Coffee and Metaphors.

    A few weeks ago, I decided that on a Saturday morning, I wanted to enjoy a cup of coffee while having my quiet time with God. I wanted to see if I would still have a reaction. I have IBS, and coffee is a trigger item for me. I guess some part of me thought it was a good idea. I don't recall why I thought it would work, or why I thought it was a good idea, but I did. I decided to have the coffee really early in the morning while I read my Bible, in case it didn't work and I got a stomachache. That way, I could work through the stomachache early and not allow it to take over my day. So I made a cup and enjoyed the smell and flavour as I read my Bible.

    Within an hr my stomach was mad. My digestive track did its thing, and we moved on a little while later.

The cool part, and the reason why I am sharing this, is because of what God taught me that morning. While I was drinking the coffee, I was thinking of how nice it tasted and that I had doctored it just right, but how later on I would regret it. God showed me that that's what sin is like. We justify the action in the moment and enjoy the thing in the moment, but down the road and around the corner are where the consequences lie and wait for you.

    We think it’s all fun and games until the consequences hit us. Sin looks like freedom until you try to stop the thing. The enemy wants you to think that you are free to “enjoy” whatever sin that you are getting involved in. But in reality, it's just a trap. Because the enemy only comes to steal, kill and destroy. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they may have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 KJV. I thought, wow, I wasn't expecting that metaphor to come out of this 'experiment,' but cool.

    The Bible tells us in Romans 6:23 KJV. “For the wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. Not necessarily physical death, although it can result in that, but mainly spiritual death. Sin separates us from God. Isaiah 59: 2 KJV But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

    Anyway, I haven't written coffee off completely. I enjoy a few ice caps through the summer, and if I'm driving somewhere and am tired, I would rather have a stomachache while driving instead of fighting to stay awake. But otherwise I will continue to maintain minimal consumption like I have been doing for quiet a while. Looking back, I wonder if God put it on my heart to have coffee that morning in order to teach me and to encourage others.

I pray this encourages you with a fresh perspective on sin.

God Bless

~Hannah

No Rest For The Wicked.

    The other day, I was in our buffing department, buffing big, annoying parts that tend to take a lot of time. A coworker finished his in record time. He has also been buffing for years and, therefore, is much faster than I am. I commented on his speed. His reply was, 'No rest for the wicked.'

   I thought to myself, but I'm not wicked. I'm righteous in God's eyes. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf. Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 NIV. He didn't mean anything by it, of course. But the Holy Spirit used it to teach me a lesson that I think I am finally ready to hear. A lesson that I have been trying to learn for a long time. My worth is not attached to my work. Yes, I will always be a hard worker, but I'm done with striving and 'earning' my worth. Isaiah 57:20-21 NIV “But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

    I told hubby about it after work, and he confirmed that I was walking away from finding my identity in my work and instead finding it in Christ. I hadn't realized that that was what I was doing. I was simply walking away from striving.

    In fact, that evening after supper, instead of puttering around and doing things for the sake of doing things, I curled up on the couch with a tea that hubby had surprised me with after work, some chocolate and my book. I relaxed for an hr and a half. Hubby was on one end of the couch, with Blessing, and I had the other end. It was beautiful.

    I am still struggling with finding my identity in Christ vs my work. But I'm working on it. No, that was not intended to be a pun or anything else. I'm working on accepting my worth in Christ and focusing on that instead of working for my worth. Work is a good thing, a gift even, given to us by God. But He never intended for us to get our worth from it.

    So, if you struggle in this area too, join me in meditating on the Word of God and what He says about our worth and about work.

I pray this encourages, challenges and blesses you in whatever way you need today, friend.

God Bless

~Hannah

Value Village Haul

    Last Saturday, hubby and I went shopping as part of our date. We ended up at Value Village. I was in the market for a new hair dryer and straightener, and we wanted a Keurig coffee maker.

