Hygge

Have you heard of the word hygge? It is a Danish word that is one of those words that cannot really be translated into a single word. It means cosy, comfort, soothing things, creating intimacy and warmth.

I know summer seems like the wrong time of year to write about hygge. The days are long with the sun rising at 5:00 and setting after 9:00. The sun is shining and the sky is blue. The reason that this is on my mind is I just finished reading, The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking. My reserved copy finally came in for me at the library. I think I must have reserved it months ago.

I think I heard the term about a year ago. About the same time I read an article online about Norwegian winter and the attitude that helps to fight winter blues. My summary of this is it is the attitude and instead of dreading winter, embrace what you can do at that time of the year and enjoy it.

I was interested in hygge as our winter is grey with short days. I wanted to read about this and see if I could get some ideas to help during the short days of winter. The book was easy to read with lots of pictures. A bit of a picture book for big people. The photos were warm and cozy, candles, fire in the fire place, hot drinks.

So what did I take away from the book. Hygge in Denmark is about comfort and creating it together. Some of this can take time but it is about the atmosphere.

What can I do to help during our short days?

Enjoy candles -- tea lights -- when is Ikea opening? I have a nice tea light holder that was a wedding gift and it is nice to light that in the evening. Twinkle lights are also nice touches. Those can be battery operated so it doesn't depend on finding a main.

Hot drinks. In my book coffee is to be hot. Iced coffee is not coffee. Coffee might not always be the best choice for the evening but hot Ribena or herbal tea would be fine.

Warm blankets and throws - I have a nice fuzzy blanket that is my hygge blanket. It had a soft warm feel. I might need to find a few others.

I am almost looking forward to winter but first I would enjoy a few more summer days. Today is in the 60's so I am sitting with my hygge blanket.

Have you heard of the term higgle? How do you enjoy winter?

Beth

13 Years

Miss K's birthdays always seem to take me back to all those memories. This year was thirteen. Thirteen years ago in Asia a baby was born. It was soon after her birth that she was moved to the NICU because of her breathing and while there the doctors began running tests. There it was determined that she needed stomach surgery and then later she needed heart surgery. I wish we could go back and meet the doctors that were taking care of her. I wish the heart surgeon who was willing to take the risk in performing the surgery after the complications with the heart catheterization could see her now and all that she has done and become. 

Traditional Birthday Pancakes

Birthdays are important and the biggest celebration of the year. She looks forward to her birthday for 364 days. 

The chocolate cake has become the family birthday cake. She helped me pick the candles for the cake. It worked this year that happy birthday is 13 candles.

Blowing out the candles. It took a few blows but she got them all out.

One of the challenges is figuring out gifts are somewhat age appropriate and yet things that she will enjoy. She had been using a 3 wheel scooter and we decided that it was time to go with a 2 wheel one. I found a cute Cath Kidson cross body purse that was the right size for her. She loves the story of Heidi and so we got an audio book of that. She was excited about her gifts.

She is a teenager. A few months ago she was talking about when she turns 13 she was going to get Facebook. So far she has not asked for that (don't remind her). She has been asking to sit in the front seat.

This morning she asked me if she could have a mobile phone. I asked why and she said, so she could call and text. I asked her who she wanted to call and text and she said me. Life with a teenager.

She keeps us laughing and on our toes. Thank you for 13 years.

Beth

Discipline

I shared last week just a bit from my study of 1 Corinthians. I am continuing that study and have made my way to chapter 9. I am now at less than seven days until the race/walk. That has been on my mind so as I read these last few verses in chapter 9 I did some thinking.

"Do you no know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? 

So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. 

They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run 

aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep 

it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."

II Corinthians 9:24-27

I am now writing to myself as one who needs this discipline. At times I think I have a long way to go in applying this.

As I read these verses, the first thing that I see is that we are running to receive a prize. We need a goal. As I have trained for the walk, I had a goal of doing the walk. I think the same is true in discipline. We need a goal.

"So run that you may obtain it." Get out there and do it. There were may weeks that the weather was not perfect for walking, but we went out and did it. It felt good when it was done.

"Exercise self-control" - This is an area that I need to work on and improve. Self-control is from within. I need to be working toward that goal.

All that we are doing should be done for the glory of God. This is not so that we can be proud and boast of what we have accomplished.

This has given me some things to ponder.

Beth

Endured the Cross

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin, which clings to closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." 

