18 December 2013

peace like a scarf

I was overnight nannying recently and the six year old was having trouble falling asleep. She'd meandered downstairs multiple times, each time telling me the dreaded words: I can't sleep

Each time, I had walked with her back to her room and stood by her bed as she settled back down.

At one point, I suggested that she pray for peace. 
Peace to calm her heart. 
Peace to sleep. 
Peace from Jesus.

I suggested that she pray that God put peace on her.

I asked her if she knew what the word peace means. 

Well, it's kinda like quiet. And something else I can't remember. 

I smiled at her as I always do, and added to her description. 

Peace is calm. Peace is comfort. 

It's like when you're feeling cold. 
You put in your coat and gloves. 
Your toque and scarf. 
Suddenly you feel better.
Cozy and warm. 

The cold still exists but it doesn't bother you quite as much because you're all bundled up.

Peace is like that. 

It's warms you up and makes you feel better. 

So you have to ask God to put peace on you like a nice warm scarf. 

I think she still came down about a million times before falling asleep, but my heart felt comforted by the God who offers me peace like a scarf.

I'm always grateful when God gives me an analogy to explain Himself to others. 
And truly, to describe Himself to my own heart as well.



What's something you learned recently?

17 December 2013

life lately: a photo dump

I just synced my photos from my phone to my computer for the first time since um, well, September. Dang. I synced it right after Influence but haven't since. whoops??

Lots of these photos are from instagram. Do we follow each other? I'm @nadinewouldsay

Anyway. Here are some glimpses into the past few months.


Time with family.

Making this collage showed me that I need to hang out with my Dad more (or at least take pictures when I'm with him).

 
Time with friends.

Making this collage PROVED how excellent I am at taking pictures on my own phone.


Time with coffee and mugs and journals and Bibles and one little selfie in there for fun.

Making this one was just for fun. I had someone suggest recently that I should print off all my mug instagrams. After seeing how many I have (these aren't all of them - eek), I might do that.


Time spent outside.

The cold weather of December has slowed down walks a little bit but I have truly enjoyed this season filled with being outside. No matter the day I fit in at least a ten minute walk, and if it's a good day, it's at least an hour. I love it.



That's life these days.

Lots of family, friends, coffee, walks, reading, writing, laughing.

Whatcha up to?? Tell me about it.

16 December 2013

hold open the door

I walked from my car to the building, quickly. 

It was cold. Raining. Gosh I hate the rain.

I got to the door, opened it, and held it open because I heard someone coming behind me. 

The lady smiled at me and said thank you

Her thank you was not quick. She slowed her pace, looked me in the eye, whispered her thanks.

Her response made it seem that I had somehow made her day with that very small and insignificant moment of kindness. 

Her reaction stuck with me, and reminded me that it is important to hold open a door. 

So hold open the door. 
Smile at the stranger. 
Give them the quarter they need for a buggy. 
Offer them your points card so they save a few bucks. 

Do it. 
Do the things that cause you to delay your day. 
Offer moments of peace to strangers you meet.

Do it.
Every time.

Why?

Because pretty much anybody could use a little glimmer of sunshine on an otherwise cold and rainy evening.

Offer hope. 

 

13 December 2013

oh tiny gifts: a product feature

I'm always excited when somebody with top-notch product asks me to be a part of their story. I have a bunch of product feature posts coming up in the coming couple months and I cannot wait to share them!

Today I'm excited to be sharing about Oh Tiny Gifts by Moriah.
 Moriah sent me this headband (I got pattern 19) ages ago and I absolutely love it!

I asked Moriah to share a little bit about her shop, her heart for designing her products, and just a look into the purpose behind her product.
I've always had the desire to run a little business. When I was younger I would try to think of things I could make and sell, though for some reason those construction paper chains I tried to make and sell never made it!
When my daughter, Gracie was born, I starting getting a little more "crafty" and creative. I wanted to make things that were special to both her and me because I made them. My mom bought me a sewing machine a few years back, and I only knew the very basic uses of it. Over the last few years I have been learning along the way as I try to create fun and versatile accessories
Most importantly, I wanted to find a way that I could give back to others. I wanted my shop not just to benefit me, but to be able to help someone else along the way. Currently I am working on raising money to donate to Kerry Todd (a fellow blogger), and the money her family is raising towards their second adoption. 25% of proceeds go towards their adoption.

It's well made (I know this because I've worn it a lot and it still looks brand new), the perfect fit, and I always get complements when I wear it.


You can see a few ways I've worn the headband in these next photos from instagram!




Be sure to order yourself one, your friend one, and your kids too okay! Let me know which one you get.

