Hush the Noise

 

In 1849 a Unitarian Pastor named Edmund Sears wrote the poem that became the Christmas carol, 

"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear."

About the third verse in, he observed in his time....

Yet with the woes of sin and strife

The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.

Politics and Christmas.  

Probably not anyone's best combo.

But there he was.

And here we are.

Big news from Ottawa.

Hard decisions, hot words, 

unhappy uncertainties.

Like December rain, 

dampening holiday spirits.

Ah.

Until.

We hush.

Stop talking.

Stop fighting.

Stop everything.

and 

just

listen.

Maybe then the love song can win.

If not in parliament

then here

in me.

It's a start.

Held

The lights are dim

and the air musk-heavy.

It's quiet

all but the soft shuffling of

animals settling for the night.

What if I am here,

right here,

in this stable,

with this little Family

knowing what I know now?

Knowing already this Child.

not just the Infant,

but the Risen Jesus.

And not just His story,

but Him,

because of how much we've been through 

together.

And what if, in this moment,

I can't take my eyes off that Baby.

And from behind

Someone comes up

put His hands on my shoulders,

tenderly

and asks,

"Would you like to hold the Baby?"

 

The Ceasing of Sad Divisions

I'm still on the whole thing about carol lyrics that could pass by too quickly if I'm not paying attention. Often as not, it's what sneaks in by the third or fourth verse, less known, but making them more compelling because of their slight obscurity perhaps.

1. O come, Desire of nations, bind

1. In one the hearts of all mankind;

1. Bid all our sad divisions cease,

1. And be Thyself our King of Peace.

1. (O Come, O Come Emmanuel)
2. Immediately, I'm thinking of all the wars and rumours of wars that plague our planet right now.  The atrocities of war.  The senselessness of it all.  So big, all that.  Peace on earth.  Yes, come Emmanuel and heal all the wars.  Nations against nations.  Make it stop.
3. But I realize I don't have to go so broadly into all that before I meet up with sad divisions.  Just mention the name of a political leader, use a word you had no idea no longer means what you thought it meant, or ask the wrong question at the wrong time, and suddenly the dividing lines are all too apparent.   
4. Or talk about who is and is not welcome at Christmas dinner.  Navigate the treacherous roads of unforgiveness stored up and unsorted in time for the holidays.  Sad divisions indeed.  Smaller scale, for sure.  But huge in the hearts of those facing them.
5. And...then...
6. Where does conflict begin anyways?  Where does it end?
7. So I can pray for world peace.  But it strikes me that I'd better first be inviting the Desire of Nations into my own heart, to bind it to the hearts of my brothers and sisters.  Especially those with whom I strongly disagree.  
8. Stay away from stupid and senseless arguments.  These only lead to trouble, and God's servants must not be troublemakers.  They must be kind to everyone, and they must be good teachers and very patient.    
9. 2 Timothy 2:23-25
10. It needs to be said here that some divisions are all the more sad because they are necessary for personal safety.  The ceasings of some of that sadness isn't humanly possible, and will require the reconciliation of all things at the end of time before they are able to once again be free to be one heart.  This is I know to be true.  And it makes me all the more aware of how badly things can go wrong, and all the more keen to sing the invitation for Emmanuel to come to heal.  
11. Gladly, I have had several good and true opportunities for open dialogue and informative listening these past months, on a number of touchy, but important issues.  I've learned a lot.  I've also experienced the surprising joy when relationships that have gone horribly south somehow find their way home again.
12. It's making me even more determined and protective of the Bride of Christ, to have us stay unified, loving, focused on mission and not anything else.  To make the main thing the main thing.  Gathered around the manger.  

I guess the opposite of sad divisions is glad reunions.

1. Yes, Lord.  Come.  
2. 
   
3. 
   
4. 
   
5. 
   

Glory Laid By

The carols are so familiar, I'd miss the oomph if I wasn't careful.

On Sunday, it was "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and the phrase "Mild, He lays His glory by."

It's such an outrageous part of the story, really. That God, very God, the same God that spoke everything into being, the same God that is all-powerful, all-knowing, present everywhere, would chose, in this way, to stuff Himself into time and space, and come down to us...as a baby!

Not as a mighty warrior, or stately king. Not as a superstar or political leader or any other iteration of power.

But as a baby. Helpless. Mild.

I don't have to go too far to bump into the wonder of this. All it takes for me is for someone to, oh say dismiss my Master's degree because it didn't come from the 'right' school. Or call me the 'token woman' on a leadership team. Or mistake me for the secretary when I was the pastor. Or, let's face it, given the right circumstances, I can be less than "mild" if someone cuts me off in traffic.

You might have your own list. The common denominator in all of it is that somehow we feel our 'importance' has been demeaned, or our 'rights' have not been respected, and how dare they?

Mild, He lays His glory by.

In what is considered to likely be one of the first hymns of the early Church, we find these oomph-filled words.

"Who being in very nature God
did not consider equality with God
something to be used to His own advantage.
Rather, He made Himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness."
Philippians 2:6-7

Mild, He lays His glory by.

So now I've gone and done it. Pretty sure the day is going to be filled with opportunities to lay any little bits of glory by.

Okay, bring it on.
Let's see where the mildness takes me.

Unless the Lord

A few folks have asked for a bit of an update on our house build so here are some pictures as of Sunday afternoon.

Ken was my model to help get an idea of size. The porch, especially, is much bigger than I anticipated, even though it completely complies with our design measurements. There's an overhang right at the front to make for a pleasant place to sit in good weather. And also along the side so we can stay dry unloading groceries or just simply getting into the house.

Inside things also feel bigger than anticipated. We're pretty sure it's because the two main space-making design features we asked for, those being the vaulted ceiling and the longer, then extra windows at the peak, are doing exactly what we hoped for. Our humble 625 square feet look and feel like a lot more.

Yesterday we were able to do a re-measuring of the kitchen space and are feeling more and more confident of the decision to forego a built-in cupboard plan and assemble an 'eclectic' country kitchen out of furniture we already own, enhanced by a few purchased features. Going for a farm-style apron sink and a butcherblock style counter. I'm especially happy that we have the perfect spot for the antique tea trolley that will not only add to the ambiance, but be quite pragmatic in its ability to open up to a small table.

It's kind of hard to get a sense of the bathroom in pictures at this point. Especially with the sink covered up to protect it from the construction that still has to be done in there. But it, too, is bigger than I expected. Those mirrored doors open up to a recessed medicine cupboard, also designed on purpose, to reclaim some empty space between the walls.

I hope the pictures give a sense of how bright it is. All of this was taken with no lights on (electricity should be in by end of the week) and on a dull day. And I include here a shot out the front kitchen window, just to give a perspective of our placement on the property and the proximity to our son David's house.

Today is a loud and messy day. They are coming into the existing house with a jack hammer to dig through the cement in the basement and make the plumbing connections with the city lines. I have escaped to the church to work for at least the morning.

And so. Right now. Despite the delays last spring when our house on Blythwood didn't sell as quickly as we'd hoped, and then other important check points seemed delayed, at this point in the game things are moving along quite quickly. We are still being given a January 11 possession date, and even holding that loosely. Anything can happen during a construction project. Still, it's great to be able to go in almost any time we want to...and measure and plan and dream.

Because of our 'front row seat' advantage, I frequently go down to the double glass doors and just stand and watch the contractors do their thing. And I pray over our home.

I pray Psalm 127:1-2 over our home.

"Unless the LORD builds the house,

its builders labour in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city,

the watchmen stand guard in vain.

In vain you rise early and stay up late,

toiling for food to eat --

for He grants sleep to those He loves."

There's a whole lot more in just those two verses than I'll unpack here, the reference to anxious work notwithstanding. For right now, let's just say that these are good words for me to ruminate on in this ongoing experience of trusting God's timing and purpose when it comes to something as basic as where you lay your head at night.

On, then, into the week ahead.
Loving where this Advent is taking me.
Happy Monday all.

The Wild Yes

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered.

"May it be to me as you have said."

Then the angel left her.

Luke 1:38

"When Joseph woke up,

he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him

and took Mary home as his wife."

Matthew 1:24

I'm looking for a nativity set right now. For all my Christmas decor (currently put away in bins) this centerpiece of Advent worship is missing. I've been hoping, that if I find one this season, I can set it up on a quiet shelf and let it say what it needs to say to me.

But I'm having a hard time finding one that will do that.

This one pictured is lovely, and set just so with the lights and such. I love the adoring expressions on the faces. But it's not mine, and it's not exactly the rustic-real depiction I'm going for.

