13 Hours of Rain

Every time I do this, it amazes me. I had lumps of brown sugar in a bag. Sweet, yet useless for baking. I bought a plastic storage container and dumped the sugar in with a slice of bread. Three days later, the bread became hard and dry, while the brown sugar was pliable again. It took just a piece of bread to do the trick. Something small, seemingly insignificant. Yet, its impact was great. The bread transformed the environment it was placed in. It gave of its moisture to soften the hard places around it. This reminds me of how I have been the beneficiary of little deeds of kindness over the last several months. Sometimes the event or decision was the result of a random cause and effect. Other times, thought was put into the action. In spite of the donor's intentions, I was blessed. The hard parts inside of me were softened. For a restful moment, I looked heavenward and thanked God for His mercy and grace. For instance, when I was given my teaching schedule for the fall, I noticed ...

My paternal grandmother passed away in the early hours of March 6, 2010 at the age of 94. We receive this news with sadness and joy. Sadness for the loss of a devoted prayer warrior, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Joy for the sure belief that she is now in her heavenly home in the presence of her Lord Jesus Christ. We praise God for the many years of life she experienced here on earth. Your prayers are appreciated at this time.

"I just need to make it to July," I muttered under my breath as I patted my ever expanding abdomen. My husband laughs as he turns to our daughter and comments, "Mommy's goal: Make it to July." "Well, by the then, this new baby would have arrived. And hopefully he or she would be sleeping through the night," I defended my comment. And I would feel less tired. In theory. Tired. That seemed to be my state of being during the last month. I felt I spend more time sleeping than anything else. It is understandable, since I was recovering from a very busy semester of teaching. But now I would like to get some things DONE, if my body will cooperate. Rooms need to be arranged to accommodate child #2, the house begs for a thorough cleaning (according to me), new baby supplies have to be purchased, meals need to be created and frozen for when the baby arrives, washable diapers must be repaired, etc., etc., etc. And time is ticking away. And when the baby arrives, ...

I'm proud to be Canadian! Here are my highlights of Vancouver 2010: Record results - 26 medals, 14 of them gold. Third place finish overall, highest amount of golds earned in any Winter Olympics. Wayne Gretzky's trek to light the external Olympic flame amidst giddy fans. Alexandre Bilodeau going down in Olympic history as the first Canadian to win gold on Canadian soil. It was beautiful to watch his brother, who struggles with cerebral palsy, cheering Alexandre on. Watching Maelle Ricker's infectious smile as she became the first female to win a gold medal at home. What an achievement in snowboard cross after numerous knee surgeries! Figure skater Joannie Rochette winning bronze with courage and determination just days after hearing about the sudden passing of her mother. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's breathtaking dance on ice that captured the first Canadian gold in that event. What a beautiful couple! Kevin Martin finally winning gold in curling after a gruelingly lon...

Well, the following words have been added to my daughter's vocabulary: "Stop it?" she inquiries. "Yes, you need to stop it," I reply. "Listen?" she asks. "Yes, you need to listen," I respond, trying to suppress a giggle. "Naughty?" she offers. "Yes, you have been naughty. What do you need to say?" I ask. "Sorry." Then I pull her out of her "time-out" zone, the play pen (or play yard to be politically correct).

In conversation with family and friends, I have come up with the following definitions that may reflect the experiences of some Christians. Bi-Polar Spiritually Since Christ's principles are difficult to exemplify, the believe feels like giving up. Thus, he or she settles for maintaining a lower set of ideals. Yet, the believers yearns for something deeper. These yearnings can lead to moments of brilliance, where the believer leaps from the doldrums of life and achieves spiritual valor. Christian Service Quagmire As a believer enters the life of the church, he or she is encouraged to engage in Christian discipleship and service. The believer's spirit of volunteerism entangles him or her in numerous church activities. Within a short span of time, the believer is singularly dedicated to the programs of the church and has no time to spend with individuals outside the church. Hegemonic Church Practices In an attempt to revolutionize the practices of Christianity to be more aligned ...

I'm done. No more teaching for a while. Friday was my last day. Yet, it felt strange. Almost anticlimactic . I sat through a professional development session out of obligation; listened to Administration speak about registration procedures for a second semester that I will not be part of; received a "mention" in regards to my maternity leave; made a solo trip out for some Japanese fast-food; and spent the remainder of the afternoon clearing out personal items from my classroom. A few colleagues stopped to say goodbye and good luck. I handed in my keys and walked out the doors neither happy or sad. Just neutral. Whatever. Maybe I'll see you all later. Maybe not. Only God knows. Interestingly enough, out of all the schools that I have taught at, this was the one I was the least attached to. Why? A combination of factors are to blame. The school was quite large and it was hard to make personal connections with staff. My classroom was located in an isolated section of the...