    We went in and browsed wall art for a minute. We found the Keurig coffee maker, didn't love it, but thought it would do the trick. We quickly realized we needed a cart. I went and got it while hubby held the Keurig. Upon my return, I saw another display of coffee makers, including a nicer Keurig. We put the first one back and got the second one. I looked at hubby and said how good God is. He agreed. We walked through the bed and bath department on our way to hair dryers and straighteners. On our way through the bed and bath department, I saw a beautiful, pink, lace tablecloth. I quickly picked it up. It will look beautiful as a top layer of a skirt. Over a navy blue or maybe a red one. I quickly moved on in order not to spend more money. I love sourcing fabric, bed sheets in particular, from Value Village and sewing them into new items. We found hair tools and found a nice blow dryer and hair straightener. Fabric is expensive, but a bed sheet from a second-hand store is less than $10, and it’s about two meters. Which is what I need for a dress.

    I looked at hubby and said, 'Okay, we've got to go before I spend more money.' he made a comment about being blessed to have a frugal wife. I replied, 'at least it's second-hand and thus cheaper.' We got to the cash register and used a coupon for 20% off that we received when giving them a bag of donations. Our bill came to $30.70 for 4 items. The hair dryer and straightener would have been $30 each brand new, and the Keurig is $80. God is so good.

    I know that not everyone loves Value Village as I do. I also know that they are not the cheapest or best second-hand store. But, I spent my childhood shopping there and then I worked for them for a few years, so I know the good and the bad, and I will still die on a hill for them.

    They are not simply a second-hand store that is rolling in profit. Has their quality gone down and their prices gone up? Unfortunately yes. But here's the truth about Value Village that the public doesn't know. Value Village works alongside non-profits. They are a for-profit business who work along side non profit organizations. Each location has a different non-profit partner. When you donate to Value Village, they collect the goods. Put it on a big cart, the size of your couch, weigh it on a big scale, pay the non-profit for the goods, then they sort the product accordingly and decide if it can be sold or not. Lots cannot be sold. Including household garbage. Yes, people have tried to donate garbage. Of which we threw ourselves out after paying our non-profit for it. Then it is hung on a hanger or put on a cart to be rolled to the floor and put in its respective department. If that item does not sell, we take it back off the floor and recycle it further. We make a bail out of it if it's clothing and other fabric, or in a box, of its a kitchen appliance. It is then shipped off and sent to another wearhouse to be processed again and then donated to third world countries to help them with their own economies.

    So, the next time you start thinking negatively about Value Village or any other thrift store, please do your research. Before writing the rant portion of this post, I went to their website to confirm that the information is there, mainly so I don't get in trouble for giving out information that they may not want the public to know.

As I finished writing this post, I started wondering why they don't make this knowledge more publicly known. The Holy Spirit then reminded me that, like us believers, they don't need to defend themselves. And neither do we. God knows the ins and outs of that business just like He knows the ins and outs of our hearts, and in the end, it doesn't matter if anyone else knows.

So, moral of the story, I love Value Village, and God has blessed me with many amazing shopping experiences via that store since I was a little girl.

Don’t Take, Wait For God To Bless You.

    A few months ago, I got back into listening to podcasts. I turned on “She Reads Truth,” a favourite of mine. The second episode I listened to that week was about Genesis 14-16 and how God told Abram and Sarai that He would give them a son. But Sarai didn’t trust or believe God could do it; she took matters into her own hands and took the blessing that God wanted to give them. I then spent a few days meditating on it. I decided that it would be used as a “bonus” or “filler” post if I ever needed it. Meaning that it was’t a really big personal lesson that I needed to learn like the rest of my posts.  I wasn’t able to post last week due to time and energy. So I’m sharing it with you now to “make up” for last week, and either later today or tomorrow, I will be writing about what God taught me this past week.

    In Genesis 15&16 we read about how Abram and Sarai, later known as Abraham and Sarah, were old and childless, but God told Abram that He would give him a child from his own body. “And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, this shall not be thine air; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine hair.” Genesis 15:4 KJV. Despite the fact that both Abram and his wife were well past childbearing years. Abram believed and credited it to God. “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” 15:6. Unfortunately, Sarai was a little more synical, skyptical and doubted. Can you blame her? Haven’t we all doubted God at one time or another? We have a very finite point of view, which is how God made us. It brings a little chuckle to my heart because God did it on purpose. He deliberatly made us with a much smaller view of everything so that way He can blow our minds and “show” off as it were and show us that His ideas, plans and perspectives are so much bigger and better than ours.

