All posts in Feeling It (Thankful)

Kathy

by admin on February 28, 2012 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful), Little Things, People In My Heart, The Pet with 1 Comment

Been going to a series of conferences for the last while, on my own.  In general I appreciate getting time alone.  The plus to this time of learning alone has been plenty of head space to take it all in.  The downer has been it is often nice to have someone to bounce off that new and expanded info.

The Lord sends encouragers at the simplest of times.  I sat down to eat at the lunch provided and a lady I had only recently met made sure to come over and sit with me so I wasn’t alone.  We found we had a connection in the church we attend and I was enjoying getting to know her bit by bit.

More people filled up the table and as we chatted I realised I was siting with neighbors!  On my left sat a couple that lives on the same crescent as us.  We had been getting along so well talking about gardening, organic eating and dogs.  We connected over Riddick (this isn’t the first time he has made my family recognisable).  They indeed knew my dog and recognised my eldest children that trailed around after him daily.  They too felt this was a real blessing to connect at such an unforeseen location and numbers where exchanged, plans for tea put in motion.

I now stood at the entrance to the conferences lecture hall, if you will, the sanctuary of a west side church.  Most people had come with someone and had spread out making little room for those of us who where flying solo.  Out of the blue Kathy, whom I would learn was her name, asked if I was looking for a seat.  She lead me to her spot and pointed out the available space next to her.  We chatted and found many a point of connection in why we where at the conference.  Both of us where finding great joy in learning as older women who have done the family thing for years.  A friendship seed was indeed planted as we ended up doing the courses practical application with one another; as we worked on our prayer ministry tools, together, a connection of the Spirit in us was lit.

I smiled to myself because I had just started to feel down about going to all of these lectures on my own when the Lord expanded my social circle so easily.  If I had decided to be uncomfortable and withdrawn, which in the past I was pron to do at such events, I would have missed out on a blessing.  It really drives home the point that there are people all around us to bless and be blessed by in the simplest way possible, sharing a little conversation and kindness.

TTFN

Showing Off My Dad’s Way With Words!

by admin on February 26, 2012 in Feeling It (Thankful), Life Keeps Changing, Little Things, People In My Heart with No comments

