to have Courage....In Family Life, In Spirituality, In Health, In Living Simply

I'm on a journey...... as we all are. Learning, remembering, re-discovering about health, spirituality, relationships, emotions and the mind.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Family Days

Yesterday was Family Days in Qualicum Beach, so we packed up our van with 10 of the Johnson's, added 4 Grays, and brought home a Moody.  Full load.

Other than the rain, it was a great time.  Laars was happy to camp out in the kiddie swing, but the rest did their rounds at the playground, face painting, getting their free Freezie, bouncing in the octopus, going down the inflated pirate ship slide, etc.,  and Everette & I were thrilled to run into some old friends from 20 years ago, and some newer friends.








Sunday, May 30, 2010

I Stink

Ok, so you can be thankful that you haven't been sitting next to me the last few days.  Because I have noticed an embarrassing thing......I stink.  My armpits stink.  I've showered everyday, but I inevitably start to stink.

And you know why? 

Because I've been eating dead foods.  Even dead flesh.

I know that most of you do that all the time.  That's fine.  It's your life.

But for me, I had discovered new things in life, and I was living them and enjoying them, and now I'm not doing them and I'm not enjoying them any more.

I discovered that when I eat a high raw & vegetarian diet, my body cleaned itself out (ok, so it wasn't totally cleaned out yet.  I've spent 40+ yrs filling it with crappy food, I can't expect it to get all cleaned out in just a few months) and it ran more efficiently and cleaner, including not giving off a bad odor.  Really!!

I don't use deodorant or antiperspirant.  I don't put those chemicals on my skin because then they get into my body and I don't want that. 

If I feel a need for some help dealing with unwanted odor I use baking soda which stops the bacteria that causes the odor, or I spray on some essential oil that I've blended with water in a small spray bottle (cinnamon is my favorite, but I also use lavender or geranium, or a blend of oils).

I admit, I'm finding it difficult not having our own kitchen to prepare our own raw meals in, and not be tempted by the familiar cooked foods.  But I'm not liking how I'm eating, sleeping, feeling, weighing, or smelling. 

I know a better way.

I should be choosing that better way.

Throughout the Proverbs it says that we become like those we hangout with.  If we spend our time with the wise, we will become wise.  If we hangout with fools we will become foolish like them.  

I'm not passing blame, at all.  But in the past 3.5 weeks we've spent the majority of our time with non-raw foodists.....and we have succumbed to their ways.  We have chosen to let down our guard, and participate in their eating habits. 

I need to take better action, as pertains to my own body.  I know better, and I should be eating better.
And then I'll even smell better!!!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Called Off

Since I previously wrote about Layne & Micah's engagement, and did a bunch of posts on all things connected to weddings, and recently shared about the wedding shower, I thought it was about time that I posted an update.

Layne broke off the engagement.

No details to tell.

Layne just got real with herself and realized that she was not ready to become a wife.  She feels that she has some big issues to work out with God, and that those are best to be dealt with before entering marriage.  She felt that it was unfair to Micah to do otherwise.


I know these days/weeks are hard for Layne, as I would figure they are for Micah too.

What else can one say?

Friday, May 28, 2010

God Made Families



“God didn’t create classrooms, He created families.”

~Mary Hood

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Does God Have a Specific Plan for Your Life? Probably Not.

Sarah at Emerging Mummy always has great links. Wish I were a speed-reader like she must be!

She often has timely links to things I've been pondering, and recently she had a link to Don Miller, the author to books such as "Blue Like Jazz", & "Writing a Storyline: An Alternative to Mission Statements".

Does God Have a Specific Plan for Your Life? Probably Not.

The hundreds of comments on his blog are also interesting, although there's no time for me to read them all. I haven't learned to speed read (yet).

I've been really pondering the idea of our hearts' desires, and having discussion with friends along our cross-country trip. I find that most Christians I've spoken with are very uncomfortable with doing what their hearts' desires are, because they think that is selfish, and not God-honoring.  They expect that their own hearts' desire will likely be in conflict with God's desire for them.



Actually, many of us have been told that we can't even trust our feelings, our hearts, nor our imagination. We've rejected these things as if they are evil, rather than realizing that they are marvelous gifts from God. We've thrown them away and instead we have puffed up with head knowledge.

But I believe that those desires that we actually have are actually given to us from God, and that's why He says that He will give us the desires of our hearts.

It really bothers me when people say things like "You never should tell God that you don't want to be sent to Africa, because that's where He's definitely going to send you then!" as if He's purposely going to make you go where you don't want to go. He's a meanie. What an ogre!!

I believe that when we are walking in communion with our Creator, and we are living true to ourselves (vs to religion & obligation) then our desires will be in accordance with the will of God. And I don't believe that His will for us is laid out in detail, like what University we should attend, the 'one' we should marry, the house we should buy.

I know that scripture says "In all things give thanks, for this is God's will for you." Its full of patterns we can follow, character we can nurture. But the details are for us to discover, in our intimacy with Him.



I'd love to hear what you have to say about it.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Botanical Beach & Cuts

Yesterday we drove out to the west coast of the westcoast.  That's the west side of Vancouver Island.  Everette's mom, sister & her dh were supposed to meet us out there in the afternoon, but they weren't able to find us until the end of the afternoon when we returned to our van which they had parked right behind.  So, at that point we stood around the parking lot eating wraps, oranges and corn chips with salsa  while visiting.

Below are some pics from our family's day at the beach.  It was a couple of km walk down to the beach from the parking lot.


We missed these big rain forests.
Laars with his walking stick.




Unfortunately this baby octopus was dead.  We found him/her just on wet sand, probably where a small pool of water used to be.




Sights on the drive home......





Today was Victoria Day, what we usually call May Long Weekend.  We decided to spend an extra night at Hales, get another visit in with Mom Johnson this morning, hang-out and get some hairs cut. 


this is the pile of hair cut from my own head.



you'll have to come back tomorrow to see.........