Zofia

Gifts are something worth sharing about.

PEOPLE are the some of the best gifts we can ever receive.

RELATIONSHIPS are so important to all of us.

As I type this, my good friend Zofia is asleep in our spare room. She was our neighbor in Winnipeg. Our houses were so close that one could reach out our north-south facing windows and touch the other! Her oldest son's room looked into our room. (Those blinds stayed closed 90% of the time!! )

Zofia is a gift. She won't mind if I tell you about her, she is a very open person and believes that if parts of her story can encourage or inspire others, then it should be shared.

She moved from Poland with her husband and young son 20 years ago. I might be getting details mixed up, but I think her first home in Winnipeg was in the basement suite of a house on the street we lived on - but not the house she eventually bought.

Her children are (today) between the ages of 8 and 26. Her youngest three children were born in Canada. She will be a grandmother in a few months. She laughs when I talk about her looks, but she is very young looking and -in my opinion -glamorous - especially when she is going to church. :) Her commitment to the Polish Catholic faith is complete, and her youngest child is now attending catechism each week.

After some difficult times in her life, she spent some time reflecting. She calls it her awakening. I was privileged to be close enough in proximity and relationship to journey along with her on parts of the process. She even says that one day at lunch I called her 'strong' and convinced her that she might be. I think she was just open and ready to grow.

The awakening was in many ways spiritual (or at least, that was the most evident part to me). She became increasingly aware of God's presence in her life and realized that he'd been there all along, but she just hadn't been as aware. All of a sudden, music, sunrises, conversations, tears, patients in her health care role, her children -most things in her daily life - took on new meaning and she saw something deeper. Her world was different. There was a new beauty in every day and I actually saw this happening in her. Conversations with her changed, her voice and even her face changed as she 'awoke' to something new. She started each new day feeling with a security and faith that were becoming companions and increasing her joy.

There have been many changes in her life since she 'awoke' - most of them difficult ones. But she continues to align her life and choices with the things she's realized. For example, she told me last night that her children will find very little in the way of 'things' under the tree at Christmastime from now on - instead money will be spent on EXPERIENCES to enjoy together. (they went on a four week holiday to Europe this past summer and she takes them to plays and performances as often as she can...)

Zofia is a poet.

We spent some of our time together typing and editing her poetry... I'm attaching two of my favorites.. one old (from when we were neighbors) and one that she just shared with me.

(remember that english is Zofia's 2nd language.. so try to hear the poems with a wonderfully accented voice... :)

Droplets that Broke the Spell

The droplets were falling slow
From every direction that I’ve ever known
Every one came on time, landed deep
I couldn’t run away from them or skip

The droplets were timely, it wasn’t a chance
They would not allow me to live in the same trance
Every one brought its message, made me think
If I continued on the same course, I would only sink

The awakening had happened to me
Because my spirit was meant to be free
Wasn’t meant to be suppressed and kept in a cage
Such a treatment is certain to trigger some rage

The next chapter is up to me to write
If only the guidance sustains by my side
I received special tool, I can’t afford to lose
I hope the page stays open so I can use
The gift that I was presented for free
Which was the understanding that made me to see
That everything is different, nothing is the same
I was allowed to enter another life game

The awakening had happened to me
Because my spirit was meant to be free
Was meant to be loved, cherished every day
Such assurance is certain to keep me on the right way

My heart’s deep desire is answered at last
I need to stay tuned, so it would not pass
I hope the droplets will continue to appear
So one day I can say: “ I am completely free, without fear.”

