Couldn't resist!!

This morning ...

This morning I had to sew a button on my winter coat. I wish it was because I was so organized that I was fixing stuff as I was putting it away for the summer. But, nope ... it's because I am leaving this summer weather behind and heading to Edmonton where they had nearly 3 feet of snowfall last weekend! uugghh. At least it's only for a few days!

Somehow this is all wrong ... aren't you supposed to leave COLD weather and go somewhere HOT for a few days?

Oh well, hopefully the good concerts and spending time with friends will warm our hearts!

"Child of God Gives Back"

I have spent two evenings this week with my family watching American Idol's "Idol Gives Back". We are all big fans of the show and were thrilled to watch the many entertainers, singers, celebrities, athletes and politicians join together with one voice and compel the public to donate to the needy, hungry and sick both in Africa and the United States. In total over 60 million dollars has been raised and they are still taking donations! What an incredible amount of people will be able to be helped.

I was thinking of us, as Children of God. What if we all set our own mandate to be part of "Child of God Gives Back". There wouldn't be any famous names begging people to make large donations or even donations of pocket change. No, this would be that "still, small voice" prodding us to engage in random acts of kindness -being Jesus to everyone we encounter. In "Child of God Gives Back" each one would show the same amount of mercy to others as God has shown to them. In "Child of God Gives Back" each would love their neighbour as themselves. In "Child of God Gives Back" each would treat others as they'd like to be treated. In "Child of God Gives Back" each would share what they have (hint ... it really isn't ours anyway. It actually all belongs to God.) In "Child of God Gives Back" hate e-mails disguised as prayer requests would be obsolete. In "Child of God Gives Back" each would offer and receive forgiveness. In "Child of God Gives Back" each would display the fruits of the spirit in every situation. In "Child of God Gives Back" they would know us by our love for one another.

Even in the words of some of those who were guests on American Idol, we can be encouraged be part of "Child of God Gives Back" See how fitting these words are ....???

"Help people out. It'll feel good." Adam Sandler

"Keep giving. Keep caring." Gloria Estevan

"Sometimes to help someone, we have to travel outside our comfort zones." Brad Pitt

"Get involved." Dr. Phil

"We can't just leave this up to our parents. We've got to get involved too!" Miley Cyrus

"It would mean so much to so many." Reese Witherspoon

"Give whatever you can." Tyra Banks

"Let's do it together." Forest Whitaker

What a mandate! I am so thankful for second chances! Lord, help us to slow down, hear your still, small voice and begin affecting the world around us.

Truth ...

After reading part of Roxanne's blog last week and also being inspired by Rhonda's posting of simple, yet powerful, scripture, I have been thinking a lot about TRUTH.

From the time we are toddlers we are scolded, "Tell the truth". Yet, there are times when we know that if we tell the truth we will be punished and will have to face the consequences, so we don't. It is easier to deny the truth and escape the consequences.

As adults, we do the same thing, except it isn't about stealing a cookie or taking a toy from a sibling. Usually it has to do with relationships. If we simply deny the truth, we escape the consequences. But, this will only go on for so long before we lose the relationship or we face the truth and make things right. This applies to marriages, friendships, work relationships and even to ourselves.

We immobilize situations by refusing to face the truth. We deny that there are problems that are unsolved. We deny that there are feelings we haven't dealt with. We deny that we have made bad decisions. We deny that we have addictions. We deny that there are relationships that are not whole. We deny that marriage isn't everything we thought it was going to be. We deny the financial crisis we are in. While we live in denial, situations go from bad to worse.

I think of people sitting in counselling sessions time after time after time while the counsellor simply waits for the truth to be told or revealed. Until there is truth, even a professional counsellor's hands are tied.

I like to think of John 8:32 as "... you will know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free ..." (a bit out of context, I know). I really believe that knowing the One who IS Truth is imperative for facing truth in every other situation. I like to think though, that when we come to Jesus (Truth), spend time with Him and get to know Him, then we would see ...

