These Ordinary Days...

I am counting bountiful blessings on these ordinary days!  At church yesterday, we sang the song From The Inside Out.  Part of the lyrics jumped out at me like never before... here they are:

A thousand times I've failed,

Still YOUR mercy remains.

And should I stumble again,

I'm caught in YOUR grace.

Let justice and praise become my embrace,

To love YOU from the inside out.

225.
Although my stomach is still queasy at times from my bout with the stomach flu the week before, I am back to my routines... very thankful for the strength that God provides for each day.

226.
A "coffee date" with a friend... although I had peppermint tea because of my queasy tummy.  Thankful that we can remain in contact and encourage one another even though we don't belong to the same church anymore.

227.
LEGO Mindstorm team meetings have resumed at my son's school... very cool to see how young minds think and process challenges.

228.
My daughter is getting new retainers for her lower teeth... progress is great after almost 18 months with braces.

229.
Encouraging and uplifting words from three friends all during this past week... truly evidence of God's grace for I am unable to be those words if not for grace.  Humbled.

230.
Basketball, basketball and more basketball.  My daughter's school team officially started competing with a full schedule this past week.  Thankful that most of the games are home games! :-)

231.
Wednesday's basketball game... a win at home!

232.
Thursday's basketball game... another win at home!  These girls are on a roll...

233.
My grandmother, who is now 101-years-old and lives in the Philippines, had a bad fall and fractured her hip.  Partial hip replacement surgery is being done as I type this.  If not, she will be bedridden for the rest of her life.  Yet she has an unstable heart which could result in a heart attack during surgery.  Fervently praying for God's grace to sustain her: "God, please give Ama enough strength for the days and weeks ahead... and please guide the surgeon's hands!"  I am also thankful for technology.  I just received a video via email of my grandma praying... it is very precious!

***edited to add:

Surgery went very well.  Grandma is now in recovery in the Cardiac Care Unit.  Praises be to my God for His goodness and His amazing grace!  Words just aren't enough... shedding tears of joy with a very thankful heart!!!

234.
An unexpected gift from hubby's aunt.  God is good!

235.
Opportunities for our family to keep remembering Haiti... one year after the earthquake.

236.
My newest read... Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker.

237.
Lovely Friday night dinner with friends!  This is a family we got to know at our previous church.  When we made the decision to leave the church in the Fall of last year, one of the saddest things for me is that we won't be able to connect anymore with the people who we have come to love.  But, God is gracious... He's allowed us to keep in touch with most of these friends.  For that, my heart is happy!

238.
Awesome time of worship and learning at our new church yesterday.  God is truly good... the journey He takes us through, although painful and tough at times, always ends up in awesomeness!

239.
Thankful for an opportunity to give towards Haiti at a 2-night fund-raising concert where my sister sang with her choir.  The beneficiaries are several Haitian orphanages, one of which is Haiti Children's Home.  Over $34,000 was raised!!!  So cool!!! 

240.
New pillows.     

My friends... these ordinary days are when God's grace is most special!  My prayer is that they are as real to you as they are to me...

Unwrapping more of His love in this world.

Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God!

Haiti - One Year Later

Today, my heart is thinking about Haiti.

It's been one year since the earthquake struck!  It seems like Haiti has been forgotten by the world, including by me!  You know that saying: "Out of sight, out of mind!"  Because the media has been so quiet about Haiti, those of us here in North America have also forgotten!  Sadly, the reality is that Haiti is still in dire need.

One way our family has decided to do on this one year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti is to sponsor a little Haitian boy through Compassion Canada!  So, without further ado... please meet Bell Bradley Pierre!

   

He is four years old and has the same birthday as my son!  How cool is that!!!  Our family is very much looking forward to start corresponding with Bell.

He will be our 5th Compassion child... we said goodbye to our first one, Annu from India, because she moved away from the Compassion community. We then sponsored a little girl, Florianlyn, from the Philippines in place of Annu.  By the way, we just received the information package on Florianlyn and found out that she lives on an island just north of where hubby and I were born and raised.  Very cool indeed!

We also correspond with two Compassion children from Honduras, Geydi and Junior, on behalf of their sponsors who don't or are unable to correspond with them.  Thus, making Bell the fifth Compassion child for our family.

So... these are a few ways that our family is choosing to practice Micah 6:8 and also to keep Haiti in the forefront of our thoughts and in our prayers!

Would you please join us in remembering?

 

Unwrapping more of His love in this world.

Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God!

Ordinary Graces...

Back to routine... back to everyday life.  God's grace still new every morning... especially on ordinary days!

213.
Reconnecting with friends over the Christmas break via email... hoping to get together in the coming weeks!

214.
My growing son... his shoe size went from size 4 to size 6 over the Christmas break!

215.
Great first day back to work for hubby and me... great first day back to school for the kids.

216.
My daughter doing very well preparing for her upcoming Royal Conservatory of Music piano exam.  She is hoping for a great result!  I am very proud of her focus and determination.

