Posts Tagged ‘Article’
Too Zoomed In
By Jenn Wallace Now that I am in my forties, I am experiencing more and more phenomena related to aging; recently, I experienced yet another. I was reading the label on a pill container and had to move it further away from me than I am used to in order to read it: too close and the words were blurry. I was a little bit perturbed thinking, “Do I need bifocals already?!” I have since seen my optometrist who says for now I can lift my glasses but the time is coming. I’ve begun to commiserate with friends who…
Read MoreMorning Coffee
By Janelle Ross Almost every morning he makes the coffee: grinds the beans, pours boiling water into the French press, and waits until just the right moment to drop the plunger. He picks a cup for me from the cupboard. If it’s clean, he chooses the brown one that says You are a Courageous Woman. I’ve never asked him why. He pours the coffee and splashes in some cream, the real thing, full of fat and flavour. If I’m in the kitchen with him, I watch the white liquid swirl into the brown, and this comforting routine, established over time,…
Read MoreCourage Daughter: An Invitation from Andrea Muirhead
I just got back to my office after a lunch date with a friend. We had a little time to kill before she needed to be dropped off at her next appointment, so we went shopping. We were browsing the soap section of a department store when we found shower caps. I suggested we buy matching polka-dotted ones and wear them together when we were in the pool at Ladies’ Retreat. Dear friends, let me cordially invite you to join us at Sister Triangle’s Ladies’ Winter Retreat at the Temple Garden Mineral Spa in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on the weekend…
Read MoreThe Gift
By Bonnie Baxter The Season! December. It’s here. I’ve always loved Christmas! I love the lights, the music, and the extra kindness most people seemed to show for a month or so. But as I got older, Christmas somehow got harder. It was overwhelming enough to keep up on regular house tasks and then add in decorating for Christmas, working, parties, concerts, not to mention shopping for the perfect gift for loved ones and having picture-perfect photo cards to send out. Also, my kids need a mom and my husband deserves a wife. My expectations for myself exceeded my abilities…
Read MoreBeautiful Ugly
By Jen Wallace When John proposed to me, I cried. It was an ugly cry. In this beautiful moment the woman he was proposing to was sobbing—“So, is that a yes?” he asked. My response to his first question, “Will you marry me?” and the subsequent one was a resounding, “Yes! Yes!” I am still not entirely sure what all my tears meant. Years and memory tend to colour the retelling of events. But I think a part of me knew that he would now have a chance to really know me. He would see it all: the good, the…
Read MoreWhen I Grow Up
By Arlene Manson Last fall, I finally got a permanent job after six years of term positions. The goal I was working for – a permanent job – had been achieved. And this past spring, I turned 50. At this point, my life has kind of settled. So, what or where do I want to go next? This period of life has put me in a reflective mood. Lately, I have been reading books on spiritual disciplines and the like. I am trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I know that I want…
Read MoreIn Every Breath
By Esther Dupperon After 45 minutes of twisting, stretching, and bending we were told to lay on our yoga mats and relax. How wonderful. The instructor put on some music, led us through a breathing practice, and then through a guided meditation. I fell asleep. Since that time, I have participated in many meditations, some simple breathing and some lasting hours. Sometimes I fall asleep, sometimes I am unable to focus my mind or relax my body. Other times, I have had a sense of peace, relaxation, and a closeness to God. Meditation can be prayerful, relaxing or mindful. It always…
Read MorePrayer Journaling
By Ruth Pradzynski I remember several years ago at a Christian women’s meeting, the speaker challenged us: “If there was one thing that you could do that would make a difference in your spiritual life this year, what would it be? I challenge you to do that one thing.” I knew right away what my one thing would be: to have a daily quiet time with God. I had never done this consistently, and I thereupon set a goal, to have a quiet time with God, daily. And it truly transformed my life. I had always “not been good at”…
Read MoreLeaning into the Lord
By Trinda Jocelyn I find myself at a time in my life when things are really good. I mean it. I have a husband who loves me, and not the bare minimum kind of love. We live in a beautiful home, and we are surrounded by loads of fabulous family and friends who are there for us, and we are there for them. I have a good job, and freelancing has picked up, showing promise as a full-time gig working from home; a dream I hold onto as I brave up to leap into the entrepreneurial unknown. My husband has a good, stable…
Read MoreThinking Backwards: Thoughts on Luke 6
By May Thiessen I volunteer with a children’s program each week. Lately we’ve been looking at the teachings of Jesus, and specifically, we’ve been working at memorizing the Beatitudes. I was telling the children that in many ways, Jesus says things that seem to be backward compared to the way we’d normally do or say things. After all, the Beatitudes start, “Happy are the poor (Blessed are the poor in spirit)… Happy are the sad (Blessed are those that mourn)… Happy are you when people pick on you because you want to do what is right (Blessed are those who are persecuted…
Read More