One of my all time favourite hymns!
TTFN
Archive for November, 2011
Give Christmas
Tonight I am finishing up the initial wrapping of the Christmas gifts. Having young kids who can ‘accidentally’ spot them has taught me to wrap early to avoid worry. Most of my gifts are done up in packaging paper so my kids can spend a whole evening, later in December, coloring them and putting stickers all over them. All, even those in traditional colorful x-mas paper, are wrapped up with a ribbon of Christmas colored yarn. I just like the home-y look to it that way. The yarn makes me wrestle with my packages a bit but I don’t mind. I put the kids to bed, get a big cup of tea and go at it. If the kids are behaving themselves I love to put on the Christmas music while I am at it. Tonight I am humming away, all the lights are low and I am using candle light.
I am thinking about family as I wrap; remembering what a gift family is. I have relations who dedicate themselves to making Christmas a big celebration each year and all the way on the other end of the pendulum I have those don’t celebrate it. I love them all. No matter how you look at it holidays are about relationship. Relationship is needed in life and holidays put a spotlight on that human need. This year my family will include friends who don’t have relations near by to celebrate with, because I so believe family goes as far as your heart is willing to grow.
Most of all Christmas, in my home, is for my kids. I hope to bless them with some of their hearts desires and I also hope to broaden the desires of their hearts to beyond selfish wish lists. I am hoping we can teach them more about giving this year.
May you all GIVE some one a very Merry Christmas this year!
TTFN
Winter Snow Song – Audrey Assad with Chris Tomlin
One of my favourite winter, but not for really x-mas, songs so I have to share again!
TTFN
Every Mistake is An Opportunity
The other night my eldest had a real scare. Meaning well, she had put her little brother in a situation that got him hurt. She was screaming for me when I came upon them. Her baby brother was fine, and easily soothed, but in tears she crumpled into my arms asking me to forgive her. It took a lot for me not to cry for her. I took a breath and felt I needed to seize this opportunity to teach my perfectionist child a love lesson. “I am so glad you love him enough to be sorry for what happened. You made a big mistake. Mistakes are important parts of life, and growing up, IF we let them teach us. Don’t waste this mistake honey, learn from it”. My girl went to bed, at peace about it all, after we took turns praying.
I pondered how mistakes make my heart ache and two things came to mind. FIRST what I told her is true, we need to get out there and make mistakes and then learn from them. So often in today’s church we aren’t allowed such a Christian life experience. If we don’t know it all right away, if we aren’t perfectly behaved (seemingly) we are not up to snuff thus either attacked or ignored. I see this huge sick issue in believers where we either fake it, thinking we can ‘fake it till they make it’ or we feel rejected, like outsiders, because we are all to aware of our mistakes. WHY are we punishing people for being real? Why are we preventing them from growing? It comes from a mistrust in Christ’s ability to shape each and every person in his body; where is our hope for our brother and sister? It comes from pride and judgmentalism; where is our selflessness and humility? We all know deep down we must make mistakes to grow so let us not paralyse others with false ideas of perfecting ones self, or horde all the opportunities to step out and try, or attack people as soon as they stick their necks out.
The second thing I was flooded with was a thankfulness that my heart feels remorse, as hers did, when I do wrong. I hope I am as quick to run to Christ seeking forgiveness and healing. Watching her hug and kiss her brother reminded me to be brave enough to apologies to those I hurt, as well as repenting before my Lord.
I think a person needs to start to worry about where their heart is at if they get comfortable with their own personal mistakes or managed to fool themselves with their masks of perfection. I desire surrender of my screw ups, praying the Lord seeks out my mistakes that I have learned to excuse, hide or even enjoy. May he bring them into the light of day for my own good and may I resist breaking beneath the pain and instead seize the opportunity to grow and love.
TTFN
Sandra McCracken – Thy Mercy, My God
If you haven’t heard Sandra McCracken’s music before look her up! Such a blessed artist.
TTFN
S.P.E.C.A.
Tuesday mornings are my morning. I go to a women’s study at my church just after nine. My older three have been put on the bus before I leave for the study, my youngest gets a hug, a kiss and a little encouragement to go to the play room with the child care providers and I go to a room full of sisters in the Lord to sit, listen, talk at times and pray together. I practically jump out of bed each Tuesday with anticipation. At first it was all about the getting to sit alone, with no one climbing on me… sitting silently and listening but also letting my own uninterrupted thoughts dance around my mind. As the kids get older I am more and more there to dig deep, love and be loved.
