have courage and be kind

Simply so. 

I need courage to love the unkind. 

I need kindness to love the weak. 

When they bring you down to raise themselves up. Have courage and be kind. 

When you face unwanted memories coming back in persons. Have courage and be kind. 

When the every day becomes monotonous and dreary. Have courage and be kind. 

When they think the world revolves around them. Have courage and be kind. 

And just when you think, I can't - remember, He had courage. He was kind. To those like them. To those like you. 

Father's Day

I always have mixed emotions about this day. And Mother's Day.

In one sense, it can be fun. And special.

But mostly I think "I love my dad every day."

This year, however, I have very, VERY different emotions about this day.

I see it when I go on Facebook. I think about it when I see pictures. Or when someone's thoughts come out loud. It's in the hearts of my friends and my family.

This Father's Day, not I, but dear loved ones will hurt. They are without a father, they are a father to one less. There will be loud reminders from every corner in the world to them, that they are in grief. That this day is missing something.

The cycle is always going, and now the hard hurt comes around. Floods of thoughts, memories, moments, and the darkest life changing moment ever. These days of incredible joy and celebration turn into the longest and hardest of days.

The questions don't really stop. But neither does His grace. He says "Blessed are those who mourn." He says "My grace is sufficient for you." He says "As your days, so shall your strength be." He says "All things work together for good."

Because, He is our Heavenly Father.

smiling in the rain

On this rather dreary day, when it is not only wet, but cold and slushy, when there is death but not dying, when there is a longing for home, when there is anxious and fear of the unknown, when there is far more than a bit of damp... 

I am not smiling. 

Opposites attract... I suppose. 

No excuses, missy. 

But there is a fellow across the café, an elderly and weathered man. He smiles, faintly. And I like it. Content with his coffee and paper.

And here I am unsmiling with a coffee and computer and phone and chocolate and Dickens...

Discontent.

To smile right now is humble, is grateful, and is content. To smile when it's raining is trust. The storms will pass, the storm is for good, and our Father in Heaven will see to that.

And don't forget... rain makes things grow...

March

I call it the month of restless. 

Yes? 

little (big) adventures

With all of these "quotes" going on, I realized I don't blog 'for fun' anymore.

Not that this is a chore... ;)

And then I realized I had a very good reason to break the trend.

You see, there were once three young ladies. Two attending college, and one who had suddenly disappeared to a beautiful island and decided to stay and work in a downtown deli and get the most adorable little studio apartment one could wish for and live downtown Charlottetown where all the quaint coffee shops are.

And make me miss her quite terribly.

So we just had to fix this, you see.

But deep down, the pessimistic side of me was convinced it would never come true.

But it did.

And I love single lines in a blog post.

Like this.

See?

And my web browser says 'blog' is not a word.

So with many a prayer that the weather would be brilliant, we packed up and hopped on the highway and just did it.

No regrets. Not a one.

We had the largest tea menu to pick from and the smallest floor space imaginable. We talked about the best milk brands and the cutest hockey players. We walked around town and took selfies with a selfie stick and tree lights and John A. MacDonald.

We stayed up way too late with The Importance of Being Earnest, slept in and had sugar for breakfast. And coffee, of course. Two, if you count the vanilla latte made by Duncan.

We took a drive and prayed we would not get stuck because we wanted to see camp so bad. And we made it. And took more selfies at the snow covered camp ground. How somber.

Then, we went shopping. Of course. And we'll never forget that 47 cent dress. Or how many times we lost each other.

For supper, we had no idea. None whatsoever. Too scared to read Italian and too picky to get delivery. And too needy to not go to the drug store for more tortilla chips because that guacamole was so yummy.

And we watched hockey. #NHLAllStars

#selfiestick #marshmallow 

Then it was Sunday. I think a weekend hangout would be so incomplete if we ended it on Saturday. On Sunday, we have the privilege of going to worship together. Sweet, sweet communion would be so empty without this day.

But then, it was over. Except my keys decided we needed another 20 minutes together in panic mode when they snuck into my already rolled up sleeping bag. I still don't really know...

And so, I had to hand back the parking pass that never stayed on my mirror anyways. We rolled through the hills and over the windy bridge...

'Til we meet again.

Who's in charge?

Yes.

Because the more you know, the more you know you don't know.

Because we are getting closer to God. We are learning more about Him. And we learn of His power and wisdom. And, really. Not only should we know that He's in charge, we should want Him in charge.

It should be a humble realization. And a humble thanks. And a humble relief.

"Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases." 

Psalm 115:3

the now

A question. 

Are you more present in planning for tomorrow or are you simply present for today? 

I know my answer. 

Most of my day is spent in the future. Will the weather permit a trip home? Will I pass that test? 

Of course one needs to plan so as not to get into a car accident or fail their course. But when it's all said and done, did those around you today get to have all of you? Were you there when they asked you a question or needed help? Were they recipients of all your love or were they simply a distraction? 

I wish away many of my days simply so I can get to the next one. How wrong is that? I think it's a mix of ungratefulness and impatience. Ungrateful for present opportunities and gifts, like that two and half hour long class and if it were only this time tomorrow I could be outside! 

Last year I read this blog post in which the writer talks about how she was going to make 2014 the year of slow. 

And as cliché as it sounds, I am setting out to make 2015 my year of slow. 

Because, if you know me. I am not slow. I have had the word klutzy attached to me from a very young age due to haste and lack of skill. 

Slow. And present now.