A Long Winter's Night

Maybe winter isn't all bad after all.

Snapshots

a new, fun for the whole family game, complete with angry birds and bad piggies.

Yup. Pigs DO fly.

I knew right where to find him. Love to share quiet moments like this with my man.

So much more peaceful without all those crazy people.

Shared a decadent favorite with a sweet girl on a day off. Check these guys out. SO GOOD!

Mango!

+ Strawberry

= yummy mango strawberry salsa. Extra delicious on Cobb's bread with cream cheese!

Hockey night in our house.

One of the things about the Lexicon Project that I've been loving is that I'm feeling more inspired to play with my camera. Truthfully, it's what I hoped for when I jumped on the band wagon - it's one of the things that I've wanted to get back to do as I seek to thrive -  and it's been that and more!  It's been a fun reminder that a photo is a moment and, much to my family's chagrin, I'm sure, has been the impetus for my camera to once again find it's home out on the kitchen counter...or the coffee table...or the couch...or the kitchen table...I think it was Ann Voskamp, either in her book or blog, that talks about putting her camera on the kitchen counter to bring it, and the photos it captures, into every day life.  And light captures life.

Quoted :: Christine Sine

“Prayer is not about finding the right words to say to God, it is about becoming alive to the loving presence of God in each and every moment. It is about waking up to the fact that the love of God shines through every act, every object and every conversation. The speaking of words can become rote and repetitive, even boring at times, the developing of relationship requires flexibility, creativity and constant willingness to change and to grow. Anything that connects us to the love of God, or expresses our love for God is an act of prayer. Sights, sounds, tastes, smells, textures can all be acts of prayer that draw us into deeper intimacy with God.”

Christine Sine, Return to Our Senses: Reimagining How we Pray

Lexicon Project :: Brood

Because all I know is that with this small brood, there is a LOT of laundry!

From the Interweb :: Feb 22, 2013

Sharing some of the winners from around the interweb over the last couple of weeks. I've been working on this post (and a few others to come shortly) over the last several weeks but have been having trouble posting. I'm not sure if it's an internet problem, a computer problem or a web host problem but it seems to have cleared itself up. Sorry for the barrage to follow!

Whatever you do, don't let them take your faith, Kathy Escobar. Seriously. I think this woman reads my mind. Or my heart. I've said it before, I know, but this is the best one yet. Listen to this: "i had given my life & my family & my heart & blood-and-sweat-and-tears to that place and in a flash i was on the outs. their world carried on like nothing had ever happened and i was left crawling on the floor in a big heap of anger & shame & grief." So good. So true. And by putting it out there, she makes it not so weird, so abnormal and so unmanageable. Thanks, Kathy.

Your Care Guide: 25 Point Manifesto for Sanity in 2013, Ann Voskamp. 'Cause who couldn't use a bit more sanity?

Hall Suspended Two Games for Kneeing Clutterbuck, TSN. That sucks. who's name is really Clutterbuck?

74 Simple Things You Can Do to Brighten Your Spouse's Day, Engaged Marriage. A good list. Pick one and see what happens.

How I'm Learning to Rise to a Better Story, Tina Francis @ She Loves Magazine It all started with some great photography that caught my eye but her words are eye (and heart) catching as well. And the quote she added (image above), might just happen to be one of my more often repeated sentiments. Oh, I feel a rant coming on....

Three Things about one word: church, Kathy Escobar. What my heart for church still says it could and should be. 

100 words: who are you, In the Name of Love. 100 words was enough to describe so beautifully who we are are. who we can be. who we should be.

World's Okayest Mom, Kristen @ We Are That Family. It just feels good to read those words sometimes.

Maternity Photography: Leah Cook. Great tips on shooting great photos...love the work she showcases in this article.

What 200 Calories Look like in Different Foods, Bored Panda. You just might be surprised by the piles of food on the plates!

