13 Hours of Rain

During "at home learning", I helped my daughter design an experiment on plants. She set up four identical pots with the same amount of soil in the same location on our deck (controlling her variables, right?). She planted two bean seeds in each pot. She watered three out of the four plants with various amounts of water (1/4 cup, 1/2 cup and 1 cup). The fourth plant only received whatever water naturally fell from the sky. At the end of one month, her hypothesis was partially verified. She thought the 1/4 cup water plant and 1/2 cup water plant would grow the best, which was true in the end. On the other hand, she guessed the others would not germinate at all. Interestingly enough, while the one that was drench in water (1 cup) did not germinate, the one she did not water at all actually grew! It germinated late but had the most steady growth. Is God good? I have been thinking about this question a lot these days. A global pandemic is still raging over our planet decimat...

A Pandemic. Yes, it has hit our earth quicker than I ever imagined when I penned my last post. COVID-19 was in its infancy as 2019 came to a close. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the pneumonia-like illness, with zoonotic origins, a global threat to humanity. Shortly thereafter, schools suspended face-to-face instruction, non-essential businesses closed their doors and the aviation industry dramatically slowed down. Fourteen day quarantines were ordered for international travelers and anyone with flu-like symptoms (especially a dry cough, fever or difficulty breathing) were asked to isolate. Fast forward to now where all mainstream media feeds are saturated with updates on number of cases, number of recoveries and number of deaths. Some countries such as Italy, Spain and U.S.A. have been hit hard. Other countries such as South Korea, Japan and Singapore have escaped with low fatality rates. It is an uncertain time to be alive. Today is Good Friday, a day whe...

"Let us hold tightly to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Hebrews 10:23-25 In 2019, climate change overshadowed media and politics with doomsday activists claiming the world will end in about a decade or so unless people radically change their consumption behaviors. Thus, the burning of fossil fuels must be drastically reduced to hold the world temperature at its already warm rate. Greta Thunberg's "How dare you!" is still reverberating through the internet. On the other hand, anthropogenic climate change deniers adamantly assert that the earth is too big and the other climate factors too prolific to reduce global warming to one major cause. After all, the nineteen seventies heard alarms of global cooling...

Four courses and three final exams later, with Christmas and New Year celebrations completed, I find myself in this moment, poised to begin a new term of learning. I feel slightly exhausted as I contemplate the work load ahead. The last four months have taught me a few things about myself. First, I can academically compete with the millennium generation. I am not sure if college became easier or these courses are a perfect fit for me or the instructors are better or my life experience has given me an edge over my competition. Nonetheless, my achievement is the highest it has ever been at this level of learning. Now, keep in mind, while the content is not rocket science, it has been a lot of work. I strove tremendously hard at keeping up and keeping ahead. God has overshadowed me with wisdom! Second, I do not envision myself sitting behind a computer entering numbers into a spreadsheet for a living. I possess a passion to teach, exhort, encourage, motivate, present, inspire, res...

Brokenness surrounds me. Brokenness is also in me. I call myself a double agent, living in two worlds at the local college. I am a student. I am an instructor. Most of my time is dedicated to learning. Accounting. Business Communications. Computers. Economics. My neurons are firing at maximum capacity. I sincerely hope my brain will adapt to the intensity of information being thrown my way. However, the element I failed to anticipate as I interact with classmates and students (who are all younger than me, I'd like to add) is the brokenness intertwined in people's stories. Several students are divorced, single moms, struggling to parent and keep up with their homework. Many of the international students are burdened with low finances. They are also trying to rapidly adapt to a different method of higher education. Others are trying their best to understand the concepts while competing with others. People either assert their dominance by touting their marks or suppress their ...

According to the University of Waterloo, Canadians value components such as fairness, inclusion, democracy, economic security, safety, sustainability, diversity, equity and health (Canadian Index of Well Being). The last week in the news was a tough stretch for our Liberal government with failed NAFTA talks and bungled paperwork on a billion dollar pipeline our nation collectively owns. In spite of the "diversity is strength" slogan emblazoned on web pages and t-shirts, our citizens comprising of different geographical regions, ethnicity, cultures, religions, genders and sexual orientations are struggling to get along. Political pundits of red, blue, orange and green are calling foul for various reasons. Forget about baby bear's "just right" porridge. It's too right for some. And too left for others. Thus, the populous is lighting up Twitter and YouTube with honest (and not so honest) questions about fairness, inclusion, democracy, economic security, safet...

