Garbage Dump Etiquette June 29, 2008

Today we did the “semi-annual” garage clean up.  I say it is the “semi-annual,” not because we have a strategic plan, but rather, because this is the second random clean up this year, and it could very well be the last. 

I’m always amazed at the amount of junk we have collected over the years.  Though I admit, at one time it didn’t seem like junk; we paid some good hard earned cash to buy some of that stuff.  

Well because we are on a huge reduction plan, today we took what appeared to be of “no earthy good’ to the garbage dump.  I was amazed to see that here, in garbage dump land, there is actually set of “garbage dump etiquette rules”.  

Upon arrival at the City waste land, I was astonished to see how long the line up was.  I’m serious, it was at least 30 cars deep.  ON A SATURDAY???  Don’t people have anything better to do with their time, than to get rid of their junk?

So here are the rules.  First, you must pay to dump off your “no longer required” items.  The “Garbage dump people” establish a price, based on how much your vehicle weights.  (we paid six dollars.)

Then, we are required to sort our garbage according to what is was made from, plastics, metal, wood, or limbs and mulch.  Each one has it’s own drop off zone. 

We had mostly wood and metal, thankfully the two drop off sites were side-by-side.  Arriving first at the wood station, I noticed a “No Scavenging” sign.  Huh….”interesting” I thought, who would want to pick up somebody else’s refuse?

Then we had a conversation with a man next to us, he gave us some interesting advice, he said; “as long as you don’t go home with more junk than you came with, you are ok.”  

All this made me wonder, how often do we pick up somebody else’s junk?  What are we collecting from others: anger, resentment, frustrations, or aggravation?   And then are we taking it home as if it was some prized possession?  Perhaps it would be better to take note of the “Danger, no stopping here” sign!

Here’s another tip: There is no charge, no rules, and no line up to drop your junk off at the feet of Jesus.  

What kind of junk are you collecting? 

~dl

 

 

 

 

Footwashing June 28, 2008

I love the signs of summer! Some of my favorites are that it is still light outside at 9:30 pm. Birds are singing by 5 am. Strawberries, corn and blueberries are more abundant. And we end every day exhausted, happy and with extremely dirty feet!

Although we might not have a full-fledged bath every night of summer, I do take the time to clean face, feet and hands before climbing into the sheets.

Last night as I washed my kids’ feet, I made a decision to make that time each night a time where I can take a posture of servanthood for my kids. Jesus washed the feet of His disciples in the upper room. I can picture Him smiling as the others looked at each other in amazement. I will look forward to our feet washing time each night and will use the time to pray for my kids to know that the Jesus who washed the feet of His friends loves them and knows them by name.

Happy Summer!

~ kp

Blisters June 25, 2008

All of my childhood years were spent doing gymnastics. As with any sport, serious training brings serious havoc to your body. The different gymnastics events took their toll on different body parts. The uneven bars brought some serious damage to the palms of my hands. I had about a two-year period where I slept with my hands covered in medicated salve with tube socks over them every night. I haven’t trained in 17 years, and my hands still bear the marks. But I wouldn’t trade them in because during that time, it was part of who I was. The ripped and bleeding hands were part of doing what I was gifted to do.

Last month my son made it across the monkey bars for the first time; all the way across by himself. He was so proud and takes every opportunity to do it again and again. Yesterday after school he ran to the monkey bars and climbed up. He did about 4 bars when he let go and looked at his hands. He ran to show me a ripped and bleeding blister. I was swept back to my gymnastics days of looking at my own ripped hands and wondering – “is this a show stopper or can I try again?”

Well, my boy didn’t let it be a show stopper. He tried again. And I know it hurt him (his saying “Ow! Ow! Ow!” the whole way across gave it away ) But he tried again. Why? Because he loves it. And he figured a way to adjust his grip to make it better for him to do what he loves to do.

