a holiday by the sea

picture found at trip advisor

In my early twenties I had saved enough money and time to travel to the East Coast. I had dreamed of fishing boats and lobster traps and long piers, sails, seagulls and salt in the air. Such was my idea of the sea.  Everyone thought I was crazy to want to travel alone, but I wanted the time to walk windy shores, where I wouldn't expect anyone to know me.  I didn't want to take anything or anyone along that would remind of me of home and the life I lived.

I wrote in the new journal I had purchased for the trip:

I shall wander to the sea, and by the sea yet I shall wander.  I will listen to the secrets that the waves call out to me. And I will be changed, forever changed by the mysteries of the waters.  I will finally be who I am meant to be.

Vacation plans take on a life of their own, and hearts create expectations that can rarely be fulfilled.  But for once in my life, in many ways I was not disappointed.  I longed to hear the calling of the waters.  For three weeks, the waters sang.  For three weeks I was free of any sign of home.

I found a waterfall in the middle of a small Maine town.  I was dismayed to find only a trickle of water flowing over the rocks. Passing by later that day, the trickle had expanded a bit, flowing faster and fuller. My motel was only half a block away.  When I woke the next morning, I could hear the song of the water, and  rushed down to check.  The little bit of water had now grown to completely cover the rocks, leaping, dancing and bubbling into the bay.  I sat beside it on a rock, and let the sight and sound empty me of any other thoughts.

Soon I opened my journal to write:

I could stay here forever.  Here I can be whoever I chose. This would be a chance to create myself again..  I would live here by the sea and have friendships with sailors.  When they hauled in their nets I would have a comfy place for them to rest.  Fresh bread and wine, coffee and cookies, flames in the fireplace to chase away any chill in the air.  I would write music and sing them to sleep.  There would always be flowers, their fragrances  fresh and sweet.  Life by the sea has a life of its own.  Morning light would shimmer through lace curtains.   Maybe I would learn to paint expressing myself with colour as well as words, filling journals and sketchbooks.  I would take a  basket down to the waters edge,  picking up shells and beach glass in all the colours of the sea.  I would give them as gifts to my visitors as they departed, as if the tokens could show them the way back.   I would be known simply as “the woman who lives down the lane” and that would be enough.

Closing the journal and taking a last look at the waterfall, I went for a walk down narrow streets dreaming of houses I could own. I  remembered  I had reservations in another town further up the coast. I stopped one more time at the waterfall, then back to the motel to shower and pack.  I grabbed a sandwich and drink for the road.

I am always saying goodbye to my dreams I thought as I drove through the changing colours of the New England autumn.

linking up with friends sharing vacation stories at The High Calling

 

find the cross

the sparkle, the lights

the house warmed

by scents of fir, cinnamon

ready to calm a restless heart

shake snow off boots

shed layers of protection

take time to settle

look close

behind the tree

and find the cross

 

Yankee Doodle Christmas and a giveaway!!

In only three days my friend Sheila has a novelette being released!

Sheila Seiler Lagrand, Ph.D., earned her doctorate in anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles. As an undergraduate at the University of California, San Diego, she studied anthropology and literature with an emphasis in writing. You will find her blog on the home page of this site. Sheila is a member of The High Calling. As a young woman she published poems in dozens of literary magazines. She has also contributed to anthropology journals and contributed a chapter to the book Fieldwork and Families: Constructing New Models for Ethnographic Research.

More recently, her work has appeared in Wounded Women of the Bible: Finding Hope When Life Hurts, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians (BibleDude Community Commentary Series), and a few volumes of Chicken Soup for the Soul. She has work forthcoming in Soul Bare. 

I was blessed to be able to read an advanced copy of this warm and delightful tale about a bit of a Christmas mix-up.  I also had the opportunity to have a sort of virtual coffee date with Sheila to ask her some questions.  Why don't you go pour yourself a cup of something comforting and join us.