I'm picky about this.

I doubt I'm going to find exactly what I'm looking for, but the reality is that, parental adoration notwithstanding, I imagine Mary and Joseph's faces to be more anxious. As in "What in heaven's name have we gotten ourselves into?"

Months ago now, they both said yes to something so unbelievable people, well, didn't believe them. Even Joseph, at first. It took visits from angels to convince them.

How outrageous!

To be tasked with bringing the Messiah to the world. To be asked to nurture the redemptive arch of God's ultimate ethic. To lay aside their own plans for a tidy, unassuming life together, and instead embark on a journey that would see them being chased by a crazed monarch, and landing as refugees in a place far from home. And that was just the beginning.

Of course they didn't know all that in detail when they said their yeses. But, come on, the barging in of the angel would have been a fairly big clue that they were saying yes to something with a high disruption risk.

I admire their courage. And they inspire me, both of them. They set a standard for me. I want a similar story to be written into my own life. Saying yes, and seeing where it takes me.

Saying yes to the impossible task of bringing the Messiah to the world. Of nurturing the redemptive arch of God's ultimate ethic. To lay aside my own plans for a tidy, unassuming life, and stepping boldly out into all that the yes requires. To say the yes that makes me ask, "What in heaven's name have I gotten myself into?"

I'll keep looking for my nativity set.
If not for this year, for next when, Lord willing, we'll be all settled into our new little house.
I think it will go on the mantle.

A Giving-Tuesday Thank You

A generous person will prosper;

those who refresh others

with themselves be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:25

"Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good.  The idea caught on, and has grown around the world, inspiring hundreds of millions or people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity."  

https://www.givingtuesday.ca

Just wanted to put it out there that I am one hundred percent convinced that generosity is alive and well on our planet!!

And on this Giving Tuesday, all I want to say is Thank You.

My role as Missionary in Residence at Highview Community Church gives me the inside scoop on just how sacrificially and beautifully you set aside your own benefits in order to help make sure others have what they need.  I see this in financial donations, for sure!  The dedication and consistency with which orphans and widows in far away places on the planet receive your gifts is truly remarkable and deeply good.  So are the offerings of time and talent, energy and attention, given in every community effort when we come together on their behalf.  

I'm glad enough for one day dedicated to generosity.  But also, I see it happening every single day.  

You know who you are.

So, on this Giving Tuesday, my prayer over you is directly from Proverbs 11:25.

That because of your wide open hands and heart, you will prosper in all the ways that are truly important (which is far more than materially for sure).  And that you will be refreshed and encouraged in the knowledge that everything you have given in secret is not hidden from God.

Gratefully,

Ruth Anne

Waking Up to Winter

I've made it in to work at the church for the morning. The drive wasn't too bad at all, if you just take your time.

My reward was being greeted by our trees here, who all seem excited to show off their winter bling. So pretty.

Now I'm all tucked into this little office space, ready to take on the day and begin to tackle my list for the week. It's a surprisingly robust list, in spite of December's usual 'lighter' load, work-wise.

I don't mind. Jet lag is all but done with me, and this is a good opportunity to get at all those things that you never get time for but now there's a little time for. Plus, this first week of December is the last week of all the meetings that need to happen before we're all full on into Christmas and can't really focus on much else.

So here's to the first full week in December, and the snow that welcomes us into it.
Here's to quiet, happy, snowy trees.
Here's to meaningful engagement in life in all its abundance.

Merry Monday, everyone!

A Kind of Christmas Fast

 

Somewhere in the back of a storage unit, all packed in bins, tidy and safe, are all my Christmas decorations.

When I put them there last January, it was with the expectation that, by September or so, we'd be all settled in nicely into our new home, and come November I'd just have to go down to the crawl space to find them.

Nope.

So I'm doing without this year. Or at least mostly. Ken did find the small tree that used to be in my office space, and the large wreath for the front door (but not the hook to hang it), and a bin marked 'greenery' that might provide a way to make things look festive.

I am sensitive not to intrude into the intentional fuss-free lifestyle of our son with whom we are sharing this Christmas space right now. He's given me permission to do whatever I need to do, and I would like to and probably will do something. But I'm also committed not to spending much if any money on things I know I already have and just need to wait for.

I am discovering things about myself in this space.

