Practice Makes Possible Upcoming Workshops

 

 

PRACTICE MAKES POSSIBLE

Deeping our Connection with God Through Spiritual Practices

Upcoming Dates:

(depending on minimum 3 participants each)

Thursday, May 14 - 1:00 to 3:30 - In Person

Wednesday, May 20 - 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. In Person

(Location: 72 Sandra Avenue, Kitchener N2M 1Z6)

Wednesday, May 27 - 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. - Zoom

Wednesday, June 10 - 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. - Zoom

Tuesday, June 16 - 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. -  Zoom

Saturday, June 20 - 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. - Zoom

An interactive experience designed to help us 

nurture the environments that help us grow deeper in our connection with God.

Maximum of 6 participants for each workshop provides an intimate environment where interactive dialogue can be an important part of the learning experience.

By the end of the workshop you will:

- Have a better understanding of yourself to craft a personalized spiritual formation plan.

- Have practiced an ancient form of Bible engagement known as "Lectio Divina."

- Have practiced a simple method of personal Bible meditation built around the acronym S.O.A.P.

Cost:
$35 per person
$25 if you gather a group of 5 or more

To Register:

Contact me at rabreithaupt@hcckw.ca.

Includes:

• Three Sessions:  
• "Confectionary Quiet Times: Drafting a Spiritual Formation Plan",
•  "Bible Listening: Lectio Divina," and 
• "Letting the Bible Read Me: S.O.A.P."
• Power Point Presentation
• Participants Workbooks (provided electronically, or printed for KW area participants)
• Interactive instruction and guided discussion
• Zoom-intimate environment
• Bibliography for further exploration

Cost:

• $35.00 per person
• Due five days before workshop date
• Various payment options
• 100% of proceeds go directly to New Family Foundation
• Zoom link and Worksheets will be provided after payment.

The material shared in this workshop was first developed for an in-person Ladies' Retreat and presented to 52 women in March 2026 with encouragingly positive feedback.  

Two Workshops have already been held on line.  Enthusiastic feedback has further encouraged me to make this more widely available. 

As New Family Foundation enters into a more intensive fundraising season, I am seeking to use my experience and skills in creative ways to benefit our cause.

To Register:

Contact me at rabreithaupt@hcckw.ca.

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.

New Family Foundation

                                            

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

A Longer Spring

 

Legit question.

How did it get to be May already?

April wasn't supposed to have been that busy, yet it ended up speeding by, just the same.  Which is strange also because... hasn't this just been a slower start to Spring?

It's often not so.  We wait forever for the snow to leave, and then it does, and then we have a few brief days of sun and rain and still needing a jacket.  Then the temperature cranks up and we're full on into summer weather, almost stepping right over all the pleasantries of Spring.

This year, the season has hung out with us a bit longer.  Even perhaps clinging on to those lower overnight temperatures with a bit more of a grip that any gardener might appreciate.  We're down in the minus digits again over the weekend.  

But even so.  It's okay by me that we're really and truly having Spring this year.  Kind of fits with an overall theme that's taking shape in my own life right now, starting with Lent and continuing.  

Take your time.  

There's no rush.  

Pace it out.  

Think it through.  

Trust the process.  

Watch what grows.

"There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

So here's to the beginning of another month of letting things take as long as they need.

Hope your day is splendid.

Pushing Back

 

1 Peter 4:19

So then, those who suffer for obeying God

should commit themselves to their faithful Creator

and continue to do good.

A caveat to begin.  

The kind of suffering experienced by Peter's original audience was extreme and traumatic.  It's easy to forget that, when the Christian movement was first beginning, to claim that you were a follower of Jesus could very easily result in overt, empire-initiated persecution, torture, or loss of life.  That's just history.

For me, and most of my believing friends in this era and this part of the world, we have no sweet clue about suffering 'for obeying God.'

That being said.

It's probably true that most of us, at one time or another, have had the "aggravation of spirit" that rises up when, despite clearly having done 'the right thing,' somehow the consequences have come down hard in a punishing kind of way.  Instead of being rewarded, we are criticized, demoted, demeaned, overlooked, suspected, taken advantage of, mocked and/or out right attacked.

