13 Hours of Rain

As time wears on, I realize more and more how I detest the comedy genre, especially when it comes to movies. Don't get me wrong! I LOVE to laugh. But the comedies out there STINK. Usually the plots involve a bunch of stupid men or shallow women. Eventually someone gets kicked in the groin. And invariably s-e-x becomes the topic of some joke. Makes me want to gag. Sadly, most of the sitcoms out there aren't much better. What ever happened to good old fashion CLEAN comedy? Like The Cosby Show? The other day my husband and I sat down and watched an episode. And we laughed. And laughed. The humor is so simple! Yet brilliant. And as parents, we had a new appreciation of the show. Is it funny when the writers are joking over the fact that it is hard to get an elementary age kid to say "thank you"? Do you want to laugh when Cliff is trying to adjust his daughter's sweater because it is a bit revealing? Can you relate when Cliff and Claire are dizzy with excitement bec...

It started with a comment from a mom in my community. We were talking about Registered Education Saving Plans. And one of the moms mentioned she allocated the entire Universal Child Care Benefit towards her children's RESP accounts. I gulped. And panicked inside. "I'm hardly contributing anything," I thought in horror. My words came out defensive, "We can't give that amount. We need the money as a single income family." The women nodded in understanding. Then my mind started whirling. Are we budgeting appropriately? Or are we spending recklessly? Am I depriving my children of needed savings? I recently came across a helpful document by the Barnabas Foundation which outlined 10 Financial Principles from the Bible . The principles are listed as follows: God owns it all . We are just managers! Giving is essential . This goes beyond money and material possessions to include time and talents. Allow for margin . Do we consciously set aside time (and mon...

Some days I feel like I'm living in a nut house, an insane asylum, or a psychiatric ward. Someone is crying. Someone is screaming. Someone is bouncing off the walls. Someone is mumbling some gibberish I can't understand. And I'm trying to bring order to the chaos. And I only have TWO kids. True, it is really not THAT bad. But when you combine maternal sleep deprivation, an energetic toddler who constantly repeats, "Shall we go outside for a little while?" and a teething one-year-old who has been whining for over a week, then a mild form of insanity results. At one point in the morning I become a fiendish woman whose patience is extremely low and whose mind explodes with unmentionable words. I am a mother in need of GRACE. Becoming a mother is probably one of the most difficult tasks I have ever undertaken in my life. I've studied university calculus and physics. I've resided in the orient. I've taught a room full of students who were challenged...

I am assisting a group of fantastic women from my church in planning a Women's Retreat for the Fall. All of this planning has got me thinking about retreats in general. What does an Evangelical Christian Retreat look like for women? What does it look like for men? Admittedly, I have only participated in one Women's Retreat in my life. And my impressions of the retreat included well planned and well decorated. I believe that the women who attended the weekend, including myself, had a wonderful time. And there was evidence that women were given the opportunity to connect with God. Thus, in my opinion, the retreat was a huge success. However, during the event, I couldn't help but be very observant. I found myself critiquing the activities as if I was an outsider. I asked myself, "How would this weekend look like to an unbeliever? And what are the cultural norms associated with an Evangelical Women's Retreat?" Here is a list of items that seem to ...

"What color do you want?" I asked. "Pink!" she exclaimed with twinkling eyes. I gazed over the various hues and picked out a bright one. I read the label on the bottle of nail enamel: "#285 - Oh My Magenta". Sounded pink to me (Aunty K. would be proud!). "Can I hold it?" she inquired. "Yes you may. But do not open it! We need to buy it," I responded. A couple of days later, while she relaxed on her Mommy and Daddy's big cozy bed, I proclaimed, "Mommy's going to give you a pedicure! But you have to sit  really still." "Okay!" she agreed with the gushing enthusiasm of a preschooler. And she sat still, stiller than she has ever been for any activity. I painted each toe nail with care while cleaning up any spills on her delicate skin. And then I massaged her feet with some yummy peppermint plum foot lotion. "Does that feel good?" I asked. "Yes!" she smiled with joy. "I'm g...

Today, I'm thankful for simple pleasures, such as... Blogging under a lush canopy of trees. Creating a delicious and nutritious lunch from 10 different leftovers. And that even included a yummy fruit salad loaded with berries, whipped cream, and strawberry yogurt. Checking off every item on my errand "to do" list while my husband cared for our children. Anticipating a wiener roast over a fire pit. Smores will follow! Or ice cream. We'll see! :) Slurping $1 iced coffees from McDonald's . (Oh there are times I succumb to the temptation of the yellow M.) Cuddling with my two beautiful children. Laughing over a joke with my husband. Baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies using crushed Lindt & Sprüngli Easter Bunnies for our family and my husband's Science class to enjoy. Listening to my children play together and giggle together. Breathing in beautiful, clean prairie air while gazing at the splendor that surrounds me.

"No fear. No distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide," (Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club , 1996). Okay, so I watched the movie Fight Club with my husband the other night. Now here are ALL the disclaimers before I write about anything else. #1 This movie has several disturbing scenes that do not meet my approval. #2 I could not have watched this movie in a theatre since I'd be subjected to stuff I rather not view. I probably would have walked out. #3 DVD's are useful. We were able to skip the profane and enjoy the storyline. Disclaimers aside, WOW! It has been such a long time since I've watched a movie whose message scintillated in my brain many hours after the final credits flickered by on the television monitor. I am not sure where to begin in dissecting the many impressions overloading my mind. Thus, here is one. Our lives are controlled by advertising. Advertising has the ability to overwhelm us with fear, distract us from deeper...