The Art of Life

Every happening, great or small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message.   Malcolm Muggeridge quoted in Carolyn Arends’ Wrestling with Angels  p. 41

The art of life.  I want to live such a life, a life that demonstrates the art of living.  As I head into the first official full week of a new school year, I want to be prayerfully aware of living a life that listens to God.  I will admit to being somewhat concerned that the busy-ness of life will crowd out the lessons and the habits I have learned in the detour my life has taken.  Lord, I pray that You will help me see the happenings in my life, to really see them.  And in so doing, to hear You and truly get Your message.

What follows are some of the happenings in my life.....

404) a summer evening walk in a nearby park

405) managing to find a place to park in that very busy and crowded part

406) a cool breeze which refreshes when walking

407) the variety of bird songs heard while walking in the park

408) light at the end of the tunnel - the gift of light as it plays on the trees

409) the setting sun illuminating huge billowy clouds

410) the satisfaction of coming to a decision

411) a friend who helps move furniture

412) seeing a good story come to life on the big screen (The Help)

413) Thai chicken pizza with freshly picked cilantro

414) a rainbow shining through the rainstorm

415) getting a classroom unpacked and finding room for most things

416) a willing friend who helps and who loves organizing (Thanks, E.B.)

417) sitting in a park on a summer evening, enjoying mint tea and the company of a friend

418) watching a rabbit chow down on dandelion leaves it finds in my lawn

419) the crisp, clean white of freshly painted window trim

420) the warmth of the sun on my shoulders as I run errands

421) hugs and expressions of compassion as a welcome back to work

422) excitement about new relationships with a new set of students

423) a bright little sliver of a moon

424) the first sweet peas of the season brightening my living room

425) sunshine warming my shoulders as I walk during a lunch break

426) watching butterflies flit around

427) laughter

428) a gifted story-teller

429) being inspired at the beginning of a new school year

430) a school secretary and her daughter who go above and beyond

431) colleagues who pitch in and help the secretary

432) morning walks

433) summer evenings

434) watching the sunset colours play on the clouds, changing and dancing

435) playing Scrabble in the park with a friend

436) managing 2 (yes, 2!) 7 letter words in one Scrabble game

437) a day of meandering, without much agenda, and discovering as we went along

438) plumbers

439) a free-flowing and quickly draining tub

440) successfully modifying a recipe never tried before - Mexican Quinoa Salad

A wish from a friend

Last spring when I was recuperating, a friend gave me a fridge magnet.  (Thanks, J.N.)  On it were some words with powerful wishes.  When I read the list of wishes, I am reminded again of the need to keep my eyes open to see the gifts God places in front of me every day.  It is so easy for me to go through the days taking God's goodness for granted.  But, oh, how much richer it is to take the few seconds to thank God when I notice a gift.  And, I've found that by listing these gifts, I have become more attuned to seeing the "little" and the "not-so-little" gifts that abound every day.  This life God has given me is, indeed, a rich one.

This is my wish for you…

    Comfort on difficult days

    Smiles when sadness intrudes

   Rainbows to follow the clouds

    Laughter to kiss your lips

    Sunsets to warm your heart

    Hugs when spirits sag

   Friendships to brighten your being

    Beauty for your eyes to see

    Faith so that you can believe

    Confidence for when you doubt

   Patience to accept the truth

    Courage to know yourself

    Love to complete your life

               Anonymous

And so my list of gifts continues.
345) the opportunity to "crash" my aunt's 80th birthday party, seeing aunts, uncles and cousins I rarely see
346) the peacefulness of my cousin's farmyard and the hospitality shown so freely

347) canola fields against a sunset sky (although this picture doesn't show the sunset)

348) the first fresh raspberries of the season, straight from the bush to my mouth - delectable!

349) sitting in a lovely backyard and catching up with friends (Thanks, T.M., J.K., S.B., and W.V.)

350) freshly picked raspberries on oatmeal

351) freshly picked raspberries with yogurt and granola

352) seeing paint as wallpaper paste succumbs to the scrubbing

353) my sister finding a way to conquer the paste a LITTLE more easily , helping us work our way to winning the battle of the WALL

354) seeing THE WALL with no wallpaper paste on it (This actually merits way more than one gift in the list!)

