Marie

I have seen you everywhere this week. In looking through my box of gifts, I found the festive muffin pan I bought for you. When the time came to exchange gifts, you were too ill to bake so I couldn’t bear to give it to you. Yet, I have not been able to give it to someone else. I’m drinking coffee out of one of the beautiful mugs you gave me. You loved coffee mugs! Even silly things like bananas whisper memories. You were always offering to share your “post weigh-in” banana with me at Weight Watchers if I hadn’t brought one for myself.

Val, Me, Glenda and Marie at our last Christmas lunch

It was a year ago on Christmas Eve when your body had had enough and you slipped into eternity before I could say thank you and goodbye.

I think it hit me in the face again this December when delivering gifts to the others in our little circle. It tugged at my heart to make two gifts when it seems right to make three.

As we stood outside the church that cold December day, someone said to me that they admired how well I was taking your loss. Ah, maybe I was in pastor’s wife mode, using the gifts God gave me to comfort and encourage. It is helpful in dealing with loss to find others who need the attention and pour your heart into them.

Maybe because I had heard Marie’s tearful husband say stage IV in that hospital waiting room that first day when we learned the horrible news. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the palliative care folder in her dining room when we went for lunch that day Marie felt herself and we laughed and talked like it was all behind her. Maybe, while praying for a miracle, I understood that God’s plan isn’t always mine. Perhaps I had been grieving all along and so standing in the churchyard hugging (remember hugging?) it was easier than being alone with my thoughts.

I miss you Marie. You were among my first friends in a new city, brought together in a room where we both wanted to be healthier, but God meant that connection to be so much more. And as friendship grew, I saw your intense love for your family, your giving heart, your servant attitude and your creativity in the kitchen and the garden.

The day I reached my weight-loss goal at WW – Val, Krista, Me, Glenda and Marie

That time alone in your hospital room is one of my most precious memories. I shared my heart and talked to you about God. My words stumbled and I fear it wasn’t enough, but I thought we’d have another conversation, one more time to pray together. But we did not.

So today as I drink from a coffee mug with cardinals on it because you knew I love them, God is using your memory to remind me that one chance may be all I have with someone else; a stranger, a friend or family member, to tell them who God really is and how He longs to have relationship with them, allowing Him to do the amazing things only He can do. Even if I become separated from them, I don’t want them separated from God, so I need to speak now.

Me, Glenda, Val and Marie on a short vacation together.

Thank you Marie. God used you in my life in many ways as He used you to be a blessing and joy in the lives of so many others. As I pray for your family and others still touched by loss and grief I will remember how you showed me that love doesn’t have to be shown in grand gestures but displayed through a simple delicious meal, a coffee mug or even half a banana after a weigh in.

The greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13b)

Use Your Imagination

Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. Ephesians 1:18

It is a wonderful thing when someone lets you know that they are praying for you, especially when you haven’t specifically asked them to pray regarding a need in your life.  This week I got a text from a friend who lives in a different time zone.  She told me that she had been praying for me during her prayer walk that morning.  She was praying for me before my day had even started.  I had no idea of what she talked to God about, but throughout the day as challenges and blessings came, I imagined what her conversation with God was like.  Knowing she prayed for me empowered me to live my day with purpose and courage.

In this passage, Paul is telling the members of the church of Ephesus that he was praying for them.  He was in prison, yet he was praying for them.  He starts this section by not only telling them he is praying regularly for them (vs 16), but he goes on to tell them what he is asking God to do for them.  This not only encourages and empowers the church members, but teaches them how to pray for each other. 

