Just. This. Day.

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow:
for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
Matthew 6:34


Ah yes ~
S.U.F.F.I.C.I.E.N.T.

How often do I try to solve ALL the coming day's
and even week's problems on this day?

Too often!

I am only called upon by the LORD
to accomplish the tasks of
Just. This. Day.

Relief!

THIS is the day I am living in, and it is in THIS day that
the LORD promises to give HIS grace!

HE doesn't promise us grace for the worry of the tomorrows.
How often I get trapped into the "what if's" of the days to come.

Worrying is a sin!
We NEVER will be given grace to sin.

The LORD gives grace and strength to take every thought captive.
HE gives the grace and enabling to
Do the Next Thing.

And HE enables us each to
Cast all our cares upon HIM.


May we each have wisdom from the LORD
to know what it is we are to accomplish
in THIS DAY...for HIS glory!

Blessings to you all ~
In His Love,
Camille

It's a Keeper!

Oh. Dear. Me.
Are you ready for this?

Absolutely the
B.E.S.T.
Cinnamon Rolls ever!

I came across this recipe one day awhile back.
I figured the day would eventually arrive when
Cinnamon Rolls would be *needed*.
So I saved the link.

Today was the day.
There are a few happy people around here.
It's a "keeper"!

The dough before the first rise.

Punched down and rolled out with butter,

cinnamon and golden sugar spread on it.

Rolled up and sliced into individual buns.

Set for the second rise.

Risen and ready to pop into the oven.

Freshly baked!

And glazed...

Beware of the consequences if you bake these ~

they are SO difficult to resist!

Don't say I didn't warn you! :)

Perfectly Wonderful Cinnamon Rolls ~

from the Sisters Cafe Blog.

I altered the recipe just a bit as follows.

They required a little more flour than was listed in

the recipe ~ be sure that you knead the dough until it is

elastic and smooth...about 5 minutes of kneading.

The resulting dough will be slightly sticky,

but should make a nice, smooth ball.

The sugar I used to spread with the cinnamon

was golden brown sugar ~

it wasn't clear which type of sugar was called for

in the original recipe.

I found that mine took about 15 minutes to cook.

And they ended up touching each other during baking ~

even though I spaced them apart on the pan.

Please do let me know if you try them out!

Feel free to ask questions if you are unsure of anything...

I will try to be of help.

Have a lovely week!

Blessings,

Camille

Monsters, Treats, and Class Books!

After laughing hysterically through Junie B. Jones has a Monster Under Her Bed, and then reading an adorable new picture book called I Need My Monster, we first and foremost concluded that monsters are not real. (*That Paulie Allen Puffer is a real trickster, I tell you!) Then we decided to use our imaginations to think of a monster we would want to have under our beds!

*Paulie Allen Puffer is a character in Junie B. who likes to trick first graders into believing things that aren't true. (Parents, ask your first grader about Paulie Allen Puffer and the 5 secrets of Halloween--hilarious!)


This little friend has a fat monster under his bed. I love those big eyes!!!




Trick or Treat! This book has been a hit year after year in my room! The kids love to read it over and over again!



I hope to get Reese's Cups and candy corn, but this little first grade friend hopes to get "hot gum"!

Challenge No. 22 - Anything goes (as long as it's male)

Wow, what a fortnight.  As I'm scheduling this we've had 138 entries which is fab.  It really is wonderful seeing everyone's ideas and we just want you all to keep on coming back to us.

Our theme this week is sticking with some general ideas, Anything Goes.  The sponsor is the fabulous Digital Delights

Welcome to Digital Delights, a magical place filled with my little digi creations from all walks of life. We have a wide range of digital stamps which are delivered straight to your email 24/7!!

http://digitaldelightsbyloubyloo.com/

The prize is a $10 gift certificate, to spend at Digital Delights which I'm sure you'd all love.  Please pop over and take a look around.

