The Quotidian (7. 2. 15)

Quotidian: daily, usual, or customary;

everyday; ordinary; commonplace.  (Qualified).

Qualification: For nearly two weeks, our routine was switched up and 
our location was altered in order to be a help to my sister and her husband.

Fraser and Emma tagged along.  Of course.  :)

Who wouldn't want to do school in CA in winter if the opportunity arose?
We jumped at the chance and are so glad we did! 
We've been home now for nearly a week.  Here's a peek into some of the 
out-of-the-ordinary ordinary things of life from our time down south.

On our way...in the wee hours.

In my sister's car...just the three of us for a day out.

*Our* dog for a week.

Going down only to come back up.

School station #1.

School station #2.

School station #3.

A treat...homemade!  :)

The view.

My sister's decorating touches ~ love!

Right outside my door.

Crafting up a storm (my sister...not me!) ~ apparently for me, however.  :)

The mantel.

On the fridge....made me get a little teary.

My sister's gorgeous children...years ago.

Me and my sister...many more years ago.

Following directions.

Tuckered out.

Heading home.

The waiting area ~ once through security.

The cutest airport ever.

Our plane.

Leaving all this behind.

Happy Weekend Y'all!
With Love, Camille

**Photos in this post courtesy of Emma's little point-and-shoot...
thank you for sharing my love.  xoxo

Too Many Words

Words.  It seems very often that I have many.  Too many.

How do I use my words?  Biblically?  Wisely?  Or...destructively?

I must confess that this can be a tricky one to navigate at times.

God's Word says much on the subject.  Not surprisingly.

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the 

use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers."  Ephesians 4:29

Edification.  What does that really mean?  To build up.  Encourage.  Instruct.

What do words sometimes do?  Tear down.  Discourage.  Confuse.

So, how is it possible to avoid the negative impact of our words?
For that, wisdom is required.

Thankfully, the Lord promises it to His people when they ask.

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,

and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."  James 1:5

And, then, verses like these give the guidance required ~

"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt,

that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."  Colossians 4:6

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;

teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, 

singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks to God and the Father by him."  Colossians 3:16-17

The book of Proverbs is full of wonderful instruction to us regarding these things as well.

One of my favourite verses found within that book is this ~ "In the multitude of words there 

wanteth not sin; but, he that refraineth his lips is wise."  Proverbs 10:19

May the Lord help us to live according to His Word in these matters.

May He give the enabling to keep our words uplifting and encouraging,

and to refrain from speaking unless it brings blessing to those around us.
Even instruction, when given in the correct manner, will be a blessing.

May we have wisdom to know how to navigate these waters.

May we know His hand upon us this day and for all those that follow.

And, may all who interact with us know that He is the One we seek to serve.
By His grace and in His strength.  For His glory alone.

With Love, Camille

**Images in this post courtesy of Emma ~ thank you my love!  xo

Art Incorporated

A few new pieces of art have recently been added to our home.

Calvin had some calendars printed which included a number of his photos.

The one he made for me had carefully selected Bible verses added to the pictures....love!

Last summer, my Dad created some more of his beautiful drawings.
He shared one of them with us.  A Grizzly mama bear with her cub is
featured in it with one of the Rocky Mountains in the background.

It currently lives in the office area of our home.

Do you remember this?  Well, that led to this, which resulted in this.

We've had this frame for a number of years, but, it was never put to use.
Once the bathroom had a fresh coat of paint, I was inspired to hang art.
Guess where the picture came from?  An old calendar.  Free!
It's hanging on the wall to the left in the photo above.



The hand towel rack that had been pulled out of the wall needed
to be installed in a different spot than it had previously been in.
And, these two little plaques go perfectly in the space created.

I especially love the Bible verses featured on them.
What precious promises the Lord gives His people!!

So, there you have it.  Art incorporated.
How do you incorporate art into your home?
What is your favourite tip for doing it frugally?

Happy Weekend Y'all!
With Love, Camille

Cheesy Lentil Bake

I originally came across this recipe here.

It's been made quite a few times since then.
I have tweaked and altered it so that it's just the way we like it.

With teenage tummies to fill, you can't go wrong.
Frugal and delicious and easy.  What more could you want?

I serve it up with a pot of rice and it fills six very hungry

tummies right up.  Full to the brim.  Adjust accordingly.

3 cups water
2 cups brown lentils, rinsed and drained
1 whole bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried ground sage
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tin 14 oz diced tomatoes with green chilies and lime juice
1 tin 14 oz tomato sauce

4 large carrots, diced
4 large celery sticks, diced
2 red peppers, chopped
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix together first nine ingredients (up to and including the two types of tomatoes)
in a 10 x 15 inch glass baking dish.  Stir together well.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

After the 30 minutes of baking, stir in the remaining chopped veggies and spices.
Cover with foil and bake for a further 45 minutes.

