A Fellow Traveller

Over me, under me, I am surrounded, I am surrounded by You You are holding me, constantly, I am astounded how I am surrounded by You. Those words (and corresponding music) has been in my head all week, making the truth expand to fill my heart. The truth of love and grace can surround me like air, even as I am unaware of my breathing it in and out. Sometimes I need protection over me. Often I need strength that supports and holds me up. I also need the comfort and assurance of arms of love that can wrap around me when I feel inadequate. The ultimate truth is that as I call out to Jesus, his love can be all that and more.

The workshop was great. There were lots of new ideas, some old ideas but all were presented in a fresh, active learning way. It was for teachers but was not about the curriculum. Instead, the 2 day workshop focused on the behaviour mangement of students. And it wasn't about changing the kids but about changing how I present and teach things. A simple comment, made as an aside, has stayed with me. The presenter said we would actually practice doing things the wrong way first. She said we will inevitably fall back into the old habits, no matter how good our intentions. The secret for change is learning to recognize what has happened in the moment, and then to step into a rehearsed recovery pattern. By doing the wrong first, and then practicing how to replace it with a better way, I can begin to feel the new way. It will take time before it becomes a habit....and repeated "recovering" attempts, but I shouldn't give up. How many times do I fail to incorporate new lear...

A road trip along the Georgian Bay is a great way to vacation. The northern vegetation combined with an expanse of water is refreshing . We only had a weekend but we explored and discovered some abandoned sites along the way. In Nobel we found remnants of a wind tunnel used to test the Avroll Airplane engine. On Parry Island we found the Harbour where ammunition was stored and later burned. What made the remnants of concrete interesting were the stories from the past. Tom had done his research and bit by bit painted a picture of what had been. You could only look at the remains and infer from their placement where the buildings might have been. In some cases, all that was left was flush with the ground. The footprint left was quite small. Time and progress is gradually wiping it all away. Sometimes it was only part of a concrete floor or wall that could be found. But I found it interesting. The fun was in looking, taking pictures and realizing that a whole bunch of 'history' w...

Walking today in the rain, I realized that if it had been pouring when I started walking, I would have grabbed an umbrella as protection. I would have hesitated to step out into a pouring downpour without protection. At the very least I would have prepared myself for the onslaught. It started as a light mist, gradually increasing in intensity to a heavy mist, and then finally to a light rain. I savoured the raindrops on my face at first, and noticed the tickle of rain on my neck. It took a long time, but eventually I found myself wet all over. I didn't try to escape, but instead soaked up the experience. I found myself embracing the moisture running down my face, trickling down my neck. This was healing rain. I wanted more. God gives me just enough of himself to be healing; too much and I would run and hide. He gives enough to quench my thirst.......enough to saturate my heart....... as I continue searching for more. Here are the lyrics to Michael W. Smith's song Heali...

A quilt is a collection of many bits and pieces, often scrapes and leftovers, pieced together to create beauty in an arrangement of design and pattern. Our friendship is also a collection of bits and pieces, often time and stories, linked together by the Creator who oversees the finished product. Only he knows how bits of my story and bits of your story will merge and influence each of our final quilts of beauty. We can appreciate his creative process as we view glimpses of beauty in the other's quilt, trusting God for what we cannot yet see in ourselves. I know in my head that true beauty is developed through interactions with others. I often lose sight of this when life gets busy and I resent interruptions. Two things I know to be true: "People are always more important than things." " The important things are not always the urgent and the urgent things are not always important." How do I find balance and yet stay focused on what needs to be accomplished? Ma...

Today I'm up before the sunrise, once again driving my husband to work so that I can have a car to drive. I'm feeling half asleep, but that's okay. I'm planning on going back to bed to continue sleeping. That's been my routine, every third day of summer. Other things are on hold, like school, so I'm trying to adjust. Driving back, I choose to go through downtown Welland. Even with all it's stoplights, I sail right through. In amazement, I watch light after light stay or turn green, seemingly just for me. I had heard that they were timed to keep traffic flowing but I had never experienced it so clearly before. Wouldn't it be neat if God opened doors that clearly? If I could sail through decision after decision, knowing his will clearly and confidently? But it's more complicated than that. Other people seem to complicate things, slowing down traffic, causing more stops and starts. If I can stay focused on what's just ahead, I'll be okay...

The early morning fog shrouded my neighbourhood in a damp mist. Instead of enjoying the sunrise, I found myself in a shadowy world, walking inside the dampness of a cloud. Spider webs stretched over lawns like mushrooms. Bushes and trees had their share of feathery webs while many were now visible beside fence posts and porch railing. What had been hidden before was now made visible. When I’m walking around in a fog, things sometimes seem surreal. It’s easy to be clouded in my thinking and forget foundational facts. The spider webs were already there but were invisible and unnoticed. Now, suddenly they are clear and brought into focus by a cloud resting on the ground. All week I’ve been thinking of the spider’s web as a canopy of God’s grace. Maybe this reminder is even more necessary on foggy days. When I’m feeling overwhelmed by outward demands, I need to look for evidence of God’s love and care for me. It’s a foundational fact that is often clouded and easi...