Here's what the wonderful Design Team came up with this time:

Patricia

Shirley

Alison

Sarah

Mandy

Kitty

Donna

Kym

Aren't they wonderful.  It never ceases to amaze me what wonderful ideas the team can come up with.  Now for some rules:

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.

The challenge will close at 12 midnight (BST) on the 7th November 2010.  Leave your name and a direct link to your entry (not just to your blog) below.  If the link tool 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.

With a Little Advance Planning...

Does the thought that Christmas Day is just a little more than
EIGHT weeks away cause despair to rise within you?

It shouldn't.

What is the Christmas season all about, anyway?
Perhaps, before we go any further, we should
refocus on what really matters.

And then ~
make a little plan.
And stick to it!

This post is all about the gifts.
Ideas for those on a budget ~
Aren't we ALL on a budget?

Hopefully there is something here for everyone.
Enjoy the journey.
It is a joy to give.
And it really IS the thought that counts...
not the $$$ spent!
Give a little love this Christmas.

And be ready to share the
REAL Gift of Love with others.


Everyone loves a
personalized Gift Basket.
Tailor it to suit the one you are
planning to give it to,
and be prepared for a joyful response.

Gift baskets can be put together in a small bowl,
large basket, and everything in between.
I have even had one of these given to
me in a laundry basket ~ when our girl was born.
Use your imagination and have fun!

What you see in the basket above are some homemade
goodies from my kitchen.
Caramel Corn
and jam are two of the items included.
Give what your recipient wouldn't
normally make for themselves.


Begin a Library of Quality books
for a young person in your life.


Faith-Building Audio Drama
for kids (and their parents)
is a wonderful idea for a family with children
from age six to twelve (and beyond).


Focus on the Family Radio Theatre
is WONDERFUL for any family ~ for all ages!
There are, of course, certain stories that
the very young would be frightened by,
but you are quite safe with
titles such as "Little Women",
"Anne of Green Gables" and "Silas Marner".
I cannot tell you how much we have enjoyed these ~
over and over and over again!


How about something sweet for neighbours,
family and friends?
Caramel Corn
is something not many can refuse.
And packaged up pretty,
it is a welcome hostess or teacher gift.


Another neighbour or teacher gift is the
"Gift in a Mug".
Pretty and economical...
as long as it is hand-assembled, of course!


For little people on your list ~
I cannot recommend
these sweet books
highly enough!


An "Answers" Magazine Subscription
would be a great blessing for any family on your list.
The material presented is from a Biblical Worldview
and is a wonderful tool to fortify every member
within that home.
We ALL *love* to find the next installment
in our mailbox.

If you have NO MONEY to spend on gifts...
take heart!

There are MANY ways to show love and give of
what you DO have to loved ones.
Some of your TIME.

What about a coupon booklet?
Handmade by you?
Custom designed and hand-written.

Make coupons for things such as these ~

"I will clean your car one Saturday...name the date!"
"I will take you to..."
"Date night IN...leave all the details to me!"
"I will bake your favourite...anytime you ask!"
"I will read your favourite book to you one afternoon"
"We will go to the park and swing on the swings..."
"Good for one day of housecleaning!"
"Free babysitting one night while you go out."

Etc...

The possibilities are ENDLESS!

Then...make sure YOU keep track of what you've
promised to do and keep the recipient of your coupons
accountable to take you up on it!

Remember to take time to enjoy
this time of year.
The LORD is not honoured by
our overdoing it ~
Who are we aiming to please anyway?

May this Christmas Season be full
of love and joy and peace ~
And may the Lord Jesus Christ
be at the center of it all!

Blessings to each of you!
In His Love,
Camille

Spooky Shake-Up!

One of our math tub choices this past week was a game called "Spooky Shake-Up"! This game is very easy to make, and another fun way to practice addition facts! I grabbed an egg carton, then put numbers on round stickers to stick into the bottom of each "egg cup". I found cute Halloween themed erasers in the dollar bins at Target, and I used two different ones for this game. The kids close the carton, shake it, then open to see where the two erasers have landed. They add the two numbers together, then they pass it to a partner so they can have a turn! The neat thing about this game is you can change the numbers easily, so you can make it as easy or advanced as you'd like!