"... that I'm precious, and I would know that I'm prized
I'd know Your love never changes
If I could look through your eyes.
If I saw my value to you
I'd see your love for me remains
Despite the foolish things I do
And I'd see your love for what it is
Unshakable and TRUE
If I saw my value to you." (written by Dan Cutrona, sung by my hubby yesterday morning at DSCF and recorded on his new album "Departures")

Oh, the incredible things that happen to us when we know the one who IS Truth ... we become FREE! Yes, Mona, we can trust Him because He cannot tell anything, but the Truth!

When we know the One who Is Truth, He can speak the truth to us. I remember one very confusing morning a few years ago when God revealed some truth to my husband and I. A ton of feeling came with the revelation and we really didn't even know what to do with it all. We went to our friends, Todd and Tammy who listened and then reminded us that, "The Lord reveals to heal". He speaks the truth to us to heal us!! I can't tell you how many times I have quoted that phrase to other people since that time.

When we know the One who IS Truth, we can begin to speak the truth about everything else in our lives. We are able to speak the truth about hurt and mistreatment and then forgive! We can speak the truth about unhappiness and dissatisfaction and then work towards a solution! We can speak truth about our financial situation, rework our budget and make better financial decisions. We can speak the truth about disappointments and failures and then trust God to help us become better people! It all begins, though, with telling the truth. Yes, there may be consequences ... we may have to admit that we aren't perfect (gasp!). We may have to struggle through some ugly feelings. We may have to step out of our comfort zones. We may even have to work very, very hard. The results, though, are so worth it ... we can be ... FREE!!

TRUTH = FREEDOM

Disclaimer: I am only speaking from my own experiences and want to encourage others towards freedom. In no way have I meant to shame anyone. If this post seems harsh, it wasn't meant to be.

Welcome My Sister, Charlene

My sister has joined the world of blogging! She is ...

• a wonderful mom to Alandria (almost 4)
• a supportive wife
• a pastor's wife in a tiny town in Iowa
• very intelligent (Double Honours in English and Philosophy from McMaster University)
• my little sister (even though she's just a hair shorter than 6 feet tall)
• known for being sarcastic ... just a wee bit!!
• a gifted artist ... painting, drawing and even decorating
• one of the most frugal people I know! She knows how to get a deal on almost everything!
  

Visit Charlene at http://www.witandwishdom.blogspot.com/.

Alpha Marriage Course

Desert Stream Christian Fellowship

March 30 - May 11, 2008

Your Chef ... Ted Shepherd

Your Sous-Chef ... Andrew Martin

Your Assistants ... Sharon Shepherd and Vicki Martin

Ted and Sharon are our wonderful friends and it is a joy to help them maintain the standard of excellence they have established cooking for this course. Last night was the first of eight nights. Don't let the spiffy outfits fool you ... we were having a blast!!

Enjoy!

Found this today and it made me giggle ... thought you might enjoy it too!


The Bra (Cowboy Poetry)
By Bill Hirschi

You know, I've never been much for shopping,In fact I try to stay away from town -
Except when shipping time comes, I ain't easily found.

But the day came when I had to go, And I left the kids with Ma.
But before I left, she asked me,"Would you pick me up a bra?"

Without thinkin' I said "sure,", How tough could that job be?
I bent down and kissed her and said, "I'll be back by three."

Well, when I done the things I needed I started to regret
Ever offering to buy that thing, I was working up a sweat.

I crossed the street to the ladies shop, With my hat pulled over my eyes,
I wasn't takin' any chances, On bein' recognized.

I walked right up to the sales clerk, I didn't hem or haw.
I told the lady right straight out, "Ma'am, I'm here to buy a bra."

From behind I heard some snickers, So I turned around to see
At least fifteen women in the store, And they's all gawkin' at me!

"What kind would you be looking for?", "Well," I just scratched my head.
I'd only seen one kind before, "Thought bras was bras," I said.

She gives me a disgusted look, "Well sir, that's where you're wrong.
Come with me," I heard her say, And like a dog, I tagged along.

She took me down this alley, Where bras was on display.
Well I thought my jaw'd hit the floor, When I seen that lingerie.

They had all these different styles, That I'd not seen before -
I thought that I'd go crazy, 'fore I left that women's store.

