All posts in Bits Of My Personality

a THIS day (twelve)

by admin on March 8, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Feeling It (Thankful), Four Little Eggs In My Nest with 3 Comments

I am a mother,

that is why I was finally able to get dressed up nicely and will still not be going anywhere this morning.

I am a mother,

that is why my two year old is yelling ‘I wanna booger’ and means I am to clean up his super sized sneeze.

I am a mother,

that is why my oldest child breaks down and picks a fight most mornings on her way to school, she knows she can trust me to still care.

I am a mother,

that is why my oldest son tries to lie to me and I see right through him and he can’t help but tell me and I punish him for the lie and hug him for the truth.

I am a mother,

that is why my husband took our only vehicle to work today, told me to have a relaxing day, while my four year old threw up in the kitchen.

I am a mother,

that is why I am so very thankful for the days when there isn’t a cold or flu in the house, thankful for the opportunities to get dressed up and make it out and thankful when I do have the family vehicle at my disposal.

I am a mother,

that is why I will find the opportunity to enjoy quiet time, slow time at home, catch up clean up time, read a book time today in between boogie rescues, flu bucket clean up and extra hand washing.

I am a mother.

I signed up for this and so much more… but today is about the ‘this’.

TTFN

TRUST (Marriage Monday)

by admin on March 7, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Marriage Monday, My Romance with 7 Comments

~How to build trust practically~

FRIENDSHIP
QUANTITY TIME
QUANTITY COMMUNICATION

I strongly believe the three above statements aid greatly in the necessary but sometimes difficult area of trust building in the marriage.

Because my husband and I where friends first we talked about everything and still do. Today he remains very much my best friend. When something happens, good or bad, my fault or my victory, I naturally want to tell him first. When I need help it is he I rely on first. When I am in need of advice, again, it is my husband I seek out. He has earned my trust and this role of best friend by being my best friend. He values my salvation, my person, our friendship and our marriage. I think I already expressed how being friends makes the necessary quantity of communication happen easier. It also makes quantity of time spent together easier to do willingly. I can’t think of anyone I would want to hang out with more. Despite bad experiences in married life, if there is friendship, communication and lots of time spent together, loving and valuing one another, the trust will grow.

~Building trust when it isn’t practically~

I would like to say it has been easy but, as I mentioned before, all the practical advice just HELPS in the growth of trust.

It takes a lot of faith, and my husband and I choose to put that in Jesus Christ. We are both very much human. With our backgrounds trying to define how we process the now we can often be geared in different situations to be mistrustful, even of our life long lover. We will also fail one another. It is to be expected. When the mistake has been made it will take great faith to see beyond the hurt, beyond the harm and toward trust. These are the moments of true trust growth. When we are hurt by our lover it is all the more painful because of who they are and to choose to love and trust in spite of the wrong is when it all really counts.

Finally, I find trusting myself to be often a harder task then trusting my husband. I am all to aware of my faults and I fear hurting him or continuing to hurt him. Again, faith is what helps me carry on when I have been the one to cause harm or cut away at our trust. I don’t think I would continue to trust myself in this relationship if not for the transformation power that is available in Christ, for me just as much as it is available for my husband.

Christ can change any and every part of who I am for the better and so that is what makes me worthy of putting trust in. It makes my husband, my Garnet, worthy of trust. It makes our marriage a commitment worth trusting in.

First Monday of every month at Chrysalis

TTFN

Pedicures

by admin on March 3, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Mama Heart Mushings with No comments

It took a lot to get me painting my daughters nails. Having never painted my own nails or had a pedicure till well into my adult years I found it an odd idea. I still have trouble imagining I will be up for them using make up on their face any time soon… one, because they have such perfect complexions at this age what ever is the point and two I have to admit I find it kinda gross on little girls.

Perhaps that is the tomboy in me talking, after all I hated it as a child, the feeling, the look. YUCK with a big tongue sticking out kinda yuck was my thoughts on the subject… until, that is, after my second baby I started to feel old, warn out… my skin just wasn’t what it used to be… I asked advice from some ladies I trusted, who’s make up was very nicely done and never over done… and learned you can have small doses of make up, that it doesn’t have to completely change what you look like or feel heavy and itchy.

