crochet

I've recently come back to a beloved hobby, crocheting.
It only took me about 10 minutes to get right back into the swing of things.
So I've decided to make an afghan. However it's starting to buckle and I think that's because my foundation stitches were much tighter than the rest of the stitches are.
I don't want to pull it all out because I've already done so much on it and I think it'll be ok once it is full sized. Oh well...my first afghan.
My next one will be much better.
I'm going to put cream coloured stripes in it.
I'm also going to try (on my next afghan) a different stitch that is more stretchy and has more 'give' to it.

forgiveness

How do you react when a friend or someone close to you (or anyone really!) disappoints you or lets you down?
Once I'm past the hurt and anger (which I'm trying to release to Christ as soon as I recognize it) I turn to Christ and to His Word to help me.
Some points I've recognized:

• My dependance needs to be upon Jesus Christ. Not others. Jesus will NEVER let me down. When I look to others and when the source of my dependance is others I will undoubtedly be hurt and angry. When I depend on Christ and others let me down I will continue to cling to the cross and find my strength and find the power of forgiveness in Him.
• I deserve nothing less than the fiery pits of hell. In all things I need to recognize the grace and mercy that has been lavished upon me that I would be granted the attention and love of the Creator of the Universe.

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Matthew 5:22

If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
Psalm 130:3-5

• I love the solid, Biblical truths of the hymns. (A off-the-track point, but a valid one. When I find myself with a wrong attitude, it is often the reconciling ministry of music that brings me to my knees in front of the cross.)

One hymn/song (even though it is modern day) I absolutely love for its truths about God is In Christ Alone.

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

O Lord, let me stand in your power and your love. Let me remember that in YOUR death I now live and that it was YOUR precious, precious blood that bought me from the clutches of Satan.
Help me to love others when they hate me.
Help me to turn the other cheek and be willing to walk not one, but two miles with someone.
Forgive me for my anger towards another child of God.

gushing

I can't help myself!
I love Pride & Prejudice.
It is now officially my all-time favourite movie.
Watched it with the hubster tonight.
I think he appreciated it.
So good.
I lurved it.
Still do.

stuff

A few things.

I have a tummy ache. I like saying that better than a stomache ache. Mostly because I feel it gives me cause to pout. *shrug* Oh well. I wonder if it was something I ate?

Support appointments are so good. Tonight we met with a group of people. I felt a bit rusty. But it was still good. A younger crowd of people (mostly in their mid 20's I would guess) but it was good to "get to know" some new people. I put that in quotations because I always do much more of the talking than the listening - but then I guess that's what the appointment is for. Me to share my heart. But I always feel like I wish I could hear more about what is going on in their life, what God is teaching them, what are their struggles. And it's always harder in a larger group anyway.
But one of the girls who was there was a girl I met through one of my close friends! I love when that happens! So funny!

And lastly...man. All I can think about is how much my stomache hurts. By the way...is it stomach or stomache?
Hmmm...now they both look wrong to me.

choice

I am seeing how some of my readings from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People are affecting my words and the decisions I make (as I am learning how to be more proactive).
For instance, I recognize a tough decision that my husband and I were faced with and we CHOSE one of the options. We looked at our options, weighed the pros and cons and proactively chose to do one thing and thereby chose NOT to do something else.
It causes me to realize how responsible I am for my life and the decisions I make.
Even if they are tough to make.
I am also recognizing the word choices of other people. When they say that "have" to do something...they don't HAVE to do something (or have to NOT do something), they are CHOOSING not to do something.
Anyway, it's all very interesting.

entertainment

I'm reading called "How to save money on just about everything". It's great.
There's a site that gives you discounted tickets and regular priced tickets to shows all across Toronto.
So if you're into going out to shows or whatnot, check out this site for discounts - the discounted tickets you have to buy on the day you want to go. You could go to a Dinner Theatre for $15! Too bad I have plans tonight.

www.totix.ca

learning

I have been learning so much lately! It has caused me to really think hard and critically about my life, my goals, my values, and what I want to do with my life and how I want to do it.
I've also been learning a lot about finances and trying to make right decisions with my money in a way that glorifies God and helps me to be the best steward of my money.
I'm reading a book called The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton. It's a bit drawn-out at some points as it is written in the form of a story, but I'm trying to get a handle on the key principles and put them into practice.
All this learning has caused me to have a forward momentum in all areas of my life - though some may be rolling forward faster than others, it has been a good (albeit repeated) lesson of "just doing it". Just go out and do things! As you do them, you'll gain momentum and it will be easier to continue in those things. I've already learned this lesson but as I practice it more and more it becomes more solid.
It's also pleasing to God, I think.
When I look back on my life, I want to be able to say as Paul did, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim. 4:7).
I want to go hard!
I don't want to waste my life.
The day I stop learning is a sad day indeed.

