This Quiet Life

It's easy to feel small and insignificant.

To feel like we have nothing to give.

Like there is no great potential in us.

Nothing special.

But, those are lies.
We cannot trust our feelings.
We must base our feelings on Truth.

Whatever the LORD calls us to is great.

Because He is Great.

We can live this quiet life for Him.

In His strength, by His grace, for His glory.

He receives it all as a gift.

The gift of us.  We.  Me.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that yes present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
~ Romans 12:1 ~ 

That's it, isn't it?  Surrender is the gift we give Him.

We bring our brokenness and He makes beauty from the ashes.

He carries us, makes us strong in His strength, and lives through us.
Day after day.  Moment by moment.  One step at a time.

It's all about HIM. 

So, if the sink is calling, the children are fighting,

or the laundry is piling up ~

Just stop and pray and ask for His strength to do the next thing.
Perhaps the next thing is to slow down to collect our thoughts.
To pray for wisdom, and to engage our world.
To be present within the four walls in which we find ourselves.

We honour Him when we do.  

It's simple, really.  One day at a time.

Following Him wherever He leads.

No matter what.

Very often, it's to a quiet life of service.
A quiet life of the everyday and the mundane.
A life of doing the next thing.

Each day is a gift. Each moment is precious.
May we continually be found giving it all back to Him.

"And whatsoever ye do in word or in deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."
~ Colossians 3:17 ~

With love,
Camille

**Image in this post courtesy of Calvin ~
Thank you my love.  XO

The Compare Snare

It's a trap we often fall into ~

the compare snare.

Why don't I have it as easy as they do?

Why is my child rebellious while their's is obedient?

Why is there sickness in our home and not in their's?

Why do they get to go away somewhere tropical year after year,

while we stay home and never go away at all?

Why do I drive an old, broken-down vehicle while 
others have not only one, but, two new ones?
Why have we been given such a small home
while family so-and-so has a much larger one with less children?
Why don't I have a home, or husband, or children at all?

It's easy to do, isn't it?  
Constantly asking ~ Why?  Why?  Why?

Really, what we are saying is that God's plan

for us is not as good as His plan for someone else.

They get all the roses while we get all the thorns.

The grass is always greener.  

It's a fact. Right?  Wrong!

The Lord, when dealing with His disciples, addressed this very thing.

And, you know what He did?  He discouraged the practice.  

We are not to compare!  It's none of our business

how He deals with someone else.  
(See John 21:21-23)

None at all.

If you look closely, you will see the bird ~
safe among the thorns.

How amazing it is to think that we are
exactly where our Loving Heavenly Father means for us to be.
Recently, I read something from Spurgeon in which he
stated that whatever happens in our lives is a prescription.
It, whatever "it" is, has been prescribed for us.

Directly from HIS Loving hand.

We are not to run from whatever He gives.
We are to ask for grace in it.
And, ask for His strength to deal with it.
We are to seek Him for the faith to see His hand
in every situation and circumstance.
And, ask for wisdom to know the way forward.

He promises to lead.

We are not to run, but, to yield.  
His ways truly are best.
Comparing our lives with others is never wise.
It's never productive.  It only hurts and destroys.

It turns our eyes inward rather than upward.

We cannot do this in our own strength.
We need Him each step of the way.
May HE continually give us eyes to see.
And, hearts to believe.
That we might bring praise to HIS Holy Name.
(See Philippians 4:8-20)

With love,
Camille

Thankful Thursday ~ Choosing to See!

On this Thursday, I give thanks.

The LORD truly does all things well.

He gives and gives and gives again.

It's such a blessing to remember that 

all things come from His hand.
And, if we belong to Him, we are in His hand!
Isn't that an incredible thought?

Today, I am choosing to see the blessings of...

~ Outings as a family

~ Growing old together...what a privilege
(No, I am not looking at an airplane...Calvin and Emma were both snapping
photos, and I didn't know which of them to look at!)

