Category Archives: God

Boys, christmas, God

Be Having a Snowy Epiphany

January 7, 2015 Be Enough 1 Comment

More snow than in over seventy years.

First ‘snow’ day school closures in over forty years.

Days of snow falling.

Big thick snowy flakes pouring from the sky.

Great memories with friends and the three brothers playing together.

Hours upon hours of creativity and outside snow time.

It has been a monumental Epiphany.

Nope, no epiphany for me today.

Another kind of Epiphany.

We are celebrating the twelfth day after Christmas that symbolizes the three wise men arriving from the East to worship the newborn King, Jesus.

Here’s the boys Epiphany play:

The wise men have spent the last weeks traveling from a faraway ~~box~~ land arriving in our ~~bookshelf~~ stable in Bethlehem.

We created three ice candles and placed them in our front yard, which is coincidently (or not) to the East of our home. We didn’t realize this was the East until JC pointed it out.

Sexy Neck read about the three Wise Men and we eventually talked about how we both came to know God personally in a private manner.

My beginnings with God began, coincidently, with a writing journal in my bedroom and for Sexy Neck, he came to know God through snow. Another coincidence? Hmmmm….

It was a privilege to celebrate Epiphany today and it is an even larger privilege to know a personal God where snow is the gift of “Epiphany”.

Boys, God, Grief

Be Alive (2014)

January 5, 2015 Be Enough 3 Comments

Being alive is not only the opposite of being dead.

Being alive is also ALERT and ACTIVE

Alert.

Active.

In the last year, my life has being painfully touched with the cycle of life and death.

I have tasted the acidity of death.

I have reflected on the sweet life lived by my precious mom.

As I think about 2014, which started five days after my mom’s death, I am acutely aware that my year could have been different without the prayer of my “people”, the presence of some very wise souls and my brood of boys that surround me.

I would not have survived without these “Saints”!

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(Yup, that’s me on the right after our workout!)

With my whole heart, mind and soul, I want to shout:

I am ALIVE.

I am ALERT.

God is ACTIVE all around me.

Working things out for His good.

Helping me see His ways.

Allowing me the privilege to taste life anew.

Savouring each workout with incredible women in His creation.

Doing things for the first time, things I thought I would NEVER do.

Enjoying every moment with people I love and adore.

I am grateful to be ALIVE.

Family, God, Jesus Christ

Be a “Messy” Christian

December 20, 2014 Be Enough 1 Comment

Messy.

Yup, that describes me.

I ain’t no one hour sitcom that figures it all out.

I don’t live in a magazine showhome.

Nope, not me.

Today, I bawled my eyes out twice talking to my friend in Germany and my cousin in PG.

Yup, crocodile tears rolling down my face.

Yup, that’s me.

I am the kind of girl that sometimes doesn’t even comb her hair.

And sometimes I even wear the same clothes TWO DAYS IN A ROW!

Had to admit it.

I don’t set aside specific “quiet” time to pray.

Not a lot of quiet time to be had.

This is what my morning quiet time looks like:

(Insert three wee boys at the end of the table ~~running around, yelling~~ eating breakfast.)

I do talk with our God throughout my day.

Please Lord, help me keep these boys alive!

I don’t attend church every weekend.

But I do worship and show gratitude to our Lord every day.

No, I am definitely not a nice and tidy Christian attending church every weekend, tithing my ten percent with my perfect “everything is just fine and dandy” smile on my face.

I am one “messy” believer in the Maker of the Universe, glory that God came for the imperfect, the ones that don’t have it all together, messy people like me!

Beautiful to know that God came as a baby, Jesus, and that we get to celebrate his birth next week!

And he was born in a stable.

Now if that ain’t messy, I don’t know what is!

Glory for imperfection.

Tears.

Love.

Life.

Friendship.

Fellowship.

Togetherness.

Celebrating.

My messy life.

With a beautiful birth.

Jesus.

