Dreary Days

Grey days are the best for hanging with my baby girl, enjoying excessive cuddles & warm beverages. The wet weather today called for a lunch date at the Calgary Farmer's Market with a lovely friend/family member, & her peanut, followed by Starbucks drive-thru for the drive home in the rain. Scrumptious food, gorgeous company, one of my favourite places to spend a few hours, drinks that warm from the inside out & special moments with my baby; it was an all around perfect day.

Grey, pink & sparkly make for a fabulous colour palette. Not only was my darling baby dressed in those colours today, but those are exactly the colours I'd use to describe the day. Grey for weather, pink & sparkly for the fabulous, glamorous girls I was privileged to spend the day with.

Everyday we have a choice to make; we can be tossed to a fro, or we can take control of the atmosphere.

Here's to making every grey day at the very least a little bit sparkly.

It's December already!?!

My sweet baby girl is napping, I'm sipping on my gingerbread latter (decaf, half sweet, soy, with no whip, of course), the fireplace is going & all the thoughts rolling around in my head have finally screamed loud enough that I'm jotting them down.

This past year has flown by. It was just one year ago that we made the move to our new home near Calgary (Chestermere if you want to get technical), Alberta. So much has happened since then! My other half was on the road quite a bit for work, while I set up our house before Christmas.We found out we were expecting our first baby just before celebrating Christmas with my beloved inlaws. I took a contract position in the Alberta Cancer Foundation Event Office for a few months in the spring. We bought & sold a few vehicles, trailers, boats. I had the opportunity to speak a handful of times. We took some holidays. Before we knew it August arrived with the birth of our firstborn. Since then we've found our groove as a family of three. A few short trips have been made. We've had a babysitter. We've introduced our sweet girl to some nearest & dearest, including her three great grandparents, two of which passed away shortly after meeting her.

This past year has turned out to be an exceptional one, not without its own trials & triumphs. As I've been enjoying everyday with my baby girl the nagging desire to write just won't go away. "Write a book" has forever been on my bucket list. What that looks like, I have yet to know.

Motherhood is the greatest thing I've ever done. The smiles, coos, giggles & cuddles make me feel like the most important person on the planet. Milestones are being met & at nearly four months it's impossible to imagine my life without the beautiful soul I get to call daughter.

Our house is decorated for Christmas, though I must admit its a modified version. My meters upon meters of garland are still tucked away this year. It was as if December totally snuck up on us& before we knew it our annual decorating day had passed & our bins full of winters decor were still being stored. In fact, I must admit, we toyed with the idea of not decorating at all this year, considering our families are out of town. I'm happy we changed our minds though, even if it took me three evenings to make it happen.

I'm excited for my baby girl's first Christmas season! I realize the chances of her remembering much are slim, but I can't help but be overjoyed by the season of wonder she currently finds herself in. She could careless about the decorations, the beautiful sparkly tree or any presents, but this, this is when lifelong memories & deep traditions are birthed. For the first time ever Christmas will be hosted in my home, rather then my parents or inlaws & for that I'm ecstatic! What will Christmas look like under my roof? A gorgeous mix of Dempsey & Furukawa traditions, mixed with a few new rituals which will become familiar & comfortable for our family of three & any guests who join us in glorious celebration.

This advent season I've been preparing myself by working through "She Reads Truth: Emmanuel." I love my times of solitude (which sometimes include holding a sleeping baby). Although this time of year is often described as busy & stressful, I'm experiencing something so sacred in the preparation. In the past I've found myself helping a congregation prepare for this blessed season & have overlooked doing an adequate job of preparing myself. I'm feeling so refreshed as opposed to worn out as December 25 draws near; my soul cries out, "oh come Emmanuel."

Yes, oh come Emmanuel.

It's been awhile...

& I have so many thoughts rolling around in my head & noted all over the place.

In no particular order here's what's happening:

I'm thankful for Post-it notes, scrap paper & Notes on my iPhone & iPad.  Where would I be without the ability to jot down little reminders for myself?

Summer!  Although the past couple of months seem to be a blur, I'm so thankful for a break in the norm & some hot weather.  Honestly, summer has been really busy this year.  There's been quite a bit to cramp into a few weeks, but I've loved (nearly) every minute of it.  Despite the summer cold I'm still fighting, overall summer 2012 is a season to be remembered, full of family, friends & beautiful memories.

