It has been rather quiet over on this blog lately, but I find many things percolating...
My mind has been busy with the things of the new year and so today is a catch up day, a look at all the things that have been zipping around my heart and soul and challenging me in all the ways of God.

First:
I have been inspired, challenged and stirred in the areas of creativity.
A wonderful friend of mine started an Journalling Bible last fall and her instagram's are so encouraging. I have a very creative mind, but struggle oh so much in drawing it out. If Journalling Bibles interest you please check out Coralee's blog by clicking here.

Beautiful isn't it! I have been so inspired by her. Just before Christmas, my husband and were out with some friends. We were talking about devotional life and I started saying how my current journal, has been driving me crazy. I started to talk about what I preferred. Well, my hubby was listening so intently and purchased for me as a gift on Christmas morning a new heavy paper, coiled and beautiful journal. He also included a new set of Sharpie pens (he was careful to note that they do not bleed through). I was really excited, but as I continued to look at these large papers, I got discouraged.

In comes my good friend Coralee again. She not only inspired me through illustrated faith, but now also through documented faith. This is a group of people who have been joined together through art, a love of the word of God and the heart to journal. Coralee directed through her blog to a women named Stephanie Akerman. This woman has started Documented Faith. This I thought, this I could do. I think I can start here and then maybe after I am more comfortable move into a Journalling Bible.

So here goes, I am going to show you the first few pages of my Documented Faith Journal. I am continually stretched, continually pushed and continually meeting God in a new and expressive way this year.

Second:

31 Days to Clean

I have had this book on my IPad for a few months, having bought in November. This book is one to help all the "Mary's" out there clean their homes and still have time to sit at the feet of Christ. Sarah Mae, wrote this amazing book. I am looking forward to starting it this month. Tomorrow (Tuesday January 20th) there is a group of women, reading the book and working through the challenges together. I NEED THIS! If you would like to join us, pick up your copy on Amazon for $1.19CDN for the next 6 days! Then the cost goes up to $4.99CDN . (Click on the link "31 Days To Clean") Visit Sarah Mae on her blog, as she and other women walk this through together. 

Thirdly:

If:equip

A daily, free online biblestudy, that gave me so much life last year. I am going to thoroughly enjoy the time spent in the word. For the next 3 weeks we are studying Joshua. Join us!

 I pray for all of you who read this blog, that you will encounter God in a new and inspiring way. That we will journey together in to a deeper intimacy, knowledge and communion with our heavenly father.

 Be blessed.

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....

Grumpy hearts

Sweetest sounds grace my living room, as my daughters ask for music and sing along to church songs. "Hey Mom! This is a Jesus song!"  "Mom, can we sing "Sing and Shout(Matt Redman)?"

How precious to see my daughters enter into worship all our their own. How thankful I am to have a worship party in my living room.

My day did not start this way, before the above moments, I was wishing for quiet, for no one to climb on me, my heart was grumpy and I was not someone you wanted to be around. How simple it is for our hearts to change when we do not focus on ourselves or our to-do lists...BUT instead focus on our Christ. 

Today in Manitoba, is the last Friday in March, the last Friday before spring break. It is not warm out today. Today I dressed my son like it was December outside. This has been a LONG winter.

SO I  #thejesusproject

I was at a funeral yesterday for an elderly woman in our Church. Levina Plett was a woman who was remembered to never complain. Levina lived rough the dirty 30's, her father passed away when she was 20 and planning to be married. Putting off her marriage to serve her family, keep up worth the farm work, to be a support. I heard a story yesterday, of how she badly injured herself in a horse and buggy accident but did not complain even though she could not get to a doctor. When she did, it was too late to sew up her leg, so it healed on its on. BUT SHE DID NOT COMPLAIN.

I knew Levina for two short years, but she left a legacy even for me. 

Find JOY, be GRATEFUL, be WORSHIPFUL, Wait On The Lord.

May I be a woman, who does not complain, who does not navel gaze, but who always looks for Jesus, who is EXPECTANT of God.

The song that was her favorite was "Tell me the story of Jesus"

Oh soul, change your focus, oh God lift up my eyes, that I search for the Story of Jesus, that I seek after you. That I wait for YOU.

Thirsty...dry... Drink of me...

"Like a deer to the pool, I'm coming after you.
 Like a thirsty animal, my heart is for your love." (John Mark McMillan)

A lady in our church was telling me a story about a month ago. She had come home from work one day and was unusually tired. So tired, that she considered going to bed as soon as possible. Out of habit, she had a glass of water. She was so thirsty, she drained it right away and continued drinking. She drank glass after glass, until 8 large glasses later, she was satisfied. Not only satisfied, but regenerated, she had ENERGY! 

And Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”John 4:13-15

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN DESPERATE?

Do we know what it means to desire something so much that we are DESPERATE?

This lady at the well, I think as we go through our Christian walk we are all ladies at the well from time to time.

She came alone, but left surrounded, she came thirsty and left to never thirst again, she ASKED, he SOUGHT her out, she desired and he asked her to be REAL. "Go, call your Husband and come here." (Knowing she had no husband)

True worshipers WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH. 

the Father is seeking.....

Drink of me, drink of me, let me satisfy you. LET ME REVIVE YOU...

LORD I SEEK YOU, REVIVE ME, QUENCH MY THIRST, LIVING WATER COME UPON ME...

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....