Life is Good - Except When It's Not

 

A one dollar thrift find yesterday - this little wooden sign that I've put beside my pot of fresh basil.  I like it.  It fits with the overall upbeat decor vibe I've got going on, not only in the kitchen, but also generally, in my purposeful engagement of life.

And while I remain convinced that elements of chosen joy and intentional gratitude do indeed set the stage for a positive mental and spiritual approach to each gifted day, I do know, and you all know that sometimes life actually isn't good.

Even without extending past my own relational orbits, there has been so much that has come to my awareness just in this last week that is shocking, harsh, painful, sometimes brutally sudden, sometimes hellishly ongoing, and all of it deeply disruptive.  

This is life -- not so good -- and it's happening to my friends.  

So to acknowledge the un-goodness of certain situations right now, I carefully and respectfully offer what I hope to be comforting inspiration from the Bible I know as being fearlessly honest about suffering.  I choose just three this texts morning, all from the Psalms.  I realize these are 'just words' in some ways, and none of them will change what's happening to you.  Still, I lay them gently down here, with a prayer that they just might be something of a little light in dark places you find yourselves right now.

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 34:18

"Though you have made me see troubles,

many and bitter,

you will restore my life again;

from the depths of the earth you will bring me up.

You will increase my honour and comfort me once more."

Psalm 71:21

"My comfort in my suffering is this:

Your promise preserves my life."

Psalm 119:50

All Things Bright and Beautiful

 I noticed the dried grassy bits on our welcome mat before anything else.  Made me look up.

Yup.  There it is.  I'm no ornithologist, but I'm betting that's a robin's nest.  And since there's really no inobtrusive way of finding out whether or not there are already eggs in there, we're leaving it alone.

For now.

There's a both/and about this for me.  

We had specifically asked our contractor to be sure to close off a similar space at the front of the house during the last stages of finishing the fascia and eves to prevent exactly this.  They did so, and quite beautifully.  But neither of us caught this little alcove just at the other end of the side veranda where the extended piece of the roof coming down crossways meets up with the roofline continuing out to the back of the house.

Good news is that, despite these wispy bits blowing onto the mat in front of the door, the nest itself is positioned off the end.  I'm fairly confident that any unsightly droppings will be deposited straight to the ground right below.  This will make our sublet situation much more enjoyable.

Which is the 'and' part of the both/and.  As a new homeowner, I do not want wildlife living in our eves.  As a forest-friend whisperer, I find myself admittedly pleased that they found our home to be a safe and sheltered space.

I doubt I'll have much chance for any interaction.  I'm not yet sitting outside long enough, or even positioned properly enough to quietly wait and see exactly who is nesting with us.  But the idea is pleasing.  And I'll keep any eye out anyways, and keep you updated if anything exciting happens.

A cursory look at what the Bible says about God's relationship to animals begs a deeper study for another day.  But I will note here how God's care for animals is connected to His faithfulness, and righteousness, and justice, and love in Psalm 36:6-7.  (And for creative effect, I'll note the tie-in splash of blue sky in the photo above.)

"Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens,

your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,

your justice like the great deep.

You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God."

And because it comes to mind, and I can't help myself, I'll add this from Matthew 6:26.

"Look at the birds of the air,

they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Happy day-after-Federal-Election everyone.

No matter how we voted, we now have a fresh new era ahead of us.

And we're in good Hands.

Election Day Prayers

Oh Canada!

Pretty sure it's not understating it to say that there's much at stake today.  More than usual in a federal election.  So much going on.  A lot to process and receive and analyze over these past weeks.  

I have so appreciated the articulate thoughts of many, both on line and in person; in well-balanced articles, in passionate rhetoric, in reasoned news reports, and in respectful conversations with people much more cognizant of all the issues and nuances than I.  

I have appreciated hearing from all the candidates, particularly the ones who came to my door, 

Today I will vote, of course!  I do not take that privilege for granted for one second, especially as a woman, especially in this point of time on our planet when so many have been stripped of so many rights.   I have weighed it out and will cast my ballot, and then watch with the rest of the country this evening as the results are tallied and our next government is formed.

