Archive for July, 2009

My Beautiful Gift Giver

by admin on July 30, 2009 in My Listening Year with 3 Comments

The author of the book of Hebrews is discussing how Christ is our High Priest. I am sure most of you who read this will have heard what the sacrifice was that Christ brought.

Himself…

HIMSELF!

HIS PERFECT SACRIFICE WAS HIMSELF…HIS BEAUTIFUL GIFT WAS HIMSELF!

When I read the part about gifts it reminded me that as painfully passionate as his death was, on the cross, it was not only a sacrifices but a gift.

I was thinking about how thankful I am to have a perfect high priest to intercede for me before God the Father. Just to throw another thought in here… are we the gift that he brought to God, the Church, to be more specific? He reconciles us with God and then God gives the Church back to Christ as his bride…

The concept of gifts kept ringing in my head.

GIFT

1. something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present.
2. the act of giving.
3. something bestowed or acquired without any particular effort by the recipient or without its being earned: Those extra points he got in the game were a total gift.
4. a special ability or capacity; natural endowment; talent: the gift of saying the right thing at the right time.

Everyone loves to get gifts… it is a wise person who learns to love giving gifts… It is an art to give gifts in the true definition of gift giving… with no desire for a favor returned, with that person’s honor or need in mind and not your own… whether that person has earned it or not!

I hope I am a gift to him…
I hope I live my life seeking to bring gifts to him…
I hope that I accept and cherish his gifts…

Beautiful is the gift and the giver. Thank you Jesus, my gift giver!

TTFN

Letting Go Of Lakes and Loving A River

by admin on July 28, 2009 in Bits Of My Personality, Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, My Listening Year with 2 Comments

“Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.” Winny The Pooh

I swam in rivers in my youth, up north, but mostly we stuck to lakes. I miss the land. Swimming and boating and LAKES are still in my blood… but I am starting to be soothed by spending time at a river… our river… throwing rocks in, digging in the mud, and even venturing close enough to dip my feet in its calm edge.I will never feel as comfortable in the city as I do beyond its borders and so each time we venture out to spend time in nature I feel relief, like I can breath deeper. Coming home is all the sweeter with a contented heart.Rivers are beautiful. They come from so far and go so far… there is a quote that even at the very source of the inland river, the river believes in the ocean. They go wild and around the corner can be eerily calm.

Our river is feared by most of the locals. There are signs posted at the start of the path we took today that say such things as ‘No swimming, this water is dangerous. Don’t be this years death in the river’ (I am not joking!)…

Truth be told I hope my kids don’t grow up fearing God’s creation but learn to understand it and use wisdom. All that Christ has created is GOOD.

TTFN

Prayer Closets and Aprons

by admin on July 25, 2009 in Better Check Out Blogs, Bits Of My Personality, My Listening Year with 2 Comments

I have tried the prayer closet and the kids think it is cute to bang on the door and stick their little fingers under it and plead to come in too… I tried going to another room and usually the kids flip out and start pounding on one another at that time…

Yesterday I was inspired by Susannah Wesley… many of you probably know her story already but here is a link to a blog I just found. She gives a quick run down of the apron over head story and I think I am going to enjoy her blog!

http://susannahsaprons.blogspot.com

Basically, the mother of many many children would put her apron over her head where ever and when ever she needed to pray and then the kids new to give her time.

I have enjoyed her story for years but never thought of trying to put it into literal practice!

Now I love my aprons… but they wouldn’t go over my head well. The red work one is tied at both sides thus wouldn’t go up. The white one is too short and the pink one to fitted. The red was made by my mother just for me. It is a double bibed (front and back) apron with a big pocket on the front. Just like the one she has used for as long as I can remember. My white apron is very pretty and the first I picked out myself for myself! The pink was handed down to me by Garnet’s great aunt and used to belong to his great grandmother!

The other morning I put my wrap over my head, the fuzzy comfy wrap I wear in the mornings, and the kids actually sat around me quietly and let me pray. I think it took them by surprise and perhaps that is why they behaved so well but either way I have began a new thing in our home. When Mama needs to pray she needs to pray!

