A Friyay for Canada!

 

I'm not a faithful enough hockey fan to climb on this wagon right now. But if there's room for anything these days, it's a little Canadian patriotism. So I'll jump on and ride this for a bit.

Way to go Canadian Team! Feels like we all needed this right about now. Uplifts politic-weary spirits on this wintry Friday morning. And the symbolism in these rhetoric-laden days is not lost on us.

And also.

Sports rivalries being what they are, there is an added layer to this game in this historical moment that bodes us be wary. We caution ourselves not to entrench ourselves in adversarial ways of thinking that begin to manifest in petty behaviours and hardened hearts both.

Can I just say, I am not in favour of anyone's national anthem being booed by anyone for any reason. If I'm not mistaken (open to being corrected here) in this particular series of games, we started it. I feel the temptation myself, if I'm honest. But...my Canadian friends, we can do better than this.

God keep our land gloriously free of hatred, even as we stand steadfast to advocate for what it means to be Canadian. And even as I utter this prayer, I know that He turns it back to me, to us, and gives us the mandate and the tenacity to choose to love instead.

And to my Christian friends on both sides of this magnificent border, can I just say:

We are in this together. We are the Church together. We are in a unique position to hold on to grace, and stay fiercely committed to showing who we are by how we love one another.

At least, that's what Jesus said.
"By this everyone will know that your are My disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35

So let's cheer for our Team, advocate for our political rights, take action where and when we are called to do so. And as we are protecting all that we hold dear, let's include protecting our own hearts from anything that would turn us into who we don't want to be.

I don't know. Maybe you're all good on this.
I just know what can so easily happen inside my own soul.
Especially these days.

Now...I only wish I had a hockey jersey I could wear today! :)

Already Yes

Let's play a game.

It's called "Find the Thai Bible."

I'll give you a hint I wish I had when I started this game myself.

It's on the bookcase pictured.

For context, I'll say two things.

First is about timing.

I've been searching for my Thai Bible since January 8th or so.

That's when Ken and I moved over from staying in our son's home to setting up here, in our brand new little house.  One of my first priorities was to see just how many books I could fit on the shelves that were assigned to the space that constitutes my office.  I was so curious to see how this would work.  So books were the first thing I sorted and put away.  Boxes and boxes of them, most of which were packed up last June.  But also, the books I had with me when I got back from Thailand last November, my Thai Bible among them.  In other words, I knew for sure the Bible was on the premises.  

In the last three weeks, the search has intensified.  That's when I've been working on Thai language prep for teaching Bible stories and preaching sermons while I'm there.  I can get what I need online, true.  But for anyone who knows, you know how it is with a well-used, well-loved Bible; how it feels in your hand, and how it's just easier to find the places you need to get to.  Plus, this Bible has important significance (that I'll hint at later).  I really wanted to find my Thai Bible.

The second thing is about proximity.

The pictured shelf is to my immediate right as I sit at my desk.  There's my light, then the printer, then the books.  Right there.  The whole time.

My Thai Bible was within my visual range the entire time I was looking for it.

See it?

I'll give a better clue.  A closer shot.

Here.

 

Now do you see it?

I'll give another hint.

It has a grey duct tape spine.

Yup.  That thicker one to the right of the candle.

Okay...more context needed here.

This is the Bible I wrote about in a previous post way back in the spring.  You can read about it here.  The Bible is, in a very real way, part of the inspiration that led us to this move in the first place.  The story behind it is that Yupa helped me prolong the life of this particular Bible by providing me with the duct tape needed to keep it together.  

Thing is, I knew that.  While I've been looking for my Thai Bible, I knew it should have a grey duct-taped spine.  It should have been obvious.  Also obvious is the fact that all the other books on the shelf are language books.  Not Thai, but still.  A perfectly logical place for me to put my Thai Bible until I would need it to prepare for the next trip.

