Float Safely

It's so important to fill up our hearts and minds with Truth.

And, to look back on all the ways and times the Lord has been faithful.

It's comforting to know that since He never changes,

He will be faithful in the future just as He has been in the past.

Long ago, someone shared the idea of a keeping a journal documenting

all the ways in which the Lord has delivered us or provided for our needs.

It is such a blessing to read through it and refresh our memories

of His faithfulness to us in this journey He has us on.

It's no secret that C.H. Spurgeon's writings bless my heart.

It seems that his encouragement is always timely and well suited to whatever

we may be facing at any particular time in our walk with the Lord.

I suppose that's because what he says is firmly rooted in Scripture.

The following quote is typical for Spurgeon.

I actually found myself chuckling at the brilliance of his analogy.

"Arise, go to the river of thine experience, and pull up a few bulrushes,

and plait them into an ark, wherein thine infant-faith may float safely on the stream.

Forget not what thy God has done for thee; turn over the book of 
thy remembrance, and consider the days of old." *

See what I mean?  Encouragement for the soul.
May you know the Lord's goodness to you now and always.
And, may you indeed pluck up some of those bulrushes today.
Our Great God is faithful and will never fail in all He deems best.

Rest your heart in Him!
With Love, Camille

*Quoted from Spurgeon's Morning and Evening  ~
January 25th Morning Reading

Image in this post courtesy of Emma ~
Thank you my love XO

Meal Plan Update

Winter cooking is in full swing around here.

My winter meal plan has been put to good use in the last few months.

I'm loving this new system.  Two seasons in, it's a win.

As is evident from the photo below, I've made notes to myself along the way.
One of the things I wanted to figure out was the per person
cost for meals on my list.  It was an eye-opening exercise.

Some meals I had considered to be frugal weren't.
Others surprised me with their frugal-ness 
once the numbers were crunched and the final tally made. 

Figuring this out has helped when I've wanted
to stretch our food budget just a little further.
I'm not sure why I hadn't thought of doing this before.

So, there you have it.  Tweaking things as well as the
addition or subtraction of meals has been going on around here.
But, the concept of a list to work from is still in vogue.
I'm sold on the concept of it all.

And, meal planning week by week has become a whole
lot simpler since implementing this system.     

Do you have any frugal (and nourishing) meal ideas to share?
I'm always up for trying something new and adding to the list.
Thank you to all of you who shared ideas on my soup post.
It was fun to try some of them out.  You bless my heart!  :)
  
Before too long, it will be spring once again,
and the summer plan will be re-employed.  Yippee!

Happy Cooking!
With Love, Camille

The Quotidian (25. 1. 16)

Quotidian: daily, usual, or customary;

everyday; ordinary; commonplace.

Date night with Emma.
(We mostly window-shopped...Coach?!)

I'm not a shopper...but, Emma is.  :)

Making breakfast.

The boys were happy.

Trying to escape....see his hind leg?

Reading.  Always reading.

Just returning from drop-in hockey.

Airing out the gear.

The skates.

Study group session ~ students from around the globe
logged in via Skype.  It truly is amazing.

Displaced.

Once in awhile.

Making music.

Happy Monday Y'all.
With Love, Camille 

Ten Things...

It's been awhile since I have written love notes to my children
in their special journals.  I've been meaning to get to it 
for quite some time.  Too long, in fact.

The last entry was from October 2014!
Obviously, I let things slide here just a little.

This morning, I remedied that situation by writing a list of ten things
I love about them.  I sought to focus on specific character traits that they have
due to the Lord's goodness and grace in their lives.

Don't we all benefit from a little encouragement now and then?
These little journals are a great way to bless our loved ones.
Do you have a special way to express love to your family?
I'd love it if you would share your ideas...please?  I'm all ears.

Happy Friday!
With Love, Camille

Soup! Soup! Soup!

It's soup season.  At least, it is in our neck of the woods.
I've come across some new recipes that have quickly become
our favourites.  There are, of course, old standbys
that continue to play an important role in my kitchen.

However, this post is not about any of those.
Three recent finds we all love are linked below (click on soup names).
They each are worthy of guests and get rave reviews all around.

Winter Squash Soup with Corn Relish
(Rich and yummy and more-ish.
Be sure to make enough to have leftovers.)

I use butternut squash and tins of peaches and cream corn for the relish.
No other changes are made except for the fact that
I have to double it to have enough.  :)



Italian Wedding Soup
(This one deserves a post all its own...it's that good!)

Sadly, I was unable to make it look pretty in pictures.
So, photos of the meatballs and fresh spinach will have to do.
Trust me on this and make up a batch.  You won't be sorry.  Promise.

I only change a few things when I make this soup.  I double the amount
of carrots and celery and substitute fresh baby spinach (chopped)
for the frozen package (3/4 of one large container of the fresh stuff).
My family doesn't think it makes much difference.  Perhaps I shouldn't bother?

