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

Thrifty Treasures

by admin on February 16, 2012 in Little Things with No comments

 Two different thrift shops in one week, and among many lovely deals, I found a couple treasures.  The above shawl is a light creamy brown with a lovely flower pattern and a beautiful thick tasseled edge at the bottom.

The mirror shown below is definitely a vintage item.  I am thrilled to hang this heavy golden piece but will need a really strong hook.  It is sturdy and yet looks very feminine with the flowered frame.  The rounded glass makes it a purely decorative mirror as images are fish eyed, but it also shows its beautiful age.

Feel free to share some of your lovely thrift store finds or ‘steal of a deal’ items with me.

TTFN

by admin on February 16, 2012 in Uncategorized with No comments 

JJ Heller - Not Mine Anyway
From the album 'Painted Red'

C                        G
    I don't know what to say
G                   F
No words could ever be enough
C                  G
I stand up because you hold me here
        F                   C
Because you brought me here tonight

Am             G        Am
Without you we all fall down
F              G
Without you we all fall

C
You make life worth living
F
You make me want to start giving
Am            C
More and more away to you
     G        Am F
It's not mine anyway
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/j/jj-heller/206848.html ]
C                G
I could not ever try so hard
        F                   C
I could buy a place in your heart
    C
But here I am 
                G
My name written on your hands
        F            G      C
Because you paid the debt I owe

Am             G        Am
Without you we all fall down
F              G
Without you we all fall

C
You make life worth living
F
You make me want to start giving
Am             C
More and more away to you
     G        Am F
It's not mine anyway

C   Am   F   C   G

Am             G        Am
Without you we all fall down
F              G
Without you we all fall

C
You make life worth living
F
You make me want to start giving
Am             C
More and more away to you
     G        Am F
It's not mine anyway

C
You make life worth living
F
You make me want to start giving
Am             C
More and more away to you
     G        Am F
It's not mine anyway

Happy Valentines!

by admin on February 14, 2012 in Better Check Out Links, Foodie Like Me, Holiday Messages, Little Things, My Romance with No comments

Garnet surprised me with this valentines gift last night, right at midnight.  It was a surprise because he doesn’t do this sort of thing.  I giggled as he shared how a concerned coworker had took him under his wing and reminded him about Valentines.  He spotted the perfect and unique gift for me last week in our favorite shop and had to share it.

It is a South American tea but also a style of tea drinking all its own so we are very excited to share it together.  Drank with a metal straw, that works as the tea dispenser/filter, in a hollowed out gourd and shared from the same cup.  It is packed with tea so should be good and strong.

This version of mate is supposed to taste like chocolate, have the kick of coffee but is a tea.  It is said to have superior health benefits to other hot drinks and other teas specifically.

We are such a couple of crazy and dedicated tea drinkers!

To have a closer look, or to order you own, link HERE FOR MORE DETAILS!

TTFN

Jogging Must Wait

by admin on February 8, 2012 in My Romance, The Jogger Within? with No comments

I am sure there would be a few women who would be a little unimpressed with their hubby bringing them home work out equipment, as a surprise… ha ha ha but that isn’t myself, this time anyways

With jogging not going well this ice-y winter I have been looking for other options.  Between migraines and thyroid issues I have started to really appreciate how good exercise wards off feeling awful.  Needed a new affordable option, with the benefit of taking little time.  I can’t get away to nor afford gym membership

Just a few months after the new year a lot of decent equipment started popping up on second hand sites and my man found this little beauty (only a month or two old) at his jobs classifieds.  With a steal of a deal struck he picked it up right away. 

First night I managed 5k while watching ‘Republic of Doyle’.  I am a little sore but not as sore as landing on the ice or twisting my joints to avoid falling has been.  So for now jogging must wait till spring thaw and here’s hoping my exercise bike keeps me in enough shape that I am not starting from nothing with jogging again.

Thanks honey 🙂

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

Overcoming Apathy (Marriage Monday)

by admin on February 7, 2012 in Little Things, Marriage Monday, My Romance with 7 Comments
(My man and I, braving -35 weather for a walk together.)

We laugh together.  When we are really not feeling the excitement in our relationship we talk till we laugh and laugh till we are kissing.  He is so good at making me laugh and I apparently am entertainingly funny when I am not even trying, he has alluded to it being my cute factor or some other such nonsense.

We purposely decide to hold one anothers hands more often, kiss more often; flirt more in general.

We have fun together.  Over the years we have found many things we don’t both like but a few we both really really like and so we make time to get alone and do these things, like go for a walk with the camera and take pictures then mess with them on gimp (a photo editing program), or exercise (I know, sounds nutty but we both like the same types of exercise).  Take a bike ride together, jog together by the river or skate and toboggan with plenty of goofing off involved.

It is hard to get apathetic with this man because we find so much time for one another, time to enjoy all of the above, the laughter, the flirting and the activities.

Enjoy your marriage!

First Monday of every month at Chrysalis

TTFN

Where I Come From

by admin on February 2, 2012 in Bits Of My Personality, Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Life Keeps Changing, Little Things, Mama Heart Mushings, Northern Tales with No comments
(My Dad’s most faithful fishing buddy, TANK the minpin.)

We all have a story to tell.  I am working so hard at learning to REALLY listen to others and their story.  I am also learning to share mine when asked.  My kids are dragging it out of me bit by bit.  Often at bed time they ask me to tell them about ‘where I come from’.

Bless their little hearts, they know I enjoy sharing crazy stories once I get into it.  I try to not brush the requests off so much, as they get great joy out of what to them seems like another world… that other world being my upbringing.  They are prairie born city kids and I was a northern bush born farm kid.  We eventually had a phone and most modern utilities; but for the first few years of my life we had no plumbing, no electricity, no phone, wood heat and a goat/rabbit/chicken/little bit of everything else farm, by a lake, with limited road access and lotsa bedrock and bush to play on.

I think I will start sharing a few of the stories I remember on here too.

(THE dog and THE Dad that took me hunting.)

Chicken hunting brought Dad and me together.  Wild chickens, spruce hens and the like, are not very clever and oh so taste-y.  Dad, Mel (the English lab) and I would camo up and hit the trails on a weekend.  Tags and shot guns in hand we would travel sandy roads through the bush till we found the prey.  We shared the shooting and often the boys (my brothers) where along too.  Mel would point and retrieve and we all enjoyed it a great deal.  The snacks where good and the conversation better.

The night we where heading home and he took my hand while I poured my heart out about how hard high school was for me I will never forget.  We had just finished a day of hunting.  It had been very joyful but my heart was heavy at the idea of school the next day.  I got very quiet going home, so he asked me about it, and with tears I poured out my heart.  I don’t know what negative pressures I would have given into during those three nasty years, if it wasn’t for the reliable support I got from my folks.  With patience he offered encouragement, support and a willingly present listening ear.

Dad always had time for us.  If we where willing to strap on the grubs (rough clothing) and go fishing, hunting or just lumbering through the bush with him he was very very available.

I tell my kids this story to encourage them to find something, anything, like bird hunting was for me, as a way to make the time to talk with their Dad and to BE with their Dad often.  It takes two to make it work.  Dad was available and I was not shy about taking him up on it.

TTFN

I am Second – Scott Hamilton

by admin on February 2, 2012 in Uncategorized with 1 Comment


Everyone has a story and when we take the time to REALLY LISTEN to them we will weep, phew…

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

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