217.
Leftovers!  I don't have to make dinner.

218.
Hubby receiving a plaque of appreciation from Habitat for Humanity Toronto for his work in ensuring a smooth transition to their new home where IT and telecommunication systems are concerned.  Thankful for God's grace as hubby worked very long hours to make this happen those few days between Christmas and New Year... extremely proud of my man!

Plaque of appreciation presented by HFHT CEO Neil Hetherington.

219.
Beautiful snowfall.

220.
I was knocked-out by a stomach flu for a few days this past week... thankful for my doting hubby, my warm bed and my very understanding boss who ordered me to turn off my computer until Monday (today!). :-)

221.
Yummy congee for this sick girl's tummy!  Hubby went to buy some (twice!) even though it was snowing bad... nearest congee restaurant is in the neighbouring city.  Did I already say he's one doting hubby?!?  Each day I thank God for giving me a priceless gift in my wonderful hubby... I am blessed beyond measure... all because of grace!

222.
A reminder that as Christ followers, we are to live life radically!

223.
Finally feeling better from my bout with the flu... making Sunday night dinner and thankful that my Heavenly Father is also the Great Physician.

224.
There is finally enough snow on the ground for the kids to go tobogganing! 

Until next Monday... may you also see God's grace in your every-days!

Unwrapping more of His love in this world.

Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God!

Compassion By Command

The teaching series at church these two weeks, Compassion By Command, has really been relevant to our family!  Here are some of the quotes from today's session:

In a world of arrogance, we are for humility. In a world of individualism, we are for community. In a world of excess, we are for simplicity. In a world of power, we are for submission. In a world of triumphalism, we are for brokenness.

– Shane Claiborne,

Forward from Simple Spirituality by Chris Heurtz

We have to possess before we can give. He who has the mission of giving to others must grow first in the knowledge of God. He must be full of that knowledge.

– Mother Teresa

Compassion is nourishment for relationships. It holds families and communities together. Relationships grow stronger through compassion. This ability to be there for others, when it counts, speaks louder than any words. When people are truly there for one another in their darkest hour, the bonds of trust and love go deep.

– Simon Fox, The Practice of Compassion

Every time you sacrifice something at great cost, every time you renounce something that appeals to you for the sake of the poor – you are feeding a hungry Christ.

– Mother Teresa

Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest.

– Jesus, Luke 9:48 (NIV)

My daughter's teacher at school showed them this Sarah McLachlan music video... very relevant indeed to what we've been commanded to do as followers of Jesus Christ!

Happy Sunday, everyone!  I am finally better from my stomach flu (I think) and ready to tackle a new week.

Unwrapping more of His love in this world.

Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God!

Radical, The Book

So... I was knocked out by a stomach flu for the past two days... confined to my bed.  I slept the first day away.

On the second day, although my body was weak, my mind was fully awake!  I decided I would not waste a second day sleeping... so I picked up my copy of David Platt's Radical and decided to re-read it again.

Can I just say... this time, words were leaping out of the book at me!  The book's message very much in line with what God has been impressing upon our family this New Year!  Amazing!!!

This is the same book that my hubby couldn't put down during our vacation this past summer.  People who know him personally would know he's not an avid reader.  So... for him to read a book from cover to cover in just a few sittings would have to mean the book has captivated him a lot!

Here's a short video about the book... 

Please pause the Playlist on the sidebar of this blog as you watch this video.

As a Christ follower, there is no other way but to live life radically! It is His command to us.  I am looking forward to hearing the 2nd part of the teaching on Compassion By Command at church tomorrow.  

When God speaks to us, we must respond!

Unwrapping more of His love in this world.

Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God!

Quotes from Sunday's Teaching

Here are some quotes I'm chewing on.  They are from the teaching at church this past Sunday... definitely some food for thought!

North American Christians need to overcome the materialism of Western culture and see poverty in more relational terms. It requires us to understand our brokenness and to embrace the message of the cross in deep and profound ways, saying to ourselves everyday: ‘I’m not OK; and you’re not OK; but Jesus can fix us both.’

– Corbett & Fikkert, When Helping Hurts

One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?" Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.”

– Jesus, from Mark 12:28-31, NAS

So fundamental to the life of faith are these twin teachings of loving God and loving neighbor that they are given top priority in God’s original handwritten instructions for daily living. Christ later underscored their central importance by declaring that the entire law is contained in these two inseparable commands.