Surreal Self-Portraits by 22-Year-Old Noell S. Oszvald, Bored Panda. I anticipate posts by these guys. There's always something cool or amazing or just plain weird. This one was no exception. These photos are incredible. Even more so when you realize they're SELF portraits! 

A Little Known Secret, Carey Nieuwhof @ Orange Parents. Spoiler alert: "your emotions will eventually catch up to your obedience." What if we applied that secret to all the 'i don't feel like it' moments of life?


My Journey from Extrovert to Introvert, Where my heart resides. I'm thrilled with people who can share their stories bravely. And I get the realization that maybe, maybe, you're not as extroverted as you thought. I'm really not.

And an added bonus for sticking with me...
Banana Nut Pancakes, The Happy Housewife. Get. In. My. Belly.

Lexicon Project Sneak Peak

Okay, if there's anyone out there willing to help, I need inspiration. This is the word for this week. Brood. Any ideas? My camera is poised and ready but my creative juices simply aren't flowing. The last couple weeks that this project has been going I have had no problem - except with posting on time! - but this time, wow, this one is hard!! Maybe I need to go for a visit to the zoo.

Lexicon Project :: Celebrate

I snapped a bunch of pictures this week but, for now, you get just this one.

A dozen for me and 6 for each of his little girls. I'm celebrating the love of a good man. Love you, Mr. Miller!

Seriously, could there have been a better word for this week? Celebrate. Now, at the risk of being totally cliche, I went for it with my project photo. Valentine's Day. I know there's a lot of folks out there who think it's a silly Hallmark money grab holiday. Or that we shouldn't need a special day to tell the special people in our lives that they are, well, special. But the truth is, I like it. Not the pink, red, commercialized with hearts and big expectations kind of celebration. I like it the way I like birthdays and anniversaries because, frankly, I think they're just a good excuse to stop and celebrate the people we care about it. Let's face it, life is busy. There's work and house cleaning and dinner to make and kids "stuff" to take care of and laundry (oh the laundry) and people to see and basements to finish and....oh, the lists just go on, don't they? Time flies and life is busy so why not take an excuse, any excuse to celebrate? To celebrate good things (and good people) in life.

Quoted :: Holly Grantham & Frederick Buechner

“For clenched fists can’t gather treasure and hearts that harbor greed leave no room for grace.”  - Holly Grantham


“Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is. In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.”  ―Frederick Buechner

Hockey Day in Canada...is back in our house

It's Hockey Day in Canada, so they (the "fine" folks at CBC) say and, yes, the game is on. Not the game but hockey is indeed alive and well again at our house. Our Just Drop it pledge is complete. According to the pledge, I could have watched the Edmonton Detroit game this afternoon but missed it due to work. The Vancouver Calgary game is on right now. It's safe to say that I have a happy husband. Or maybe relieved is a better word.

So was it worth it? Does anyone notice or even care that we didn't watch the first 10 games of the season? I honestly couldn't tell you. Even though the Just Drop it crew grabbed significant media attention as the pledges added up, the truth is that I doubt it.

Without getting too philosophical about it, we learned a few things in this house.

