Me: From A to Z

Sharon tagged me in this, most likely knowing that I too am a "sucker" for these things. I don't know, I just find them interesting! :-)

A. Attached or single? attached... very attached. ;-) Been married to my hero for 10 1/2 years and getting ready to bring our 1st child into the world.

B. Best friend? that's a hard question for me, as it has gradually changed over the years as I get older, move into new life stages, etc. At the core I'd still say my best bud from high-school, Marti, who lives too far away and whom I haven't physically seen since my wedding. Distance sucks. But despite the distance we connect through email, etc.

C. Cake or pie? Cake. Definitely. Hate pie.

D. Day of choice? At the moment, Mondays. Monday is my hubby's day off, and thus our day off together.

E. Essential item? my pjs. I love my pajamas.

F. Favourite colour? no one particular colour, but an array of earth tones (sky blue, sage, beiges and chocolate browns)

G. Gummy bears or worms? while i'm not a huge candy eater, if I had to choose between the two, i'd go with worms. just more fun to eat.

H. Hometown? that's a hard question to ask a missionary kid! I consider "home" wherever my parents are, so Cambridge, ON would be the answer I guess. However, as we grow older and establish our own family home, Langley, BC would be my second reply.

I. Favourite Indulgence? Just one?!?!?!?! I'd have to say mac n' cheese would be at the top of my list.

J. January or July? January. I hate the heat.

K. Kids? One on the way. Abbie Joy (Abigail Joy) will arrive in October.

L. Life isn’t complete without? My family -- immediate & extended.

M. Marriage date? December 27, 1997.

N. Number of brothers/sisters? Two bros whom I adore. Drew is an amazing pastor/preacher in Dallas, Texas and father of the cutest kid in Texas; Colin a rockin' daddy to four amazing boys and newly appointed Exec Director for Youth for Christ in Ontario. I love to brag... they are awesome.

O. Oranges or apples? Apples.

P. Phobias? Falling... I have dreams about falling and falling but never hitting the ground.

Q. Quotes? Hmmm... "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose." Jim Elliot

R. Reasons to smile? Pics of my nephews; flutters and kicks from Abbie Joy; my husband's laugh

S. Season of choice? Anything but summer...

T. Tag someone. Sharon would be who I would have tagged, so let's see... how about Meghan?

U. Unknown fact about me? Hard one. I guess... I enjoy public speaking.

V. Vegetable? Most all of them...

W. Worst habit? ha ha... too embarrassing to say.

X. X-ray or ultrasound? odd question; i'd have to say ultrasound, especially lately given that i've had so many with this pregnancy.

Y. Your favourite food? anything mexican

Z. Zodiac sign? oh please. i know it, but who cares!?!?!? ;-)

Tomorrow

I was listening to the Focus on the Family broadcast today, "Treasuring Relationships," and was struck by a poem that was read about tomorrow. It brought to mind one of a favourite quotes and silly little song.

So here is my musings for today: an interesting contrast in view points - Shakespeare (MacBeth) vs. that little orphan named Annie:

Shakespeare (From Macbeth): "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace form day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; and all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

Annie: "The sun will come out tomorrow. Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be sun. Just thinkin' about tomorrow clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow 'till there's none! When I'm stuck with the day that's gray and lonely, I just stick out my chin and grin and say, ohh... the sun will come out tomorrow, so you gotta hang on 'til tomorrow come what may! Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow, your only a day away."

By the way...

By the way, while I fully intend on keeping up this blog as part of my "journey of faith," not to mention my own exercise in writing, my time is more and more being taken up by a new blog my hubby and I have started in order to keep our family and friends up to date on a new journey we are on... the beginning of our little family and the soon-to-be adventures in parenting!

Check out our family blog, Laus R Us.

Randomness

I haven't blogged in a while, mostly cause I haven't felt particularly inspired by anything of late. Then I saw this on Meghan's blog and thought I'd do my own list...

What was I doing ten years ago?
1. Working at Focus on the Family Canada... my 2nd year in the new Correspondence Department.
2. Struggling as a newlywed. Our first year of marriage was HARD... and I do believe our apartment building had a fire around this time 10 years ago. Fun times.

What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today?
1. Do a "white load" of laundry.
2. Iron some work clothes I washed last night.
3. Make a pot of Jambalaya for my very tired and worn out hubby
4. Open up my new sewing machine and read the instructions!
5. Begin working on my grocery list and menu for the next two weeks.

Five snacks I enjoy:
1. Roasted almonds
2. Nacho chips and salsa
3. M&Ms
4. An apple w/ honey
5. a bowl of cereral

5 Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Donate - to church, my fav charities, my parent's and brother's missionary support.
2. Take my whole family (extended family) on a Disney World vacation for a week.
3. Begin the adoption process on two or three international adoptions.
4. Sell our townhouse and buy a big house in the country for the growing family!
5. Set aside money in a trust or fund somewhere for all my nephews and my own children for their continuing education.

Places I've lived:
1. Belleville, Ontario
2. Cambridge, Ontario
3. Burlington, Ontario
4. San Antonio, Texas
5. Quito, Ecuador
6. Langley, BC
7. Richmond, BC

Jobs I’ve had:
1. Music Library renovator
2. Greeting Card company factory worker (good times!)
3. Reader (mail processing basically)
4. Correspondence Assistant
5. Manager of Correspondence

What about you?

With Hope

I can't imagine going through this life, and facing tragedy in loss, without the HOPE found in my Lord and Saviour. That thought has been on my mind a lot in the past few weeks. From the illness and death of a church member, to the tragic loss of life the Steven Curtis Chapman family endured, to the very sudden loss close friends have recently faced, I've sat and watched (or read of) how each family is coping. There is grief, but there is HOPE. How can you do it without HOPE?

Ironically, a song penned by Steven Curtis Chapman 10 years ago, is now one that is bringing him and his own family comfort. It's a song that has been running through my mind today as I absorbed the news of this most recent, sudden, so very unexpected loss, in the lives of some friends. May the words below encourage you in the trial you may be facing... or prompt you to ask how you too can have that HOPE:

"With Hope"

This is not at all how we thought it was supposed to be. We had so many plans for you, we had so many dreams. And now you've gone away and left us with the memories of your smile. And nothing we can say and nothing we can do, can take away the pain. The pain of losing you, but ...

We can cry with hope. We can say goodbye with hope. 'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no. And we can grieve with hope. 'Cause we believe with hope. (There's a place by God's grace) there's a place where we'll see your face again. We'll see your face again.

And never have I known anything so hard to understand. And never have I questioned more the wisdom of God's plan. But through the cloud of tears I see the Father's smile and say well done. And I imagine you where you wanted most to be. Seeing all your dreams come true 'cause now you're home, and now you're free, and ...

We have this hope as an anchor 'cause we believe that everything. God promised us is true, so ...

So we can cry with hope. And say goodbye with hope. We wait with hope. And we ache with hope. We hold on with hope. We let go with hope.

Cinderella

I have been a HUGE fan of contemporary Christian artist, Steven Curtis Chapman, for years, and have been enormously blessed by his music. Today, I join the Chapman family, and millions of other all over the world, in grieving the tragic death of the Chapman's youngest child, Maria. A young life cut short by an accident, and a moment when God doesn't make sense. We simply rest in the hope that He knows what He's doing.

The following song was written by Steven about the relationship between a father and daughter. A reminder of how important it is it savour each moment... because before you know it the moment is gone:

Just "Love Them Like Jesus"

I've been thinking a lot about this song, "Love Them Like Jesus," by Casting Crowns lately. Mostly because my husband, a fairly new pastor, is in the midst of his first experience in walking someone through the impending death of a loved one.

He asked me the other day, "what do I say to her?" "Nothing," I replied. "Just love her through it."

There are times, as Dr. James Dobson puts it so well, when God just doesn't make sense. But that doesn't mean He doesn't care. Nor does it mean that we, in our human finiteness, need to feel obligated to have all the answers. In my husband's role as pastor in this instance, but applicable to all of us with friends or family going through a time of trial, his only job is to love them, to carry them through it, and to remind them that God is there.

Things I Love List

I'm stealing this idea from a friend, who faithfully writes a "Friday Love List" of things that make her smile. (Thanks Sharon!) It's a great way to lift your spirits, remember all the good things in your life and count your blessings. It's also a great way to start a weekend.... So, I love...

1. Sunny days
2. Cozy evenings with my hubby
3. New episodes of my favorite shows (Battlestar Galactica, CSI (Vegas), Criminal Minds, etc.)
4. Mexican food -- bring on the corn tortillas!
5. Hits from the 80s to keep me humming while I work...
6. Shopping
7. redecorating my house
8. Coffee -- sniff sniff... with the baby on the way I just can't indulge like I used to! :-)
9. pics of my nephews and notes from home
10. surprise love notes/emails from my hubby
11. the smell and feel of clean sheets as you cozy in to bed...
12. the relaxed sign you let out as you crawl into bed after a busy day
13. Funky candles
14. tulips
15. playing with my Nikon
16. daydreaming ;-)
17. Sunday mornings on the way to church -- a great time to prepare, calm ourselves and munch on some McD's egg mcmuffins with my hubby before the chaos of SUndays
18. leading worship at church
19. dreaming and planning for this baby on the way...
20. watching my husband's joy in spending a few hours playing with his Nintendo Wii!

The Unexpected Day - Part Two

God has a sense of humour. This I know to be true.

As I indicated in my last post, February 18th started out as any other day off with my hubby. The plan: to have a day of frivolous fun in the beautiful sunshine. God, however, had other plans.

In the quiet majesty of the Westminster Abbey chapel, we felt God’s presence. Both of us were carrying burdens and concerns from life, and when confronted with the stillness of the chapel it became apparent to us that God had drawn us to this place for a reason. Our desire had been to put those burdens out of our minds that day, but the Lord had other plans.

For me, the past few months had been a roller coast of emotions and decisions to make about life, God’s will for me, and our plans to pursue adoption. I was overwhelmed with the pros and cons list I had formed in my mind for the decisions before me. The peaceful atmosphere of the abbey’s chapel forced me to slow down, and compelled me to sit and be still before the Lord. As I prayed, I unloaded the things that had been on my heart and quietly asked God for wisdom. Then I waited, and in stillness I heard Him speak. His word to me? “Let it go.”

“Let it go?” I asked Him. “Yes, let it go. Let me worry about what lies ahead. Let it go and let Me be God.”

As I accepted this and allowed myself to truly let go of all I’d been hanging on to, the peace that was so present in that chapel seemed to fill my soul. I looked around me at the beautiful stained glass, stone carved saints, and simple altar and felt a calmness that cannot be described in words. I left that chapel that afternoon with a new spring in my step. No, I didn’t have any answers to any of the questions and decisions I was wrestling with. But, I left that day knowing that God, in His perfect time, would reveal His plan. All I had to do, was let it go.

We arrived home late that afternoon more rested than ever before, and settled down for a quiet evening to absorb all that had happened. As my hubby threw some burgers on the BBQ, I ran upstairs to change. Stopping in the bathroom to relieve my bladder for what seemed like the 100th time that day, I noticed in the cupboard a pregnancy test we’d bought months ago on a whim. Without even thinking I grabbed it… and then spend the next 20 minutes staring at it in disbelief.

The words “let it go” ran through my mind as I finally composed myself enough to run downstairs. After 10 years of marriage, and 100% conviction that adoption was our only option, I had to laugh at God’s sense of humour. How silly my worrying and sleepless nights must have seemed to Him in light of what He had planned. Suddenly all the decisions that had loomed before me, were meaningless. The Lord had a new adventure for me all along… all I had to do was “let go” and let Him be God.

The Unexpected Day

I haven't blogged in a month... So much for my pledge to be more disciplined in putting my thoughts down and sharing my journey! But to be fair, the last month has been quite a ride. And while I'm not ready yet to share the complete story of all that's transpired over the last month, I can say that this journey is teaching me two things: 1) God has a sense of humor; 2) God's timing, while hard to understand from a human perspective, is always perfect.

February 18th started out like any day off with my hubby. We covet our Monday's together, protect them at all costs and make every attempt to make our day together special. But we had no way of knowing just how special this Monday would be. It was a gorgeous day, and I was anxious to get out in it with my camera. So we decided to drive east to Abbotsford for brunch, a little shopping at the House of James, and a drive in the country to capture some photos of Mount Baker and the glorious sun shine. The perfect day... or so we thought.

It is there that our story of February 18th took several unexpected turns... It all began as we drove along a busy country road, and noticed a homeless man. As we passed him, I commented to my husband about the cute little dog perched on top of the man's shopping cart. No sooner had I said the words, however, than were we horrified to see the cart -- dog included -- tumble down the embankment into the deep ditch below.

Without thinking twice we immediately pulled over and my husband got out to help the man. I stayed with the car watching for minute, noticing that there were several onlookers from a neighboring business, and was disgusted to see that not one of them seemed interested in helping. Not sure how much help I could be, but determined not to be yet another onlooker, I joined my hubby and perched myself at the top of the ditch so I could grab onto the things they handed up to me.

It took us several minutes, and several set backs when the cart fell not once but twice back into the ditch, to retrieve all this man's belongings, but I'll never forget his gratitude. With tears in his old man's eyes he thanked me. His humility was a sharp contrast the the cars that slowed down to take a look. As we watched this man and his dog walk away, suddenly our determination to spend our day "frolicking" in the sunshine and having some fun seemed frivolous, even meaningless.

As we got back on the road with a deeper sense of gratitude for all we had, we both felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit to spend the rest of the afternoon at the Westminster Abbey. It was a perfect day for it, and we both felt that some time of reflection and solitude at the Abbey seemed fitting after such a "Samaritan" experience. The Abbey's simplistic beauty, coupled with a very real feeling of standing in the presence of the Lord was made even more poignant by the "what would Jesus do" moment we'd had with the homeless man. The quiet majesty of the Abbey's chapel took my breath away and yet filled me emotions I've never experienced before. It was the perfect place for my camera as the sun streamed in the stained glass windows, but better yet it was the perfect place to sit in solitude and unload the stress and burdens of life. Both of us had hoped to "escape life" on that Monday, but instead life hit us between the eyes and the Lord met us both in individual ways that afternoon.

There is more to this story, and to what happened to cap off what turned out to be a profound and life-changing day, but I'll save that for another post. For now... I'll leave you with some photos of the Abbey. May they inspire you to visit it some time, and spend your own afternoon in God's presence.

Go here to read part two.