- Sleeping late after a late night of stargazing
- a really good breakfast on the back patio with mom and dad
- painting with straws. I seriously had so much fun, and giggled like a little kid the whole time. I couldn't stop grinning as I sat there cross-legged, sucking paint into the straws and then flinging or blowing it onto the canvas. The result is very modern arty, but it's colorful and fun, and I'm going to hang it in my bedroom at grandma's for a while.
- weeding in the sun, with an audio book playing. there's something totally satisfying about seeing the weeds disappear
- the feeling of a great shower after accomplishing some dirty and sweaty tasks (see #'s 3 and 4)
- slipping gently into a dozing nap on the couch
- the smell of clean laundry
- knowing it was a full, rich day
- painting my fingernails and toenails with OPI Pirates of the Caribbean nail polishes - my toes are painted in Mermaid Tears and my fingers in Steady as She Rose!
- going out for ice cream on what is probably going to turn out to be the hottest day of our summer
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 349
Today's Daily 5:
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 348
I ended up being out until the wee hours of the morning last night, watching a meteor shower, and by the time I got home, all I wanted was my bed. So, here's yesterday's daily 5:
- getting some sweet deals for a gift I needed to buy
- coffee with friends
- cuddling a six week old baby
- time with various friends
- watching the sky in the middle of nowhere, enjoying the immense beauty of a sky uncluttered by city lights, and counting some falling stars.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 347
Today's Daily 5:
- a good last day at my first temp job
- making a new friend quite unexpectedly
- a sunny seat by the window in my favorite tea shop
- catching up with and getting to know a friend in new ways
- prayers and blessings at that tea shop table
- music from Adele
- Chinese and Greek takeout
- my favorite jeans
- a peaceful evening
- listening to an Anne Lamott novel on audiobook (loving this one)
A Random Assortment
It's been a while since I've done a bullet point, mish-mash style post here. In no particular order, here are some of the things I'm thinking about:
- I almost never paint my fingernails with anything other than clear polish. There are two reasons for this. The first is that I feel like fingers are closer to your clothes and body than toes, and that it's more important for them to be either neutral or to somehow match. Since I'm picky about that, that means that I just don't like the look of color. The main reason, though, is that I am NOT one of those women who somehow seems to be able to maintain the perfect manicure. When I paint my fingernails, they always chip badly, within days, or sometimes even within hours. With all of that said, I painted my fingernails this week. A fairly neutral and unobtrusive pink color. More importantly, the color has lasted!!! Without badly chipping. I'm now totally sold on the higher quality of OPI nail polish. (And I love the name of the color I'm wearing, a Pirates of the Caribbean inspired pink called "Sparrow Me The Drama")
- I'm seriously in love with an app I bought this week from the Mac App Store. It's called Delicious Library. It definitely wasn't the cheapest thing around, but for someone like me, with a huge library, and a fairly sizable collection of DVDs, it's brilliant. It uses the iSight camera on my macbook to scan the bar code on my books and DVDs, and then loads the information. If for some reason an item doesn't have a bar code, I can type in the ISBN number or search by title to find it. It then adds the items to my shelves. Best of all, if I loan a book or DVD to someone, I can drag that item from it's "shelf" in the app, onto that person's name in my contacts, and it records who I've loaned the item to. This is fantastic, since over the last few years I've actually lost some much-loved books when they were loaned out and went missing, and I forgot who had them. My one complaint with the app is that the iSight camera scanning can be quite slow and finicky, and that the compatible Bluetooth bar code scanner is crazy expensive. But, that's a minor complaint, and if I get really frustrated with it, I can quickly type in the ISBN numbers instead.
- It's a long weekend in Alberta this weekend. "Heritage Day". I have no idea what it celebrates or commemorates, but I'm thrilled for an extra day off, and an extra day of sleeping in.
- I'm slowly and quietly beginning to toy with the idea of looking for housing some place other than Grandma's basement. I'm keeping my ears open for friends hunting for roommates, and starting to watch rental ads for affordable bachelor suites or one bedroom situations, in neighborhoods that are still easily accessible to the rest of the things going on and important in my life via city transit. (If you know of someone looking for a roommate in Calgary, definitely put them in touch with me!)
- I'm settling in to the reality that I will not be in school again until at least January. I didn't make the cut for the September entry. They had less than 40 spaces available, and the GPA for entry was astronomical. I'm a good student, but not that good... So, hopefully January will work out, and in the meantime I'm settling into this new "career" of office temping, and enjoying the flexibility and lack of pressure that it brings. Nothing needs to come home with me at night, nothing needs to be worried about beyond the confines of the working hours. Since my last office environment was the highly charged environment that my former roommates referred to as "the soap opera", this low-stress, show up and do your job and then go home environment is one that I'm loving!
- On a personal level, for the first time in years, I've been consistently feeling fairly healthy and good. I'm loving it, but sometimes I wonder if my creativity ran away, along with the health and mood issues. I wonder if people who have been reading here as I processed all of the negative and harder things are still interested in the me that is not struggling with those things on a consistent basis for the first time in the history of this blog.
- I'm discovering that I'm also needing to learn new language to talk about this different space in my life. It's like the old adage about the many words that the eskimos have for snow - I have a highly developed and nuanced vocabulary to talk about pain, mental illness, depression, struggles, and wrestling. I don't have as many words to talk about this news space yet. In fact, in some ways I'm waiting to see if it even lasts, even as I work to find ways to share it.
- And, back to a lighter note to round up this mish-mash of a post, even though it totally does not do happy things for my lactose intolerant stomach, I'm in the midst of an ice cream craze. I'm loving it, and eating it a couple of times a week or more. My current particular favorite flavor comes from a local grocery store and is called mango swirl. So tasty in a waffle cone.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 346
Today's Daily 5:
- a soft cotton sweater
- wearing jeans at work
- having some quiet time between phone calls to talk with Jesus
- a corn dog for supper (a very rare treat!)
- having a baby plop himself in my lap, grin at me, and want to play, experimenting with how my nose ring feels, touching one nostril and then the other, and playing with my glasses and scarf, trying them on himself, and seeing how things looked different with and without the glasses, and even pretending to read a book through them.
You Ask, I Answer, Take 14
Today's You Ask, I Answer question comes once again from Christianne. She asks:
What do you like most about God?
When I read this question initially, I cringed, wondering how on earth I was going to answer it. How I was going to take an intangible appreciation of a whole, and cram it into a response that was shaped like a few paragraphs of text. But, the more I thought about the question, the more I realized that there is indeed one attribute of God that I appreciate above all others.
For me, the aspect of God's character that is most meaningful is that his character, and he himself is unchanging.
To someone who struggles with change and has at times been hurt deeply by shifting sands of relationships, the idea that the God on whom I rely will never change is one that is deeply comforting. That He is the solid, rooted, fixed and unchanging form admist the chaos and storms that I've walked through the last number of years is the truth that I've come to rely on most deeply. It's the thing in which I root my ability to trust deeply in God's care and guidance in my life. It's the thing in which I find hope and peace.
I love that He doesn't change and promises that He will not change. That his character is rich and deep and consistent and something in which I can anchor myself amidst the things that threaten to overwhelm me.
What do you like most about God?
When I read this question initially, I cringed, wondering how on earth I was going to answer it. How I was going to take an intangible appreciation of a whole, and cram it into a response that was shaped like a few paragraphs of text. But, the more I thought about the question, the more I realized that there is indeed one attribute of God that I appreciate above all others.
For me, the aspect of God's character that is most meaningful is that his character, and he himself is unchanging.
