Child of Mine

Oh child of mine
Come close to me
I'll give you hope
I'll set you free

Not just today
But evermore
Oh child of mine
Step through that door.

Too Busy To Wiggle My Tooth

“… And let those who understand receive guidance by exploring the depth of meaning in these proverbs, parables, wise sayings, and riddles.” Proverbs 1:5-6 (New Living Translation)

Too Busy to Wiggle my Tooth

Another new year – wow! Last year seemed to go by at the speed of light. It is hard for me to believe that I have now lived in the Edmonton, Alberta, area for nearly 5 years. In a way, it seems I have always been here, and yet in a way, it seems like just yesterday that I fell in love with this most improbably lovable area of the world.

There is no place like the Edmonton area in December. Honestly, what a beautiful Christmas it always is here. Although there is not a lot of mixed vegetation here in general, we do have a large number of pine trees. Throughout this holiday season they have been heavily snow-capped, making for very lovely vistas at every turn. Gorgeous winter skies – muted sunrises and pastel sunsets – provide the perfect backdrop for these majestic Christmas trees that grace the area with their beauty.

I was quite excited about Christmas baking this year. My friend Rachel, in Florida, gave me a recipe for Cheese Crackers/ Biscuits Dusted with Powdered Sugar – something I figured no one would have tasted here since it is a southern recipe. So, I produced dozens of those while house-sitting at my friends, Brian & Sherry Wine’s home. Here is the recipe. Combine ½ cup butter with 1 cup of shredded medium cheddar cheese and 1 cup of flour. Form a log with the dough and refrigerate. As desired, cut ¼ or ½ inch slices and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for anywhere from 10 – 18 minutes depending on the width of the slices. The cheese should be a little browned when they come out of the oven. Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar. Yummy.

I spent Christmas Day with my friends Bob & Jocelyn and their family. We had a wonderful meal, great conversation, and played Apples to Apples – good time all the way around. Charles, Jen, Cory, Jean-Marc, and Angie are great to hang out with.

The following evening, I visited Dennis & Connie and their family. I met Dennis’ brother Brian, his wife Terry and son Nate. We also played Apples to Apples, which was just as much fun with 10 people, too! It was at some point during that game that Connie told me her granddaughter Breyar had a loose tooth and then asked Breyar if she was wiggling her tooth. Breyar replied, “I am too busy to wiggle my tooth!”

It is often out of the mouths of babes that unexpected wisdom flows, isn’t it? I thought of myself as a little girl and I remembered how when I had loose teeth, I was anxious to get them out so the tooth fairy would have the opportunity to come and deposit a gift under my pillow. Back in those days, it was probably no more than a quarter! I don’t think I was ever too busy to wiggle my tooth.

But now, things are quite a bit different than when I was a little girl. We are inundated with activities and external stimuli. I know I pack it in. We seem to think of sitting still as a sin. What is up with that? Sometimes I think we equate “working hard” to “being busy”. And the most commonly heard mantras or sayings these days are “I’m just so busy …” and “I’ve got so much to do…”

I’m not speaking of others here. This last year I was too busy to workout, to pray consistently, to go to bed early, to get up early enough to do my reading at the best time of the day, to develop some relationships, to submit paperwork on time, to send Christmas gifts in the least expensive manner instead of the most expensive manner, to eat right, to keep my home clean and in order, etc., etc., etc. What am I too busy doing to do these other vital things?

Lord, please help me to prioritize and perform my activities in a way that honors you and what you would desire for my life. Please give me the strength to avoid those activities that would detract or distract me from experiencing a great year in 2009. I pray for the strength and desire to accept the challenges that come my way for benefitting your kingdom. Please help me see that it is not always wise to be too busy to wiggle my tooth!

Christmas Eve

Another Christmas Eve!

This year, I will spend Christmas Eve making homemade cheese crackers with icing sugar on top - a recipe I just got from a friend I haven't seen in about 30 years. I'm house-cat-gerbil-fish sitting, so I'll check up on them throughout the day, too! This evening, I'll play my flute at my church - North Pointe Community Church. Then a late dinner with friends.