Use promo code NADINEROCKS to get 10% off! Woot Woot!

*photo credit goes to Megan E Photos.
*headband c/o Oh Tiny Gifts, all opinions my own.


If you're interested in having me try out and review your product, email me at nadine at nadinewouldsay dot com. I love sharing the things I love.

P.S. I'm over on the Influence Network Blog today chatting a little bit about the network forums. Rach asked me to highlight a few topics that are great and worth checking out. If you're not already a member of the Influence Network, I truly don't know why. Try it out for a month, and be sure to read my thoughts on them before you do so you go in ready to thrive using the network.

The forums are where strangers become friends, where collaborations happen, and where Jesus is glorified as we all speak truth to one another.

12 December 2013

{a walk through} psalm 84



When I think and consider the things that I long for, faint for, and sing for - well I'd rather not.

My heart tends to lean elsewhere. I'm inclined most often to long for a relationship. I'm inclined to faint for a busy schedule. I'm inclined to sing for accolade.

Yet then the grace and mercy of God impacts my heart. He saves me again. And again and again.

From myself.
From others.
From my sins.
From sins done against me.

Christ reminds me of my worth in Him and all of a sudden I'm reminded of why I need Him so desperately.

He is all I need.


11 December 2013

are they considered selfies if someone else took the photos?

While at the Influence Conference in September, I was excited to spend some time in front of the camera with my dear friend Megan.

I remember months back talking with her about taking the steps to starting her business. Quitting her steady job. Pursuing her dream. I was so proud when she did it!

In Indianapolis, we walked around, I acted like the silly person I am, and Megan took photos of me.

I had lots of ideas and really wanted to involve my phone in a lot of photos since me on my phone is an accurate depiction of who I am in general. Megan was game to take a trillion photos!

Here are just a few of my favourites. You'll see more photos dropping around a blog post coming up soon, and probably in a few other spaces as well. Keep ya eyes open!

nadinewouldsay

nadinewouldsay

nadinewouldsay

P.S. I LOVE my HEX iphone case. I'm not being paid to say that. They're awesome. My initial case from them broke and when I told them, they had a new one to me the next day. That's impressive.
HEX iphone case

These next two are definitely the most accurate photos of me on the internet.

nadinewouldsay

nadinewouldsay

influence conference

nadinewouldsay

Thank goodness for the self-timer. We obviously needed a picture together.

nadinewouldsay

Megan is my Floridian sister, my red pants twin, and is one of many who laughs with me when I'm a silly human. I'm so glad to call her friend.

It's been a blast to watch her business start to take off and I'm excited to watch her business grow and grow and grow!

Be sure to check out her website, follow her blog, like her facebook page, follow her on twitter, and give her some hearts over on instagram. If you're in the Melbourne area of Florida, be sure to contact her for your next headshots, fun shots, wedding, family shoot, or anything alright? Alright!


10 December 2013

a book review: satisfy my thirsty soul




Throughout this post I've linked to my instagram account. I often find myself wanting to share things I am learning and do so consistently over there.

Last night ended a 12 week Bible book study. The study went through Satisfy My Thirsty Soul by Linda Dillow.

One major theme in the book was the idea of bowing down everything before the Lord. Over the course of our weeks, I had to bow down many different things.

After the first four chapters, which shared the authors journey to worship and taught on what worship is, the study moved to this idea of bowing.

I had to bow my life, words, attitude, work, times of waiting, pain, and will.

Yikes. That's a lot to lay down ammarite??

Even individually they're hard to lay down. Imagine a book that made you do each one. dang.

In bowing my life, I had to come to terms with the statement "If I am not Lord of all, I am not Lord of all." That was difficult and still remains difficult. Yet as I've shared before, something being difficult is not reason to not do something, especially a commanded something.

In bowing my words, I found myself recognizing myself in something the author shared:
The problem is, I find it emotionally satisfying to let the words come forth. I feel better. I have had my say. Perhaps this is the issues: Because I want emotional relief, I plunge in and speak quickly - and I get in God's way.
That's painful to read isn't it? It's one of many spaces where I wrote "AAA!" in the margins of my book.

In bowing my attitude, I was reminded that gratitude is a choice. I can choose to praise God in all things. It isn't necessarily an easy choice, but it is a choice. During that week, I got caught about a twenty minute walk away from home in the rain. I didn't have much praise in me to muster, but I was determined to try. As I walked home in the rain, I praised God that I had two feet instead of one.

In bowing my work, well, actually, this is the only chapter in the entire book where I did not underline a single thing. Work is sensitive topic to my heart. Losing my job this year has made me all kind of sensitive.

