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You are here: Home / Archives for Life / faith hope love

love your neighbour: a lesson in giving

October 24, 2011 by Wendy S

For the month of October, our church is focusing on Stewardship, both in our church and in our community.

For the children in our congregation, we want them to understand what stewardship is all about: they have been given gifts from God in the form of time, talent and treasures.


Also, they are learning that with each of these gifts they need to

    • thank God for what they have been given,
    • use each gift wisely
    • and to share the gifts with others.

The first two weeks we talked about time and talent.  This week we talked about our treasures.


“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”~ Matthew 22:36-40 ~


The kids were each given a $5 bill.  They were so excited!  With that money, they were asked to thank God for their treasure, use it wisely and to share it with others.

The lightbulb went off in my head.  Our plan for Sunday afternoon was to go to Indulge Ice Cream in Cambridge for their Waffle Stacks Grand Opening.  They were offering a special — Buy one waffle stack and get one waffle stack free…if…you brought in a food donation for the Cambridge Shelter.

After church we headed to the grocery store where we picked out some items that the shelter needed — cereal, coffee and sugar.

The girls used their treasures to pay for some of the food.  BigDaddy and I bought the coffee and sugar.  I’m always happy to give people coffee!!

They were very proud to bring a big box of food to help the people at the shelter.

And if you’ve never been to Indulge Ice Cream, you have to!  It’s in a train caboose!!

Win-win-win!

Win for the Cambridge Shelter!
Win for us — Waffle Stacks are awesome!
Win for an amazing day of friends, learning and giving!

Filed Under: charity, faith hope love, friends, Life, munchkin, peanut Tagged With: bigdaddykreativ, church, photo

one year ago today

October 21, 2011 by Wendy S

It was 5pm-ish Thursday, October 21, 2010.

The phone rang.

“I have some bad news”

Long pause.

“My position was eliminated”

I started to cry.  We knew that this was coming.  We knew we needed to plan for this. But it wasn’t supposed to happen so quickly.  It wasn’t supposed to happen now.  We weren’t ready.

He explained about the package and how long he’d be compensated for.

I was still crying.  What were we going to do?  The package he was offered would help us for a bit.  We had some time to figure things out.

And finally I uttered the words, “We’ll be okay.  We’ll figure it out.”


 

That was 1 year ago.

Once the tears stopped falling. Once fog lifted.  Big Daddy Kreativ was born.

 

Emails were sent. Phone calls were made.  And everyone who we could think of was told that Craig wouldn’t be looking for a new job, but would be working hard to build his business.

And build it he did!

He now has over 11,000 followers on and over 770 fans on . He has worked with some amazing clients from across Canada and continues to make new connections everyday! 

Now I cry tears of joy!

It think back over this last year and some of the amazing things that have happened …

… t-shirts for @cocktaildeeva, #TiaraArmy (@those2girls, @1ofthose2girls), @jasondyk (to name a few)

… seeing Craig speaking at the #140ConfONT and loving the infectious energy it creates (Thanks, @jeffpulver)

… seeing that he’s busy designing some fun products for people; helping their businesses

… seeing him evolve from not knowing what a tweet-up is to running them with @kitestring, @troyclaus, and @dannybrown

… meeting so many awesome people (I’d list them all but I’d be so afraid of missing someone…you know who you are)

I am so thankful of those twitter friends who have become amazing friends in real life and have become great supporters of Big Daddy Kreativ.  Knowing that people love Craig as much as I do (…almost…) is amazing.

I’ve always known how talented he is. At the previous job, he wasn’t able to use his talents to the fullest.  Now he has spread his wings and is soaring!

To my dearest Craig:
 
Everyone one was right…getting let go was the best thing that could have happened.  I am so very proud of you!  All your hard work is paying off.  You’re so much happier than one year ago. 
 
I am very proud to be @BigDaddyKreativ‘s wife!

 


Filed Under: faith hope love Tagged With: bigdaddykreativ

Must be doing something right

December 21, 2010 by Wendy S

Munchkin has lost her first tooth!! 

Photobucket

At the end of October, we had a late Thanksgiving dinner with my brother, sister-in-law (SIL) and niece.  After dinner, Munchkin was complaining about something stuck in her tooth. My SIL is a dental hygienist so took her up stairs to floss it. Munchkin came bouncing back downstairs because it was discovered that her two bottom teeth are loose.  One a bit more than the other.

We were a bit nervous because the next Friday was picture day at school and we wanted her to keep it in for just a bit longer.  She was asked not to wiggle it until then.  But really, she’s 5 and it’s exciting to have a loose tooth so I’m sure there was still some wiggling going on.