Today I remember many years of driving from Washington, D.C., to Commercer Township, Michigan, to spend Christmas with my folks. My mother's birthday was December 23, so I usually tried to be there for that! This year, I did get a bit teary-eyed as the e-mail reminders that I set up for her birthday came in. But that's to be expected.

It was always with a great sense of anticipation that I traveled home. Christmas Eve would find our house with music on - a variety including Kathleen Battle (opera), Garrison Keillor (storytelling w/music), Nat King Cole, Burl Ives, James Galway, etc., etc. Mom would have cinnamon boiling on the stove and Dad would have a kettle of cinnamon or pot pourrie setting on the wood-burning stove as well. There would be walnuts, pecans and almonds to crack, along with a festive cheese ball and crackers. We usually had egg nog with some Bailey's Irish Cream (or non-brand version of same) as well.

Preparations for the following day's Christmas dinner would be made as well, with well laid out timelines and planning for the turkey cooking especially. My parents were often cooking stuffing in the middle of the night or the very early morning before everyone else got up for the day.

I remember Christmas Eve as generally a quiet, restful time spent in our home. Most years anyways.

So, today I'll spend a quiet, restful time where I am, making cheese crackers and listening to some great music!

Merry Christmas Eve.

November 20, 2008 - The Day of the Meteorite

So, two days ago I experienced one of the most memorable birthdays of my life. In some good ways and some....well....not as good!

I went into work and got spoiled rotten - flowers, chocolates, well-wishes all day long. It was all going well, and then I talked with my sister. You see, I had received a YouTube a few days ago that was a short film of a guy turning the pages of the foreclosure listings for Wayne County, Michigan, in the Detroit Free Press. There were....are you sitting down, reader....136 pages of foreclosures. Unbelievable.

I asked my sister if that was true. And she said she thought so, yes. So, I asked her how she experienced this personally. And she told me her subdivision has a lot of empty houses with foreclosure signs in front of them. I asked them where these people now lived. She said many people are living in their cars or RVs. The police are very busy in Detroit, I am guessing.

What other ways is she experiencing the economic downturn? She said that restaurants are closing, the retailers are desperate, there are too many cars for the car lots - no place to store the excess, neighbors are getting laid off or hours and/or salaries cut. Food prices are soaring.

I hung up the phone with Jackie, and sat staring at the computer screen for a few moments.... and the tears came. A huge wave of sadness overwhelmed me right then. All these people thinking there would be no end to the good times for years....and now this. Who knows? It might have happened to me if I was there still. It is so easy to overextend. When everyone else is going to lunch, it is hard to say no, isn't it? When everyone else is planning trips to warmer climates, it is hard to say no, isn't it? For me, it isn't the warmer climates or the trip the matters, but I do feel a need to have shared experiences with people I enjoy. That does not justify the behavior any better, though, does it.

When I came to Edmonton, I felt more at home. It was not the mad rush that I experienced in the Detroit area. But over the past few years, it has sneaked in here, too. I recently spoke with a new friend of mine who is working with young adults, teaching them how to handle money, through a study that Dave Ramsey in the U.S. has put together. She has numerous examples of young adults who are not exercising good financial practices, either because they haven't been taught, or they haven't learned. But there are so many people here now who are overextended. And the pressure continues....

A friend of mine, who is a single mom struggling to make it on a receptionist's salary, has a 9 year old son who would like an IPod for Christmas. They are priced at about $400. There are people who actually think she should get him the IPod, when it should be seen as "living beyond your means." Period. End of discussion. When did it become sad if you can't have an IPod??? Man, we are really, really poisoned.

Anyway, back to the birthday experience.....

I was feeling quite....well....out of sorts, a bit apprehensive, sad even, as I took off to meet friends at the movie theatre to see "Madagascar". I was nearly there, sitting at a red light at St. Albert Trail and 137 Avenue, when suddenly it was daylight for 2 or 3 seconds...and as I looked up there was a ball of fire that appeared to go up and then down. I would have guessed that the ball of fire fizzled out and dropped within a quarter mile. I thought, "What was that? Must have been an explosion of some sort." But I couldn't make sense of it. I thought further, "What in the world is going on today?" Then I started thinking bigger. What if that was a chemical explosion or nuclear? I wondered how long it would be before the poisoned gas would reach me if so. And bigger yet... I wondered if all of a sudden one day, darkness will turn into daylight, and the Lord will be before me. Will it be like that? Will I be sitting at a stop light and all of a sudden, daylight all around? Was I ready?

Ahhhhh....am I ready for that today?

Anyway, I was really quite disconcerted as I went into the movie theatre moments later, hoping I would hear later it was some firework or some minor explosion. Connie was there and it was good just to see a friend at this point. A group of us watched Madagascar - it was a relief to watch good clean comic fun.

This is my second most memorable birthday in my life. The day the meteorite streaked across the prairie skies, turning darkness into daylight along the way.

Of all the videos of the meteorite videos out there, this is the one that is like what I saw:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSL3b6bCR7s

Remembering

"Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:25 - 28 (NIV)

There are many scriptures that talk about the value of sacrifice, the laying down of our lives for another or others. Today is our day to remember those in our families, cities, counties, states, countries, who have laid down their lives for us.

This is one thing that has always fascinated me about men in particular. I mean really. Just as I sit here drinking coffee and writing this little blurb.....years ago, men in my family and others woke up, drank coffee, and heard or read something that caused them to say "sign me up" to serve.

Today I'll remember those I know of in my family:

My father, Douglas Brown, enlisted in the Air Force when he was 17 or 18. He was stationed in England in the late 40's/early 50's, but was never involved in armed conflict.

My uncle, Mike O'Brien, was a career Coast Guard Officer.

My uncle Steve O'Brien served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and upon returning, served in the Reserves.

My brother, Dale Brown, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served for 3 years.

My cousin Erin's husband, Brent Orr, is a full time captain in the North Carolina Army National Guard and an Apache helicopter pilot, and has served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The ability to step up, serve, risk and possibly give one's life for a greater good, so that others might live, certainly portrays a picture that Christ himself painted for the disciples. The vast majority of those who have served and do serve in our armed forces do not hold positions of great authority or power, but nevertheless have served with their lives, in an "everyday" kind of way, so that the rest of us may live with the many freedoms we enjoy today.

Thank you.

An Early Winter Night's Joy

Surprised. I was quite surprised.

I had seen a ballet earlier this year - "Mozart's Requiem", and it was quite good, but a bit heavy and dark. Prior to that, my last ballet was "Swan Lake" performed at the Kennedy Center with Rudolph Nureyev as the lead male dancer, perhaps 30 years ago. I don't remember much of the performance, except for being absolutely amazed watching the swans dance their beautifully synchronized dance.

So, as I headed off to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" a couple of days ago, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. With my limited experience, I expected a serious, somewhat dark ballet. As I said above, I was quite surprised.

First of all, the set was beautiful. Not too complicated, so very sophisticated. The opening seemed as if it was occurring in a dream, and we understood why that was when a filmy filter curtain lifted during or after the opening dance. Brilliant.

Mendellsohn's music was light and fun. The choreography was....well, astute, I think. In other words, I think that the story was told so well, and the humor conveyed so aptly, that even the viewer who least likes ballet would be entertained!! The dancers danced in a beautifully winsome fashion - to my untrained eye, they were flawless. The children's performance was top-notch, and the Pro Coro Choir was phenomenal. As I heard the beautiful music drift up from the orchestra pit, I envied the musicians in the Edmonton Symphony.

As the potion put a spell on the lovers in this story, so this performance enchanted me. I could not have asked for a warmer experience on this early winter night!

Thank you, Alberta Ballet.

Hi, y'all --

That's right, I said y'all - please forgive my recently acquired suthun (southern) accent - I just returned from the Land of Love Bugs. Yes, indeed. Fairhope, Alabama is inundated with these bugs that I found myself swatting around until my sister said, "Kathy, just leave them alone, they are harmless. They are called Love Bugs." Sure enough, these bugs mate constantly. So, you never see these bugs alone....always two together as they fly around! Interesting....

