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been such a great summer, thought I'd jot down a few favorite things we've seen and done this year ...   enjoy!

We had planned a nice dinner out while on holidays, but then, as is often the case while away, plans changed.  So, the following weekend we were back in Winnipeg and went to The Current at the Forks.  Dinner was really good, then we shared a chocolate mousse-brownie dessert made with Callebaut Dark Chocolate.  It was all so, so nice.  We are not in the habit of going out for expensive meals, so this was a rare treat.  It didn't hurt that it was a beautiful summer night at the Forks, and that we were on foot.  If you haven't walked around downtown, the Exchange, or the Forks this summer, I hope you get a chance soon!

I read Michener's ALASKA over the course of a couple of weeks - including two solid days when I was sick.  I'm such a fan of Michener's writing -   he's such a thorough researcher.  The way he ties things together, weaving the details from 1000 years ago into the present reveals such a talent for storytelling. 868 pages though - not for the easily distracted.   There were so many different perspectives of Aboriginal contact with Russians and Americans.  I really appreciated the care taken to show the difference between diverse clans and groups.  In particular, the Aleutian Natives are characterized as a peace loving, spiritual, reflective people.  Here's part of the story of one Aleut 'conversion' attempt -

 'Gravely, the shaman place Cidaq on a stool and took a position facing her; then, as if he were summarizing his entire life, he began speaking: 'young woman, have you not seen the Russian Christianity?  Has it done anything for our people?  Has it brought us the happiness they promise? Has it brought food (back to our island, after the merciless hunting and senseless killing of our food supply)? Do they love us as their Book says they should?  Do they respect us? Do they allow us entrance into their places? Have they given us any new freedoms, or even preserved the ones we had built for ourselves? Is there anything ... any one thing you can think of ... any good thing their God has given us? And, is there any good thing which we already had which they have not taken away?'"  

This particular plotline goes on to tell about Cidaq's long journey to reconcile the beliefs of her people and her childhood to the 'new way' brought by the Russian colonizers. Another 'contact' story is about sailors taken in and cared for by a small village.  Exposed to the Natives traditions and way of life, the sailors embrace new perspectives about them, genuinely SEEING them as people, not savages.  I'm sure there were many stories like this in the history of our continent - there just weren't ENOUGH of them.

We spent a couple of near Melville, Sk.  A good part of one of our days was at the Motherwell Homestead, near Abernethy, Sk. Even if you don't live in SK, the Qu'appelle Valley is gorgeous and this National Park Site is worth the drive.  The Motherwell family was important in early Saskatchewan History.  The house and barn were built of stone that took over 8 years to collect from the surrounding countryside.  The family had come from Ontario and brought some revolutionary ideas to prairie farming.  Mr. Motherwell's second wife was a teacher in the local residential school, where she apparently opposed the mandate of complete assimilation.  She allowed children to speak in their own languages, and tried to respect their history.  She was known as a 'difficult and strong minded woman' - I wished there were more of her history available!

We watched the Beatrix Potter biography, with Renee Zellweger.  What a lovely, sweet story.  Without giving away too much of the story, (because you should watch it if you haven't!) - I loved seeing the way that Beatrix grieved.  It seems rare to me to see such deep emotion in a film, expressed so humanly.  (maybe thats because my favorite genre is fluffy romantic comedies, watched purely for entertainment and escapism?)  Beatrix was a feisty and eccentric woman, and she became the best selling children's author of all time.  She had imagination, confidence, perseverance, and she wasn't flattened by rejection or ridicule. I was surprised that I remembered the names of several of her characters.... I think I love Jemima Puddle Duck best, but maybe its just because of her fun name.  Here's a quote from the movie, when Beatrix meets her soon to be best friend, Millie;

"I have decided that you and I are going to be friends. Norman tells me that you are unmarried, as am I, and that you're not unpleased about it... as am I.  I warn you, I am prepared to like you very, very much, and I plan to enjoy each others company quite a lot!"  

I'm sure it was just as risky to say such things in Beatrix's day as it is in ours, and I am always drawn to those who have the confidence to be honest and vulnerable.

