope passed on to my grandchildren and on and on for many generations or until Christ returns.

My desire is to renew myself spiritually each day, that my character will manifest strength to overcome the forces that get in my way of growing into the light of God's gracious love.

At times I have fallen and made many mistakes, but each time I turn back to Him in repentance, I am graciously forgiven. I serve an amazing God.