In retrospect I should have made a little note for myself on my calendar.  I do that sometimes.  "Thai Bible is on top shelf of unit immediately to right of desk."  It would have helped.  Although it's entirely likely that, when I put it where I put it, I thought to myself, 'It will be right in plain sight if I leave it here.'

So, a really loud yay for finding my Thai Bible!  Made my day, to be honest.

And I can't wait to tell my friends on our Prayer Team at Highview later this morning, because two weeks ago, just as a small personal aside, I asked them to pray that I would find it.  In fact, when they did one friend suggested that we would 'look forward to laughing at the silly place it would be found.'  Ha!

I wonder how many other answers to prayer are like this?  The yes answer has already been given.  It's right there in plain sight.  We're just not tuned in enough to see it.  Or it's arrived all covered in very ordinary looking duct tape and we can't tell it's what we've been waiting for.  And maybe our prayer now should be, "Lord, open my eyes to see Your intimate involvement, Your very real presence here."

I will lay that down lightly now.  Not sure how far I can or should go with this.  Just some fleeting thoughts as I sit here feeling a little foolish and a lot grateful.  

Going into Wednesday with eyes wide open.

Praying the same for you.

Contrasts

Psalm 113:3

From the rising of the sun

to the place where it sets,

the name of the Lord is to be praised.

Quick before it's gone again.

Some sunshine!
Happy welcome to the day.

Don't let it fool you. It's crazy cold out there, and will be for the next run of days.

Can't help but be amused in my morning routines, as I lather on the moisturizer and layer on the sweaters, how differently-temperatured I will be next week at this time. By then it will be more like powder and flip flops. My weather ap for Chiang Mai shows sunshine and highs of 33 with lows of 19. Sounds great for sleeping with the windows open, and a sunrise walk on the property.

Meanwhile, I am in the prioritizing and packing phase of trip preparation. Making sure I have everything I might need downloaded on to my computer and Kindle for work and reading on the plane. Checking off what I can, deferring items to the 'when I get back' list, and making sure I have everything I need for the work waiting for me there. And the beloveds waiting for me there.

Yesterday was surprisingly productive in all of the work categories. I'm glad that a three day snow storm, while disruptive on a few other levels, did not interfere too much with what still needs to be done.

And I'm glad for a glimpse of the sun, and the wonder of winter, and the very lovely human beings I get to do life with.

Tuesday it is!
Let's see what this day brings!

Snow Day on a Sunday

TODAY'S CHANGE IN PLANS

Highview Community Church on line service only.

Starts at 10:30 a.m.

hcckw.ca

Two Minute Tour Open House canceled for today.

Hoping for tomorrow

Monday, February 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Stay tuned for confirmation.

Found the vehicles!!!!....barely!!
And it's still coming down.

We're taking the incremental approach to our snow shoveling around here. If you go out and clear it every couple of hours, it doesn't get unmanageable. At least, that's the theory. Right now, though, it's coming down so fast that by the time you finish one end of the driveway the place where you started needs it again.

We've come inside, shaken ourselves off, and now getting ready for the rest of the morning.

Being out there confirms the wisdom of Highview's decision to move our Sunday morning service on line. While it's disappointing not to be in person to share our stories from last November's trip, which is the theme of the morning, it's definitely a day to stay safe at home.

If you'd like to join, head to hcckw.ca, scroll down just a little on the home page until you see Google Meet in blue. The techno fun begins a 10:30.

And on the theme of staying home and staying safe. We will also NOT be open for our Open House this afternoon as previously planned. We want our friends to hunker down in the blizzard.
There's always tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.

Snow Day!!!

 

My small contribution to our collective shoveling endeavours this morning.

Before

I'll let the more muscular among us do the heavy work of the long driveway and clearing out the vehicles. I'm just taking care of the space between our houses and making sure our little walkway up to our porch stairs is good to go.

After

Wow! That's a lot of snow!!

Everybody stay home!
Or at least give yourselves (and your employees if that's you) a lot of grace time to get where you're going.

My day consists of Zoom meetings all morning (yay that I can stay inside), and one in person meeting tonight. I am hoping the roads will be mostly cleared by then....but honestly? Should be an interesting day.

I do love me a nice snow storm, I have to confess. Last night was all cozy on the couch watching it blow around.

This morning I am grateful for a warm bed, a roof over my head, a tea kettle and some candles, and the other more muscular peeps who are there right now.

Sabbath Soft

I'm lingering in this Sunday snow fall,

at least the early morning hush of it,

as Ken and I shovel quietly.

(Yes, we're shoveling,

 and I'm still glad for the snow.)

And then the afternoon,

...laying low in Sabbath stillness.

Still snowy.

Reading and resting.

Don't worry.

We brushed off the van

before heading to worship in the morning.

But when we got back...

...we went nowhere.

Two Mondays from now I'll be on the plane.

I'll settle in and be quiet then.

Like today.

Between then and now?

Some bluster.

Packing and preparing.

Finishing big projects.

A meal and an auction.

Leading a panel on February 16.

Preaching February 23.

Not to mention

OPEN HOUSE WEEKEND

(February 15, 16, 17)

(Don't worry, I'll repost the invitation again this week.)

All good.

All very exciting.

And mostly, mostly, 

in good shape to be completed

in good order.

But for right now?

Just some Sabbath softness.

Mindful breathing.

And that is all.

 

The Lovely Lifted Things

 

Loving the cozy vibe of this particular Thursday morning.
Almost Friday.
In one way, news-wise, it's been a week.

But also, otherwise...
I've felt loved and respected.
I've been enriched in some reading.
I've seen answers to prayer.
I've connected with friends.
I've had meaningful conversation with teenage grandkids.
I've been encouraged and inspired.
I've gone on walks in the sunshine.
I've tried something new (yoga neck stretches).
I've made progress on important projects.
I've felt settled and at home.
I've been humbled and reoriented again in receiving Communion.
I've eaten well.
And every single morning, I woke up in a warm bed.

And it's not even Friday yet!
All these things are good and true and not ever taken for granted.
And if the newsfeed gets a tad weighty,
all this lifts me.

In many of my conversations this week, I've been impressed with the need to keep each other in love and support.
I so appreciate the honest hope that others have spoken to me.
Let's keep saying the lovely things,
the grateful things.

Have a lovely lifted Thursday everyone!

I Think I'll Just Sit Here and Sinter for a Bit

We have a quinzhee at the front of our property, and I think it's pretty awesome.  

For those who might not know, a quinzhee is a shelter made of snow, often reinforced with sticks.  Unlike a more permanent igloo made of blocks, a quinzhee is mostly a pile of snow dug out from the side into the middle.  It's meant to be temporary, usually for the purposes of survival out there in the winter woods.  First nations folk might set that up for an overnight hunting trip.  Or if you live in the city, it can just be for fun, which is the case with ours.

And if you think this is the creative work of sundry and various grandchildren, it's not.  There are some adults around here who thoroughly enjoy winter, and building a quinzhee is an every-winter-we-have-enough-snow bit of seasonal happy.

In looking up all this about quinzhees (even how to spell it), I came across a new word for me.

Sintering.  Wikepedia tells me that it is "the process of compacting and forming a solid mass of material by pressure or heat without melting it to the point of liquification."  It makes more solid what exists first as smaller particles.  And while this is a process applied to the manufacturing of metals, plastics and ceramics, sintering also applies to the more organic way the snow is packed down and 'settles' when you're making a quinzhee.

Is it just me, or is this winter particularly weird?  Ken and I have seen the completion of our house, moved in and set up, the reinstatement of more regular routines, and the end of a long time of transition.  That's on the personal side.  Then, with the rest of Canada, there's been all the big news political stuff.  Our Prime Minister steps down and prorogues parliament.  Our Premier calls a snap election and shuts down the Ontario legislature.  And the US Administration starts an on-again-off-again trade war that has all the news agencies scrambling to keep up just to let us know what's going on.  

That's a lot of swirling pieces blowing around.  Leaves me wishing I could build a survival quinzhee for my soul out here in the wild woods of it all.  To let things settle.  Let things sinter.

Maybe I can.

"You will keep in perfect peace

those whose minds are steadfast

because they trust in You."

Isaiah 26:3

So I sinter in the meditation.  And in my winter walks that now take me up into the trees.  Or in the quiet stretching of late afternoon when my desk work is done and I unhurry myself towards evening.

So curious to see where all this shakes down.  

And how our quinzhee will fare in the winter weeks ahead.

Guarding My Heart: Navigating Tariff Territory

Above all else,

guard your heart,

for it is the well-spring of life.

Proverbs 4:23

I was going to start by saying this wouldn't be a 'political' post.  But the truth is that everything's kinda' political right now, so who am I kidding?  Because....Over the weekend so much news!

I stayed up on purpose Saturday night to hear the statement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in response to it being all official now about the tariffs being imposed by the US Administration.  And regardless of where I land on various policies and practices of our Federal government, I did appreciate his direct comments to both the American people and the people of Canada, and his steady encouragement towards resilience.  Transcript here.

It made me consider what my own approach will be, in these next weeks and months of navigating tariff territory, as both a Canadian, and a follower of Jesus.  I need a plan, if you will, exercising my own agency, to stay balanced and true to both those essential components of who I am.

This is an early, in some ways unrefined response.  I sense there is a lot of reflection and formation ahead in the coming weeks.  My perspectives have yet to be more robustly informed by actual and not just feared outcomes, and by how it will all play out in real time. 

But so far, as I anticipate the unfolding of what will likely be an historic week, three 'intentionalities' compel me forward.

1.  Practice Contentment

We'll likely be doing without in the next little while.  The list of items that will certainly be more expensive, or perhaps not be available at all, is long already, and growing.  I'm thinking I'll be confronted with some things I've just taken for granted.  And that's not all bad.

Paul, in part of his letter to the Philippians who had not been able to be consistent in their practical, financial support of his ministry, writes this:

"I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me.  

Indeed, you were concerned but you had no opportunity to show it.  

I am not saying this because I am in need, 

for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, 

whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." 

Philippians 4:10-13

For different reasons, Paul had times when things were tight.  I admire his bold statements about 'any and every situation,' and, leaning into the strength of Jesus, I want to press more into that space as I face the challenges ahead.

2.  Stay Generous

Tight times tend to make us pull in.  I want to resist that urge, and keep looking outward.  Remembering some of our collective responses to the oncoming pandemic in 2020, I will again avoid hoarding, even as I find it necessary to shop differently perhaps.  If needed, there are lots of ways I can spend less on myself without shortchanging what I believe God asks me to give to others.  It's a very real way to make sure love doesn't also become a scarcity in the midst of everything else.

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need 

but has no pity of them, how can the love of God be in that person?

1 John 3:17

But even beyond physical goods, I want to be generous in spirit, give people the benefit of the doubt, make sure I don't start viewing others as competitors.  Which kind of leads me to my last intentionality.

3. Shun Hatred

"In your anger, do not sin."

Ephesians 4:26

I feel the collective anger of Canada, I do.  The suggestion that our country be claimed as a 51st state is deeply insulting.  That so many humans on both sides of the border will be significantly harmed by deliberate actions taken by this Administration, is deeply disturbing.  That so many of my American neighbours, some being friends and family, believed this was the leader they wanted truly baffles me, and not in a light-hearted, bemused sort of way.  

So I feel all the big feelings, acknowledge them, and give them the space they need to help me process all of what's happening.  

But I also know that without the application of supernatural grace, my anger could become a further agent of harm, both towards those who intend to harm me, and also to myself.  Anger that leads to redemptive action is one thing.  Anger that festers and degrades into blind hatred is another.  And I refuse to let that happen in me.  Like I said, friends and family.  We cannot let this pit us against each other!  Not as people, not as countries, and certainly not as the Church of Jesus Christ!

