Mid-week Random Ramble012

1. This AMAZING photo was taken by my brother Joel Clements. Super talented and highly acclaimed Graphic Designer by day, Joel still finds time to experiment with his camera along the way, inspiring my son Malcolm with his new camera too! His photos are available on istockphoto and privately. BTW, if you have any need for his professional services, or inquiries about his photography, contact him through his company Brainstorm Studio. He won’t disappoint.

2. Tuesday is Abortion Clinic day at the Kelowna General Hospital. How do I know this? Well, it’s hard to miss all the picketers that haunt the sidewalks every Tuesday, carrying signs that say things like, “Adoption, the only moral choice.”

Just so we’re clear, you should know that I fall fully on the side of Pro-Life, but I don’t believe that picketing is the best way to build relationships or effect change.

I wonder what would happen if those well intentioned pro-lifers were to come alongside the women who are facing these life-altering decisions, perhaps volunteering their time at the pregnancy care centre or offering up financial support for young mothers. Rather than parading up and down the sidewalk hurling written insults week after week after week… just saying… I get this sick feeling each Tuesday when I drive by.

My simple take is that the Tuesday behaviour is not loving, and I’m absolutely certain that Jesus wants us to be that way… loving. And yes, he wants us stand for things too, absolutely, in a loving way, somehow making our voices heard without hurting those who we are called to help.

3. Why is it that you can never find the receipts for the items you need to return? I am drowning in receipts and maybe that’s the problem. Maybe if I had an organized way of keeping them, perhaps in alphabetical order by name of store, or even sub-categorized by way of family member most directly involved, then maybe I’d have a chance of finding those receipts for the things that I thought I needed, but didn’t. Thought they’d like it, but they didn’t, thought was the right colour, but wasn’t, or bought on a whim and got buyers remorse sometime later.

4.  Decision making is never, for me anyway, done with 100% knowledge that I’ve chosen rightly. But, it is done with the willingness to bear the consequences of that decision 100%. Like writing about #2… I feel a little jittery there, but it’s how I feel and I’m willing to say it.

5.  We interrupt this ramble for a stocking footed run through the neighbourhood and orchard to find the brown bullet that exploded from our front door when it was left open just a few seconds too long!  With flashlights waving and voices quavering we call for Emmy over and over again. Slight panic in my heart as I imagine Coyote’s circling our suburb (really, they do!), when suddenly, out of the darkness, two glowing orbs coming closer and closer with a jingle jangle of dog tags and… she’s back! And she’s got something fowl in her mouth that smells like death and looks something like… a goose wing! I try not to gag and take her home, bag the bird (wing) and resolve not to share any mouth kisses with Emmy tonight!!!

6. Only 66 shopping days until Christmas. Hoping I can dig into my reserves of energy and find a balanced and healthy outlook for Christmas this year.

This year, I’m certain it will be fun, and not all about buying gifts. This year, I’m certain that it will be about spending time with those I love, making memories around activities like playing board games and romping in the snow. I’m fairly certain it’s not going to be about making a huge dinner and eating too much, or staying up really late on Christmas Eve to wrap the gifts that I didn’t get around to yet, or forgot about entirely. I’m certain nobody else cares about the silly things that seem to weigh on me, like the decor, or the dirty carpets, or the baking, or the Christmas cards ( yes, I still feel guilty about not sending those)

Ah yes, Christmas. Maybe this year I can sing in the choir, have a cookie baking party for my daughter and her friends, handcraft gift tags and… there goes the perspective and balance right out the window with the need to make a lovely wreath of fresh boughs for the front door.

7. Driving in the car several weeks ago, this piece of music took my breath away… the voice, the haunting feeling, the sadness. Altogether lovely…

Until next time, peace and love,

Lesley-Anne