Multitudes of gifts #322-234

This past week was busy, but I managed to capture and record some of the joy of the week.


322- our youngest son Zayden being fascinated that the moon "follows us" from our house to Tim Hortons.
323- Zayden holding the door for US in and out of the coffee shop...what a gentleman.
224-ZAYDEN GOING PEE ON THE POTTY!!!!! his reward- a hotwheel!
225- tons of boys playin in the mud
226- kids playing school in the kitchen
227- the blood of Christ
228- "Jesus wasnt an afterthought"
229- My husband planning to go on a missions trip to Rwanda... God is good!
230- Zayden and Alexis snuggling on the couch
231- a case of the giggles hardcore.
232- weekend conferences
233- birthday cake made by the kids
234- the cutest dog ever whom I call "shamwow" 

seeking Him in all things changing... some autumn pictures

“Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.” Joel 2:23

multitudes of gifts 295-321

295- gardening with a great friend out in the country

296- barn kittens

297- pie pumpkins

298- the most stubborn carrots in the world

299- the gift of a bike for my husband- family bike rides for the first time in over about four years

300- encouragement from friends
301- waiting on God
302- milk weed pods
303- movie afternoons with the boys
304- coffee date with four adorable boys and a really cute girly (Thanks Carly and Jessica!)

305- draggin the garbage through the wet cold grass early morning, kinda not very happily, to look up and see a rainbow in the sky.  What a way to start the day! :)

306- Zephaniah 3:17, The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. -- GOD is going to sing over us! Doesnt that give you goosebumps?
307- finishing knitting a sweater that took me two years to get around to finishing LOL
308- Our church finally being podcasted (yes podcasted is officially a word...I said so)
309- my friend Paula giving birth to her third child, a beautiful boy, at home. 
310- webcam 101 for Seniors -- beyond sweet.  I want that to be my husband and I
311- two needle socks

312- clever ways of parenting.
313- 8.6km's of biking with the family, discovering new paths and getting lost but finding our way home.
314- baby acorns
315- very awake toddlers at midnight.
316- cranky determined toddlers the next day
317- the fact that God is always in control

318- squirrels peeking down
319- Dylan..all of him.  I love him to peices
320- late night popcorn
321- autumn rain

Making an autumn shift....

I need to learn something so basic.  I need to grasp and fully comprehend something so simple, so childlike that it almost makes me laugh and terrify me at the same time.  As I've mentioned, autumn is a time of struggle for me spiritually.  I need to grasp something sooo sooo basic.  God created the autumn.  God created it for our enjoyment.  Its part of the cycle of how nature runs here and its beauty is something He created and it is for His purposes. 


So simple right?

But I associate it with the years I was pagan, the years I practiced wicca,  the years I followed the devil.   halloween, my little parties out in the woods summoning things that I dont dare even talk about these days.  I associate it with the begining of the school year when I would start to skip school to hang out and drink or get high.  I associate it with dying my hair red to match the leaves colours.  I associate it with things not of Christ and therefore my struggle chugs on each time that beautiful scent of fall hits the wind.  A scent I crave but hate at the same time.  Its my favorite time of the year and my least favorite time all in the same breath.

This is my goal this fall, to totally change my views of the season I crave to love most with Christ. 



Im running for this simple choice, to transform my way of thinking this time of year, so that the next years will be different. 
So if you see a lot more oranges, reds and yellows, the discussion of fall and autumny things more and more on here, its because Im working this out.  This has to be done.   This needs to be a season where I can embrace Christ as much as the others.   When I smell the leaves crunching beneath my feet, I need to breathe Christ.  When I hear them, it needs to remind me of His love.  Nothing else.

 James 5:7
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.

what the heck just happened to me?

Sunday morning we had a really rejuvinating encouraging message, but I left feeling really sad.  Im not sure if it was something that was said, or something I felt during worship, but I felt so numb almost if that is the right word.  I came home and I kinda sat there in a trance, trying to peice together what the heck just happened to me.   Like bummed out!

My husband and I had an arguement the night before that we didnt settle, I thought maybe God was trying to speak to me about that.  God has been talking to me over and over and oooover again about being the wife and mother he has called me to be. We talked about vision in our lives on Sunday... maybe Im not following it full on like I should.  But was that what it was that God placed on my heart?  I still have no idea.  I am dumbfounded...sorta

I have been very much also feeling frustrated with things I allow into my life that are doing me no good in my walk with Christ.  I love my God.... I love my Jesus.. well same thing- Jesus is God.  I KNOW this...   But if anyone ever tries to dispute it with me its almost like I want to fold.  Its almost like I just want to agree with them because it would make things easier.  I look into things too deep.  I look to people sometimes that I know are not God's children and think they are speaking truth.  I get obsessive in my thoughts and I get frustrated because I know that Christ died for me.  I know it, I feel it.  The relationship we have is amazing.   I cant even explain it to them because they have no clue how amazing having Him in my life is because they have never experienced it.  So I just sit frustrated, speaking to God asking Him to just strengthen me.  But over and over for the same stuff?  He must think Im nuts!


