We were part of a church for five years that used home churches. We had just moved to a new town and didn't have many friends in the area. We were leary of a small group that prided it's self on intimacy. Determined to give the new church a fair try we set off to one of the home churches closest to our house. Run by the worship pastor and attended by a couple of members in the worship band we hoped we would fit in. This home church rapidly became a huge part of our lives. The people in it were ordinary people from different walks of life, and yet we bonded together in a way that didn't seem to happen in the other home churches.
Tim and I were talking about it on the way about town yesterday. I have struggled a little since that part of our life ended, it was so wonderful having a deep connection with a group of people. We helped each other through some tough things and had some great times fellowshipping together. Tim said something that struck deep within me. He said it seems that God gives us these moments in life as a little glimpse of heaven. He shows us on a small scale what it will be like having a deep fellowship with other believers in heaven. God gives us this for a time it seems and then it passes and we all move on. We try to recreate that but it never seems quite the same.
I got thinking about another time in my life when we had a similar experience. Tim and I were in a youth group for three years while attending university. The middle year of the group we just connected. It was a great year where the group met and bonded in way that we hadn't before. It was a year full of laughter and a deep spiritual connection, we had good discussions. The group broke for the summer, and the next year it wasn't quite the same. A few people left and there were a few new faces, but reality was that God seem to have removed the extra blessing he had placed over us.
It would seem, that God gives us these moments to remind us in such a small way what is waiting for us in heaven, and takes them away to remind us how much better it will be!
I've loved these moments in my life, but hadn't been able to make sense of the abandonment I've felt with them ending until Tim mentioned to me that the glimpse of heaven had been taken away.
I'm so thankful God has given us these little glimpses. Think of what is waiting for us!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Starting a new Halloween Tradition
One of the best things about living in the suburbs is the sense of community that we have in our neighborhood. I love bringing the neighbours together with a little creativity, and was looking forward to our second annual gingerbread house making party this year.
Tim had an idea. He really isn't big on the neighborhood get togethers, they are a little out of his comfort zone, but he had a thought about something we could do this Halloween. So, if I manage to get the invites done (Tim called me a girl, but I love making pretty invitations for people!) I will be sending out today invites for people to attend our first before Trick 'r' Treating BBQ for Adults and Kids alike. We figure we'll throw a couple of BBQ's out in the common area, provide hotdogs and hambugers, ask people to bring drinks or a salad and chairs and hopefully everyone will get dinner before we send our hyper kids out to knock on doors. It will be a way for everyone to get dinner, and hang out. FUN!
I'm excited. I love planning these things. I'll add a picture of the invitations later I hope!
Tim had an idea. He really isn't big on the neighborhood get togethers, they are a little out of his comfort zone, but he had a thought about something we could do this Halloween. So, if I manage to get the invites done (Tim called me a girl, but I love making pretty invitations for people!) I will be sending out today invites for people to attend our first before Trick 'r' Treating BBQ for Adults and Kids alike. We figure we'll throw a couple of BBQ's out in the common area, provide hotdogs and hambugers, ask people to bring drinks or a salad and chairs and hopefully everyone will get dinner before we send our hyper kids out to knock on doors. It will be a way for everyone to get dinner, and hang out. FUN!
I'm excited. I love planning these things. I'll add a picture of the invitations later I hope!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Feeling Fall Festive
When I went grocery shopping today, I happened upon a whole row of wonderful vases and candles that were just screaming at me to buy them. In muted brown, yellows and greens they were beautiful. I've been feeling like I need to decorate for fall lately. It has been odd for me since I normally limit my decorating to Christmas, but the house seems to need some color. I picked up a wonderful brown squat vase and gently placed it in my cart after much humming and hawing. At 6.99 it seemed like a good price. The floral section yielded some beautiful corkscrew grasses and some long grass in a muted green. All in all very pretty. It would have looked great on the mantel.
I say would because my sense of reason soon took over. We are still trying to behave financially and I simply couldn't justify spending a total of about 15.00 on the pieces right now. Sigh. So I walked out empty handed, and my mantel sits bare, and I rest in the knowledge that I saved my husband some money on something that was completely unnecessary!
We have had a birthday party issue in our neighborhood. Harley, who lives next doorish to us is turning three. Her favorite friends are the 4 kids in our circle, Nick, Abby, Paige and Mosey. The problem is that her birthday is October 31st. Abby's is the 30th. I had decided to do a Halloween themed party this year, tentatively set for October 27th. Lone behold, I got a note from Harley's mom that Harley's party would be on the 27th and all four kids were invited. I wrote back and explained that I was hoping to hold Abby's party that day and that it had to be that weekend as I was looking at carving pumpkins with the kids and that wouldn't really work after Halloween. She agreed it wouldn't work, be wouldn't consider moving the party.
So, what do I do? All the kids are so much older than Harley, but it seems so mean (as I know Paige and Mosey would come to Abby's party not Harley's!) to hold it on the same day. In talking to the other Mom's they told me I need to do what is right for my kid. But it just didn't feel right. Last night, Harley came running out of her house, and lovingly handed out invitations to her party. That was it. There is no way I'm going to do that to her. I will move Abby's party, change the theme and send out reserve this date cards two months early next year!
I say would because my sense of reason soon took over. We are still trying to behave financially and I simply couldn't justify spending a total of about 15.00 on the pieces right now. Sigh. So I walked out empty handed, and my mantel sits bare, and I rest in the knowledge that I saved my husband some money on something that was completely unnecessary!
