Beauty in the Imperfect

In the imperfections of life I am reminded that this is not my HOME.
Eternity is what really matters and where I will spend it.
Do you know for certain where you will spend eternity?
This life is not all there is.

REAL life comes after this one.
Our days here are very short...
even the longest of earthly lives are but a vapor.
Eternity is FOREVER.

My list of thanks this week documents some of the reminders
that this is not my HOME and I am not my own.
I belong to HIM.
HE can do with me exactly as HE pleases.
I exist to bring GLORY to HIM.

So in the imperfections of life I see beauty.
In Heaven nothing will be marred.
All will be forever PERFECT.
What a GLORIOUS thought!

There is beauty to be found in the imperfect ~
it is a blessing to enjoy this day regardless of what is
"unfinished" or "needs fixing".
The days are fleeting and the truly IMPORTANT things
often go unnoticed unless we really SEE!

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,
where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Matthew 6:19-21

496. Laundry collecting just as the bins are emptied

497. Broken glass in the sink ~ Casualties of hand washing...

498. Imperfect garden beds ~
Yes...you do see recycling in the mix...Emma seizes them from the bin for play.
FYI ~ The jug looking thing is an empty Maple Syrup bottle...oh YUM!

499. Little-boy-chewed guard rail on the bunkbed

500. Tear in the linoleum ~ my feeble attempt at installation

501. Missing doorknob on the front door ~ that would be the inside! :)

502. Broken and glued "treasures"

503. Mildew growing in the caulking

504. Dust that collects

505. "Dings" in the laminate

506. Warped laminate from the time the dishwasher had a leak

507. Scuffs on the wall

508. Mud that is tracked in

509. Tears in favourite articles of clothing

510. Stains that won't come out

511. Broken dishwasher

512. Chips out of the edges of the kitchen doors
(not installed that long ago!)

513. Betsy's broken door

514. Unfinished bedroom

515. Trim that isn't painted

516. Weeds

517. Grey hairs

518. Old injuries that resurface every now and then

519. Beginnings of arthritis in the fingers

520. Shifting teeth in spite of long-ago braces

521. Wrinkles

522. Sun-faded furniture

523. Congenitally missing teeth in two of our children

524. Chipped dishes

525. Five colds on our holiday

Find the inspiration for this post here.

And here.

Many Blessings,
Camille

How Great Thou Art

**Rocky Mountains ~ photo by Camille 2009**

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed,

Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze;

~ Refrain ~

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in:
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin;

~ Refrain ~

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!

~ Refrain ~

Stuart K. Hine (1899-1989)

Wonderful Collection of Books

Over the years we have built up our home library to the point of overflowing.
Both my husband and I have a weakness for books!
One of the bookshelves in the schoolroom has books doubled up.
And yet, we still find more books to bring home.

What is this teaching our children?
They say children will follow your example more than your words.
Will they value books as we have?
Will they read the MOST important BOOK every day?
Oh we do pray to that end.
We desire to see them glorify God in their lives and
pray that they would be equipped to teach and lead the next generation for HIM.

The Rare Collector's Series of books is worth looking into if you are building up your library.
Or if you want to give something of lasting value to a young person in your life. They work well as read-alouds...and the stories tend to be thought provoking
as well as touching in the way the valuable lessons are taught.

If you live in the Lower Mainland of BC you can find these titles at The Valley Gospel Mission Bookstore.
Phone 604-530-7880 for hours of operation and directions.

**I do not receive compensation for any of my reviews ~
they are humbly submitted for your examination only.

How to Keep Your Marriage Intact

**Photo of one of our Bibles and our wedding rings ~ by Camille**

When we were just on the verge of getting married, we were given the best marriage advice ever! I can't remember who it was that said it, but we have proven the truth of it over and over and over again. We have been blessed with nearly 19 years of marriage in which we have used this tried and true advice and have found that it works, by God's grace...every time!



What is this advice, you might ask?



If you are a Christian this will make perfect sense to you...for I am speaking of something that involves looking outside of ourselves to the one true God of Heaven and Earth...our Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ. If ever you argue or disagree with your spouse and cannot see eye to eye on a matter, it is then that you must do what follows.



Get on your knees together to pray. Pray out loud. Confess your sin...not his or hers! Easy to say, but very hard to do! You both must do this. Very often, before you are even finished praying, the Lord will mend the rift and you will be reconciled.



This, by the way, is THE MOST difficult thing to do! Be sure to have this strategy in place before it is needed. Commit yourselves to it and implement it as necessary.