• I'm a Canadian girl through and through. I enjoy the game. I enjoy (most) of the banter and chatter that goes with it. Even tonight, having it on more in the background while I finished a crochet project and wound a ball of yarn for my next project - don't judge me - I enjoyed the sounds of it. Skates on ice. Pucks against the boards. Players shouting. My husband cheering...and jeering. And the commentators.
• About the commentators. The break didn't help. They still say stupid things. My dad used to remind my siblings and I that we should think through what we say before we say it. Solid advice, Dad. Thanks. Perhaps the commentators should hear it too. I'm convinced my husband could do the job and do it well. He has LOTS of practice! 
• It's fun to watch successes and milestones. First NHL goals. 1000 games. Great saves and sniper shots. But, for the record Mr. Commentator, remarking on a player's 200th Saturday game is dumb. That's a stupid stat. No one cares. Now back to the kids lighting it up with their first (and now second) NHL goals. 
• We learned which one of us is more stubborn. I'm not sure whether I should be proud of the fact that I "helped" Colin stand by his pledge. Once I've made up my mind about something....
• It's hard to not follow hockey in this town. If I had been watching hockey and if I had been sharing freely my opinions about it over the last couple weeks, I certainly would have pointed out TSN's power ratings at least once because, boy, is that some satisfying stuff.  If you've missed it, let me recap some of the key ones for you: Edmonton (10), Vancouver (15), LA (21) and, oh, wait for it, Calgary (28). 28. Of 30. Just saying. 
• I think the argument that a cup won this season will mean less because it's a shorter season. No one says that season in the early years of the NHL that were only 45ish games "didn't count." As Jenae would say, "a hater's gonna hate." 
• It's fun for us to be fans together. Even more fun when it can be all four of us together. BUT, even though we are big fans of NHL teams, it doesn't have to be the NHL. We enjoyed a couple WHL games over the last couple months and, as we usually are, were impressed by the energy, drive and heart of the game. I still think it would be a wise idea for the NHL as a whole to remember that, remember where they came from and why they're there. Remember the love of the game and the passion of the fans. Big business indeed but it's a game that people love and invest a lot in. 

I was surprised to find that I didn't miss it as much as I thought I would. 10 games, now 11, came and went. I missed it but I didn't miss it.  I'll likely miss a few more this season but we're back. It's hockey night in Canada in our house again but at least, tonight, I feel like we have a little bit of control. Today we decided to watch because we wanted to, not because they, players and management alike, decided whether there would be game or not. 

I'm sadly outnumbered BUT can still appreciate that this is good for a daddy's heart.

P.S. 5-1 Vancouver over the fLames. It's a good night to be a hockey fan.

Lexicon Project: Linear

Since I spend so much time there, it's only appropriate that at least one of the photos for this project be from the pool.

The Lexicon Project :: Help

 

I realize that this isn't my first wine photo this month but after 20 hours in the water with kids that can't float (for starters) and my sweet husband pulling the long, long days that he has, all mixed up with a little more crazy, this seems like an apt way to depict help in our house. I'm feeling a little cheeky.

Small Graces

Finding pictures, special pictures, we thought were lost

Sweet red flesh, filling the room with it's delicious aroma and hinting of warmer days to come.

Chocolate and zucchini mixed up for an afternoon treat.

Could have, should have, been my shadow picture :: the shadow of a delicious bottle of red wine shared.

Knitted gifts wrapped in anticipation of meeting a sweet babe. And coffee in red cups.

Time to savor.

Still learning but getting it, one stitch at a time.

And in capturing these moments, these gifts, one at a time, life moves forward and light pushes, even just a little, into the darkness.

Lexicon Project :: Shadow

I watch the shadows from my grandpa chair as they creep up and over the houses, counting down the hours and minutes of the day, waiting for my sweet husband to come home.

When thriving looks more like surviving

There are days, I've decided, when thriving will look more like surviving and even maybe that's a stretch. Days, well, days like today when hearts feel stretched to their limit, the shadowy darkness of sin, selfishness, entitlement, spite and hatred threatens to swallow up the light, and the very act of putting one foot in front of the other seems like a monumental act. Yes, on days like today.

In those heart crushing, bone crushing, spirit sapping days gone by, the words of His heart have brought strength and courage.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, 

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 

 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. 

And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 

Not only so, 

but we also glory in our sufferings, 

because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 

 perseverance, character;

 and character, hope. 

 And hope does not put us to shame, 

because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, 

who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)

I hold those words dear. 

Today, though, the question that falls off my lips is if perseverance produces character and hope, what, dear friends, produces perseverance? What strengthens the weary soul? Perhaps it's a cyclical argument but what gives hope enough to step forward again and again into the very darkness that saps the will to live?  What gives one the will to persevere, moving forward into that character and hope? Doesn't one need character and hope to do so? What light is there to push away the darkness? 