Perhaps because I started to delve into the world of make up around the arrival of my second daughter and third child that that is why I started painting their nails. All I know now is that it is a relaxing event for us three little ladies. We pamper one another, read magazines and chat endlessly while we wait for the painted toes to dry. Need some quiet time with my girls? Pedicure day! Need some talk time with my girls? Pedicure day!

Although it took a lot for me to warm up to the idea of make up and me, let alone make up and my DAUGHTERS, I have to admit there is value in the time spent together; because we spend it valuing one another.

My parents told me NO make up till I was 16 and I didn’t even want to once that birthday hit… I don’t think I will go that route with my girls… I think I will raise the age requirement higher (wink)!

TTFN

Getting ahead, an introverts advantage?!

by admin on March 2, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Domestic Damsel, Four Little Eggs In My Nest with No comments

Last week all four children were home. No school for my oldest two, my extroverted two. Cold weather meant I worked hard at planning many inside visits away and at home for my crew. There were days where the kid count went up to 7 around here. By the end of this week full of play dates, birthdays and sleep overs I was terribly ready to get back to quiet days at home with my youngest two.

I have spent the last two days happily cleaning up after the holiday, joyfully wearing my pjs all day, merrily reading a new book and leisurely drinking many many cups of tea while seated on my cozy chaise. I lean toward the introverted side of things, perhaps… definitely more so then my older two kids.

Such a blessing to tidy up the house in the morning and then have it pretty much stay that way for the whole afternoon. Such a wonder to get ahead on the laundry and dishes. I dream that all this will lead to one thing! I will manage to get to my secondary chores this week!Do we all have these lists? The basic list of required regular chores that insure the house is in a functional and seemly order and then the secondary list, the wish list. It is a collection of the delicious big jobs that could make our world so much more streamlined, so de-cluttered, so free of paperwork baskets and the well hidden ‘deal with later’ corners of the house. No matter how well I hide my ‘deal with later’ stuff I can’t stop thinking about it…

Oh to attack that storage space that has imploded, or to finally take all the donation items in, or to put my sons freshly destroyed bureaus full of clothing back to rights. The list goes on and includes closets and bins waiting to be organized… One may never completely complete it all, the endless jobs of a house wife, but one must try or… or drowned I suppose.

Well that seemed to come to a dramatic point… to finish on a happy note, please remember I am indeed happy about the prospect of venturing to the secondary chores list.

TTFN

Grow Old With Me

by admin on February 18, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Little Things, My Romance, People In My Heart with 2 Comments

Love in suffering proves it is a genuine love.The above picture is of my parents. Aren’t they just the sweetest couple? Their life together has been real. They have each suffered and sacrificed to be and stay together. A crazy love by today’s standard of love only when it is pleasant and provides pleasure for self. I examined some crazy love today… at the doctors office.I was sitting in an incredibly uncomfortable gray chair. This chair was all the more uncomfortable when 4:15 went by… my appointment time had been 3:15. To my right, up against the wall and right near the nursing station sat the first couple… they where very advanced in years. A nurse shouts out her name and the wife slowly got up with her walker then started toward the nurse. Her husband was have a real struggle getting up even with the aid of his walker. She stopped dead without looking back and asked him if he needed her. He looked a little embarrassed as she abandoned her walker and slowly came back to help. She smiled at him as she helped him up and they walked out of the room, her in the lead, both heavily relying on their walkers.

