One Roof!

Today is the day...

The day our church family, everyone from all 13 sites of The Meeting House gathering under One Roof! I just know it's going to be awesome!

I am most excited about hearing the new mission that will guide our church community into these next four years... to following Jesus with more abandon, to doing compassion with more sacrifice, to living as a disciple with more intention!

My heart overflows with great joy as I think about how God brought us into community with this church family... it's truly been such a gift to our family! 

In the Summer of 2010, we started attending this church after sensing that God is initiating a change in how our family serves Him... after each Sunday, we felt more and more drawn towards The Meeting House. After much prayer and waiting... this is what I wrote on the first Sunday of 2011. 

It's been more than two years since that Sunday when we first walked into movie theatres in a shopping mall to attend church... unsure of what we were going to experience...

God's goodness always shines through... 

Friends, it's been the most awesome two+ years... we are learning from a great teaching pastor who constantly and always points us to Jesus... we are being stretched to live simply and give generously to those in need... we are in community with a great bunch of people, not only at the site we attend on Sundays but also at Home Church each and every Monday night... our kids have made great friends... they are growing in their faith and they are being challenged in how they practically live it out! 

I could go on and on... but I won't. :-) But this I must say... God's grace is amazing, He truly is always good and His love truly is relentless!

So... soon, our family will be getting ready to head out to One Roof! It's going to be One. Big. Party!!! Happy Saturday, friends! Let me leave you with this... before I sign off. :-)

This month of October, I am participating in a blog link up called 31 Day Series. I will be writing about Celebrating JOY! Click on the banner below for 1000+ other topics! 

Compassion is a command, an act of worship, a song of thanks to Him.

Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God!

A Joy to Celebrate

One morning this week...
I woke up to an email that made me smile. Yes! Even before my mandatory morning coffee, a smile was already on my face! ;-)

These were the words sprawled across my computer screen...

I started looking at the Compassion site... as soon as I saw her, I knew I would sponsor her.

The author of those words? An acquaintance... a friend of my sister's. She said she heard me present Compassion's ministry, as a Volunteer Advocate, at a Mom's Conference over a year ago... my very first one, one where I so nervously clutched my notes, one where my words tripped over each other, one where I thought no one was listening... little did I realize then, God does not waste any moment. He does not waste anything!

Then, this week, she read one of my blog post... the one about raising truly great kids... then she read one of my girl's blog post... the one about coming across Happyness' child pack and knowing right away that this sweet little Tanzanian girl has captured her heart!

And this acquaintance, this friend... she clicks over to Compassion Canada's website... and started browsing... until a little girl caught her eye, captured her heart!

A little girl from Colombia... a little girl with the same name as her daughter... a little girl with the same birthday as her daughter!!!

Can you believe it? God is just so amazing and so wonderful that way... to match this family with this Colombian Compassion Child in such a special way! Just. So. Beautiful!

And my girl's Happyness?
Today is her birthday!!! And... sweet Happyness has recently shaved her head! My girl has written a blog post all about Happyness' new 'do and how she would like you to celebrate Happyness' birthday today!!! Please take a few minutes and hop over to my girl's blog to read her heart. Thank you, friends!

Happyness! 

I am celebrating JOY today...
... in a most special way! :-) And relishing in the goodness and awesomeness of our God!

This month of October, I am participating in a blog link up called 31 Day Series. I will be writing about Celebrating JOY! Click on the banner below for 1000+ other topics! 

Compassion is a command, an act of worship, a song of thanks to Him.

Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God!

My Autumn Garden

Simple joys...

The days are getting colder. We've had our first frost. As my garden starts to wither and hibernate, I am enjoying its last blooms... and celebrating simple joys! 

This month of October, I am participating in a blog link up called 31 Day Series. I will be writing about Celebrating JOY! Click on the banner below for 1000+ other topics! 

Compassion is a command, an act of worship, a song of thanks to Him.

Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God!

Joy of the Lord...