Ken and I are doing a lot of costing out of things right now, in prep for the move in date (hoping for January 11). This has taken us into many decked out retail spaces, and I find it similar to being on a diet and visiting a bakery. There's an exaggerated sense of longing due to the absence of the longed for thing. Everything is oh so pretty!

Please understand that I decorate for Christmas, and do it early, because it helps provide the visual space in which the sacredness of the season can best nudge my soul towards the Child. Far from being a distraction to the 'real meaning of Christmas,' I find it an enhancement.

So this year?

Same in its opposite.

There's a prayer I've learned to whisper during times where loved things or loved ones are withheld for any number of reasons.

"Turn all my longings into longings for You."

I say it often in the stores. I say it when I remember our mantle back at our old house. I say it when it's the first Friday night after Ken's birthday and I'm not decorating the tree. I say it when the longings linger into a snowy pre-dawn meditation.

And I find that Christmas meets me there too.

"How silently, how silently,
the wondrous Gift is given.
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of His heaven."
(O Little Town of Bethlehem)

Offerings

Missing me some Thai sunrise.
And little singing voices doing morning chores.
Snow today here in SW Ontario, and more to come they say.
'Tis the season.
All good things in their time.
A good night's sleep in a warm bed.
Looking forward to Tim's with my girl later today.
Meaningful work to keep my heart focused.
Outside, a little house with big dreams.
Life is good.

Hebrews 13:15
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise -- the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.

Aslan's on the Move

One side benefit from being in Thailand just before Ken's birthday is that I can often break through the 'my husband's so hard to buy for' barrier and find a truly unique gift.

This genuine leather portfolio was a steal at the market. Then we made a trip to the Umbrella Store where, for a mere pittance, artisans paint incredible designs on almost anything you hand to them.

When Ken was with me last time, he favoured the image of a lion to be drawn on his computer. So that's what I was looking for. The particular artist who did it for him then wasn't there that day. But I found a guy who was willing to scroll through some pictures on his phone until we found one I liked.

And just like that, in a matter of 20 minutes, he created this vivid image. He was going to charge me 200 THB, which is basically equivalent to $8 CDN. I couldn't do it. I gave him 500, closer to $20. Because, come on!

So, the stately lion, C.S. Lewis' image of Christ, the Lion of Judah, comes home to celebrate with us last night. Maybe we'll have to watch the movie again over the holidays.

So happy birthday to my one and only. I waited to today to post this because I didn't want to spoil the surprise. Although, for my own amusement only, it could have actually been a test of Ken's Facebook feed awareness (hint, very low).

Tuesday, and the week is moving along nicely.

Tonight we can reinstate 'jam night' for our two musical grandkids, something we had to suspend over the time Ken and I were not in the city. Getting back to more regular rhythms and reconnecting relationally. Feels good.

Have a great day folks, whatever it holds for you!!!

Marking This Monday

And so begins my first full week back.  And on this particular Monday, things feel pretty significant.

Today marks a return not just from my most recent trip to Thailand, but from a period of several months living and working from somewhere else besides KW.  Like, since June.  A lot of living, including two trips to Thailand, an appendectomy, and being able to experience fall at the cottage, has happened since then.  Today it feels like I'm really back.  Like a new beginning.

This, while we're still in transition.  Due to the gracious space our son has made for us in the house that sits on the same property as our new build, we are warm and snug and as settled in as we can be while we await the completion of our home just out back.  They are accomplishing a lot each day, and it's so encouraging to watch it happen before our very eyes, as it were.  

With us all tucked in nicely, there's something of a shortage in workspace.  That's why I am ever so grateful that Highview has allowed me to office-crash for a few weeks into the New Year, until my own little office is ready in the new house.  This is the same space I used while doing the interim in 2020, and of course the whole building is like a second home to me.  

And I didn't realize how lovely it would be to sit in such a familiar space until I got here today and set myself up.  There's a way of concentrating that flows that much easier without the distractions of new and unnecessary stimuli.  Even something as simple as 'where's the stapler?' can disrupt my train of thought in these disrupted days.  

I won't be here every day, by any means.  Just sneaking in at times when I can be least disruptive to the work that already happens here each week. 

So, I'm glad to be back - to the city in general, to the way of living and working and connecting that is my life here, and to all that God has been and is laying out for us on this particular stretch of our journey.

