on holidays

We've been here for a few days and it's been wonderful.  

The weather, the resort, the food, the beach... 

it really doesn't get much better than this!

Take Care

...and we're off

♪♫♫♪♪ All our bags are packed and we`re ready to go… ♪♪♫♫♪

Off for some sun, surf and sand holidays with the hubs, see you when we return.

Take Care

Givin'er your all

I've come to realize that when I spread myself too thin, I’m not wholeheartedly giving anything my all. But, I can’t stand to disappoint anyone. Because what would they think of me, if I said “NO?” I don’t want to be labelled as the girl who can’t handle it. But deep, deep down, I stress over how others are judging my every move.

Life is full of choices, and there are so many “good” options out there. But one can only spread oneself so thin, because in the end something’s gotta give. 

As I’ve tried to adjust my viewpoint, here are a few things I’ve learned I’m learning: 
We are all in different seasons of life and there is nothing wrong, better, or more holy about one versus the other. Different seasons enable us to do different things at different times. There is no shame in that.
What works for one person right now, may not work for me in this moment. And that’s okay! 
And if someone else seems to have it all perfectly together, the thing to remember here is the word SEEMS... their struggles are just as real, just as huge, and just as hard to bear.

Life is NOT a race. It is a journey, and we are meant to enjoy it…every messy, amazing, mundane, and glorious moment. 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” {Colossians 3:23 {New International Version {NIV}} 

What about you? Do you ever struggle with feeling like you have to do it all too?

Take Care

All That I Need

There is definitely no shortage of articles and blog posts on the topic of comparison. 

Just google the word and you will come up with hundreds, actually hundreds of thousands results. 

And yet… we all do it.  We compare ourselves to whatever else is out there.  We look at Facebook and Instagram and Pinterest and we compare their best to our worst ~ how fair is that? 

And then it starts… the wishing. 

We wish ~ 
our own lives were different
we had more/better education
a nicer/bigger home
were more talented
our husbands were more romantic
our children were more athletic
we could craft, write, decorate, garden, or play tennis… 

And with all that wishing, comes the dissatisfaction with who we are and the things we have in life. 

Instead of wishing our lives looked differently, let us; 

BE CONTENT 

with who He made us to be, what we have or don’t, where we are and when, why He placed us here and how we are to accomplish His will… 

God has given us so many wonderful blessings! 

"The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need." Psalm 23:1 {New Living Translation {NLT}} 

Take Care

LaCKiNG

From time to time, I find that I struggle with my gifts. 

I would rather be like my friend Maria and her knack for decorating, or my friend Andra and her amazing detail to organization, or my friend Esther and her great sense of style and even my daughter who is an amazingly talented girl through music, crafting, baking … … ! 

To be honest, I still struggle to find my purpose.  I find that the gifts, talents, abilities, ideas that I’ve been given are never quite enough…. but, here’s what I am learning … as we journey through life, we must learn to  BE Content … and accept who He has created us to be.

We all have been created with different bents and desires. And each of us are unique in our own special way! 

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” {Ephesians 2:10 {New Living Translation {NLT}}

Take Care

Farmers' Day

It's someone's birthday today ~ and we celebrated with going out for lunch and sharing a chocolate-fudge cake with some of our family...

Happy Birthday, Farmer!  wishing you many more years!

Take Care

Wintertime

After very mild December, ole man winter has more than made up for it ~ blessing us with snow squalls, bitter winds, colder temperatures and piles of snowfall! 

Did I mention the piles of snow!

I actually kinda like winter. 

Yes, really! No, I am not kidding! 

First I must clarify that I am not writing this sitting on a beach in the Dominican Republic while sipping a rum punch ~ although that does come later.   I am writing this from good ole Huron county... and we get snow here, although not nearly as much as I'd like. 

I am absolutely saying "I love snow." As much as possible. {Note: I am not saying I love driving in snow ~ there is a difference.} 

Here are just a few reasons that I like winter:

I like winter because I am a homebody introvert and few things thrill me more than when something I am supposed to leave the house to do gets cancelled and so I am required to stay home. {Maybe the weather will get so bad that all the roads are closed and no one can get anywhere and we’re actually ordered to stay home!} 

I like winter because I am all about cozy, and I am all about comfort. Just let me put on a sweater and eat a bowl of homemade potato soup. 

