Well, the conference I've been helping plan for work for the last two months is here, and I leave the office at eleven to head home and pick up my bags, meet Kari (who's coming as my "spouse" for the weekend) and head out to the hotel and take care of the last minute sorts of details.
It'll probably be pretty quiet here until Monday or so, since I'm not sure I'll have internet access, or time to write while I'm away.
See you then.
Oh, and if you want something great to read, go to Faye's blog (in my links) and read here post about "Garbage-Picker God." A great tale of redemption.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
I'm Tired...
I am tired of people with all the answers. Especially when they’re answers to questions no one seems to be asking, or when they’re answers that are trite and refuse to engage the depth inherent in the questions.
I am tired of the people who want to move past suffering into victory. What use is victory if you don’t acknowledge that over which you are victorious.
I am tired of the people who think victory is always blue skies and roses. Seems to me that the most important victory of them all – the one that we celebrate in just over two weeks, happened in darkness and blood, on a Friday.
I am tired of the people who are afraid of messyness. Seems to me that the most interesting people I’ve ever met were very messy.
I am tired of people who hide from honesty. The foundation of our faith is in truth, and truth, by its very nature requires a frank honesty.
I am tired of being told that everything that is not overtly “Christian” stems from the devil.
I am tired of attitudes of fear and evil about mental illnesses. Seems like we’d make so much more of a difference if we’d work to see people instead of a label and a stigma.
I am tired of being told that depression is terrible, sinful even. While I am grateful that God chose to heal my depression, I am beginning to see what a gift those years truly were. How much beauty there was in learning to acknowledge pain. How much grace is really found in healing. How I can speak from a place of empathy and understanding to those who are suffering.
I am tired of the people who want to move past suffering into victory. What use is victory if you don’t acknowledge that over which you are victorious.
I am tired of the people who think victory is always blue skies and roses. Seems to me that the most important victory of them all – the one that we celebrate in just over two weeks, happened in darkness and blood, on a Friday.
I am tired of the people who are afraid of messyness. Seems to me that the most interesting people I’ve ever met were very messy.
I am tired of people who hide from honesty. The foundation of our faith is in truth, and truth, by its very nature requires a frank honesty.
I am tired of being told that everything that is not overtly “Christian” stems from the devil.
I am tired of attitudes of fear and evil about mental illnesses. Seems like we’d make so much more of a difference if we’d work to see people instead of a label and a stigma.
I am tired of being told that depression is terrible, sinful even. While I am grateful that God chose to heal my depression, I am beginning to see what a gift those years truly were. How much beauty there was in learning to acknowledge pain. How much grace is really found in healing. How I can speak from a place of empathy and understanding to those who are suffering.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Taking it Slow
I'm doing laundry tonight, and as little else as humanly possible.
All of the sleepless nights and the busyness and stress at work, plus fighting off some sort of cold/flu bug for the last couple weeks are catching up to me.
I have to remind myself every once in a while not to schedule every minute of my time, to make sure I'm taking "Sabbath" time. Time for me, and for God. Time to not think. Time to pray, to read or write, to lay in a bath-tub, to light candles, or to simply watch television.
I'm trying to be a bit careful with the time I have in the evenings tonight, since I won't have the normal weekend to rest up. I'm at a conference for work this weekend - Friday and most of the day Saturday. Since the conference is at a really beautiful hotel in Kananaskis, I invited my friend Kari to join me as my "spouse" for the weekend, and I'm taking advantage of lower corporate rates to stay an extra day and hang with her. Can't wait to see her, but have to admit that I'll be really grateful when all the stress of planning this conference for work is over, and the piles of stuff involved in planning and carrying it out are off my desk.
And with that, I'm off to check on my laundry, and keep on doing "nothing" for the night!
All of the sleepless nights and the busyness and stress at work, plus fighting off some sort of cold/flu bug for the last couple weeks are catching up to me.
I have to remind myself every once in a while not to schedule every minute of my time, to make sure I'm taking "Sabbath" time. Time for me, and for God. Time to not think. Time to pray, to read or write, to lay in a bath-tub, to light candles, or to simply watch television.
I'm trying to be a bit careful with the time I have in the evenings tonight, since I won't have the normal weekend to rest up. I'm at a conference for work this weekend - Friday and most of the day Saturday. Since the conference is at a really beautiful hotel in Kananaskis, I invited my friend Kari to join me as my "spouse" for the weekend, and I'm taking advantage of lower corporate rates to stay an extra day and hang with her. Can't wait to see her, but have to admit that I'll be really grateful when all the stress of planning this conference for work is over, and the piles of stuff involved in planning and carrying it out are off my desk.
And with that, I'm off to check on my laundry, and keep on doing "nothing" for the night!
Monday, March 26, 2007
The surprising sacred moments
I'm thinking, just now, about finding the sacred in the most commonplace of happenings, even in the things that are disappointing.
I was supposed to be fasting today, part of a commitment to seek God's face through this Lenten season. I'd already planned to make it shorter than normal, because of some health and physical energy issues I've been having lately, but ended up having to break the fast by noon, instead of at dinner as planned. I was developing a fairly severe headache, and the fruit juice I was drinking to bring my blood sugar wasn't putting a dent in it. But, you know, I found God anyway, in little ways through the day.
In conversations, in enjoying the food, since I knew it was a treat to be consuming it. In dinner out with my best friend. In chatting about the stuff of life, her hospital stories (she's a nurse), a few of my recent "blond" moments at work. In flipping through some pictures she hadn't seen from a road trip we took together last fall. In the book I'm reading. In the U2 I was playing at work today. In a compliment from my boss.
I met Jesus in lots of little places today, and I'm grateful for the surprising sacred moments.
I was supposed to be fasting today, part of a commitment to seek God's face through this Lenten season. I'd already planned to make it shorter than normal, because of some health and physical energy issues I've been having lately, but ended up having to break the fast by noon, instead of at dinner as planned. I was developing a fairly severe headache, and the fruit juice I was drinking to bring my blood sugar wasn't putting a dent in it. But, you know, I found God anyway, in little ways through the day.
In conversations, in enjoying the food, since I knew it was a treat to be consuming it. In dinner out with my best friend. In chatting about the stuff of life, her hospital stories (she's a nurse), a few of my recent "blond" moments at work. In flipping through some pictures she hadn't seen from a road trip we took together last fall. In the book I'm reading. In the U2 I was playing at work today. In a compliment from my boss.
I met Jesus in lots of little places today, and I'm grateful for the surprising sacred moments.
Saturday sighting
So just as a random, Monday morning story, I thought I’d mention something that I spotted on Saturday.
A group of us were walking along 17th Avenue (the infamous “Red Mile” in Calgary) to get some lunch, and a well-dressed guy in a suit, bigger sort of guy, with a shaved head walks by. Something seems funny, and we all clue in at once. This man, in a suit, walking along a major downtown street, has a very large, very alive snake wrapped around his neck. And he is acting as if it is perfectly normal to do your Saturday afternoon errands with a snake of this sort wrapped around your neck.
I admit that we were rather incredulous, and there was definitely some pointing and exclaiming, as we watched him walk further on, and waited for a light to change so we could cross the street. Somehow, snakes and things just don’t belong on the major downtown street, unless they’re dead and have been made into shoes or bags!
A group of us were walking along 17th Avenue (the infamous “Red Mile” in Calgary) to get some lunch, and a well-dressed guy in a suit, bigger sort of guy, with a shaved head walks by. Something seems funny, and we all clue in at once. This man, in a suit, walking along a major downtown street, has a very large, very alive snake wrapped around his neck. And he is acting as if it is perfectly normal to do your Saturday afternoon errands with a snake of this sort wrapped around your neck.
I admit that we were rather incredulous, and there was definitely some pointing and exclaiming, as we watched him walk further on, and waited for a light to change so we could cross the street. Somehow, snakes and things just don’t belong on the major downtown street, unless they’re dead and have been made into shoes or bags!
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