But before that.

Tragedy in Vancouver on the eve of it all, just to remind us that life is precious, and insanity and chaos can change things in an instant.  And we grieve together with our Canadian bothers and sisters, not caring how they would vote today, but only that we share in their unspeakable loss.

I want to be careful not to distort the words of Paul written to a specific situation for the people of the church in Galatia.  He did not have politics so much in mind, but he was dealing with forces that would impose unnecessary restrictions on the people, and the threat of division.  As such, I do believe that his attempts to bring his readers back to 'the main thing' most certainly apply to our current affairs.

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.  

But do not use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature; 

rather, serve one another in love. 

 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: 

"Love your neighbour as yourself." 

If you bite and devour each other, 

watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Galatians 5:13-15

Tomorrow the dust will settle and we will all be making decisions about what's next; how to be strong and confident and authentic as we step together into the future.   My prayer is that the Church of Christ will help lead the way in the way of Jesus.

God keep our land.

Sleep Over!!!!

We're basically ready for a first-ever-in-the-little-house sleepover with the two youngest grandchildren, starting this afternoon around 4:30 and ending tomorrow after lunch.

This is a big deal for a few reasons.

One is that we knew that in moving to our 'granny flat' we were sacrificing the 'kids room' we had set aside just for this purpose in the other house.  All our grandkids have many memories of sleepovers at Gramma and Grandad's, and all the various ways we had fun there in that bigger space.  For the new place, we on purpose kept mattresses and bedding and select toys, with the intention of making it work now that we're here.  So this weekend we'll see if the pragmatics of camping out in the living room actually works.

It's also a big deal because spending this kind of time with your grandchildren is priceless.  I know that not everyone has their family living in the same city, and I do not for a minute take for granted that we can have this kind of access to them.  And I am over the top grateful that there we enjoy the kind of relational respect and grace and love among us that makes us all want to spend time together.

But, even though we see each other often, and not counting time spent together at the cottage, it's been almost a year since we were able to do the sleepover thing.  And I miss them!  Them being over the top excited that they get to eat ice cream on the couch.  Them building weird things with the weird interlocking building shapes they picked out from the Garage Sale that day.  Them running ahead and finding sticks and waiting until Gramma catches up then running ahead again on our way to the to the Dollar Store ritual (and happy news, there's one within even shorter walking distance than it was in the old neighbourhood!).  Them in their pjs, crawling into Gramma's bed all sleepy in the morning, until they wake up and start telling you about the oh so many wonderful things going on in their wonderful heads.

It was reported to me that, in anticipating our time today, the boys were hoping for some treats.  Jayden, who is older and starting to catch on to more nuanced humour, said in an exaggeratedly sarcastic tone, "Gramma always feeds us all the healthy stuff."  To which Timothy, younger and not catching the tone, rose rather energetically to my defense and retorted, "She does NOT!"  I mean, how dare Jayden make such an accusation!?

Lest I be inundated now with kind folks offering some coaching on how to feed small children, I do indeed leave out veggies and berries and cheese for 'grazing.'  The Oreos and ice cream bars (not shown) are doled out more carefully.  But they are still allowed to eat on the couch!

Pause here to change the topic ever so slightly.

Our culture is ageist.  Probably don't have to convince you of that.  Just look at the plethora of products available to make you look younger than you are (or at least try).  Scroll through social media and catch all the jokes aimed at how our bodies don't work like they used to (at least on my algorithm it's there).  Watch the gutter cleaning ad where all the frail old folks get scolded for being on a ladder.  Catch yourself, if you're my age, feeling defensive when you explain that, no, you're actually NOT retired (thank you Peter Mansbridge).

God, however, does not seem to have such a negative spin on getting older.  It's a broader study, of course, but here I lay down one of my favourite psalms, and bring things back to the grandkids.

Since my youth, God, you have taught me,

and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

Even when I an old and gray,

so not forsake me, my God,

till I declare your power to the next generation

your mighty acts to all who are to come.

Psalm 71:17-18

And now, just to state the obvious, you don't get to be grandparents unless you have reached a "certain age."

So buy the anti-aging creams, and have a plan for how to get up off the floor, and by all means let someone else clean the gutters.  But, as long as the Lord grants me strength, I'll be busy reveling in these joyful boyfuls (and my one favourite girl) that I wouldn't trade for all the advantages of my youth.

(Of course I plan on having a nap Saturday afternoon.)

(And, in that broader study, of course there are good things for older folks who do not have grandkids.  But I'll save that for another day when I'm not getting ready for the sleepover.)

 

Fresh Expectation

Little bunches of Spring happiness are poking out in the garden under the window of David's house at the front of our property here on Sandra Avenue.  

I love these first tiny surprises of beauty, having hid themselves away under the snow all winter, now braving the frost warnings to announce the new season.  

It's not like I was completely unaware of the front flower garden.  I had lots of Gramma visits before we made the move here.  But this being our first Spring, and me being outside yesterday wanting to help with the outdoor upkeep a little, everything feels fresh.

Also, I've discovered a happy bonus of the orientation of our new little house.  This time of year, the sunrise happens literally right outside our front door.

Please excuse the mess of this 'before-landscaping' picture.  We're in progress with big plans for the spring and summer.  Hopefully I will be able to post pictures of things as they develop.  But for right now, just look at that sunshine pouring in!  It's like I open the door and the day just bursts in all possible.

In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice;

in the morning I lay my requests before you

and wait expectantly.

Psalm 5:3

There is much to make us fret in these uncertain days.  Maybe we might not want to open the door to a brand new day, given we are never sure what the day will bring.  In fact, the whole of this morning song we know as Psalm 5, despite the hopeful tone of verse 3, is actually a cry for help against forces that threaten.

But there is a solid strength in waiting expectantly.

In opening the door to the new day and defiantly welcoming the fresh and the beautiful and the possible.

Perhaps the difference between worry and expectant waiting is faith.

God knows.

Counting down to Election Day.

God keep our land.

Earth Day, Planting Some Seeds, and Sending Our Students to University

 

Chalon

On this Earth Day 2025 I'm thinking about seed-planting.

Just on a basic level, that makes sense, of course.  Doing something good for the planet is what this day is set aside for.  And in Spring aren't we all looking forward to the flowers?

But this year, right now there's an extra layer to this for us here at New Family Foundation.  I'm talking about the current efforts to raise funds for our University Students, and the recent mailing of small packets of seeds to all our Sponsors and Supporters.

Maybe you've already received yours.  At least, that was my hope, that it would arrive before Earth Day.  Maybe you're not on the mailing list, in which case, we can rectify that in a second.

But first I want to introduce you to the Students themselves, the ones we are focusing on in this particular effort.  Over the next several days I'll be posting a picture and a profile, along with some personal thoughts from the young women themselves, so you can get to know them better.  

Today, here is Chalon.

Chalon arrived to live with us at age 16, much later than the normal 6 or 7 years old.   Her life story has had its darker chapters in a series of complex events that required her to be tough and determined.  In some ways, the environment of trust and nurture we foster in our family was suspicious territory for her.  It's taken a while to build trust.  

She recently graduated from High School, and has already been accepted into her (equivalent) Humanities studies program at University, so these are new days of optimism and hope for Chalon.   On graduation day, which I had the honour of attending with Yupa and Bell, it was great how much it meant to her that we came.  And overall, as she interacted with her teachers and classmates, she was smiling and enjoying all the attention, something we hope will be more and more part of her future.

In her own words:

"I want to be a history or social studies teacher, so I thought that if I graduated, I would take the civil service exam to become a history teacher because I like this field and am interested in it. I also want to be with the children so that they can have fun and be happy."

