So its been awhile! Life has been extraordinarily busy of late! So here is a quick update on whats up in the Dekker family!

This past spring we have been getting used to a regular work schedule for Nathan. It has been crazy as he has been working sometimes more than 50 hours a week. Good for the bank account but it keeps us very busy! We have been living in Edmonton for almost a year now! Its hard to believe that the time has gone by so fast! This summer we have a few major things taking place which will make things busy again but should lead to some quieter days to come.

Last week we attended Nathan's graduation ceremony in Medicine Hat. It was a lot of fun. It was great to see him finally walking across that stage and fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming an RN!

This past week we moved. It was a bit of a sudden move that we can only attribute to God! We weren't necessarily planning to move but the perfect place came up and God worked out all the details to make it possible for us to move in right away. Which meant that instead of my typical super-organized-packing-for-days type of move, we had a three week notice, no time to pack move! This week has been very crazy but so far I am almost organized again. I have a bit of stuff left at the old place with our new roomie! :) As well as a few boxes left to unpack at a later date. Our new place is great! It is a house...three bedrooms on the main floor and one finished bedroom in the basement. We now have a wonderful backyard where we can set up our new BBQ(a wedding present from 6 years ago that we were unable to use until now!), herb garden, and flowers! I will include pictures at a later date!

We are leaving in a few days to go visit some good friends in the USA whom we have not seen for 5 years. We are very excited! It will be a lot of fun!

Thats a quick update on whats been going on lately.

Thoughts in the Dark...

How do I put into words the way I have been feeling these past several months…My heart is torn in so many ways and I feel so dissatisfied with the status quo. I am torn between the fear of what may come and the desire for more than the present holds. I feel burdened by the sorrows and fears that plague me on a daily basis. I don’t know how to be strong and brave. I feel as weak and helpless as a baby. I want to rest in Your arms and in Your love but my fear is holding me back. I feel like a prisoner held captive by an enemy too strong for any mortal man to vanquish. I know you are strong enough but what if I am not? What if I can’t handle whatever may come. The present troubles are almost too much for me to handle as it is and to even think of those that are waiting around the corner leaves me trembling with anxiety. I want to be strong, I want to be brave and to trust that what You have for me is the best but with that comes acceptance. Acceptance of things that I don’t feel I can accept. My heart is weak and my mind is troubled. I need Your peace and Your security. I need to know that Your love can get me through. That I don’t have to be strong on my own. I have no strength, no matter how hard I try the path keeps getting darker and more tangled with the weeds of fear and doubt. I know the answers, the solutions that I should be grasping for but they keep getting lost in the mire of my mind. I can’t go on without you. I can’t survive this battle for my very being. The enemy is gaining more ground each day it seems and my will to fight becomes weaker and weaker. God, grant me the strength to fight a little more each day. The will to carry on when all seems dark and terrible around me. Show me that You are holding on to me when my fingers are too tired to grasp Yours. I cannot exist without You, without Your strength, Your presence, Your life in me. I am tired of being the lazy, selfish, irresponsible child that I am. I am sick of wallowing in self-pity and lies. I cannot bear to be the person that I see in Your mirror held up to my heart. Too long have I allowed these feelings and thoughts to consume my soul. Too long have I pretended to be strong enough on my own. Too long has my heart poisoned itself with the lies that I am unlovable and worthless. I give myself to You once again in my hour of need with the realization that once again I have let myself come to the point of exhaustion and despair. So many times I have vowed to never be here again and yet I find myself coming back over and over. I know many things but how do I make my heart believe them and take courage from them? I need You more than I have ever needed You before. May this be the last time that I forget to trust You for my existence. Take this lonely broken heart of mine and make it Yours more fully than ever before. May I be so lost in You that I can never find myself to walk away again. Grant me Your peace and love; the strength and comfort I need to face each day as I awake, that I may be a faithful and true servant to you. May I learn to trust You more each day that the things which haunt my waking and my sleeping would no more hold such power over my heart.

First Date by Krista McGee

First Date by Krista McGee is a fun, lighthearted read. I picked up the book looking for something quick and easy to read and found it to be just that. It is based on the book of Esther in the Bible.

The book is placed in a reality tv show setting where a young girl is entered into a contest to become the prom date of the US president's son. It follows her adventures as she learns to listen to God's voice and interacts with her fellow contestants, staff, and of course, the president's son.

I enjoyed the fact that it was not just a modern version of Esther but used some literary freedom in representing the story of Esther in a modern day world. The characters were youthful and lively which made for a fun read. It didn’t have the depth of a novel written for an older audience but that was not detrimental to this novel as it was written for a teen audience. I thought the writing style was a bit simplistic and the plot was somewhat farfetched but overall the message of the book was good and it was an enjoyable read. I would recommend this book to a teenager looking for something fun and uplifting.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

My Newest Venture

So I have decided to start a food blog. I have had quite a few people ask for recipes for things in the past and I decided that it would be a good idea to post all these recipes on my blog. I probably won't be posting that often but I'm hoping at least a couple times a month. You can keep me accountable!! :) I also want to start blogging on this one more often. I'm kinda bad at this!

Well my new blog is coming soon. I have not completely set it up but I am hoping to within the next couple of days. Let me know if there are any things that interest you as far as recipes or the like. I hope to get a lot of feedback on the types of food that people would like to see on the blog.

Love You More by Jennifer Grant

Love You More, by Jennifer Grant is a book about the joys and trials of adopting a daughter. Grant goes through the entire process detailing what they went through in deciding to adopt through to bringing their daughter home. The family had three biological children and then became interested in pursuing adoption.While not an easy procedure, the author confirms repeatedly that the end result was worth every minute of the journey. This family will never be the same again and neither will anyone who reads this book.

I picked up this book because of an interest that I have had for years in adoption. Coming from a family with adopted children, I have always kept adoption in the back of my mind for my own family. This book is an excellent resource for anyone who is considering adoption or just for an inspiring read. Her style is warm and captivating with a refreshingly honest perspective. It is a practical yet truly funny book; easy to read and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it helpful in its informative nature. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in adoption or just for the pure pleasure of this storylike narrative of a family's journey to become complete.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

This is Your Brain in Love by Earl Henslin

This book is based on the premise that in order to be the best lover that you can be to your spouse, you need to be your best. In order to accomplish that you need to recognize any problems in your brain that may be hindering your ability to respond to your spouse in an appropriate and loving way. Henslin chose five different types of problems that can be present in the brain and affect the way we respond to each other. He addressed each type specifically by describing the problem, its symptoms, and how it can be treated with drugs and supplements, as well as ways for the affected person and their spouse to cope with the issue. I appreciated the fact that the author encourages couples to work on their problems and gives hope for resolving conflict within a marriage.

I picked up this book not expecting to be very enthralled by it but I was pleasantly surprised. Henslin's writing style is easy to read and informative. This book was one of the easiest to read nonfiction books that I have ever read. I enjoyed the practical nature of this book. It was written in a way that made it practical to a layperson who has little experience with problems of the brain. I learned things about myself and why I respond to my spouse in certain ways. It was a very helpful book and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to make their marriage better.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

I have a love-hate relationship with my sewing machine!

Ah the joys of the modern age! I can sew at the speed of light compared to hand sewing. That is if my machine will cooperate with me. I have been sewing all evening and not a misstep anywhere! It is truly amazing. Yesterday, however, I sewed for 10 minutes and had to take every seam out and resew just to take it out all over again. I'm not sure where the difference is. It boggles my mind!
I am attempting to sew a large quantity of products for my business in order to build up my inventory. I am planning to begin sales imminently, hopefully on a large scale. I am working on a blog, Etsy store, and a Facebook page to use as advertising and sales tools. I am also hoping to attempt selling at a farmer's market probably in Medicine Hat for the summer and in Edmonton in the fall. I have been able to do quite a bit of work despite the problems with a temperamental sewing machine!
Thus my love-hate relationship with my sewing machine! I couldn't work with out it but some days it won't work with me! Thank God for the times when it does work and I can get lots done!