Snow drifting, temperatures dropping, Christmas lights light up my dark country lane.

December

Garland and lights, stuffed snowman and Christmas music fill my house

December

Advent readings, new traditions, baked good, and icing tasters

December

 Tonight as I wrap my hands around a cup of warm, spicy tea, and listen to a new album by a very talented friend, I can't help but linger...

Karla Adolphe is a very talented musician and a good friend. Her songs have a hauntily beautiful sound to them. They make you think of a light fluffy snowfall, and a walk in mild winter temperatures. They encourage you to fold into a blanket, warm drink of choice in hand and reflect on what this season's meaning truly is.

I love how when she sings "We three Kings" you are drawn in and it is personal, this is not an overly common Christmas song, but I become expectant and long to see the Star.

In the song " Do you hear, what I hear?" She encourages you so that you wish you could have heard and seen, she invites you to the precious serenity of the stable home of Jesus Christ.

There are three more songs on the album, one being an original. I can see this album playing over and over in my home this season as I linger with my Father.

Karla describes the songs as  "The songs express themes of pilgrimage, longing, hope, revelation, visitation and prophecy. I hope in them you find rest, linger with me and thank you for joining me on this journey." ( as quoted from her blog)

Advent means COMING

I invite you to come, linger here with me, pick up a cozy blanket, warm cup of choice, come sit at the feet of our God, meet Him as we have been beckoned to. Let this season be about HIM, his love, his sacrifice, and the greatest gift.(More on that inspiration from a favourite blogger and encourager Ann Voskamp tomorrow.)

Please follow this link and be blessed this season,

Lingering

dreams being unlocked

old paths being forged again

NEWNESS in the AIR

Creativity being unlocked

Oh LORD your Grace is overwhelming...

On repeat here...

SEEK AFTER THE GRACE GIVER....

motherhood

when I think about this day, like all women I can't help but think about my mom.

Laurel Evangeline Fortune, is truly a gift from the Lord for me...

She has raised 10 kids, in the North of Canada, Whitehorse Yukon
She was a Pastor's daughter and a Pastor's wife
She balanced the home while Dad worked to provide for us,
many times doing two separate jobs at once

I don't have bad memories of my childhood, even with all of us to care for I remember..
Mom, caring for my friends, our church family, our family friends, and even taking in people in need of a loving family.

I remember Mom, wholeheartedly loving and serving her Heavenly Father and teaching us to do the same.

One day when I was (probably grudgingly) vaccumming the couch, I  found a list and on it was all the names of us kids and notes beside each name. When I asked my Mom, she said it was her prayer list. I later found out that before she started each day with all of us, she would start each day with God.

Mom is the woman I look up too, the woman I hope to emulate. Mom's favorite words are "Yes!" and "Obey!" They have become mine as well.

Thank you Mom, for all that you are, for being obedient to the Lord and teaching and encouraging me to do the same.

Do you need to be encouraged to say "Yes!"? I encourage you to get your hands on a copy of Rhinestone Jesus #Yesinmymess by Kristen Welch.
This lady has read my heart.
Trust Jesus, Say Yes, and take the ride of your Life.....you won't regret it.

No voice mama

Today is day three of no voice. My throat is so sore, and I find out that with out a voice being a Mom is difficult at best. It is harder to address behaviors, break up fights, tell them how beautiful they are, help with meals, it is hard to function. 

This makes me think of the church...

As the church we have three resources of our Heavenly Father that we can access...

Father, Son, Holy Spirit

what a gift we have! 

Not only do we have the God the Father, our creator, our Beginning and End, Yahweh, Alpha and Omega...

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  

"He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us."(Psalms 103:8-12)

But we also have the GIFT, the expression of His Great and Powerful love, his Son. God gave us His son. Not to just save us from Hell, not to only ensure us of our entrance into Heaven. Do you have a Son? I do....Samuel is a most precious gift to me, he is giving, loving, affectionate, passionate, my first-born, my gift from God. 

Can you imagine saying "Son, I love you, I walked with you from the beginning of everything and now I am sending you to fulfill the Scriptures, you know what I need you to do. I am asking you to surrender yourself for our people and for our glory, to allow yourself to be tortured, cursed, beaten, and then I am going to turn my back to you, when you most need me, I will turn from you, because of the filth that is upon you I cannot be around you.

This is thee ultimate act of love... And we have this gift! The gift died, but then was resurrected with the hope and the Glory of new life, LIFE OUTSIDE OF DEATH, LIFE OUTSIDE OF SIN, LIFE OUTSIDE OF MYSELF

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:24-25)

Not only do we have a Father God that loves us to cleanse us of any wrong, but He also gave his Son for his to cement it. His only Son. What amazing gifts we have received.

" Because He was full of Grace and Truth, from HIM we all received one gift after another." (John1:16)

Unfortunately Christians like to stop here.

Unfortunately  as Christians there is a lack of knowledge/pursuit of the third gift...

How do we function without number three

How do we move, grow, and know The Lord deeper without the THIRD PART OF GOD

God  is NOT COMPLETE without the HOLY SPIRIT
           like a mom with no voice....no ability to influence and guide, to comfort, to encourage


do we know God, do we know Christ.... do we know them through our heads, do we have all the knowledge and yet not understand his love for us, his intense love?

do you know you are BELOVED, TREASURED, DESIRED, WANTED, PURSUED?

You have met God, you have met Christ, have you met THE HOLY SPIRIT
Have you encountered the wholeness of GOD

"Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."(Luke 24:46-49)

"But the Helper, the HOLY SPIRIT, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."(John 14:26)

Oh Helper, help me that I may see you, that I may always be in remembrance of all Christ has taught me, that I may be clothed in the power from on high....

"So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the COMFORT of the HOLY SPIRIT, it MULTIPLIED" (Acts 9:31)

Oh Holy Spirit work in me, so that I may know the comfort of you, so that we will see the church multiplied.

"Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because GOD'S LOVE HAS BEEN POURED INTO OUR HEARTS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT who has been given to us." (Rom 5:2-5)



oh Holy Spirit, fill us up afresh, baptize us anew, that we would now the fullness of your love for us, that we may further your name, your glory, that we might have the joy that can only come from you....

my heart runs

 I clearly remember this morning, unlike any other morning. I was a teenager on a missions trip in Haines Alaska we went for a walk after breakfast. I was coming up to the crest of the hill and before me was a mountain, large and majestic, with the water before it and my heart burst into song! "Shout to The Lord all the Earth let us sing, Power and majesty praise to the King!"

I WAS AWAKE

fast forward 15 years...

Track your time...

How do I spend my time?

How do I worship?

Who do I worship??

Do I use every opportunity given? 

Do I look expectantly, am I awake??

an old song runs repeatedly through my heart, "as the dear pants for the water so my soul longs after thee, You alone are my hearts desire and I long to worship you, I want you more then gold or silver, so much more than anything, only you can satisfy, you alone are the real joy giver and the apple of my eye..."

How I long for The Lord, how my soul pants for the water of life.

TRACK YOUR TIME, AND IT WILL SHOW YOU WHO YOU WORSHIP

a friend told me how her daughter wanted to paint a picture for Jesus when she got to heaven, my friend told her how she can do that right now, right here, for whatever you do unto God is WORSHIP

how are you spending your time...

Wake UP!

Desire ME!

Be like Jonah and call me from the deep.....

Run oh my heart, run after Him....