355) completing the painting of the walls

356) liking the colour I chose

357) having a sister help with the battle as I don't think I could have faced it on my own

358) painting the dresser to fit in with the new wall colour

359) rearranging furniture for a "new" room

360) attending the Canmore Folk Festival with family and a friend

361) staying in a lovely condo during the festival

362) sharing said condo with dearly loved family members

363) spending one day of the festival with a friend and both days with 2 of my sisters

364) sitting in the sun, looking at mountains, and enjoying great music

365) hearing voices in harmony

366) the wide variety of flavours God gave us in food

367) seeing a friend I hadn't seen or heard from for awhile

368) having dinner on a patio with friends - 2 nights in a row

369) having friends over so they can pick and enjoy fresh raspberries

370) playing Scrabble on a patio with a friend

371) short snuggles with cousins' kids

372) visiting a cousin and catching up after many years

373) walking the ridge path near her home and enjoying the mountain scenery and the company

374) enjoying a neighbourhood festival with a friend

375) being in my home church after a number of weeks away

376) warm greeting and conversation with a former student who has become a dear young friend (Thanks, E.N.)

377) being able to thank someone for encouraging a friend to reach out and reconnect

378) my brother's safe return from a backpacking trip

379) another successful surgical procedure

380) rides to and from the hospital

381) feeling good after the surgical procedure, surprisingly good

382) friends who take me into their home and care for me after surgery (Thanks, R. and J. K.)

383) family members and friends who demonstrate love, compassion and care

384) coming home again

385) washing machines

386) clear skies after thunderstorms

387) exciting news for friends, something they've been waiting for so eagerly!

388) a full moon in the early morning sky

389) having enough fresh raspberries to share with others

390) exploring a new provincial park with friends

391) the delightful view of the river valley with mountains in the background and prairies surrounding it

392) being able to do a fairly strenuous uphill walk, and feeling strong and capable

393) sharing dinner in a park with friends

394) seeing 4 deer throughout our explorations as we sought a park with a firepit

395) sitting by a campfire and watching the full moon rise

396) trees silhouetted against a night sky lit by a full moon

397) worshipping God with my church family

398) smiles from little girls across the church pews)

399) hugs from children after church

400) Stuart McLean and the Vinyl Cafe

401) the gift of reading and getting lost in a story

402) the power of words to evoke an "ah-ha" feeling

403) the comfort of familiar music

Glittering Mica

“Life is made up of moments, small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement.  It would be wonderful if they would come to us unsummoned, but particularly in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead now, that won’t happen.  We have to teach ourselves how to make room for them, to love them, and to live, really live.”  Anna Quindlen (A Short Guide to a Happy Life) quoted by Katie Couric in The Best Advice I Ever Got   p. 228

These past days and weeks have been filled with these small pieces of glittering mica.  In fact, some of them were rather large pieces of glittering mica.  Truly filling my soul.  And for that, I give thanks to God.  And to those who have been a part of providing the opportunities to see the glittering.  I am so blessed.

Here are those pieces of glitter that have brightened my life.  The list of 1000 gifts continues.  (Some photos will be added once I am home on my own computer.)

291) the generosity of others

292) a Stampede BBQ 

293) the opportunity to catch up with people I hadn't seen in years

294) the sound of my name coming from the mouths of children I love

295) praying with children as they go to bed

296) God watering my garden with rain

297) field of pink along the highway

298) glorious scenery - rolling hills of green

299) sitting in the shade looking at a peaceful, idyllic lake

300) sounds of fish jumping in the lake

301) two turtles sunning themselves on a rock

302) children chattering as they "play" with crayfish

303) little fish swimming in the lake

304) turtle poking his head out of the water

305) remnants of history - old buildings with great character

 306) surprise detours/changes in plans

307) shade and a breeze on a hot summer day

308) sunshine sparkling in the ripples on the lake

309) the smell of freshly mowed grass

310) watching a turtle swim, climb on a log, and bask in the sun

Company has come, so I'll pause to visit.


Visit is done. It was good.


311) 2 deer watching us walk by
312) double rainbow
313) ginger lemonade frozen yogurt - YUM!
314) canola fields in the morning sun
315) watching a hawk dip into the lake and fly away with a fish in its talons
316) watching a turtle gather courage to climb back onto a log
317) sunny ripples in the water
318) watching a badger watch us as we were hiking
319) laying on the grass and watching the clouds
320) sitting cozily in the front of the boat exploring the lake
321) the delightful invigorating smell of the woods
322) the magnificence of the osprey keeping watch over its nest
232) the full moon and a clear starry night
324) the crackle of the campfire
325) watching 2 beautiful birds play with each other - one with a blue head and one with a red chest (not a robin)
326) nights that are cool enough to warrant the use of an extra blanket
327) cool, crisp summer mornings with the promise of a beautiful summer day to come
328) watching mist rise off the lake in the early morning sun
329) the magnificence of lightning during a thunderstorm
330) the comfort of shelter during a thunderstorm
331) the magic and mystery of a misty summer morning on the lake

