Tea at the Whitehouse

Well you would think I am special, like royalty to be invited to Tea at the White House. Well actually I invited myself and took my friend L. Her last name is White and so I always get a giggle saying we are going for tea at the White House, but this time, it is not a L's house - it is at the White House, but not the one that would come to your mind. This White House is a tea shop in Waterdown, Ontario that serves high tea, with scones, jam and clotted cream - well we are both from England and so this is a special treat to enjoy this time together outside on the patio. A last minute idea that meant so much.

On the table next to us was probably 3 generations of women, Grandma, Mom and her daughter I am guessing around 7, and possibly another Aunt. The little girl was dressed in a lovely yellow dress and she had her very own 3-tier sandwich tray with fruit, scones and little triangle sandwiches. I wonder if she realises just what a real princess she is. Well we had Coronation tea, from England, Earl Grey with Jasmine and a few other flavours, it is just so special to have tea with a friend, and the scones are to die for - I hope you visit. I actually bought some of the loose tea to bring home and enjoy. Tell me your favourite!

This day was my Friday off work and I had planned out many chores to accomplish that day - finish an album for Anita's birthday, vacuum, polish, laundry - oh the list was long, it still is and it always will be - but special moments with friends are rare jewels that you can not put a value on - I am so very fortunate to have many jewels in my life and they are more precious than any rubies, diamond or emeralds. Love, laughter and being a friend is what living is about. That means with your neighbours too!

Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. 3 John 1:5


This is a picture of the real White House, in Waterdown, Ontario.

Friends are the flavour of life!

His Eye is on the Sparrow

Reflecting still on Mother's Day even though this blog is a bit late, my quiet time just doesn't go away these days so I thought if I blogged it you would understand why.
Being a mother of teenagers, with additional job of unpaid taxi, cooking, handing out money here and there and the morning battles to be in the car on time so that I can deliver these precious parcels to school and I can hopefully arrive at work on time. Jesus knew what he was doing when I was given the opportunity of this new job, it is somewhat flexi-time so I can make up the minutes I arrive after 8:30 to the end of the day and no one is checking their watch when I walk in.
This mother's day had it's own challenges, my eldest daugher still in the Middle East and her life in the hands of God everyday, my middle teenager working and choosing not to spend anytime with me, and seeing a picture of myself in my daugher's garbage can on the morning of mother's day. Not a good way to start the day but I constantly had my conversation with God throughout all the moments of the day. Although there were moments I found it hard to keep it together, at any moment I thought if someone said the wrong thing (not even knowing what that wrong thing was) Niagara Falls would burst in banks at the very moment.
Well I have my days when I struggle with the fact "does anyone notice all the stuff I am doing, will it get any easier, will my children understand the reasons a mother has to do the things she does?". It brought me to read of a book called "The invisible woman, when only God sees" a gift from my beautiful friend and sister in ministry Louise. During the course of the book it reflects on the great cathedrals, the author once received a book on cathedrals with the inscription from her family "with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when only God sees". Many of these cathedrals were built by masonry, carpentry and stained glass trades people whose names history will never reveal. Many will have died on the job, devoting their lives and service to something they would not see finished. One story shared a man watching a carpenter carve a tiny bird into the inside beam that would be eventually covered over by the stone roof - the man asked by the worker was spending so much time on something no one would ever see and without a blink of an eye the worker told him "because God sees".
This book moved me to tears and an acceptance of my position in life with my family and my girls. I have started a work that I will probably not be around to see finished and all my hard work that often feels like no-one sees, God sees everything.

What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin ? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. Matthew 10:29 NLT

So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Matthew 10:31 NLT

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." Genesis 16:13

Know how much you are loved.

Michelle

Jesus my Carpenter Friend

Well have you ever had a wonderful weekend and then you come home and you feel like have been hit with a 2 x 4. Sometimes life has a way of taking you off guard, well I had the most wonderful uplifting weekend with some of my favourite girlfriends as we went on our road trip to Rochester, NY for the Women of Faith conference. Yes we have a women's ministry but you just have to go get plugged in once in a while and be on the receiving end and we really enjoy our time together.

Well we had quite the ride, I was trying my best not to be the back seat driver but I couldn't help myself once in a while, and yes Anita and I were way in the back. Anita had emailed us prior and gave us all funny names before leaving - well when the air jets were going it was like blast off in our cramped little area - we can't complain really, since we are the shortest in the bunch, I couldn't image our Kimberley or Cheri squished back there, and we got quite the work out getting in and out climbing over the chairs. Always the optomist. Then when our van had been sitting in the sun baking, there was no air at the back we thought we would die in our little sauna. Our ride didn't stop their either, after breakfast our last day, we took a pit stop in at the "Go Karts" I knew for starters Louise would not be beat, she is determined for the finish line just like her faith. Then there were a few of us cut off just when things were going good - and I can tell you we didn't like it and there were grumblings. Well I have had time to reflect on my grumblings and being cut off and my back seat driving, I am sure God is looking down at me smiling as he keeps trying different methods to teach me to handle them as they come my way. Well my daughter is in the Middle East and being put in some very compromising positions with her security which is causing tensions all around.

I had to stop and talk to God and just put myself in the pit-stop for a while for re-adjustments, get some new tires so that I can get a grip on life and get everything in perspective. Things are getting better and we are all focusing on the right actions to take for the right reasons - we are not out of the storm but God is my umbrella and I have taken the 2 x 4 mentally and made it into a cross, since our Jesus has already conquered all. In my groaning, I am sure the Holy Spirit was advocating on my behalf.

1Cr 15:28
Then, when he has conquered all things, the Son will present himself to God, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.

If you don't know Nicole C. Mullen you should check our her latest CD release - the songs have kept me going this past week as I sing them over and over in my car and in my head at work.

Thank you God for good friends and the stillness - where I hear your voice.

Love Michelle