Saying Goodbye

 
One December night, soon after I arrived in Nova Scotia, I drove to the beach and stood ankle deep in the ocean, staring out at the edge of the world and giving my time here to God. A year and a half later, on summer solstice, I again dip my toes in the ocean and say goodbye.

I do not know why I came to Nova Scotia. I do believe that the Lord let me here, and now He's leading me out.

This has been a time of sorrow in my life - of spiritual and financial poverty, of lost dreams, lost jobs, and a lost love. I honestly hate it here and hope to never return.

I am incredibly thankful for the friends I have made here. There are some of you who have stood by me through thick and thin. You know who you are. I hope to see you all again soon!

They say home is where the heart is, and I know that to be true, because I have yet to feel at home anywhere. Perhaps I'll find one in Saskatchewan.

Until we meet again!

Elementyl365

This week I made a resolution.  In the New Year, I am going to make a point of photographing every day.  I'm calling this project Elementyl365.  You'll see mainly impromptu pictures, as well as some planned projects.  Every day will bring something new.


So check out my new photoblog Elementyl365!

Lobster... Mmmmmmmm

Nova Scotia is beautiful!

I'm settling into Middleton, and so far I really like it here. The ocean is about a 5 minute drive west, and the coast is amazing - rocky beaches, sheer cliffs, and huge waves.

Beach near Margaretsville

The houses here are neat - there are many, many 100 year old homes that have been kept up beautifully over the years. There are also some unique ones...

I don't think Baywatch was filmed here

Dad and Lorie's 8 dogs held up well through their 7 day drive across Canada. I flew into Halifax on November 30, and met up with them December 1st. One of the dogs, Feather, started peeing on the floor to protest all the change, but as you can see, he's settled in now. :)

Feather likes to sneak onto the easy chair at night

My cat flew with me in the cabin. I gave her Rescue Remedy to keep her calm, and it worked really well. I gave it to her the night before the flight, and she purred for two hours straight!

On Sunday we had our first lobster. They just sell them on the side of the road - Nova Scotia's version of berry stands. $5 bucks a pound!

Yummy!

When I think of Christmas, I feel disoriented and a little homesick. I'm thankful to have Dad and Lorie. I miss being around family and friends during this season. So keep in touch! And have a wonderful Christmas season!

A storm blew the ocean spray far from shore

Hello Halifax

After a crazy week of packing, throwing away, giving away, rinse and repeat.... Saffron and I got on the plane yesterday morning. Huge thanks to my Mom - I would not have finished everything without her.

It was a grey rainy morning when I left Vancouver, and a dark rainy night when I arrived in Halifax. Saffron did pretty well throughout the trip - kudos to Rescue Remedy, an herbal anxiety relief tincture. The stuff is great - just a couple drops in some water or her mouth would calm her down in minutes. I had to laugh when I gave it to her last night in the hotel - the kitty was so relaxed that she purred for two hours! Her tail, which usually does a slow "S" curved swish when she is happy, whipped back and forth like a windshield wiper set on high. It was great.

Amid all the craziness of the last few weeks, I completed my photography course and handed in my portfolio. Here are some of my favorite shots from the course. Hopefully you'll see a big improvement!

Booked and Ready

It's official! I booked my flight to Halifax, and I fly out on November 30. Suddenly moving seems very real. I'm excited and nervous.

Air Canada recently released new rules for pets, so Saffron can come in the cabin with me as 'carry on baggage'. Poor kitty, that is not going to be her favorite day.

Now comes the biggest hurdle... packing. (shudder)

Saffron looks like she's ready to be carried on.

Moving to Nova Scotia

It's official - I'm moving to Nova Scotia at the end of November. I'm pretty blown away at where life has taken me these last few months. Laid off from work 3 months ago to moving from coast to coast this winter. I'm very excited, though sad to leave family and long-time friends.

I went out to the east coast a couple of months ago to help my step-mom house hunt, and was blown away by the beauty of the area. I learned that no matter where you are in Nova Scotia, you're no more than 30 km from the ocean!

Beautiful fall Nova Scotia pics here.

I'm holding off till the end of November so I can finish my photography course. My assignment this week, should I choose to accept it:

• Depth of field - 4 pictures of the same thing. First, the closest part must be in focus while the rest is blurred. Then the middle in focus, then the farthest point. Finally, a shot of the whole thing in focus.
• Shutter speed - motion shots. Capture something moving and 'freeze' it, capture something else moving and blurred.

These two assignments were tough! I went to different locations throughout the week, and did not get it right. Finally at 3pm the day of my class, I was running around my yard desperately trying to get it right. And yay! I finally did! I've posted them along with a few happy mistakes. :)

Learning Photography

I took the plunge into Digital SLR! I purchased a rocking Nikon D90 (that I'm totally in love with!) and signed up for a digital photograpy class at the local college. Very cool, hands on learning, with a photo assignment each week.

My mission, should I choose to accept it: 6 strong photos of my bathroom. Yup, my bathroom. Eeek!

Those of you who know my organizational weaknesses are laughing your faces off right now. I'm not super neat. Add to it that my bathroom is roughly the size of a closet (not a walk in), and you begin to feel my pain.

So I cheated a bit - I headed over to my Mom's place, whose bathroom is exactly opposite mine in both size and tidiness. I got several neat pics from there, but couldn't resist adding the pet shots from my own place for interest. Poor Saffron - I kept throwing treats into the cupboard and putting her in there, hoping for the perfect shot.

So TaaaDaaa, here it is, my foray into Digital SLR Photography.

A new beginning...

Butterflies signify new beginnings

Wow, it's been nearly a year since I posted on here. There has been a reason - my path became very 'bumpy' soon after I returned from Ireland, and has remained that way. Finally, I am beginning to see the light at the end of this particular tunnel. And I finally have the emotional energy to being doing a few extras, such as posting on my blog.

So, to those of you who have been checking here once in a while, thanks for sticking with!! I look forward to reading your comments.

Off to Ireland!!

Big news – my company is sending me to Ireland for 2 weeks in November to do some training! I’ll be located in Dublin most of the time, but I’m taking off a few days before and after to do some travelling around. So I’ll be there for 3 weeks in November!! I’m super excited – most of you know that Ireland is where I’ve dreamt of going for a while now. I’m being sent to Montreal for a week just after I return. I feel very privileged to be paid to have so much fun!

Aside from the perks, work is still great, as is life in general. I spent some time in September with Dad and his side of the family, and thanksgiving with Mom and hers. Saffron, my cat, continues to think she’s the boss of me, and she may be right.

16 Years of Unconditional Love

My mom and I had to put our cat Data to sleep yesterday after 16 great years. It's been a difficult weekend. My dad and I picked him up as a kitten when I was 16 years old. While we were driving home, we got stuck in traffic for an hour on the Alex Fraser bridge. I cuddled the poor, scared little kitten, and by the time we finally made it home, Data was bonded to me for life!

I held Data again yesterday as he fell asleep for the final time. Mom and I petted him and told him how much we loved him until he was gone.

There's a lot of emotion tied in with his leaving. Data was one of the last ties to my childhood. He was part of the family before my parents divorced, before I became a Christian, and the dark years of my late teens and early 20's. No matter how long I was away, Data would greet me with total adoration when I went to my Mom's place. He never forgot me, and he was as much my kitten yesterday as he was 16 years ago.

Aside from sadness, the overwheming feeling that I have is gratefulness. Data loved me unabashedly and unconditionally for 16 years. I'm incredibly blessed.

I love you Data. I look forward to seeing you again, in a place where neither of us feel pain.

Surrey Christian Sojourners First Meeting

On Thursday we had our first meeting of Surrey Christian Sojourners, the spiritual meetup I've been putting together. It was an interesting evening. About the time I got in line at the coffee shop, their coffee grinder broke, adding to my nervousness. So I stood in line for 20 minutes, turning around every time the door opened. It was surprisingly nerve wracking.

3 people arrived, and we discussed Micah 6:8 and it's three-fold directive of justice, mercy, and walking with God. Interestingly enough, all 4 of us are currently involved in serving the homeless in various ways, right here in Surrey!

What was also neat was the group included another church planter, Ron. He currently leads a house-based faith community called Coram Deo here in Surrey. Take a look at their site, it's very cool. As he shared a bit about the spiritual journey he and his wife have been on, we found a lot of common ground. Very exciting! I'll probably check it out next Sunday.

Challenges of the evening - 1. Not everyone spoke English well, and as we read it I realized what I had written on the handout was too complex. I'll need to ensure everone can understand.

2. My overwhelming nervousness! As a 'recovering' shy person, I had a few nerve-wracking moments of going completely blank, and there were some awkward silences. Hopefully, as the group gets to know each other, those will lessen.

Since we're a new group, to help people start sharing I've posted our discussion on a blogger page, so that participants can interact through comments.

Check out the Surrey Christian Sojourners blog.

And check out the Surrey Christian Sojourners Meetup Page.

I'd love to hear feedback from you, my friends and family, as we go along! I hope to hear from you soon!

An Expensive Mistake

Yesterday, in my laundering frenzy, I accidentally washed my cell phone in my jeans. It came out lemony fresh, never to ring again. Aside from feeling stupid, I was disappointed - the phone had lots of cool features.

So I went to the mall this morning to find the cheapest replacement possible. The phone rep was very helpful - for just over $200, he sold me this:

Yep, I paid $200 for the exact same phone. I feel a little gypped! They did have a cheaper version, which was slightly smaller than this:

Call it pride, but I felt embarassed carrying around a phone too big to fit in my purse!

Well, I've learned my lesson - always check my pockets for Kleenex and cell phones before throwing my pants into the wash.

Back Online

Hi Friends,

I'm back online after nearly a month being off the internet. Very sorry - I had to switch providers because I was having so much trouble with the old one.

What's new:

• The first Surrey Christian Sojourners meeting is coming up this Thursday. So far, 4-6 people are attending. Please keep me in prayer - I'm excited and nervous at the same time.
  
