13 Hours of Rain

The month of August has been filled with many family gatherings to celebrate significant events in people’s lives. While my side has fourteen members, your Daddy’s side has more than double the amount. At our most recent gathering, twenty-six individuals (plus three dogs) ranging from age 3 to 85 partook in a meal together at the many tables in and outside the house. It was a good time. I grew up in a more formal household. The formality was partially due to my East-Indian ethnicity as well as the educational background of your Nana and Nani, who were both teachers. As a result, there were big expectations attached to yearly events such as Christmas and birthdays. And there was even bigger expectations placed on those one-in-a-lifetime occasions like a wedding or a significant anniversary. These events tended to be professional, extravagant, and over-the-top (and if you scored a deal while securing gifts, decorations, or food, it was even better). It seemed like it was a matter...

This is your family on your Mother’s side: Thirteen + 1 (soon-to-be*) members gathered together, f-i-n-a-l-l-y , after more than five years. I believe five languages are spoken fluently amongst us. Plus tidbits of others. English is common to us all. Languages fascinate me. English is my preference, of course. I know key phrases in French and I can read a wee bit (your Daddy is much better than me). I can give a taxi driver instructions in Cantonese. I understand Hindi/Urdu (or better described as Hindustani) and, for the most part, can carry on a decent conversation. In the end, I would say I am fluent in 1.5 languages since I cannot read and write the language of your Nana and Nani as I do with the current Roman script (maybe one day, in the next decade?). For the time being, I converse with you two mostly in English and sparodically in Hindi, hoping you will comprehend my inadequate attempt at teaching some aspect of your Indian heritage. And, for the most part, you do. Sometim...

Old Faithful - spouting every 90 minutes or so! We made it. Safely. We were fourteen family members celebrating an anniversary milestone for my parents. We arrived from three countries to spend four nights in cabins, two intense days touring Yellowstone National Park while having one memorable time. Our personal family unit added over 1600 km to our odometer as we traversed prairie, ranch country, foothills, and mountains. Thankfully, all within budget. :) Truthfully, I never had a real desire to see Yellowstone National Park . I assumed it was like any other national park in Canada: mountains, lakes, rivers, rock (repeat). And while I absolutely revel in immersing myself in natural wonders, I didn't feel the need to drive across the border to explore something similar. But this park in Wyoming, U.S.A. was the more economical central location for everyone, can-you-believe-it. Thus, we drove down. Once we experienced some of the park's famous features, I realized thi...

  Creek Side Walk  For the last day of July, I post a thankfulness list in ode to the Summer of 2013 thus far: Moderate Temperatures : The summer is cooler than usual (or from what I have experienced thus far in prairie southwest). And I'm lovin' it. My system doesn't do well with extreme temperatures. Neither does our budget. Because 30+ temperatures mean more cooling costs, more watering-the-lawn costs, and more battling those wretched wasps cost. This year, these costs are much, much lower in spite of the fact we still dealt with two wasp nests this year (as opposed to four last year). Swimming Lessons : Our kids spent the first two weeks of July in the pool learning various skills. It forced me to "unplug" from my usual routine and enjoy cheering for my kids (plus my husband received some much needed quiet time from people). Thankfully both kids obtained their badges! Spontaneous Guests : We entertained three groups of spontaneous guests...

Dear Daughter and Son, One day, a crisis of faith may rock your world to the very depths of your foundation. As you teeter and tumble, grasping wildly for something  – anything!  – to rescue you from the plummet to the depths, you frantically scream the question, "GOD, are you REALLY there????" And silence reverberates around you in the chilly chasm of doubt. At this point in time, I've never been there, truly. My life has been fairly predictable. My relationships (the ones that matter, that is) are loyal. My loved ones surround me and very few close friends or relatives have been lost to sudden death, disease, or disaster. My health has been relatively "normal". My faith has not been tested with persecution or betrayal. Oh, I've had doubts. And I still do. But not the deep doubts that have the potential to shake the very core of my values. No so for your Daddy. A seventeen month encounter with the dark underbelly of the institutio...

I am encouraged on how God equips us for ministry, even in subtle, somewhat insignificant ways. This last weekend was just that. It all started with God placing me in the right mental space. Kids, you will probably figure out soon enough that I struggle with pure spontaneity. At times I appear spontaneous to others, especially when I burst into a room and suddenly inform your Daddy, "Let's go for ice cream now and then we'll do this and that!" While the idea seems fresh with excitement, it has been thought over for at least a few minutes to assess the feasibility of the adventure. Hardly ever do I act before I think. Anyway, your Nana and Nani had planned to visit last weekend. But due to circumstances beyond their control, the encounter was postponed to a more opportune time. Regardless, I was still in hospitality mode. Sunday morning arrived and I mused to myself, "Wouldn't it be nice to extend a lunch invite to some of my friends? Oh, I have nothing p...

About Leadership ... How do you encourage a group of people to embrace a vision in a particular area of ministry? How do you motivate people to get on the same page, so to speak? How does prayer factor in and when does God wait for us to get together and get organized? As a spiritual leader, how much input should one elicit from the people who follow? When should one go ahead and make the executive decision on behalf of others? In the meanwhile, how does a leader encourage others to truly care? Or is that just the Holy Spirit's job? About the Poor ... How do we as North American's oppress the poor? What unjust economic structures are we endorsing just by being consumers? Is it right to purchase cheap department store clothing in spite of the fact it was probably made in a factory with poor safety standards? Is it moral to use credit cards, even if you never carry a balance and just reap the rewards? (After all, credit cards are designed to enslave people in the ...