Christianity, Flexibility

Be Quiet Together

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I am the kind of girl that is a tad bit loud to go along with my six foot frame.   Quiet time is not my strength, but it is becoming my strength.

As I journey through this year of blogging, and now moving, I am realizing that it is the quiet moments that I have with friends that are the most memorable and moving.

As a goodbye to a wonderful home, amazing neighbours and friends, I decided to host a yoga class in my empty house.   A wonderful “warrior” woman shared her gift of teaching, gift of yoga and gift of space and peace with us.

Here was my intention for the evening:

My hope is that this evening is a restful time for you and a celebration of all our new beginnings – large and small, chosen and not chosen, beautiful new beginnings. 

I pray with all my heart that you will always know love and grace, the love that allows your kids to run into your car on their bike and allows you the freedom to run over theirs.  Grace and love the surpasses all understanding. 

I pray that you know peace, peace of yoga, peace of skiing, paddling, time spent in Gods country, peace of being with people you love.

I pray that you always know pure joy.  Joy of eating together, reading together, Circle Park soccering together, wine drinking and laughing together.

I pray that you know your neighbours – incredibly caring, giving, loving, gracious neighbours.

I pray you know that there is a purpose and a plan to everything.  A beautiful patchwork quilt that has woven us all together and brought us together in this moment.

Lastly, I pray you know friendship. Friends who go along with crazy ideas for clubs, events, get togethers.  Friends who bake you gluten free treats and teach you how to bake.  Friends who share a piece of themselves, their struggles and their joys.  A friend who really wants all of you to do ZUMBA buy opts for a safe yoga class in her empty house.  Friends who walk with you during the early years of motherhood – whew!  Friends like you! 

I pray all these things as I trust in God with all my heart, leaning not on my own understanding.

In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Cheers to ALL my Warrior women… to all of us in different seasons of life, but living it TOGETHER!  Peace and love to you ALL!

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Christianity, Jesus Christ, Parenting

Be Still

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In the midst of decluttering, packing and keeping track of our three boys, I am trying to remember my word for this season: Rest.

For the last couple of years, I have been asking God if he could give me a word.  I have gone through prayer and peace and now it appears that I am moving into a time of rest.  I am not one to rest.  Actually, I have been described as a jet engine as well as a woman on a hamster wheel.  Ha!

I am making a conscious choice every day to get off of my hamster wheel and just “Be”.

A couple of months ago, my boys and I were playing in the driveway riding bikes and scootering.  Our wonderful Priest walked by.  I shared with him my word for right now as he asked how I was doing with all the packing.   He gave me a great meditation that I thought was absolutely amazing.  It comes from Psalm 46:10 in the Old Testament of the bible.

Here is how it works.  Read the verse, but drop one word each time you read it.  It is absolutely fascinating because each sentence is so meaningful yet so different.

Here is the meditation written out:

Be still, and know that I am God

Be still, and know that I am

Be still, and know that I

Be still, and know that

Be still, and know

Be still, and

Be still

Be

Beautiful.  May this give you a time of rest during your busy day.  Thanks Chris!

Boys, Parenting

Be A BBF

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My kindergartener came home yesterday and insisted that CC put on the same t-shirt as him, then started yelling out “1, 2, 3 BFF unite!”.

 I asked him who he was playing with at lunch today and he responded, “Paige!”  Yes, I guessed that.    

When daddy arrived home two hours later, the boys were still chanting, “1, 2, 3, BFF unite!” 

Sexy Neck worked with the boys to change it to “Best Brothers Forever!” and they were off.

This is our prayer and dream for our boys, that they will be three strands of leather, intertwined, flexible, but never to be broken.  “BBF’s unite!”

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Our middle guy walking by the outdoor hockey rink to preschool with his baby brother. 

(3 years old and 18 months old) 

Jesus Christ, psychology, Self-help

Be Remembering

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I remember running in fear to and from the stop sign,

searching, looking for the boogie man.

I remember monsters lurking under my bed and around every

corner and in every closet.

I remember fire, falling and blindness in my dreams,

sometimes I still remember those.

I remember being trapped in a bin, outside the house,

in closets, in darkness.

I remember being shut out, turned from, not listened to,

I ran away alone.

I remember sleepovers I didn’t want to be at,

many I came home from.

I remember feelings of discomfort, judgement, inability to live up to expectations,

oh ya, I still have those.

I remember fearing alcohol, the effect on my body and others.

I remember preaching abstinence from it.

NOW I know in my body the light,

I remember God’s light shining in my basement bedroom in 1995,

I remember God’s love, His acceptance, His peace, His kindness, His grace.

I remember His ways are not my ways.  Everything doesn’t have to make sense.

I remember God is who He says He is in the bible, in nature, in wise people around me.

I remember the fragrance of heaven surrounding me.

I remember to trust, let go of performance and to REST.

I remember the FoRest, by the pond where God meets me.

I remember His word is alive and active in ME… yup me.

I remember to swing and to allow God to push me.  Swing Joanna!

I remember that I will be healed in 2013.  Glory, Hallelujah.  Thank you Jesus.

My Favourite Song to end off this post:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8welVgKX8Qo

Family, psychology

Be a Neighbour

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I am in shock that someone could make a homemade bomb to hurt citizens, athletes, and spectators at the Boston Marathon.  I doesn’t make sense.  It is cruel, hurtful and evil.  I am in despair and I feel very sad.

What can I do? How can I help?

I feel hopeless, but then I realize that there are people all around me.  People hurting, people needing support and I know that I can do only one thing in this moment of sadness:

I can be a neighbour.

I believe in my heart that if we really knew our neighbours, our world would be a better place.  If we took the time to really LOVE and understand our neighbours.  If we took the time to listen and care, we would not have so many human beings that feel so disconnected from each other.  Many people willing to kill each other.

In my despair, I stand on my soapbox and ask, could be a neighbour?

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Our neighbour pumpkin carving night! 

Here is what being a neighbour means to our family, on our street, in our small town:

  • Give your neighbours your phone number. (Once you get to know them.)
  • Lend them things – we tend to lend out a ton of baby/kids stuff.  Imagine that!
  • Borrow things from them – ask for some milk or a couple of eggs
  • Get to know your neighbours.  We know everyone on our block as well as their parents, grandchildren and a few aunts and uncles.
  • Ask the neighbourhood kids to walk your dog or take care of the lawn.  It gives them purpose and value.  (If they don’t accept, don’t worry.  Keep asking!)
  • Drop off some cookies or a candy bar or a pizza if you know someone in the neighbourhood is sick.  Nothing fancy, just something from your family.
  • Celebrate special events: I know people do block parties (we aren’t that fancy), but we do have card nights, BBQ’s and I have even hosted a yoga class in my living room.
  • And our personal favourite for our street: If someone walks down the road, say hello and smile.  Simple and sweet!

I think being a neighbour also involves someone being in the home during the day.  I think if more families had a parent at home (at least part time), many of our North American problems would disappear.  Perhaps even huge bombing (and future bombings and shootings ) like the Boston Marathon Tragedy could have been prevented.

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Be A Worker

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I live with three little men and one big one.

I am immersed with strange noises, tree climbing and nightly wrestling sessions on a daily basis.

I haven’t quite figured this whole ‘boy’ thing out yet, but I read a ton of books about boys and spend many hours observing my blessed, interesting, little men.

This morning was a light bulb moment.

My men love to WORK.

If there is a job to be done, it is done. If there is wood to be moved it is carried together while singing. If a machine is being worked on, my little men are there.

Amazing! I love my little workers! Well done this morning boys!

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"Be a human BEING, not a human doing!"