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Monday, February 28, 2011

Silent Celtic Retreat

    This past weekend I participated in a Silent Celtic Retreat up at a very-familiar-to-me camp in New Hampshire.

    It was a very long day. Not in the sense that it was long and dull, or quiet. The whole event was not in fact silent. Just most/ parts of it. Anyone who interacts with people on a daily basis would appreciate this much needed silence.

    I longed for this weekend like non other. I desperately wanted to venture out into the snow and just enjoy the silence that the crisp winter mountain air can bring.

    While out on snowshoes hiking some trails in the woods, then eventually around the inner perimeter of a lake, I asked God if I could hear Him speak to me. This was my day of silence. My beautiful, freshly-fallen-snow venture through the woods. Nothing could be more peaceful to me. I wanted to hear God. Not audibly, though I wouldn’t have objected. I just wanted that whisper in my heart that was undeniably from Him.

    My journey out on snowshoes started in the mid-afternoon. I was on a quest to meet with God. I was charging through the snow until I finally came to the lake, about halfway through my journey. Up until that point, my time had been going by rather slowly out on those snowshoes. I reached the lake, out of breath and rather haulin it up to that point. I finally sat down in the snow. Right there. Just made myself a little snow-seat. Oh man was that beautiful. I can’t recall my thoughts that I had, or the talk I was having with my Creator, I just remember being in awe of the beauty around me.

    I finally realized that I had been there for quite a while and the sun was starting to set. I pushed myself up and ate a handful of snow. Fresh snow. I didn’t feel dirty eating it! Coming from the city, this is not what I would do at home. I don’t care how fresh it is. I feel like it gets contaminated just falling from the sky into our polluted air. Being up in the mountains, it just seemed so fresh and clean.

    The rest of my journey back up to the camp flew by. I stopped, looked back, and was surprised by how fast time was going yet how much slower I was walking. Just as the camp was in view, my heart grew heavy and sad. I didn’t want this to end. I wanted to trek all around and not go back. I was so happy and content out there on my snowshoes.


   
    What a story of my life. I set out on a journey at full-force, ready to conquer. I get burnt out quickly and realize it before I give up. I stop. Sit with God. Talk with Him. Rest. Refocus. Praise Him. Then continue on to the end. All the while I keep looking back at my resting point. Keep my focus both on where I came from and what is up ahead. And by the end of my task, when I know it is coming to an end… This journey I was fed up with and wished it were over when I was only half way through…I don’t want it to end. I have found such a peace, such a purpose in where I am. After all of that hard work, I am not exhausted. Rather, I am revitalized.

    How good is our God who gives us the strength to carry on when we don’t have it? How beautiful is our journey in life when we stop. Look around. Take it ALL in. Praise Him. Rest. And keep moving forward.

    I didn’t hear God that day. No booming audible voice. No quiet whisper. What I did do is take the time to refresh and open my heart to Him. Evaluate my heart and do a check- am I making daily effort to spend time in His word, in prayer, praising Him, seeking Him, worshiping Him with my life? Am I trusting Him in the little every day things as well as the big- where our family should go- things? What are my motives in what I am doing with my life? Am I believing the Gospel message more every day and living it out as evidence to those around me? Am I anticipating hearing from God, making time for quiet and solitude during the day and keeping my heart focused on Him in the busyness as well?

    Just 5 hours later I found myself back home, driving through the city to hear my husband speak on how he hears from God. Funny huh? Ironic. No. Divine. I was reaffirmed that night through my husbands words as he spoke to a group of about 90 teenagers that hearing from God isn’t always experienced by getting a feeling in your stomach, shivers down your arms, hearing His voice audibly or getting a word from someone around you. Sometimes, God speaks into your life just by the way you are living it for Him, trusting Him and having faith. Looking back on your journey, you see evidence of God marking your trails all up. Looking ahead, you have the hope to carry you through. And in the here, the now, this very moment, you have the hope and the truths of the Gospel to live out.

    So on my Silent Celtic Retreat, God showed me where I could find Him. Right here. Right now. When I was sitting on the lake, He was there. As I listened to my husband preach, God was right there. With Craig. With me. As I type right now, He is also right here. It’s a lot easier to hear from someone when you acknowledge that they are right there with you.

    Where are you right now? Where is your Creator? Your redeemer. He is alive and eagerly anticipating you to call on Him.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Proverbs 31 Woman

    Let me first start out by sharing with you that I have poured over Proverbs 31 more than any other passage of scripture. From the time I was a small child, one of the youngest activists at a Pro-Life rally, verse 9 has resonated in my being- “Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” I always shout it in my head with exclamation points as I have taken hold of his scripture for how I will live my life!
    So often we hear of a popular part of scripture and just read that part. I like to read what is said around that, which isn’t enclosed in the “Must Read!” section. This verse is interestingly placed just before the Wife of Noble Character subtitle in my Bible. I include it in my reading and find so much in the following verses that are examples of this command of how to treat the poor and destitute; from how this woman treats her servant girls to how she provides for her family to ensure that they will be fed and clothed.
    All throughout this section in my Bible, I have underlined and emphasized key words that are examples of how I should not only live, but what should be ingrained in my character. You can’t simply look at my life and see that I am thrifty, provide healthy foods for my family and conserve not only for this beautiful earth God has given us to live on and being mindful to make the most of every dollar and hour the Lord has blessed me with. Everything must be intentional. I don’t wake up every day thinking, “I must find the cheapest and easiest way to do my things.” Rather I pray, “Lord equip me to use all you have blessed me with to be a blessing to you and those around me.” I believe with all of my heart that God calls each and every one of us to use our moments in the day and the money (no matter how much or how little) to praise God, to bless others, and to be spent so very wisely and intentionally.
    Throughout this scripture I have pulled words and phrases to come to my mind throughout the day as a way of accountability and reminders of why I am doing what I am doing, or most importantly, most every day- what I need to be doing and why; not just to be done, but to be done with the right heart.
    These are some of those phrases and words that have been the motivation for my way of life. Vs. 13 “works with eager hands” vs. 15 “provides food for her family” vs. 17 “works vigorously… arms are strong” vs. 20 “opens her arms… extends her hands” vs. 21 “has no fear” vs. 22 & 24 “makes…” vs. 25 “strength and dignity… she can laugh” vs. 26 “speaks with wisdom… faithful instruction on her tongue” vs. 27 “does not… idle” vs. 28&29 “her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women do noble things but you surpass them all.’” vs. 30 “a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised”
    These are my reasons for living my life the way I choose to. This woman whom I have never met is my role model, my mentor, on how to live of “Noble Character.”

