It's been stifling hot this August. Not hot in the traditional "it's 100 degrees outside" - for it's only been in the nineties. But - Canadians generally don't have air-conditioning in their homes, and even churches and stores. It's been a humid 90 degrees for a few days. The sun goes down, but the air hasn't moved in weeks.

So, it's been hot.

Today was especially overbearing - the rain was threatening to come - but first we had to endure thick, oppressive, stuffy humidity.

The last several nights we've slept with just sheets leaving the doors and windows open. The kids have called me into their rooms late at night asking me how they can cool off, and wishing that they too had a ceiling fan in their rooms like Derek and me.
But - I reminded them - we also live on the second floor. It's even hotter up there.

Tonight as the sun was setting between the clouds, a huge rainbow lit up in the sky. And not just one or two - but as our family gathered on the porch, we counted four rainbows in one and then another a significant distance above that. FIVE rainbows! Glorious!

I stayed outside a moment longer and relished in the cool breeze flowing over the mountain. The rain is coming - and with it - relief!

My weeping willow tree is moving for the first time in what seems like ages.

I've realized that I'm still a cold-weather person. I've never acclamated to the regions I lived in - Arizona, Arkansas and California - because I stayed where it was air-conditioned and was careful to never be caught in heat's immobilizing trap. I remember rushing to the van and cranking up the air-conditioning as high as it would go and praying it would just hurry up as it blew my hair back. And, within a few miles it would deliver. And the walk from the van to the store seemed like the green-mile, but when the doors parted, the air-conditioned blast was ever-so- welcoming. And in reverse, the walk to the van was hot and brisk and the desperate rush to get the air-conditioning going again was on...

Most of the year here has been without the need for air-conditioners. Even on hot days you can step into the shade and find the relief you're looking for. Or, if you still find it too oppressive, there's always a body of water a quarter of a mile away - whether it be a river, lake or ocean. And no matter how hot the day, the breeze off the ocean is always the right temperature.
So, I'm not complaining in the traditional sense. I think I might be appreciating the rest of the year through the lens of these few weeks.

I lamented that I didn't have enough memory on my camera left to take a picture of that rainbow. I was reminded that I could use my cellphone to take a picture and so I did. And walked away. A few minutes later as I prepared to send the picture to my mailbox, I realized I had failed to "save" the picture... and rushed out to take another snapshot of the rainbow...
But the rainbow was faded and nearly gone - and now just a memory...

All of our doors and windows are open this evening. We're sure we're going to freeze and have to get up in the middle of the night to close up the house. But that will be a welcome relief.
We'll all return to our beds and pull the comforters up from the bottom of our beds...
And snuggle in their warmth.

-Jennifer-

I'm writing to you from my newly assembled armoire/desk in the living room. Yes. I know. Exciting stuff.

I've been going through a sort of "gotta get rid of it" phase in my life. I'm clearing all sorts of things out. Furniture, extra clothes and toys, cat toys and condo, and soon I'll be clearing my art studio too.

There's nothing as difficult as facing a heap of "stuff" and realizing that you've shuffled it around the house several times in a winter-long phase of avoidance. My art studio had become a dumping ground. Anything the kids didn't know what to do with landed on my table or desk. I've had several projects in the last few months (baby showers, wedding showers, bible camps) and it's left my creative space in a wreck.

I lamented this to Derek and told him of my plan to turn the hallway built-in bookshelf into a family computer area. It would hold everything including the office supplies and need only a few things to get it up and running. Things like electricity and lighting.

He talked me out of it. Smart fella.

I settled for a new armoire in my living room. (I like my electronics to be hidden. It's this thing I have.) The other thing about having the computer in the living room is that it's a safe-zone for the family. Keeping the computer in plain sight keeps temptation for looking or listening to anything unworthy at bay.

So, Derek bought and assembled my armoire right away. I've since hit the dollar store and organized the entire piece of furniture to death. A dry-erase and cork-board to my left. Two wire baskets (holding post-it's, scissors and pens) hanging to my right. Below that is my monthly menu on a clipboard. A funky little desk lamp installed. Bamboo pencil case, hooks, etc. I love it. My kids think I'm nuts.

But this organizing/nesting thing has been going on for some time. The last time all of my laundry was done, I did more than fold my clothes and put them away... I hung all my outfits on hangers by colour. Even my t-shirts are organized by colour.

I might be losing my mind. (But it sure is fun!)

So, my little white board tells me I still have to finish the bedroom, plan our vacation and relocate all our homeschool materials to the main floor bookshelf. Can't wait!

Maybe with all things organized and in their places, I'll spend more time blogging. Wouldn't that be nice?

But first... I need to alphabetize my spices again.

-Jennifer-

Granola-itis.

Granola Syndrome.

GDD (Granola Delusional Disorder)

I don't know what I have, but apparently it's contagious.

I was blending smoothies when my husband came home with the following:

• apples (okay, that's normal... but read on)


• strawberries (lucky me!)


• pineapple (yummo... but read on, it get's weirder)


• dried mango (ya feel me?)


• vegan, low sodium, no transfat trail mix with dried fruit (yah.)


• two tire tubes for his bike (which he will be riding to work from now on)

And then he said the following:

"Oh! I forgot the Yogurt!"

We're finally taking a turn for the healthier. My husband recently found out he has really, really, rediculously high blood pressure. He's fit as a fiddle... "has the body of a god" as they say. (I do too... Bhudda.) We've decided to quit complaining and do something about it.

I've been working out 5 days a week, controlling my refined sugar intake... and he's been controlling his sodium intake. I've lost a few pounds... and he's dropped a few points.

So, these granolas might be on to something.

Just hope their fashion-sense isn't contagious too.

-Jennifer-

I think I'm turning into a "granola".

"What's a granola?" you ask.

A granola is what I started calling those strange northwesterners who wore earthy-toned clothes, toques (beanies, or knitted winter hats for my American friends) year round, they ride their bikes instead of taking a car, grow their own vegitation instead of buying from the local grocer, wash, sort, recycle and compost everything instead of smashing it all into a green trashbag, they eat granola... with soymilk for the sheer pleasure of it. They've been known to hug trees. And, they probably like tofu.

A granola.

So... I think I'm turning into a granola.

This morning, I woke up and peered out my bedroom window to see that we had been blessed nearly a foot of snow. Yes. In mid-April. It's a wonderland! But, my first thoughts went to my garden and my bushes. My rhodos (formerly known as "the big bush in the back with the huge pink flowers") were bent over under the strain of the heavy, wet snow. I grabbed my robe and shuffled to the den to see a big-picture window view of my neighbour's yard... snow EVERYWHERE. Thick, heavy, white and quiet. Beautiful. I looked down... my fluffy white "what's it called" bush was nearly flattened. My eyebrows krinkled together in concern.

I made my way to the studio and peered toward the mountain past my weeping willow tree. Covered. The mountain, every tree, every rooftop, the road... and... then I saw it.

My weeping willow tree lost a major limb and was laying half-in my driveway. I rushed downstairs to the living room for a better look... It's my favourite branch... the one we drive under and pretend it's a carwash... as it tickles our car when we pull in our out of our house. Gone. And I was... sad. I was sad for the tree. What the mess? What's happening to me?

I got dressed, put on layers of socks and headed outside. I grabbed a rake from the garden shed and went around the yard knocking the heavy snow from off of my bushes. It was so pretty to look at... the snow covered flowers and spring bushes... but I knew that while the young bushes would recover, the older bushes might just snap under the strain.

I was out in my yard... saving the trees.

When I returned to the house, I shook off the snow and put things away. And, I found myself going on and on about how sad I was to lose that limb. Derek seemed sympathetic to how I felt, but rather unconcerned for the tree. He was just trying to figure out how to get it out of the driveway.

I wondered what could be done with the wood... the long, willowy branches. Could I make something? Is weeping willow tree wood any good for anything? I was starting to sound like a granola. Recycle, reuse. What would the Indians have done?

I'm still rather upset about the tree. But, I've gathered my senses. A friend is going to bring his chainsaw and help us cut up the carcass...er... limb and haul it off.

So... I made my way to the kitchen and toasted some whole wheat toast and made a cup of organic tea for breakfast.

The teabag wrapper went into the recycle bin, the teabag went into my compost.

Granola anyone?

-Jennifer-

Being sick isn't even remotely cute.

A few days ago, I woke up with a "rattle" in my chest. Nothing big. Didn't stop me from going to work. Or to Seattle for that matter.

A few days later and I'm a coughing, wheezing, sneezing, ear-popping, red-nosed, feverish snot factory.

Take yesterday for example: My husband's been busy since I've been home, so he'd only popped in a few times to see me. And when he did I'd do my best to straighten up and be presentable.

But who am I kidding? There was nothing cute about sitting in pajamas among a foot-deep pile of used kleenexes. And, all the Menthol Halls candy in the world probably didn't do a thing for "sick breath". I'd taken showers to clear my head, but I hadn't done my hair... so frankly my reddish/brownish curly hair resembled that of an orangutan that lost a fight. But, I pulled it behind my ears and smiled sheepishly past my chapped nose and said something sweet to my husband who asked if I need anything.

When my nose wasn't runny, it decided it was done working all together and stopped up. The only relief in that is that the sneezing stopped. But I'd rather have sneezed than have breathed through my mouth with the wheeze that came from my chest... I'm afraid I'd started to sound like one of those walking trees in The Lord of The Rings.

So, I popped off the cap of my Drixoral nasal spray. I jammed the spray nozzle up my chapped nostril just in time to see my husband walk in. Nozzle in, I smiled sweetly and blasted two cold shots up that side, and quickly pinch my nose and put my head back. Other side. And, head back. Got it. Stuff worked in seconds. Amazing! But, man it was bitter as it slid down the back of my throat. I spit the goo into a tissue and began a coughing fit. I hacked and wheezed like I've been smoking non-filtered Camels my whole life. And it was done. Sweet husband took the dirty laundry downstairs without uttering a word.

I retreated to my den and tidied up. It's then I realized I should have taken stock in Kleenex brand. Wondered out loud if I should recycle them?

I wrapped myself in my red, sparkly blanket and set myself up for hours of channel flipping. There is nothing good on Saturday nights.

I went to bed only a few minutes before Derek. He was downstairs doing the dishes. When I crawled into bed, I could breathe, so I didn't think to check how long the Drixoral was going to last. It lasted up until about 2:30 or 3am. I coughed throughout the night. Knocked over a few things on my nightstand as I blindly reached for kleenex. When the coughing fit was over, I'd sit up and groan. Disoriented, I'd force myself to lay down again... only to repeat the ordeal every half hour or so.

I woke up this morning in a sweat. My fever had broken some time early in the morning. My pillow was wet, but my mouth was dry... the roof of it grainy and my tongue felt like leather. It took me a minute to realize that I had slept with my mouth open all night. THAT must have been delightful - sleeping next to Darth Vader-turned JAWS. I'm surprised Derek didn't pop in some winter-fresh gum and force my mouth closed!

I think it's days like these that my husband must really really love me. He must pull from this deep well of affection to put up with a drippy, red-nosed, green-eyed, orangutan-resembling shell of a wife. Because... there's nothing cute about being sick.

Now excuse my while I sneeze.

Thank you.

-Jennifer-

I've been a bit of a spaz today. Before I got to work, my boss called and let me know there was very little to do... so I could open shoppe myself and fire up the ovens. Only 11 pies this morning. Two Coconut Cream, 2 Banana Cream, 3 Strawberry Rhubarb and 2 Apple Crumble, 2 Lemon Mirangue. No problem. Bake the shells. Bake two extra. Set out the pastry. Got it. I was gonna get out early today!

So I promptly started the apples. Prepped the 8 pie shells I needed to bake... popped them into the oven. Opened a new box of frozen fresh apples. Things were moving fast! I was deep into it when I suddenly realized I was boiling apples to make THREE - not two apple pies! Ack! I moved forward hoping the extra pie would sell. Grabbed another pastry from the freezer to make up for it.

Moved along to the Strawberry Rhubarb. No problem. Three pies. Got it.

Moved along to make the cream pies. Two of each. Made the puddings and grabbed the bananas. And peeled enough for THREE banana cream pies before I had realized I was only supposed to peel enough for two! ACK! (Again!) Made two coconut cream and THREE! banana cream. Hoped the extra pie would sell. Grabbed yet another pastry from the freezer to make up for it.

Baked the two extra pastries.

Made the Lemon Mirange pies. No problem. Beautiful mounds of fluffy mirangue... and... what's that? I baked two extra pie shells for nothing. I had started out with the right number of shells in the first place. ACK! Hope we can use them for tomorrow.

I offered to buy one. Making a chocolate cream pie at home today. Just for the fun of it.

Starting to wonder if I have some kind of obsessive compulsive disorder with the number 3.

Starting to wonder if I have some kind of obsessive compulsive disorder with the number 3.

Starting to wonder if I have some kind of... oh. Hehe.

I have a hard time remembering words. Today in the middle of Costco with my son I found myself pointing and asking him to grab that "what's it called?" Lemonaide. ERGH.

I think my mind is on some kind of hiadas.

I think my son might have been "touched" by my... what's the word? I dunno.

Today after his very first Chiropractor appointment, he was telling me how amazing it was that the doctor would touch his neck (he gestures to his neck) and it would fix his elbow (he gestures to his ankle). Huh?! We both started laughing.

He said it was time to take analogy classes again.

"You mean anatomy?"

"Yeah!"

We started laughing all over again.

Yes. My son is touched too.

Good thing we're not rocket surgeons.

-Jennifer-

There's really no excuse for not being here. I just didn't want to write.
My mind is so full of thoughts and ideas... but my heart just hasn't been into it.

Until today.

I was going to tinker in my garden today... under the promise of sunshine. But... when I woke up this morning... and glanced through the blinds... I gazed upon my neighbour's snow-covered roof. Sigh. My brave early blooming flowers are shivering under a blanket of snow. And, I am sitting in my warm studio with the kettle brewing.

I'm stalling.

I'll tell you what's really going on.

Since I've been in Canada - 10 months, now... I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop. I have had such - traumatic? - experiences in churches past, that I have been holding my breath - wondering if or when we'll get canned - again. I've been holding back. Waiting. I haven't deleved into ministry like I usually do. I've certainly helped my husband with his... but I haven't jumpstarted my own like I usually do in a new place. I've waited. Wondering what God has in store... but at the same time... wondering if it's all too good to be true.

Utter faithlessness disguised as self-preservation.

Last night during our young adult bible study, I let my mind wander for a minute. I was faced with my very personal struggle... and I forced myself to define it.

Early in our ministries I kept myself guarded from real, intimate relationships with people around me. I suppose it really wasn't anything more than just the fact that I wasn't mature enough to know exactly how to handle it. Nothing sinister... just half-grown. (How absolutely ineffective was I?) Later on, I dropped the "act". I was ready. And... just like any other human being on the planet... I discovered both immeasurable joy and devistating pain in those flawed relationships. I've nursed the hurts long enough. I'm over it. And, I think I might be ready again for real heart-to-heart ministry.

This is where the revelation interrupts my thinking last night... and sheds light on my actual struggle. It isn't with flesh and blood. It isn't even with the churches. My personal relationship with God has suffered through all of this. I have remained faithful TO Him, but am no longer intimate WITH Him. I have continued in His service, but have neglected to continue in my dialogue with Him. Not completely. Not intentionally. But - the effects have been the same.

My fear that the other shoe will drop has less to do with the church that I am working with... and more to do with my lack of faith in the God I serve.

So, a preacher's wife has a lack of faith? She struggles with intimacy with her Creator? You bet. Satan's been busy. I've been distracted. I've been running on fumes. I've been... maybe... a little bit self-absorbed. And, now... I risk being absolutely ineffective in the work He has planned out for me. And no work right now is as important as restoring my faith in my God.

So, it's no wonder that God has placed us in ministry in a place where there are no real expectations of me. (I was confused for a while, thinking it would just take time to realize what my special ministry was.) God wants me to re-introduce myself to Him. He's given me the time. He's taken me to a small island, filled with His beauty. He's surrounded me with people who have incredible patience and understanding. He's even sprinkled the congregation with former preachers' and elders' wives who completely understand... and have reached out to me.

And 10 months later... my stubborn soul has just come to realize it.

The other shoe isn't going to drop. I am safe in His care. Right here, right now. Always have been.

So... that's what's been on my mind. I've been restless. Uneasy. Until today. Now I know what to do. And I can't wait to get started. Guess it's good that it's snowing... my water's boiling and my bible is waiting.

-Jennifer-

Job asks: "Where is wisdom?"

28:1 “Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold that they refine.

2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from the ore.

3 Man puts an end to darkness and searches out to the farthest limit the ore in gloom and deep darkness.

4 He opens shafts in a valley away from where anyone lives;they are forgotten by travelers; they hang in the air, far away from mankind; they swing to and fro.

5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread, but underneath it is turned up as by fire.

6 Its stones are the place of sapphires, [2]and it has dust of gold.
7 “That path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon's eye has not seen it.

8 The proud beasts have not trodden it; the lion has not passed over it.
9 “Man puts his hand to the flinty rock and overturns mountains by the roots.

10 He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing.

11 He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle, and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
12 “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

13 Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living.

14 The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

15 It cannot be bought for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price.

16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.

17 Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; the price of wisdom is above pearls.

19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20 “From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?

21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air.

22 Abaddon and Death say,‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
23 “God understands the way to it,and he knows its place.

24 For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

25 When he gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure,

26 when he made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder,

27 then he saw it and declared it; he established it, and searched it out.

28 And he said to man,‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

A few things I found while researching "The Golden Compass" (while waiting 17th in line for the book to be free at our local library). All of the quotes below are from secular sources. (I intentionally avoided Christian Reviews.)

First - the story line:

"In Pullman's trilogy, Lyra is the new-age Eve, and Will is the modern-day Adam. God is a wizened spent force of an "Authority". And "The Fall" is to be celebrated as the defining moment of mankind, rather than the source of all worldly evil. Little wonder that His Dark Materials has been denounced by some religious zealots."

What did Pullman have to say about his book?

"Pullman, though, expected more. 'I've been surprised by how little criticism I've got. Harry Potter's been taking all the flak. I'm a great fan of J.K. Rowling, but the people - mainly from America's Bible Belt - who complain that Harry Potter promotes Satanism or witchcraft obviously haven't got enough in their lives. Meanwhile, I've been flying under the radar, saying things that are far more subversive than anything poor old Harry has said. My books are about killing God.'"

His inspiration?

"As a teenager, he fell in love with Paradise Lost. 'Books I and II, when the angels have just been thrown into Hell after the war in Heaven. They plot a terrible revenge, to destroy, subvert and ruin the new world God has made.'"

His message?

"Essentially, the trilogy is about the transition of innocence to experience, the triumph of knowledge over ignorance. When we're introduced to Lyra, we're told the inflexible church authorities in her world are anxious to stem the spread of 'Dust'. Only later do we find that Dust is good - 'the totality of human wisdom and experience' is Pullman's description. It's the religious zealots trying to prevent the spread of wisdom who are the bad guys, even if they wear clerics' robes."

Fantasy or reality to Pullman?

"Pullman has been compared so many times with Tolkien and Lewis, it galls him. 'Despite the armoured bears and the angels, I don't think I'm writing fantasy," he says. 'I think I'm writing realism. My books are psychologically real. So I would be most flattered if I was compared to George Eliot, Jane Austen or Henry James.'There's a pause, and the tinkle of a wine glass. "But I don't expect anybody will."'

His motivation for writing the books?

"Pullman has not been shy in the past about verbalizing his beliefs — or, some might say, nonbeliefs — and his intentions in writing the 'Dark Materials' novels.
The novelist has said they are in response to C.S. Lewis' 'The Chronicles of Narnia,' the popular children's fantasy series of which 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' is the first book — written by Lewis to teach Christian ideals to kids.
'I loathe the 'Narnia' books,' Pullman has said in previous press interviews. 'I hate them with a deep and bitter passion, with their view of childhood as a golden age from which sexuality and adulthood are a falling away.' He has called the series 'one of the most ugly and poisonous things' he's ever read."

What do atheists think about the book/movie?

