We're Having a Heat Wave, A Tropical Heat Wave...

        Summer. Yep, it's here.  Forty-two degrees celcius -  the humidex today and for me, it is just too much.  Yet, I am one of the blessed ones. I have an air conditioned home and car and my classroom has a window air conditioner that takes the edge off if nothing else.

        Have you noticed how everything seems more exaggerated when it's this hot? My students are much louder when these days come upon us. They seem to crash through doors and bang lockers and converse louder over the roar of the AC and I have to top them to get their attention. These sweaty-faced rascals have come to the near end of the school year and they are like greyhounds straining at tightly tethered leashes. I can hardly wait to set them free....free to cope with this heat in swimming pools and camps, at their grandparents' houses and on camping vacations with friends and family. And as the rope slackens, I too am free. Long postponed novels and stretches of time to study and write and paint...time will be my own for a period. The heat is not a long-sought-after thing for me. But breezy summer days are upon us and I intend to spend as much time as possible out-of-doors this season.

Perigee moon

Side road darkness
Monopod at ready...
There she is!

17% bigger and 30% brighter
Nothing disappoints here

A united quest; A shared moment
Perigee of the heart
On Woodbine.

Supermoon, May 5, 2012

Accusations

Can you imagine how Jesus felt when day after day, he was accused....by the religious leaders of his day, neighbours He grew up with, and the angry in the crowds who followed? When He stood before his accusers, the Pharisees had no trouble drumming up those who would lie to suit their purposes. In the face of it, Jesus didn't defend Himself, He didn't plead His case. He knew who He was; He knew His destiny. What courage, what tenaciousness to stand in the face of trickery and deceit. 


On a very small level, this week, being falsely accused, I saw a tiny glimpse of what He must have felt. Unlike Jesus, I plead my case. I did not remain stoic in the face of this trial. I spoke with those in authority over me. I worked with the accuser to get to the reasons he felt this was necessary. And at the core of it all, I could actually pray for this young boy, who in a rage over being corrected on an assignment, felt he could liberally vent with a personal, vindictive slur against this old teacher.  How in the moment children live! If only they could see the hours we spend in the middle of the long nights wondering how to best encourage them, the evenings spent pouring over their workbooks and essays, trying to squeeze out marks and making labourious decisions over final grades, ever trying to be fair in our dealings and assessments. 


And isn't that the way? Like children, we cannot see behind the scenes and into the hearts of those who hurt. When someone rants out a verbal attack, he will never have enough information to judge rightly. He is in the moment and doesn't have all the facts. The Pharisees were "blind guides", completely without truth when it came to the identity of Jesus. Here they were, the leaders of the synagogue entangled in laws and traditions and couldn't recognize the Holy One standing in front of them. So they accused.


I learned something this week. Accusations, in whatever form, can be met head on with truth in quietness and trust of the One who can be our Champion in any situation. When guilty, best to admit it head on. When innocent, best to pray for those who accuse and try to bring closure with forgiveness and truth. 

Elusive Words

There are words here, deep inside,

but I can't find them.

They peak from rough edges of stone walls,

but glancing once, twice,

gone as a vapor.

Are there keys, both brass and gold

In sodden pockets?

How to reach them

Digging once, twice

Only to find holes, absence.

In quietness and rest

Hope

Hope for change

Open doors to misty vistas

Now clearing where words appear.

Way Too Long

    With good friends battling cancer and the days and months and years mounting on the calendar, my husband and I are starting to fight the good fight for our health.  Would you mind if I I have been taking an on-line,  "wake-up call" type of course about the nature of disease and the elements of healthy living. Oh my. Sure wish I'd paid attention to this years ago.  But I'm happy to report that we have made radical changes in what is in our cupboards, fridge and cooking pots. For far too long we've lived as if these God-given bodies are immortal, all the while watching the mirror and noticing things thicken and descend. We've now decided to buy organic and we pay twice as much to purchase chemical-free and antibiotic-free meat. The pressure cooker we bought almost a year ago has been dusted off and is blowing off steam almost daily as we enjoy concoctions abundant in fresh vegetables and lean meats, complex grains and beans. My husband is a creative cook, a researched culinarian who is fearless is suffusing stews and pilafs with an abundance of spices. And my great delight is to return from work to tantalizing smells as I hit the driveway. The key is not too over-indulge, even though the food itself is healthy.