The meatballs have to be altered to make provision for gluten and dairy free restrictions.
But, I am sure the original recipe is amazing.  I wouldn't change a thing in that regard.
Once finished cooking, be sure to check for seasoning.  More balsamic vinegar?  Yes, please.
One recipe serves five or six generously.  I've been known to triple it.

Creamy Red Lentil and Kale Soup
(My kids recently asked me to make this one again.
It's my plan to serve it sometime this weekend.)

Fresh Roma tomatoes don't seem to be available at the moment,
so, a 14 oz tin of diced tomatoes (drained) will do the trick.
I like things a little bit spicy.  In light of that, I increase the cayenne pepper to 1/4 tsp
and add in about 1/2 tsp garam masala.  Super easy and yummy!
I double it.  (Notice a trend?)

Now, what about you?  Do you have a favourite
soup recipe you're excited to share?  Please link to it in the comment section below.
I'd love to know all about the soups that have been featured at your table.

Happy Souping!
With Love, Camille

Perfectly Appointed

It's all up to him.  Or so he seems to think.

Our hamster is alive and well and does what hamsters are supposed to do.

We clean his cage and give him food and water and bedding.

If given a chance, he would escape.  And then, where would he be?

Things would not go well for him.

But, I am sure he thinks he would be just fine.

When the cage is cleaned, all his stored up food is discarded

along with the old bedding.  Fresh food is supplied.

When he re-enters his cage he scurries from corner to corner and

from floor to floor.  He rearranges his bedding and fills his pouches with food.

Before long, the food dish has been emptied and all its contents hidden away.

He's found treasure and he stores it up.

It's uncanny how similar he is to me.

Whatever we have has been supplied by our Loving Heavenly Father.
If it is not for our good, it will not be given.
As much as we think we are in control, we aren't.
We cannot do anything apart from His enabling.  His strength.

Having a little hamster in our home has been good for my heart.
It's given me a glimpse into some of my own nature.
And, it is sobering.  And humbling.  And, fills me with wonder.

We are to do what we are to do.  We are to be faithful.
But, we must remember it is not all up to us.
And, we would not be fine without His loving, watchful care.
We would be lost.  We would not survive.

So, I am seeking to trust in my Saviour's provisions.
They are bountiful and they are good.
And, His ways are always best.  Perfectly appointed.
Exactly what is needed.  Day after day.

With Love,
Camille

The Quotidian (4. 1. 16)

Quotidian: daily, usual, or customary;

everyday; ordinary; commonplace.

Our Christmas family photo.

And one with precious friends.

The cake.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!
(Can you figure out the candles?)

Monopoly.

Practicing my skills.

Keeping the bowl filled.

Basement full of young men (and two ladies).

Outtake.

A spill.

Cleaning up.

For Emma.

Enjoying Peanuts.

Fulfilled request.

Happy Monday Y'all!
With Love, Camille

**First four photos courtesy of Calvin and his camera ~
Thank you my love XO

Just This

The opening of a new year offers a fresh start.  A new beginning.

Resolutions are made, words are chosen, and reading lists are drawn up.

All good things, as long as they are kept in their proper place.

But, even good things can turn bad if allowed to overtake us.

Anything can become an idol of the heart.

So, as this new year begins, I'm taking stock.
Stepping back and looking closely at the things that matter most.
And, what is being impressed on my heart is this.  Just this.
To live simply and walk humbly with my God.

That is all.  And, it is enough.

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good;
and what doth the LORD require of thee,
but to do justly, and to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with thy God?"  Micah 6:8

Happy New Year to each one of you!

With Love,
Camille

**Photo of a Christmas card
from a precious Auntie.

Our Austin

In the summer of 1994, we learned that we were expecting.

Howie and I had been married just three years ~
we couldn't have been more thrilled at the prospect of becoming parents.

Austin would be welcomed into our hearts and home as our first child.  
In those days, we didn't find out if we were having a boy or girl.

We wanted to be surprised.

The nine months of pregnancy were uneventful.

I felt well and was able to function normally.  It was such a blessing.

We expected our baby to be healthy ~ there was nothing to indicate otherwise.

Austin was born on April 8, 1995 ~ he weighed in at 8 lbs 13 oz.

At the follow up appointments at the doctor's office,

however, it became apparent that he was not thriving.

He had trouble gaining weight.

When he was six weeks old, it was discovered that he had 
been born with a very large hole in his heart ~ a VSD.

Practically no septum existed between the lower two chambers of his heart.
He would need open heart surgery to do the repair.  A patch was required.

However, the surgery was not to take place until the 
beginning signs of heart failure were apparent.  It took nearly a year.
For the entire first year of his life, we were seen frequently
by specialists at Children's Hospital and in a pediatrician's office.
He was monitored closely and cared for diligently.  We were thankful.