Not to bother you with rambling, (clue - next part is rambling - to skip the rambling, scroll immediately to the bottom of this e-mail!), but it was quite interesting to go as far as Fairhope, Alabama - never been there before. It is on the Gulf of Mexico, and so gets some hurricane activity usually during the year, although Fairhope was "lucky" in that Ike chose Galveston, TX, instead this time around. Fairhope was established in an attempt to create a Utopian environment, especially economically, with very low tax rates, and one utility payment per household (made to the City of Fairhope). The City boasts a highly educated community - the Unitarian minister there, Celeste, said that in their small congregation, there are 7 published authors and the average education is a Master's Degree. With my father there, we expressed surprise that they would allow him to bring the average down.... (that is a joke and he got it!). :) The upshot is that you can have a whole lot of knowledge and yet without a greater purpose, your knowledge leads you nowhere. I actually did think about the Truth Project and my enthusiasm for it, and asked God to temper my desire for more and more knowledge. As Pastor Bob expressed today, "graceless truth repels people from Christianity."

One thing I had completely forgotten about until this trip was the art of socialization in the south, and how the ladies of the south epitomize the art of hospitality. It truly seemed an art form to me this time around, and actually, I am a little envious of it. I feel like a bull in a china shop in comparison with my "let's bottom-line it" approach to things! Thank God for His creating us all uniquely and with different gifts.

The opening to the show of my mother's artwork was pretty small, though she really got a good writeup in the local paper. The church did wonderful little hors d'oevres for the reception, probably the most unique of which was mini-reubens. Quite good. As I said the hospitality was wonderful, and many of the ladies stopped to chat about the artwork. Their dresses, hats, sunglasses, and manners were welcome. Quite charming in a rather sophisticated way actually.

On Saturday as we were driving home from the coffee shop, I noticed a sign for a Christian Church down a pretty road, so I determined to go there on Sunday.

I got up on Sunday, and was putzing around the kitchen, and noticed "The Hallelujah Diet" book was on the island....I asked my sister Karen if that was hers and she said it was. I thought that was interesting and she said, "You know, Kathy, the Bible says you should be a vegetarian." I just grinned and said I wasn't too sure about that but I'd be interested in hearing what scriptures she thought indicated that. I did tell her I was reading Daniel, told she and her husband about Daniel, and how vegetarianism benefitted Daniel and his 3 cohorts for sure.

So, I took off for church. At least 2 ladies greeted me as I sat waiting for the service to start. This was a small, traditional church, and I was getting some attention as I observed out of the corners of my eyes. Amusing. They provide attendance numbers on their handout, and the week prior there were 89 in attendance. I would guess there were maybe 50 on this particular Sunday. What was funny to me, though, was the scripture that the Pastor had chosen to talk about - Romans 14:1-12. I won't make you look it up:

1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' "^[a] 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. 14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food^[b] is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.

Given the conversation with Karen that morning, I found the fact that this scripture was chosen very, very funny. And you better believe I shared that with her when I got home! She didn't look all that impressed, although I do think she considered it seriously when I pointed out the Bible is a pretty big book and the odds of the church I visited to pick a scripture entirely relevant to our discussion (vegetarianism vs. meat-eating) slim to none. I will say it would be far easier to be a vegetarian in Fairhope where vegetables and fruits are very, very flavourful, and far less expensive. :)

But their purpose at that church was not so funny. They have been trying to select a senior pastor and have not been able to come to agreement. I won't bore you with the rest of the details, but I do like their signature mission: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love." The sermon certainly admonished me in some ways.

Ghosts

Sober up, you drunks!

Get in touch with reality—and weep!
Your supply of booze is cut off.
You're on the wagon, like it or not.
My country's being invaded
by an army invincible, past numbering,
Teeth like those of a lion,
fangs like those of a tiger.
It has ruined my vineyards,
stripped my orchards,
And clear-cut the country.
The landscape's a moonscape.
Joel 1:5-7 The Message

Ghosts

What a beautiful day here in Fairhope, Alabama. My sister Karen, her husband Kurt, and I went down to the shores of the ocean today. Fairhope is very hot and humid right now, and the vegetation is quite lush, though the flowers have lost much of their intense lustre. We saw herons, cranes, geese, ducks and seagulls as we meandered along the shoreline. That is what y'all do in the south, hear, you meander or stroll by the seashore.

We walked on the sparsely populated beach - this is not "the" beach to be seen at since it is quite a narrow beach, but rather one just used for walking and enjoying the scenery. We chose to walk the large pier into Mobile Bay. As we walked the pier, the wind kicked up and I thanked God for the breeze that was such a relief. Men were fishing - mostly throwing out fishing nets all along the pier, and I asked one what fish he had in his net and he said "mullet". I thanked him, and he said, "Yes ma'am." The charming drawl sounded like music to my ears.

We continued on and came to a restaurant selling fried fish. Posted on one of the windows, there was an advertisement for some sailboat for sale for $150,000. Just beyond the restaurant, I heard it. It was a very creepy sound. A low moaning, groaning sound in the wind. Actually, the sound was coming from the wind whistling through the masts of several boats docked at the pier. It was a sound that will repeat itself more frequently as the economy continues to slide. Ghosts.

Lord, I pray for our country tonight. I pray for an awareness of how far away we are from real community, real purpose, real meaning. I pray for a spirit of repentance to enter the hearts of these people. That before it is too late, we are shaken out of the sleeping, drunken state to which we have adhered to for years already.

Journey to Fairhope - Leg 1

Hi! I am sitting in the Minneapolis Airport right now knowing you are already pining for my presence. LOL. I am very tired, but excited, after a very short night spent on my friend Evy’s couch! I was up at 4:15 am and I’m glad I got to the airport early, because I was able to snag emergency exit row seats for the next two legs of my flight….

I have already had a very interesting day….

The shuttle from the Westin downtown was full, but it drags a taxicab along with it, so I hopped in that with some ladies who were leaving a conference for Women’s Shelters that was held in Edmonton. I met a lady from Charleston, SC and another from San Franciso, CA. The taxi driver was from an African nation, and was not very perceptive……he asked the ladies if they learned how to “squeeze men more” at their conference. How embarrassing from an Edmontonian perspective. We picked up a young and obviously drinking young man as well, and then drive to the airport included hitting a curb, and some farting, and some other wonderful experiences. The lady from San Francisco, though, was a little pistol – she made the driver turn down the radio and garnered his respect shortly after his faux pas. At the airport, she said to me, “That was worse than some third world experiences….”. Think about that – a woman who runs a battered women’s shelter in San Francisco was saying how bad our experience was. Perspective. Mayor Mandel, clean it up if you want to be a world class city.

I arrived ½ hour before I could even check in at the airport! So, I chatted with a guy from Tyco, which was really interesting because a firm I worked for in Washington, D.C., (Dames & Moore) had a business relationship with Tyco (which was then EarthTech). That guy was a techie guru, and looked up several spots for me to visit in Fairhope from the Blackberry he was carrying. Very nice guy from Baton Rouge – beautiful accent.

I met another couple who was flying Northwest from Edmonton, to Minneapolis, to Toronto, because it was cheaper than flying Canadian airlines!!! Go figure.

And finally, this little old lady in a wheelchair and her attendant who were flying to New York to take a cruise. The lady was 87 years old, I believe, and planning on living a lot longer so she could take more trips!!! They had trouble with their travel agent, so I gave them my travel agent’s name…..always good to drum up more business for your travel agent. J

I have to say that when I arrived here in Minneapolis, I felt a little heart tug of home….more in terms of cleanliness of the facilities than anything else. I LOVE toilet seat covers!!! Really, I do!

But the perspective is way off – the mall here at the airport has hired a harpist to play in one of the aisles…..a piano playing some lovely classical music is playing on its own in another…..I feel like I have traveled to a land in the height of decadence in that regard. Interesting, for sure.

So, I may very well get bored in Memphis, too, and may e-mail you from there! Who knows what can happen….hopefully, I haven’t bored you with my e-mail!

See you soon!

Golden Bears

It is going to be a fun football season for me. I went to the opening Golden Bears game yesterday, and though the start was a bit shaky, the Golden Bears found their form I think. I'm no football expert, but I think their quarterback threw confident and sharp passes. He found the ones who were open and nailed the passes quite a bit better than last year. And in layman's terms, I thought his offensive line protected him well - quite well - and in addition, the receivers were fast off the mark. I was totally impressed.

My friend Jean-Marc plays defense for the Bears and he did a great job yesterday. I particularly remember 3 tackles that were awesome. Whoever #45 was did an awesome job as did #44. I thought the defense looked very strong.

I think that if the Golden Bears play like they did in Quarters 2, 3 and 4, for the rest of this year, they will be tough to beat. I am so excited to be able to be here for this year of great football!

Prayer

Oh Lord, my heart cries out tonight
To join a mother in her fight

A child of yours, a friend of mine
Needs, my Lord, your touch divine

For cancer wracks her body, Lord,
And pain so fierce – that’s cancer’s sword

I pray You take her pain away
And begin the healing yet today

Please strengthen her for what’s to come
For she is one of Your kingdom

Here on this earth and up above
We trust Tina to the One we love

Our God so great, who gives us hope
Whose very words help us to cope

With circumstances beyond compare
We read and dwell on Jesus’ prayer

“…Father, if thou be willing,
Remove this cup from me.

Nevertheless not my will,
But thine, be done...” prayed He.

How does your garden grow?

Well, it was a great day yesterday. I cleaned and I cooked. I found a great recipe for banana bread that uses brown sugar (most use white sugar, but I had bought a bunch of brown sugar so I wanted to use it).

So, I had invited my friend Evy over for dinner and to sit out on the lovely deck here. The banana bread was done just as she arrived. And then I began cooking salmon (simply with lemon and a mixture of Paul Prudhomme's Seafood Magic and Blackened Redfish Magic spices), some rice pilaf from a box (good stuff, though), and brussell sprouts. It was all quite yummy for the tummy and pretty healthy, too.

I started making some Chai Latte to have with our banana bread, and Evy proceeded to attempt to rescue the flowers I have nearly killed here. I am just not very good with gardening. I've always disliked gardening, probably because of the slugs, worms and bugs it requires dealing with, and so I have not developed a "touch" for it. About 1/2 hour later, after 7 or so jugs of water were disbursed among the flowers, we sat down with our tea and banana bread and then went out on the deck.

Such beauty. Honestly, it is quite beautiful here at the Wine's home. We were chit chatting on the deck when I happened to glance toward the vegetable garden. "What is that in the garden?" I pondered. Evy looked, too. I thought maybe it was a dead animal or something in the zucchini patch. Then it hit me - it was a HUGE zucchini. I went down there, and sure enough, it was a biggie. Evy came and picked it - I weighed it this morning and it is a 6-pound zucchini! Wow!

So, I'm going to be busy this weekend making chocolate chip zucchini loaves. Anyone have a good recipe??

Golf

I played Golf today for the first time in years. I really like this pic of our 4-person golf team. From left to right - Frank, me, Michelle and Thuy. Frank and Thuy were mercy players today and are incredible golfers! Thanks to them, and a Texas Scramble format, we were able to make 18 holes today.....otherwise, I would have needed a nap and some aspirin at the 9-hole mark!

A great time was had by all, and we raised funds for the Village of Hope in Zimbabwe.

Galilee

Oh Lord, we’ll see
If you’ll meet me
On the pristine shores of the Galilee

As one of Three
You walked the sea
‘Twas there you found your ministry

Above that sea
By an olive tree?
You taught of true humility

Your guarantee
Has set me free
You are my hope and heaven’s key

Oh Lord, my plea
Is you’ll meet me
On the pristine shores of the Galilee

And there will be a jubilee

Jimi Varner's Blog

Jimi Varner's Blog

Good Morning

I did not think I would wake up as early as I did this morning, but in the past days, I've started opening my window shade in the bedroom before I go to sleep. The result is I wake up nearly as early as the sun. Today it is well worth it.

As I sit here at my computer, before the rest of the world wakes up, I am enjoying the cool fresh air created by an early morning rain. My skin welcomes the humidity. My ears welcome the sound of a few different songbirds and a sound that brings back memories of younger days. If I am not mistaken, it is the sound of cicadas.

And as I sit here, sipping my cup of steaming hot coffee and watching the grass turn green before my very eyes, I think perhaps this is nature's morning worship service for its creator.

Perhaps they feel as I have lately.

O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.
Psalm 63:1

The Dying Season

It's the dying season.

This time of year seems to me to be about the toughest for those who are wavering in terms of health. Pneumonia is more common, the flu rages rampant among us, the sniffles, sneezes, coughs, etc., create a cacophany of sound that is barely even heard since it is constant. It becomes like white noise in the background almost. Many friends go on antibiotics, houses become quarantined, visiting is perhaps at a low as we wait for various bugs to remove themselves from our environments.

Last year, my Aunt Ellie (one of my father's sisters), 69 years old, died right around this time of a massive stroke, and my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. Mom passed away in April. About a week ago, my Aunt Joyce (my father's oldest sister) passed away from pneumonia at the age of 78 years. I went to a funeral yesterday of a 92 year old woman named Sybil Bunting.

It's the dying season.

Sybil had a wonderfully attended celebration and the speakers and tributes and music were all wonderful to me. Walking in, I was pretty confident that I would not cry. As soon as I began looking at pictures, though, I got teary-eyed. And after the very first tribute, the tears poured out. I felt ridiculous, like I looked like a fool. Hardly anyone there even knew me, and I was using up tissue already. But, it touches my heart when I hear about the impact someone has made on another's life. We go through our days, touching hearts, touching lives, touching people, and yet, I don't think we always have a sense of our own impact. And with the love of Jesus Christ in us, we can have an impact beyond our own comprehension even. Sybil had that love of Jesus Christ. I met her only once, but I knew I would never forget her or her husband Ken.

My Aunt Joyce is not having a celebration or memorial or funeral until sometime in the Spring. I'm not positive where my aunt stood with the Lord, but I pray she was right with Him upon passing away. Joyce made some very tough choices in her early years, and it often seemed like her consequences were never finished. I think she was married possibly 3 times, and I don't believe she was ever treated as a woman should be treated. She lead a very hard life at times. She worked pretty much full-time up until this last year, with the past decade of work being done in a shelter or home or agency to help battered women. I am sure she touched many women's lives in a very positive way and I thank God for her presence in my life.

As each of these impactful women leave my physical world, I reflect on this season of dying and hope and pray that my life is impacting someone in as positive a way as these wonderful women of a past generation.

Close to the Sun

It was a beautiful, but quite cold day. It was about -24F when I went to start my car, according to one of my online weather sources. That is simply cold.

I was tempted not to go out today at all. But I had made arrangements with a young lady, Michelle, who has graciously married my friend Adam, to get together and run some errands and have lunch. So, I dressed warmly: flannel pajama bottoms under my jeans, then a turtleneck shirt, a turtleneck sweater over that, two pairs of socks, a jacket, scarf, gloves and light boots. Once I managed to get all of that on, I went out and started the car. It took 3 tries, but I finally got it started. I let it warm up for 15 minutes, and then began my journey from St. Albert into Edmonton at about 10:45 a.m.

I decided I needed a Timmy's coffee with double cream, so I stopped at the one on Hebert Road in St. Albert. But there were probably 10 cars in the drive-through lineup and seemingly dozens of people in line inside. I returned to my car without a coffee and proceeded down "the Trail". Two or three miles south of Hebert, there is another Timmy's, and no lineup, so I got my coffee after all and continued on my trip to pick up Michelle.

About half an hour later, Michelle and I made our way to "Best Buds" flower shop in Oliver Square at 116 Street and 104 Avenue. My friend Kim owns the store, and some of my other friends (Lillian and Laura were there today) help her out. Kim was supposed to get 4,000 roses today and she had quite a bit of help in to de-thorn the roses and make bouquets. My idea was that Michelle and I could learn a few tricks for an hour or two. But Kim had lots of help and so we chatted for a few minutes, then left to go to lunch at Red Robins. A Whiskey Burger and a few fries warmed us up for the rest of our travels.

Michelle is a very interesting young lady as she is Australian and the first Australian I've known. So, as we lunched, then shopped at Walmart and Superstore, we compared notes about what it is like to move away from your native country, as well as all the different products and groceries we miss! At about 4:30, I dropped her off at Totem, where her hubby works, and made my way home.

It was a beautiful evening with lovely pastel wintry sky. It was slightly darkening as I drove home, but still in the sky was the beautiful pale yellow sun. And against one edge of the sun there was a cloud that looked almost like another sun as it reflected the same intense yellow light as the sun, and across the sky, the cloud trailed a long line of "cloud" that twisted and turned for some distance. As my eyes followed the trail, it struck me that the further away from the sun, the paler the color of the cloud. So, the long trail of cloud seemed bright yellow just like the sun where it was close, but at the tail end was practically white.

I guess the closer we are to the Son, the more we appear to be like Him.

Wrong Way?

It was just a couple of weeks ago when it happened for the first time.

I'd been riding the St. Albert commuter buses to my place of employment in Edmonton - NorQuest College - since June of last year. So, at that point, it had been about 8 months of commuter busing. And the route never really varied. The route numbers did, but not the route. So, every morning, I walk 1.5 blocks from my apartment to the bus stop, hop on a bus that takes me to St. Albert Centre. I transfer to another bus that takes me all the way to within one block of NorQuest. On the way home, it is simply the reverse of that.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, I did my transfer at St. Albert Centre on the way home, but as the bus pulled out of the station, it went a completely different route. It had been a long and tiring day, and to think I had hopped on the wrong bus really brought me down. I mentioned to a lady sitting near me that I must have gotten on the wrong bus. She said, "No, this is the way they are supposed to go." I was totally confused and did not get it at all. I questioned her, and finally she said, "You're on the right bus. The bus is supposed to go exit the station this way -- even though they never do!"

Wow. You can go the wrong way without even knowing it for a very long time. Lucky for me, there was someone to explain it to me.

It reminds me of the 40 or so years of my life spent walking down the wrong road -- resisting God and denying Jesus as my Savior. Lucky for me, there was someone to explain that to me as well.

Thank you!

Bitterly Cold on Sunday

Bitterly cold on Sunday.

I was bitter all the way to church about "having" to go to church in this nightmarish weather. I mentally told off a few people who did not appear to have gone through the same driver's training I did in terms of how to drive on ice as I traveled. Driving in this stuff really pretty much brings me to tears. And I was bitter when I got there as I watched wives getting dropped off at the door by their husbands. "Figures!" is what I say to myself in these situations and what I said to myself today. So I was in a fine snit as I walked through the door and one of my friends, Evy (76 years old) greeted me. She said, "So, are you having a good day??" I half thought she was being funny-cheery at the undoubtedly sour expression on my face. So, to be funny-crabby back, I barely grunted her a reply, something like "uh huh....", as I made a beeline for the coffee bar. Luckily, Chuck was there - he makes the best Chai Lattes of anyone in the church currently, so I ordered one, and it was perhaps the best one I have ever had.

Worship began, and frankly, it was one of the best worship services I have experienced in a while. Honestly, the songs were melodic, the range was perfect, and it was a bane to my soul today. I was immediately grateful for that. In retrospect, I wonder how much like Saul I might be given the amount of comfort I received from the worship offering today. I'm sure Cindy will be grateful to be thought of like David instead!!! :)

The service that followed spoke to us of our not really being able to fully understand God. I'm paraphrasing here, but that we can understand some, but not all of God and not all of what he is about. It was excellent. And we had a testimony from one of my recently made friends who is about 55 years old and has never been sick. He was just diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in the liver and bowel and been given 9 months to 2 years to live. He is in my bible study, and I would not have missed this for the world. It was hard for him to do it, but gratifying to hear his heart on the platform.

Then I hung out with the young adult girls -- say 21 - 31 year olds. Had a great conversation, and they invited me to lunch. Women like these young ladies are so inspiring to me. I wish I had been half as lovely, inside and out, at their respective ages. I am very appreciative of even getting to spend a little time with them.

So, I went to lunch, had a fabulous time, then came home. But there was still bible study to go to. So, I began to get bitter again about going out. Do you think that by this stage of my life and with evidence received just earlier today, that I could have predicted the outcome enough to be cheery????? Well, I still have things to work on!!!