THE GATHERING.

A family gathering on the way to Ladner on a sunny but cold day!

Dad and I left all the dead relatives at home that through his study of genealogy he has been discovering. We picked up Sandra, after a second start because I could not remember if I had turned the stove off under the hard boiling eggs. The day for me continued to be difficult as I tried to remember what I was talking about. Very frustrating for me but something I may have to live with. Anyway, we drove to Chilliwack to meet Carol and Panteli who had been skiing at Manning park [I had a pause there to try and think of the name} and then at Harrison. They were already at the bookstore when we arrived there. We have not been there for a long time but I am guilty of buying too many books but half price would be good.

Morgan was happily putting out paper plates for us on the coffee table and Ben right away wanted to show grandpa his new book. Theresa was busy making a delicious lunch which can be hard with all our different diets. Sandra is on a liver cleanse with Randy and needs to pick up more protein drink today.

We were able to finally connect with Ken and Melina on the computer screen and see big brother chasing after Matthew and Jasmine happy and content on her mommy's knee. Morgan had great fun seeing herself and asking Matthew questions; so poor Ben did not really get much of a go. The rest of us wanting to see but not to be seen so it was a little bit of reality T.V.

We are a happy group and enjoy getting together which is a real blessing. We came home and dad was disappointed no tennis but the hockey was on so that was good. Brian, my brother phoned, to catch up on our news and he is always willing to say a prayer so I asked prayer for Leah who is still in recovery from her accident. Rick will be here on Wed. so we can catch up on his news. We talk about getting together with Chris but so far that is not happening.

I am taking C out for lunch today to hear how things are going with Ava and the new baby and all her family. I think it will do her good just to get away for awhile. So off to church to catch up on our church family news.

All that we experience everyday imprints our souls with the positive and the negative but I will always be grateful for our family; how different we all are yet how similar!

AWARENESS

We all have needs to be loved and accepted and appreciated; but these needs will often go unmet. We have to learn how to share our inner longings with one another; yet with the awareness that no human being can really understand us; and in fact will often disappoint us.

Everything does not happen at once and somethings will take years to mature abd develope. We need to be aware of our own pain which I think come out of two things; the need to control
and the failure to let go. No matter what life is not calm even as a garden will never be free of weeds. Gardens need constant care and attention as do our relationships. The fairy stories that ended in the lovers living happily ever after are very misleading.

Finding someone to go through the rough and the smooth in life takes an effort that can seem to take more than we have to give. That is when we go to the well of faith and drink from living waters and regain our sense of self. We are all in process and we all need to grow and learn from each other. If we could only do it gently without out letting the hurtful anger have it's way.

Like the seasons in nature we go through seasons of growth of death of loss and the return of life.

"Among the bare banches a light wind sounds and ceases
and a last leave flutters down, trembling
a moment more. . . and stillness.

SILENCE - THE BALM OF THE SOUL

A quiet walk looking for beauty in a small stream

Jewish wisdom reminds us there is a time to be silent and a time to speak. I think of how delightful it is to look into a little tiny babies eyes and see them light up. As they grow older we think they are not listening if we do not have eye contact. The other day at Theresa's house I spelt a word and Theresa said Ben is learning how to spell. Sometimes little ears hear more than we want.

I love the early morning quiet my secret time in thought and prayer. I love finding a quiet place on my walk where I can just enjoy nature. When the world is covered with snow it also seems to be blanketed with stillness.

"Silence needs to be learned, because silence is a great skill and by it you recognize the person of great intelligence." -Everyday Holiness by Alan Morinis. Be still and know I am God scripture reminds me. I want to rush in and give advice and solve an other's problems but I am going to have to learn to be more patient and to listen and to keep listening. We all know about Job's friends who had so much advice to give him and none of it was helpful so he told them to be silent.

Why is speech judged more powerful than the sword? If you want to keep people down and destroy their self-worth you do not let them be educated. Knowledge opens the door to freedom and "the soul needs contemplative solitude to digest learning and experience and convert it into wisdom."

The still small voice that spoke to Elijah the prophet was a quiet rustling not a great wind nor the earthquake nor the fire all these things come and go while the still voice is always available to the willing listener.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR STEPHEN

It is good to have things to celebrate and our grandson's 30th birthday is a great joy. Yes, he did start the parade that keeps growing and growing. We are so blessed!

Amazing grace, the gentle side of God, is like the quiet beauty of a gentle sunrise!

Gentleness.

We too often live in a world of harsh reality that remind us of our own faults and failures. A mounties fall from grace is blamed on too much stress in this morning's Sun paper. I fell lost in uncertainty in how to advise a friend whose marriage is going through a difficult time. I do not know what to say but it seems wise to say little and just listen. It is the little things in life that we need to take note of and appreciate. The coffee set out for morning, help with making supper, the garbage put out, sharing past memories together. Home should be a safe place, a refuge from the storms of life; where we listen and try to understand. There are so many questions that we cannot answer but if I leap ahead to a year from now what will be different. I am sure there will be more headlines of doom, more people will fall from grace, whether in the police force, the sports world, the religious or the irreligious. If we look for the positive which may not be on the front page we will find it.

Harshness demands justice and yet our own hearts long for for forgiveness and grace!

"Crazy, holy grace" The spirit of gentleness flowing still! I am left wondering if I can gentley encourage a journey into reality where there is no blame? ?

PHOTOGRAPHING

This is from last week when we drove to Ladner to take pictures. I found it too cold and windy so left dad at the top of the hill bravely taking pictures of mountains and water.

We found a quieter place where I said "let's stop here." A cheerful man walked by with shorts on and with a door, sorry I mean dog. lol We did not realize until he walked away he had a wooden leg. You meet nice people no matter where you go! !

Dad and I went out to Fort Langley to take pictures. I had been for my walk and had dug around in the garden. I have to be very careful not to overdo it and the front part can be tricky going on the rocks around the plants. I was thinking one of those walking sticks would be good but I guess that would look a little funny. But at my age I should not care.

It was sunny but not as warm as we had thought. It is wonderful just to wonder through the day and not be in any hurry or not to be in a certain place. We want to take the sky train from the airport into town which we should do before it gets any busier.

We had lunch at Langley at a very popular book store and cafe. Lunch was good but so was looking at the books. I was beside two young girls who were chatting away about what they had read and wanting to buy and soon we all three starting talking. I found a book in the bargain section for only $2 called "Leaping Without Words". Cultivating and exploring the sacred through writing and reading. The back cover said this book is for anyone who senses that words can be more than the expression of ides, they can be vessels and containers for the sacred. When I got it home I was very disappointed it was too wordy and for me the light of the spiritual did not shine through.

LESSONS FROM THE PAST.

IT IS GOOD TO HAVE SOME DIRECTION IN LIFE.

I think if we looked at the Bible as a book of stories about God and faith and the lessons a group of people learned on their life journey; we would not get so uptight about it. Our ladies Bible study group that meets at Colebrook every other Wednesday is now studying a book called "Wisdom for Today's Woman." The chapters look interesting, responding wisely and choices have consequences etc. etc. But I have a feeling that if we were to have the author in the room with us we would often disagree with her. We answer the questions from where we are in our spiritual journey and have the freedom to discuss and to laugh together.

I have been reading about Benjamin Franklin and his thoughts on self-improvement. He strongly believed that we need to study and to read and to be open to change. No one can tell another person they need to change it must come from within themselves when the time is right for them.

RYTHEM

The soul responses to music.

Church was a pleasant mixture of singing, listening and sharing. We have such a good group at Colebrook that as we continue to go makes us feel more and more at home. After our lunch with Sandra; where I found out why I had been mixed up on face book, we had a visit with our friends Pat and John., at our house. The rhythm of life was discussed as we talked about our new baby girl named Jasmine and our other family and then about the funeral she had just attended in England for her dad. Birth and death, joy and sorrow. are moments when the angels sing over us.

We can find solace in music even when religion leaves us cold. Music stires up past memories and wakens us to the beauty of life even in the midst of busyness and stress. I can sing along with the songs that I know and not worry about each note!

Are you wearing green?