"In spite of complaints about the forthcoming film, Pullman fans and atheists are still excited about the exposure it will give his novels. They say the American literary market is sorely lacking material for those who don't believe in God, and they scoff at the idea that the series is hazardous to children.
'Philip Pullman and I would say it is religion that poisons everything,' said Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the atheist advocacy group the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and a co-host of Freethought Radio, a talk show that recently went national on Air America Radio.
Gaylor said her now-18-year-old daughter read the 'Dark Materials' books 'over and over' when she was a middle-school student about the same age as the heroine.
'What this book is about is casting off Church authority,' Gaylor said. 'I think it's very, very positive. There should be something for freethinking children. It's a very good yarn.'"
"We knew from the beginning that the producers of this film intended to leave out the anti-religious references. We think this is a great shame " (Terry Sanderson, National Secular Society)

What Pullman says about himself:

"Blake said Milton was a true poet and of the Devil's party without knowing it. I am of the Devil's party and know it."

What's his take on the daemons?

"T]he story I was trying to write was about real people, not beings that don't exist like elves or hobbits. Lyra and Will and the other characters are meant to be human beings like us, and the story is about a universal human experience, namely growing up. The 'fantasy' parts of the story were there as a picture of aspects of human nature, not as something alien and strange. For example, readers have told me that the dæmons, which at first seem so utterly fantastic, soon become so familiar and essential a part of each character that they, the readers, feel as if they've got a dæmon themselves. And my point is that they have, that we all have. It's an aspect of our personality that we often overlook, but it's there. that's what I mean by realism: I was using the fantastical elements to say something that I thought was true about us and about our lives.""I think [my dæmon]'s probably a magpie or a jackdaw, one of these birds that pick up bright shining things and doesn't distinguish in terms of shininess between the diamond ring and the KitKat wrapper - just as I don't distinguish in terms of 'storyness' between Shakespeare and Neighbours.""[Y]ou don't have a choice in what your dæmon will become. There are many who would like to have a lion as a dæmon, and end up with a poodle! But if I did have a choice, I'd choose a raven. In North American mythology a raven is a trickster. And a storyteller is really just someone who tricks you into believing in their story. So I'd be happy if my dæmon were a raven."

Does he think he's teaching anything?:

(His Carnegie acceptance speech)"All stories teach, whether the storyteller intends them to or not. They teach the world we create. They teach the morality we live by. They teach it much more effectively than moral precepts and instructions."And furthermore:"[T]he act of true reading is in its very essence democratic. Consider the nature of what happens when we read a book - and I mean, of course, a work of literature, not an instruction manual or a textbook - in private, unsupervised, un-spied-on, alone. It isn't like a lecture: it's like a conversation. There's a back-and-forthness about it. The book proposes, the reader questions, the book responds, the reader considers. We bring our own preconceptions and expectations, our own intellectual qualities, and our limitations, too, our own previous experiences of reading, our own temperament, our own hopes and fears, our own personality to the encounter."

An off-subject quote about Creation Science:

"As for disgraceful betrayals of wisdom such as the pretense that there is something called "creation science" and we ought to give it equal time in schools with proper science --- I'm ashamed to belong to a human race that is so sunk in abject ignorance and willful stupidity."

What he thinks about religion:

"The religious impulse – which includes the sense of awe and mystery we feel when we look at the universe, the urge to find a meaning and a purpose in our lives, our sense of moral kinship with other human beings – is part of being human, and I value it. I'd be a damn fool not to.
But organised religion is quite another thing. The trouble is that all too often in human history, churches and priesthoods have set themselves up to rule people's lives in the name of some invisible god (and they're all invisible, because they don't exist) – and done terrible damage. In the name of their god, they have burned, hanged, tortured, maimed, robbed, violated, and enslaved millions of their fellow-creatures, and done so with the happy conviction that they were doing the will of God, and they would go to Heaven for it.
That is the religion I hate, and I'm happy to be known as its enemy."

About his belief or disbelief in God:

"I can see no evidence in that circle of things I do know, in history, or in science or anywhere else, no evidence of the existence of God.
So I'm caught between the words 'atheistic' and 'agnostic'. I've got no evidence whatever for believing in a God. But I know that all the things I do know are very small compared with the things that I don't know. So maybe there is a God out there. All I know is that if there is, he hasn't shown himself on earth.
But going further than that, I would say that those people who claim that they do know that there is a God have found this claim of theirs the most wonderful excuse for behaving extremely badly. So belief in a God does not seem to me to result automatically in behaving very well."

His thoughts on truth:

"I'm for open-mindedness and tolerance. I'm against any form of fanaticism, fundamentalism or zealotry, and this certainty of 'We have the truth.' The truth is far too large and complex. Nobody has the truth."

On Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden:

"The general theme, the general gist of the whole book is that the famous story of the Temptation in the Garden of Eden and the Fall of Man so-called, when Eve gave way to the temptation to eat the fruit of knowledge and tempted Adam to eat it as well, that this traditionally [has] been presented as being a very bad thing and Eve was very wicked and we all got covered in sorrow and sin and misery from then on as a result of this .. well, I just reversed that. I thought wasn't it a good thing that Eve did, isn't curiosity a valuable quality? Shouldn't she be praised for risking this? It wasn't, after all, that she was after money or gold or anything, she was after knowledge. What could possibly be wrong with that?"

What does he think we should reference for our guidance?

"We don't need lists of rights and wrongs, tables of do's and don'ts: we need books, time, and silence. 'Thou shalt not' is soon forgotten, but 'Once upon a time' lasts forever."

His take on "The Kingdom of Heaven" and "The Republic of Heaven":

"[The republic of heaven] stands for a sense of community. It stands for joy. It stands for a sense that the universe and we together, have a common meaning and a common destiny, and a purpose. It stands for connectedness between these things. All these things are so important, so fundamental to what keeps me alive that I don't want to be without them. I don't want to do without heaven, but I can no longer believe in a kingdom of heaven, so there must be a republic of heaven of which we are free and equal citizens - and it's our duty to promote and preserve this."

What are the key values in the Republic, rather than the Kingdom, of Heaven?

"Firstly, a sense that this world where we live is our home. Our home is not somewhere else. There is no elsewhere. This is a physical universe and we are physical beings made of material stuff. This is where we live.
Secondly, a sense of belonging, a sense of being part of a real and important story, a sense of being connected to other people, to people who are not here any more, to those who have gone before us. And a sense of being connected to the universe itself.
All those things were promised and summed up in the phrase, 'The Kingdom of Heaven'. But if the Kingdom is dead, we still need those things. We can't live without those things because it's too bleak, it's too bare and we don't need to. We can find a way of creating them for ourselves if we think in terms of a Republic of Heaven.
This is not a Kingdom but a Republic, in which we are all free and equal citizens, with – and this is the important thing – responsibilities. With the responsibility to make this place into a Republic of Heaven for everyone. Not to live in it in a state of perpetual self-indulgence, but to work hard to make this place as good as we possibly can."
"I find it impossible to believe (in God). However, the corollary of that is that if there is no kingdom of heaven, we must have a republic of heaven. We can't have another king. We mustn't have another king. Worshiping the wrong thing is going to lead to trouble, so we have to have a republic, by which I mean that we ourselves in this world here in the physical universe where we know we live have got to make it as much like the traditional idea of heaven as we can.
By which I mean it's a place where we're connected to other people by love and joy and delight in the universe and the physical world. And we have to use all the qualities we have -- our imagination, our intelligence, our scientific understanding, our appreciation of art, our love for each other and so on -- we have to work to use those things, to make the world a better place, which it sorely needs making."

