Scrap Happy.

Thank you one and all for your sweet and heart felt birthday blessings, talk about warming a gal’s heart to find all that love in my inbox after being away. And thank you Melanie and Alleluia Belle for the awards, you don't know how it blesses me to know that people are blessed by coming here.

As per your requests here is a sampling of some of the pages I worked on this weekend. I had a great weekend all around both in the scrapbooking and relaxing departments as well as just a fantastic time of bonding with the girls. Oh and it would not be fair of me to not throw myself prostrate and sing the praises of my amazing husband who not only "handled" the kids for three days but managed to cook them some pretty cool cuisine, clean out the fridge (in the wash it, not empty it of all food sense), keep up with the dishes and welcome me home to more order than I usually have waiting for him. Sweet.

Blessed

It’s my birthday and I’ve many reasons to smile. Taking just a few moments to share a couple.

My husband is home and alive and I love him.

My kids are a joy and a blessing and they enrich me.

My friends are amazing and loving and bless me with the gift of their friendship.

You, my friends are a blessing. The quick moments we share dropping in momentarily on one another in the midst of our everyday lives bless me and encourage me in this journey of life.

A sweet package from Mildred that touched me so deeply it made me smile AND cry. (I’ll be sharing this MUCH more here in the future!)

touches of spring decor that keep the hope alive

sweet, sweet neighbors who make my day

2 nights and three days away with a good friend for rest, relaxation and SCRAPBOOKING.

It’s the start of another wonderful year, whatever may come. For God is good ALL the time. Thank you for being a very special part of my life.

March Blues

Well….

There’s one good thing to be said for ice

Something had to melt to make it

And in the absence of the something that melted

Something new

Comes peeping through.

That’s not to say

In any way

That we don’t have a ways to go

Before winter becomes a dream

And summer reality.

**Sigh**

scenes from around our yard on March 24th

Notes to Self

You are too old to stay up until 2 am and still be able to function the next day, or the day after that.

Kudos on greeting your husband with a sweet spirit instead of wanting to strangle him from anxiety after waiting up 4 and 3 1/4 hours until 12:45 am as he commuted home from northern reaches in freezing sleet from above, a blanket of fog all around and blowing snow below.

Next time your husband goes away for the weekend and takes the Pepto Bismol with him, make sure you have a back up bottle.

You may want to consider keeping ice cream pails within quick reach of the bedrooms upstairs, since in the time it takes you to retrieve them from under the kitchen sink a WHOLE lot of puke can mess up your life.

Kudos on taking care of that puke by the way. All 11 cases of it (not including your own wretched contribution) that took place between 4 kids in a two hour time span. You're getting real good at taking care of business with your eyes closed and your nose blocked off.

Smart work with the towels, they saved you from washing... oh, about 5 loads of blankets today.

And bravo for holding back your own queasiness long enough to take care of everyone else by the way, that was very big of you.

You came, you cleaned, you conquered. Now go finish conquering that tell tale pile of sordid towels.

Your Grace Is Enough

From my quiet time this morning. I cried when I read it because God knew. He knew conversations that would be shared, losses suffered, unfulfilled desires revealed, questions proffered in days recently passed and this very day. I share this because I don’t believe it was meant for my eyes only, but to be shared with you, and if this touches you, encourages you, strengthens or challenges you, then I mean YOU.

"There are times when the one thing you want is the one thing you never get. You're not being picky or demanding, you're only obeying his command to "ask God for everything you need". All you want is an open door for an extra day or an answered prayer, for which you will be thankful. And so you pray and wait. No answer. You pray and wait. No answer. You pray and wait. May I ask a very important question? What if God says no? What if the request is delayed or even denied? When God says no to you, how will you respond? If God says, "I’ve given you my grace, and that is enough." Will you be content?

Content. That's the word. A state of heart in which you would be at peace if God gave you nothing more than he already has. Test yourself with this question. What if God's only gift to you were his grace to save you? Would you be content? You beg him to save the life of your child. You plead with him to keep your business afloat. You implore him to remove the cancer from your body. What if his answer is "My grace is enough?" Would you be content?

You see, from heaven's perspective, grace is enough. If God did nothing more than save us from hell, could anyone complain? If God saved our souls and then left us to spend our lives leprosy struck on a deserted island, would He be unjust? Having been given eternal life, dare we grumble at an aching body? Having been given heavenly riches, dare we bemoan earthly poverty?

Let me be quick to add, God has not left you with "just salvation." If you have eyes to read these words, hands to hold this book, the means to own this volume, he has already given you grace upon grace. The vast majority of us have been saved and blessed even more!

But there are those times when God, having given us his grace, hears our appeals and says, "My grace is sufficient for you." Is he being unfair? In "God Came Near I've told how our oldest daughter fell into a swimming pool when she was two years old. A friend saw her and pulled her to safety. What I didn't tell was what happened the next morning in my prayer time. I made a special effort to record my gratitude in my journal. I told God how wonderful he was for saving her. As clearly as if God himself were speaking, this question came to mind. "Would I be less wonderful had I let her drown? Would I be any less a good God for calling her home? Would I still be receiving your praise this morning had I not saved her?

