Week In. Week Out.

My Monday tradition
is one of thanks.

Week in.
Week out.

It is a blessing to be held accountable like this.
It has been just over a year since
I began this numbering of gifts.

Consciously giving thanks for the everyday.
Giving thanks for the simple.
For the ordinary.
For the things often forgotten.

P.R.E.C.I.O.U.S.

These are the moments to treasure.
Moments to remember.

949. Wild, windy days!

950. Strong winds and no power outtage!

951. Enjoying the wind blowing through the house during the storm ~
I opened the windows on purpose to have a cross breeze.
It all came to an end when Emma came upstairs *freezing*...LOL!

952. The tickety-tap of computer keys while we all type away in the schoolroom

953. Braces on Emma ~ Such excitement!
(Only involving six teeth on the top from 3 to 3 ~ Dental lingo)

954. Christmas colours for Emma's ties ~ fun!

955. Braces off Austin ~ Receptionist Q: "Are you ready for this?"
Austin A: "I've been ready for two years!"

956. Abundance of opportunities and resources

957. Watching Emma type ~
learning with a fun kids' program

958. Sunshine after the storm

959. Notes from friends in the mailbox ~
yaay for snail-mail!

960. A tea bag tucked inside one of those notes. :)

961. Pen pals for Emma ~
cultivating the art of the hand-written note

962. Blogging friends ~ each one of you is a blessing to me!

963. Being surprised at the fact that I have met
so many lovely friends in this blog-world

964. Washing a little blonde head ~
this won't last forever!
How often I am struck with the seemingly
insignificant these days!

965. A very full pantry ~ blessings!

966. A pantry to fill ~ I didn't always have one...
it used to be a coat closet. :)

967. Chickens in the freezer

968. Chicken stock to make soups with

969. A recipe for GOOT ~ Thank you Cinnamon!

970. Probiotics

971. Prayer

972. Knowing that the LORD knows!

973. Trusting in HIM alone

974. Resting in Romans 8:28 ~
and letting it really sink in!

975. An evening of hockey ~ just Austin and me!

976. Safe passage home in a SNOWSTORM! Oh. Dear. Me.
I have only been that frightened while driving a few times in my life...
I'm so glad to be HOME!

977. The prayers of our precious Austin as I drove (and prayed) ~
what a BLESSING!

Tearing Down Idols

I have set idols up in my heart.
I never would have thought it possible.
After all, I have been a Christian most of my life.
The Lord saved me when I was nearly five.

Over the years I grew spiritually.  Sanctification.
But the pride.  Oh the pride!

I taught Sunday School as a teenager and prepared very little.
Prayed very little.  Really, I did much of what
would be called "serving the Lord" in my own strength.

Wood.  Hay.  Stubble.  Idols.


Where did they come from?  My own heart.  My imagination.
I set them up and didn't realise I had done it!
A perfect marriage.  A perfect home.  A perfect family.

None of these are attainable.
And if set up in a high position in our hearts, they become idols.
The Word of God says ~ "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."  Exodus 20:3

How often I have failed in this!
But how great and wonderful our God is!!
He forgives and helps us overcome these idols.
In the everyday a work of sanctification takes place.
He is faithful to complete that which He begins!

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

As we ask for He help and grace, and seek Him for forgiveness ~
He will deliver us from the idols we have set up.
He enables us to surrender.

Might He give daily the ability to serve Him
with all of our hearts and love Him above all else.
In the everyday.  In the mundane.  In the ordinary.
All for His glory alone!

With Love, Camille

Once In Awhile...

Once in awhile...
I declare a "day off"!

Sometimes...
it's NECESSARY.

It's IMPORTANT!

Have FUN with your children!
Enjoy the time you have!
The time is short.

Soon there will be quiet where there once was noise.
Soon there will be clean clothes in the closet and none in the hamper.
Soon there will be six foot tall men where there once were three foot toddlers.
Soon there will be leftovers in the fridge! ;-)

Soon...

SO...
Capture these moments.
They are to be treasured.
Gifts from HIS hand.

Play games.
Read.
Listen.
Enjoy.