• NDGU, my company's leadership intensive, starts up again during the last week of May. Year two is going to be an in-depth look at ourselves and how our internal health affects corporations. Very intense! We've been assigned a couple of great books to read beforehand - Fear and other Uninvited Guests and The Anxious Organization, which is so popular it's sold out all over North America. Both are great, and worth reading.
  
  
  

• I bought a Littermaid electric kitty litter, and I'm in love with it! So is my cat, because I tend to be forgetful when it comes to her box. For those of you thinking I was going to make another attempt at toilet training my cat, don't worry, I've learned my lesson!
  

• The midnight shift at work is going well. I still get frequent headaches, but nothing too serious. More importantly, I'm really enjoying my job, and have a couple of great bosses.

That's it for now. I'll keep you posted.

New Start

Click here to check out
The Surrey Christian Sojourners!

I finally took the plunge and started a new 'meetup' group in my area for postmodern Christians. I hope this will be the beginning of a new Christian community. I'm nervous about it, yet excited. Please keep me in prayer!

Easter Weekend

I spent a wonderful 5 days visiting my Dad (Jack) and step-mom (Lorie) and their 9 Labradors on their new acreage in Lumby. I had a great time, and got some much-needed relaxation. Here is the 'best of' video...

Ouch!

While in the throes of a migraine, Lydia "PRUNES" her flowers.

Migraine by Crystal Star &Peggy Hoffman

I've been battling a migraine for over two weeks now, so I haven't had a lot of original thoughts to post here. It's amazing how something so seemingly minor can (temporarily) transform my journey into a holding pattern. I've been thinking about the poor a lot during this time - I know that many of the world's poorest poor have no access to HIV or malaria medication. The sad truth is that something as accessible as aspirin is also hard to come by - a migraine like mine with no treatment could lay someone flat, robbing them of their ability to work. Bono's words really stand out to me right now: "I'm talking about the right to live like a human, the right to live, period. Those are the stakes in Africa right now."

Technorati tags: migraine, poverty, social justice

The Apprentice Year

In a 24 hour whirlwind trip to Winnipeg, I officially graduated Year 1 of NDGU, my company's leadership training program.

It's been an incredible blessing - I've experienced as much personal development and core leadership training as I did in a couple years of 'real' university. The truths I've learned apply to all areas of my life - my job, my personal relationships, and my church planting journey will all benefit.

My congratulations to the rest of our class - The Guinea Pig Grads!

Paradigm Shift

Yesterday I went to a 4 hour financial seminar, and had a total paradigm shift. Money management has always been a struggle for me. I expected to get a few tips and tricks, and instead received a life-change. It came through watching a sermon by Andy Stanley, pastor of North Point Community Church, on living with margin. I wish I could post it online! I strongly recommend buying the series.

This seems to be a real time of breakthrough for me. Those of you who know me personally know that keeping order in my house and car has also been a major struggle. A breakthrough has come in that area in the last couple of months as well! And this financial breakthrough comes in the same week I get promoted and receive a sweet raise.

It blows me away - we can struggle with issues for years, and never think we will overcome. Then God brings a time of convergence, and suddenly we are given the opportunities and the inner strength to overcome. I don't understand it, but today I feel very, very thankful.

A Surprising Development

The Journey by Goyce Kakegamic

Just when I thought I had my next couple of months planned out...

Around Christmas, I was tossing around two ideas - a different position I wanted at work, and venturing out and gathering together a group of like-minded Christians for discussion and friendship. I didn't get the position, so I figured the timing was right to go ahead with my second idea.

Then God chuckled, and tossed something new my way. Starting next week, I am going to be the interim supervisor for our UK division. UK=midnight shift (not moving to Dublin, sadly). I will be taking on my first supervisory role with E-Care, and switching my sleeping schedule around by 12 hours. If things work out in the short term, I have been given the opportunity to potentially make it permanent.

I'm chuckling too - just the day before I was chatting with a co-worker about how I would never work such crazy hours. But as soon as it was offered to me, I went for it. It sparked my sense of challenge and adventure. The division just opened in August, so it is brand new and policy is still being developed. Those who know me well know my love for startups, whether it be church planting or in the marketplace. I will also have to be very independent and self-reliant, as there aren't too many people I can ask for help in the middle of the night. I'm looking forward to the challenge!

So the discussion group is on hold for a month or two, while I adjust to this new position. And people wonder why I don't have my next 5 years planned out??

Wish me well!

The Road Ahead

I’m looking at starting a casual meeting for postmodern Christians and seekers in the next several weeks, probably in a coffee shop or someplace else convenient. I continue to feel a call to the ‘emerging church’ movement. There is a tension to it – on the one hand I feel right at home with the people attracted to it (left-wing, artistic, free-thinking, heart for social justice). However, as is usually the case, our weaknesses are often our strengths overdone. There is a tendency to be too left-wing, emotionally based, free thinking, and accepting of everything. I am more and more thankful for my Bible education, as it truly is my foundation while I deal with very challenging issues. The emerging church is in desperate need of leaders who are grounded in the Bible, and are able to apply its timeless truths to our postmodern 'truth is subjective' culture. Of course, figuring out what is 'timeless' and what is 'time-bound' in the Bible is often challenging.

Your prayers will be appreciated as this will be the first time I begin something on my own.