To someone who struggles with change and has at times been hurt deeply by shifting sands of relationships, the idea that the God on whom I rely will never change is one that is deeply comforting. That He is the solid, rooted, fixed and unchanging form admist the chaos and storms that I've walked through the last number of years is the truth that I've come to rely on most deeply. It's the thing in which I root my ability to trust deeply in God's care and guidance in my life. It's the thing in which I find hope and peace.
I love that He doesn't change and promises that He will not change. That his character is rich and deep and consistent and something in which I can anchor myself amidst the things that threaten to overwhelm me.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 345
Today's Daily 5:
- Managing to laugh at a truly ridiculous customer service call I answered at work today
- that it wasn't raining as I waited for the bus.
- enjoying a quiet lunch, reading outside as I ate
- working to begin cataloging my library
- being challenged by the latest Henri Nouwen book I'm reading
Whimsical Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Today's edition of Whimsical Wednesday turned out to be rather eclectic. Since I've been back working full time, I haven't had a ton of time to hang out on pinterest, but I did pin some incredibly varied and eclectic things there. So much of what I'm collecting there will never show up here, but it is in some ways a place of unspoken dreams. It's become the place where I collect the things that I find beautiful, and the things I'm dreaming about, or that speak to me in some way. It's the place where I store ideas for someday dreams of maybe having a wedding, a husband, and children. It's also the place where I store all the delectable recipes that I'd make if I had an unlimited budget and time to do nothing but cook several days a week (with audio books playing, and maybe a bit of Adele, and a few others mixed in of course, because one needs to feed one's love of words, even while cooking!). In any case, because pinterest has become the holder of my dreams, and because this week was not a week of cohesive dreaming, this week's Whimsical Wednesday post is an eclectic reflection of me!
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 344
Today's Daily 5:
- Fast moving clouds, carried by winds
- the sound of wind moving the leaves
- wearing one of my favorite scarves
- home-made hamburgers for dinner
- a new app for cataloging my library - soon to be the subject of a post, I'm sure, simply because it's brilliant and I love it.
You Ask, I Answer, Take 13
By popular demand, today's edition of "You Ask, I Answer" will address the "ping-pong ball" story that I referenced in Thursday's edition.
As I mentioned on Thursday, because I am nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other, and because my left eye is lazy, my brain primarily processes signals from only my right eye. This leads to a significant lack of depth perception, and to a great number of embarrassing stories and moments. The story that continues to hold the place of honor in family lore involves a public school, seventh grade, junior high school physical education class, a ping-pong table, and some visiting missionaries.
Besides my impaired vision, you should also know that I have extremely pale skin, which has been diagnosed as being hypersensitive. What that means is that anything leaves a mark. In seventh grade, the hypersensitivity was at it's peak, and if I simply scratched my skin, even lightly, it would raise a bright red welt for all the world to see.
Someone, somewhere along the way, at the junior high school I attended, decided that since they had ping-pong tables, ping-pong would be the perfect activity to pair with the wrestling unit for their physical education classes. On a given day, half of the class would be wrestling, while the other half would play ping-pong.
One spring day, the phys ed period fell near the end of my school day, and I was assigned to play ping-pong. I'd never played before, but thankfully the friend I was assigned to rally with had a bit more experience than I did. It seemed to be going well. I wasn't missing too many (for me anyway!), which seemed a small miracle in light of the challenges that my limited depth perception provides for hand/eye coordination. And then it happened. She returned the ball, hard, and I missed. It connected solidly with the left side of my neck, stinging painfully, and immediately raising a bright red, perfectly round welt.
The school day ended, and I walked home, bursting into the house, nursing my wound, and expecting that my parents would be home and ready to offer sympathy. Instead, what I encountered was my parents, sitting at the dining room table, chatting with long-time friends of theirs, a missionary couple visiting from Ukraine. Missionaries who tended to be conservative, but also loved to tease.
I displayed my wounded neck, expecting the usual mixture of laughter over my unique misfortunes, and sympathy over the large and still painful welt. Instead, before my mom could express sympathy, one of the missionaries piped up, "It looks like a hickey! Lisa's got a hickey!" The table exploded into laughter.
I was a naive seventh grader, only recently exposed to the vagaries of public school after years of being taught at home, and was embarrassed to have to ask what a hickey was. Once it was explained, my mortification was complete, since kissing was not something that had ever crossed my radar, and since I took myself a bit too seriously in that pre-teen manner, and was sure that these people's teasing would be taken seriously by someone.
The welt lasted for several days, brusising slightly. I wore higher collared shirts, hoodies and did whatever I could to conceal my injury for the next several days, certain that if a missionary could think it looked like hickey, then the junior high students who loved to bully and torment me could also make that inference. I was nothing short of horrified at the particular turn this had taken and couldn't imagine that there would ever be a day I'd find this spectacular occurence of my clumsyness to be humorous.
A decade and a half or so later, I chuckle good-naturedly every time one of my brothers brings it up. It comes up shockingly often, given that in the last sixteen years, I haven't gotten any less clumsy, or any less likely to be hit in the head or face by flying objects of any shape and form. I still blame my depth perception, and my brothers will take every opportunity to share some of the more spectacular incidents of my injuries, including the ping-pong ball! I feel sympathy for the sheltered and mortified pre-teen that I was, but mostly I'm just amused by the incident, and even by my own embarrassment! I've even been known to tell the story myself, when the moment calls for some levity, or for proof that my lack of decent depth perception really can have some hilariously disastrous results!
As I mentioned on Thursday, because I am nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other, and because my left eye is lazy, my brain primarily processes signals from only my right eye. This leads to a significant lack of depth perception, and to a great number of embarrassing stories and moments. The story that continues to hold the place of honor in family lore involves a public school, seventh grade, junior high school physical education class, a ping-pong table, and some visiting missionaries.
Besides my impaired vision, you should also know that I have extremely pale skin, which has been diagnosed as being hypersensitive. What that means is that anything leaves a mark. In seventh grade, the hypersensitivity was at it's peak, and if I simply scratched my skin, even lightly, it would raise a bright red welt for all the world to see.
Someone, somewhere along the way, at the junior high school I attended, decided that since they had ping-pong tables, ping-pong would be the perfect activity to pair with the wrestling unit for their physical education classes. On a given day, half of the class would be wrestling, while the other half would play ping-pong.
One spring day, the phys ed period fell near the end of my school day, and I was assigned to play ping-pong. I'd never played before, but thankfully the friend I was assigned to rally with had a bit more experience than I did. It seemed to be going well. I wasn't missing too many (for me anyway!), which seemed a small miracle in light of the challenges that my limited depth perception provides for hand/eye coordination. And then it happened. She returned the ball, hard, and I missed. It connected solidly with the left side of my neck, stinging painfully, and immediately raising a bright red, perfectly round welt.
The school day ended, and I walked home, bursting into the house, nursing my wound, and expecting that my parents would be home and ready to offer sympathy. Instead, what I encountered was my parents, sitting at the dining room table, chatting with long-time friends of theirs, a missionary couple visiting from Ukraine. Missionaries who tended to be conservative, but also loved to tease.
I displayed my wounded neck, expecting the usual mixture of laughter over my unique misfortunes, and sympathy over the large and still painful welt. Instead, before my mom could express sympathy, one of the missionaries piped up, "It looks like a hickey! Lisa's got a hickey!" The table exploded into laughter.
I was a naive seventh grader, only recently exposed to the vagaries of public school after years of being taught at home, and was embarrassed to have to ask what a hickey was. Once it was explained, my mortification was complete, since kissing was not something that had ever crossed my radar, and since I took myself a bit too seriously in that pre-teen manner, and was sure that these people's teasing would be taken seriously by someone.
The welt lasted for several days, brusising slightly. I wore higher collared shirts, hoodies and did whatever I could to conceal my injury for the next several days, certain that if a missionary could think it looked like hickey, then the junior high students who loved to bully and torment me could also make that inference. I was nothing short of horrified at the particular turn this had taken and couldn't imagine that there would ever be a day I'd find this spectacular occurence of my clumsyness to be humorous.
A decade and a half or so later, I chuckle good-naturedly every time one of my brothers brings it up. It comes up shockingly often, given that in the last sixteen years, I haven't gotten any less clumsy, or any less likely to be hit in the head or face by flying objects of any shape and form. I still blame my depth perception, and my brothers will take every opportunity to share some of the more spectacular incidents of my injuries, including the ping-pong ball! I feel sympathy for the sheltered and mortified pre-teen that I was, but mostly I'm just amused by the incident, and even by my own embarrassment! I've even been known to tell the story myself, when the moment calls for some levity, or for proof that my lack of decent depth perception really can have some hilariously disastrous results!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 343
Today's Daily 5:
- Monday, Monday
- Getting to be the smiling face all day
- a compliment on the new sweater I was wearing
- iced tea infusions
- pink and brown
- subway for dinner
- bachelorette night
- rearranging furniture to make it more homey and functional
- starting a new book
- listening to a fascinating audio book
Monday, Monday
I arrived at work this morning with "Monday, Monday" by the Mamas and the Papas firmly entrenched in my brain. As far as I know, I didn't hear it playing anywhere this morning, it was just that someone made some sort of "monday, monday!" reference in conversation, and that was all it took. This is the hazard of being raised by a father who loved 1970's folk music. I know quite a bit more music from my father's era than my own!
My plans for a quiet bus ride to work, listening to one of Anne Lamott's novels in audiobook form (as an aside, I'm loving this one, "Imperfect Birds"), were interrupted as soon as I boarded and spotted a gentleman who I knew was a new employee at the firm I'm temping for last week and this week. As it turns out, today was his first day, and he'd never taken that particular bus route before. If I'm honest, the last thing I really wanted to do on a Monday morning transit commute was spend it making small talk with a stranger, but I'm learning to be sensitive to situations and to God's promptings, and more so, to be willing to sacrifice my own insistence on "ME" for the sake of others. So, we chatted for a while. He's new to Calgary, so I told him a few little things about the city. We talked about transit, and previous jobs a. It wasn't so bad after all.
And, even as I think about that, I'm thinking about the fact that sitting at a reception desk on a Monday morning, I might be the first, or only smiling and welcoming face that someone sees today. I don't always see it this way, but today that feels like a gift. Like a chance to exist in my own skin, and love Jesus, and let his love for and joy in others exist in my smile, and in my conversations with people, and in the way I say hello to each person who crosses through my lobby. And I can see each smile and greeting offered to me as a gift.
Like I said, I don't always feel that way. I didn't feel that way even a couple of hours ago, when I woke too early from a very disturbing dream. The introvert in me would rather not be the one to deal with people all day, the one who has to paste on a smile and be welcoming when what I really want is to just hide away. But somehow, my day has shifted, and I'm choosing joy and peace. I'm processing the dream, but choosing to not let it ruin my day.
It's nice to be in that space, to be able to choose that. A gift really!
And hey, it's Monday! Monday means I'll pick up take-out on my way home and head home to catch The Bachelorette live from the east coast online, enjoying a couple of hours of entertainment. It means an evening of quietly enjoying myself, and doing things I love. It's a little bit of sabbath for me. And, as for that audio book, there's always the bus trip home. I'll probably read the book book that I brought with me on my breaks today, sitting in the sun. So, it's Monday, Monday, and that's okay with me.
My plans for a quiet bus ride to work, listening to one of Anne Lamott's novels in audiobook form (as an aside, I'm loving this one, "Imperfect Birds"), were interrupted as soon as I boarded and spotted a gentleman who I knew was a new employee at the firm I'm temping for last week and this week. As it turns out, today was his first day, and he'd never taken that particular bus route before. If I'm honest, the last thing I really wanted to do on a Monday morning transit commute was spend it making small talk with a stranger, but I'm learning to be sensitive to situations and to God's promptings, and more so, to be willing to sacrifice my own insistence on "ME" for the sake of others. So, we chatted for a while. He's new to Calgary, so I told him a few little things about the city. We talked about transit, and previous jobs a. It wasn't so bad after all.
And, even as I think about that, I'm thinking about the fact that sitting at a reception desk on a Monday morning, I might be the first, or only smiling and welcoming face that someone sees today. I don't always see it this way, but today that feels like a gift. Like a chance to exist in my own skin, and love Jesus, and let his love for and joy in others exist in my smile, and in my conversations with people, and in the way I say hello to each person who crosses through my lobby. And I can see each smile and greeting offered to me as a gift.
Like I said, I don't always feel that way. I didn't feel that way even a couple of hours ago, when I woke too early from a very disturbing dream. The introvert in me would rather not be the one to deal with people all day, the one who has to paste on a smile and be welcoming when what I really want is to just hide away. But somehow, my day has shifted, and I'm choosing joy and peace. I'm processing the dream, but choosing to not let it ruin my day.
It's nice to be in that space, to be able to choose that. A gift really!
And hey, it's Monday! Monday means I'll pick up take-out on my way home and head home to catch The Bachelorette live from the east coast online, enjoying a couple of hours of entertainment. It means an evening of quietly enjoying myself, and doing things I love. It's a little bit of sabbath for me. And, as for that audio book, there's always the bus trip home. I'll probably read the book book that I brought with me on my breaks today, sitting in the sun. So, it's Monday, Monday, and that's okay with me.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 342
Today's Daily 5:
- Sleeping late
- curly hair after sleeping in braids
- a quiet afternoon
- banana with peanut butter
- catching up on television online
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 341
Today's Daily 5:
- sleeping in
- finally tackling a task I'd been dreading
- a library trip
- TV on DVD
- string cheese
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Early Afternoon
I spent last evening with my friend A, and her daughter N. In between N's bedtime routine, A and I snuck in as much catching up, these are the things that are on our hearts conversation as we could manage. Over dinner, and ice cream and tea, we talked. We shared the things going on in each of our lives, and the things the other could be praying about. I imagine it was the sort of evening that others would look at oddly. I cleaned up her kitchen while she put N to sleep, and we chatted in between the little interruptions where N would rouse and need to be calmed again. But for me, the evening was a gift. It had hugs and love and baby cuddles and food. It had the gift of genuine, no-holds barred conversation, without judgement, and the gift of seeing the ways God is at work in each of our lives. I walked away challenged again by the lifestyle A and her husband and their daughter have chose to embrace. By who they are, by the ways that they challenge and encourage me, the ways that they seek God in what they're doing, and how they're living and parenting. (And hey, I even walked away with a great new recipe to try!)
I had a bit of a wild bus ride home, getting off the bus downtown, to wait for the next one, to avoid a rather intoxicated native man who was harassing the girl sitting in front of me, and beginning to turn his attention to me as well. It wouldn't have been my choice to spend fifteen minutes waiting for a bus on my own, downtown, late at night, but I made it home safely, and happily collapsed into sleep at mom and dad's. It was a bus ride that stirred questions and thoughts about homelessness, safety, poverty, and love again, and it will take time to process.
I slept late this morning, and I'm currently curled up, propped against pillows, and under blankets, working on some of the harder and more personally challenging tasks that I need to accomplish this weekend. I'm doing them in little chunks, embracing a favorite school homework strategy, of setting aside all distractions for a set period of time (20 minutes today) and doing nothing but the hard thing for that time, and then taking a break. It works for me, especially with quiet, instrumental, spa type music playing, with ocean waves and things like that.
I have errands to run today, and more to accomplish. But for this moment, what I need is some food, so I'm off to take care of that need. I'm thankful for a quiet Saturday, for moments to breath amidst the hard stuff. For the encouragement of time with a heart-friend, and the knowledge that I can work safely through the harder things, and even the unexpected challenges. For the reminder of friends praying, and the peace that Jesus offers. It's that sort of day today, and I am leaning into it.