Paul asks God to enlighten the eyes of their heart.  The Passion translation says “illuminate the eyes of your imagination”.  Living life by faith requires imagination.  Sometimes our imagination gets consumed with the facts of life – the jam-packed schedule, the wayward child, the financial shortfall.  Paul is showing us a higher form of imagination – the wild imagination of a child, where if something can be imagined, it is possible.  Paul asks God to reveal to our imagination what He is calling us to, like a spiritual lightbulb moment when we see the richness of this amazing life of living for Him.  This can bring us past imagining the facts of life, to the truth of God’s purpose which is more than we can comprehend.  (Ephesians 3:20)

Paul concludes this chapter by continuing his teaching on the identity of the believer.  As adopted sons and daughters of God, chosen and beloved we are entitled to boldly access His power, the very same power which was in Jesus as He rose from the dead (vs 20).  Imagine what that power can do in our lives, and our world!  Paul prays with exuberance and passion because He knows that the revelation of the true identity of each believer will empower them to live out the purpose God designed and will ultimately bring glory back to Himself. Paul concludes with a reminder that Jesus is ultimately exalted as the head of the church, and the believers are His body on this earth.  Jesus fills the church with His presence and blessing.  If we use our imagination, God can light it up with how much greater a purpose He has given us than our own plans and dreams. He created us for so much more – just imagine it!

God has created us with an imagination that needs to be cultivated towards Him.  What is one area of your life where you can cultivate seeing the hope to which God has called you?

Healthy Steps – Meal Prep

So much is going on in my life and home right now and I’ll just bet it is the same for you. Are you trying to keep up that New Year’s resolution to eat better and exercise more?

A key for me has been meal prepping, and if you haven’t attempted it, I would like to encourage you to give it a try.

Quinoa and Turkey Sausage

Maybe it seems like meal prepping is too much work, but in reality with a bit of effort at the beginning, you can give yourself the gift of time, health and peace of mind when you know what is for supper.

Start with your family’s favourite recipes, or a new cookbook. My go-to is http://www.skinnytaste.com for healthy recipes. The WW points are included which keeps me on track. So far every one I have tried gets a big thumbs up from my husband too (always a bonus).

You can find meal plan ideas online that will outline suggested meals for the week if it is the planning that causes you more headaches. I’m working on compiling some of my family’s favourite healthy recipes, so stay tuned for that! After eight years on this healthy eating journey, I have amassed quite a few!

Start small – I would not suggest you dive in with once a month cooking! Plan one meal ahead. Yesterday, I made a WW recipe Instant Pot Chicken Mole. Quick and easy. I simply doubled the recipe and have enough for supper tonight which helps as I am working an evening shift. Sometimes if I am off two days in a row (oh, the luxury!) I will make a fresh meal the second day and then alternate the leftovers. That way you are not eating the same meal two days in a row.

I sometimes double recipes and pop the extra in the freezer for a busy work day ahead. Those are also great to take to a friend who might need a break from cooking one night.

Use those “servants” you have in your chicken. Years ago before blogs were popular I subscribed to an email list on homemaking and the writer called her bread maker and crockpot her “servants”. She liked to get them working early in the morning. Now we can add Instant Pot to that list of servants.

Another method of meal prepping that has benefited me is to cut up fruit and vegetables when I get home from the store, or at least for more than one meal. If we are making homemade pizza for supper, we chop enough veggies to add to scrambled eggs the next morning. I am more likely to eat a salad at work if everything is cut up. The same goes with grabbing fruit for a snack or dessert. If you open the fridge and see a whole pineapple, chances are you won’t feel like cutting it up for a snack, but something less healthy might be more convenient.

There are some things that I buy already prepared. Yes, it costs more, but my health is worth it. If you absolutely hate cutting vegetables for snacks – buy a veggie tray. I pay extra to purchase riced cauliflower. It is really a great substitute for rice (or you could go half and half with rice) but for that item I would rather pay than compare.

Again, start slow. Some weeks I will prepare three or four items on one day for the freezer. Other weeks are busier and I just double recipes as I go.

Deep Water Life

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.  When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. (Isaiah 43:2 NLT)

Deep water.  That is where life finds me now.  No land in sight.  My feet can’t touch the bottom.  Exhilarating, scary, and yet beautiful. 

Everything is in motion around me like the deep ocean waves in this season.  Nothing is certain, not even the colour as the water goes from dark blue-black in the shadows to brilliant hues of aqua and sky blue in the sunshine.

The little boat of my life bobs along, sometimes rising high, sometimes in the deep valleys between waves when the storms roll in.  In an instant, jobs become uncertain, friends disappoint.  Sickness impedes and the shoreline of success is as invisible as the shore.  It can be so tempting just to say “I guess I didn’t hear God after all” and give up on those big dreams. 