Serve over rice and sprinkle with cheese and let sit until the cheese melts a little.
You could also just sprinkle the entire dish with cheese prior to serving to streamline things.
I hope you like it as much as we do.  Enjoy!

Happy Monday Y'all!
With Love, Camille

Purpose

I don't usually jump on the word bandwagon.
Actually, I've never done it before now.

I don't expect it to become a new tradition, either.
But, these last few weeks, the first few of this year and the last few of the last,
 some things have been rattling around in my brain and in my heart.
These reflections have been revolving around the idea of purpose.

The purpose of life.  Mine, in particular.

It's so easy to fall into the false notion that life is pointless.
Especially for the stay-at-home Mum who has children that
are growing up way too quickly and seemingly need less and less of her.
Perhaps (maybe especially) since one of those has grown up and gone on ahead.

But, is it really pointless?  Or, are these thoughts filled with lies?

Lies.  That's exactly what they are.
And, we are not to fill our minds with these sorts of thoughts.
But, rather, we are to fill our hearts and minds with truth.
What does God's Word say to our hearts on such weighty things as these?
What is the purpose of all of life?  Of my life?

Well.  That's a big question, isn't it?

The Shorter Catechism sums it up nicely with question number one.
Q:  What is the chief end of man (woman could be substituted here)?
A:  Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do,
do all to the glory of God."  I Corinthians 10:31

"Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.
My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart,
and my portion forever."  Psalm 73:25-26

So, there is purpose in every single thing we do and say if it is done in light of the
eternal weight of it all.  If it is done for the Lord.  According to His Word.
And, that is where purpose meets real life.  What gives purpose.  Who gives purpose.

The reason for it all.

May the Lord help us to follow Him wherever He leads
and do all that He calls us to with all our strength.  With purpose.
At the end of the day, all that matters is this.  Truly.
May we live like it is so.  Always and forever.

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  Philippians 1:21
May the Lord make this to be true of me.
In His strength.  By His grace.  For His glory alone.

Many Blessings, Camille

The Quotidian (19. 1. 15)

Quotidian: daily, usual, or customary;

everyday; ordinary; commonplace.

Ready to be returned.

Making a mess dinner.

Leftovers from fall ~ waiting for spring.

Only in the house ~ practising.  All. The. Time.

I don't mind where school work takes place ~ as long as it happens.

A gift to Emma from the RCMP officer who checked in on us

in the days following Austin's home-going to heaven.

Emma had him propped up behind her while she did her work.

Happy Monday Y'all!

With love, Camille

Quite By Accident

I've been MIA ~ Quite by accident.

I don't know how it happened.  But, I haven't been here

and, other than busyness and life and school and things of that sort,

there really is no reason at all.  *Wink*

I usually announce my absence prior to it happening.
In this case, it surprised me and before I knew it, it was done.

So, just so you know...I hope to have a few things to share soon.

In the meantime...here are words not my own.

Sometimes, being quiet is the best thing after all.

"The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble;

and he knoweth them that trust in him."  Nahum 1:7

Happy Weekend Y'all!

With love, Camille

Best Baked Oatmeal!

I know I've shared baked oatmeal recipes before.  I still like them.

But, this one is my new favourite.  The recipe was found on Jenny's blog.

And, I've made it over and over again.  It's one the kids request

and get excited about.  I've even been known to serve it to company.  Yup, it's true.  

If you bake up a batch, I'm sure you'll understand why.

I like it made with blueberries or raspberries or a combination of both.

It's wonderful all three ways.  See?  Told you it's been made many times.

It was what was for breakfast this morning....with raspberries.

Here's what you need.

1 cup Sour Cream

1 1/4 cup Milk (I use Almond Milk)

2 Eggs, beaten

2 Tbsp Butter, melted

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

3 cups Rolled Oats

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

2 tsp Baking Powder

3/4 tsp Sea Salt

2 cups Frozen Blueberries or Raspberries

Here's what you do.

Mix together sour cream, milk, eggs, butter and vanilla in large bowl.

Stir in the oats until well blended.

Mix together the brown sugar, baking powder and sea salt in small bowl.

Stir the dry ingredients into the oat mixture and mix together well.

Fold in the frozen berries.  Pour into greased 10 x 15 inch glass baking dish.

(You could bake this in a 9 x 13 baking dish for a more cake-like product).

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes 

until set in the centre and browning on the edges.

**If you want to have soaked oatmeal, just make this up the night before

and pop it into the fridge (covered with plastic wrap) and bake the next day.

Place cold (uncovered) dish into the cold oven and leave it there

for the preheating stage and then set the timer for 25 minutes once

the oven has reached its proper temperature.**

Depending on how hungry your people are, this will serve 6 to 8.
Serve hot in a bowl with cream or milk.  Enjoy.

Happy Tuesday Y'all!
With Love, Camille

On the Other Side

So, we stayed home this Christmas.

We were almost too busy to think.  It was a mercy, really.
However, the tears still came.  At random and sometimes inconvenient times.

But, those tears were good.  And, it was good.  All of it.

And now?  We are on the other side.

We survived our first Christmas at home without our Austin.

And, yet...we weren't without him.  We aren't without him.

He still lives.  Just not here.  

It's a comfort to remind ourselves of this truth.

He remains part of the fabric of who we are as a family.

Who we are as individuals.  He is missed and always will be.

Until the day we are called Home to Heaven.

The Lord graciously allowed us times of quiet in the midst of

the busyness of it all.  We were alone on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Things were different and things were the same.

We kept many of the old traditions.  But, some things were altered

or eliminated completely.  Some things were added in.

It was necessary and it was good.

Through it all, we were conscious of the prayers of God's people.

The Lord carried us through and gave us His comfort and peace.

Sorrow and joy were mingled together.  I imagine that is how it always will be.

From here on out.  And, we are settled with that.  It feels right.

It's a blessing to know that we don't walk this path alone.

I was reminded recently (by a lovely friend) of the fact that we all 
carry sorrows of one type or another.  Each one of us has grief to bear.

True, the vehicle by which it comes to us may be different,

but, the pain is real just the same.  It is deeply felt.

What do we do with it?  How do we cope?

Either it will drive us away from the Lord or to Him.

The key is to look to the Right Source for our comfort.

To dig deeply into His Word for the answers.

To fill our hearts and minds with His Truth.

Truly, it is the only way forward.

The only way to find lasting comfort and peace.

The only way to keep from crumbling completely.
The only way to rejoice in the midst of sorrow.

The only way.

May the peace of the Lord flood your souls
now and always.  May He be your everything.
Always and forever.

With love, Camille

Missing Austin and Merry Christmas!

Christmas is upon us and we find ourselves

missing our Austin in the midst of it all.

We always will.  That will never change.

Never, that is, until we are called into eternity.

There will be no missing there.

In the meantime, we remember and we look back.

It hurts.  But, we are so very conscious of our Austin's gain.

He is no longer bound by the temporal.  By sin.  By suffering.

We can't help but rejoice when we think of where

he is and what he is doing.  All the time.

He will never die again.

It truly is an amazing thought.  A comforting thought.  A steadying thought.

It takes the sting away when we fill our hearts and minds with the reality of it all.

And, we rejoice because this is why our Saviour came to earth the first time.
To save His people from their sins, and to give them eternal life.  

To prepare a way for His people to be with Him.  Forever.



Austin made this tree ornament for me when he was ten.  

He hand-printed these sweet words on the back of it ~
"To My Dearest Mom Merry Christmas!  Love, Austin xxxooo"
It has a prominent spot on our tree.  I'm a mixture of emotions over it.
And, through it all, the Lord is good.  So very, very good!

This is just one of the many ways I am missing him.
All that he has done is all he will ever do ~ here.
I miss what will never be this side of eternity.  I miss him.

We are planning to be home this Christmas season.

There are many things on the calendar ~ too many?

Our front door threatens to be worn out with all the

comings and goings ~ but, it is good.  And, we are thankful.

There are many voices out there vying for your attention.

I like to take mine out of the mix especially at this time of year.

Quiet reflection is hard to come by at the best of times.

But, at Christmas?  It's nearly impossible.

So, I leave you with these precious verses from the Word of God
to ponder in your hearts at this wonderful time of year.
It really is all about Him!

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:
for he shall save his people from their sins."  Matthew 1:21

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government
shall be upon his shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life;
no man cometh to the Father, but by me."  John 14:6

"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



May the Lord bless you each with His peace and presence now and always.

May He continually be your all in all.  Your everything.
May you follow wherever he leads.  For all your days.
Until He calls you from this world into the next.

He is faithful.  And, He is good.  Rest in Him.

My plan is to take the next couple of weeks off from blogging.
I hope to catch up with you all early in the New Year, Lord-willing.
If you should choose to leave a comment here it will not appear until then.
Thank you for always being so understanding of these breaks I take.
Y'all bless my heart and make me smile.  Truly.

 Merry Christmas from our Home to Yours!
Much Love, Camille