Category Archives: Nature

Healed of Cancer 15 years

Posted in Birds, Cancer, Healing, Holiday, My thoughts, Nations, Nature, Restoration, Testimony Tuesday, Travel by

I’m sitting on the veranda of my daughter’s Mary’s home in Blantyre, Malawi. The trees over the house keep it cool in the heat of the day. The birds are singing. Flowers are blooming. It is a little oasis in the city.

I was so happy to get here to be with Mary and enjoy the warmth after a cold winter back in Ireland. Looking at the garden I’m reminded of my two books about God telling us not to worry, Look at the Birds and Look at the Wildflowers.

This last year I have faced challenges in health and family difficulties. My natural tendency is to worry , get disappointed, tired and depressed. I had forgotten God’s exhortation not to worry which brings anxiety.

Being here away from immediate demands back home I have time to reflect on how God has been faithful to Brendan and I down through the years. in Malawi God is reviving my body and spirit. I read in Psalm 73 v 26
My health may fail and my spirit grow weak
But God remains the strength of my heart.

Today is the fifteenth anniversary of me being diagnosed with fourth stage cancer. Three months later I was totally healed by God. He hasn’t stopped moving mountains and with His power I can do it too. He has helped Brendan and I before and He will do it again.

Psalm 91 encouraged us. I will be with you in trouble, because he acknowledges my name. With long life I will satisfy him. I had forgotten we have an adversary, the devil who is out to kill, rob, steal and destroy. Jesus overcame him on the cross and sent him running. I now resist him and he is fleeing from us.

God is good. He is restoring our fortunes like the water courses in the Negev. The battle belongs to the Lord and he is fighting for me as I trust him and not worry.

Repairer of Streets With Dwellings

Posted in Healing, My thoughts, Nature, Restoration, Thoughtful Thursday by

Brendan and I moved to Belfast three years ago. We previously lived in a large house in Portaferry with sea views and large gardens. We collected many plants over the years that moved with us whenever we moved.

Our children wanted us to be near them. We downsized to a terrace house in Belfast with a small garden at the front, a small yard at the back opening onto a back alley. Where will all our pot plants go?

We gave some of our plants to our children for their gardens in Belfast. We kept our favourite ones, Rhododendrons and roses. Brendan had a new space to place our plant pots.

One Saturday morning after we settled in we heard the noise of a power hose from the back alley. A lady, Elizabeth Pantridge was transforming a neglected space into a clean pathway. So began the restoration of our back alley.

A year later a lady, Noelle, bought and restored a house two doors up from us. She added more plants to the outdoor space. Other neighbours got interested. This summer I added hanging baskets along the back wall.

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Isaiah 35 v 1

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
 and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. Isaiah 58 v 12

People are attracted to walk down our alley and admire the new green space. We had an event in May inviting neighbours for a coffee morning.

Noelle suggested we apply to the Belfast Bloom Competation. Today we won the Best Community Street award for South Belfast.

I Choose Joy

Posted in Birds, Family, Healing, My thoughts, Nature by

Good morning everyone. This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. I will be thankful for the lone bird tweeting outside my window. I will be thankful for food, a warm home and family.

I have had disappointments and sadness. I may have difficulties to face. Things are not working out the way I hoped. But I choose to face the day with God’s care.

A little child awakes and smiles when his mum comes to pick him up from his cot. He will have a messy nappy, need washed and changed. He reaches up to be picked up by his mum.

God reaches down to us and picks us up in his arms. Isaiah 40 says
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;

I am making a choice to be glad today. I am making a choice to walk in joy. If God is for us who can be against us. No eye has seen nor ear heard what God has prepared for those who love him.

His eye is on the sparrow and He watches over me. 🎼🎼🎼

My Tomorrow

Posted in My thoughts, Nations, Nature, Restoration by

Pharoah’s army with their chariots and generals came after the people of Israel to stop them leaving Egypt. The people of Israel were frightened. God told Moses don’t worry. You will not see them Tomorrow. The Red Sea opened up and the people of Israel who had been slaves passed out of Egypt on dry land. Pharoah followed them but the waters of the Red Sea closed over them and drowned every one.

Joshua led the people of Israel into the Promised Land. The kings who lived in the land were frightened because they heard of what God did for Israel. Thirty one kings and their armies rose up against Joshua and the people. God said to Joshua TOMMOROW they will be all be defeated.

Since reading these scriptures I am declaring my TOMORROW will be better than today. God is working while I sleep to defeat my enemies that want to rob, steal and destroy from me and enslave me and my loved ones. They are always at work unless I resist Satan and tell him to flee. Scripture says the enemy will come at me one way but will flee seven ways.

Each day since I have been blessed with turn around in my situation. For example yesterday, I went to Boot’s optician to get a new frame for my glasses. My last one broke in November and I asked for their help then. They said I would have to pay for a new frame. I went home. Yesterday I was willing to pay the seventy pounds. I asked for compensation. Two ladies looked at the broken frame, conferred together and decided to replace the new frame free saving me seventy pounds.

Our van needed repaired. It is fixed and going for MOT today. My washing machine broke down. I got a new to me washing machine from a neighbour. All in one day.

Believe God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. And claim your compensation for the years the locusts have eaten. Get back what the enemy has stolen.

Heavenly Lights

Posted in Family, Holiday, My thoughts, Nations, Nature, Slovakia, Travel by

James 1 v 17 says

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change.

Brendan and I are staying with our son and family in Turin. We visited a place called Superga where there is a Cathedral and is famous with tourists. It the burial place for kings and queens who used to reign in Italy. Our son lives below on the hill leading up to Superga.

I checked my Facebook page these last few days. There are many pictures of colourful lights, a display of the Northern lights appearing over the nations.
Colours of the rainbow are filling the sky over Ireland, Slovakia and Canada. Pink, orange and green are main colours. Abraham sent a picture of lights he saw in New Zealand. There was a picture of lights in the sky taken over Superga last night.

Normally the Northern lights are seen over countries near the Arctic Circle, Norway and Sweden. Brendan and I visited Iceland hoping to see the Northern lights some years back but we were disappointed.

God created the sun, moon and stars. We are used to our daily routine and take for granted God’s provision. But He is speaking in these days to the nations as He displays lights in the sky. He is the Father of the heavenly lights.

When I tell people stories from the bible they don’t believe. They doubt that Moses passed through the Red Sea. They doubt He put the rainbow in the sky after rain.

I know God’s Word is true. The same God who is the Father of lights healed me of cancer. God is speaking to the nations through the lights in the sky. Many people do not attend Church, but God is speaking through creation. There is no excuse not to believe.

I said at the beginning. Every good and perfect gift comes from above. Acknowledge God as the only God and thank him.

Lights over Superga last night.

Fourteen Years Healed of Cancer

Posted in Birds, Cancer, Healing, My thoughts, Nature, Restoration, Thoughtful Thursday by

On Easter Monday fourteen years ago I was diagnosed with fourth stage bowel cancer. The power of the Blood of the Cross, which I wrote about in my last post, began to work for me. In his mercy God reached down and healed me. My body was clear from cancer in four months with no side effects from treatment, no operation and no further medication.

Psalm 18

9 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, (the devil and his demons)
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.

These words describe what happened to me. In the following years my mind was healed from the trauma of life that led to my cancer. Nature and bird song, God’s creation brought healing to my nervous system. I am made whole. I have written my book Look at the Birds. It tells how nature brought comfort to me.

Brendan wrote Staying Alive after my healing from cancer. It tells how God healed me. I had a dream soon after the publication of our book. I was reading it and the pages were red in colour. The Lord was telling me the Blood of Jesus is all over our book. When you read it you will be touched by God’s power. What God has done for me he can do for you. Only believe that Jesus came on earth and through him you can be healed.

Both of these books are available on Kindle and Amazon.

Bird Song

Posted in Birds, Healing, My thoughts, Nature, Restoration by

Listen can you hear the birds this morning? The winter has past. The time for singing of birds has come!

Our son is getting a flight home today. He is staying near the bus station. He heard the birds singing as daylight was rising. He has company for his morning travel.

