Of all the liars in the world...

I didn't sleep very well again, but forced myself to lay in bed until 8:30 or so.

However, I got a nice surprise when I emerged from my bedroom.

My mom had made bacon and waffles for breakfast. SO good. There have been lots of times lately when I've chafed against living with my parents, and the way it tends to curtail my independence, but I have to admit, getting up on the occasional weekend morning to find a great breakfast waiting has definite positives too.

I made a quick trip to the farmer's market with mom, and this afternoon, since my parents have a counselling session in our living room, I'm going to head out to the grocery store, and probably to China town to pick up some baking.

All in all, it's been a good day so far.

Today started early. I couldn't seem to sleep, so I watched a bit of a movie on my laptop in bed for an hour or two.

The Tenebrae service was fantastic. Next time I'd really like to be in the congregation, instead of a participant, as you get a bit more of the full visual impact. I couldn't see some parts as well as I would have liked from where I was sitting as a reader. I was delighted that a few friends joined us for the morning (I hope you enjoyed the service, guys!).

I spent the afternoon at Elbow Falls, near Bragg Creek, with one of my youth girls, my brother, and one of his friends. It's become something of a tradition for me, over the last several years, to try and get away from the city, and out into the mountains for a period of time on Good Friday. I find it refreshing. And it's always fun to share it with friends! Today was a bonus - because of the cold (very unspringlike and un-easterlike if I do say so myself) weather, there were very few people at the falls, which meant we could roam a bit and laugh and chat and generally be a bit less considerate than we would have needed to be for a bit more crowded touristy type day!

My mom and I baked hot-crossed buns after dinner tonight. (Actually, I think they're still finishing rising, and then we'll bake them!) I wonder if this is a distinctly Canadian thing, hot-crossed buns for Easter? Anyhow, my grandma has a fantastic recipe, which we followed, and I quite happily expect to be eating a lovely, warm bun, within the next hour or so, with a bit of butter melted onto it to make it extra fantastic!

A long bubble-bath (chamomile and lavender) rounded out my evening quite nicely. I'm working my way through Pete Greig's "God on Mute" (a more full review once I've finished reading) and enjoyed laying in the bubbles and reading.

I'm thinking of heading to China Town for a while tomorrow... anyone interested in tagging along? I have a craving for these fantastic buns with barbequed pork baked into the centre of the them. I want to pick up a couple dozen, so I can freeze them and have them for lunches at work over the next while... We'll see. If the weather stays cold, I probably won't want to wander around downtown Calgary on foot.

And with that, may you go in the remembrance of the cross. May you be caught anew by the suffering of Christ, by the magnitude of the bloody significance of this day.

I’m sitting at my desk and sipping tea, contemplating eating the blueberry yogurt granola bar that’s sitting on my desk.

My boss took the opportunity yesterday to declare today a “casual day.” The chance to wear jeans to work today was quite literally the motivator to get me out of bed this morning!

I love taking the train with my brother, T. on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We’re close, and this time is ours, to chat, to catch up on life, to enjoy for twenty minutes or so, each others company. This morning we talked about the fact that we would both like to get away from Calgary for a bit this summer. We’ve been batting around the idea of taking a week and going someplace together, but agreed this morning that even if that doesn’t work out, we’d at least go somewhere, pretty much anywhere, really, for a few weekends here and there. That made me happy. It made me think about warmth, and summer, which has been a hard thought to summon over this last, nasty, cold and snowy week.

I’ve been thinking about lament lately… I’ll have to write a longer post on that sometime soon.

Been thinking, too, about the sense of quietness within me, how new that still feels… but that, too, is the subject of a much longer post.

I’m off for the next four days after today. Good Friday and Easter Monday are stat holidays for my company, and I’m glad. I can really use the long weekend after working for a chunk of last weekend, and all the stress that lead up to getting ready for last weekend’s conference.

I’m kicking off the weekend by having dinner and seeing a movie with Megs tonight. Can’t wait!

And then, tomorrow, I’ve got the Tenebrae service in the morning, and plans to head for the mountains for a few hours at least in the afternoon. I do love the relaxing quality of time in the mountains, out of reach of the city.

I’m in a rather acerbic mood this morning, generally cranky with life and people in general!