Another older couple enters the clinic. Both take off their shoes and the wife took her husbands hand for a momentary squeeze, let go and whispered, ‘Can you see me?’ He nodded yes and she started to walk away. She turned to check on him and said ‘Still see me? Follow me to a chair,’ then reached out, touched his arm and let go again. He followed, struggling not to run into people seated around him. When they finally found seats next to one another they where behind me. I glanced back and noted the comfort they found in being together, it was written all over their posture

The third older couple sat right across from me. He looked at her hand and gruffly said ‘it looks better today’. She smiled and agreed. He then in an even more gruff tone remarked ‘I will stay here when you are called.’ She asks him why? ‘I haven’t a clue what this appointment is all about or what is going on.” “Well, (she huffed) you shan’t learn a thing by sitting out here.” He huffed back and looked at his shoes “even so I am not coming.” She looked at him for a moment, with no signs of offense and told him that was alright. She knew something about him I didn’t… he wasn’t just grumpy and she knew that and so she let him be.This people watching episode had me weepy. I was thinking about my man, how it is going to be hard for each of us to go the distance but I so long to be old and grumpy with him and him alone. I hope we are a cute couple then, playfully grumpy mostly, helpful and still tenderly affectionate… and… I really hope he remembers me, ha ha ha, his memory is already poor.

TTFN

Beyond Myself

by admin on February 17, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful), My Romance with 2 Comments

In the moments of intense emotion how can we remember that it will be okay afterward? Beyond myself, as I fought, I heard a voice encourage me… do not sin in anger, you will not let this root deep… love, love, love… and I looked at the man that draws the most powerful emotions out of me; who pushes and yet holds me close in the strongest way I have ever experienced in the flesh and I see my best friend, my beau… that young gentle man I fell in love with, that young inexperienced, yet determined, dad that I fell more in love with, that spirit who is always growing in Christ whom I love beyond my own abilities to love… and I felt the calm in the midst of the storm… I love him, I forgave myself and I thanked the Holy Spirit for his still, small voice of reason and hope.

First Monday of every month at Chrysalis

TTFN

My Artistic Side (eleven)

by admin on February 9, 2011 in Adventure and Me, Better Check Out Links, Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful), My Romance with 5 Comments

I listened to a speaker a while back and had used her idea to encourage a friend of mine to see herself as an artist and to enjoy her art, to engage her artistic side fearlessly… So easy to be generous to others in that way! The concept was we have all been taught to doubt our artistic side, to compare it and thus hide it… believing it never adds up too art. She believed it was healthy for EVERYONE to explore and enjoy their artistic side, to call it art and express it because that is part of being us.

(The producer.)

Garnet would never say it but I think he is finding me a bit on the ridiculous side. He is being very patient with me this time round, as I take my time warming up to the idea of being involved in music again. I don’t want to go for the mainstream feel so here is what I decided to do to get my feet wet again… hymns… we are going to work on the hymns I learned last year and started with one I know really really well to just get me going.

He put it up on his myspace and I guess that is when I became ridiculous. I asked him to leave it up for my mom and dad cuz I knew they would love it and not judge but then when I heard he shared it with a couple friends I insisted it COME DOWN. It’s nerves okay! I didn’t used to have them when it came to singing but I also always did it live and that seemed different… recording and hearing your own voice is kind of unnerving, I don’t think I have ever really listened to a recording of myself before.Anyhow, this is a project for my man and me. I really do love him and love doing this with him so here is the link to our first version of ‘Fairest Lord Jesus’. I am putting this subject under the label of romance because I am blessed to have a husband who encourages me to enjoy my artistic side and under my adventures because getting back into music is just that, a big adventure for me. I haven’t always been thankful for the pull at my heart to engage in artistic expression… it was often a stress to me because of low self esteem. Today, lately, I am honestly very thankful for my artistic side, just as I have been very thankful for others artistic sides for years.

TTFN

Testify (Marriage Monday)

by admin on February 7, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful), Marriage Monday, My Year of Right Sacrifice-TIME with 8 Comments

I have always attended church…was raised in a little conservative fellowship chapel. Made a commitment to follow Christ at 14 years of age and became part of a charismatic group. This choice was birthed out of years of emotional struggle and pain. A feeling of insecurity at home and at school left me feeling unhinged. The climax was when my Grandpa died. Living as a regular member of my culture held nothing for that volatile adolescent me… I wanted out and thank the Lord he found me before I completed my own solution.

