Best Things Last

"See, then, the happy estate of the Christian!  He has his best things last, 
and he therefore in this world receives his worst things first...

...Even now he grows rich by his losses, he rises by his falls,

he lives by dying, and becomes full by being emptied;

if, then, his grievous afflictions yield him so much peaceable fruit in this life,

what shall be the full vintage of joy afterwards in heaven?"

"If he can sing in a dungeon, how sweetly will he sing in heaven!

If he can praise the Lord in the fires, how will he extol Him before the eternal throne!

If evil be good to him now, what will the overflowing goodness of God be to him then?"

"Who would not be a Christian?

Who would not bear the present cross for the crown which cometh afterwards?

But herein is work for patience, for the rest is not for today,

nor the triumph for the present, but afterward.

Wait, o soul, and let patience have her perfect work." **

May we truly have our eyes fixed on those eternal, everlasting, 
and enduring best things.  Everything else pales in comparison.
At the end of it all, nothing else really matters.

With Love, Camille

**Taken from Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening" ~
May 18 evening reading

The Quotidian (25. 5. 15)

Quotidian: daily, usual, or customary;

everyday; ordinary; commonplace. 

A spring/summer wreath to replace the Christmas one.

Sometimes we do the papers without any children ~ for pay.
This was on one of the days they were gone adventuring.  :)

This is the best sauce!  (HOT, but good.)

And, this is how we enjoy it ~

brown rice, black beans, diced avocado, diced tomato, 

pickled jalapenos, sour cream ~ drizzled with Sriracha sauce.

The office and the men.

Our Austin's memory lives on.
(The music school as well as our online school have both created and funded
ongoing yearly scholarships/bursaries in his name.  What a wonderful blessing!)

One of the lovely gifts Miss M brought with her ~ so sweet!

After the adventure ~ waiting to be unloaded and put away.

Saying good-bye...until next time.

Happy Monday!

With Love, Camille

Snip. Snip. Snip.

It's all because of Howie.
And, I love him for it.  Just one of the reasons.

If it were left up to me, our children might never grow up.

I can tend to mother them beyond what's reasonable.
The temptation to tie them too tightly with my apron strings tugs at my heart.

Howie brings a wonderful balance to these tendencies of mine.

He encourages a methodical and age appropriate cutting of those strings.
I won't lie.  At times it's a little bit painful.  But, it's all for the best.

Our boys have gone camping.  Without us.  A few times.  

On one occasion, they travelled clear across the Province.  Into the heart of bear country.
If it had been up to me I am sure I would not have let them go.  Well, maybe at 30.
They not only survived, but, they thrived.  The timing was right.

They seemed to grow a little taller on that trip.
I am quite sure they must have.  Inwardly, at the very least.

 ~ From the above mentioned trip in 2014 ~

Just the other day, they took Miss M and Emma up to Grouse Mountain.
The very next day, they loaded up the van with bikes and Calvin drove to the ferry.
Once there, they unloaded those bikes and rode onto the ferry
along with the cars in order to spend the day on Mayne Island.

Howie and I stayed home.  Alone.
Snip. Snip. Snip.  Slowly, but, surely.

 ~ Just before they made the trek up Grouse Mountain ~

None of these things would have happened if I hadn't had assurance from
my better half that it was a good thing for them to do.  Without us.
It feels strange to make room for their wings to spread and give them the liberty to fly.
I cannot think about it too much, however.  I've even been known to leave when they do.

I'm always thankful when they arrive back home.
Safe and sound.  But then, off they go again.  I cannot tie them down.

~ After their day on Mayne Island ~

What a blessing it is to know that they are in the Lord's hands.
And, He loves them so much more than we ever could.
It truly is such a comforting thought.  So, I rest my heart there.
By His grace and in His strength.  Seeking Him for wisdom each step of the way.

What about you?  What are some of the ways in which you are
encouraging your children to soar?  What ages and stages are you currently in?
If your children are grown, what did you do to foster a healthy independence in them?
Please share your wisdom and experiences....I'm all ears.  :)

Many Blessings, Camille

**Grouse Mountain photo courtesy of Miss M ~
Thank you so much for sharing!  :)

The Quotidian (19. 5. 15)

Quotidian: daily, usual, or customary;

everyday; ordinary; commonplace. 

The mess.  Remember why?

The supervision.

As it showered on day #2, more of the roof came off. 

And, then, they were done!

Abandoned, but, too precious to move.

The big clean up.

All the way from Switzerland (oh. dear. me.) ~ thank you, M and T!  :)

Preparing to pray.

Sweet friends.

A precious moment.

Thank you, T and S ~ you bless us!  :)

The promise of plums ~ laden with fruit.

Above the kitchen sink ~ thank you, Emma!  :)

She came back!

Happy Tuesday Y'all.

With Love, Camille

Soul Nourishment

Our pastor faithfully preaches Sunday by Sunday

from God's Word.  We are so blessed to sit under his ministry.

It's soul nourishment.  Just as our bodies need physical food,

so our souls need spiritual food.

We cannot go too long between meals.

Since our Austin left this world for his eternal home,

I have come across others who have buried children just as we have done.

Some have turned to the Lord in their time of sorrow,

while others have sought to fill the void with a wide variety of things.

~ Our precious four in 2008 ~

Those who have turned to alternate things for the answers

do not seem to have found lasting comfort.  Lasting peace.

In fact, they seem to be trapped in the deep waters of despair.
There seems to be no way out.  No source of relief.  No comfort for their souls.

My heart goes out to these ones.  I cannot fathom their pain.
You see, I can run to the God of all comfort with mine.

It's the only way we stay sane.  The only way we are able to continue on.
The deep anguish and grief are still there, but, they are tempered by His grace.
God's Word is full of comfort for our souls.  It keeps us grounded in the truth.
The eternal things are what really matter.  And, eternity is not far off.

We are comforted by that very thought.
It's what helps to shape our purpose each and every day.

Whatever it is you may be facing this day,
whether you are full of joy or sorrow or somewhere in between,
know that the best way to put one foot in front of the other is with the Lord.
In fact, it is the only way to do so with lasting and eternal purpose.

With lasting and eternal peace.

My prayer for you is that you will know the God of all comfort as the Saviour of your soul.
And, that you will find peace with Him. If you wish to discuss any of these things further,
please feel free to email me ~ flowersinhisgarden@gmail.com  I am praying for you!

With Love, Camille

The Quotidian (11. 5. 15)

Quotidian: daily, usual, or customary;

everyday; ordinary; commonplace. 

All things Anne.

Monopoly with a friend.

Ready to dig in.

Just the three of us ~ a real treat.
(Taken after we had eaten our fill...see previous photo.)

After exam #3 ~ one more to go!

The result of a pact made with myself
to dry all our towels on the line from now until September.

The van scrubber team.

A quiet moment alone.

My paper boy.

The table lovingly set.

Some of my treasures.

The gifts ~ so sweet.  :)

Repairs.

Prep work.

Delivery of supplies ~ to fix this.

A worker outside my window.

Unloading.

Ready to go!

Occupied.

Supplies in the sunlight.

Finishing up for the year.

Wedding season.

Happy Monday!
With Love, Camille