friends are so lovely

I saw this one night on the evening news. It made me teary in a good way and every time I've showed it to someone since I find myself welling up. It is so, so, so, so, lovely to be loved and to love. Even if you are an elephant and a dog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjyb0t5Jm44

hubcaps and happiness

On Saturday, my brother, sister in law, parents and I gathered to have lunch to celebrate my dad's birthday. I arrived before my brother so I parked in the left hand spot. My brother pulled into the spot to the right of me. I was already settled inside chatting with my parents when my brother came in and said, "what the heck happened to your hubcaps?!" I responded, giggling, "well, they're plastic and I've had them for a while. I guess I've gotten a little too close to the curb a couple of times." And, as all good brothers do, he repeatedly teased me about this throughout the afternoon. I have learned over my life that the best thing to do with teasing brothers is too not react, but I've been out of practice for a few years and so I kept laughing at him which I'm sure was very encouraging. When we were all leaving he said, "buy hubcaps on the way home!!"

Yesterday, I was at work, on a break and I could hear my phone vibrating in my bag so I quickly grabbed it and answered. The following conversation ensued:

"hello?"

"It's Simon. Are you at home tonight?"

"Not until after 8. Why?"

"I'm coming over. For about 10 minutes"

"Okay. Why?"

"I have something to show you."

"Well, do you want me to come to your place on my way home?"

"Sure. see you later."

"okay."

Well, being a girl and being me, I start to wonder, what the heck?!! My brother rarely calls me and he never comes over for 10 minutes just to show me something. Anyway, I show up at his house, knock on the door, go in and there he is with four brand new hubcaps. I throw my head back and laugh. We go outside, he puts the hubcaps on my car, I hug him and say, "thanks, that was a nice older brother thing to do." He looks at me with a little smirk and says, "I didn't do it for you, I did it for me" which we all know isn't true.

spiritual direction and grammar

I am meeting with a spiritual director for the first time today. I am excited about this, especially after rereading her pamphlet. Continuing to grow and mature in my relationship with God honestly makes me a little giddy. What does He have for me? What will He call me to? How will He change me? How will He lead me? I love the quote at the end of the pamphlet.

"Put simply, life is a God-given opportunity to become who we are, to affirm
our own true spiritual nature, claim our truth, appropriate and integrate the
reality of our being but most of all to say, "YES" to the One who calls us
Beloved"

Henri Nouwen

On a completely different note. Today is national grammar day!!! It's a day to spell well, punctuate well and use words correctly!! YES!

what i've been doing

It's been almost a month since I posted. For two of those weeks I've been on vacation What have i been doing for those two weeks you ask? Well, I've been:

reading
saving sheep
painting my apartment
throwing stuff away
having days of fun with friends
visiting a cheese farm
visiting a winery
teaching someone scrabble who speaks english as a second language
contemplating what it means to be loved with an incorruptible love
prepping to lead 500 women in worship
writing a song
laughing
crying
spending an entire afternoon with my pregnant friend sitting on a couch doing absolutely nothing except chatting and giggling
drinking coffee
knitting
absolutely loving life

Now on Friday i have to go back to work...

president who?

My friend works at an inner city after school program. One day recently they were discussing the new President of the United States.

"does anyone know who Obama is?"

"he's the new president."

"does anyone know who the first president of the USA was?"

"George Washington."

"Can you think of anyone else named George who was president?'

"George Bush."

Then one of the kids wanted to ask a question:

"When was George Clooney president?"

Now there's a kid after my own heart.

the cleaning philosopher

I spoke to our new cleaning lady yesterday. First of all, she was stunned I actually spoke to her 'cause generally, as stupid as this sounds, nurses don't converse with cleaning people, unless it's to tell them to clean something faster. Anyway, I digress. So, she was cleaning my patient's room and I said, "hello, I'm Laura, what's your name?" "Boujana (?sp)." " where are you from?" "Poland." "thank you for cleaning my patient's room." "it's my job." "well, I really couldn't do my job if you weren't here, so thank you." Our conversation continued beyond the necessity of the housekeeper. Boujana has been in Canada for over 10 years and feels very embarrassed about her english. I asked her what she used to do in Poland. She looked at me sheepishly and I told her it was fine if she didn't want to tell me, but I could tell she kind of wanted to. So I waited. She said, "I was a Philosophy professor at a university." Now she cleans floors and beds and empties gigantic garbage cans. She said she just doesn't look back because it's better here and her children are happy and they are all in school. She has four children. The oldest is 21 and the youngest is 12. She said they are safe and they will get jobs. She smiled at me and said, "thank you for asking me my name. thank you for asking me questions." I said, "you're welcome and thank you."

New Year

As most people, I have been thinking about the last year and anticipating the year to come. In 2008, I bought a condo, travelled to India, worked through some difficult relationships, made some excellent new friends, said goodbye to others, witnessed some medical miracles, caught my first fish, danced at some weddings, laughed until I cried and cried until I fell asleep. I know Jesus a little more than I did this time last year and I am a little more changed.

Although I don't know what 2009 holds, I'm sure it will be full of beauty and sorrow, excitement and boredom, love and hate, expected and unexpected. Even though I don't know what this year holds I do know Who holds it. I take great comfort in knowing the One who knows all of my days before one of them even happens. Today, while making some goals for the year ahead I decided on some verses that will be my theme. Psalm 91:1,2. "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Lord. I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.'"

May 2009 be a year of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control for you, the ones you love and the world.