Summer Is Over

It looks like summer is over!  I have mixed feelings about this, as sweater weather is truly wonderful - and most things autumn.  Like the wonderful ginger-molasses cookies I made the other day.  Yum.  With coffee?  So good.

But with autumn comes a lot of change, not just with the weather, but students in a year of school, and there is just a feeling in the air that something is not the same as it was.

I'm okay with the heat going, quite honestly, even in Canada it was a scorcher of a summer.  So this I'm quite fine with.

But as seasons change it is a reminder that winter is close behind... this I am not ready for.

This morning my boys enjoyed playing outside in their sweaters, while sat and enjoyed watching them.  Coffee in hand, and cozy seater on.  It was lovely.  My hubby of course had shorts and sweater on.

So with that, September is here.  And we embark now on a season.  Time flew, and not all the bucket list items were met, but here we are, and God continues to be faithful as always.  I hope autumn lasts long... and winter stays far far away.

But who am I kidding?  This is Canada!

For More Not Without My Morning Coffee Check Out My New Blog!

I have been working on a new blog, check it out at notwithoutmymorningcoffee.com. The title is still Not Without My Morning Coffee, but the blog platform has more of what I'm looking for right now.

There my focus is devotionals, short stories, recipes, and of course, simply life.

Right now the devotionals are focused on the Proverbs 31 woman. I've really enjoyed this study so far, and I'm just 6 posts of 21 in so far.

I also posted my trifle recipe there that I mentioned in a previous post on this blog. Here's a photo for a teaser. Be sure to check out my Chocolate Strawberry Trifle Recipe for the full scoop on how this was made...

Come see what I'm up to, like and leave comments. Thank you to all of my readers on blogger, I hope you'll come take a read at notwithoutmymorningcoffee.com.

Love

Amy

Finally, My Paragraph Problems Are Solved!

When I was working for different ministries in my early-mid twenties, I somehow managed to mostly dodge working with websites. I really didn't ever want to take the time to learn coding at all. When it came to word, excel, databases, I wanted to know as much as I could because I was a big of a geek, I loved learning what these programs could do, I wanted to learn how to make things look nice, I wanted to make things as excellent as I could.

I started blogging in 2008, and I kept it as simple really as I could. At work, there was always someone handling things like media, websites, adobe, etc. Now I've learned a few things in adobe that were so cool! I really enjoyed (however frustrating it was) learning about fillable forms and how to make those! So cool!

And now here I am blogging on 2 different blogs on a regular basis, and I think to myself, "why, oh why didn't I learn this stuff when I had the chance!"

Anyway, that being said, I was getting so frustrated with blogger because I couldn't create a new paragraph! So a few weeks went by until the bright idea occurred to me: "GOOGLE"!

So, for those of you on blogger having this same frustration, here's how to do it:

And as you can see I have many lovely paragraphs in this post. Sigh.

For all you website savvy coders, I hope you had a good laugh. :)

New Short Stories Coming

I have been writing some new short stories. I am very excited to post some fresh material, I love writing fiction and it's been a while since I've done it so I'm really taking my time. Check back in the coming weeks to see what I've been working on!

It's been really fun getting back into blogging. It's a bit more hectic doing it with the boys running around, of course, but hey, who doesn't love a challenge? Sometimes it's start, stop, start, stop, and then finally they nap, or go to bed for the night, and then I can really get some writing time in. I really had forgotten how much I enjoy writing.

In the past few weeks I have received over 2700 views on my blog. My all time views on my blog are around 6500, and that's since 2008. Knowing people are reading my blog gives me the kick in the but to get more blogs out there.

So thank you for reading!

Now for some tv with the hubs. If you haven't watched the Middle, you are missing out. Here's a link for a teaser. So awkward. So funny. Enjoy.

Trifle For Canada Day

Have you ever had a yummy trifle for dessert? I have tasted some pretty amazing ones. I have looked through pinterest, and there are some that gave me some great ideas for a Canada Day Party. This is the great thing about a trifle - you don't really need a recipe, just layer some of your favourite dessert items and there you have it. A trifle. Even has the white and red! So here's what Ben and I are thinking... Chocolate cake, cut up Vanilla pudding Whip Cream Strawberries Homemade fudge sauce Chopped up chocolate bar or chocolate almonds Repeat layers Photos and the final recipe will come on the weekend. My mouth is watering already. Yum. Wish I had some right now!

Post-Father's Day Celebration (But I forgot my card)

This evening we got together with my sister (one of 3), her husband and kids, and my parents. My parents had been away over Father's Day, so my sister and I were thinking it would be a post-Father's Day celebration. I forgot my Father's day card + toblerone at home. Brutal. However, I did make a lovely dessert... brownies, fudge sauce, with ice cream and berries. It was a pretty huge hit, I think. Ice cream, chocolate and berries. Yum. I love watching my kids with their cousins. They are just all so cute. My sister's kids are older than mine (almost 11 and 12), while mine are 1 & 3 but they all adore one another. We love family time, even though it means a late night for the kids. Think they'll sleep in tomorrow? I'll be lucky if it's 7. But I'll pray for 8. On that note, a bit of time relaxing with the hubby before turning in. Enjoy the recipes!

Every Sick Day Needs A Praise Party Of Course!

Today I woke up with a scratchy throat, and wasn't feeling the greatest. I even told my husband that I probably wasn't going to do much today, and that the kids and I would be staying inside. And the staying inside part was accomplished. Mostly because I'm still in my pajamas. That's allowed on a sick day right? I actually feel a lot better, the throat is still not a hundred percent, but I have been telling this sore throat and sickness to go in Jesus name! Who has time to be sick, anyway. Not me. So even though it looks gorgeous outside, the air is running and we have not stepped outside. However, I have done dishes, fed the boys breakfast and lunch (I mean, sick or not this has to happen, a mom is never really off duty - ever). I have played with them, done some work on the laptop, did some banking, and even organized toys and decluttered. And I found my misplaced gym membership card! Yay! Oh, and we had a praise party. We needed that. I think the praise happened before most of all of the above. And simply asking God to help. I'm pretty sure it went something like, "Jesus help me to get things done today." Not complicated, but effective. Amazing how a little bit of praise can change the entire atmosphere in a home. If you haven't tried a praise party, you really need to. Here's a little planet shakers to help. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHPht8UrPWM (Sorry, I don't know why it won't post the video properly, but it's worth the copy/paste!)

Teething. Enough Said?

My blog went from having upwards of 250 views some days to 37 after my post about offence... I guess offence isn't really a hot topic. Anyway, today was pretty normal day other than our sweet Ethan teething and being overtired. He was pretty good most of the day, but when he woke up from his afternoon nap after not sleeping long enough, boy was he grumpy. I don't remember Josiah being taking teething so hard.

Believe it or not, Josiah was seventeen months before he had even ONE tooth. He got his first tooth just before we took him to a paediatric dentist. He was two weeks from eighteen months. Being a late to get his teeth, however, was a huge blessing. According to his dentist, the longer they stay under the gums, the longer they are protected. Josiah was so proud when he finally got to brush his own teeth. And Ben and I were so relieved. Although he could eat most things anyway, but it's nice to have teeth, right?. I remember children almost a year younger than him having teeth, and parents asking me, "How many does Josiah have?" "None," I would reply. "I thought that's what I saw," one parent responded.

But hey, he's got great teeth now. And, being older, I suppose, made teething a breeze for him. Ethan on the other hand got his first tooth at 7 months. He now has 8, and has gone on strike from food, he pretty much wants liquids. Smoothie it is! We usually have one at breakfast time anyway, but I'm making sure of it for tomorrow. Is he grumpy because his gums hurt or grumpy because he won't eat because his gums hurt? All of the above, I think. Be encouraged if you have a late teether, it is very rare for a child to not have teeth pop up. Other health care professionals showed concern for Josiah having no teeth at fifteen months, but no concerns for his diet whatsoever (we even saw a nutritionalist, but that was for his tongue tie, but thankfully we didn't have to have it clipped). This is something all parents I think learn over and over again. Don't stress, it will come, and don't let other people stress you out. His teeth came in beautifully, and even though some told us to get his tongue tie clipped, that was unnecessary too. Some advice is great, and there's a lot of it for new parents. Don't shut out all the advice, but take, pray about it, research, do your due diligence and then make a decision with your spouse that's right for your child.

Second Hand Offence

Have you ever been offended for the sake of someone else? Probably a loved one? Maybe you've heard it as "borrowed offence". But for those staring blankly at your screen, this is what it is... It's taking offence against someone who has hurt, talked badly about or treated unfairly a loved one. Who is a loved one? Usually a family member, friend, or someone you bestow high regard, you respect. They have done nothing to you. Second hand offence, or borrowed offence. And it could be a very bad thing they had done, unthinkable. Or petty. Or somewhere in between.