A strong marriage has been depicted as one where the husband and wife are both growing closer to the Lord together...like the two lower points of a triangle...and the upper point represents God. The closer they get to God, the closer they get to one another. Interesting analogy, isn't it?



BTW...if your spouse is not a Christian and you are...DON'T despair! You can still commit your way to the Lord in prayer and seek by God's grace to live in harmony with your spouse.



God's Word says..."Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear."

I Peter 3:1-2

See also I Corinthians 7:10-16



Many Blessings,

Camille



**Repost from the archives under the title "The Best Marriage Advice"

Challenge No. 10 - Top 3

Back again tonight with our top 3.  With 111 entries I really couldn't have done this without the suggestions made by my DT members.  Thanks girls :)  Anyway, here they are

11 - Moshie

57 - Sharon Lougheed (2nd time!)

69 - Sue C

Congratulations girls, take the badge from the sidebar and wear it with pride.  Thanks to everyone else who entered, the standard was excellent.  Don't forget the current challenge number 11 is up and running - pop over here and enter a card.

I Will N.E.V.E.R. Understand!

Although I have T.H.R.E.E. boys,
they are still capable of coming up with new ways to amaze me!
The boy who did this will remain A.N.O.N.Y.M.O.U.S.
And, in his defense, this took place about two years ago ~
I like to think he now knows better.

Can you see what happened?
They say a picture speaks a thousand words and
in this case THREE pictures may reveal more than you ever wanted to know!
Whatever possessed my boy to do this to my girl is beyond me.
Her shrieks of horror were heard all over the house.
Thankfully he shut the power head of the vacuum off
before more damage was done.
The joys of motherhood abound! :)

The B.A.L.D. spot left after the...

B.O.Y. used this...

On her H.E.A.D. ~ While it was R.U.N.N.I.N.G.!!

Poor thing!
Oh the joys (and sorrows)
of motherhood!

Many Blessings,
Camille

Challenge No.10 - Winner

Phew!  With 111 entries for the last challenge it's taking me longer than expected to pick a top 3.  I'll be back tomorrow evening with the lucky trio but for now I'll announce the winner which has been chosen by Random.org

No 37 is Christine Craig.  Congratulations Christine.  Take a look at Hope Jacare and let me know which 5 digis you'd like on cardsformen@donnasden.co.uk

Back tomorrow with the top 3.

Challenge No. 11 - Good Luck

Good Morning all.  Phew, great entries for last week.  I'll be back later with the winner and top 3.  I'd like to thank Claire from Hope Jacare for a great sponsorship and don't forget that digital image she supplied.  If you do use it make sure she gets a mention.

This weeks challenge is sponsored by The Stamping Boutique and our theme is Good Luck.

"The Stamping Boutique is dedicated to quality products and original artwork. Our designers are chosen for their character and personality,as well as, their beautiful designs. We work hard to give you our very best. Thank you so much for having us as your sponsor this week."


The prize is your choice of 5 digi images from their shop.  The Stamping Boutique is full of wonderful images so hop on over and take a look.  The challenge will close at midnight BST (British Summer Time) on 6th June 2010 and the rules are

1. The card must be for a man/boy.
2. You need to follow the theme/sketch that is set.
3. It must be a new card.

Leave your name and a direct link to your entry (not just to your blog) in Mr Linky below.  If Mr Linky is not there for some reason then leave the details in the comments and I'll add you in when I'm doing the draw.

Here's what our Design Team came up with to help you on your way.

Issy

Pat

Shirley

Donna

Viv

So there you have it, hopefully we've given you some ideas.  We can't wait to see yours.

Life's Fleeting Joys

The weeks fly by.
The Mondays come and go.
The documentation of thanks continues ~
AND as I plod along,
I find myself being transformed by this "new" way of thinking.
We are called to this.
Joy is found in obedience.

