I'M ON THE NIGHT SHIFT

For my birthday last November my Mom got me a Fitbit. This is one of the techi gadgets that are all the rage. Depending on the model, it will tell you on a daily basis, how many steps you took, stairs climbed, calories burned,  miles/km you have walked etc. Some will show you what the ole ticker is up to. It will also reveal your sleep patterns - how much you slept, when you were awake or restless..basically it is gathering all sorts of nifty data on you!

Which leads me to this blog - cause according to my Fitbit, I'm on the night shift. To be honest, I did not need a little black wrist band to tell me that! But I've got cold hard data folks, as cold as my tile floors in the middle of a winter's night.

Lulu is into a night routine. She heads down stairs and suddenly my dreams are interrupted by the clanging of a cowbell. Because when Lulu was still in the potty training stage, we hung a cowbell to the back door so she could signal us when nature was calling. 

Like this:

I can attempt to ignore it but if I do she will come back upstairs and "grine" (growl/wine) at me. So I get up, grab my bathrobe, stumble downstairs onto the cold, COLD tile floors and let her out. Then I plop on the sofa, waking up the old man cat Frodo and wait for her highness to scratch on the door signalling it is time to let her in. She has done this, according to my Fitbit, 6 nights in the last 10. 

Here more proof! I took a shot of the clock on my microwave one night:

We are not talking 2:27 pm here

So I lie there on the sofa, and I muse, cause that is what I do, on how much nicer it would be to get a full night's sleep, on how quiet it is in the dead of a winter's night. There are no windows open to listen to crickets or leaves rustling in the wind. There is Frodo patiently purring, hoping I will vacate soon.

Sometimes Lulu is 5 minutes, sometimes 20. Then I let her in and back upstairs we go. She jumps on the bed, taking up most of the room and I take a while to fall back asleep. 

Last night, Lulu did not wake me up! I was able to stay snug as a bug, my feet warm and under the covers the whole 7 hours and 23 minutes, according to Fitbit. 

Who knows, maybe Lulu snuck down and instead of bothering me, her and Frodo were into other shenanigans.

Like this:

Nah....why would a dog and a cat be hanging around on a table...

NOW THAT'S IMPRESSIVE

The other day after work I went to get groceries. The parking lot was a hot spot of cars coming and going and I circled around looking for a place to squeeze into. Then I watched this big Ford F150 truck manoeuvre and actually reverse into a spot that looked like a custom fit. I was impressed, let me tell you. My spatial skills are nonexistent and the thought of parking a truck that size, much less in reverse is totally beyond me!

In my defence, I was impressed that I grew this Amaryllis from a bulb in a box no less! It's no F150....but still...

Then I got to thinking....what would impress God, the creator of the universe, and giving credit where credit is due, the true Amaryllis maker! There is one story in Matthew about a centurion asks if Jesus would come and heal his servant. Jesus agrees to help but then the Centurion says - "don't trouble yourself, I am not worthy to have you under my roof. But just say the word and let my servant be healed." 

And Jesus was impressed! It says he "marvelled". Here was this Centurion who hardly knew Jesus and he has the faith to believe that Jesus is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do. Finally, Jesus finds someone who actually believes in Him and he does not have to prove himself to! And of course, the servant was healed that very moment.

Well, it would be pretty cool to impress the God of all Creation but I'm guilty of looking for proof and my faith is not always so solid.

But I'm working on it. So here's my plug....for you and me. There is an upcoming nation-wide fundraiser called "Coldest Night of the Year." You can check it out at "cnoy.org". Locally, it is the biggest fund raiser for our little drop in centre called "Nightlight". I volunteer there and I am privileged to meet some of the most interesting characters. I get to provide them with a hot or cold drink, something to eat. I get to chat with them and hang out, maybe play cards. I get to drop off clothes that people have generously passed on to me. 

Matthew 25:35 says "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me".  

I like to think Jesus is impressed every time a pass over another cup of double double coffee to the woman with the hand-me-down coat and no mittens. 

I encourage to you to support these community resources! Check out Coldest Night of the Year and see if there is one locally. You can pledge a walker to raise funds, walk yourself or come down and volunteer in the hands on work. 