Today...
I am linking up with a host of other bloggers over at A Holy Experience, all of us writing about The Practice of Joy and answering questions like, "What does it mean to choose Crazy Joy?"... and, "How do we authentically walk through hard times?"... or, "How do we practice the 'gigantic secret' of Christians?"

It got me thinking back...

... to a Bible study I once did --- Beth Moore's Living Beyond Yourself. Chapter 4 is entitled The Joy Of The Lord Is Our Strength --- great insights on how to truly live joy.

Here are some snippets...

Joy results from discovering His presence, His purpose, and His power in an entirely new way. Could it be that if our focus is on Christ, we'll see Him transfigured before us rather than our circumstances? Look for Him in the middle of your circumstances --- He's there just waiting to be discovered.

God's Word propels us to abide in Christ. When His words "abide" in us and we obey His commands with a tenacity similar to Ruth's, we abide in Him. His Word is our cling wrap, adhering us to His presence.

Joy cheaters: which one can you most relate to?

When our outpour exceeds our intake. Are you serving more than you are seeking?

When our talk exceeds our walk. Somewhere along the way, our mouth and our heart most likely parted company.

When we become "wonders junkies". We miss Him as the joy in the midst of the mundane. The most intimate times we ever will spend with God will be listening to His gentle whispers. It is there that we will find true joy. Rarely are you more at risk for losing your joy than when you have just experienced a spiritual "high". Pray to enjoy those marvelous times, but never more than you enjoy His sweet whisper when you are all alone.

When we are exhausted. Are you neglecting your rest? What about eating? In our culture, we rarely neglect to eat; however, we neglect to eat for the body's benefit. 

When we feel all alone. As you're growing in Christ, beware of feelings that tempt you to believe you are all alone and that no one else wants to serve or love God as you do. Just because someone does not share our "cause" or our personal "passions" does not set us apart. When we view ourselves as the only spiritual persons we know, we're setting ourselves up for a fall.

We are catalysts of joy for one another! After we were born again, He did not leave us on earth to be loners. He wants us to bring joy to one another! Each and every believer should be a joy to us; challenging us to dig deeper and deeper into God's Word.

Beautiful truths...

Lots to digest and lots to live out... and I am thankful that the joy of the Lord is my strength!

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever. ~ Psalm 16:11, NLT.

This month of October, I am participating in a blog link up called 31 Day Series. I will be writing about Celebrating JOY! Click on the banner below for 1000+ other topics! 

Click on the banner below to read more Walk With Him posts...

I promise you will be blessed!

Compassion is a command, an act of worship, a song of thanks to Him.

Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God!

A Gift...

In all these years of blogging, I've come to do life with many people in this blog-o-sphere who've become a vital part of my everyday life... my regular readers, fellow bloggers, occasional visitors, fellow Compassion Advocates, Facebook and Twitter friends... some I know in real life, some I've had the pleasure of meeting, and then there's those whom I've not met in real life!

Their friendship is special to me...
They encourage me. They teach me. They stretch me. They challenge me. They spur me on towards love and good deeds. They are a blessing to me and they bring me great joy!

If you are one of these people... please know that you have been a gift to me and I celebrate *you* and your friendship with great joy!

I thank my God every time I remember you.

~ Philippians 1:3, NIV.

This month of October, I am participating in a blog link up called 31 Day Series. I will be writing about Celebrating JOY! Click on the banner below for 1000+ other topics! 

Compassion is a command, an act of worship, a song of thanks to Him.

Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God!

And, I'm Amazed...

A song...
... has been on repeat a lot while I'm driving this week! The lyrics go like this...

A million snow flakes gently fall, yet no two are the same

And colors fill the canvas of the seasons as the change

And everywhere I look I see Your hand

Why You would love someone like me

I'll never understand and I'm amazed, I'm so amazed

Autumn colours in our backyard! ♥

How great You are, how small I am

How awesome is Your mighty hand

And I am captured by the wonder of it all

And I will offer all my praise with all my heart for all my days

How great You are, how great You are, how great You are

Yes, I'm amazed...

Amazed anew at how relentless God's love is, how He never lets go, how He continues to pursue, how He is always good... and how much JOY there is in serving Him!

As I continue to count grace-gifts, with unending thanks... to The One who completes my JOY... these are the things I am thankful for this week... #1603 - #1612:

:: An opportunity to serve "the least of these"!

:: Thanksgiving Monday dinner with hubby's family.

:: Lots accomplished even with a shortened week.

:: Funds raised via Eucharisteo: A Celebration of Joy all finally sent over to Compassion Canada... and eagerly awaiting a grand total which should come any day now!

:: A possible new direction...

:: This quote by Kathy Troccoli: "I know God is speaking to me when, in spite of my initial struggle, an undeniable release and peace follows when I have obeyed His voice. When I finally do the thing He has been nudging me to do, whether it's letting something or someone go, or taking a step toward the unknown, there is a deep calm in my soul. Where my heart and mind were once filled with terrible angst, I am now filled with a supernatural peace."

:: A great annual physical check-up for my boy by our family doctor!

:: A lazy Saturday...

:: A great Sunday spent in community with our church family! ♥

:: Sunday night dinner with my sister and her family.

Happy Monday, friends!

Jesus calls to surrender and there's nothing like releasing fears and falling into peace. It terrifies, true. But it exhilarates. This, this is what I've always wanted and never knew: this utter trust, this enlivening fall of surrender into the safe hands.

There is no joy without trust.

~ Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts.

Let's soar into this new week together, friends... let's do justice, love mercy and walk humbly!


This month of October, I am participating in a blog link up called 31 Day Series. I will be writing about Celebrating JOY! Click on the banner below for 1000+ other topics! 

Click on the banner below for more Multitudes on Mondays posts...

Jump in... I promise you will be blessed!

Compassion is a command, an act of worship, a song of thanks to Him.

Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God!

Songs of Joy...

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. ~ Psalm 65:8, NIV.

Happy Sunday, friends!

May the beautiful and strong name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, inspire songs of joy in you, not only today, but throughout this coming week as well!

... because, among many other things, there is JOY in His Name!

As morning dawns and evening fades
You inspire songs of praise
That rise from earth to touch Your heart and glorify Your Name

Your Name is a strong and mighty tower
Your Name is a shelter like no other
Your Name, let the nations sing it louder
'Cause nothing has the power to save
But Your Name

Jesus, in Your Name we pray
Come and fill our hearts today
Lord, give us strength to live for You and glorify Your Name

This month of October, I am participating in a blog link up called 31 Day Series. I will be writing about Celebrating JOY! Click on the banner below for 1000+ other topics! 

Compassion is a command, an act of worship, a song of thanks to Him.

Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God!

Affluence to Generosity

Yesterday...

I wrote about the abundant, overflowing and indescribable heart-blessings that God has so graciously showered our family with as a result of our sponsorship of children with Compassion International. It's truly been a spiritual journey like no other. It has stretched us, grown us, changed us!

I wouldn't trade it for anything else!

And honestly... having learned, over these past few years, to live simply so that we can give generously... we've found ourselves to be happier and more content! We certainly have realized how abundantly blessed we truly are... because even in giving away, we still don't lack anything materially-speaking. 

This is the reality of how abundantly blessed materially we all are --- those of us who live in this affluent society called the First World! Did you know that if you make $25,000/year, you are among the top 19% in the whole world? 

I am currently reading the book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: Moving from Affluence to Generosity by Ronald J. Sider and the paragraph I read just yesterday really stuck with me...

In a consumer society that increasingly measures a person's worth and importance by the amount of his or her material possessions, biblical Christians will reject materialism without falling into asceticism. They will delight in the splendor of the material world but not forget that things can not ultimately satisfy. They will enjoy the good earth and celebrate its abundance without neglecting sacrificial sharing with the needy. They will distinguish between necessities and luxuries. They will enjoy possessions while recognizing their seductive danger. When forced to choose between Jesus and possessions, they will gladly forsake the ring for the Beloved. {Page 105}

Forsake the ring for the Beloved!

Friends, it is my prayer that I will always forsake the ring for the Beloved! How about you?