Now in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, " Repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand ." Matthew 3:1-2 repent: Metanoeo (Greek). Repent with great regret accompanied by a true change of heart toward God. kingdom: Basileia (Greek). Royal dominion. Often signifies God's rule within us while we are on this earth. at hand: Eggizo (Greek). To bring near. One theme that has been resurfacing in my life is "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness." In an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of such a life focus, I am reading the book of Matthew and documenting the context of several references to the "kingdom of heaven". The first one I have come across is listed above, where John the Baptist is heralding the nearness of the heavenly kingdom. The act of repentance precedes God's rule within us. To repent goes beyond regret for one's actions. It is intimately coupled with a true change...

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." Matthew 13:44 There was a man who discovered something in a field one day. A shiny object that flashed in the sun. When he bent down to examine it, his heart nearly lodged itself in his throat. He jumped up and looked quickly around. Nobody had seen him. His hand began to tremble, and his breathing became short. He could not take the object, because it was not his to take, yet it was very, very valuable. But he had to have it, you see. No matter what else happened, he realized in that moment that he had to own that treasure... Now let me ask you a question... Does this man want this treasure?... Ahh, yes. If you want to walk into the kingdom, you also must have this kind of desire. Without such desire, the man never would have done what he did next... He covered the diamonds so that no one would find them, and ...

I know that my readership has dwindled down to practically nil and I sit here typing thoughts to a devoid audience (anyone out there???). Yet, I wish to document this moment of struggle. My teaching contract with the local school board ended in June. There isn't a place for me in the fall. In a need to reduce operating costs to address government cutbacks in education, the fat was trimmed. Extra teachers are a financial drain on the system. Payroll is a huge cost. Thus my exit. I am processing this change with much less grace than I anticipated. Some days I am incredibly sad and end up blubbering through an entire church service, scared that my mascara is creating raccoon eyes on my face. Other days I am filled with anger and regret, screaming all the "why?" questions in my head while plastering on "It is well with my soul" serenity on my exterior. But things are not well. I could swear a blue streak. I understand that I am grieving. I am grievin...

It has been two decades since I snapped on downhill skis and plunged down a slope, all the while praying to God for divine safety. I was in my twenties then and much more adept than now. Yesterday, our family returned from our first skiing adventure. Your Daddy and I thought it was time to introduce you two to another winter sport. We live in Canada, after all. And to thrive in our almost half-a-year winter, embracing some winter sports is essential. By God's grace, we came home with nothing worse than sore bodies. Because of my 20 year skiing void, I enrolled myself in refresher lessons. I was the lone student in my instructor's class. My instructor was less than half my age. But he was kind, encouraging and hopeful in my skills. He progressed me from the bunny hill to the rope tow to the t-bar to the chair lift. In the end, he guided me down the green run, teaching me along the way and always cheering me on. He led me down the hill, pausing when things became difficult. I...

I have 1.25 hours to squeak this entry in before the arrival of 2018 in our prairie time zone. My posts were meager this year, which I sense will be the trend over the next while. I even failed to record all the prayers/verses we attempted to memorize during the latter part of this year. For the record, our Fall was spent on memorizing the Peace Pray of Saint Francis and Colossians 3:12-14 . I wish I could say we know each verse inside-out and backwards. But we don't. We are more familiar with the theme of each passage. 2017 promised to be a year at the cusp of something inspiring. But as I glance over the past 12 months, I survived instead of thrived. The biggest focus of this past year was re-entering my previous life as a teacher. However, many aspects have changed since my last full-time teaching assignment. Two children. New community. New school. New curriculum. New colleagues. New technology. And as I encountered the new, I felt old. I love to teach. That has not cha...

There is a danger in aspiring for the perfect, balanced life. For me, the perfect life is to teach mathematics with exceptional ability and maintain an beautifully organized home with all its nooks and crannies dusted. We own no financial debt and our savings are on track. My children have a fully engaged mother who spends quality time with them through various creative and intellectual pursuits. My daughter and son read fluently, spell with expertise, write with heed to grammar and know all their multiplication facts to 20 by the end of Grade 4. They never cry during piano practice. And they get along with each other like peas and carrots! Everyone is safe and happy and healthy. In that place of utopia, my husband has a devoted wife who creates romantic moments for him that are thoughtful and exhilarating. My meals are creative and delicious every day. All my relationships are well maintained and meaningful. Everyone who knows me as a friend, knows that I care because I am present wi...

Apparently, we are just a bunch of control-freaks. As an educator, I am asked to be flexible in my content delivery because students want control on when they receive their information and how they desire to interact with it (therefore, if some kid wakes up at 4 a.m., my classroom should be virtually accessible somehow). Zoom out, and our society is constantly trying to customize its experience, everything from ordering your McDonald's meal from the digital kiosk (to make your Big Mac "unique") to personalizing your cellphone with its case, settings, ring tone and screen saver. Millennials who are getting married and popping out children are pressured to make sure their events "epic" and "Instagram-worthy". Weddings have to standout from the girl next door (how dare we have the same photographer). The birthing experience has to be picturesque, serene and perfect. And the spelling of a kid's name should snag a domain. Forget "Jane" when ...