That's why I hope to keep reading, keep investing, keep listening, keep loving, keep guarding my heart.  Love absolutely has to be the way.  Otherwise, how will they know Who I follow (John 13:35)?

And that's it for now.  From me at least.  There's plenty more to process in the days to come.  But it's a start.

I appreciate the minds and hearts of many who are assessing all that's happening, and thoughtfully reflecting on them with more political eloquence than I could ever muster.  

I also respect those who find the need to guard their mental health by limiting how much they will or will not reflect on all these things.

And I find hope in experiencing first hand how it actually is possible to agree to disagree and continue to serve God together, applying ourselves together around bigger needs than trying to decide who's right.

God keep our land.

Double Yay Day (A Pre-Tariffs Blessing)

 Give me some trees and some sunshine, and suddenly winter doesn't feel quite so tedious.

As I've mentioned before, I'm exploring the trails in our new neighbourhood, and since yesterday just begged for some fresh air, I headed up further towards the trees.  Was not disappointed.  

I love that all of this is so close to home.

And then today.  January 31st.  The end to what many feel is the longest month of the year.  And also today is Friday.  And while the weather forecast doesn't look quite so bright, and I'm not likely to get out walking, there's something to be said for a day of double yay.

It's important to do this, I think, right now.  Right now in the grip of winter.  Right now as world politics seem a little more threatening, specifically to Canada, than usual.  Tomorrow could herald another blow against the economy.  Where things are thin, they're about to get thinner.  Even folks like me who try to 'stay out of' politics are reminded that none of us really can.  

The double sting of it, though, is even as we do engage, read the news, try to form reasoned opinions, there is so much that feels like we're trying to make sense of senseless rhetoric.  Personally, I am doing some deliberately 'other-winged' reading for the expressed purpose of making sure I can still listen to the voices of those who believe differently than me on just a whole range of topics.  Heaven forbid I become deaf to someone just because they espouse opposing political, philosophical, or religious views.

But I am no politician.  Godspeed to those who enter that particular fray with sincere hearts to bring about the change that better protects the oppressed and vulnerable, which is always God's priority, at least as I read it.  We pray wisdom and strength and patience and tenacity over you.  

But when I bring it down to where my own feet hit the pavement, when I need the grounding of focus, I don't have to go too far to find the orientation of spirit that comes from well placed hope.

Love how the psalmist compares it to the comfort of a small child in their mother's lap.

"My heart is not proud, LORD,

my eyes not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters

or things too wonderful (over my head) for me.

But I have calmed and quieted myself,

I am like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child I am content.

Israel (people of God), put your hope in the LORD

both now and forevermore."

Psalm 131:1-3

So I will yay the day.  Double yay.

And tomorrow, come what may,

from whomever it comes,

they are not in charge.

And I can be a calmed and quieted agent of change

right here in my own 'neighbourhood' of hope.

Happy Friday, everyone.

Happy last day of January.

Wherever this day takes you, 

may you receive and give away all manner of goodness.

Roosevelt and Williamson

Two quotes on a stormy, wintry morning, from feisty, provoking women.

Not sure if I'm still reflecting on the 'fear' theme or the 'light' theme, or maybe both.

Maybe my mood just matches the weather.

Either way, I woke up this morning feeling in the need of some reminders.

First, from Eleanor Roosevelt, and this 'dare' about how to take on the day (pictured).  It's helpful to remember that life is most vibrantly lived in the business of doing things beyond myself, an endeavour that evokes the kind of fear that helps make sure important things get priority attention.

Second, from Marianne Williamson, and a quote Nelson Mandela helped make famous (and it is often incorrectly attributed to him).  This one is longer, layered, and in some ways unsettling.  I think it took me a long, long time to stop 'playing small,' and it remains a strong stress response still.  

 "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented fabulous?'

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the word.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so 

that other people won't feel insecure around you.  