We have had a birthday party issue in our neighborhood. Harley, who lives next doorish to us is turning three. Her favorite friends are the 4 kids in our circle, Nick, Abby, Paige and Mosey. The problem is that her birthday is October 31st. Abby's is the 30th. I had decided to do a Halloween themed party this year, tentatively set for October 27th. Lone behold, I got a note from Harley's mom that Harley's party would be on the 27th and all four kids were invited. I wrote back and explained that I was hoping to hold Abby's party that day and that it had to be that weekend as I was looking at carving pumpkins with the kids and that wouldn't really work after Halloween. She agreed it wouldn't work, be wouldn't consider moving the party.
So, what do I do? All the kids are so much older than Harley, but it seems so mean (as I know Paige and Mosey would come to Abby's party not Harley's!) to hold it on the same day. In talking to the other Mom's they told me I need to do what is right for my kid. But it just didn't feel right. Last night, Harley came running out of her house, and lovingly handed out invitations to her party. That was it. There is no way I'm going to do that to her. I will move Abby's party, change the theme and send out reserve this date cards two months early next year!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Nickyisms
Nick has a way of reducing me to tears of laughter from time to time. As my eldest he is over responsible and has a quirky way of looking at life.
He recently completed his first ever sleep over somewhere other than my mom's. He stayed with Tim's Aunt Liz over night as he was tempted by his beloved Conner. Desperate to spend more time with him, he agreed without thinking. He did it, but when he arrived back with me, he jumped into my arms tears in his eyes and CLUNG! Then off to Tim. Tim was startled and asked him why he was crying.... "These are happy tears Daddy" says my sensitive son.
Today he asked me how long he had to go to collage for. When I told him four years - he wailed- I can't be apart from you that long! I told him he could live at home and he settled down, then he informed me he would like to go for a week, because then he could see what being an orphan felt like. HUH? Apparently they were talking about Thanksgiving at school and they were being thankful they weren't orphans.
Oh that they would remain this innocent and silly for awhile.
He recently completed his first ever sleep over somewhere other than my mom's. He stayed with Tim's Aunt Liz over night as he was tempted by his beloved Conner. Desperate to spend more time with him, he agreed without thinking. He did it, but when he arrived back with me, he jumped into my arms tears in his eyes and CLUNG! Then off to Tim. Tim was startled and asked him why he was crying.... "These are happy tears Daddy" says my sensitive son.
Today he asked me how long he had to go to collage for. When I told him four years - he wailed- I can't be apart from you that long! I told him he could live at home and he settled down, then he informed me he would like to go for a week, because then he could see what being an orphan felt like. HUH? Apparently they were talking about Thanksgiving at school and they were being thankful they weren't orphans.
Oh that they would remain this innocent and silly for awhile.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Too much happening
It has been such a busy week. We loved having Tim's parents with us, but as usual the time was too short.
God has been working on my heart lately. I've been increasing frustrated with some aspects of my personality, but have been unsure how to go about dealing with them. It seems that God has placed me in a bit of a valley of late. It is funny how often you are coming to the end of the valley before you realize that you are in it.
Frankly, it is hard at time knowing how to be a good wife to my husband. Tim often seems to be somewhat of a spiritual giant to me (he is laughing right now I promise) and I so often feel completely inadequate beside him. I often wonder why God has placed me here instead of someone more his equal. How can I support someone I feel so inferior to? It is an odd feeling. Before you think I'm feeling sorry for myself, can I assure you I'm not. I don't think I go around beating myself up over this. Speaking to someone on the phone today about this it was interesting because they informed me that if Tim and I were both the same, we would become awfully arrogant, and right now we balance each other out. Food for thought.
I've started a new blog. We've been talking (Maryanne and I) about starting a "Christian's who Public School " blog, since we were down for Grace's wedding. I've been feeling a little isolated lately with our decision since so many people are home schooling, so this blog was born. I got tired of waiting for Maryanne to start it. (smile) I'm still hoping she'll guest post though (hint hint) . I don't want it to be a place to debate the merits of home schooling vs public schooling but rather a place where the issues of Christian kids in the public system can be discussed. I'm excited!
All in all it has been a blessed time. We ran into an old friend at the wedding, one we hadn't seen in 7 years. It was neat catching up and seeing how far we have come in such a short time. God is good!
God has been working on my heart lately. I've been increasing frustrated with some aspects of my personality, but have been unsure how to go about dealing with them. It seems that God has placed me in a bit of a valley of late. It is funny how often you are coming to the end of the valley before you realize that you are in it.
Frankly, it is hard at time knowing how to be a good wife to my husband. Tim often seems to be somewhat of a spiritual giant to me (he is laughing right now I promise) and I so often feel completely inadequate beside him. I often wonder why God has placed me here instead of someone more his equal. How can I support someone I feel so inferior to? It is an odd feeling. Before you think I'm feeling sorry for myself, can I assure you I'm not. I don't think I go around beating myself up over this. Speaking to someone on the phone today about this it was interesting because they informed me that if Tim and I were both the same, we would become awfully arrogant, and right now we balance each other out. Food for thought.
I've started a new blog. We've been talking (Maryanne and I) about starting a "Christian's who Public School " blog, since we were down for Grace's wedding. I've been feeling a little isolated lately with our decision since so many people are home schooling, so this blog was born. I got tired of waiting for Maryanne to start it. (smile) I'm still hoping she'll guest post though (hint hint) . I don't want it to be a place to debate the merits of home schooling vs public schooling but rather a place where the issues of Christian kids in the public system can be discussed. I'm excited!
All in all it has been a blessed time. We ran into an old friend at the wedding, one we hadn't seen in 7 years. It was neat catching up and seeing how far we have come in such a short time. God is good!
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