Saturday 25 February 2023

entering the mystery of lent

Hope. 

Wintering is nearing the end of her threshold

-maybe 

(not today here in Ontario😉 swipe👈 to see what I mean- 1st photo 9pm last night; 2nd photo 5:20am after 15 cm of snow today. Can't see the drifts well up to door)!

Hope.

The mystery of Lent.

As ash is placed on our foreheads in the shape of the cross and words from Genesis spoken, "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return," we are reminded of Jesus final journey to Jerusalem and the hope He brings.

I like to view  Lent as  a challenge  to make a difference for 40 days (thanks to the UK based charity 40 Acts for this generosity challenge). A challenge of generosity  and spiritual discipline.  Rather than giving something up.

40 days.

40 ways to make a difference. 

40 generous prompts delivered throughout Lent (swipe👈 to see day 1 challenge).

Generosity. 
Spiritual  Discipline. 
Hope.

As we come close to the mystery of Easter

I wonder

How I will grow and learn and view hope.

Will you wonder with me? 

#Lent #pursuinghope #hopeiscoming #pursuit #40acts #spiritualdiscipline

Lent 2023

✝️I am new to intentionally journeying through Lent, even though I have been Anglican now for about 8 years. I am eager to learn something new about God, myself and others. 

I guess it starts in the hard places of ourselves. Looking at our inadequacies/failures is never easy especially now in the climate of North America where it is encouraged to say how amazing we are all the time! 😉

I have always learned important lessons out of my failures I encountered on my life's journey- well most of the time! I have grown and they have made me stronger. I drew closer to God in these times- well mostly! Sometimes not. But in the end here I am still a follower of Jesus! 

Looking at the fragility of life is never easy either. 

But as Christians we have Hope and it is coming! We don't stay in the hard places long. 


#quoteoftheday #vulnerability #poetry #johnodonohuequote #Lent #pursuit #hopeiscoming 

Wednesday 30 November 2022

Holidays and Grief

Holidays and Grief


The experts don’t tell you what grief is really like. They have the process neatly wrapped in five stages- a formula that progresses step by step and eventually leads you to acceptance. What I have learned about grief in the last 2 years is it is not linear! Yes I am aware the grief journey is different for every single person. But I have a feeling most of us in the middle and muck of death are just trying to breathe and survive and are not fully intentional about which stage of grief we are in. 


I am surprised when I am ambushed by grief on holidays. Logically I know holidays and celebrations will be difficult but I have been ambushed by grief in ways I never imagined or was prepared for. I was overcome on my birthday this year because it was the first one where those amazing humans that created me out of love ( well mom actually forgot to take her pill- it was a brand new concept in 1967) , who gave birth to me, who loved me unconditionally were absent for the first time in 55 years. 


The approaching Christmas season is filling me with incredible anguish. I try to put on a brave face but inside I am broken. You know why? It caught me by surprise.  It isn’t what you may think. It is because on Christmas Eve there won’t be a gift for me to unwrap. (Our family tradition was to open one gift on Christmas Eve) And when I wake up on Christmas morning, there will be no gifts for me. Unless I buy myself a gift but what is the point. I don’t share this for pity or for people to send me gifts. I share it because this is the reality of a single woman grieving the death of her parents on Christmas. 


I knew this holiday would be difficult so I started to make plans so I wouldn’t be alone. I was going to travel overseas to my cousins in Northern Ireland but it turned out to be logistically challenging and very expensive. But then I got offered this new part time job at the Cathedral in Toronto so I am actually working Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Plan B- I asked a friend if I could stay with them on Christmas Day when I am finished at the church so that will be great. I have a plan. I am still dreading the holidays. Although I have been in this place of grief not long ago. I need to hold on, breathe and walk with the emotions that pour out, not fear them. I am strong. My parents prepared me for this moment. 


There is hope. This advent season is all about hope. As the poet John O’Donohue so eloquently writes, “when the work of grief is done, the wound of loss will heal…” The work of grief is not done in my life yet. That is okay. One day I will heal. But for now, I will grieve how I want because…



When you lose someone you love,

Your life becomes strange,

The ground beneath you becomes fragile,

Your thoughts make your eyes unsure;

And some dead echo drags your voice down

Where words have no confidence

Your heart has grown heavy with loss;

And though this loss has wounded others too,

No one knows what has been taken from you

When the silence of absence deepens.


Flickers of guilt kindle regret

For all that was left unsaid or undone.