I had a bit of a wild bus ride home, getting off the bus downtown, to wait for the next one, to avoid a rather intoxicated native man who was harassing the girl sitting in front of me, and beginning to turn his attention to me as well. It wouldn't have been my choice to spend fifteen minutes waiting for a bus on my own, downtown, late at night, but I made it home safely, and happily collapsed into sleep at mom and dad's. It was a bus ride that stirred questions and thoughts about homelessness, safety, poverty, and love again, and it will take time to process.
I slept late this morning, and I'm currently curled up, propped against pillows, and under blankets, working on some of the harder and more personally challenging tasks that I need to accomplish this weekend. I'm doing them in little chunks, embracing a favorite school homework strategy, of setting aside all distractions for a set period of time (20 minutes today) and doing nothing but the hard thing for that time, and then taking a break. It works for me, especially with quiet, instrumental, spa type music playing, with ocean waves and things like that.
I have errands to run today, and more to accomplish. But for this moment, what I need is some food, so I'm off to take care of that need. I'm thankful for a quiet Saturday, for moments to breath amidst the hard stuff. For the encouragement of time with a heart-friend, and the knowledge that I can work safely through the harder things, and even the unexpected challenges. For the reminder of friends praying, and the peace that Jesus offers. It's that sort of day today, and I am leaning into it.
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 340
Today's Daily 5:
- It's Friday!
- a hug from a dear friend
- reminders of lessons in simplicity
- simple moments of service
- sharing a meal with friends
- skies that cleared after pouring rain
- spice tea
- the sounds of a baby
- the encouragement of a friend who helps me see God at work
- clean smelling air after the rain
Friday, July 22, 2011
Fridays
It's Friday!
I'm wearing jeans which makes just about everything better.
As per usual for me (at least half the time anyway), I'm wearing a scarf, too. Today's scarf is a softly woven one from Nigeria, gifted to me from a friend. Like so many of my scarves, it's a reminder of people and places, and often draws me to pray when I wear it.
Scarves are kind of a weakness of mine, the thing I can't resist when I find a beautiful one for a great price. It's an addiction that is fed by the people who know and love me, and my collection of scarves spans items from at least 3 continents and at least six or seven countries, and I love each one of them and try to wear them often. In fact, my addiction to scarves is so complete that I often purchase other items for my wardrobe (especially tops and sweaters) based on whether or not a scarf will look good with them! My perfect outfit involves a pair of jeans (or maybe a skirt), a cute pair of shoes or sandals, a dressy casual top, a scarf, and a great pair of earrings.
I have plans to hang out with a dear friend and her daughter tonight, since her husband is away for the evening. I'm quite looking forward to spending some time catching up, and hopefully praying with this friend.
I'm very much looking forward to the weekend, though this particular weekend holds a few challenges.
But other than those things, it's looking like it will be a quiet weekend, with some family time, and a lot of down time. My major goal for tomorrow is to accomplish a couple of rather challenging personal projects, and to catch up on some sleep.
So, it's Friday! It's Friday and despite the challenges I know are ahead, I'm feeling positive and happy. I'm thankful for days like that. So thankful for days like that.
I'm wearing jeans which makes just about everything better.
As per usual for me (at least half the time anyway), I'm wearing a scarf, too. Today's scarf is a softly woven one from Nigeria, gifted to me from a friend. Like so many of my scarves, it's a reminder of people and places, and often draws me to pray when I wear it.
Scarves are kind of a weakness of mine, the thing I can't resist when I find a beautiful one for a great price. It's an addiction that is fed by the people who know and love me, and my collection of scarves spans items from at least 3 continents and at least six or seven countries, and I love each one of them and try to wear them often. In fact, my addiction to scarves is so complete that I often purchase other items for my wardrobe (especially tops and sweaters) based on whether or not a scarf will look good with them! My perfect outfit involves a pair of jeans (or maybe a skirt), a cute pair of shoes or sandals, a dressy casual top, a scarf, and a great pair of earrings.
I have plans to hang out with a dear friend and her daughter tonight, since her husband is away for the evening. I'm quite looking forward to spending some time catching up, and hopefully praying with this friend.
I'm very much looking forward to the weekend, though this particular weekend holds a few challenges.
But other than those things, it's looking like it will be a quiet weekend, with some family time, and a lot of down time. My major goal for tomorrow is to accomplish a couple of rather challenging personal projects, and to catch up on some sleep.
So, it's Friday! It's Friday and despite the challenges I know are ahead, I'm feeling positive and happy. I'm thankful for days like that. So thankful for days like that.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 339
Today's Daily 5:
- Loving that the current job is for a company with a casual atmosphere where I can wear jeans every day
- my favorite white blouse
- listening to some happy music on the bus this morning
- the news that some good friends will welcome another child next spring
- Greek food from Opa for supper - so tasty!
You Ask, I Answer, Take 12
Before I dive in for the day, I’m putting out a plea for more questions. We’ve got about two weeks of twice weekly questions and answers left, and after that we’ll either have to end this feature, or I’ll have to scour the web and books for interesting questions to answer. I’ve been loving having questions and prompts to work from and I’d love to see this continue. So, ask me anything! There is very little that is off limits!
Today’s You Ask, I Answer question comes from Christianne again. She asked:
What do you like most about yourself?
To be honest, I cringed when I saw this question for the first time, and I’ve studiously ignored it on my list of questions until now!
I cringed because finding anything to like about myself has not been something that has come easily. I would venture that you wouldn’t know that I’ve struggled deeply with self-confidence and self-love if you simply met me on the street. You would have to know me well to see through the façade that I’ve spent years constructing. There have been times where I’ve actually found myself wishing that I could see in myself the things that others seemed to see – that I could believe them instead of believing that they were part of my carefully constructed façade.
Over the last number of years, as Jesus has worked in my life, that has begun to change, and I’ve begun to recognize that some of what others were seeing was truly me, and that many of the beliefs that I had about myself were in fact lies. That said, since my initial reaction to the question that Christianne posed was that there is not anything about me that I love, there is clearly still work to do, and healing to be accomplished.
So, what do I like most about myself?
Well, I would have to say my eyes, but in saying that, I want to clarify that I mean more than simply the physical feature of my eyes. I mean the idea of vision, and of seeing.
My physical eyes are on the green side of hazel, with lots of gold thrown in, and I inherited them from my father. I was the only one of the three of us siblings who inherited dad’s eyes. My brothers are blue-eyed like our mom. My eyes really are one of my favorite physical features, simply because I love their color. Green has always been a favorite color of mine, and I feel like my eyes are quite pretty.
When we’re talking about vision, my physical vision is unique. I’m nearsighted in one eye, and far-sighted in the other. It’s a prescription that makes the people who fit my glasses every few years scratch their heads in confusion, and double-check with me to confirm that those numbers ARE really what my eye doctor meant to jot down! It’s the result of astigmatism in both eyes and of a lazy left eye. You can use the left lens on my glasses as a magnifying glass! The lazy eye essentially means that my brain doesn’t properly process the signals it receives from that eye, meaning that I rely on my right eye as the primary source of vision. If we’re ever having a conversation, and you’re sitting to the left of me, you’ll probably notice that I’ll turn my head so that you’re included in the field of vision from my right eye, allowing me to see you more clearly. Because I primarily rely on one eye for my vision, the other major consequence is that I struggle with depth perception. I’ve learned to compensate quite well over the years, but it does mean that I’m perhaps a bit more clumsy than you would expect, and that I often misjudge and bump into the corner of a desk or the edge of a doorframe. It also meant that as a not very athletically inclined child in a family of athletes, I was hit in the face by many, many flying objects. Soccer ball, nerf dart, basketball, volleyball, floor hockey puck, ping-pong ball – all of these have hit me in the head or neck! Sometime, you should ask me to tell you my unfortunate junior high ping-pong story!
