In short my week has consisted of redberry bible camp - camping at sturgeon lake (which is beautiful and I would say that everyone should go spend a week-end there!) - tea time at appleby - surprise b-day part for mom - visiting with family and friends - and kids club... It's been a wonderful week...

And to top it all off I ended up at the garden with friend Erica picking some of the harvest from our small little garden plot. How great it is to see vegetables on the plants that just a couple months ago were seed. I'm fascinated and have a new love for farmers and the food we eat...

A few thoughts have been swirling around my head. How can people live lives that are so hard. I remember a couple of years ago I told Amy I was going to do a photography book called 'Resiliency of the Human Soul' and lately I've been thinking about that phrase. I watched the news tonight and my heart ached for what's happening in Lebanon and Israel. Do they not see the beautiful people they are destroying, the heart-ache that is being felt, the lives are being that are being ripped apart. And it makes me think of my neighbours and the people around here that I call my friends. This is not the first or the last time that evil will hurt people. In fact it is this evil that has forced my neighbours to flee the homes they love and move here to a country they are strangers. It almost seems hopeless to see the pictures and hear the stories. But then I look out at the kids at Kids club tonight. I see children who have lived a life so foreign to me. I see mothers and fathers watching their children from a distance, who have experienced more than I can imagine. And then they smile and laugh and love and I am reminded that beyond these evils are people who just want to be at peace, people who want to be with family and laugh with friends. Tonight I am reminded that although there is much evil there is a beautiful resiliency to the human soul...

So tonight let's pray...

A little bit of an update...

Well it's been a while since I have posted and I was told tonight by my dear room-mate that it was time to do it again. I just got home from a lovely supper at the Braun's. We had our first community cooking night. (Erica, Amy, Lisa, Rob, and Maddie - I couldn't have asked for a nicer evening - thank-you!) Tonight was Chinese food. It was scrumptous! But I think my favourite part of the evening was the lovely conversation. I sat there and thought that these are the people I want to speak into my life, to push me, to journey with and ask questions about how we can make this world a better place. It really was an inspiring evening. We talked a how we were going to live more sustainably. I've really been thinking about this lately. Thinking about what little changes I can make to live a simpler and more kinder life. I've thought about whether I should try the bus and bike transportation life in the fall or shopping more organic, local food or buying fair trade clothes. There is just so much one could do it's overwhelming at times. It was so nice to sit and visit with friends about these kind of things. I know I think them often but how often am I challenged by friends in the practical ways I live my life. It made me think of what little choices I can make. I'm still thinking so stay tuned to hear of these lovely new life changes...

On another note I wanted to talk a little about what's going here in our lovely home. Last night, as per usual, it was Kids Club. We've been thinking lately on how we would like to do a little bit of teaching and talking to these kids about important things in life, things that we value, things that shape our lives. So last night we decided to venture out. Loving one another was what we talked about. They answered questions and stayed involved and once again I was amazed at my little friends. However, the moment I wanted to tell you about happened a few minutes later. There was my little 'Cinderella' (if you have read previous posts you'll know what I'm talking about). She was sitting on Colin's shoulders. They came up to me and she clearly announced that she had a secret for me. She leaned down only to whisper this wonderful secret into my ears. Her face lit up and she exclaimed in a voice louder than a whisper, "I love you!". Her little eyes were dancing as she smiled from ear to ear. Hmmm... sometimes I wonder what we are doing around here. Sometimes I wonder if our words are being heard. Sometimes I should just stop wondering, because God is good and children are beautiful and loving people is grand...