Remembering that we are finite, limited creatures, and that we do not have the time or talent to do everything that will be suggested, let us consider some practical possibilities. – Edith Schaeffer
So what if we’ve resolved to take our time and our talents to bless others in the area of making our surroundings beautiful but don’t know where to begin? I’ve got to say, waking up this morning and writing out my list of to-do’s did not inspire me. Continue reading
Can I recommend once again another read that I’ve enjoyed going back to over and over? Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic from Femina is a short little piece that has taught me lessons I replay often.
One of her chapters describes the nature of fruit trees. They produce an abundance of fruit if they’re healthy, and of the fruit they produce, there is often a lot of it that never gets eaten but rather falls off and is left along the way. That doesn’t stop the tress from doing what they’re supposed to do. They make their fruit, not caring who eats it or what happens to it. Continue reading
I’ve probably referenced Edith Schaefer more than once here on the blog. You’re probably familiar with her admonitions to try your hand at homemade furniture using old leather saddles or to craft candles from your own bees wax taken from the hive you’ve been caring for, and other such outlandish ideas. Georgie and I were talking about her this past week, saying that she really is from another time! But, along with all her ideas that I may never use, comes the heart of what she wants to convey about the Christian life in relation to the family and homemaking. She has so much wisdom that needs to be shared and in spite of the fact that some of her examples might seem far removed from our context, the essential points behind her arguments are well worth listening to. Continue reading
It wasn’t her finest display of wisdom. After waking up bright and early on Saturday morning, Amanda and I headed downstairs to get some breakfast. As though her eyes were trained to spot it from a very far distance, she quickly pointed to her bottle of milk that I had left out the night before. “BAH! BAH!” she screamed…(code name for ‘milk’).
I quickly snatched it before she could reach it herself. What a sad moment that would have been when she would discover that the milk she craved so much was actually sour from having been left out the entire night. She of course didn’t understand my loving gesture. All she knew was that I was depriving her of what she wanted. And so she began to whine and complain. “BAH, BAH?” as a question. “BAH! BAH!” as a demand. I tried to clearly explain that I was just going to wash the bottle, pour some fresh milk and heat it up for her. “You’ll be so happy when I finish Amanda. It will taste so much better when I’m done.” But it was futile. She wanted the Bah, and she wanted it immediately. She didn’t understand my wisdom…and reacted with a full force protest against my actions. Continue reading
I think it is safe to say that our society does not have a consensus on the meaning of love.
How often have you heard the phrase “falling in love”? You don’t typically “fall” on purpose, rather it kind of just happens to you; it’s beyond your control. And so whether we do this on purpose or not, using this phrase conveys a definition of love that implies love is a force or emotion that overtakes you. You don’t decide who you fall in love, when it will happen, and similarly you can’t necessarily explain why you have fallen out of love with someone.
Some define love as intensely liking something. I for one have told many people how much I loooove jelly beans. And I really love sleeping in. And I super love going on vacation. When something really appeals to us, makes us very happy and gives us a sense of deep satisfaction, we often say that we love it. If with time it loses its appeal (say, I begin to learn just how fattening jelly beans are), we may not feel like loving it anymore…it’s just not that satisfying any longer.
Googling the question “What is love?” will give you all kinds of interesting responses…not all of them completely irrelevant. I found phrases like “deep attachment” and “strong emotion”. Continue reading
Sometimes I wonder why it is that I have cable. There are really only two channels that I watch on a regular basis: Home and Garden Television, and the Food Network. Neither of these really have anything to do with my personality. I have no intentions of renovating my home, and even if I did, I’d want nothing to do with the process. And when it comes to food…well, I like to eat, but making it has never been enjoyable for me. Still, I’m very intrigued by these stations…even though I’m learning things I’ll likely never put into practise.
What I love about the home renovation shows is watching the process of a house being turned from complete shambles to picture perfect beauty. I love seeing couples go through the home, point out all the faults and then watching the masterminds make it all happen. And I’ve noticed one thing that everyone seeems to have in common. They all want to tear down walls! They walk through the house pointing out all the walls they want to come down. Everyone wants open concept – everyone wants to get rid of the obstruction of walls. Regardless of the cost. Continue reading
From her perspective, it’s the perfect toy. A door that opens and shuts, flashy lights that call for your attention, buttons that beep each and every time you touch them. Why wouldn’t she be allowed to play with it? What’s with these parents that keep trying to spoil her fun?
Perhaps this is what Amanda is thinking each and every time I pry her little fingers away from the toaster oven. Perhaps she thinks I’m making a mistake, that I don’t understand how fun this is for her. Perhaps that’s why she keeps going back, time and time again, no matter how many times I warn her and take her away. Continue reading
Do you ever feel like not putting on your shirt? What about your pants? Has your husband/parent/friend ever knocked on your bedroom door and told you to get dressed and hurry up while you’re at it? Then, did you shout and refuse and pull out a pair of pajamas and loudly shout “Nooooooo!” so that everyone in the house could hear you? Ok maybe you’ve never been in this exact situation but haven’t you ever felt like not doing what you are supposed to do in exchange for what’s comfortable and convenient? Rather than get up and face the day with all its troubles, it’s much less of a hassle to just refuse to put on your clothes and crawl back into your warm bed with your warm pj’s and just do nothing. Continue reading
It was our first year together as a couple. I was so incredibly proud of myself for thinking of the gift that would absolutely wow Shady. But it didn’t come easy!
First, it required picture perfect memory. I remembered Shady pointing out a motorcycle on the road that he said was his absolute favorite. Considering the fact that I can’t tell the difference from one car to another (the only distinguishing quality is the colour in my opinion), remembering the name of this motorcycle after just one conversation was a monumental accomplishment. Continue reading
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6
I really love this verse. I always have. I guess you can say that my mind easily resorts to anxiety, in just about every situation. This verse speaks to me in countless ways, and I hope I can share just a few of the incomparable truths that it holds. Continue reading
Since He (God) created man as a creative creature, by creating him in His own image, these ‘creative creatures’ have, through the ages, retained fragments of the perfection which He made in the first place- though spoiled, of course, by sin. Every single one of us has been spoiled by sin. But as we look […]
Remembering that we are finite, limited creatures, and that we do not have the time or talent to do everything that will be suggested, let us consider some practical possibilities. – Edith Schaeffer So what if we’ve resolved to take our time and our talents to bless others in the area of making our surroundings […]
Can I recommend once again another read that I’ve enjoyed going back to over and over? Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic from Femina is a short little piece that has taught me lessons I replay often. One of her chapters describes the nature of fruit trees. They produce an abundance of fruit if […]
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