The physical aspect of eyes and vision aside, I think what I love (and conversely probably hate at times) most is the way that Jesus has shaped my ability to see. I've shared in this space before that I am deeply sensitive to the spiritual realm, often aware of atmosphere and things that other people never notice. Among other things, I think because of my own experiences, I tend to be particularly sensitive to those who struggle with various mental illness and fear issues, and I often know that they are struggling with these things long before they share that with me in words. It has taken a good deal of time, but I've come to see these sensitivities as a particular gift from Jesus to me, a way to be invited into prayer, and into coming alongside of others. Learning to walk with this vision is something that remains an ongoing challenge for me, but, as I said, it is something I've come to see as a special gift from Jesus to me, something that allows me to see and experience a greater part of his heart.
Whew! That was a long answer to a short question! Thanks for asking it, Christianne. I'm glad I finally sat down to answer it. If any of you have any sort of follow up questions, as always, leave them in the comments!
Today’s You Ask, I Answer question comes from Christianne again. She asked:
What do you like most about yourself?
To be honest, I cringed when I saw this question for the first time, and I’ve studiously ignored it on my list of questions until now!
I cringed because finding anything to like about myself has not been something that has come easily. I would venture that you wouldn’t know that I’ve struggled deeply with self-confidence and self-love if you simply met me on the street. You would have to know me well to see through the façade that I’ve spent years constructing. There have been times where I’ve actually found myself wishing that I could see in myself the things that others seemed to see – that I could believe them instead of believing that they were part of my carefully constructed façade.
Over the last number of years, as Jesus has worked in my life, that has begun to change, and I’ve begun to recognize that some of what others were seeing was truly me, and that many of the beliefs that I had about myself were in fact lies. That said, since my initial reaction to the question that Christianne posed was that there is not anything about me that I love, there is clearly still work to do, and healing to be accomplished.
So, what do I like most about myself?
Well, I would have to say my eyes, but in saying that, I want to clarify that I mean more than simply the physical feature of my eyes. I mean the idea of vision, and of seeing.
My physical eyes are on the green side of hazel, with lots of gold thrown in, and I inherited them from my father. I was the only one of the three of us siblings who inherited dad’s eyes. My brothers are blue-eyed like our mom. My eyes really are one of my favorite physical features, simply because I love their color. Green has always been a favorite color of mine, and I feel like my eyes are quite pretty.
When we’re talking about vision, my physical vision is unique. I’m nearsighted in one eye, and far-sighted in the other. It’s a prescription that makes the people who fit my glasses every few years scratch their heads in confusion, and double-check with me to confirm that those numbers ARE really what my eye doctor meant to jot down! It’s the result of astigmatism in both eyes and of a lazy left eye. You can use the left lens on my glasses as a magnifying glass! The lazy eye essentially means that my brain doesn’t properly process the signals it receives from that eye, meaning that I rely on my right eye as the primary source of vision. If we’re ever having a conversation, and you’re sitting to the left of me, you’ll probably notice that I’ll turn my head so that you’re included in the field of vision from my right eye, allowing me to see you more clearly. Because I primarily rely on one eye for my vision, the other major consequence is that I struggle with depth perception. I’ve learned to compensate quite well over the years, but it does mean that I’m perhaps a bit more clumsy than you would expect, and that I often misjudge and bump into the corner of a desk or the edge of a doorframe. It also meant that as a not very athletically inclined child in a family of athletes, I was hit in the face by many, many flying objects. Soccer ball, nerf dart, basketball, volleyball, floor hockey puck, ping-pong ball – all of these have hit me in the head or neck! Sometime, you should ask me to tell you my unfortunate junior high ping-pong story!
The physical aspect of eyes and vision aside, I think what I love (and conversely probably hate at times) most is the way that Jesus has shaped my ability to see. I've shared in this space before that I am deeply sensitive to the spiritual realm, often aware of atmosphere and things that other people never notice. Among other things, I think because of my own experiences, I tend to be particularly sensitive to those who struggle with various mental illness and fear issues, and I often know that they are struggling with these things long before they share that with me in words. It has taken a good deal of time, but I've come to see these sensitivities as a particular gift from Jesus to me, a way to be invited into prayer, and into coming alongside of others. Learning to walk with this vision is something that remains an ongoing challenge for me, but, as I said, it is something I've come to see as a special gift from Jesus to me, something that allows me to see and experience a greater part of his heart.
Whew! That was a long answer to a short question! Thanks for asking it, Christianne. I'm glad I finally sat down to answer it. If any of you have any sort of follow up questions, as always, leave them in the comments!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 338
Today's Daily 5:
- A tasty lunch
- a day of thinking about personal discipline
- iced tea
- a long shower
- time to read on the bus
Whimsical Wednesday, July 20, 2011
This was definitely the kind of week where the quirkier and more sarcastic side of my sense of humor peeked out in the browsing and pinning that I did on pinterest. Here are some of the images that made me smile, or in some way inspired me this week.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 337
Today's Daily 5:
- the world that having a library card opens up to me
- my crocs ballet flats
- escaping to quiet outside on my breaks from work, those moments of reading in the sun and quiet are precious
- chocolate
- iced tea
- a long phone conversation with a friend
- knowing there are friends praying
- a good natural health treatment tonight
- peanuts
- fresh fruit
You Ask, I Answer, Take 11
Today's You Ask, I Answer question is a follow up question from You Ask, I Answer, Take 6 which dealt with the topic of travel, and in which I mentioned that I spent about 4 weeks in the country of Malta about three years ago.
Jenny asked:
Malta was a lovely country, though let me tell you, for the Mediterranean, it was a lot colder than I expected it might be in January. A lot of the cold had to do with the fact that it's a tiny island and very windy. The rest (at least in my opinion!) had to do with the fact that central heating is non-existent and everything is built out of limestone and marble, making for very chilly interiors in the colder parts of the year!
So, why Malta?
Well, I was invited to join a group of friends, as part of a team that was traveling to Malta to participate in and help to facilitate a 24/7 Prayer Room with some Maltese Christians. My own prayer life had been changed when I'd encountered 24/7 in the last half of university, via the church that I was a part of at the time. Prayer suddenly became something creative, active and meaningful, and God spoke and worked in my life, meeting me in surprising ways through my time in various 24/7 prayer rooms.
Some of my friends had had long term connections to the Maltese church and had made some journeys there leading up to their inviting a number of others to join them. God had already put Malta, and the friends who were inviting me heavily on my heart, and when they asked, I felt the Lord confirming that I needed to go, and agreed to join them. Ultimately, about 10 of us from all over Canada traveled together and participated in the prayer room and had the chance to see parts of the country of Malta, meet with various believers there, and spend time praying for this island that dates it's history with the Christian faith back to the shipwreck of St. Paul.
The trip definitely changed my life, though not at all in ways I thought it might. The results were very different from what I expected, but, three years later I'm not sorry I went. I still believe that God asked me to go and I believe that He has used all that resulted from that trip to shape and form my relationship with Him in new and infinitely deeper ways.
Jenny asked:
Why Malta? I don't know much about it, but it does seem like a beautiful country.
Malta was a lovely country, though let me tell you, for the Mediterranean, it was a lot colder than I expected it might be in January. A lot of the cold had to do with the fact that it's a tiny island and very windy. The rest (at least in my opinion!) had to do with the fact that central heating is non-existent and everything is built out of limestone and marble, making for very chilly interiors in the colder parts of the year!
So, why Malta?