It appears as though Mr. Pullman is singlehandedly trying to disassemble the heirarchy of God's design for man. God's design to have man under Christ, who is seated at His own righteous right hand. Mr. Pullman's message is clear: Organized religion is poison. Seek your own wisdom and follow it.
Many people have said that his book is just a story of Good versus Evil. My question is: Who is good in his books? And, who is evil?
Mr. Pullman hopes to "undermine the church" - a direct quote. How does he intend to do that? By sitting home watching re-runs of Neighbourhood? No. He's written a book, and at the most opportune time, he has released one of them in the form of a mesmerizing movie - aimed at children and their weak or unsuspecting parents.
I have more to say on the issue. Scriptures that come to mind. But, I'll let it rest for now. Marinade in it.
Sounds like I'm 17th in line at the library for a real winner.

-Jennifer-











-Jennifer-

It's two o'clock in the afternoon and something is nagging me. I've stopped everything and thought I should work it out here.

Why is it that when I choose to protect my kids from what I have deemed "dangerous" or "contrary" ideas, I am seen as an overprotective coward?

I found my experience public school to be difficult and unsatisfactory in the realm of education and personal development. So, I homeschool my children. And, as a result, I'm prejudged to be a christian alarmist who indoctrinates her children with all sorts of radical christian ideas... and likely to grow bunnies in the back yard.

Sigh.

Whereas the truth is: My kids learn their abc's just like in school... and their school days are filled with science (secular and faithbased for comparison), history, math, language arts and so on. There's no hidden extremist agenda classes in the basement. Nothing other than an open bible every morning... and a lot of discussion about what is right and what is wrong according to that bible. Not spooky, extremist or alarmist. Just what my husband and I thought would be best for our kids.

There's a few fiction stories that have come out in recent years. I'd heard from both sides of the aisle about what we "should or shouldn't do". I took them as suggestions not commands. And, I approached the books/movies cautiously... Eventually I found out that the kids did see the movie when they weren't under my supervision... and it provoked some discussion. Good discussion. My children haven't read all of the books, and as the movies progressed they became less and less interested in their dark nature. (It was already lost on me, so I was fine with the hoopla being over.) They won't likely see the last one... but it will be because their interested has waned.

There's a new movie based on a 12 year old book of fiction coming out. The kids and I were only vaguely aware of it. I came across a dear friend's blog where she writes about the controversy of it all. I did my research and responded. My response? I feel obligated - based on what I learned in my own research - to be cautious. I was also concerned that in an effort to be "openminded" christians may find themselves marching alongside a professed atheist who says he hopes to undermine the church.

Here's a portion of a response that was written right after mine:

"Was witchcraft around before J.K. Rowling brought up the idea of a school of witches and wizards? Uh, yeah. Were there anti-christian people before this author….and many others? Uh, yeah. I think that I agree with Niki on some things that there are ‘alarmists’ and that people often react like frightened sheep……a quick bleat and then turn as a group and run. Nevermind the thing that triggered it was a blowing pile of leaves, or a playful pair of kittens practicing their hunting skills.
I have taught my girls (7 and 14) that before you are afraid of something, try to understand it. Before you freak out and run, do take a good look at things and learn from it. This of course, does not apply to playing in traffic or running with scissors or other maternal must-haves. The point being that being educated and thinking for yourself is not just a good thing anymore, it’s MANDATORY to function in this world we live in now."

Sigh.

The idea of my kids becoming fascinated with witchcraft and atheism is a little more than a pair of playful kittens or leaves blowing in the wind. I am a Christian. Avoiding the very appearance of evil is what I'm learning to do... and I have unashamedly taught that principle to my children too. Though... discerning what appears to be evil and what is really harmless is where the heart of the discussion lies... and it will be a discussion that will never end. There are as many opinions as there are people.

I obviously have a different vantage point than this reader. I do not think that children our children's ages can or should learn from everything that's available to them. I as a parent have been given both the authority and the wisdom to guide their learning. It's as though we are building a home and I am deciding - depending on our surroundings - just how much insulation our home requires. And, in the secular viewpoints of witchcraft and atheism I have chosen to insulate our home just a little bit more than most. For now.

I think a lot of times parents can pride themselves in just how "informed" and "cutting edge" they've allowed their kids to become. As though it were some kind of strenuous feat. I find that my it takes great strength, attention and guts to stand up and say "here and no more".

There is a lot of learning that has to be done before I introduce my children to the very real world of witchcraft and atheism. And, they're not at the age of understanding yet. This doesn't make me an alarmist, extremist or even a stick in the mud.

I'm just a parent.

It's what I do.

That's my rant.

Now, back to the 200 word fiction papers my kids are writing... ironically.

-Jennifer-

My creative mind has been a barren wasteland for a few months. And, today... creative juices sprinkled on the cracked surface just a little bit.

I've just started a new painting... I'm trying something I've never done before. Impressionist art. I saw something tonight that fixed an image in my mind. Something I just had to put on a canvas. So far so good. It's not exactly what I imagined, so I think I'll be revisiting the canvas again tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll wash the cerulean and prussian blue off the ends of my fingers, wash the paintbrushes and call it a night.

We've moved from our first rental into a new home. Built in 1945 but new to us.

We moved because we found the first home to be full of mold. And at first I thought it wouldn't affect me much. But soon I started finding myself sleeping a whole lot more than usual. Sleeping in and having to take several catnaps throughout the day. Eventually we moved out of our bedroom (the worst of the mold was there), and things started to get a little better. But, symptoms like unclear thinking, rashes, postnasal drip, nausea started to overwhelm me. And, apparently I was the most susceptable. The kids were upstairs away from the bulk of it. And, I'm glad. Derek started becoming symptomatic here in these last few weeks as well. It was a good decision leave. I just hope the effects aren't permanent.

But... on to the new house.

I'm sitting in my new studio. I have my art desk, easel and computer in an angular room in the attic. A small window faces west with a great view of the mountians behind our very large weeping willow. Fabulous! I keep the fridge downstairs so I'll leave this nook every once in a while.

The house is colourful, clean, bright, and well maintained. A real jewel.

I have a garden outside that both delights and challenges me. I've never gardened. Okay. I actually have a reputation as a plant killer. But let's keep that between you and me. I heard that plants listen. (A kooky, dirty fingernailed plant lover told me that once...) I hope to be up to the challenge. I spent an hour raking the garden under the weeping willow and have the sore hamstrings to prove it.

So once again life has taken a turn... and I'm enjoying the ride.

-Jennifer-

I turned 35 today.

