Wow-ful Women Wednesdays

I have tried to write an intro to today's video 8 times and it has not been quite right yet. There is a book worth of things I want to say on the topic that this video touches for me. I'm guessing a blog post is not the place for a book...

Here's the nutshell, and I do hope that by being so to the point that I am not belittling the point and the emotion.

I am willing to bet that every one of you reading this has found themselves in a "pit" at some point in there lives. Some of you found yourselves there of your own volition. Some of you found yourselves there at the hand of someone else. Still others have no idea how it came about. Regardless, there was no way for you to get out completely, entirely by yourself.

For me, this song is so helpful this week as I've been really having to fight a pull towards a particular pit that enslaved me for a very long time. The harder I work to steer myself away from it, the closer I come to falling in head first. Then I remember that it is not up to me to do it! I rejoice, and again I will say, REJOICE that I have a Redeemer who purchased my soul. Not only to save me from eternal punishment, but who cares enough about me to redeem me from the temporal pits of this world.

What should my response be? What other response could I possibly have than a life of service to that great King who forgives my sins, who condemns me no more (neither in this life nor the next), who strengthens me for the tasks He gives me, who gives me a hope and a life, who spilled His own blood to purchase my pardon and to wash me clean...

This is the song of the redeemed: that He is Holy, the Glorious One, worthy of my service forever! How could I ever consider serving another?

Heard At My House

Setting: Teaching Geography to the oldest 5 children.

Topic: North America. Really general introduction.

Me: The Capital of U.S.A. is Washington D.C. Who can tell me the capital of Canada?

8 Year Old A: "C"

Everybody else: *giggle* *snort*

8 Year Old A: .....or did you mean something other than letters?


(I LOVE that girl!)

Wow-ful Women Wednesdays

Okay. So I really wanted there to be a real video for this song. However, you will need to be okay with the lyrics on a page. The other option was a photo of Natalie Grant. At least this has movement of some kind.

I was in the car and this came on the radio. I love the picture of being changed by simply being in the presence of a perfect God. He doesn't say "Come as you are and stay in the same miserable state". He says "Come as you are and I will make you like Me."

Yes Please. That's what I want.

Deal or No Deal?

Setting: idyllic farmers' market. Bustling early morning crowd. The aroma of freshly picked peaches. Vendors calling out their prices for "the market's best corn". Bushels of colour. Children reaching for the plumpest raspberries.

I am looking at melons.

I notice a lovely barrel full of Cantalope. Beside it an equally lovely barrel full of watermelon. Behind these barrels are two vendors. I approach them, and notice the sign advertising the prices.

Watermelons: $1.99

Excellent. I place 2 in my bag.

Cantalopes: $0.75 each, or 2 for $1.50

I pause. That isn't a deal, I think to myself. That's just the same. Cheap, but the same. Not a deal.

The vendor notices my hesitation. "75 cents a piece, or 2 for a buck 50."

"Yes," I say. "That's right. But, that's the same. That's not a deal."

I put 3 in my bag, wondering whether to get a 4th, or put one back and stick with 2.

"I'll give you 4 for 3 bucks", he says.

"I know you will. Because that's the same," I say, incredulous. "That's not a deal..."

I take the four, knowing that it was a good price, but not a "deal". Confusedly, I walk away, wondering if he knew his error, or if he thought I was just very bad at bargaining at the market.

Mental note: Some things aren't cheaper by the dozen. Sometimes buying in bulk isn't any cheaper at all.

Wow-ful Women Wednesdays

I'm breaking my own rules here slightly today. My video is not anything remotely woman-ish, except that I am a woman and that I want to be Wow-fully excellent at making Christ known to a watching world. How is a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of 7 supposed to do that?

What do I have to offer? What can I acheive that will make the world see that God is great? When I stand face to face with Him on that day, what will He pat me on the back for?

Will He comment on my children's excellent table manners? The speed at which they learned their 12 times tables? Their ability to name the American states alphabetically?

What about me? Will He commend me for my mothering? My housekeeping? My voice? My writing?

What about you? What do you have to offer to the King of Kings? What makes you worthwhile? What makes you desirable? Valuable? Interesting?

What it is that God the Father, my judge, will comment on is the beautiful covering of Christ over me. Only what He has done in and through me will last. Only the impact He has had on others through my hands and feet will be noteworthy. Only the glory that He gave Himself through what He has done in me is worthy of praise.

That's what I'm thinking about as I watch this video. And suddenly, I feel much more focused, and much less likely to panic about my past, present, and future potential failures. My prayer is that you also will find the refocus necessary through the lyrics of this song. It's not about you. It's not about me. It is always all about Christ. And that is the most freeing, wonderful thought.

Heard At My House

Setting: Shopping with my three oldest girls. Purchasing the "first deodorant" for the 2 eldest. (cue trumpet fanfare and pyrotechnics. These girls are EXCITED!!) The third born, 8 years old, is feeling left out.

8 year old A: Mom, can I please have some deodorant too?

Me: No honey, you don't need it yet.

A: Mom, please. I really want some. Why do they get it and not me?

Me: Honey, they are older. They need it, and you don't. One day you'll be older and you can have some too.

A: But Mom, I'm a big girl too. Why don't I need it?

Me: Honey, you don't need it because you don't smell.

A: (suddenly highly indignant) I do SO smell! My nose works just fine. I've been able to smell since I was born!

(mental note: Mom needs to remember to not speak in such a way as to confuse the literalist in the family...)

