Day 3 of the Joy Journey

Day 3

Today, I will not have any emergencies. There are no emergencies! Only amateurs hurry.

An emergency is something that is unexpected. Is anything unexpected to God? The One who knows all, sees all and guides us along ... could anything be unexpected to Him? Of course not. He already sees all that the day will bring us before we even get up and greet the day.

Isn't that such a comfort? No matter what my day holds, He has already seen it and approved it. He is allowing things to come about in my day to help me rely on Him, trust Him, and develop that deeper relationship with Him.

I know there have been many times where I have made an 'emergency' out of nothing! It was because I let myself get all worked up and overwhelmed and then it became 'oh, no! what am I going to do?!' It is during those times that I need to quiet myself and say, 'Lord, I know that this has been in your plan for me today. Help me to handle it in a way that is honouring to you.' And guess what? He will! He hears and answers! 

So, today as we go about our normal routines and see something pop up that was unexpected to us ... let's remember it is not unexpected to Him.

Day 2 of the Joy Journey

Today, I will transfigure all things into beauty, and I will refuse to see anything else.

Ok, I am not going to lie .... this can be a hard one!! We have been doing a lot of baking lately, especially since the cooler weather has appeared. I have 2 very enthusiastic helpers who love to measure, stir and roll. Great right? You're right! It is!! Until the flour ends up all over the floor or in the joys of stirring the batter half of it ends up on the counter :) Come on, you know you've been there too! You look around and think 'I just washed this floor and the kitchen was clean!' 

It is in these times that I am challenged to see the beauty. Little girls covered in flour, giggling as they help mama! Little girls so proud to be great helpers and making their own pies for daddy to enjoy. 

Who really cares that the floor has flour or the counter needs wiped again?! These are memories! These are things that, when our children are older, we will want to go back to. Those care free days of baking cookies or one of daddy's favourites to surprise him with when he gets home.

There really is beauty everywhere ... it is up to us to see it, and not be willing to see anything else!

Day 1 of the Joy Journey

Today we start our journey of finding and recognizing joy! 


I will be honest, I have not always been looking for the 'joy' filled things, or in a hurry to see the true 'God Gifts' that were around me. There have been many things that I have had to experience personally to begin my own journey of seeing all that He places around me. I had many losses ... namely the sudden passing of my dad, and then loosing a baby.


It took a while for me to be ready to see joy again, but I am thankful to say that God was patient with me (as He is with us all!)

The tool that God chose to use was a wonderful book called 'One Thousand Gifts' by Ann Voskamp. I know many of you have heard of it, some might have even read it, and for others, this is your first introduction to her. She has a fabulous websitewww.aholyexperience.com where she shares daily blogs and thought ... definitely something that I recommend you check out :)

The thoughts that I am going to share through the upcoming days are from her 'parenting manifesto of joy' and then some of my own thoughts as well.

So here we go ... Day 1
Today, I will make our home a house of prayer. I will pray at set times. And I will invite our children to come move into an interior space that lives with God. 

I know that many of us have a time of day where we quietly meet with the Lord and glean from His word. However, how many of our children see us doing it! I know that I do my time when the girls are sleeping or the house is quiet and they are doing something else. They need to see us praying and lifting up our voice to the Lord; they need to see us reading His word and applying it to our lives. How else can we teach them the importance of doing these things? Let's have our homes be a place where our children know that His name is uplifted!

Let's have a goal this week to have a few set times in the day where we pause and pray, give thanks and remind ourselves of His goodness towards us. I know for me, my goal will be 9am, noon and 3pm. Let's pray with our kids, for our kids and husbands and let's be families of prayer!

Until tomorrow :)

Daily Thoughts

The young moms of our church have a Facebook group where we enjoy sharing news, upcoming events and something new ... daily thoughts and devotions. It has been a great addition and I know it has also been an encouragement to me.

As our last little series was ended, I volunteered to do the next week or two and share some thoughts. 

so ... I thought why not also add them to the blog? So throughout the next little while you will (hopefully!) see daily thoughts. Please don't be afraid to comment on them ... I would love to hear what you think!!

Here is the introduction that I shared with the ladies today... tomorrow the real fun begins :)

As I begin to share thoughts and devotions throughout the next little while, I intend to be 'real' because isn't that what we all need? To know that not everyone has it all together. Because if we were honest, we would say that there are tough days; and days where things don't feel so great. And by saying that, we would really help every other mom who sometimes wonders 'am I the only one who is feeling this way?' Hopefully what will be shared in this upcoming week or two will be used by Him to encourage you as wives, moms, etc. and start us all on a journey to be joy filled believers!

May the Lord use what He puts on my heart to be an encouragement to you ... that's my prayer!

It's That Time of Year Again....

The night before the first day of school .... that day that seemed so far away at the end of June has crept up so quickly! I can imagine that there are kids all over the city with the same thoughts as my own girls ... 'we need to go to bed so we can get up for what?' Believe me, I have the same thoughts :)

As I was thinking about the first day of school, I was realizing that there are many parents with fears and concerns as their child(ren) head back to the classroom ... will they make friends? will they like their teacher? will the excel this year in learning? All of these are logical questions since we moms (and dads) want the very best for our kids!