Funky Owls

We had a great time learning all about owls this week! Today, we didn't just make regular old owls--but funky owls! I think they are just adorable and a little hilarious! I passed out paper bags to cut out the owl body, and then let the kids choose two different kinds of funky scrapbook paper to use for the eyes and wings. I love how unique each owl turned out! Parents, ask your first grader to point out his or her owl to you. They are so proud of them!

The Feast We All Need

We feast at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

We feast at weddings and celebrations.

We tend to think of feasting only

as it pertains to food.



Feasting does involve food.

But there are two types of food ~

Physical and Spiritual.



What is Spiritual food?

What does it mean to feast on God's Word?

HOW do we feast on the Bible?



After all, the Bible says ~

"...Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that proceedeth out

of the mouth of God."

Matthew 4:4





We will eventually die physically if we do not eat.

But more importantly, we will die spiritually

if we do not "eat" of the Word.



"And Jesus said unto them,

I am the bread of life:

he that cometh to me shall never hunger;

and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

John 6:35



Only by taking the LORD at HIS Word

can we truly be saved.



And only when we are saved

can we truly FEAST.



How?



Daily.

Routinely.

Thoughtfully.

Prayerfully.

Often.



And only by the Holy Spirit is any of this possible.

We cannot *know* anything apart from HIM.

HE opens our eyes that we might see.





Feasting on the Word.



Reading it.

Memorizing it.

Meditating on it.

Praying through it.

Living it.



Until it becomes part of who we are.

Until we cannot help but share it.



May the LORD enable each of us

to truly FEAST.



Many Blessings,

Camille

He Shoots...He Scores!

We have THREE boys.
They all play hockey.
It's a Canadian tradition.

We are so thankful that it is
a Christian League they play in.
There is so much less pressure
in this league than boys experience in the minors.

We are not raising the next
Gretzky, Crosby, or Ovechkin.
Not even close!

What a blessing that our boys are
able to play hockey for FUN ~
the way the game should be played. :)

Austin ~ number six...playing with the "big" guys now!

Calvin (far left) and Fraser (centre) flying up the ice.

Calvin (#11) and Fraser (#15) are on the same team this year.
We were supposed to have three teams going,
but that would not logistically work with one vehicle and
scheduling...the league gave special permission for Fraser to
move up a year early.

The following three photos are of Fraser...

Calvin is in the next three...

Austin was at a practice on the night I was
taking these photos...hence the near-empty ice.
Here he is working at his game.

Thankful this Monday for the opportunities our boys
have been given since joining this league.
Continuing to number and count and practice thanks.

878. A Christian League to be a part of

879. Kind coaching staff who encourage the boys to enjoy the game

880. Friendships that develop amongst the boys

881. Ice times that coincide (sometimes)

882. Offer of car-pool help on occasion when the ice times clash

883. Grandparents that have come out to cheer the boys on

884. Daddy could coach each of the boys at some point over
their time in this league

885. Opportunities to learn to referee ~ for Austin and Howie

886. Second-hand gear

887. Sports Replay ~ local second-hand store for sports equipment

888. Passing gear down from one boy to the next

889. Ability to trade in gear that is too small for all three

890. A room to air out the gear in!

891. And thankful that I can close the door! :)

892. SLR camera that can capture some action shots without too much blur

893. A Dad who teaches the boys to shower before they come home!

894. The special permission we received for Fraser to
join Calvin's team this year

895. Wonderful ice times...no 6 am!

896. No Sunday games/practices

897. Heaters in the bleachers

898. The thank yous from the boys when I take them without Dad

899. Thankful for the protection the gear offers
and that the boys must wear cages ~
a good thing when braces are involved

900. Thankful too that there have been no major injuries to date