In this affluent society that we live in, it is so easy to get lured into the trap of wanting more... and justifying those luxuries into necessities. May we always seek to be biblical Christians... may we always choose to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with God.

On this Saturday...
I urge you to take 23 minutes of your time to watch this newly released short film from Compassion International called Rescuing the Future:



Friends, I hope that this video will help you move from affluence to generosity... to forsake the ring for the Beloved... because the abundant joy that results from giving away and reaching out to the needy is something truly worth celebrating!

This month of October, I am participating in a blog link up called 31 Day Series. I will be writing about Celebrating JOY! Click on the banner below for 1000+ other topics! 

Compassion is a command, an act of worship, a song of thanks to Him.

Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God!

International Day of the Girl Child

Yesterday... I was volunteering at my son's school for his FIRST Lego League team and when the morning announcements came on, I learned that yesterday was the first ever observance of International Day of the Girl Child!

On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.

~ from the United Nations website.

The observance of this day is to basically raise awareness of the importance of empowering and investing in girls in order to help them to escape extreme poverty and discrimination, among other things.

Our girls...

Joy and thanksgiving filled my heart as I suddenly realize that God, in His grace, has allowed us to be a part of three such girls' lives through child sponsorship with Compassion International!

My girl, with our Compassion LDP student Rechelle... when we met her last year in Cebu, Philippines!

Hubby and myself, with our Compassion child Florianlyn and her mom... in Masbate, Philippines!

Happyness, my girl's Compassion sponsor "sister"... she lives in Tanzania.
We hope to meet her one day!!!

Because of Compassion's ministry... 
These girls will escape poverty. They will have an education. They will get medical care. They will be empowered. And most importantly, they have come to know and love God... they have an Eternal Hope!

And, friends... do you know what's so exciting about all this? Our family gets to be a part of these girls' lives and see miracles take place right before our very eyes! Oh. Such. Inexplicable. Joy!

Honestly, the blessings we have received from sponsoring these girls have overwhelmed us... and I'm not talking about material blessings, but heart-blessings... they have been abundant, overflowing, indescribable!

And at the last, this is what will determine a fulfilling, meaningful life, a life that, behind all the facades, every one of us longs to live: gratitude for the blessings that expresses itself by becoming the blessing.

~ Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts.

God's endless cycle of grace is truly beautiful! We are blessed and God's love compels us to become the blessing. Yet in blessing these girls and their families, we have found that we are abundantly blessed in return. Blessing upon blessing, joy multiplying joy! 

A beautiful thing to celebrate, if you ask me! :-)

This month of October, I am participating in a blog link up called 31 Day Series. I will be writing about Celebrating JOY! Click on the banner below for 1000+ other topics! 

Compassion is a command, an act of worship, a song of thanks to Him.

Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God!

Joy in Life's Messiness...

Ducks in a row...

You know that saying, right? Well, friends... here's another confession from me... I am a ducks-in-a-row kind of girl! I don't like the unknowns and the what-ifs and the maybes... you get the picture!

Fallen leaves from our ash tree in the backyard.

But... much to my dismay, life is often not ducks-in-a-row! Surprise, surprise! :-) It is often messy, much like the state of the fallen leaves from our ash tree that covered our backyard before hubby and my boy bagged them all up for composting this past weekend!

With life comes the unknowns and the what-ifs and the maybes... 
Actually, one of those is currently brewing in our family's life right now! Change is in the horizon... and I'm antsy, to say the least... and I know I must choose joy... I must celebrate joy!

I must live fully in the moment and not worry about the potential changes that lie ahead. Easier said than done.

Yet, I will live joy... because "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17)" and because I know "that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)"

And... I will learn to love messy fallen leaves over ducks standing in a row! Yes, I will... because it is in life's messiness where God's grace is most evident. 

We can give thanks in everything, because there's a good God passing by, working all things into good. It's safe to trust!

~ Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts.

This month of October, I am participating in a blog link up called 31 Day Series. I will be writing about Celebrating JOY! Click on the banner below for 1000+ other topics! 

Compassion is a command, an act of worship, a song of thanks to Him.

Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God!