Hello! My name is Mitzi and I want to welcome you to my little blog.
Before blogs were even a “thing” and before there was even the internet, I have had a teeny, tiny dream that one day the Lord would have me write. I had no idea in what capacity that would be, but I always tucked that thought, that dream, away in my mind. Waiting. Wondering. Through the years God has continued to urge me to tell my story. And not only has God urged me too, I have been encouraged to write by folks that I’ve met along the way (in churches, guests in my home, and even someone I met in the health food store! You just never know where the Lord will speak to you). Sometimes our story may seem small and insignificant to us, but we have to realize that no one can tell it as we can. And if God is telling us to share our story, then share it we must!
“The one thing that you have that
nobody else has is you.
Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision.
So write and draw and build and play and live,
only as you can.“
My hope, as I share what God has done in my life, is that it will encourage others to keep going on even in the really difficult days. And if your difficult days turn into weeks and maybe years, I’d like to cheer you on and let you know that there is a God in heaven that is the Maker of the universe and He is more than willing and able to help you through whatever it is you’re going through. I KNOW ’cause He’s been there for me.
I grew up in the great outdoors in the beautiful state of Ohio with my four brothers – it was wonderful! Running through the woods, exploring caves, riding our bikes, climbing trees, swinging from vines, catching chipmunks, toads, and snakes; gigging bullfrogs (or hunting for morel mushrooms in the woods) for my mom to fry up for supper; riding stubborn ponies and sleek stallions, jumping in big piles of leaves, bribing my brothers to wash the supper dishes so I could stay outside and mow the yard. Ahhhh what a life! :o)
With my brothers. December 2013.
I met my husband, Joe, in my first year at a little Bible college in Ohio. He told me later that one of the things that drew him to me was when he saw me run up the stairs outside the dorms, two steps at a time (the “tomboy” still in me). Our first date was a favor for my roommate Eileen…she quit seeing her date soon after, but it was the beginning of a wonderful life together for Joe and me!!
We have been married for over 38 years and I can honestly say that Joe is my very best friend. He’s the quiet, steady type, which has been good for my not so quiet/not so steady type. We have been through a lot together and thankfully it has made us “better” and not “bitter” – and all the credit for that goes to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!!
We were abundantly blessed with 7 beautiful babies – 3 boys and 4 girls – in the first 11 years of our marriage. Busy, busy years of diapers, runny noses, breaking up squabbles, and trying to homeschool in the middle of it all. It was challenging, but so, so worth it!!
March of 1992 we started down a road we didn’t dream we’d ever have to travel. The dreaded “C” word entered our life.
{I am working on writing the whole story of our son Benjamin…but for now, you can read about him here, here, here, and here.}
Our sweet Benjamin – and his sweet smile!
Benjamin was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was about a month away from his 4th birthday. A 12-hour brain surgery and almost 2 weeks flat on his back with 2 drainage tubes coming out of the top of his head, Ben started his brave battle with cancer. Even being so young and dealing with so much, he was always sweet and thoughtful.
The doctors had warned us that the process of dying with Benjamin’s type of cancer was not nice, but God, in His great goodness, came and took our Benjamin early in the morning of August 16, 1993 – quietly and gently. Ben was in Sunday School on August 15th, and visiting his friends in church again that night; the next morning he woke up in Heaven. I have precious memories of laying in bed with Ben that last night; we were both laying in his bed “snoring” very loudly as Daddy came to tuck him in and say goodnight. Tickling, giggles, and kisses goodnight. We had no idea we were kissing him goodbye.
We are so thankful for the 5 years, 3 months, and 19 days that we had little Benjamin Joseph in our family – oh how I miss him.
That smile! August 15th, Sunday afternoon
Three months after Benjamin passed away our family moved to beautiful, northern Canada to help in a little church. (We have lived in Canada for over 27 years now and we still don’t say “Eh?”!! Impressive, huh?! ;o) In our years here we’ve lived in Ontario and Manitoba; and Joe pastored a church for 11 years in Saskatchewan and now we live in Alberta, where we have started Capital City Baptist Church – whew!!
We have been blessed with 2 wonderful sons-in-law and 9 beautiful grandchildren – 8 boys and 1 little girl! I absolutely love being called “Grammy!!”
Some things that I love…the Lord, my family, coffee, thrifting, reading, walking, writing in a pretty journal with pretty stickers on every page ;), things shabby and chippy and vintage, drinking coffee from a pretty mug, Mini Coopers (most adorable car on the road!!), the color pink, decorating/rearranging a room (I tell people it’s my therapy – love it! ), popcorn – with orange juice (yes! try it!!), trying my hand at watercolor and brush lettering, and more coffee…I’m sure the list could be three times as long but that’s it for now!
When folks see us from the outside they often think (and sometimes voice) that we’re the “perfect” family…but let me tell ya, we are not! We definitely have our problems, our struggles, and our issues!! And we KNOW it, cause we live with each other!
But we love each other and we love the LORD and we are striving to please Him and to let our lights shine a little brighter in the world around us.
