I Left Bearing Gifts....

....but that is the end of the story. Let me start at the beginning.

Sunday morning. It starts out blustery but beautiful, with leisurely enjoyment of the quiet. A breakfast of deconstructed french toast made from bite sized chunks of almond croissant, fresh raspberries and creme anglais poured atop. Savoury and sensational!

Hallelujah, Amen. Church started out with many "Hallelujah, Amen"s between songs, during songs, and just to share the joy of worshipping together.

Monochromatic Hair. Everyone has black to dark chocolate hair no matter what age. There are three of us however who do not fit into this theme. I have brown hair, there is an African-American middle aged man with salt and pepper hair, and there is one elderly Korean lady with a lovely shade of lavender!

A Creed of Tears. Without fail, the congregation recites the Apostles Creed in Korean and without fail, one or more people are moved to tears, not just one or two drops, but the full hanky wiping multiple eye mopping tears. This happens every Sunday.

Touching Base and Keeping Up With The Jones. What do you go to church for? It is obvious that these congregants are here to impact each other. They serve one another tirelessly. They express great joy with one another. They insist on taking each others best interest to heart. There is no competition. They are genuinely encouraged by each other and saddened by each other's griefs. Yet, in the midst of it all, they individually take responsibility for themselves and are not needy or demanding of each other. I see the ministry of Jesus prevelant in their lives.

Rubber Meets the Road. The sermon was on Isaiah preparing the way for Jesus so that people would recognize Him when they saw Him. The ending of the serman was a challenge for us to reach out to others so they can see the Jesus in us. During the fellowship meal afterward, several ladies expressed themselves with great friendship toward me, making sure that I understood that they desired me to come back each week. I received a Korean key chain from one lady. During the evening meal, provided every few months for newcomers, the kindness continued. Photographs with the pastor and his wife, a mug and pen, picture of Jesus with Korean words underneath reading "We love you, we welcome you, we bless you." There were smaller words that my friend was trying to read without her glasses; I offered to read the Korean characters to her so she could translate them to English. A sweet moment of shared laughter at our Konglish conglomeration conundrum! The meal and events were hosted by all the elders and their wives, the truest picture of servanthood. They exemplify Christ-like living.

Football, Woodpeckers and FKPC. Pastor Kang spoke to us newcomers through a translator (except when he needed to correct the translator's translation which was quite amusing). He spoke of the Dallas Cowboys being his favourite team and how they use helmets to protect their brains from the obstacles they face on the field. He spoke of woodpeckers hitting the tree at 20 times per second and how their skull absorbs the impact. He moved on to say that we have a hundred more obstacles in our day than the Cowboys or a woodpecker and that Jesus is our helmet to protect us, ending by saying that the FKPChurch was blessed to be walking this road with us.

Have I told you how much I love this church?

Parking Spaces, Raindrops and Ineptitude

What are you thankful for today?

This morning I woke up heavy hearted, feeling the full gravity of my inabilities to make it through the day without Divine intervention and strength. As I drove to work, I confessed that I was incapable of the day's battle, especially after not recovering from the previous few days, weeks and months of challenges. I implored GOD to provide strength, to make His presence obvious. I stopped my prayer mid-sentence, realizing that yesterday I had not given the same fervency to prayer. The difference? Yesterday, my morning started off with a certain level of self-confidence and self-sufficiency. I was not anticipating any struggles and was feeling a certain level of assurance. Today, I knew that I had nothing apart from GOD.

Picking up mid-sentence, my prayer had none of the former tone, but rather turned into confession of my independence and praise for the rain that was going to bring the final budding into spring, for the parking space at work, that in Him I move and breathe and have my being, that He is always present, always faithful in guidance, support, protection, strength etc. and that I need to be more diligent to seek GOD's face and acknowledge His unceasingness toward me.

It is a happy dependence on Someone whose strength is inexhaustible, whose love is limitless, whose mercy is unending, whose forgiveness is inexplicably tender, whose compassion is showered upon me every moment.

Good days and bad, HE IS THERE. His emotions are not altered or swayed, He does not forget me on sunny days. He doesn't ignore me on rainy ones. HE NEVER FAILS.

We search our whole lives and bemoan the fact that we cannot find someone to love us like this, but we forget that whether we acknowledge GOD or not, He is fully present and lovingly engrossed in our every moment.

Tomorrow, the battle garments will be on. It may be a day of peace or it may be active duty. Either way, my Captain will go before me, beside me and bring up the rear. I will look to Him in peace and prosperity as well as in pitfalls and poverty.

I Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you."

Visiting Korea

The past three Sundays have been magnificent at this Korean church. Though I cannot speak or understand Korean, the congregation speaks the language of Heaven and my heart is able to comprehend. There are times when the preacher is imploring us with words I long to understand, but my eyes sting with tears and my heart fills with renewed devotion each week under his Divine inspired teaching. I cannot explain how there is such a connection despite the language. It feels like I am a curtain away from the Holy of Holies.

Today, I did miss a few cues. The congregation is so reverent that I am unable to discern between reading Scripture and praying, and when we had communion, their bread magically disappeared, though I never saw when it happened....we were just all of a sudden getting ready to pass out the cups. The beauty of the communion portion however was the reverence they gave to the elements. All the servers donned white, plain gowns and gloves. The way the pastor spoke and the way the elements were handled was as if this was the first time they had experienced communion. It was beautiful and full of meaning.

I also witnessed a parent/baby dedication. The parents stood before the pastor, raising their right hands and agreeing to raise their child to love GOD. Afterward, they knelt before the alter while the pastor blessed the child. The final touch was giving the mother a flower bouquet and both the parents a beautiful certificate to commemorate their commitment.

I shared a hymnbook with my seatmate---they each bring their own copy with them to church. Although the hymns are sung in Korean, they fortunately have the English words underneath for those hymns less familiar to me. There was one chorus that I did not know, but I smiled at the tune of "Go tell Aunt Rhody, the old grey goose is dead", realizing that many of our hymns have humble origins!

For fellowship meal after the service, we had seaweed soup with thin bits of beef here and there. My friend said that after a mother gives birth, she eats a lot of seaweed soup due to the high iron in it. It was very tasty! Also served was napa cabbage with spicy red sauce, rice noodle salad with bean sprouts and sesame, and watermelon slices for dessert. The meal is always simple, yet very satisfying.

The congregation is mystified that I would attend a non-English church, but when I express appreciation for their reverence and heart for GOD, they understand. Now they are just working on setting up a translator, and I will keep inviting others to join!

A Touch of Spring

I believe it is safe to tsay that Spring had decided to move into the neighborhood and stay for a few weeks. Here are the multiple choice options for you to decide which belong to my Arctic Spring, and which does not!

The truest harbinger of spring!

Feeding of the five thousand feathers from a single loaf of rye bread!

Solitary flight of a Swan

Frozen ocean

Birch Bark

Ice Crystals pushing up in the pond crevices

Kite flying from a local club

So......which one photo doesn't belong in my Spring?

Walking a Clydesdale

For the past eight days, I have been the owner of a delightful dog and enjoying all the chores and joys that accompany said ownership.

Due to the size of this magnifiscent beast, I discovered more humourous moments than expected, such as this photo suggests:

I never expected to be eclipsed by the shadow of a dog, but he has about 30 pounds on me. When he stands on his hind legs with front paws on my shoulders, I can look directly at his rabies tag. NEAT, considering that his neck still has another eight inches before reaching the bottom of his jowls.

Sam loved, adored and was overjoyed with Morty, the lion cat! Morty, however felt that Sam was more like a mangy giraffe with slobber. Eventually, they did learn to relax around each other, one by toning down the intensity while the other realized there was nothing life-threatening. Here they are playing with a laser dot together.







We played soccer together, ran and walked about seven miles a day, retrieved thrown toys, played hide and seek, watched the clouds float by, listened to birds and enjoyed nature. It has been a lovey week full of laughter and companionship. I will miss you, Sam!

Resurrection Sunday 2011

What a glorious sunrise service I had this morning!

First off, I was not expecting to see sun.
Secondly, I had something I wanted to communicate to GOD.
Thirdly, I was overwhelmed by what He communicated to me.

This was my first image of the morning:

Hymns and verses came up from my heart and out into this Arctic spring morning, all of them with the common theme of the cross, the resurrection, faithfulness, adoration, solid hymns of my faith like Great is Thy Faithfulness, At the Cross, All Glory, Laud and Honour, and One Day.

1.One day when heaven was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin—
Dwelt among men, my example is He!
◦Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever:
One day He's coming—O glorious day!
2.One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain,
One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected;
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He.
3.One day they left Him alone in the garden,
One day He rested, from suffering free;
Angels came down o'er His tomb to keep vigil;
Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He.
4.One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then He arose, over death He had conquered;
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore.
5.One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glory will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!

