Final lighting of the Advent Candles

Advent Candles - Christmas Morning

Christmas has come and the celebrations are over. I share with you two pictures. The first is the final lighting of the Advent Candles - all five are now lit, the Christ Child has arrived. Worship this Christmas Eve was wonderful and powerful. Our 4pm family service at the Cathedral was filled with so many children and a wonder sharing of the Christmas story. And for the first time in my life I got to be a sheep - so much fun! (Getting to be a sheep with my two year old friend from church just made the evening that much more magical!) The 11pm candlelight service was also wonderful, different feeling then the 4pm with a powerful message. I like both the services and very much like being within the Cathedral community on this special night of celebration.

Christmas Morning picture

I spent time with the family between services and then after the 11pm service. And of course I got the late night shift with Taylor and Rhys who decided that not sleeping was a very good idea. I think we finally fell asleep around 3:30am. And then at 6:30am all the alarm clocks went off... thank you Taylor! We spent the morning together with mom and then went home to spend the rest of the day with dad. It was a good day with good company and good food.

We missed Deana this year. This was our first Christmas where one of us kids was not present. Deana was in Edmonton with her boyfriend and his family. We look forward to seeing her in the spring. So, this second picture is of us kids together on Christmas morning... yes, we had another brown Christmas.

Christmas Day Thankfulness

The long awaited for Christmas Day is coming to an end. My eyes are asking, "when is bed time?". My mind is asking, "how much longer can the kids who stayed up until 3:45am and woke up at 6:30am stay awake? When will the adrenaline from the excitement die down?" It's the beauty of having brothers and sisters who are still 8, 10 and 12 years old. The excitement is so present. 

As they sit playing a game and try to figure out new pieces of technology and I've opened every near impossible plastic case and read every set of instructions they still sit engaged and excited. And I sit here enjoying a pause in the evening and enjoy a cup of tea. Dad and Wesley are sleeping (I took my nap this afternoon!), Sara has gone to spend time with her boyfriend in Kamloops, Stewart is working and Deana wasn't home this year but is with her boyfriend and his family in Edmonton. 

We've enjoyed a Christmas feast and I even managed to shepherded the kids into helping clean up dinner and Christmas Day craziness. I've still got the talent!

After a very long December I've been thinking of what I am thankful for. Here is a start:

- My loving family. We're spread out and things are a bit different these days but they are all still beyond amazing! 

- Christmas Eve worship. The celebration of Jesus' birth with good friends and amazing worship leadership. It's an extension of my family, it's the community where I feel safe. 

- My role as a sheep in the Cathedral Nativity Play, my two year old "buddy"who gets so excited when she sees me... it makes my day every time I see her! We were sheep together!

- Aaron narrating for me the game he is playing on his DS

- Taylor and Rhys sitting on the couch together, helping one another figure out the unknowns of an itouch

- Sara's willingness to stay around and help with the clean-up before taking off

- The many phone conversations with Deana, distance may separate us but we talk oh-so-much!

- The love Stewart has for his brothers and sisters... he can't hide it!

- Wesley's humor, hardworking and caring self. 

Obviously there is lots more that I am thankful for on this Christmas Day. Maybe it is a good idea for us all to take some time to remember all the things we are blessed with. 

Merry Christmas my friends. May God bless you this day and all the days to come.

Advent Week 4

Advent Candles Week 4

Today all I share with you is this truly amazing and powerful poem. This is one of my favorite Sunday's of the year - I love Mary! What an amazing decision Mary made to say "yes" to God. Dean Louise preached at church this morning reminding us: If we dismiss the story of the Annunciation (Luke 1:26) as inconceivable, it will be: and then we risk the loss of God being conceived in us. Powerful words. It's been a day of powerful words.

Before Jesus 

was his mother. 

Before supper

in the upper room,

breakfast in the barn. 

Before the Passover Feast,

a feeding trough.

And here, the altar

of Earth, fair linens

of hay and seed. 

Before his cry,

her cry. 

Before his sweat 

of blood,

her bleeding 

and tears.

Before his offering,

hers.

Before the breaking

of bread and death, 

the breaking of her

body in birth. 