I like winter because if you are curled up under a blanket on the couch on a Sunday afternoon and someone finds out about it, they think you are just being seasonally appropriate. Whereas if you do the same thing in the spring and someone finds out about it, they frown disapprovingly and suggest that perhaps you should be outside gardening. 

And so, dear winter, I remain your faithful {if rather lonely} fan. And while you are here, will you please allow me to at least hope that I might... 

1. Wear fleece. And hoodies. And fleece hoodies. 

2. Watch the weather network to issue a Winter Storm Warning for our county. 

3. Get a bus-cancellation call and sleep in with the hubs. 

4. Wear woolen socks. 

5. Sit by the fireplace and enjoy a glass of wine. 

How about you? Do happen to at least appreciate winter, I'd love to hear from you!

Take Care

Simply Amazing

After yesterday’s post I find it ironic amazing that I read this in my devotion today: 

Defined by Grace 

Your worth is based on the value God has placed on you. You are not defined by your past, your failures, what someone else said you're worth, what you think you're worth, your accomplishments, what you own, the way you look or by any other value this world or its people have or have not placed on you. 

Your value is forever engraved in the stone that is the Father’s love and He declares, “I am yours and you are mine.” And, He affirms, “you will be my people and I will be your God.” Jeremiah 30:22 

You did not choose God, and you might not even choose yourself. But, the God of heaven has chosen you. Jesus says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last.” John 15:16 

Not only are we chosen by God, we are purchased at a great cost. Our worth has been sealed forever in His love and mercy. Our lives are defined today by His grace alone. God does not love you based on your performance, potential, religious effort, promises, family name or best intentions. And in spite of your wounds, your stain and your shame He still chose you for Himself. He chose you when you were dead in sin and couldn’t present yourself to Him as a worthy choice. 

God chose you because He saw His own image in you, the divine stamp woven into the fabric of your being when He uniquely knitted your frame together in secret. And He decided you were worth a rescue mission of love that would require the death of His own Son. 

Your value today, and forever, rest in this truth alone - By grace you are a loved son or daughter, of God. In Jesus Christ this is true of you. But the enemy will not simply let you go. He will remind you every day of who you used to be. But God tells you who you are. 

God loved you enough to swoop into your story and obliterate your sin by crushing His innocent Son, setting you free and redeeming you forever.

How awesome is that!

Take Care

Tis the Season

Depression and anxiety come easy for me this time of year... 

And sadly, I do what most people do in these times. I retreat. I pull away. I try to hibernate.

It was a rough week last week, where “stuff” just bubbled up and there was simply no rest for my body, my mind or my soul? Yeah, it was that kind of week for me. Do you have weeks like that?

I’ve never been one to admit defeat as I don’t like feeling or appearing weak in any circumstance. But I know that I am. And I know that if I am going to learn to fully accept things as they are, then I must learn to be content with my limitations. 

I want the Lord to teach me how to not see my limitations as boundaries, but as places to acknowledge my weakness and accept the fact that I need Him to help me through it. When we fully come to realize our limitations, and give them over to God, we can be content with the fact that with God, all things are possible. 

2 Corinthians 12:10 {English Standard Version {ESV}} "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

What a great reminder!

Take Care

My One Word

Be honest. How many of you have scribbled down a list of resolutions? 

And a couple of years ago I would have sat cross-legged in my chair and a half by the fire and created my own list of New Year’s resolutions. My mind would have been focused on changing my life for the better and finally getting around to creating a better version of myself. 

But that was over 5 years ago. 

Nowadays I am relieved to say that I no longer set New Year’s goals.  I just pick One word.  One word that will lift me up.  One word that resonates with where I am in life, the season I currently find myself in.  One word to send me in the direction He wants me to go.  One word that sums up who I want to be and/or how I want to live. One word that I can focus on every day, all year long. 

Yep, just One Word! 

But it hasn’t been easy choosing my one word this year… I struggled with it, to be honest. And I wondered if perhaps it was time for me to let it go and stop putting so much pressure on myself. 

But as I reviewed each previous year's words and watched how they segued into the next, my 2016 word soon began to reveal itself to me.