332) the sound of birds' wings flapping as they fly by
333) how fast dragonfly's wings move - so fast you can't see the wings as the dragonfly flies by
334) the glorious yellow of canola fields ripening - against the backdrop of blue sky and darkening storm clouds

335) coming in to hugs from parents
336) a sister's delight when I answer the phone at our parents' house
337) an evening walk with my dad
338) the North Saskatchewan River valley as a backdrop for a morning walk

339) getting the Q on a triple letter score - and getting to double it with two words
340) an evening with family - celebrating the engagement of a cousin
341) hearing stories from the family's past
342) visiting with a family friend over coffee and tea
343) a sister's delight at progress on a task
344) remembering the gift of spending time with others - laughing and getting to know them so much better (Thanks, C.V., H.T., G.J., S.B., and R.B.)

Punctuation

If you asked anyone at work about what I thought about punctuation, you would likely be told that I'm a little bit of a stickler for correct punctuation.  I don't know if I particularly like the word stickler, but I will admit that it can almost be painful when I see some punctuation errors (especially when it comes to apostrophes).  So when I saw that there was a test on the internet to see what kind of punctuation mark I am, I thought it would be fun to try.  If you want to try it, click here.  I even did it just now, wondering if my answers would be any different.  They may have been, but the result was the same.  Here is what I was told.


You Are a Comma

You are open minded and extremely optimistic.  You enjoy almost all facets of life.  You can find the good in almost anything.  You keep yourself busy with tons of friends, activities, and interests.  You find it hard to turn down an opportunity, even if you are pressed for time.  Your friends find you fascinating, charming, and easy to talk to.  (But with so many competing interests, your friends do feel like you hardly have time for them.)

You excel in: Inspiring people

You get along best with: The Question Mark

I'm not sure if everything there is exactly true, but I do like what it says.  (Although I have no idea what it means to get along with a question mark.  I wonder what a question mark is like.)

I did manage to keep myself busy with friends and activities this week.  The activities were mostly walking and enjoying meals together, but a little sewing and reading did get done as well.  My fridge even got cleaned and my lawn got mowed, but those aren't exactly enjoyable pasttimes.  Just necessary ones.

Along the way this week, I received more gifts from God.
269) carrot ginger cashew soup
270) breakfast on the front step enjoying the morning sun

 271) walks and visits with friends - the gifts who are next on my list

272) KV

273) WA

274) HM-W

275) JN

276) GJ

277) JR

278) SB

279) JK

280) mosquito spray

281) learning bits and pieces about the amazing bodies God gave us

282) exercises that can help muscles relearn their work

283) physiotherapists who can teach the previous two gifts

284) virtual hugs through e-mails (thanks, KR)

285) whimsical sculptures

 286) Alberta landscape

287) flowers

288) annual day out with friends - to kickstart summer - held at the Saskatoon Farm this year

289) surprise hitch-hiker on my foot

290) the delight of discovering, while making this list, just how many gifts there have been in the last few days!

Moments of Happiness

"Happiness is not one long continuous state of being.  Like life itself, happiness is made up of moments.  Some are fleeting, lasting no longer than the length of a sweet song, yet the sum total of those moments can create a glow that sustains you."     Susan Wiggs in The Goodbye Quilt    p. 117

I was once asked if I was happy.  I had to take a few moments to think about that, wondering what the definition of happiness was.  Did I smile all the time?  Did I enjoy everything I did?  Does happiness mean bliss?  The answer to each of these was, for me, definitely "No."  But does that mean I wasn't happy?  In the end, I answered that I was happy, qualifying it (not sure why I felt I had to do that) by saying that I was content.  My life is good, filled with a job I love, wonderful friends, a community where I belong, and an abundance of blessings from God.

As I've walked through these past months, I would now answer that "Yes, I am happy."  And I think the quote above is more what happiness means to me.  Taking the time to notice and enjoy the moments and the gifts has enriched my life and helped me really see the multitude of gifts God sends my way each day.  Do I always smile?  No.  Do I always love everything I do?  No - I mean really, taking out the garbage?  BUT my life is filled with moments of grace and blessing.

Here are some more of those gifts, part of the happiness that sustains me.