There are days when you wake up happy;

Again inside the fullness of life,

Until the moment breaks

And you are thrown back

Onto the black tide of loss.

Days when you have your heart back,

You are able to function well

Until in the middle of work or encounter,

Suddenly with no warning,

You are ambushed by grief.


It becomes hard to trust yourself.

All you can depend on now is that

Sorrow will remain faithful to itself.

More than you, it knows its way

And will find the right time

To pull and pull the rope of grief

Until that coiled hill of tears

Has reduced to its last drop.


Gradually, you will learn acquaintance

With the invisible form of your departed;

And when the work of grief is done,

The wound of loss will heal

And you will have learned

To wean your eyes

From that gap in the air

And be able to enter the hearth

In your soul where your loved one

Has awaited your return

All the time.


—by John O’Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings





Sunday 2 May 2021

Why is this necklace meaningful to me?

Why is my mona cross choker from Lines and Currents  Belfast, Northern Ireland, meaningful to me? 


First, it is a reminder of my heritage. My maternal grandparents were born in Northern Ireland and had strong faith in God. I am grateful for this legacy passed down to me.


Second, it reminds me of the privilege I had last year (February 2020) of being with my mom as she lay dying from the complications of dementia. My mom was so proud her parents were from Northern Ireland and took us to visit so many times, even in the 80's during the troubles! These incredible holidays I experienced are one of the reasons I have a great love for Northern Ireland and love supporting small local businesses! 


In those last weeks, my mom stopped eating and exhibited hurtful behaviour thanks to the horrible disease of dementia, I didn't know how to be in that space.  Interestingly, a penpal of mine from NI spoke some beautiful words into my life after she read my IG post! She suggested I think of being in that difficult space as both a daughter and caregiver as a holy place, an altar. Just be still and allow my mom to lead-wherever that takes me. And pray for God to give me peace. 


Those words were wise and allowed me to change my attitude into truly seeing my time with my mom as a privilege.  I let go of how I wanted her dying to be and embraced the "dementia altar" as a holy space.   I am grateful God allowed me to have this time with her even though it was so difficult. 


That primal mother instinct, like breathing, does not stop until their very last breath. My mom was my mom right to the very end. It was so powerful. So beautiful. So holy. So peaceful.


Wearing this choker keeps my mom close and reminds me that God is always with me. I am reflecting my mom's love and her love of her roots everywhere I go in my mona cross choker! 




Saturday 7 November 2020

5 facial oil HACKS to BOOST YOUR BEAUTY ROUTINE

5 facial oil HACKS TO BOOST YOUR BEAUTY ROUTINE
Here are my top 5 facial oil hacks to help you get the ultimate glow from head to toe.

Hack #1: show some lip love 💋 
Don’t skip your lips when applying your facial oils or serums for that matter. 

TIP
Before applying the facial oil, use a lip polish like Beautycounter's-- made with organic sugar, conditioning oils, and a hint of refreshing peppermint--to gently exfoliate ,buff, soften, and condition lips.  Or apparently using a toothbrush with soft bristles will help brush away dry skin too. Your lips will be ready for the oil and help with those aging lines that magically appear one day!  Follow up with Beautycounter's Better Balm which protects and visibly smooths and reduces the appearance of fine lines.

Did You Know? 
Lips love all-natural oils because they are more easily absorbed into the skin than synthetic moisturizers. They also contain essential fatty acids that help lips look fuller and more youthful. 

Hack #2: up your brow game, since we are all wearing masks!😷
Apply a couple drops of facial oil to help your brows stay in place. Use your spooly to brush into desired shape.
 

Hack #3: Hydrate Your Concealer😊
As we head into colder temperatures, it’s normal for your skin to crave more moisture from the products you already use. That’s especially true when it comes to your concealer. The good news is that adding a few drops of our facial oil to your concealer not only helps soften winter skin, it also helps your concealer blend more smoothly and work more effectively with  your other makeup.

Hack #4: get a dewy finish with your foundation🤗
If you want to boost the skincare benefits of your foundation while also giving it a dewy finish, just add a few drops of our facial oil. Will help protect your skin from sun damage as well. 

Hack #5: give your cuticles some tlc💅
 Your cuticles are probably in need of some serious help now that the cold weather is here. No need to spend extra money on cuticle oil, you can apply a drop of your facial oil to each cuticle to soften and nourish them. 


Get to know Beautycounter's Balancing Facial Oil a little better:

Your daily balance check. Lightweight and silky smooth, our proprietary blend of oils is designed to help hydrate, smooth, and even skin tone. Softening meadowfoam seed oil helps restore balance, while ylang ylang provides a delicate scent.

After just two weeks of use*
97% said oil deeply nourished and calmed skin 

90% felt skin clarity was improved

97% agreed skin felt immediately hydrated

94% said the appearance of facial redness was reduced

*Based on a 31-subject consumer perception study after two weeks of use.

CERTIFICATIONS
Vegan
Cruelty Free

➡️Want to know my favourite facial oil hack? I add 3 drops into my daytime moisturizer for extra hydration in winter for this dry skin of mine and I get a nice dewy glow! Not bad looking for 53 years old eh?!
Share your facial oil secrets please!🙏Comment below to share your secrets with me!👇

Friday 9 October 2020

More than just a Style Session

I am a strong woman.  I have my fair share of insecurities, but I am strong! I am resilient. I am fierce.

Yet growing up I was part of  a social/christian circle where strong women in leadership were silenced. We were not encouraged to have a voice. Please hear me. I am not bitter about my upbringing. I am grateful for all the positive experiences  that helped shape the woman I am today. But I always wrestled with the fact my voice as a woman didn't seem to matter much. We were not encouraged in the area of leadership where I now know some of my gifts and abilities lie. I was not encouraged to have a voice and if I did, my thoughts were considered nonsense. Thank goodness my parents believed in me and encouraged me. But I definitely did not feel valued as a woman in leadership.


One thing that is continually surprising me about having my own business with Beautycounter is I am being exposed to strong women not only in this industry but other women in business who are making a difference. Who are rocking their businesses. It excites me!  I want to be around those that inspire me!

I have this creative energy and leadership abilities that need to be utilized. But I also have this tape that has been running in my head for years, thanks to some childhood comments made by my siblings that says I am "socially inadequate."  That says I not worthy.  That says I am not smart.  I am smart. I am worthy. I am smarter than many people know! Sadly I have been lacking confidence for far too long. Beautycounter has given me confidence, has given me a voice. I am one that needs to know I am making a difference in my part of this planet. This  Beautycounter movement is changing laws. We are part of something big. I would have never approached my MP before to talk about the health regulation industry. Years ago,strong women fought for our right to vote and declare us persons. They battled mockery and persecution yet kept fighting for our rights. I am part of a movement that will have lasting impact on our world. It feels good to educate.It feels incredible to be surrounded by ordinary women who are making an impact. It feels good to have a voice without being silenced or turned away because I am a women. I am learning so much from these women and about myself. I met some incredible women not that long ago at a style session I had at Smithery Style

 I totally felt myself at my style session and loved the connections I made with these inspiring women. Shop your shape is their unofficial motto. They loved on me a huge dose of self confidence in my body that is changing for the worse in my opinion. Age + Menopause= not fun! But, I left feeling great in the clothes I was wearing gained some cool styling tips that will help me embrace this body God created and its ever changing tides. 

Remember,

" You are free, you are powerful, you are good, you are love, you have value, you have a purpose. All is well."  (Abraham Hicks) And you are fierce!

Monday 11 February 2019

Kind Words Only

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
(Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken)

Two roads diverge and I have choice to make. Take the path where the naysayers, doubters and critics are crowding the pathway with their negativity or take the path less travelled where I am guided through by words of affirmation that outnumber the criticism. Where I learn how to cope with the inevitable. That definitely will make all the difference.

Why do we feel we have the right to criticize and chime in on others’ lives. Why are we always quick to point out what others are doing wrong. Some allow us the privilege to speak into their lives yet most do not.  In the age of social media we need to proceed with caution and hold back our opinions. Opinions that are not useful.

What if we thought of one thing someone is doing well. What if we shared that one thing with that person. I have a feeling that will make all the difference! We need more kind words spoken on our planet.

So today may we be ever so mindful of what comes out of our mouth. Be slow to speak and quick to listen.

Take the road less travelled. Walk confidently. Hold on tight to the safety of your tribe who believe in you, who walk beside you every step of the way. Who will ensure you run past those critics and reach the summit together where you will see life with a clearer perspective. Where, just maybe, kind words will conquer the world!
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#sundaymotivation
#roadlesstraveled #kindwords #lovemytribe #naysayersbegone