Graduation from High School

That last statement expressing the desire to help other children 'have fun and be happy' is significant.  This was not her own childhood experience.  Yet she wants to change things for others.  And now she has that chance.

This is totally what we are about at NFF, redirecting the trajectory and affecting change for better futures.

If you'd like to be a part of it, for Chalon and the four other young women you'll hear about in the next few days, please take a moment to respond to the SEEDS Fundraiser mailing.

And if you are not on our mailing list, you can still donate by sending an e-transfer to donations@hcckw.ca (Memo: NFF Seeds, Password Foundation).

Thank you!

NOTE:  In Canadian Dollars it takes approximately $2,000 per year to send one student to post secondary education in Thailand.  We currently have five students.  

With deep gratitude for all the love, support and care from Chalon's Sponsor in particular, and all those who faithfully help make these stories possible!

Ruth Anne

Rev. Ruth Anne Breithaupt, MDiv.

Canadian Representative/Missionary in Residence

New Family Foundation/Highview Community Church

The mission of New Family Foundation is to

provide a loving home for at-risk and 

orphaned children in Northern Thailand to

help them achieve their best potential in 

education, vocation and service to society.

https://newfamilythailand.org

                                            

     https://www.hcckw.ca                                                                    https://www.adventive.ca

Pope Francis (1936 - 2025)

"I have fought the good fight,

I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith.

Now there is in store for me

the crown of righteousness,

which the Lord, the righteous Judge,

will award to me on that day --

and not only to me,

but to all who have longed for His appearing."

2 Timothy 4:7-8

With respect and sympathies to my dear Catholic friends, and all those who have been saddened by the news of the Pope's passing early this Easter Monday morning.

I'm not Catholic, but I have a strong sense that Pope Francis himself would be glad if now, upon his death, the world might be distracted for a bit from war and conflict and all that separates humanity from God and one another, to reflect instead on the essence of the gospel he lived out; unity, compassion, mercy and forgiveness.

 

Ever Since That Morning

I want to know Christ—

yes, to know the power of His Resurrection 

and participation in His sufferings, 

becoming like him in his death, 

and so, somehow, 

attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, 

or have already arrived at my goal, 

but I press on 

to take hold of that 

for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Philippians 3:10-12
 

Isaiah's Flower

Yes, I am aware that I'm posting pictures of small flowers for the past few days in a row.  Partly this is because, like most people, I'm eager for all that Spring has to offer.  

This tiny bloom, however, has an additional appeal for me.  It's pushed its way up through the mess left by our construction project late last fall, to defiantly be beautiful and vibrant and small, all at the same time.  It doesn't care that there's not a fully developed, carefully orchestrated landscape to welcome it.  No self-consciousness or sense of inadequacy makes it stay hiding in the dirt.  Doesn't matter that it's so small and growing randomly in the middle of nothing.  It's just doing what it was created to do; push up and out of the dark space and open its petals to the light.

Call me the crazy lady who talks to practically unseeable flowers, but I'm so impressed I stop to encourage it.  Way to go, you brave thing you!  

I think I know how it feels.  Maybe a lot of us do.  Sometimes it's like this, us doing our thing so bravely and beautifully, yet maybe looking, maybe feeling all ridiculous and random, and no one even sees it.  It's an Isaiah flower.

"But I said, 'I have laboured in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing.'  Yet what is due me is in the LORD's hand, and my reward is with my God."  Isaiah 49:4

I feel like that last part is what makes it stretch and push upwards.  'I don't care.  I'm blooming here anyways.'

And so, on this Tuesday of Holy Week, I am encouraged and prompted.

Encouraged to faithfully continue in all that's before me, doing what I've been created to do, regardless of how obvious or how obscure the results might be.  God knows.  He knows.

Prompted to make sure to let other small and randomly beautiful efforts don't go unnoticed.  To let others doing their brave thing know they are seen.  To look for the defiant goodness in unlikely places, and stop to say something, take a picture even.  