My husband and I planted a new church this past June.  During the first round of COVID.  We gave up jobs, left friends and family, and moved to a new city at God’s call.  Some days there are challenges as big as ocean waves on every side and I hear my enemy whisper the same question he posed to Eve, “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1 NLT). 

Yes. Yes. Yes.  God DID say to leave the comfort of the shallows and head out into the deeper water.  But when the weight of the dreams and goals I have gets heavy, Jesus reaches out His hand and catches me, steadying my little boat.  He is the faithful keeper of the promise made in Isaiah 42.

Matthew 14 tells recounts the disciples’ experience of being in deep water, terrified by the storm that raged around them.  Many were fishermen, so it would take quite a storm to frighten them.  In the tempest, Jesus came to them and told them “Be brave and don’t be afraid.  I am here!” (Matt. 14:17 TPT).

Photo by Teddy Thornton on Unsplash

Just remembering that He is with us brings us back to where we need to be – focused and dependent on Him.  It was only when Peter’s eyes went back to the waves (verse 30) he began to sink. 

I am in a place of complete dependence on God, and I know that is just where He longs for His children to settle.  I’m not perfect, and still have times of tears and anxiety, but I am learning literally day by day that when I can’t work enough, love enough or plan enough in my own strength and I stop fighting His guiding current, His strength and provision show themselves mightily. Jesus gets the glory and the praise – opening the hearts and eyes of others as we share all He has done.

Maybe you find yourself in deep water now.  Separation from family, illness, unrest, financial strain, career uncertainty as a myriad of waves may surround you. Being fully dependent on God for all of these things, especially when you have no idea what to do, puts you in the current of His power and love and you will safely reach the shores of your destination.  You will add faith to faith as you navigate and this is a precious treasure not just for you, but for those around you who are floundering in the sea. You will not just survive, you will THRIVE!

Stormy days will still come, but so will warm sunny mornings and peace can be found in every one of them as we chart the course by His word, good teaching under your pastor shepherd and time at His feet in prayer and praise.

Deep water life.  It’s where faith is built and lives are changed. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world.

Photo by Anastasia Taioglou on Unsplash

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room

Today was my first Saturday not to have to work in about a month. It will be a month before I get another. I love the work I do and find it very satisfying but I’ve been looking forward to today. A day to exhale and prepare my heart for Christmas.

I planned to do only what made me happy today. I started my day with coffee and my Advent devotions. I’ve found several really thought-provoking ones on the YouVersion Bible app. Then I had a chat with my uncle on the phone. He always shares where to find the deals and I love how out laughter filled conversations.

I took my time making baked oatmeal cobbler for breakfast. Its only 4 WW points and is really a comfort food meal. My husband and I watched a Christmas movie while eating breakfast. It felt so luxurious not to rush.

Then I stole away to my craft room to work on Christmas gifts. Its a creative space, not a tidy one, but I feel refreshed there, thinking about people I love as my hands fashion the gifts. I spied the treadmill and did a short workout. Yes! It is what I wanted to do. Being active every day is a gift I give myself and I am grateful for it.

My husband and I made supper together which is one of my all-time favourite things. I also made a second meal for tomorrow as I will be heading to work after church. Meal prep has been key not only for my weight loss goals but it eliminates some mind clutter when I know what’s for supper.

I did some preparation for church tomorrow. Again, it is not a chore to me, especially when I could work at my own pace. It is my joy to serve our much-loved church family and our community in this way.

As my husband studied his message I enjoyed a book and a hot bath. We moved into this house months ago and finally I took the time to relax in this way.

The day was all I hoped it would be. My muscles are relaxed, my mind is clear and I feel reenergized by treating myself well and preparing for days ahead.

In this busy Christmas season, one unlike we have ever known, take time to be good to yourself. Unwind and relax, even just for a while. As the familiar carol encourages, “Let every heart prepare Him room.” When you pause and allow yourself to be refreshed then you can focus on what is really important. What is important in this season is not gifts, decorations or baking, but Jesus.