For 2016, my one word is:  {drum roll please} 

content {kuh-n-tent} as dictionary.com describes
as satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else. the state or feeling of being contented; satisfaction; contentment : 

Oh dear!?!  So, what’s this going to look like? I simply have no idea…but each and every year I am amazed at the difference I experience from the beginning of the year choosing my One word and at the end of the year, seeing how it all played out.  

And there is no better place to begin than to look at His Word: 

1 Timothy 6:8 {New International Version {NIV} 
But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 

Hebrews 13:5 {New International Version {NIV} 
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 

Philippians 4:11 {New International Version {NIV} 
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 

Philippians 4:12 {New International Version {NIV} 
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 

Job 36:11 {New International Version {NIV} 
If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. 

1 Timothy 6:6 {New International Version {NIV} 
But godliness with contentment is great gain. 

Psalm 23:1 {New Living Translation {NLT} 
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. 

I could go on … .. .. 

As we journey together through 2016, I anticipate the many ways He’s going to teach me more about my one word and how He's going to implement it in my life throughout the days ahead.

How about you? Have you chosen your One word?

Take Care

Just One Word

2015, is over and we’re already a few days, I mean a week into 2016… . and that means it's time to reveal my one word for the new year! You probably have heard about the OneWord365 craze, as I am sure you’ve seen the term thrown around online. In fact, if you Google it, you’ll find that there are more than a few other websites that have joined in. 

For the past several years, it’s been trendy to choose one word for the year. But picking one word out of all of the glorious, interesting, provoking, meaningful, wondrous, and reflective words out there can be downright intimidating! 

I’ll admit, I had been struggling with choosing my word this year. A bit of self-imposed pressure to discern it, but it comes from a deep desire to know what God would have me focus on this year. 

And then, one of the blogs I follow came up with this idea. 

An UNword! 

To pick a word that we no longer want to be in our lives. A word that haunts us, or one that we simply want to be rid of for good. A word we want to {UN}do in our lives. Now there are a lot of words I could use to describe myself. And it doesn't take long for more than a few unattractive words to cross my mind in fairly rapid order. Believe me, I find it pretty easy to think of a word I do not want to be. There are more than a few personal qualities or attributes that trip me up, slow me down, and are more than a bit tiring. 

And for a few days, I confess, I had begun to think that maybe I would choose an UNword. To try and rid myself of of those characteristics that I don’t like, but I realized that it doesn’t matter what word I choose or where I start. God will use whatever I give Him to bring me to where He wants…

How about you?  One word? or an UNword? Which do you choose to be your guiding light for the year?

Take Care

Date Night

I heard about this from a friend. It’s the idea of having a date night on the anniversary date of your wedding. For example, we were married on the 6th of September, so we’ll have a monthly date on the 6th of each month. 

Well, let’s be honest shall we… we’ll try to have a date on the 6th of each month, but it’s not do or die if it’s a few days earlier or later. The point is to simply set aside some time once a month and be together. 

There is nothing quite like spending quality time together. And what better way than to make time for a date night each month where we can have an evening full of laughter, make memories, talk about our dreams, and get excited about the changes that we will experience as we grow old together. Opportunities like these can really change a marriage. It’s important for us to carve that out. That way, when life’s storms do hit {and we all know that they will}, we’ll have a solid foundation to stand on, so we can weather whatever comes our way…together. 

So this year we’ve committed to “date” each other through the year, no matter how busy life gets, because my husband is the most important man in my life. 

I’ve been putting a few ideas together to plan our once a month date night ~ and I think I have a few winners, however, any suggestions/ideas/hints are certainly appreciated. 

I must say that I am pretty excited to “date” my hubby all over again and am looking forward to our once a month date very much. 

Starting tonight!

Take Care

Thankful

I began 2015 with one word… One word to spend my focus on... One word to make a difference… One word to store in my heart.. 

My One Word? 

THANKFUL… 

Having a thankful heart was/is not a natural state for me. A thankful mind-set does not entail a denial of reality with all its problems. Instead it places our focus on the One who can comfort us. It is impossible to spend too much time thanking and praising Him. It helps to put us in a proper relationship with Him. Being thankful is not some magical formula, it is a choice, one needed to be made daily. 

Which is exactly what I did… each day I wrote down something or someone that I am thankful for.  