They had bras you wear for eighteen hours, And bras that cross your heart.
There was bras that lift and separate, And that was just the start.

They had bras that made you feel, Like you weren't wearing one at all.
And bras that you can train in, When you start off when you're small.

Well, I finally made my mind up, Picked a black and lacy one.
I told the lady, "Bag it up," And figured I was done.

But then she asked me for the size. I didn't hesitate.
I knew them measurements by heart, "Six and seven eighths."

"Six and seven eighths, well sir, That really isn't right."
"Oh yes ma'am, I'm positive, I just measured them last night."

I thought that she'd go into shock, Musta took her by surprise.
When I told her that my wife's bust Was the same as my hat size.

"That's what I use to measure with, I figured it was fair;
But If I'm wrong I'm sorry ma'am." This drew another stare.

By now a crowd had gathered, And they's all crackin' up.
When the lady asked to see my hat, To measure for the cup.

When she finally had it figured I gave the gal her pay
I turned to leave the store, Tipped my hat and said, "Good day."

My wife heard the whole story, 'fore I ever made it home.
She'd talked to fifteen women, Who'd called her on the phone.

She was still a-laughin', But by then I didn't care.
Now she don't ask and I don't shop, For no more women's underwear.

CD GIVEAWAY

In the spirit of Spring Cleaning my husband (International Award Winning Artist, Andrew Martin) is giving away a few CDs!! We have found a box with some some of Andrew's Award Winning CDs in it that have not been in circulation for over 3 years and decided to offer them to you!

The rules are simple:

~Visit Andrew's blog ANDREW'S RAMBLINGS
www.martinmusicgroup.blogspot.com

~Have a look around and then leave a comment on the post called CD Giveaway

~Your name will be entered into a hat

~If you advertise the CD Giveaway on your blog or website, simply say so in your comment and get your name in the hat twice!

~Let your family and friends know so they have a chance to win as well

~The draw will be held on Sunday, March 30, 2008

I can't wait to see who wins!!

Here's hoping that Spring really IS on it's way!

It Started with a Phone Call .... or .... Giving and Receiving

Wednesday morning I got a phone call from my friend, Brandy. She was crying. She was sooo sick, her hubby had worked nights and was sound asleep, her baby, Abby, needed a diaper change and Brandy couldn't even lift her and she needed gingerale. I got to her place as soon as I could delivering gingerale, getting Abby cleaned up and fed and ready for an afternoon nap and waited until Jason had showered and was ready for the "afternoon shift". When Jason went back to work that evening I went and spent several hours with Brandy looking after Abby, tidying up, emptying the dishwasher and loading it, fluffing Brandy's pillows and tidying her bed, feeding supper to Abby, bathing her and getting her ready for bed. I left after Abby was tucked into bed and Brandy was ready for bed. I was glad to help ...

Over two years ago now, I spent 7 weeks in bed and I had friends who came and helped the entire time. Friends from church and my homeschooling group delivered meals for my family, offered to taxi my kids back and forth to events, and even brought one daughter a new swimsuit when they noticed hers was getting thin at swimming lessons. One friend from church delivered a whole box of movies for me to watch while I was laying in bed! Many friends came by or e-mailed that they were praying for me. So many researched and offered solutions to my health problems and many of them worked. One friend connected me to an Osteopath who was vital in my recovery.

So, when I had the opportunity to give back to a friend in need, I was glad to do it. What I didn't plan on was that the flu is the gift that KEEPS giving!! (Just for the record, this isn't the first time I've helped a friend in over 2 years, but it's current so I decided to blog about it!)

Andrew and I both invited folks to our house last night ... two different families who had never met each other. When I realized it and tried to get one to come a different night, it wasn't possible. So, they all arrived here for the afternoon and evening yesterday.

Problem was, I woke up in the morning knowing I was getting sick!! I wasn't sick enough to cancel ... until they were in the driveway and I was in the bathroom!! YIKES. Too late. Thankfully, I have wonderful friends who helped get supper ready and one husband even barbequed the burgers because by late afternoon, Andrew was also starting to feel sick.