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Guest blogging

Check out my favorite blog. This was my inspiration for blogging. 
I had the honor of guest blogging on this sweet girls site- Naptime Diaries while her and her hubs are away for a long weekend. 
Enjoy your time girl! Thanks for letting me share!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Time + Money

I was recently talking to a friend who is considering cloth diapering. People were discouraging her saying that it is too time consuming, messy, you don't actually save money because of start up costs and the washing process.
WRONG
From my experience cloth diapering. Making food from scratch. Making laundry & dishwasher soap from scratch. Making home made cleaning products. My oh my, the money we have saved. It pays to put a little elbow grease and carve out some time to do it home-made. Most of the time anyway.


I was recently asked to share my "money saving tips" with another stay at home Mom. I wrote up my list. Several pages later... She told me that I should blog about it. I thought blogging was weird. People just write on the internet for the whole world to see? They share their thoughts and lives with people they don't even know? Weird. Maybe you think so to. Yet, here you are. And here I am. Writing a blog. I have been inspired by two blogs that I follow and have peeked at a few others via their suggestions.


So here it goes. Not my effort to blog in general. But to blog with purpose. I actually wrote up a list in my personal journal of "goals" I have with my blog. Here is a little looksie at what I hope to write about:
- Our family and ministry. (www.cwtrials.com)

- My passions (too many to list write now)
- How we choose to live intentionally (we are talking about MONEY here. Resources. Food. Clothing. Etc.)
- Recipes and ideas of what I make from scratch/ repurpose.
- And to tie it all up and the #1 reason why we do what we do- our love for Jesus and passion for sharing the Gospel by living it out in EVERY area of our lives. This is a daily, moment to moment effort. And we fail a lot of times. But this is about the hope we have found in Christ.

I am working on the whole posting pictures thing. I really would love to have a pic or two to go with what I write about. We recently got a Mac (awesome story behind that!) and I am still learning it. My camera is dying... and not just the battery here. We have poor internet connection. So, I'm working on it. Hang tight. I promise to put some serious effort into this rather difficult task for me.


Saturday, February 5, 2011

Pearls and Tea

Today was a sweet day. -Minus- the fact that a little tiny beautiful person didn't allow me to have any slumber until 2am. (That does not mean she sleeps in) New born again? I think not. 10 months old and the 7th tooth piercing through! OUCH!

An old friend joined me for tea this morning. loose leaf Irish breaky brewed in my sweet red and black asian style tea pot (Craig searched high and low for Christmas 2009) in little tea cups served on my *first time used* serving tray.
Wouldn't a picture be great?!
Yeah, I agree and want to share with you- however my camera battery just died. Bummer. (I'll snag a shot later)
It was the sweetest tea party I have ever had- the tray really just made it all come together. (Pss, I got it at a yankee swap!)

My husband surprised me today with P.E.A.R.L earrings. Tear drop shaped dangly ones to be exact. (Picture?! Yeah... working on that too) This is not a norm in our relationship. The only other jewelry he has ever bought me was my engagement ring. He hoped to buy me a pair of nice earrings when our daughter was born. Losing his job at that same time did not allow this to happen.
He said that he had an idea for when we got our tax return. I didn't think much of it. And then. Pearl earrings. For me. Wow do I feel special. And feminine and beautiful and am thinking if it would be a terribly bad idea to wear them to bed and never take them off.
I contemplated sharing this excitement for a few reasons-
- I don't want you to think we flippantly spend money like this. Because we don't. I was even able to appreciate them MORE when I found out what a good deal he got. And that he got it at the same place we bought his wedding band.
- I am not into material things and the nicest things I own are my vintage wedding ring (aka my engagement ring. Holla if you are part of the One Ring Club!) and the ring my Mom bought me for my 18th birthday. I don't own anything fancy and don't buy/ let people buy me expensive things. I just think it's wasteful.

With that being said- I am so thankful for my thoughtful husband who listens to me when I said a few years ago that I would love to own a pair of pearl earrings one day. I love how we choose to live simply and I love my little treasure pearl earrings that I can pass onto Abigail one day.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

About Blogging

I have found new reason to blog. After regularly checking out a sweet friends blog, I was inspired to write more. And I have. In my journal.
People ask fairly often for an update on Abigail's health, Craig's job, the new ministry we have started and such. Hence the Christmas letter. We have so much joy to share with people, exciting news, hard times to work through and different seasons in life that I don't want to just tuck away my thoughts and prayers in a journal. I want to share them.
So, this is where we are today. Nothing fancy. Just updated the background and found something cheery and springy. (ahem, 2 feet of snow outside my window!?)
One thing that needs to happen... is pictures. Our lack of good internet adds frustration to my attempt at sending, posting and receiving pictures. But here is to some good 'ole effort!