Austin had open heart surgery on April 15, 1996 ~ 
He was one year and one week old.

We prayed.  People around the world prayed as well.  The Lord sustained us all.
The work was done and the healing began.  How relieved we were!
Austin had a muscle bundle in the area of the patch that occasionally caused 
the electrical impulses to be interrupted.  He would need a pacemaker.

Again, we prayed.  Again, the Lord's people prayed.
And, once again, Austin was sustained.  The pacemaker was not required.
Or, so it was thought.



Many years passed.  Many follow-up visits to the heart clinic were logged.
Again and again, he was sent home with a relatively clean bill of health.
He was not to be treated specially.  He was allowed to exercise without restriction.
And, he did.  He played hockey, ran, rode his bike and swam.  He was active.

When he was fifteen, he began to show signs of Crohn's Disease.
The focus shifted from his heart to Crohn's.  And, rightly so.
However, approximately a year prior to the digestive issues manifesting,
his heart was beginning to fail.  We had no idea.  None at all.

To look back on that now can be devastating ~ humanly speaking. 
However, God's ways truly are higher than ours.  
We rest in His Sovereign purposes.  His perfect plan.

While Crohn's was being dealt with, the heart grew worse.
Much worse.  Critically so.  And, then, we ended up in ICU at Children's 
just prior to Austin's 17th birthday.  He was diagnosed with DCM. 
It was a dire situation.  And, it hit us like a tonne of bricks.
We were reeling, but, the Lord in His mercy and grace caught us and carried us.

Austin recovered steadily on the outside.  Things were looking good.
However, his heart made no great strides forward toward recovery.
It was too sick and too enlarged.  He needed a pacemaker.
God provided, and he was given a pacemaker in December 2012.
The hope was that it would help his heart to recover some of its function.
It was not to be.  It was not in the Lord's perfect plan.

The Lord took our Austin Home to Heaven on June 1, 2013.



We know that our God is great and does all things well.
His promises are sure and true.  We love His Word.  
It is such a comfort to our grieving hearts.
Only in eternity will we fully understand the whys behind this story.
However, it is not something we must know now.

"...the LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away;
blessed be the name of the LORD." Job 1:21b

"...shall we receive good at the hand of God, 
and shall we not receive evil?" Job 2:10b

"But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay,
and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand." Isaiah 64:8

Our greatest desire for each of our children is that they would
 surrender their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.  That He would be their Saviour.
There is nothing more important to us as parents than to know that they 
will go to be with Him when they die.  This is Austin's reality at this very moment.
His testimony was clear.  He was trusting his never dying soul to his Saviour's care.

He is worshiping the Lord in Heaven.  Perfectly.  Without hindrance.
One day, because of God's mercy and grace extended to us through the blood of 
the Lord Jesus Christ, we will be called Home to Heaven as well.

At the end of it all, this is all that really matters.
How precious it is to follow our Saviour and rest in His promises.
Austin's favourite Bible verse is such a comfort to the seeking soul ~

"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

Our Great God is Faithful and will always honour the promises He makes.
The message of our Austin's life is this ~ be ready for eternity.
None of us knows when we will be called out of this world and into the next.
The time is now to come to the Lord.  He is merciful.  He will save.

The Lord Jesus said ~ "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, 
and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; 
for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30

With Love,
Camille

**Originally published on my blog as a supplement page ~
It was first published in the Fall of 2014.

Our Family

My name is Camille, and I am a sinner saved by grace.

The LORD Jesus Christ is everything.

Nothing else is worth living or dying for.
Eternity truly is what matters most.  

I am a wife and mother who stands in need 
of my Saviour each and every day.  Every. Single. Day.
By God's grace, and in His strength, we home educate our children.
We are so grateful that the Lord called us to this wonderful lifestyle.

We are not perfect.  We do not do things perfectly.
We are continually learning and growing and changing.  And, that's okay.

In fact, it's necessary and right and good.
And, through it all, the Lord leads and guides and gives grace.
He forgives and gives His peace.
What more could we possibly want?


 
My family is a precious gift from our loving Heavenly Father.

Each one is on loan from His hand.  They belong to Him.
I have been learning this lesson more deeply in recent months.

May I never forget these Truths.
And, may it be that I live in the reality of them 
more and more each day.

The LORD blessed me with a sweet husband, Howie ~ he is God's gift to me.

He is an entrepreneur and amazes me with his tenacity and perseverance.
He works hard and cares for us well.  I am thankful.
Together, we have been blessed with four precious children.

~ Photo of our precious four in 2006 ~

Our oldest son, Austin, was taken Home to Heaven 
 after many years of good health and strength.  His faith has now become sight.
Austin was artistic and had a dry sense of humour.  He enjoyed playing
the violin and creating music with his younger brother, Fraser.

