Farewell 2012

As I say farewell to 2012, I like to look back over my year and reminisce all that happened.

Would you be willing; as you think back and remember your year to answer one of these questions?

20 Questions for a New Year’s Eve Reflection
1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?
2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened?
3. What was an unexpected joy this past year?
4. What was an unexpected obstacle?
5. Pick three words to describe 2012.
6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2012 (don’t ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you).
7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2012 (again, without asking).
8. What were the best books you read this year?
9. With whom were your most valuable relationships?
10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?
11. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally?
12. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually?
13. In what way(s) did you grow physically?
14. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others?
15. What was the most enjoyable part of your work (both professionally and at home)?
16. What was the most challenging part of your work (both professionally and at home)?
17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?
18. What was the best way you used your time this past year?
19. What was biggest thing you learned this past year?
20. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2012 for you.

go ahead answer as many or as little as you'd like.. ...

Blessings

Priorites

This story was floating around the web a while ago and I thought it was worth sharing.
 
The Professor.. .
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar

and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

 He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.

He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full..

The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed... .. .

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - - - your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.. The sand is everything else- - -the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.

Take care of the golf balls first- - -the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

As the year of 2012 comes to an end may we be reminded of what's really important and to get our priorities straight as we begin a new year.

Blessings

Boxing Day Blessings

I was up at 4 am anticipating the day ahead - excited beyond belief to have the family home for Christmas. We didn’t have to prepare much as I spent the day before stirring, mixing, measuring, chopping, blending, baking, basically doing everything needed so I could spend our Christmas focused on the family, not on the food.

We tend to do a rather non-traditional meal around our house at Christmas time; rather than turkey & dressing ~ we decided to serve a brunch which consisted of: brunch enchiladis, cinnamon buns, fruit salad, specialty cheeses, shrimp ring, and yogurt. For supper we feasted upon; nacho dip, hot cheese spread, tortilla wraps spudge rolls, chicken wings, jalepeno poppers, mozza sticks, italian meatballs and of course the leftovers from brunch. We also munched throughout the day on nuts & bolts, Christmas crack, and chips; to say we’ve gotten our share of carbs is a bit of an understatement ~ however it sure was mmhmm, mmhmmm good!

After our brunch we settled into the family room for our gift exchange. We had drawn names back in October when everyone was here for my birthday.

Gerard gave his gift to Teya,

who gave her gift to…. . Gerard.

Krystle gave her gift to her Dad,

who gave his gift to Darcy,

who gave his gift to Krystle.

 Kyle gave his gift to me

and I returned the favour by giving my gift to him.

Wayne & I decided that even though we are in on the gift exchange we still wanted to buy a gift of each of the ‘kids’.

We gave Krystle the `Holy Family' Willow Tree Angel set.

Teya received a bath set and a jewellery holder in the shape of a ladies evening gown.

Our boys got Lego ~ yes Lego.  Even though they are 22 & 24, they still love it!

Gerard was given a box of hot chocolate K-cups and gift cards for a few fast food places {A&W, McDonalds, Dairy Queen & Subway}.  sorry, I didn't get a picture of that.

However, I did happen to snap a picture of these boys in their matching T-shirts

love it!

As I reflect over the day, my heart swells with love for family;  the laughter we shared, the tears of joy expressed, the memories made; I will treasure this day for years to come.

Blessings

Merry Christmas

From our house to yours!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Blessings

one more sleep

as our kids were growing up, we used to count down to big events by how many sleeps it was. each Christmas we'd pull out the countdown bear

that would be filled with treats in each pocket.  as each day would pass the kids would move the bear and get the treat. it was never difficult to get the kids up for school through the month of december, because it meant that the first one up got to move the bear and therefore get the treat.

times have changes considerably. with all the kids at their own homes poor mr. bear had sat in december 1 pocket for about one week until i remembered to move him. in fact each week he'd jump a couple days just to get caught up. without the kids here to share any of the treats wayne has had his share more than his share of candy.

again this year we've seen some traditions change and our plans get altered from what we’ve been used too. and that's ok - truly it is. 

someone shared this photo on facebook

and i thought it to be a great reminder.  may we all recognize what is truly important this holiday season.

blessings

Say Cheese

I love getting photo Christmas cards.

I also love giving a photo Christmas card. {so I included a copy of ours as well.}

The smiling faces and co-ordinating outfits, the perfectly selected backdrops. The yearly record of amazing travels, big blessings and small joys in abundance. It’s good to reflect on all that is right in the world, especially when so much seems so wrong. But yes, I know it can be depressing sometimes to get those wonderful Christmas letters, when maybe your own life isn’t quite so pretty. Or you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders for others who are hurting.

Is everyone’s life as picture perfect as they seem? Perhaps some are, but I’m quite certain that most are not. I know ours isn't. We all have hurts, disappointments, frustrations, confusion and seemingly unanswered prayers. They just don’t look as pretty on the yearly Christmas card.  No one really wants to get a card that tells the whole truth like that in the mail, right?

This is the time of year where friends are having parties to show their homes all dressed up in Christmas finery. Perfectly decorated corners are filled with handmade crafts and homemade treats, an abundance of holiday cheer and beautiful trees all a glow. It’s all good though, we need to find that corner of peace and beauty in a dark world.

I’m going to venture a guess, that behind the camera there is probably an “undecorated” and slightly-undone-less-than-festive scene just out of view of the lens.  Because, you know, that’s life. It unravels. The good with the bad, the messy with the beautiful. Tears are mixed with joy.  Both sides of the camera tell the true story of the life we lead.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Praying God’s joy and peace for you all.

Blessings

courage

what's the first word you see?

supposedly the first word you see is something that you value.. ...  . please leave a comment, telling me what your word was and whether that's true or not

blessings

12.21.12

Despite the doomsday end-of-the-world predictions surrounding December 21, I expect any Mayans around the world might be spending the day celebrating! It’s their New Year’s and they don’t get to celebrate it each year, unlike us who a get a “New Year” every year.

December 21 marks the end of a huge 5,125-year long cycle in the ancient Maya 'Long Count' calendar, but that’s not to say it’s the end of the world.

Doomsday conspiracies are as old as civilization. But the 12-21-12 Mayan calendar fear seems to have gotten the maximum response, not surprisingly, since we live in the world of social media.

Um, hello, does anyone remember the panic of Y2K? And did anything happen? Nope, nothing!  People have been predicting the end of the world for centuries ~ case in point.

If you're reading this today, keep in mind that it's already Saturday in New Zealand, and it's still on the map. If it's Saturday, a look out the window may be reassuring.

Take heart ~ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father”. Matthew 24:36 {New International Version (NIV)}

~ and realize that no-one can predict the end of the world!

Blessings

Truth be told.. .. ...

As the year is coming to an end, it’s a good time to look in the rearview mirror. One can only know see how far they’ve gone if they take a look back, now and then.. .. …

2012 has been my year of honesty - you recall this post. And I remember that after I read the 365 one word article, I was so convicted to live, do and be honest in every area of my life. The point of One Word 365 is intentionality ~ and before I move on to my word for 2013, I want to be intentional and examine the road I’ve been on. As I pause and process this past year, I catch a glimpse of how my One Word impacted it.

This past year, I’ve been more honest. With family, friends, myself, my blog, my marriage, perhaps every singly aspect of my life has seen a deeper more honest evaluation that I ever thought possible. As I’ve gone deeper with who I am, honestly exploring the who, why, what, where and how of Anita, it’s been hard. Hard but good. Oooh it’s been good!

And yet, I am so ready to be done with this word.

I’m not sure if I would have picked it had I known everything it would require of me. And it’s made me a little hesitant about picking a word for next year because I wonder what I’ll be setting myself up for.