Only one month until Christmas, so there's that.  And today is also my wonderful husband's birthday, which is worth way more than a mention at the end of this post, so stay tuned for a little something about that later.

Not sure what's up for you this Monday.  Hope it's full of good things, strong things, new and familiar things, to keep you moving forward.

Messy All Glorious

 

The first few days home are always about unpacking and putting things away. A tidy space helps me with the basics - where's my toothbrush? - when my head is a bit spinny from jet lag. It helps to normalize and reorient and more fully bring me 'home.'

And. Usually when I get back, and Advent is just around the corner, it's calming and warming to begin the journey into the season by bringing out the visual reminders that, for me, enhance the spiritual engagement with the deeper reflections of the season.

This time?

Exciting things are happening right outside the back door. Our not-so-tiny home is coming together in ways that make our vision more and more a reality every day. And it's all a big, fat, glorious mess.

There's no place for my toothbrush there yet. We are staying with our son who has generously and sacrificially made space for us in this rather messy time until we get the key and are all clear to move in.

It's not nearly the squishy arrangement I had imagined, and it didn't take me all that long yesterday to unpack into the spaces he and Ken worked together to provide to make sure I could settle in. This includes a whole drawer in the bathroom, so yes, I know where my toothbrush is.

Ken somehow even found the small Christmas tree that used to adorn my office space, and set it up and plugged it in so as to welcome me into our room upon my return. If you could see our storage unit, you'd know that that's a little Christmas miracle all on its own.

And also, we're not there yet.

So I'm grateful for a few days with little to no expectations.
I'm still basking in all the goodness of this last visit.

And I'm hopeful in the midst of the mess.
Which is probably a more accurate Christmas 'feel' than anything else still hiding away in storage.

Thank you again to all who prayed for us, and supported us in any way for this most recent time of connection and love with our Thai family. Oh the stories that will follow!

Suspension

Monday.

That means only two more full days before we return to Canada. That means packing, wrapping up our Bible lessons, making sure we've assessed our English learning, cleaning out the supplies bins, collecting everything the children have made for their Sponsors, preparing the Christmas package that will be opened later, and saying the appropriate goodbyes.

I'm not really fond of this space. I very much want to be fully present here in these last moments. And yet there's lots to pull my attention towards the travel, and whatever plans I can put down in pencil for the first few days back. So back and forth I go, my brain, my heart.

This year it's even worse. Ken and I are still in the midst of our housing transition. We've been welcomed into our son's home (on the same property) and been given ample space. I am so very grateful for all the ways David is stepping up and being amazing and supportive and wonderful. AND. We are still not done this transitional living thing we're doing. And it only adds to that sense of being stretch between things.

Like a bridge. And in these moments that's what I feel the Spirit is reminding me of. Bridges are suspended. And they take you places. From here to there.

So I sit for a moment in this suspended space.

Breathing in.

Breathing out.

Taking the next steps over the gap.

Trusting.

Morning Moments

I'm finding it busy enough this visit. Not unusually so particularly, but still, to keep things moving with our English learning and evening lessons, it's easy to default to task. Easy to miss the moments happening beyond the guest house.

Like morning chores. If you can call it that. The beauty of the sunrise and the singing of the voices make it seem more like gentle fun than grudging task. Even with this all happening before breakfast (which is the smartest time to do it in a tropical climate by the way), there's laughter and song and being very happy to pose for a picture.

I'm glad I walked down today.

From home today I received some initial pictures of the factory-build component of our new home. Very encouraging! And it feels like a grace upon grace to have that happening without me while I'm here, all concentrated on the happy tasks and morning moments, and all the moments I'm given in this place.

Saturday Morning Family Outing for the Win

 

Jonah

My Mom had a saying, often uttered with a frustrated sigh.
"Can't win for losin'."

I get it. Often as not it can feel that way, I suppose. Maybe especially when there are big events that feel like big losses. Or multiple little thwartings that all add up.

But not today.
Not today.

Today we went swimming. A small and ginormous 'bai teo' where we all pile in the back of the truck and head out five minutes down the road to where a shallow pool provides fathoms of play.

Lukmee

Jonah gives the victory sign as he springs up from the water.
"I did it!" Funny how, every where you go, kids keep saying, "Watch this!" as if your eyes aren't glued on them the entire time.
Funny how, everywhere you go, no one says no to ice cream.