I've really missed writing.  It's been strange not to be blogging, or writing documents in Word, or flushing out thoughts in my journal.  It's time to get back at it, to start setting myself some goals & to follow through.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about how my belief system needs to line up with my lifestyle.  It's easy to be "a sinner saved by grace."  When I sin, I ask for forgiveness.  The thing is the cycle continues & unless I make a conscious choice, nothing changes.  But something needs to change.

I also really miss reading!  It's been longer then I prefer since I last picked up a book, relaxed & just read.  My days have been so busy lately that it seems when I sit down to relax I'm just falling asleep, not reading.  This needs to change...soon.  So soon in fact that I'm planning on stopping to pick up a book or two this afternoon.

This coming autumn looks as though it'll bring a few more changes then just the leaves colours.  I like change.  I thrive in change.  I'm excited.  Perhaps I'll be changing my hairstyle soon as well just to get this ball rolling.

So lately...

A few weeks ago, a thought process & deep conviction that my hubs & I share was challenged. Who knew a thoughtless comment would offend & hurt us so quickly & deeply? At the age of 25 (nearly 26!) I can honestly say I've now experienced a fairly serious offence. Over the past few weeks I've been working through forgiveness towards this individual, which has become a daily thing. It's easy for offence to taint our world views & effect our attitudes. Although the child in me would like to just be hurt & make sure everyone knows it, I realize that pouting is not the appropriate or responsible action to take. Growing pains are never easy, & whether a core element of my belief system needs to change, or if I just need to work on my heart & maintaing a Christ-like attitude, I know one day I'll be thankful for this experience which challenged my character & hopefully was a defining moment in my adult life.

I've always loved writing. I remember being in school & loving any & every assignment that involved having to write a short story, essay, letter etc. Currently my mind is racing thinking of how to best utilize this passion. Perhaps there's a book in me somewhere just waiting to be put onto pages.

Recently I've heard from a few people on more then one occasion that I'm "wise." This word completely humbles & astonishes me every time I hear it. I feel as though my life experience is extremely limited compared to others. I've only had two years of post-secondary education & at a Bible College no less. I have no degree. No children. I've only ever had one real job. How could I possibly be wise? And yet, there's something within that word that resonates within me. I've always desired to be known as someone who has wisdom. As I read through Proverbs, I can't help but be drawn to the character of a the wise person. That is who I desire to be & hopefully who I am becoming.

I turn 26 in a couple of days. I've come to the realization that I'm now closer to 30 than to 20. Although I don't feel older, the number "26" is quite alarming. Who am I? What is my purpose on this earth? How can I reach my full potential? What would I like to do with the remainder of my 20-something years?

I've had this desire recently to go against the status-quo. Perhaps there's a bit of rebellion within me, but I'm fairly confident this stems from a thought process of wanting to know the "why" behind the "what." What's more valuable, the process or the deep set conviction that inspired the process? I hope to be a woman who values what is truly valuable in life.

In light of Easter I can't help but be overwhelmed by the New Covenant. What an incredible gift to receive salvation & freedom from sin & the law. I'm certain my mind barely grasps the fullness of the gift which I have received.

And that's what's been going on in my mind & life lately...

Thankful

This past weekend Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving, a time set aside every year to thank God for everything we have.

Yesterday a beloved friend sent me a list of 365 things she's thankful for in 2011, which got me thinking. The following list isn't quite 365, not nearly 365 in fact, but here's a few things I was reminded to be thankful for over the course of this past weekend...

I spent Friday afternoon & evening with my lovely sister-in-law, her husband & their beautiful twin girls. I'm thankful to have the kind of relationship with my sister-in-law that I'm able to be apart of their lives on a regular basis. I love that I get to spend time with my lovely nieces & watch as each week they grow up just a little bit more.

Saturday I got to spend basically the whole day with my husband. I'm thankful for someone who's strong, caring, generous, kind, honest, gracious, supportive, understanding, patient, loving, encouraging, wise, smart, sexy...the list goes on. Not only is this man my life partner, he's also my best friend. He's the only one who knows absolutely everything about me & yet still loves me.

Sunday morning in church I was reminded to be thankful that I live in a country where there is freedom to worship my God.

Sunday we celebrated Thanksgiving with both our families. I'm thankful for my roots. My parents are incredible people who have been amazing parents. They've taught me about life & have instilled great values into me. My in-laws are such amazing people who love ms as their own daughter. They have done a fine job in raising my husband to be the man he is today. I couldn't be more thankful for these two families who have shaped my husband & I. We are a direct result of their love, persistence & God's grace. Our meal was delicious & filling. I'm thankful for the abundance of nourishment available to me.