Here’s all 365 things/people/moments that I gave me pause in 2015...

1. husband

2. daughter & son-in-law

3. two sons

4. our puppy’s snuggly personality

5. weekly chats with my mom

6. walking down the quiet side-roads of the country

7. white wine

8. star bucks and Costco trips with my girl

9. snow storms

10. quiet evenings

11. chai tea lattes

12. daily devotional time with God

13. tea dates with friends

14. good books

15. family picture adventures

16. reece peanut butter cups

17. phone calls from my boys

18. warm blankets

19. fresh baked bread

20. holding a baby

21. finding and trying new recipes

22. a promise kept

23. dinner dates

24.  m & m’s

25. woolen socks

26. finding a new author

27. daily chats with my girl

28. the promises in Scripture

29. dinner invitations

30. walking the trail with my girl

31. superbowl parties

32. fresh baked cookies

33. vanilla scented candles

34. sunday lunches with friends

35. mini-vacations

36. Skype

37. bubble baths

38. fireplaces

39. in home movie date nights

40. snow plows

41. hot tub time

42. google

43. gentlemen who still open doors for women

44. reading blogs

45. learning a new game

46. country music

47. snow-covered ever greens

48. libraries

49. massages

50. white zinfadel

51. slippers

52. treadmills

53. a warm bed

55. tea with my sister

56. financial books that balance

57. facebook

58. stiletto shoes

59. knitted infinity scarves

60. cinnamon scented candles

61. microwaves

62. pinterest ideas - recipes - outfits - quotes - shoes

63. fingernail polish

64. mandarin & honey {twinning’s} tea

65. g.p.s.

