13 Hours of Rain

For my 40th birthday, I asked family to contribute funds toward a new DSLR camera instead of gifting me something else. After receiving generous donations to my camera fund (thank you!) and saving for a few extra months, I purchased a brand new Canon EOS Rebel T5 with an additional zoom lens packaged with the price. Yay! I am definitely not a brilliant photographer. But I am above average, I think. At one point in my life, I aspired to be a professional photographer, where I would capture wedding bliss. But then I realized the steps to be really awesome would require much time and investment (and a lot of summer weekends). That's a commitment and goal I am just not ready for yet. Maybe one day. Or not. In the meanwhile, I want discover my new camera, and determine what it can and cannot do. I'd like to refine the art and science my skill and build an informal portfolio. Maybe I'll take a class or two to learn something new. For now, I aim to just play and click and prac...

This Fall, it will be four years since we moved to this small prairie city. And I realize I am not chasing church anymore. Chasing church? Sounds strange, doesn't it? Let me explain. I am expending less energy on trying to fit in at my place of worship. Instead, I am allowing God to bring people along my path that fit with me and our family's passions and interests. At the Family Camp we were recently at, your Daddy and I had an opportunity to connect with a woman who attends our church with her husband. Because of their ministry, they attend sporadically. As a result, they don't feel like they are building relationships within our church. Your Daddy and I shared with her how we often felt the same, that we didn't fit into the existing groups that comprised our congregation, in spite of our church's overall welcoming spirit. Our collective struggle encouraged us and this woman to pursue relationships with people like us. After all, there are probably more people i...

My experiences of camp have been mixed. I remember the first time I was at camp. It was with my family. My Dad was the program director and us little kids, along with Mom, tagged along for the experience. I recall the female teen campers gushing over the program director's cute brown kids. And I enjoyed making a blue paper mache doll during craft time. My next camp experience was as a young pre-teen. I attended a Pentecostal camp with one of my sisters and a cousin. My memories included a slug filled slough-of-a-lake, plain macaroni with ketchup (yuck!) and awesome chapel services. At the end of this camp, I was prayed over to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (i.e. the ability to speak in tongues). I didn't receive it. I was okay with that. Years later, I participated in Teen Camp at the camp I attended with my Dad. The food was fabulous. Almost everything else was a BIG disappointment. I was an awkward, chubby, not-so-trendy young girl who didn't catch the eye of ...

Yesterday, we had the privilege to attend a nephew's baptism. I love baptisms. It is truly exciting to witness people making a deeper commitment to Jesus Christ. This particular service also addressed issues I have been thinking about, namely the "Art of Neighboring". The pastors of this church have been speaking about how to love the literal neighbors around you as well as your "neighbors" at work. I applaud the pastors for embracing this topic. It is very relevant. After all, if we are supposed to transform our communities with the love of Christ, we have to start somewhere. It begins with us, as individuals, as families. We cannot expect our church leaders or church programs to do the job all by themselves. The speaker also suggested 10 ways to connect with others (in bold). I've added my thoughts to expand upon the points. 1. Eat with other people . Invite people in your house for meals. Take people out to restaurants. Attend potlucks. 2. Work/pl...

A while back, I read Shōgun , a novel about sixteenth century Japan. It is written by James Clavell, an author who is brilliant at weaving history into fictional plots. The story captured my imagination. I was eager to read the rich descriptions of culture and ideology. Lately, I have been mulling over one scene in the book. A devastating earthquake rocks a village. Lives are lost. Property is destroyed. The main characters' lives are threatened. Yet, after the powerful tremors finally ceased, the people threw back their heads and laughed. Laughed! And then they all shrugged off the tragedy as karma , as fate, as the reaping of past deeds. Now I don't believe in karma in the same sense, as an inanimate force out there that ordains my destiny. But I do believe in the Will of God. I believe some things in my life were destined, like marrying your Daddy. I had a sense that I was to meet, or at least hear of, my husband 25 years after I made a commitment to follow Christ as a y...

I engage in a bit of freelancing. Nothing Pulitzer Prize worthy. I just volunteer my writing services for a local amateur magazine that features the journeys of newcomers to Canada. And I believe I am the lucky one. About 3 – 4 times a year I interview a newcomer. I hear and pen my speaker’s story, full of sacrifice. The goal of relocation to Canada? To achieve a better life, a safer life, a life as a complete family instead of being separated over many miles to make ends meet. One thing I admire about these men and women is that they speak and write and read in multiple languages. Some ignorant Canadians find themselves complaining that they can’t fully understand the often accent laden words of the dark-skinned employee serving them on the other side of the counter. Yes, we should expect a certain level of English proficiency in our country’s employees. However, many immigrants know two, often three, languages. That is to be commended. While here, in prairie suburbia, the majori...

Right now the wind is rustling the leaves of the lush trees in our back yard. The chimes sound out a pleasant note or two. Birds chirp. And yes, some annoying truck is making its presence known. It is an almost perfect moment. You kids are watching a show so I can write. We live in a region of the world that experiences peace more than turmoil. But scan the news headlines, and violence is near. The eastern part of our country is still reeling in grief over RCMP officers being gunned down. The country south of here is being bombarded with mass shootings in public places, often initiated by "good" citizens. Half way across the world, militants unleash terror on cities and nations while locals wonder if they will be alive to eat breakfast the next day. And yet here, it is calm. I hear a lawn mover cutting green grass and a central vacuum system whirling in the background. Oh, I know all is not well in people's lives. Domestic violence is a problem no matter where you go....