Surrendering Certainty

When I opened up Spotify to listen to a podcast recently. I asked the Holy Spirit what podcast I should listen to. He directed me to 'The Proverbs 31 Ministries podcast'. One of my regulars. I opened up their podcast and looked for an episode. I came across this one, “How To Trust God When You Don’t Have All the Answers” with Abby McDonald. I started listening and instantly knew it was the one. One of the first things that Abby talked about was “2x4 moments.” I smiled and shed a tear. For me, it means I have checked and double checked with God, and He lovingly conforms again, usually by saying, 'I already told you,' and it feels like He is hitting me upside the head with a '2x4'. I shed a tear because not only was it relatable, but it also showed me that this really was the episode God wanted me to hear.

    For Abby, a '2x4 moments’ refers to a moment when you seek after God for an answer, and when He gives it to you, it's crystal clear with bells and whistles. If I recall corectly, she mentioned that leading up to those moments God did answer, but they were queiter answers that she may have missed.

    She goes on to tell a story of how God's leading in a situation was unmistakable. Now. That being said, there were months of prayers leading up to that answer. It wasn't instantaneous for her. She shared that after God gave her and her husband the answer.  Then they started moving in the direction of the answer, but as they did that, they had some roadblocks. Which I imagine we either have experienced those situations or will someday. So, every time a “roadblock” would appear and they started questioning God, they reminded themselves that God did, in fact, give them clear direction earlier, and they clung to that.

    She shared that as the years went by, she has less of these big '2x4 moments’ and now receives smaller nudges. On her walks with her dog, which is one of my ways to connect with God, too. God has now given her a ministry to help encourage others when they are struggling to hear God's voice. She reminded me and anyone else listening to that episode that God also speaks to us all differently, and it's beautiful to watch. I have recently come to love how differently God speaks to hubby and me. Or at least I’m working on it. I still struggle to compare how the Holy Spirit speaks to each of us, but I am working on it. Sometimes when one of us is praying for something, God will tell the other person the answer, and we can then enjoy the confirmation of whatever we needed/wanted to know.

    She shared how she connected with and understood God while she was growing up, and how everything changed about her perspective of God when she had her own children. She learned that God wants to hear about all her desires. She noticed that not only did her children trust her and felt safe with her, but they also freely and openly came to her with their requests. Just like how God wants us to come to Him. She learned over the years, like many others I imagine, that God also speaks through our hearts or a burning we feel in our soul. After seeing her children approach her the way they were, it encouraged her to approach God the same way. She noticed that God was shaping and moulding her into the woman that He wanted her to be. Which is such a beautiful thing. The idea that as we seek God, He moulds us into the men and women that He desires us to be.

    She spoke on the story in John 10. The story of the Shephard and His flock, and how in vs 9 Jesus says that He is the gate and if anyone enters by me, he will be saved. From this verse, we learn. 

1. The sheep aren't standing around waiting for direction. They are moving around. They aren't waiting for someone to tell them to graze in the place that God has led them to. They simply grazed. It also reminded me that after we pray for an answer, we are to wait, well, what do “waiters” do? They serve. So, while we wait for the answer, we continue with our daily tasks and serving others.

2. They are enjoying the provisions that God has already given them. Ouch. That preaches. I don't know about you, but I have definitely complained about something I prayed and asked God for. They also aren't waiting for another door. They have already walked through the gate, Jesus. How many gates do we want God to open up for us, but He already has, we just don't want to go through it. I'm walking through one of those doors as we speak.

3. The Shepherd, Jesus, never leaves the sheep (us). He is always with us.

    Abby admired that more often than not, she questions His voice rather than act on Him. We ask for a sign and then question God when he gives us one.

    She hit the ball out of the park when she said that the question that the serpent asked Eve, 'Did God really say that?' is the same question we are asking today. Now, we are asking with a different spirit, but the same question. We think that if God just gave us all the answers, we would have more faith. But that's not how faith works. Hebrews 11:1,2 NKJV “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtain a good testimony.”

    She reminds us that we think the more info we have, the better. But our world of tech and the internet at our fingertips has taught us the exact opposite. We have so much stress, anxiety and worry these days. We have more answers than ever before and less peace of mind. Because God is infinite and we are finite, He knows that we can only handle the information that we need for today. He isn't keeping it from us to harm us, rather to protect and love on us.

    In Matthew 11:28 NKJV “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light.” He says He wants us to bring our burdens to Him. Even if we don't feel like He is there or listening. He is there. He is likely working behind the scenes. We are trying to carry a yoke that doesn't fit us. We are trying to take on more knowledge than we can carry because we think it will help us, but in reality, it just hurts instead.

    God taught the speaker and is now teaching me to not only trust God's voice but also His character. Because God is trustworthy. I'm reminded of the phrase 'WWJD', what would Jesus do? When you are in a situation, and God feels quiet, think about how He would respond and do your best to act accordingly.