Without meaning to do it, I've talked about three strong and unique women in this post.... maybe I should also recommend that you have a peek at my women and strength board on pinterest :)

the year end post

like lots of bloggers, here is a year end compilation of best-ofs, reflections, hopes, thoughts.. all because of the way we understand the significance of that moment between December 31 and January 1st...

best moments of 2010 -

• the year starting with an engagement as the clock struck 12:01 ... followed by a May wedding at our house! 
• deciding to stay long term at Flats
• starting practicum, moving in the direction of dreams, seeing the fruit of hard work
• San Francisco with the family for 9 wonderful days in July!!
• finding out just how much I can cope with and realizing what is on the other side of getting to the place of NOT being able to cope anymore
• mini escapes retreats - Grand Forks, Vancouver, Kenora, Calgary, Hepburn, even Caronport!
• visiting another intentional community - Sojourners - and learning from their structure/practices
• receiving an indian name in a very moving and memorable way
• watching my husband become a student ... one who loves learning, does well, and is accomplishing goals that he never thought were possible for him
• seeing our kids grow into loving our crazy life and crazy choices - watching them interact and reap the benefits of living in community (and maybe even learn a few of the lessons it teaches....)
• having all sorts of new people move in with us, learning about people in deep and meaningful ways, learning what makes them tick and what makes them hide in their rooms.
• realizing that I might just be an okay therapist someday, and realizing that narrative ideas are a good fit with my values and passion for community.  Sort of like a falling into something by accident and realizing that it maybe wasn't so accidental...
• spending time with nieces and nephews, realizing in every visit the deep joy that is part of these relationships!  ' I yuv ewe, unka-telly' - accompanied by a tight squeeze of little arms around my neck - that has to be my favourite phrase of the year!  

best books I read this year - I love books.  I LOVE books - the paper pages and cover kind that we hold in our hand!  I am saddened by the popularity of Kindle and its cousins because I'm afraid they signal the beginning of the end of real books. Here are a few of the bona fide books I loved flipping the pages of this year - cover to cover, with highlighter in hand!

• Stuart Murray's The Naked Anabaptist
• Katie Funk Wiebe's You Never Gave me a Name (Thanks, Lisa!)
• Hauerwas andVaniers's title in the Duke Reconciliation Series Living Gently in a Violent World
• Jonathan Wilson's (Sr.)  Living Faithfully in a Fragmented World (I also enjoyed a coffee date with Jonathan in Vancouver, accompanied by Jess and Noah!)

treasured learning - 

• both/and not either/or - more on this in a future post, I hope.  Suffice it to say that I am internalizing and gaining insights about the co-existence of apparent extremes, learning about contrasts. Especially, I'm becoming more accepting of their frequency and regularity in all of life ... I'm embracing both/and and letting go of either/or. (I guess this is still on the theme of accepting tension)
• marriage - 2010 was hands down the hardest year of married life we've ever had.  2011 will (we hope) be the year of living out the things we learned and leaving behind the things that need to be left behind.  Enough said.

reflections - 

• 2009 and 2010 were both years that I'm glad to see the back-end of.  Thats a yucky feeling - the inner war between being ungrateful and being honest.
• I'm so grateful for the consistent awareness throughout both years of the amazing gift of family and friends who love and support you through challenging circumstances.   I am so grateful for people like Bren, Lorrie, Paul, Lisa, Ted, Karen, Bry, Andy, Bek, Lori, Warren, Lisa B, Sheryl, Zach, Jeff, Amanda, Carol, Rob, Gloria, Cath, Cynthia, Norma, Bruce, Cory, all the Flats (past and present!) - and many others who have supported, prayed, loved, cared, and encouraged. There are so many people (lots not named!) who consistently show me what it is to be a friend. My life is so rich because of the people in it.   
• I can be honest about the consistent struggle in both years - we haven't been able to find the balance, consistency, or the certainty that we once had - yet we try to have a normal life in its absence. Here's to hoping that 2011 is the year of renewed stability. 

looking forward to in 2011 - 

• internship - as I write this, three possibilities for internship are yet to be sifted through and decided upon.  
• more time with friends - we realize that much of our life is taken up with community living stuff, and then there's the business of making ends meet and having time as a couple or as a family... there's precious little left over!  We are both resolving to spend more time with our amazing friends and family in 2011.

The Urban Saint

"I've come to terms with the risks. I know my calling. I know what I'm supposed to be doing. I can't back away from what I've been designed to do because of some opposition." Harry Lehotsky, to a Winnipeg reporter.

I read Harry Lehotsky's bio this weekend. I recommend it. It was a bit hard for me to get into the way the book is written, but once I did, I was completely engaged.

Harry is an inner city pastor from a neighborhood adjacent to the one we live in. Over the years, I certainly heard a lot about him and was inspired over and over again by his actions and life. I remember inviting him to come and speak to our staff team over at ICYA. A couple of times, I brought young people who wanted to learn more about inner city ministry over to his office on Maryland. I heard him speak at Missionfest a few years ago. And I used to bring folks to the Ellice Cafe often, because Harry's vision for that place as a hub of community -where social position and other barriers didn't matter - was so meaningful.


I was driving when I heard on the radio that Harry had terminal cancer a few years ago, and I was immediately teary. I wept for the community that would lose one of its champions, for sons who weren't done needing their dad, for a wife whose dreams of grandparenting together would never be realized.

The book filled in a lot of gaps that I didn't know about in Harry's life. I knew a lot of the crazy stunts, but it was nice to learn more of the story behind the story. Some of the crazy things I've heard about were not even in the book, others I read about and had no idea.

Courageously crazy. That might be a good description of the Harry I just read about and the Harry I observed. I feel similar about Keith Green... we hear and sometimes shake our heads the outrageous stunts, but when we reflect on them a bit, we can see a heart that is breathtakingly committed to Christ and his Kingdom .... they reveal our fears by their lack of fear.

Some of the thoughts that grab hold of me in this book...

• Harry referring to himself as one who both comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable



• His constant invitation to be part of the neighborhood and love people - believing that more are called than are responding - responding to so many questions and affirmations with the suggestion that anyone can do it.



• realizing that his 'healing handprint' is all over Winnipeg's west end.



• the rawness of what deep commitment to a community and restoration can do to someone, revealing how deeply the hurts of a people and a community can 'undo' a person whose eyes truly see



• Harry was unabashedly committed to living and working in the same neighborhood. He challenged inner city missionaries who weren't willing to expose their families to poverty and other realities while those things were perfectly okay for the people who 'belonged' in that neighborhood. I was well on my way to having that same opinion long before I heard Harry talk about it, but he certainly inspired me. My husband and I still have to settle that debate - we thought moving to rural Saskatchewan would fix it once and for all, but ... isn't life funny, there are some things you just can't dodge! (I wonder if that's 'calling'?!?)



• considering the relationship between community activism and worship. Where is the line? Is there a line? What's the difference?



• Second chances, hope filled belief.. Harry exemplified a commitment to these in his relationships.

Have you read the book? What are your thoughts?

Do you know if you're in the right place and doing what you're designed to do?

Words

Do you love words? I adore words. I like words alone on a page, compiled in a story, spoken in prayer. I like words that build, words that describe, words that affirm. I think i especially like words that surprise. They're such useful things, words. Oh.. songs. words set to music. There are so many gifts to us through words and language, yes?

I am right now writing a paper on a fascinating book; Marva Dawn's 'Talking the Walk'. The reverse concept she's playing on with her title is of course Walking the Talk. I long for more rubber meeting road... more putting our money where our mouth is... Are you like me? - a little cynical of theory because of the absence of practice?

Marva's way of talking about the title and content of the book says this (among other things): 'during the last century, english speaking christians have been stressing that we should 'walk our talk'. -that our way of living should match the values that we espouse. That christians don't act on what they know and say is still a problem, for the passivity of wealthy societies keeps escalating.'

This wise author is a favorite of mine, and this isn't my first paper on one of her books. One of my great sadnesses is that I won't go to Regent and learn from her. Jess - are you taking anything from her?!

She says that she compiled the essays in this book because God is the point. Of Life. And somehow, using a language that isn't corrupted and stained, or made irrelevant, or overused and diluted, ... finding ways to redeem damage done - all this will help that fact (that God is the point) be better understood and more known.

She even refers to herself as a corrupter of God's name in the intro to the text. This resonates with where I dwell a lot these days:

"I corrupt God's name still more by forgetting that every person I encounter bears God's image, that how I treat the passers-by and wheelchair pushers and janitors and military guards ... will reflect that corruption if I don't pay attention."

This post isn't only about a great book I'm reading and writing about. Its also a confession.

I have not honored words well in many, many conversations. I have resisted (and it was deliberate!) conforming my language to the 'churchy' expectations I encountered after becoming part of the Christian subculture. I became part of this culture because of a choice to re-orient away from self and towards Christ. i soon realized that not only was I converted to Christ, but also to this whole new expectation of how I should act.. right down to how I said things!!. I've stubbornly (there, I said it!) tried to be converted only to Jesus... not something else. (I think I was shocked to discover that Jesus actually opposed legalism.. so I vowed to oppose it too!)

But, today, as I read Marva's beatiful treatise about words, about liturgy, about their POWER and BEAUTY... I was converted. I am repentant about the way my language may have been corrupted (by whats in me) and contributed to corrupt interpretations. (about God) (Those abound, don't they? I don't have to support them any more than I already do just because I'm stubborn!)

Marva Dawn quotes Confucius who wanted to 'rectify names' as an approach to leadership. Lets be people of our word. Lets say what we mean and mean what we say.. and do nothing that brings our word into question.

Also, lets realize the far reaching implications of our words.. a hebrew term for 'word' is also used for 'event' - our words are powerful behavior shapers! They really do become actions...

too many topics

Sometimes it feels like I have not much to say. This isn't one of those times. I have had so much in my head recently I have had to stop and make notes just so my brain wouldn't overflow.
So this post is just a conglomeration of things I've been wondering about lately, a 'pot-pourri' as my pastor would say. (and he'd anglicize it and make sure to pronounce the 't'.)

• i spent last week learning. i really love the mod format for seminary classes where I study. its good to have 'intensives' - it means that other times are less intense. or at least it's supposed to...
• on the way home i picked up two hitchhikers. I know i learned a lot from class, but the things i learned from these two young people were just as relevant, methinks. They liked to talk, and they indulged my curiosity. We talked all the way from Regina to Winnipeg. They termed themselves 'travelling kids' and they had all sorts of underground info about how to 'borrow' transportation. They taught me that the Arlington bridge in Winnipeg got here by accident; it was actually constructed for the River Nile. Yup. These two have hopped trains and hitchiked all over North America. They aren't interested in playing by the rules or cooperating with any systems, they just want to do their own thing. And they don't want be judged for it, but they know that they frequently are. hmmmm. I really like picking up hitchhikers. I always feel sad when my car is too full and I can't manage to help someone out. When I was asking a friend about his hitchhiker-picking-up habits, he jokingly referred to growing up in a home where 'he was taught to fear people who are different.' hmmm. Thats sad, hey? My son happened to be there for that conversation, and I was reassured that he is not being raised to fear those who are different than himself. So, I learned from the hitchhikers AND got a point on the my-kids-might-just-be-okay-in-spite-of-me scale. :)
• Releasing and embracing: this may become a post of its own - but for now, I'll just touch on it. As I grow in my understanding of what it means to be a therapist, I realize that there is much to embrace and much to let go of. For example, I know that I need to embrace a more moderate approach. I am solution oriented.. I have a struggle to sit with people and patiently explore patterns and situations. I just want to be FIXING. THis is not the role of a counselor. On the other hand, I'm letting go of my task-orientation in order to pick up a more affirming, patient, non-anxious orientation. I like that. I look forward to growing in this area.
• One of my favorite people visited me for a day on campus and a sleepover while i was at caronport. What a treat! I so enjoyed the time together, the sharing of life - deeply honest talk about struggles, joys, beauty and pain. I know I talk about relationships a lot in this blog, but they really are my most treasured 'possession'.
• For one of my pre-class assignments, I had to write about a book called 'The Doctrine of Humanity'. I may be a Masters student, but books like this are beyond my brain power. But somehow, some seeds from this text captured me. I found myself thinking about individualism and collectivism. (is that a word?) I have been praying to be free from 'individualism'. I don't want to be concerned with myself to the exclusion of others...
• life is good. It is full, it is not easy, but we are doing very well these days. We continue to adjust, to settle in, to question, to pray.. and we are blessed.

shared life

Tonight, I had a great date with a great friend. We met while we both lived in Saskatchewan, but we now both find ourselves in Winnipeg and it is great!


Our friendship deepened quickly as a result of a seminary assignment I had early in our time of knowing one another- I needed to write about 'spiritual conversations' and chronicle the experience from several different perspectives. She agreed to be the conversation partner, and a unique relationship developed and has blossomed fruitfully - in both of our lives - in the time since.


This evening's conversation was rich in talk about grace and perspective. I was reminded of the opening thoughts in a book I have yet to finish reading. It's called 'Exiles - Living Missionally in a Post Christian Culture', authored by Michael Frost. He opens the book with reference to his 'pointed critique' of the church in places like Canada and the US. He says that some read his work and celebrate it as prophetic, while others call him a church basher. He claims that neither is true; and quotes another author... "It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half wit remains a half wit and the emperor remains an emperor." Perhaps he is saying that pointing things out is only helpful if its attached to something meatier, more substantial. And, for his purposes, if it's also wrapped in love and commitment. (Here, he quotes Ephesians 4:15, which encourages us to speak the truth in love.)


That was part of our conversation; this mysterious thing called grace in our day to day lives. As our understanding of it increases, it is usually preceded by some difficulty - perhaps failure, perhaps suffering. These experiences 'thicken the narrative' of our lives, enrich us and deepen us. (this is a thought from one of my counselling profs...) The most memorable part of our conversation (for me, anyway) came from my friend's discussion of what she's been learning about grace. I'll quote her...

"So often we say that people need to be more loving, but we ourselves fail to show love. Or we say that the church needs to be more forgiving, but we ourselves fail to offer forgiveness. Or we talk about a family that should be more gracious, but we ourselves don't extend grace. I'm just trying to be the one who shows love, offers forgiveness, extends grace."

I guess I'm kinda wondering if she has nailed down some 'substance' we might add to what Frost calls 'pointed critique.' I'm kinda wondering if somehow this is a way to speak the truth in love like Paul is talking about.

Incidentally, we got together to play Canasta - I'm sure glad we didn't, I think I needed this conversation more. But next time we're together, we will play. And I will win.

Better World Books

In my search for cheap textbooks, I've come upon Better World Books. They have a lot of the books I need for upcoming classes, and they are committed to some great things in addition to profit. For now, they'll be my first stop. (another site, www. abebooks.com is great for used text books in particular.)

I've added their blog to my blog list on the left; check them out! There is currently a twitter contest where you sign up to follow them and tweet about their contest and are entered for FREE BOOKS!! Who doesn't want free books!?

April Raintree

We just got back from our yearly family vacation in Whiteshell Park. We had a great time!! This year was a bit different, we added a new cabin to the mix and couldn't really plan in advance for the ways it changed the dynamic of our time there. As always, we were all sad when Sunday morning arrived and packing up started.

On the long drive to Manitoba, I read April Raintree aloud to the family (well, mostly Brendan, the kids think my reading is dumb now that they are so old! - but Owen did listen to the last third or so of the story...)

Have you read this Canadian classic? If not, or if its been a while, you should pick it up again this summer. Beatrice Mosionier is the author. It is a fictional (but entirely plausible) account of two biological sisters and their journey as women of Aboriginal ancestry, as they reconcile personal and cultural realities. It is an easy but profound read.