In bowing my times of waiting, I resonated much with this quote that is on my instagram account. I've thought much about that tension. This was a good chapter for my soul, one that healed some wounds.

There was an analogy that the author mentioned in this chapter on waiting that I remembered my mentor having shared with me - which makes sense since I know she studied this book last year. It's an analogy of a rocking chair.
I rocked back and thought, Ah, this is waiting patiently. Then I rocked forward and thought, This is watching expectantly. Yes, my Lord, I see. It is a continuous motion. Both can happen at once. . . . I want to live expecting you will answer any moment but bowing my agenda and waiting with patience for your timing.

It's a good analogy isn't it? It's one I try to remember. To lean back into Christ, trusting Him as I wait patiently. To rock forward with Christ, trusting Him as I wait expectantly. There is such comfort in this chair.

In bowing my pain, I was challenged to rely not on myself. To have a God confidence instead of a self confidence. It can be difficult in a society that speaks much of having a self confidence to lay that down before the Lord and rest all of your confidence in Him.

In bowing my will, I found much confidence in this statement that the author share: He knew that the will of God would never take him where the grace of God would not protect him. Yes. That. Bowing my will was far more difficult than any other. It was one where I realized that I had missed a lot in the weeks previous. I had thought that I could lay each one day. That I could do it on my own. But in laying down my will I had to lay down my abilities as well.

The author encouraged the idea of creating an Isaiah alter. To bring the things that we hold dear to us, that we need to sacrifice to the Lord. To lay down before the Lord and to physically use hand motions to bind up the things you're laying down. It was difficult to do, to bind each thing down before Him, but it was necessary. I whispered to God that I knew I would be untying each one again soon. That I would need His help to bind them down again and again and again.

This book challenged me, encouraged me, frustrated me, and pointed me to God. It stretched my views on many things and forced me to reconcile differences I had with the Lord.

Let me know if you decide to pick this book up. I highly recommend it. I appreciated that I had to read each chapter twice per week. Doing it in a group was also helpful.


*Affiliate link used.*


09 December 2013

lies I believe

daughter of god


I sat across from my best friend at the bar, words floated back and forth between us.

It's long enough ago that I don't remember the wording or the timing, but I admitted to her that I didn't see any beauty in myself. 

She quickly disputed, as any good friend would, but I equated her words to the obligation of friend. 

We finished our drinks and made our way down the street. 

A drunk man stopped in front of me, he looked at me, and he said "You are so beautiful". His words slurred and he walked away, and my best friend gave me a knowing look. In fact if I remember right, she said something along the lines of "see".

I still laugh about the drunk angel who told me I was pretty

That conversation and interaction sparked something in my heart. It sparked a realization that if I believed that God was beauty in itself and that I mirrored Him, that at least by association, I needed to be at least some small part not completely ugly. 

That conversation was two years ago and it's one that God runs through my brain on a semi-consistent basis. 

I believe a lot of lies, some of the loudest being that I have no worth, that no one cares about me, and that the way I have been created is wrong. 

Those are lies. 

I have worth because I am a daughter of God.

Nobody cares? That's not true. Not only do people in my life care, but Jesus cares. 

He sits in heaven advocating for me.
He gave His life for me.
He left me with the Holy Spirit. 

Nobody cares? Lie.

The way God created me is good. 

The lies I listen to are not true. Because of Jesus, I don't have to believe them. I get to believe in Him.

What are your lies? Can you call them out? And if you can call them out (which I think is a great first step), how do you dispute them? 

I talked about having a belt of truth last week. I know one of my friends asked God to give her a word after she read that post which so encouraged me. Let me know if God gives you some truth to hold onto.

06 December 2013

airplanes

Between going to Indianapolis for the Influence Conference and Mexico for a family vacation, I went on 8 fights in a short amount of time. I love flying. Here are some thoughts I jotted down on one of those flights.


why I love to fly on airplanes


There is a sweet and strange camaraderie that occurs on an airplane.

Magical moments as strangers share a knowing glance at the man with the obviously too large carry-on. 

Thoughts are shared immediately on flight take-off quality, because passengers know everything about airplanes.

Flight attendant whisper jokes to the passengers who hang out at the back of the plane instead of in their seats.

Bonded by hours spent squished together, where mere hours ago strangers boarded, now strangers are traveling accomplices.

It's similar to a family reunion. When you have to spend hours with people you don't truly know, you need to create allies to get through the day.

When the plane lands, the magic disappears.

Transfers to catch, bags to claim, vacations to being, homes to get to - the camaraderie proves to not be strong.

