people who know you...

Merry Chritmas everyone...

Just had a lovely evening with friends from home last night. Wendy had a little party full of food and people at her house for the second year in a row. It was really just great to get out in the country and visit with 'home people'. I was thinking about how unusual it is that we all get together and have stayed in touch so much, and how much I really do love those people. From what I see not too many people do that when they have been out of school for so long but there's something kinda special about it. I think deep down inside most of us would love to all move back to Dalmeny and live the quaint, small town life, but out journey's have all taken us to all very different places. So as much as I think loving home is awesome and as much as I truly do love the place I came from, i was also having a wonderful chat with Matthew and we were both saying how it also makes life a bit more complicated. It makes our hearts pull in more than one direction when we are deciding on love and life and how we would like our lives to look. It's crazy cause really, when it all comes down to it you want people who know you around you. People who understand and care. And that's what 'home people' are, people who know you and love you. So I don't even know what my point with this whole thing is. My mind is still just thinking about all Matthew and I talked about last night. All I know is that I've gotta believe that God has some sort of big plan, cause sometimes certain things just don't make sense to me... haha, this isn't a very merry christmas message is it? Sorry, merry christmas everyone. I hope these next few days bring time to sit and be and love and be loved and to just know that there is a bigger plan that we have no idea about...

Sometimes you just need time away...

So, last week and the days preceding were for some unknown reason quite overwhelming. I was feeling on the edge of burn out, or what I would assume is burn out seeing as how I have not yet felt the fullness of the thing they call burnout. Whatever it was I was tired, my body was sick, I wanted to cry all the time, and I felt as if there was no way to slow life down. So that's where I was Thursdat night when I packed up my stuff to head out to Canmore for the week-end. As I was quickly throwing all my things in my pack to head out I almost stopped and didn't go... but since it was planned and I felt there were people expecting me to be there I went. Friday night I couldn't sleep, my head felt like it was going to blow up, I was hot and emotionally at the end. I lay on sweet Bettina's ( who was a wonderful host) bathroom floor and just said sorry to Jesus. Sorry for not even listening to my own body and taking care of myself. I thought of ways I could get home and just lay in bed. But as I awoke the next morning that didn't seem to be the best option. So I just prayed that the best would come from this week-end and I would go slow... and I did, and the best did come. In fact better than I could have imagined. And so I have come to the conclusion that sometimes you just need time away. Time to wake up and slowly get ready. Time to get up and read your bible and journal. Time to sit by the fire place in a strangers home and be encouraged by the faithfulness of these radical people before you. Time to talk about dreams and community and of what could be. Time to be honest. Time to look at what you could be doing better. Time to be encouraged at what you are doing right. Time to think about what God has called you to be. Time to take challenges. Time to meet new people who don't know you from a hole in the wall and never will but a simple conversation that has nothing to do with work or anything of importance, but is a wonderful breath of fresh air. Time to sit in hotsprings. Time to build deeper relationships with friends. Time to enjoy Canada and the beauty that is here. Time to strap on crampons and grab ice picks and climb the wall even further than you did the day before. Time to just be... no agenda, no expectations, just being. It was wonderful. I remember a friend talking about 'kingdom time'. It is a phrase that has been in my mind this past week-end. Kingdom time. Time to just be, to move when God moves and not a minute before. It is what I long to walk in. It is something I will strive to walk in. And though I feel that in our everyday lives kingdom time is something that needs to be fought for so I will try my best to fight for it... I just may need those closest to me to remind me from time to time.

Shane Claiborne at Fusion Youth

and here's the last one... it's pretty long (almost an hour actually) and so I don't expect many people to watch it, but I was home sick today and so ended up watching the whole thing... pretty powerful... I think Shane Claiborne is one of my heroes... If you haven't you should all read irresistable revolution...

The New Nativity Story Trailer

since I just realized how easy it is to post these youtube things I thought I would give everyone a few to watch... I watched this trailer earlier today and the realness of the christmas story was in my mind today... hmmm... hope this makes you think like it did me...

Gabriel and the Vagabond

Foy Vance, what a wonderful song... I heard this song on Grey's Anatomy and then couldn't get it out of my head. It really is a beautiful song...