The NorMel House

2. “Seek the Lord First” : Judges 4: 1-7, 23 Judges 4: 1-7, 14a  After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the Lord. So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help. Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his troops to the Kishon River and give him ...

At this very moment there is a tiny paw pushing against my cheek, a wet little tongue slicking my chin and a little black nose that keeps poking my face. I've dubbed this little one Polar Piglet. She eats like a little piggy and looks like a mini polar bear. Her brother looks just like their daddy. My fat little puppies have outgrown the neck warmer title and no longer fit in my hoodie. Yes, I'd wear a hoodie backwards and hold them in the hood to snuggle. Don't judge, if you thought of it I just know you wouldn't be able to resist doing it too. Don't deny it! This little moment was a small mercy for today. A rough day made just a bit better by the comfort of a small chubby puppy showing me affection. Small mercies. #TheNorMelHouse where puppy snuggles are cherished and each one treasured

Some days are just hard. You think you're starting to get on top of things but you get knocked off your feet. Grief can do that. It's ok to grieve, it's ok to have a bad day, and it's ok to need time to gather yourself. But make sure you do; don't let your grief take over and keep you down. I know it can be hard. Many things can take you off guard and send your mood spiralling down the drain. I once worked at a place that gave me some seriously emotional bruising. Every day I had to go in felt worse and worse. Im fairly certain that while it was an awful situation, I probably could have dealt with it a bit better if I'd realized it was only one part of my life. I let it take over and allowed myself to become miserable all the time. It definitely wasn't the healthy way to deal with it. Sometimes work can feel like everything in your life, but it truly isn't. My poor hubby had to hear me upset and frustrated and emotional every day! Talk about being a de...

I'd like to share a series of devotionals my mother wrote for a Quilting Retreat she ran with some friends. I've taken the liberty of using them as a basis for inspiration and further study for myself. I found myself digging a bit deeper into scripture and my own contemplations and thought I should share. I hope you are inspired to open your Bible and add your own notes and thoughts as well. What does God’s word teach about Dealing with Problems? 1.       “Believe”: Genesis 18: 13-14             Genesis 18: 13-14             Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.”             All of life has ...

Okay, so I may be completely and utterly in love. I love my Miss Roxie and I love her adorable, chubby babies. I am currently curled up on the couch and my hoodie appears to be squirming and grunting. Feeling jealous? Who wouldn't be jealous of adorable squirming, grunting and soft little round bellied puppies. I don't think words can describe how therapeutic and wonderful it is.  I can't help but be amazed at the intricacy of God's creation. Each life is unique, each body depending on so many things taking place just to make even the smallest movements. And so many unaware. We take breathing for granted until it's taken away. We take so many things for granted that we feel are just normal every day functions but it's amazing what a change of perspective can do. Watching one puppy take its last breath made me want to hold these two even closer. Each moment with them is precious.  From #theNorMelHouse where each day over the next several weeks will be fill...

So, here I am... 5 days post vet visits. Two little piglets left. My sweet little Brownie got worse and died Tuesday morning. I may have cried...a lot. It's really hard not to cry when you've put your heart into something, it hurts to lose it. On the positive side Miss Roxie, Knightly Junior and our little Polar Piglet are doing well. Poor Roxie went sniffing around a few times - I think she thought we were hiding the puppies somewhere. A rough couple of days. There are many who will understand my grief over the loss of a few puppies, and there are others that will laugh or think I'm nuts. If you've ever had a beloved pet I'm sure you understand. You love them, care for them, feed them, hold them close to your heart. They become a part of your life, your family, your home; it's like losing a member of your family. I know, I know, they aren't literally your babies, but they are family. As you may imagine the week has been a sleepless one. I was up bottle f...

Rough start. Little Miss Roxie started New Year's Day off with a x-ray at the vets. I felt she was way past due and took her in. I thought she was displaying signs of pre-labor but not progressing enough for my liking. Looking at the x-ray the pups weren't anywhere near lined up or positioned properly so he sent me home. Around 4pm she was having some minor contractions but not pushing and lost what appeared to be placenta fluid... Sadly she ended up having a stillborn boy 2 hours later. She was not trying at all. Poor girl just wasn't having enough contractions and wasn't trying to push. I decided she needed to go to the vet, thinking he could give her oxytocin to bring on labor and hopefully she would then have the rest. The oxytocin didn't work on her and poor little Miss Roxie had to have a cesarean. It's a lot harder on the puppies that way, and the one that had been trying to come didn't make it. Roxie came through like a champ and is doing...