God, Grief

Be an Across the Street Neighbour

December 10, 2014 Be Enough Leave a comment

I am walking upright.

In my comfy clothes.

Intentional about what I do.

Who’s paths I cross.

How much time I spend running around is limited.

I am quiet inside.

My grief is fatiguing.

Day after day, tears flow easily.

The depth of deep loss.

The beauty of great love.

Today, unexpectantly, I was ‘touched’ by two neighbours: L and J from Vtown and ‘Kind K’ from our new hood.

After school, I took the boys skating to the outdoor rink by the lake. It was
more like skate/swimming as it was ten degrees out. We had a great time. We were amazed when we saw these two faces stroll by:

Professional pumpkin carvers.

Across the street neighbours.

Card sharks.

Wine lovers.

Great friends.

Dearly missed neighbours.

After skating, I walked in our front door and immediately heard a knock on the door behind me. It was our new neighbour from across the street. She brought me these:

She lost her mom to cancer two years ago and she just wanted me to know she was thinking about us as we head into this Christmas season.

The power of neighbours.

The power of thought.

The power of being.

Being a neighbour, there is nothing like it!

I am grateful.

I am humbled.

I am hopeful.

Boys, christmas, God

Be Making and Doing

December 9, 2014 Be Enough 1 Comment

After my seminar on surviving the holidays while grieving, I feel free.

I live.

Breathe.

I have.

Freedom.

To choose.

My boys and I sat down. We talked about what we love to do and make over the Christmas season. We talked about many people as well as cookies, puzzles, decorating trees, Jesus’s birthday, sledding, skating, singing and advent calendars filled with chocolate. The most interesting thing is not once was a present or gift mentioned. Not once!

Our Christmas traditions have begun in our new home, one year later than planned but with freedom to choose what we want and my mom’s traditions to carry on.

Quilted tree skirt.

Advent calendars.

Christmas music.

Decorating gingerbread.

Personalized Christmas decorations.

Lights.

Candles.

Love.

Thanks mom. You live on through your amazing thoughtfulness, incredible creativity and pure love for us all.

Joy and grief.

Interconnected.

Mixing together.

In all we make and do.

Boys, cancer, christmas, God

Be Awakening to White

November 26, 2014 Be Enough 1 Comment

We awoke to copious amounts of snow.

Bright.

White.

Snow.

It ended up being a shovelling, sledding, snowman building morning before the school bell rang.

For me it was a bright light in the midst of dark times where everyday someone is talking about Cancer, telling me about their mom’s surgery or walking with their mom past me.

The loss of my mom continues to be deep and dark.

The love and traditions my mom had around Christmas continue to bring light. She was an incredibly thoughtful mom and Nana.

I am awakening to this new light.

White.

Bright.

Everlasting love.

Thank you mom!

Thank you God for fresh, white, new snow.

cancer, God, Green Tea Hawaii

Be Getting Ready to Sell Some Green Tea HAWAII

November 17, 2014 Be Enough 8 Comments

I feel sick.

I am afraid.

I am checking my list.

I am humbly asking for help.

I am going out of my realm of comfort.

I am preparing to sell some Green Tea HAWAII at a Craft Fair on Friday. Yup, me!

Selling tea!

I am not a salesperson.

Nor driven by money.

But I do love this product.

I believe in its health benefits.

So I will stand and share.

I will invite anyone who asks to join my Green Tea HAWAII tea party!

A girl’s dream.

A giant tea party!

Boys, Family, God

Be Learning a Peace Prayer from St. Francis of Assisi

November 13, 2014 Be Enough 5 Comments

I came across a prayer.

For peace!

I can’t believe I had never heard about this prayer nor St. Francis.

Our family is going to learn this prayer as we enter into the Christmas season.

Here is the adult version: And the family friendly one:
Praying for peace.

In my boys’ hearts.

In my home.

In my community.

As we live.

Vote.

Breathe.

Shop.

Enter into Christmas craziness.

Prayer for peace.

Thank you St. Francis of Assisi.

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