Neuroscientists have done research on the nervous system. More and more people are suffering from mental stress. There is too much news and information coming at us from the media. Many of us can’t cope.

The resulting distress drives us to the doctor who suggests medication to help bring peace. Or perhaps drive us to drink or other forms of self medication.

The scientists have found that bird song has a calming effect on our nerves. Listening to the birds brings healing to our mind.

Listen for a bird singing these mornings, whether you live in the city or country. A blackbird lives in a small hedge in the front of my daughter’s house in Belfast.

Listening and seeing the birds brought healing to me when I lived in Portaferry. I have written a book called “Look at the Birds.”

If you would like to buy a copy let me know.

Choosing a Wife

Posted in Family, Family Friday, My thoughts, Nations, Nature by

Reprinted from a comment on Facebook.

Where does your wife fit. This is good advice for men. Often they want a traditional wife who cooks, cleans, looks after the house and children.

Life values change from country to country. This article doesn’t even address if you want children. Getting a wife is good but if you want children choose carefully.

  • When choosing a woman who works, you have to accept that she can’t handle the house.

*If you have chosen a housewife who can take care of you and manage your home completely, you must accept that she doesn’t earn money.

  • If you choose an obedient woman, you must accept that she depends on you and you must secure her life.

*If you decide to be with a strong woman, you have to accept that she is tough and has her own opinion..

  • If you choose a beautiful woman, you will have to accept great expenses.
  • If you decide to be with a successful woman, you must understand that she has character and has her own goals and ambitions.

Perfect doesn’t exist. Everyone has their own enigma, which makes us unique.

Jesus disciples were arguing among themselves who was the greatest. Jesus took a little child and said, however becomes like one of these will be greatest in the kingdom of God…

We need the Holy Spirit to guide one in the midst of the complexities of life.

His ways are not man’s ways.

The Thunder of Water

Posted in My thoughts, Nature, poetry, Prayer, Travel by

I heard that storm Gerrit was going to hit the east coast of Ireland today. I went for a drive to Whitehead north of Belfast to see if there were any big waves. At full tide waves were breaking over the promenade.

Glenco Waterfall is about ten miles away. I wanted to check it out.

The waves and the thunder of the waterfall reminded me of some verses I read s few days ago.

Revelation 14 v 2

And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders.

Psalm 93

The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;
indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.
2 Your throne was established long ago;
you are from all eternity.
3 The seas have lifted up, Lord,
the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
4 Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea—
the Lord on high is mighty.

Caring for young

Posted in Birds, Family, My thoughts, Nature by

The gulls have reared their young and have gone fishing in the Irish Sea. They are doing what they were born to do.

There are threats from our neighbours. They want to cover over our chimney so the gulls won’t nest there next year. What excitement we would miss.

The behaviour of the mother gull to defend her young has spoken to me this summer. She stood watch over her young for hours, days and weeks until they were fully grown.

She dived down to anyone whom she thought was a threat. As parents do we fiercely attack anything or person that may attack our young? We have spent hours, days, nights, months and years caring for our young; keeping watch, feeding and helping them do what they were born to do.

In the my experience growing up in the country in Ireland, extended family and community helped each other. There were Godly values we adhered to.

Nowadays having a big family is frowned upon. The world offers pills and abortions to get rid of children you didn’t plan for. Doctors get paid extra to sterilise and remove wombs. The parents are left to rear their family themselves. Self control is needed to look after our young. One can’t be selfish. Is there anyone to help?

Children are for life not just as cuddly babies. They turn into rebellious teenagers who can’t wait to be adult and get away from the ones who reared them.
No wonder some parents are perplexed and in despair.

I take hope in the Word of God. It tells me your work will be rewarded. God who made the heavens and the earth said he would care for me.

Isaiah 45 v 12
I am the one who made the earth and created people to live in it. With my hand I stretched out the heavens. All the millions of stars are at my command.
46 v 3
I created you and cared for you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime until your hair is white with age.

It is so good to trust in the God who made the heavens and the earth . Even the birds of the air speak to us about him.