All posts in Feeling It (Thankful)

The Sun Is Gone!

by admin on December 26, 2011 in Dem Kids Sayed WHAT?, Feeling It (Thankful), Holiday Messages with No comments

Christmas was a full day.  We had all stretched our energy to the max by the time we where heading home from connecting with my side of the family that evening.  We had just pulled away from my brothers home when my youngest piped up. “THE SUN IS GONE!” he spoke with earnest concern.  We tried to ease his mind by explaining it would return come morning.  He then asked who runs the sun.  We explained God runs it, he he he.  At that point my clever five year old daughter jumped into the conversation, “Hows he control it?  With his hand or with a controller?”  Between giggles we managed to share how he generally speaks things into being.  He is that powerful that his very WORD makes something of nothing thus something happen. “I would like to control the sun,” she then added.

“And what would you do with it if you controlled it dear,” asked her Dad?

“Oh pretty much what God does with it,” she said matter of factly.

“If it works for him it must work of us I guess,” I chuckled in reply.

Indeed I am thankful for God’s control over it all.  This is a broken world, but he knows that, lived through it when incarnate in Jesus Christ, and has and sees the very biggest of plans and reasons to it all.  He holds the mysteries and we can only trust him as we haven’t his clarity on LIFE itself!

I have no idea where the kids little minds come up with this stuff but I know it all seems to fit in some way and this conversation really added to my Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

TTFN

Christmas Eve Snippets

by admin on December 24, 2011 in Domestic Damsel, Feeling It (Thankful), Foodie Like Me, Holiday Messages, Mama Heart Mushings, People In My Heart with 1 Comment

Has been another day of cooking in the kitchen and yet, unlike so many previous years, I am happy there… prepping the ‘pigs in a blanket’ and the cake of ‘gingerbread’.  We will have a house full of family tonight for our Christmas eve ‘Scottish Tea Party’.  This is something we do every year with the kids and this year it just worked out that more people are coming.

 Has been a day of making sure the house is nicely prepared for guests and so I have less to do tomorrow.  New Christmas decorations (like the mitten garland) are up and the floors are sparkling. Fresh sheets are ready for the guest bed and clean towels.  For the first time ever we are also having a sleep over on Christmas!  My sister and her daughter will be with us since her man is away with work.  The home will be all the cozier with extra loved ones to shower with generosity.

Has been a day of receiving early gifts!  Our neighbors are always so kind, today was no different.  They stopped in with WINE and CHOCOLATE for us!  Later my mother arrived (the folks are staying at my big brothers) with my first lesson on my sowing machine AND a pretty box of sowing tools!  Grand moments of generosity sent our way!

The anticipation is building and the kids are almost bursting with cheer and excitement.  We had cornflakes for supper and it just added to their joy at how special holidays are!

I anticipate a lovely evening over tea and shortbread and then a reasonable early night so I can be ready for gifts, stockings and then a brunch with loved ones!

Thank GOD for holidays!

TTFN

The Settling of Christmas Sentiment Upon My Heart

by admin on December 12, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful), Holiday Messages, Life Keeps Changing, People In My Heart with 1 Comment


After a heavy hitter week I fell into loving my family for the weekend. We had faced scary days at school, emotions at an all time high at home and death of a YOUNG sister in the Lord. Although the whole weekend was a whimsical reminder of Christmas’s approach, Sunday was particularly sparkly with special moments.

My sister performed in a jazz choir concert the day before, so I was already full to spilling with Christmas tunes in my heart when I arrived at church for a music service Sunday. With the special service all about ‘hope’ I must have cried and smiled the whole way through. The music was so moving and the message such a strong supportive embrace to my raw little spirit.

A cozy road trip followed as we trucked out to my before mentioned sister’s place. We had three BIG reasons to celebrate with them and so stopping to get them chocolates was in order. My eldest daughter insisted on the ‘joy’ Christmas tree decoration for them too. Her and I agreed it was applicable in such a case, a triple celebration kinda case! Our two families shared ‘non-sissy sushi’, yup, the real deal! We chatted, laughed and toured their lovely new condo.

We hadn’t made it back to the city when we managed to arrange a stop in to my brother’s home. We had hopes of meeting his doubly expanding family and dropping off a special little someone some toy trucks. It was a blessing to find time to drop in on more family. Time that was squeezed right in and worked out just right.

What a tired crew we where as we finally arrived back home. A small cold supper and big mugs of tea where in order. I got my crew of four tucked into bed and then found the LAST shortbread cookie. Feet up, lights down, except the Christmas tree.

Sighs and tears escaped me as Christmas sentiment settled into my heart and I reflected on a week of pain and love. SO much blessing! Such a mysteriously marvellous combination of pain and love life is. Thank you Jesus for it all. For the rain and for the sunny day. Times of struggle and rejoicing educate us in such essential and different ways; giving and growing us so very very much. All that is good comes from you and you are so good to me Jesus.