Did you take the One Word 365 challenge? If so:
 How has your word taken shape and how has it shaped you?
Does it mean something different to you now than you thought it would?
How has it steered your decisions, plans, and actions?
What challenges and victories have you experienced?

As I think ahead to 2013, I’ve been mulling over a few different virtues/one-word options that I want to focus on. Nothing has resonated yet with me, I’m waiting for God to reveal my word. I’ll let you know which one is the one that HE has led me to.

If you didn’t take the One Word 365 challenge last year, will you join me this year and choose one word?

Blessings

Linus & Luke

I hadn't seen any holiday movies or TV shows this season, until last night when they finally aired one of my many favourite Christmas TV specials.

I shared this last year around this time and I think it bears repeating:
Since its original air date, {1965} the special has become a classic to watch during the Christmas season. In a year where neighbours are objecting to private nativity displays, where Christmas trees are about to be renamed to a more "politically correct" term, and where commercialization is squeezing the last breath out of this holy day--here comes Linus to tell us all the real meaning of Christmas. In this day and age, it almost takes your breath away to think that ABC is willing to broadcast the precious words of Scripture on national television. What was once commonplace is now almost shocking because of the way Christians been marginalized in mainstream culture--and this just over the course of my own life.

I was fascinated to find out that a documentary filmmaker was at the bottom of it all, producer-director Lee Mendelson. He and "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz worked with animator Bill Melendez to create this television special. According to the Post, "Charles Schulz was long viewed as a man plagued by anxiety, self-doubt and fear of rejection. Yet when it came to the production of 'A Charlie Brown Christmas,' Mendelson says, Schulz was the epitome of confidence and assured cool." He was also the one to hold the line about the shows focus, according to the newspaper. Schulz insisted on one core purpose: "A Charlie Brown Christmas" had to be about something. Namely, the true meaning of Christmas. Otherwise, Schulz said, "Why bother doing it?" Mendelson and Melendez asked Schulz whether he was sure he wanted to include biblical text in the special. The cartoonist's response, Mendelson recalls: "If we don't do it, who will?" To Coca-Cola's credit, Mendelson says, the corporate sponsor never balked at the idea of including New Testament passages. The result -- Linus's reading from the Book of Luke about the meaning of the season -- became "the most magical two minutes in all of TV animation," the producer says. Mendelson also credits part of the power of the scene to child voice actor Christopher Shea, whose tone of wise innocence, the producer says, fits the moment perfectly. Note how when he gets to the verse about "fear not," he drops his beloved security blanket. A wonderful example for us all this holiday season!

Perhaps there's a glimmer of hope to be found there, for what is now rare may actually carry more weight and meaning. Perhaps because it is so unfamiliar, the idea that a Saviour was born will provoke curiosity instead of the contempt of the overly familiar. That is my prayer.

May the Holy Spirit impress that truth upon hundreds ~ even thousands!~ of viewers. Hallelujah, our Saviour is born!

Blessings

Hearth & Hearts

Our corn stove died shut-down on Saturday.

gulp!

Not a good way to start the weekend.

Living in Ontario, only minutes from Lake Huron, we’ve seen our share of winter the past many years. Thankfully, our only little source of heat for the country farm house stopped working on a weekend that was un-commonly warm, so we didn’t freeze to death.

As the farmer spent hours upon hours cleaning the fan, the clinker, the auger and everything else related to the stove in an attempt to clear any blockage and get it working, I couldn’t help but think of our lives, our own hearts.

I thought of the times I had distanced myself to “protect” my heart, though it had not only caused separation, but had caused it to close-down. I thought of the areas of struggle ~ sin ~ in my life, which, when not confessed, over time had caused an obstruction towards God’s Spirit. I remembered the times of pain which caused me to question God. Had it drawn me closer or was I at a standstill? Had I bought into the lie of the world that the tough, independent spirit will get you through anything life? Or was I drawn to the hope found in God’s truth? Was my heart opened towards Him?