~ Impromptu games of chess played on the floor

 ~ Books from long ago making their way into the children's hands

 ~ Thoughtful boys who wanted to give their Mum a break...
thank you Calvin and Fraser  XO

 ~ Friends within the family, and games of tennis

enjoyed at the park just a bike-ride away

 ~ Two independent (and yet, dependent) young men...

how quickly they grow!

 ~ My bookends and their special time together...

Austin helped Emma choose a tennis racket at the store

 ~ Family times and birthdays to celebrate!

 ~ My precious family...

Howie's birthday celebration at home

It's good to remember all that the LORD has done.

It's refreshing to recount the many ways in which He blesses.
It's a good thing to give Him thanks.

May you know His blessings upon you this day!

With Love,
Camille

**First two images in this post courtesy of Calvin ~
Thank you my love!  XO

Challenge 4 - Wintertime

It's still cold and frosty this month so we're looking for cards of the season.  We're sponsored by Fresh Brewed Designs with a wonderful prize of a $10 gift certificate.

Hi. I am Heather Dennis. I am a homeschooling mother of 2 wonderful children, the wife of 12 years to the love of my life, a Christian and the owner of Fresh Brewed Designs. I have loved to draw and create ever since I was a child. My daughter has inherited my love of art and recently inspired me to start creating again.All the images in my shop are hand drawn. I offer a wide range of images from coffee, cute and inspirational. I also love to create custom drawn images, so if you are looking for anything in particular, please feel free to drop me an email.

We had the chance to use some of Heather's wonderful images and here's the result:

Shirley

ALAN

Erin

Michelle

Patricia

CAZ 

Lisa 

Viv

Donna

So now all you need are the rules (you may notice there's a new one):

1. Your card must be for a Man or Boy.
2. Your card must be new for the challenge and follow the theme set.
3. You can combine your card with up to 10 challenges (including our one)
4. Your blog post mus mention Cards for Men and contain a link back to this challenge.

The challenge will run from now until midnight on 3 March 2013 (GMT).Leave a link to your post (not just your blog) in the link list below.  If it's not there for some reason, leave a comment and I'll add you in before the draw.  Good luck.

The Adventures of Super Tooth and the Cavity Villains

The adventures will begin next week--as Super Tooth flies in to help us learn all about dental health!  He is a toothy super hero that fights the bad guys--a gang of sneaky dudes called the cavity villains!  Each little friend will get a copy of the mini book about these guys to put in their reading briefcases, and we will create wanted posters for the Cavity Villains!  We will also do a cut and paste food sort, create lists of what makes us smile, learn all about the job of a dentist and dental hygienist, and conduct a science experiment using eggs, soda, and vinegar!  Can't wait!  We will be super busy.

I have put Super Tooth on sale until Monday, along with my Honest Abe packet--in honor of President's Day!  {Click the pictures to take you to my shop!}

Be more awesome.

I'm linking up with my sweet friend, Kathleen to share what I am loving these days!

I am loving the fact that I got to make Valentines with my big girl!  She colored little pictures for all of her little friends!  I can't believe how fast she is growing....

She loves to play "teacher"--{she is a little bossy}--and this was a picture I got of her doing circle time with all her animal friends!  They were singing songs, and she was assigning calendar helpers and weather friends!  HA!  She also said if they weren't being good listeners, they were NOT going to get a gummy bear.  That's right.  Classroom management is what it's all about!  :)

Which leads me to these invitations for her 3rd birthday!  Oh, my goodness--cutest thing ever!  Emma loves Fancy Nancy.  Can't wait to have the girliest party ever!  I found the invitations on Etsy--$10...a steal!  Love them!

I am loving my new Anthropologie bowls and mugs--so bright and cheery!

Birchbox!  I love getting a little "present" in the mail once a month!  I have found so many new products that I love through Birchbox!  

I love my Bumble and Bumble hair products.  No, they didn't hire me to say that!  I am especially obsessed with the Straight Blow Dry hair cream, and BB Prep--both of them make my hair smell pretty and look pretty.

                                

I love the Kid President!  He is so stinkin' cute.  "BE MORE AWESOME!!!"  This is his guide to "Being a Party":

And, love these fonts by Cara Carroll:

Keep on bein' awesome, y'all.  

Loonies and Toonies

Loonies and Toonies ~

A guide to the Canadian currency.  
Just for the fun of it!  :)

For all those of you who may be curious,
and, even if you weren't, but now are ~

there was a time when we had *normal* money.

In my childhood, there were one and two dollar bills.

As time passes, things change; 

and our money has been no exception to this rule.

First, it was the one dollar bill.

The plan was to do away with it in favour of a coin.

Our one dollar coin quickly was dubbed the *Loonie*

due to the fact that a loon (the bird) was featured on one side.

The name has stuck.  

And, here we are with a Loonie instead of a Dollar.

Next up was the two dollar bill.

Since the coin would represent two dollars, 

and our one dollar coin was referred to as a Loonie,

the logical choice for its nickname was Toonie ~

A combination of the words *two* and *loonie*.

Is it all making sense now??

So often our colourful money is referred to as Monopoly Money.

In light of this, don't you think it fitting

that we have Loonies and Toonies in the mix? 

The latest change has been the discontinuation
of the penny.
We now *round up* or *round down* accordingly.
Mostly, so far, it seems the trend is to *round up*.
Hmmm....is it a conspiracy?

If you deal in cash only,
your wallet may quickly be overtaken with change.
But, beware ~ all that loose change adds up.
Especially when there are Loonies and Toonies involved!
I believe it really is a conspiracy, after all.

Happy Weekend!  :)
Many Blessings, Camille

Q and U Baby Shower!

A magical stork dropped off the cutest little set of "quints", and our class was able to learn all about the /qu/ sound with their help!  We sang lullabies, read poems, played games, and finally--on Friday, we had a baby shower for the little guys!  The kids were given invitations and a "gift" idea list--they could only bring /qu/ themed things!  

Along with sharing our /qu/ gifts for Queenie, Quincy, Quintin, Quigly, and Quinn--we had a blast doing shower games!  It was my best memory of this year.  The kids had so much fun, and it was just too sweet for words.  Here are a few pictures of the station games from the event!  I wish I could show pictures of the kids holding the "babies" while they worked--so stinkin' cute.

Baby Bootie Pair Up--matching /qu/ words!

"Squeaky Duck Pick Up"--students would choose a ducky, read the word on the bottom, and color the word they found on their recording page.  {This was the one they just couldn't WAIT to do!}

Write the room--I had baby themed pictures hanging from the ceiling, with /qu/ words, and the kids wrote down the words they found.  *Also pictured--our "Meet the Quints" booklet that introduced us to the quints, and how each one is unique!*

Another popular game--Baby-Tac-Toe!

Um--yes, that's the gift "area"--there were so many they didn't all fit on the couch, or in this picture!  The kids went ALL out for this!  I LOVE it!!!

Such a fun day, with so many fun memories!!!  :)

Sweetheart Snack

Looking for last minute Valentine activities?  Sweetheart Snack is a Valentine party kit...and so much more!  This kit includes 3 craft-tivities, 2 graph-tivities, a literacy Valentine word unscramble, and totally cool "Win it in a Minute" games--"Conversation Heart" style!  

Click the photo below to find out more!  

Challenge 2 - Winner & Top 3

Here I am with a big thank you to all our entrants for the last challenge.  The winner chosen by random.org is #56 - Tracy MacDonald.  Congratulations, Tracy, take a look at Meljen's website and send your choice of 4 digis to Dee Morris who will arrange your prize.

The top 3 (in no particular order) are:

#13 - Cara

#52 - Tracey M

#63 - Dora

Congratulations to everyone, please grab the top 3 badge from our sidebar and add it to your own.  And don't forget, there's still lots of time to enter our current challenge.

Ministry *Seasons*

Just as there are *seasons* in life,

so, too, there are *seasons* in ministry.
It's easy to read through the account of the life

of one of God's people in a sitting.

However, that life took decades to be lived out.

Have you ever wondered in amazement at all that happened

in the life of Joseph, for example?

Sold into slavery at 17,

wrongly accused, and put into prison for three years,
and, finally, remembered and placed in authority
by Pharaoh at the age of 30.

What about Noah?
It took him 100 years to build the ark!
He did what the Lord required of him ~ patiently, year after year.
Interesting, isn't it, when we stop to consider?

Are you newly married, or living the single life?
Are you a Mum with little ones at your feet or in your lap?

Are you in the *sandwich years* with teens in the home

and elderly parents needing care?

Are you a Grandma with the joys and struggles that come with age?

Whatever season we find ourselves in ~
we ought to rejoice in the LORD!

We can seek Him for wisdom to know what
He would have us do at this time.
His will is revealed in His Word ~ many things are made very clear.
We as women are called, among other things,
  to love our families and to keep our homes.
At certain times, that is all that can reasonably be managed.

I recall my Mum-in-Love telling me of her experience
with a need that presented itself to her.
She was a young believer and was in a church that had a girls' program.
This particular program was run one evening during the week.
My Mum-in-Love was approached by another woman in the church
who requested that she become one of the volunteers to help out.
When Mum mentioned that she had two young boys at home,
the lady told her that she could get a sitter to watch them.
After all, wasn't service to the Lord worth sacrificing for?

This troubled my Mum-in-Love.
Perhaps it was something she should be doing?
But, she was torn.

An older, wise woman gave counsel to my Mum.
She told her that her calling was to her family,
and that she ought not to neglect them in order to *serve*.
She was serving the Lord in her own home!
Perhaps, if her boys had been girls,
and they were attending the program, 
the outcome may have been different.
But, those were not the circumstances my Mum found herself in.

Yes, indeed...there are *seasons*.

Perhaps, it's time to rest and reflect.

Maybe your ministry will be prayer.
Maybe your ministry will be a quiet one behind the scenes ~
changing diapers and wiping noses!
Even during these busy times of life, hospitality can be extended.
A meal or two can be made for another family in need.
In every season of life, there are ways we can minister to others.

Very often, the things we do will be behind the scenes ~
Quietly, for the Lord alone.

Nothing is too small a task to be offered up to Him.

Service to our Great God comes in varying forms.
Over a lifetime, things will change ~ ebb and flow.

He is pleased when our hearts are surrendered to Him.

So, that is where we must begin.

Surrendering our hearts and living our lives for Him.

Seeking Him as to what He would have us do in 
whatever situation we find ourselves.
Praying that He would grant wisdom to discern what those things
are throughout the seasons of our lives.
And, then to do it all in His strength, by His grace ~
For His glory.  Alone.

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Praying Hands ~ pencil drawing by my Dad, 1964.

Challenge 3 - All My Love

So January has been and gone.  February is the month of 'Luuuurrrrve' so we want to see those Valentines, Anniversary Cards, Wedding Cards or just something that shows some love.

Our sponsor is Kenny K

I'm sure you're all familiar with the wonderful work of Kenny K's Shop but what about the man (and woman) behind those wonderful creations. Take a look here to see their journey, 

http://www.kennykdownloads.com/about-kenny-and-elena.php

The prize for one lucky winner is 5 digis from their shop.  The design team were lucky to get some images to use and here's what we came up with:

Shirley

 

Caz

Viv

ALAN

Michelle

 

Erin

 

 

Lisa

 

 

Donna

 

 

Patricia

 

Hopefully, we've given you some ideas, now all you need are the rules:

1.  Your card must be new for this post and follow the theme set.
2.  Your card must be for a Man or a Boy.
3.  Your blog post must mention Cards for Men and contain a link back to this post.

The challenge will run from now until midnight on 17 February 2013.  Leave a link to your post (not just your blog) in the link list below.  If it's not there for some reason, leave a comment and I'll add you in before the draw.  Good Luck.