And maybe, just maybe, God will look at us working together and nudge Jesus in the ribs and say "Hey, look at our creation! Pretty impressive eh!!"

PERHAPS IT'S TIME TO CLIMB A SNOWBANK

Have you ever felt your life is full of the mundane? You get up, go to work, clean up about the house, wipe that runny nose (again), watch a little TV, go back to bed. And the hamster wheel starts all over again the next day.

Well, I had an epiphany while taking a walk on my lunch break! There were some school kids heading home from school and they stopped to climb the top of a snowbank, their back packs flung aside as they faced the dangerous trek to the top. They were having an adventure in the middle of their every day mundane walk home. 

I realized I needed to find my every day adventures. So the next day at work I said to my co-worker, "Kelly, I need you to do me a favour"
"Sure!" says Kelly
"I want you to take an adventure with me."
"I'm in!" she exclaims. Kelly is great that way - she's game even before I tell her the deal.
I explain I want to climb a snowbank and I need some pictures. We enlist the help of another coworker Audrey to take the photos and on lunch break off we went!

Might as well make it a Big One!

The victorious mountaineers!

This shot is a given

Sometimes an adventure can be quite uncomfortable. For example, you are driving along, suddenly hit a patch of black ice, do a total 360 and come to a stop in the snow. Your heart is racing. Two options: you could say, "**&!!@@!% I coulda died!!" Or you could say "well, that was an adventure!"

I work in Palliative care and spend my days talking with people who are dealing with end of life. They may have a few months or a year but to be sure they are about to face one of the biggest adventures of all, one we all get to share in. 

But as for you and me, in the meantime, let's not miss out on everyday adventures, even in the midst of the mundane. Look out for them, hunt them down and perhaps it is time to climb a snowbank.

COLOUR ME HAPPY

There is a new trend out there called Adult Colouring Books. They are full of funky, intricate, pictures just waiting for stressed out adults to complete because apparently colouring is a great stress reliever! That explains why 4 year olds always seem so calm and zen like....

Anywho, I personally have not tried them but I am a big fan of some colour, especially in Mid January. Yesterday and today everything is wet, grey and blah. So I purposely went out searching for a little to colour me happy.

I met a dear friend for cappuccino downtown. The place was hopping at 10:00 cause you can buy fresh croissants there (that is the only place in town mind you). We barely found a table but I snapped a shot of some lovely desserts in their display.

I love that pop of raspberry!

A few doors town at the vintage clothing store is this frothy yellow number. I wish I had the guts to wear it, cause you know I love yellow!

If this doesn't colour you happy, I don't know what will

Not to be outdone by a yellow dress, I prepped for a new soup: roasted red pepper and sweet potato soup, a cornucopia of colour!

Red peppers (I threw in a yellow one too, cause I love yellow), sweet potato, garlic, and seasonings. All roasted up and then pureed into a hearty soup.

So if the grey days of January are getting you down, find a colouring book or some eye popping colour somewhere. Me, I will be buying flowers for my office desk. Hopefully yellow ones..

GLORY TOM AND A BANNER YEAR

Happy New Year Everyone and welcome to 2016! There is a lot in store and 365 days from now we will all have had new experiences and will not be the same as we are now. 

How do I know this?? 

Two reasons: Life changes us and also cause Glory Tom told me. 

But perhaps I should back up a little and explain myself...

On Christmas Eve as I was working the church crowd wishing all a Merry one, Glory Tom stopped me for a special message.

Tom is a big teddy bear of a man, well into his 70s and just loves to love on everyone. And when the mood strikes him (which can be anytime or perhaps when he simply can't contain his excitement) he yells out G L O R Y!! 

Glory Tom takes my cold little hand and tells me: "This year is gonna be a Banner year for you. This is the year you will look back on and say it was the Best Year Ever!"

As we say in church circles "I receive that!" And just to confirm Glory Tom's prophetic message, as I was standing in the grocery line on New Year's Eve, what do I see but this glaring message on the front of a magazine cover:

I wish you all the Best Year Ever in 2016 - "This Year Is For You!"

As for me, I'm standing on solid ground now kids. I expect there will be ups and downs, good and bad times but overall, A Banner Year is expected.

So Watch Me....

Watch Me Whip...Watch Me Nae Nae