TTFN

The LIST

by admin on July 22, 2009 in Bits Of My Personality, Life Keeps Changing, My Listening Year with 1 Comment
My man and I started THE LIST today (the to do list that is). It is so different for each new home and I must say this is the BIGGEST one yet! And only growing! Our house may need a lot of TLC (do to rough renters before we bought it) but we are up for the challenge… well I think we are… sometimes… Phew, looking at this list makes me feel tired!

Each morning I have been happily practicing singing again. After my devotions I pick up an old hymnal we have and turn to a favorite. I feel so joyful as I sing them and today was a sweet favorite. I wish to share one line from FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH today. You should look up the rest! It is a lovely song to sing in the morning!

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree, and flow’r,
Sun and moon and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise!

TTFN

Our Little Bit Of Earth

by admin on July 22, 2009 in Bits Of My Personality, Life Keeps Changing, My Listening Year with 3 Comments
Thank You Lord For This Dirt!
The kids followed me around tonight as I fussed with my gardens.
At first, when we moved here, all I saw was the size of our yard… kinda small… now I feel like I keep finding little treasures. The side gate with the steps up to it is so adorable. It leads to my treasured alley garden. Our neighborhood has a habit of turning all the bits of grass in the alley into garden and my yard is no exception. There are perennials down the one alley side. I love this garden… perhaps the best… It is a bit wild and I refuse to tame it. This garden is in a spot meant to be forgotten. An alley is usual an ugly place… but someone took the time to spreed some seeds and plant some bulbs and allowed beauty to grow.I have always been a girl who loves the outdoors and never felt I had the opportunities in past yards… My hands love to dig deep into the dirt, petting my flowers and encouraging them to grow with water… ironically I found a bit of earth just right for that need in the big city. Me! A farm girl! Becoming content where Christ has lead her! In the CITY!

The hymn ‘For the Beauty of the Earth’ comes to mind! I will have to look it up and see if I remember the tune:)

TTFN

Daddy’s Make Their Daughters Dance

by admin on July 21, 2009 in Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Mama Heart Mushings, My Listening Year, My Romance with 1 Comment

Attention from Daddy puts a dance in her step. She walks in a fluent joy dance and her face is a sunbeam.

My heart fills to bursting when I see this connection they have. I understand that feeling. I remember how it felt when my Daddy took my hand and when he talked with me.

I am so blessed to have a man who has a heart to really connect with his girls. Our girls will be better women for it.

Yesterday she came home from a date with Daddy and couldn’t hold still. She danced as she told me about their evening together. She danced more as he came in after her and stood next to her and she danced with all her heart as he smiled down at her and let her continue her story.

Today I remembered I can have that connection with my Abba Father God and as I danced and sang a few favorite hymns I remembered how willing he is to give me that direct attention, to talk with me, be with me and comfort me.

Just as I love my Daddy for loving me,
I will love my husband for loving our daughters,
and I love my GOD, for he first loved me!

TTFN

I’m A Water Baby!

by admin on July 20, 2009 in Bits Of My Personality, Four Little Eggs In My Nest, Mama Heart Mushings, My Romance with 3 Comments
“If you want to know how much I love you, count the waves.”

Had a beautiful weekend with the family, that included a trip to the lake. My man wanted a day at the beach with the kids for his birthday. Happy 31st birthday Garnet, LOVE YOU HONEY!

I adore being in the water! Helps my home sickness for the north be soothed, just a little…My favorite moment of the day was when my oldest son trusted me enough to ride on my back and swim with me. Both of us are water babies and swam together till we where frozen. The rest of the family might prefer the beach and just dipping their toes in but at least my boy and I have that joy in the water in common.Another lovely Sunday with my crew! We are really enjoying our new plan of making Sunday’s FAMILY ADVENTURE days.“Don’t grow up to quickly, lest you forget how much you love the beach!”

