Christmas thanks (730)

"It's Christmas, a time to praise the Lord,

a time to lift our hearts in worship,

Saviour to adore..."

That's a line from the finale of the Christmas musical we performed last night. It was really a family affair for us this year. All of my kids were involved in the production (acting, dancing, singing and props), Kelly was on the keyboard and technology stuff and I was co-directing with my good friend/cousin-in-law. The whole thing went so well I was just thrilled.

This Christmas has felt different for me somehow. Not so stressful. Part of that has been that we started our Christmas shopping way early which helped cut down on the shopping panic. As well, I've been trying to 'shop'n'pray' - Keeping things simple and not necessarily making or buying something because I feel obligated to but because the Lord has moved my heart to do so...I'm finding way more joy in that process and none of the making or purchasing has felt like a burden in any way.

I've been trying to keep Jesus the centre of my focus which isn't always easy to do when you're running to practices and trying to get things done. When you add family stresses to that - things that are, unfortunately, common to our household and a little sickness, things can weigh you down pretty quickly. But God has been faithful to me through this stressful time and I am so grateful. I realized I haven't been adding to my thankful list for awhile, so I think it's time to do so again.

717. I am so thankful for friends who call at the last minute to say, "I was thinking of setting up the dessert tables for the program with tablecloths, red napkins and poinsettias, would that be okay with you?" Would it? Of course it would, what a blessing to have a pretty table. Thank you Linda.

718. I asked one of our church ladies to bake a birthday cake for Jesus for the end of the program, she completely outdid herself and made not only a delicious and beautiful cake but one rich with meaning as well. Thank you Mary.

719. I'm so thankful for our church family and how they chip in and get done what needs to be done.

720. Thankful for all the people who showed up in -30 degree weather to cheer the kids on.
721. Thankful for all the kids and youth who did such a great job of singing, dancing, acting and getting things ready.
722. Thankful for the musicians, not only for their skill and ability but that they recognized when it might be better to use the soundtrack on a couple of the more difficult songs.
723. Thankful for the support people, sound, costumes, dressers, and all of that.
724. I'm thankful my sister-in-law went ahead and bought tickets for the Steve Bell concert on Saturday night even though it was crazy to go. He played with the Saskatoon Symphony and it was beyond amazing - an incredible, unforgettable experience. I LOVED IT.
725. Thankful for friends of my kids who are excited to see them this coming weekend.
726. I am grateful for the skill the Lord has given me to make bread. There is no better scent on a cold wintry day than fresh bread right out of the oven.
727. I'm thankful for the generous gift from one of our congregation that allowed us to purchase a family game that we've been thinking about for over a year but was out of our budget.
728. Thankful for the beauty of Christmas, the internals and externals. I LOVE sitting and looking at my pretty tree in the dark of the evening after the kids are in bed.
729. I'm particularly thankful that we have a reason to celebrate the season, it isn't just about money and gifts but has a deeper, richer meaning that commercialism can't erase.
730. Today I'm thankful to be able to sit here in the sunshine and be thankful...

tornado warning

I've never actually been in a tornado, but I think I have an inkling of what it might be like. Every once in awhile a tornado in the form of my son rips through our house leaving devestation in its wake. Broken things, hurt emotions, frayed nerves. How do people survive who live in 'tornado alley'? Why do they stay there when they could move? Why do we stay here for that matter and endure harsh winters and drought filled summers? Because it is home.

In spite of the possibility of being devestated by the weather we remain because we can't imagine living elsewhere. It is the same with our son. We will continue to work these difficulties out day by day, moment by moment because one day, the weather patterns might just change.

In the meantime we'll clean up the broken glass and search out how to mend the bent emotions and work toward reconciliations and healing. Life is just so messy.

slowing down (716)

"Slow down mom, you're going too fast."

This from my daughter while I'm reading Ann's post about that very thing. I am almost always too impatient, wanting things to happen. Not wanting to take the time for things to come to me. Wanting for everything to fall into place the first time. And in my hurry I rush towards anxiety, fear and disaster. Help me slow down, Lord, help me wait a little, learn to trust a little more. So often I have short-circuited the blessing you intended by taking matters into my own hands. Today, this moment, help me to trust you and to be thankful that you are working on my behalf, arranging things better than I can, today, help me walk a little slower so that these young ones who are trying to follow can see where I am going...

Let my gratitude to you slow me down a little...