I've also finally committed to taking vitamins. For years I've balked at it, thinking it was all a hoax and would openly pooh-pooh those who lined up at the local health food store to carry out numerous jars. Taking a superfood like blue-green algae would never have occurred to me, had I not taken the time to reflect on its value. And now, I'm committed to upping the health factor. Small steps, one or two at a time.

Trying to move a bit more, as I learned the lymphatic system, the body's cleaner, doesn't have a pump and movement makes it work more effectively.

And then there is taking care of emotional health....trying to do what it says in Philippians 4:8, "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."  What a battle sometime to keep thoughts positive, but the negative only has a detrimental effect on these bodies. 


So on we go....onwards and upwards!

An Unforgettable Birthday Moment

       Today is my birthday. I actually forgot about it until I got to work and someone wished me well. I don't think I've ever forgotten my birthday before. It's not like I hadn't thought about it earlier in the week, but just momentarily it slipped my mind. Surrounded by wonderful people, I received emailed messages and created e-cards throughout the day. There were phone calls from friends and of course my beloved son got me out of class. How wonderful to hear that voice.

       But one call touched me so that I can't stop weeping. My father, my beloved dad, called and said, "Wait, listen to this." And he played a little birthday song on a tiny hurdy-gurdy that had been in the drawer in his back room for years. He said he thought of it this morning, had no idea where the little music machine was, but "The Lord must have put my hand right on it," he said. So he delighted me with this birthday tune. 
       You see, I found out recently that my father has Alzheimer's. We've suspected for some time, and even though he was tested three years ago, by a simple oversight, we were never notified. My dear dad doesn't know this diagnosis. I pray he never does. When I found out, my heart was flooded with compassion and a deeper understanding of his daily trials. For him to remember the hurdy-gurdy and my birthday, is a gift I'll treasure always. 

The Roller Coaster

Life, of late, has been a proverbial roller coaster ride. Events with family and friends have had high highs and the lowest of lows. I would never pay money to get on the Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland and I don't like these emotional roller coasters either. Faith in God is the only lifeline here.


The uphill has its own peculiar struggle. This is the outward living with extraordinary trials on a day to day basis. There can be a tough slog to the top of the crest. I can hear the gears grinding and it's oh-so-slow at times. I look over the edge of the car and only see catastrophe looming, should I deviate even one millimetre from the track. I hold tight waiting for the next event and wonder if things will ever change. It's at this time I focus on Jesus and His Word, and look neither to the left or right. I find comfort and resolve in His face.


Then all of a sudden, there's a breakthrough - the radical change. For a few brief seconds, there's a level area. I take a moment and breathe in fresh air. There's a momentary rest. It's here I find time to build up my strength, to enjoy the Lord's company, just sitting on His lap.


But life goes on. There's the downslope ride. It can be easier than moving up the hill, but I still need to brace myself as I go. If I don't hold tight to the Lord, will I be able to make it unscathed to the bottom?


The worst part of this roller coaster life-ride are the unexpected turns, when I am jerked from one direction to another unexpectedly. It feels like I'm going to be flung over the edge into the abyss. I'm minding my own business, moving along and all of a sudden there's a phone call or email that changes everything.  I learn, often the hard way, not to hold on tightly to my personal agenda. I need to drop everything and focus on another's need, another's plan. These are times of sacrifice and holding tightly to the Lord's hand.

This is the stuff of life. High highs. Low lows. And that easy part in between. The trick is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and find His peace always.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says " ...since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith..."