Changes

We switched churches a couple of years ago. To be honest, I never expected it to happen, and didn't really know what to do other than to follow what God was putting on our hearts. My husband and I had attended the same church for over 25 years. It was the first church I became of a member of, the church we were married in, the church all our kids were dedicated in.

It was where I first became involved in Women’s ministries, Bible studies, volunteering for endless positions and ultimately discovered a place to use my gifts. We loved the Christmas Eve services, the fellowship with our friends, and the amazing mentors that God brought into our lives.

When He released us from that church, it was scary.

I was sad to say goodbye to the history we had there, the comfort of familiar faces, a routine we understood. But we were also relieved. Not everything about our time there was positive. I’d had several interactions with church members that were simply hurtful, and I was over-committed and overwhelmed. Instead of receiving a good word and spending time in worship, our hearts had become critical and our minds too full of “behind the scenes” drama to focus on God.

So we took time to pray, and found ourselves drawn to the same church. A church, where we only knew a couple of other people. But we went anyway without the expectation of joining every group, leading something, volunteering for this, or helping with that. We just went to worship.

The familiar faces were gone and our relationship was strengthened in a new way as we navigated through the unfamiliar building together. Church wasn’t about any of the things we'd known before ~ it wasn’t about finding our group and sitting in the same place each week. It was just about being faithful and showing up, sitting back to refill instead of constantly pouring out.

We both knew how important that is to growing in our faith. We’re healing, resting, and definitely enjoying. Delighting in God and looking forward each Sunday to spending time together in worship. Being called away from our comfort zone was a challenge, but choosing to obey God has blessed us in ways we would never have imagined.

Blessings

mhmm monday

This website, is perhaps my favourite recipe website when I am searching for a new recipe to try and where I found this super-yum muffin recipe!

Apple Strudel Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped apples
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
 
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.
In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan.
Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 12 muffins.
Enjoy!

Blessings

Beautiful Thing ~ week # 17

It truly is a beautiful thing when family gathers together.

 

With our son living in Orillia our family doesn’t get together as often as this mother’s heart would like, but when it does happen, I am filled with such love…

Since we had no obligations at church this past Sunday, we decided to make the trek to see our son, and as it would happen the other “kids” were able to join us. And then to top it all off and make it even better it was Easter Sunday.

We arrived at his place by mid-morning and spent some time together just visiting, we enjoyed a delicious lunch of Potato Soup with rolls.

The afternoon was spent with the boys playing some video games and then we took the dogs for leisurely walk down by the harbour. Krystle brought a super delish supper of Lasagne Rolls  {traditional and chicken alfredo} Caesar salad and I brought Apple Pie for dessert. While this might not be the “traditional” meals enjoyed at Easter, we really didn't care, it was more important about who was around the table, than what was served ... and before we knew it, or maybe I just wasn’t ready, it was time to head for home.

Time surely does fly when you’re having fun!

 

Whether it’s to celebrate a holiday, or to gather together simply because… I smile…

What was your beautiful thing this week?

Blessings

Running low

it turns out, i’m highly sensitive

Simply put HSP {highly sensitive people} means that “you are more easily overwhelmed when you have been out in a highly stimulating environment for too long, bombarded by sights and sounds until you are exhausted.” Renowned expert Dr. Elaine Arons adds that HSP are those who are “aware of subtleties in their surroundings, a great advantage in many situations”.

I am running low these days.

I am running low on energy and having a hard time figuring out what is “wrong” with me and why the normal day-to-day things seem to overwhelm me more than they used to do.

After the last week I had had, I knew I needed to sit and list the things I want to be doing, the things I know others want me to do, and the things I need to do for my family and home. And how those things can fit into the week. As I sat at the table, I began to cry out in frustration because I simply cannot do everything I’d like to do… it’s not a matter of ‘I’m spinning too many plates’ or ‘I just need more sleep’ ~ it's more of a ‘My body does not actually have the reserves to perform all these tasks and perform them well. I have to say no to some things that seem like very good things or I am going to fall apart.’

It’s a big, hard thing for the pride of this self-confident woman to discover that God gave me less energy and more sensitivity than He did others. 

But the thing is, because I have less energy, I simply cannot do all the things that seem good for me or others. I can only do what has God for me.

So that’s why I am about to “call in sick” to some ongoing activity and rearrange how I spend my time, according to my needs in this season. I’m going to be sitting down with my Bible, my calendar, and my husband to determine what things are currently God’s best for my time and energy.

God’s design for me isn’t to limit me and it isn’t to frustrate my family. It’s to glorify Himself through me.

Do you have a good handle on what God is asking of you in these days? How are you making room for God’s say-so in your family, work, and relationships?

Blessings

mhmm monday

Chocolate and Easter seem to go hand in hand and ironically enough this website shared this

Death by Chocolate Bundt Cake {serves 16}

Ingredients:
2¼ cups all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (plus more for preparing the pan)
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups unsalted butter, softened (plus more for preparing the pan)
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup Kahlua coffee liqueur
1 ½ cups sour cream
2 Hershey bars, chopped
½ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Ganache Frosting (recipe to follow)
White Chocolate chips
Hersheys Bar
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Milk chocolate and white chocolate candy bar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 10-cup Bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder. Set aside.
In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk until well blended. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and beat until blended. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, beat mixture 1 to 2 minutes; stop mixer occasionally and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla and Kahlua.
Reduce the speed to low and fold in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream and beginning and ending with the flour, until just blended and no lumps of flour remain. Then add the chocolate chips and chopped chocolate. Blend until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack and cool the cake upright in the pan for 10 minutes.
Prepare ganache while cake is cooking.
Pour ganache over cake to cover equally. Reserving ½ cup for drizzling. Take a handful of chocolate chips and press the along the side of the cake. Sprinkle a small handful of chocolate bars and white chocolate chips along the top of the cake. Drizzle ganache over top of cake. Serve and enjoy!

Chocolate Ganache
¾ cups heavy cream
1 cup chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
Heat cream in microwave until hot, but not boiling. Add chocolate and butter. Cover with cling wrap for 5 minutes. Stir until you have a smooth mixture. If necessary warm in the microwave at 30 second intervals and keep stirring. Bring ganache to room temperature.
Enjoy!

Blessings

Happy Easter

Growing up, this weekend of Good Friday and Easter Monday always meant a super long holiday weekend with extra sleep and lots of chocolate.

Shortly after I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Saviour I struggled with the term “good” in the Good Friday part of the Easter story. How could it be a “good” day when Jesus was crucified? But as my faith grew so did my understanding of how “good” that day really is… it’s the day in which He saved me!

So, if someone saved your life, pushed you out of on coming traffic, grabbed you as you were falling off a cliff, jumped in front of a stray bullet headed for your chest... you'd be grateful right? I mean, if they died but miraculously the surgeons were able to revive them, would you not do everything you could to get to know that person, who they were, why they did what they did for you at the cost of their own life? Wouldn't you want to almost kinda like follow them around and make them your new best friend?

OK that almost sounds creepily stalker like but just being honest here.  I’d kinda like to be close with someone who saved my life... I’d be grateful for them and the second chance they gave me until the day I {for real} died.

So then the question is, am I that grateful to God, to Christ for taking my eternal death from me? Am I grateful the He took the beatings, the nails, the suffocation, AND the wrath and judgement of God from me? How hard am I seeking to know who He is and to follow him around and make him my new best friend?

I often feel so guilty about my lack of “awe” in my relationship with Christ. It's like I've taken for granted the new life he's given me, a new life, incomparable to my old life, I've just kinda said thanks and “let's grab a coffee sometime, it's on me” …

We should be excited just like the ANGELS are, as it says Luke 15:10 {New American Standard Bible {NASB}} “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” They are so pumped and love to see sinners turn to Christ and be saved. Sometimes I wish I could catch a glimpse of their celebration for every new life saved, just so I might catch some of that excitement and joy and awe again.

As we celebrate this Easter season, may we be reminded of the GREAT love Jesus had for us when he willingly laid down His life.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 {New American Standard Bible {NASB}}

And that Charlie Brown is what Easter is all about! 

 

Blessings

Beautiful Thing ~ week # 16

I am probably the most un-crafty, un-artistic and un-imaginative person there is, which is so unlike my daughter… who creates so many beautiful items, whether she is sewing, card-making, baking, in fact everything she creates is absolutely beautiful!

However having said all that, I was quite pleased when I was invited to a card-making night at a friends, where she and two others gather for a night of cutting, pasting, and creating beautiful cards together … they take turn hosting and choosing the differnt card designs that are created.

Our host decided on these.

Not bad for a beginner, eh?

What was your beautiful thing this week?

Blessings

Quiz

There’s a trend going around Facebook these days … quizzes! In fact, there is a quiz for just about everything. In the past few weeks I have learned some pretty earth shattering things about myself.  

The decade I belong in is the 60’s, I should have been a professor, I should live in Tennessee, {which would be so cool, cause I love their accent} the Hunger Games character I am is Peeta, the Grease character I am is Frenchie, the food I am is a banana, however I am a knife in the cutlery drawer, oh and there is so much more I have learned about myself.

Which means, of course, that I’ve taken every “What {Disney princess/Friends character/Muppet/arbitrary object {WHAT?!}} Are You?” quiz that exists. {so, in case you’re wondering ~ and of course you are } I’m Vizzini from The Princes Bride, Jessie from Saved by the Bell, Queen Amidala in Star Wars, Dr. Hopper from Once Upon a time, Kramer from Seinfeld, Bernadette from The Big Bang Theory, Hurley from Lost, Arya Stark from Game of Thrones, Eric from the 70’s show, Bert from Sesame Street and Jafar. {Don’t even ask me what that last one means. I don’t want to talk about it.} My Disney Prince is Prince Eric from the Little Mermaid …and yet I’m Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. My aura is green, and apparantly I am a Great Dane.

Most recently I took the quiz asking which celebrity couple my significant other and I are. According to this highly scientific test, my husband and I “are” Barack and Michelle Obama. “You guys prove that two dominant partners can not only form a healthy relationship, but even an inspiring one. There is no power struggle because your strengths only compliment each other for the bigger good. Despite being two individual powerhouses, you make a perfect team.”

Ummm, okay?

These quizzes are fun, the questions they ask are random and bizarre and I sincerely hope nobody takes them seriously. I do not look to these quizzes for my identity, I am no different after I take them than I am before.

For my identity I need to only look one place, and this place does not require me to answer some random questions to find out the answer. My identity is laid out for me clear as can be.

So where do I look and what is my identity?

I look to my favourite love letter. This is not a love letter from my husband… its from the One who loves me best… the One who loves me perfectly… this love letter is the Bible.

Here is what it tells me about myself...
I am a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17
I am His masterpiece. Ephesians 2:10
I am complete. Colossians 2:9-10
I am loved. 1 John 4:10
I am a child of the King. John 1:12

These are just some of my favourites. For a more complete list, pick up a Bible and discover your identity!

Blessings

The Pirate

It’s been a couple of weeks since we’ve returned from our holiday in Jamaica. We stayed at the RIU Montego Bay, ironically in Montego Bay! 

{photo credit Rui Hotel & Resorts website}

This is our umpteenth holiday and since we tend to do the same thing each time there are only so many different photo opportunities one can take on holidays. I‘ve got the usual: the lobby, the bar, the pool, the beach, the restaurants, and yet, I feel at a loss as to what pictures to post and even more at a loss as what I want to write.

However, I came across this photo,

and I thought of the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” which refers to the idea that a single image can share more meaning than words do.

So my friends, I ask you, what words would you use to describe this image?

Blessings

mhmm monday

Todays' mhmm comes from this website

Chai Spice Granola with Almonds 

Ingredients:
1½ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground Cloves
½ teaspoon Ginger Powder
½ teaspoon Ground Cardamom
1½ cups Rolled Oats
¼ cup Quick Cook Oats
1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
½ cup Whole Unsalted Almonds, Roughly Chopped
½ cup Roughly Chopped Dried Figs {I use raisins}
¼ cup Honey
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil {I use Olive oil}
1 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
½ teaspoon Almond Extract
½ teaspoon Salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
In a small bowl, whisk together ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ginger powder, and ground cardamom. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, quick-cook oats, coconut flakes, almonds and raisins. {if using figs, see below} 
In another small bowl, mix honey, coconut oil, light brown sugar, almond extract, and salt until fully combined.
Add wet mixture and spice mixture to dry ingredients and mix until evenly combined. {The mixture will come together in clumps. I find it is easiest to use my hands.}
Spread mixture out an ungreased baking sheet. Bake, stirring halfway through, until light golden and fragrant, 20-22 minutes. Watch the granola carefully in the last few minutes of baking and remove if it gets darker than a golden brown.
Remove granola from oven and immediately add figs {if using}, stirring to combine. Allow to cool completely at room temperature. {Granola will be soft when it comes out of the oven but will crisp as it cools.} Once cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Enjoy!

Blessings

Beautiful Thing ~ week # 15

As I looked over that past week on the calendar and thought about what my beautiful thing is for this week, I came up with a few events I knew I could mention. {Returning home from holidays, having the kids over for dinner, seeing my first robin or enjoying tea with my friend}.  But this week, I also attended a thirty-one Party… never heard of it, right? 

Well neither did I, until Krystle hosted one. Like the home parties of Tupperware, Pampered Chef, or Epicure the consultant comes to your home and explains the company, shows the products, and goes into detail about the value and uses for many of the items.

But what qualifies this as my beautiful thing this week?

As I sat in her living room, looked at all the guests, enjoying their evening ~ chatting, eating, drinking, with my girl in the center of it all ~ being the very gracious hostess that she is, I realized that I was blessed to be a part of such a wonderful evening.

What was your beautiful thing this week?

Blessings

right here, right now

here is a hard place to be.

lots of times i find myself wishing for there and then,

dissatisfied with here and now.

here is where the dishes sits in piles and the work remains

unfinished and the relationships get strained.

there is where I am happier, skinnier, better.

and yet here is where i am called to live.

right here, in the now, living out each moment.

and when i get there,

i’ll look back here

and wish i hadn’t wished it away.

i know, because i do that now.

wish that the here that i wished away then was my here right now.

then and there will always seem smoother, easier, better.

except there is no JOY there.

the JOY is to be found in the here and now,

in the living out of every moment,

in the tasting of the sweetness that comes from being present.

and so, I strive to find contentment in the moments i’ve been given.

to wait on there and then until they become here and now,

and then cherish them as though they

were the only moments to be had.

life is meant to be lived here. 

now.

and when it’s done well,

there and then cannot possibly measure up.

 

Blessings

You've got Mail

With 151 e-mails, 27 notices from Facebook and 14 different blog updates that I subscribe to that send automatic updates,

I realized that I really need to monitor my inbox a little closer. Cause really, does Bath & Body really need to update me three times in one week of their sales? Probably not.

Most of my mornings start the same way with waking up, shuffling to the bathroom, putting the kettle on for tea, and then guess what…if you are like me, you turn on your computer and/or turn on the T.V. turned to the station that plays BX93. And then BAM!, you are now bombarded with a flood of noise that will most likely continue all. day. long.

Things like social media have made it super simple. I can log on to almost everything, anywhere in the world and get instantaneous updates from Facebook, Instagram, Blogs, Google and more, oh so much more! My email is also right there making it feel like we've never left home.

But after being on holidays in Jamaica, {hence the 151 e-mails, 27 notices from Facebook and 14 different blog automated updates} spending our days going for walks, collecting seashells from the beach, soaking up the sun, reading books, swimming in the pool, resting and only having access to 90 minutes a day of free wi-fi, I soon realized that I spend wa-a-a-a-a-ay to much time on the computer, when I am home. And I’ve been convicted with how I spend my time concerning my addiction to stay connected and see what’s going on in the world. Now today, I did spent an inordinate amount time unsubscribing from so many of those automatic e-mails.

But after today, things are going to change. 

Now after waking, rather than head straight to the computer, or turn on the T.V. I’m going to discipline myself and head straight to the treadmill, walk for 35 minutes, then take some time and spend it with God in His word with a cuppa tea, eat some breakfast and then limit myself of the time I give to the lure of the computer. I want to become more intentional about how I spend my days.

