Good times...

We celebrated the first Sunday in Advent....the Sunday of Hope.  Candles were lit.  Carols were sung.  Music wafted through the sanctuary like a sweet smelling offering to Jesus, the greatest example of hope that is offered to this hurting world. He showed us a way to live....and he left it to us as to whether we would follow.

In the evening, the youth of our church hosted everyone in a short program, followed by delicious desserts and games of skill:)  It was a full day....so full, I think it all did me in (as the saying goes).

Advent is also a season for preparation.....preparing our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ into the world.  His life reflected light....and the darkness has not been able to put that light out.  So, in preparation for the coming of Jesus into my own life, I have decided to take some time for fasting and praying and thinking and reflecting.  Our senses are heightened after a certain point in a fast, when that "hunger pang" period of time is diminished and a time of "awareness" begins to take over.  It is very interesting to be a part of that process.  I'm not sure of the physiological aspects of it, but mentally and spiritually it becomes an intense time of "seeing" more clearly.  It seems as if we can take on more of our friends hurts and burdens and take them as our own.  It becomes a time of easily asking for forgiveness and accepting it, where we are able to love without judgment. It changes me on the inside.  I know I don't constantly reflect those changes outwardly, but at least they are evident where God sees.  There is so much more changing I must make and realizing that keeps me in a state of humility of what God has done for me and of the things that need revamping....which, after the last few days, I realize are many...

Here are a few pictures of my weekend.  First, there was a birthday party.....

Then the Advent Program happened in the evening...

Lin spoke about the Inkeeper in Bethlehem...

Virginia played devil's advocate....put up more lights,

buy more stuff, etc. etc.

All in all, we had a lot of fun and the food was most excellent!!!

A day...

We had a leisurely morning....well, until we got out of bed at least:)

Breakfast at A&W, spoke with a few friends there...

Rushed over to the Co-Op to see if we could get one of those free car timers that Sask Power were giving away....too many people so we didn't even go in.  Husband said he didn't know why he was going to get one anyway as we already had one:)

Off to look for purple or mauve candles at Adam's Book Store on Central.  It's the first Sunday in Advent tomorrow.  The colors of the Advent wreath are purple (mauve) for three Sundays -  "Hope", "Love" and "Peace", one pink candle for the Sunday of "Joy" and a white "Christ Candle" in the middle for Christmas Eve.  I found mauve ones that will have to do.  I sent poor husband off to look for purple candles every day this week.  He phoned me at work to say he found some mauve ones and I said that that color would be quite adequate if there were no purple ones anywhere.  They were reasonably priced so he brought home a bag of them...some for home too.  His mauve and my mauve are two very different colors.  His mauve is a "burgundy" shade of red whereas my mauve is the lighter color of purple...like lilacs, I told him.  A color conversation ensued with words that included  "stubborn", "teachable", "refuse" and the like.  He was a good sport to have gone to so many shops to find his "mauve" candles though.  If he had known what color "mauve" was to begin with, he would only have had to go to the first shop!!!

The afternoon was spent in good conversation with daughter.

So, I think tomorrow morning is all set.  Practice at 8:30, prayer at 9:15, worship at 10 - 11 and the evening the Youth will host an Advent Program...with dessert to follow....and games!  If you're wondering what to do on a Sunday evening, come on out.  It should be quite entertaining!

Sleep well, friends.....

Between meetings....

If you work 8 to 5.....

then eat supper from 5:30 to 6:30...

have a meeting or practice of some sort from 6:45 to 9....

get ready for bed and zonk out....

you barely have time to floss!

Tomorrow it will be work plus a HUGE birthday party for a friend who will turn the big FOUR O!!!

He's 40 today actually....happy birthday Yaounde!

I'm off once again to have a chat with Mr. Busy.  I may have to hit him over the head with a 10 foot candy cane!

Dang....

They're at the door again.

You let them in for a moment and they stay.