245) clean air

246) word pictures such as this one -

"There is a story about two small roads that ran side by side. They chatted as they wound in and out of country places, laughing with the brook, sighing with the wind, and resting now and then along the level knolls. There they watched the trees put on their green gloves in springtime, raise their leafy umbrellas for summer shade, wind tawny shawls around their shoulders in autumn, and lace their limbs with snowflakes when winter came." Emilie Barnes in Walk With Me Today, Lord p. 145

247) feeling strong and energetic
248) flowers that close up at night and open in the morning
249) when life doesn't go as planned and pleasant surprises pop up
250) dinner with loves ones in the evening sun - overlooking a beautiful fountain and golf course
251) thanks from others
252) help from others - coming home and finding a crew raking the grass (thanks K.W.)
253) sitting on the step enjoying time and cold drinks with that same crew
254) going back to work (even if only for 2 days before being on summer holidays - or maybe because of that)
255) spontaneous walks in Griffith Woods with dear friends (thanks, S.B. and J. N.)
256) deer bounding across the pathway
257) a glorious summer morning, complete with walk and tea on the front step
258) celebrating the great country I am blessed to call home

259) bumping into friends and enjoying a picnic lunch in the park

260) iridescent colours on bubbles floating through the air

261) a BBQ with great friends

262) roasted red pepper hummus

263) the first strawberries of the season, fresh from the plants in my backyard

264) voices harmonizing in song

265) a new song that contains words that echo my experience (Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer)

266) irises and

267) tiger lilies

268) water droplets on flowers



Room in My Brain

I am truly enjoying this time where I have room in my brain to read some of the books that have been gathering dust on my shelves for a very long time.  I will admit to a bit of a book fetish and an incredible "need" for books.  I have been trying not to purchase books and to use the library.  And to some degree I have succeeded.  But I still have shelves full of books waiting for me to read.  (And yet, I have been going to the library on a ridiculously regular basis recently.)  Enough rambling.  Time to get to the point.

This morning I began a book that has already completely grabbed me.  I've only read the first little bit (and 15 of those were the introduction), and already there are 4 green post-it notes (on 15 pages) telling me to keep these thoughts and go back to them.  The book is by Carolyn Arends and is called Wrestling with Angels - Adventures in Faith and Doubt.  I know that I am a bit of an addict to her music.  And I like her blog.  And now, I might become a bit of an addict to her writing.  Hmm.  Wonder if she's written any other books?

Here is some of what I loved this morning.

"I was coming up with a mass of contradictions.  Life is short - don't waste a minute of it.  Life is long - don't rush it.  Life is cruel - watch your back.  Life is beautiful - open your heart.  I kept looking for the cohesive overview, a way to organize each of my observations into a neat outline.  But if one exists, I didn't find it.  Life is messy.  Life is a mystery."    p. 36

"...Life is worth living because of the God who made it.  A God who - if we look for Him at all - will keep surprising us with His presence in the midst of the craziness we've made of this world."  p. 37

"...My life has so far consisted mostly of a serious of seemingly routine moments, completely unremarkable except for the fact that the God of the Universe chooses to encode Himself in even the most mundane aspects of our lives."  p. 40

And, now I think I need to go listen to some of her music.  And be inspired to see God at work in my life.

P.S.  The fourth post-it note reference is being saved for another day.

Inspirations from Soul Survivor

I've been reading Soul Survivor by Philip Yancey.  In this book he tells about people who have helped him see what it truly means to be a follower of Christ.  The subtitle of the book is How My Faith Survived the Church.  Quite an interesting book to read.  And now I am inspired to read some other authors.  Authors I had heard of, but to be honest I thought they were a bit "heady" for me.  I just usually prefer lighter types of reading.  But now I want to read some of Annie Dillard's books and some of Frederich Buechner's books.  I didn't even know that Buechner wrote novels.  Here's a bit of what Yancey wrote about them.

It’s all a matter of keeping my eyes open. Beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will sense them. The least we can do is try to be there…so that creation need not play to an empty house. Annie Dillard quoted by Philip Yancey in Soul Survivor p. 232


What is the particular brand of holiness each day brings? Annie Dillard summarized by Philip Yancey in Soul Survivor p. 234


We go to nature once we have our theology and let her fill the words – awe, glory, beauty, terror – with meaning. Philip Yancey in Soul Survivor p. 235


Separate yourself from your work. A book you made isn’t you any more than is a chair you made, or soup. It’s just something you made once. If you ever want to make another one, it, too, will be just another hat in the ring, another widow’s mite, another broken offering which God had long understood is the best we humans can do – we’re forgiven in advance. Annie Dillard quoted by Philip Yancey in Soul Survivor p.246


In searching for God, many people tend to look for the miraculous and supernatural. Instead we should be attending to the ordinary: waking and sleeping and above all dreaming, what we remember and what we forget, what makes us smile and what makes us cry, what delights and what depresses us. In the most commonplace events of a day, God speaks. Frederick Buechner summarized by Philip Yancey in Soul Survivor p. 259


These quotes remind me to see God in the ordinariness of my life.  It is so easy to be blinded to what we see and experience everyday.  But when my eyes are opened and my mind is ready, I am so richly blessed as my heart and mind are pointed to God by what I see and experience in my life!