I must admit that I am already nervous about it, but I’m also excited. I know that this isn’t going to be easy to do at first and I am already preparing myself for that.

What about you? Would you be willing to limit your time to social media?

Blessings

mhmm monday

I was in love with my slow cooker this winter. For the past three months I have enjoyed finding and trying new recipes {soups, casseroles, and chilli’s… oh my!} for the crock-pot for supper. Each week had me scouring the Internet to find different dinner recipes for the weekly mhmm Monday and I loved, loved, loved not having to worry about dinner for the rest of the day.

But with the warmer weather coming soon, I thought for the next few months of mhmm Mondays, I’d start to feature other food ideas. Most I plan to make, but some, well some will be to simply enjoy with your eyes..... might still slip in a few crock-pot meal here and there, we‘ll see.

Today’s mhmm comes from this website

Surprise Heart Cake

Ingredients:
butter and flour, for greasing pans
2 + 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 + 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 - 1 teaspoon red food coloring
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8x8 inch square baking pan and a standard loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
Into a medium bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer cream butter for 3 minutes on medium speed, add the sugar and beat 3 more minutes, add vanilla extract and beat until combined.
Add the egg yolks, beat 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.
Mix milk and heavy cream together. With mixer on low speed add flour mixture alternating with the milk mixture in three additions, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down sides of the bowl at least once during the process.
Remove 1 + 1/2 cups of the batter to a small bowl. Mix in 1/2 to 1 teaspoon food coloring. Spread it evenly in the 8x8 pan and bake 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center. Cool on wire rack until barely warm.
Using a 1 + 1/2-inch heart cookie cutter cut out hearts.
Add a thin layer of cake batter to the loaf pan then stand the hearts up in it. Once you have them all stood up gently push the first and last ones together to squish them up against each other.
Gently spoon in the rest of the batter, filling in the sides and gently covering the hearts with a thin layer of batter.
Bake until a toothpick comes out from the cake (not the hearts) clean about 40 - 45 minutes. Cool on wire rack then turn out from pan and cool completely.
Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese (light or regular - not nonfat), at room temperature
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 bottle (5.25 ounces) of Wilton rainbow chip sprinkles
Beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until light and fluffy about 3 minutes.
Beat in half the confectioners' sugar until combined, add the remaining half and the vanilla extract. Beat on medium 5 minutes until light and fluffy, stopping to check the consistency every few minutes. If it seems too thick you can add a teaspoon of heavy cream or half & half, too thin add a few more tablespoons confectioners' sugar.
Mix in the rainbow chips by hand. Use immediately to frost the cake. Store in refrigerator and bring to room temperature for serving.
Enjoy!

Blessings

Beautiful Thing ~ week # 14

Still enjoying the sun, surf & sand, while we‘re on holidays in Jamaica!

 

“ got my toes in the water, a** in the sand,

not a worry in the world a cold beer in my hand,

life is good today… life is good!”

Zac Brown Band

Spending quality time together is just another way to build into our marraige

What was your beautiful thing this week?
 
Blessings

Random Things

My name is Anita. ~ My mom named me this because each Christmas as a child she would be given a new dolly and every year she would lovingly name the doll “Anita” and I guess when I was born I became her live dolly.

I was the world’s pickiest eater growing up. ~ Probably still am…

I’m a klutz. ~ Really. I trip a lot, and it’s still kind of embarrassing.

I love going for walks… well most of the time, anyway; I don’t like the cold.

My favourite time of day ~ Mid-morning, I am not a morning person, nor a night owl.

My biggest pet peeve? Hmmm… People who are habitually late!

Current read… What she left Behind ~ Ellen Marie Wiseman

 

My dearest… The hubs and I met, started dating, were engaged within three months…and we got married ten months later.

Favourite movie… love me a good Disney classic. They do them right!

If I could live anywhere… probably Australia, as long as my family is close by!

My favourite Christmas tradition ~ having a day to play games.

Most embarrassing moment ~ getting caught talking to myself which sadly happens more than you’d think.

Best way to spend a day… with my girl!

Favourite scripture verse… this one’s easy ~ Jeremiah 29:11 “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.”

‘k, now it’s your turn… please share 14 things about you!

Blessings