Traditionally Untraditional

Christmas gatherings are so very precious.

Familiar hymns, muted lights, groupings of family gathered around candles and food.

The presence of God.

Emmanuel.

The privilege we have of knowing what this whole business down here on earth is all about and making intentional efforts to focus on that and celebrate the beauty together.

Esther's parents are here for the season and it has been so very special to spend time enjoying each other, but more importantly silencing the noise, closing our eyes and focusing on the King who came on a dark night so long ago.

We worship Him and pray prayers together,

pouring out the longings of our heart and agreeing as one for His Kingdom to Come and His will to be done...

Crying out together as our ancestors have done for hundreds of years as we await the return of our Emmanual.

When our cries will burst into a fantastic reality and we will see Him face to face.

Until then we continue to meet to encourage one another's hearts and to remind each other in the gathering that this journey is worth it.

Ancient ceremonies are reawoken and there is joy in the remembering and in the looking ahead. 

Hannukah Candles were lit with the appropriate scripture readings and a prayer.

We Mennonites are broadening our horizons and incorporating all sorts of new traditions!  

We were even treated to a magnificent feast at Tante Hilda's house one evening  and dear sweet Elsie was the chef extraordinaire.

Spaghetti with Mizithra Cheese was a hit and everyone left well fed and happy.

As the crowd ages, the "leaving" is slower and more cumbersome as we incorporate canes, wheelchairs and walkers when necessary, but we are still alive and breathing and grateful to have each other.

Christmas Letter

“Because of the tender mercy of our God,

With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, 

To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”  Luke 1:79

Dearest Friends & Family,                                 December 23, 2016

Outside it is dark, snowy and cold – oh what a winter we have been plunged into!!  Inside I am warm, pretty twinkle lights are shining and best of all I am surrounded by “the tender mercy of our God”.  He is everything, our “Sunrise from on high” who pursues us relentlessly with His very great love. That’s the big picture – the one that keeps me going in the nitty-gritty of everyday life…  We are part of a huge drama that is playing out, every minute of every day.  Our choices matter, how well we learn to love & forgive really matters, and what we do with Jesus changes everything for us, eternally. 

We just celebrated my precious Dad’s 91^st birthday.  He’s doing pretty well and is still driving, picking up groceries and helping mom to make delicious borscht and home-made bread.  Who knows what  talents will emerge next!?   Mom’s health has been challenging as her eyesight is progressively getting worse and the arthritis in her back makes walking very painful but she spends time listening to books on tape, looking after Dad, praying and keeping the rest of us cheered up.  They still live in their condo downtown and dear Elsie is a loving, servant hearted, “chauffeur” and helper who gets Mom to appointments and over to visit Tante Hilda who is doing remarkably well; living on her own, making delicious soups and spending her life loving Jesus and those around her.  It’s also always a treat when Vic and Marcia come to visit from Calgary. They are so helpful and loving to all of us and we cherish our times together. What a wonderful family I have!  

Daniel & Nicole are doing well.  Daniel is finishing up his Psychology degree and then applying to become an Occupational Therapist, which will take 2 more years. He’s also been renovating their kitchen when he finds a spare minute and Nicole is working at a detox centre helping people who are coming off of drugs.  She is very well loved by those precious souls.  She’s also enjoying snowboarding this year as she needs to do something while Daniel is studying! 

Patrice has spent much of the year interning at “A Rocha”, a Christian environmental/ organic farm centre in Surrey where she has learned all about gardening and creation care. She blessed them with her fabulous cooking skills and is home now deciding what’s next while she works for her Dad doing renovations.  She’s been talking about building a “tiny house”!  Apparently that carpentry gene in the family is a strong one!  We are quite the modern family; Opa has started cooking and Patrice is enjoying building… 

I’m continuing to work with children who struggle with reading and it is a highlight in my life.  I also had the privilege of going to Europe with Patrice this Spring to attend a friend’s wedding in Holland and to meet up with very dear friends all along the way – from England to Germany.  We even got to spend time with my beloved cousin and his family in Germany as well as re-uniting with some YWAM friends at the Bad Blankenburg base where they had installed a wheelchair accessible room and bath at my request!  Travelling is always a challenge, but connecting with people and seeing the world on the way is tantalizing enough to get me to do these crazy things.  My dear Patrice was amazing at getting me on and off planes and trains and even navigating the roads in Amsterdam in a wheelchair accessible van someone lent us. She will get a HUGE reward from God for her kindness to me. God is truly my good Shepherd and even though life is sometimes hard, He gets me through with JOY and with a lot of help from my amazing family & friends! 

