Yellow

Bright and cheerful
uplifting a smile
emotions pulsing
like a giddy child
bursting of joy
yet also mellow
is how I feel
of this color yellow

PEI and ME

                                                       

The prospect of finding a job was what first prompted
me to move to Prince Edward Island.Arriving on the island on Sept 28th,1997, the sky was bright and beautiful. As the ferry inched closer to land I was amazed at the cascade of greenery I saw outlined by red sand. The ride from the Wood Island ferry to Montague was a very quiet one for me as I drowned out everything around me and took in the wonderful sightsof things I had never thought I'd see in person. I will never forget the sight of cows and crops of many kinds. The rolls of hay bales wrapped in white looking to me like big cigarettes, and of course the unforgettable smells of manure as we passed through farmlands.                                                                

About twenty minutes into the drive to Montague I realized how hot it was. 33 degrees and counting, I had never before experienced such blistering hot weather. By now our friend's car was causing trouble so we had to make a pit stop at Ellsworth's junkyard.I felt like a cat with worms, getting in and out of the car, trying to get out of the heat and find a comfortable spot to put myself. No luck!

Upon leaving the junkyard we opted to find someplace to eat. Thankfully our friend had been here before and led us to a Chinese restaurant called The Dynasty.That was the first time I actually enjoyed eating Chinese food and also found the best eggroll that I think was ever made. I still haven't found one to beat it. After leaving the restaurant with our bellies full, we were off to find a place to live. We searched news papers and ads for quite a while before realizing we should have had our living arrangements figured out before we'd come. Young and inexperienced, we searched until we found someone who rented. Luckily for us he had a mini-home available in a spot called Cardross just outside of Cardigan.
  

             

Well come to find out that this mini-home was attached to a  dirt road that when it got wet, we wished we hadn't moved in. My first experience with PEI red mud was one I'll never forget. My daughter age five, trying to walk from the car to the front door. Trying to keep her rubber boots on at the same time. It was all too funny. The mud was so thick that it stole her boot and she got scared and started to cry.


Settling in took us a few days and on the following Monday, I called the Cardigan school in hopes to get my daughter setup for kindergarten. Regretfully at that time kindergarten wasn't part of the Prince Edward Island school system. I didn't yet have a job and so decided to take the first year to home school her. The next year after that at the start of grade one my daughter started going to the Cardigan school and  wasn't long making friends.

In June of 1998, I applied and attained a job at the Wendy's restaurant in Montague. We didn't have a car so for the first couple of weeks of job training, I hitchhiked to work. I know that God had his eye on me because I was always lucky enough to get the same nice old man come along and drive me to work. Shortly after that we moved to Montague. Thus enabling me to walk to Wendy's. Then in Sept of 2000, I was hired at Wendall Graham's Lobster Factory (now closed).

That Summer was a very unforgettable one. I found a church and met lots of new people. Then in 2002 I was baptized into the Southern Baptist church as a new believer.

I often look back over the last 13 years to find that I am still captivated by the cascade of green that comes with summer in PEI. I have gotten quite use to the red mud (I just moved to a place with more pavement). Now that my children are all almost grown up, I am looking forward to becoming more involved with the community around me and I can truly say that if I had the time back, I'd surely do it all over again.

JESUS

Lord of all Lords

King of all kings

to His honor I love to sing

He fills my heart with 

hope,love ,joy, and peace

Someday with Him, I will seat

sins and strongholds sometimes

make me stray, but my love

and belief for Him is here to stay

A lifetime of stress, anger, and shame

one prayer to Him, He wipes the slate clean

His power and glory no one can

comprehend,His love and His grace 

no one can spend

The troubles and anguish that

this life can bring, His light

shines like a beacon within

He mends tears of the broken hearted

and readies them for a brand new start

Shirley

To lose a friend is a painful thing 

for my heart and mind to endure

as sadness sinks in and I think of you my friend 

please know I will miss you for sure

The laughter we shared over the years 

as we smoked away our frustrations

what a charmer you were, 

you made work seem not so hard

My mind can't help but picture your smile, 

ready to make me laugh once more

Shirley my friend I will meet you again 

one day on God's distant shore

I will truly miss you!

Sacrifice

Picture Jesus all perfect and all innocent
surrounding Him are many officials and officers
accusing Him and abusing Him
Can you see His back? Slashed and torn skin
Can you see His face? Black eyes, cut lips

Bruised and broken He doesn't scream or curse
but stays in perfect silence holding back the 
tortured moans of pain

Picture again the many slashes of torn and broken skin
Place a name of a friend next to each individual gash
don't forget to place your own name next to one of them
It was not Jesus who deserved to feel the agonizing pain
that man put Him through, yet He willingly endured as He 
continued to the cross


What more could we ask for in a confession of love?
What more do we need to turn from our sinful ways?
Please make Him the center of your heart and life
You will never regret it

Operation Christmas Child

As I trudge along in this wilderness with sweat covering my brow
many doubts creep through my mind somehow
What am I doing here? Is it worth the strength?

Still trudging along this wilderness as I come upon a crowd
Mothers and children everywhere seemingly abandoned somehow

I hand a boy a shoe box, his face lights up with joy
then an eagerness to see just what awaits inside
First a smirk, then a full faced smile
I have made the day for this lonely child

As he throws his arms around me with thankfulness and awe
I remember why God has called me here
Is it worth it? Yes every sweat and tear...


Praise God for the many of you who physically carry the message
of Jesus Christ daily ... AMEN!