Hebrews 12:1-2

Beth

Crossing Paths

Today was a beautiful day with the sun shining and a blue sky. It was a perfect day for a walk. This weekend is the last big training walk before the big walk. Walking 12 miles does give some time for talking but also time for enjoying the beauty and thinking.

I was walking and looked up at the sky and saw the trails from two planes. I thought about how as missionaries our lives and paths cross with others. Some of those are the people that we meet overseas and some are the people that we meet that are friends of friends. I think this is one of the blessings of living overseas.

I have a good friend that was introduced to me from another friend because my friend was moving to Hong Kong.

We had a coworker in Taiwan that we have kept in touch with and now she is in Europe so we have gotten together at various times.

The wife of a mentor of my husband's was living in Hong Kong when we were there and she became a good friend. The fun part was we connected with her when we were in Taiwan. She had come to town for some meetings and visited the church we were attending. Of course my husband knew who she was and we chatted.

About 13 years ago there were some returning students from England that we met. They began to come to a Bible study in our home. Now 13 years later we are in that city in England and we have met the people that had a Bible study with that group of students.

I remember a friend connected me with a friend of hers when we were in Ukraine and that friend connected us with a lady in her church who was kind and spent a few days with us touring Kiev.

One of the blessings of living overseas is the people you meet both the people in the host country and the other people that are living there. My life has been deepened because of these relationships. My life has broadened because of these relationships.

Embrace and enjoy the relationships you develop overseas.

Beth

Sometimes it is not what you want

Yesterday, I wrote a few thoughts on the question, What will you be remembered for? We were in Haworth which is known for the Brontes. We wandered the village, ate lunch at a cafe and poked our head in a few shops.

One of the shops we went in was the sweet shop. There is something fun about looking at the variety of sweets and the variety of colour. Some of the sweets were local things and then there was a whole display of American food which really is American junk food. There was a row of Pringles and then a  shelf with some Pop-Tarts. There was candy and chocolate. (Funny side note when I was referring to the British made I called them sweets and when I was referring to the American I called them candy. I just made that change without much thinking.)

This is about the same as the American section of food at the supermarket. In addition to all the candy there is macaroni and cheese, Twinkies, and a few other snack foods.

Is that really what we want to be thought of as American food? I don't think I want everyone thinking of these things and thinking that is all we eat. It is not what we want but it is what we are known for.

So be careful what you do and say as that is what might be remembered.

A word of caution and a tour of the American section of the supermarket all in one blog post. In case you are wondering I don't think I have bought anything from the American section of the supermarket. I didn't buy anything yesterday at the sweet shop.

Beth

What will you be remembered for?

I am a bit excited. I have something to write about today. After last night's "I have no idea what to write about". I have something today.

I went adventuring today. That involved driving on the Motorway which I have done but not often. I am more confident after driving on the autobahn. So our adventure today took us to a small village. We wandered through a museum and then to the church next door.

I admit that the church was just like some of the other churches I have wandered in but we took a few minutes and walked about. There on the wall was a memorial for William Weightman who died in 1842. He is remembered for his orthodox principles, active zeal, moral habits, learning, mildness, and affability. It is an interesting list. In some ways these are related. The orthodox principles are the foundation for the zeal and the habits.

I pondered for a few minutes the list of things that he was remembered for. William was only 26 years old. I read this and knew that he was loved and left an impact.

That did make me pause and thing about what would be written on my memorial. What would be remembered about my character? I have thought about that at times. Do I want my children to remember me for nagging them to wash their dishes? Do I want my children to remember me as someone who does fun things with them? How will my friends remember me?

Now I have something to ponder what would I write on my monument? 

Beth

Day 5

It is Day 5 of my personal challenge. I challenged myself to do three things for 100 days. It is not Day 5 blog something each day didn't get down today and honestly I just don't know what to write about. Is it still true that a picture is worth a thousand words? I will just add a photo or two and call it a blog post.

I decided to go to my photos and find the first photo and the last photo and include those.

A photo of my grandmother and my nephew. It looks like they are working on a puzzle. I miss my grandmother and that little boy is now taller than me.

Here is a photo of my ragu cooking in my cast iron pan from Monday evening. It has become a family favourite.

That is done for today. I need to get some inspiration and time tomorrow to write a bit more.

Beth

Greater Love

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Have you ever thought how one event can begin series of events that even 350 years impacts a small village? A piece of cloth arrived in a small village. The cloth had been sent from London to the small village in August 1665. That fabric had fleas, fleas that were carrying the plague. Just a week after receiving the fabric the first victim of this small village dies. The village had about 350 people in it at that time.