It seems better somehow than being offended because someone did something to "me". It's justified. "I'm not offended at them for hurting me, they hurt my son/daughter/sister/husband..." you get the idea. It might seem honourable. But it isn't. It's worse. It's toxic. It's contagious. And maybe you would feel ashamed bringing up something someone did to hurt you, but if they hurt your little brother, maybe you wouldn't hesitate to let others know to stay clear of that person. Or maybe you wouldn't talk about it to anyone. But inside you are looking ugly. I'll be honest - I have stayed offended with people that have done nothing to me. And it's wrong either way, in case I missed mentioning that. Offence is wrong. Period. You want to get offended with someone? Get offended with the devil. That's right, get offended with Satan. After all, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). Are you someone that loves fiercely? I do. I love my loved ones. That's why they are called, loved ones. But unforgiveness only hurts the person choosing to not forgive, regardless of the reason. Jesus died on the cross for everyone. Is that person you're offended with going to be living down the golden road from you in heaven? That's awkward. If you get in, that is. I know that sounds harsh, but it's the truth. Read Matthew 18. If we don't forgive, He won't forgive. 1st hand offence, is bad just like smoking a cigarette is bad. 2nd hand offence is worse just like 2nd hand smoke is worse. Except smoking a cigarette or breathing in its smoke won't keep you out of heaven - although it might get you there a bit faster. 2nd hand offence is toxic. Do you hear the hurt and offence coming from your spouse? Why are you letting it eat at them? Why are you letting it keep them out of heaven, why are you letting them smoke in front of you, intoxicating you with seeds of offence? Yes, there is a time and a place to talk these things out, but I hope that if my husband, or my sons, come to me with hurt, I hope that I can hear them out, but then help them work through it and point them to the cross. And if they need time to work through forgiveness, why does that mean that I have to allow offence to take route in me? I don't. It might really annoy and maybe even hurt your loved one that you aren't "taking sides" but they will work through it a lot faster if you don't rally behind them, cheering on their hurt. Jesus said to forgive 70 times 7 times. A day. That should cover it. There are times that I have had to forgive someone, only to have it creep back in somehow, and forgive them again. And again. It's called working through it. Intentionally forgiving and asking God for help. Jesus paid the ultimate price. Don't let unforgiveness and offence grab a hold of you or your loved ones. It's a slippery slope. Like a python wrapping itself around you and stealing your oxygen. Make Jesus your oxygen. He's mine. None of us are immune to offence, and I know I will face it again, and again. I am human. So are you. We need Jesus. This is impossible without Jesus. Impossible. But the more we walk in forgiveness and love the more it becomes natural to us. The world will know us by our love for one another. Easy? No. But possible, because nothing is impossible with God.

Flowers

Flowers. I love them. I love how God created them just because they're beautiful - because He loves to look at them, and He knew we would too. As a child, I thought they were pretty, but I didn't take a whole of interest in them. As a teenager, they mostly represented love. I would see my sister's getting flowers from boyfriends, and then husbands. (One of my sisters was given a cactus by a boyfriend. I was young, likely not yet 10, and still I knew this was not a romantic plant. Men, pay attention, this is important.) I would see my mom get flowers from my dad, which she always loves. Although one year he bought her mums. She I think attempted to seem happy about them, but my dad saw right through her. Finally she admitted, "Peter, I don't like yellow mums, I don't like purple mums, I don't like mums!" If you knew my mom you would know that she is one of the sweetest ladies, and every now and then she can get a little feisty. She's Irish after all. My dad found this quite funny and went out to buy her some roses. I was 16 ish at the time. We all got a good laugh about this, but honestly, my mom's dictate for mums rubbed off on me. When I was working for my Church and made several trips to Guatemala I remember the beautiful flowers and gardens I saw there. Also, in my one trip to Israel. Those two particular places were simply beautiful. When people took the time to plant seeds, water them, and work their gardens the results were amazing. Last year I tried to plant flowers. I really did, but I failed. There's no sense in being nice about it, I just totally, utterly, failed. They all died. Really quickly. I use the excuse of having a new baby and recovering from c-section, but even still I know that I could have tried a bit more than I did. So this year, I enlisted my mother-in-law, Viviane, to help me. She claimed to not know much, but she knows a lot more than I do. We pulled out the weeds, added fresh soil, watered them. I'm keeping it simple this year, but I hope to learn more every year. Someday I will have a beautiful garden in my backyard with a porch swing where I can read my Bible and sip my coffee in the mornings. And afternoons. Oh, and after supper with my husband. I love how I can look outside my windows and see my flowers from inside too. My husband knows I love flowers, in fact my friend Jenn pulled him aside when we first started dating and let him on a secret: red gerberas. He didn't waste time, see we were on our way to Guatemala shortly after this, and he found a red gerbera in the local market. He has always bought me flowers, even when we don't have a lot of money, he'll still buy me a few just to tell me he loves me, and appreciates me. Amazing how a someone's day can be brightened with something so simple.