Here is an excerpt from book, written by one of the sisters:

White Man, to you my voice is like the unheard call in the wilderness. It is there, although you do not hear.
But, this once, take the time to listen to what I have to say.
Your history is highlighted by wars. Why is it alright for nations to conquer one another in an attempt at dominion?
When you sailed to our lands, you came with your advanced weapons. You claimed you were a progressive, civilized people....
White Man, when you came, most of our tribes began with peace and trust in dealing with you. We showed you how to survive in our homelands. We were willing to share with you our vast wealth. Instead of repaying us with gratitude, White Man, you turned on us....
When we, the Indian People, realized your intentions, we rose to do battle, to defend our nations, our homes, our food, our lives. And for our efforts, we are labelled savages. Our battles are called massacres.
When our primitive weapons could not match those that you had perfected through centuries of war, we realized that peace could not be won, unless our mass destruction took place. And so we turned to treaties.. and ran into your cunning trickery. We lost our lands, our freedom, and were confined to reservations. And WE are held in contempt.
White Man, there is much deep, simple wisdom from our forefathers. We were here for centuries. We kept the land, the waters, the air, clean and pure, for our children and for our children's children.
Now that you are here, White Man, the rivers bleed with contamination. The winds moan with the heavy weight of pollution. The land vomits up the poisons that have been fed into it. Our Mother Earth is no longer clean and healthy; she is dying.
White Man, in your greedy rush for money and power, you are destroying. Why must you have power over everything? Why can't you live in peace and harmony? Why can't you share the beauty and the wealth given to us by Mother Earth?...
White Man, you say that we are a people without dignity. But when we are sick, weak, hungry, poor, when there is nothing for us but death, what are we to do? We cannot accept the life that has been imposed upon us.
You say that we are drunkards, that we live for drinking. But drinking is a way of dying. Dying without enjoying life. You have given us many diseases... the worst disease, for which there is not immunity, is alcoholism. And you condemn us for being its easy victims. And if you don't condemn us, you weep for us and pity us.
We, the Indian People, are dying. The land we lost, it is dying too.
Weep not for us; weep for yourselves.
Weep for your children.
Because you are taking everything today.
And tomorrow, nothing will be left for them.


I found so many parallels to scripture in this little essay. Can you hear Mark's admonition to have eyes that see? Can you envision one of the prophets delivering a stern, profound message like this? Can you see Jesus reaching toward, offering dignity that had been unjustly robbed?

Might is NOT right. I pray that someday, we, the powerful will get that.

Sitting there being fascinating....

In December, I was looking for something good to read and I took a book off the shelf in my room called 'Hope's Edge'. (authored by Anna and Frances Lappe) I remember buying this book ages ago for about $1 from some second hand shop somewhere... but I didn't pick it up immediately. I'm not completely done yet, but its been inspiring me lots, so I'm sharing a bit today... I can't believe this book was just sitting there on my shelf being fascinating all this time and I waited so long to read it!

Somehow this book seems to be helping me to answer the question of 'why bother?' - as in... "How can my choices have any impact on the world I live in - not just my local community, but the whole globe.. there is so much madness, and I'm just one person.. WHY BOTHER? I can't make a difference anyway "...

But.. my personal choices DO have an impact. I can respond to an economic system that makes wealth a priority at the increasing expense of those who already have the least. (and doesn't seem to have any problem at all with the ongoing pursuit of wealth - doesn't anyone else feel compelled to say ENOUGH!!!????) I can speak out in small ways when I have an opportunity. I can have a social conscience without being obnoxious. (At least, no one has told me I'm obnoxious lately... ) And I can continue to try to make sense of it all, realizing that any awareness I gain can only help and that I don't have to feel entirely helpless. I don't have to embrace the direction or principles of the majority.

Here's my simple start: Consume less. Not because its trendy to simplify, but because we recognize that the principles learned in Economics 101 (If we demand, supply will follow) are very much at work in our world. We North Americans demand stuff at low prices. (Hurray for Walmart, right?). If we stopped demanding so much, supply would respond. And if we were willing to pay fair prices for goods, producers wouldn't be forced to find ways to make everything cheaper at all costs. Shop less.. you could save the world! (How's that for a slogan?)

Does anyone else think its outrageous when our politicians and leaders tell us to consume more to keep the economy strong? Everything is changing.. so.. GO SHOPPING!!! That is our salvation - spending money?? Then we're really sick!!! I know there are global economic reasons to ensure a strong North American Economy... but do we ever stop and say .. hey.. wait a sec... what if we let the structure collapse into a heap of rubble.. then we rebuilt in ways that learned from our former mistakes and were sustainable for the whole world.. ?? I know.. I'm idealistic and uninformed. Forgive me for my idealism and belief that we're more than consumers. Forgive me for thinking that our existence is more about how we care for all of our neighbors than how we can exploit one another. And forgive me for hating the idea of having nothing more to offer than going to the mall or buying a bigger house to store all that stuff I don't need.

Ooopps... back to the book - rant completed... The title 'hope's edge' refers to the many ways that our world is on the edge of hope.. pushing our ability to recover to the very edge of hope. (Global warming as an example). Yet there are stories and people who just defy the norm and do amazing and inspiring things right there 'at the edge of hope'.

"We must warn you though; this kind of hope isn't clean or tidy. Honest hope has an edge. It's messy. It requires that we let go of pat answers, preconceieved formulas, confidence that our sailing will be smooth. Its not a resting point.. honest hope is movement." (from the book's intro)

The first chapter is called 'Maps of the Mind' - and talks about how we get enslaved into thinking the majority perspective. How we become hopeless.... It refers to finding our voices and providing REAL leadership that is creative and innovative and HELPFUL instead. (as opposed to being primarily concerned with preserving the status quo)

How can people be empowered to believe that they can actually DO something? How can a sense of powerlessness be overcome?

.. we need to see the examples regularly. We need to stop the flow of overwhelmingly negative images and messages that we receive from the media. We need to believe that those sporadic feel good stories are more than an occasional occurence, but that THEY are the norm. (My life does demonstrate that, by the way.. I see some very innovative, creative, hopeful people on a regular basis - and they're doing wonderful things. I believe we are far more selfless than any of us give ourselves credit for being)

"we don't see ourselves as creaters and choosers in this world. Our planet in decline is 'just happening'. ... we dont perceive the assumptions which, once in play, silently fuel this destruction of life. As long as we're blind to our own assumptions, other paths are invisible... what we have is all there is." (p20)

"We view ourselves as thinkers.. I've come to see that we're not only thinkers, we're absorbers. We mold our perceptions of reality and of ourselves to conform to the ideas we hold. We absorb ideas in fact WITHOUT thinking." (p21)

Our acceptance of outrageous 'groupthink' behaviour is cited:

-No one among us would choose to let any child die of hunger or preventable diseases. But it happens, thousands of times over, each and every day and we think we're powerless.

-No one among us thinks its okay to make choices that result in permanently destroying plant and animal species crucial to ecosystems all over the world. But it happens, each day and we think we're powerless.

-No one would choose to poke a giant hole in the ozone, and steadily increase the rate of cancer and death. But it has happened, and we think we're powerless.

-No one wants to return to a world where class and status determine everything.. but we don't despair when we read about millionaires who keep accumulating while the working poor can't own property without astronomical debt from moneylenders whose activities are more criminal than commercial. it's all happening... we think it 'is the way it is'.... and we're powerless.

There will likely be more from this book on this blog at some point... the surface has barely been scratched. I've especially enjoyed reading about landless Brazilians who have been equipped to force the government to abide by their own land-return policies by community action, belief in something better... and the local church.

Read more from the authors of Hope's Edge here, or a review of the complete book here.

A closing quote that has been on my mind for so many reasons - especially as I consider my faith: "... private interest is the only immutable point in the human heart."

What do you think?

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.

This & that & even more...

hmmm, whats new with us... some people were asking for a bit of an update...

Brendan and I are going to a Steve Bell concert next weekend in S'toon.. on a DATE. A great reminder of Winnipeg and a great way to spend an evening together. Can't wait! Sometimes it feels like we've been married every minute of the 15 years we'll soon be celebrating.... other times, I have no idea where the time has gone! As I was ordering the tickets, we almost called up another couple and asked them to join us, and then pretty much simultaneously we both said.. hey.. wait a second... how about just the two of us go? Now.. who wants to feed our kids next Sunday night?!

