Friday, November 30, 2012

A quieter Friday


All still, except for the falling snow.
All white and black, except for the christmas lights.
All alone, except for the guy in the next office who keeps asking me questions.

A good Friday. My soul is catching up with me.

Snow and stillness from the Fields of Barrow-downs

I am at my office early this snowy Friday morning, mostly because it's been that kind of a week. You know, a busy full week of people and stories and God and funerals and 40+ kids at youth and Moms of PreSchoolers, weather and computers and budget meetings and on and on.

So I got up early to be here and to find some silence in which to work.

The snow is light and fluffy today and it falls gently to the ground creating a sort of otherworldly quality, like something out of a J.R.R Tolkien book I think. It's a good start to this day and all that has to happen in it.

This Sunday is the First Sunday in Advent and that begins for us a time of watching and looking towards Christ. We'll do some different things to help us accomplish that, and as I do each year, I try to find quiet simple ways to encourage families to explore different values than the world seems to pursue each year about this time.

Yes, good and quiet here this early morning and the light is returning on this new day.


As for dragging myself to this day and this world, I've got someone calling in from a distance for a regular Spiritual Direction session in a bit, so I best go and get ready for that time.


Blessing on your day, oh and do something fun this weekend will you?
From the Fields of Barrow-downs.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

easily pleased with the simple pleasures of time.


Deep breath.
In with the good air, out with the bad air.

A Saturday morning here in the field.
The first day since returning from holidays three weeks ago that I haven't had anything booked or scheduled. The 5th free evening since then as well.

...In with the good air, out with the bad air.

And a beautiful day it is here too. -4 C and somewhat cloudy, but it feels warm out there, and that's what matters.

So I am luxuriating in the extravagance of the whole day to work on final notes to my talk tomorrow morning. And that's why I can include a post here as well. What a treat it is.

And the fun tomorrow of having a grade nine girl job shadowing me. That will be a blast. I was going to get her here on a busy crazy day, you know, just so she gets an idea, but so much of what I listen to and hear is private for people, so a Sunday morning it is then. She's not an intern so I can't make her work, but to give her the full effect of having people watch you all morning, I might have her sit on the stage beside where I work from...

:)

Anyway, I should get to work, but I am enjoying dawdling.

Hope you have a great weekend wherever you are. And do something fun this weekend too.


Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The day that wouldn't quit (with a bit about lint free home buttons)

The day ends as it began, dark, cold, and snowing like crazy out there so that travel is, interesting.

Up at 5:30 and on the road to guys early prayer at 6am, (It's called early prayer for a reason you know) in town. Then a breakfast meeting with my co-hoser where we talked deep thoughts and ate egg Macmuffins with bacon. Then I was off to the city for a few hours and a couple of appointments. I expected to be back in the field by 2 pm, but alas, my first appointment was changed to the afternoon. So I used my time to do a bit of research, and got myself to a bookstore to look up some ideas and reference material. Oh and to enjoy a coffee at The Starbucks.

My lunch meeting went well and was profitable. Feels good to be of use to people sometimes cause I think my natural status is to feel use-less.

I got to my other appointment which took about an hour and cleared up some problems I'd been having with my 2 year old phone. The home button was a little sticky on my phone and I wanted to see what they could do. Within minutes they had given me a new phone and reinstalled my stuff on it and off I went, with an unsticky and lint free home button.

By the time I got to town, I had a short list of groceries to get, which I did without grumbling, because by now I knew I wasn't getting home any time soon. I stopped in at the Big Mac Store and ate a sandwich and headed over to the deacon meeting for the evenings entertainment work.

:)

When I went in, it was cold and windy out but there was no snow falling. When I left a couple of hours later, it was snowing up a storm out there. And so it went all the way home.


These are the sorts of days when I feel my age. I used to do them with little problem, but I guess it's a trade off. I mean yes I have the benefits of being older, like not having to sleep for eight long hours but I get to get up for midnight breaks in the toilet, oh and being able to comb over your ear hair to cover places that require covering. 
But being at my best for a long day is tricky.

Now I'm going for a glass of warm Metamucil and heading to bed.

Night.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Holy Conversations

My first week back from holidays seemed to be about meetings, seven significant meetings at that.  A healthy number of those meetings were more like small groups. Even if their work was to plan worship or the youth ministry or whatever, the interaction, caring and listening that went into each meeting was deeply significant. Jesus attended many of those meetings.

Then this second week comes and goes and seems to be all about one on one conversations with people. There were eight seriously significant counselling conversations this week, had with a variety of people who were each ready to talk but surprised at what God was saying to them. Eight.

Besides being quite tired, I am pleased and encouraged that the work of the Spirit continues here at levels that are immeasurable and unimaginable. God is working in people and very often all that is needed for that to be realized is for the person to be able to tell of an encounter or a holy moment along the road to another soul. Just even giving words to their frustrations or epiphanies opens their eyes to see in a new way, God meeting them.

I have been quite staggered by the insights people have offered in the midst of their lives. Seriously, I don't know whether to shout for joy, or crawl into bed and sleep for a few days.

:)

I think realizations within the human soul are great and not to be denigrated, but the soul who has opportunity to share with another soul, the working and activity of a loving God in their own lives, sees the greater blessing. Speaking truth out loud has an amazing power to dispel the lie.


Any lies need chasing out of your life?  Why not talk with someone you trust.