Five Minute Friday: making the most

I had this strange sensation of panic the other day.

That I wouldn't make the most of tomorrow.

I wanted to make the most of every moment with my family, with the sunshine, with music, with food, with everything.

I wanted every minute spent with my family to be joyful. I wanted to soak in all the sunshine I could. I only wanted to listen to the most favourite of my favourite songs. And I didn't want to waste my taste buds on anything I didn't like.

Why?

Not really sure. I think it has something to do with spring. Something to do with that strange new energy that I get this time every year. It makes me want to do amazing, beautiful things. All the time.

What?

I can't do that.

So I crash. And burn. And get mad. And become lazy. And make the worst out of everything.

Huh?

Conclusion? umm........

How to make the most of your day: don't go there. Just don't. Just live. Just do grace, and smiles. Lots and lots of them.

And remember. What is here today will be gone tomorrow. So those seconds in the sun, and those tunes, and that food; whatev. Just whatev.

Pin for the post:

vacation

I've decided the best kind of vacations you can have are the ones where you make the most best memories.

And you usually need people to make good memories.

And pretty awesome people at that.

You don't necessarily need a different climate. Or satellite T.V. Or super, amazing, professionally cooked food.

What else do you do with three feet of snow? 

On the contrary, frigid temperatures, zero internet, and good old fashioned home cooked dinners prepared by someone who can't smell and has lost some sense of taste can make for a pretty sweet vacation.

Because that cook is someone so dear, I'm not sure I can explain it.

Tea Time

I think someday I would like to go somewhere tropical, to escape the winter and get a tan before everyone else. But for now I am simply reflecting on a boatload of memories made in Northwestern Ontario, made with dear people who are either much older than me or much younger than me. I find you learn the most from people who are not your peers. And you can enjoy your time with them so very much.

Wal-Mart Chillin'

Yup. It was going out for a vegetarian Valentine's Day dinner with cousins and aunt that was so unique. It was bringing in young, lively spirits (and music) to the elderly that was so rewarding. It was getting up early to watch hockey before breakfast with many excited little people that was so thrilling. It was going cross-country skiing with a chatty young fellow and spotting porcupines that was so entertaining. It was hanging out with engineer uncle that was so fascinating. It was competitive games of Holland Memory that got feisty. And it was spending calm, quiet evenings with Oma that was so, so special.

Go Canada! 

I can't say I would have ever chosen to only have younger cousins or elderly grand-people surrounding me for three weeks, but I think I would now. Because being a care-free kid is so fun and relaxing. And just sitting and listening and learning from those who have gone before you is so sobering. My little cousins really taught me that there is so much fun to be had, as long as you just don't care. And my Oma taught me how short and precious every moment in life is. And how good I have it. Oh, I have had it so good.

Cross-Country Skiing

I don't think I would have learned this in Hawaii.

Unless those people were there too. :)

currently #4

(cause when you haven't blogged in a while this will usually pull you through)

Tasting

Sweet potato fries... just taste testing. 

Thinking

I better go check to make sure I didn't burn my sweet potato fries. 

Experiencing

Much excitement for my trip to see Oma and cousins and aunts and uncles. 8 more sleeps.

Making

A list for the trip! I think I'm gonna need two suitcases. 

Reflecting

On good times and how they end and how important it is to reset your focus. Every. Single. Day. 

Hoping

For an early spring. For a long hot summer. For no more snow storms. In other words: to magically turn Canada into something that isn't Canada. Okay, so never mind. 

Loving

The chickadees and yellow finches and once in a while the ruby chested finches that make their way to our bird feeders. Is there anything like their chorus?

Dreaming

About the rest of this year. We're already 1/12 done it, guys. It's so gonna go fast. 

Trying

This. 

Heading Downtown

I think I must be a country girl.

Downtown fascinates me.

And this is just downtown Halifax, people. We're not even talking big city here.

I can't find the cream and sugar stuff at Starbucks. What's it doing way over there?

By the way, that was the most whipped cream I have ever had on a hot chocolate.

And elevators, in 15+ story buildings. I thought I was going to faint. And all of those buttons kinda freaked me out. Thank you, lady who was also going to the 15th floor.

I was just sitting in a coffee shop on a busy street corner in the bright, cold, morning sunshine and watching people.

The rough workers just doing what they always do. Pulling out wires and bolting lampposts back together again. Then in for a coffee. Ahhh, break time.

The preppy young man with the David's Tea bag holding his tablet and other stuff. Huh, cool. I like your hat and shoes. I hope you have a good and enlightening day at the office or studio or wherever.