691. the majority of the harvest is in, just one little slough of canola (after the wind these last two days, we may not have to worry about it, it may have blown away)

692. everyone working together to collect bales for the first time

693. repentance and remorse after one brother unintentionally hurts another
694. forgiveness offered and love extended
695. being mom of a winning team member who feels like he contributed something to the team
696. four walls around me as the bitter winds whips around the corners of the house
697. the sweet cacophony of kids testing out their skills on instruments
698. the joy bubbles breaking on faces of father and son as they both realize that this little boy has natural rhythm
699. "band" practice in the living room, all flying sticks, trombone, keyboards and smiles
700. the face of my husband, back in the family circle after a long harvest season
701. a day without tension between my behaviourly challenged son and myself
702. truth from God's word reminding me that he is WAY bigger than the issues we face
703. fruit developing in the kids we try to make a difference with
704. changed lives
705. community that supports and helps in difficult times
706. the Canadian health care system that means we aren't forking money out every time we show up at the health centre with another emergency
707. the taste of sun-ripened tomatoes fresh from my garden
708. the anticipation of salsa making with my good friend
709. piling on more quilts to stay warm as the weather turns colder
710. finding something that inspires my ADD son to do schoolwork without being nagged
711. the anticipation of going away for a few days with my sweetheart to retreat with other pastors and ministers of the gospel, enjoying each other's company, good food, games and rest
712. a perfectly brewed cup of tea on a cold day
713. hope is rising

714. the discovery of egg rings - maybe not huge, but it shows me somedays that these kids are actually observing the world around them

715. first attempts at sewing

716. the little package I got for my birthday that turned into this....

more grace (690)

I am officially tired of harvest. My husband puts in ridiculously long hours. There are days when we don't even see him except for the indent in the bed, so I know he splept at some point. We are nearing the finishing line and I'll be doing a happy dance when we do!



I know I shouldn't complain there are tons of single moms out there doing this ALL the time, I pray that God will give you much grace for the race, I don't think I'd be very good at this full time. I'm sure my kids think I've turned into the wicked witch of the west - but that's what lack of sleep and constant demands will do to you. I've been plagued with headaches for the last week so that hasn't exactly contributed to a happy mommy either. I'm thinking I should quit griping and find some things to be thankful about...

678. Harvest is actually going pretty well.
679. We have had really good harvest weather.
680. Found the sweetest little skirt for my princess at Value Village.
681. Homeschooling is going pretty well so far, even though I still don't really have lesson plans, etc. figured out.
682. There are huge trucks coming to pick up our lentils today - hopefully that will take the edge off of our financial squeeziness.
683. I am thankful for Advil, doesn't take the headache out completely, but it does take the edge off it.
684. Last Saturday my kids worked really hard with very little nagging, because of that my garage is clean, I had no idea that my eldest could work that long and consistently on something that he would normally hate doing.
685. I got some fabric in the mail, it took awhile but it finally came.
686. I danced in the kitchen with my boys, how often does a mom get to do that!!
687. My son sat me down and insisted I learn to play their new LOTR game online, he's a pretty good teacher.
688. I have a wonderful hard-working husband who farms with integrity and loves me completely and pastors with passion. How I love him.
689. The writer's group didn't tell me my writing sucks...they actually liked it.

The Joy of Giving

Mmmm, just had to write something today, it's been too long for someone who loves playing with words, juggling, casting, auditioning. Words are such a powerful too to convey so much. Think about what we use words for, we convey every emotion, spill out our thoughts, teach.

Words, what a lovely gift the Lord gave us. (677)

The other day my daughter and I got a little giddy! We started going through the school supplies I purchased this year, after we sent the public school kids off there was still a pretty good pile. We took out what we figured we'd need for our homeschool efforts and still had a few things that were extras. The pile was intriguing, we knew we didn't really need it.

So we started filling a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. Pencil crayons, wax crayons, a pair of scissors.

"Oh, she'll need paper, we have lots of that!"
"Yes, yes, some lined, some plain."
"What about glue sticks, we have lots of those."
"Certainly, and go find some colored cardstock."
"What about this little purse, it could go in, couldn't it?"
"I'll get some fabric."
"Oh, then needles and thread are a must."
"Embroidery thread!! Lots of colours!"
"I think I'd like to get this box!"
"Me, too! What else can we put in?"
"Candy! Do we have any?"
"Not at home, we'll have to get some at the store, there's still room in here. More fabric?"
"Can I decorate the top of the box?"
"I'll print out the label."

We had so much fun. I was supposed to be working on something else but the joy of giving grabbed us and wouldn't let go. What a wonderful way to spend an hour, doing something for someone we don't know, who has little to nothing. We imagined where the box might go. A refugee camp in Tanzania? A poor neighborhood in South America? We imagined the delighted look on some young girl's face as she discovered the treasures we put in the box, things we love to do going to someone else. We blessed the box to go to someone for whom these treasures would mean the world. Maybe they'd be able to sew a little and sell the items for food. We don't know, but we were dripping with joy.

Perhaps we'll get the chance to make more boxes this year. I'm hoping for six, one for each of our children. It isn't much really. May I encourage to be a giver, if you're searching for joy you will surely find it there!