66. family dinners

67. road trips

68. fresh-squeezed orange juice

69. flip flops

70. swimming pools

71. walking along the beach

72. florida sunshine

73. holiday time with the hubs

74. puppy-sitters

75. journaling

76. novels

77. corona beer

78. cupcakes

79. swimming pools

80. max lucado books

81. hot chocolate

82. sunday morning sermons

83. washing machines

84. sunshine

85. bailey’s irish cream in coffee

86. fresh baked cookies

87. robins

88. 6r bright auburn brown natural instincts hair colour

89. giftcards

90. sleeping-in

91. morning walks

92. promise of spring

93. green grass

94. Jesus’ sacrifice

95. easter dinner

96. car ride chats

97. family laughter

98. purple hyacinths

99. presents that come in garbage bags

100. homemade pizza

101. clothes lines

102. random acts of kindness

103. quiet time

104. rainbows

105. books that balance

106. sunsets

107. hugs

108. sangria

109. chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles

110. bbq’d dinners

111. farmers

112. waffles

113. campfires

114. front porch sitting

115. lunch invitations

116. dishwashers

117. homemade muffins

118. lilacs

119. bumblebees

120. netflix

121. peanut butter

122. spa day retreats

123. celebrating my mom’s birthday

124. cell phone texts

125. kit kat chocolate bars

126. my girl playing the piano

127. hair gel

128. chicken wings

129. being a mom

130. farmer’s markets

131. dq ice cream cakes

132. greenhouses

133. chocolate covered almonds

134. smell of fresh cut grass

135. the honesty of children

136. holiday weekends

137. doughnuts

138. smirnoff coolers

139. motorcycle rides

140. thrift store finds

141. post-it notes

142. gazebos

143. birthday celebrations

144. ambulances

145. dq ice cream waffle cones

146. quiet country nights

147. pinot grigio

148. roadside daffodils

149. survivor finale parties

150. moving trucks and men

151. pizza & beer

152. walks along the river

153. raspberry muffins

154. freshly laundered clothes

155. somersby apple cider

156. watermelons

157. sunshine

158. new furniture smell

159. clean windows

160. hydrangeas

161. giant chocolate chip cookies

162. answered prayers

163. backyard views

164. coleslaw salad

165. hostas

166. walking around the block

167. meeting new neighbours

168. technical whiz’s

169. wind chimes

170. firefighter’s breakfasts

171. invisible dog fences

172. cordless drills and “boys” who know how to use them

173. the blessings of rain

174. zero gravity chairs

175. gas BBQ’s

176. visits with my son

177. road trips

178. raspberry lemonade

179. after supper walks

180. canada day celebrations

181. “would you rather” conversations

182. central vacuum cleaners

183. summer holidays

184. air conditioning

185. hammocks

186. citronella candles

187. campfire suppers

188. shade trees

189. comments on my blog

190. ipods

191. lawn chairs

192. gas stoves

193. breakfast dates

194. earl grey vanilla tea

195. kube games

196. bicycles

197. supper time guests

198. dill pickle chips

199. mongolian grill dinners

200. wheelbarrows

201. ceiling fans

202. strawberry-rhubarb pie

203. atm’s

204. chocolate covered

205. christian radio stations

206. live theatre plays

207. greek salad

208. farmer’s markets

209. honey-lime lemonades

210. baked potatoes with butter & sour cream

211. fireflies

212. banana muffins

213. s’mores

214. holiday weekends

215. fresh tomatoes off the vine

216. shade trees

217. iced tea

218. beaches

219. dq blizzards

220. peanut butter cookies

221. peach pepper jelly

222. drive in movie theatres

223. fruit smoothie icecream bars

224. gala fundraiser dinners

225. wings & beer date nights

226. k-cups coffee/tea

227. ultrasound pictures

228. lunch dates

229. techie girls

230. instagram

231. sunflowers

232. citrus sommersby

233. thrift-store shopping

234. road trips

235. shasta daisies

236. razor blades

237. quiet moments

238. half-priced app’ies

239. morning devotions

240. oreo cheesecakes

241. birthday lunch celebrations

242. home baked goodies

243. apple products {iphone, ipad}

244. pubs

245. bus drivers

246. nail polish remover

247. black ju-jubes

248. turkey, lettuce & tomato sandwiches

249. walk-in clinics

250. toilet bowl cleaner

251. cracker barrels buttermilk chicken

252. anniversaries

253. birkenstock sandals

254. blackberry whiskey lemonade

255. butter tarts

256. autumn colours

257. chess games

258. street lights

259. hot apple cider

260. netflix

261. homemade salsa

262. apples

263. knee braces

264. cooler nights

265. neighbours

266. nacho dip

267. combines

268. truck drivers

269. fall season

270. baby showers

271. small group bible studies

272. pumpkin spice tea

273. boys who help their dad

274. cultivators

276. gas fireplaces

277. autumn sunsets

278. swifter wet jet

279. facetime

280. bathtubs

281. pumpkins

282. chili

283. caramel apples

284. thanksgiving dinners

285. another birthday

286. family time

287. wool sweaters

288. pumpkin pie

289. playing games together

290. our home

291.God’s grace

292. devotional books

293. God’s promises in Scripture

294. our pastor and his wife

295. our new grandbaby

296. friends who pray

297. extended family

298. playing games with family

299. winter wheat crop

300. turnip

301. crockpots

302. nuts & bolts snack mix

303. thai food

304. movie nights

305. pecan pie

306. bacon

307. erasers

308. indian summer

309. yoga pants

310. daylight saving time ends

311. central vac

312. blankets

313. sunflowers

314. butternut squash soup

315. those who serve in the military

316. battery operated candles

317. autumn walks through the trail

318. the smell of a newborn

319. mittens

320. christmas craft shows

321. firefighters

322. poinsettias

323. homemade popcorn

324. pumpkin muffins

325. winter boots

326. flannel blankets

327. caramel macchiatos

328. vanilla whipped vodka

329. spaghetti squash

330. game nights

331. text messages from "the kids"

332. grandson’s smiles

333. four seasons

334. christmas trees

335. gently falling snow

336. christmas lights

337. holiday movies

338. pillsbury biscuits

339. brie cheese

340. christmas baking

341. cookie exchanges

342. christmas cards

343. front door wreaths

344. winter coats

345. caramel macchiatos

346. pine scented candles

347. outside porch decor

348. caramel popcorn

349. snowmen

350. christmas break

351. making christmas cards with my girl

352. snuggles from a newborn

353. christmas carolling

354. holidays

355. time spent with family

356. Jesus birth

357. christmas treats

358. candlelight services

359. christmas eve invitations

360. sharing of God’s word

361. leftovers

362. new devotionals

363. uncles meeting their nephew

364. chardonnay

365. finding my one word

And you know what I realized? How truly blessed I really am.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!

Take Care