When what we love to do seems hard, or we hit a rough patch that brings a bit of pain, or we end up downright torn and bleeding; we have two choices. Do we let it be a show stopper? Or do we find a way to continue, because we have a passion in our heart?
Peace.
~kp

Barefoot June 22, 2008

Today my family and I had our socks blessed right off of our feet! The BC Children’s Charities held the 2nd annual “Boat For Hope” in our town and we were invited to attend. Dozens of people donated their time, money, resources and JOY for the purpose of blessing children who have a disability and their families.

There were enough prizes, activities, FOOD, fun and smiles to fill the lake! And the kids were free to just be themselves, without any fear of judgment or strange looks from passer-bys – just whoever they were created to be. And you know what – it was beautiful. Often, as a parent of a child who can be unpredictable in how he reacts in certain circumstances, I fall into the trap of worrying how others perceive our situation. It has gotten better, but I used to be quite bothered when we appeared “different” or “odd” while out in public. That definitely wasn’t the case today. Everyone there was there to celebrate and love on the differences that kids have and support and help the caregivers.

Three really special things I want to share:

1. Prior to the event, people purchased (for a $200 donation) Teddy Bears. These donors came today, with the Teddy Bears, and presented one to each child attending. My son was so excited – he tucked his bear inside his shirt, where it has remained. I absolutely cried like crazy when this man in a business suit handed my Cooper his bear and said, “I’d like you to have this. I named him Nicolas after my son.”

2. Our town is located on beautiful Lake Okanagan. Members of the Yacht Club decorated their boats in “pirate fashion” and took the kids and their families for tours around the Lake. They donated use of their boats, bought the gas, decorated and gave treats to kids – all so families could have a wonderful time on the lake. Members of our fire department also donated their time, all day long, to help kids onto the boats. Kids in wheelchairs got to go for boat rides because teams of people made it happen.

3. When we were about to get onto the boat that would take us around the lake, our Cooper had a bit of a panic attack and didn’t want to go. His Grandma stayed on shore with him while the rest of us went. One of the sponsors of the event was a group that takes kids with disabilities on bicycle tours using these really neat specialized tandem type bikes. This wonderful guy rode Cooper around the lakefront on a bike for practically an hour while the rest of us went out on the boat. Cooper loved it.

Needless to say, my family is all asleep; tired and happy from a great day. I hope I can bless someone else’s socks off the way mine were shot to the moon today!

Peace.

~kp

The Last Day, ready or not? June 19, 2008

It’s our last day!  Should we have better prepared ourselves for this? I mean, it’s not like we didn’t know this day would come; I guess we just never expected it to come so fast. 

Looking back, it really has been a great adventure; a time of deep and intense exploration, a time for fun and laughter, a time for learning, loving, caring, and sharing.

Yes, we really have loved it ~ well, most of it. 

On the good days, we couldn’t wait till our feet hit the floor.  Could anything be better than this?  (Can’t imagine it.)  Could we love the people in our lives any more?  Could anything be more fun? The sights, the smells, the sounds ~ what a blast!  Honestly, somedays it felt like we were flying – NO - soaring!  We hoped, that this day would never come.  

But then, there were the other days;

On those days, it was hard, really hard;  hard to drag our butts out of bed, hard to be compliant, hard to tolerate the people around us.  Nothing seemed to fit right, feel right, be right, (even chocolate didn’t taste good on those days.)  

And….there have even been some regrets; we could have listened more, learned more, loved the unloveable more – been more lovable ourselves.  Maybe we could have helped ourselves less, and tried to help others more.  These were days, when this- this was simply the last place we wanted to be.  We looked for – hoped for something better. SOON!

Sure, we have done a lot of things right; but, was it enough?  Did we miss any steps? If so….is it too late now?

Well it’s here; happy or sad,  ready or not.…the last day has arrived.   Sad, for the ones we leave behind, yet we know we must move on.  Happy, we get to move on!  So with great anticipation, we look forward; by faith knowing, that what is to come, is unlike anything else, better than we have ever known.