As I traveled the distance of my hour long commute by public transit this morning, my mind composed rather biting and sarcastic responses to comments that were never made. There was the woman who was rude to my brother and me yesterday morning in a passive-aggressive sort of fashion. There was the driver who slowed enough to acknowledge that I needed to cross the street, made eye contact to acknowledge that she knew I had the right-of-way and then proceeded to drive anyhow. There was the girl who pushed to be first off the train, only to stop dead, waiting inside the station at the top of the escalator in the warmth of the building for her bus, while those of us she’d pushed aside continued past her and into the cold.

All of these sorts of incidents made me rather glad that most days I have learned to control which thoughts come out of my mouth. (It may not seem that way to those of you who know me well, but trust me, I filter out quite a bit!) I was reflecting on the fact that as a child, I rarely got in trouble for defiance, or generally bad behavior, but was often in trouble for something I said, whether it was thoughtlessly rude, or deliberately designed to destroy. I received my fair share of spankings, usually because of my mouth!

Now if only I could gain control over the rather nasty and judgmental thoughts, stop having them, instead of having them but never expressing them aloud!

I'm sitting here in the dark, only the light of my laptop screen and a small candle burning behind me. I'm sipping mango-tangerine juice, and trying to figure out how to start this post. In the background, U2 plays.

I've been listening to U2 a lot again lately. I go through cycles of needing just that sort of music.

I've been reading Anne Lamott again this last week or so. This is my second or third time through "Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith". I read Anne Lamott when I need to be grounded. I read her when what I need more desperately than anything is the assurance that a life lived in relationship with Jesus, a spiritual life is not about angelic perfection. Instead, it is earthy, messy, confusing, and very, very normal. Spirituality in the smallest of moments, the little things, long walks and a hug from a friend. I read Anne Lamott when I need to be reassured that somewhere out there, there are wild, fun, irreverent people, who love Jesus desperately, meet Him intelligently, but also simply.

I listen to U2 for these same sorts of reasons.

Because somehow, when I read Lamott's books, or listen to U2 play, my heart quiets and begins to pray again.

So this last week and a bit I've been basking in the comfort of U2 and Anne Lamott, sometimes together, sometimes apart. I've needed to reground myself again lately, in the face of the stuff of life. And to find again the truth that Jesus really loves the very messy, ugly, normal moments of daily life, and will meet with me in them, usually when I least expect it.

I wanted to post a whole bunch of pictures for you tonight, but blogger isn't letting me rotate the ones I took vertically. Go figure.
So, here's a few pictures just for the moment.

These are my hot pink crocs. A Christmas gift from my brothers, and they make me smile every day. Plus, they're quite possibly the most comfortable footwear I've ever owned. I wear them as slippers, for padding around our house, since all of our floors are hardwood.





This is just one of two bookshelves in my room, built by my dad. I keep all of my favorite books in my room, and the rest of them on yet another bookshelf downstairs.









This is the candle that our contact at the hotel gave me as a thank you for our business, and the work that I did planning the conference over the weekend. It smells like citrus.










This is my suitcase from the weekend. I hate unpacking. I mostly hate packing too, but a bag that needs to be unpacked can sit on my bedroom floor for a couple of weeks.










This is Kari and I, in our hotel room over the weekend. It was great to have time to just hang out, to relax, to enjoy time together.






Like I said, I had quite a few more photos that I wanted to show you. The little things that surround me every day and make up my world, but for now, these will have to do. See you soon!

Hey All,
I don’t know if any of you have plans for Good Friday this week (and a few of you I’ve already told about this), but thought I’d invite you join me attending a very unique and meditative service.

The service is being put on by the church that I’m a part of, and is called “Tenebrae: A Meditation on Shadows”. It is a meditative service that originated in the 4th century, that combines music, scripture and drama to create an atmosphere that will allow you to focus deeply on the events that led to the crucifixion. I have been part of this service once before, many years ago, and found it immensely powerful. I’m quite looking forward to taking part in it again.

If you’re interested in attending, here are the details:
Where: L’Ecole St. Gerard (elementary school) in the school gymnasium (1204 – 96th Avenue SW)
When: Good Friday (April 6, 2007) 10:30 a.m.

Let me know if you want more details. Like I said, I’m quite excited to be taking part in this service again, and expect it to be a powerful time of reflection on the events leading to the cross, and on the suffering of Christ. I’d love it if some of you would like to join me.

Lisa