    Because Sarai doubted God and His abilities, she took matters into her own hands. Again, if we are honest, we have likely all done this at some point in our lives. Sarai took her slave Hagar and gave her to Abram to build a family through her. “Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold how the Lord has restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go into my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.” Genesis 16:1-2 KJV. She was thinking logically and solving a problem. What she didn’t take into account was how this would affect her marriage, her own emotions and ultimately, God’s ability to bless her with her own children. Instead of waiting on God, she took from God. Again, we are all likely guilty of doing this in our own lives at some time or other. I’m not saying it’s right or that I agree with her. I’m just saying that we all fall short of God’s glory.

    The result of this disobedience was that she had now broken her one-flesh union with her husband Abram. Who also has a role to play in this ordeal. He believed God would give him and his wife a child of their own naturally. But when Sarai suggested they do it their own way and not God’s way, he should have stood up as the leader of his home and told Sarai that they would wait on God. That being said, I’m not throwing all the blame on him either. They both had their part to play in the matter.

    The point in all this is that instead of waiting on God to bless them. Sarai simply took control, took matters into her own hands and took away God’s blessing. As hard as it is sometimes, and it is. We need to wait on the Lord when He tells us that He is going to bless us and do something for us.

    Funny thing is that this happened in our home this week. Hubby had eaten a couple of pieces of pizza and was saving the crust for Blessing. In her defense the plate was on her level, but she doesn’t usually steal food. But the temptation overtook her. She was mid lick on the crust when hubby noticed what she was doing and put her in time out. Yes, we believe she knows what that means. Anyways, I walk in the door from doing groceries, and hubby fills me in on what just happened. We agreed that after her time out, she could have one of the crusts, but not both. Does she fully understand that part? I don’t know. But it reminded me of the passage of scripture I had listened to earlier in the week about Abram and Sari and how we should wait on God to bless us instead of just taking things for ourselves. Obviously, Blessing’s disobedience doesn’t have the same consequences that Sarai and Abram’s actions did. But it gave me a chuckle and solidified the lesson in my heart. Don’t take, wait for God to bless you.

I pray this blesses and encourages you today, friend.

God Bless

~Hannah

Overcoming Complaining, Gossiping and Slandering.

    The Holy Spirit has recently been convicting me of my sin of complaining, gossiping and slandering. It's hard to admit that in writing, and knowing that people will read this and know the truth. Yes, I could choose not to post this blog. But I love my blog and want to share the things that God is working on in my heart, and so I'm being brave and vulnerable and sharing. I also share to encourage those who read this that they are not alone in their struggles.

    As believers, we are called to confess our sin to each other, and then pray for each other. I'm not necessarily asking for your prayer, but I am confessing this area of sin in my life. It actually took me a couple of days before I told hubby about this recent conviction. I've been super quiet at home recently, which is unusual, and he was worried that something was wrong. He was and is so proud of me for admitting this area of sin in my life, and is likely looking forward to the change that God is doing in me, as am I.

    I work in a factory , which can be a breeding ground for all of these things, so it can be easy to get caught up in all of it. Plus, there have been some changes in management recently, which has brought on some stress. But neither is an excuse for this bad behaviour, and I will be watching my tongue a whole lot more from now on.

As believers are called to be set apart, I need to walk more in that. Out of everything I write about and share, this area of struggle feels like the hardest to admit to. I think I'm part it's hard to admit to because I wonder what people will think of me. I have to remind myself that at the end of the day, the only opinion that matters is God's, and then mine and my husband's and right now all three of us are proud of me. So I guess that's all that matters. Which I suppose sounds prideful, it wasn’t intended to.

