Saskatoon and back again

I hit Saskatoon last week to support raise and meet up with my much missed friends, it was such a refreshing time and so needed. I had an awesome time reconnecting with everyone and God brought me some fantastic friendships with new ministry partners! Can I just say again that God is over the top good to His kids? The trip was soooo good. So here is a very small photo diary of my visit back to 'Toon town.

I stayed with my brother, Jordan, for a few days and got a shot of him right after he rolled out of bed. You can still see the pillow indent in his forehead. It looked like an impression of the end of a three ring binder.

And I got to go curling on Friday with all my Campus for Christ friends. I fell on the ice for the second time this week and I now have several beautiful purple bruises. I don't think I ever developed my "sea legs" for balancing on ice.... I should be shaped more like a "weeble" toy, you know what I mean? They weeble and they wobble but they don't fall down... people could invite me to ice parties for live entertainment.

And I saw a cow calve... Boy that sounds like an awkward sentence doesn't it? Perhaps I should say that I saw a cow come out of a cow, or a baby cow get born, or a "miracle of the prairies." Regardless, it was a pretty cool thing to see while I was at Brittany's farm.

A Little Jack Handy for you today.

I bet when the neanderthal kids would make a snowman, someone would always end up saying, "Don't forget the thick, heavy brows." Then they would all get embarrassed because they remembered they had the big hunky brows too, and they'd get mad and eat the snowman.

Late night scattered thoughts...

I feel so inadequate. I guess this is a good thing because it makes me rely on God.

When I think about what paradise is I usually go back to memories where time appeared to stand still and I could feel God's breath on the back of my neck. I often think about swimming with sea turtles off the north shore of Oahu. It was epiphinal to be surrounded by warm salt sea feeling simultaneously disconnected from the human world and being totally Othered from the ocean world... I was a spectator searching the experience like a toddler would be investigating the mystery of someone else's backyard.

I also remember walking in a small grove under some crab apple trees while sudden bursts of wind blew tender little pink petals all around my body. It seemed like time paused while tiny petals kissed my cheeks and fell on the ground before my feet. The severed petals were suspended in air and the wind was speaking things. Nature shot out a confetti of blessings and the wind carried a promise that day.

I want to see things like this every day. I want to feel little and have a real experience of wonder. I want that joy at every turn.

Gaming

So... I picked up the strategy board game "Settlers of Catan" this afternoon from a gaming/hobby store in St. Albert. And I got an invitation from the guy helping me find the game to come out to "gaming night" on friday nights. I guess that people from the community, aka "gamers", come to the store to play board games all evening.

Call me crazy but I think it could actually be fun. There is something I like about gamers, comic guys, roll players, and sci-fi fans. I think it is the unabashed relish of fantasy and their general embrace of the eccentric that draws me. I've met some pretty cool people who are hobby/sci-fi enthusists. And, I'd totally go to this games night but certainly not by myself lest I get picked up by a gamer, or rather I meet an uncomfortable pick-up situation which is entirely possible. I always feel like fresh meat walking into gaming/hobby stores... I can explain more if you care to ask me. Perhaps I can wrangle a friend to accompany me for a night of nerd fun. I mean this with the utmost compassion because deep down I'm a big nerd too.

I refuse, though, to dress up like Princess Leia or anything from Lord of the Rings. I will not play games wearing a light sabre, spok ears, buns in my hair, elvin jewelry, or anything remotely medieval.

Connecting...

So as many of you know, I am in the thick of support raising for the campus ministry God has invited me into. And...

I can tell that I am changing, internally, and deep to the core. It is kind of like I'm walking in air and God is raising up my feet. It is scary, thrilling, and absolutely necessary for me to focus on Him or I will slip. Support raising for ministry is not an easy thing but it is proving to be a life changing, powerful, experience. Something really trying can also be an absolute treasure.

I need prayer right now, as I am battling discouragement and loneliness. I know in my heart and the depths of my mind that I am neither defeated nor am I alone but it seems that lately I really need to be reminded. I've been trying to connect with a peer group here in the city and would like for God to raise up people around me who want to be with me and with whom I can share joy. I don't want to work all the time, or even think about work all the time, and need some friends who will love me and laugh with me.

I need more laughter, I think the whole world needs more laughter.