Is God still a good God when he says no? “

From “In The Grip of Grace” by Max Lucado

Is His Grace Enough?

Your Grace Is Enough - Chris Tomlin

Did You Know? History Edition

I love tulips.  One of the earliest bulbs to bloom, such thick and vibrantly colored petals.  One of my favorite memories of all time is walking along the cobblestone streets that line the canals of Amsterdam, sun sparkling brilliantly off the water, and little flower shops or outdoor stands with buckets and buckets of glorious, beautiful tulips.  And quite economical, really.  But then again….

In our first grade history we are studying the era of the merchants, the silk road and all that… today we made a stopover in the Netherlands to discuss their history that is richly steeped in merchant trade.  Did you know that there are particular strands of tulip bulbs that are worth a small fortune?  In 1624 one man gave one thousand pounds of cheese, four oxen, eight pigs, twelve sheep, a bed and some clothes for just ONE bulb of a rare tulip called the Viceroy. 

Prologue to Love

I love how this little stanza brings grace to life. The grace that should flow through our daily interactions and the grace that reaches out and draws us in and loves us beyond the grave. I love that it refers to this life as a prologue to love and how that ties in with my own picture of earthly existence. A prologue to eternity.

We do not even know ourselves

Therefore, why should we judge a neighbor?

No one knows what makes a man,

and only God knows his thoughts,

his joys

his bitternesses,

his agony,

the injustices committed against him

and the injustices he commits.

All lives, whether good or in error,

painful or happy

are only a prologue

to love beyond the grave,

where all is understood

and (for those who believe) .

all is forgiven.

Seneca

Did You Know? Science Edition

Did you know that when a male anglerfish (you know those deep sea creatures of darkness) bumps into a female in the depths of the ocean, he clings on and never lets go. He receives all his food from her, through a shared blood supply. The arrangement means that she always has a male available to fertilize her eggs. This saves her from having to hunt for a mate in the darkness. I have a strong sense of there being numerous parallels to be gleaned from this phenomenon but I’ve used up my reserve of brain cells today and so will just leave it at that, and marvel..

Did you know that the cuckoo wrasse, like some other species of fish, can change sex? All cuckoo wrasse are born female, but most change sex and become male as they grow older. If an old male wrasse in a mixed group dies, one of the females will change sex to replace him. This knowledge makes me feel queer, pardon the pun. And it was extra queer that precisely in the moment I was reading about this with P-Girl, The Poppet pipes up from her language arts to ask me whether “gay” is a word. But I digress.

Did you know that BATS have the finest hair of any mammal? 1,500,000 hairs per square inch. It’s been a notably disturbing day for me in the science department. *weak grin*.

ETA. Did you know that an outer leaf of Romaine lettuce holds 9 calories while an INNER leaf holds only 1? Interesting....

The Heart of the Matter.

I can’t drag my children to the cross. I mean, I could, but it would be rather like leading a horse to water.... you can't *make* him drink. I can only pull back the bracken on this narrow path and point out the sunlight that breaks through to bathe the terrain up ahead. I can only outline the hidden snares and traps that lay waiting on that “other” path whose mouth lays yawing wide and inviting. I can only show them the road map and urge them to plot their way carefully before they take a single step.

When I think about equipping the souls of our children I think about all that we do for them on a daily basis to ensure their health and well being. We ensure they brush their teeth twice a day, so their teeth don’t rot. We plug them with vitamins and healthy foods so that they will flourish physically. We make them complete their homework and read chapters from assigned readers for the sake of their education. We truck them around faithfully to sports and music practices so that they can learn new skills and sportsmanship. And we plant God’s word in their hearts so that their souls can flourish.

Can someone tell me why it is that we would never dream of letting them go a week without brushing their teeth and yet when it comes to this daily dose of medicine for the soul we so often drop the ball? I was talking to a friend the other day and she shared very honestly that “she just didn’t want her kids to find it a chore.” I understand this. I really do. We want our kids to have a passion for the Lord and not just go to Him out of “duty”. I nodded sympathetically. But then later I got to thinking.

Everything in life is a chore. Sometimes it’s a chore to get packed up for a holiday. But I’d sure hate to miss the holiday because I refused to do the groundwork to get myself there. It’s a chore to be married, to be a parent, to be in any relationship. We need to learn to sacrifice, to love others above self, to give of ourselves in ways that cost.

If I don’t have this attitude toward my relationship with the Lord I am robbing myself of the greatest benefits that are offered to me in this life. If I don’t first invest in the “chore” of taking time to sit and listen, to open my eyes and spill my guts with Him then I am missing out on the fundamental purpose of my existence.

If I don’t put Him first then everything else in my life will be out of kilter. And if I don’t teach my kids to do the same then I am robbing them of the greatest blessings any “chore” ever offered.