The Power of Thought
There is way more here for me
Than your naked eye can see
I am following my dream
Its not triggered by a sin
There is thought behind my action
You could say I’m on a mission
The light is green, its only fair
I’m taking time to thoroughly prepare
My intention stays the same
Regardless of what you say
It will not weaken my strength,
It does not matter what you think
The presumption is on you
The conclusion that you drew
Is a product of your thought
Will not change the way I talk
There is way more here for me
Than your naked eye can see
I will try and try again
As long as it won’t cause pain
As long as its meant to be
The result will come, you’ll see
Impossible is nothing, dear,
Something whispers to my ear
Don’t you try to stop me now,
I’m determined, my dear pal
I feel this internal need,
I’ll try hard- I might succeed
I will not be stopped by fear
I’ll pursue my dream, its near
If I gave up, never tried,
I could waste my entire life

Merry Christmas

I found a neat video posted on one of Jamie's sites; the Little Flowers Community. It's an advent reflection assembled by Christine Sine, check it out here.
I've had a link to Jamie's blog ever since I started blogging. He's a fellow Winnipeg-er, and co-directs YWAM Urban Ministries Winnipeg with his wife. We don't know each other well, but I've learned a bit from reading his ideas -I'd encourage you to check his blog from time to time. I'm usually inspired when I do. The Little Flowers community is an intriguing partnership with Mennonite Church MB - I almost wish we still lived in Winnipeg so I could learn more about it!

I also got this you tube video from a friend. It has scenes from the Nativity Movie set to Christmas music.

If you have a minute, enjoy!

** look for an upcoming post with Christmas photos.. we had an awesome and memorable celebration with the Shields' and the Marsolais' --- fiddling and playing the spoons were part of the evening program :) .. and we weren't even in Quebec! Crazy things happen when you get all the french speaking people in one town together on Christmas day...!! **

Can you feel it?

There are a couple of repeated messages/news items that I keep hearing lately.. some people are connecting them. I'm with them...

First, the economy is the biggest news item going. Even the seasonal cards and letters we received at work were laced with references to our sagging and struggling economy. You can't open a magazine or a news site without hearing about how bleak and difficult things are.

Second, is a growing desire to return to simpler lifestyles, frugal choices.. consuming less and losing the motivation to accumulate stuff. Being more contemplative about how we live... a desire for more being replaced with a desire for less... Macleans had a cover article about frugality recently that helped me to see that this is a bigger trend than I had thought.


Have you noticed it too? This week, I was reflecting on this and wondered if the Spirit of God is behind it all.. you know, we (I?) tend to think of the Spirit often in terms of our personal lives, our own needs, relationships, our context... (or maybe thats just me) - we sometimes neglect to consider the larger picture, the ways that a sovereign God interacts with humanity and creation. It seems like there is something afoot in North America. I'm excited about what this means for North American Christians... Many people are listening, caring, longing to rightly respond... I read their books, blogs, and articles. Even though I have difficulty connecting the overall state of Christianity in our culture with the individual people that I interact with and know... the truth is that the church has somehow failed the rest of the world. It feels like we're realizing that, and wanting to do more about it. It feels like real justice, mercy, compassion, selflessness are increasingly pursued and noticed. It feels like we're seeing that we need to do more than send a few missionaries or service workers overseas, or more than sending a cheque in the mail. It feels right.

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So often during this advent season, I've bowed my head to pray and the prayer that springs immediately to mind is: 'Come, Holy Spirit..'

So now, I pray it for our world.. Come.. Holy Spirit.. be sovereign over our lifestyles, our culture, our blind spots, our priorities.
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My growing Christmas wish list:

• I wish for children all over the world to be cared for.



• I wish for diseases and medical concerns that could be easily treated in the first world to be easily treated everywhere.



• I wish to be cured of Affluenza.



• I wish for no children to be involved in the sex trade.



• I wish for no children to ever have to become soldiers.



• I wish for access to clean water for people all over the world.



• I wish for people with much to be willing to share, to take responsibility.



• I wish for sustainable lifestyles all over the world.



• I wish for corrupt governments to become just.



• I wish for the horrible disease of greed to be cured.



• I wish for people people to stop doing nothing because they think they can't make a difference anyway.



• I wish for courageous, innovative, inspired leaders to show us how to rethink our faith and our responsibilities.

I hope some of you readers will interact with these observations.. I know I'm not the only one thinking about this stuff...