Owen and Syd are enjoying school this year - they were ready for summer to be over. Volleyball games start this week, we're looking forward to that. O says he has mastered overhand serves in practices so far. He is actually a very changed guy from the one who moved from Winnipeg. He is a full head taller than me and its downright weird. He's still playing guitar, and his band's name (I think?!) is sense of security. (changed from soul poured out..) They haven't played in church or anywhere yet this year, we'll see... I hope to hear them soon. Syd is going to start guitar along with her voice lessons in Oct. She'd probably prefer piano, but we have three guitars and zero pianos so that sort of made the decision! She continues to develop and be a preteen girl. What can I say.. there is plenty of screaming and screeching in our house - both the good kind (Joe Jonas is soooo cute!) and the not so good kind (stay out of my room! and I LIKE that moldy milk on the dresser!)

Some recently read books to recommend:
The Source (Michener): I finally finished this book that I started in July. I loved it!! It was a challenging read, but a worthwhile one. The history of Israel was fictionalized, but there was enough accurate history to make it interesting and informative.

Pillars of the Earth (Follett): Another great read about history, especially church history. My understanding was expanded, and I really grew in my understanding contextual faith. Our practices are related to the practices of those around us, no matter how unique we think we might be... and change to any 'cultural' practice, be it around expressing faith or any number of things.. is slow in the coming. Fascinating bit of info is that Ken Follett calls himself a very unspiritual person.. yet he wrote something that sure speaks powerfully about spirituality and the body of Christ. Reader warning: there are some pretty graphic scenes that almost made me stop reading. I'm glad I didn't.

the Shack (Young); A book that was highly recommended by several people. Would I call it life changing? I'm still sitting on the fence. What I liked best about this book was that it was somehow affirming to me personally. I felt after reading it like the way I relate to God was perhaps not as strange and girly and silly as I've always thought. I grabbed The Barbarian Way a couple of weeks ago, I've heard that its supposed to be for late-comers to faith like me, you know, the ones who just sort of invent their own brand of expression because they don't know all the rules? I won't be reading it for a while though... I would most definitely encourage others to read the Shack. I think it stretches us in lots of good ways.

What else? I'm taking a Mark course, taught by Tim Geddert, all next week. I'm really ready for a change of pace, and I don't think its such a stretch for me to actually take part in a Bethany class. It's not a good time.. would there have ever been a good time?! I'm taking it for Seminary credit, so my assignments are slightly different that our students. I'm pretty pumped about it. The commentary we're using was actually written by the instructor, so I think he knows his stuff. I hear that he's one of the best and most interesting teachers around.

We're looking forward to being in Winnipeg for Thanksgiving. Can't wait to see family and friends.. especially TJ, Eryka and Haily! (they're the ones who really change between visits!) Two of my sisters have moved to new homes, so we'll be checking those out for the first time, and I look very forward to sunday at KPAC, except, what will it be without Liza? I'm a bit disappointed about that! I think we're putting together a girls night out - or maybe a breakfast on the Saturday (oct 11?) at Pineridge Hollow? If any winnipeggers are reading and want to come and have a preference, let me know... we're flying there and driving back, so it'll be really nice to have a bit less road time this trip. The bad news is we won't be there for Christmas. Our budget said a simple Hepburn Christmas is just the right thing...

a couple of final newsy things: We are now part of a supper club (this is for you, Kim :) and it is so, so, so awesome. I heartily recommend other families consider one if the supper rush is a frustrating experience. How it works is this: You get together with a couple of other families, and each family takes a turn cooking for all the families. (So, ours is three families - I make supper once for everyone, and then, two glorious nights each week, supper shows up at my door.) So far, it has meant I just work later, but at some point in the near future, there will be an hour of peace and calm in my house between work and eating. How awesome is that? And, we have so far sampled all the family favorites from each participant... what a blessing to somehow feel part of other families' traditions!
my next idea is a PROJECT club. I'm pretty sure Lisa is either interested or I've pushed her hard enough; but either way, we're looking for a couple of others.. so, each month, you rotate houses and devote a couple of hours to a project.. redecorating a living room, organizing a closet, cleaning out a pantry.. whatever! Interested?

Theres the update, from all of us. Take care, and have a wonderful week!