As I watched the clouds and light shift each moment, GOD's promises flooded through my mind.

• The sun never fails to shine; however, there are objects which frequently block it from our sight. It does not diminish the sun's purpose, but it's presence is not as keenly felt. 
• Just as the sun rises each morning, with little thought from us, so too does GOD's presence fill each day, often with little thought from us.  
• There were small clouds that displayed rainbow colours, reminding me that GOD has made a covenant of compassion with us.

Lamentations 3:21-25 says

"This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.

The Lord's lovingkindness indeed never ceases, for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning: Great is Thy faithfulness.

'The Lord is my portion', says my soul, 'therefore I have hope in Him'.

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him."

The life of Jesus from birth to death to resurrection truly is unfathomable in its scope. The truths I am able to distill are indeed marvelous. I am amazed and grateful to think of His sacrifice for me and you. When I think of my own heart, I have never displayed any semblance of love and selflessess on behalf of another when contrasted with the purity of GOD's ultimate gift toward us. Learning to love like Jesus is not a human ability; rather it takes the Divine indwelling to prompt and prick this former heart of dust that has been made righteous through the ultimate act of love and selflessness. As in the parable, because I have been forgiven much, I have no reason not to forgive others. As in the song above, Jesus "dwelt among men, my example to be".

This picture took my breath away as I saw the imagery of Jesus being the LIGHT, dying on the cross and bridging the gap between light and darkness, heaven and hell. I saw the sun beam reaching toward me, could feel its warmth and understood what GOD was trying to convey at that moment.

Just like Christmas, I am grateful that Easter is a 365 day a year celebration!

Preparations

This week has been very thought provoking in preparation for Good Friday and Easter. The symbolisms and cultural contrasts have been very astonishing as I listen to my own thoughts and the conversations around me.

My Korean co-worker, whose church I attended last Sunday, really blessed me as I listened to her purposeful preparations for her heart as she looks forward to this coming Resurrection Sunday. She gave me a list of passages that she is working through each day, mirroring the last week of Christ's earthly life. As she translated each of the passages and topics per day, she choked up and overflowed with tears as she arrived at Friday, speaking of Christ's suffering and imploring me to fast as I think of His suffering so much on our behalf.

I am so grateful for her heart, for her encouragement, for her obvious love, adoration and devotion to our Saviour.

Six Pence

Shave and a hair cut.....six pence.

If you want more than one hair cut, it is around $25 dollars.

If you actually want a specific hair style, say, a lion cut.....plan to spend around $75!

2011 Arctic Spring Fashion Show

This season, the arctic is sporting natural colours, mostly beige and brown, dusty tones with highlights of graphite dots. Here and there are touches of sparkle and white, with traces of the occasional blue. Green is definitely passe, and pink is ne'er to be seen. Yellow will be arriving late in the season just before summer. As for black, it is not your friend in this season's hot trend.

Weekend sampler

My weekend has been very enjoyeable. The weather is gorgeous, much like Labour Day camping in the mountains with warm sun on the face but crisp cold in the shadows.. I baked, made three varieties of caramel, embroidered, read, candied orange slices, went for a drive and a walk, attended a new church, listened to beautiful classic music.

All of these things are my favourites. Each gives me great delight and pleasure, summoning all my senses. I expressed gratitude many times for the abilitiy to enjoy these things, even feeling overwhelmed by the colour, texture, smell, design and flavour of raspberries. These are all great wholesome delights and yet....I realized that I was still longing for more, like more than just listening to the classical music, I longed to feel it, smell it colour it. 

My first thought was that I wasn't being grateful enough, but I could not have been more sincere or appreciative. It made me realize that I was longing for the complete perfection of heaven. It is wonderful to enjoy GOD's abundant gifts, blessings and bestowements on us now but it is healthy to enjoy them with eternity as the backdrop that this earthly pleasure contrasts.

Putting this into perspective would be like relishing a kindergarten drawing. It is beautiful, exquisite and sensational that little fingers who cannot even put their own hair into a pony tail could grasp the concepts of space and proportions with paper and crayon. We appreciate the quality in light of view of the source. However, knowing that there is something of greater perfection and lasting value, we can enjoy the refridgerator art for this year and the Mona Lisa until earth is no longer.

