Happy Unorthodox New Year

I'm awake this particular Monday morning feeling clear-headed, motivated, eager and excited.

The 'back to normal after the holidays' thing lagged one week for Ken and I, as we waited out the final inspections, making it possible to move in and set up the last bits of our lives over this past weekend.

Today feels like a gigantic, long-awaited new beginning.  A Monday morning of Monday mornings.  No, more like New Year's all over again, except on this rather arbitrary date of January 13.  And while we still have a fair bit of finessing to do to finish off the kitchen and feel out where to hang what on the walls, for the most part we are all moved in.  

I write it here, and walk around and look at the place, but, to be honest, I still can't quite believe it.  

And yet it's real.  Yes!  Here we are!  Finally!  And now....Time to sit down to the work before me in a more steady, concentrated way than I've been able to do in more than a month, or longer, if I count the whole big ordeal of moving.  I have been reminded, in very concrete terms, that there is a strong correlation between a consistent schedule within an ordered environment, and the amount of creativity and productivity I might hope to achieve.  

After the bogged down disruption of not just Christmas break, but the many months prior, it's very freeing to have my work space set up and know that's where it's going to stay put.  What a concept!  My brain is no longer consumed with unpacking and putting away.  I can stop wondering, because now I know what pieces of furniture fit where.  And it helps so much when you have a regular place to hang your keys, plonk your pen, put down your water bottle, recharge your phone, keep your Bible.

Happily, the absent-minded brain fog is lifting.  That limbo-locked-down feeling is fading.  At least I think it is, I hope it is.  I hope I can now catch up a bit on emails and other outstanding communications.  I'm really looking forward to finishing up a few projects, and getting a handle on the prep work for my February trip to Hot Springs.  There's the Haiti Dinner and Silent Auction to get ready for, just before that.  And some filing.  I have a packet I brought back from the cottage that's been waiting for this day when all my binders and files were ready and open to receive. 

All systems are go, and I can't wait to get going.  That was a long stint of disruption, and it makes the normal rhythms of life seem simply and delightfully oh so wonderful!

I pause here to make mention of the friends I know who are right now experiencing anything but the normal rhythms of life.  For lots of reasons and in different situations, this remains a disrupted Monday for them.  No new beginnings yet.  Maybe that's you.  Our transitional realities over the past six months, not to mention some fairly decent disruptions in the past, remind me, in fairly basic ways, that life is complex, and surprising, and quite easily upheaved.  

Prayers and hugs, and cheering you on until the day you too can have your own unorthodox new year.

And until then, a promise.  He is faithful.

"See, I am doing a new thing;

now it springs forth,

do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

and rivers in the dessert."

Isaiah 43:19

Monday Morning Exhale

You know you've had an abundant weekend when....

You barely had enough time to take any pictures, let alone post anything, let alone stop and reflect on it all.

So here I am sitting in the relative quiet of a brilliant Monday morning, feeling 'spent but well-spent', and taking a pause before I begin the week.

I'll write about this in a little bit, over on the Highview to Haiti blog, and those most involved have heard already, but we were able to exceed our $10,000.00 fundraising goal towards the care of ten vulnerable seniors in Pignon, Haiti.

Just as a recap, these dear ones live at a place called Auberge des Vieillards, under the care of staff and leadership provided by the Pignon Church. Again, more details at the Highview Haiti blog later, but for now, let's just say, I am over the top grateful to be part of something so true. And I couldn't be more in awe of all the volunteers that came together and worked really, really hard to make it happen!!!

Also this weekend, adventurous members of my family returned from a trip to Florida, just in time to celebrate Jayden's birthday. He's seven, if you can believe it! It was great to see them, and to hear the stories, and to eat cake. They had saved up for four years for this. Lots of great memories made for sure.

If I dip back into the latter part of last week,
there was also the Intercultural Leadership Conference at Tyndale on Thursday,
and there the celebration of life for an incredible woman, the mother of a friend, on Friday.

So yes, an abundant past few days.

That brings me more or less to this morning, and the sunshine. It's 'fake spring' I know. We'll get more snow and wintery temperatures yet, I know. But in spite of myself I'm starting to make plans for setting up the patio out back.

But not today.

Today begins a week deliberately planned to recover and catch up and reflect.

One of my favourite texts from the Psalms expresses well how I feel about Monday mornings.

Psalm 5:3
In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.

Every morning yes.
But especially Mondays
when the week is barely unfolding itself out before us.

Take a deep breath, my friends.
Feels like there's so much potential for good things ahead.