In the midst of all...this...it has been the words given to and penned by a writer that have continued to draw me back to His heart. Thankfulness. Gratitude. Eucharisto. And then joy. There can be joy when the darkness pushes in. There can be. There must.

"If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable; think of it as a place of training and correction and it's not so bad." C.S. Lewis in One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp, pg 55.

I redeem time from neglect and apathy and inattentiveness when I swell with thanks and weigh the moment down and it's giveng thanks to God for this moment that multiplies the moments, time made enough. Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts, pg 72.

One act of thanksgiving, when things go wrong with us, is worth a thousand thanks when things are agreeable to our inclinations. Saint John of Avila in One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp, pg. 79.

What in the world, in a world of certain loss, is grace? And the more of the blessings I name, this theological problem deepens, the kind that manifest itself between the breakfast table and last light out. If I am numbering gift moments to one thousand and now beyond - what moments in my life count as blessings? If I name this moment as gift, grace, what is the next moment? Curse? How do you know how to sift through a day, a life, and rightly read the graces, rightly ascertain the curses? What is good? What counts as grace? What is the heart of God? Do  I believe in a God who rouses Himself just now and then to spill a bit of benevolence on hemorrhaging humanity? A God who breaks through the carapace of this orb only now and then, surprises us with a spared hand, a reprieve from sickness, a good job and a nice house in the burbs - and then finds Himself again too impotent to deal with all I see as suffering and evil? A God of sporadic, random, splattering, goodness - that now and then splatters across a gratitude journal? Somebody tell me: What are all the other moments? Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts, pg 85.

Count blessings and discover Who can be counted on. Isn't that what had been happening, quite unexpectedly? This living a lifestyle of intentional gratitude became and unintentional test in the trustworthiness of God - and in counting blessings I stumbled upon the way out of fear.  Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts, pg 151.  

Remembering frames up gratitude. Gratitude lays out the planks of trust. I can walk the planks - from known to unknown - and know: He holds. Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts, pg 152.

Maybe, without the context of the rest of the words, of her story, these words don't carry the weight with which they drove into my heart. And, if that is the case, then I can safetly say that once again, this was a book chosen at the perfect time to speak.

And so I hear it:

Give thanks to the Lord of Lords. 

His faithful love endures forever. 

Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. 

His faithful love endures forever. 

Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully. 

His faithful love endures forever. 

Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters. 

His faithful love endures forever. 

Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights - 

His faithful love endures forever. 

Psalm 136:3-7

I will practice thanksgiving even when I don't feel it. When I'm angry and frustrated and ready to quit. I will look for His good gifts even when I don't see them. I will trust that He is there and He is good even when everyone and everything would try to tell me otherwise because I know that the God that I see in the good things, in every good and perfect gift, is bringing moments of eucharisto, of great thanks, into the darkness as well.  I will give thanks because I have to to survive today. To live. And perhaps, in the living, to experience joy.

Lexicon

I'm SO in and I think that you should be too. Post your photos on facebook, instagram, your blog or Rachel has even offered her facebook page. It'll be fun!

Bits and Pieces from the Google Machine

I'm trying to decide what to title these posts in which I share some of the posts I have read that have been significant to me in one way or another. If they were all just funny, I could say something (witty... maybe) about how they tickled my funny bone. But they're not funny, necessarily. They hit on something I'm thinking about, praying about, hurting about or perhaps am just thinking about now because I've read the words on the world wide web or, as my momma would say, on the google machine. But they don't tickle my mind bone. Its not a bone. Or a heart bone? Not a bone either. Mind muscle? Should we say they "shot to the heart?" [Insert 80's music reference here...come on, you know the one]. Hmmm...Okay, I'll work on it before the next time I'm inspired to link you up with some of the cool people I've met through these crazy blog networks.