My Christmas List

... maybe its advent conspiracy, or maybe it was the message in church yesterday, or some combination of recent reflections... but I've been thinking about what I really want for Christmas. Christmas lists are one LIST I never got into the habit of making.. so for Mom, who told me on Sunday that she reads this blog often .. here, finally, is the Christmas list you always asked me for... although, maybe this isn't what you had in mind? :)

• lots of conversations where people are truly themselves, not being false or pretending


• to have lower expectations and be less critical


• to be the kind of person who always offers dignity and grace to EVERYONE


• to be wiser about time- maybe more efficient


• FUN!!


• lots of eye contact, hugs and other evidences of relationship


• a sense of true connection with others


• to trust God more, be worried less


• to offer the kind of friendship that really hears and doesn't judge


• a cleaner house


• to grow in discernment, taking seriously the command to really see and really hear


• A book recommended to me called "the same kind of different as me"

small town life ...

... there is something amazing and awesome about living in a small community.

Coming from a lifetime city dweller, living in a little village is awesome. Wide open spaces, long walks on country roads any time of day, bike rides past farms and acreages, so many important things are nearby, horses trot down Main street, fairs that the whole town attends... so good.

Even better (for an extrovert, anyway :) are the relationships that are so easy to maintain and friends who are always nearby. If you need a listening ear, someone to laugh with, a little impromptu celebration, some encouragement or someone to tell you what you need to hear... all close by.

I just had a great night - a reminder of how good it is to live in a really great community.

Thanks, ladies!

A girly post...

..... About emotions........
My emotions have gotten the best of me a couple of times lately. I've been unusually teary, angry, or sad around people who have not really seen me in those ways before. (well, because I used to live in Winnipeg where my sisters are, so if I felt a need, there was always one of them with a shoulder to cry on or a floor to stomp on.)

So, I was feeling a little down on myself for being emotional. Especially in public kinds of ways...

But then, I thought about it. and I realized, hey, wait a minute.. where and who would I be without emotions?? And didn't I learn a long time ago that a blessing or a burden are just different sides of the same coin? Why am I feeling like this is a huge burden?

Why don't I instead consider the blessings of emotion. And I made a long list of things that fill me up on the inside:

• hugging my kids.
• seeing my daughter up on a stage, singing with a beautiful choir
• singing a song of worship to God
• appreciating my husband as he just does what he does and is who he is
• decorating the Christmas Tree, all the remembering
• The Word became flesh and moved in to the neighborhood. Unbelievable.
• praying for friends and family
• hearing about someone's journey
• the everyday sounds in our house.. like kids playing guitar or giggling on the phone
• babies
• being on teams of amazing people
• collaborative journals :)
• watching my kids interact and communicate well (it does happen every so often...)
• I could go on but its 11:32pm.

I'm feeling pretty thankful for the privilege of being emotional.

Spilling over

In researching and reading many wonderful books, I ask myself some questions.. like:

1. Why must I work? Why can't I just read and study and learn and be inspired?


2. How did these people get so smart?


3. and other questions like that. I also get distracted with coffee, facebook, snacks, many things.

So, I will inspire (bore?) (annoy?) (challenge?) you with some of the quotes I'm reading, because staying on track and just studying is so very difficult for me.

Peter Toon, in a book called God's Kingdom for Today: "When we ask ourselves 'how do we love ourselves', the answer, if we are honest, must be that we love ourselves selfishly. We are sinners, and we tend always to think of ourselves first. Therefore, since Jesus knew that our hearts are imperfect, he made clear the meaning of loving others by giving it definite content. After washing the sweaty feet of his disciples, he said "a new commandment I give to you, love one another'.. Later that day, Jesus referred to himself as the 'true Vine' to whom his disciples are united. He said, love one another as I have loved you. So, to love the neighbor is to imitate Christ; it is to love as he loved."

Have you ever known someone who somehow believed in you more than you could ever believe in yourself? The unwavering confidence of Jesus Christ in the church over the centuries is staggering - and its not because the church has earned it. - from The Magnificent Obsession, Swartz

The kingdom of God aches for courageous people who are willing to treat the wounds within the church.... more from Swartz.