March 25, 2009 · 11:23 pm

Kids – Blessings Eventually

There is no doubt that every one of my kids is a blessing from God.  Of course, a few years ago I would not have said that.  It takes time to get some distance from them in order to appreciate their individuality.

But, tonight, I spent almost 90 minutes talking to one of those kids.  He commented on my sermon last Sunday.  He listened!  And then we talked about how God has been present in his life over the past ten or so years and what his personal struggles have taught him about himself, about God and about life. 

I just about told him I had to study.  The evening was well spent in conversation.  Much better than an extra hour on Greek contract verbs!

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March 22, 2009 · 9:39 pm

There was a time

when it seemed terribly important to post all sorts of events here in this space. 

Somehow it does not seem so urgent anymore.  Maybe that means it is time to give this a rest, but I don’t know.  Maybe it just means that I need more time to think through the events of the day and reflect on them.  It is hard to do that when I am tired or when there are a billion other things I should be doing.

Today was good. 

It didn’t start out feeling very good.  This was my Sunday to speak and I felt a bit at loose ends with what I had to say.  Quite frankly I didn’t feel terribly inspired and, although I know this whole preaching thing involves more than just me being inspired, I felt rather ill prepared and ill fit to speak about anything.  Today’s scripture passages were great, not obscure or unrelated so I don’t think it was about not having good resources to draw from.  Maybe what I most felt was just plain old inadequate; inadequate to tie things together as I would have liked to and certainly inadequate to say anything challenging or deeply spiritual.

So I guess it was not about me.  Which it should not be anyway.  The fact that God could use me on a rather mediocre day is frankly a miracle enough for me.  I probably ended up being more encouraged than my audience by the end of the morning when Y came up to me and thanked me.  He said that what I said was clear – and his English is limited.

Then E and M invited us up for lunch.  I brought the yams and green beans and they supplied the deer sausage and wine and did the cooking.  It is always fun to get together at their place and a chance to be gifted with one of Kimia’s carefully guarded little smiles.

This afternoon I completed another quiz in Greek so that made me feel good.  And tonight I met with my women friends to read another chapter in Scot McKnight’s book. 

Today was good.

Now I guess we’ll see what the freezing rain does to my day tomorrow. 

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March 21, 2009 · 6:45 am

The Wind

is blowing like crazy outside this morning. 

 

Wonder if it is blowing spring in?

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March 19, 2009 · 6:57 am

Challenges of these days

I know I haven’t posted much here this week.  I have been incredibly tired, and then in the middle of the night seem to wake and lie there sleepless even when I know that sleep is what I need most.

Last night I did a good workout on the exercise bike and slept like a baby.  So, maybe more exercise is what I need most.

There are other things that occupy my mind too.  Like retirement and when and how it will happen –  soon I hope.  This is the downside of owning part of a business I guess.  It is not something I can just walk away from.  I can’t just quit.  Too many staff and patients need me to make a smooth and responsible transition.

So, life goes on.  It is good and I still love what I do.  But I know that I need to move on to a new phase and this transition is more complicated than just stuff related to the job.  It also involves some shifts inside me, I am learning more about myself and who I am and want to become over the last couple of decades of life here on earth.  Life never stops being challenging I guess.  Actually I hope it will not stop challenging me to grow and change.

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March 16, 2009 · 12:41 pm

A Quote

via Sojourners

Renewal does not come before mission, but in mission.

– Mortimer Arias,
Protestant church worker in Bolivia

 

Thought this was particularly interesting in that our church must go through a time of renewal – almost a restart – as our congregation is aging. 

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March 15, 2009 · 10:09 pm

Leftovers and hanging around

Today was like the birthday party hangover around.  The kids showed up at church – for the most part.  (Except for P and A.  And there was much speculation as to what kept them in bed on a Sunday morning by their siblings.)  So, everyone headed over to our house for spaghetti and fixings and left overs for lunch.

It is good to have the kids around, the grandkids crawling all over and wanting to play with each other and with me.  I love it that the boys are old enough to just crawl up on my lap and ask if they can cuddle.  I missed Ronin today because I expect he would have been right in there like the proverbial dirty shirt.

Last night, one of our invited guests gave me a huge compliment.  He said that some houses he has gone into are cold and uninviting and others are warm.  “You can tell there is a lot of love in this home,”  he said.

That is the sort of remark that makes giving and giving and giving love again and again to a family  worth  all the work and self sacrifice that being a mother calls for.

I think love tends to expand and grow as it is practiced and given away.  My children have given me lots of opportunities to practice.  Those bumps and difficult times of family life are sometimes where love grows especially strong.

Interesting how God grows love in me at times – both towards himself as I’ve learned to see his goodness through the hard times life sent and towards my children who often took me to those hard places of life.

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March 15, 2009 · 8:35 am

The Best Birthday Ever

The party which my family and friends threw for me last night was honestly one of the best parties I have ever been at and certainly the best one ever held in my honor.  It was just so much fun.

I think having Dale Nikkel and Kimbal Siebert do their house concert at our house was brilliant.  They were so good.  I’d do that again any day.  And I would recommend it to anyone as well.

Now, I must get to church for practice.  The family is getting up and moving and will be coming later.

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March 14, 2009 · 8:13 am

The day begins

Started out by sleeping in.  Then Leo got a call on his cellphone.  We figured it was Ronin using his mom’s phone with it’s speed dial numbers because the sounds on the other end were Roninish.

Then coffee in bed and my first present.

No, no.  What are you thinking!  It is my birthday not Leo’s.  He bought me a little cross necklace which I think is beautiful.  And I think the little shimmery stones in it are not cubic zirconium.

Then my first real phone call from Rachelle.  We had a good talk.

I think the day is going to be a good one.

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March 12, 2009 · 10:35 pm

Birthdays and such

Today my youngest granddaughter became one year old.  Kimia is getting to be a girl with some character.  And mobility.  And size – over 27 lbs last I heard. Tomorrow we are going to her house to celebrate this significant milestone.

But tonight, I was participating with the Prince Albert Strings inour local music festival.  We did fairly well – 87 and 89 in our catagory.  I think we did well for a group that went from a  fairly experienced group last year to a group of near novices.  These songs were simpler than what we attempted last year but I think Dean, our conductor, was pleased.

Kimia has her big party tomorrow but my big day is approaching.  Saturday.  60 years.

It has occurred to me that this is a fairly long time.  As the span of life goes it is likely at least 2/3 of my allotted days.

So, maybe to keep me thinking I am young, my hubby bought me this nice new little computer.  At least it has given me a new toy to play with and try to get all up to date and get files transferred over and all those little chores.  I have no pictures on this baby yet.  So bear with me.  They will come.

And this one is little.  I chose a little one for ease of transport – a 13 inch screen and only 4.6 lbs.  I think it will fit nicely into my purse actually.  Another Toshiba because I like their durability.

So, life goes on.  Birthdays or no birthdays.

I wonder if it will take all my life to figure it all out and come to terms with who I am and what I really need to be about.  I think that maybe now and then I see shadowy glimpses of the person I might be becoming but then I stumble back to the reality of me and everyday life.  Sometimes I just get lost and lonely even at 60.  But I know that overall,  I have been blessed and am glad that my life has, for the most part, been full of interesting challenges and opportunities.

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March 10, 2009 · 8:09 am

Wonders Never Cease – or The case of the parking lot microwave

I got a call from the security company that monitors the alarm at my office early this morning.  Back door(staff door) sensor had gone off and should they dispatch the police.  I said “no” that I would go and check on it.  Although it was only 4:45 am I was up and moving.  (Leo had to leave for Lloydminster early this morning.)

I arrived at the parking lot to see a microwave sitting there with the light on, plugged in to one of our parking lot plugs.  No door left, broken glass plate beside the sidewalk.

I immediately thought that I had misjudged this call, that in spite of
-35 temperatures someone had been wandering around or had entered our office and done some vandalism.  But the doors were both locked and as I gingerly opened the back door I could see no evidence that we had had a break in.  I walked through the clinic and nothing was out of place.  Our microwaves were both in their places down in the staff room.

So, I have no idea who was out cooking in the parking lot last night.  It will likely remain an unsolved mystery.  Maybe we will have to turn off the outside power at night to prevent late night snacking at the office in the parking lot.

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