Communities of Care: Twisted Christians

 Having shared the experience of the community he talks about, I feel deeply so much of what he's talking about. I've actually been thinking about it a lot: how different groups of people mean different things at different times. How that can change. How that's okay. Or is it? How joy is found in community and how lonely it can be when one does not have that sort of connection. How good experiences set the bar higher for the next ones. How good friends are good for the soul. And how I'm thankful for the good people that have been - and are - in my life.

The Lexicon Project: House Full of Jays I'm going to do it. Or try to do it.

There's More to Life Than Being Happy, The Atlantic

I once heard somebody say that God isn't concerned in our happiness but in our holiness and our wholeness. I would add that he's concerned about our joy...which comes from looking outward (and upward), in living a life of gratitude, in serving, in being in community and in looking at the big picture. See the problem is that what makes one person happy can actually make another person, or even many people, miserable. And happiness, my friends, is temporary where joy, holiness and wholeness are lasting. Happiness does equal meaningfulness. It can seem like a really satisfying, happy thought to, say, punch someone in the face. You might be happy...for now...but they sure won't be. And when you're arrested for assult, you probably won't be either. And did it actually solve the problem causing you to want to punch the bozo in the face? Probably not. Oh, but I digress. Love the article. Love the examples. Check this quote: 

Happiness without meaning characterizes a relatively shallow, self-absorbed or even selfish life, in which things go well, needs and desire are easily satisfied, and difficult or taxing entanglements are avoided," the authors write.

Jodi Foster’s Confession (No, Not that One) Made Her My Hero I take heart in the authenticity and genuine reflection of both the confession - loneliness is real, folks - and the article. In a society where "how are you" and "I'm fine" (said with fake smiles plastered on) have become synonymous with "Hello," "good day" and "good morning," it seems as though the value of a good facade is weighted with higher priority than honesty and true listening to the heart of another. It's brave, then, to share the truth, openly, honestly and with truth.

Formation Friday: When we’re Mad at God; Kathy Escobar

Because sometimes we're angry. That said, she asks some great questions to evaluate what we're really angry about.

Brave Mom's Raise Brave Kids, Jen Hatmaker

 So good, so good, so good! 

Hate is Too Great A Burden to Bear: Jim Palmer 

I wrote a post a while back about what anger, bitterness and spite do to a person choosing to carry them. This post adds hate to the list and boy, is it a good thing to remember. Hate hurts. Everyone.

Is Marriage Really an Illustration of Christ and the Church?Kristen Rosser for Rachel Held Evans

 Good thoughts on marriage and what the biblical references mean.

In Which I get Rid of My Mobile Phone (and learn a couple of things): sarah Bessey

Food for thought. I'm not getting rid of my phone anytime soon - my excuse is we have no home phone. Fair, right!? - but there's some good things to think through and, if you want, I think Sarah would be okay with you learning from her experience right now.

When You are Weary of Vanilla Christianity: A Holy Experience

 I know there's people out there that love vanilla. I'm not one of them. There's so many other flavors out there to savor. Like chocolate. Mint chocolate chip. Raspberry cheesecake. Flavor. Full.

And just because I like it...

Source: imgur.com via Stacey on Pinterest

Why Hockey Night In Canada Isn't Hockey Night in My House

A shot from last night's WHL game.

So they're back. Pucks dropped across North America. Fans flooded the stands to watch their teams lace up and get back into action. Broadcasters breathe a collective sigh of relief at having something new and fresh, something live, to put on the air again instead of reruns of old games and bad sitcoms. The blue lights of TV's across this great Nation display teams in all their glory.

But not in this house.

I could spout all the stats about money lost vs. money argued over vs. the average person's income in comparison to it all but the truth is it does not matter. It's gross, it's ugly and it's greedy. I suppose you could say that's the world we live in but I DON'T LIKE IT.

I don't think a shortened season makes a win of the cup any less significant. A win will be a win. For the better part of the life of the NHL, seasons were of at least close to equivalent length. Each game will matter - every point counts - and so, perhaps, we'll see some consistently well fought hockey.