    She reminds us that when we fall for the deceiver and try to be like God and have more knowledge, we are being like Eve and failing. God gave Eve all the knowledge she would need for her life, and we need to trust that God has given and will give us all the knowledge at the correct time. He wants us to have freedom, and part of that freedom is freedom from worrying about tomorrow. Matthew 6:34 NKJV "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

    He wants to speak to us and have a relationship with us if we will only listen. If we are honest with ourselves, we may come to see that we treat our faith like a checklist or a to-do list at times. But God wants so much more for us than that, and if we will approach God with an open heart. He will reveal Himself to us. Something I'm working on. I have recently discovered that the Holy Spirit talks to me through reading plans. I don’t absorb very much of the Bible if I just read it. But if I follow a reading plan, the Holy Spirit uses it to transform me.

    It can also feel frustrating when you are earnestly seeking the Lord and an answer for something, and he hasn't answered yet and so you don't know what to do.

God also can't speak to a heart that is closed off to him. So check and see if your heart is turned off from him. Also, don't get upset and turn your heart off to God when He isn't answering you. I am guilty of that.

    If you are struggling to hear from God while waiting for an answer. Ask a friend to pray for you and with you. It's funny, just the other day I was feeling frustrated and waiting on God to answer a prayer. I got home and shared with hubby my frustration. He prayed, and God answered. Unfortunately, I didn't like the answer and wanted to pray again and get a different answer. But that's not how God works. So I accepted the answer and moved on. I decided to be grateful for the answer I had received and go from there. Don't close the door of communication with God. Keep it open. Be honest with Him. Emotions are okay. Good Infact. God gave them to us so we should bring them to Him. Read through the Psalms for comfort. The Psalms are full of lament and worship. Pray through the Psalms and share your heart with God.

I pray this encourages, challenges and blesses you today, friend. It certainly did for me.

God Bless

~Hannah

Hair Growth Routine & Guide

    Six months ago, I chopped my hair off. It was causing me issues, so I cut it off. I should have spent some time figuring out why my scalp was struggling, but I didn’t. As per usual, 2 months later, I started to regret it. Not the haircut itself, but the loss of length. I still stand by that decision, though. I have since decided to get back on track with my hair growth techniques that I used in the past. So I decided to go back to YouTube and see if there was anything new for hair growth. I researched as a teenager, and every few years, I look for updates. I figured there wasn't going to be anything new because there never is. Well, I was wrong. Okay, it may not be new information, but it is to me. Some of what I am about to share I already know and just maintaining it in my routine, or getting back on track, and some is new information.

    When it comes to products, don't judge a book by its cover. Meaning give the product you are using more than 15 min before you decide if you like it or not. Use it a few times to determine if it is good or not. This point isn't really a hair growth technique, more just interesting information that I didn't know about prior.

    

    Hot oil treatment. I have been doing hot oil treatments on and off for years now. Warm up a combination of olive oil, coconut oil and castor oil and apply it to your scalp and through out the rest of your hair down to your ends. All of these oils have their own benefits, I don't remember which ones were which, just that they complimented eachother. I also have a hot oil cap. So I apply the oil, cover my hair with a plastic bag, then put the cap on, plug it in and turn it on and sit under the heat for about 30 min. It's my understanding that to get the full benefits from the oil, it should be warm. Hence the cap. Plus, it’s really relaxing to just sit under that heat for a bit.

    You can detect the quality of your shampoo and conditioner by how many days you can go without washing. Again, interesting information/perspective. I have spent the majority of my life washing every other day. And when it's short, every day. I figured some people could go longer between washes if they had dryer scalps and such, or more often if they were more oily.

    Heat. Using heat on our hair tends to be a rather controversial topic. The second you mention growing healthier hair, everyone says throw out the heat tools. And sure, they aren’t wrong necessarily. You can use heat protectors for both blow drying and straightening. Yes, there are two different types of heat protection. You can use a cooler setting on your hair dryer, go all natural and get rid of all the heat tools or not change a thing about your styling tool usage. Personally, I am in the latter. I blow-dry it after each wash, and I don’t use heat protection. I am debating using a heat protector for blow drying, though. I was also encouraged years ago by a hair dresser that our hair can take some damage. It's not totally helpless and weak. That being said, my hair does not currently look good if I air dry it. It looks better if I air-dry it. I used to be able to do either one, and it would look great. Maybe once it's longer, I will be able to go back to that. I am also trying to research why it doesn’t look good air-dried at this time.

    Well, one video I watched suggested giving your hair two days of rest before using heat again. Which I get. So wash and blow-dry on day 1, and then on day 4 wash and blow-dry again. After watching this video, I started wondering about my hair and if I could get more days between wash day. I started questioning my shampoo and conditioner. Long story short, I learned that I have an oily scalp and need to change my shampoo and conditioner. I learned that I cannot have any oils or hydration ingredients added to it. Some people can even if they have oily hair. I cannot. So I went to YouTube to find some review videos on different shampoos for oily hair, and lots were suggesting L'Oreal Paris and other brands that I didn't know. When I went to Walmart, I figured I would read the labels and see which was the best choice. I kept seeing bottles that advertised oil and hydration, things I don't want. From the few minutes of searching. The only bottle I found that didn't have hydration attributes in it was L'Oreal Paris Hyaluron Pure shampoo and conditioner. So I brought it home and am using it now. It's been a few washes, with more time in between them, and I can see less oil on my scalp.  A few more washes, and I should have a good feel for this new shampoo and conditioner.