Before the offering

of the cup, 

the offering of her 

breast.

Before his blood,

her blood.

And by her body and blood

alone, his body and blood

and whole human being. 

The wise ones knelt

to hear the woman's word

in wonder. 

Holding up her sacred child,

her God in the form of a babe,

she said: "receive and let

your hearts be healed

and your lives be filled

with love, for

This is my body, 

This is my blood."

- Alla Renee Bozarth

from: Life Prayers from Around the World

Advent Week 3

Advent Week 3: Joy

As you can see Advent week 3 has come and gone. I spent the early part of the week writing my last exam of the semester and then piled into preparing for youth group and our young adults gatherings and did a lot of sleeping, baking and reading. Reading books that have nothing to do with school work of course!!

I had an amazing lunch with the staff from the Cathedral at the end of the week, a lunch filled with much laughter and storytelling. Saturday Taylor, Jenny and Samuel came over and we made Sugar Cookies together. That evening I went to the Holy Table Holy Word service at the Cathedral - it was a service of meditation, silence and the lovely music of the harp and singing bowls. It was amazing! Overall it was an amazing week, and I finished a good book!

Advent Week Two: Peace

Advent Wreath Week Two

"The God of peace grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. Amen."


I sat here in my living room Sunday night late into the evening on a lovely eve of Advent Week two. I was filled with peace and a sense of calmness. I wrote in my journal and I just sat in the glow of the many lit candles and the decorated tree. I stared into the dark and into the light, back and forth, back and forth. 


I love the night. I love the solitude and the silence. I love that time seems to slow down and I feel like I have time to breath and am at peace at the very last. The night is my down time, it is the time when I reflect on the day and all that I have learned and been part of. 


Tonight I sit here thinking how amazing it is that a group of young people this (Monday) evening at Youth Group made 56 handmade Christmas Cards for our friends at the Kamloops Seniors Village. How amazing is that? For two hours we worked on this project and there was a deep calmness within the group and within the space. God was there with us.


I am waiting, not so patiently, to light all the candles in the Advent Wreath. Advent is about expectant waiting and yet I so much want to be able to light all five candles. As I wait this Advent season I will be practicing patience - all good things will come and the celebration will be beautiful!


As I prepare for bed I remember a line from our Evening Prayer Service: 

"Preserve us, O God, waking, 

and guard us sleeping; 

that awake we may watch with Christ, 

and asleep we may rest in peace." 

*Quotes from Eucharistic Prayers, Services of the Word and Night Prayers: Supplementary to the Book of Alternative Services. ABC Publishing. Online here page 46.

Advent Week One: Hope

Advent Candles - Week One

The season of Advent is here and for that I am grateful. In the church the season of Advent is the four weeks before Christmas, before we celebrate the birth of Jesus. And in this season we get to wait. We are given permission to take a big breathe, sit and wait. To slow down and live in the in-between place. The place where we don't rush around with the rest of the society. The place where we don't get ahead of ourselves in celebration. 

We are filled with expectant waiting, like Mary waited for the birth of her babe. And hopeful anticipation because we know the celebration time will come.

For me Advent falls at the time when my academic schedule slows down. I take the time to rest, to relax, to pray, to be present with God. And I hold on to this time of waiting, this time when I don't have to get lost of the busyness of every day. 

A good friend of mine posted on Facebook that her Advent Mantra is going to be: "Slow is faster. Less is more." Wise words I think... I just might be borrowing them over these coming weeks. 

Take the time to slow down, to open you eyes, and listen to the Spirit's voice this Advent season. 

A Full Soul

The best feeling ever is having a full soul. I can't even describe the feeling in detail. I don't know if anyone can. How do you describe having a full soul? It's a good feeling. It's a full feeling. More peaceful. More calm. More focused. Happier. Ready for what's to come next. 