• Standing up to a bully on behalf of the bullied, and having the snot kicked out of you.
• Refusing to bend the law or cross ethical lines for an employer, and getting fired for it.
• Refusing to keep a secret that needed to come to the light, and becoming a target for vitriol.  
• Turning down the drink because you have your reasons, and being painted as the party's buzz kill.
• Refusing to lie for a "friend," and then losing that friend.
• Struggling to breastfeed your baby while fielding degrading comments about your ability as a mother.
• Protecting the reputation of someone who turns around and slanders yours.
• Declining to take reimbursements you're entitled to, and being accused of financial abuse anyways.
• Being laughed at by the one who broke your trust for trusting them in the first place.
• Offering a gift with genuine intentions and being accused of manipulation.
• Offering assistance with grace to someone who caused their own difficult situation, and being pulled into a black hole of ingratitude.

I could go on.

Maybe you could too.

I feel you.

And here I need to add that Jesus wanted us to be "as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16).  And Paul was clear that we should "watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way" and to be "wise about what is good" (Romans 16:17,19).  Way back in Proverbs, there are so many cautions about how we engage with certain folks (eg. Proverbs 14:16).  

So to "continue to do good" can't mean to continue to allow ourselves to be abused, or used, or bullied, or manipulated, or otherwise harmed.  Indeed, when Peter was writing this, there was no such thing as an understood Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or any legitimate, legal means by which those human rights could be protected.  

What Peter is getting at here, though, might be much harder.  Because it's about the deeper, kind of gritty conviction that good is still the right thing to do.  That, even if we have to remove ourselves from harmful situations, we don't give up on goodness.

We don't give up by succumbing to revenge.

We don't give up by hanging old stuff on new people.

We don't give up by becoming suspicious of every new situation.

We don't give up by caving in to joining in doing harm.

We don't give up by despairing of doing good since life doesn't always seem fair, so what's the point?

Instead.  We commit ourselves - we trust ourselves into the hands of our faithful Creator -Whose faithfulness is legendary by the way - and just keep doing the right thing, no matter what.

It's a resolve.  Doing good because it's the right thing to do.

Friends, let's not give up.  Because the world badly needs gritty doers of good.  People who truly believe that there is something right about doing the right thing.  It will, if we let it, push the the bad stuff back.  If we just keep moving forward, one good thing at a time.

And now, what can happen this week?  

Can't wait to see.

And oh.  The flowers picture.

As much as I would like to have a clever illustration or connection to the blog content...I got nothin.'  

This is just one of several hyacinths from our 'bonus' front garden, where spring flowers show up every year courtesy of the former owner.  

We just enjoy.  

Friday "Feels" (or maybe Friday "Thinks")

 

You will keep in perfect peace

those whose minds are steadfast

because they trust in You.

Trust in the LORD forever,

for the LORD, the LORD himself 

is the Rock eternal.

Isaiah 26:3-4

And here we are.  The wrapping up of another work week.  At least for those of us who do the Monday to Friday thing.  

I think Friday has a special feel for everyone though.  It's a echo of all those years in school perhaps.  Or Friday night family times.  Or getting away for the weekend times.  Or whatever makes the rhythms of life work for us.

It's been a decent week for me.  Enough checked off the list to feel good about.  An even balance of the work I relish and the work I have to do.  A positive start on something new.  Traction on all four of the upcoming sermons I'm working on.  Life giving conversations outside in the sunshine.  A little bit of yard clean up in the warmer at-last weather.

There was also 'hard news' from two distant, unrelated friends, frustrations about sensitive matters that mean a lot to me but over which I have zero control, and the need again to self-advocate on an important value that I thought was fully embraced by everyone but apparently not.  These things don't show up on the list, but bang around in my head, and require significant energy to "keep every thought captive" (2 Corinthians 10:5), and my mind "steadfast because [I] trust in You" (Isaiah 26:3).

Shalom, shalom.  Perfect peace.

So I get to this particular Friday morning grateful for

a good night's sleep

a willowy sunrise

a new list to create, fresh for next week

the anticipation of lunch with a friend

the anticipation of running some happy errands with Ken

the many, many abundant gifts of my life

and reminders of God's long faithfulness.