—

A few Saturdays ago, we picked up the girls from their Grandparent’s house after their sleepover. BigDaddy and I had gone out for a Christmas party the night before.  Munchkin complained that her loose tooth had been bleeding.  BigDaddy commented that it was starting to look strange in colour.

I was concerned that something was wrong. It has been a while since I lost a tooth and had no idea what was going on.  We trekked off to the dentist to find out that nothing was wrong.  The tooth was so ready to come out that the discolouration was just from dried blood inside the tooth. Munchkin had been pretty good but started to look nervous when the dentist talked about taking it out.  Seeing the worry on her face, the dentist suggested using a topical jelly to freeze the area a bit before taking it out.

We left the dentist office with some gauze in case it bled some more, a princess crown, and a tiny little tooth in  a molar-shaped plastic container on a string.  She was so proud; running to show Daddy when we got home and showing all her friends at the Christmas party attended that evening.

She put it under her pillow that night.

What did the tooth fairy leave?

Sunday morning, she comes in our room. Pauses.

“Oh, I have to see if the tooth fairy came” and runs back to her room.

“Look!! I got a toonie!!”  (for my American friends, that is a $2 coin)

We played along with her excitement, as every parent should. “What are you going to do with with it?” we asked.

She hummed and ha’d but in the end said “I dunno.”

We all got up and started getting ready for Church.  After helping the girls get dressed, I was in my room getting ready when Munchkin walked in, holding the coin up, tightly pinched between her finger and thumb.

Must be doing something right“I want to put this in the offering at church”

I paused. After picking my jaw up off the floor, I confirmed that this is what she wanted to do. I said, let’s go talk to Daddy.
She repeated her request to him. Now there are two parents in shock.

Without skipping a beat, she then says that she needs an envelope to put it in. I got the box of envelopes out with the intention to use one from a week when we didn’t go to church.  But there in the box, were 2 envelopes dated for December 5th — one for the regular giving and one labeled “White Gift“.  That one had to be hers.

I let her fill it out with the amount and her name. But she also wrote… “My tooth fairy money” Too funny.

During the service she couldn’t wait to put it in the collection plate and when the time came she smiled with pride.

I cried.

Not even 6 years old and the only money that she has ever been given where she can do what ever she wants with it and she gives it away.


Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
– 1 Chronicles 29:9 –


Filed Under: faith hope love, family, Life Tagged With: church, giving, love, parenting

Christmas in Heaven

December 23, 2009 by Wendy S

Even with all the excitement leading up to Christmas, part of me is sad that my Dad isn’t with us anymore.  This poem makes me feel a little better knowing he is at peace.


Christmas In Heaven

 
I see the countless CHRISTMAS TREES around the world below
with tiny lights like HEAVEN’S STARS reflecting on the snow.
 
The sight is so SPECTACULAR please wipe away that tear
for I am spending CHRISTMAS WITH JESUS CHRIST this year.
 
I hear the many CHRISTMAS SONGS that people hold so dear
but the SOUND OF MUSIC can’t compare with the CHRISTMAS CHOIR up here.I have no words to tell you of the JOY their voices bring
for it is beyond description to HEAR THE ANGELS SING.

I know HOW MUCH YOU MISS ME, I see the pain inside your heart
for I am spending CHRISTMAS WITH JESUS CHRIST this year.

I can’t tell you of the SPLENDOR or the PEACE here in this place
Can you just imagine CHRISTMAS WITH OUR SAVIOR face to face

I’ll ask him to LIFT YOUR SPIRIT as I tell him of your love
so then PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER as you lift your eyes above.

Please let your HEARTS BE JOYFUL and let your SPIRIT SING
for I am spending CHRISTMAS IN HEAVEN and I’m walking WITH THE KING.

~ by Wanda Bencke
© Copyright 1999
 

Merry Christmas, Daddy!  I miss you.

Filed Under: faith hope love, family, Life Tagged With: Christmas, dad, death, Heaven, loss

"couldn’t have gone any better"

October 23, 2008 by Wendy S

That was the doctor told our friend’s family after the surgery was completed.

Of course there were delays at the hospital so it was well into yesterday afternoon before all was said and done.

Now the recovery phase begins. The kidney donor will take 4-5 days to be released from the hospital but our friend will be there upwards of 10. I hope to get a chance to go visit.

Thanks for all your prayers and support!

Filed Under: faith hope love, family, Life

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mapsgirl@gmail.com

Why “mapsgirl” ?

Wendy is a cartographer! She draws maps!

When not mapping, Wendy is also a mom to two daughters. They are the inspiration of this blog. Passionate about child passenger safety, Wendy was a certified Car Seat Technician in Ontario, Canada from 2008 to 2020. [Read More …]

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