emmanuel

Every year Emmanuel means something different. Life peels back more layers and we’re left standing raw until they heal. But God coming down to this gritty, dusty, land of the dying makes every difference in our hope for living. 


He is with us. He is in us. He is here.

home again...

i ate both of them.
it was a bit bizarre, but with an enthusiastic guide, i was able to get into it in true east coast spirit.

in that 4 day trip i also ate scallops, mussels, shrimp, and salmon.
by the way, they didn't bite and they didn't try to escape from my plate...although i was half expecting them too!

hope

...some days you have to choose JOY
when you choose JOY, you begin to live JOYfully!

family

i think this picture is funny...

a rather humorous looking tomato

and a random horse making his way into the picture

it made me smile today when i saw it

everything good

daddy's pretending

so serious and trying to be so big

but the silly is always there!

romans 15:13

there is something about being at home that is like a warm hug
i am blessed

kendra johanna

she is loved by her big sister
she kept asking to hold her and then would smother her with kisses,
but the moment she began to cry, she would say
"she needs to be burped"

she is also loved by her big brother
he would sit by her while she slept and just look at her
and occasionally poke her
and then bring her a teddy bear

living

This day all His mercies are new
This day every promise is true
Father, help me to believe
Give me faith I need to know You
And trust You this day
This day


These words are not mine, but they have carried me
I have had to pray this prayer over and over
And when I feel better, I pray it again

free

We are each of us angels with one wing...

       and we can only fly embracing each other.

carpet

spring is for new things
we got new carpet yesterday
we are looking for a new car
there are new things growing in the backyard
i feel like i am still new to my job

there is something exciting about new things
there is something comforting about old things

child

Gradually, though, you will begin feeling more connected and become more fully who you are - 

a child of God.

There lies the freedom.

-nouwen-

addicted

look closely...

isn't it amazing?

there is so much detail.

the colours,

the petals,

the curls,

the movement...

this gerber daisy sits in a vase on my living room table.

it was given in love

free will

as I walked home in the rain

I looked down and there was a piece of paper on the sidewalk...

in the shape of a heart

photo by mark

lemon currant roll

she was about 70

she shuffled as she walked

wearing red plaid slippers

walking her wiener dog

her hat was askew

her glasses covered a 1/3rd of her face

she was smiling

sabbath

i am addicted to cooking and baking blogs

i am trying to cook one new thing each week

this week i made oatmeal snack bars

the recipe called for chocolate chips and raisins, but there weren't any in the house...imagine that! so i substituted walnuts and coconut instead. they were yummy!

one of my favourite parts of the weekend was doing wood with mom and dad. mark helped dad with the outside work and i helped mom pile it in the basement. i love the conversations that happen.

delight

i am reading about emotionally healthy spirituality

i realize that i am not

we are all...in some way messed up

but the mess is what makes us so much richer and fuller people

"new being birthed out of the old"

just be

We need times of quiet and reflection, times of inner peace and relaxation. If we are preoccupied with plans and a compulsive need to succeed and be appreciated, or if we are tired, tense and stressed, it is difficult to slow down and listen to reality and to others. Our internal motor runs too fast. It is impossible to be silent and stand back from what is happening in order to consider our motives and fears. The heart's silence is blotted out by the noise of the motor. Growth demands that we are fit, well rested, and relaxed both in body and spirit. So it is important to find a healthy rhythm of life, and to know how much rest we need and the types of relaxation that give life.

~ jean vanier

full

i just love him so much

living

i got my new health card in the mail today and it had my new name on it.

i am a touw now.

i will have to get used to spelling my name.

i will miss tebrake, but i will always be a tebrake.

touw means rope in dutch.

pineapple upside down cake

it was gift to wake up this morning slowly on a monday...

drink tea with a cookie,

while doing the crossword,

eat raspberry pancakes,

bake,

go for a walk,

holding hands,

write some cards,

make dinner,

eat a pineapple upside down cake with rum sauce and ice cream...

it is so much easier to go to work tomorrow after a day like today

it was a july 1st day...it was that kind of day!

turning point

there are choices

there are decisions to be made

i am worried that i am being selfish

i do know that we will be fine

because we have a wonderful Guide

which way will he lead?

breath

as i walked by her room, i could hear her take every breath

he sat beside her bed reading to her

her ipod beside her head playing her favourite tune

as i said, "you are in my prayers", his eyes filled with tears

so we joined hands in prayer

...for comfort

...for peace

...for grace

He is waiting... to welcome her home

1/2 cup

baking makes me feel at home...

this weekend, i baked while my husband cleaned

i made ginger cookies,

pumpkin raisin loaf with walnuts

and peanut butter squares

granola

"forgiveness is letting go of the hope that the past can be changed"

my past has shaped me

laugh

she made me the perfect cup of invisible tea today...

she has her mother's laugh

and it is infectious

64th

it was my dad's birthday yesterday

he is one of my favourite people and there is something so comforting about him.

i love him so much and he has taught me much....

how to look to the people on the outside and make them feel known

how to boil a perfect egg

how to drink

how to hug

about discipline and perseverance

and about driving in the snow

the importance about family and the richness that is there

how to love and feel

and the importance of faith

warm

we share hot chocolate before we go to bed...

sunshine and snow,

groomed trails,

ski beside the frozen,

a fall or two,

cozy fire,

a graceful almost fall,

laughing until you almost pee your pants,

a bent ski pole,

red cheeks....

equals a perfect weekend

possibilities

at the beginning of the day, she told me,

"you will expect too much of yourself"

and she reminded me as i left that i was going to be just fine...

by the end of the day,

i had expected too much of myself and i had to remind myself that i was going to be just fine

welcome back

half pepperoni

half pineapple and ham

the perfect pizza to share on a friday night

new and shared traditions

i have missed sharing these moments with you...