Heaven is and will be perfection for us. While on this imperfect earth we are to enjoy everything that GOD Himself pronounced "good", but in doing so, our hearts should yearn for the perfect something that only GOD and heaven will afford.

Passing for a Korean

As I sat near the back of a Korean church today, my heart resonated with this non-English speaking crowd. My heart and eyes swelled with tears as I heard and understood "Hallelujah!". In heaven, every tongue and tribe will be present, with this universal word coming from our redeemed hearts. It is the same word spoken in every hill and dale of every continent and island. My emotions were barely contained as I realized that although I could not understand what was being preached, I knew what was being spoken, from Whom it was derived and to Whom it was offered. It was a beautiful service with the speaker speaking to my heart from his imploring one.

The passage was Luke 22:54-62, and the jist of the sermon was this:
Jesus knew that Simon Peter was going to betray Him and even gave Peter warning and a signal. Peter chose to deny that he was one of Christ's followers. This ties to our every day living where we do not boldly show,proclain, live that we do indeed serve Christ as Lord and Master.
Once the signaling rooster crowed, Simon Peter caught the gaze of Christ, his Lord and Master. Jesus looked directly at Peter. The eyes were not angry but merciful. It was at this that Peter wept bitterly, showing a genuine repentence in his heart. The proof was his dedicated life to the service of his King, even to death. The sum of the serman was poised  that Satan does everything possible to keep our gaze off of Jesus so we cannot see His direct gaze of love and mercy. If we did meet His gaze, we would be transformed to follow after God's daily will, abandoning all else that would distance us from Himself.
The congregation wept at this serman. Without fully enderstanding, I too felt tears that the hearts of my fellow worshippers were moved to receive this Heavenly Word.
When I heard the translation afterward,all the pieces fell into place and I saw the whole picture. The translator told me that she did not know who she was translating for, that she thought I was Korean from the back. How dear that GOD does not see us as nationalities but as His Holy and Beloved ones. Through the welcoming arms of this church, I too felt beloved!
I will be back!
By the way...I had my first Korean food. I stuck with the mild non-red dishes and found them rather tasty!

Sighted: Signs of Spring

Within one week, my world has changed from daily morning snowfall, to the warmth of afternoon sunshine. Everywhere I look, the snow recedes, grasses limp themselves upward to the newly revealed sunlight, winter indoor critters lie happily in the warm beams, mountains reveal their vertebral spine, the smell of green perfumes the air.

It will be weeks yet before the lawns are green or the trees start unfurling their chloropyhyll umbrellas, but in the meantime I will keep an eager eye for the daily spring revelations waking from winter hibernation.

Here are the last few days of my spring!

I fed these ducks (and the twenty surrounding them) my homemade molasses pumpkin ginger cookies. They loved them so much that the females were actually quacking in unison waiting for me to break apart the cookie for them! It was hilarious! The males were the most beautiful I think I have seen; the irridescence was so magnifiscent. Perhaps after a muted three tone winter, their colour was just a premium for my sight!

I saw the cat running to me looking rather scared. I did not know why until I left for work five minutes later and saw the moose in my very own backyard! Thank you to whoever bought me this gift....I named her Emilia and invited her back for pumpkin scones! The irony of Emilia being in my fenced back yard was that just yesterday I posted thanks for GOD's protection. Just one more reminder of His faithfulness!

Morty the cat, enjoying a spring outing without moose in the yard! The snow was receding quickly and soggy grass popping up for fresh air!

Spring weather can be so unpredictable and variable! Above is a picture to the West of the house while the picture below was taken at the same time but facing East. Strange! It was snowing.

Thanksgiving in Spring

It has been eight months now since I first uttered my prayer to GOD for safety from moose during my daily bike ride. My request was to not even see a moose while I was on bike.

With heartfelt gratitude to a GOD who hears, sees and knows my needs before I have comprehension of them myself or formed them into words, I can say that I did not see one this winter while biking.

However, the same week that this truck was loaned to me, I saw my first moose meandering alongside the road. There have been many beautiful moose since, too many to count, but they are all reminders of GOD's faithfulness, His protection and presence in my life.

Hearing the Truth

Grace and Truth is one of my favourite websites, offering a banquet for spiritual hunger. www.graceandtruthbooks.com

Modern churches are leaving me with a feeling of anemia and insatiable hunger. With the items I have purchased from Grace and Truth, however, just a few sentences leave me at a standstill, eager to hear again and again the words of truth spoken so powerfully strong. No jokes, no funnies, no dilluted terminology. Pure words that serve as a perfect key in the lock of my heart, opening my soul to GOD in His holiness.