We are all meant to shine, as children do.  

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.  

It is not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, 

we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  

As we are liberated from our own fear, 

our own presence automatically liberates others.

Marianne Williamson

All this to say...

If you are tempted to play small, hold back, or be less than you were created to be and need the reminder that you were 'born to make manifest the glory of God'...

If you need the encouragement to step forward into something that scares you...

If any of this helps you face whatever you're facing today...

Well...go for it!!!

Frugal Faith

Hoping for a haircut at some point today.  Can you see why?  When the flyaway wispies blend in with the telephone wires, it's time for a trim.  

I've been putting it off, even though I know that's not always the best move if you're trying keep your look tidy.  And I do want to keep things tidy.  But when the price of a hair cut goes up, and my income stays the same, it's time to think smarter about this.  

I did the math (yes, me, doing math!).  I calculated that if I stretched things out by even just two weeks, that would require three less haircuts per year.  I'm not sure what you pay for a haircut, but even at my 'discount' salon, that adds up.

Also, if I time it out right and get a hair cut today, I'll be due for another one near to the end of my time in Thailand.  And I know a young Thai businesswoman who owns her own modest little salon in her tiny little village not that far from Hot Springs.  She does a great job and it costs me the equivalent of $6 CDN.  

There's so much in the news about our economy right now.  But I don't even have to look at the news to know how much a haircut will set me back, how much things cost at the grocery store, how differently the Canadian dollar is behaving right now, and how dramatically that affects us at New Family Foundation in terms of currency exchange.

Yesterday, at Highview, we sang about being 'no longer a slave to fear' (No Longer Slaves by Jonathan David and Melissa Helser).  In those moments I asked the Spirit to show me what I'm most afraid of right now.  And without hesitation it came to me how much anxiety I'm actually carrying in terms of all these economic realities and the fact that we have 21 children to care for in Thailand.  And also the 10 seniors we support in Haiti.  We're forming New Family Foundation's 2025 budget right about now, fiscal year March to March.  We're in the midst of raising funds for Auberge des Vieillards.  These realities are very, very real.  In my role as Highview's Missionary in Residence, I feel the weight of this.  And the current state of world affairs and how that's making everyone think of ways to save money on hair cuts and otherwise tighten their belts....well that scares me.

The song gives the response to this.  So beautifully.  'I'm no longer a slave to fear.  (Instead) I am a child of God.'  And the Spirit asks me, in this wispy worship moment, 'do you trust Me?'  It's funny how needy fear can move you into spaces of breathless faith.

So hopefully today I'll have done away with the wispies, hair-wise, and will have been led into creative solutions for the other things.  Maybe I'll even get my exercise in today and walk to the salon.  Although I am watching the weather.  

Stay tuned for another selfie (if I like how it turns out).

A Wintry Week of Ordinary

 

Getting to Friday, I'm realizing again how important is my need for the regular rhythms of life.

Simple things, like that Fri-Yay feeling, when you've been able to settle into a more or less normal work week and now it's coming to a satisfying end, are all that much more Yay when you've been without for as long as it feels I have.

Even having our normal laundry day back feels good. And getting at the other Saturday morning domestics in a repeated pattern. Feels orienting somehow. (And so much quicker and easier in our little house.)

Or getting out for my walk. Which, truth be told I didn't as much as I'd have liked to since I decided I prefer to keep my ears, nose and fingertips, thank you very much. Minus 30 with the windchill?!? In the middle of the day?!? No thank you. Call me a Canadian wuss, I don't care. I stayed indoors mostly this past week. But not yesterday. Not when it's a balmy minus 9! And not when I'm trying to establish a new walking route in our new neighbourhood.

Today, being Friday, it soothes my jangled-long-transition-intensive-moving nerves just to be ordinary. To check off the last things on the list, set myself up for next week's tasks, write out what we need for groceries, and plan out what we'll have for Friday supper.

Even throwing in a school concert (Jayden) at noon, which I get to do today, is more normal than last fall's city-absence that seriously interrupted some Gramma time.