Make memories.
Build bridges.
Tie the strings of their hearts.

Snapshots of our most recent "day off"...

Daddy surprised us with "Twizzlers"...

I took a little time for this...

And didn't do any of this...

But we did take time for some of this...

The boys did some of this...

And we all played some of this...

And then Emma and I helped the boys with some of this...

I'm thinking it's just about time to do it again! :)
What are you going to do on your next "day off"?
AND...When are you going to declare one?

Thankfulness...

Thankfulness...

A way of thinking.
A way of living.
A way of obeying.

Thankfulness...

For all HE gives.

Continuing to number my thanks ~
A Monday tradition.

W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L.

931. Grandma's Waffles for dinner

932. "Little House on the Prairie"
boxed sets to enjoy with Emma
(and occasionally a boy or two or three)

933. Little girl falling asleep as I lay beside her singing
"O Little Town of Bethlehem" (yes, in November...)

934. Her heavy arm across my neck while she breathes softly

935. Precious moments

936. Running the dishwasher over and over and over again!

937. Enjoying loading and unloading the dishwasher!

938. The lashing rain and us all snug and cosy inside

939. Heat from the registers

940. Amazing cloud formations ~
Indeed, "The Heavens declare the glory of God"

941. Hopping across the line for gasoline ~
and being able to do it all in very little time...yaay for Nexus!

942. Parking at Nathan's for our beach walk

943. The men and women who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy ~
Remembrance Day thoughts

944. The freedom of our land and the liberties we enjoy ~
may we never forget!

945. A devoted Daddy for my children

946. Froot Loops (very occasionally...LOL!)

947. Steel Cut Oats on most mornings ~
to counter balance the above :)

948. Professor B Math! :)

It's easy to count.
It begins with noticing the *little* things.
Noticing the moments.
Entering into them and writing them down.
It's as simple as that.

My journal sits on my counter.
I list as events unfold.
Sometimes many all at once,
and other times in a trickle.

Would you like to begin?
Just grab a pen and a journal,
set them out on the counter,
and list out your blessings.
Find the joy in the moments ~
As they arrive.

Enjoy the journey!

Many Blessings,
Camille

Our Inheritance

What is our inheritance?

If we belong to the LORD,
the Bible tell us that we will one day be with
HIM in Heaven!
THAT is an incredible thought!

But what about now?
Are we promised riches?

No.

But...
We are promised the peace that passes all understanding.
We are promised that HE will never leave us.
We are promised that all our needs will be met.

We *love* Spurgeon in our home.
We feel as though he really has been pastor to us over the years.
"Morning and Evening"
is a devotional book that was written over 150 years ago
by the "Prince of Preachers" (Spurgeon).

The November 11th evening reading was such a blessing to our hearts!
Here I will share some quotes from it with you.
If you do not own a copy of this devotional,
I would encourage you to purchase one for your home!

It is that wonderful!!

"He shall choose our inheritance for us..." Psalm 47:4

"Believer, if your inheritance be a lowly one you should be
satisfied with your earthly portion; for you may rest
assured that it is the fittest for you.
Unerring wisdom ordained your lot,
and selected for you the safest and best condition."

~ C.H. Spurgeon ~

Do we understand this?
Oh that we would fully comprehend the
incredible depths of it!

Ordained of God...
our inheritance has been ordained by God for us!!
Maybe things are not going as you planned.
Maybe every week you wonder where the money
for the next bill will be coming from.
Maybe your health is poor.
Maybe your children are wayward.

Whatever the situation, we all need to remember this...

Our lot is chosen for us and will be used by God
to do His perfect work in us!


"Remember this, had any other condition been better for you
than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there.
You are placed by God in the most suitable of circumstances..."

~ C.H. Spurgeon ~

Do we really believe this?
Oh that we would truly grasp the profound truth of it!
All comes from the loving hand of our perfect
Heavenly Father...for our good and His glory!

How wonderful to read such truths from a man who has long been
in Glory and who knew His Lord well!
The truths he shares are timeless.
They often strike us as timely for whatever it is we face.