The eccentric girl with yellow and orange hair, red and green plaid jacket and purple flowery leggings. She looks cold. I wonder how dark was her night and how happy will her day be? Is that young man next to her going to care for her, and love her and commit to her forever? The sad reality struck me. How often is it so?

Then I see someone running. Her target? That young woman there on the other side of the road who receives a big bear hug from the running lady. I hear muffled chatter and laughter and off they go walking down the street, into the coffee shop. Those conversations are the best. Catching up. Then maybe going shopping after?

Every person that walks by is more than just what makes this street busy. They all have a story, a goal. They may be stressed about something or so excited about something that how can everyone here not see it? I didn't. I'm sorry. But then, did you see my anxious heart a moment ago? Or the happiness I feel now that it is over? Probably not. I'm going to have a good day now, but are they? Are you?

I probably could have sat there all day. It was just so fascinating, and thought-provoking, and relaxing all at the same time. Pretty much all the traffic I see every day are the chickadees taking turns at coming to the window feeder. And that's okay. It makes the city more fun.

Well, to all of you folks who made that morning so very interesting, I bid you good day. I offer my thanks. Have a blessed week.

Lauren

Five Minute Friday: silence

I did an experiment this week.

I lived headphone-less.

It was awesome.

Instead of getting my mind filled up I emptied it a little. And then I went searching.

What did I find?

A lot of thoughts. They really needed to be found, and thought out. And prayed about.

I found the need for increasing your dialogue with your Creator Lord. I've always wanted to work on that. This was totally the way to do it.

I found doing dishes and hearing the dishes really calms your soul.

Because you come to know you're alive. You have gifts. You have abilities that by God's grace you have kept throughout all your days. Through car-crashes, sporting accidents, and oh so much more that just didn't happen.

Silence. Where were you?

Right there. In front of me. I need to look more. Way more. When it's hard. And then you need to ask, "is this where it was? Well, let's try and see."

And there it was.

And so many other things.

Let's take a moment of silence. Let's talk to ourselves instead of just listening to ourselves. Let's talk with the Lord. Let's take a break from hearing about Him. Let's go praise Him. Thank Him. Ask Him.

It was a magnificent experiment. It's going to become a lifestyle. That's the way to go for me.

Leah

It's quite the love story. It's scandalous, it's sad, and oh so beautiful and full of grace.

She wasn't loved. She wasn't pretty. Her eyes were 'weak', cross-eyed or protruding. She lived in the shadow of her stunning younger sister, Rachel. And that's whom Jacob loved.

He loved Rachel so much he payed quite the price for her. A significantly higher price than what was customary in those days. He worked for her father, Laban for seven years to get her. Yet it seemed but a few days for Jacob because of his love for Rachel.

Wait, isn't this a story about Leah?

Yes. And no.

When the time came for Jacob to wed the daughter of Laban, the veiled bride was presented to Jacob.

But it wasn't Rachel.

They were wed, the veil was lifted, and Jacob came to know what deception was done to him. So he went to confront his father-in-law.

Laban defends himself by saying the younger is not to proceed the older, therefore, Leah had to be married first.

And Jacob was silent.

You know why?

Because he was living in the shadow of his own deception. Of having deceived his own father into blessing the younger and not the older. Of escaping that tradition of the younger serving the older.

But let's get back to Leah's story.

Seven more years and Jacob had his beloved Rachel.

And Leah? She wasn't loved by her husband. God saw this. He opened her womb and closed Rachel's.

Leah had a son, Reuben. She believed that now Jacob would see her.

She had another son, Simeon. She was now sure that Jacob would hear her.

She again bore another son, Levi. She thought now that Jacob would love her.

She bore one more son, Judah. But this time God shifted her gaze and she praised the Lord.

She stopped bearing [for a while]. It was no longer about pleasing her husband. About having babies and being a good wife. It was about God, her true love. The only Love that can satisfy.

And this son, Judah, was in the line of promise. He was to bear our Saviour. Leah was the mother of Jesus. The rejected, the scorned, the unloved was to bear the Messiah who was himself to be rejected and scorned and unloved.

But what does that matter? If to be unloved in this world means we can praise God and find our fulfillment in him than let it be so.

Leah's story is so beautiful. It's brokenness finding true healing. It's the rejected finding true love. It's a love story ending in the greatest, most pure, and most fulfilling love possible.



**inspired by Tim Keller's sermon "The Struggle for Love"

update

#1 - I have not blogged in over two weeks because we've been without internet for almost that long. I mean, look at this, guys.

This is why the tower stopped working. It was almost worth it.

#2 - I guess this is the year I turn 20. What to say what to say....

#3 - I guess this also is the year I enter post-secondary education with more than ten students enrolled. And none related to me.

#4 - this really isn't that much of an update. Because I can't think of anything else.