And this is deeply good and lovely to watch for any child's play. But these children?
These children....I know their stories.
They shouldn't be all frolicking and carefree on a Saturday morning.

And it makes it all the more of a win somehow.

We bought 29 ice creams.
Twenty children, 9 adults.
I told the booth attendant,
Rao mee kropkua yai!
(We have a big family.)
Yai, yai!, (big, big) she agreed, wide eyed.

Can't lose for winning, Mom.
Not when the wins are like this.

Together-Spunk

 

Not so much me at this age. Maybe that's why I love it so much when our girls demonstrate a sweet but edgy confidence. It can mean a world of difference in how one navigates the world.

And the world needs wise navigation. It did then. It does now. Life can be so tricky sometimes, so to learn early that you were created for a purpose, that you have a light inside of you that only you can shine, that there is darkness to vanquish, and you've been given everything you need to make a difference, makes all the difference.

But only if you're not trying to do any of that on your own.  I’m so not into that.  It’s not how it works.  Some lone-wolf idea, some distortion of individuation that requires an unrealistic and unhealthy independence. 

We need each other, Lukmee and I.  We both need this family, and the bigger Family we to whom we both belong.  We need our Father infusing us with spunk.  All of it.  Everything that makes us uniquely part of the whole big story of God.

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!

Mai Bpen Rai, Ka

There's a space here this morning for my soul to rest, 

even as restless events unfold half a planet away.

Mai bpen rai, ka.  Never mind.  It's all good.

Goodness in the midst of the not good.

  

Little Da gives the signal that it's all okay.

If you knew her story it would break your heart.  

Life has been so not okay. 

And yet here she is,

a box of Smarties in her other hand.

That's why, 

when I captured this sweet gesture from this sweet child,

I believed I was being reminded.   

The sun rises and there is still good work to do.

Let us not be distracted.

Or afraid.

God has not given us a spirit of fear;

but of power,

and of love,

and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

 

Then Sings My Settled Soul

 

As we've moved into the first full week of our stay here, I am noticing something lovely, but recently elusive happening for me. A settled soul.

In the weeks leading up to getting on the plane, I've struggled to maintain focus and concentration. So many lists in so many different orbits of my life, personal, family, ministry. We've been un-nested now since July 18. Not really, because the cottage was and is a true place of home for me. But the temporary nature of our city dwelling, and the transient nature of where we've laid our heads over the past few months, have taken their toll. So much of the time there's this feeling of being pulled in the proverbial thousand directions.

But yesterday I noticed it. A settled mind and spirit. One focus, one heart, one beauty, right here, right now.

Physically as well. In a rather unusual way, I have slept beautifully, right though the night, every night we've been here so far. The summer's surgery recovery is a dim and distant memory now, especially compared to what I was still dealing with when I was here last.

I mention all this mostly and simply so I can mark it, and be fully grateful as I am fully present in this space. Fully present in the midst of children's voices raised in praise in the early sleepy moments of dawn. Fully present in the sunrise that follows, and in the sound of crickets and wild birds and geckos, all of which have become such familiar songs to my being. Fully present in the presence of community, slow and gentle, loving and being loved, knowing and being known.

Prajao ying yai.
How great Thou art.

To anyone needing some settling right now, I wish I could e-transfer some of this home to you. Maybe I can. We'll call it prayer.

And Then A Peacock (or Three)

One happy component of every single trip is the thing that's never happened before.  At least, most of the time it's a happy thing.  It was yesterday.

We're still in our first three days of adjustment, getting turned around on sleep and appetite and general sense of what day it is.  Saturday was remarkably productive, all that being said.  We were able to spend time with the kids beading and painting.  And in a very casual way, playing 'games' with English letters, Cheryl was able to do an assessment on almost all the children.  Very helpful as we head into Monday's first reading time.

While all that is going on, I look up from the dining area towards the guest house.  There are three large peacocks casually strolling across the property, up the hill, and checking out the porch of Suradet and Yupa's house.  Maybe they smelled our lunch being prepared.

No one was particularly phased.  Even the dogs didn't respond much more than to lift a head and make sure the birds were familiar, which apparently they were.  I pointed it out to Suradet who just laughed and said, "Ahjahn Ruth...we have everything!"

Yes, but this was my first visit from peacocks, I'll just say.  

It was a happy little new thing to add to the happy little things we were already doing with the kids.