Has your heart become “blocked” through the tough things of life? Have you put up the tough exterior just to get through the pain of your circumstance? Are you able to hear God’s voice in your day to day? Or has the closure dulled your spirit? Rendered you ineffective?

There’s HOPE found here, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 New International Version (NIV)

call. on. Him. today.

Blessings

And yet?

You’re busy, right? And you’re stressed? And you’ve canceled everything you normally do in December just so you can keep up with all the abnormal things you’re “supposed” to do.  

As Charlie Brown says, the holiday is “supposed” to look a certain way and you’re “supposed” to feel a certain way.

And yet?

We guilt ourselves into trying to do it all.  The cooking, the baking, the decorating, the shopping, and I am sure you can add more to the list.  Trying are darndest to create the picture perfect postcard of Christmas. Where did the simpleness of the season go?  Why are we hustling and bustling and stressing ourselves out because of the crazy-extra long to-do list we've made for ourselves this year.

And yet?

We don't have to play catch up. We don’t have to play by the “rules” and the “supposed tos” and the “hustle and bustle” of the ticking days that are getting away from you. You might be surprised to know you have a day, today, in fact to slow down and pay attention to world around you.  Today can be the beginning of a new and wonderful way to begin to appreciate eveything around you. Today might as well be day one. Today is always day one. Would you take a risk in believing me that you are never too late, never too behind for a day one?

And yet?

It's easy to get lost in the shuffle of 'busy'ness and I think it’s brave to take care of yourself, and all the more so during a time of year that you’re “supposed” to excessively take care of everyone else. And I think it’s brave to say “Just because we're supposed to doens't mean we have to." So I’m going to do it without making a big guilty fuss over it.

And yet?

You are never behind. You are always exactly where you need to be.

Blessings

It's the most busiest time of the year

How do you know when to say yes and when to say no?

The holidays are the busiest time of the year for us. So how do we celebrate without losing our sanity? How do we prevent the stress of this season, from finally getting to us? One way is to have a strategy for making choices. And we can use it the rest of the year too…

An opportunity arises.

A good one.

Maybe even a GREAT one.

So how do you know what to do? Here are ten questions to ask yourself…
1) Does this fit with my strengths?
2) Does this fit with my skills?
3) Have my life experiences prepared me for it?
4) What do the people I trust most say about it?
5) Do I feel an inner tug or “leading” from God to do it?
6) Does the opportunity line up with Scripture and what I understand to be God’s purpose for me?
7) Are there any possible “phantom reasons” that could be tempting me to say yes (fear, guilt, a desire to please people)?
8) If I say yes, what will it mean saying “no” to?
9) If I say no, what will it mean saying “yes” to?
10) When I look back in ten years, will this be a story I want to share? Obviously, this list isn’t complete. But hopefully it provides a starting point for you. {Sidenote: one thing that’s NOT on this list is, “Do I feel scared silly about doing it?” What God asks us to do often does lead to fear in the beginning. When He says “do not fear” in Scripture it’s most often to someone who is already afraid. If we’re walking the path God has for us then it seems fear is more often confirmation to continue than a reason to turn back.}

What other questions would you add to the list?

Blessings

Are you listening?

Christmas carols ring through the radio waves, capturing memories of days gone by. I love them all, the classics, the hymns, the contemporary songs as they remind me again of the wonderful season approaching.

But have you every really listenined to the words in some of the songs that are sung? Some of them really don't make much sense.

Tim Hawkins is a comedian who spoofs on one of the popular songs:

{unfortunately the video will not load, click here to listen to it}

As we celebrate another season of Christmas may we be reminded of what words we sing or say.  May we bring Glory to One who sent His only Son so all that who believe may have everlasting Life!

Blessings

A Time to Give

Holidays and giving seem to go hand in hand.

Not because we shouldn’t give all year long. We do, and I’m sure you do, too. But this time of year does tend to bring out the best in us, and I’m always thankful to learn about ways to give to organizations I’ve supported in the past, as well as ones I’m learning about for the first time.