    What does this all look like going forward? Well, I'm quieter for one thing. Which was scaring poor hubby. In the past, when I was quiet, it meant that I'm mad, and then he has to ask me several times over why I'm mad, and then I finally tell him, but instead of just telling him, I expode. So understandably, he was a little concerned. We are both getting used to this new reality. I have also noticed that I have more peace in my spirit and soul. It also means that I have to figure out my thoughts a little more than before, but I believe it's good and helps me practice self-control. Which is a fruit of the Spirit.😉

    Now that I'm practicing not complaining, I expect that I will be less pessimistic and more optimistic. In reality, complaining, gossiping and slandering don't help anyone. All they do is hurt people, and I don't want to hurt people. I want to embrace God's love for me and share it with those around me. Mom and I were on the phone visiting while I walked Blessing this afternoon, and she instantly noticed that I sounded really good. Like I’m doing well. I told her that I was doing very well. It didn’t hurt that I had a great day, but overall, my Spirit and soul feel lighter, and I feel more peace. For which I praise God.

    I pray that this encourages, challenges and blesses you in whatever way you need today, friend. I pray that if you do struggle with any of these things, you would turn away from them and feel the peace and freedom that I am now enjoying.

God Bless

~Hannah

Heading down a fresh new beautiful path with God.

Walk Your Own Path

    One afternoon, a week or so ago, Blessing and I set out for our walk. I had been thinking recently of shortening her walk a little and making it more manageable for me. As we headed down our street, I was pondering which route to take. Before we got off our street, the Holy Spirit told me which route to take. One we had walked before, but I had forgotten about. At about the halfway point of our route, we were walking along a sidewalk that was not plowed. So we did our best to follow the footprints from those who had gone before us, which worked for a few minutes but eventually got awkward, because that person's gate is different than mine and therefore their foot steps don't match mine. Meaning that after a few steps, you have to really pay attention to the next footprint because it's not in the spot you want it to be.

    As I was attempting to walk in someone else's footprints, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the importance of walking my own path and not in other's footsteps. Oh, my goodness. What a moment and powerful metaphor. Of which I was not expecting. I was simply taking Blessing out for a walk and was debating listening to a podcast as I did so. I'm glad I didn't listen to one, though. They have their place, and I enjoy them, but I would have missed out on this amazing message and lesson from God if I had been listening to a podcast.

    You see, it all started a few weeks ago. I was thinking how there are some married woman in my life who don't dress up very much, and I think they should dress up for their husband's more often, and dress more like how I dress. Yes, I can hear the arrogance and pride seeping through with every word. My hubby likes it when I get dressed up, and I love getting dressed up for both of us. Also, because of my personal choices, being that I don't wear pants, skirts and dresses are naturally more dressy and therefore the majority of my wardrobe is 'Sunday best.' again, I know I sound supper prideful and arrogant right now. Just give me a minute. I also know that everyone is different, and some men like it when their wives dress up, some like jeans and a t-shirt, and again, some like yoga or track pants on their wives. God has made us all different and given us different tastes, and it's important to respect and honor those tastes and opinions.

    Anyways, when the Holy Spirit talked to me that day on our walk, He was talking about more than just clothing. He was also saying that everyone has a different path in life and that we should not compare His plan for our life vs someone else's life. Easier said than done, of course.

    Fast forward to this week. This morning, in fact. I was spending time reading my Bible and praying. I've been struggling to hear God for the last few days and feeling a bit frustrated about it. I've been rethinking how I spend time with God and wondering if I need to change up my methods to hear better. I have still been praying and reminding myself that even if I can't hear Him in the moment, I know that He does hear me and is answering my prayers according to His will. I know all this because He has answered countless prayers over the years, and He doesn't change. Meaning that even if I can't hear Him in this moment, it doesn't mean that He can't hear me anymore or that I can't hear Him. I was then comparing my husband's relationship with God to my relationship with God. Hubby now hears God more than I do, and for that I am so grateful. He has grown into such an amazing man of God and leader in our home, and I am so blessed. Anyways, while I was comparing my relationship with God to hubby's relationship with God, the Holy Spirit gently reminded me to 'stay in my own lane' and not compare my path with hubby's path. I think my first thought was, 'fair enough,' and possibly followed by, 'hey, I can hear your voice again.'