Elora

Today was a little bit cooler, but the sun was out and I was determined to make the most of it!
My husband and I enjoyed a little sleep in, a delicious brekkie (made by yours truly) and then we journeyed to the outer rims of the Guelph area. Or I could just be normal and say that we drove to Elora which turned out to be about a 20 minute drive from our place.
After I doubted my husband's directions we (of course) ended up in the right place - Elora Gorge Conservation park!
It was great. Great to be out in nature. To be enjoying the sun. Enjoying God's goregeous beauty through nature and just to enjoy each other in a different setting.
And we made a memory!

Treat pic of the month

Oh yes, my favourite. Ice cream. Does it get any better? As the weather is getting warmer, I say it's the perfect time for a delicious scoop (or scoops!) of ice cream.
And yes, I do believe that ice cream is a treat. It can also be a dessert, but more likely for ME, it's a treat. Oh yes....speaking of which...I've got some 60% less fat blueberry and pomegranate ice cream.
WHOA. Now that's something exciting!
Here's what I found on the wonderful world wide web about our beloved ice cream:

The history of ice cream goes back a long way - possibly to around 200BC in China - but certainly to the point where much of its early history is no more than folklore. Many stories abound of famous people enjoying early forms of ice cream - from the Roman Emperor Nero who is said to have had snow brought down from the mountains to freeze his favourite drinks, to Marco Polo who returned from the Far East with a type of ice cream sorbet recipe, to King Charles I of England whose cook developed a frozen cream recipe.
The first step towards giving us the kind of ice cream we enjoy today was made by Nancy Johnson (USA) who invented the hand-crank freezer (1846). In the 1920s Clarence Vogt produced the first continuous process freezer which opened up the possibility for commercial ice cream manufacture.

Now go out and get some ice cream!

challenge

I have recently been challenged from numerous sources to write things down.
Not just any old "things", but my values, my goals, my mission statement, my budget.
Over the next month, I want to focus on my mission statement, my budget and my values - oh and my goals. I guess that means I'm working on all of them!
I was at a leadership conference today and one of the speakers said that a life without goals and a vision is not worth living. One of the other speakers said that 60% of Americans (they were American speakers) do not have any written goal system. 27% didn't even know anything about writing personal goals down.
I think it's a good challenge to put out there. Think about your values. Your goals. What is your mission statement? Are you aimlessly wandering through life just "coasting"?
I think the tendancy to "coast" is a very easy, but costly one.
This is my only chance to live life to the fullest. I do not have another chance to live my life.
One shot.

good

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you can.”
-John Wesley
Now that's a challenging statement for my life. Looking at it, it seems to me to say that life is essentially all about doing good to your maximum potential - which, if you are living a spirit-filled life, is truly limitless!
What a truly freeing life we lead as Christians. Full of challenges and growth, but oh-so-freeing!

blog

I just want to recommend this fantastic blog.
It's written by a mother and her 3 daughters.
They recommend tons of great books and give insight for Christian women on everything from cooking to purity, vacations to motherhood. It's a great blog and I thoroughly recommend it.
So if you're a girl, check out Girl Talk!

baseball

I have a renewed sense of appreciation for baseball.
Tonight I watched the Jays/Sox game with my husband.
It totally brought back the days of playing baseball (and when I say baseball, I really mean softball or slo-pitch). Those were great days.
I really love baseball. I think it's because I understand it. And also because I like playing it.
Apparently this is supposed to be a good year for the Jays too! Perfect timing, if you ask me!
So with my renewed sense of appreciation for watching baseball, I now have a renewed desire to play baseball. At my church they have a women`s team starting up so perhaps I will join it.
We`ll see.