Accomplices resort to pushing one another in hopes of getting off the plane first.

Allies deny ever having met.

Knowing glances turn to glares.

Welcome to your destination.

04 December 2013

what's your belt of truth?

what is the truth you hold onto


I was at a women's retreat at the beginning of October and the takeaway for my heart was one question in particular that the speaker posed:

What's your belt of truth?

A belt of truth being that thing that you remember all the time. When a lie comes into your mind, you can combat it with truth.

Up until she made the reference, I'd never thought about how essential the belt of truth is to the life of a believer. It holds up our pants. That's what a belt does. It keeps us clothed.

What's your belt of truth?

Mine is that Christ is for me.

What's yours?

03 December 2013

the (lack of) need

I wrote this post while I was in Mexico back in October. My family went down for a week. It was a sweet trip, one that had been in the works for about a year, one where we celebrated my parents 40th anniversary. It was so special to see all of my siblings (and nieces and nephews) since only a small part of my family lives locally. 

I'm sitting in a comfy chair, in a cool bar at our resort in Mexico.

Atop my head is a cute fedora. Or at least I hope it looks cute. My hair is in two braids like a child. Unlike a child, to my right sits the half-done tasty cocktail.

An open book lays on the table, and other than the sunburn that has chased me for days, all is well. 

A few minutes ago, I stood in the shower. I stood there for a long time, letting the ocean sand and salt fall off, and the cold water refresh.

I feel similar about Mexico to how I felt about Vegas two years ago.

I love it. It's so fun. It's so fake. My family laugh about wanting another week here (probably more so because we're all together more than the location), but I miss the chaos of home.

Most specifically, I miss God. Here, I can go a day and He doesn't cross my mind. I think about the water, tequila, writing, my favourite server Antonio at the buffet ( one of the sweetest 15 year old my heart has ever met).

I don't need Jesus here. This magic land fulfills all of my earthly needs.

That fact terrifies me.

Home is chaos. Home is a new job the day after I get back. Home is the fact that I don't know when I'll have to move again.

At home, I am desperate for Christ because everything is chaotic. I seek Him. I crave Him. I cannot function without His leading.

Mexico is a dose of paradise. It really is. It's refreshed my weary bones and settled my anxious heart.

But home is good and better. 

Now don't mind me I'm off to order another tequila sunrise.


02 December 2013

a part to play

I was sitting at the piano, playing it for a dear 6 year old friend of mine. We do this many nights, me playing and singing, her singing along, pointing at my piano sheets and asking where on the page I am.

Sometimes she grabs her tap shoes and taps around the piano.

Sometimes she makes up new words.

Always, she inspires me to simply worship exactly where I am.

One night, I was playing a song that she liked (though, she pretty much claims every song as her favourite, so who knows) and she commented that I was playing it differently. At that moment, I was trying to sneak in some genuine practice for the following Sunday. I was playing my actual lines along with the chords, because I knew on Sunday I wouldn't be playing the chords - simply little melodic lines.

She asked why I was playing them.

I explained how on a typical Sunday on worship team, I don't play the same way I do with her. The other instruments play their lines and I play mine. I showed her what I played, and asked if she'd ever heard it that way during church.

She looked at me and said: Oh, that makes sense. We all have a part to play.

For whatever reason, I grabbed her into my arms and gave her a big hug.

Her words were so poignant to my heart in that moment.

I'm in a interesting new season right now. I live with a family, work as a nanny, babysit my niece, most of my evenings are filled with a Bible study or a community group, a worship practice, and if I'm having a good week, time with friends as well. It still feels new, and it's not where I expected my life to look like at this point.

But I am playing a part. It's a new part, a new line, a new melody.

On a day filled with grace filled conversation (it was a Sunday where I'd met a friend for coffee before church, gone to church, had good chats in the sanctuary after church, went out for tea with a friend, met friends via video chat, and had met this sweet friend for some singing. It was a good and fully wonderful day), it was this exchange with my dear 6 year old friend that impacted my heart.

It's easy for me to want to play all the roles, or to play the main one, the main chords that drive the song. Or to think that the line I've been given won't make the song sound right. But sometimes, in some seasons, for reasons that only God knows, we get to play little melodies. These lines are important, and songs are made beautiful because of them, but if they're played on their own, they feel a bit small.

That's why we need community, why we need to listen well to know when to play, and why we need our 6 year old friends to whisper truth to us on the days when we've forgotten.

you have worth

 


Have you had a conversation lately with somebody that wasn't meant to be spiritual but ended up all together encouraging your weary soul? I'd love to hear.