My soul is full. My soul is full because of community, worship, silence, friendship, laughter, scripture, song, and being fed with Holy food. I spent today with members of the Cathedral community for our Discernment Day. It was a good day, it was a full day, it was a fun day. Tonight I went to the Cathedral's "Holy Table, Holy Word" service. A service of meditation, chant, prayer, holy words and silence. As part of the service we had twenty solid minutes of blissful silence. It's been months since I've been fed in this way. It's been months since I've sat in silence. And hearing some of the words I share so often with the young people I work with (breath in love, breath out fear) was exactly what I needed. There's something different about hearing the words, about receiving them. Giving them to and sharing them with others is great and an honor but I was reminded tonight that I also need to receive them. 

And so this week I will breath in the love of God and breath out fear. I will breath in the love of God and breath out anxiety. I will breath in the love of God and breath out stress. I will breath in the love of God and breath out fear. This week I will strive to be present with God.

A full soul, it's a good thing. It will keep me going through the next week of classes. It will keep me nourished through my moments doubt, frustration, stress, exhaustion and panic. My soul is very full and it feels good. 

Fall Meeting of CoGS

At a time in the semester when I really should not have been going anywhere I took off to Toronto last weekend for the fall meeting of the Council of General Synod for the Anglican Church of Canada. And of course, I loved it. I loved every moment of it even though the evenings were late and the mornings were early. Our three days of meetings were very full from 8am Bible Study to 9pm Night Prayers.

CoGS 2010-2012 Group. Picture from anglican.ca 

I love the work and I love the people. I always learn tons and with this being our third meeting I was feeling more present and all the material didn't seem new and unknown. The relationships and conversations that take place sustain me, challenge me and support me. People are amazing.

There were many highlights, here are just a few:
- Conversations about Vision 2019 and the Marks of Mission. How do we encourage diocese to live these out so we get it beyond the National Church?
- Our "fireside" chat with the Primate and General Secretary. A lovely open conversation.
- Looking forward to General Synod 2013. This will be the first joint Anglican-Lutheran national meeting for the church and is what the Primate has described will be a "historic" day for the church.
- The Celebration of New Ministry: Welcoming Michael Thompson in as General Secretary. Alongside this was being asked to read the prayers of the people, it was a great honor and an important reminder to me that I love being part of leadership in liturgy! And as for our new General Secretary - well he is one amazing and faith filled and generous man.
- The Sacred Circle with our Aboriginal brothers and sisters. Hearing from Bishop Mark Macdonald that  we need to "build a church that the poor can afford". This is the second time I've heard this from Bishop Mark and I think it's something we all need to listen to. We heard the message that the Anglican Council of Indigenous People are at a point where it is time to stop asking and time to start doing. They are not going to wait any longer for the rest of the church. This was heard with great encouragement by the group but also great sadness that we have not been able to respond to the needs.

And of course so much more took place. On a personal level, I was asked to assist with the administration of Communion at our Sunday morning (early) service. At a time when I still would have been in bed I was reminded how very much I feel called to the sharing of the sacraments... I can't explain it. But I feel something that I don't always feel otherwise when assisting with that part of the service. And I love it.

Again, the people. I have so much appreciation for the conversations, time and encouragement that happens when we gather. It guides me and keeps me going. It also makes it so I don't want to leave.

So yes, I left at a point in the semester when I should have stayed home. But it has also renewed me, empowered me, energized me and encouraged me. It was good, so very good. It was also exhausting and intense requiring a full Tuesday of sleep. But it was worth it.

Only in Youth Ministry

My roommate and I got talking this past weekend about the upcoming youth group gathering on Monday night. This week the youth were challenged to build some kind of protection around an egg so that when dropped from the top of a ladder it had a chance of not breaking. We got talking before hand and eventually came up with the idea to make a large container of jello and have our egg dropped into it. And we carried out this crazy plan. Hours and hours of making jello... our fridge was filled with jello. This was possibly one of the craziest things I had ever agreed to carry out!

I spent Sunday night picturing it all going wrong. I could see the egg hitting the jello and bouncing onto the floor - reaching it's pending death. I was imagining jello and egg everywhere. I was filled with uncertainty and the many imaginative conclusions that I had come up with during the night. And the next day - my only thought (beyond this is crazy) was "how are we disposing of this massive amount of jello afterward?" (Still to be determined!)

What did I learn on Monday night? That the youth I work with are very good "protection" builders... none of their eggs broke. Okay, I probably allowed way too many supplies and way too much time - but we had fun in the building process! And the jello... all turned out well. The egg was surrounded by the jello and protected from breaking. It was the coolest thing ever and I am still amazed that it actually worked! The egg bounced and then was kind of suctioned in...

View the video here (and I promise, we didn't eat the jello afterwards!):

It's that time of the semester

Fall leaves at Thompson Rivers University

That time... that long waited for and yet completely dreaded time has come. Three more weeks of classes left and yet the work load is massive. Two short papers, one research paper, an in class write, multiple quizzes, books to read, exams to study for... there are three weeks before classes are over and exams begin. Three weeks until December is here - my month of rest and renewal. Three more papers until I'm that much more closer to being done. And yet all I want to do is put on a movie and rest. No reading, no composing, no analyzing, no thinking. I'm ready to sit and pause.

This is the time in the semester when I have to pull all the little pieces of energy and try to put it into the work that needs to be finished. This is when I need to say, "Melissa focus on what needs to be done." This is when I struggle to motivate myself. These are the weeks when cooking and baking finds time, my house stays clean, things become organized, and youth group ideas and plans don't stop appearing in my head. These are the weeks when all the things that don't need to be done at this moment get accomplished.

Three more weeks. Three more papers. I can do this.
Which means - I need to start that next paper...

In other news... the fall leaves were beautiful this year, especially on campus and on the sidewalk near the Cathedral. The trees are quickly becoming bare and we've had one snow fall already. Winter is coming!

Weekend Visitors

Taylor, Rhys and Aaron

For the first time since I moved back into Kamloops after spending the summer at Sorrento Centre Taylor, Rhys and Aaron came for a weekend sleepover. They are growing up, really quickly. It won't be long before they are all taller then me. It won't be long before they are all wiser then me. But, they will always be my youngest siblings even when they get to that age when I am no longer "cool" to hang out with!

We had a great weekend together. They came bowling with the youth group on Friday night, we spent Saturday painting, shopping and swimming and Sunday was filled with Church and lunch with Stewart.

Our painted creations!

Painting was the big task for the weekend. The basement suite I'm living in this year (which I love) has really bare walls. So, I picked up some paint and canvas and gave the kids the all important task of painting lovely pictures for my walls. And that is exactly what they did! On Friday night I told them that they needed to think of what they wanted to paint... "you can paint anything you want," I told them. Saturday morning Aaron said to me, "I can paint anything I want?" "Yep, anything you want," I said. After a few moments of thinking he turned to me and said, "I can paint the stairs?" Wait a minute!! He thought we were painting the walls! Am I ever glad that I didn't just put the paint on the table and go do something else... that would have been interesting!

Stewart came over for lunch and a visit on Sunday after church. It was wonderful to spend time with Stewart and the kids were really excited to see him. Stewart and I looked through some pictures of our childhood years - I must admit... we were pretty cute toddlers!

I did a lot of cooking with my crock pot over the weekend. My first roast beef in the crock pot turned out just amazing - so tender and delicious. And then Sunday morning I put sloppy joe stuff in before heading to church and we had an amazing lunch when we got home! I love my crock pot... it's amazing!

The weekend was great and I can't wait for the kids to come over again... although I have decided I'm never having triplets. Going from having responsibility for zero children to three children is exhausting!

Mornings

I have always loved the mornings... I just am unable to actually get up and enjoy the peaceful quite time unless there is something I have to do. So when my phone went off on Saturday at 6:16 in the morning, a staff member asking when and who unlocked the front gate I got up to let him out, not wanting to move and yes, rather grumpy about it... but I kept that to myself. (And no, it was not my responsibility!!) I got to the gate to find the staff member and a guest trying to leave and our food delivery truck trying to get in (thank goodness he didn't leave with our food!!). Since I was already up I decided to walk down to the beach to unlock it a the same time, otherwise I'd be wandering out again in forty five minutes time.