I told Mr. Busy I had no time for him today...and did he listen?

No.

But I let him stay so it's my fault.

I did get a Sunday Worship Service planned though so his visit wasn't a total bummer.

But I know he'll be back tomorrow....and Wednesday....and Thursday.

Some days I just can't say "NO!"

Think I'll just take some time out though to pray right now...for Win, and Pat and Penny and my family. 

Hmmm...I don't see Mr. Busy anywhere.  He must have ducked out when I mentioned the "p" word:)  He knows he can't compete...

The 'Busy' Family.....

Busyness can be our enemy I think.  We want to do good things.  We think about those good things.  We go over them in our minds....and we agree with ourselves that, yes, they are good things to pursue. 

And then one little thing after another comes and knocks on our door.  These little things need to be addressed and so we invite them in.  We sit with them and chat and give them our time.  Then the next little thing comes and we do the same thing....again and again.  Those little things didn't give us their name when they knocked but we find out later that all those little things names were the same...Mr. and Mrs. Busy, their family and kinfolk.

We didn't want to be impolite so we gave them our attention.  After all, they had great stories to tell as to how their wants were important.  And I sat with them, nodding my head in agreement. Yes, I can do that.  Yes, I know how important and vital that issue is.  Yes, we can help you out with that....and on and on and on....

When we collapse into our beds at night we realize how much time has actually been given to the Busy family.  When I realize just how much time has been afforded them, I see them for what some of them they really are.  They have become my enemy.  They really don't have my good at heart.  They simply want my time...time that can never be given back. 

I need to become a bit more savvy and discerning when it comes to listening to all of them.  As I say, they all are worthy of my time but I cannot possibly do all of their bidding or nothing will be accomplished.  I must learn to choose wisely to which ones of the family I will offer my time.

They all clamor for it but I shall put my foot down.

At the end of our book study tonight we spoke of taking time out for God.  It seems that for many of us, that Busy family even horns in on the moments we would like to reserve for God.  We read the 23rd Psalm a few times too which speaks of God "making" us lie down in green pastures.  We really don't seem to be able to do that for ourselves with any great ease.  We try.  We fail.  God knows we need to lie down.  We just let that Busy Family have their way with us but God says that he makes us lie down in green pastures.  He knows what we need and why because he knows we allow that Busy Family in every time they knock!  So, to help us with that he makes us rest.  I like that thought!

I really hope He makes YOU rest this night. And in these days of pre-Christmas everything, be on the watch for that little knock on your door.....maybe you shouldn't answer it........

Fun and games...

There was fun to be had too, at Kid's Klub on Wednesday.

Action.  Excitement.  Discipline. 

One seems to always lead to the other:)

The T-shirts were a huge hit.  I'll have to wear mine too next week.  The glitter first had to dry;)

These kids have found a home in which to have a lot of fun.  Along with the fun, there are rules to obey or they aren't allowed back for a week or so.  Just how it is.

Life is like that too.  We can go along having all kinds of fun until a few rules are broken and we end up having to be accountable...to ourselves and others.  It can be an opportunity to improve how we live or we can deny our mistakes and go on making them.

Same as the kids at Kid's Klub.  No different.

So, when we mess up, let's not get in a huff, shrug our shoulders and turn away like those 8 and 10 year olds.  Adults should know better.  If we face our inadequacies, our stubbornness and our immaturity, we can become better people.  If not we continue to be inadequate, stubborn and immature.

But as the old saying goes, "Oh, to see ourselves as others see us!"  THAT could be scary.....

The Silence of the lambs....

Just that scary title reminded me of the beauty of a quiet home without 25 excited and boisterous children.

Walking into the apartment with absolutely no noise was nearly deafening.  The lambs were nowhere to be seen or heard.  They all had returned home from whence they came.

Kid's Klub was a T-shirt making Family Night.  Over thirty T-shirts had their 'Kid's Klub' transfer ironed  on and then their own colorful decorations followed.  Quite an evening!

It wasn't easy getting them all sitting quietly together for a group picture.

I even tried my hand at ironing on the logos:)

Other than that little boo-boo, it was a fun night....lol

Some sound advice....

on a cold and windy night....

And if you happen to be over ohhhhhhhh......say.....60....you can sing along....;)

Button up your overcoat,
When the wind is free,
Take good care of yourself,
You belong to me!

Eat an apple every day,
Get to bed by three,
Oh, take good care of yourself,
You belong to me!

Be careful crossing streets, ooh-ooh,
Cut out sweets, ooh-ooh,
Lay off meat, ooh-ooh,
You'll get a pain and ruin your tum-tum!

Wear your flannel underwear,
When you climb a tree,
Oh, take good care of yourself,
You belong to me!

Button up your overcoat,
When the wind is free,
Oh, take good care of yourself,
You belong to me!
Boop-boop-a-doop!

When you sass a traffic cop,
Use diplomacy;
Just take good care of yourself,
You belong to me!

Beware of frozen ponds, ooh-ooh,
Stocks and bonds, ooh-ooh,
Peroxide blondes, ooh-ooh,
You'll get a pain and ruin your bankroll!

Keep the spoon out of your cup,
When you're drinking tea,
Oh, take good care of yourself,
You belong to me!

Don't sit on hornet's tails, ooh-ooh!
Or on nails, ooh-ooh!
Or third rails, ooh-ooh!
You'll get a pain and ruin your tum-tum!

Keep away from bootleg hooch
When you're on a spree,
Oh, take good care of yourself,
You belong to me!

And that's about all I have to say for tonight.  I thought the advice was pretty good anyway.....

the Eagle????has landed.....

so the saying goes.

This fellow perched himself on the old flower pot and one at a time, picked out peanuts to store in various trees.

 I peeked out the window when I heard him screeching and snapped as best I could.  Quite pretty...and noisy!

It was a day...

of snow...

 

and showers... (baby, that is)

 meet Miss Ellie...

 and her cousin, Austin...(just like a guy...sleeping through the parties)

 meet Ellie's and Austin's folks....

A double shower for Marcus (and Alison) and his sister Molly (and Aaron) who both had babies born in September! 

It was good to share in that joy...the second of the day.

The first one, of course, was the 10+cm. of snow.

11/11/11...

Eleventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year.

Don't know that those numbers indicate anything of great significance or value but I suppose if one were the least bit superstitious, one might go out and buy a lottery ticket or something like that.

We didn't.

We did however, chat about things today, things that are of value and encouragement to one another.

We spoke too, of how sometimes things we say can be misconstrued by another just because we present our thoughts in a certain way.  Nothing really can be done about that, other than attempting to correct the person in what your intentions were....but if a person is thinking in a certain way about what you said, the thought pattern is probably there and won't be broken no matter what you say.  I know this all sounds vague and confusing but it is difficult being misunderstood.  Misunderstandings can cause hard feelings and that is not my intention.

I don't know.  I guess it is my fault for not being more direct and clear.  One part of our church Behavioral Covenant is to communicate clearly and completely.  Perhaps I wasn't as clear as I could have been and perhaps I expanded on my thoughts more than I should have.

I don't express my thoughts all that often to folks but when I do, I feel they are important enough to allow myself to be vulnerable with those thoughts and to actually verbalize them. And so I shall live with the consequences of that.

Oh well...blah....blah....blah....I'm just going on about nothing.

On a different note, I remembered my dad specifically today...his willingness to die for a cause that he thought was important.  He didn't die....then....but he was willing.  My dad was a very good and gentle man.  War was not who or what he was about but he was amongst the millions who gave up a part of themselves so we could live without fear.  I think that is pretty significant.

Sleep well...snow is approaching on this night of elevens.......

Reeling....

This past week has had me reeling....for various reasons.

Extra busy at work....followed by helping and meetings and thinking and praying and finally.....exhaustion.

Normally, going to the dentist is cause for a bit of anxiety.  Not today.  I gladly took those needles and being placed nearly upside down.  It was a rest!!!

I will be walking around with my head leaning more to the right now that I have two gold teeth on that side.  So don't make fun of me when you see me like that.  After all, my teeth will be worth probably a lot more than yours:)

May the God of peace watch over your night and keep you safe and warm...

A sense.....

I really enjoy it when I sense things....correctly.  Going into a church budget meeting can be pretty daunting but for the past few days I sensed that this would be a good meeting, one in which we could all sense God's presence.  I think that happened this evening.

It is always good when we can go beyond what we think is doable, giving us a sense that we are depending on God to provide for the church's needs.  Whenever we can offer a 13% missions budget to the congregation, I think that is a very excellent indication that God is in our deliberations. 

Figuring out what to do with the congregation's Sunday offerings is a difficult task, but I really believe when the "living on the edge budget" is presented to our congregational Annual Meeting, they too, will see how God is at work in our midst.

There were some other really good things about the budget too, but those will have to wait to be mentioned at a later date.  There is no limit to what we can do when we all begin to tithe our resources.  Over the years, we have found again and again that we just can't out give God.  Living off $9. of every $10. we make shouldn't be all that difficult, right?  But it takes us a long time to really believe in this truth....and we thank God he has patience with us until we come to this point.....and beyond.

Tonight, I believe I shall sleep well.

Ssssssssssss.....

24-Hour Precipitation Outlook

• close to 5 cm of snow from Saturday Overnight to Sunday Overnight

Not much more to be said for that statement.

Got your scraper, brush, shovel, mitts, toque, boots, scarf, hooded-jacket ready?

Not to mention winter tires, plus your usual array of emergency trunk accessories - sand, candle, snacks, blanket, hazard signs, flashlight, batteries, and a huge slab of Toblerone chocolate.

As the Scouts always say "Be Prepared"!!!

Hope your night is ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssnowy:)

Worth a lot more...

Yep, I got a 45 cent per hour pay increase, not to mention my new capped tooth will be gold-filled.

I'm going to be worth a lot of money at this rate.

I just hope my children don't count on much financial gain after we've left this old earth.  Husband and I figured our mouths will be worth a lot more than all of our possessions put together.  A bit scary to think of but a harsh reality of life.

Just goes to show you how much we depend on material wealth.  If we have loads of cash to hand over to the next generation, then we're considered good solid people.  If we don't have that kind of cash, we're considered duds.

But I would like to change that perception, right here and now.  We may not leave our kids a great or even a good amount of money when we die but we hopefully have left our children the things that money can't buy....memories (hopefully good ones), appreciation of the gifts we've been given, a good sense of who we are as people, and hopefully a faith that will one day sustain us in our time of need.  Can't buy those things.

So, low-income old age...here we come.  Perhaps not having a lot of money will put our children in good stead as they progress in life too.  You learn lessons of trust when you don't always depend on the god of money. God is their provider and I believe they have learned that.

Nite all.  Even if we aren't in the 61% of Canadians who will have a winter in the "south", we're content with what we have....and by many people's standards, that's a whole load of stuff.

In a fog...

My poor head has been in some kind of drug-induced fog since my double root canal yesterday.  A few pills to calm me down before the procedure then a few pills afterward with codeine to take the pain away plus four needles to numb the area during the procedure.

I made it to work....I think....but by 2 PM my head was on the desk and I was flat out sleeping...but only for a few seconds....I think....the phone rang and I was shaken into reality.  Scary stuff.

I actually got up with the alarm too this morning, although I really could have slept for another 8 hours, I'm sure.

Needless to say, I'm ready to slide into those comfy warm sheets and hit the pillow.

Perhaps I will experience more of tomorrow than I was able to experience this day.