Well, I was invited to join a group of friends, as part of a team that was traveling to Malta to participate in and help to facilitate a 24/7 Prayer Room with some Maltese Christians. My own prayer life had been changed when I'd encountered 24/7 in the last half of university, via the church that I was a part of at the time. Prayer suddenly became something creative, active and meaningful, and God spoke and worked in my life, meeting me in surprising ways through my time in various 24/7 prayer rooms.
Some of my friends had had long term connections to the Maltese church and had made some journeys there leading up to their inviting a number of others to join them. God had already put Malta, and the friends who were inviting me heavily on my heart, and when they asked, I felt the Lord confirming that I needed to go, and agreed to join them. Ultimately, about 10 of us from all over Canada traveled together and participated in the prayer room and had the chance to see parts of the country of Malta, meet with various believers there, and spend time praying for this island that dates it's history with the Christian faith back to the shipwreck of St. Paul.
The trip definitely changed my life, though not at all in ways I thought it might. The results were very different from what I expected, but, three years later I'm not sorry I went. I still believe that God asked me to go and I believe that He has used all that resulted from that trip to shape and form my relationship with Him in new and infinitely deeper ways.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 336
Today's Daily 5:
- grace in unexpected moments
- lunch outside in the sun
- humidity
- spots to sneak off alone and read on breaks
- subway for dinner
Six Songs Collide
I came across this video yesterday, referred from a blog that I read. I loved it - loved the way they combined all the different songs into something special. I listened to it over and over all day, and knew I had to share it with you. So, while I'm off answering phones and temping today, you should take the five minutes or so to kick back and enjoy this video.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 335
Today's Daily 5:
- Time at home alone
- making lists
- banana chocolate chip muffins
- finding some new music
- news from far away
- wearing my M*A*S*H* t-shirt and capri jeans
- a new screensaver with beach and palm tree scenes
- Macdonalds for dinner
- banana cream pie
- 1 year, 335 days of making these lists
Sunday Thoughts
It's Sunday morning and I have the house to myself and am loving it.
I'm curled up in the big recliner in mom and dad's living room.
I watched a little bit of food network and now I'm tackling the task of catching up on blog reading from this last week. I had more social things than usual, plus the addition of suddenly spending eight hours a day (plus transit time) employed again.
Normally I stay at mom and dad's on Sunday nights, but I think I'm going to go home to my own bed tonight.
That means that this afternoon I have a number of things to accomplish, and as I'm sitting here I'm making lists.
Listing the things to be accomplished.
Listing the groceries I need to go out and pick up so that I can eat for the coming week.
Listing thoughts and plans.
It's not a bad way to spend a morning, really. Resting and listing.
With a little bit of food network, and a little bit of music thrown in.
Lovely.
(which, by the way, is one of my favorite words. I don't know where I picked it up, but that's what I'll often say as a positive answer. I like it. I think the whole world should have more lovely things in it.)
I'm curled up in the big recliner in mom and dad's living room.
I watched a little bit of food network and now I'm tackling the task of catching up on blog reading from this last week. I had more social things than usual, plus the addition of suddenly spending eight hours a day (plus transit time) employed again.
Normally I stay at mom and dad's on Sunday nights, but I think I'm going to go home to my own bed tonight.
That means that this afternoon I have a number of things to accomplish, and as I'm sitting here I'm making lists.
Listing the things to be accomplished.
Listing the groceries I need to go out and pick up so that I can eat for the coming week.
Listing thoughts and plans.
It's not a bad way to spend a morning, really. Resting and listing.
With a little bit of food network, and a little bit of music thrown in.
Lovely.
(which, by the way, is one of my favorite words. I don't know where I picked it up, but that's what I'll often say as a positive answer. I like it. I think the whole world should have more lovely things in it.)
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 334
Today's Daily 5:
- Birds singing
- sunshine
- surprising a rabbit in the garden
- lazy mornings
- dark basements
- ice cream
- time with good friends
- children's antics
- creatively designed creatures like anteaters
- an evening spent comfortably with family
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Saturday
It's Saturday, and almost noon, and I'm still curled up in bed, enjoying the darkness of living in a basement, the cozyness and comfort of still being ensconced in pajamas, under blankets.
I'm going to the zoo this afternoon with a long-time friend and her daughter. I'm looking forward to an afternoon of sunshine, child's laughter, and visiting my favorite animals. Gorillas, giraffes, anteaters, here I come!
And then, a quiet evening. Dinner with my folks, and maybe watching a movie together.
I spent last evening with one of my longest term friends. We've known each other since early in high school, and make a point of having dinner and hanging out and catching up once a month or so, even more than ten years later. In the last year, our relationship has taken a particular turn, as our lives have also taken a turn, and we've gone from discussing the shallower every day stuff to talking about the deeper and more intense stuff going on in each of our lives. Our conversations range from faith, life, psychology, relationships and everything in between. We've both gotten hooked on buying groupons, and once a month or so we get great dinners on the cheap, and spend hours hanging out and eating and conversing. Last night it was a new Italian restaurant, and the food was really good. We talked for a couple of hours, wandered in a park for a while, and then wandered through a bookstore for another hour, conversing all the while.
It's a good way to spend the weekend, with friends, and doing favorite things.
I'm going to the zoo this afternoon with a long-time friend and her daughter. I'm looking forward to an afternoon of sunshine, child's laughter, and visiting my favorite animals. Gorillas, giraffes, anteaters, here I come!
And then, a quiet evening. Dinner with my folks, and maybe watching a movie together.
I spent last evening with one of my longest term friends. We've known each other since early in high school, and make a point of having dinner and hanging out and catching up once a month or so, even more than ten years later. In the last year, our relationship has taken a particular turn, as our lives have also taken a turn, and we've gone from discussing the shallower every day stuff to talking about the deeper and more intense stuff going on in each of our lives. Our conversations range from faith, life, psychology, relationships and everything in between. We've both gotten hooked on buying groupons, and once a month or so we get great dinners on the cheap, and spend hours hanging out and eating and conversing. Last night it was a new Italian restaurant, and the food was really good. We talked for a couple of hours, wandered in a park for a while, and then wandered through a bookstore for another hour, conversing all the while.
It's a good way to spend the weekend, with friends, and doing favorite things.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 333
Today's Daily 5:
- a caller at work who flirted with me and sang me pop songs in a great British accent while I worked for several minutes to locate the name of the correct person for him to talk to
- wearing a pretty new scarf bought at a discount
- weekend!
- really good italian food, dinner via groupon with a friend
- spending the evening with a friend whose friendship has spanned more than a decade, talking about anything and everything, eating, walking in a park, and even book shopping together.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 332
Today's Daily 5:
- Quiet lunch hour
- growing confidence in some internal things
- making some tight connections on the bus
- a chance to share with a friend
- hanging out and sharing dinner and laughter as a house church
You Ask, I Answer, Take 10
Today's question is once again from Johanna in Germany, who asked:
My brothers would tell you that the sport I participated in for twelve years is not actually a sport.
Yes, it's synchronized swimming.
I started at age 6, and swam until I was 18. For the last six years I worked as a volunteer coach, first as an assistant, and then as a head coach, teaching primarily 6 and 7 year old girls the basics of the sport. I loved it. My partner was a great friend and we did everything together for a solid twelve years. I swam to music ranging from Celine Dion to Disney to Chariots of Fire and 70s classics like "Seasons in the Sun".
These days the sports I participate in are pretty much limited to a lot of walking and the occasional yoga class or hiking trip.
As for watching sports on television, well, I'm a very bad Canadian. I HATE hockey, passionately. I don't mind watching American (NFL) football, but I almost always fall asleep. I grew up in a family that loved sports, but somehow that passion never transferred. If I'm going to watch a sport on television, I tend to prefer less violent, individual sports - I like watching things like skiing, snowboarding, swimming, even luge! But mostly, if I'm going to watch television, I watch cooking or home design shows or dramas. I'm just not a sports fan!