Once a month we do a study at our small tables called S.P.E.C.A. It is an acronym that stands for the steps to an application based study and not a knowledge based study. As we go over our chapter and work through the simple program together we are encouraged to find a scripture that jumps out at us; something to focus on and apply for the next couple weeks. My verses have collected on my home office desk over the last year and a half. I find them there, ever waiting to be spotted when I sit down at my computer. I enjoy them all still and memories of the blessings focusing on applying them brought my way come when ever I spot them and riffle through them once again.
This weeks verse is Ephesians chapter 5 verse 10.
“Carefully determine what pleases the Lord…”
I am anticipating a challenge to my selfish nature and hoping this will add to a few things I am working through lately. I feel like it connects to my growing understanding of obedience, contentment and idolatry. Perhaps I will keep you posted. I am eager to see if this concept helps my heart learn to be less chocked by the worries, riches and pleasures of this life.
TTFN
First Snow
Yesterday we watched our first snow arrive… it blew and fell and gushed from the sky all day. Late this year, we made it into November. Our house hold was enchanted at its arrival and spent much of the day outside playing in it or gazing upon its decent from the front room window.
This moving chapter of scripture came to mind.
“He orders the snow, ‘Blanket the earth!’
and the rain, ‘Soak the whole countryside!’
No one can escape the weather—it’s there.
And no one can escape from God.
Wild animals take shelter,
crawling into their dens,
When blizzards roar out of the north
and freezing rain crusts the land.
It’s God’s breath that forms the ice,
it’s God’s breath that turns lakes and rivers solid.
And yes, it’s God who fills clouds with rainwater
and hurls lightning from them every which way.
He puts them through their paces—first this way, then that—
commands them to do what he says all over the world.
Whether for discipline or grace or extravagant love,
he makes sure they make their mark.”
~JOB 37:6-13 MSG
TTFN
In-law Monday (Marriage Monday)
(A carving my father in-law made for us. He chose the fairy tale imagery because of my interest in all things romantic. I call it my hobbit house.)I have in-laws, like any married woman, and I like to remind myself that my husband THUS has in-laws too.
No matter how you were draw to your spouse you will find many differences in upbringing, thus many differences in your views of the world and your in-laws views of the world. Just as you have to work at the marriage relationship because you will both be joining two different worlds together; you also have to put the same effort at joining with your in-laws world. The idea is to not look at this relationship selfishly but to remember you and your husband both have to make an effort to understand people who are often largely so very different from you.
In my marriage it is very true that opposites did attract. Therefore, another thing I like to remind myself of is how could I have found such a perfect match if not for who his parents are? If they weren’t different from me they could not have made my opposite.
Put your spouse first and also remember other couples need do the same, remember your in-laws are a couple.
Hope always… sometimes the understanding that you come from different worlds and neither is cut and dry wrong will not be reciprocated. Or the understanding of you and your spouse having to put one another first will not be seen for the necessity it is… in such cases hope always, avoid bitterness, forgive and pray for reconciliation… you can do no more for the rest is up to Christ and other peoples hearts, neither of which can you control.
TTFN
Your Hands – JJ Heller
This song makes me ‘sigh’ in the spirit:)
TTFN
Is Every Body On A Blog Fast?
Here I am typing away on my 500th post on this blog I call my writing home. The home of pieces of my life, memories, and all that needs sorting in my head and heart.
I adore reading from peoples hearts and have been following many blogs for years. Just the last few months I have noticed a definite decline in the amount all my favorite blog authors are putting out. Are blogs out of style already? Am I the only one who didn’t hear about the call to fast from blogging? Ah please don’t see this as a complaint… if you know me as an obvious reader of yours see it as a ‘I miss you’ note:)
My heart is heavy tonight. Love is a ton of bricks some days. I must admit I am learning so much lately, feelings often are title-waves and yet I have been struggling with blogging it all out too…
May I type a little blog blessing out here for myself… and also for you too, if you are a blog author or feel called to be a future blog author?
May you be growing and loving in abundance this year.
May the words to describe this beauty of living be easy for you to collect and easier still to distribute upon the blog of your choice.
May you find refreshing clarity, peace of mind, soothing of the heart in putting pen to paper and may it be SOON:)
May the words to describe this beauty of living be easy for you to collect and easier still to distribute upon the blog of your choice.
May you find refreshing clarity, peace of mind, soothing of the heart in putting pen to paper and may it be SOON:)
I need to take this sappy soul into the kitchen for some comfort food and a cup of tea. May we meet again soon friends!
TTFN
