Well, the first edited picture came in from the photographer... wow!  we all look like we belong in a old navy ad.  Oh the power of lighting and editing!  I have seen a few of her edited ones now and I love them all!  Oh how will I decide which ones are frame worthy?

We had such a nice time... we laughed and just really enjoyed our time together.

After this our family will change.  One or both of the boys will be only home for visits, short and sweet.  There is talk of one of the boys going far away to school next year... our family is changing.

Lord, thank you for the last 20 years.  Thank you for the young men that have grown up to love you and who desire to serve you with everything that they are.  Thank you for trusting me with these precious young men... I love them.

A whole year has passed... plus some.

The job... going well.  I have found that I love what I am doing right now... most days.  I have a wonderful staff behind me and that certainly helps.  Have we had issues?  Of course.  But we deal with them as they come up and move on.
The family.... is good.  Both boys were home this summer, which is probably the last time.  We had family pictures taken today and it was more fun then I thought.  It will be nice to have this keepsake.  Both the boys head to college in the fall... one in Abbotsford and one in Calgary.  What does that mean for us here at  home?  There is a part of me that is looking forward to this new stage and then there is the other part... who am I when I am no longer "Mom"?  A full time Mom. Which leads me to the question... where does my identity lie? 
For my whole life I have been... daughter, wife, mom, boss.  But none of these are who I am.  Although saying that there are definitely signs that I have rested who I am in one or all of these roles.  Does this make any sense?

This space will be a place where can explore who "I" am.  Along with all the heart aches and groans that come with a fresh empty nest.

In this last week I have been reminded that I am the bride of Christ and my thoughts have been, what does this mean?
Desired
Loved
Beloved
Anticipated
Cherished
Precious
Do I walk in these?  What does this look like?  What does that mean for me?  All questions to be answered.
But for now... I know that God has plans for me and that each day I can rest that He is in it.  His works are good!

I'm tired!

Which I guess I should be after working 5 days and keeping up with things at home. Sometimes I wish I could have endless energy and never need a day off.

But what is a day off? Cleaning the church, my house, yard work and errands...is this a day off?

In two weeks my two days off together will come to an end. How will I adjust?

1. No more cleaning the church.

2. Sunday will not be a chore day, everything I have to do will be done on Thursday so that Sunday can be a day of visiting and relaxing.

3. I will organize my life...or at least try to keep things straight. which should be easier with one son out of the house come September.

Good night...we are having an easy dinner and watching a movie...ahhh!

Hopefully this weekend I'll get in lots of reading...The Maisie Dobbs series is just great.

A Sunny Day

What a great day!

The sun is shining, inside and out!

I have felt peace about my job decision and have not had any no sleep nights. Which for me is amazing...my brain stops at night and I sleep.

I realize that the work is still to come but I feel that I can do this. The person that I asked to be my assistant has said yes, so now I feel like this is all doable.

This is what joy feels like!

A New Challenge

Well the time has come for me to make a decision...
Do I move up the ladder or do I stay where I am?

There are pros and cons for each side of the equation...will I ever sleep again? That is the question.

My boss finally told her boss that she was leaving. Which leaves an immediate opening for Manager.
Yesterday THE boss asked me if I was interested in the position? I answered yes, but said I had to talk to my husband. Brian and I chatted about whether I would be happy or not? Do I like my job right now? Do I like the people I work with right now? Could I do this job? All these are answered with a yes. It can't be about the money...it has to be more. Although the money is pretty good. It would certainly help us out, and it would also be a blessing to those that we can give it away too. Can I be the organized person that I need to be?
The other side of the equation is the time commitment. There are expectations of me...travelling to Vancouver every 2-3 months for buying. Maintaining the store for the start and then building on some of the ideas that are out there for building a business. Being on call 24/7. I will need to have this staff plus a few more that can support me and what I will be trying to do. If my children were small this would be a no, but they are almost grown and I need to have something for me.
So this morning I will call the boss and tell him yes. I would love to have this opportunity.

God answers prayers

This morning I prayed about two very specific things...
1. That I would not stress about money. The money my oldest son needs for college in September. The money my younger son needs for a Conference in Chicago for August.

2. That my heart and mind would be open to God doing amazing things through signs and wonders.


Not 2 hours after I prayed I received a phone call. Back story... we bought a turkey for Christmas from the farmer's market and then the farm had some problems and we never got the turkey or our money back. When I had tried to phone this farm their phone was out of order. I had just assumed we had donated the money and was not really expecting it back.
The person on the other end of the phone was the lady we had bought the turkey from, telling me that they were indeed going to return our money and needed our address.

I could say this was coincidence, or I could acknowledge that God controls all things and was letting me know that He will take care of all our needs. The money from the turkey will not cover any of these expenses but it was like God rest His hand on my shoulder and letting me know that He heard me and I was to not worry, He was on it.

After praying I spent some time reading my bible and was reading in Exodus. I was reading the part about the Israelites crossing the Red Sea and how after they had saw God's power they believed in Him. They put their trust in Him. They had to see His power. Would we be any different?
This just confirm my searching about signs and wonders and that God is in it. He is faithful to those who seek.

A New Year

Another year...what will this year hold?

I find myself excited about the possibilities.

There are so many ways that God can move and work in our lives this year.

Are we willing to step out and trust His plans for us? It means we have to put aside our plans and our goals and ask God what are Your plans and Your goals?

What I want more than anything this year is to know God better than I do right now. To hear His voice clearer than I do right now. To be active in doing the things that He sets in front of me to do.

What does this mean?

It means...

I will spend more time reading my bible, and I will focus on hearing words from Him each day.

I will act on those ideas that "come from nowhere" and trust that God is speaking.

I will not try harder to be "perfect" but rest in who I am in Christ.( That could be a topic for a future blog)

I will trust Him for my life and the life of my family...He loves them more and wants good for them.

I will not chalk things up to coincidence, I will acknowledge God in every single happening. ( I'll tell you about today's happenings)

Bring on a New Year!