I read something the other night, totally random and I dont even know how I ended up coming across it.  A very sketchy webpage and I was reading something that just I knew was false, like not just false, but even to an athiest would make no sense you know what I mean? But then it ate at me all day, for a week now, even though I know its literally garbage, it just saddens me that these people dont have Jesus as their King.  It breaks me.  Its not fair to them.  


I've lost great friends because of Jesus.  But He ultimatley has to come first.  The other night, I think it was Friday or Saturday night I was feeling really not very Christian if thats a way to put it.  I felt very weak in my faith.  "Im not up to another dry time in my faith.  Whens the autumn going to be a time or rejuvination for me instead of sadness Lord.  Its my favorite time of the year, but my hardest."


This is a time of year I swear sometimes the enemy drops me off a little parcel of his crap and says "here, take a peek and just be tormented all season..have a nice day." 


Its not like Im bombarded with things, but its those one or two things that always get me and eat at me.  Its a battle.  Its one I dont speak tons about in person, but its one that my close friends know about and have heard about.  But I dont parade it around with a pity party.  But I choose to blog about it because I know others going through spiritual times that are weak.  I know God is going to bring me out of it, and I will be stronger through it.  Would I rather not go through it, ofcourse.  But His purpose for my life is so much better than what I think!  It happens like clock work everytime.  I think He's trying to teach me something.  I dont know if I have passed yet though! LOL


On Sunday morning our Pastor asked us to turn to 2 Timothy 1:9 and I thought I was there, but I was actually in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 .  My husband pointed out to me that I wasnt in the right book of the Bible, I already had it circled and everything and I got kinda mad at myself because I wasnt focusing. 

2 Timothy 1:9 says "(God) who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began"   
God has given me a holy calling, according to His purpose and grace, BEFORE time.  His purpose is perfect, it is ...well I dont think you can get better than perfect..and yet my mind wants to debate that!??!?!


When I opened my Bible later on I read in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 where I was by mistake

"They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power."  (unbelievers)


I think sometimes when God wants to get our attention He'll do it in very clever ways.  Like these two passages are like total opposites.  Do I want a holy calling or everlasting destruction in my life?  Am I going to allow things and people who are totally against me in my walk in Christ to tear me down or am I going to send them on there way without worrying about offending?  I know what route makes the most sense, and it will be the one I take.  I dont see myself ever walking away from God, but I still get tempted and I dont know if its just my personality or what but man, its like a nagging annoyance.  I cling to Christ and He holds me tight, but I think I have a long way to go in my walk in Him. 

Im curious to where He takes me... but I ultimatly have to keep following Him to see

Multitues of gifts #259-294

259- the blessings of hand me downs
260- cooking meals with friends
261- checking out the JK classroom with our son
262- passionate teachers
263- the air signaling autumn is definatly on its way

264- waking up in the middle of the night just so you can feel God's presence and just hang out

265- the first day of JK for our middle child

266- watching our daughter take him under her wing onto the bus with confidence

267- watching him smile happily, a new journey in his life, one he has been asking for for a long time

268- one on one time with our youngest

269- chicken in the slow cooker

270- my daughter hurting her arm and us praying over it to have the pain dissapear and a smile so huge cross her face
271- worship concert in the park.  All of Christs' Churches invitited to come together and worship the King of Kings!
272- children dancing and praising God "Jesus is here!" 273- late night bus rides
274- our beautiful daughter turning 7
275- totally destroying the birthday cake, a neighbour stepping in to make one for her (BLESSED)
276- dinner for eight- such a joyous time!
277- really cute puppies
278- God placing something in your heart on a Sunday morning, even if you dont know fully what on earth it was, but know He is upto something. 
279- the way my two year old shuffles into the kitchen to get us to get him somthing, kinda leaning back, rolling his arms...its like a crazy "Come with me mom and feed me" dance.  Adorable.
280- praying for a young boy across the country who was abducted to be found safe, that the heart of the man who abducted him would be softened and he would release the child
281- that boy being returned home.  Praise GOD
282- cake batter bowls scraped out by children
293- new Bibles and devotion books
294- a new sister, welcome to the family Diala!

When school bags and indoor shoes are ready

The busses are rolling in and my children are getting on board, one for the first time, the other into her fourth year.  We had really prayed about homeschooling but I feel that even though I knew God wanted us to look into it, I now know that His reasons for it were not so we would homeschool this year. I tend to obsess over things and I know that God wanted us to go through the motions so I could see that while this is something that may be in our future, it is not for right now.  We have a peace about allowing my children to attend school and this was something I didnt have a few months ago.  Its amazing how His peace does that.