And with both Ken and I having more regulated schedules by now, we have the freedom to try something new. I'm calling it 'Fridate' where we just take the whole afternoon to run errands together. At this point in our moving in, that includes fun trips to thrift stores in search of various specific and very ordinary items we still need for the new house. Mostly, we're so excited to find a sliding towel rack for $3, or kitchen storage features to help with the still-unruly fry pans.

It's good to enjoy the simple ways of life in a regular routine and more settled space, and doing the ordinary tasks of life together. So good. And I let myself rest in that, be deeply glad in that.

I realize Fridays don't feel like the end of the week for everyone. For some, the routines are different, especially if you are in retail or hospital settings. For decades for me, the weekend, especially Sunday, was the most demanding space of the entire week. Regardless, I wish you all the Fri-Yay feels on whatever day they fall for you.

This week marked 'blue Monday' and an awareness campaign for mental health. It also saw some of the coldest temperatures we've experienced in some time, at least in our part of the country. We are deep into winter.

So, let's keep looking out for each other, checking in on each other, lending each other some warmth and stability where we can.

Happy Friday, friends.
Celebrating the ordinary with you.

The Two-Minute Tour Drop In Open House

Come and see what God has done.

Psalm 66:5

To thank our friends for all their love and support these past months,

and to celebrate God's faithfulness to us over our entire lives,

we are delighted to offer an open invitation to our

Two-Minute Tour Drop In Open House

RY-72 Sandra Avenue

Kitchener ON N2M 1Z6

Saturday/Sunday/Monday, February 15/16/17

Hours as follows:

Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m.

Monday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This is our first ever 'party' in our new small home.

So here's how we hope it will work.

Stop by any time during the hours posted above.

Please park on the street.

Come on down to the end of the driveway.

We will welcome you in at the side door 

and take you on a tour of the house.

 It will honestly only take about two minutes.

Enjoy some hot cider and goodies.

(Same will be available on our covered porch 

in case anyone has to wait outside a bit.)

How long you stay depends on what we discover

to be the 'comfortable capacity' of our small home :).

Out of town friends:

Please let us connect with you individually

to set up a time when you can come and stay long enough

to make it worth the drive!

BEST WISHES ONLY PLEASE

(Honestly.  We had to get rid of a lot of stuff to even fit in here.)

On a Very Cold Morning

 

Last day of the cold snap, or so they say.
I'm feeling it, just sayin'.

Grateful for

a snug little house,
a cozy workspace,
heart-warming encouragements,
fired up ministry partners,
layers of meaningful work to engage in,
long, snuggy hugs
and warm hands to hold.

Stay warm, friends!

"And most of all be warm in your love for one another;
because in love there is forgiveness of sins without number."
1 Peter 4:8 (BBE)

What You Can (and Cannot) See Through Our Front Door

 

It arrived yesterday.  So Ken and I took a break from our work day to apply the new window film to our front door.  

I LOVE it!!  

If you're so inclined, there are so many companies that do this, and a plethora of designs to choose from.  We scrolled through them all, for a few weeks actually, until we found this one, and I didn't want to look any further.  I knew this belonged on our door.

Honestly, this is so easy.  Basically it's giant sticker that needs soapy water to stay fixed to the window.  Comes with a scraping tool, and you move from the inside out.  The measurements were perfect, so no trimming required.  And just like that, we now have a tad more privacy than we did before.

This was the door before. 

And even though we might call this our 'front' or main door, this is actually looking out the side of our home into the backyard.  Remember, we share the property, not just with our son, but with a lovely young couple who are tenants of the basement apartment in the main house.  Our own little community, if you will.  

So far, while it's been winter, there hasn't been too much activity outside.  But that red umbrella you see marks a little sitting area in the summer.  And, if you are standing at our door, and you turn completely around....