Today is our last day …….. of Kindergarten.  Whew, there is still time!

Truly I tell you;  One day, it really will be, “the last day.”

1 Thess 5:2 “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.”  

Ready or NOT?

~dl

Dunked! (And I Don’t Mean Donuts) June 15, 2008

We had a wonderful Father’s Day today. After church, we came home for lunch and a rest. Around 3:30 we loaded up the kids and headed off to Green Bay Bible Camp where we watched a whole bunch of people in our church family ranging in ages from 11 to 70 get baptized in the lake. It was the perfect day to be celebrating new life in Christ with our brothers and sisters. Seriously – the weather was perfect. Not hot, not cool – but still and perfect.

My husband and I were both baptized as infants. About 7 years ago, we knew it was a crucial step in our faith to be baptized in front of our church family, declaring for whoever was there to listen, but most importantly to God, that we were committed to following Jesus Christ as our LORD and publicly acknowledging our faith in Him alone for the forgiveness of our sins. Seeing the joy in those who took the step of baptism today brought back that feeling of ‘newness’ that I recall feeling some 7+ years ago.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ and have not experienced the joy of being baptized and declaring your faith, consider what you might be waiting for…? It truly is a joyful day when we follow in His steps and intentionally and purposefully step into the waters of baptism. If I listen closely today I can almost hear the rejoicing and singing of the LORD over those who stepped into the cool lake this afternoon.

~kp

Don’t Look Back June 11, 2008

Summer weather and I have had a love-hate relationship over the past 3 years. I absolutely love the feeling of relaxing in the hot sun. I also have dreaded the arrival of nice weather in recent summers because my kids want to play outside. Nothing wrong with that, except my Cooper (who has autism) hasn’t been able to be trusted to play outside alone, and has needed continual supervision. Same has gone for my little Ben. It makes caring for a baby difficult when baby isn’t able to be outside for hours on end. Oy!

Now that Ben is 4 and Cooper is a bit more mature, I find they can be outside with the other neighborhood kids for short periods without my constant presence. Let’s face it… even though I AM the coolest mom on the block, I can cramp the style of the 8 to 13 year olds’ play.

We have one other hurdle to jump before I will totally be able to relax. The kids have been enjoying riding their bikes up and down the street and are getting better at keeping to the side of the road. HOWEVER, they keep looking behind them to see who is coming or if I am watching. This makes for some VERY scary close-calls with parked cars. Yikes! Tearing as fast as possible downhill while looking behind you is so NOT a good idea. Today, as I was calling “Look forward! Don’t look behind you! Eyes forward!” I was reminded of Paul’s instructions in Philippians 3:13 “One thing I do,” (come on girls, you know this one!) “forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead”

Paul knew that if we kept our focus behind us, we were likely to miss out on something going on in front of us. If we camp out in the past, we miss the opportunities to see God at work NOW. Hmm, if I can just get my kids looking forward it may be all ok!

~ kp

Lost and Found June 8, 2008

My sister, Jolene and her two-year old, Nate arrived Friday afternoon  six hours later than originally scheduled. It was a horrible day for Jo, one that began Friday morning at 5:00am, (that can make any girl’s day a horrible day).

Their flight was scheduled to leave Calgary at 7:30 am, and they arrived at the airport in plenty of time; or so she thought. Because she already checked in through the website, they needed only to check their luggage.  To my sister’s surprise, by the time she was through the 45-minute long security line up she was informed she had already missed her flight.

The next flight leaving to Kelowna was some five hours later.  When traveling with a young child, as you likely know, there are a plethora of items you need to pack with you…things that just can not be checked.  I picture her walking through the airport with a back-pack, portable dvd player, stuffies, purse and child in hand. Have you ever tried to entertain a two-year old in an airport for that long?  

