Momma Monday ...on Tuesday!

My boy Matthew is a joy to be around. He brings a smile to our faces and lights up the rooms he enters. This Christmas in each of our stockings he had a verse for us that God gave him to share. They are always the most perfect and appropriate verses for each of us. My stocking verse came from the book of Proverbs chapter 14 verse 30 and says " a peaceful heart leads to a healthy body " As a mom, part of my job is to bring and enable peace in our home. Sometimes I do just the opposite, this was a good reminder for me from my precious tender hearted boy!

Merry Christmas to All!

It finally snowed!  Of this I'm very happy!  It feels so much more like Christmas with the ground being covered in a clean white layer!  Hopefully the rain holds off, or some more snow comes in the next couple of days!  

Visiting with (Great) Grandma Sibley :)

Merry Christmas to you!  Please take time to look ahead to Christ's coming!  Prepare your heart.  Love. Serve. Give.  Make your Christmas season different than the world's - Christ centred, as each day should be.  Give Him time.  Enjoy one another :)

Light of the World!

In the beginning when God started to create, in Genesis 1:4

God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

The word light is found many many times in the Bible.  We are drawn to light and captivated by it.  Of course, as the Bible says as well in John 3:19 people do love darkness.  

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil

However, we still have that choice.  Darkness, being the absence of light, is so hopeless.  We can have an eternal hope in Christ.  To live forever with Him where there will be no need of the sun because the glory of God will shine so brightly!  How awesome!  Jesus says, in John 9:5

While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Momma Monday

My "little drummer boy" showed his talent today at our Christmas lunch.  We had a couple of neighbours over for a yummy meal and visit and they requested some singing.  So I brought out the guitar and we all sang some Christmas carols.  It was really lovely, I enjoyed it a lot!  All of my kids were more than willing participants, we even had a few songs already out from Sunday morning's service so they were ready to go.  Ryan sang with us for a few songs, then realized what was missing.  He went and got the djembe (hand drum) and played along.  He's got music in him and can really play the drums well!  It amazes me how well he can play at such a young age and without any training.  He plays the drum kit at church when I lead the music.  He also plays during the week every other Wednesday for youth and every Thursday for Boys and Girls Club.  There have been a few times that we'll be worshiping God through music and I completely forget that my son, now 11 years old, is the one on the drum kit.  God has truly gifted him.  He continues to improve more and more each time he plays.  It doesn't take him long to figure out new patterns and rhythms.  Music has such a way to show emotion.  It can bring joy in our hearts and release emotion.  All through the Bible music was used to celebrate, soothe hearts, and praise God!  In 2 Samuel 6:5 it says,

David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.

I pray that my little drummer boy will continue celebrating and praising his Lord and Saviour!

Food Friday :)

I like potatoes...almost in any form, I can't think of a way I don't like them.  But I also like things that crunch...these shredded potato pancakes (at least that's what the kids called them)  were absolutely delicious with some scrambled eggs and fruit.  mmmm.  Another food experiment gone well!  And very simple to do, just shred the potatoes, and dry with paper towel (this is the most difficult part)  they sure do have a lot of water in them!  Then put in a pan - that already has some heated oil and cook until golden brown, flip until the other side is the same!  You can of course add salt and pepper for seasoning.  :)

A mostly unrelated but encouraging verse from Matthew 6:31-32

Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things

God knows us and loves us and will provide what we need.

White Christmas

Please, we need snow for Christmas!!

Loneliness

I have often prayed that God would show me needs in my community.  I would love to be able to help, and often feel I have time that could be used in a better way to show Christ's love to others, but I don't know what the needs are, or necessarily how to find out what they are.  In some ways, I know people are hungry, so we can give to the food bank, I know people are cold, so we can buy/make scarfs and mittens, things like that but there are more needs, deep needs, like loneliness.  I think we have all felt loneliness so we can relate to those who are lonely.  Even in my own home with my family there have been times that I have felt alone, so with those who don't live with family, I imagine the loneliness is even stronger.  I guess I have been wanting God to just say, hey - go here, visit this person, chat with so and so....well, today He did just that.  I had a phone call from someone who, until tonight was a stranger to me, and now I feel like I've known her for such a long time!  Rachel and I went to visit and chat, craft, and help out and it was such a wonderful time!  She let me know of some needs of those around her, and I just feel so blessed to know this and be able to help love these people.  It's really amazing when God speaks and we listen.  I especially like when He makes it so clear for me :)  2 Corinthians 1:3-4 sums up what I've felt this evening...

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.


I think, more than anything, I enjoyed the company, I enjoyed talking, listening, sharing...it was so refreshing and...such a blessing!  We are certainly able to use those cleaning skills (and ideas from 31 Days to Clean) in homes other than our own too :)