    Silk bonnet. I have been sleeping with one on for 6 years and love it to pieces. I think every woman should wear them. They prevent friction from your cotton pillow case. And because you don't wake up with bed head, it greatly reduces the amount of time brushing and handling it in the morning, aiding in keeping it cleaner longer. I was wearing a cotton bandana to work for a few reasons, but with my recent decision to up my hair game. I have switched to silk bandanas instead. Better for your hair. I will also wear it anytime I leave home. To protect my hair from the elements, including my bike helmet and my sun hat.

    Diet and exercise. We all know we are what we eat. Our hair is the last 'organ' to receive nutrients after everything else gets taken care of. So make sure you are eating healthy so that there are enough nutrients to go around. That, of course, looks different for everyone. Your hair especially needs iron, protein, biotin, omega -3, vitimans C, A and E.

    Exercise is also important. Moving our bodies and getting our heart rates up gets our blood pumping and endorphins flowing. That also looks different for everyone.

    Haircuts. Many people have bought into the idea that you have to trim your hair regularly in order to keep it healthy and growing strong. To get rid of the split ends. Which is both correct and incorrect. Yes, get a trim when you can see/feel your ends splitting. But if you trim every 6-8 weeks, you are likely just cutting off any progress that you have made. I also learned though one of the videos I watched, that your ends are not protected, which is why they eventually split and that to prevent that, you can use hair oil. I haven't looked into it much yet, but the principle sounds interesting. We never hear of people talking about split 'mids' just ends. Meaning that by constantly trimming off your ends, all you are doing is shortening your hair.

    Drinking lots of water and keeping your body and hair hydrated.

    It's also best to use a special hairbrush when brushing wet hair. The tangle teezer is  apparently the easiest and is good for thin hair, so I will likely invest in it shortly. Otherwise, I don't brush my hair when it is wet. I do use a barrel brush when I dry it, but I'm not trying to get tangles out when I'm drying it. Oh, I was led to believe for a long time that hair brushes were bad and wide-tooth combs were the only acceptable “brush” to use. Turns out that was also incorrect. There is a hairbrush for pretty much every part of your hair care routine, but you don’t need them all, though. And apparently, according to one YouTuber, the only time to use a wide-tooth comb is when you curl your hair and want to separate them a little and loosen it up. But of course, everyone will have a different opinion and experience with all of this information. Do what works for you and your hair.

    I also use leave-in conditioner after I shower. And at some point, I suspect I will use some hair oil for my ends once it gets a little longer. One of the videos I watched suggested that your hair only grows as far as your products/routine will allow. Again, interesting theory, likely has some exceptions, but still something worth looking into. I expect my hair is too short to bother with hair oil yet (it's now passing my collar bone.) but we shall see.

    I also only wash my roots, and the runoff washes my length, and I condition from my ears down. I do not need to condition my scalp. My scalp produces its own oil quite nicely and therefore doesn't need extra help. Also, your length and ends don't get dirty. You can likely see how far down your hair shaft the oil from your scalp has gone when you wash your hair. I noticed that I can see the line even more prominently now that I switched to a silk bandana for work and wear in general.

    Proper sleep. I don't have any evidence to back it up, mind you, but I do notice that when I'm sleeping well, my skin does well. Our cells are healing themselves while we sleep, so we need to give them their proper time to do so. So I suspect that our hair also benefits from proper sleep.

    Lastly. Scalp massage. Not only can it be relaxing, but it also stimulates the blood flow to your follicles below the surface of your scalp, encouraging hair growth. Some say to use your fingertips to avoid damaging your scalp. You can also buy massage tools. I just use my nails and scratch my scalp instead. Technically not a massage, but it does feel nice.

    Well, there it is, friend, my updated hair care routine that no one asked for. LOL I so enjoyed learning all this new information about products, routine, tools, etc that I just had to share with you all.

God Bless

~Hannah

My new silk bandana for work. Not a glamorous picture by any accounts, but an honest one. Taken right after I put my bandana on upon arriving to work. My favourite way to wear it is with the bow at the tip of my forehead.

Lessons from a Broken Vehicle

     About a month ago, our vehicle fell apart. It needed some repairs and was scheduled to be fixed. Then, on April 28th, hubby was on his way to pick me up from work when the exhaust fell off. He pulled over a block from my workplace and texted me, explaining what had happened. I walked to him, and we assessed the situation. The exhaust line had let loose and was now dragging on the ground. We decided to drive it slowly to the shop where his dad/our mechanic would assess the situation. As we are driving, I'm sitting in the passenger seat, looking at the back wheel via my side mirror. The tire didn't look straight, but I thought maybe I was seeing things. So I dismissed it. Turns out I was seeing things. The control arm for the back right tire broke off, taking the exhaust with it.

