"Celebrate All Our Differences!"

"Celebrate all our differences
Instead of building these lasting fences
What's in your heart matters most of all..."

(Second Last Verse in CeCe Winans song Colorful World)

I have been persecuted often for my differences...

We all at some point in our lives come across these people, the self proclaimed judges of others....

And it is almost guaranteed that we just won't encounter them once, but throughout our lives however long the Lord makes them, these types of people are around every corner, in every Mommy and Me Group, on the Soccer Field, and even in your Church.....

So what to we do?
Do we try to change to get the approval from these self proclaimed judges?
Or to we embrace what sets us apart and makes us different?

I opt for embracing what sets me apart!

What does this mean? I mean in terms of those judges still being out there?

Well, I am not saying I am holier than thou and it will never bother me when those judges make there judgments, but atleast I know who I am, what I am about, and most importantly that I stand for something, and that the Lord God made me with the intent to set me apart, as he did with all of us....

I am not saying he made us all to be alone forever in isolation never to interact etc, I am saying he made us in his image and unique and thus we all act as components in the body of Christ!

If you think for a minute of a body in actual physical form, the arm is not like the leg, nor the brain like the foot, they are different but all have different functions and capabilities....

I say the same for us, we all function differently but we all form the body of Christ.......

God only wants us to love one another in spite of those differences and because of those differences he focuses on what is in our hearts, and where we are with him he accepts us 100% no conditions etc, and he wants us to do the same...

Alot of the time people are bogged down by their differences, refusing to let their differences shine, refusing to allow their uniqueness to be shown, often they are embarrassed by it all, instead they act the way people expect them to act, and by those people I mean those self proclaimed judges...

So they walk around robots, afraid of letting their true selves show.......

God wants us to tear down those fences that our own fears build up around us....

There is so much pressure put on people these days, lies from the enemy that we could not possibly be good enough by just being ourselves.....

Many of us struggle, but many of us to break free!

Today I am going to Celebrate my Differences, how about you?

The Dream that Makes me Ponder...

I often have this dream...

I am in the shower and I begin to feel light headed, I ignore it at first because I am always tired etc......
I continue the shower ritual and then time seems to go in slow motion, my breathing slows and my eyes roll back in my head and I start falling forward....A loud 'clunk' is heard, which is my head hitting the tub, and I am there in that moment, head down, water running over me, I'm dying, I can see blood going down the drain, my eyes flutter a few times, I can feel myself going numb, and it goes black, sounds of the water running fade, and then I wake up.........

Creepy, I know...But I have had it more than once...

No one like death, and no one ever discuses it, it is the Elephant in the room, people avoid it, and I do not blame them at all......But it is reality from the point of birth death will come in the future, however far that is, well only the Lord knows when he will call us home.....

I watched Jay's Mom slowly die from Lung/Brain Cancer....4 years fighting it, it was a learning experience for me, it was my first time being that close....

I remember the look in her eyes the last time I saw her, full of desperation and fear, and the woman that once was so strong and the type of woman that you would think could scare death, she was so weak, and quiet never speaking of her fear or allowing her desperation out.......

I remember feeling odd sitting with her alone in those last days I saw her alive, I was so scared she would go into cardiac arrest or something, I was so worried that every morning we would be walking into the room to say good morning to find her dead.....

But I wasn't there when the Lord took her, Jayson was, her sister was, and her Best friend......

Jayson was so strong, stronger than most people would imagine, but I think the factor in Jayson that separates him from those people is his faith......He knew God was present, he never gave up on showing his Mom as she lay there those last few days unable to speak and see, he fed her the word of God to nourish her soul, and it paid off, Jayson received confirmation that the Lord was indeed present and carried her home.....(I will let Jayson tell you the story in full details because it is so powerful and intimate for him)........

I use to be very afraid of death, not so much anymore, I think I am more afraid of leaving my children behind, and making sure people will be around them to love them up, and that they may forget me.....But at the same time I know they will be in God's hands, what better hands for them huh?.....

Death is not the end......Just a moment, and then I will forever and a eternity be with the Father in Heaven.........

So now when I have that dream, and no I do not call it a nightmare, because it does not scare me, it now acts as a reminder that we need to face our fears, walk in faith, and allow God to be present always....

I have a busy day today, groceries and Doc Appointment for Raphael, let's see how much he has grown!


Gotta Go now and have a shower ---- Ah! LOL!

Can the Deaf Hear the Voice of Love?

A Verse from the Song You're Everything
By the David Crowder Band

So raise me up
from this grave
you touch my tongue
and then I'll say:
Heal my limbs
and joyfully I'll run to you...

I woke up today like every other morning, did my routine, did all my Mommy things, sat down at my computer and was led to play this song.....and here I am typing.....

Found myself thinking, how long was I deaf and did not hear the Voice of Love?
And how many people are out there and they remain deaf and numb to the Voice of Love?

If you look back on your life and you have not been a Christian your whole life etc, can you even remember what is was like before you accepted Jesus into your heart/life?

All I can remember is that there was darkness, I did feel numb to my surroundings, and I was alone, no warmth.......

It was as if I had been dead for nineteen years and one day the numbness was penetrated and light/warmth/love filled me and I have not looked back since....