By the time both gates were unlocked at the beach I was not very pleased that I was out of my warm bed and in the

coolness of the morning. Knowing that I had to shake this feeling off I went and sat on a log overlooking the lake and took in the sun, silence and prayed. I looked over the waters to see an odd shape and movement by one of our docks... and then another, then it disappeared and back again. I looked closer and came to the conclusion that it was an otter feeding in the water and eating on the surface. And not one otter but four!

I stood next to the waters edge and just looked, just watched this sight that I had never seen in the waters at Sorrento Centre. And as I watched I calmed down, my grumpiness began to leave, I started to become thankful for the day and the early morning. And I gave thanks for this most sacred God moment, a reminder that all is good, all is good!

I'd love to awake early in the morning and enjoy that time before the world becomes active again... but until my late nights at the Centre disappear and I get back into a regular routine... I'll take what comes!

Batty Tales

I've had my fair share of crazy (but exciting) things happening to me over my four summers at Sorrento Centre... but I now have had an experience that has given me much greater sympathy for those who wake up in the night to a great surprise! Took four years, but I've now survived my first bat adventure!

I woke up on Tuesday morning at 2:17am hearing something flying in my room, I tried to ignore it but I was just getting more and more freaked out. So I turned on my light and there I saw a bat circling my room. Ah!!! Turned off light and hid under blankets until I accepted that I had to get it out of my room. So, I got up, opened my door, turned on the hall light and waited. Once it departed by room and took refuge in the hallway I hid in the bathroom. Eventually I realized I had to go back to bed, peaked outside the bathroom and didn't see the bat anywhere. Relived that it had made it's way to the living room I went back to my room.

I was partially asleep again at 3:45am when I woke up hearing something crawling on fabric and making a strange noise. I tried to convince myself that it was just the start of the coming rain. I decided that if I moved my curtain and listened carefully to the rain hitting the roof all would be fine. I chickened out of moving from my bed (if there is a mouse on my floor I will freak!!). So I turned on my lamp and scanned the room and saw the bat climbing my curtain, turns out it did not go into the living room but took refuge back inside my bedroom. This time I left the room, turned on the hall light and as soon as it flew out of my room I ran back in and closed the door. Just to be on the safe side I but a blanket at the bottom of my door. At this point, I have no idea what this bat is willing to do to get back into my space!

All was fine now that I knew the bat was out of my room and I slept... fully prepared to find the bat in the morning on a wall in the hallway. Morning came and no bat could be found. We searched everywhere with no luck, I was beginning to wonder if it had all been a dream. But no, one of the girls said that the hall light was one when she got up... and I definitely was not sleeping under the same blankets when I woke up as I was when I went to bed the first time. Thankfully, moments before going to bed Tuesday night someone saw the bat on the curtain by the main door... I called the farmhouse and two of the guys came to my rescue and removed it.

The bat was adorable - they are cute when they just sleep and stay in one place. They are cute when they are not in my bedroom!! It seems to by my summer to deal with crazy creatures... dead or alive. And this does not impress me at all.

Summer beginnings...

I'm halfway through my summer work at Sorrento Centre and things are now in full swing. Last week was our Anglican Programming Week One, what I call the “experimentation week” began. This is the week where I re-learn what forms of scheduling works, how to gather enough time in each day to accomplish all that needs to be done, how the staff team is going to mesh together as community, so on and so forth. And I love it, I love all of it. Some days and moments are more crazy then others, but the end product of the week often is feeling prepared for the coming four weeks of Anglican Programming.

A few things took place last week that have been first time occurances for me, even though this is my fourth summer here. 1) We had a very sweet elderly lady on site who required a lot of assistance and I somehow took on a major piece of that role. It was great to be able to help her, which in return meant she was able to say for the whole week and enjoy her Sorrento Centre experience. And yes, for a few days I thought that I'd make a good seniors care aid... but by the end of the week that thought too had gone! 2) I cancelled our water fight on Thursday afternoon due to the thunder and lightening storm that was taking place. Safety comes first, but it doesn't mean our young folks were not disappointed. 3) Again, due to the weather our Variety Night had to be held indoors opposed to outside in Kekuli - our large outdoor round gathering place.

All this learned, experienced and discovered while figuring out how the summer is going to work the most smoothly... And now, day two of our second week of programming... we have had yet another storm and three of our buildings are without power. Two of which hold guest accommodation and the kitchen. To top that, my laundry (for the second time this summer) is stuck in the washing machine while the power is still out...

The best part so far. Seeing and listening to the pure excitement of the staff team as they learn, face challenges, plan new pieces of the work life, and continue to love God and what they are doing. They are amazing, tons of fun, and super energized and engaged in the community.

Here's to waking up to the power being back on in the morning... it would help with the breakfast making and laundry doing...

Strawberries and Cream

Ah, I've fallen in love... with fresh strawberries and cream. And when I say fresh strawberries I mean they are fresh! Sorrento Centre has a farm (www.sorrento-centre.bc.ca), and in its second season the farm is now producing strawberries and the staff tonight got to enjoy the first pick. Fresh, sweet, beautiful, amazing strawberries covered in a light coat of smooth cream. The perfect dessert for Sunday and the perfect end to an amazing weekend.

A few other amazing things took place this weekend. The first, my three youngest brothers and sisters spent the weekend with me in Sorrento. Taylor, Rhys and Aaron joined me on Friday night and left for Savona just before dinner this evening. We had a weekend of adventures,

walks, basketball, movie watching, enjoying treats, lots of time outside, fun in the sun and a whole lot of laughter and conversation. I miss them. It was way to much fun to have them here and just be. There was no competition, no grumpiness, no impatience, just full on deep joy and fun. I love being with my brothers and sisters and one of the hardest thing is not being with them for so much of the summer. Although, even harder is saying goodbye after an amazing weekend visit when I know that I probably won't see them for at least a month. Thank goodness for today's technology!

Sorrento Centre was privileged to have John Bell, an internationally known songwriter, here for the weekend. He came as a gift to us to do a fundraiser for our farm/Sorrento Centre after spending a week with us last year. John Bell is amazing. And his music, equally amazing. I could go on forever about how wonderful it was to have him here and spend a few hours singing with him and a group of folks (including a lovely group from the Cathedral!).

So, my advise for you at the end of this weekend... go find some fresh strawberries and a bit of cream and enjoy the taste of summer!

Summer may be coming...

I have many awesome friends who are so good at blogging regularly, I apologize that I do not fall in that category. So often I think to share with my experiences with my friends via this means but at the end of the day I so often need to choose whether to blog for others to read or write in my journal as a way of reflecting, discerning, and remembering. I suppose you can imagine what I so often choose. And then of course I wonder what the point of blogging even is... like really, is taking this time actually worth it? One will never know. I love the idea that it allows my family and friends to know even a mall bit of what I'm up to... but does it actually serve that point?

Here I am once again at Sorrento Centre well immersed into my fourth summer. I'm excited about this year's Children and Youth program, this years staff team, and all the many adventures and experiences that will take place.

A few of the things I've been up to since completing this past year of school (year four complete!!) and some of my pondering thoughts:

- Sorrento Centre is a place of such deep peace and reflection for me. Yes, it always comes down to me making the decision to take the time to engage in spiritual practices and reflection, but as I learn to do this more faithfully I remember more often how important it really is.

- An undergrad degree is designed to be completed in four years for a reason... planning year five is no longer exciting!

- Amazing things happen when committed folks gather together to make decisions and learn together.

- It's worth it to say "no" to people when asked to take on a commitment/committee appointment as it allows you to say "yes" when the right opportunity that matches your gifts and interests and the world's needs comes along.

- Songs get stuck in my head... for a very long time!

- Gathering with 130 colleagues who share a passion in (youth) ministry is again and ag

ain an amazing experience. Learning, sharing, rest, renewal, conversation. (Common Ground 2011)

- I fell in love with a camp while in Ontario... and the idea of raising a family while directing a camp (at least that is this month's new idea for life!!)

- Lake Huron - stunning!!

- Really good worship makes my day... or week!

- Spending time with my siblings, well I never get tired of it. But yes, a bit sleepy by the end of a full day.

- The Leadership Team I work with at Sorrento Centre is crazy, well we all are! But they keep me laughing and on my toes... and that is good!

So - will you hear from me again before the summer is over and I am preparing to dive into my final year of my BA? Who knows... I can try, but we'll see. I guess first I need to see if summer actually comes, time for the sunshine to come out!

How to get more young people into the church...

Tamie Fields Harkins served for four years as a chaplain to NAU Episcopal Canterbury Fellowship. Last week she ahd this to say on her blog about the question: how to get more young people into the church. Take a look and share what you think about the list!!

Here is a step-by-step plan for how to get more young people into the church:

1. Be genuine. Do not under any circumstances try to be trendy or hip, if you are not already intrinsically trendy or hip. If you are a 90-year-old woman who enjoys crocheting and listens to Beethoven, by God be proud of it.

2. Stop pretending you have a rock band.

3. Stop arguing about whether gay people are okay, fully human, or whatever else. Seriously. Stop it.

4. Stop arguing about whether women are okay, fully human, or are capable of being in a position of leadership.

5. Stop looking for the "objective truth" in Scripture.

6. Start looking for the beautiful truth in Scripture.

7. Actually read the Scriptures. If you are Episcopalian, go buy a Bible and read it. Start in Genesis, it's pretty cool. You can skip some of the other boring parts in the Bible. Remember though that almost every book of the Bible has some really funky stuff in it. Remember to keep #5 and #6 in mind though. If you are evangelical, you may need to stop reading the Bible for about 10 years. Don't worry: during those ten years you can work on putting these other steps into practice.

8. Start worrying about extreme poverty, violence against women, racism, consumerism, and the rate at which children are dying worldwide of preventable, treatable diseases. Put all the energy you formerly spent worrying about the legit-ness of gay people into figuring out ways to do some good in these areas.

9. Do not shy away from lighting candles, silence, incense, laughter, reallygood food, and extraordinary music. By "extraordinary music" I mean genuine music. Soulful music. Well-written, well-composed music. Original music. Four-part harmony music. Funky retro organ music. Hymns. Taize chants. Bluegrass. Steel guitar. Humming. Gospel. We are the church; we have a uber-rich history of amazing music. Remember this.

10. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

11. Learn how to sit with people who are dying.

12. Feast as much as possible. Cardboard communion wafers are a feast in symbol only. Humans can not live on symbols alone. Remember this.

13. Notice visitors, smile genuinely at them, include them in conversations, but do not overwhelm them.

14. Be vulnerable.

15. Stop worrying about getting young people into the church. Stop worrying about marketing strategies. Take a deep breath. If there is a God, that God isn't going to die even if there are no more Christians at all.

16. Figure out who is suffering in your community. Go be with them.

17. Remind yourself that you don't have to take God to anyone. God is already with everyone. So, rather than taking the approach that you need to take the truth out to people who need it, adopt the approach that you need to go find the truth that others have and you are missing. Go be evangelized.

18. Put some time and care and energy into creating a beautiful space for worship and being-together. But shy away from building campaigns, parking lot expansions, and what-have-you.

19. Make some part of the church building accessible for people to pray in 24/7. Put some blankets there too, in case someone has nowhere else to go for the night.

20. Listen to God (to Wisdom, to Love) more than you speak your opinions.

This is a fool-proof plan. If you do it, I guarantee that you will attract young people to your church. And lots of other kinds of people too. The end.

Mila's Daydreams Video

This is one amazing mom!! When her little baby girl falls asleep she creatively designs a scene surrounding the little one with objects of all sort. Take a look - super creative and rather amazing! (I suggest you click on the button on the right side of the screen to make the video full screen size... you will be able to see much more detail!)

Enjoy!!

Video on Vocation... What is God calling you to do?

Well... this was supposed to be posted on January 23rd, but for some reason it got lost in the process... and okay - I think I might have thought that I was failing at trying to upload the video on to the blog page!

Anyway - this is a short and sweet video on vocation that a friend shared on Facebook and that I used in the Senior Sunday School class on January 23rd... it goes really well with the Gospel Reading, Matthew 2:12-23.

In particular verses 18-23... Jesus calling the disciples:

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen.
And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people."
Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them.
Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

So - what is Jesus calling you to do??

Blessing for 2011

The first Sunday of 2011 we closed our worship service with this prayer/blessing and many of the words have stayed with me since, guiding my thoughts, my hopes, and my dreams. Enjoy... and let it touch your heart as well!

A blessing as you journey

into the new year

May your eyes be opened to the wonder of the daily miracles around you

and your sense of mystery be deepened.

May you be aware of the light that shines in the darkness,

and that the darkness can never put out.

May you be blessed with companions on the journey,

friends who will listen to you and encourage you with their presence.

May you learn to live with what is unsolved in your heart,

daring to face the questions and holding them

until, one day, they find their answers.

May you find the still, quiet place inside yourself

where you can know and experience the peace that passes understanding.

May love flow in you and through you to those who need your care.

May you continue to dream dreams and to reach out into the future

with a deeper understanding of God’s way for you. Amen

Lynda Wright

Snowfall and New Years Pictures

Today was one of those beautiful snow filled days. It started coming down this morning and continued until late this evening. I hope that I never stop enjoying each moment I get to spend outside in the snow, I even enjoyed shoveling the driveway this afternoon. It is always just so fluffy, soft, peaceful, and full of calm joy. It falls everywhere adding the pure white color to everything in sight. So much beauty!

Along with today's beautiful snowfall I had some errands to run including getting this semesters textbooks. Seven novels for one course, otherwise things weren't bad. Here's to forming a loving relationship with this semesters books!! I start classes next week, so this is my last week of holiday's and I plan on reading some more, resting, preparing for the semester and getting some youth plans for the coming months down on paper!

For now, here are some of the pictures from the New Years Eve gathering with the kids! Enjoy!

Preparing snacks, lounging around, Jan. 1st game of Quelf!

Decorating wine glasses for our sparkling juice to ring in the New Year!

Aaron, Oliver, and Rhys even after staying up late engage in Wii Dance while I make breakfast for ten!

Christmas and New Years Adventures...

It has been an amazing Christmas season starting with great worship on Christmas Eve while surrounded by wonderful friends and now I’ve just ended a marvelous New Years Eve celebration with my youngest brothers and sisters, cousins, and some long time friends!

Christmas Day saw all of us children together for the first time in almost a whole year, which is very sad but was also just completely joyous! I suppose this is the part of us older kids growing up… I definitely always seem to be off at some meeting, busy with school, or engaging in some piece of ministry… so I’m not helping with the "being present often" task!! So, we took the advantage of being together and got a few family pictures taken. The weather was fall-like with no snow in site so our pictures look like they were taken in the fall. But they turned out really good, yes, of course our group pictures did not have everyone looking in the same place at once and so on and so forth… but there are eight of us – one can only ask for so many miracles at a time!

I spent the days after Christmas sleeping, playing with the children, being the big-sister/house-making type person, and reading. Oh how completely lovely it was to read novels that are not on a required reading list… it has been months since I delved into such pleasure! Reminded me of how important and amazing it is!

I came back to my house in Kamloops on Wednesday hoping to run some errands but ended up sleeping almost the whole entire day, I must have needed it. And it didn’t help that a horrible headache took over. Ah, well as I was reminded a day of “nothingness” can be important every once in a while! So Thursday was my massive “prepare for New Years Eve” day and it was exhausting… the stores were packed full of people – and we all know how much I enjoy that…

So, New Years Eve this year… well, I hosted what I have been informed is the annual party this year at my place in Kamloops. So I currently have my four youngest siblings, three cousins, and two long time friends at my house taking over beds and floor space… I have somehow been kicked out of my bed and bedroom and sent to the air mattress on the living room floor. 3:00am and I am still hearing moments of laughter and the sounds of distant movies playing. Now I wonder, will they sleep in? And when will I be required to make breakfast?

Ah, it is all in great joy and we’ve made wonderful memories. Shared dinner, laughed lots, watched movies, played games, ate way too many snacks, and rang in the New Year with our sticker decorated wine glasses and sparkling juice! It was great!

Now… maybe sleep? I’ll share pictures from tonight when I can think properly again…