Sometimes, though, it can feel overwhelming this time of year, with so many opportunities to give and help. A couple of weeks ago, though, I looked at my inbox and felt so heavy. As I clicked yet another email asking for my help, I wanted to shout at my computer, “I can’t help you! I’m already helping here! And there! And over there! I can’t do it all!”

Have you ever felt that way? So overwhelmed with need that you can’t process and, in the end, can’t help or care anymore? I don’t often reach that point, but I do have to be careful not to invest my heart and soul in every single cause out there. Worthy as they may be, I simply can’t make a difference in every cause or need in the world. That’s why my “learning to be honest with myself” strategy is to learn, choose and focus.

We been supporting Compassion Canada for several years. The work they do is amazing and life-changing, and this is one more way you can help release children from poverty. Gifts come in every price range (starting at $4) and make it easy to make a huge difference in a child’s or family’s life! If you're interested in supporting Compassion here's the link.

Last year we decided to build a stable in Peru ~ while we didn't physically go and build it, although that might be something to try later on in life ~ we did send enough money to fill the stable {1 cow, 2 goats, 2 pigs, 4 or 5 chickens}. 

It truly is a blessing to give rather than receive. 

How are you giving this holiday season?

Blessings

12.12.12

December 12, 2012, is considered auspicious by some, doomed by others, and just plain easy to remember by many.

Today, marks this century’s last sequential date for the next 88 years when every number will be the same. While there is no generally accepted term for dates in which the day, month and year all match ~ perhaps because they are so rare ~ it’s important to note that after a dozen in a row, today, 12/12/12, is the last of the great repeating dates to occur in our lifetimes ~ unless you're planning to live until Jan. 1, 2101, that is.

There's been so much going around about this date ~ some imply that it's a divine day, linked to December 21, 2012, when the Mayans predict the end of the calendar year ~ which doomsday sayers predicts the end of the world. 

It's been fun to think that for the past 12 years I have witnessed each of the twelve unique dates.  Remember Y2K?  {01/01/01} And the hoopla surrounding that? As each one came and went, it was enjoyable to think that I witnessed such milestones. 

Did you know that in the last 2,000 years numerous men and women have claimed to be prophets, messiahs or holy teachers and have deceived many, trying to predict the end of the world?  And again with this date looming and December 21 still coming more and more predictions are being heard.

However, we are told in Matthew 24:36 New International Version (NIV) “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

So, did you celebrate 12/12/12? 

For some, it represented luck. For others, it’s a day of romance. For most of us though, it’s just another Wednesday.

Blessings

Today

Are you someone who thinks a lot about all you have to get done – this afternoon, tonight, tomorrow? Sometimes even waking up in the middle of night trying to remember each and every item on your to-do list?

I am.

If I’m really honest with you, I often live gripped by the stress fear of what I have to do.

To-do lists litter my life.

They are suffocating me.

Tell me I am not alone.

Right now I am sitting at my desk in the corner of my kitchen, trying to type these words, and my mind keeps getting distracted by the dishes on the counter, the dog waiting to go for a walk, as well as what needs to be accomplished at work tomorrow.

I read somewhere that our most destructive thought is tomorrow.

And in this season of reflection; with the God of the universe coming to earth as a baby, I can’t help but be challenged to slow down and focus on what is in front of me today.

We’re reminded in Matthew 6:34 New International Version (NIV) “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own”.

I don’t want to live a distracted life, but to live focused on what I have in front of me ~ TODAY! To live a life of fruit and not become destructive; adding clarity, purpose and intention to everything that I do, in this moment, not tomorrow somehow, but today.

So I plan to make the most of my today’s.

Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow a mystery.
Today is a gift.
That's why it is called the present.

How about you? Will enjoy today - or are you already thinking about tomorrow?