    We quickly realized that the vehicle was not going to be leaving the shop any time soon. Hubby was handed a set of keys for one of the vehicles that the shop ownes, in efforts to keep us on the road for a few days. We enjoyed that rental for the rest of that week. Hubby handed the keys back over on the following Monday. Holy Spirit directed hubby to purchase a bike so that he could commute to work.

    Before our vehicle was even scheduled to get fixed, we had been praying for a new vehicle, and God told us that one was on its way. No idea when or how, but it was coming. In faith, we are claiming that vehicle.

    This whole experience has been humbling and has taught us a lot. It has also been freeing. It's been freeing in a sense because unless we get on our bikes or walk, which we can do, we can't really go anywhere. Allowing us to just relax at home after work and on the weekends. After supper on the first Friday after the vehicle fell apart, before taking Blessing for her walk, hubby and I were sitting on the couch talking about how we couldn't go anywhere that weekend and how it would be relaxing because we would be 'stuck' at home and would have no obligations or expectations. Not that we had any in the first place that weekend. Hubby suggests that I am enjoying it that much more because I'm a homebug and enjoy being at home to sew. Which is true. That being said, I've been hangout out in the land of overtime at work for a while, so once I bike to and from work and do the extra hours, all I want to do is plop on the couch.

    It has been humbling because we have to rely on someone else to help us with groceries and errands, of which a friend/coworker has lovingly stepped up and offered to help in whatever ways she can. Thank you, Tara. It has given us a new perspective and shown us what it is like for those who don't have a car. Regardless of reason. I think part of how it has humbled me is that I almost feel embarrassed that we don’t have a vehicle, and yet, on the other hand, I’m not really minding it at all.

    This experience has also taken away our desire for takeout. Now, that being said, we don’t eat a lot of takeout anyway, but on the days when we want something different, or I am too tired to cook, we will hop into the car and go through the drive thru because it is convenient. Well, it’s no longer convenient. Because it’s not a 15-20 min bike ride each way, and if you are bringing it home, it's likely going to be cold when you get it home. So, it's no longer convenient. Yes, we could have it delivered, but that’s expensive, and we don’t want to pay a delivery fee.

    

    Our church is a 40 min drive away, so we simply watch online. Which we do from time to time when we can't attend in person for whatever reason. For a long time, I have not found Sundays to be restful because at 9am we leave for church and don't get home until 1 or 2pm. Our church is worth the drive, though. Once we get home, I take Blessing for her walk, and a little while after getting home from that, it's time to make supper. This Sunday, we slept in til 7, which I often do on a Sunday. Giving me plenty of time to get ready for church. I made breakfast and got ready for the day. The morning was relaxing and slow until it was time to sit down and watch church online. Powerful message. Part of our Sunday routine is getting lunch out on our way home. That first Sunday, we ordered pizza and had it delivered. Since then, we have simply been making lunch at home and saving our budget for other things. Without driving to Sarnia and back, Sundays are now restful for me, and I am so enjoying it. Yes, we look forward to owning a vehicle again and being able to attend in person, but for now, I am enjoying this season. We also acknowledge the importance of corporate worship and being with your church family in person. But again, we are thankful that we can watch online and thankful for this slower season.

    We are also enjoying not paying the current gas prices. We did have to buy hubby a bike so he could commute to work. So you could say that instead of paying gas money , we moved some of that budget over for a bike for him. But that will be paid off soon, and we will officially be saving our gas money instead.

    When the vehicle broke down, I didn't have any plans on sharing any of this with any friends, family or writing about our situation. We didn't feel the need or want to share about it. We were simply just dealing with it and walking with God through it. It was a week and a half before I told my friend/coworker about it when it came up in conversation, and she then offered to help with groceries. But with it being such an interesting season with lessons I did not expect, I wanted to share all this with you.

    For hubby, it hurt his pride a little because he has always had a vehicle, and now he doesn't. It's also about freedom and lack thereof for him. He misses the convenience of owning a vehicle and the ability to simply get in the car and go for a drive. Whether that be 30 min down the road or a day trip. That being said, we are choosing to be grateful for all that God has given us. We have all that we need.

    It has now been 4 weeks since our vehicle broke, and 3 weeks since we have had a vehicle. At first, every time I took Blessing out for a bathroom break, I was surprised not to see our vehicle. It took about a week to stop looking for it.

    I thought that God would have brought us a vehicle by now. Heck, I figured it would have been within the first week. This afternoon, I was thinking about and comparing this season with our last vehicle less season a year and a half ago, when hubby got into a car accident, and the car ended up being totalled. We were only without a vehicle for a week that time, but it was a stressful week for us. It was also winter, which I suspect played a role in it because it is easier to get around on foot and bike without ice and snow. I also believe it has been “easier” this round because of how far we have come in our faith and relationships with God as individuals and as a couple, and that we have matured. Of which I thank God for the growth I am seeing in hubby and me.