We are not sending my children to school alone.  They are going to school with God.  They will walk those hallways with Christ and they will play in the schoolyard with His Spirit swirling around them with love.  They have His protection.  They walk in His freedom! 

On Sunday we gathered all the children of our Church heading into school- homeschool, elementary, secondary, college, university and prayed over them that God would protect them and strengthen them.  My eyes were filling like pools because this is a prayer I pray everyday for my own children and Im sure its a prayer all the other parents pray for their children.  For the church to come together and pray the same prayer for all these children was amazing.  These children are our future and are going to be leading the churches one day.  These are the people who are going to be bringing other children to Christ.  They need to understand they can walk in confidence no matter where they are, and to be accepting and loving to the other children and teachers and staff of the school.  While my daughter had a hard time last year in school I feel this year will be different.  New classmates and a fresh start.  God has given me such a peace about her attending school.  My son has never experienced school before and is so excited.  While I know I will cry when he hops on the bus for his first day this week, I know it will be okay because they can do all things in Christ who strengthens them.  I hope they continue to remember that day after day as they learn in their school. 

They can march into their hallways with the greatest Love that knows no boundaries, is non judgemental and totally forgiving and show others His unfailing love. 

Multitudes of gifts- #234-258

There is joy in every moment when we focus on God.  He knows the best for us, and speaking for myself, and my family I know that putting my life in His hands has taken me down the paths He is calling me and guiding me to go down.  The more and more I walk with Him, the less I am trying to do things my way.  And the joy I am discovering is beyond amazing.  Walking with Him has brought more joy to my life than I could ever imagine. 

The joyful moments continued since the last list...
234- VBS- God and Me @ Sea. 
235- my daughter singing out "From the rooftops I proclaim I am YOURS"  to Jesus. 
236- Praying for direction in where God wants me to serve
237- really silly lame not quite hollywood comedies... and laughing histarically at it all.  (Im really easily entertained)
238- knowing that even if I am across a country away from my Dad, God can still heal him in Jesus name
239- kids dancing  in the livingroom joyfully

240- my son "Jesus loves you ALL THE WAY!"

241- wet felting madness

243- worship practice

244- caserole from a neighbour (THANKS CARLY!)

245- Childrens museum

246- llamas...
247- morning coffee with Carly and Tara
246- afternoon park time with Andrea
247- Late night cofee with Sherri (yes I drink a lot of coffee)
248- finding my wallet
249- two bikes for fifty bucks!
250- baked goodies from Jen
251- the cutest skunk trapped in our window well.. rescued and it didnt make a stink!
252- the biggest thunderstorm in a while!
253- Merla Mae icecream with my cousin and her amazing kids
254- watching Gods torrent outpour of Love spread all over and change people like never before!
255- cool crisp fall mornings
256- praying over the students for Gods protection going into the new school year
257- Ruffles spicy ketchup chips
258- serving where God calls

Have you any wool?

The past few weeks in our house we have really gotten back into the wool groove.  All my children get excited when I start getting the knitting/crochet/felting/spinning mood.  We purchased some roving and my three and a friend all got down and colourful at the kitchen table last week to dye up some of it  with food colouring and vinegar.  They had so much fun! So we decided that we would do wet felting with this as trying to get 2-6 year olds to spin and knit would probably not be the best bet.  They decided to make bracelets and headbands with their stuff (Mommy too!)
They thought it took "forreeever" to felt them.  They dont think this will be a regular craft for them! LOL

So while the kids were doing their felting projects I took advantage of the mess and did my own crafts.  I have long adored the felted purses online, but my paypal tree hated the price so I figured I'd wing it.  It took a few days to finally get it finished, but I am very very happy about the end result. It is a blend of silk and merino. I now know why they cost so much, it is a long process but very fun! I found it so relaxing to just sit there and felt, its an arm workout but its quiet.  Its really fascinating I think how wool 
 felts like this.  How our Creator made such beautiful fibers in nature that can keep us warm, look beautiful and create one of a kind peices, plus the animals are so darn cute!!!!!!!! And since I really really would like to grow my hair out, I need things to make it look somewhat decent LOL so I did a hairband, a lot less complicated than the purse, quicker and I tried a few other methods to getting the wool to felt.  It was a lot of fun, I did it in fall colours because pretty soon the leaves will be the same! Matchy matchy!

So now that I have that out of my system (for now, and felting needles and llama fleece on the way!) I have dug into a bag of goodies from a friend and this is my next woolie adventure. 

Im not sure what type of wool it is, but I am really excited to spin it.  I have started combing it and have spun a little of it.  Its more coarse than soft however.   I think I will dye it afterwards as well, everything seems to be so exciting in colour, although naturally the stuff I have spun is quite nice! Stay tuned!!