Sheila, your novelette Yankee Doodle Christmas is releasing in just a few days.  That seems like a wonderful gift for a writer. What other gifts would you like to receive this year?

Karin, thanks. It IS a wonderful gift. I would love to receive the gift of time--more time--to spend with our extended family. 

What are your favourite gifts to give?

Something that shows I've been paying attention, I guess. We took three of our grandchildren to the tall ships festival and Ayden, the 9 year old, was very interested in a book about pirates. We bought him one for Christmas. 

Your main character struggles with the need for approval.  What would you say to others who share the same struggle?

Oh, that's a hard question. Because I want to say, "God made you just as you are for a reason. Of course you're 'good enough.'" But I know when I've been in the throes of insecurity, that statement wouldn't soothe my spirit. I might be more likely to pray for that person rather than dispense advice.

What was your most memorable Christmas? 

Oh, that's a tough one. They've all been memorable. Maybe it was the Christmas I spent in the hospital when I was 14, recovering from a ruptured appendix. My parents were there with gifts at 8 a.m. That left a sweet impression on me. 

Coming from the Midwest and now living in Manitoba, to me winter has always meant snow and cold.  How do you make it look and feel like Christmas in California?

We hang lights, put up a tree, decorate, drink eggnog. Sometimes it gets all the way down to the 50s, you know.  And some years it's 80 degrees on Christmas. I've lived here all my life (except for a year in Polynesia, where it's even warmer) so I really don't have anything to compare it to. Snow is something that happens in the mountains and we drive to visit it. 

Mrs. Delsey's butter cookies are mentioned often in your story.  Do you have a recipe?

What a great idea! I don't. Do you?

Now, I ask you all the  same question?  What is your favourite butter cookie recipe?  Share it with us in the comments and you'll be entered to win a free e-copy of Yankee Doodle Christmas as soon as it releases.

Winner will be chosen by random draw on Wednesday night, not by bake-off!

missing her

Mom and I never shared Christmas

not in the way I rejoice with other believers

those who at least try to remember the reason

but we shared joy in the lights

and the beauty of the season

cookies and candies

ribbons and bows

gifts given and received

it was a time for keeping warm

and extravagant love

that is what I remember

that is what I miss

that is what filled and spilled tears today

walking with Emily and the broken, imperfect redeemed
 

Unwrapped peace

Silence, stillness,
the fluttering wings of birds at feeders
seeking their winter provision.
Peace that comes
with the knowledge that I am back
exactly where God has rooted me
in this season of waiting
for what we know we have already received
for He Is here
Immanuel
God with us.

What gifts have you unwrapped today?  Come share at Emily's.

 

Thanksgiving words

This is a busy time - so I am offering here a reworking of a Thanksgiving post from 2009.

This weekend in Canada we are celebrating Thanksgiving. People will gather to eat, and laugh and play games.  In the midst of all the feasting and festivities I'm afraid that too few of us stop to consider what the very name of the holiday means - thanks giving - the giving of thanks.

The Word tells us:

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100:4-5 NKJV

I know that I am abundantly blessed and have much to be thankful for. Please join me by adding your lists of thanks in the comments or linking to a post on your blogs.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, today and all days.
Thank You for choosing to die for my sins.
Thank You that each day brings more new beginnings.
Thank You for blessings that I never earned.
I offer my thanks, my worship and praise.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, now and always.

Christmas Blessings

From the manger

to the cross

May you be filled today with wonder and awe at all that He Was, Is and Will Be.

Merry Christmas†

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
Isaiah 9:6 NKJV

Caroling praise in 55

The words spill out

as voices sing

uneven rhyme

in melodies

that rise and fall

ascending praise

to Him Who calls

us to be light

in darkening days

Proclaim the glory

truth and grace

the story that recalls

His sacred birth

a mystery

love complex

in simplicity.

Of Him we shout

the words spill out.