    That being said, any day now, please Lord ;)

    Well, I’m not sure what the takeaway is for you, friend. But it has been an interesting experience for us. Maybe the lesson is to be thankful for all God gives and takes away.

God Bless

~Hannah

Beauty from Ashes

How To Be a Godly Christian Wife

    It’s been a topic on my mind for a little while. But I wasn’t really sure where to start. I came across a sermon from Lakepoint Church on YouTube about this very topic. I hit play and loved every minute of it. I laughed, I cried, it moved me, Bob. (I hope you got that reference) pastor Josh did such a great job preaching that I thought I would simply re-listen to it, take notes and share those notes with you.

    Pastor Josh started off by reminding/informing us that the enemy is after our family and our marriage. He points out that at the end of Genesis 2, Adam and Eve get married at the beginning of chapter 3, the enemy comes and tries to divide them. And unfortunately, he was successful. I have never looked at those verses like that together before, but I’m so glad I have now.

    

    His first point is that a Christian wife is a “Helper,” or as I like to say it and one translation, I think King James says it, “Helpmate.”

   

     He also first references Genesis 1:27-28: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

    

    Both men and women are equal in dignity and value. But different in function. God wants us to be fruitful and multiply. He wants us to enjoy our marriage bed, keep it holy, and then have dominion over the animals. We are to work together and complement each other. We are not to compete with one another, but to complement each other. God created men to be loving heads of their families and wives to be the respectful helper. If God created man and woman to be equal in function, then marriage and family would not work. I’ve heard many different analogies for this next point, and all have their place. Pastor Josh said it something like this, “if you marriage doesn’t have a head, then you have a corpse because you have a headless body. And if you and your husband both play the role of head, then you would have two heads on the body, and that's a freak.”

    

    The word “helper” also gets a bad rep. People think it is referring to an assistant or a glorified receptionist. When in reality, the same word is used to describe how God is our helper. It’s not a weak word, its a powerful word. When Jesus assended to heaven after being raised from the dead, He said that He would be sending His helper to us, meaninig the Holy Spirit, and when the word helper is used to describe God, many of the examples are in reference to military help. So to be called our husband’s helper is an honour, not a burden. As wives, we are called to help our husbands on the journey that God has given to them. Many of us have our own callings that God has put on our hearts outside of our marriages and families, but within the context of our marriage, our role is to be our husband’s helper.

    

    Pastor Josh goes on to remind us women that we have a special feminine power. A power that can be used for good or for evil. We need to use it for good and to build us our husbands. With this idea in mind, there are three types of marriages and how wives use their feminine power over their husbands.

    

    A wise  wife uses her power correctly. She builds up her husband. She encourages him. She does not tear him down.

   

     A foolish wife wastes that power. She doesn’t know or care about her power. Likely doesn’t know about it. She isn’t trying to tear her husband down; she just doesn’t know how to use her power wisely.

    

    An evil wife knows she has power and uses it against her husband. Manipulating and nagging him. Tearing him down and controlling him. As I’m writing these notes, I’m thinking to myself, “Oh my goodness, that was me.” Thank you, Jesus, that I am no longer that wife and am daily learning to use my feminine power wisely.

    

    He then made a cute reference to Winston Churchill and his wife. They were filling up their gas tank and noticed that the attendant was an old high school boyfriend of hers. Windson Churchill made a comment that if his wife had married that man, she would be the wife of a gas station attendant. She responded that he would have been the Prime Minister. Suggesting that regardless of who she married, that man would be the prime minister. A cute story shows the power that a wife has.

    

    Ladies, we have the power to build up or to break down our husbands and families. As someone who didn’t use her power wisely and, by the grace of God, has since learned to use it wisely, take it from me. Use your power wisely and watch things change in your marriage and family.

    

    Second point in the sermon. A Christian wife is submissive to her husband.

   

     Ephesians 5:22- 27 “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love our wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present to her himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

    

    Submission is not… All woman submitting to all men. That’s Islam. We submit to our own husbands. It's not all women to all men, just wives to their own husbands. Also, women can be leaders in the community or at work, but not at home. Because we as wives are called to submit to our husbands, but not to every man on the planet.

    

    It is also not submission to sin or abuse. We are not called to submit when our husband is leading us into sin, whether that be deliberate or accidental. We are also not called to submit to abuse. If he is abusing you, you don’t have to take it. I pray that no one reading this is submitting to abuse. Anyways.

    

    It is also not “no voice, no choice.” I’m bad for playing this card. The enemy will start attacking me worth and then I take away my own voice and choice when hubby wants my opinion or feedback on something. I will then tell him I’m submitting, and he calls me out and tells me that that’s not what submission is. And he is right. Its not. Submission is respecting our husbands and the decisions that they make for our marriages and families. The whole reason why God gave us to our husband is because they need our voices and input.