I am thankful for all the "little people" affected by the lockout that will now be able to return to work or see a return to normal business. Store owners, rink staff and other businesses in the area. They were casualties in the whole mess. 

BUT I am disgusted by all the "sheep" fans who flocked to the stadiums for practice and are filling the stands to line the pockets of all (and I mean both sides) of the greedy millionaires that make up the NHL. I am disgusted that tickets sold faster than in seasons past (in Calgary the opening game sold out in six hours compared to two days last year). I am disgusted that we welcome them back with open arms after complaining for months about everything the lock out took from us, the fans, and from all that made up the lock out. 

It might mean nothing to anyone on either side but I will not be watching hockey this weekend even though my team is playing (yes, I still call them my team) and I have hopes for the young guns and the power ratings showing up make me happy (thank you, ESPN and friends, for putting Edmonton above both Vancouver and Calgary).  I complained through the lockout and now I will put my money (and my viewing hours) where my mouth is.

I am a hockey fan. I will be back. Just not yet. I'll come back when I'm ready, not when they decide to grace me with their presence. Not when they feel they have reached an agreement that is suitable for them. I'll come back on my terms. You had your chance. 

** Made a commitment with the Just Drop It Community. Check out their facebook page. They've been getting lots of publicity in other media as well. 11 Edmonton games will go by without me. We'll see if I'm back after that's up. And we'll see which one of us, my husband or myself, caves first.

Oh My Heart

These posts, written by friends near and far, resonate with my heart for one reason or another so I thought I'd share. And now, for your reading pleasure, here goes nothing:

How to Be the Parent You Want to Be: 40 Things Every Child Must Know Before they Leave Home, A Holy Experience

Dear Pastor Mark: Pontificate This; Rage Against the Mini Van  She says what so many of us are thinking but are just too chicken to say out loud. 

How to Find Purpose: Sink into the Questions; She Loves Magazine Some really good questions to ponder in this one.

No condemnation; Kathy Escobar Love this lady. There's very little she writes that doesn't touch my heart.

Jesus or Zoloft?; Jamie @ the Very Worst Missionary One of the things I wish more people were honest about.

What Not to Say to Someone Who Has Suffered Spiritual Abuse; Elizabeth Esther. Could I post these and hang them on a billboard (or many billboards) somewhere!? Seriously.

Also, I'm looking for some good online resources regarding health, fitness and nutrition, blog or otherwise. If anyone has some suggestions, I'd appreciate it!

To Represent Jesus Well

Here's another old one that was hiding, unposted, until today.


To represent Jesus well, we cannot live thoughtless lives.

Jesus never called us to follow him without thought or reflection. this is important because so many things have been done in Jesus' name that history has proven were not only ill-advised but even inhumane. You can't just write it off as, "Well, the church told me to do that." History would have been a much better place without the Inquisitions and the Crusades, not to mention the KKK, but all of them have used a cross to lead the way. It's a fascinating thought that Jesus would rather have us do what is right than what is "Christian."

Those are only some of the words of Erwin McManus in his book 'Soul Cravings' as he talks about our need to believe in something, in our innate search for truth -for something to believe in that is of value. He goes on to say:

Believing as an intellectual exercise is difficult enough, but our need to believe goes much deeper than that. The Enlightenment changed what it means to believe. To believe and mean nothing more than to agree with the data. When Jesus spoke of believing, he meant something very different. To believe is to wrap your soul around something. To believe in God has to do with trusting. What you believe in is what you trust in and, more important, who you trust.

He talks about who we trust and how we learn to trust...in anything, not only Jesus. How we learn to believe ANYTHING in our lives. How trusting, and therefore believing, shapes not only our intellectual view of truth but how we 'absorb' that into our lives, but who we become. And we all do it. Whether we choose to admit it or not, we all believe in something.

Quoted: Tozer

We may as well face it; the whole level of spirituality among us is low. We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the things of the Spirit is all but gone...[We] have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Ghost.

A. W. Tozer