Linking up with One Stop Poetry's prompt on Mistletoe and Minstrels

and

G-Man for Friday Flash 55

Christmas shopping for gifts that count

In the poem Memories of Redemption I wrote about shopping:

escalators jammed
with those sweating warm
in winter wools
ascending to
the higher floors
to secure the choicest gifts
and finding more
of nothing

I admit that I enjoy gifting those I love with trinkets that will please, encourage and delight them and our Christmas tree is surrounded with brightly wrapped packages waiting to be given.

But what do any of us really need, who live in the richest of nations?  So again this year, our most important shopping was done prayerfully at our computer keyboard as we honoured our loved ones by purchasing gifts in their names from Compassion's Gift Catalog. 

These are gifts that help make a difference in the lives of children living in some of the poorest communities of the world. These gifts help provide clean drinking water, medical treatment, disaster relief, food supplies and much, much more. Meet vital needs and bring real joy with a Gift of Compassion.

Gifts include mosquito nets, soccer balls, chickens, goats, water filters, farm equipment, clean water and more. Gift prices range from $10 to $5000.

Why not take a few moments now to check out the assortment of gifts here.

If you are interested in making a long term difference on the life of a child, please consider sponsorship.  For more information visit the Compassion website.

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.  James 1:27 NLT

Oh, Canada

We crossed the border at International Falls, Minnesota back into Canada this afternoon. The drive to Kenora filled my heart with awe at the creative talents of a God Who delights in beauty.

Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and dominion, for You created all things; by Your will they were [brought into being] and were created. Revelation 4:11 Amplified

The next three days Rick and I will spend alone with our God, connecting with Him and each other at a special getaway in the woods. There will be time to worship, time to pray, time to listen and journal and much time to explore His creation.

We will not have internet access from the time we leave this motel tomorrow morning until we return home. Tuning out the world and tuning in to Christ is exactly what we need.

I will share what He asks me to when I am again online next week. Until then, may you find your peace in Him as well.

Heading home

On the road

leaving what once was home

moving toward the home God chose for me

some ten years back.

Just a glimpse

of the shining waters of Lake Superior

as the sun settles down for another day.

Closing my eyes

to see

not what surrounds me

but Who lives within me

I find my center

my peace

not yet home

but home.

Stop by Emily's In the Hush of the Moon for more words imperfect...

Awestruck

I have been in a place
that is without words
a place of wonder
a place of awe
the heart of worship.

I shop and I wrap
I bake and celebrate
fellowship and share
moments of joy.

In the glow of coloured lights
I gaze on the nativity scene
upon the mantle
the "Child" my Lord
in swaddling clothes
the miraculous incarnation.

I imagine that the angels
that grace our tree
are filled to overflowing
with songs of rejoicing.

My spirit finds wings
and eyes as I survey
the boughs laden with ornaments
to see through the glitter
and find the true glory.

There, my Lord
a child no longer
adorns the cross.
A gift beyond compare.

My heart breaks,
and mends
and breaks again
in wonder
in awe
the heart of worship.

Chanukah Doughnuts

Tomorrow evening we are hosting another couple for dinner and a Chanukah celebration. With the Christmas tree lights twinkling, we will light the menorah and let it remind us of the miracle of the oil that lasted eight nights instead of one. Perhaps we shall read aloud from the book of Macabees in the Apocrypha.

This is the time to feast on foods fried in oil to celebrate the miracle. I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the taste of fried foods, but I don't relish the lingering smell of deep frying in my home. When my friends asked what they could cook, as they are always eager to try new recipes, I asked them to prepare the potato latkes (panckaes). I am cooking a traditional fruited pot roast.

Sufganiyot are the doughnuts that are enjoyed for Chanukah, but again, I didn't want to deep fry. I was very happy to find a recipe for baked doughnuts. The smell of the yeast, nutmeg and cinnamon warmed my kitchen on this cold winter day.

My verdict? I agree with the comment at the end of the recipe "They taste as doughnuts should."

If you want to try these at your house, you can find the recipe by clicking here.

