A Tribute

Tracey Dyck May 10, 2015 Poetry 8 Comments

I hope you all don’t mind that my blogging schedule, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, is a flexible thing. I still aim to post every Saturday, but I’m occasionally adding a “bonus” post during the week. Such as today, because . . .

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It’s Mother’s Day! I am blessed with an amazing mom. The best in the whole wide world, in fact. Last year I wrote her a poem for her birthday, and it suits this special day as well. I thought I’d share it here in honor of all the moms out there. You’re heroes.

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A Tribute

(April 23, 2014)

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You should know I have a hero

Who is no caped crusader

She’s someone else entirely

But of this I must persuade her

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Instead of jumping towers

And flying through the air

She embarks on covert missions

Of which most would never dare

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You never know she’s coming

Until she winds up right beside you

Her work is classified, top secret

But these things I know to be quite true:

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She’s a very gifted healer

In more than just one way

Her words and hands work magic

And send all illnesses away

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She’s a strong and skillful warrior

With an arsenal at the ready

Her favorite weapon’s prayer

And her Director keeps her steady

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She’s a family woman too

Don’t think that’s just a cover

She cares for each one in her clan

And every day they say they love her

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What exactly does she do?

You might be wondering by now

Well, the answer’s pretty lengthy

But I’ll explain the what and how

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She gives hope to the despairing

And reminds them of the light

She empowers the discouraged

And says that God has won the fight

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She brings joy to every day

With a joke, a smile, a laugh

Can’t stay down when she’s around

Your load she cuts in half

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She’s an ambassador of truth

A representative of Christ

Her life’s a glowing illustration

She knows lip service won’t suffice

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She inspires, builds, and grows

She spreads the sparrow’s wings

Her life’s a tapestry of grace

And you can tell that her heart sings

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In the middle of the storm

She’s a cornerstone of calm

She is the wondrous blessing

Whom I’m honored to call “Mom”

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What Are You Afraid Of?

Tracey Dyck May 9, 2015 Faith 10 Comments

What are you afraid of?

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I don’t mean heights or small spaces or spiders or the dark or creepy clowns or waking up to find the world is purple and your dog is actually a sentient alien spying on you.

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What are you truly afraid of? What are your deepest fears? Maybe you don’t even realize it, but you’re terrified of rejection, of not being loved. Maybe you’re scared of following the same sad patterns as your father or mother. Perhaps the thought of failure chills you to the bone. Or you might be scared of never having enough, never being enough.

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We all have fears like that. I do.

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Many of us can relate to a fear of failure. Do you ever find that the more you struggle with that fear, the more you fail? And the more you fail, the more your mistakes reinforce those fears? You look to your next endeavor, and a voice inside whispers, “You really think you’ll make it? Look what happened last time. Set your goals a little lower. That way you won’t be so disappointed when you fall short—again.”

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Or say you’re afraid of loneliness, of having no friends. That fear consumes you until you wonder if maybe you’re unlovable—who would want to be with someone like you? And the more you think it, the more you see it’s true. You have no real friends. You were right all along. And the fear-monster tightens its grip.

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In anything, really—not just fears—don’t you find that the more you think something, the more you see it? And the more you see it, the more it reinforces those thoughts? And as those thoughts grow stronger, you see even more evidence of them in your life? It’s an endless cycle, but it doesn’t have to be a bad one.

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**Because faith works indiscriminately in the positive and the negative.**

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We can all agree that Job had it pretty rough, yes? His livestock and servants, his material wealth—gone, poof. His children—dead under the rubble of a destroyed house. He didn’t have anything left.

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Now, I know that Satan shuffled up to God and obtained his permission to test Job (and I have far more questions about that than I have answers), but it seems that Job himself played a part in bringing about his own downfall.

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“What I always feared has happened to me,” he said. “What I dreaded has come true.” (Job 3:25, NLT) What was he afraid of? The first chapter of Job tells us he daily made sacrifices to atone for his children, thinking that perhaps they’d sinned and cursed God in their hearts.

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He was afraid of punishment. He was afraid of destruction.

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And that is exactly what swept through his life.

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What we believe—really, truly, deep down believe—we attract into our lives. A person who thinks of himself as a loser attracts a loser kind of life. He finds himself gravitating toward other losers, gets a second-rate job, and sees everything through a defeated mindset. A person who thinks of himself as a winner attracts an amazing life. He starts spending time with great people who are growing and successful and encouraging. He finds doors opening, and those that don’t open, he kicks down because he knows he can. He sees life through the eyes of a winner.

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The more the loser looks around at his lackluster world, and the more he listens to his crab-bucket-mentality friends, the more he sees that, “Yep, this is just how life is. This is who I am, and I shouldn’t expect anything better.” The more he thinks that, the more his world will conform to be that.

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The more the winner looks around at his marvelous world, and the more his positive crowd rubs off on him, the more he sees opportunity hidden in the obstacles. He realizes that life is beautiful, that he can, and that he’s meant for great things. The more those thoughts cement themselves in his heart, the more his world will conform to back them up.

