13 Hours of Rain

A cup of tea. Honestly, if I had to give up tea for Lent, it would be a challenge. I cherish the moments with I can curl up on the couch with a hot cup of tea between my chilly hands and gaze through our front window. Life slows down in that moment. It is so, so good. Flock of birds taking flight. There is something magical about a flock of birds lifting off and joining the blue expanse. Birds are a marvel of creation. They have inspired air travel and formation flying. Snowflakes. Its unique, one-of-a-kind crystalline structure is awe-inspiring. Its ability to cover a dull landscape and brighten the world during short winter days is refreshing. Real conversations with a friend. I can only take shallow conversations with people for so long. Therefore, real conversations with a friend (or a family member for that matter) where we both can share our hearts is truly a gift from God. Balancing our cheque book. Weird, I know. But I find beautiful satisfaction in crunching numbers...

"It's Brown Bear's birthday today. He's three," you grin at me as you squeeze your precious stuffed bear. Your eyes twinkle with delight. You disappear for about half an hour as I answered morning e-mails. I see you grab the Spiderman gift wrap. Some tape. Various pieces of cardboard and cotton puffs. You come back with two makeshift packages. "I've wrapped some presents for Brown Bear. Where should I put them?" you inquire. "Under the tree," I smile at your ingenuity and thoughtfulness. After all, if it's Brown Bear's birthday, he's gotta receive some gifts! "So, what did you buy Brown Bear?" "Some bones. And a bowl for his food." My son, you are creative and imaginative. I marvel (and sometimes cringe) at the battle scenes you enact with your Lego creations. I chuckle as you belt out songs from the bathroom during your morning routine. I swell with joy when I see you creating a Batmobile ...

I sit at a table with a view of the pond. It is still and serene outside. Twilight is settling as faint streaks of pink and purple blend into darker blue. The solar lights start to twinkle amidst the lush garden foliage. The green of the trees is replaced with inky blackness. The time of day is apropos, as I pen this post. The sun is setting on a season in your Grandma and Grandpa’s lives. It is time to move from the homestead to a smaller and more convenient location in the city. This house has been sold in response to the realities of aging. It is a logical and wise decision. Yet, I am sad. More sad than I imagined. I have only known this place for a decade, 10 short years in comparison to almost a lifetime for your Daddy. I was introduced to this place when your Daddy introduced me to his parents, five older sisters, five brother-in-laws, and numerous nieces and nephews. I recall feeling apprehensive. And overwhelmed. Would this “brown” professional woman in her early ...

It is year in review time. And since my current stage of life doesn't lend itself to staying up until midnight to clink the champagne glasses, I feel the need to mark the moment through words instead. I did a quick perusal of my previous blog posts and read a few of my private journal entries over the year. A few thematic elements jumped out at me. I list them below in no particular order: Perseverance. There were a few incidences over the past couple of years that strongly tempted my husband and I to attend a new church. This is a hard thing to admit in this space, as I know some of my readers frequent our place of worship. So why admit it? Because, let's be honest, as Christians, we do struggle with some element of our church experience, whether it is the preaching, leadership, worship style, certain individuals or groups, theology, vision, etc. And there are times when you wonder why in the world you decided to attend your church in the first place, especially in the fac...

  Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Our family was invited to share about East-Indian Christmas traditions at a Seniors Christmas Potluck. I spoke. My husband sang. Our daughter added a Hindi greeting to my conclusion. Our son added harmonica accompaniment to his Daddy's guitar and voice. It was a fun and encouraging evening. Thanks for your prayers!

This is one of my favourite parts of winter: deep blue skies and frosty white trees. It is breathtaking!

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,   "Glory to God in the highest heaven,   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." ~ Luke 2:13-14 ~

This year's theme: Be You Bravely Today's topic in the Mom's group I attend was generosity. I once again was convicted on how I struggle with generosity. To be perfectly honest, I rather horde my money or spend it on frivolities; donate time to things I like to do (as opposed to serve in areas that are not super exciting); and guard my heart so I don't have to invest in relationships that have the potential to be messy. Yet, as I've become older, and my relationship with God has deepened due to His Grace, I am being pushed in all three areas. Believe me, it is hard, as being generous in not my natural tendency. But we are called to be generous as God's children. And how we actualize generosity will differ from person to person, culture to culture. Nonetheless, A. & J., I pray that you will be generous by God's enabling and equipping. May you give out of an attitude of abundance instead of scarcity. I am thankful for being challenged by my Mom...

I have finally reached the point when I can proclaim with sincerity, "I am thankful for my church and I actually like it." Now I am praying that God will help me LOVE my place of worship. I don't mean love as a feeling of euphoria or infatuation where I become giddy talking about where I attend for corporate Christian gathering. I mean the 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love, where I love in spite of frustrations or hurts or imperfections. So, here is my prayer: Dear Lord, I pray that you will help me love my church as you love this group of believers. May I be patient, especially when things don't go the way I think they should. I pray that I will speak kindly of my church when rubbing shoulders with those on the outside. I ask that I will not boast when things are going extremely well, because all that we are is because of your Grace and Power. Please, may I not be proud when I use my talents and passions to serve others (and receive affirmation). May I not be rude...

I realize I struggle with silliness. I think it was the way I was raised. Your Nana & Nani's generation and culture followed the norm, "Children should be seen and not heard." This was especially true in the presence of an elder or older guests. As a kid, you didn't talk. You only spoke when spoken to. Otherwise you just listened. Over time, and after being in Canada for a while, our family's dinner table conversations were more interactive and lively. But I don't think I was ever encouraged to be silly. So I catch myself curbing the silliness levels of you, my daughter, which at times is necessary to do. But my shortcoming is that I often want you to be like what I was expected to be, as the eldest daughter of our family: serious, obedient, responsible, proper, demure. I forget that you may very well have a different personality than I did when I was younger. I often -- too often -- forget that you are only six and that you love to live life with ent...

I know the Canadian oil/gas industry isn't too thrilled right now, but I am thankful that at least one of our monthly bills has gone down this Christmas season. That being said, I do offer up a prayer for those who may have lost their source of livelihood due to the rapid decline in oil prices. May God meet your needs during this season of giving.

Even though our days are shorter during this time of the year, I am thankful that I can enjoy sunrises. Winter sunrises are gorgeous! There is something about the angle of the sun rays and the crispness of the air that produces stunning backdrops of pink, purple and red. Then oranges and yellows emerge as the golden orb awakes from its slumber. Of course, the clouds scatter the light with artistry. It is breathtaking!