As you prepare to make room in your day and your heart for Jesus, He will bring the best Christmas gifts of all – love, joy, peace and rest. When you have those, you have all you need for the year ahead, and enough to share as well.

What’s on Your Heart This Season?

I love to walk, especially in the fall. Crisp, fresh air, brilliant leaves in the trees and crunching under my feet. It does me good in body, mind and spirit.

I am wondering what this season of life looks like for you? Do you wonder where God is or how He will work it all out? Are you rejoicing in His goodness and faithfulness? Would you share your season with me, my friend so I can walk alongside you?

In future blog posts I want to explore and share encouragement and strength from God’s Word thats relevant to your season. He wants to refresh you spiritually, emotionallyand physically.

Let’s walk together!

Active Living

In January, I made a renewed effort to be active every day. My WW coach challenged me to 100 days of activity and the timing could not have been better as we were coming out of days of holiday feasting and sedentary celebrating. I managed to be active for at least 10 minutes on 99 of those first 100 days of 2020.

Charts really work for me so I enjoyed colouring in or putting a sticker (we scrapbookers always have stickers!) over each day. I felt a bit disappointed that I missed one day so once the 100 days were over, I started again! Its just that easy to take that step in the right direction. I am at day 90 of 100 and have not missed a day.

I did learn an important lesson in the 100 day challenge that I need to cut myself some slack if I do miss a day due to feeling under the weather, or just the surprises of life.

I am not striving for perfection, just progress.

I have a workout room in my house and that gives me no excuses when the weather is less than ideal. I have amassed a large collection of workout DVDs, most of which were thrift store finds (which speaks loudly to the resolve of people to stick with their workout goals) and I decided to use each one and see if they fit my life and skill level.

It took me a few weeks to accomplish this goal, but now I have a collection of DVDs that I enjoy using and that are at my current level of fitness or just reasonably beyond so that I am encouraged to progress. I donated those that I did not enjoy or were not challenging enough.

Variety in activity is key for my physical health. Throughout the week I have push days, maintain days and active rest days. This keeps my body from getting into a rut. If I do the same workout day after day, week after week, my body adjusts to it and then it is not as effective. I also need variety to make sure that my fitness level is increasing for my entire body, strength and cardio, both upper and lower body fitness.

Mentally, I also need variety in my activity. If I do the same workout repeatedly, I find I am not as focused and my mind starts wandering to the to-do list for the rest of the day, or what’s for supper. Then I am not being present for the workout and I will not exert myself to the best of my ability. Why bother being active if there is only minimal effort being expended? If I am not focused I might as well go on to the next thing in my day.

When I started trying to be active I had a stationary bicycle and I could ride for the length of one song on my iPod. And that exhausted me. Now with incorporating activity into almost every day in some way, I can ride 10 km on my bike before work, or run a 5k on a Saturday and I am trying to increase my fitness on a regular basis. If I miss a day, I feel off. I never expected to be THAT person who complained about missing a workout. Some days I still have to push a bit to lace up those workout shoes, but when I am finished, I always am glad I took the time to be active.

Being active is addictive. My mind needs the clarity that comes with focus and increased oxygen to clear the cobwebs. My body needs to be stronger and more flexible as I get older. My soul needs me to take time to look after myself so I can look after those I love to avoid burnout.

So what’s your activity like? Now is a great time to start being more active or upping your current activity level. Summer weather makes it great to be outside in the fresh air. Especially where I live when I know colder weather will be here before I know it. YouTube has a wide variety of workout videos and during this pandemic season there are lots of workout apps and services offering free classes to allow you to try something new. My neighbour told me she is doing yoga with friends using an online video meeting service. Great idea! Perhaps like me, you have DVDs gathering dust – give them another try. If you like them, great – if not, pass them on and encourage someone else to be more active as well.

Don’t feel you have to take on a 100 day challenge like I did. Make an attainable goal for you – but be specific! Perhaps next week you will walk for 15 minutes on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, or take the kids to the park and play frisbee on Saturday.

Make a plan, be active and you will soon see results in your body, your mind and your soul.