Current Read

Furious Longing of God, Brennan Manning

The Gospel can be summed up by saying that
it is the tremendous, tender, compassionate,
gentle, extraordinary, explosive,
revolutionary revelation of Christ's love.

Catherine de Hueck Doherty in The Gospel Without Compromise

"In our society, we tend to swear unyielding allegiance to a rigid position, confusing that action with finding an authentic connection to a life-giving Spirit. We miss the gospel of Christ; the good news that, although the holy and all-powerful God knows we are dust, He still stoops to breathe into us the breath of life - to bring to our wounds the balm of acceptance and love."

Rich Mullins.

It's that time of year

People seem to be getting the idea that we have something to offer to the world around us. We seem to be getting that not everyone has what we have, whether it be time, money, relationship or skills, but that if we share what we have, the world WILL be better for all of us. I hope, too, that we're starting to get that starting close to home makes sense. This morning I caught wind of a volunteer organization called iParticipate. It's been endorsed by all sorts of celebrities and, yes, it does have Canadian volunteer opportunities. So, if you want to volunteer, to give back, but aren't really sure where or how, here's another way to get connected with some great opportunities.

Making the World a Better Placek

I wonder how often we actually live that way. If only people would treat us better, if only "they" would make the first move, if only they would be less selfish and think about others, then the world would be a better place. If only. What if it's up to us to break the cycle? Would the world, then, be a better place? Just thinking...

Current Read

Think Orange, Reggie Joiner

It's supposed to be one of the top books regarding children's ministry right now. It's certainly the most talked about. People are finally getting on board with the idea that churches and families are more effective when they work together, that Sunday morning children's ministry are not sufficient to provide the whole of a child's spiritual formation but are rather a tool and a supplement to that which the family already provides and that working together we are stronger and better equipped than working apart.

Tee hee.

A bunch of Calgary fans were flaunting this pic after their 5-3 victory over the Nucks last Friday night which, I might add, was also the night that both the Oilers and the Eskimos won their games.

A friend of mine shared this video with me the other day while we were sitting in the theatre waiting for our movie to start. I know. Handy dandy new fangled iphone technology. Anyway, it's a good listen - might just have to go get my hands on the album - and a fun video.

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."

Martin Luther King

"It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision." ~Helen Keller

Thanks, Dayna, for sharing.

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

Be conscious of our treasures. Be thankful. Be alive.

Happy Thanksgiving.

"Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness."

Mother Teresa

Current Read

People of Sparks, Jeanne DuPrau

A little bit of this and a little bit of that...

It feels like it has been absolutely forever since I "actually" posted here. I feel like life has been a bunch of bits and pieces lately. What better than to write a post that reflects that?!

* I've fallen in love with my newly acquired swifer. If you don't have one, I recommend you get one. They clean crazy good!

*I miss my flip flops already. I don't like that I've turned the heat on in my house. I'm not a fan of the snow that fell today even if it did melt. I feel like our seasons have been all messed up this year. Spring. Summer (short). Fall. Summer (in September. short). Fall (short again). Winter. One week I'm wearing t-shirts and the next week I'm wearing big vests and jackets. One of the ladies at church today was laughing that she had sweaters and shorts in the same load of laundry from the same week. True story. 35 degrees to 3 degrees in the same week. Why!?

*I've always had a twin bed...until now. When I moved into my new house - yes, I have a new house. I bought a house!!! - I was surprised with a new bed. A queen sized bed. With a pillow top mattress. Then I bought a duvet to go with it. I love it. It makes me happy. Only problem is that it seems like now I have a whole new reason to hate mornings...as if I needed any more.

*The new Indigo and Starbucks by my house opened up. I don't know whether I should be excited or afraid of this new prospect. When I moved out of my last neighbourhood, the one thing I was sad about not having anymore was the Starbucks and Chapters that I used to work at. Then I found out about this one going in. Two of my favorite things nice and close.

So I was there the other day. I noticed something I hadn't noticed before. It caught me so off guard that I had to take a picture of it.

Check out the sign:



















Perhaps it's just me being all linear and stuff but I see a pattern. If you're looking for any books, gifts or kids it seems that Indigo is the place!

*Question: when CFL season and NHL season overlap, which game do you watch!?

*I'm learning that I value steadiness. My jobs - both the pool and the church - have been somewhat "flexible" since I started. This fall, however, has seemed different. More harried. More random. More "shift" work. Last school year, I taught school boards at the pool. What that meant is lessons Monday to Friday, 9ish until noon-ish and, some weeks, 1 until 3. Perhaps I'd pick up a couple guard shifts a week. Essentially, though, I had a schedule of sorts for the pool. Generally, it worked, then, that I could have a reasonably set schedule at the church too. Even if I was working a ton of hours during the week, at least I had some schedule...some rhythm...some routine.

This year, however, I'm not teaching school boards on a regular basis. It means no guaranteed hours and even less guaranteed shedule. I'm thankful that work is still coming - I'm learning to trust God in a whole new way to provide for what I need - and that everyone at the church has been gracious about me needing a little extra flexibility to make things work right now but I'm beat. It's funny. I'm working the same number of hours as I was before but I'm finding this much harder to keep up.

It's teaching me something about myself. Even though I need variety in my life, something I knew before, I also need stability.

So now the question is how to find the stability I need in the current season of life I'm living in. For the record, I don't want to quit either job. That's not the answer. Thanks for the advice.

*My car was broken into again. It's a crappy, old, rusty Sunfire. There was nothing visible in it. I'd parked along the building, under a streetlight between the hours of 8pm and 10:30pm. Why on earth would my car, then be a target?! Ever feel like you do everything right and still can't get anywhere? That's a little how I've been feeling...in a lot of areas of life, to be honest. It doesn't seem to matter how hard I work, how much I do right, it's still not enough.

And it's when I really start thinking like this, that I'm somehow reminded that it's true.

It doesn't matter. It's not all about me.

There's trust. There's faith. There's more. It doesn't all make sense. Sometimes it REALLY doesn't make sense. REALLY. I recognize, however, that I am not in control. Someone far more able is.

*The learning curve continues. In my new house, I have a gas stove. Whoever might say gas and electric cook the same is CRAZY. I'm really enjoying the way the stove top heats. I am, however, having a bit of trouble with the oven. I haven't burned anything but I have slightly overcooked a few things. Baking has been tricky. If someone can tell me the difference between cooking times, I'd appreciate it. Until then, it's all trial and error. Lots and lots of practice.

What else? What else? What else? I'm sure there's more but that's all I've got for now. Hopefully I'll be back soon.

Current Read

Forgotten God, Reversing our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit, Francis Chan

We may as well face it; the whole level of spirituality among us is low. We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the things of the Spirit is all but gone...[We] have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Ghost.

A. W. Tozer

The Christian's life in all its aspects - intellectual and ethical, devotional and relational, upsurging in worship and outgoing in witness - is supernatural; only the Spirit can initiate and sustain it. So apart from him, not only will there be no lively believers and no lively congregations, there will be no believers and no congregations at all.

J. I. Packer

Current Read

City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau