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When Clutter Confuses and Distracts
Piles of stuff annoy me yet somehow I seem to end up with them in call kinds of places. I try to be neat and orderly but I sure can’t claim a 100% success rate. In our moderate sized home, clutter can make areas feel too close and overwhelming. Some days, I just long for space to breathe. I always had things everywhere when my children were young. Why does a multitude of stuff create havoc with me now? It has been an interesting thing for me to learn that researchers have proven that clutter can lead to higher stress particularly in women. A study out of Princeton University says…
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When Daily Life is Tough Slugging
I am a thoughtful, kind, and gentle person. I work well with others. While I am not always able to be a confident contributor in group settings, I do my best to be considerate of others on my team. I try to do my best in the task given me. I am not bossy or self-serving. Most would find me a model employee. Why do I share these thoughts with you? It seems so incomprehensible that I have had to defend myself in the past. Why wouldn’t the above qualities be enough? Most days going to work at that particular time period involved me giving myself numerous pep talks to…
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The Challenges and Joys of Leaving our Comfort Zone
As I sit at my desk, I am working diligently answering phones and tending to all the bits and pieces that make up my receptionist position. As a young woman, working in a bustling youth ministry is invigorating and I am content serving my Lord in this capacity. For the most part the position is one I can handle easily and I am definitely in a safe, secure zone. Things changed when a year later one of the directors leaves the organization and the search begins for a replacement. The job requires strong communication skills and making cold calls to ministry contacts. I certainly don’t consider that to be my…
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Dealing with Change and Identity
As a new school year begins and I am not in the classroom I feel a deep longing to matter. There is emptiness where once were days filled with purpose – educating young minds. There are moments of great loss of a career that I deeply love and that has been my focus for so long. During the summer I was doing fine as I always have had my summers off. But this week, when kids are back in school, the roar of change is great. My emotions slide to all extremes. Some days the ache to be in the classroom is great. Other times I am rejoicing in the…
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How Much Storage do we Really Need?
At one time I lived in an urban community with medium sized houses. Going for walks in my neighbourhood I noticed that all the homes had double car garages yet many people were parking their vehicles on the street. I thought this odd until I started to see that many of these garages were filled to the brim with stuff – some contained normal garage things like bikes, but there were also numerous storage totes and boxes in most of them. Needing storage areas seems to be a thing these days, confirmed by the numerous amounts of storage facilities available to us. There are stores totally devoted to organizers, totes,…
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To Whom Has God Called You to Minister?
I am a people watcher. Whether I am walking down the street, sitting in a waiting room, or standing in line at the grocery story, I am observing those around me. It intrigues me what makes people tick, how they choose to handle various situations, and the types of conversations they have. I ponder what their lives are like and where their journey is taking them. I laugh at silly antics and empathize with those in pain. I puzzle over them and wonder in general what their life is like. Not everyone I observe appeals to me. Some obnoxious, abrasive people do turn me off. It hurts to hear people…
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When Your Life Seems Buried in Weeds
Gardening is a pastime that I typically enjoy. I find it relaxing for the most part. Being part of God’s wonderful creation, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine, and gaining food and flowers all make it worthwhile. This year is different. Excessive and continual rain for many, many weeks left me with a garden I couldn’t get on to work and weeds growing everywhere and taking over. As I sat in the garden one morning to try to tackle the weeds going to seed in my muddy garden, I saw a sea of weeds that had grown higher than my sitting position. Frustration has been the predominant emotion. How am…
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Watching and Waiting
When my children were small and we had company coming, they would watch and wait standing on the living room couch by our big picture window. They would be full of expectation as to the fun and fellowship to come. I would enjoy their laughter and enthusiastic chatter as they bounced around, excited for what was ahead. As we wait for joyful moments, we can rejoice in the good to come – waiting for a new baby to arrive, waiting to start a long-awaited job, prepping to go on a holiday, and so on. Our spirits are uplifted as we consider the happy experiences ahead. Other times, when we watch…
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The Essential Building Blocks
Any kind of building project requires thoughtful planning. As we currently work to do some house renovations there are a myriad of details to attend to. Inspections to be done. Plans to be approved. Services to set up. Contractors to hire. It is not a venture to go into lightly. We want a place that is both functional and attractive. Without forethought and planning, the end result could be a disaster. At times, the task feels daunting as we have to live for years with the choices we are making now. King David had a dream to build a great temple for a permanent home for the Israelites to worship…
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When Floodwaters Threaten to Overtake You
As I sit and write this morning it is pouring rain outside. That, in itself, should not be problematic – after all a good summer rain should nourish the land and promote growth. The dilemma is that for a number of weeks, heavy rains are creating havoc. We are in a time of unprecedented moisture; so much so that many areas are flooding. We saw this firsthand on a recent trip across the prairies. Crops sitting in high water. Roads washed away. Areas unusable or impassable. Overland flooding drowning out some towns. The moisture that should have been a good thing has destroyed the hopes and dreams of many. For…