I am writing from that relaxed not-preaching space between 5:30 morning worship followed by breakfast at 7:00, follow by worship that begins some time around 10 a.m.  Actually none of the times above are in any way precise.  That's just the way we roll.  

This morning, after breakfast, we were given the task of preparing for Communion, and what an honour it was.  And what an honour it will be to receive Communion together with our brothers and sisters here.

Settling in to our first days very well.

More on Sunday's service will most likely follow :).

Blessings all....

 

The Dawning of a Saturday

 

"Early in the morning,

my song shall rise to Thee."

(Hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy)

I heard the rooster sing them first, those praises.

Grateful for a very solid night's sleep, unusual for second day of jet lag.
Grateful for the cooler air of the morning.
Grateful for the anticipation of sleepy morning meditations with our children, in just a few moments.
Grateful for Team members adjusting well and engaging deeply even in these first few days.

Still some unpacking and sorting to do.
Preparing to tell the Christmas story tonight in our lesson series.
Easing into this beautifully.

Bead Kisses

We're here, we made it.

That's the first thing I need to get out there.

Quick.  Jet lag is hot on my heels, behind my eyes.

More of a story, when I'm not struggling so hard to stay awake.

Next, quickly now, before I droop again.

Just in case you were wondering if the packets you make as Sponsors matter.

Bee Mai is kissing her beads.

She did this over and over tonight as all the children opened their packets. 

I have more.

But I've literally dropped off twice while writing these few lines.

So, it's to bed.

Grateful and beyond for all the grace that brought us here.

Great team spirit through the typhoon.

But that's another story.

Blessings.

 

Clarity

Monday afternoon and the transitional clutter and confusion is started to get sorted.

Suitcases and carry-ons for Thailand are almost ready, all but what can't be done until mostly last minute anyway. All the shopping for sundries, which had to wait until we were back in the city, is done.

Van is unloaded and tidied and ready for our packing time as a Team tonight. Weigh scale is at the ready, and so far it looks good for staying within the limits AND bringing all we wanted to bring. We'll see how things go tonight.

I've also got my purse ready to go, which sounds like no big deal, but actually has about three steps to it, all very detailed, including all those carry on fluids, snacks, and a thorough change over of my wallet.

Another big relief today. The dentist agrees my broken back tooth is stable enough to not be too much trouble while I'm gone. I haven't really mentioned this yet, because it happened at Thanksgiving already, hasn't been bothering me, and, to be honest, I was fairly certain this would be the assessment, so I haven't been thinking of it too much. Still, I realized as I walked out of the office just how much I needed to get that go ahead checked off the list. Whew!

Back to the van. Having that all sorted and ready for our trip to the airport really helped clear my head too. Just felt like there were so many details and lists and things to sort through, between the cottage and Thailand. It was getting rather swimmy in there.

But here, just now, in the latter part of the afternoon of the day before, in the comfort of our stay, I feel it all washing away and sorting itself out and coming together.

Like Muay helping Wanmai shower off at the end of our little bai tea, out for a swim, last July.

Aaah yes.

And of course, I took another look at those pictures from last time just in case I might forget the why of it all in the mist of the doing of it all.

Those kids!
Soon my beloveds, soon!

When You See It For Yourself

Today has been full of all the feels.

Still feeling the physicality of closing the cottage, big time, and the crazy way the van is, and how it just represents the strange space I'm in to be back but leaving again. Living out of a suitcase again.

Grateful for the generous hospitality of friends (a beautiful, recurring theme these past four months already) for a place to stay and rest a little and finish off the packing, both personal and ministry, for Thailand.

Grateful for the time spent this morning worshiping at Highview, and the kind Commissioning the November Team received. It means so much to be prayed over. Every time.

So very excited and encouraged, awkward selfies notwithstanding, to see with our own eyes the progress made on our house so far! There will be pauses here and there, no doubt. But has there ever been a LOT accomplished this week! Standing there, beside the foundation in the sunshine this afternoon, it felt more real.

This morning, in one song we sang together, we were reminded that God's love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on us. And on and on it goes, like the wild sky over Georgian Bay that I've had so much time to sit under these past months. Pictures, like the one I've included here, kept coming to mind as we sang.

In between, that's how these next few days will feel.
It's a good place to get that 360 degree perspective I think.
From all angles.

And it all looks pretty amazing to me.