Finding a Voice
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
a small update
Haven’t blogged in quite awhile.
I've been working hard at my collection of part-time endeavours: working at the newspaper, teaching guitar in my new studio, instructing workshop at Carlton Trail Regional College, helping Jeffrey with his open house/sale and 10th anniversary celebration, writing songs, performing in various places, and thinking lots and lots about future projects. (Living in the realm of possibility is the lot of an ENFP's life ...)
On November 6th I sang with my cousin Lisa at a fundraiser banquet for OptionS crisis pregnancy centre. "Child of My Heart" is an original we co-wrote with with Dara Hallett and my mom specifically for the occasion. We sang near the end of the program, and it was amazing and humbling to see how all the themes of the evening intersected os perfectly and were summed up in the song. Donations that evening totalled $21,000, with at least another $4000 coming in throughout the following week. I wish you could have heard director Melony Materi's stories of what this money does to help women choose life, not just for their unborn babies but for their own bodies and souls.
The Carlton Trail contract has been challenging and rewarding. Most of our participants have been Filipinos and one man from Ghana. We talk about PLAR. An electronic portfolio is one tool for communicating the strength and value of their experiences to receive recognition in their new setting. The first time I saw a light turn on in a participant's head was amazing and I thought, "This is part of bringing release to the nations."
From mountaintops to valleys: My car died a few weeks ago. After driving with a damaged muffler, apparently it eroded the rear brake line; and the dashboard fan doesn't work -- which is pretty critical for defrosting the windshield. So I'm trying to discern whether to fix it one last time or buy something else. At this point I can't afford to put out much more than $1000, so this is a real ponderance and I'm praying about what to do. The brakes failed on the return trip from Rosetown, where I had sung a coffeehouse at the Pentecostal church on Friday and preached on Sunday morning. Ironically, I had preached on Psalm 114 about the wonders God did for Israel in bringing them out of Egypt. I'm hoping for some particular wonders, while trying to pay attention to the ordinary ways that God is leading and providing already. Like the van that one of Jeff's coworkers is lending me until I can figure out what to do about a car of my own.
It feels like I’m gestating some ideas and, though I’ve blogged my processes in the past, don’t feel ready to share that road just yet, but will have lots to say in the new year ...
Here are a couple of pictures of this fall's adventures:
My first marquee, Rosetown, SK. Thanks to Pastor Rick Zerk for the photo from his Blackberry!
A funky made-over vehicle outside Humboldt.
I've been working hard at my collection of part-time endeavours: working at the newspaper, teaching guitar in my new studio, instructing workshop at Carlton Trail Regional College, helping Jeffrey with his open house/sale and 10th anniversary celebration, writing songs, performing in various places, and thinking lots and lots about future projects. (Living in the realm of possibility is the lot of an ENFP's life ...)
On November 6th I sang with my cousin Lisa at a fundraiser banquet for OptionS crisis pregnancy centre. "Child of My Heart" is an original we co-wrote with with Dara Hallett and my mom specifically for the occasion. We sang near the end of the program, and it was amazing and humbling to see how all the themes of the evening intersected os perfectly and were summed up in the song. Donations that evening totalled $21,000, with at least another $4000 coming in throughout the following week. I wish you could have heard director Melony Materi's stories of what this money does to help women choose life, not just for their unborn babies but for their own bodies and souls.
The Carlton Trail contract has been challenging and rewarding. Most of our participants have been Filipinos and one man from Ghana. We talk about PLAR. An electronic portfolio is one tool for communicating the strength and value of their experiences to receive recognition in their new setting. The first time I saw a light turn on in a participant's head was amazing and I thought, "This is part of bringing release to the nations."
From mountaintops to valleys: My car died a few weeks ago. After driving with a damaged muffler, apparently it eroded the rear brake line; and the dashboard fan doesn't work -- which is pretty critical for defrosting the windshield. So I'm trying to discern whether to fix it one last time or buy something else. At this point I can't afford to put out much more than $1000, so this is a real ponderance and I'm praying about what to do. The brakes failed on the return trip from Rosetown, where I had sung a coffeehouse at the Pentecostal church on Friday and preached on Sunday morning. Ironically, I had preached on Psalm 114 about the wonders God did for Israel in bringing them out of Egypt. I'm hoping for some particular wonders, while trying to pay attention to the ordinary ways that God is leading and providing already. Like the van that one of Jeff's coworkers is lending me until I can figure out what to do about a car of my own.
It feels like I’m gestating some ideas and, though I’ve blogged my processes in the past, don’t feel ready to share that road just yet, but will have lots to say in the new year ...
Here are a couple of pictures of this fall's adventures:
My first marquee, Rosetown, SK. Thanks to Pastor Rick Zerk for the photo from his Blackberry!
A funky made-over vehicle outside Humboldt.
"I saw what I saw" by Sara Groves
Monday, November 24, 2008
page 57
Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now. NO CHEATING BY PICKING SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU LOOK SMART! The book NEAREST you.
* Turn to page 57.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence here, and then, along with these instructions, in a note to your own wall.
Here's mine: "In 1883, three railroad workers discovered a cave with steamy hot springs on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains." -Lonely Planet Canada
