Post Secret

This Ain't No White Picket Fence

The religion of tolerance. I see it more and more every day.  Like just the other day, the announcement that Justice of the Peace would all have to perform same sex marriages, no one could opt out anymore.

Exhaulting the tolerance of Everyone. Every thing. Every spirituality (except those that don't tolerate).

More and more people are hopping on that fence everyday, refusing to commit to a side. Trying to create it's own 'side'.  That fence is getting wider and wider, merging with the ground on both sides. It's not a prickly or pointy fence, but a cushiony and soft one. It appears to unite and not divide.

But instead of including everyone for peace sake it's just excluding nothing.

For deception's sake.

This is not just another peace and love movement. It is not loving to bring people to this lack of faith.

And it gets worse before it gets better. This fence will expand across the majority of the world. This fence will be not only THE religion, it will be god.

We will be the 'athiests'.

And then, all at once, there will be no 'third side', no sitting in the middle, no fence of any size. 

There will be black.
There will be white.
Everything will be truly black and white.
No grey areas.
No need for 'white-washing' the black.
No need for colouring up the white.

Each wants to be chosen for the way it is.
And wants to be the only one chosen.
So why not choose today.

The Best Things In Life Aren't Things

Smile below....'nuff said.

A day in the life of me

Stole this idea from my cuz Pam, but as I'm all about the 'documentary' blog themes I just had to rip it off.  This is actually 'a day in the life of me' that happened this past wednesday.

The alarm clock, that I usually don't hear, I usually don't wake up until I hear Sean getting out of the shower and then I get up. Oh, and it's 15 minutes ahead, which is a trick we use because even though we know it's ahead, it just doesn't feel right staying in bed longer when it shows after 7 am.

Then I start coffee for my dear addict hubby.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

The before and after in the mirror. Love my squinty eyes getting used to the light, lol. It's a pull the hair up day because a) it's time for a trip to the salon and b) I have a Chiropractor appointment later that hair should be out of the way for.

Breakfast, my low cal raspberry cocoa muffins, and a handful of vitamins with some yummy fruit juice.

Listen to the QX104 Waking Crew on the ride to work, what a riot.

Drop off hubby downtown, of course I have to get back into traffic quickly, so this is him (the blob circled in yellow) in the rearview mirror.

I pull into the Golder Associates parking lot at about this time most days.

Here is my office.

Me logging into my computer.

First thing I try to do is write down the verse I memorized the day before, then look up a new verse, and then write the first initial of every word in the verse down so I can use that as a memorization prompt.

After my 'daily bread' I get my water bottle filled, first trip of 2-3.

Getting some new accounting folders set up for 2011 filing.

Covering reception for awhile.  Yes that's Facebook on my screen, it's sometimes hard to bring my work down, so if I don't have any little jobs I can bring with me for a short coverage duration, that's when you'll find me on FB :)

Making coffee for an afternoon presentation/meeting on benefits.  Would have taken a picture of the goodies that we had for the meeting, but they got claimed far too fast.

After work, picking up Sean from his office parking lot, that's him walking towards me.  That crane in the background is for work on the Human Rights Museum.

Now time for our monthly Chiropractor visit, these 'beds' alone are just wonderful, immediately feel better just lying on them :)

This is Ember impatiently waiting for us to get inside.  She meows like we haven't been home for a week, and she peeks through this crack at us until we open the door.

This is our quick and easy supper today because now I have a hair appointment to get to for 6 pm.

This is me at the salon, before, waiting for the hair dresser to mix the bleach. Normally it's my friend Heather, but she's on mat leave, so had a replacement today.

Waiting for the bleach to do it's magic.

Now waiting for the toner to make my hair not so yellow.

Tada, perfect blonde again :)

Got home just in time to watch Criminal Minds.

 

And I'm rarely ever just watching t.v., so I've got a project on the ottoman in front of me, refinishing some cheap frames to look like they are lovely seashell instead of plain ol' wood. These will be for my upstairs bathroom, a 'seaside escape' theme.

And then I talked on the phone with my sis Tami for a bit, which I couldn't take a picture of because I was talking on my camera :)

And then I hit the hay, after reading my daily Love Dare - which was "Love is Unconditional" and my assignment is to do something that is obvious I wouldn't do it other than because I love him. I'm going to go to a wrestling pay-per-view with him to accomplish this, for some reason he wants me along on this otherwise typical guys night out, so that's what I'm going to do.