The plague in a small village is enough of a story but there is more to the story. William Mompresson, the vicar, convinced the people that they needed to quarantine themselves to prevent the spend of the plague. The Earl of Devonshire as well as the surrounding villages helped to provide food leaving it outside the village for the people to collect. For over a year the plague took lives and changed the village. In all 260 people died from the plague but if they had not quarantined themselves the plague would have spread.

This is a village that truly was self-sacrificing. They were willing to do something difficult and hard but knowing that it was good for others. Now more than 350 years later it is still an example to us of how an event can change a village and how that village can be an example to the world.

Here is a bit more details about this.


Beth

Beauty All Around

I find that life can easily get busy. I have meals to cook, laundry to wash, activities to take children to,  and a long list of things to do, places to be. I am busy and don't take the time to pause and look at the beauty around me. After a while, I begin to think that there is no beauty. I think that is one reason that I like the change of seasons as they are an opportunity to see beauty.

Yesterday we went to some place new. I have heard about it for a few years but just didn't take the time to go there until yesterday. It was a nice sunny day so we took a picnic and went to the Sculpture  Park. 

We wandered around the lake and some some geese. There were lots of them in the water. 

There was art throughout the park. Some of it we were able to see understand some left us wondering what we were seeing. This was rather interesting to see the face and see it at different angles.

Across the lake is the old manor house.  It looks so peaceful.

It was a nice walk as we paused and looked at various things along the way. I love the wild flower look and also the variety of colours.

Another big of flowers and water. It is relaxing to walk near water or just to sit and look at the water.

 The thistle has a nice purple flower but it also have prickles there to protect it from being eaten. Interesting how a beautiful flower has something that be painful so even in our pain there can be beauty. I took some photos but I don't think it is quite thistle season.

We did see both beauty and art around us yesterday. Do you see beauty around you?


Beth

Living the Gospel

Our small groups at church have been studying 2 Corinthians. I decided to do a doodle Bible study from Stone Soup for Five. I couldn't just begin in 2 Corinthians but decided to begin in 1 Corinthians. So I did 1 Corinthians in my own study and then in the sermon series and in our small groups we are discussing 2 Corinthians.

As I began the study, one of the verses that caused me to pause and ponder the truth.

"for Christ did not send me to baptise but to preach the gospel and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." I Corinthians 1:17

I wrote this verse in my notebook and highlighted "preach the gospel". So what is the gospel? It is easy to just say, "Jesus died on the cross" but what does that mean? The gospel is so much more and something that we need to be living each day. As I pondered this, I thought the gospel is love, grace, mercy, sacrifice, and forgiveness. As a mom, as a wife, as a friend how do I "preach the gospel" in my relationships. Am I loving, giving grace, showing mercy, willing to sacrifice, ready to forgive. That is preaching the gospel. I have been pondering that and pondering how am Living the Gospel.

Just a few thoughts for today. How are you living the gospel?

Beth

Verbania Treasure - Book Review

Recently I have been reading children's/young adult books. I think it is a combination of homeschool mom guilt -- I need to read the books on my shelves, you know the ones that I bought because they are classics or on the list of books that your homeschooler should read and now I am reading them. The other reason is I enjoy those books. They are easy to read, adds another book to my list of books. I also learn from the reading those books.

I had the opportunity to read Verbania Treasure by Anne Phillips. Verbania Treasure is a story set in the Italian Lakes region. It is the story of five cousins and their grandmother who spend four weeks overseas following a treasure hunt. I loved reading the story and admit to looking various places online to see where the children were exploring. I loved the different characters, the way they work together. I admire Grandma Sybil for taking five children on an adventure. I also admire her for putting aside her own desires and buying chocolate in Switzerland. It made me feel bad for my children as I took them to Switzerland and didn't buy them any chocolate. There were times that you felt like you were right there with the children as they explored. There were times that you just didn't know what to do with George but even times when you felt sorry for him. This is a great book to give a bit of an understanding of Italy.

I think I decided where I want to go for holiday next year. I might need to take our Ambrose with us for the adventure.

Verbania Treasure is available on Kindle. Get it for yourself or a child.

Ms. Phillips has written another book, The Lizard Garden. This book has the same children and tells of adventures in the Netherlands. The Lizard Garden takes place prior to Verbania Treasure. There are references to story but these can be stand alone books.

I recommend both of these books for yourself or your children.

I was given a copy of Verbania Treasure to review. The comments are my own.

Check out Anne's blog with a bit of the behind the scenes including photos.

Beth