Currently I am listening to The Valley of Vision, narrated by Max McLean. It is a collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, a compilation of poems and writings written by men like John Bunyan who knew and experienced GOD in a closeness which we in all our pompous luxury and comfortable existence are insulated from.

I pray that my heart will be moved to love and adore my Creator who made me, and my Saviour who secured me to the creature GOD originally designed me to be.

The Sweetness of a Saturday

A day off, for repose and refreshment.
What were the ingredients for success?

Proper Tea Service

Tantalizing Treats

Floral Delights

Great Darjeeling Tea

Handiwork for a friend's new arrival

Sweet Refreshment

Pretty accoutrements

Life is so enjoyable!

Blessings - Laura Story

Signing your name with an X, an I, or something else

While listening to Casting Crowns "Lifesong", I was humbled by the following phrase:

'I want to sign your name to the end of this day, knowing that my heart was true,
Let my lifesong sing to You.'

Many people sign the day off with an X, just chance, nobody's fault, nobody's responsibility, it just happened as a matter of fate.

So often in my daily assessment, I sign my name to how I did or did not do, while nodding acknowledgement for GOD's enablement, but that focus is very wrong. If I truly want to be an empty vessel, embodying the goodness of GOD's character, then it was not I, but Christ living in me. I should be humbled that GOD would choose me to bear His image, working through me to accomplish what is most glorifying to Him, what showcases His abilities, what allows Him to be seen. My human foibles and insecurities, my very sin nature grabs a few of the glory beams for my own gratification, but ends up as tarnished trophies on the dusty unseen shelves of my heart.

It really is unbelievable that GOD would continue to entrust His work to the next contestant of "Look at me...I've got talent"!

Lifesong lyrics by Casting Crowns
Empty hands held high
Such small sacrifice
If not joined with my life
I sing in vain tonight

May the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You

Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
I want to sign Your name to the end of this day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my lifesong sing to You

Lord I give my life
A living sacrifice
To reach a world in need
To be Your hands and feet

So may the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Let my lifesong sing to You

Needing a Cup of Comfort

Standing in line at my job's on-site coffee shop, an employee ahead of me was relegated one step backwards by an intruder taking cuts. He saw his error and quickly offered her spot back in line. The barista said it was okay, that she chould start her drink while checking his items out. The employee stood by unruffled as she announced to him, "she knows what I like".

The lights went on and reminded me of all the times when I have stood in line, gotten up early, been on budgets, but still was determnied to get my hands on a steaming cup of something. It isn't the caffeine, or the warmth we are able to derive from a four dollar drink. Rather, it is the purchase and exchange of recognition, a smile, being known by someone, having someone know your likes and dislikes and when it might be okay to surprise you or change things up a bit. It is filling one of our greatest needs in life....being valued. We are missed when we do not stop by the coffee line. We are remembered! We are anticipated!

I have been in coffee shops that know if my schedule has changed because I am an hour later or earlier, or they have my drink ready for me three cars back because they know what I drive. You cannot sell or train for that kind of marketing strategy. It is heart to heart.

Canvas of Clouds

The Week in Startling Contrast

This week I experienced the fringe edge of death, near death and pending death.

Though I did not know any of these people personally, I found a unique life bond with each one. All were sandwiched around my age bracket, all were unexpected, all left families behind, all were theoretically preventable. This and more lended a deeper gravity.

The one that caused me to reflect the most was a thirty-seven year old. After her organs were harvested, I awaited the Medical Examiner's arrival. When we unzipped the body bag to identify her and sign the release paperwork, I was unprepared for the flurry of thoughts that raced. Here are the two most profound:

In life, we identify each other by our face, colour of eyes, hair colour, facial features and their corresponding shapes, te reputation of the person's name. In death, we identify each other by a usually hidden toe, and an attached tag with an impersonal name.

The entire body was shrouded in a vinyl bag. I was struck by the contrast to those temporary vinyl bags we store our clothes in. Death is very much like this vinyl. For those who have never known GOD intimitely, their death is like  being zipped in a body bag, but as believers in our Saviour & Redeemer, our death is more like the temporary garment bag, merely holding our outer garments.

Profound thoughts. Weighty issues. Joyous discovery! Grateful praise!