Jo took Nate for breakfast hoping to waste time.  Nate played hide ‘n’ seek with his mommy around a pole for several minutes and then in a heart-beat, he made a run for it – leaving the restaurant and a frantic mom behind him.  By the way, my sister is also five and a half months pregnant.

Jolene did what every good mom would do; she alerted security, and then had a meltdown.  After fifteen minutes, little Nate was located at the other end of the airport.  He decidedly took up a career in the entertainment business.  Nate had a loyal following by the time everyone caught up with him.

If you have ever lost a child (for even just a couple of seconds) you know the heart stopping/sinking feeling that drives you to your knees in desperation.

That is exactly the way our heavenly Father feels about His beloved children.  He searched for you the way my sister searched for her little boy.  Imagine the overwhelming feeling of relief when He finally caught up with you.

~dl 

It’s my birthday! June 6, 2008

Yes, it’s true, today I turned 48 years old.  (OUCH!  It was hard to type that.)  Sometimes we just don’t want to admit we are getting old.  I’ve thought about that in great detail (getting old I mean) as the big milestone birthday encroaches, snatching whatever is left of of my youthful days.  Here is what I’ve observed;

My birthday celebration began last night with phone calls.  Gifts are not huge to me, but there was one special gift I was hoping for this year.  This morning at 6:30am I was ecstatic when my little boy handed me my iPod Nano.  The emails, phone calls, cards and gifts continued. Then there was a special lunch with Tamara, Kim and our spiritual Mom, Esther while Kim’s husband Colin, stayed home with all of our children. 

Tonight my oldest son and his girlfriend are taking us out to dinner (my favorite, East Indian food) and my sister and her little boy arrive tomorrow to carry on the celebration through-out the weekend.  

I have children ranging from age five to twenty-five, friends and family I love ranging from unborn to seventy-five.  

So would I miss out on all this, for the sake of denying I am another year older?  I can’t imagine living any other life than the one God has given me, (which apparently includes turning forty-eight!) My dad often jokes but there is truth in it;  ”at least I know I’m going to be this age.”

Kim, Tamara and I live in total awe of the gifts God has given us. Wonderful friendship with each other. Families that we would die for.  We just could never have asked for such gifts, we would not have even known what to ask for. Yet He knew exactly what we needed.

I am still basking in the blessings of my day.  

In her last blog, Kim reminded us that not everyone has a birthday experience like mine.  Each of us does however, have a birthday;  Kim’s words are worth repeating:

“No matter what your birthday experience, my prayer for each of you reading this is that you would know that your heavenly Father rejoices over you every single day.”

Thank you my friends, for making this day so special for me.  Thank you God, giving me these friends, my heart is overflowing with gratitude.

~dl

Happy Birthday Friend! June 5, 2008

Today is our Donna’s birthday! Happy Birthday Donna!! I am so glad I get to share today with you.

For as long as I can remember, my mom has always made a very big deal out of our birthdays. With the exception of a 3-year stretch in the mid-90’s, my mom and I have lived in separate towns ever since I moved away to University. But she still manages to make it special. Either with a care package, flowers, once I remember getting a “cookie bouquet,” definitely a phone call first thing in the morning… whatever she can do from where she is to wherever I am. And it’s not about the thing she sends, I know she loves me enough to think of me first thing in the morning. I have been blessed to have in-laws with that same spirit of celebration. I look forward to my mom/dad-in-law calling bright and early and together they sing “Happy Birthday.”

I pray I pass on that feeling of specialness to each of my kids, as I have been made to feel special.

However, I recognize that some people have not-so-great memories associated with birthdays. Some people dread the arrival of a birthday because of the reminder that our time here is short. But no matter what your birthday experience, my prayer for each of you reading this is that you would know that your heavenly Father rejoices over you every single day. We are special to Him and He thinks of us first thing in the morning, every morning.

Happy Birthday my dear friend!!
~ kp