School Started? (676)

I think 'school' may have started today in my house. I wasn't intending to, it birthed itself. My 5.5 year old wanted to learn to read something before he starts grade 1 on Monday. So we learned the 'at' family of words, wrote a little story, he illustrated it and now he has a book he can read all by himself. I LOVE the lights that come on in their face when they realize that they're getting it!! I used to want to be a teacher in a school because of that very thing, then got very turned off by the college of Education that I was enrolled in. I decided that if I was going to be forced to teach the garbage that they set out and submit to those who called themselves leaders in that college then I was done.

However, during that year I did a project for a class that contrasted public, private and home education. I had never heard of home education really, it was very foreign to me. That assignment planted a seed that sprouted and grew. We haven't ever home-educated all our children at one time (who knows, that time may come at some point) but have been home-educating one or two of them at a time for the last 7 years, with the exception of a year or two when Samuel and Sasha were born.

While I was in the middle of teaching Sasha to read, Samuel asked for some difficult words to read. So I tried to think up some things that should be difficult for a kid going into grade 2. Words like hippopotamus, grotesque, tsunami, jugular, sympathy and stuff like that. It took him a seconde to realize sympathy wasn't symphony and other than that, grotesque was the only word that gave him any pause.

From reading and vocabulary we launched into French. The three of them asking me what this was in French and what that was. Asking me to speak sentences and translate them. This sparked Abby who knows some French to start teaching her brothers what she knew. They went over colours and some other common objects. We were having quite a bit of fun with that.

After that we got to talking about Karate Kid and martial arts and suddenly everyone was seeing how high we could kick - a little phys ed thrown in. Earlier they had been asking each other what 2-1-1 was and what 900 + 900 was as they played with a calculator.

Isn't that how learning should take place. Naturally. Not overwhelming. Little pieces at a time that are easily swallowed and digested? Older children helping younger children. I love to learn with my kids. I love when the lights come on for them. Granted at times if feels overwhelming and more than I can bear, especially when I get behind in marking! But we're going to try a bit more of the Charlotte Mason approach in narration and seeing what they know rather than testing to find out what they don't know and showing them all their failures.

A few more gifts to share:

673. A good day with my difficult son yesterday.
674. A big brother helping a little sister without being prompted by mom.
675. Fun with schoolwork, without even trying.
676. Praying with my sister-in-law as we try to encourage each other through our days.

Birthday gifts (672)

Today is my birthday and I have so many things to be thankful for. I want to give all my praise to the author and finisher of my faith, without that, I would be nothing and have nothing. Without Him, I deserve nothing and yet I have so much.
641. Salvation - spiritual birth that is worth more than life itself.
642. Grace - I so need Him to get through each and every moment.
643. Mercy - cause I am not that good at being good!
644. Truth - beats the lies every time.
645. Peace - in times of great stress and trial, it is there, underlying all the other stuff, waiting.
646. My family - what a joy they were today. The six of them worked together this morning to clean the kitchen and living room while I was away serving at a funeral. They were all alive and happy with one another when I got home.
647. My little boy who swiped a piece of fabric from my stash last week, wrapped it up and kept it hidden so he could 'surprise' me today with a 'blanket' just for me. How sweet is that!
648. Once again, thankful that my children are alive, healthy and learning to love Jesus.
649. Thankful for the skills and abilities that I have been blessed with.
650. Thankful that I get opportunities to share those gifts and skills with others.
651. The ladies that have become my friends in this town, you are truly a gift to me.
652. My mom and dad who have hosted my kids for the last bit - they had so much fun.
653. My husband's family, we spent the afternoon with them yesterday, what a great bunch. And the ones we didn't see yesterday, they're amazing, too.
654, The rest of my family, close and extended are pretty wonderful, too.
655. My big boys, playing with their little sister on the beach today.
656. The man at the concession who bought me a bottle of water today for my birthday - so sweet.
657. The beach today, quiet and calm and so beautiful.
658. A non-stressful day today.
659. Good fiction.
660. Inspiring reading.
661. Scrapbooking - such a fun way to share the stories of our family.
662. Upcoming events - the're a gift to anticipate, sitting unopened.... I love surprises.
663. Fresh green beans from my garden.
664. When the numbers on the scale actually start going down!!!
665. Chocolate cake baking in the oven - that is truly the best recipe ever!!!
666. Possibilities of tea dates and quilting dates.
667. New projects.
668. We finally started combining.
669. The joy in my husband's voice that he is sitting in a combine taking the crop off.
670. Our spiritual family - you rock!
671. The opportunity to encourage someone towards Jesus.
672. Uncles who ask you encouraging questions.
673. Homemade loveliness from my mommy.
674. Storebought loveliness from my other mom.
675. My sister.
676. My nieces and nephews - growing up so nicely.
677. The beginninig of another youth year starting soon.

My cake is ready to take out...I'm going to ignore the fact that I should really avoid that cake tonite in honor of my birthday and eat it...guilt free!!