7 quick takes

1. i'm not one to take part in a blog carnival, but i'll try anything once.

2. um... if i'm stuck at #2, does that mean i'm not cut out for this gig? Just kidding. We have big plans for this weekend, starting off on Friday by an evening praying for a little baby boy who is still growing inside his mama, and who has a dangerous cyst growing in his head. Will you pray with us for healing & wholeness for this little boy & for peace for his worried family?

3. Saturday i get to see both my sisters & i'm almost delirious with joy. i miss them both unbelievably & they've both been through so much since we've seen each other. Jessie's little girl, Sadie is rocking her chemo treatments (if anyone can rock a chemo treatment...) - She is in love with BLT sandwiches & her mama (possibly in that order). My other sister Stephanie recently moved & is blooming beautifully in her new soil. i need desperately to reconnect with my peeps.

4. Sunday is the LIFECHAIN here in Calgary.  i have never gone before & i'd like to go & see what it's all about.  i'm not sure if i'll make it there or not, but it's on my hopeful list. 

5.  i found a way that i can see how many times a link has been shared on facebook.  The new 40 Days for Life blog has been shared 39 times.  i have some amazing ladies praying for me as i work hard at this little project.  Thank you for praying and encouraging me - as i have felt so vulnerable & weak.  (& a special thank you to those of you who have linked to it in your sidebars or shared on facebook or twitter!)

6. (six? Already? This game is easy.)  Neil was away all week and i hardly cried.  But i did.  But i tried not to. 

7.  i got asked to sing/speak at another ladies function.  It makes me nervous since i do not have the 'gift of teaching'... & yet i want to be obedient & useful... That makes 2 events in November.  (Don't worry, Kari - they don't conflict with the wedding of the century!!)

And that concludes my first edition of 7 quick takes.  Have an awesome weekend!! 

prolife is not my passion...

it's kinda horrifying. 
Painted in oil on canvas with rich, vivid colours... capturing the accepted inhumanity of the day...
The eighteenth century slave ships would throw over the dead and dying mid-voyage so they could collect the insurance for loss of "cargo".  If those shackled ones made it to shore alive, and then died - the cost would have been just. too. much.

"Prolife isn't my passion."

It needs to be... this is where the battle is for us - in this country - in this decade of this century.  Our humanity cries out for justice - and science backs up that cry...
Life - a person from the moment of conception with it's own unique DNA - someone worthy of protection. 
& there have been times in my life where i have done less - or more - for life.  There's no guilt, or condemnation - there's just the challenge, "right now... this season... today... what could you do?"  (Men, don't leave this to women.  We need you too.  Take courage, speak with gentleness and love.) 
i imagine there were many who murmured to the abolitionists, "The freedom of those slaves... it's not my passion..." or during the Holocaust, "i'm not even part Jewish..."  It's easy for us now to look back, and cry to the ones who should have spoken up against injustice, "it's so clear!"
When my grandchildren look at what our culture currently deems acceptable - and it's as revolting to them as the thought of throwing sold, half starved, abused, sick and dying human beings overboard mid-voyage is to me.... i want to tell them this loss of life broke my very heart too.
(*for those wondering, this is another jmw turner print _the slave ship_)

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Looking for a place to start?  Follow along HERE - and see where it leads you...

since you been gone

You wanna know one of the really bad things about Neil travelling? 
There's way less levity. 
yeh, i have a lot more patience than him - but he brings the humour - he pulls me out of the deep waters and forces me to live, rather than just think. 
When he goes - i overthink, i bluster and mull, i quietly give up...
When he comes home - i slowly, achingly switch gears, i get new ideas and i begin to hope. 
What is it in a marriage that takes two people like us; both so broken... both so lacking... and unites us... one lending strength, one lending gentleness, one lending wisdom.
If we could just be one person, i'd rather we be Neil... but since i'm here too - i'm glad he wraps himself around my very core - & makes me better than i would have been. 

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40 days begins today... Wanna follow along HERE?

it gets like that...

Apparently, "it gets like that" wasn't the response my husband was looking for in answer to his question, "Why is our house such a horrible mess?"
(it wasn't that bad). 
Spinning plates lately - some fall - some worthier ones picked up. 
What plates of priorites have you changed out lately? 
In other news - happy 15th birthday to the sweet girl who made me a mama. 

i'm AWESOOOOOOOOOOOME!!

We gather in the grey light of early dawn... yawning and with voices low; catching up, planning visiting... They pull down the quilts i have folded over the couch and snuggle in - some freshly showered, some littler ones still jammy clad with tousled hair - ready for our morning prayers. 
Cai tells me how they were challenged at youth to read the first 3 chapters of Mark as many times as they could this week, and that she has read them twice so far.  Sloanie tells me that she's finished second Peter and is excited to complete her New Years resolution to read whole bible. 
"aw - i'm proud of you girls..." i begin. 
Suddenly, a shrill operatic *clearly soprano* voice shatters the dulcet, alto tones of our morning conversation, "i'm AWESOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME!!!!!!!"
The wheels of the conversation wobble and waver and finally fall completely apart. 
All eyes turn to Mollen. 
"i don't like it when other people get attention." She states matter-of-factly. 
Indeed.  

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ps - have you taken a peek at the 40 days for life blog yet?  i'd love it if you'd share the link on twitter or facebook and join the site to follow along as we begin our 40 days of prayer across Canada & the United States.  http://www.calgary40dfl.blogspot.com/
If you have any suggestions for me to make it a better place - to help get the word out (you wouldn't believe how many people told me they've never heard of 40 days for life - and i hadn't heard of it before last spring) - i'd love any input you have to share!  Thanks in advance :)