Blessings

and the winner is.. . .. .. .

our church had it's christmas banquet last friday.  dinner was roast beef, gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots & peas, corn, tossed salad, and jell-o salads; for dessert ~ apple or pumkin pie, fruit salad and chocolate trifle - can you say yum!

after dinner several different people shared their talents, wayne & krystle being one of them.  it is such a blessing listening to krystle & her dad singing,  gloryfying the Lord ~ together.

as the evening came to an end everyone was quite excited to see who had won the candy jar guessing game. there were four different jars each with a unique size or design and all had different candies in. starting with the smallest they announced each winner - until they got to the one, that most of the kids had been waiting for. 

and the winner was.. .. .. .

me!

it was such a wonderful way to celebrate the coming season of christmas with our family & friends.

Blessings

Alpha Whiskey 4

I've heard it said the way you act on the road reveals your true self. If so, I am in the running for most impatient, smart-mouthed woman out there.

I have a compulsion to see those stick figure families that everyone seems to be placing on their vehicles - secretly wishing that would have been the "in" thing when my family was younger.

I read vanity plates trying to figure out what the combination of letters and numbers stand for and then as I read ordinary license plates I quiz my myself with the NATO phonetic alphabet - you know Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo.. .. .

Angry words tumble through my mind, directed toward slow drivers, reckless drivers, idiot drivers. I mutter epithets and if I start to yell, then heaven help you.

I thought this only applied to road rage. Apparently not.

Right in the middle of my stream of consciousness tirade, a thought struck me.

What if the driver was Grandpa? Or a cousin? Or an old friend?

Would I react the same way? No, I wouldn't. I'd take a deep breath. And let it go.

I'm learning to pause before reacting and trying to extend grace when in doubt. I learned some of this the hard way.

I tend to be a bit self-centered, prone to fatigue, and quite often discouraged. I think I’m doing just fine, being productive and full of energy, when all of the sudden I feel angry and resentful.

Isn’t this the stuff of life? The comfort of the mundane can drive us to insanity. The beauty of a new day can be clouded by a long to-do list.

I am broken. I am needy. I can’t fix myself. I've never claimed to be perfect.

And yet?

I strive to be gracious when I disagree and offer only thoughtful comments instead of adding to the noise out there. But my true self revealed itself on the road that day. I have so much more to learn.

It starts on the road and in my heart.

It starts with me.

Blessings

Misfit

After more than 45 years, the 1964 holiday special Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer is still one of the best Christmas stories.

 

Narrated by Burl Ives, Sam the Snowman tells the tale of a young red-nosed reindeer who, after being teased and shunned by the other reindeer because of his beaming nose, teams up with Hermey, an elf who wants to be a dentist, and Yukon Cornelius, the prospector. They run into the Abominable Snowman and find a whole island of misfit toys. Rudolph vows to see if he can get Santa to help the toys, and he goes back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. But Santa's sleigh is fogged in. Rudolph becomes a hero when he guides Santa through the storm and enables him to deliver Christmas presents to children all over the world.

During one of the scenes Hermey & Rudolf sing their song about being misfits.

We're a couple of misfits
We're a couple of misfits
What's the matter with misfits
That's where we fit in!

We're not daffy and dilly
Don't go 'round willy nilly
Seems to us kinda silly
That we don't fit in.

We may be different from the rest
Who decides the test
Of what is really best?

We're a couple of misfits
We're a couple of misfits
What's the matter with misfits
That's where we fit in!

Sadly, I can identify with these two. There are days when I too feel like I am a misfit. Not quite fitting in, not one of 'in' crowd, but desperately trying to find my place. If we all have our own different gifts, strengths, weaknesses, abilities, likes & dislikes, why then do I feel that I am such a misfit?

Recently I updated my facebook cover photo and my desktop background photo with these two characters.  This time of year I really struggle with fiting in, with everyone and their dog {or so it seems} having plans to gather together - I must admit I feel a little alot left out.

