All posts in Feeling It (Thankful)

Money Talk (Marriage Monday)

by admin on April 16, 2012 in Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful), Marriage Monday, My Romance with 3 Comments
Money is opportunity for a couple to work on surrender.

Money is something that can clearly effect ones relationship with each other negatively; thus certainly can stress the spiritual connection we have with Christ.  It is something that can give a person the allusion of control over their life and thus tempt one to surrender less or to see less value in surrender to Jesus.  The antidote to this temptation is indeed surrender!

Keeping Christ out of any area in our lives is not an option for the Christian.  For us, finances are just as much a faith conversation as a part of our physical circumstances.  That being said, tithing isn’t the subject in our home, when it comes to money and our faith.   The conversation is focused on the idea of including our money when we talk about and act on the concept of living in Christ.  We don’t see it as a way to live for him but to surrender to him. 

In agreement my husband and I don’t tithe.  We have moved away from the commandment idea, and are working on the ‘living in the Spirit’ reality instead.  We have a goal in mind, a goal to continue increasing in our giving and at the same time to put a cap on our lifestyle increase… in this way we hope to walk more in faith and worship day to day; understanding surrender as worship and faith building.  We hope to consciously choose to fight against the ‘american dream’ self increase ideal and instead grow in a wholly surrendered life in Christ.