As I deal with life in a wheelchair and everything that accompanies that I am forever grateful to know this is not the end of the story!  The best is truly yet to come for those of us who choose Jesus with all of our hearts.  I pray that His grace & peace will be multiplied in your lives and that He will strengthen you daily in your journey.

Always in Jesus...

Snow Days

Ok, it's been over a month since I've posted anything here so I need to check in.
My intrinsic need to catalogue dates and events will not allow me to stray from this exercise indefinitely so I'm going to try to work my way backwards through pictures to jog my memory as I try to "catch up".

As for this day, I just made my way safely home over snowy gravelled roads under clear winter blue skies on my brand new winter tires!  

I left work early because somehow I forget to put on my back brace this morning and I didn't notice until I was at school, at my desk, with a student.  Perhaps it was sitting outside with the doggies in -15 degree windy weather that froze my back  into position early this morning so I didn't immediately notice my missing brace.  At any rate I managed to see two students before the discomfort escalated and I packed up my workspace to head home.

When I got into my car I found that my supervisor had left a whole BOX of homemade goodies for me.  Even peanut butter marshmallow treats were in there - one of my all time favourites.  She literally spoils me and makes my job a delight.  God's kindness and goodness pursues me!!

Life has been a little slower paced for me over the past 12 days ever since I knocked my wheelchair and pieces of my wheelchair lift off the roof of my car...  I was taking Mom home after an outing to the Jammery and for some reason my lift was raised when I drove into the underground parking at her condo.  You can just  imagine the kafuffle!!  It was shocking to see my brand new $6000 wheelchair flying backwards on pavement along with other paraphernalia from my roof.

That put a sudden end to my freedom and I've only been going to events where I know there will be someone to remove my chair from the trunk of my car. However, as I have been writing this entry, my mechanic friend arrived and just installed the repaired lift onto my car!   I've also ordered a new lift so that in the future, if there are any complications I won't be left stranded for days on end.  It just so happens that the accident I was in about a year and a half ago provided enough settlement money to pay for both the lift AND the wheelchair so I'm grateful for God's endless provision in my life.  He delivers so many surprises in such a variety of packages.

I am always well looked after and I still am able to go places so it hasn't been too big of an inconvenience.

And now it's onward and upward for me!  I'm free again to go where I need to go...

December Delights

I can't remember the exact day that the snow began, but it's been really lovely, if not somewhat freezing in this particular month of December. 

There was a pre-Christmas party in my car with this lovely lady. 

Michelle is a beautiful soul and we had a lovely visit at the lake as we sat in my car sipping hot chocolatey drinks. 

She has overcome so much and has a bit of a lonely life so it's a treat when the Lord allows our paths to cross.

There was a party at this fellow's house - it was his Dad's birthday and there was a crazy gift exchange between 30 some people that was quite entertaining. We also enjoyed amazing live music and I had a chance to visit with some dear friends that I don't see very often. 

Last year when I was leaving this home after a similar event I landed on my knees in the snow, so we were careful to exit with more grace this time around. Patrice was my experienced driver and I knew about the small sneak. 

Church on Sunday was lovely.  There was beautiful worship, a delicious potluck, communion, good friends and Matthew...  He knows how to make any event into something wonderful with his cheerful smile and positive outlook.  

I've also had a couple of winter parties in my living room.  One evening a few friends that Anita and I have in common came for a wonderful cozy evening of goodies and a visit.  Then on Sunday evening Mom, Tante Hilda, Elsie and Ollie all came for an Advent evening of dinner and carol singing.  I absolutely loved playing the familiar Christmas tunes on the piano with Elsie and Mom had a long visit with Anita on the couch.  

There's something so intimate and beautiful about gathering in each other's homes around candles and food on these dark winter nights...  

This was a gathering at Marie's home with some very special women.

The food was scrumptious, there was lots of laughter and a time of prayer that knit all of our hearts together.

Christmas Elves

On December 1st my lovely daughter in law came over to decorate my house for Christmas.

What a sweet gift she is.

I was busy making pfeffernusse (little spicy crunchy cookies) so she helped me finish baking those before she put up my tree and made the place pretty with twinkle lights.

She also surprised me with a beautiful poinsettia plant. 

She knows the keys to my heart!  

I'll have to get a picture of the outside of the house in the evening as well.  Patrice & Nicole put up lights on one of our evergreen bushes and hung some lights on the patio so the house looks so welcoming and cozy when I come home at night.

I am so blessed. 

My Kind Shepherd

As much as I love fall and it's outrageous, extravagant beauty, I was wondering about my huge yard and how I would get the pretty leaves from all my trees cleaned up this year. 

I figured I would just end up hiring someone, but since I'm not always the quickest or best at making these decisions, God just intervened and sent me some help.

My neighbour just showed up driving a HUGE leaf blower and got tons of the leaves blown off the driveway and yard and into the vineyard and orchard. 

Amazing.

Big Beautiful Kind Father God.

Super duper neighbours. 

They are the ones who also plow my long driveway in the winter.

And then my other neighbour came by and mowed my entire yard and raked the leaves.  For REAL!! (I was trying to get a picture of him at work but I was afraid he would see me with my camera through the window so I just got a picture of the leaf pile instead.)

This guy does landscaping professionally and won't even let me pay him so I give him bottles of wine and home cooked food and cookies. 

The love of God.

I have no words, just immense gratitude. 

His gorgeous creation and Huge heart of love touch me in multitudes of ways, every day...even when I forget to notice or thank Him.

He's My King.

He's my Shepherd.

He's my Everything...

I am so very, very loved.  

Occupying till He Comes...

Such a sweet beginning to the month of November.

 Gold cascading from heaven and coating the earth beneath.

Rays of light cause the earth to shimmer...

We are tasting of something better to come and God is making a home ready for us that will far surpass anything we see here. 

Fiery trees, giving their final shout of glory before they succumb to the stripping of winter.

And family, precious family garbed in warm layers to enjoy this season.

Victor flew down to help with the apartment transition and we were all thrilled with his arrival and the joy and help he brings wherever he goes.

So many tangible ways the love of God rules and reigns and is evident in our lives.

Victor is definitely a bright star in our midst and I know his big kind heart brings great joy to his Father and Creator. 

We went for a walk along the creek to break up a long day of computer and office work and it felt so good to be outside enjoying the crisp, fresh splendour of fall.

On his last day in town we took Mom and Tante Hilda down to City Park to enjoy the colours and the lake.

Just the best company in the world!! 

Dear Elsie was suffering with a flu so sadly she wasn't able to join in the party. 

Look at these two rockstars!  

Seriously some of the most incredible people I know and I get to be related to them here on earth and FOREVER AFTER!!  

So we are busy CARPE DIEMING and squeezing the best out of this one wild and precious life we have been given.

It's not easy, but it's good.

And the best is yet to come!

Oh yeah...

Also in October

Coffee downtown with a good friend from long ago, and this little fellow sitting not far from our table.

Sunny days perfect for drying laundry outside.

This lovely pastoral view on my way into town.

A walk along the creek with a good friend ( who has moved in with me for a couple of months)...

and the puppies.

Dropping in to see the kitchen reno's,

my dear son, and his cat Leo.

Autumn Afternoons

Colourful cool days.

Carpets of leaves cover the ground...

The parks stand silent and empty, puddles of water pooling in parking lots.

Clouds hang low threatening more rain and closing in the valley.

I took Mom and Tante Hilda out to admire the changing colours...

Ahhh, the glory of fall! 

Visited a nearby farm and laughed at the alpacas.

Tante Hilda found a bit of grass to tantalize them at close range. 

We stopped at a fruit stand and Tante Hilda popped out to buy some local pears while I admired the fading flowers...

Still so much beauty and it's almost November! 

Drinking it all in, with so much gratitude and delight. 

And of course, the view down the road from my home, sweet home.