Now, believe it or not ... I, as a homeschool mom, have those same thoughts and 'quams.' Why would I worry? you ask. I know, I'm home with my kids all day, I don't have to send them off to a different place to learn, I know their teacher well ;) ... but it's still true. There are things that concern me as a homeschool mom as well. I want to make sure that they are excelling in their learning and that I am providing an environment and teaching style that enables that. The reality of the fact that I am responsible for my girls' learning is a challenge that everyday I ask the Lord to help me with.

I want them to have friends! I want them to be able to have play dates, go to birthday parties and meet up with people at the park, ask if they can call someone on the phone and do FaceTime with those who live a distance away!

And of course, I want them to like their teacher ... but remember that I am teacher and mom at the same time. An interesting combination for sure! Playing more than 1 major role in my girls' life is a challenge.   But, by God's grace, and with His great help, I am up for that challenge. 

This year lies before us like a blank book waiting to be written in. What will our story be this school year? What will fill it's pages? As we make a story of our homeschool year, it is my fervent prayer that God will use our family for His glory; that we will be a family who loves to learn, and loves to learn together! 

What will your school year story be this year? Whether you homeschool or not, you are writing one. Let's make sure that we are committing it all to Him, who already knows ALL, and that we are willing to be used of Him. In other words, let Him be the One who helps you write your story! 

~ Another School Year ~

It's that time of year again! New pencils, workbooks and markers (Mr. Sketch if you're lucky ~ and yes, they still make them!)  ... the beginning of another school year is right around the corner. For our little family that means jumping into another year of homeschooling and we are excited! 

We are tackling Grade 1 and Grade 3 this year and the girls are looking forward to getting started ... they actually found their workboxes and asked if they could start their new books :) Let's not rush it! We still have 2 glorious weeks of vacay left and I intend to make use of every minute :)

Some people have asked about my 'teaching style' and I must admit that I ADORE unit studies! One topic and all of your main subjects are covered throughout your study. For instance, we are going to start the year off with a unit on Scaredy Squirrel. Fab books by the way if you've never seen them ~ and we will incorporate everything from math/graphing and time to antonyms in language, reading responses, and developing their own story board and finished product ... their own Scaredy Squirrel adventure! Amazing fun while learning .. isn't that what it's all about?! 

Now there is a new element to our homeschool year ... an infant! Yes, we have a new family member who happens to be almost 3 weeks old and this will be a learning experience for all of us! Juggling homeschooling 2 older children while meeting the needs of an infant is something that we will all learn together but we are up for the challenge. Who knows...maybe Charlotte will be reading by the time she's 1 ... I realize .... I was just kidding :)

There's a wonderful adventure awaiting us this year and I can not wait to get started!
Here's a break down of how our year is looking: 

Unit Studies ... including Scaredy Squirrel, Flat Stanley, Pioneers (gr.3), Ocean (which will coincide with our family trip to Florida!), Literature Studies (Black Beauty), etc.
Math ~ Ontario Curriculum Books that I found at ... wait for it ... Costco! $8.99 per book compared to the $22 each I spent last year! 
Science ~ Chemical Reactions (Volcanos ~ tying in with our Ocean unit), etc.

So, there you have it ... the first part of our year at a glance. We are also planning to go and visit Winter the dolphin (from the 'Dolphin Tale' movie) whose home is an aquarium not far from where we will be staying in Florida ... so I am sure there will be a Dolphin study in with our Ocean unit :) 

As always ... any questions about what we do our why we do it ... please feel free to ask! And  ~ as you all begin the quest to find those perfect back to school outfits and shoes, may your back to school be fabulous whether it be homeschool or 'traditional' :)

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made ~

The Summer has come and with it sunny days, jumps on the trampoline, popsicles, campfires and s'mores.... delectable family memories.

This Summer has also brought along our newest addition ~ 

Charlotte Katherine Ines made her grand debut on August 1st at 3:24am after only an hour and 24 minute labour! That's what we call fast and furious folks ~ trust me!

                                                              Isn't she just delightful?!

Having Lotte finally here has brought such a wonderful dynamic to our family! The 2 big sisters are thrilled to help change diapers, pick out her clothes and snuggle with her!

                                                      My 3 beautiful girls ~ true 'God Gifts'


It has also made me realize more and more how miraculous this creation of life is! How amazing to think that this little one began as a group of cells and developed into this beautiful, healthy baby. Only a Great Creator could arrange that! He knit her together in my womb and she has been fearfully and wonderfully made! What thanksgiving has been in my heart, more so since Lotte arrived, than I can really remember ... how can our hearts not swell when we see those eyes taking things in for the first time ~ the way they sleep, the little hands and feet .... 'O taste and see that the Lord, HE is Good!'

As we begin this new chapter as a family of 5, we are excited to see what He has in store. One thing is for sure ... with Him leading the way, we follow knowing that this Great One has a great plan!

~ more on homeschooling and our joy dare next time :)