Sorrows and Troubles

"Let us learn, first of all, that following Christ
will not prevent our having earthly sorrows and troubles.

Here are the chosen disciples of the Lord Jesus in great anxiety.
The faithful little flock, which believed when priests and scribes
and Pharisees were all alike unbelieving, is allowed 
by the Shepherd to be much disquieted.

The fear of death breaks in upon them like an armed man.
The deep waters seem likely to go over their souls.
Peter, James and John, the pillars of the church about 
to be planted in the world, are much distressed.
Perhaps they had not reckoned on all this.



Perhaps they expected that Christ's service would at any rate
lift them above the reach of earthly trials.  Perhaps they thought that He,
who could raise the dead and heal the sick and feed multitudes with a
few loaves and cast out devils with a word, He would never allow
His servants to be sufferers upon earth.

Perhaps they had supposed He would always grant them smooth journeys,
fine weather, an easy course and freedom from trouble and care.

If the disciples thought so, they were much mistaken.
The Lord Jesus taught them that a man may be one of His chosen servants,
and yet have to go through many an anxiety, and endure many a pain.

It is good to understand this clearly.  It is good to understand that Christ's
service never did secure a man from all the ills that flesh is heir to, and never will.

If you are a believer, you must reckon on having your share of sickness and pain,
of sorrow and tears, of losses and crosses, of deaths and bereavements,
of partings and separations, of vexations and disappointments,
so long as you are in the body.  Christ never undertakes
that you shall get to heaven without these."

Quoted from "Holiness" by J. C. Ryle pages 192-93

With Love,
Camille

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

Flashback Friday ~ Our Little Men

Our three little men...pre-Emma days.

The year was 2001 and life was full.

I captured the photo below of my Sweetie reading to

our boys at about the same time as the photo above was taken.

How quickly the days and months and years fly by.
Before we realise what is happening, our little ones grow up.

Happy Friday!

With Love, Camille

The Quotidian (21. 11. 16)

Quotidian: daily, usual, or customary;
everyday; ordinary; commonplace.

Connecting to the new water main.

Rose bud in November.

Austin's rose tree seems to have recovered

from its extreme pruning.

Man in trench, pile of dirt, and excavator all blocking the driveway.

Emma and I had to leave for music lessons within the hour.

It all worked out.  :)

Prepping for winter storage.

Waving at his Mama.

End of an era ~ Papers have been part of

our family's life for over eleven years.
And now, the torch is being passed.

Loaded and lugging.

The boys have been taking turns helping Emma.

The days of paper delivery are now behind us ~
It's bittersweet.

Big brother guidance ~ a sweet blessing.

Happy Monday!

With Love, Camille

Flashback Friday ~ Our Little Lady

Our little lady when she was about two.

Sleeping beauty.

Tea for two.



Posing pretty.

Happy Friday!

With Love, Camille

The True Christian

"A true Christian is not a mere baptized man or woman.

He is something more.  He is not a person who only goes,

as a matter of form, to a church or chapel on Sundays,

and lives all the rest of the week as if there was no God.

Formality is not Christianity.

Ignorant lip worship is not true religion.

The Scripture speaketh expressly: 'They are not all Israel

which are of Israel' (Romans 9:6).  The practical lesson of those

words is clear and plain.  All are not true Christians

who are members of the visible church of Christ.

The true Christian is one whose religion is in his heart and life.

It is felt by himself in his heart.  It is seen by others in his conduct and life.

He feels his sinfulness, guilt and badness, and repents.

He sees Jesus Christ to be that divine Saviour whom his soul needs,

and commits himself to Him.

He puts off the old man with his corrupt and carnal habits,

and puts on the new man.  He lives a new and holy life,

fighting habitually against the world, the flesh and the devil.

Christ Himself is the corner-stone of his Christianity.

Ask him what he trusts for the forgiveness of his many sins,

and he will tell you, in the death of Christ.

Ask him in what righteousness he hopes to stand innocent at the

judgement day, and he will tell you it is the righteousness of Christ.

Ask him by what pattern he tries to frame his life, and he will tell you

that it is the example of Christ.

But, beside all this, there is one thing in a true Christian which is

eminently peculiar to him.  That thing is love to Christ.

Knowledge, faith, hope, reverence, obedience are all marked features

in a true Christian's character.  But his picture would be very

imperfect if you omitted his 'love' to his divine Master.

He not only knows, trusts and obeys.

He goes further than this -- he loves...

...Great as the danger is of him 'that believeth not',

the danger of him 'that loveth not' is equally great.

Not believing and not loving are both steps to everlasting ruin... 

...A man may lack clear head knowledge, and yet be saved.

He may fail in courage, and be overcome by the fear of man, like Peter.

He may fall tremendously, like David, and yet rise again.

But, if a man does not love Christ, he is not in the way of life.

The curse is yet upon him.  He is on the broad road that leadeth to destruction...

...If a man truly loves Christ, all is right;

if not, all is wrong...

...A true Christian loves Christ for all He has done for him.  

He has suffered in his stead, and died for him on the cross.

He has redeemed him from the guilt, the power and the consequences

of sin by His blood.  He has called him by His Spirit to self-knowledge,

repentance, faith, hope and holiness.

He has forgiven his many sins and blotted them out.

He has freed him from the captivity of the world, the flesh and the devil.