Seeing this photo each time I use the computer or log onto facebook it reminds me that even though I may feel like a mifit and that I don't belong - I sing the little jingle, I may be different from the rest and remind myself that God has a plan, purpose and a path for me just like it says in: Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version (NIV) "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Blessings

The everyday

Some days when I walk down the quiet country road I think about how ordinary my life feels.

Sometimes with all the beautiful photos we put up on our blogs or facebook, it’s easy to think that someone’s life is perfect or charmed. And while I’m surrounded by so many blessings, there doesn’t seem to be many blog-worthy moments between cleaning the house, doing the laundry, running errands and whatever else is on my to-do list giving the same mundane routine to each and every day.

Life can be small when we live it in the same pattern over and over and over and over again Monday to Monday. My life loops small, familiar circles around the same topics and I’m OK with that.

So I do it. I record the seemingly small things; I write down the non events, our plans and my inner thoughts. I spend my time sitting and thinking and then writing.

Else I will forget them. Else I will only remember the blur. I write down the rut, the routine and the everyday.  There’s so much sameness that no one would think to look twice.

But; I write it so I can look back and reminisce over each and every imperfect moment all over again.

And I’m OK with that.

I am becoming OK with that.

And you?

Are you? OK, I mean......

We can be OK together. We can revel in our in betweens and write them down with so much tired love because if we don’t we won’t know how much it all meant.

Slowly. Deliberately. Extraordinarily.

Blessings

In between

It's a foggy, rainy day, the kind that makes me want to luxuriate over another cup of Vanilla earl grey tea and peruse the Internet or read a book for hours.

Inspiration doesn't always come when summoned. There are times when I must sit and think and focus before the first few words falter out until a whole sentence- nope, a paragraph!- appears. And we are well on our way to another blog post.

Still, the window catches my attention and my eyes flick away from the screen and out to the drizzling mist. I take another sip of tea and let the warmth soothe.

The phone rings, right as a new idea takes hold. Of course. I squeeze my eyes shut, then tap a few words down so I might remember the idea later. Inspiration has to wait once more.

I’ve always been one to anticipate the next phase - wanting that next step - now! How do we move toward our future dreams while appreciating our present reality? Do we approach trials and difficulties any differently? How do we appreciate the good stuff when it appears?

We're always in an in between place. We know beautiful seasons will not last forever. The next crisis could be around the bend. And when we face difficulty, we long for it to end. We dream, we make plans, we are future-oriented. There will always be another next phase. We will always be in the middle of something.

What matters is our attitude, regardless or maybe because of what is before us. How do we strive for contentment when we're in between?

It's easier to practice contentment when the sun shines and you're basking in the glow of dreams no longer deferred. It's harder when the day before us is grey and dreary and we're waiting, unsure of how situations will resolve or when, not knowing if what we long for will ever be realized.

Psalm 27:14 {New International Version (NIV)} "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

This is my life. I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Blessings

What if?

Ever have one of those days?

Where no matter what you do or try, it seems like you've failed?

Or that you get overwhelmed/bogged down with the simplest of tasks.

But what if.. ... .

It's all about perspective.

This is such a great reminder; "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

Blessings

Baking Pants

Cookies & chocolate & squares

oh my!

Krystle decided that today we'd put on our baking pants and start our Christmas baking day and boy-oh-boy did we bake.

From Christmas Crack to Holiday Haystacks, from Oreo Truffles to Church Window Squares, from Nuts & Bolts to Chow Mien Noodle cookies, from Sugar Cookies to .. .. . well, I’m sure you get the idea.

whew! what a day!

But oh what a perfect day, it was!

After spending five hours together, chatting, baking, laughing, chatting, running to the store, baking, chatting, we ended up with multiple containers full of delicious treats to share with our friends and family, took time to take a walk through their neighbourhood and enjoy the Christmas lights and made memories to last a lifetime!

Time well spent? I think so!

YOUR TURN - what’s your favourite holiday treat that your sharing this year?

Blessings