Canadian Generosity

Since arriving in Canada at the beginning of September I have heard of at least 10 different fundraising opportunities.  Whether it was Alex's middle school fundraising by selling vegetable packages to provide food for families in the community who need it, or our Steinbach church organizing a banquet to raise money for the typhoon-stricken country of the Philippines,  or various concerts and other events providing opportunities to GIVE. It seems to be coming from all sides. I have asked around to see if this year was unusual.  "Oh no," they tell me.  "This is just how things are done here. We expect it and we just get involved where and when we can."  Just today I read on the Web that Canada is the 3rd most generous country in the world.

"Christmas Open House" Fundraiser

Today I went on a fundraiser "open house tour".  Different families in the Church opened up their beautiful homes for a Christmas tour, sold Christmas crafts, offered hot apple cider and cookies. The money is going towards a building project.  It was a ton of fun!














I am finding the "normalcy" of helping others by giving or acts of service so refreshing.  Maybe it is because many of the people who have come to live in this part of the world have themselves been the recipient's of other people's generosity or maybe they just realize that there is so much joy in helping others and that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Whatever the reason, It is GOOD!

Morning thoughts...

.."My soul doth magnify the Lord,.." (Lk. 1:46)

Woke up this morning to the an unusual quietness in the air. 

It's a snow day. No school.  Alex's first one here in Manitoba. 

 Phil and Alex are still sleeping, so I snuck upstairs, made myself a cup of black tea and cozied up on my "princess chair" to spend some time with my Creator.  How I love these times.

I've been reading a devotional by Ann Voskamp. I would call her one of my spiritual mentors in the last 2 years.  Her main theme:  Giving thanks.  Listing your thanks, writing them down, giving thanks always in all circumstances..  A life lesson. Something to be practiced over and over again...

So Mary's response, " My soul doth magnify the Lord.." to the angel announcing she was to be the mother of the savior of the world was praise, thankfulness, acceptance...yielded to God's will for the purpose of others. Wow!  

When I was back in Austria a month ago I visited a very good friend who had just buried her husband of 26 years.  We cried together, talked memories, did the things good friends do as well.

 Sitting in the train on my way back to Germany, recalling the precious moments we had had together.

I felt a peace about her life, her future. Why was that..?  For me it was her attitude of yielding to God's will..."your will be done". Not by renouncing her sorrow, anger, or questions she might never have answers for, but by yielding and allowing the person she claims to be savior and King of her life to take the wheel.

Last night when praying with Alex before he went to sleep I was lead to pray that he would have the awareness that he has a God who goes before him, stands behind him and walks beside him at all time.... therefore whom shall he fear.(Chris Tomlin's song "Whom shall I Fear" is one of my favorites at the moment).

So may our souls magnify the Lord today because, using Ann Voskamp's words:

You are the Giver infinitely greater than the sum of all gifts and how can I not slow and bow? Bow right now and worship. Kneel throughout the day in gratitude. Slow, wherever I am, in adoration.

A Fun, Full, Thanksgiving Week End!

Leaving the great white north..

Well, we woke up to snow, lots of snow, the morning of our departure for Minneapolis to meet up with Michael and Amanda for American Thanksgiving. 

Have you ever seen a Virginia license plate with a power cable wrapped around it'? What is that cord for, you ask?  Well, up here in the great white north, those of us who don't have a garage need to plug in our cars so that they don't freeze up and you can't start the motor the next day when you are trying to get your son to his 8 am violin lesson across town. So we have electrical outlets in our parking lots, even outside of some grocery stores...or we just leave our car running (to my environment-conscious daughter's horror).

A BFA Thanksgiving reunion

What fun to meet up with our two college kids and 14 other BFA alumni at friends in Minneapolis to celebrate Thanksgiving together.  

The Turkey Run

No, we didn't run after a turkey to catch and eat it for our dinner....that might be kind of fun actually. We decided to go on an actual 5 or 10 K run around Lake of the Isles in MInneapolis with our homemade T-shirts , which we all "enthusiastically" made that morning.

Turkey t-shirt production

 The Turkey Runners

Lake of the Isles, Minneapolis, MN

Thankful Hearts

It was moving to sit around a beautifully decorated Thanksgiving table enjoying a time of friendship, memories, yummy food and listening to our "kids" share what they were thankful for in the last couple of months. It makes a heart glad to listen to young people express their gratefulness...

...great friends at college

...a place to live after I finish college

...friends in my new Canadian school

...my sister

...a good supportive church

BFA Thanksgiving Gang

                        

We had some more fun, crazy days...and yes we did go shopping for the first time in my life on "Black Friday" at the Mall of America of all places. Enjoyed staying with our very good friends Scott and Lisa Countryman and their off-the-wall dogs, Gracy and Zoe.  Also got to witness live the engagement of Elizabeth Kronk, one of Amanda's very good friends,to Jon.