" You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world -- like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put in on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. " Matthew 5:13-16 It is dark outside. Spiritually dark. Morality is more and more socially constructed. The gold standard presented in ancient texts is viewed as... well... ancient. Our secular society, steeped in relativism, is a place of hypocrisy. The other day I was perusing the aisles of Children's Place , a popular story for infant and elementary aged children. I was trying to find t-shirts for my daughter. Here are some of the sayings: "On Fleek: a state of complete flawlessness. The q...

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angles nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any other powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 You will hear it within your lifetime, the perfunctory claim that a loving God would never subject His children to suffering, let alone the ridiculous notion of an eternity without Him. You will be tantalized by the "logical" argument that the nature of God has evolved from the vengeful, hateful God of the Old Testament to the loving, gracious God of the New Testament. Children, beware that you do not create God into a more palatable image that will resolve your discomfort of not being able to fully comprehend the Divine. Do not mishandle scripture. Yes, we are memorizing Romans 8:38-39 as a family. And yes, you can take the verse out of context and completely misunderstand its inten...

And Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth. I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life of the sheep." John 10:7-11 {Our memory verse for June.} Our church is teaching through the Gospel of Luke. The purpose of the teaching to exhort us to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Last Sunday's text was the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). The Good Samaritan parable is probably one of the most familiar parables in the New Testament, among Christians and non-Christians alike. We all know the story. Traveler is robbed. Priest walks by, and does nothing. Levi walks by, and does nothing. A Samaritan walks by, and does something. The mes...

I checked off one goal on my "Embracing 40" list: Accomplish a challenging physical feat. I ran a 10K on May 28, 2017! I hadn't planned on running any sort of marathon at the beginning of this year. However, a friend of mine desired to enter a 10K race in a neighboring city. She needed a running partner. I agreed. I began my training in March of this year. I utilized a running app entitled "10K Running" by Fitness22 . The app started me off incredibly slow and encouraged me to increase my stamina and endurance gradually. I ran/walked approximately three times a week. I mainly ran outside, but there were a few days in March when I had to resort to my friend's treadmill. My chiropractor, massage therapist and physiotherapist (yes, at my age I often need all three) provided me with various stretching and strengthening exercises to make sure I didn't seriously injure myself. Thankfully, I didn't hurt myself in my training, though race day I ran with ...

There has been a dramatic long pause in my online conversation, one of those moments where you go off on a tangent and come back with the words, "Where was I...?" So... where was I...? I have been teaching and preparing to teach , whether that has been in the classroom as the substitute or in a small room off the church sanctuary co-leading a Small Group with your Daddy. My classroom teaching experience thus far has been mixed. Some days I feel incredibly valued as a few high school students take the extra time to say thank you for a mathematics lesson. Other days I wondering if my time is well spent dealing with disrespectful students who have very little value for my authority. Other times I do wonder if the advancements in cell phone technologies are just one big evil scheme created by a psychopathic control freak out to perpetually distract our youth from the present and trap them in the virtual. Alas, I digress... As budget cuts loom and school boards warn ...

For many North Americans, Jesus is far too familiar. His name evolved into a curse word. His claim to be fully divine (along with fully human) became reduced by popular society to an image of a "good man" teaching "good things". The seriousness of our sin -- or outright rebellion! -- was minimized. And God's love was elevated and esteemed more highly than God's justice. In doing so, we have rejected chapters upon chapters of the Bible, labeling them as irrelevant to a culture bent on a theology of Universalism. You're okay. I'm okay. We are all okay. It will all work out in the end, whether you believe in Jesus or not. He will let you into His Eternal Glory even though you decided that you wanted nothing do with Jesus on Earth. Sure. Come on in. Take the best seat in the house. I know what I write above is laced with sarcasm, and may even sound judgmental. However, I am currently wrestling with some truths I have recently gleaned through our small ...

I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. Pslam 62:1-2 (NLT) The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:25-26 (NIV) I sit here, contemplating what I should write to commemorate 2016 and mark the advent of 2017. My mind is blank. So I will do what I often do in such a moment. Just write. This year has been like no other since we moved to prairie southwest. My children transitioned to be in school everyday and I began to fill my "spare time" with other pursuits. The biggest challenge was leading a Family Support Team for a Syrian refugee family. If you have kept up with my sparse entries this year, then you would have noticed that Refugee Sponsorship  has been my prime focus. Interspersed  among my refugee-themed entries where glimpses into my Dad's he...