The Countdown

It's been another lovely Christmas.
Lots of big snowflakes and scenic drives.
Christmas lights twinkling on trees and houses.

School was really fun the last week with kids full of anticipation and the classrooms and foyer full of lights and decorations.
Snow was falling and there was that delightful sense of wonder permeating the air.
I finished off my final week of teaching and was handed a beautiful big gift bag from my department head. What a sweet sendoff.  I just felt so loved and amazed as I pulled out the sunscreen, a lei and a grass skirt, a big towel and a card signed by the crowd.

Wow.

Once again this year I felt confused and a little out of control as I was purchasing gifts and I continue to hope and dream that one day I will be able to simplify the whole process and do something that costs less and blesses more…
Not sure how that's going to work out, but I think it's possible with some prayer and intentional focus in that direction.
It's just so easy so do the same-old, but there is distress in this for me and something feels wrong so I pray that next year the tide will change.
I will simplify and Jesus will take centre stage.

But the parts that I love most about this season are the lights in the season of cold and darkness.

Getting those twinkle lights up in my bedroom and around the living room along with the old familiar decorations with the carols playing softly in the background just does something for me.
Having friends over to visit and to play games and gathering around tables filled with goodies is so very sweet.
There's always a longing in me for more of this.
Skip the presents and bring on the games and visiting!!

In the midst of preparing for Christmas I was very aware of the fact that one week after Christmas I would be flying to Hawaii, so my brain felt a bit full.

Trying to tie up apartment issues, making sure my students would be looked after, planning the Christmas meal and buying groceries, getting gifts for family, friends and tenants, preaching at church!, attending meetings, having dear friends over, writing my annual Christmas letter and sending it out with pictures...
The list kept growing and I would strike things off only to have more things pop up.
Because there is a deadline.
I will not be here to deal with stuff in January.

Then, to top off the brain blitz, I got a letter from Ron right before Christmas with the issue that isn't QUITE RESOLVED YET!

And in the midst of all of this my nights were not full of much sleep.  Lots of spasms and too many thoughts and very little rest. So my brain started to short circuit and I was not doing very well.

Therefore, last night after Lana and I had our nightly Baileys and Egg Nog "LaChaim" ritual, I took a full on sleeping pill and slept deeply and soundly right till 7 AM!. As a result I felt like a person in my right mind today and was able to accomplish great and mighty things.

In other words I am basically packed!!
Elkar is pretty much looked after on my end.
Patrice is leaving Monday and is doing GREAT!
Christmas was a sweet success and full of joyful togetherness.
The turkey was just fine and everyone got fed up.
The dishes are done and I've already started taking decorations down.

Yearly Christmas Re-Cap for 2013

Christmas Greetings Dear Friends & Family!                                    December, 2013

 

I am delighted to send out another Christmas missive to all of you dear ones around the world!  Life is such an amazing journey and I am grateful once again for the gift of Christmas – JESUS HAS COME and is with us – therefore I have joy and hope and peace in the midst of life with all it’s messy, good, hard, wonderful and strange happenings.  

 

It’s been another really great year in so many ways.  I continue to love my job – teaching kids who struggle with reading.  God has provided me with a job that is so flexible and life-giving.  I absolutely love working one on one with kids.  I still need to lay down every afternoon due to back pain and instability, but thankfully I am able to lead a full and very satisfying life.  I have my Patrice and two other lovely young women living here with me to help out and to provide company.  

 

Daniel & Nicole are doing well and it is a joy to see the love between those two as they enter their third year of marriage.  Now that Daniel is a journeyman carpenter, he’s decided to broaden his horizons and is attending University to become an Occupational Therapist.  (SIX YEARS!!) Nicole has a job in a Drug Detox Center here in town and she is doing an amazing job.  They are huge outdoor enthusiasts and squeeze in as much hiking, cross country skiing, camping etc. as they can in between studies and work.

 

Patrice is still enjoying her work at a care home for disabled adults and she has been taking a few university level courses this year to prepare her for????  She’s still figuring that out, but meanwhile I am watching her excel in the art of cooking and baking.  She loves to research unusual topics like fermentation, seeds and grains and has been busy this fall making kambucha, incredible breads and other such delicacies.  We all love to sample her creations!  I consider it such a gift to have her still living at home with me.  She is a very sweet daughter and friend. 

 

Mom and Dad are doing well.  They have definitely slowed down significantly but amazingly enough, they are the ones preparing Sunday dinners for us kids to come and join them on occasion.  We have discovered that Dad has quite the culinary flair and he prepared a delicious roast beef dinner for all of us to come and celebrate his 88^thBirthday last Sunday!  (He does NOT like to go out to restaurants…) He also works hard at the art of bread making and the preparing of borscht with Mom.  

 

Elsie and I love taking Mom and Tante Hilda out for drives to enjoy the beautiful scenery here in the Okanagan Valley.  Every season has its beauty and I have introduced them to the convenience and delicious delights found at various “drive-through” restaurants where we pick up a little lunch as we do our sightseeing.  I count it a privilege to spend time with these dear ones and we enjoying singing hymns, praying and talking about how great God is together!  Isn’t that awesome?  

 

And now for some really amazing news … Patrice and I have both booked flights to go to Kona Hawaii for 3 months this winter, God willing!  I will be taking a school at YWAM where I will apparently be memorizing an ENTIRE GOSPEL!  (or as much of it as I can at my age…).  Patrice will be volunteering on the YWAM base, most likely in the kitchen.  I am finding the winters here to be somewhat difficult on my joints and getting around in the snow and ice in my wheelchair isn’t the easiest, so I’m taking a wee sabbatical and am looking forward to thawing out. 

 

I am attending a little Vineyard Church here in Kelowna with Patrice where I have been involved in prayer and I love the sweet fellowship and wonderful friends I have there.  They are very supportive and loving.  And in this season we are joining with all the other believers around the world as we say MARANATHA – come again Lord Jesus.  Into our minutes and hours and days as we eagerly await His Second Coming. 

 

“Let every heart prepare Him room…”  

 

I bless you all with peace and hope, encouragement and endurance as you finish this year and enter the New.  He is with us, our EMMANUEL!! In the midst of everything… Jesus is beautiful, kind and compassionate and HE IS FOR YOU!!

 

Have a most wonderful Christmas,

 

Love, Karen & Family  

just put God in charge

We had a sweet gathering of old friends here tonight.
Yesterday afternoon I texted my dear friend Dawn,
Thought it might be nice to get a few people together.
I didn't know how many would be available on 24 hour notice but my friend who has big faith just texted a prayer back, asking God to put things together if it was meant to be.  I texted Amen.

God arranged a perfect combination of friends on a winter's night
Gathering around a table of food, Christmas lights shining on the tree and around the windows and the advent wreath lit.
The grandkids came too - last year they were coming out of a place of trauma due to some crazy events they were going through.  This year they were settled and it was obvious that healing had taken place.
We coloured together and Sara came in and swept them into a world of fun and creativity.

It's a precious thing to gather around the One who drew us all together in the first place.
I'm grateful to God who cares about little details.
And important things like maintaining friendships.


Oh, and today another miracle took place.
A lovely Chiropracter/Masseuse came and gave me about a 2 hour treatment.
My neck and shoulder have been giving me lots of pain at night and I am full of contractors, but she works with God and together they are untangling this mess my body is in.
Hallelujah.

Oh, and speaking of miracles!!
Patrice was turned down for YWAM so we had to let go of that, trusting God and then "all of a sudden"….
There's an opening! References are in, her phone call interview done
And she's booked to come to Hawaii for the same three months I will be there.
OH MY WORD!
God's great kindness.
So fun to plan and get excited with her.
It's doubling my pleasure and I feel such anticipation for both of us.
God's just really great that way.
Exponential goodness.
And delightful surprises!

Advent Retreat

Bathe us with the brilliance of your light…

This was one of the opening lines of this years Advent Retreat and truly this is what I experienced by the time I made my way home a few hours later...

The time of guided contemplation was beautiful and my time of quiet meditation while reading through Luke 1 and 2 was full of revelation and insight.

Reading about Elizabeth and Zachariah just going about their everyday activities in their community, "leading lives of righteousness" and "in the fullness of time" - at just the right time God broke in and changed everything.  In their small story everything changed dramatically, but in the bigger scheme of God's great rescue mission everything was forever altered for EVERYONE!

And so, my small story and how I live my live life is important in the bigger scheme - my life is touching and affecting the lives of others.  I want to be one of those who choses righteousness and makes way for His presence to move on me, in me and through me, despite my failings and lack of faith.

I was encouraged that even though Zachariah blew it on one level by not believing what the angel said - he was just silenced until God's purpose was fulfilled.  I was challenged that perhaps the words that were spoken over me in the hospital way back in February 1987 have been "lost to me" in that I questioned them and have found it hard to hold onto them in the ensuing 26 years of paralysis.  However, I will not thwart the purposes of God, just like Zachariah was not able to stop what God was about.  Because I am clinging to God's word from Luke 1:20b that says "…my Words which WILL BE fulfilled in their proper time."

"I believe dear Jesus, but please help my unbelief…" and "behold the bondslave of the Lord - let it be done unto me according to your good pleasure."

And this rhema word as well!!

"Do not be afraid (Karen) for your petition has been heard:  Luke 1:13  I thought of the scripture that I have been praying on and off for years now that says "for my inheritance give me the lost.'   Oh Jesus YES!  "…to make ready a people prepared for the Lord".  1:17b

It was almost laughable how I was receiving and receiving on so many levels as I read through the two chapters.  As if God thought He would pour in as much as possible while I was finally still and listening because I'm so flighty and distracted in my normal time of devotional Bible reading.

There was so much more that was imparted and I felt rich in the Word - Emmanuel came and spent time with us.  In this dark season there was suddenly so much light. I pray that I will continue to meditate upon what I received so that it will bear fruit.

I so much appreciate the women who put these events on as I can feel the peace in the gathering can feel the prayers that have bathed this time creating a space in which it is so easy to meet God and hear Him.