Isn't God's Word like that?
Perfectly suited for every occasion.
How blessed we are!
What an inheritance!!

"Be content with such things as you have,
since the Lord has ordered all things for your good."

~ C.H. Spurgeon ~


** All quotes in this post taken from "Morning and Evening"
November 11th Evening Reading ~ by C.H. Spurgeon.

Dressing Up the Lentils

I have never been excited about lentils.
They have never been interesting to me.
Never, that is...
until now.

A trusted source for recipes is a wonderful thing.
I am fortunate enough to have a few.
This came from one of them ~
I have not been disappointed with her recipes yet.

I was prepared to be disappointed this time ~
After all, we are talking about lentils!

BUT I wasn't.
None of us were.
We all liked them ~
A LOT!

One thing to mention ~
We had them the first time with brown rice and
a lovely green salad on the side.
You could go back and forth between the flavours.
The meal was a HIT!
Everyone had seconds.
As it should be...
the sign of success.

The second time around, a HUGE pile of rice and lentils
was dished out to each guest around the table ~
without the salad on the side for balance.
The salad had been enjoyed as the first course.

The second course completely lost its shine ~
as you might imagine.
These lentils
sparkle brightest as a side dish.
In that supporting role,
you will find it difficult to resist a second serving.
Really, it's true!

Lesson learned *the hard way* ~
Do NOT serve these lentils in a HUGE mound unaccompanied.
BUT DO serve them...you won't be sorry you did!

I do hope you try them out...
with a lovely green salad on the side! ;-)


Sweet and Sour Lentils ~

Click on the name above,
and you will find the post with the recipe in it.
Entertainment awaits...she always entertains while talking about food.
Read through, or just skip right to the bottom of the post,
and there you will find what it is you are looking for.
I think you will agree...they are worth the hunt! :)

I made them exactly as stated, but for the following few adjustments ~
I soaked the lentils prior to cooking,
I used dehydrated cane juice instead of brown sugar,
and I also used organic apple juice.

The recipe, as is,
would feed about four *normally*...maybe more?
I made double.

Any questions?
They really are super easy...and delish!
ENJOY!

Becoming a Joy Finder

There are many ways you can give thanks.
There are many "methods" to use.
Some keep fabulous journals!

I haven't begun mine yet ~ Maybe one day?

Others are using this entire month to give thanks ~
Each and every day!
In detail.
It's lovely.

Some keep their journal online ~ like me.
Each Monday.
In a community.
It's beautiful learning to become a *joy finder*.

I would love it if you would join in!
Create a list in your own special way.
Private journal or online ~
I'm sure you will find either choice to be a blessing.
However you choose to do it ~
Please remember the SOURCE of it all!

Remember to WHOM we give the thanks!

"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice
of praise to God continually, that is,
the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."
Hebrews 13:15

911. A weekly note (left quietly on my desk)
from a boy seeking to encourage in the LORD! ~
How precious!

912. That the children take it all in good fun when
Mummy insists on doing "the challenge" each fall

913. And they wear winter hats and wrap up in blankets
because of "the challenge" to see how far into October we
can go without turning on the heat!

914. We made it past half way this year.

915. The furnace worked when I did go to use it! ~
I think it's the original.

916. And it's still working! :)

917. The last of the Dahlias (in October)
from my Mum-in-Love ~ So lovely!

918. Oregano Oil to help ward off illness

919. Sleep!!

920. A new day

921. Getting better

922. Vick's Vapo-rub

923. Ricola cough drops

924. A wonderful visit with friends who are dear ~
Thank you so much for making the trek over to see us H and R! :)

925. The autumn time change ~ I *love* to "fall back"

926. Licorice Spice tea ~ yum!

927. Candlelight

928. Giant three wick candle from my Dad ~
Given *just because* my old one (from Dad) is getting used up!
Thank you Dad. :)

929. Cosy nights in

930. The chatter of voices and the bustle of activity ~
I do desire to cherish these quickly passing days!

All We Like Sheep...

Oh we heard the MOST wonderful sermon
a few Sundays ago!