The majority of Monday was spent in my home, which is located in a fabulous little cul-de-sac with fantastic neighbours. I'm happy for the shelter I'm lucky enough to dwell in. It's comfy, it's warm & it's safe. My neighbourhood if full of amazing friendly people, all of whom I know are looking out for us & we for them.

Truly this is just scrapping the surface. There is so much that I'm thankful for & although this list isn't 365 things long, I know without a doubt it could be...

Psalm 136:1

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.

Remembering Summer...

The past few months of summer, have seemed to have been a whirlwind of emotions & memories.

From weddings, to funerals, auntie time, auntie withdrawals, family reunions, reunions with good friends, road trips, camping trips, packing for holidays, packing to move & everything in between its hard to believe the warmest season (not to mention my favourite!) is coming to an end.

Although with great sadness I say good-bye to long days, warm sunshine, short work days, weekends spent in my second home, BBQ suppers, iced coffees, raspberry lemon loaf, pedicured feet, sandals, skirts, tank tops & my fabulous tan lines I can't help but look forward to the new season just around the corner.

Having drank my first Pumpkin Spice Latte this morning I can confidently say I'm ready to welcome fall. Boots, pashminas, evenings spent in front of the fireplace with a book, the changing leaves & perhaps a new hair colour are all just around the corner.

As the seasons change a favourite verse from Daniel comes to mind:

He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. (2:21)

Knowing that He is the one who brings change, I'm ready for what's to come. I feel as though I thrive during change. I'm not a huge fan of the familiar as I feel that I get stuck in a rut & don't seem to reach my full potential. I enjoy challenges & being stretched, which is what I confidently feel autumn has in store. Knowing that in 9 months summer will be here again, with an open heart I'm ready to face autumn.

Lessons learned from camping chairs

Camping season is here! This weekend will mark the first voyage of 2011, & I can hardly wait. After a years of sitting in those crazy, slouchy chairs that you pull out of bags & purchase for $10 at Canadian Tire, my husband & I have made the switch to seating which is a bit more expensive, supportive & comfortable. Between our new "directors chairs" & zero-gravity chairs we are not only set, but our backs are already thanking us!

I've determined that I will without a doubt be one of those crazy ladies, who will make it known when you've taken her seat. Should you be one of the many people who joins us in our camping excursions this summer, be warned, if you find yourselves in one of my chairs you will likely be evicted.

I wonder if there's a lesson to be learned in the possessiveness people (I) tend to have?

Although my camping chairs are only chairs, they're MINE, giving me the authority to decide who will or will not be able to sit in them. The outrageous thing about these chairs is that one was a gift given to me & the other a personal purchase & yet I'm equally possessive of both.

I wonder how often I'm willing to be this possessive over unseen things? How often am I willing to let promises & blessings given to me be taken? How often as I daughter of the King, am I passive & fail to use my authority (which is really His authority...)

AND SO...as the past few weeks have turned out be a ridiculously crazy season I'm reclaiming the following:

The Lord is Catherine's shepherd; Catherine has all that Catherine needs. He lets Catherine rest in green meadows; he leads Catherine beside peaceful streams. He renews Catherine's strength. He guides Catherine along right paths, bringing honour to his name. Even when Catherine walks through the darkest valley, Catherine will not be afraid, for you are close beside Catherine. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort Catherine. You prepare a feast for Catherine in the presence of Catherine's enemies. You honour Catherine by anointing Catherine's head with oil. Catherine's cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue Catherine all the days of Catherine's life, and Catherine will live in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23)

Just another reason why we love the internet

Thank you http://iconscrabble.com and Jeannine :)

just bragging...

about my husband. I am married to the man who:

• worked long hours all week
• at 11:00pm Friday evening, drove to pick up friend who was stranded on the highway
  
• got up early Saturday morning to get ready for a day of quadding
• drove the opposite direction of the mountains to pick up his friends, before turning around the heading in the right direction
• suffered through seasonal/outdoor allergies all weekend without so much as a complaint or brief whine session
• let his wife tag along for a day of quadding through the snow/rain/sun/mud
• arrived home after said day of quadding, only to manually help neighbor back fill
• got up early Sunday morning to do BV's
• taught 2&3 year olds about Jonah and obedience
• vacuumed both the truck full of mud from previous day, and my vehicle
• had a neighbor friend over who's in the process of making some huge decisions
  
• cuddled wife before falling asleep

I am a blessed woman. The above list may be specific to this past weekend, but I could come up with a similar one everyday if needed.

spring has sprung

You know it's officially spring in Lethbridge, when the wind is really blowing, followed by rain/snowfall.

