My Own Pillow!

A few nights of being away from my own bed has made me appreciate it all the more.

I'd taken my own pillow along with me to the hostel in Kelowna, but upon arriving discovered that they did not allow any outside bedding in.

It seems there has been a recent outbreak of bedbugs at a hostel in Vancouver, and they're trying to avoid this in Kelowna by banning outside pillows and bedding.

And can I just say that the pillow they provided was both hard and flat?

I was so excited to be back in my own bed on Monday night.

Treating Myself Carefully

A little while back I talked about needing to allow quiet and stillness. Part of that for me is treating myself well so that I feel rested and not stressed out, making it easier for me to ease into silence.

Tonight was one of those rare nights when I didn't have to cook dinner. It was nice to come home and just relax.

After dinner I did some needed filing work and cleaning in my bedroom (remember that a clean space is one that I find less stressful), but I also drank tea (a gift mailed from Czech by a friend!), put a clay mask on my face, and then took a long hot shower.

I'm taking time to play a game for a while, and watch a bit of a television show I enjoy.

I'll go to bed at a decent hour.

I'll make the time to work through my nightly devotional and to pray a little.

And I'll be oh so grateful to remember that today was slightly better at work than yesterday, and that tomorrow is my last day at the office for this week.

And that there will be moments of quiet, and likely moments of great joy over the long weekend of time for rest and restoration that I've scheduled for myself.

Treating myself carefully generally pays off. I'm hoping that will be true this week as well.

Quoting saints...

A few recent quotes from the calendar that sits on my desk at work.

Then I saw truly that it gives more praise to God and more delight if we pray steadfast in love, trusting his goodness, clinging to him by grace, than if we ask for everything our thoughts can name....The best prayer is to rest in the goodness of God.

Blessed Julian of Norwich.

I am happy to exist. I am content with everything that surrounds me, because in everything I detect a gift of God. All the peace that fills and pervades my heart comes from possessing Jesus.

Carla Ronci

Wedding!

This wedding was in some ways a bit challenging to attend. M. has been a very dear friend for a long time, but there have been a few relational bumps in the last year or so. Also, many of their good friends are people who were less than happy with me when I made a decision to no longer attend a particular church a few years back, and generally ignore my existence, making for a somewhat challenging social setting. However, it was my privilege to join both her and J. to celebrate their marriage. More pictures can be found here.

M. walking in on her dad's arm, looking towards J.

A much needed and very healing hug.

With the bride!

Weekend in Kelowna

The pedicure I got for this trip when I was in need of pampering on Friday after work, before we left.

Sitting at the Kelowna waterfront on Saturday night.

This was a combination of smoke plumes from a nearby forest fire, and the clouds. The dove shape of it struck me deeply that night.


Having dinner and sampling some wine at Quails Gate Winery in Kelowna on Saturday night.

More photos from the weekend and the various vineyards we visited can be found here.

Not Feeling the Grace

Yesterday was a rough first day back at the office after a long and very full weekend.

There was one person in particular who was a challenge to my sanity.

I was thinking about her on the drive in this morning, praying for patience and grace.

I'm not feeling the grace. Quite frankly I want to respond to her in the rude, biting and sarcastic way that she tends to engage the world.

And then I feel the prompting reminder that has come so often lately - how the things I struggle most deeply with in others that I encounter are also often my own sin tendencies.

So, I'm not feeling the grace. Or the patience. But I'm asking Jesus to send both. Or at least to set watchmen on my heart and tongue, so that I don't respond in kind.