13 Hours of Rain

View Outside My Home I woke up this morning to a dark sky. And slowly, ever so slowly, the sun started to rise. While my children ate their customary breakfast of cereal, milk and fruit, the sky began to light up with oranges, purples, blues, and pinks. There is something about the hues of a winter sunrise that is different from any other time of the year. The low angle of the sun's rays combined with the reflective quality of snow crystals uniquely paint the horizon. I love it. I am thankful for the beauty I see through my camera lens. Today is the first day of winter. And I welcome this day with joy, because it means that the days will get longer. But, admittedly, I will miss witnessing the sun rise. These days I've been contemplating life's brevity. Earlier this week, my husband's school received tragic news that a Grade Twelve female student was killed in a head-on collision just outside of our city. Her funeral is on Friday, the day before Christmas Eve. I can...

It began as a trip to donate blood. I felt pretty good about myself. Here I was, carving time out of my busy homemaking schedule to give the gift of life. What a wonderful example I was setting for my family! I gave myself several pats on the back in self-congratulation. My good deed started to unravel the moment I walked in the church gym. Ques were long. The room temperature was frigid. Health care workers looked exhausted. I hugged my jacket tightly as I muttered annoyance about failing to bring my book along. Finally, after the necessary screening, I was called to officially donate blood. An hour had already gone by. I was tired, hungry, thirsty, and impatient. Yes, this was my fifth time donating blood, but it didn't seem to take THIS long! I warned the nurse about my small veins and my slow donate time. "We better call J. She's better at this." The more experienced nurse arrived after eons (she was running around ragged). Left arm poked. No blood. "Did ...

There are moments when I am acutely reminded that I am a mother of a little boy, like last Monday when he: Dumped all the toys out of a small blue box and dragged it across the floor so he can use it to climb onto the couch. Once on the couch, he proceeded to run and jump along it. Upon discovery by his Mother, the blue box was confiscated and he was removed from the couch. With Mom gone for a moment, he elected to begin the whole process again with a laundry basket. Grabbed a gratefulness count-down-to-Christmas paper chain from his sister and ripped it to smithereens. Mommy chucked the remnants into the garbage with an exasperated sigh. So much for that idea. Tore his favourite book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle for the umpteenth time (almost every page in that book has been repaired in some way by Mommy or Daddy). Book was shelved for its next repair session. Note to self: board books are wise investments for little boy...

I wonder if you can relate to the following scenario. You pick up a home & garden magazine while the cashier scans another lady's groceries. The headlines tantalize your desire to make this year’s Christmas festivities meaningful and memorable. The words, “Customized Holiday Baking Ideas” grab your attention... Please join me at Our Journey Home to read my monthly post for Family Fridays . Your support is appreciated!

Ever since my husband and I said our nuptials, we sent out a picture of our family as the annual Christmas card. Sadly, not this year. I tried, really I did, to get that perfect shot! And it happened! But for reasons too complicated to explain, the picture never materialized. Thus, no card to grace your fridge this year. Sorry. I have debated on whether or not I should go through the effort of writing in paper cards, addressing them, and sending them through the mail system to arrive at my dear friends' doors. I've hummed and hawed and wondered if the cards will suffer the fate of my cards: displayed for a while, a few sentimental ones saved for years, still others cropped for scrapbooks or crafts, and the others, well, placed in the recycle bin. Save for the short moment of joy one receives to open Christmas mail, why should I bother? Of course, there are other reasons I avoid the task such as the additional cost of stamps (tighter budget this season) and the lack of time (t...

Join us every Friday of this month at Our Journey Home for thoughts and ideas on Christmas Traditions . I'll be posting next week! Your support is appreciated.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” (Luke 2:8-14, NLT) This Christmas season, may God interupt your day-to-day routine with His GLORY. May He DELIVER you from all your fears. May He fill you with inexplicable JOY. And may you experience His unfathomable PEACE. 25 more days, and counting...