Good-night!

Lowly Hearts Club

They are I am weak but He is strong.

Do you remember the childhood taunts that often ended in, 'Well, my dad is bigger than your dad!"  Children knew their capabilities only went so far and they could accept the limitations of their age/size.  They also knew their father did have strengths they didn't, and that they could rely on him to use his strengths to save them.
"Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Oh for it to be that easy, to lower ourselves to a position of complete humbleness, confessing to our weaknesses because whatever strengths we do have are not what is important. Our strengths don't, won't, can't save us. That's what our Father is for. When we accept we are lowly we can do so much more in his power.  So why do we hold on to them so tightly?

Now, that little snippet was actually just a little rabbit trail from the lesson God was actually teaching me when he popped that song into my head, I just figured it was a good preface to this post.  Actually, he gave me that song, not during a prayer for myself but, during a prayer for my husband. Because I was talking to God about how it seems Sean and I are hardly ever strong in our faith at the same time, it's when I really hit a weak point that Sean shows his strength. Hmm.

I've mentioned before the tug of war I've had with purposefully not moving forward spiritually so that I can serve Sean, and his growth, instead of mine, but at that time I still don't think I fully understood what God was trying to tell me.  My idea of helping Sean was to exemplify what a life closer to God could be like, to make him want that. The strength, the wisdom, the peace, the freedom...and all of that is part of it.

But.

But I am not really being weak now am I?  'Holding myself back' and being an example of the rewards that flow from a closer relationship with God are not exactly positions of humility. Where is his opportunity to be strong if I show no weakness?  Where is his opportunity to grow by serving me?  He has many strengths that I don't and I can rely on him for them but, spiritually, do I allow an opportunity for those strengths to shine?   The only opportunities I've typically given him are when I have no choice, I've fallen fast and far, and I failed him....yet he's risen to the challenge. How is he going to build any spiritual 'muscle' if I refuse to let him carry me at all?  He is not going to grow because of my strengths.

Just like I need to let Jesus carry me more, I need to let Sean carry me more as well.

God grant me the humility to have a heart that is lowly, willing to confess my weaknesses to Sean, so that he can do so much more, because whatever strengths I have are not what is important.

Laugh of the Day

Okay, my teacher cuz Pam has found the most hilarious children's book series Elephant & Piggie, and she shared this one with me (actually at Christmas time) but I was reminded of it recently so had to share the story that was so LOL it made me double over until my stomach hurt and I was crying!

I love the humor of what is not said.  The snake's silence makes them give an answer.

And continues to make them explain further.

I can't find photos of the rest but it gets more and more hilarious! 

Elephant and Piggie feel they have to explain, "You don't have arms."

The snake yells, "WHAT!!! I DON'T HAVE ARMS!!!!"

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Just kidding, he knows he doesn't have arms.  But wants to try anyway.  So they throw the ball at him. And hit him. And try throwing the ball again. And hit him again.....and again....and again.

So he doensn't want to play like that anymore.  But Elephant and Piggie want to play with him, so they find another way.

They play catch WITH snake!

My gosh, that's the funniest book I've read, and one of my new favs, don't care it's meant for kids 1/3 my size and 1/5 my age!

Talent Tuesday

Why is it so hard to talk about our talents?

God has blessed each one of us with many talents.  Yes, many! And he did not give them to us just for us to bury and hide them. It is not bragging to utilize them, and bless others with them, especially when we give him the credit for the good work he has begun in us.

We sometimes need to remind ourselves how special God has made us, a unique combination of characteristics, skills, and talents he designed in us before we were even born! You were made to do something only you can do the way only you do it.

So in that spirit I wanted to start a Talent Tuesday post, where occasionally we take the time to share with each other the gift of ourselves (yes that means I would LOVE to see you participate and post about your special talents!)

I'll go first.

Lately I've actually been wanting to combine two talents I have, card making and digital photo editing.  I've been playing with digital crafting just for the fun of it for 5 years now, not doing much other than an occasional Christmas photo card, art for myself, and contributions to a digital book project for my cuz, but now that my side business company, Stampin' Up! has digital crafting tools that I can download I have the inclination to attempt making more of my own photo cards with the SU products.

Here are the first photo card designs I've created with SU.

these two photos are by Dave Swiecicki.

this photo is by Rolanda Friesen.

Bless us with your gifts by linking your talent post here: