These Are Moments I Take

On the Way to Eadeline's, Langley, BC

You know sometimes words aren't enough. I'm attracted to images, and sometimes photographs are all I need. But words are good too. Photos capture moments and remind me not to forget. This photo was taken a few miles from my sister's place of living in Langley, British Columbia.

Does someone want to paint this? I think it should be a painting. :)

P.S. I overheard a little girl trying to explain IM/text abbreviations to her mom and heard the elementary girl say, "lol is laughing out loud. sometimes you shorten things so you hands don't get so tired." She continued to explain, "you use the letter 'u' for you and the letter 'r' for are." It was cute.

P.S.S. My hubby is making me dinner right now, and I'm still shaking from the kickboxing class I just took. I feel like Harley.

a lonely sky, flower mound, texas

Let there be Desserts!

Yesterday I prayed that someone in my bible study would bring food. The pantry was empty. I had been providing snacks for awhile. I didn't have time to go to the store, and I didn't have a car. I was helpless to take care of this on my own. So, I prayed, "God, I'm asking you to put it on someone's heart to bring food. If you will it...I know that food can be a distraction at times. But if you will it, Father, please provide some food." Second person to show up brought food. I was amazed! I know it seems so simple, and it's easy to rule faith out with our smart logic. But I believe with all my heart and with all my mind, my Father heard my prayer and answered me. It was like water into wine at the wedding at Cana. His first miracle to show the human race, He cares...I know he cares for me.

Let there be desserts! :)

Thank You for Smoking

NOT!
I don't hate smokers. I just HATE smoke.

Since Steve and I have an apartment with quite a few neighbors, the probability of having all non-smoker residents surrounding us is low. Odds are against us with all the move-outs and new move-ins. Today, I walk into my laundry room and there's nothing like the stale smell of smoke conquering the fresh smell of Tide and Downy dryer sheets. Or, in my closet where my clothes reside and that pervasive smoke enters, literally pushes itself onto my clothing and forces it to smell...grrrr. Some may say I need to get over it. Others may say I have an acute sense of smell, which is probably true. Even though I smoked socially at one point in my life, I don't want smoke visiting my apt and lingering around like it always likes to do.

Smoke is the unwanted guest that doesn't get a clue. We rode bikes today in the fresh cold air and passed by two walkers. In the few seconds I was near one of the walkers that unwanted guest walked right up my nose even with the wind blowing and me flying by and the walker not smoking!

I will quit my whining, but it's nice to vent - literally and figuratively.

NEW

Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

Ironic- how this beautiful verse comes out of a chapter in the Bible where the jist of the name is LAMENT. What hope we have that something so beautiful can come out of something so painful.

I like that word, new. New evokes a sense of excitement in me like there's going to be a fresh start. The old junk I am dealing with is gone, and something fresh and unexpected will exude. I've always been grateful that we are given new days, new weeks, new years. New is the future; old is the past. I definitely think it is God's grace shining through when he created night for rest and new days for beginnings. Everday we wake, we have a NEW day. This in itself is something to be extremely grateful for. LIfe's not like the movie "Ground Hog Day" where we live the same day over and over again. How exhausting that would be! Though sometimes, we choose to live that way because we've lost the sense of wonder of our newness in Christ. So, there we are, being the same old person doing the same old thing.

We don't have to be who we were yesterday, and we don't have to let the past dictate our decisions today. We have a choice. It's by his grace we arise to newness everyday. Thank you! We can be new in our thoughts. Old habits, complusive thinking don't have a place in a new day. We can choose to utilize our new day for his grace and his glory. We can make complusive praise our habit to replace the complusive thinking the enemy likes to drill in our thought processes. This is what I am learning.

Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. (2 Cor 5.17-18)

Each morning I wake is like winter melting into spring.

New Year's Goals

I have the typical New Year's goals...
eat better, exercise more often, read more

But a couple seem to resonate with my soul...
I want to surrender my will to Him absolutely and irrevocably.
I want to sanctify myself with his truth daily because lies are easy to believe
I want to love and honor God passionately
I want to love and honor others passionately giving up of myself because that is true sacrifice
I want to love unconidtionally
I want to honor my husband with true beauty, a gentle and quiet heart (it means i have a heart at peace and a heart that seeks God)
I want to encourage my husband toward holiness, not happiness
I want to get behind my husband in his hopes and dreams
I want to be a wife that motivates him toward God and true beauty

So I don't know if you would call these resolutions or goals or ideals, whatever they are, they spur me toward my Creator.