I mean I was shown a whole new world that I had no idea existed, and since then I have had so many experiences, in 7 years I have seen alot of God's Glory Shown, and I could never now imagine my life any different...

Going back to my previous statement/question:

How many people are out there and they remain deaf and numb to the Voice of Love?

Do I believe that they will always be deaf and numb?

Do I think they are unreachable?

No!

God can penetrate the deafest of people, there is nothing he can not do, all it takes is a small trace of willingness to hear on our part, our souls cry out, and God is not deaf to that, he wants all of us to come to life through him...

Ezekiel 37:3-5

He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

And I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know."

Again He said to me, Prophesy over these bones and say to them,

'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.'

"Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones,

'Behold, I will cause breath to enter you

that you may come to life.

I think this perhaps is my favorite passage from the Bible,
it is a powerful message...

I need not say anymore,
because that passage says it all!

Blessings.

How do I Measure Up?

Ever ask yourself that question?

Truth is I ask myself that everyday...

I am an investor, not financial, but in friendships/relationships........

I invest deeply at times and wonder afterwards, how do I measure up with such in such?

But does it matter?

I'd like to tell you it does not matter to me, but then I would be the one thing I loathe, a liar...

But on the other hand it does not matter to me, or atleast it should not because as long as I know how I measure up with my Lord then all else seems trivial......

God made us, I mean he was the Master Potter and took time out to craft us......

I often read the book 'You are so Special' to Elijah or sometimes I just read it, and in that book Wemmick's worth were measured by stickers, gold stars and gray dots, Wemmick's loathed the gray dots, and longed and envied the ones who only had gold stars......

When I first read that book( a long time ago mind you) I saw myself as a girl covered in dots, no star would find me worthy, but then I thought of the woodcarver Eli, I really reflected, and even though at times I can be tempted into thinking I need those gold stars, that validation of my worth from other people, I know now all I need to worry about is what my Lord who made me thinks, how he measures me, that is all that matters......

Last night I questioned my worth again, I questioned alot of things, found myself in a inner battle, it seemed that the enemy just about won the battle, but I remembered that story, and victory was found yet again.......

I know that there will be battles, questions, and wonders of my worth, my validation with those around me, the truth is when I love either my husband or my friends I love deep, it is the only way I know how to love....

I am just afraid I have perhaps become that little kid who hug the puppy and squeezes too hard.....

Even though I am told I am not, it is a thought I struggle with lately.....

But all in all next time you ask yourself How do I measure up? whether it be with your spouse or friend, remember the story about Punchinello...

Be Well.

A Picture is worth a 1000 words...

Well, last Tuesday we and we being Jo and the Tench Clan went to the Toronto Metro Zoo, it was all glorious, peaceful, well it was down right perfect, a day to go down in History as a Perfect Day in the life of ME!

During our trip Jayson had control over the Camera and there was a tragedy....it was dropped and now is put to the grave....

As you all know a camera to me is like air, I need it, I must have one, and with two growing children I can not go without...

So.......

The picture here is the one that we ordered this weekend!

Now I will be ready to take many pictures (and video Jo!) and capture a million words!

Are you ready for your close up?

Ta Ta!

Hydration...

I am sitting here and I am currently reflecting on today's events that have passed......

Got up at insane hour - 5am
Entertained/Fed/Diaper Changed Baby Raphael
Encouraged Elijah to use the Potty, and he is doing awesome and all on his own now
Fed him too
Got diaper Bag ready
Cleaned Kitchen
Cleaned one three year old's bedroom
Got kids dressed for Church
Got myself ready
Went to Church
Came home
Baby slept, Elijah went out with his Uncle David

House was quiet

An intense headache rose within me and I realized I was not being a good "mommy" to myself and remembering to stay hydrated all those times.....

How often as a mother do we forget to stop and take care of ourselves?
I mean I wake up and do pretty much everything the same everyday, it varies if Elijah has school or appointments come up, and I often find myself mid-day feeling either light headed or weak or all of the above.....

Then my darling husband will ask with that added touch of wit "well have you had anything to eat yet or drink dear?"

And of course he knows the answer, he has just watched me run ramped all morning and knows how I am, my motto is get things done in the morning, so that the afternoon is free for me to take the kids outside etc.....and I am often a freight train, I mean I am on this track each day and I am so determined to make sure everything gets done, except one thing.....I always forget me!

But that is sometimes what being a mom is about....

I am currently getting geared up for a newly added activity to my list, Elijah starts Soccer tomorrow night...he is on team Purple and he is so excited!

Pictures to come....

Well...........

It is such a nice day today......thinking of my friend Heather and her outside digging in the dirt potting plants for her plant sales......

Now I must go and savor this quiet home, because a noisy Elijah is bound to come barreling in at any minute!!!

Ta ta for now...

Surrendering...

I have finally succumbed to the Blogger life!

After a few years of sitting by on the sidelines and watching the workings of Jo, Aphra, and Mianh.....

I was intrigued so.....

I decided to surrender and become one with the "Blogger" world!

Wow!

Today is my 5th year Wedding Anniversary too!!!

It was meant to be I suppose, landmarking this day.....

Well I am off for now ta ta!