The person who hands me my drink through the drive-through window so early in the morning.

The parent staying calm while their kid melts down in the store.

The cars who actually stop at the flashing lights so I can cross.

The school custodian keeping the floors clean through a muddy spring.

The tech people and others behind the scenes of almost any gathering or meeting.

The guy who rides the back of the garbage truck and takes all the trash away.

The nurse who answers the call bell for the thousandth time.

The cashier cheerfully ringing through the groceries putting up with the old guy's corny jokes (not that I know any old guys who tell corny jokes to grocery story cashiers or anything).

The teacher who goes the extra mile with that one kid.

Thank you.  Great job.  Looking good.  Way to go!  I see you.  So does God.

Keep doing you so fabulously!!

It matters.

It does.

The Needed Spaces of Holy Week

I am grateful this morning for a lighter list as I head into the week.  I purposely deferred all the non-urgent things to 'after Easter' so as to leave space to more slowly be in the moments of all we Christians will observe over the next several days.  It's ironic how easily we can become so pressed to the edges of ourselves at times when what our souls really need is time and space to receive what the Spirit is offering in the rituals.

Or maybe that's just me.  Maybe it's an occupational hazard around certain holidays.

Yesterday, in our morning worship, we sang the words from Hillsong's "So Will I."

God of creation

You chased down my heart

Through all of my failure and pride

On a hill You created

The Light of the World

Abandoned in darkness to die

And as You speak

A hundred billion failures disappear

Where You lost your life so I could find it here...

And I find I can't sing it all the way through, ambushed as I am once again by the fierce grace of it.

A badly needed reminder.

And so I find myself stepping carefully into this particular Monday.  

It's a sober thing we contemplate.

Whatever the week has in store for you, 

I pray you will be able to find the space 

to be reminded again of how truly valuable you are.

How Grows the Garden

Despite winter's desperate attempts to discourage us, today we are taking some intentional steps towards beautifying the yard.

We have our work cut out for us.

The aftermath of the construction basically trashed the rest of the yard.  Against our hopes of salvaging some of what had been there before, we are now starting from scratch.  Like, really scratchy scratch.

It's helping to think of it as a blank canvass.  Something we can create together over these next months of the growing season.  And since there's absolutely nothing growing in the spaces right now, we get to start at the very beginning.  

We will have some friends come by this afternoon who are really good at this kind of thing.  Especially the part about choosing what will thrive here more naturally.  We'll be talking about ground coverings that don't need mowing, shrubs that like the kind of dirt we've got, and the best placement of a fruit tree.

We can decide what kind of shape it will all take, mapping out the pathways to the shed that's coming, and the fire pit area.  Ken and I will get a space of our own at the back, leading up to the shed that's already there.

I for one am looking forward to bringing some colour into this space.  I know we have to wait until there's no more risk of frost, but even putting some potted plants on the porch is going to make a big difference.

In all of this, I am grateful for the patience our son has with the process, and his willingness to let it all happen incrementally, as all satisfying garden spaces do.  He keeps reminded me, just by his own easy approach, to enjoy the creativity of it, the unfolding of it, even as we imagine the outcomes.

It makes me wonder if that's not actually the way God gardens me.

Be Still

"Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and said to the waves, 'Quiet! Be still!' Then the wind died down and it was completely calm." Mark 4:39

With Spring back peddling again this morning (-7 and "flurious" here in Kitchener so far today), I thought I'd remind myself, and anyone else out there who needs it, that warmer summer days are coming.

Right about now I really start to miss my kayak. Sigh.

Never mind. I have an unusually clear Tuesday ahead of me, and am hoping to make the best of it, all snug and hunkered down with a happy plethora of tasks competing for my attention. And even though today I am in the city on a workday, it's not so unlike looking out over the bow across glass-flat waters first thing in the morning on my meditative way around the island.

In these days of "flurious" uncertainty on so many fronts, let's stay focused on the work that's before us, and keep reminding each other of the simple goodness of life. We do have agency. How we contribute really matters. We're in this together. And we know Who we have with us in the boat.