A weee POEM it is then… 

Well I am greatly encouraged.. Up is still up and down is still down and last time I checked I had both feet on the ground.. I`m pullin up my collar so I can stay warm and bendin my head as I lean into the storm. Just another day, they say, as I sally forth.. with some trepidation into the Great White North… It`ll not be too long, if I stay on the track.. on the narrow straight road and I`ll soon be back. I`m done with this place and I`m headed for home .. like I said I`m encouraged cause The Lord is STILL ON HIS THRONE.. Blessings to each and all.

~~~

So, when was the last time you went through all your jeans and removed all that grayish/blueish lint that accumulates in the pockets… ever wonder how it all gets there, in the first place. The odd thing is why am thinking about this type of thing, more often than I used to.. am I becoming disengaged from life? .. To some degree I think that may be happening. I seem to spend more time now sitting in a chair at home.. with my jaw hanging, slackly open, with a distant stare , on my face. When someone breaks in I usually answer with  some wise utterance like ” HUH.”  Let me be the first to tell you that ” The advantages of Old Age have been greatly exaggerated.  Oh well.. sometime I think we live in a very weird world ..I mean you should see some of my friends.. Let alone any of my opposer’s.   Fact is most of us could all  give weird  a new definition and that in a myriad of ways..Thank God it’s going to be so much better in the next.  So Do Not Lose Heart.. The Good Book says ‘ He that endures ALL THINGS until the end comes.. the same shall be SAVED.. and am I ever glad about that.. Hey??

Papa Munro

Submitting In Marriage (Marriage Monday)

by admin on February 20, 2012 in Feeling It (Thankful), Marriage Monday, My Romance with 5 Comments
(A Pretty Little Valentines Cupcake.FEB14th/12)

Being truly transformed in Christ will flip our human nature on its head.  In Ephesians 5 Paul shows he clearly understood, through the guidance of the Holy Ghost, that men and women alike, although in different ways unique to our sex, are inherently selfish.   Thus comes the call to SUBMIT to one another.  Seeking out our own desires and benefits can not coexist with a healthy lifestyle in Christ.

Marriage requires SO MUCH trust in ones life partner.  If I had felt I could not trust a man to lead my family I wouldn’t have entered holy matrimony.  In fact, I had no intentions of putting myself under the headship of another man once I was free to leave my fathers home.  I had grand plans to live on my own with a cabin, a farm and a successful career in the library field. Jesus had something better in mind.  I had no idea this better future involved a complex love that would push me, and growing me, and would be found in the arms of the man God created for me.  I married Garnet because I knew I could trust and respect him; both of which sprang out of the love.  I married him because I saw with in us the ability to compromise and work together, I had a strong hope in a continual growth of character that would make putting one another first easier.

(2010)

Submission is so important in a marriage, like bending prevents one from breaking.  A woman can, through submission, seek to protect a mans reputation, give him honor before her children and help him in his call on earth with her love, support and sharing of her gifts; yet ultimately my man understands all this must come from Christ first.  I am human, I will fail him, so all submission and trust must FIRST be in his Saviour.  The same part of the Bible that speaks of women submitting to their man also clearly points out a large calling to the men, to love their wives as Christ did the Church.  I have also had to expect his shortcomings in this area.  He is human and will fail me.  I too must expect such a high calling to first come through my relationship with my Jesus. 

Submission on my part and sacrificial love on his part can’t be done in our own strength, or even with extensive knowledge and understanding of the scriptures.  It is a larger then life request that we can only hope to succeed in through Jesus Christ.  FIRST we must be submitting our good and bad to Christ, both of us must be living out THE CALL and every waking moment in Jesus…. as worship to Jesus.  The rest will work itself out as we are transformed in and by our Lord.

P.S. Click on the below link-y to check out the other contributions to this weeks topic:)

First Monday of every month at Chrysalis

TTFN

Adventures in Waiting

by admin on February 7, 2012 in Adventure and Me, Feeling It (Thankful), Life Keeps Changing, My Listening Year with 3 Comments


(My fridge has become THE family organizational center of the house.  
Need to know info?!  Check the fridge.)

Audacity 

It occurred to me that all to often in our desire to follow after Christ I have been like Sarah, laughing at God’s plan because it seems so beyond her, and Garnet has been more like Abraham, taking God at his word, just his word, needing nothing more.  Being the one to see everything through to the end has been a good trait as the mom in this family.  I keep on top of everyones stuff, thus need a detailed plan for my day to day, my week to week and even months ahead.  This doesn’t transfer over to a healthy personality trait in the world of faith.

