large chunks of time

My day was split into large chunks of time: 2hr of Scrabble with a friend, 3hr of walk and project with son, movie with husband, 3hr of quilt making for daughter. All these activities were focused different and grace giving - so mich so that exhaustion has set in. There will be grace in falling asleep quickly!

beating cold weather

Today was a hard day to go running.  The air is wintery and colder than we have experienced in a long time. I ran 11 km.  Not only did the air clean out the lungs, talking along the way with a friend stretched my lungs, and on reaching home the cold was enough to start a warming of the whole body when coming inside.  I am alive! Grace.

a stay-cation but not at home

Fri. night and Sat. night my husband and I stay-cationed in our home town.  We had theatre tickets already and he had a work supper one night.  Applause points from his work gave us a night at a four star unique hotel in an old  home.  Supper at their exclusive restaurant, a walk through the art gallery, lunch at a local Canadiana coffee house, and lots of relaxation in a puffy bed and butterfly arm chairs.
Relaxation is a fantastic grace!
What a way to spend the coldest days so far this winter!
The other grace, loving someone more today than yesterday and not as much as tomorrow. 

with the name Grace

Have  you ever noticed how many churches and chapels are named Grace?  Today I am wondering if these communities are full of grace; if when people visit they experience grace; if a community would name them grace if they didn't know the community's names?
It would be a wonderful thing if places were named according to their gifts.  That way when people went looking for grace, they went to Grace; looking for hope -go to Hope; for Resurrection -go to Resurrection.
The church community with whom I serve is called Resurrection.  Are we living our name?  Are we a symbol, a presense of Resurrection?

Martin Luther Does the Chicken Dance

having a cold

There is grace to be found in a cold.  On Monday it was a great excuse to curl up with a book by the fire, drink lots of warm liquids, and spend the afternoon with the kitty cat.  Lovely!!!

The hidden messages in water!

outside looking in

The past few weeks have been an up and down roller coaster of emotions.  Life at home, with a daughter having left on bad terms, has been surreal.  Home life is much better and the relationship's in the house are growing however, emotions and worry for the one not here is great. 
The biggest grace experienced over this time was from the oldest's boyfriend.  He joined us for New Year's, spending the night.  He watched the Rose Bowl Parade with us (his first time ever seeing it).  We took him T.V. shopping and paid the unexpected environment disposal tax.  It was commented that he only wished he had a family like ours.
 Perspective is a grace; one that many of us do not fully appreciate as many of us have never lived from a place of real darkness.  Here is to one who lived in darkness and has been graced with perspective.