Wishing you a flat-water Tuesday.

Mindful Moments

 

Pausing this Monday morning to just let things be slow.  After an abundant and somewhat demanding weekend, I am grateful for this era in my life where this kind of flexibility is possible.  And also conscious of what else is on tap that requires my time sensitive attention for the rest of this week.  Never mind.  I'll get to that in due time.

Right now I'm remembering the tenderness of this moment when I captured a uniquely-shaped cloud in the midst of a time of discouragement.  I had just asked God if He thought I had it in me to continue something I was finding overwhelming, convinced I had mistaken His guidance in leading me to the task before me that seemed so daunting at the time.  Then this.  

There's more.  I captured the image.  Then, wanting to send it to the ones in the thick of things with me, to encourage them, I find a message from them, delivered just the moment before....likely while I was taking this picture.  They had a message from me, a surprising turn in events and the offer of resources for a particular part of the work that had seemed so daunting for all of us.  A direct and specific answer to our direct and specific prayers.

The collision of all those things in a matter of moments, and considering the distance and time differences, seemed highly improbable.  I mean, what are the chances?  

I was reminded of this over the weekend while in a space of meditation and worship.  And then I was mindful of two precious matters happening right now that feel threatened by the economic uncertainty of our time and my own inadequacies to resolve them.  And then Jesus' teaching about not worrying about resources, where it comes from to clothe and feed us (or the sweet children He's given us to care for)....(Matthew 6:25-34).

So no striving today.  I receive the being part of my humanity (a human being not a human doing).  I pull back and sink down and cease, leaning into trust instead.  Seeing what God has in mind for this moment.  

Sometimes You Just Gotta Let the Day Unfold

Weather and politics.  It's our two favourite topics right now up here in Canada, and they are both top stories in the news today.

The weather, because winter is apparently coming back for another tantrum, this time throwing in all the nasty it can muster in a 12 hour period of time.  After last weekend's damaging ice, we Ontarians wait to see how much more disruption might be on the way.

Politics, because...well.  More tantrums.  More nasty.  More potential disruption.  At least that's what I surmise from the news I receive.  And we're all 'bracing' for what it could mean.  For today.  For the long haul.

I'm not a meteorologist.  I'm not a politician.  So what do I know.

Except that the weather forecasts often as not can't tell us exactly how it will be.  And the op eds or Finance Ministers or anyone else who's really in the thick of things don't completely know either.  Might be not so bad.  Might be worse.

Do I cancel some plans where I was going out today?  I'll wait and see.

Do I get in a fret for all that's possibly coming down the pipe economically?  I'll wait and see.  

I'm pausing here, because when I started this post I honestly didn't think it was going to be about much more than just a quick comment on the weather.  And ironically, that's helping make the point I've ended up making here.  You just never know where things are going.

Just one more comment before I head off to other things.  The sentiment in the picture above.  It's sweet, but too tidy for me.  I have it hanging just to the left of my desk, and I need the reminder for sure.  A girlfriend and I bought two of these a very long time ago, one for her and one for me, when we were both going through something big and scary.  It was meant as a reminder to pray for and that we were being prayed for by each other.

But prayer does not guarantee an unraveled day, not really.  The day might unravel in ways unexpected and difficult.  It just might.  I think what's more important is how prayer keeps my heart from fraying into chaotic threads of anxiety, or retaliation, or despair.  

So I'll be praying as this particular day unfolds.    

April's Wisdom

 

Although I don't mind an obvious joke on April Fools' Day, I'm so not into the pranking thing. So have fun, be kind, stay safe and it's all good.

I do love this reminder from the Bible's collection of wise sayings called "Proverbs." Especially in these times of -- what respectfully seems to me -- widespread, harsh foolishness.

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favour and a good name
in the sight of God and people.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him
and He will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:3-6

Some sunny thoughts for the first day of the month.
And also...
Is it really April already?