Today, I've chosen to embrace the spring storm, as every spring this seems to be the norm. I've come to the conclusion that there's no use complaining about the seasonal weather, but rather to expect and accept anything.

I love the following words found in Daniel 2:21
"He changes the times and seasons.
He sets up kings.
He removes them from power.
The wisdom of those who are wise comes from him.
He gives knowledge to those who have understanding."

How true. Despite my wishes for warm sunny weather, the times and seasons change. And although at times I would wish for control, I can rest in the fact that HE is.

And so, today I choose to embrace change, knowing that it's inevitable.

thought of the day:

The next time you think you should disinfect before/after touching something/someone, eating, using the bathroom remember this:

Every square inch of the human body has an average of 50 million bacteria on it. Did someone say shower?

Perhaps (all things considered) we're a bit too freaked out and paranoid with our sanitizing wipes, lotions and gels...

gumballs

I love this video.

Earlier this week I had a conversation with a mom, in which I was able to tell her that whatever her and her husband teach in their home, and model for their children will be what really sticks. And this simple illustration helps prove it.
Feeling pressured as a parent? Don't! Out of all the people on the planet God chose YOU to raise your children.

I like to think that I partner with parents as they raise remarkable children. They have a HUGE job and responsibility, one that I'm honored to be able to play a small part in.

I love my job.

Quote of the Day

as heard on B 93.3:

It's been quite the year in sports; Tiger got caught with too many women and the Riders got caught with too many men.

put right

A few months ago a couple people I know were telling me about a situation they found themselves in with people who were seeing and sensing things in the supernatural, and as a result some were losing sleep, and many (I would say) were confused.

They asked me how I would have approached this situation. At the time I was speechless, and had no idea what I would have said...until just recently...

One of my favorite parts of the Bible is something called the "Beatitudes", which states:
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:3-10 NIV)

A little while ago I was challenged by the sentence in there that states: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

What an honour, to see God! The Message by Eugene Peterson puts it: You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

What a challenge on our perspective! What are you seeing in the outside world? Whether you're seeing supernatural things, or just the natural, what is it? Are you seeing God's fingerprints on people, nature, circumstances...or are you seeing something else? And if you're seeing something other then God, could I challenge you to get your mind and heart put right.

Over the past few years I've found myself surrounded by different situations and circumstances where I've been challenged to keep my heart right. To choose forgiveness and love, over resentment and hate. The truth is, that when I've chosen forgiveness and love my perspective has changed.

And so, if I were given the chance to speak to those people who were seeing things, I would challenge them to get their hearts and minds right. When working with people it's especially easy to harbor feelings of resentment, bitterness and hate. It takes a conscious effort to keep your heart and mind right...perhaps choosing forgiveness and love would do the trick,
and sleepless nights would be replaced by sweet dreams.

figuring it out

I received an e-mail a couple weeks ago which stated that if you wear sunglasses while driving in the rain it cuts down the effect of water drops on your windshield. Interesting thought. I put that little piece of information in my back pocket for a rainy day (literally).

Today as I backed out of my driveway, I put this theory to the test. I put on my sunglasses while the rain fell. I must admit I felt slightly silly for wearing sunnies as the sky was overcast, and even more silly for trying it out and not having it work! I took my sunnies off, thinking perhaps they did make a difference. I put them back on again. No difference at all!

However, I would have never known if sunglasses made any difference in the rain or not, if I hadn't tried it for myself.

I find personally, that I'm quite naive. It's easy for me to take someone else's word, which has caused me issues on a few occasions.

My incident today reminds me of something that I need to continually be challenging myself with:
So continue to work out your own salvation. Do it with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12b NIRV)

It's not enough in our lives to let others decide things for us, experience things for us, create opinions for us, live for us...

We need to work things out for ourselves.

As a Christian, its easy to get caught in the trap of a "feed me" mentality. With so many resources out there it's easy to rely on sermons, books, podcasts, blogs and such to shape my relationship with God, which incidentally isn't much of a relationship if I'm relying on those around me to shape it for me.