I had been thinking on Psalm 23.
And the sermon was on Psalm 23!
Funny how that works sometimes. :)


How many sermons have you heard
preached on that Psalm?
I'm guessing...not many.

I hadn't.

It seems that it is so
COMMON.
But it is not!

The truths found within it are
WONDERFUL!
So rich and full and encouraging.

The pastor pointed out that
it is thought that Psalms 22, 23 and 24
were originally meant to be read together ~ as a unit.

Interesting.

Psalm 22 is the Psalm of the Cross.
Psalm 23 is the Psalm of the Crook (as in Shepherd's).
And Psalm 24 is the Psalm of the Crown.

Often, Psalm 23 is read as a death-Psalm,
but it really is full of life and living!
We ought to be encouraged as we take the time to
meditate and digest what is really there.

Is the Lord Jesus YOUR Shepherd?
Are you HIS sheep?

Personalize this Psalm if HE is and if you are.
Think about what a human shepherd will do for his sheep.
How much more precious it is that our Shepherd is
the ALL knowing, ALL seeing, ALL compassionate God!
We are in VERY good hands!

We are SECURE.

We will never fall away...
because HE KEEPS US!!


As you think on these familiar verses in this Psalm,
compare what you read to the verses in John 10:11-18
and John 10:26-29.

Oh how WONDERFUL!!

~ Psalm 23 ~

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of
the LORD for ever."

Prayerfully consider these verses
as they pertain to you.
Do you belong to HIM?

I pray that you do.
If you do not, the Bible tells us ~

"For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life."
John 3:16

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me;
and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
John 6:37


HE will recieve you if you
come to Him in repentance and faith.

Trust HIM.

HE alone can save you from
eternal destruction,
set your feet on solid ground,
and give you an eternal hope!

May the LORD bless each of you this weekend,
kind friends, with HIS rich goodness ~
May HE lead you gently unto Himself.
In His Love,
Camille


**All photos in this post courtesy of my friend Christa @
Country Hearts at Home
Thank you so much! :)

Freddy the Pig

**Please see the "update" at the bottom of this post ~
I just wanted to be sure you all see it. :)

Wonderful.
Witty.
Imaginitive.

E.N.T.E.R.T.A.I.N.I.N.G

Freddy the Pig
is a favourite around here.

He talks.
He has adventures.
He tickles the funny bone.

The boys have all enjoyed these books ~
I'm sure Emma will appreciate them in the coming days as well.

This series of books was written over 75 years ago.
One of our adult friends read many of these as a child ~
She was so excited to learn that the boys had some to read for themselves!
She even borrowed one ~
rekindling the memories, I suppose. :)

Treasured books from our childhood always hold a
special place in our hearts, don't they?

I'm sure the young people in your life
would happily thank you for introducing them to Freddy.
He's a wonderful read-aloud as well!
I hope you enjoy Freddy as much as we have.

Want to find out where to purchse your own set?
Click Here

**UPDATE**
Something just was drawn to my attention about the
"Freddy Goes Camping" book ~
there is a character who dresses up ghostly to scare people
away from his property in this novel...mildly scary for little ones ~
if you wish to avoid such things, this would not be the one for you.

On the whole, these books tend to be full of "good, clean fun" ~
having said that, they do not appear to have been written by a Christian.
As with any recommendations that I make ~
Please consider what is best for your family and
draw upon the wisdom God promises to give.
I would still highly recommend them. :)

**I am not compensated in any way for this opinion**

Yummy for the Tummy!

Ever crave a mug of hot cocoa?
Like to add in a marshmallow or two?
Don't give into the craving because it is SO unhealthy?

How would you feel about it if you could
make your own *healthy* hot cocoa and marshmallows?


Jump on the bandwagon!

Check out my friend Jackie's recipes for both
Hot Cocoa and Marshmallows.

What are you waiting for??
Enjoy! :)

Abundance

In our Western culture we are blessed ~ Abundantly.

We have running water and indoor plumbing.
We have food in the fridge, the pantry and the freezer.
If we don't have our own garden and chickens,
we have access to grocery stores where we can buy what we need.
We have hospitals and roads and cars and homes.

We have so much!

On this Monday I give thanks.
I give thanks to the Giver of all gifts ~ A Sacrifice of Praise.
HE is the ONE Who deserves our praise.
HE alone is Worthy.

I've been revisiting the thoughts I had when our niece
made a volunteering trip to Ghana.
I think of the Leper Colony she served.

I think of their thankfulness.

Thankfulness for clean bandages
to bind up stumps where feet used to be.
Thankfulness for new "Crocs" to wear and
they were determined to save them for Church!
They needed them everyday ~
but they didn't want to waste them on the everyday.

AMAZING.

How ashamed I am of my unthankfulness.
Unthankfulness in the midst of a multitude of blessings.
A multitude of mercies.

No matter how little we have.
No matter how much we think we need.
We are blessed. If we have the LORD ~ HE truly is enough.

Recently, and for the last six months
I have not had a dishwasher in my kitchen.
Is this a "hardship"?

NO.

A mere 35 years ago no one had one!
And God in HIS grace has given me a new one.
Did I *NEED* it?  No.
Am I thankful?  Yes!

The boys washed and dried many, many, many dishes.
I washed and dried many, many, many dishes.
There were always more to do.  What a blessing!
If there were dirty dishes in the sink (and on the counter),
it was an indication that we had eaten.

Abundance.

Austin and Fraser ~ a familiar sight these last six months...

...And...

the new dishwasher fully loaded and ready to run! :)

901. The new dishwasher ~

after six months W.I.T.H.O.U.T. a dishwasher

**Please do not feel sorry for me...it was my own doing ~

I was determined to get the *right* colour ~ see #907...fussy! :(

902. The loads and loads of dishes washed in that new dishwasher (already)

and it hasn't even been installed for one week yet!

903. Howie installed the dishwasher and did a GREAT job!

904. We saved at least $150 because he did it himself

905. It's QUIET ~ We even forget it's running!

906. It doesn't leak AND

it doesn't make the cupboards all steamy inside

907. It's the *wrong* colour ~ sounds funny, I know! ~

The *right* colour is no longer available in Canada,

so it is the next best choice.

It reminds me that this is not meant to be our HOME ~

HEAVEN is!!!

908. Love it that my new dishwasher points me to the LORD! :)

909. Our home is *old* and has been renovated (a few times) ~

It didn't originally have a dishwasher...the opening is

the *wrong* size.

We were fortunate to even find a dishwasher that would fit!!

910. AND...I am reminded once again of how spoiled I really am

Many Blessings, Camille

Just. This. Day.

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow:
for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
Matthew 6:34


Ah yes ~
S.U.F.F.I.C.I.E.N.T.

How often do I try to solve ALL the coming day's
and even week's problems on this day?

Too often!

I am only called upon by the LORD
to accomplish the tasks of
Just. This. Day.

Relief!

THIS is the day I am living in, and it is in THIS day that
the LORD promises to give HIS grace!

HE doesn't promise us grace for the worry of the tomorrows.
How often I get trapped into the "what if's" of the days to come.

Worrying is a sin!
We NEVER will be given grace to sin.

The LORD gives grace and strength to take every thought captive.
HE gives the grace and enabling to
Do the Next Thing.

And HE enables us each to
Cast all our cares upon HIM.


May we each have wisdom from the LORD
to know what it is we are to accomplish
in THIS DAY...for HIS glory!

Blessings to you all ~
In His Love,
Camille

It's a Keeper!

Oh. Dear. Me.  Are you ready for this?
Absolutely the B.E.S.T. Cinnamon Rolls ever!

I came across this recipe one day awhile back.
I figured the day would eventually arrive when
Cinnamon Rolls would be *needed*.  So I saved the link.

Today was the day.  
There are a few happy people around here.
It's a "keeper"!

The dough before the first rise.

Punched down and rolled out with butter,

cinnamon and golden sugar spread on it.

Rolled up and sliced into individual buns.

Set for the second rise.

Risen and ready to pop into the oven.

Freshly baked!

And glazed...