The Husband Gift Guide

Today over at the Marriage Channel of Exemplify Online we're sharing ideas about Christmas gifts for our favourite men -- the ones we're married to!


I always try to find something for Rick that only I would think of, for as his wife, it is my goal to know him in a deeper way than anyone else. We all hunger to be truly known and a present that displays that kind of intimacy is a treasure to be cherished. I also like to gift him with something he would not buy for himself.

I have already purchased this year's wrapable gift for my beloved. Because he's my number one blog reader I can't tell you about it here. But I can share a different sort of gift that the Holy Spirit just whispered about to me this morning. It's a present that I can't put in a box and I can't tie a ribbon around it, but it is a gift that will be given with all of my heart. Curious? Stay with me here...

My desire is to be the best partner possible for my husband, to walk beside Him, loving, supporting and encouraging him and helping him tread the path the Lord has chosen. I want to be a wife that sets a table before him laden with all of the fruits of the Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

The only way I can be that woman is to draw ever closer in my relationship with Jesus.

My special gift this year will be a promise to spend more time seeking the face of my Lord, to learn to more fully abide in Christ, to soak in His presence, absorbing His love so that I can pour that love into my beloved husband, filling our home with light.

Now it's your turn. Come join us here and share your gift ideas for the man you love.

Tuesdays Unwrapped - Hope for all

Glittering lights and angels that shine on our tree remind us to rejoice:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5 NKJV

Look beyond the tree and find the cross,
discover the Savior,
the loving Shepherd
Who gathers His sheep into His arms.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4 NIV

Join Emily at Chatting at the Sky and share the gift that you've unwrapped today.

Word Filled Wednesday - Acceptable Religion

External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.
James 1:27 Amplified

In Canada we celebrated Thanksgiving in October, and in the United States they will gather tomorrow. Let's be thankful for the abundance the Lord has provided for us in North America and remember that He has called us to share with those who have not the bounty we are blessed with.

is hosted today by Susan at Forever His

Thanks and praise

I began this Chorus of Thanks Giving with Psalm 100:4-5 from the New King James Version but I am also fond of the following translation:

Enter with the password: "Thank you!" Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever. Psalm 100:4-5 The Message Bible

I will thank Him. I will worship Him. Not only this weekend, I pray, but always. Will you join me?

We Gather Together

When Thanksgiving approaches, the 1597 hymn from The Netherlands, We Gather Together, always comes to mind.

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His name, He forgets not his own.

(see all of the lyrics and listen to the melody here)

I have asked our hostess if we may join at table and sing this lovely hymn before we partake of our meal tomorrow. Surely it is good to sing praises to His name for He has called us His own!

and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us. 2 Corinthians 1:22 New Living Translation

A Gathering of Thanks

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16 NIV

What a beautiful Word image of a what a "thanks giving" gathering should be.

I am thankful that I will be sharing my holiday with friends in Christ and my desire is to keep Jesus the focus of all we do.

Lord let us gather with grateful hearts, with tongues ruled by Your Spirit. Let us speak words truth and encouragement, loving You by loving each other.

Picture found at Wikimedia

Weekend Chorus of Thanks Giving

This weekend in Canada we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. People will gather to eat, and laugh and play games. Here in Manitoba it looks like that may include snowball fights as the flakes keep flying and accumulating.

In the midst of all the feasting and festivities I'm afraid that too few of us stop to consider what the very name of the holiday means - thanks giving - the giving of thanks.

The Word tells us:

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100:4-5 NKJV

So this weekend I am planning to offer a chorus of gratitude, and a series of posts giving thanks, for I am abundantly blessed and have much to be thankful for. Please join me by adding your lists of thanks in the comments or linking to a post on your blogs.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, today and all days.
Thank You for choosing to die for my sins.
Thank You that each day brings more new beginnings.
Thank You for blessings that I never earned.
I offer my thanks, my worship and praise.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, now and always.

Photo courtesy of Flickr