And so, I'm glad I took the time to look like a fool in my car this morning, putting my sunglasses on, taking them off, putting them on, taking them off. It reminded me yet again how important it is to figure things out for myself.

predictably unpredictable

I like to describe my life as 'predictably unpredictable.' It seems as though many things in my life are permanent, and I'm often faced with change [thankfully, I like change!].

With a husband who works at a car dealership it shouldn't be any surprise that over the past two years we've owned eight different vehicles (JUST got a new one in fact...a Jeep Liberty!!!).
I get bored with the same look and often when I got to the hairdresser I ask for something different (like last week).
Although I haven't been in my own home for long I feel the need to redecorate and rearrange often (good thing my husband isn't SUPER anal - nothing has a permanent home).
I truly do enjoy where I live, but frequently get cabin fever and have the urge to leave for a day or two just for a bit of change (we were in Calgary this past weekend).
I'm not one for meal planning and I like having options depending on what I'm craving (not to mention that taste buds are replaced every two weeks!).
I have a job in which my responsibilities seem to consistently change and expand (although some things remain the same, there are always seems to be a new project or event to work on).

"Everything is for sale for the right price," has become a motto for my husband and I, and although we both enjoy the things in our life we're not so attached to anything that we wouldn't be willing to get rid of it.

Although many things in my life seem to be constantly changing there is one thing that remains constant. My God (See Hebrews 13:8).

I love change, and I love having a life that is predictably unpredictable, but even more then that I LOVE knowing that my God is the same...yesterday, today, and forever.

When I grow up I want to be like Barbie

Check this little Barbie video out: click here

Actually, I just want to be like my mum.

accomplishment

ac-com-plish-ment
noun
something that has been achieved successfully : the reduction of inflation was a remarkable accomplishment.
the successful achievement of a task : the accomplishment of planned objectives
an activity that a person can do well, typically as a result of study or practice : long-distance was another of her accomplishments
skill or ability in an activity : a poet of considerable accomplishment

Today I accomplished a huge feat...the office that I share at work with a couple other people has become hugely cluttered over the course of the spring/summer. If you know my well you know that I don't cope well with clutter and chaos. Today was the day to clean stuff out, make room, get rid of what will never be used.

Looking at the neat bookshelf beside me I'm feeling a sense of accomplishment seeing everything organized and neat! Looking across my desk to the filing cabinet I feel as sense of accomplishment being able to see the top of it!

I feel as though I'm finally able breath with the chaos gone.

I have accomplished my task of the day!

Love Thy Neighbor.

My husband and I are currently renting a house in a community that has many young couples/people/families in it. During the school year there are many parties to be had on our street, and during the summer months we're realizing there are far less vehicles parked along the street.

We've been living in this area now for seven months; we started in basement suite of the house we're now in, and moved upstairs early this year when the opportunity arose. Our neighbors on both sides of us are fairly young. On one side there are renters as well, both upstairs and downstairs, most of which we believe to be uni/college students because we don't see to much of them since school's finished up. On the otherside is a young couple who are both working and currently five months pregnant! We're friendly with our neighbors on either side, but don't really have a real relationship with them.

Yesterday my husband and I were out for most of the day, starting with church in the morning, lunch with the family, and then a bit of time spent with my sister-in-law. When we arrived home in the later afternoon we found our front lawn to be freshly mowed (yum, I love the smell of fresh cut grass!). But who would have mowed our lawn?
My husband's brother headed over to grandma's after lunch to mow her lawn, perhaps he decided to come over to our place afterwards and mow ours as well? Possible, but not likely since we live on the opposite side of town to grandma.
Our neighbors lawn was freshly mowed as well...could it be he?

Sure enough it was.

How's that for loving thy neighbor??? We often quote the "Golden Rule" and are quick to tell other to "love thy neighbor as thyself," but how often do WE actually follow through with what's coming from our mouths?

Our neighbor Mike, who we hardly know put these phrases to action as he mowed our lawn. Now, we don't have a huge lawn so it wasn't like it was an incredibly straining task for him, yet he still went out of his way to be great neighbor. What an example of what true community should be. Though the relationship maybe isn't there, he showed common ownership, something I think the average person generally overlooks.

We often define community by the relationships we have with one another, but community can also be defined as "a group of people living together in one place, esp. one practicing common ownership." I think it's about time we start building community, but just not in around our close relationships, lets start building good communities around common ownership; around "loving thy neighbor."

Quote of the day:

"All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does...and that is his."