– Robert D. Lupton,
Compassion, Justice and Christian Life:
Rethinking Ministry to the Poor

No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

– Isaiah 58:6-7, NLT

Jesus connected himself forever with Isaiah and his call. And by proclaiming it in the context of worship, he makes it clear this is a call that is to impact who, what and how we are Church. Jesus believed the words of Isaiah. They were the words of his childhood, the text of his training, the soil out of which he grew. He came to fulfill them. Jesus’ connection of himself with the words of Isaiah tell us that this is an important indicator of what Jesus is about and therefore what we are to be about.

– Karen Stiller, The Responding Church Network,

World Vision Canada

In our engagement of human suffering, we discover the relevance of God’s suffering on the cross. In our relationships among friends who are oppressed, we discover that establishing justice is something divine and human – spiritual.

– Chris Heuertz, The Cry, Fall 2008

There are different kinds of poverty in India. Some people live and die in hunger. But in the West you have another kind of poverty, spiritual poverty. This is far worse. People do not believe in God, do not pray, do not care for each other. You have the poverty of people who are dissatisfied with what they have, who do not know how to suffer, who give in to despair. This poverty of heart of often more difficult to relieve and to defeat.

– Mother Teresa

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

– Micah 6:8, NLT

Unwrapping more of His love in this world.

Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God!

Micah 6:8

I am thinking more about the verse from Micah 6:8 that our family is claiming as our theme verse for this New Year.  In my own paraphrase...

Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God!

To act justly is to promote justice, to confront injustice and oppression, to strive to alleviate inequalities... both locally and globally.

To love mercy is to love being compassionate to those, locally and globally, who are less fortunate than us, to express kindness to them.

To walk humbly with God is to live in obedience to God's greatest commands, to live in a way that is free of arrogance, judgmental-ism and self-righteousness.

Isaiah 58:7 paints the picture very clearly... in the NIV it says:

Is it not to share your food with the hungry
   and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
   and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

This is what our family will be practicing throughout this year... regularly, praying that, with God's grace, it will become our lifestyle.  It's not an easy task... but God's grace will be sufficient!

Unwrapping more of His love in this world.

Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God!

New Year's Graces

A New Year brings a new start, a new beginning.  This year, our family is looking forward to many new beginnings.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

--- Isaiah 6:8 (NIV)

203.
Thankful for a time of rest, quiet days, over the holidays... especially since I got sick with a bad cough.

204.
Thankful that we have a doctor in our family... so I didn't have to line up at the very crowded walk-in clinic over the holidays to get checked out.

205.
That God truly can make all things, all people, new...

206.
Socks and underwear for the homeless... bought with a portion of my son's Christmas money!  God is growing my son... in ways that I cannot.  Truly thankful for grace.

207.
Shopping for a dress for my daughter to wear on her Graduation Day...

208.
Some quiet time to reflect upon the year that has passed... it had its share of difficult and tough moments.  Thankful for grace... for beauty instead of ashes!

209.
Looks like God has finally led our family to a church we can call home... thankful for the peace He gave as we waited... now, thankful that the season of waiting is over.  God is truly good!

210.
For a day to cook and bake at home... in preparation for the annual New Year's Eve party that we host in our home.

211.
Ringing in the New Year with family and dear friends in our home... thankful for years of friendship.

212.
A theme verse God has given our family for 2011 --- from Micah 6:8 and it says: "Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with God!" --- and a new home church!  God is good.

A New Year is upon us --- we welcome you, 2011.  Our family's hope is to continue unwrapping more of His love in this world this year as we've practiced throughout the Advent season with the help of Ann Voskamp's Jesse Tree Journey.

Happy New Year, my dear friends. 

Unwrapping more of His love in this world.

Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God!

On This First Sunday of 2011...

... I am thankful for grace!  God has graciously given our family a theme verse for this New Year.  It is from Micah 6:8 and I paraphrase... 

Act justly.  Love Mercy.  Walk humbly with God!

It fits right in with our family's desire to be unwrapping more of His love in this world in 2011.  It gives me goosebumps when God speaks to us like that... it is so awesome and so humbling!

His Word came via the teaching on this Sunday morning at church.  It has also served as a confirmation to our family that we have made the right decision in choosing The Meeting House to be our new home church.

We have been praying for God to lead us to a church that will be in line with and supportive of what He would like us to do for Him as a family.  And He's done just that!  He truly is good...

Our family is truly thankful for His amazing grace and anticipating great God-things in 2011.

Unwrapping more of His love in this world.

Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God!

Happy New Year!

1.1.11 is finally upon us!  Our family started off Day 1 of 2011 by sleeping in until almost noon!  Ah... bliss!!!

Then, we headed downtown this afternoon to Gateway to drop off the socks and underwear for the homeless folks that my son bought with a portion of his Christmas money.  This mama's heart is truly happy... very thankful for grace!

Here is my son with the bags of socks and underwear.

Salvation Army Gateway is right across the street (behind him).

Unwrapping more of His love in this world.

Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God!