Lynda's Blog

  Oh yes, here we go again! We have put together enough savings to renovate the rest of our house—we hope. This time, we have a better idea of which questions to ask and we also have a secret weapon. My brother is staying with us currently and he has renovated five houses so is very experienced. We will put in a new kitchen, replace old fashioned (drooping) ceilings in the living areas, demolish the old large feature fireplace and replace it with a stunning wall to wall storage cabinet to free up space in the rest of our smallish living areas. Our archways are going to be squared off which will give an allusion of more space and then of course there will be painting, wallpapering, carpeting and vinyl to be laid. Not to speak of the work that needs to be completed outside the house if funds hold out. It all seems overwhelming. However, being an organized person I made a plan. Step by step in the order that things needed to be done. This makes it a bit more manageable and my br...

  As my friend and I shared our weekly lunch out (a bowl of French fries between us then a chocolate brownie split down the middle and coffee!), we discussed a wide range of subjects as we always do.   One of our topics of conversation was about being honest with each other. This followed on from a Life Group study when we discussed if we said or did certain things (or didn’t say or do certain things) in order to win people’s favour or approval. Most of us in the group denied this! However, I wondered if we could say that truthfully if we really examined ourselves and our motives and if this was the case, did we do the same to win God’s approval?     I challenged my friend about something she had started to say in that week’s Life Group then had said with obvious frustration, ‘oh it doesn’t matter’. It was obviously important to her but she chose not to finish her sentence. When she described what it was she had a very valid point and it was quite differe...

 At only seventy years (well probably a bit nearer 71 years), I am continually surprised at how my body doesn’t always behave.   I couldn’t unscrew a jar of jam last night, because the arthritis in my thumb was too painful and my thumb joint was too weak! I struggle to lift a full basket of wet washing sometimes and my energy runs out quickly. After having a thirty minute walk then doing my housework I was exhausted! When did that start to happen? My back aches when I’ve completed an hour of ironing! My mind tells me I can do anything and I feel as if I’m in my thirties but my body lets me down.   I take heart from Isaiah 46:4 ‘Even to your old age and grey hair I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.’   I cling to that promise, not just for now but for the future.   However apart from allowances for normal body aging, I still feel pretty able and keep a busy schedule, alt...

  It has been a frustrating day! I ordered and received a fan remote to replace a lost one. The remote looked quite different from the original, came with no instructions, obviously did not take the usual batteries (button instead of AAA) but did not give any indication as to what size battery it did take. It had been difficult to even negotiate the website to order it. My brother is staying with us currently so he telephoned the business. The person who answered the call obviously did not have English as a first language and was having difficulty understanding the problem. Finally getting through to someone who apparently would know, we were told it took triple A batteries! No, it obviously takes a button battery. This should be simple!   After a lengthy conversation it turns out it is a universal remote and takes a common button battery, one of which my brother happened to have. It works!   As I pondered on the frustration for something so simple, I wondered if it...