"In every thing give thanks:
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
I Thessalonians 5:18

456. Clean dishes piled up in the drying rack ~
Remember that my dishwasher is broken?

457. Window seats on the airplane

458. WestJet! :)

459. New apron for our girl

460. Treasure found at an antique store in California

461. Constantly feeding the washing machine with dirty clothes...
and they come out clean!

462. Listening to my composer on the piano ~
what does the Lord have planned?

463. Crumbs (and chunks) on the floor...
we have food to eat and children to eat with ~
they won't always live here :(

464. New recipes to try

465. Play clothes that get dirty ~
the children are healthy

466. Opportunities to serve

467. Peaceful land to live in

468. Peaceful home

469. Peaceful street to live on

470. Church family to be a part of

471. Finishing the pile of ironing ~ ahhhh

472. Freshly laundered Sunday clothes...ready to be worn

473. Blonde bangs to trim

474. Recent visit with my sister...
a treat as she lives far away

475. Doing dishes with my sister ~
reliving distant memories

476. Hospitality of my sister and her family ~
they invited all SIX of us to stay!

477. Cousin friendships

478. Visiting a church a few thousand miles from home and
finding fellowship amongst God's people ~ joy!

479. Hearing two amazing sermons on the same Sunday ~
delivered with a Scottish accent :)

480. Exploring new (to us) parts of God's creation

481. Enjoying the diversity of plants found in the desert

482. Safety as we drove the Southern California Freeways!

483. A new appreciation for how relatively little traffic there is at home! :)

484. View of the mountains from 38,000 feet

485. Cloud pictures from the airplane window

486. Enjoying the perspective that flying gives ~
we really are SMALL and HE is GREAT!

487. Cheap flights!

488. The simple things

489. A van to drive and the ability to do so

490. A van to share and the flexibility of schedules
that enable us to have only one

491. A fresh batch of hand-me-downs

492. An invitation to return! (See #476)

493. Reminders to enjoy the moments

494. New beginnings

495. Patience and forgiveness extended to me ~

grace upon grace

Many Blessings,
Camille

A Wonderful Hymn!

A Sovereign Protector I have,
Unseen, yet forever at hand,
Unchangeably faithful to save,
Almighty to rule and command.

He smiles and my comforts abound;
His grace as the dew shall descend,
And walls of Salvation surround
The souls He delights to defend.

Inspirer and hearer of prayer,
Thou Shepherd and Guardian of Thine,
My all to thy covenant care,
I sleeping and waking resign.

If Thou art my shield and my Sun,
The night is no darkness to me;
And, fast as the moments roll on,
They bring me but nearer to Thee.

Kind Author, and ground of my hope,
Thee, Thee, for my God I avow;
My glad Ebenezer set up,
And own Thou hast helped me till now.

I muse on the years that are past,
Wherein my defense Thou hast proved;
Nor wilt Thou relinquish at last
A sinner so signally loved!

Augustus Toplady (1740-1778)

California Flowers

Our family was able to go visit my sister and her family in California at the beginning of the month. It was lovely to reconnect and spend some extended time with each other. One of the things my sister and I share is the joy of photography ~ I continue to learn...and by no means have arrived!
But it is enjoyable all the same!

She and I took MANY pictures of flowers. These are just a sampling of the ones we saw. I don't know the names of them all, but I do think that they display some of the creativity of our Great God!
Isn't HIS handiwork GLORIOUS?

"...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;
they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you,
That even Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these."
Matthew 6:28-29

Chewy Chocolate Cookies ~ Oh My!

Thy Hand Hath Provided posted a recipe for Chewy Chocolate Cookies ~
it is the second recipe shown in her post.

Oh. Dear. Me.

E.A.S.Y.

Too Easy!!

Hop on over...grab the recipe and follow her directions to a "T",
but be sure to let them cool on the cookie sheet.
I found they were too soft to transfer to a cooling rack right away ~
they are meant to be chewy after all.
I challenge you to whip up a batch and not eat every last one!!
They are destined to become your new favourite chocolate cookie...
that is, if you are one of those who likes chocolate cookies!
But who doesn't? :)

Tender Mercies

The days pass and the joys mount higher ~
reflection is often necessary to really appreciate today.
Oh that I would slow down long enough to drink it all in!

"The LORD is good to all:
and his tender mercies are over all his works."
Psalm 145:9

Continuing to number my days and His tender mercies ~
grace upon grace...

436. Endless supply of flowers for my little vase ~
lovingly picked just for me!

437. Little helper ~ eager to be of use!
Remember that my dishwasher is broken? :)

438. Soap bubbles...

439. School project ~ a tiny glimpse into the
sheer magnitude of our Great God's marvelous Creation

440. Neighbours willing to fill in on the paper route
and collect mail while we were away

441. Safe return of my Mom from Egypt

442. Imaginations of a child

443. Chocolate Molten Cakes

444. Bald eagles soaring overhead ~ three of them!

445. Little girl who keeps up as I "power walk"

446. Reading about our niece's adventures in AFRICA!

447. Ability to pray for loved ones far away

448. Our hearing and answering Heavenly Father

449. Fresh spring breezes filling the house

450. The gate slamming shut ~ boys live here

451. Empty fridge ~ boys live here

452. Full fridge ~ boys live here and God provides!

453. The "shhh" of little (and not so little)
boys in a bunk bed waiting for Mum to say goodnight

454. Little girl reading "The Bobbsey Twins" in bed
as she waits for Mummy to tuck her in

455. Oldest son who quietly goes to bed and still allows Mum
to kiss him goodnight

Many Blessings,
Camille

DT Call over on Donna's Den of Crafts

Just a quick post to let you know that there's a DT call over on my other blog, Donna's Den of Crafts.  Anyone interested in applying, follow this link.