Hold to your spouse and walk this road together with joy and faith!
Hold not to your finances but to Christ.

~~~

Marriage Monday is a link up opportunity, where a collection of blogging Christian women get together to post on a marriage related topic.  Click linky below to see what else was contributed and consider joining up yourself!

First Monday of every month at Chrysalis

TTFN

This Sunday

by admin on April 8, 2012 in Feeling It (Thankful) with No comments
We celebrate Christ’s resurrection.

  I was greatly moved to see the body I fellowship with COME ALIVE as they sang songs that are clearly about the glory and power of Jesus Christ. 

  I don’t believe we have to loose that passion on Sundays proceeding the holiday traditionally called ‘easter’ in our parts.  I do believe Christ Jesus can be powerfully joyfully active in our hearts each and every day.  As we awaken from slumber and our eyes blink open, the mind boots up, the heart flutters to awareness and the whole soul chooses to ONCE AGAIN, THAT DAY, LIVE IN THE SPIRIT!

May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you!

TTFN

Slowing It Down

by admin on March 29, 2012 in Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Feeling It (Thankful), Little Things, Mama Heart Mushings with No comments

Had one of those days, well almost… I managed to slow it all down and cut myself some slack just in time.  Disorder was the perfect word to describe how my brain woke up yesterday, maybe it never completely did wake up!  I messed up a planned play date and just couldn’t get my self caught up.

Finally I realised it was ‘one of those days’ and so I STOPPED trying to run the ship as I always do and put it on coast…  Stopped worrying about the play date failure, the dishes, the floors, the filthy play room and all the rest… stepped away from my to-do list… and then my littlest man and I went for a walk instead.

Sunshine and spring, greeted us.  We marched, at a very three year old like leisurely pace, down to the corner thrift store and puttered through there.  Stopped to say hello to the bearded dragons at the community center and applauded for Bonny (of Bonny and Clyde) who is now expecting EGGS… BABIES!  We then slowly walked back home, examining every newly thawed rock, slightly frozen over puddle and crack in side walk.  Hoping most of the way home, we where fully prepared when we found a collection of freshly chalked out hopscotch sets (thank you neighborhood child) and even Mommy had her turn.  We found our yard and played in the last of the snow in the back.

Tea with my friend worked out… still managed to babysit my niece later that day (for a couple hours) and even managed to introduce my crew to my newest niece.

Supper, day before last, was wild salmon and an amazing salad…last night… I knew better then to try and just threw beans, wieners and toast at the kids.  Still a success in my books if it means we don’t order pizza or something even more pricey.

While I hope my head is back in the game today, and I stop spilling everything I pour for myself, I am especially thankful for a lovely day when it was shaping up to be ‘one of those days’.

TTFN

She Makes 12

by admin on March 27, 2012 in Feeling It (Thankful), Mama Heart Mushings, People In My Heart with No comments
Babies are such a nice way to start people.  ~Don Herrold

My eldest brother’s family just added one more to the mix.  His amazing wife had her second daughter in the middle of the night.  This niece was in a hurry to be crowned newest grandchild, in line at number 12 for my parents. 

After starting on organizing baby clothing, well after midnight, my sister soon realised she had to get to the hospital.  Her daughter arrived only 10 minutes after getting into the delivery room, they all JUST made it. 

A super busy night at the hospital meant they could go home only hours after my niece arrived to the world.  Healthy and happy and snuggled in at home, I got to hold her that night, still only hours old.  Beautiful and soft, she, like all the blessed newborns our earth receives, she is amazing. 

I was there when her sister got to meet her for the first time; joy and wonder filling big sisters face.  My three year old niece was able to clearly express her greeting and her joy at finally having her sister with in hands reach.  She stared, touched and glowed; glowing as both her mother and father did too. 

Congrats to Aaron and Karla’s family!  We love her already and are thankful you brought her into our lives.

The arrival of new life NEVER never gets old.  Thank the Lord Jesus Christ for another little member of our clan!

Ecclesiastes 11:5
Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. 

TTFN

Squeeze The Tomato

by admin on March 21, 2012 in Better Check Out Links, Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful) with 1 Comment
(What a stunning river it was that day, so calm… at surface level…)

I don’t know if I can ever comfortable write out all that happened when our neon was totaled.  A big truck pulled out in front of us and made an accordion out of our little car.  So many people where there for us, little miracles where pieced together after the fact, and although it shouldn’t have been so we where all okay… physically.

A conference speaker said ‘When the tomato is squeezed you see what was inside.’

When I sat physically paralyzed by shock, after the accident, I received one of the most amazing miracles of my life.  I assumed the worst and yet was praying, with seemingly no will power of my own, over and over and over ‘Thank you Jesus.’… I didn’t feel abandoned in that moment, I realized I didn’t let go of my faith when I thought it was over and I didn’t feel alone… far from it… I have never felt so wrapped up in my saviors love, so secure in my eternal salvation and so THANKFUL for Jesus having me!

This was years ago, before we had our last two kids.  Where is my heart day to day?  When the big events aren’t happening how is it doing?  Am I devoted to him, unconditionally as I live my pretty undramatic regular life?  Am I devoted to him when my undramatic life gets a good dose of drama or trauma?  We are called to trust.  When we do we soon discover all these kinds of questions are answered in him and by him, because Jesus takes care of it… if we can just trust.

Proverbs 17:3
(American Standard)
“The refining pot is for silver, 
and the furnace for gold; 
But Jehovah trieth the hearts”.  

We will be refined and purified, through out this life, by our Lord.  We can’t do any of the cleansing.  This is the very reason Christ came!  He is our doctor and wants our sickness!  The hard things in life reveal where we are at in the process but they also can be used by the Lord to burn away our impurities, as gold is purified by the furnace.

Jeremiah 17:9-10
(The Message)
 “The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful,
   a puzzle that no one can figure out.
But I, God, search the heart
   and examine the mind.
I get to the heart of the human.
   I get to the root of things.
I treat them as they really are,
   not as they pretend to be.”

We are sick.  Often we can drum up guilt over what we see coming up from our heart and more so from what we know is there, masked with our performances.  We are afraid of what we don’t know about ourselves.  We crush ourselves with guilt when we fall… AND YET we can ask the Lord into our temptation instead of wait for the fall.  We can let him in to examine the darkest store rooms of our heart, to discover what we don’t even know about.  If we would just stop fighting our deceitful heart on our own and stop punish ourselves with guilt, neither have benefit… instead surrender our pride, pride in our abilities and strength, and hand the heart over to the Creator.

The enemy wants us to believe we are beyond hope when our dark recesses are exposed.  He doesn’t want us to allow the Lord to clean it out.  He is a liar.  Trust in your Savior!

Psalms 3 1-4
(American Standard)
1Jehovah, how are mine adversaries increased! Many are they that rise up against me.
 2 Many there are that say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah
 3 But thou, O Jehovah, art a shield about me; My glory and the lifter up of my head.
 4 I cry unto Jehovah with my voice, And he answereth me out of his holy hill. Selah 
So I would like to punish myself, on a regular basis, for how sloppy my devotion to him looks each and everyday, but I need to stop working on things in my own strength and learn the lesson I was taught in that car accident… Jesus knows all about all the dark and all the deceit in my heart.  Still he faithfully holds my heart, fixes it, and loves me.
REMEMBER God is not fair, he is merciful!
Jesus is Jehovah’s mercy to us!
AND JESUS always honors repentance!

P.s. The tomato metaphor and other inspired portions of this post I gleamed from the teachings at conferences put on by SPOKEN WORD MINISTRIES (teacher being Boyd Hopkins).  LINK to find out more about this excellent discipleship focused ministry.

TTFN

Mud Hunters

by admin on March 16, 2012 in Feeling It (Thankful), Four Little Eggs In My Nest, Life Keeps Changing with 1 Comment
 Springtime is the land awakening.  
The March winds are the morning yawn.  
~Quoted by 
Lewis Grizzard in Kathy Sue Loudermilk, I Love You

MARCH means mud, at least this year!

My youngest two and my niece went hunting for mud and puddles.  We where impressively successful, in spite of snow and ice still being around.

While the park was dry enough they only used the slides and monkey bars a short while.  Most of the our time was spent with sticks in hand exploring the mud.  A couple times the girls worried me, almost toppling over right into the mud, but most of the time we basked in the squishy sounds of mud below our rubber boots.

A few of us went home with wet feet, those of us brave enough to wade into the deep puddles soon learned why Mama doesn’t. I decided not to worry about them getting all a mess… somehow we all ended up going home in good spirits… wet feet and muddy clothing and all.

 Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.  
~Doug Larson

TTFN

Snow Aliens In March

by admin on March 14, 2012 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, Dem Kids Sayed WHAT?, Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Feeling It (Thankful) with 1 Comment

(Awe, my baby boys first snow angel… or alien…)

It is a good thing we got out in winters first real batch of snow. Only a week later, since the snow storm, and most of it has melted!  This is the prairies so we could get more or we could end up with a warm wind that sweeps it all away.  Such a strangely warm winter this has been…

(I have fallen and I can’t get up!)

 Where I am living weather is a normal conversation to have with anyone and everyone.  Weather conversations can get very intense.  One specific thing I have started to notice was the difference between my friends out west (on the coast) and my friends here on the prairies.  Out west they assume they are entitled to snow-less winters and warm weather… out here we assume we will be punished for good weather, he he he…   I don’t know how many times I have heard, this year, ” We are going to get punished in July for this mild winter”! It makes me smile at our differences.
(Take picture of snow ball mama!)

 Now my kids and I have an advantage in that we are totally happy with a snowy winter so we don’t get down either way.  Kids don’t think about the future like adults do.  We often have an attitude of ‘if I think the worst I will not be disappointed’.  That attitude doesn’t usually turn out the way we think.  Generally we just become more grumpy personalities and in some ways always disappointed as everything is a chance to be negative.

Everything is a chance to not be negative too.  Kids are living now and so unconcerned with what may come that they are usually happy with any weather.  The attitude of ‘make the most of what ever it is’ seems to flow from children.  The more I relax as a mom, and go with their happy little way of looking at life, the better I am at mothering and the better I am at living in general.

(If life gives you snow, make snow soup!)

Baby Boy has been really into making snow angels this past week.  New discoveries are always so fun.  He calls them ‘snow aliens’ though… not sure where he got it from but I corrected him and he gave me a look as he corrected me in return… and I realized he knew exactly what he was saying.  I guess he isn’t as weirded out by the idea of aliens as I am, he he he.  “Such a pretty snow alien,” he smiles.

I want to be a woman of praise… living to praise Christ Jesus in all things and the least I can do is learn to praise him no matter the weather.  I am thankful for our dump of snow because of the fun the kids and I had in it.  If it hadn’t snowed my Baby Boy wouldn’t have discovered ‘snow alien making’ or my five year old wouldn’t have been able to make me ‘snow soup’.  My oldest two got to make their first, ever, snow forts and where so impressed with their abilities.  I got to watch it all, capture it all and treasure it in my heart.  Thank you Lord for working on my heart, strengthening it in you to be able to praise no matter… no matter the weather and with hope to learn praising no matter the circumstances.

TTFN

Most Know What Kony2012 Is

by admin on March 10, 2012 in Better Check Out Blogs, Better Check Out Links, Feeling It (Thankful), People In My Heart with No comments
Are enough of us aware that there are also people with other options that we can support, who have been working for these children for years? There are places we can get involved that put forgiveness and reconciliation on the table as active peaceful tools to fight with.
YEARS AGO I heard about Kony through a missionary group that was reaching out to his child soldiers and seeing results with the offer of forgiveness. I therefore feel compelled to share this link my husband found through a Christian brother’s page. There is always a peaceful option.

How is it that we are HURT so badly?

by admin on March 10, 2012 in Feeling It (Thankful), People In My Heart with No comments

(Myself and my Dad Spring2011)

On the edge of tears, as though listening to a most excellent melody.. I think of the many folks that are near and so very dear to me.. My kin.. friends .. brothers and sisters in Christ.. because I feel so Very Very Blessed to have known each one of you and just now I  am catching a glimpse of just how much my Lord Jesus Christ loves you… Good Lord how He loves you!!

I see the bravery needed to love  because when we decide to love another person; we, to some extent, put ourselves at their mercy…. We become vulnerable.. When the enemy hurts us we are not surprised… but then when we are  betrayed by a brother it cuts us sharply, to the depths of our soul.

But to harden ourselves brings the loss of being able to experience love.  Therefore it is the wisdom of the Living Word that He was to say… Father … Forgive them… they just don’t understand.

I need, absolutely need, forgiveness and SO DO YOU!

Therefore: brethren be gracious to one another  forgiving one another as God, in Christ, has FORGIVEN  YOU! ABSOLUTELY and without reservation or caveat!!!

by Allan Munro on Monday, March 5, 2012 at 11:12am

Hit and Miss

by admin on March 6, 2012 in Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful), Little Things with No comments
  (When baby boy and I got up today we noticed it was CANADA outside!)

Snow has been hit and miss this year, so we where happy to see such an intense snow fall that it left drifts and stuck to the trees, windows and siding of the house.  No complaints here as we have been waiting for this.  It was beautiful and not actually too cold to be out.  We spent a good part of the day shoveling.

Took a lunch break from pushing snow and noticed a neighbor going out of his way to come over and do the street part of our walks with his snow blower!  Must get to know this neighbor, a thanks is in order as I am thankful!  Feeling very blessed.

Enjoy the photos, it is pretty isn’t it?!  Even if you are not a winter fan I think everyone can see the beauty in it.

TTFN

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →