Swingin' or Chillin'

I love this swing, it offers a gentle rocking motion, dependable creaks and squeaks, and a very comfortable retreat on hot summer days. To me it looks a little bit lonely and a bit forgotten under this blanket of snow, and yet, quietly at peace, enjoying the time of rest. It seems that some were created to be in the swing of things. Even swingers need time to 'chill out' from time to time. At times chillin’ is voluntary, at other times it is imposed on us by circumstances. Whatever the reason, it is here for a season and meant to be gleaned from. If this is your season to chill, lean, glean and enjoy.




This comment is from the SmallGroup Ministries newsletter – (Winter’08 I think.)
I heard a speaker last summer who said ministry is like swinging. We lean back into the past and stretch forward to the future. I vividly remember teaching my children to pump so that I didn’t have to push them all the time. It’s hard at first to get the hang of kicking back and pushing forward. Once the balance and timing gets in sync, however, it seems there’s an invisible force that propels one higher and higher.

California Dreamin'

Last November Gord received a call asking him if he was interested in going to Santa Rosa, California for 6 months. It is just a bit north of San Francisco. Gord thought “no” and I thought “Oh, yes please, let’s go, can we go, please!” Gord agreed to offer to go for 3 months. They didn’t know if that would work for them but they would let us know. We waited and waited and waited. The starting date of January 7th was moved back a couple of weeks and then we heard last week that it was moved back into February sometime. They don’t seem to have things figured out yet. We have a commitment at the end of April to stay with three very special girls while their parents go on a wonderful, much deserved vacation, so our only restriction is that we need to be in Toronto then. The truth is that being in California for the spring and summer months lacks the appeal of being there for January, February and March. So, my excitement has turned into a very faint fizzle of hope and the realistic acceptance of ‘probably not.’ I’m left with little more than California Dreamin’. Not all the words apply but it’s been going around in my head for a bit so I thought I would pass it on to you and maybe you would hum along with me.

All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey
I've been for a walk
On a winter's day
I'd be safe and warm
If I was in L.A.

California dreamin'
On such a winter's day
Stopped into a church
I passed along the way
Well I got down on my knees
And I pretend to pray
(I always thought it was “began” instead "pretend", hmm..."began" is better)
You know the preacher likes the cold
(Does anyone actually like the cold?)
He knows I'm gonna stay

California dreamin'
On such a winter's day
All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey
I've been for a walk
On a winter's day
If I didn't tell her
I could leave today
(If I could figure out who "she" is, I'd tell her, and be ready to go tomorrow)

California dreamin'
On such a winter's day
On such a winter's day
On such a winter's day

GUIDANCE

It is interesting that we find the word “dance” planted firmly at the end of the word guidance. In the waltz, there is one who leads and one who follows. When God guides us, He leads and we follow. In dance, when the follower is in tune and focused on the leader, their steps, their movements, become captivating for both the participant and the observer. In Dance, when the follower tries to take the lead or refuses to follow, the dance becomes awkward, strained, uncomfortable, and it looses the enjoyment that both participants are meant to receive.

So..... Dance then, wherever you may be, I am the Lord of the dance said He….

Oops, we were waltzing, this is a bit closer;
Lead me, guide me, along the way ….

Thoughts of Yesteryear

As I was skimming through some of last year’s pictures I came across these beautiful creatures and remembered a wonderful day last November when Gord and I traveled through Algonquin Park. The fox we could not have missed, he was up front and personal. We were feeding him cheese sticks before our encounter was over.



The moose we may have missed had someone not already spotted him and pointed the way for us. It is important to pay attention to those pointing the way.

LIFE LESSON #2

Much time is needed to change the pictures on a published blog post. Best to let posted photos lie. I had some much nicer pictures of our grand people that I wanted to share with you. They were taken by Daniel John. It would have saved me much time to just create a new post, however I learned a great deal struggling through this exercise, so, for that I am thankful. Please take the time to look at the new pictures. I'm much happier with these photos so enjoy.

LIFE'S LESSON

Over the holidays we went on a walk at Lemonie Point to feed the chickadees from our hands. This is a wonderful experience, one enjoys a bond with creation and a closeness to our Creator. We had just started down the path, chickadees in sight, focused on our mission, when a person unknown to us said, “Do you see the dear in the woods?” The dear were standing less 100’ from where we were. It was an amazing moment to share as a family. We stopped and enjoyed watching three of these marvelous creatures as they grazed on tree branches and kept a watchful eye on us. I was so focused on where I was going that I almost missed all the joy of where I was. Many times have I missed God’s blessings because I have set my own direction. My hope is that 2008 will be the year I learn to live in the moment. I am thankful that the Lord is gently teaching me and changing me.