    So. Now I need to practice staying in my own lane and not comparing my path to other people's paths. I need to focus on following Jesus and loving others.

I pray that this post at least gives you a little chuckle, and at best, it challenged and encouraged you.

God Bless

~Hannah

Driving Through The Storm

    This past Friday, hubby and I were getting ready for Bible study. It would be an hr drive to our host's house. We knew the roads would be rough because of the snowstorm outside.

    Our host lovingly called to confirm whether we were coming because of the weather. I said we were on our way and we're prepared for the weather.

    Hubby and I drove out of our apartment parking lot a few minutes later and headed for the highway. The roads were gross, and the wind was blowing the snow all around. We live in southern Ontario, so farm country. Unlike the north, where I am from, we don't have any trees to block the wind and blowing snow.

We started driving down the small highway. We prayed and confirmed with God that He still wanted us to go to Bible study. He said He was going to take us through the storm. And storm it was. Wind was blowing snow all over the place, making visibility and road conditions bad. So we turned up the worship music and had a praise session through the storm on the way to Bible study. By God's grace, we arrived safely.

    Once Bible study was finished, we visited for a while and then headed home. We left our host's house and started driving down the road. By God's grace, we got through some very unplowed roads as we left the subdivision. Then we had the snow drifts along with blowing snow down the main road. We had minimal visibility as the wind blew the snow for a minute, and then it would calm down, and then all I could see was snow. We also passed several other vehicles on the road while the wind was blowing. So all I could see was blowing snow and headlights coming at me. On the right side of the car was the top of the drifts, which were around 4 ft tall. I kept even pressure on the gas paddle and just kept going. Hubby prayed and asked God to clear the road ahead. A minute later, the wind stopped for good, and the roads were clear. Snow-covered, but plowed. God answered our prayers. Our SUV doesn't have all-wheel drive, nor do we have good winter tires. We have all-season tires, which are better than the ones we had on before. But it's only by God's grace, mercy and protection that we made it through those drifts and blowing snow. He was with us in our vehicle on Friday night, driving us home. He is always with us, of course, but even more so that night.

    We stopped for gas in Sarnia, grabbed a coffee at McDonald's for hubby so that he could stay away and keep me company while I drove. I didn't need a coffee because my stomach was in knots from the blowing wind and snow drifts that God had driven us through a few minutes prior to our stop. We left Sarnia and took the small highway that connects Sarnia to Wallaceburg, and drove smoothly home.

    About 20 minutes before getting home, our host called us. She said that she hasn't heard from us yet and that everyone else from Bible study, minus one couple, had all tried to go home and then turned back to our host’s home and stayed the night at their house. She said that people were stuck in the snow and in the ditch and wanted to check on us. Over the speaker phone that hubby turned on after picking up the phone for me, I told her that we were still 20 minutes away from home, but the road was clear, and we were driving a respectable speed. I told her that the drive leaving her home was a terrible mess. She was glad that we were safe and confirmed that I would still text her once we arrived safely in our apartment. In hind sight, I should have told her how long of a drive we expected to have so she would have had an idea of when to expect my text. But either way, we appreciated her calling.

    Twenty minutes later, we arrived home, and I took Blessing for a bedtime pee. After texting our host and my in-laws because they, too, are a part of our Bible study, we climbed into bed.

    Hubby and I spent part of Saturday morning reminiscing on how good God is and that it was only through Him that we got home safely. We have gotten stuck in much less snow before and had to dig ourselves out.

    Friend, if you don't already know or need a reminder, we serve and worship a powerful and mighty God. The creator of the heavens and the earth and the one who sent His one and only son to die on the cross for our sins.

    If you don't know God yet, then I pray that you would come to have a relationship with Him. I pray that reading my blog would show you who God is in my life and all the things He has done in and through me. Maybe you didn't grow up with faith, or maybe you grew up with some form of faith or religion and have turned away for whatever reason. Whatever the case may be, you are loved by God, and He wants to have a relationship with you. A personal relationship.

I pray that this testimony of God's goodness and protection would encourage you today, friend.

God Bless

~Hannah 

My mom feeding birds on "The Granny Bench" trail.