    

    It’s also not waiting until you think he deserves it. The Bible doesn’t say to submit if he does x,y or z. It simply says to respect and submit. I also deeply failed in this category for a long time. I was also encouraged not to submit if there wasn’t anything to submit to at the time. Thankyou Lord for working on me and changing me. I’m still a work in progress, but, by the grace of God, I am better than I was.

   

     What submission is..

    

    “Honouring his role as the loving head of the family and taking a posture that acknowledges, encourages and follows his leadership in both words and actions as the head of the family.” Pastor Josh.

    

    We don’t submit simply when it pleases us. We submit to our husbands in reverence to God.

  

     In reality, when both husband and wife are acting in their roles, both roles are easy. Submission is easy when you know your hubby loves you and is doing his best to care for you. Also, there are very few times when a husband will have to play the “submit” card. Usually it's when we wives are deeply in need of a break but refuse to take it. Our loving husbands will then tell us to go and take a bath, have a girls' day, or whatever fills us up.

   

    The pastor brings up the principle that the husband is the head and the wife is the neck, and therefore she can turn him anywhere she wants. He and his wife watched “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” and at one point, the mother tells her daughter that she can turn her husband anyway she wants. Wives, take it from someone who has tried this theory: it doesn’t work. Nor should it.

    

    Proverbs 12:4 “A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.” We are not the neck, we are his crown. We bring glory and honour to our husbands. We get to bless them. We don’t manipulate or control them.

    

    Pastor Josh reminded us that the crown signifies that there is something special about the person wearing it. Without your crown, you are just another person walking down the street. But, with a crown on, you are made important and special. I have two coworkers that I am close with and often talk to them about hubby. One day, one of them said that despite only meeting my hubby a few brief times, she knew he was a good man because of the way that i walk about him. She is correct, I do have a wonderful husband. Wives, by our words and actions, we are communicating who our husband’s is to us and hopefully his special how special he is to us. I have also been the wife who is decay in my husband’s bones and have been called out on it a few times over the years. Let me tell ya, not fun. Be his crown ladies, not decay in his bones. Trust me, it will bless you both.

    

    Third point in the sermon. A Christian wife respects her husband.

    

    Ephesians 5:31-33 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” 32 This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

    

    We respect our husbands with place and pros. We respect him by giving him the appropriate place in our lives. God first and then our husbands. Then, the kids and the rest of life. In my case, I struggle with putting my hobbies before my husband. I’m working on it though, and the nights that I would rather sew or worl on a blog post, I have to stop myself and think about what I am prioritizing. Because even if I’m not in the mood to watch a movie, I know that the nights I choose to watch a movie with him over sewing, we always have a great time together, and I am thankful for the choices I made. There is a place and time for hobbies and all the things. For me, it's usually during the day on Saturday, and then we will watch a movie together that night.

    The last point that the pastor makes is that a husband has a part of a man’s heart that is reserved for you, and whatever you say, he will believe. So speak life over and to him. Writing out that part sentence was more convicting than I was expecting. Not towards hubby, though, towards myself. Hubby has recently been learning this in his own life and has been encouraging me to do the same in my life. So use your words wisely, ladies, towards your hubby and towards yourself. Lift him up, don’t tear him down and pray for him.

“Encouragement in the mouth of a wife is strong in the heart of a husband.” Pastor Josh.

    Thank you for making it to the end of this post, friend. It's double the length I usually write. But when I started listening to the video on YouTube, I knew I had to share the message with you. I pray that it blesses and challenges you as much as it did me.

God Bless

~Hannah

Embracing Change and Growth

    I have struggled with change for as long as I can remember. I don't like change. Probably doesn't help that, while I was growing up, my dad joked that the word 'try' was a 4-letter word. Meaning that it was a sware word. Not knowing the potential damage it could do down the road, I adopted that ideology for myself. I recently discovered that the joke isn’t that funny, and no one gets it. So, out the window it goes.

    I struggle with change and growth in my personal and spiritual life as well because in my mind, change is scary and unknown. I would rather stay in old bad habits and such because as awful as it is. It's familiar. I have changed a bit of course, but not nearly as much as I could have by now if I had only allowed God to change me.

    As you might imagine this causes some tension in our marriage. Recently hubby and I were discussing my lack of change and desire for change. As usual, he was making the argument that change is a good thing, which he is right. Later that morning at work, I prayed and asked God to give me examples of good change. He instantly brought to mind getting sober, walking away from drugs, losing weight, accepting Christ as your Lord and Saviour. It gave me a chuckle. I’m thankful that I don’t struggle with any of these struggles, but I certainly have my own. Anyways.

    For a while now I have been praying half hearted prayers about change. Part of me wants change and part doesn't. God is working on me and teaching me that change isn't scary and that it can be a good thing.