Beware of the consequences if you bake these ~ they are SO difficult to resist!

Don't say I didn't warn you! :)

Perfectly Wonderful Cinnamon Rolls ~ from the Sisters Cafe Blog.

I altered the recipe just a bit as follows.

They required a little more flour than was listed in

the recipe ~ be sure that you knead the dough until it is

elastic and smooth...about 5 minutes of kneading.

The resulting dough will be slightly sticky,

but should make a nice, smooth ball.

The sugar I used to spread with the cinnamon was golden brown sugar ~

it wasn't clear which type of sugar was called for in the original recipe.

I found that mine took about 15 minutes to cook.

And they ended up touching each other during baking ~

even though I spaced them apart on the pan.

Please do let me know if you try them out!

Feel free to ask questions if you are unsure of anything...

I will try to be of help.

Have a lovely week!

Blessings, Camille

With a Little Advance Planning...

Does the thought that Christmas Day is just a little more than
EIGHT weeks away cause despair to rise within you?

It shouldn't.

What is the Christmas season all about, anyway?
Perhaps, before we go any further, we should
refocus on what really matters.

And then ~
make a little plan.
And stick to it!

This post is all about the gifts.
Ideas for those on a budget ~
Aren't we ALL on a budget?

Hopefully there is something here for everyone.
Enjoy the journey.
It is a joy to give.
And it really IS the thought that counts...
not the $$$ spent!
Give a little love this Christmas.

And be ready to share the
REAL Gift of Love with others.


Everyone loves a
personalized Gift Basket.
Tailor it to suit the one you are
planning to give it to,
and be prepared for a joyful response.

Gift baskets can be put together in a small bowl,
large basket, and everything in between.
I have even had one of these given to
me in a laundry basket ~ when our girl was born.
Use your imagination and have fun!

What you see in the basket above are some homemade
goodies from my kitchen.
Caramel Corn
and jam are two of the items included.
Give what your recipient wouldn't
normally make for themselves.


Begin a Library of Quality books
for a young person in your life.


Faith-Building Audio Drama
for kids (and their parents)
is a wonderful idea for a family with children
from age six to twelve (and beyond).


Focus on the Family Radio Theatre
is WONDERFUL for any family ~ for all ages!
There are, of course, certain stories that
the very young would be frightened by,
but you are quite safe with
titles such as "Little Women",
"Anne of Green Gables" and "Silas Marner".
I cannot tell you how much we have enjoyed these ~
over and over and over again!


How about something sweet for neighbours,
family and friends?
Caramel Corn
is something not many can refuse.
And packaged up pretty,
it is a welcome hostess or teacher gift.


Another neighbour or teacher gift is the
"Gift in a Mug".
Pretty and economical...
as long as it is hand-assembled, of course!


For little people on your list ~
I cannot recommend
these sweet books
highly enough!


An "Answers" Magazine Subscription
would be a great blessing for any family on your list.
The material presented is from a Biblical Worldview
and is a wonderful tool to fortify every member
within that home.
We ALL *love* to find the next installment
in our mailbox.

If you have NO MONEY to spend on gifts...
take heart!

There are MANY ways to show love and give of
what you DO have to loved ones.
Some of your TIME.

What about a coupon booklet?
Handmade by you?
Custom designed and hand-written.

Make coupons for things such as these ~

"I will clean your car one Saturday...name the date!"
"I will take you to..."
"Date night IN...leave all the details to me!"
"I will bake your favourite...anytime you ask!"
"I will read your favourite book to you one afternoon"
"We will go to the park and swing on the swings..."
"Good for one day of housecleaning!"
"Free babysitting one night while you go out."

Etc...

The possibilities are ENDLESS!

Then...make sure YOU keep track of what you've
promised to do and keep the recipient of your coupons
accountable to take you up on it!

Remember to take time to enjoy
this time of year.
The LORD is not honoured by
our overdoing it ~
Who are we aiming to please anyway?

May this Christmas Season be full
of love and joy and peace ~
And may the Lord Jesus Christ
be at the center of it all!

Blessings to each of you!
In His Love,
Camille