I’m thankful that we did the “chore” of reading the bible to our kids on a daily basis from when they were very young. Now that our daughters are 9 and 7 they can’t go to sleep without reading a chapter (or at least a subsection of a chapter) before going to sleep. What started out as “chore” is now a natural part of their daily routine, and I see them reaping the benefits. I see it in my own life.

On Sunday we were blessed to have some bible college students come and do the service at our church. They had committed the whole of 1 John to memory and they recited it to us in conversational tone in a modern translation. It was very moving. Once before a girl from our church memorized and recited the entire book of Galatians, and it was the same, so eye opening.

Today I feel challenged to go deeper. To commit to not just reading His word daily, and ensuring our kids do too, but memorizing scripture together as a family. No sooner did I start considering this and Psalm 119 came to mind. Yeah, I know. It only happens to be the LONGEST chapter in the bible, but interestingly enough, when I turned to it this morning I was blown away. It is right in the heart of scripture, smack dab in the centre, and I think it outlines the heart of the matter better than any other chapter I can think of. I read it this morning for my quiet time with a palpitating heart and the following verses just jumped right off the pages at me. I am so excited to start memorizing this chapter! I am going to start praying for a revival to sweep my community and indeed this entire continent where the hearts of both parents and subsequently their children will be turned to and fixed upon His wonderful Word.

How can a young person live a pure life? By obeying Your Word. v9

I have taken Your words to heart so I would not sin against You. V11

My lips tell about all the things you have spoken. v13

I think about your orders and study Your ways. v15

I enjoy obeying Your demands and will not forget Your word. v16

Open my eyes to see the miracles in Your teachings. v18

I wear myself out with desire for Your laws all the time. v20

…those who ignore Your commands are cursed. v21

Your rules give me pleasure, they give me good advice. v24

Help me understand Your orders. Then I will think about your miracles. v27

Lord, teach me Your demands, and I will keep them until the end. v33

Help me understand, so I can keep Your teachings, obeying them with all my heart. v34

Lead me in the paths of Your commands because that makes me happy. 35

Make me want to keep Your rules instead of wishing for riches. v36

Keep me from looking at worthless things. Let me live by Your word. v37

I will discuss Your rules with kings and will not be ashamed. v46

I praise Your commands, which I love and I think about Your demands. v48

I remember Your laws from long ago and they comfort me, Lord. v52

It was good for me to suffer so I would learn Your demands. v71

Your teachings are worth more to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver. v72

I will never forget Your orders because You have given me life by them. v93

How I love Your teachings! I think about them all day long. v97

I am wiser than all my teachers, because I think about Your rules. v99

Your word is like a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. v105

You reject those who ignore Your demands, because their lies mislead them. v118

Learning Your words gives wisdom and understanding for the foolish. v130

Those who love Your teachings will find true peace, and nothing will defeat them. v165

Did You Know Science Edition

Did you know that the song of a Humpback whale can be heard by other whales up to 160 km (100 miles) away?  I’m thinking of a drive to the city and back… that’s a LONG way for sound to carry.

I Found My Soul

in the crevices of a rugged cross
gnarly wood seeped in crimson stain
cumbrous nails long since lost
but gaping wounds remain

To think that then His soul Divine
cried aloud, reached out through time
offering to be merged with mine
and the moment that I whispered “Yes.”
is when I found my soul.

I found my soul
inscribed in antiquated words
on hallowed pages
composed by faithful, stalwart sages
who knew not that they wrote of me
but penned a common destiny

In those gold gilt pages I lose myself
or who I thought myself to be
and find myself
as who I was designed to be
indeed I find my soul.

No wonder that His words reveal to me
who He’s designed and purposed me to be
He sets the rhythm of my life in motion
and is the source of all its ebb and flow
I asked from whence my soul had come
and He told me
from His own.

Prairie Chick

Inspired by L.L.’s challenge at Seedlings in Stone.

And Then Came Sears…

“Ward was not the only man who tried his hand at building a mail-order store.  One of the cleverest of these others was a young railroad station agent named Richard Sears.  Sears was a clever man, and a near genius at selling by mail.  Of course, Sears could not have succeeded for long in the mail-order business unless he, like Ward, had been honest.  He too gave good value for the money, and let customers return any goods they did not like. 

But Sears was not afraid of a good joke.  He knew that lonely farm families were glad to be entertained.  In a rural weekly newspaper in 1889 he made an “Astonishing Offer.”  It was illustrated by a drawing of a sofa and two chairs, all of “fine, lustrous metal frames beautifully finished and decorated, and upholstered in the finest manner with beautiful plush.”  Sears offered to ship this furniture “for a limited time only” for the ridiculously low price of ninety-five cents. 

The customers who sent in their money really were astonished when they received a set of doll’s furniture, made exactly according to the description. 

There were lots of stories about how clever Sears was.  One of his advertisements offered a “sewing machine” for a dollar.  When the customer sent in his dollar, he promptly received by return mail a needle and thread.  But Sears used such stunts only to attract attention.  Like Ward, Sears actually built his business on trust and on the personal touch.”