Salvation was a choice of desperation… I felt I had no other choice at that point in life. Perhaps this is why I had no real idea what this choice really meant and for many years I mostly saw it throw selfish eyes… as if the relationship was for me and my benefit…Christ was a part of the puzzle and along for the ride…church was a place we where commanded to attended and might get a good high from…

I am now in a place where I question how much I have really counted the cost of following Jesus Christ. Have I really left it all to follow him and given up my self in true worship? Is he my life or just a piece? Do I invest in the body of Christ, The Church, or just attend a church?I am looking at breaking out of another cultural norm, feeling as if I need to go beyond the limits of comfort that the north American church has set for me… wanting more.

I found it strange to share my testimony at this time in my life, because in some ways I feel like I am at a point of greater transformation then when I said that initial prayer in tears. I used to go into great detail about the sad little me lead to Christ and the fire-y little me that followed the sinners prayer but now I am feeling like I must not allow myself to stay there. I am desiring more growth then I have thought necessary or possible for the last several years of my Christian walk.

I am truly thankful for the beautiful and the painful lessons that I have experienced. Wouldn’t trade in a single experience that has made me who I am today. Excited about what the future will hold. Desiring to grow in love always and I am seeking to live for Christ NOW.

LINKS to related posts RIGHT HERE and RIGHT HERE.

First Monday of every month at Chrysalis

TTFN

Testify (Marriage Monday)

by admin on February 6, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful), Marriage Monday, My Year of Right Sacrifice-TIME with No comments

I have always attended church…was raised in a little conservative fellowship chapel. Made a commitment to follow Christ at 14 years of age and became part of a charismatic group. This choice was birthed out of years of emotional struggle and pain. A feeling of insecurity at home and at school left me feeling unhinged. The climax was when my Grandpa died. Living as a regular member of my culture held nothing for that volatile adolescent me…

I had no real idea what this choice to be a Christian meant and for many years I mostly saw it throw selfish eyes… as if the relationship was for me and my benefit…Christ was a part of the puzzle and along for the ride…church was a place we where commanded to attended and might get a good high from…

I am now in a place where I question how much I have really counted the cost of following Jesus Christ. Have I really left it all to follow him and given up my self in true worship? Is he my life or just a piece? Do I invest in the body of Christ, The Church, or just attend a church?I am looking at breaking out of another cultural norm, feeling as if I need to go beyond the limits of comfort that the north American church has set for me… wanting more.

I found it strange to share my testimony at this time in my life, because in some ways I feel like I am at a point of greater transformation then when I said that initial prayer in tears. I used to go into great detail about the sad little me lead to Christ and the fire-y little me that followed the sinners prayer but now I am feeling like I must not allow myself to stay there. I am desiring more growth then I have thought necessary or possible for the last several years of my Christian walk.

I am truly thankful for the beautiful and the painful lessons that I have experienced. Wouldn’t trade in a single experience that has made me who I am today. Excited about what the future will hold. Desiring to grow in love always and I am seeking to live for Christ NOW.

LINKS to related posts RIGHT HERE and RIGHT HERE.

TTFN

Snow Family

by admin on February 6, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Four Little Eggs In My Nest, Little Things with 1 Comment

Daddy is on the far left with the little round snow hat. Next is myself (the mommy) and then little Baby Boy in front, Eldest Damsel behind him, Big Boy next with Little Woman right near by and Riddick the dog in front.

It was a remarkably lovely February day with a little falling snow and higher temperatures. My crew took advantage and where very busy for hours. They only came in once soaked through. With great enthusiasm they insisted I come out to meet their snow family before they retired to the house for good.

(My adorable eldest son, petting the snow dog.)

Our Friday was very busy with a dance and movie birthday bash for Eldest Damsel and Sunday is showing signs of not being so restful, honestly as it so often is, so we had a simple day at home today… snoozing, playing in the yard, trip to the toboggan hill, warm baths, much snacking and cozy cups of tea. Saturday was my lovely day of rest this week.

TTFN

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →