Between The Lines...

We often post pictures or blurbs on our social media feeds that allow our friends and family to capture glimpses of our days, lives, journeys and adventures. 

We have fun scrolling through and catching up with friends and relatives watching them conquer, battle and celebrate different milestones along their journey.   Social media pages scream out daily for likes, shares and acceptance. Depending on who is posting what, many emotions are felt by those scrolling through daily feeds. Some make us feel great, some cause us to get excited, and some can make us feel like we aren't measuring up. As we focus on the highlights of ones life, and magnify one portion, segment or moment of ones journey, we forget they too have real life happening 'Between the Lines'.  You see we all have stories, we all have what we call 'real life' happening each and every day. The one moment we tend to post may actually only be 1% of the reality we faced that day.

Over the last 10 days many of you have seen pictures of our time in Rwanda. You've seen pictures of us scouting out land, celebrating the purchase of land, holding precious babies and so much more. Those were all the amazing highlights! Truth is traveling is extremely  hard on my body. This trip in particular as we are on our final lag home from Rwanda, after a few delays, 18 hours of air time, and an 8 hour layover I find myself weeping on the plane as I listen to Healing is here. Crying out before the Lord to heal my stomach, to heal my mouth. Smells and certain foods can make my stomach rumble, leaving  me quite queazy. Africa can be one of the hardest places for me to be as my stomach can be temperamental and once I leave the hotel setting, washrooms are  rare not the norm. As I eat foods my body isn't use to, it can send signals almost instantly to my stomach which causes me to sweat and desperately look for a restroom. There were many bouts of an unsettled stomach this trip, but one time specifically this week where it was more than I could bare. We were in a coffee shop and it hit me.... Jamie pointed to a restroom. As I bolted for the not so inviting door I was hesitant to go in as what lied just beyond it was a mystery. But at this point I knew there was no other option. I raced through the door and saw a beautiful sink... praise The Lord,  looking just past the sink my eyes looked through the stall ...and there it was, a hole... an itty bitty drain hole. How in the world?!!
Oh God, come to my rescue!! THERE IS NO WAY!! I ran back out to Jamie and asked him to lay hands on me. We cried out to The Lord to settle my stomach. God was faithful! My stomach settled for the rest of the day. That may seem like a small feat to some but for me that was a miracle and a major answer to prayer. Truth is, each day as we left the hotel in the morning and again in the evening there was part of me always calculating how close the next bathroom would be. Would there be one? Would my body be okay?  Oh God, help me. Not only do I wrestle with my stomach but also with my mouth. I am prone to cankers. Seriously, these things are terrible. With lack of sleep and acidic foods they roll in. I'm not just talking about one or two of them, but they seem to sound the alarm and rally the troops filling my whole mouth and depending on their location can radically effect how and what I'm able to eat.

Why am I writing this? Why am I giving you a little too much information? Because pictures don't paint reality. 

We simply don't just hop on a plane, enter a dream,  take a few pictures and head back home.There are things we have suffered through when The Lord called us. There will potentially be things you could suffer with when The Lord calls you. Laying in airports, awaiting planes and delays, putting up with cramping and rumbling stomach issues, a mouth full of sores and pain is the 'between the lines' portion of the vision. Making arrangements for children, church, school and work to allow us to GO, is the 'Between the Lines', portion of our lives. Leaving the comfort of our home, vehicles, food, finances and precious children, is all for the glory of God. It purifies my faith and helps develop my perseverance. 

You see I never asked The Lord  to call me to missions, but I did ask The Lord to give me the nations as an inheritance. I did cry out the Lord and prayed 'SEND ME!!' I did cry out to the Lord and said, 'USE ME!' There are so many things in life we dismiss and give up on because when we start walking it out we leave what we thought would be bliss and enter suffering... so we walk away. We give up the faith we once had, the dreams we once dreamt and the visions we once saw because we thought they'd look and feel different. . We look at others public lives and roads and forget to realize they too have 'Between the Lines' moments.' 1 Peter 1:7-9 is a verse I cling to. 'These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold- though your faith is far more precious than gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials. It will bring you much praise and glory on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed.'

House of Hope was nothing I ever imagined The Lord would call me to, and when He called me these struggles were not something that was for seen (by me). But in spite of the physical challenges I've tried to be obedient to His call, to cling to the verse 'I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens ME!'  God showed me the vision, but I can't do it alone. I rely on His voice, His strength, His healing, His peace and His Wisdom, to lead me, guide me and gird me up each and every hour of each and everyday and through that and through Him is where I find the JOY in the process. 

 

After all the physical shenanigans when we finally landed in Toronto
we got to our vehicle and saw our two tires had been slashed. So
we arrived home in a tow truck after 33 hours of travel!
We honestly laughed when we saw our car. God is good. We have
learned to try to find the humour in the chaos!! 

The Dirt on Marriage...

Now that I have your attention, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty!  Let’s be real, marriage is NO joke and is definitely not easy!!  Marriage involves the good, the bad and the ugly.  Seriously, did you think your spouse would look like that in the morning?  All joking aside, I LOVE LOVE LOVE being married.  When we first got married I remember thinking, “Who said marriage was a gift?  A gift!!  Really?!  What kind of sick joke was this?  If this was a gift then I wanted a FULL refund!”  This was NOT what I ordered, and definitely not what I signed up for.  Only to realize this waaaas what I ordered, and this waaaas what I signed up for.

Not only did I sign up for it, but I also made a covenant, not only with this man, but before Almighty God.  I declared to my friends, family and the world that I would love, honour and cherish him.  Do you remember declaring those words too?  The ones you so boldly recited?  I can almost hear them now… I, HEATHER, take you, Jamie, to be my husband.  For better, for worse, rich or poor, in sickness and in health..shallowly focusing on the “better”, the “rich” and the “healthy” portions of my vows and quickly skimming over the thoughts of the worse, the poor and the sick.  After all we were going to live on love and nothing could touch us, right?!

This man, the one I stood and declared my love for, the one I smiled from ear to ear when he asked me to marry him….was the very one I wished would walk out, would walk away.  My life would be better, right?  I could do it better on my own, couldn’t I?  We battled, oh did we battle.  I still remember the day I had spaghetti thrown at me, and the day I was so mad I locked him in the garage…for a long period of time.  I remember him pounding on the interior door and me leaning against it laughing, thinking “I won this round pal!”  Yes, we battled…and battled hard about nothing significant, nothing really worth battling over.  We are the all or nothing type of couple.  Gloves off, let’s see whose will is stronger.

Come on, here’s another scenario you may be familiar with…No you shut the lights off, no you shut the lights off…only to both be in bed with the overhead light blazing your face all hours of the night because neither one of you would humble yourselves and shut the light off.  Hogging the covers?  Oh wow, now you’ve really done it… only to rip them off and throw them over the banister to the level below and shivering all night because you wouldn’t cave and go get them.  Looking back now I see neither one of us won… we both lost big time.  We were both stubborn and to be honest very selfish… after all why should I have to unload the dishwasher…oh the audacity!!  Change the baby??!!  Are you serious?  Can’t you?!  After all you’re just sitting there, I know I’m just sitting here too, but I’ve been with the children all day while you were at work!

Come on, while you’re reading this, it seems so immature… but it happens all the time.  Couples battling over the stupidest things, sacrificing the closeness and intimacies of marriage over childish things.  We witness in marriages all the time.  Watching those who have desired, prayed and cried out for spouses, now cuss and lose complete control over a 60 second diaper change.  Oh God help us…. open our eyes to see the big picture and not focus on our blessings as inconveniences.  Help us to see you’ve blessed us helpmates and not prison mates.

We had so much to learn, and so much to gain…if we would just die to self.  Could we?  Would we?  People ask us all the time for marriage advice and for counsel.  The answer we give them is this… Get closer to Jesus.  Pursue the Lord.  Some stare at us, wanting a magic pill or 3 step program and solution, but honestly that’s what we did.  We never had marriage counselling… even though we were prime candidates for it on many levels.  Literally, the closer and more serious we became about The Lord, the tighter knit we became.  We fell in love with Jesus and it caused us to fall in love with one another in a way we never thought possible.  The more we laid our lives down for one another, the stronger our relationship became.  We soon realized we weren’t enemies, but we were on the same team.  Team Paton, contending for the same things, the promises God spoke over our marriage and family.  We realized there was a major war on marriages, and that if we allowed it … ours would quickly become another statistic instead of a force to be reckoned with.

My marriage advice… Pursue the Lord with ALL your heart, He’s the only one that can and will ever completely fulfill you.  He’s the only one that will never let you down.  He will lead, guide and protect you when you live under His covering.  Love and cherish your spouse, I mean OOZE love…Go out of your way to serve them…they are YOUR helpmate.  Speak reaffirming words over them and watch your marriage radically transform.  Aim for selflessness not selfishness and watch how the resentment turns to joy.  Marriage is one of the oldest covenants between God and man.  Two people becoming one flesh.  The Word says what God has joined together let no man separate.  You’ve got to determine in your heart that giving up isn’t an option.  Marriage is not 50/50, but 100/100.  Don’t wait for your spouse to start…YOU start.  Don’t allow the enemy to get a foothold in your marriage and if he has one… take authority over it, and pray!

NOTHING is impossible with God!!  Believe that He who began a good work in you WILL complete it!  I’m not saying each day will be easy…I”m saying each day and each trial will be worth it when you come out the other side knowing you made it!

I encourage you to …Seek the Lord with all your heart.  Be selfless and learn to serve your spouse.  BE FUN TO LIVE WITH!  Cover your spouses weaknesses… if you won’t love, encourage, help and protect him, who will? Spice things up!

• Whistle and wink when he walks in the room.
• Plant a big wet kiss on him and gross your children out!
• Pray with him and for him.
• Go out for dinner… spend some money!!
• Write a note and stick it on the bathroom mirror for him to see when he wakes up.
• Throw a cup of freezing cold water on him while he’s singing in the shower….(remember be fun to live with).
• Ask him what God’s saying to him or showing him.
• Leave a gift card for his favourite coffee shop on his steering wheel so he can grab a treat on his way to work.
• Throw out those nasty jogs he despises and invest in some fun lounge wear.
• Text him mid day and let him know you’re thinking about him.
• Text him a verse that came to mind when you were praying for him..( I don’t recommend, “Get thee behind me satan!”.)
• Have sex… God created it, and it is GOOD!

Don’t compare your marriage to anyone else’s…our paths and journey’s are all so different.  Find the uniqueness and beauty in yours!

It's the Little Things...

It's the Little Things.....

Hot drinks, Christmas movies and wrapping gifts. There's something so special about buying & wrapping gifts for those you love. Thinking about what suits them and what they're interested in then finding the perfect gift to bless them with. This year I've decided to top each persons gift off with a picture of a fun 'key' memory or moment we've had together this year. Making opening gifts a time to remember and recall all the good times and blessings we've had. Cherish family, create memories... All the little moments are the ones that make your journey so precious. ‪#‎Christmas‬ ‪#‎gifts‬ ‪#‎wrapping‬





(I saw a similar idea online where they just used photos. I felt to use photos of key moments of our families lives from this year).

We Bought LAND!!!!

WE BOUGHT LAND!!! 

God is so good. He planted a vision in my heart two years ago and it wasn't one I had ever foreseen before. Last year on my birthday we shared and launched a House of Hope video to share the vision with our friends and family, this year on my birthday this happened!! Without Faith it is impossible to please God. I'm thankful He has lead us every step of the way. And we are so thankful to so many friends, family, and coworkers who invested into House of Hope at the Gala and to those who have heard the vision along the way. Thank you for being a key part in this!!! Your faithfulness has made this possible!! We looked at 4 properties, really 3. The first one Pastor Moses didn't even let us get out of the car. Ha! Jamie mentioned before looking at the properties that we wouldn't make the decision the same day, that we would pray, and seek The Lord. Obviously, I thought....until I saw the first property!! It was gorgeous...but WAY out of our price range and much bigger than we needed. The second property was the same. Then we came to one last property it was smaller a cute size. As Moises was talking about this property something inside of me lept, this was it. Jamie and I were looking at each other as if we both knew. It's located right beside the church in this one particular village we minister in. Even though I believe we still knew, we still wanted to take the night to pray and to seek counsel from a few others who are key in this decision making process. They too felt this was the one. Praise The Lord! He is so faithful. Thank you God for making my gift this year one I never realized I needed.... land in Rwanda to build a home for children who need one. What a dream come true!  #fivetwentyone #38thbirthday #HouseofHope

I went because God revealed to me that I should GO...

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This morning while curling up with the Word in my comfy blue chair I flipped to the book of Galatians. Over the past little while I've been reading and reading this portion of scripture. Today as I was reading, Galatians 2:2(a) jumped off the page and resignated with my spirit. This past weekend we had the opportunity to minister at a friends church and  to share the vision of House of Hope. As I was sharing I felt prompted to share this:
I had never had a desire to travel, other than hitting the hottest beach down south.
I had never considered personally doing mission work.
I had never been give a prophetic word in regards to being a missionary.
But when Jamie was in Rwanda for  his third time,  I was expecting our 5th child, and was painting . As I was painting all of a sudden I felt in my spirit that  the next time Jamie went back to Rwanda, I would be going. I remember weeping....
So today when I read Galatians 2:2 where Paul says 'I went there because God revealed to me that I should go.' It jumped off the page. I'm so thankful I followed the unction of the Spirit. We need to be open to His leading.  He led me to Rwanda, not because it was initially my desire, but because it was His. Through that uncomfortable act of obedience, God has birthed dreams and desires inside of me that are beyond my wildest dreams.

After six years of traveling to this precious country... In less than three weeks we will be heading back to Rwanda and purchasing land to build a home; House of Hope. A home for a small group of children who don't have one. The amazing part is that we haven't done this alone, we have done it by the leading of the Spirit and by the partnership of so many friends and family.

His vision becomes our mission.....
I encourage you to pay attention to those unctions and nudges from the Spirit and let the words of Paul resignate in your spirit :
'I went there because God revealed to me that I should go.'





For more info on House of Hope go to:
www.thesanctuarylondon.com you'll see a House of Hope tab.

I am thankful!

Tonight I’m thankful! 

There were so many incredible testimonies this weekend! To God be the Glory, great things He has done and what amazing things He IS doing!!  Yesterday a young man was wandering the streets and heard a voice tell him to go to the old movie theatres. He stopped and turned around and headed in that direction. When he arrived at what he thought was the old theatres, he saw our church and peered in the windows. When a young man in the church saw him looking in, he went out and welcomed him and asked him to have a cup of coffee with him. He was visibly struggling with addiction, but was welcomed and greeted with open arms, by serval people.  From there realizing he once walked with he Lord. He stayed for service and was ministered too, he snuck out at the end of service but Praise the Lord, we may never see him again but seeds were sown and we are believing they will take root!  

Last night as service was kicking off I was waiting for my youngest daughter to arrive at the church so was hanging around in the lobby. A young mom who doesn’t attend our church came through the doors with her young baby. She had a concerned look on her face.  We greeted her at the coffee bar and she mentioned there was a homeless man sitting in front of the plaza with a dog. No mission was able to take him in because he was accompanied by his dog. She had bought him some food but couldn’t offer him anything more…. She had mentioned when she saw this man, she initially just walked by him, but the further she got from him the more convicted she felt and she heard the Lord tell her to turn around, and go back to this man, she went into the store he was sitting in front of and bought him some food, but that’s all she could offer him. She had a heart of compassion and desired to help..but there was nothing more she could do for him. Which is when she realized our church doors were open.

As she was sharing what had taken place, I told her I’d go talk with him. As I headed out of our building one of our ushers happened to come out of the sanctuary. Amazingly enough he also happens to be an animal lover. I said ‘Hey if there was a homeless man who couldn’t find a place to stay for the night because he had a dog,  would you take the dog in for a couple nights until he had place to stay?” He said, Yeah, of course. (I looked at him and said, “You would?, Come with me.'

We went around the building and found this young man, he was in his early 20’s just sitting there. He looked like many of the other people we find around our city, lost, sad and hopeless. He was cold, sitting with a sign propped up on his lap. His dog laid beside him. We introduced ourselves and let him know that if he needed a bed, we would get him transportation to the mission and would watch his dog for a couple nights until he found a place. He was hesitant as his dog was all he had. As we shared more with him about who were were and what God was doing in the lives of those in our church, we asked if he’d like to join us for service. He wanted to come! As we walked around the building, we reaffirmed that his dog was well taken care of. At this point I was still waiting for my daughter so we needed a vehicle to take this dog to the home where he would be staying for a few nights, instantly another usher came out who also loves pets and when we shared what was going on, he immediately responded that he would give them a ride to get the dog settled.  The three men and the dog went for a quick drive, got the dog settled and the man came back for service. The word was powerful, this young man who was previously cold, lonely and hopeless was now surrounded by men of God who desired to see him restored and made whole. He stayed until the end of the service and was ministered to. Following the service I was tied up and when I was leaving I saw him being escorted by another young man who was carrying all of his bags to the bus stop for him. I was SMILING from ear to ear… our people, they have the heart of Christ, they desired to GO…and to seek and save the lost. 

This morning, when I pulled into church…guess who walked in with me? This gentleman! Hallelujah!!! Again he was greeted and welcomed into the House of God… He worshipped alongside of our church family, sitting in the front row. Hope is being restored. 

I love and such a heart of the down and out. I have a heart for those who are struggling, and lost. I have a heart to see the potential in those that can’t see the potential in themselves. The amazing thing is, God has blessed our house with people with the same heart. We are surrounded by men and women who love God. Some have come from great homes, some have come from backgrounds most can’t relate with. 

Last night wasn’t a one man show, as I looked over the night I was amazed to see how many hands were involved in this process.

One lady hearing the voice of God and turning around… realizing she couldn’t solve his problems she reached out and asked for help.

I am not intimated by people, so it was easy for me to approach this man..but you better believe I am not a dog lover so couldn’t help there, so the Lord sent someone out of service at the EXACT time we needed somewhere for the dog to go. Then when we realized we couldn’t transport the dog, God sent someone else out who was willing to take the dog over to where he would be looked after for a few days. As this was going on  the ladies in the coffee bar said, while you were out we were praying for discernment for you guys as you ministered! Ha. Someone gave bus fare and someone carried his bags and walked with him to the bus stop!! Come on…God was surely at work!

There are so many times we don’t do anything because we think we can’t do it all…. so we pass by. 

I am so thankful this lady didn’t just hear the voice of God but that she was obedient to it. When she realized there was a need bigger than her, she sought help. 

i’m so thankful that someone offered to take in a strange dog! I’m so thankful that the bystanders didn’t just stand there, but that they watched over the house and were praying for those involved! I am thankful that God uses all of us, in different ways to accomplish great things. This young man has a place to stay as of Monday, but just didn’t for two nights. Thank you Lord for your timing and for your provision in every step of this process. 

I love our church and the diversity in the house. I love that we have all walks of life in our building…but our hearts are united. I love that we all realize that we all fall short of God’s glory, whether we live in a 6 bedroom house and make six figures or live in government housing and make very little. God loves us all the same and so we desire to treat each other accordingly….Tonight I’m just thankful. I”m thankful for the Godly relationships The Lord’s put in our lives and the timely words he brings. 

I’m thankful for The Sanctuary and for those who have stuck it out when we’ve gone through tough seasons. I’m thankful that God is s restorer of all that’s been lost or stolen. I”m thankful that even though there have been times so many have reached out to those who appear to be in need, only to realize they’ve been milked  that it hasn’t allowed us to become jaded. I’m thankful that God will use each and everyone of us to reach all walks of life, rich, poor, clean, addicted, young, old, educated, non educated. He’s not looking for the perfect, he’s looking for the willing! 

And most of all, I’m thankful that God chooses to use each and everyone of us, each and everyday if we are willing! 

James 2:1-12

Once A Month Cooking - You Can Do it!

I honestly can't believe this is Labour Day weekend! It feels like I just scooped the children up on the last day and school and rushed off to the beach for the afternoon. This summer has been full of cliff jumps, cannon balls, rollercoasters, camps, cottage time, day trips and lounging by the pool.... and to be honest, I'm not ready for it to be over!

When any change comes I feel the need to clean, cook and purge! I desire to get my home and things in alignment so I can tackle the new season with a sense of readiness. Yesterday was a long day, but for some reason on those really exhausting days, I seem to push myself farther?? So... I called up my neighbour and asked if she wanted to accompany me to COSTCO. I loaded up on school snacks and groceries to do my big cook off!

Today I was up and at it early so I could do another quick grocery shop and load up on Freezer Bags and Tin containers. Many of you have asked about the Once a  Month Cooking... and I always hear, "You're so organized! I wish I could do that''. YOU CAN!! I am not any more organized than another. I have list in my journal of our favourite meals and that's what I try to focus on and make for the month. To be honest when I hit the grocery store, I don't even take a list. I rush through the isles and throw this and that in. I'm not a precise cook... I"m an adventurous one. I know roughly what I'd like to make and start tossing things in the cart. It's nice knowing when these meals are completed that all I have to do is throw on a pot of rice, add fresh veg, salad or fresh bread to any of these meals to make them healthy and complete!

Why do I do the 'Once a Month Cooking?"

1. It saves time. (5 hours to complete 29 meals is better than 45 min every day for the month!)
2. It allows our family to eat great quality meals, even though we are busy and on the go.
3. It saves money. (No more stopping and grabbing what's convenient and racking up unnecessary charges)
4. It saves dishes!! No more prep dishes for the month!!
5. It brings PEACE to our home. (Anyone of us can walk to the freezer, pick out a meal, pop it in the crock pot or stove, and BAM! Dinner is served!)

Is it a long day cooking? Yes! But there are choices we make in our family to make life easier and run smoother. Eating dinner as a family is big to us. The stories we hear and the laughs we share  as we're gathered around the table each night is vital. We laugh, we laugh until we cry, we train and instil manners and this time allows us all to reconnect after being pulled in different directions throughout the day, and often times in the evening following our meals. (Side note : Our dinner table is often a gong show. The children are all expressive and animated, so although we desire to teach & train them....things can get wildly funny and Pa Paton has to bring us all back into alignment.)

I'd encourage you, if you feel run ragged, or feel something has to give to tackle this! You can do it! Sit with your family and compile a list of your favourite meals, then away you go!

List of What I made in my 5 1/2  hour stretch.
- 2 x 7 Smothered Swiss Black forest Chicken Breasts
- 2 x 7 Salsa Chicken (Family Fav!)
- 2 Ham & Pineapple
- 2 Shepherds Pie (Family Size)
- 3 Lunch Sizes that feed two (great for Jamie & Syd for work)
- 2 Family Sized Chili
- 2 Meatloaf
- 3 Family Sized Lasagna
- 1 Lunch Sized Lasagna
- 1 Family Sized Mac & Cheese
- 2 (lunch portions feeds two)
- 2 Chicken Stir Fry
- 2 Freezer Bags of cooked Ground beef (great for Tacos, Nachos, Cabbage Rolls, Spaghetti Sauce)
- 3 Freezer Bags of cooked chicken breasts shredded (great for BBQ Chicken, enchiladas)

Tips : 

• The Dollarstore has freezer bags and tin foil containers for $1.25.
• Don't stress it... your kitchen will be messy, have fun!
• If you're doing a lot of veggies google blanching. You want to make sure your veggies still taste great and are giving you all the nutrients they are desired to give! 
• Learn to treasure table time... it's when your children open up!