"Jambo, Jesus!"

Sipping a cup of hot tea, my cousin Judy shared with me a dream she had in the wee early hours of this morning. It went something like this:
"I was trying to help you find work and we had been searching many places. I finally came across a place where you could help inner-city children learn how to read. I was a bit nervous about showing you this place because it wasn't exactly a "Christian" agency, but I thought you still might be able to make a difference there.
We pulled up to a building that looked a lot like a post office and ventured inside. Partitions were set up every where, with a tutor and a student in each booth. We looked around and again, I pondered, "would this be good enough for Karen, because I know she really has a missionary heart?"
Spotted in the distance was a cubicle missing some walls. We could see a chubby young black girl seated there. When she spotted us, a smile crossed her face and excitement sparkled in her eyes as she jumped up, ran over to Karen, and squealed, "Jambo, Jesus!"
Judy awoke with a smile on her face. Africa in the inner-city. Karen is just the person to share Jesus with this little girl and she knew that about her... she couldn't wait to hear the story of Jesus.
May I be a shining light for HIM!

Mosquitoes in the Moment

Yesterday I took another hike at Scanlon Creek, the shorter Maple Sugar trail. For the first few moments the journey was delightful. Ferns covered the forest floor, birds chirped, and the maples were out in all their glory. Then slowly the mosquitoes started to come out. First one. "I can handle this." Then two. "Okay, I'm annoyed... maybe I should walk a little faster." I was holding hands with a child who didn't want to let go, so when the mosquitoes came out in full force, it was all I could mentally manage not to panic. I wasn't able to swat the pests, so I had to handle the pain until we came to a spot of light or the end of the trail.
There is a Lebanese proverb that says: "He can swallow a camel but chokes on a mosquito."
How true is it that too often we can't handle the little things? They become overwhelming and all-consuming, when all around us is goodness and beauty. Why do we become swamped with the pests when in reality we are on a gorgeous journey? Seldom do we remember that the canopy of light above the trees is always there, we take it for granted. O sure, we remember the Light when we need it, but maybe we're focusing on the wrong things... no matter how much it hurts.
I don't have the answers. Trust me... mosquitoes BITE! But they are a truly small part on life's path.

Grasping the Light

Sunday night: An orange, pink, dark grey ambience filled with lightening all decorated the sky as I quickly made my way home from Hamilton. Flowing with the traffic on the 400, my friend Sarah and I were in awe of the Lord's creativity. I couldn't stop to take a pic of the sunset, but it was phenomenal. The cloud surrounding the glowing orange ball of a sun was super dark, but adorned by an orange lining and shaped like two crab claws trying to grab the sun.

When I got home I was able to take a few shots in the dark because the lightening was flashing through the clouds.
Saturday: It was high time for me to head out of town and take a break, so off to the Royal Botanical Gardens it was. With a picnic lunch and an adventurous attitude we hiked some trails and smelled the flowers. I must admit that I probably push friends or traveling companions to go where they may not wish to normally go. We tried to find 7 gnomes in a hedge maze and marvelled at the art of bonsai.

With our feet covered in blisters, a decision is made to head to our hotel for the night. Opening the door to room 707 we get a little giddy at the Crown Plaza. Each queen sized bed has 7 pillows and we dive right in! Wanting to, but not jumping on the bed, we were hugging each cushion instead and wondering what would happen to the pillows at sleepy time. Swimming in the pool and then strolling down King Street in the heart of downtown Hamilton led us to dinner at a Chinese Restaurant.

Sunday morning, we found our way up the mountain escarpment to attend Immanuel CRC. We listened to a "fitting" sermon entitled "Being Single". Psalm 37 :1-6 sneaks its way back into our theme of the weekend and Pastor Henry shares about committing our ways to God, and giving HIM our undivided attention.

Later in the afternoon, it was off to my brother's house for Jacob's 4th birthday party. I am proud of our latest family portrait.

But now I am back at home, trying to find the light amidst the unknown. I pray that God will always be the Light on my path.

Strength

A birch tree I came upon during one of my hikes last week.

"I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 18:1-2

Boys

Kevin is gorgeous and very active with church and outreach. Sam is real, always there... and the best friend who's just too afraid to express his love. Or is she. Once again another book pulled my chickee heart strings. It brought up memories of some great guys in my life.... and that's all I'm going to tell you. But I highly recommend this award winning book: "If Only You Knew" by Mags Storey.

Sounds of the Week

Gently swinging in my newly hung Filipino hammock (which has been in storage since 2004), I'm finishing a good book and listening to the airconditioner hum in the background. I'm hanging outside on the brick deck the family just laid this week, and I'm trying to stay out of the airconditioning as it is too cold for my liking. The hum doesn't annoy me, it becomes music to my ears, but it does make me ponder other sounds that I have heard this week.

• A preteen wraps himself in a blue and silver rocket shaped tent, pretending to be the wind. He spins and flas the tent with such creativity that I not only hear the wind, but feel its effects.
• An elementary school friend teases with delight as she once again beats me in Super Quiz. It's an annual contest, in which she wins a majority of the time, but honestly, I think my mind goes on a vacation too whenever I book time off of work.
• During my three days off I tune in to mosquitos buzzing as I hike a KingFisher trail at Scanlon Creek. Subways squeal as the track takes a slight curve, leading us to the Dupont station, so my friend and I can walk over to Casaloma. My ear gets a little sore from listening to three hours of Casaloma history in an audio tour device, but the info is fantastic. And later on in the day, I wiggle at the edge of my seat as I take in the "Jersey Boys" show and listen to some oldie but goodie Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons hits.
Here I am at Casaloma, with my listening device!
• My dreams were filled with rythym since Dad and my brother were pounding down bricks in the back deck. No, they weren't working at night, I was just trying to sleep after a night shift at work, and the sleep turned out pretty funky, I just can't remember what I was dreaming about.
• My Tommy Hilfiger watch (a gift from my bank years ago) ticks evenly, but that can only be heard when resting my head in my hands.

I've been pondering, how do I give audience to all of these other sounds and yet somehow miss the voice of God? I know He is very real in my life. I believe God has me where I am for a purpose. I pray that I am being used daily for His glory. But, somehow I am not hearing Him. I'm desiring some future direction and some passion for the now.