Steven Furtick is a young speaker from the states.  I gleamed much from a message he shared on bold faith.  Faith is audacious (showing a willingness to take bold risks).    It takes audacity to live by faith, because faith abounds when you don’t have all the info.  It is risky and appears brash to step out and act on what little leading you usually get, all too often it is not enough info by worldly logic.  It involves doing our part, the only part that we limited humans are able to do, and then trusting God for the rest.  Our part is faith in Christ’s call.  This doesn’t mean figuring it all out, all that you are to do, and then getting to work.  It is more correctly, intimately getting to know Jesus more and digging to the depths of who you are in him. Taking steps, with out the whole picture, moves this from daydreaming to a vision.

2 KINGS 3: 16-20

The before mentioned preacher shared about the story of Elisha telling the people to fill their valley with MANY ditches so they would receive plenty of water.  They had to act and dig the ditches with no visual proof that the rain would come.  The rain was God’s part.  He finishes things… we want to know it all and yet don’t need to for we are not doing it all, he is… and he knows already.

Our Ditch

Garnet and I dug a ditch when we left Waldheim, turned our backs on the chance to have our dream acreage.  We felt asked by the Lord to put ourselves in a place of availability, available to be active workers in his kingdom, and that meant moving on from where we where happy and comfortable and then waiting where we where not comfortable.

With each passing year since our choice to dig that ditch we have seen growth and opportunities present themselves.  We’ve tried to let the Spirit do his work in us, and sought to seize all opportunities of purpose in Christ’s kingdom.  All along we still feel a call; a need to not hold on to what we have and where we are at.  In prayer we strive to keep our hearts prepared for change, for more intense kingdom service.

With each year we see glimpses of clarity about this call, but still have little information on what, when or how… we still don’t appear to fit the bill of your typical ministry couple…  THUS we have lots of opportunities to grow more in faith…

My Ditch

Garnet has always been very open about sharing this.  I have always huddled behind my man wishing for more faith… Today I dug another ditch and shared our call publicly at a study and now on my blog.  Now I wait.  Garnet and I wait, digging ditches as steps of faith present themselves.  It is the least we can do as we hope for opportunity to do more…in his time.

TTFN

Hello There :)

by admin on February 1, 2012 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful) with 2 Comments

Well helllllooooo there!  A pretty little camera that made my heart skip a beat when I got to take it home.  While I was picking it out, with my husband’s help, I honestly felt a little doubtful that I would actually be getting one after all the waiting.  Seven months camera-less, saving… and ta-da, a digital that finally out does my lovely and faithful old analog.   I have been waiting to invest in a REAL camera till I felt like they where in our price range and able to out do my analog… then we had to do the saving up part.  My last camera dying in August spurred it all on to immanency. 

I am a happy girl and wonder if this will put a little umph into my blogging again?

I am pretty enthusiastic about being a student of photography once more.  Much to learn and I am sure I will enjoy the process. Watch out kids, your click happy Mama is back!

Very thankful.

TTFN

Give to Your Children

by admin on January 30, 2012 in Bits Of My Personality, Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Feeling It (Thankful) with No comments

Was chatting with a friend about how one can work at showing our children the relationship we have with Christ and not just the traditions.  We where talking about how you have to just start, start doing and talking about all things spiritual with your kids before it will become less mystical, less difficult.

It had me thinking of the harm MAKING our kids read the Bible can be.  Why not GIVE them the scriptures instead?  Encourage them to make it there own instead of making them take on something that is ours.

Finding time to let Christ lead us to verses meant for our children specifically and then gifting it to them, teaching them how they can look it up for themselves to read through themselves;  it all helps make a memory for our kids, a loving memory, instead of just another chore.
 
God bless and ENJOY giving to your kids!

TTFN

I Think I’m In Love (Still)

by admin on January 25, 2012 in Feeling It (Thankful), Foodie Like Me, Four Little Eggs In My Nest, Little Things, My Romance with No comments

This man knows me well and the regular dinner and a movie date is not for me.  We got some time off last Saturday and decided to go with an afternoon date so we would get home in time to snuggle up, after the kids where in bed, and watch an episode of our favorite show together.  I would take an hour on the couch watching our show together over two hours in a movie theater any day. 

Talking is largely what our dates are all about, uninterrupted talk time!  No censoring it for little eager ears who don’t need to know everything yet and no being interrupted by chatty little attention hogs.  The eager ears and attention hogs happen to be the same four kids. 