By bedtime I was feeling a lot better, but my poor hubby was as sick as a dog. He was sick all night long and has been snoozing on the sofa all morning. He was supposed to sing at a funeral this morning, but had to cancel.

So, I've learned ... the flu is the gift that keeps on giving!!! My advice ... try not to get it!

PS. not for one minute do I regret helping a friend in need. It was a joy to do it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Add a smile to your day: Stories about my nearly 4 year old niece, Alandria

Earlier this week Alandria had the hiccups and she kept saying, "Excuse me, I have the cupcakes!"

My sister sent this story this morning ....

When I was putting Alandria to bed I began praying with her about God getting all the 'yuckies' out of our heart. When I was talking about God taking the 'yuckies' out of our hearts she said "like that blue thing what you use to get the yuckies out of my nose? that hurts me when you do that!" Of course, I went on and on about God taking them out, and Mommy can't do that, etc, etc. She said, "God is in my heart? With Jesus?" So, I asked her God's name . . . and she said "Jesus." Then she proceeded to tell me that there wasn't room in her heart for God. "Mommy, I don't have any room in my heart for God. I don't have any room in there. Well, maybe at the bottom of my tummy. No, there isn't any room in there. " So, I started to attempt to explain that God is actually in our heart . . . but I hardly got started and she sat up (she had been lying on the floor while i rubbed her back) and, "Mommy! Mommy! I have a great idea! God can go in my ear . . . where you clean it? He can go in there. He can go in there and slide down into my tummy!"

Writing

In my daughter's grade 9 Literature course there was a statement that stuck out to me last week. In the study of Unity, the author was saying how it isn't hard to decide WHAT to write, but it is hard to decide what NOT to write. My thoughts exactly! I wonder if other people start a blog, save it and then decide to delete it as many times as I do?! Honesty lends itself to vulnerability, so I often decide not to publish some of my thoughts. I wonder if others will misunderstand what I'm saying. I wonder if some of the things God is teaching me are just for me and not for me to share. I wonder if I admit my weaknesses if others will remind me about them later. I wonder if maybe I should just stick to the facts rather than share feelings.

Maybe I'll just delete this instead of publishing it ... or maybe not!

Quick thought ...

" ... hear from Him, apply what you've heard, and watch what happens." (Steve Shultz - ElijahList)

Wow ... there is so much TRUTH in those few words. Lord, help me to hear You, help me to apply what You've said and I can't wait to see what will happen!

Day of Blessings ...

I began the day waking early and spending time snuggling in my warm bed praying for several friends who are going through difficult times. The morning proceeded as normal with breakfast, lots of schoolwork, house tidying etc. and a quick trip to town to pick up a few groceries.

Near the end of schooltime this afternoon I got a rare call from an old friend who now lives in Saskatchewan. We spent about an hour and a half chatting about her pregnancy, her kids, my kids, and mostly about all the incredible things God has been teaching each of us. We cried together, challenged each other and comforted one another. While I chatted, my hubby made a great pot of coffee and brought me a cup of it in my favourite red Starbucks mug. He also made sure the fire was stoked up and the family room was nice and warm and then left me to chat. What an absolute blessing to have such incredible friends!

For supper I made a recipe I haven't made for about 4 years. I even remembered what page (224) the recipe was on in my Betty Crocker cookbook! The Beef Stroganoff turned out soooo good! One of the best things was that I got the steak for the recipe for a great deal at the grocery store this morning ... I love getting a good deal!

After supper we headed to Belleville to attend a Belleville Bulls hockey game. We ran into an old friend last week and he is working in the Bulls' office and offered us free tickets to tonight's game. We had great seats and I was so impressed with the level of skill, the speed and even just the excitement in the building. Best of all, the Bulls won 4 -1!

On the way home, we were able to enjoy a lunar eclipse as it was happening. We got home just in time for MacKenzie to run in and get her telescope and some binoculars to witness even more of the eclipse. She and her dad came inside to get hats and mitts and even wrapped up in blankets and headed back outside in -12 C weather to watch God showing off!