I don't feel 35. Not that I know what 35 is supposed to feel like.

I suppose I don't feel mature enough to be 35? Maybe that's it. Maybe that's a good thing! Maybe not.

What I learned this year:

I'm stronger than I thought I could be.

I hurt deeply... and then recover.

I'm quite organized when I want to be.

I've been sick a lot. Might want to get that checked out.

I really REALLY love my family.

I finally feel like I have a grip on homeschooling.

I'm a good teacher.

I can do more at church, but just because I can, doesn't mean I should.

My husband is madly in love with me. He puts up with too much from me.

You can come out of your shell now. The world didn't end.

God is good. All the time.

You never know what God is up to. Enjoy the ride.

I haven't wasted my time. I'm glad I stayed home all these years with the kids.

They are too.

I need to express myself creatively more often. This is where your voice is best heard.

You need to get a grip on your health. Enough is enough already!

You are more capable of love than you even know. Keep it up.

You actually enjoy early mornings and early bedtimes. Might wanna keep it up too.

You and your daughter really bonded this year. This is good.

Enjoy your new home. Invite everyone in! This is why God blessed you with it.

Learn more about others this year. Seek wisdom. You'll need it.

-Jennifer-

I am angry. My heart is on fire... finally.

The title of the article reads "'The Kite Runner Is Delayed To Protect Child Stars'".

The article is in the New York Times.

I saw the picture, and made some quick assumptions. My mind says "The movie was about brave boys flying contraband kites in Afghanistan." "Fantastic movie!", I thought. I read on. Racial tension... mhm... childhood betrayal... mhm.... sexual predation..."What?!" My mind raced as I scanned the article once before reading it all the way through... and then I saw it. "At its heart is a friendship between Amir, a wealthy Pashtun boy played by Zekiria Ebrahimi, and Hassan, the Hazara son of Amir’s father’s servant. In a pivotal scene Hassan is raped in an alley by a Pashtun bully. Later, Sohrab, a Hazara boy played by Ali Danish Bakhty Ari, is preyed on by a corrupt Taliban official." A rape scene. Two boys. I was mortified.

The article went on to explain the details of how the movie makers are going to great lengths to protect the young actors from persecution in their own country for appearing in a racially inflammitory movie. It tells of their "heroic" efforts that include CIA involvment, delayed release, their concern over often-pirated DVD's. The producers are going out of their way to move the premiere date until after school ends to protect the boys from shame. And, how if neccessary they will move the boys and their families out of the country. “If we’re being overly cautious, that’s O.K.,” Karen Magid, a lawyer for Paramount, said. “We’re in uncharted territory.”

What I wanted to know was... what on earth is an American movie maker doing making any kind of movie that involves the depiction of a rape of a young Afghan boy? What for?! In great detail the story is told of how the young actor was picked in Afghanistan because the casting director couldn't find an actor in the states, Toronto and the Hague - that he "just wasn't connecting with anybody." The boy and his father complains that the boy was never given a script. Wasn't told until the day of the shooting of the rape scene. Of how his father was there for rehearsal once, but the second time, the boy didn't want his pants pulled down, his buttocks showing... he didn't want to be shown nude. The young boy cried!

"In the final version of the film, the rape is conveyed impressionistically, with the unstrapping of a belt, the victim’s cries and a drop of blood."

Why? What artistic, storytelling necessity is there to have an innocent "play act" a rape scene? A child? Is this not abuse in and of itself? Is it not abuse because they have producers and expensive cameras present? Because Viacom writes their paycheck and some freaks in a writing room call it art... they move forward with the twisted project? And who are these producers patting themselves on the back for their "protective protocol"? They're predators! What kind of man in his right mind will seek out an innocent and say "Today, for a lot of money, you're going to pull down your pants in front of everyone while you and another boy enact a forced sexual scene while grown men and women watch... and record."? THAT'S NOT ART! THAT'S ABUSE!

Our perverted movie monguls marched into Afghanistan snatched up two boys... innocents... and defiled them... and called it art. Then, had the nerve to be self-congratulatory about their efforts to protect them from the certain abuse they would bear at the hands of their own countrymen for participating in such a racially explosive movie.

I'm sickened to my core.

This isn't the first mainstream movie with a rape scene involving a child. Apparently this has become old hat. Dakota Fanning, a darling girl was too in a graphic rape scene in a movie that will not likely be released here in the mainstream movies, but it was applauded by offshoots of the film industry... Cannes, and the Toronto Film Festival. Not without controversy, but not enough to block the movie either. (What was her mother thinking??!!)

It's no wonder then that everytime I scan my morning news there are endless stories about women and children being murdered, kidnapped, raped, burned, strangled, assaulted, drowned, abused, starved. I read it and I hurt.

I hurt for my generation that we have passively allowed violence against women and children to pass off as entertainment.

But more importantly, I hurt for the next generation who will never know innocence. If their parents were entertained by the raping of Afghan boys, what kind of world will they live in? What horrors lie behind their doors?

Who is protecting our children? It's not enough for me to protect "me and mine". Sure, I keep my kids close, I preview their movies, I talk with them about stranger safety. But some day my kids are going to walk out into this Sodom and Gomorrah World... what awaits them there? And, what did I do to shape it? Or worse, what did I not do?

The director of "The Kite Runner" also directed "Neverland". His name is Marc Forster.

The movie is distributed by Paramount Vantage, the art-house and specialty label of Paramount Pictures .

It's not enough to stay up late and blog about it. It's not enough to read a blog about it. What will you do? What won't you do?

-Jennifer-

I should be sleeping. (Many of my posts ought to start out that way.)
Tomorrow I am hosting a baby shower here at our home. It will be the first time many of our church friends have visited our home, so I want everything clean and comfortable. I think it will be.
Early tomorrow I'm getting up and starting the baking for the day. I'll be making butter tarts, shortbread cookies and whatever else comes to mind. Maybe even banana bread or small dinner rolls. We'll see if I have time. I also signed up to make the punch and coffee and tea. So... my tasks are set before me.
I'll have only a few decorations. Really low key. Polka-dot themed baby shower. Light aqua blue and a light kiwi green with white are my colours. Gonna be gorgeous! I have a cozy chair for the mom to be. And... a hand made corsage - complete with flowers, washcloths, a sock and a baby spoon.
I've nearly finished the baby gift. I only lack a needle and thread to put the bows on. An early trip to the dollar store will take care of that for me. Derek's picking up 25 chairs and two tables. I pray it doesn't rain tomorrow (which will be the first time in weeks!), as I hope to have a decorated table outside on the uncovered porch. If need be, I can pull it all under the covered area... a little squishy, but we're friendly folks.
All the ladies are bringing food and a picture of them from when they were smallish. In black and white... which reminds me... I gotta find mine. (Done!)
A million things run through my mind the night before any event that I'm a part of. "Did I forget anything?", "In what order should I start things tomorrow?", I wonder if the roses will make it overnight?", "Did the toilet get cleaned well around the floor?", "I hope no-one looks in the fridge crisper!", and on and on it goes.
My back is starting to hurt again. It's my queue to stop and go to bed.
I love event planning. It's one of my favourite things. But why the voices in my head right before bed? What's that about?
Going to go count polka-dots.
G'nite!
-Jennifer-
hehe... I did a spell check. I spelled "queue "correctly! Who'd have thunk?!

September 11th is our anniversary. Yep. I know.
Yesterday Derek surprised me with a gift. We usually don't exchange gifts, so I was really surprised to see a large box wrapped in white paper with gold hearts on our bed. (So neatly wrapped too, I might add. With a big white bow on top.) Inside was an artist/easel set that I have been coveting for about three years. I couldn't believe it! He not only thought of me... the thought of ME! And, where he hid it and how he kept it a secret, I'll never know.
He asked me to eat light as I was making dinner for the kids... he had made plans for us later in the evening.
We made arrangements for the kids and Derek took me out to see a couple of movies. Two in a row. At two different theaters. With a short snack break in-between.
At the second movie we had the whole theater to ourselves... so we were making commentary and laughing hysterically at the lines in the movie. We were full on popcorn and rootbeer.
Derek wanted to take me out to dinner, but it was really late - and Nanaimo rolls up it's sidewalks around 7pm I think. The only places open were the pubs and Tim Horton's. I wasn't really hungry... had a hankerin' for some donut holes, though.
We talked ministry. Not our current one... but what we've learned about or past ministries. And, I shared with him some of my difficulties with percieved expectations... He was so sweet and thoughtful. Really listened. Then, he assured me that it will all be alright. He gave me tips on keeping my fears in check...
My contacts were drying out, and my old age was kicking in. I had to go to bed. But, before I did I thanked him. He truly is a minister. He ministered to my spirit last night. Bolstered my confidence in God's plan for me.
This... above all else he had given me yesterday, was the greatest gift of all. One that will last long after the movie lines fade, long after the paint tubes are dried up. His heart. His time. His undivided attention. His honesty.
I love this man.
-Jennifer-

A friend who must really know what I've gone through posted this on her blog recently. I pasted it here:

Scribbling a Masterpiece: Doodle to your DestinyAllowing God to make a masterpiece on the canvas of your life.

By Sue Anne Allen

When I was young, I quickly learned:"Praise, for coloring-in-the-lines, is earned.

"Daddy or Ma-Ma or Nana would say:"What a beautiful picture!" when I did not stray.

When I expanded beyond the bounds set forth,their eyes said my artwork had lost its worth.

"What is this scribbling that you've done?"

"It would look better if you hadn't runover the black line, closing in the 'right' shape."

I'd feel less good when my crayons escaped.
As I got older, I learned more to stayin the lines defined someone else's way.

I would smile a fake smile, whiting out my pain.

I worked hard to "squeeze in" to the acceptable frame.

But, try as I might, I often slipped beyond.

New life danced out of my crayon wands.

My crayons would skip.

My crayons would swirl.

I felt, when I drew, like God's treasured girl.

But up came the old voices:

"Mistake!" I would rage.

"What's this imperfection spewed all over the page?"
As I got even older, I lost control more.

God rapped quite loudly on my identity's door.

Pressure to "keep together" fought my need to "fall apart."

A life-and-death battle ripped my growing-up heart.

"I surrender to You, Lord."

"I'm torn to shreds at my seams."

I vomited, at His feet, the black-and-white of old dreams.

I was tear-drenched and hurting when God lifted my chin.

His eyes said: "You weren't made to keep your true colors in."

He dumped out my crayons.

He empowered my hand.

Together we scribbled toward the blessings he planned.
As my colors emerge, I'm happy to say:

"I'm glad I've chosen not to put my crayons away."

"Living between the lines" is only one choice.

That's not the place where I've noticed God's voice.

I've dabbled, expressed, doodled past the norm.

I've learned more to create and less to perform.

An original has emerged in my "off limits" space.

My inner colors, now, shade my outer face.

"What a beautiful picture!" is drawn out from within.

"For THIS I designed you," my Master grins.

And, I thought I was the only one...

-Jennifer-

I spent the drizzly afternoon yesterday picking soggy blackberries from our bushes. Chante' was in tow, and was happy to help me fill the bucket. The boys were happy to tag along and pretend some kind of battle scene at every turn. DeVon with his thick blue nylon rope, and Zion with his newly aquired wooden dagger and plastic shield.
It's been years since I've been in the "bush" picking berries. (Though, this hardly qualified as "bush"... we were on the corner of our block... an empty lot.) But, it wasn't long before the rythym came back to me:
Find a cluster.
Make your way into the brush.
Pick as many berries as one hand can hold.
Drop into the bucket.
Avoid thorns.
Find a cluster....

And, I remembered the quiet that comes over you. No need to chat. Just the smell of rain and the wet leaves making prints on your jeans. And when my mind was quiet I found myself wondering what could be learned from the berry-bush?
Here are a few things:

What the berry bush reminded me about relationships:

Look for the well rounded ones. The ones that are ripe and ready. Knowing which ones are ripe, ready and flavourful takes experience. Have a go at it. Taste and see.
It will take some work to get prepared to glean from them. Don't avoid the trip just because it may require some planning and delicate work.
Once you've made your way in, take an assesment of what you really want. You can't have them all. You can't reach them all.
As your fingers reach out to harvest one, beware of the thorns. But, don't be afraid of them. Otherwise you'll never get anywhere.
As you begin to pull, notice... does it come easily? Or, does it hesitate? The ones that hesitate aren't ready. And, if you pull it, you will find that despite it's ripe colour, it's really rather sour. A few more days and that one will be ready too.
If you pull one that keeps it's thorns attatched to itsself you have a choice... you can grip the thorny part and hope it comes off easily... but more than likely, you will have just pricked yourself and have regretted thinking you could save it. It's time to just let that one go.
Not all are worth the effort. Some require more growth. Some refuse to be harvested.
But, others are hidden under large leaves. Out of the way. And these, I find, are the biggest, readiest, most flavourful of all. But, you have to change your point of view to find them. You must crouch. You must lift the barriers gently. They will reveal themselves to you. And, those will be the sweetest of all.

I learned a lot that afternoon. It was almost as if God was speaking to me through a soggy bush. I'll be fine here. I have my part, and they have theirs. And, I must remember whose is whose.

-Jennifer-

The fear in me.

I spoke with a dear friend tonight. A real warrior. Fearless. Just out there with it. I had to ask her. "How do you do it?" She told me in essence... she IS afraid sometimes, but her dedication to God brings her past her fear, past her doubt and into the realm of living it out.

Time to quit being cryptic.

I have been a coward. That's why I haven't been here. My fear has muzzled me. And, as a result, the fire that burns in my bones has become almost unbearable.

I used to be so opinionated, so passionate, and sometimes... so wrong. And the day I caved into the doubt and fear is the day I rendered myself unavailable for God's use. The clay that began to argue with the potter.

What was I passionate about that I no longer speak of? Marriage, kids, homes, church of Christ happenings, issues, spiritual battles, attacks, politics...

And, then... I was told I was ignorant. Unusable. Unwanted. Unneeded... and I believed them and not my God.

So, I'm breaking this deal with the devil. I take back the promises I made to stay quiet. I know now it's a lie. I am not ignorant. God leads me through my experiences with my eyes wide open. I should share it. I am not unusable, I am a vessel with a purpose... designed by the Master for divine purpose. I am not unwanted, I am paid for, sought after and delighted in. And, I am not unneeded. God is calling me, it's loud and clear. I'm tired of being between the rock and the hard place. God's calling and fear. I cave into God... into his loving arms. And though doubt will still haunt me, there is nothing that man can do to me. I am His. And I am glad.

I'll see you here soon.

Watch out now... she's back.

-Jennifer-

I have finally made it back to the motherland. Canada, eh?

It's been a long, 17 year road. One that included Mission work in Arizona, a stint in Tennessee, a term in Nebraska for college, a wedding in Arizona, mission work and the introduction of a family there. We ventured off into Arkansas territory only to be turned away to California where we really felt like we found home. Six years later, we were booted out of the sunny left coast and stationed again in Arkansas to re-learn a lesson in God's timing and guidence.

And so... it's been seventeen years for me. And, it's soooo good to be back.

The kids and the hubby look to me from time to time to explain things to them. "Is this just how Canadians do it?" "Is that normal here?" "Was it like that when you were here?" These questions are asked regularly.

What's funny is this: when I left I was just entering young adulthood. I didn't know the rules of driving. I didn't know what heated the homes... or how to pay for that. I paid rent on an upstairs suite. I had a job. I walked to and from it. I went to church. And, that was it. That's all I knew.

Okay, that's not all I knew... it's just all I knew about "settling in".

What has delighted me the most is the pleasant nature of the people here. Ready to laugh. Joking with eachother. A ready-made family. The way I remember. Shoes off at the door. The down-to-earth nature of the people. No class-systems. No castes. No "down your nose" looks about your education or lack-thereof. Just real people being real.

A new adjustment for me is realizing I am the preacher's wife again. I had forgotten that it comes with expectations. I came ready to just be me. And, I'm not entirely sure that our congregation has formalized their expectation of their preacher's wife... but from time to time I am subtly reminded of the role... and the need to fill it. But how?

I really thought I would never again struggle with expectation vs. reality. I thought that I would find a place and a time where I could just be me. And, I thought that those two roads crossed here. And, maybe they do. But... I suppose I'm still haunted some by old expectations that weren't met. Failures of my own that linger in the memory.

And, maybe I'm too hard on myself. Maybe I don't give others enough credit. Maybe they're ready for real. But are they ready for me? Am I?

Ah too deep.

I have changed in so many ways since I left Canada. And, God has been gracious to me. I am not perfect, but forgiven. And, I love imperfect people. Which covers most of us.

I just hope that my opinionated self, my flighty artistic natured self, my "not your typical preacher's wife" self will be welcomed here. And, I hope I grow here... I hope it is God who uses me just the way I am... and that his Holy Spirit directs me to change in the ways that aren't godly.

Okay, I'm all over the place here.
To sum up: Made it back. It's good. Finding my personal bearings again. God is good and he will guide... the end.

-Jennifer-

So, the biggest thing to happen to me in a few years has happened, and I haven't written about it? Have I gone mad? Am I completely nuts?

Yes.... I mean... NOoooo.

What an adventure!

So, the passports arrived after much, MUCH, much effort on my part. I e-mailed the passport agency. I called the passport agency. I e-mailed the kind lady at the Little Rock Library where we applied for passports. She sent me names of 2 Arkanasas State Representatives to harass. I called them. I called two CA state representatives...

On a side-note here - as much as I dislike Nancy Pelosi... the folks in her office are awfully nice!

After the two CA state representatives were on the case, I got up at 3am to start the phone lines in where ever they are in the Eastern Time Zone. I called at least 3 times a minute for 45 minutes (do the math) before actually reaching... no... not a person... a different message. But, after 15 minutes on that message, I spoke with a REAL, LIVE, ACTUAL passport agent. They DO exist!

A few numbers and details were exchanged and then Dick (that was his name) says this: "I have a note here that says that you have congressional help on these passports." To which I reply "Yessss....?" To which he blandly states "But, there isn't any note that says to expedite them, so we didn't." To which I reached my hand through the phone and grabbed his scrawny neck and raised my right hand and...

No wait... I didn't do that. I just sighed.

He continued... "Would you like them to be expedited?"

Can you just hear me screaming inside my own head?

I responded so softly you could barely hear me... "Yes, please."

And it was done!

13 weeks. 5 days on the road. 20 some e-mails, over 200 phone calls. Hundreds of dollars... and it was done.

Thanks, Dick.

The following morning, we met with some old friends for lunch. I wasn't holding my breath for those passports. So many promises. So few kept.

One of our friends works for the Fed Gov't. I remembered that because I was always afraid he'd deport me, but I never thought to ask him for help (because I was always afraid he'd deport me... did I mention that?). So... at lunch... he hadn't arrived yet, but our mutual friend, Nate had. Nate listened briefly to our passport troubles and then said "Ask Rog." "He's great with this stuff. He calls in a few favours on his cell and "boom", it's done!" Nate then tells us a few stories second hand about how Rog can find anyone, ANYWHERE in the U.S. Something to do with cellphone tracking and detective work. Creepy stuff.

As if on que, Rog walks in to the restaurant.

Rog is a big, black man. He wears shades ALWAYS. Day, night, inside, outside, rain or shine, he wears shades. I've never EVER seen his eyes. And we were close friends for years. When he sits, he folds his arms across his chest. When he stands, he folds his arms across his chest. He rarely chats in public. He looks like a bouncer, but he's actually the greeter at his church. Gotta love Rog.

After hearty hugs and a "how are ya?", Nate tells Rog about our passport problems.

Rog interrupts Nate and says "hold on." Rog pulls out his phone.

Nate looks at us, smiles and nods. "See?"

Rog calls someone... says "call my phone back and search it for this number", a few minutes later the phone rings. It's the passport agency. It's the Passport Agency CALLING HIM! I was stunned.

Rog asks for a few names and numbers and then flips his phone off.

"Your passport will be over-nighted via Fed-Ex. You can expect them by 10am tomorrow."

So, there you have it. Old friends, high places.

Then he turns to me and says - "So, you're Canadian? I didn't know that."

To which I reply "Yeah... that's why you can't find me on your little lists..."

We had a great lunch. Rog bought desserts all the way around. Kids made us proud and licked the plates.

I have more to tell you about returning to the motherland. Immigration. Old, new friends. But I'll save it for tomorrow. I think I'll take a minute and flip through some passports for old times' sake.

-Jennifer-