Our date consisted of going to a tea shop and picking out some new flavors (we are both big tea drinkers).  This took plenty of time, pomp and ceremony really, and we really cherish having enough time to fuss at a fuss kinda shop.  He does the smelling (since I can’t) and I do the reading and humming over the styles of tea.  We walked up and down the mall after that just to talk and hold hands. 

We drove across the city so we could continue our conversation and then he took me out to WOK BOX.  I just can’t move past this simple little chain restaurant, there is so much to like about it.  Fast, fresh, noodles and loads of veggies.  Mostly I can’t get over their sauces and tofu!  It ain’t fancy but he knows it makes me smile.  We laughed and teased and sucked up our noodles like a couple of teenagers.

(There’s my man!  Taken last summer.)

When it was time to go home he let me drop him off and take our sitter, my sister, out to a movie!  Ha ha ha, this may sound like a rip off to some or very unromantic to others but he knows I need away time, girl friend time and me time and that took years to teach him.  He knows I will be home around ten, just in time for tea and our show.  He knows he makes me so darn happy because we aren’t overly clingy with our time and yet totally into one another still.

He is such a prize!

TTFN

Doing More Because I Can Now

by admin on January 5, 2012 in Bits Of My Personality, Domestic Damsel, Feeling It (Thankful), Life Keeps Changing with 2 Comments
(I can nap, or sip tea in silence knowing I have earned it!)

Now that my kids are older I can:
make all our bread,
re-educate myself in the area of dessert baking,
make all our house cleaning products,
make our laundry detergent,
plant and harvest from our mini indoor greens garden (health idea and fresh food all through the winter),
shop for groceries like a deal finding magnet (cosco once a month, super store once a month, safeway weekly, health food stores, farmers markets, bulk barn, organic honey dealer),
multiple bank runs,
skate twice a week with my oldest boy,
toboggan at least once a week (if it ever snows this year)
jog each morning,
get away with insomnia because I no longer have sleep deprivation due to babies or toddlers,
own a dog and not find him to much in the mix,
NOT to mention all the hobbies I will pick up again and all the new ones I will learn…
blog ridiculously silly posts full of seriously long run on sentences!

Of course getting my thyroid meds balanced has a lot to do with my ability to do all this too.

I am thankful:)

TTFN

Selfish

by admin on January 4, 2012 in Feeling It (Thankful), Life Keeps Changing, My Listening Year, My Year of Right Sacrifice-TIME, People In My Heart with No comments
(Fall 2009)

Selfish heart you never could stand up under the pain,
the brokenness,
that loving people brings.

Scoffing at pain came easily when there was no love to give,
no brokenness to face.
Avoiding naively,
the pain came,
you would deny it.
Denying,
futile.
Girding yourself with anger,
RAGGING against the brokenness…
Only to be broken more,
falling harder,
shattering.

The rage doesn’t last,
it was all a desperate show,
as also the scoffing and denial held no strength.

Get shattered enough times and you learn how to bend,
how to kneel…
how to surrender to the suffering of loving beyond yourself.

With prideful selfish resistance gone,
the focus outward,
the heart is molded,
rearranged,
redefined.
Embracing the risk,
the inevitable pain,
and loving the people you’re given,
you grow.
More and more people,
more and more breaking.
More and more strength found beyond you,
selfish heart.
Strength found in Jesus.

TTFN

Find Delight (Even or Especially In Winter!)

by admin on December 31, 2011 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Domestic Damsel, Feeling It (Thankful), Life Keeps Changing with No comments

(Skating CHRISTMAS DAY! 2011)
What can I say?
I really am delighted with winter!
I guess that is why I still live here.

You can’t have those sweet rosy noses and cheeks with out it.
Or wear thick sweaters and knit scarves each day without it.
Mittens and toques with pompoms are a must have and a must enjoy.

(At the neighbourhood rink with my oldest boy!)

Trips to the outdoor rink, to the toboggan hill, snow forts and snow angels and the amazing way the house feels when you freshly return from winter adventures.


(Our home, a couple winters ago.  We don’t have this much snow yet this year.)

Ones house never feels so inviting in the warm months of the year!
How perfect a big hot mug of tea or hot chocolate feel whether going warmly down your throat or just being held in your chilled hands!

Such glorious domesticity blooms in ones heart as you unpack your snow covered children, rediscovering them from underneath loads of winter clothes and you place a warm cup of love in their sweet little hands.  Just standing over the pot of home made hot coco is enough to make me feel like a great mom.

(A day gone by, at the community toboggan hill will the whole crew.)

Yes winter takes a lot of work and requires effort and yet this is why the little moments feel so very good this time of year.

(My eldest son, on the way home from a winter adventure.)



Hurrah for winter!

TTFN

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