13 Hours of Rain

I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas shopping. I do not enjoy fighting traffic, vying for a parking spot, and discovering that the one item that I really needed to purchase is gone. I roll my eyes in disgust when Christmas carol after Christmas carol is played to death in the background of every store. I detest waiting in line for half an hour or more to purchase a few measly items. And I really get annoyed with I am trying to cope with frigid winter temperatures during the whole process. (Aside: Though I have a new appreciation for online shopping. You can avoid almost all of the above problems!) However, I enjoy saving up for Christmas and then delightfully spending all the money set aside to celebrate Christ's birth. I am thrilled when I purchase an item for a special person in my life and he or she is excited to receive it. I count it a privilege to assist the underprivileged during this season of giving. And I love opening gifts on Christmas day (especially with ju...

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. Hebrews 1:1-4 Merry Christmas from our family to yours! May you experience God's grace, joy and peace today and into 2009!

Current Reading: "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller Thoughtful Quote: Do I want social justice for the oppressed, or do I just want to be known as a socially active person? I spend 95 percent of my time thinking of myself anyway. I don't have to watch the evening news to see that the world is bad, I only have to look at myself. I am not browbeating myself here; I am only saying that true change, true life-giving, God-honoring change would have to start with the individual. I was the very problem I have been protesting. (pg. 20) Related Poem by C. S. Lewis: All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you. I never had a selfless thought since I was born. I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through; I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn. Peace, reassurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek, I cannot crawl one inch outside by proper skin; I talk of love - a scholar's parrot may talk Greek - But, self-imprisoned, always end where I begin.

7 signs that I have become a parent: I listen to "old music" that was typical of my generation. I rarely go to music stores to buy a new CD. I do not have an iTunes library. I don't follow the current radio trends. Instead, I get excited when Glass Tiger , Ah Ha , and Roxette get some air time. Currently, I am listening to Toddler Bible Songs and classical music. I rarely sleep in anymore. My daughter dictates my wake up time. Gone are the days when I could leisurely lounge in bed until 10 a.m. But, I do get to nap when she is napping, if I desire. I am more interested in buying clothes for my daughter than myself. I will spend more time in the baby section of the department store. I am more likely to spontaneously spend cash on her than myself. (However, I do need to go shopping for myself! My wardrobe needs a face lift!) My baby literacy has increased. Name brands such as Graco , Evenflo , Safety First , Tiny Love , Fisher Price , Gerber , Baby Einstein, and Nuby act...

During the early months of my daughter's life I would inevitably be asked the question, "So, are you enjoying motherhood?" (Of course, there were other questions like "Is she sleeping through the night?" and "Are you nursing?" Both of which were initially very annoying. Anyway, I digress.) Motherhood... I would hesitate in response. "Yes, mostly, um... it is quite the change from my job. Don't get me wrong! I love HER," came my tentative answer. The first two months of my daughter's life were HARD. University Calculus seemed like a walk in the park in comparison. SHE was a good baby, on the whole, but life was very challenging in the feeding department. Things did not go as expected. I felt overwhelmed, under qualified, and inadequate. Yet, my daughter kept on growing. She started to reveal more of her personality. And we began to rediscover the world through the eyes of our little girl. Lately we have been REALLY enjoying her. She i...

"...we also rejoice in our sufferings , because we know that suffering produces perseverance ; perseverance, character ; and character, hope . And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us" Romans 5:3-5 (NIV), emphasis added. Definitions courtesy of The Blue Letter Bible : rejoice: to glory (whether with reason or without) sufferings: oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress perseverance: steadfastness, constancy, endurance character: approved, tried character hope: expectation of good disappoint: dishonour, disgrace, to put to shame poured: to bestow or distribute largely love: affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love hearts: denotes the centre of all physical and spiritual life An amplified version: We also take glory, with or without reason, in our oppression, affliction, tribulation and distress, because we know that this suffering produces steadfastness, con...

My mind is submerged with random thoughts, whirling around in a sea of contemplation. I need to open the floodgates for a moment: I've joined THEM. I finally stopped procrastinating and started a Moms Group with several women from my church. I have been encouraged by the response, though at times, I don't know what the heck I'm doing! I guess I really haven't thought of joining a Moms Group in the past (obviously!). Now I'm hosting it. :) Boys, stop fighting, or Mommy's coming. The "boys" in Ottawa can't get along on Parliament Hill. The Governor General is cutting short her European tour to settle affairs. I wonder if she regrets the day Stephen Harper became Prime Minister. I really don't know what to think of this mess. Following your dreams. I have been reading the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Very interesting. It is a fable about following your dreams. The storyline has made me think of my dreams, many of which have been fulfilled. Yet, ...