Austin's immediate plans were to attend school in order to pursue a career as an architect.
A serious heart condition, diagnosed only fourteen months prior to his death,
 ended his earthly journey and ushered him into eternity on June 1, 2013.  
He was eighteen.  You can read more about his story by clicking here.

Calvin is our resident photographer and entrepreneur.
He has always been energetic and a hard worker.  He makes us smile.
Calvin enjoys cycling, hockey, and camping in the great outdoors.

Fraser is our professor.  He studies languages and cultures
with a dedication and determination that amazes us.
He plays the piano and composes his own music.
Fraser also enjoys cycling, hockey, hiking and camping. 

Emma is our princess.  She is the baby of the family,

and came to us after our three boys.  She brings joy to us all.

Emma loves to bake, play piano, and reads constantly.

Please make yourself at home and feel free to join us on this journey.
It's sometimes messy, sometimes exciting, and very often routine.
May God be glorified through it all.  He alone is worthy of all our praise.

May God bless you as you visit with us here in our home on the web.

With Love, Camille

**Originally written as a page at the top of my blog ~
It was posted in the Fall of 2014.

Why Blog?

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

We have all got stories to tell.  And, we are all unique.
The blogging world is no different ~ much diversity is evident within it.
Some blog to keep family and friends informed on the happenings of life.
Some blog to encourage, equip, or inform.  To share knowledge.
Others enjoy the art of writing ~ blogging is a natural outlet for its pursuit.

And, it's enjoyable ~ let's not forget that point.  
Many blog just for the fun of it.

~ Circa 2005 ~

So, as many bloggers as there are out there ~
there are just as many answers to the question ~ Why Blog?  Fair enough. 
 I am only equipped to answer that question from my perspective.

It all began for me around 2007.  My sister had moved
to Maine on the east coast of the USA, at which time she began writing a blog.
I had never read a blog prior to reading hers.  It was a whole new world.

It was lovely to keep up with their lives in that way ~ complete with photos.
However, the whole idea was too *out there* for my liking.  
I would never do it ~ it was far too frightening a thought!

Obviously, I eventually got over those fears and took the plunge.
But, why?  For what purpose?

~ 2012 One of the last family photos we have with Austin ~

For the longest time, I read only two blogs ~ my sister's as well as
that of a Christian home educating mama who didn't know me.
I had *randomly* (I don't believe in *chance*, so I use that word loosely)
come across her blog.  The year was 2008.  

I read silently.  I was a lurker without knowing what that was.  :) 

She didn't just write about family events.  She also wrote about her faith.
Hers was a blog of mixtures, and I liked it.  I read for about a year without her knowledge.
The words she wrote touched my soul and ministered to my heart.  It was powerful.
Nearly a year of reading transpired before I was able to pluck up the courage 
to tell her I had been there.  It was a big step into the unknown.

I still was unsure of how the blogging world worked ~
I had no idea what she would think.

Well, she quickly became my friend.  A true friend.
Over the years, we've exchanged notes in the mail and chatted on the phone.
We've prayed together.  The invitation to visit in person has been extended.
She is a precious sister in the Lord ~ and, one day, we will meet.
We may have to wait until Heaven, but, it will happen.

The impact these two blogs had on me was huge.

More than two years after my sister began her blog, I began mine.
The publish button was first clicked at the beginning of August 2009.
Life has not been the same since.  It's been a good thing ~ surprisingly good.

My purpose in blogging is the same as in life ~ to glorify my Saviour.
Do I always fulfill this perfectly?  Of course not!
But, my God is Great and worthy of all praise.  He always does all things well.
And, He walks this path of life with me. 

He forgives when I fail.  He picks me up when I fall.
It's a wonderful, beautiful thing.  It's precious.

~ 2013 At Austin's memorial service ~

So, why blog?  For me, the answer is multifaceted.

I blog to chronicle life as it happens, record my thanks, and encourage.
I can also be found sharing recipes, home-keeping ideas, and favourite resources.
Things pertaining to motherhood and just-for-fun random stuff
will appear from time to time as well.  It's always changing ~ just like life.

Sharing my faith is another reason I blog ~ 
perhaps, when all is said and done, it's the most important one of all.

My walk with God affects all I do ~ it reaches into all of life.  This blog reflects me. 
It gives a glimpse into the everyday happenings of us ~ the good and the not so good.
Sometimes it's random and sporadic ~ it ebbs and flows with life.

Through it all, I aim to keep it real and truthful.  Honest.

My prayer as you visit here is that you will be drawn closer to
the Lord Jesus Christ and affected for eternity.
Because, at the end of it all, eternity is all that really matters.
May the Lord help us each to live in light of this.
By His Grace and for His Glory.  Alone.

With Love,
Camille

**This was originally written as a page at the top of my blog ~
It was first published there in Fall of 2014.