God is sooooo good to me!

Family Day

Today is officially a new holiday here in Ontario called Family Day. Because my hubby works from home and I homeschool both kids, pretty much every day is Family Day for us and I wouldn't change a thing! So, my girls chose to each invite a friend over after church yesterday until this afternoon. There is nothing quite like a housefull of giggling girls! (At least they all slept from about midnight until nearly 9am)!

"SLEEPY BEAUTIES!"

I decided I felt like cooking and baking, so after we got home yesterday I put on a nice pot of homemade beef stew and made a loaf of homemade bread. By the time everything was ready the house smelled sooo yummy and the show we wanted to watch was just about to start! While we watched TV I decided to make peanut butter cookies. I must admit, they were the best cookies I've ever made! This morning when all the girls were ready for breakfast, I sliced up some fruit and we ate it with homemade banana muffins still warm from the oven! Yum ....

So, in honour of Family Day I continued to do what I do best ... serve the ones I love ... my family!

Happy Valentine's Day!

"For God so LoVed the world,
~~~~That He gAve~~~~~~~
~~~~~~His onLy ~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~BegottEn~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~SoN~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~ThaT whosoever~~
~~~~Believeth In Him~~~~~~
~~~~~Should Not perish,~~~~
~~~~But have Everlasting life."

John 3:16

Captivating ...

About a year and a half ago I felt the Lord drawing me to the word "captivating". I knew that there was a book by this title and I asked a few friends if they owned it because I wanted to borrow it. A couple friends had read the book, but no one owned it. I looked for the book at the library, but they only had the workbook. Since I was having a difficult time finding the book, I figured I must have been wrong about being drawn to it. Within a couple days, I opened a magazine about Homeschooling and there was an article entitled "Captivating" ... it was exactly what I needed at that time.

Still, I have kept looking for the book Captivating and even had it in my hand at a couple stores and then decided against buying it. About 3 weeks ago I renewed my membership at the Belleville Public Library and was enjoying filling my bookbag with lots of stuff to read. I headed upstairs to the Non-fiction section to see what I could find and right in front of me on the "New Additions" shelf was the book Captivating!! I snatched it up and was looking forward to reading it. About 2 days later I had an e-mail inviting me to the second MomTime Book Club with Lisa Welchel. The book to read, study and discuss is ... you guessed it ... CAPTIVATING! I tried to participate in her first book club, but had a tough time trying to get computer time. Tomorrow, the day the second MomTime Book Club starts, our new computer is being delivered to our home and the old laptop with officially be ALL MINE!!!

I just LOVE how God handles ALL the details! I've been reading ahead and I am looking forward to sharing thoughts with lots of others. Wanna join us?

Snow Days!

I captured a couple pics from my back deck of the weather this week. I am always intrigued by trees and often wish I had a camera with me. This week I remembered to take a few shots while at home.

Snow, snow and more snow! It was fun to be snowed in ... we rented movies and relaxed by the woodstove. No complaints from me!

Ravin' About One of My Faves!

Over the last few months I have been introduced to and enjoyed some excellent books and movies. It's my turn to recommend one of them to you!

I asked for the book Mosaic (by Amy Grant) for Christmas and was thrilled when my hubby bought it for me. I wouldn't say I've been a big fan of hers over the years, but I have enjoyed different aspects of her career. I thought the book was an autobiography and was looking forward to delving in. I was wrong. This book is several beautiful glimpses into the very public, as well as the very private, life of Amy Grant. It is neither chronological nor complete. Each "section" is a new thought, a story about part of her life, lyrics to songs, poems, truths shared from lessons learned, encouragement shared from personal growth and joy shared from friendships. Each page points to the Father's continual love and guidance. One of my favourite lines from the book was, "Nothing is wasted in life. Grief and pain enlarge our capacity for compassion and perseverance." Amy Grant

After my recommendation, two of my friends, Rhonda and Brandy, already have their own copies and the list of people wanting to borrow my copy of Mosaic is growing. Get ready to curl up and savour this book. You'll want to read it a bit at a time and then take time to reflect on your own life. Enjoy!