He has taken him from the brink of hell, placed him in the narrow way,

and set his face towards heaven.  He has given him light instead of darkness,

peace of conscience instead of uneasiness, hope instead of uncertainty,

life instead of death.  

Can you wonder that the true Christian loves Christ?

And he loves Him besides, for all that He is still doing.

He feels that He is daily washing away his many shortcomings and infirmities,

and pleading his soul's cause before God.  He is daily supplying all the needs

of his soul, and providing him with an hourly provision of mercy and grace.

He is daily leading him by His Spirit to a city of habitation,

bearing with him when he is weak and ignorant, raising him up 

when he stumbles and falls, protecting him against his many enemies,

preparing an eternal home for him in heaven.

Can you wonder that the true Christian loves Christ?...

...where there is real justifying faith in Christ,

there will always be heart love to Christ.  He that is really forgiven

is the man who will really love (Luke 7:47).

If a man has no love to Christ, you may be sure he has no faith."

**Quoted from "Holiness" by J. C. Ryle pages 234-237

With Love,
Camille

**Images in this post courtesy of Calvin ~ thank you my love. xoxo
(Image #1 ~ Anglesey, Wales; #2 ~ Mojave Desert, CA; #3 ~ Fairmont, BC)

Caramel Coconut Cake ~ Gluten Free

This cake is amazingly yummy and super easy to whip up for 

last minute company, or for those you love who cannot eat gluten.

Caramel coconut goodness at its best ~ no need to tell anyone

that it's gluten free.  The gluten will not be missed at all.  I promise.

Namaste Gluten Free Flour is my favourite GF flour mix.  It can be used in place

of all purpose flour in most recipes without the need to add anything else.

This recipe has been adapted from the original which came from

Company's Coming Most Loved Treats by Jean Pare.

What you need:

CAKE ~ 2 Large Eggs

1 cup White Sugar (I use evaporated cane juice)

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup Milk (or Almond Milk)

1 Tbsp Butter

1 cup Gluten Free Flour (all purpose flour may be used)

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

TOPPING ~ 3 Tbsp Butter

1/2 cup Golden Brown Sugar, packed

2 Tbsp Milk (or Almond Milk)

1/2 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

What you do:

Grease a 9" x 11" glass baking dish with butter and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In mixer, whip the eggs until frothy.

Add white sugar a few spoonfuls at a time while beating the eggs.

Continue adding the sugar until it's incorporated and the mixture is thickened.

Mix in the vanilla extract and beat well.

In a small saucepan, heat the 1/2 cup milk and 1 Tbsp butter until melted.

Remove from heat and set aside.

In small bowl, sift together the gluten free flour, baking powder, and sea salt.

Add to the egg mixture and mix together thoroughly.

Slowly add in the melted butter and milk mixture.

Stir together well and spread batter evenly into the glass baking dish.

Bake in the 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes.

While the cake is baking, bring the 3 Tbsp butter,

golden brown sugar, and 2 Tbsp milk to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.

Stir occasionally.  Once a rolling boil has been reached, remove from

the heat and stir in the 1/2 cup coconut.  Set aside.

Remove the cake from the oven after the 20 minute baking time

and spread the coconut topping evenly on top.  Be sure it reaches to the edges.

Return your cake to the oven to bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Watch closely in the last few minutes to be sure the topping does not burn.

Remove to a cooling rack and let sit for about 5 minutes prior to serving.

Serve warm.  It won't last long.  Enjoy!

With Love,

Camille

**If you don't like coconut, this makes a yummy
caramel-topped basic cake....just omit the coconut.  :)

As They Come

The days run together in one long line-up of ordinary things

and before we can catch up with it all, it changes.  We change.

It was like this when the children were small and there were

four precious little ones around our table.

It is still like this, even though the three who remain here

with us are no longer little.  And, Austin's chair sits empty.

We somehow think that things will go on as they always do.

And when they don't, we are caught by surprise.

But, it's all good.  Life is good.  As long as we remember

that this is not all there is.  Something better is coming.

We need to prepare our hearts for change

while living out the moments as they come.

Our Austin has been in heaven for over three years.

Fraser just caught up to Calvin's six-foot-two height.

Emma is becoming a woman right before our eyes.

These days do not look like those of ten, or even five, years ago.

I like to fill my heart with the idea that each season is precious.

That all seasons of life are gifts to be embraced and enjoyed.

So, we seek to live in this moment, this day, and in this season

with all that we have and all that we are.  By God's abundant grace.

 And, we seek to remember that in the midst of it all,

we are to bring glory to our Saviour's great Name.

After all, He is the Reason we live.

He is the Reason we have hope.

What season do you find yourself in?
Are you finding that there is grace and strength to
accomplish all that is set before you?  Are you weary?
If so, don't despair, the Lord is faithful to see His people through.

"And He (Jesus Christ) said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee;
for my strength is made perfect in weakness..."  II Corinthians 12:9

We must keep our hearts fixed on those lasting and eternal things,
and refocus our attentions to the tasks of the day in which we find ourselves.
How good and gracious the Lord is to give all we stand in need of.
Moment by moment.  Step by step.  Until the day He calls us Home.

"Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work
in you all perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."  Philippians 1:6

With Love,

Camille

**Image in this post courtesy of Calvin ~
Thank you so much my love. xoxo