TTFN

Expectations Meet Grace

by admin on December 7, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful), People In My Heart with No comments
(My families dainty Christmas tree, all decorated up by my three eldest children.)

Just watched a program about expectations. It shared the importance of finding the fine balance between bonding and empathising with the people you are close to and then expecting them to be like you.

When you start to see the similarities you will often assume they see, think and will react in the same way as you, or that their life is very much like yours. The fact is no matter how much we empathise, or connect, with people we are putting our slant on that too and we have to remember they are their own person.

The best thing we can do for those we love, in this regard, is empathise with them and wrap that in love so it doesn’t leak into unrealistic expectations of them. Expect too much, and then others failing you hurts, but it wasn’t that person who failed you as much as it could be you putting too much on them.

Assume the best of people when they make decisions that ‘let us down’. Seek to understand where they are coming from, and that it might be unlike anything in your world view; then offer your loved ones a large dose of grace.

TTFN

Love Your Enemy

by admin on November 29, 2011 in Better Check Out Links, Feeling It (Thankful), People In My Heart with No comments

43-47“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

~Matthew 5:43 (The Message)

Even Christians squirm at this teaching of Christs. It is easy to forget how powerful a love Jesus has called us to live in. We are called to live in HIS love and not ours. It is easy to do what is only natural and not go above and beyond loving those you find it easy to embrace, but this doesn’t make it right for us to turn from his clear teachings. Often that which is easy isn’t what is right and we know that deep down.

All the walls preventing us from practising this teaching come from a root of selfishness. If we are walking in our own strength we will slip into the mindset of the world, but then why call oneself a Christian if we don’t seek to live as Christ?

Living his way is only accomplished by sacrificing your whole self to living in and through him. Jesus is more then willing to take all you and your STUFF on. Are you willing to take on a completely counter cultural saviour?

P.S. May your heart be stirred to remember, when faced with a seeming foe, that Christ saw EVERYONE as worth loving. They might not be worthy of it, we aren’t usually worthy of it either, but Jesus declared they and we worth him dying on the cross.

For an inspiring message CLICK HERE to listen to the audio recording.

TTFN

START

by admin on November 22, 2011 in Better Check Out Links, Feeling It (Thankful) with No comments

Gleaned from a speaker from this weekends past ‘Spoken Word’ conference:

We are all called, in the great commission, to go out and make disciples for the Lord. You have the freedom to make any mistake and be forgiven! Give your choices to the Lord and He will lead you, then go out with out fear of making mistakes (that shows a lack of trust in Christ).

We aren’t talking freedom to sin and screw up outside of a motive to glorify God. Going about this selfishly is in its self a sin, licentiousness, defined as the abuse of grace and hospitality. Exercise that behaviour and you yourself will endanger your heart.

TRUST, ACT and do all for the Glory of God and in Christ alone.

TTFN

Surrender is The Focus

by admin on November 21, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful) with 2 Comments

I didn’t go looking for a healer preacher. This conference was on a very different subject. And yet… yet as he spoke he struck a personal cord of mine. Like anyone with new health issues I have been scared and hoping ever so little, if I can be totally honest, for a new approach that could make it all go away. His view point was it isn’t about healing… it’s about surrendering. No matter how much you desire to be whole in body what you really need is to be whole in spirit and that only comes from surrendering your life to Jesus. For sure divine healing of the body happens, of the mind as well, but we all need to focus less on what the world focuses on and more on Christ’s concern, and he came for the sake of our eternal spirit FIRST and foremost.

I got scared off of faith healers years ago when I was personally attacked a few times after their attempts didn’t work in the area of my birth defect. I was told it was my fault and my lack of faith… as if my level of faith has to be high enough to move the healing hand of God. This harsh treatment didn’t even rock my faith in Christ but it broke my ‘faith’ in men… men who call themselves faith healers.

The preacher this weekend kept it real, and simple… the amount of faith isn’t a question. If you have come seeking him you have enough. If you feel that all you need to do is reach out and merely touch Jesus and all will be right then you have enough faith. I know when I reach out and touch him he heals me. With surrender and trust I seek to walk in Jesus.
P.s. LINK HERE to read about a personal miracle of healing from the hand of CHRIST alone.

TTFN

Every Mistake is An Opportunity

by admin on November 14, 2011 in Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Feeling It (Thankful), People In My Heart with 2 Comments

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

S.P.E.C.A.

by admin on November 8, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful) with No comments


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

by admin on November 8, 2011 in Feeling It (Thankful), Life Keeps Changing with No comments

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 MSGTTFN

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