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Both people may have the exact same opportunity placed before them, but the former person will look at it and think, “Oh, that’s too much. I could never do that/be that/deal with that stress. I’m just not the person for that.” And he rejects the opportunity. The latter individual will nod and say, “Wow—that’s so much more than what I’m used to, but I can do it. I can grow and develop and go to the next level in life.” He’ll walk through that door and thrive.

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“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7a, NKJV)

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What are you afraid of? What do you think of yourself? (Those two questions are more closely related than you might think.) Those fears need to be dealt with, or else they hold the potential to kill you. Maybe not physically, but fear can draw into your life the very things you’re afraid of. Those things will destroy relationships, your thought life, and anything else they touch. Go to your Creator, lay those crippling chains at His feet, and discover His perfect love. It casts out all fear.

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Afraid of rejection? God promises He’ll never leave you or forsake you. Afraid of repeating the mistakes of your parents? God says you are a new creation—the old has passed away and the new has come. Afraid of failing? God declares that you’re spotless before Him, and it has nothing to do with your successes or failures.

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This love, this perfect, radiant, relentless love, drives out fear.

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Knowing how loved you are gives rise to hope.

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Hope of good things to come gives rise to faith.

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And faith, the full confidence that what you hope for is here, now, whether or not you see it just yet . . . will draw in the physical evidence of that faith like iron to a magnet.

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Fear and faith—both ask you to believe in what you cannot see.

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Which will you listen to?

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Things I Learned as a Child – Part 2

Tracey Dyck May 2, 2015 Randomosity 12 Comments

Apparently, I’ve learned so much as a child that I have enough for two posts. You can see part 1 here. Now on to part 2!

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~*~

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Beginner readers are boring—Anne of Green Gables, now that’s more like it. (Yes, I did read it in first grade. I will confess, however, that many of the words were way over my head.)

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Flying a kite near tall trees isn’t smart.

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A bicycle makes a good substitute horse when a real one can’t be found. A sister with skipping rope reins is also acceptable.

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No matter how high you swing, you just can’t swing over the top bar.

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Food tastes better at a picnic.
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Dads can make such a convincing deer-in-distress call (or was it buffalo…?) that the lion at the zoo will wander closer to the fence, thereby giving you a better look at it.

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The flamingos at the zoo don’t have their own music—that was someone’s cell phone ringing.

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Pink rubber boots worn inside the house are definitely the height of fashion.

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Vacuum cleaners are not kind to toes. (I’m cheating a little bit again, since I discovered this fact as a teenager. Lots of ouch.)

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There are no sharks swimming in the darkness of your bedroom, so there’s no need to race into bed quite so anxiously.

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Helping your siblings open their Christmas presents only makes you look bossy on the home videos.

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Getting a dragonfly caught in your hair is frightening.

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Figuring out Roman numerals is an impressive feat.

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When your little sister follows you
around, it means she admires you, not that she wants to take over your turf. Be kind and understanding.

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Wearing your pajamas to the Canada Day fireworks is definitely a treat.

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Brothers are great spider-exterminators.

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When playing “house” outdoors, soup made out of water, leaves, grass, gravel, and flower petals can almost look appetizing. Sort of.

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A popsicle falling to the ground is a tragedy of epic proportions.

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Birds are hard to sneak up on and won’t be petted.

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The night of Christmas Eve is the longest of the year.

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When you say sorry, mean it.

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Singing “Jesus Loves Me” at the top of your lungs, while wearing a pink garbage bin over your head, in the middle of a store—well, what could be more fun? (I have no memory of this, just so you know, but my parents certainly do.)

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Your big stuffed dog named Casey most certainly does get lonely when you leave her for an entire day of school. She must lie on the living room couch so that she can be around people until you return home.

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Just because Mom writes in her recipe book doesn’t mean you can.

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Just because Mom writes in her Bible doesn’t mean you can do that, either.

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Stuffed toys are good at keeping secrets.

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Dads make excellent princes (when you’re Cinderella), chiefs (when you’re a tribal warrior), kings (when you’re the evil courtier), hunters (when you’re the forest creature), and narrators (when you’re acting out a fairy tale).

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It follows that a brother makes an exceptionally ugly stepsister, fellow warrior, court jester, or companion forest animal.

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Sisters make great stepsisters, fellow warriors, princesses, and scared rabbits.

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And moms are fabulous at doing the supper dishes so you have time to play before bed.

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~*~

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KIDS HAVE ALL THE FUN. KEEP A BIT OF YOUR CHILDHOOD WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES.

Little Miss Me, the gardener

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Favorite Screen Characters Tag

Tracey Dyck April 29, 2015 Tags 14 Comments

Hark, I have been tagged by Victoria Grace Howell! The rules are simple:

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-List your ten favorite screen characters (from movies and TV; but since I don’t really watch TV, we’ll stick to movies).

-Tag ten other bloggers.

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Narrowing it down to only ten—that part is not so simple. I could list twice as many. In fact, it would be so much easier if we could define the category further. Ten favorite superheroes, for example. Or ten favorite female characters, male characters, animated characters, villains, supporting characters, funny characters, or favorite despised characters! I mean, really, I have at least ten favorites in all those categories. Probably more.