    We were having a discussion, I misheard part of what he had said in the beginning of his thoughts/ideas. I then responded with my thoughts and ideas, but because I missed what he said in his opening communication, my part went downhill. I thought I was right and trying to explain why I was. I kept repeating myself, thinking that he wasn’t understanding me. Things get heated, words and tones that didn't need to be there entered the room. (Yes, normal, healthy, honest couples argue sometimes. Arguments are okay. It's what you do with the argument that matters) I leave to walk, Blessing. During my walk, I realized how I had misheard his opening thoughts, which he had informed me of a few minutes before I stormed out. I thought through it while I walked, I came to terms with the fact that I was wrong. Emotions were still high at this point, but I decided to direct my emotions and tell them where to go and called him to apologize for my part. I said my emotions were still raw, but I was chosing to apologize before they had a chance to catch up.

    He apologized for his side. I didn't want to listen though. I just wanted to grab the negative things that were said and stake my identity on those things instead of listen to the word of God and what He says about me. Because that's easier and doesn't require change. So I told him I didn't want to hear his apology and that he didn't need to say it because it wasn't true. In these moments, he knows that I am listening to the voice of the enemy and not the Holy Spirit. When this happens, he lovingly reminds me of what God says about me. But I didn’t want to listen, so I hung up on him. When I returned home we was gone. He went for a little bike ride.

    When he returned home. Apologies had been made, but emotions were still there. I was thinking about just going silent. I didn't want to change my behavior and fix the problem. Then Holy Spirit gently reminded me that change is a good thing. It took me a few moments to get on board with the idea, but I knew He was right. I don't recall what happened after that, but the emotions of our home went back to normal/happy shortly after that.

    A few days later, I decided that I would call hubby and ask him to meet me outside of our apartment building so that he could help me with the doors while I get my bike inside after work. It had been a good day, and I knew the frustration of getting through doors after work would take it all down. So I decided to call hubby for help. I called once I was on our street. He was all to happy to meet me outside and help me get in the door. It blessed me and helped to bless our afternoon and evening. I decided to make a change and was blessed for it. Now I call him every day as I arrive home and ask for his help, and every day he is waiting outside with a big smile on his face when I see him.

    What I have learned over the last few weeks is that change is, in fact, a good thing, and I am slowly enjoying the results of the changes I am making. Change can be scary, but it's worth it. There are lots of other changes to be made, but one day and one action at a time.

    To be honest I see God working in hubby all the time and enjoying my view. I know that I, too, can have that much change and transformation if I just let God do the work. So, I am. Slowly, but surely, I'm letting Him do the work. Teaching me that change is a good thing.

    The other night, hubby and I were lying on the couch, enjoying a quiet evening and each other's company. We were talking about how good God is, and all the things He has been doing in our lives recently, and the victories we are seeing in our individual lived and watching it trickle into our marriage. One of the things I shared was how God was showing me how change is good. Hubby made a really good point that I hadn't realized before. Even if you don't like change, you are always changing. We grew up, we physically grew from infants, to children, to teenagers and now adults. Our physical bodies are changing all the time in lots of different ways. Change is inevitable, we simply struggle with changing our hearts and souls. The rest changes without our consent, but we get to choose how our minds, souls and spirits change.

    I pray that this post encourages you to make the good changes that God is calling you to make and not to be afraid of them. Yes, change can be scary, but it can also be fun and exciting at times. I’m still learning that part.

God Bless

~Hannah

Soon, by the grace of God, I will no longer recognize the version of myself in this picture.

 And that my friend, is exciting.

Mother's Day Tribute

    In honour of Mother's Day and her birthday, let me tell you a little bit about our mom.  First off, she homeschooled all six of my siblings and me. Three of us all the way through high school, and three to grade 8/9. Two of whom have dyslexia, and we suspect that 4 to 6 of us have ADHD to varying degrees, along with neurodivergent issues. So, needless to say, homeschooling all six of us was a feat in and of itself. She is also a woman of faith and raised us to know and love Jesus. She also taught us the importance of eating healthy and exercising and that the easiest way to exercise is to have it as part of your routine. All of which I am very thankful that she taught us these things.

    Mom has always been and will always be a mother who is for her children and will do anything she can for us. Including this winter. This past winter, Mom drove to Petawawa from Sudbury (just under 4 hr drive) every two weeks and then babysat two of my nieces for two weeks. My brother and sister-in-law are both military. My sister-in-law was away for a course all winter, and my brother had to go between Ottawa and Petawawa every two weeks for work. So mom took turns with my brother and helped take care of my nieces. She would spend two weeks getting the girls to and from the bus for school, driving them to their extracurricular activities and all the other things the girls needed. Once my brother returned for his round, she would head home and catch up with her house-cleaning clients. Mom has been a cleaning lady for the majority of my life, and for most of that time, for elderly people. She also takes a couple of her clients out for errands, appointments, and whatever else they need. She and my dad recently took one of her customers to Toronto for eye surgery. Another trip that is 4 hrs each way, including overnight in a hotel.

    She has a group of friends who call themselves 'the grannies'; she is one of the youngest in the group. They do a bunch of outdoor activities throughout the year. Including biking. She will go for a 32km bike ride like it's nothing. While the rest of us are done after 15km. She knits dishcloths in her sleep and gives them away to whoever would like one or a dozen and still has a drawer full of them. She loves her backyard.  She has a nice deck with a gazebo, firepit, lots of flowerbeds, a vegetable garden and a pond with fish. All the birds in the neighbourhood know about her birth bath and line up for a bath. Her vehicle is spotless, both interior, exterior and under the hood.