...you'll be looking straight into the bathroom.  So before the window treatment, you wouldn't want to just waltz in to use the facilities without making sure you closed the door, even if you were home all by yourself.  Just in case. Might still be what you'd want to do, but at least now there's a little something more between you in a vulnerable moment, and the whole wide world.

To be clear, we are finding the whole situation here to be much more than we expected it would be.  The house feels bigger than I thought it would.  The shared space of the driveway and the pathways to our porch are proving to be ample.  And we all have a similar sense of what healthy boundaries look like.  Even without the window screen on the door, we have felt respected back here.  And it's quiet!

But putting up the extra bit of privacy yesterday put me in mind of the importance of both exercising healthy boundaries, and living a life of authentic transparency.  And how sometimes it's hard to find that balance.

I don't know who first said it (and if someone can find it and let me know, I'd appreciate it), but a guideline I've tried to live by in terms of being open and honest is 'the appropriate information with the appropriate people at the appropriate point of the relationship.'  In the past, I've trusted too easily, given everyone the benefit of the doubt, and lived to regret entrusting some with the deeper confessions of my soul.  If later, something you shared in confidence is used against you to benefit the person you shared it with, in any form of that, you shared it with the wrong person.  It's not always easy to know.  But I've learned from that.  I'm more careful now.

The other swing of this, however, isn't okay.  We don't grow, we don't make rich deep connections with other human souls, and we miss our own blind spots if we are so guarded no one can ever see what's happening behind the doors of our psyche.  In certain contexts and within some relationships, withholding of information, thoughts or feelings can move into the more shady territory of keeping unhealthy secrets.  Some of them are outright dangerous.  Again, I can't remember who said this, but 'we're only as sick as our secrets' rings true.  

Christian psychologist and author Larry Crabb (a source I can actually cite here!) has recommended we all have 'someone with whom we have no secrets.'  He said this in the context of keeping spiritual leaders on track, which is especially needful in these days of scandal within the Christian church.  But I feel it should be true for anyone who has anything at all at stake, for the sake anyone who might be harmed in our wake, should we be tempted to take those first steps down a slippery slope of self-deception, and the betrayal of what's been entrusted to us.

Okay.  In the spirit of full disclosure here, truth is I have been spinning my wheels a bit this morning.  A productive but interruptive phone call, some necessary but frustrating conversation about money and numbers, and communications about changes in plans for the afternoon intruded on my intentions for productivity.  All it took, then, was walking past the door, and again admiring this latest finishing touch on our home, and I succumbed to blog-writing.  

Now, I should get back to some of the timely work I need to get done before the morning is gone.

Plans are coming into focus for a time when we can invite folks over for the 'Two Minute Tour.'

Stay tuned.

Bright Blue Monday

 Apparently today is supposed to be Blue Monday, aka the most depressing day of the year.  

I had forgotten all about it until someone brought it up in a conversation at church yesterday.  Probably because I have had the happy distraction, these past weeks, of finally being able to move into our new home.  But I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice winter's lack of sunshine, one of the more believable factors in this fabricated designation for the third Monday in January.

So to contrast the dreary skies and cold temperatures this past little while, I thought I'd post some of my favourite pictures of sun and sky.  And also some brilliant reflections from folks who might help encourage us today. 

Stay warm and shine bright in your corner of the world today, friends.

We need each other more than we know.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; 

only light can do that. 

Hate cannot drive out hate; 

only love can do that."

 - Martin Luther King Jr.

"Light is to darkness what love is to fear;

 in the presence of one the other disappears." 

- Marianne Williamson

"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times 

if one only remembers to turn on the light." 

- Albus Dumbledore

The LORD is my light and my salvation

— whom shall I fear? 

The LORD is the stronghold of my life

— of whom shall I be afraid? 

Psalm 27:1

But you are a chosen people, 

a royal priesthood, a holy nation, 

God’s special possession, 

that you may declare the praises of him 

who called you out of darkness 

into his wonderful light. 

1 Peter 2:9

"The light shines in the darkness, 

and the darkness has not overcome it." 

John 1:5