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Yesterday we worked on amalgamating kitchen spices and food supplies.

Five boxes were emptied.  That is a good start!  And we actually have space that is still available.

Because . . .

There are five loads of garbage to be disposed of.  And some additional items that are going into a garage sale.

I could hope that all of our household amalgamation would open up that type of space.  Perhaps that will be true.  To our enjoyment, a table that once carried boxes was able to sit us for the supper meal last night.   

Of course, the matter of expectations continues to be a theme in combining our household goods.  I expect, a year down the road, we will still be discussing what to keep and what to place where and how much to add or subtract from the house.

In the midst of all this, I have heard stories related to me about flood victims in Alberta.  One family had their house red tagged.  Green tagged means you can return to a house that has little or no damage.  Red tagged . . . I think you can guess what that means.  Earthly possession sitting in piles on front yards.  And often no applicable insurance. 

I loved a phrase I learned a few years ago – “It’s all going to burn in the end.”  Our possessions should not possess us.  So, I am desiring to hold lightly that which we possess, and find promising ways to enjoy what God has blessed us with!

This is a new home for me.  But the property address remains the same.

Over the past 12 days I have been working with my fiance to prepare and move her household goods to Kindersley.  Along with her son, she will be living in this house after we come back from our honeymoon.

For the moment the house is full of boxes and desks and mattresses and clothing and all those things that make up a household.  As I wandered the floors today I found the old footpaths are blocked. 

New footpaths will need to be formed.  For the sake of combining the materials that make up a house, things will need to be moved.  This discussion has been ongoing, and I’m sure will continue as we explore each other’s tastes and sentiments. 

This morning I moved a wooden piece into the “garage sale” pile.  Not a large piece.  Not a necessary piece.  Not even an artistic piece.  There are sentiments that go along with this piece.  I suppose, for all of us, all things that we touch and move and that have had their being in our homes have sentiment attached.

In this case, I have been working on finding a way to commemorate the idea of the piece.  In this particular case, just recording that in a book of memories should be sufficient.  I imagine there are other pieces that will have heirloom value that may need to remain. 

Ah, the challenge and excitement of working together to form a new partnership!

My driving habit, and the many miles I have traveled these past few months, has brought me to a new conclusion.

In a day and age of relativism (where there is no absolute truth), a lot of people disagree!

Have you listened to the talks shows? 

Flipping on the radio during a four hour trip means you can’t seem to miss someone saying something.  About their dog, or the world economy, or floods.

All of the conversations seems to start with the word “absolutely”.   When asked a question, the respondent wants to make a point.  So, they begin with the word “absolutely”. 

This is broad-cast over the airwaves and on the internet to myriads of people.  They insist that the listeners take this as “the truth”.  So they describe the dog as “absolutely” having a better nutritional diet eating a certain type of dog food, or that the economy would be better served removing capitalism, or that the water flow of the floods would be better diverted through storm channels.

Whatever the opinion expressed, there seems to be a need to make this truth for all.  In a day and age when we have shied away from universal truths, our language betrays us.  We need absolute truth!   ABSOLUTELY.

A while back I  had asked my niece, well able and schooled in video presentation, to prepare a video of my past wife, Jill Cooper Baker.  As my niece, Grace Smith, worked through this, we exchanged thoughts.

I was asked what Jill’s favourite verse was.  She had so many, I finally chose the idea from Matthew 22:37 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart . . .”

That characterized Jill.  I never doubted her sincere love for God.  I watched struggles and joys, but there was a stubborn tenacity that always clung to God.  Her spiritual heart may have been scarred from battle, much as her physical heart was bruised from birth.  But  in the battle her heart for God and others became stronger.

And now, she has a new heart as she lives with Jesus in eternal realms.  This life is a foretaste of the life to come.  God guided Jill through this life into the next, sometimes in pain and suffering, other times in joy and triumph.  And now, in a final sense, she can sing a song we sang many times – “It is well with my soul.”

Here is the link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDRdu7P26Vo&feature=youtu.be