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But I am forced to pick just ten. *le sigh* Here we go!

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1. CAPTAIN AMERICA

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Favorite. Superhero. Ever. He’s upright and courageous, one of the only heroes who consistently holds to his morals. (Not the only one, but pretty close.) He’s not perfect, but he does his best. Grounded in “old-fashioned” values, he does his
job with humility and commitment. Plus, he’s got the best one-liners.

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“I know I’m asking a lot. But the price of freedom is high. It always has been.

And it’s a price I’m willing to pay. And if I’m the only one, then so be it.

But I’m willing to bet I’m not.”

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2. TOOTHLESS

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I adore dragons, and an uber-fast dragon with powerful breath, adorable personality, and an affinity for fish will instantly steal my heart. Look at that face—how can you not love that face? I want my own Toothless.

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3. BILBO BAGGINS

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I confess, I have a bit of hobbit in me. Home is my favorite place in the world, and I enjoy the comforts found there. So, like Bilbo, I sometimes need a Gandalf to knock on my door and drag me into an adventure. All that aside, Martin Freeman pulled off Bilbo’s character perfectly. His mannerisms and personality—everything. And our dear little hobbit turns out to have a giant load of courage.

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“I just need to sit quietly for a moment.”

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4. SPIDER-MAN

I specifically mean the amazing Spider-Man. (Don’t get me wrong, Tobey Maguire really brought out Spidey’s awkward and geeky side. That’s lovable. But the new Spider-Man played by Andrew Garfield is just awesome.) Cap may be my top favorite hero, but Spider-Man comes pretty close. He’s young, he makes mistakes sometimes, but he puts his life on the line for the sake of helping others. And his humor. Oh, his humor.

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“I like to think Spider-Man gives people hope.”

5. WINNIE THE POOH

I know, he doesn’t seem to be in the same league as superheroes, dragons, and burglar hobbits, but this bear with a very little brain has a special place in my heart. I have never outgrown the Hundred Acre Wood; I’ve laughed harder at Pooh movies in the last five years than I did as a child. Pooh is a rather straightforward sort of person: the most important things in life are honey and friends. Silly old bear.

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“Think, think, think…”

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6. FLYNN RIDER, a.k.a EUGENE FITZHERBERT

This guy is impossible to dislike. He’s handsome, charming, full of himself, hilarious, and deep down . . . a really great guy with a soft heart. He may have started out with ulterior motives, but in the end, he sacrifices for the ones he loves. And did I mention he’s hilarious?

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“They just can’t get my nose right!”

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7. EUSTACE CLARENCE SCRUBB

Aha, so not all of my favorites are the nice guys. Eustace is a complete brat, at least at first. But he’s the kind of brat you love to despise, until he begins to
change, and then somehow, you find yourself liking him quite a bit. His
character arc is fabulous. (And I was very sad to see the Narnia movies halted,
because I so wanted Will Poulter to play in The Silver Chair.)

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“That giant rat thing just tried to claw my face off!”

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8. LUCY PEVENSIE

Can I list two from the same storyworld? Lucy is an amazing girl. Her faith in Aslan never wavers, even when she can’t see him, even when others doubt, even when it doesn’t make sense. And if it wasn’t for her, the Pevensies would never have found Narnia! Oh, and her struggle with temptation in Voyage of the Dawn Treader is also inspiring, as she learns to accept herself and goes on to encourage
another girl to do the same.

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“When you grow up, you should be just like you.”

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9. TADASHI HAMADA

What a hero! And he officially broke my heart. I won’t give any spoilers, but . . . he did make me cry. I’m not a very weepy movie-watcher, but his role in Big Hero 6 was a bit of a tear-jerker. He’s a great older brother to Hiro, protecting him, teaching him, looking out for him. Tadashi is the kind of big sibling that I aspire to be.

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“Welcome to nerd school, nerd.”

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10. LOKI

See, here’s another really not so nice guy. Loki has got to be one of my favorite villains. There’s just no explanation needed. He’s terribly evil, yet with a sympathetic backstory, and in the middle of his diabolical plots, he manages to make me laugh. Is that not perfect? He is also an extremely quotable character.

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“You’ll kill me? Evidently there will be a line.”

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That was hard! I have so many other characters that almost made the list. Brave ones like Katniss Everdeen or Captain Nichollsen of War Horse or Gandalf.

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Funny ones like Larry the Cucumber, Radagast the Brown, Olaf, Gru and his minions, Dory of Finding Nemo, Mater, Jack Sparrow, and Baymax. Heartbreaking ones like Bucky.

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Inspiring ones like Aslan. Miscellaneous ones like Thranduil, Jack Frost, Mary
Poppins, Gwen Stacey, or Diaval of Maleficent. So many!

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(And I just realized how few girls actually made my top ten—only Lucy. Hm. That makes it sound as if I don’t like the female characters, which is completely untrue. Somehow the males dominated this list.)

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On to the tagging! I choose these wonderful gals:

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