Hope to see lots of you over there :)

Bless the LORD!

Psalm 103:1-5

Bless the LORD, O my soul:
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits:

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
who healeth all thy diseases;

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
who crowneth thee with lovingkindness
and tender mercies;

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;
so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Holy Bible

Salmon Burgers

This recipe was given to me by a dear friend ~
Thanks Claudia! :)

It is an easy (and yummy) way to get salmon into your diet ~
We all know how good it is for us!

Salmon Burgers

1 lb canned salmon with liquid
⅓ c flour
¼ c cornmeal
⅓ c wheat germ
2 eggs
½ c chopped onion
¼ c chopped green pepper (I omit this)
1 Tbs lemon juice


Flake salmon, mashing bones well.
Mix all ingredients together. Form into flat patties.
Brown in oil over medium heat until nicely browned on both sides.
Serve in a bun with tartar sauce or with rice and veggies on a plate.

ENJOY!

What We All *Should* Be Doing...

Food for thought...when we lose weight (or are trying to) ~ it is important not only to exercise, but to do light resistance training. I didn't always know this and I haven't always been faithful to do it, but it's very easy to add into the daily routine. Apparently, women are extremely susceptible to muscle and bone loss while dieting. Even if you are one of the fortunate ones who does not need to lose weight, you will help protect yourself against osteoporosis if you work some of this into your day.

Get some dumb bells (start with light weights...even one or two pounds) and search out a basic routine on the internet or from a book and do it! One of the programs I have used is this easy "8 Minutes in the Morning" routine by Jorge Cruise. It is a great place to begin!

Increase the weight when the exercises become too easy. Just be sure to begin with very light weights if this is new to you! Even 10 minutes a day will make a difference.

Now, where ARE those dumb bells? ;-)

Challenge No. 9 - Winner

Here I am again, second post today.  This time with the winners of our last challenge.  As always, I used Random.org to generate the winning number....

which is Claire *Littlebear*.  Congratulations Claire, please email me on cardsformen@donnasden.co.uk to claim your £10 voucher for my shop, Donna's Den of Crafts.

Now on to the top 3.  I really enjoy going and having a look at everyone's cards and have seen a good number of repeat visitors over the last few months.  It's really encouraging so thanks to you all.

Here they are...

Micheymoo

Di Cox

Georgie

Please grab the blinkie from the side and display it on your own blog.  Congratulaions.

Challenge No.10

Another fortnight has whizzed by and here we are with our new challenge.  This week we welcome back my good friend, Claire from Hope Jacare with her wonderful images.

Our theme is 'Outdoors' and Claire has designed an image just for you guys to use (if you wish - it's not a requirement to enter the challenge).  Just copy the image below to your own computer.

For those of you who haven't seen Claire's work before, here's what she had to say for herself....

"I'm a SAHM with three young children. I trained in Textile Design at the Glasgw School of Art and I love all things handmade, but especially papercrafts.  I love to doodle ... and my doodles are available to purchase as digital images through Stitchy Bear Stamps."

Please go along and have a look at her work.  The prize from Claire is your choice of 5 Digistamps from her range.  Now lets get some inspiration from the wonderful team.

Issy

Shirley

Donna

Viv

Issy has gone on holiday and as yet her scheduled post hasn't scheduled so I've just linked to her blog.  If Mr Blogger doesn't work for her then I'm sure she'll post it when she gets back.

Now that you've all got some inspiration and are raring to go, here's the rules:

The challenge is open until midnight BST (British Summer Time) on the 23rd May 2010 and the rules are

1. The card must be for a man/boy.
2. You need to follow the theme/sketch that is set.

3. It must be a new card.

Leave your name and a direct link to your entry (not just to your blog) in Mr Linky at the bottom of this post.  If Mr Linky is not there for some reason then leave the details in the comments and I'll add you in when I'm doing the draw.