As always, if there are follow-up questions, or something new that you have a burning desire to know, leave it in the comments or send me an email!
What kind of sport do you like?
My brothers would tell you that the sport I participated in for twelve years is not actually a sport.
Yes, it's synchronized swimming.
I started at age 6, and swam until I was 18. For the last six years I worked as a volunteer coach, first as an assistant, and then as a head coach, teaching primarily 6 and 7 year old girls the basics of the sport. I loved it. My partner was a great friend and we did everything together for a solid twelve years. I swam to music ranging from Celine Dion to Disney to Chariots of Fire and 70s classics like "Seasons in the Sun".
These days the sports I participate in are pretty much limited to a lot of walking and the occasional yoga class or hiking trip.
As for watching sports on television, well, I'm a very bad Canadian. I HATE hockey, passionately. I don't mind watching American (NFL) football, but I almost always fall asleep. I grew up in a family that loved sports, but somehow that passion never transferred. If I'm going to watch a sport on television, I tend to prefer less violent, individual sports - I like watching things like skiing, snowboarding, swimming, even luge! But mostly, if I'm going to watch television, I watch cooking or home design shows or dramas. I'm just not a sports fan!
As always, if there are follow-up questions, or something new that you have a burning desire to know, leave it in the comments or send me an email!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 331
Today's Daily 5:
- fresh cherries
- a mostly smooth first day at my first temp job
- an unexpected ride home from mom and dad's after work
- comfy pajamas
- curling up in bed early after an exhausting day
Whimsical Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Here's today's edition of Whimsical Wednesday. These are some of the images from Pinterest that have stirred, inspired, or made me laugh this week:
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 330
Today's Daily 5:
- elegantly simple solutions to problems
- laughing at great nail polish color names (today I bought one with a Pirates of the Caribbean theme called "Sparrow me the Drama")
- scarves and earrings (I may have a slight addiction - but I found two new great scarves and a great pair of earrings, all for 50% off today)
- preparing for the start of my new temp job tomorrow
- painting my toenails a fun new color (not the Sparrow one yet!)
You Ask, I Answer, Take 9
Today's question is from my friend Faye, who asked:
Oh dear. That's quite the question!
Flag worship. That uniquely charismatic expression of worship involving dancing with brightly colored flags or banners.
Gut response? Cheesy. And also lovely.
I can tell you that the colors of the flags used in worship in charismatic churches are often (much like the colors of things in liturgical churches) representative of specific meanings and imagery.
I can tell you that at times my gut response is just what I said it was - this is cheesy! I feel embarrased for the people up there dancing around with the flags. I feel uncomfortable with their seemingly unfettered and unrefined worship. But that response is absolutely all about me.
I can also tell you that there have been times when the colors and the motion and the unfettered and unrefined nature that makes me so uncomfortable has also given me pause, and spoken to deeper parts of my soul. Where I have seen the unseeable and experienced worship in a different way because someone was dancing with a flag. Where the noise, the symbolism, the colors have given rise to what Pete Greig described as "a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great ‘Amen!’" within my spirit.
I think it's totally a preference thing, and maybe a time and place thing. I think that it requires a humility and sensitivity of spirit, to know the right time and place, and to be open to what God would teach and show you in the midst of that. Not easy by any means, but totally worth aiming for.
(oh, and by the way, Faye doesn't blog very often, but when she does it's almost always worth reading and truly beautiful. You should check her out at the link I posted above.)
What do you think about (or know about) flag worship?
Oh dear. That's quite the question!
Flag worship. That uniquely charismatic expression of worship involving dancing with brightly colored flags or banners.
Gut response? Cheesy. And also lovely.
I can tell you that the colors of the flags used in worship in charismatic churches are often (much like the colors of things in liturgical churches) representative of specific meanings and imagery.
I can tell you that at times my gut response is just what I said it was - this is cheesy! I feel embarrased for the people up there dancing around with the flags. I feel uncomfortable with their seemingly unfettered and unrefined worship. But that response is absolutely all about me.
I can also tell you that there have been times when the colors and the motion and the unfettered and unrefined nature that makes me so uncomfortable has also given me pause, and spoken to deeper parts of my soul. Where I have seen the unseeable and experienced worship in a different way because someone was dancing with a flag. Where the noise, the symbolism, the colors have given rise to what Pete Greig described as "a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great ‘Amen!’" within my spirit.
I think it's totally a preference thing, and maybe a time and place thing. I think that it requires a humility and sensitivity of spirit, to know the right time and place, and to be open to what God would teach and show you in the midst of that. Not easy by any means, but totally worth aiming for.
(oh, and by the way, Faye doesn't blog very often, but when she does it's almost always worth reading and truly beautiful. You should check her out at the link I posted above.)
Monday, July 11, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 329
Today's Daily 5:
- the first use of a sweet smelling, freshly washed towel after a shower
- candlelight
- kit kat bars
- a brother who solves little home improvement issues for me
- an evening of sorting, clipping, and thinking, hopefully leading to creativity
Reverb 11 - July
The Reverb prompt for July is as follows:
Well... I'm going to try temping for the first time in July. Starting Wednesday as a matter of fact.
I'll do what I almost always do, and make some new food.
I'll get a new zoo pass.
And I've started wearing a new pair of glasses.
We'll start something new at house church this month too, or at least pray and decide what new thing to start.
I have a few new craft and creative projects to try.
I try to make a practice of doing small new things regularly. It's a way to combat fear, to make little changes, to fight back against that anxiety that comes with change and all things new. To have dozens of little new things that weren't scary to remember in the face of the larger and perhaps fear carrying new things.
What new thing will you try this month?
Well... I'm going to try temping for the first time in July. Starting Wednesday as a matter of fact.
I'll do what I almost always do, and make some new food.
I'll get a new zoo pass.
And I've started wearing a new pair of glasses.
We'll start something new at house church this month too, or at least pray and decide what new thing to start.
I have a few new craft and creative projects to try.
I try to make a practice of doing small new things regularly. It's a way to combat fear, to make little changes, to fight back against that anxiety that comes with change and all things new. To have dozens of little new things that weren't scary to remember in the face of the larger and perhaps fear carrying new things.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 328
Today's Daily 5:
- sleeping late
- a surprise chance to chat online with L, a dear friend and former roommate
- licking the bowl for the topping of the peanut butter chocolate crunch brownies I made
- fresh cherries
- mango swirl ice cream
- smiling when I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror, with my new glasses
- time spent in creative pursuits today
- making plans to spend time with good friends in the coming week
- being struck by the odd ways certain things have spoken to me, or showed me bits of my heart
- quiet evening at home alone
What Type of Book Are You?
The results of this quiz made me laugh, especially since memoirs are some of my favorite reads.
| You Are a Memoir |
 You're funny, but many people don't see your funny side. Your subtle dry humor leaves your close friends in stitches. You have your own quirky ideas about the world. You see so much light and promise. You have no patience for small talk or niceties. You want to have conversations of substance. You are an amazing storyteller. You always have a new story to relate, and your friends love to listen to you. |
Saturday, July 09, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 327
Today's Daily 5:
- a book that has you wanting nothing so much as to simply keep reading
- Iced Passion Tea Lemonade
- really good cheese
- the anticipation of knowing a lovely meal awaits
- weeding my garden while listening to an audio book (one of Anne Lamott's novels)
- the news that some friends will be welcoming a child into their family in the coming months
- ice cream
- laughing at a movie with mom and dad
- a quiet evening at home
- visual inspiration on pinterest
My Feelings Exactly
When it comes to desserts, I'm totally a cookies and brownies and things I can eat with my fingers kind of girl. And I'm totally with Garfield on the length of waiting in today's Garfield cartoon:
Friday, July 08, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 326
Today's Daily 5:
- The chance for a really lazy morning after a rough night of sleep
- fresh fruit
- watching a movie and catching up on some emails all afternoon (gotta love some of the lines from The Princess Diaries)
- blog comments
- new glasses, with pretty purple arms
New Eyes
I've had my current set of glasses for probably about 4 years now, and I still love them, but they're starting to get a bit worn. This is what they look like in all of their orange and purple glory:
I received a notice last week that a website my eye doctor had recommended, Clearly Contacts was having a great sale. Since I had a current prescription, and knew that these glasses probably wouldn't last a whole lot longer, I decided to take advantage of the sale, and ordered a new pair of glasses, paying $71 for everything, including anti glare coating, UV coating, anti-scratch coating, and shipping.
They arrived early in the week and I excitedly put them on and discovered I couldn't see through them. A quick call to my eye doctor confirmed that he had written the prescription down incorrectly. There's a difference between -2.25 and +2.25! I called Clearly Contacts, wondering what would happen, and they were great! They sent me a return shipping label (with the shipping at their expense) for the glasses I'd received, and re-placed the order, at the same price, but with the correct prescription, telling me the new glasses would arrive in about a week. They arrived three days later! I will most definitely be ordering from this company again - their prices and service were fantastic and I was thrilled with the glasses I ordered, which were a good size fit, thanks to the ability to match your existing glasses with new frames of comparable size on their website.
And now, the grand reveal! This is my newest set of eyes. They're a black frame with purple undertones, and arms that sparkle bright purple in the light, and I definitely love them!
They arrived early in the week and I excitedly put them on and discovered I couldn't see through them. A quick call to my eye doctor confirmed that he had written the prescription down incorrectly. There's a difference between -2.25 and +2.25! I called Clearly Contacts, wondering what would happen, and they were great! They sent me a return shipping label (with the shipping at their expense) for the glasses I'd received, and re-placed the order, at the same price, but with the correct prescription, telling me the new glasses would arrive in about a week. They arrived three days later! I will most definitely be ordering from this company again - their prices and service were fantastic and I was thrilled with the glasses I ordered, which were a good size fit, thanks to the ability to match your existing glasses with new frames of comparable size on their website.
And now, the grand reveal! This is my newest set of eyes. They're a black frame with purple undertones, and arms that sparkle bright purple in the light, and I definitely love them!
Friday
It's Friday, and I'm taking it easy.
I had a rough night. I've been dreaming a lot lately. And it was the one night of the year where the heat actually hit the basement, and I tossed and turned, sweaty and uncomfortable between dreams.
So, the city has gone crazy, because it's Stampede, and even crazier than usual because the Royal Newlyweds, Will and Kate are in town for the first days of Stampede - the last official stop on the Canadian part of their first tour. That means I'm pretty much going to avoid downtown for the next ten days. Stampede is a major tourist attraction, but mostly it seems to be an excuse for the entire city to party and drink to excess for ten days every summer. Calgary actually has a baby boom every year nine months after Stampede.
That said, Stampede always means free food. If you know where to look, you can get a free pancake breakfast every morning and usually a BBQ lunch and supper somewhere too. I'll definitely be getting pancakes at least once or twice, and I'm going to my first BBQ, hosted by Dad's church, tonight. (I'm providing the country music CDs for that one!)
I accepted a two week temp position as a receptionist, starting next Wednesday. It'll be good to have a bit of income again. And, in the mean time, I'm going to take it easy for a few days, see a few friends, do some reading and resting. And then, then it'll be time for new things to start again.
I'm thankful for Fridays. For time to be quiet and rest.
I had a rough night. I've been dreaming a lot lately. And it was the one night of the year where the heat actually hit the basement, and I tossed and turned, sweaty and uncomfortable between dreams.
So, the city has gone crazy, because it's Stampede, and even crazier than usual because the Royal Newlyweds, Will and Kate are in town for the first days of Stampede - the last official stop on the Canadian part of their first tour. That means I'm pretty much going to avoid downtown for the next ten days. Stampede is a major tourist attraction, but mostly it seems to be an excuse for the entire city to party and drink to excess for ten days every summer. Calgary actually has a baby boom every year nine months after Stampede.
That said, Stampede always means free food. If you know where to look, you can get a free pancake breakfast every morning and usually a BBQ lunch and supper somewhere too. I'll definitely be getting pancakes at least once or twice, and I'm going to my first BBQ, hosted by Dad's church, tonight. (I'm providing the country music CDs for that one!)
I accepted a two week temp position as a receptionist, starting next Wednesday. It'll be good to have a bit of income again. And, in the mean time, I'm going to take it easy for a few days, see a few friends, do some reading and resting. And then, then it'll be time for new things to start again.
I'm thankful for Fridays. For time to be quiet and rest.
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 325
Today's Daily 5:
- earrings that jingle gently
- a flowy skirt
- a good appointment
- sharing food and laughter with good friends at house church
- mango swirl ice cream
You Ask, I Answer, Take 8
Today's question comes from Christianne again. She asked:
Hands down the answer to that is a Vietnamese dish that appears on the menus here as "bun". There are good Vietnamese restaurants on almost every corner here in Calgary, and one of my favorites is about a 5 minute walk from my parent's place. It's called Bow River Restaurant. The variety of "bun" that I love is a bed of rice vermicelli, with lettuce, cucumber, shredded pickled carrots, bean sprouts, peanuts, grilled pork and spring rolls on top of it, and then doused with this "fish sauce" (more like a sweet tangy slighly spicy sauce with bits of chili and carrot in it) and a bit of hoisin sauce It is SO good. Best of all, a huge bowl, which will often feed me for two meals is usually prepared in about 10 minutes of waiting in a restaurant, and usually costs around $10.
In general, I like most ethnic food. I draw the line at anything that at one point lived in water or swam. I don't do fish or seafood. I also don't do bugs. If I eat out in Calgary and it's not fast food of some sort, it's almost always at an ethnic restaurant of some sort. In the last several months I've had Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Korean, Italian and Mexican, and quite possibly a few others besides!
What is your favorite food?
Hands down the answer to that is a Vietnamese dish that appears on the menus here as "bun". There are good Vietnamese restaurants on almost every corner here in Calgary, and one of my favorites is about a 5 minute walk from my parent's place. It's called Bow River Restaurant. The variety of "bun" that I love is a bed of rice vermicelli, with lettuce, cucumber, shredded pickled carrots, bean sprouts, peanuts, grilled pork and spring rolls on top of it, and then doused with this "fish sauce" (more like a sweet tangy slighly spicy sauce with bits of chili and carrot in it) and a bit of hoisin sauce It is SO good. Best of all, a huge bowl, which will often feed me for two meals is usually prepared in about 10 minutes of waiting in a restaurant, and usually costs around $10.
In general, I like most ethnic food. I draw the line at anything that at one point lived in water or swam. I don't do fish or seafood. I also don't do bugs. If I eat out in Calgary and it's not fast food of some sort, it's almost always at an ethnic restaurant of some sort. In the last several months I've had Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Korean, Italian and Mexican, and quite possibly a few others besides!
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 324
Today's Daily 5:
- a few more positives on the job front
- a relaxing afternoon
- finding something I'd planned to order online at a major discount for an even better discount in a store I happened to be in today
- "shockingly sane conversations"
- loads and loads of laughter with a soul friend
Whimsical Wednesday, July 5, 2011
The latest edition of Whimsical Wednesday is another mish-mash of visual inspiration from Pinterest. These are some of the images that made me smile, inspired, or challenged me this week.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