    4 out of 6 of us don't live in town. When mom is out shopping or running errands and sees something that she thinks one of us would like, she sends a text, or sometimes she doesn't, to surprise you. And then once you go and visit, you get a pile of presents, and even though you likely know about the majority of the items, you probably forgot, and now you are opening up presents. It's like Christmas every time you go to visit.

Like most good mothers, I would imagine, she knows what makes each of us feel loved. And does so accordingly. One of my favourite things she does for me is text me the story of the night before I was born. It's a text I look forward to every year, and I ball my eyes out every time.

    My sister was working 2 hrs away from my parents' house at one point and so one day they took a drive, met my sister during her lunch break and took her out for lunch.

    On several occasions, my younger brother has called her up and asked her to make a cake for his friends for birthdays and other special events. My nephews girlfriend goes over and bakes with her and takes it home to my nephew. She also bakes regularly and puts cookies in the freezer, so that when company comes over, she is ready with cookies and a handful of dishcloths for you to take home.

    Whenever hubby and I get up to Sudbury, which isn't often, unfortunately, because we live 8 hrs away, she takes me fabric shopping and treats me to fabric, along with telling me to go through her fabric stash to see if there is anything that I would like.

    She isn't a big coffee drinker, but most of us 'kids' are. So one day about 15 years ago, she and I were out walking, and found a yard sale. Naturally, we stopped. The lady had a new coffee maker in its original box for $10. Mom looked at me and said it would be perfect for company. So we walked it home, and it lives in the basement until guests come to visit and then it lives on the counter for the duration of your visit. My hubby is one of those coffee drinkers; last summer, we visited my parents and went to Bulk Bark. Hubby wanted to try some speciality coffee, so we brought it home and tried it out. Now my mom has a bag of that coffee for when hubby and I visit.

    She isn't a big dog person, but when any of the grand dogs come for a visit, she makes sure that their favourite treats are stocked up, and sees to it that they get as many off-leash runs on her favourite heighboughood trail.

    Her guest rooms are stocked and ready for company. Hand cream, water bottles, chocolate, whatever you need or like, it will be there, ready and waiting for you.

    So please, metaphorically or literally if you wish, while you are relaxing and reading this.  Please stand with me and raise your glass and toast our mom. The one and only, Mrs. Marlene Tindall. We love you, Mom. Happy Mother’s Day and Happy Birthday, yesterday.

God Bless

~Hannah

Mom and her 4 boys. Thanksgiving 2025

Food Anxiety

    For upwards of the last 8 years, I have struggled with what I'm going to call 'food anxiety ' for lack of a better word. I have spent the majority of my working adult life taking salad with me to work for lunch because I stressed about not eating healthy enough. In my head, if it wasn't a salad. It wasn't healthy. For lunch anyway.

    I also have a salad every day because I am a creature of habit and routine. So buying salad ingredients for lunch every week is easy and predictable. It doesn’t require any thought or planning. There is no anxiety in the morning about what I will take for lunch because I already know what I will be taking. So the idea of changing things up wasn't something I wanted to do.

    Hubby and I have always tried to eat healthy enough; last year, he was tired of his weight and wanted to make some changes. With God, he went on an incredible weight loss journey, and in that process, I worked along side of him and started cooking healthier.

    One night a week or so ago, I was making supper and thinking about how healthy we really do eat these days. We eat a veggie omlette 5 out of 7 days of the week. I was eating a salad for lunch, and he had a chicken leg. That evening, I was pondering our eating habits while making chicken fajitas. I realized that 85-90% of our meals are homemade from scratch. Including a good combination of protein, veggies, some carbs and healthy fats. I am proud of the progress we have made with our food choices. Anyways, as I served supper that night, I realized that I was done with salad for work and would start bringing leftovers or something else entirely. I went to Pinterest for some inspiration. I landed on a variation of an adult Lunchable and all the different elements you might want in your lunch. Such as protein, cheese, something crunchy, fruit, etc. Part of the reason why I always ate salad was that I was afraid I wouldn't get enough veggies in me, but I'm still getting enough and am enjoying packing the different 'elements' to an adult lunchable. We have also always been bad for lefovers being forgotten and going bad in the fridge, so this will also help with that.

    So, why am I sharing my change of lunch menu choices with you? Well, honestly, partly because one of my goals this year is to write a blog post every week. I’m a little behind now. The last few weeks have been a bit busy. I wanted this post to be published for the last week of April, but that didn’t work. God has been working on some big things with me recently, but I haven’t written about them yet. So yes, this post is partly a “filler” post. But maybe there is someone out there who has had a similar food struggle as I have had and will find encouragement from it. Either way, I decided I wanted to share with you my recent dietary changes.

I pray this encourages, blesses, or challenges you, friend.

God Bless

~Hannah