TTFN

My Frequently Annual Ladies Tea!

by admin on July 20, 2009 in Bits Of My Personality, Domestic Damsel, Foodie Like Me, People In My Heart with 2 Comments
This years tea party was the biggest yet!

So happy to have it at OUR HOME! The patio worked perfectly. We rounded up some patio tables and had it all looking pretty with table cloths and flowers from my yard and my mother in law’s (thanks Deb!).Potluck style was how we pulled together the above feast! It worked out beautifully! There where home made chocolates, home made cheese cakes and plenty of veggies and fruit as well! The night before I was a little nervous as to whether I would have enough tea cups in my collection but it JUST worked out (phew). A good reason to find a few more pretty cups though!One of the finest moments of the day was when my big girl and a good pal of hers picked some treats from my gardens and went around offering them to my guests. I had to laugh when I heard them asking the ladies, very politely, ‘Would you like a raspberry or an onion?’ They where trying to convince ladies to try some very fresh chives of mine as well as the newly ripened berries!

(This is most of the ladies from the poker night we have once a month!)(My eldest daughter has been to each tea and this year she looked particularly mature!)
(This is only the second my younger daughter has been to and since is a bit of an introvert she spent much time avoiding the crowd!)(Now we don’t invite dogs, but since my sister Karla’s doggy was there and the weather was hot we had to let her have a cup of tea too!)

This was the fifth tea I have hosted, and as with each year, it is the big group photo at the end of the day that is my big reward! I look back at them when I add a new one to the collection and I always feel so blessed to have had all these wonderful women take part in my life story!

TTFN

Comfort (think’n about it)

by admin on July 16, 2009 in Bits Of My Personality, My Listening Year with No comments
to soothe, console, or reassure; bring cheer to relief in affliction; consolation; solace a person or thing that gives consolation a cause or matter of relief or satisfaction!

I realised today that most of my morning routine is me seeking COMFORT. Weather it is the lack of sleep from another baby interrupted night or the shocks I find in the morning (baby’s freshly pooh-poohed bedding) or the attack of mommy pressure (get stuff done, so much to do today)… I don’t know for sure but I know I feel in need of comfort as soon as I leave my very comfortable bed.

I have a wrap that I quickly put on. It is soft and cut to a perfect fit so it doesn’t fall off as I do the mommy things each morning. I automatically walk to the stove and put the kettle on because my morning date is always a milky warm ‘earl grey’. My regular breakfast of organic honey and cinnamon toast is definitely comfort food and always makes me put my feet up and sigh as I eat it. It is comforting to have the same routine each morning and always eating the same breakfast is a comfort due to familiarity.

(I could curl up around my cup of tea and stay there all day just surrounded by my thoughts…)

Quiet time with my Lord is the best comfort (kinda goes without saying) and yet I am so typical… I have trouble getting there… getting to that quiet place to be still and know that he is Lord…

I don’t wanna talk about that, admit that, not because of shame… but because it is so common and often talked about without conclusion… I have read plenty of blog articles about this topic and I always skim through them looking for a hopeful, joyful, powerful solution for Moms… sadly I haven’t seen it or realized it and so I am now adding my blog about this topic to the collection…

Often I open my Bible lately and don’t find the comfort in it… I WANT TO LISTEN and yet I don’t settle enough for it… I am that conflicted person, like Paul I am crying ‘oh pitiful person… why will I not do what my heart wants and instead do what I don’t want to???!!!’

I could use more comfort in my daily life… can’t we all?

TTFN

Couldn’t Keep Them Out:)

by admin on July 16, 2009 in Four Little Eggs In My Nest with No comments

It is summer, after all! The water might have been as cold as ice and the wind chilly enough to keep my sweater on but it is JULY! My kids felt there was enough sun to warrant a swim and so in they went on our second trip to the park today. Big boy got so wet she shivered the whole way home and has already fallen asleep for the night.My girls where chilled to the bone but I had to insist it was time to stop at four o’clock in order to get them out. Here is hoping we will have some much warmer days for our next afternoon at the pool!

Hello summer! Come to stay!
Heat for swimming and dirt with which to play!

TTFN

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