Hope your Friday is good to you.

And if you need it, sending some peace your way.

Morning Moments

 

Getting me a little blast of free Vitamin D before heading inside for the morning.

Like how the sun is reflected in the corner of my glasses?  Wish I could say I did it on purpose, all creative and artsy.  But, no.  Only noticed it after the picture was taken.

Love how our main door opens up into the morning sky like it does, so it's not unusual for me to come out on sunny days and just enjoy being fully present in the moment.

Today I am excited to share in the company of some women who will join in on the very first Practice Makes Possible online workshop, exploring together practices that can help deepen our connection with God.  Let's see how this goes.  Curious to see what we will learn together.  

Have a fabulous Thursday, everyone!

Gramma Brag - Zachary

 

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged.

Proverbs 17:6

At our Easter dinner this past Sunday (delayed due to sickness on the actual weekend), I asked Abby to take a picture of Zachary and me, since I knew I didn't have a recent one of just us.  I seem to get into the frame more with the others, and I needed to round out my family picture files.  

Plus, I on purpose wanted to be able to show off how tall he is.

And just now I feel a strong compunction to include a picture of him and me when he was a baby, but that will take me down a small rabbit hole with copious fond sighs of 'aw cute!" and I won't spend the time on that this morning.  Maybe later.  Just to compare.  Because...such a cute baby!

By now, I barely come up to his shoulder.  And, to be honest, that's just fun.  I'm not yet the shortest in my family, but it's coming.  The only ones shorter than me now are Jayden and Timothy and they are 9 and 5 respectfully, so it's just a matter of time.

Zachary's height is not his only defining feature.  Going on 17, he's got quite an impressive work ethic on him.  Give him a task and he'll do it to 120%.  And with a good attitude.  He's aiming for an engineering degree at this point, and we have no doubt he'd succeed.  And also, there's still good time to figure out this whole vocation thing.  He's in swimming right now, aiming for a bronze medallion, and then on to lifeguarding perhaps.  I could go on.

Best part for me is that he's great to talk to.  Has solid ideas.  Asks insightful questions.  Exploring the next levels of his faith with clarity and mindfulness.  And what a bonus that he still wants to chat up his Gramma!

I remember holding my first newborn, my daughter Kristyn, Zachary's mother, and asking, "Will you still like me when you're thirteen?"  It was a wistful wondering into a future relationship that I was hopeful for but I knew back then, is never really guaranteed.

Same with my grandchildren.  It's an uncertain thing.  How will we grow together?  Who will you be?  Who will I be by then?  

So when it happens well; when we morph and grow together; when all the spoiling didn't actually ruin them (not that I thought it would); when you have a solid connection with the humans who share your DNA...it's golden.  For all my foibles as a Mom and as a Gramma, this feels like so much grace!

If nothing else is sacred for a Gramma, it's the very real expectation of being 'fair' to them all.  So, while I have started with a how-much-taller-is-Zachary-than-Gramma photo here, and then gone all braggy on Zachary....I do intend, of course I do, to include the others.  One at a time.  In no particular order. 

Okay, now on to other blessings.

 

Sunday's Aniticpation

"Come let us sing for joy to the LORD;

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving

and extol him with music and song."

Psalm 95:1

"Why do Christians sing when they are together?

The reason is, quite simply,

because in singing together it is possible

for them to speak and pray 

the same Word at the same time;

in other words, because here they can  unite in the Word.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I think in music there is just something inherently spiritual 

in singing together and harmonizing, 

and gospel is the trust form of that.

Luke Pritchard

I believe in kindness.

Also mischief.

Also in singing,

especially when it is not necessarily prescribed.

Mary Oliver

An interesting article to consider in any discussion about Sunday morning worship.  The Psychological Benefits of Singing Together

I am always and especially grateful for our 'music guy' Derek, who faithfully leads us into a corporate awareness of God's presence Sunday after Sunday.  Oh how we need this orientation, increasingly so as the world gets wilder.  

Looking forward to being together soon. 

Happy singing Sunday to everyone, no matter where you'll find yourself.