Absence Makes the Heart Grow....

There you are; sitting as a family in your only-just-enough-seatbelts vehicle. Driving somewhere just longer than anyone wants to go today. And it starts. Nothing major. No hitting. No shoving. No “Dad, she’s BREATHING on me.” Just small little verbal jabs. Just little changes in tone creating a more sarcastic, biting air. No one is fighting, per se. No one is looking to be vindicated by mom. Just tense. Just nit picky, irritated eye-rolling and sighing.

What’s a mom to do?

I’ll tell you what I did today. I thought about how much time the kids spend together. All seven of them. Crammed into the van. Sharing bedrooms. Three meals a day. All the same friends. All the same activities. School together, play together, work together, sleep together. Yikes! That’s a lot of time up close and personal with the same gang!

And I thought, maybe they’d be happier and enjoy one another more if.....


Please read the rest of my latest article here at Heart of the Matter Online.

Wow-ful Women Wednesdays

This lady, and her songs, and her gift from the Lord have blessed me again in this song. And a big thanks to Kate, an equally wow-ful woman, for introducing me to Brooke Fraser in the first place, and to this song in particular yesterday. I need to sit in this frame of mind today. No matter what, He is to be exalted. He is my God. Nothing else matters.

Wow-ful Women Wednesdays

Disclaimer: this song was not *my* pick for a Wow-ful Woman. I am picking this for my dear husband who was laughing with me about the *grand devastation* all my readers (snort) would feel if I didn't post a Wow-ful Woman tonight.

So, flash back to 1980 something. Get ready for some excellent examples of how a man should never do his hair. Chris says this is a great tune to really crank up. Sounds like good driving music to me. We have air-guitared the intro to this song many a time over the years.

This lady has some moxy to be sure. I certainly like her more when she is rockin' it out than when she is just chatting it up on Canadian Idol (not that I can remember the last time I've seen that show). I am slightly jealous that her male background vocals sing higher than I do. And that all of them have more volume in their flowing locks than I do.

So Hard -- (dare I do this?) Sass Jordan.

Hands and Feet

This has been a complicated week in our house. On top of the regular busy of our family, we've added another layer of busy in the health and wellness department. My husband has been laid out with excruciating back pain, resulting from some disc herniation. Suffice it to say, our home life has looked really different for the last week after a few months of building up to an acute climax.

I shared our struggles at our church music team practice on Saturday night. I told them the ins and outs of what was going on in our home. And they prayed for our family. For health, strength, patience, endurance; for the ability to hear the Lord speaking through this time of trial. It was very helpful. Very moving.

That same night, the members of the team gave some good advice from their experience with similar health concerns. They offered to help however they could. I assumed that would be the end of it.

I was wrong.

Sunday morning, I was commiserating with the wife of one of the team members about needing to go home and make lunch. I wish I had a magic fairy to wave a wand and make it for me, I said. We laughed. Then I went to Remark to find a fantastic loaf of bread to stretch my salad that I was making. I comtemplated buying a rotisserie chicken there too, but didn't. Tempting; also expensive, long line up, kids waiting in the car. *sigh* maybe I can figure out the bbq when I get home and cook the kabobs in the freezer.

As I am approaching my house, I notice I am being followed by a familiar van. She pulls right into my drive way behind me. It is the lady I was speaking to about lunch. "We knew how difficult things must be in your house when there is a parent down and , and we both really wanted to do something to help out in a small way, so would you let us serve you today by giving you this." And she hands me a steaming hot bag from Swiss Chalet. Buns, baked potatoes, french fries, 6 pieces of chicken, and of course, my favourite, the dipping sauce. "It might not be enough to feed your whole crew but add it to your bread and see if the Lord will multiply your loaves and chicken", she smiles.

I weep.

Unable to even a little bit compose myself, we hug and I squeeze a thank you out between tears. She smiles and says your welcome.

As we are eating this feast, there is a knock on the door. A man from our team and his wife have come with another surprise: "When I was having back problems I used this inversion table to relieve some of the pressure. I thought I'd bring it by and if your husband can use it great. If not, give me a call and I'll pick it up again."

Really? Very kind. I'm having a hard time letting this all soak in.

At the end of the day, I check my email. Another team member volunteering to mow our lawn. He comes, on his day off, on a holiday, and mows the lawn, and uses the trimmer to do the edging and whack all those weeds. "Chris should not be doing this for several weeks, so I'll come back in two weeks or so and do it again. Okay?"

And the tears again.

Sheer gratitude for the love of Christ being displayed in the people we do church life with. Maybe to them these were small sacrifices. Maybe it "was nothing". To us, it was a world of help and a picture of how the Body of Christ can function.

It is also a lesson to me in how I am notoriously bad for admitting I need help and being willing to take it without guilt.

It is a further lesson on my inadequate service to others. How often do I go above and beyond to help someone in need? Do I watch for places I can serve? Am I willing to inconvenience myself for others?

And so I challenge myself, and you, if you've read this far, to be the servant this week. Be the hands that do and the feet that go to show the compassion of Jesus to someone this week. Who will it be? Who could you help this week? Who can you serve and bless with a meal, an errand, a note of encouragement, a gift, a task? Will it be your co-worker? Your neighbour? Your spouse? A stranger on the street? Your child?

Lord, open my eyes to the needs of those around me, and show me how I can serve them. And thank you for this church family who have loved us so well this week. Bless them for their generousity.