A New Season, Learning How to Seek Him First In It

It's been awhile since my last post... nearly 5 years. I thought about starting a new blog rather than continuing with the old one. Not without my morning coffee won. I do love my coffee, after all. And now, with two sons ages 1 and 3, I love coffee as much as ever. But as always, there is one thing that gets me through each and every day. One thing that I rely on a whole lot more than coffee. Or chocolate. Or anything else. And that's the Lord. I honestly do not know what people - and in particular, PARENTS - do without Jesus. How on earth do people parent without prayer? What do they do when they don't have anyone else to talk to? I know I do call on my mom, my mother in law, my sisters, friends, and of course my INCREDIBLE husband (I truly am so blessed). But as amazing as every single one of these people are, none of them created the world and everything in it in one week. Not one of them died on a cross for me. Not one of them knows my every thought (although my husband may think I try to tell him my every. single. thought. He is gracious). Not one of the amazing people in my life are with me every second of every day. Not one of them know what will happen 5 minutes, 5 months, 5 years from now. But my God does. Recently Ben (that's my husband, remember that name) had to go away for a few weeks for work. This isn't the first time or the last and it wasn't even his longest trip since we tied the knot. But it WAS the longest trip since we had our second son, and this time we weren't living in my parents basement. This time it was just me and the boys. Some women don't have a lot of help from their husbands. I hear some women joke that their husband is like having another child. This is not my husband. My husband is the guy who comes home from work, takes a quick shower after I push him that way (I mean, he usually comes strait from working out, which is actually a big part of his job. A shower is necessary). He then plays with the kids, or helps me clean up, or helps with dinner, or tells me to go get some "me" time. Then we "life" together. We have dinner. We spend time with the kids, or go out as family, if it's Wednesdays, he watches the kids while I get ready to sing for Wednesday night service, I head off, he gets the boys ready and meets me at the church. We do just about everything together as a family. So when he goes for even a couple of days, I feel it. I miss my partner, my best friend, my confidant. My husband. So when other women complain about their husband, I truly have nothing to say. Is he perfect? Certainly not. But really, I am so spoiled. But whether Ben is here or not, here is what I have learned: God has to be my everything. No one else can take the place of Jesus in my life. Thankfully, my husband and I see I to eye on this. A lot of couples choose 1 Cor 13 when they get married, or something out of the Psalms or Proverbs... or Song of Solomon. Like "I have found the one my heart loves". But us? We chose Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) - But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. I have to be honest, there have been times when I have lost my focus and turned to try to build my own first. And I can honestly say that it was not satisfying. There was a time when I wanted to put aside all of our responsibilities besides parenting and work, and that was it. But we aren't made for that. We are made for so much more. So when my husband had to go away for work I had to remind myself of the same things I had to say to myself when I was in missions years ago. That I wasn't alone. That God was with me every step of the way. And to some a few weeks may not feel like a big deal, but to me it was. But God provided. My parents helped a lot, and some amazing friends checked on me often. And my mother-in-law even came and spent the last week with us. We had a blast. And when I went to pick up Ben when he got back into town, it was so sweet. It felt like a first date, I was actually a bit nervous getting ready to go. The boys were beyond thrilled to see him. So, this is a season of learning what it means to seek first God's kingdom in a new season. Letting God direct my day as a stay at home mom. Learning to do things that are out of my comfort zone even though I have an excuse... "oh, we are busy, home with the two boys you know". And that would be true. Very true, we are SO busy. The boys are SO SO busy. For a while after becoming a mom I was not a "yes" person. I said no. All. the. time. Now, I take it to the Lord. "God, is this something you want us to do?" It is so freeing for Ben and I now in our marriage to talk things over, and even if we feel stretched at times, to go to the Lord and SEEK HIM FIRST before making up our own minds. Freeing. So Freeing. You should try it. So this post is basically an introduction to the new me, my life as it stands nearly 5 years since my last post. I still have adventures, I still love missions, but those days are on hold for a little while. Until then I will enjoy every day with the subjects of my stay at home mom life. They are adorable, but wow. They are SO busy. I love them.