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

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

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.

Fortified

"...Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I."
~ Psalm 61:2b ~

We are finite.  HE is infinite.  

We are fallible.  HE is infallible.

We need HIM.  Always.

Recently, we have sought to be a support to

friends who are grieving.

One friend lost her husband suddenly to cancer.

He was relatively young.  In his prime.  It's been a terrible loss.

One day he was fine.  The next he was seriously ill.

And, within three weeks he was taken.  Gone.

What a blessing to know that he knew the LORD.

He not only knew of HIM, he knew HIM in the only way that matters.

HE was his LORD.  His Saviour.  His Righteousness.

What a comfort these things are in times like these.

This precious widow, when asked, requests one thing ~

A verse.  Simply, a verse to reflect on.  A verse to cling to.

Lead me to the Rock!
 In HIM alone is all comfort to be found.
From HIM alone, strength may be gleaned. 

How we need fortification.

Help from on high.  Hope from His Word.
How we need HIM!

Really, her request is to be fortified.  

To be continually directed to the One from Whom all things flow.

Fortified in the Living and True God of Heaven and Earth,
and the Truth found in His Word.
So that her feet will be firm upon the Rock, Christ Jesus.

Aren't we all like this?

Do we not all need HIM?

We have been created this way.

With this need.  This void that needs filling.

He alone satisfies.  He alone gives all that is required.
He alone gives the peace that passes all understanding.

How precious it is that He promises to give all we need.
Moment by moment.  Day after day.

And, so much more!!

Many Blessings,
Camille