Direct quote from my husband.

Context? Blog readership plummets  due to a SERIOUS lack of posting…as in a downward spiral of interestingnessability therefore no one will read my ramblings anymore…

apologies.

I hope to be back at it asap.

ps- i just want to say, there was never THAT many readers anyways…and you’re all my friends in “real” life.

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listen to this song.

you’ve got the love.

you’ve got the love.

you’ve got the love.

you’ve got the love.

you’ve got the love i need to see me through.

It’s high time for a new post but unfortunately  luckily for you’ve I’ve been lacking any coherent/interesting thoughts lately so you’re going to get a grab bag of some recent happenings. Apologies  Yay!

So first things first. I was on the local cable tv station yesterday talking about a women’s group that I work with. It was a short, almost painless segment with only a few asinine comments from yours truly but there was ONE really BAD THING…I completely forgot about the tv interview when I went in to work and guess what I was wearing…A NORTHERN REFLECTIONS shirt that I got from VV. WITH HOLLY ON IT.

Sigh. Ya. I’m so lame. Northern Reflections…I guess it could have been worse…I could have been wearing a Northern Getaway printed sweatshirt with the spice kitties on it or a pumpkin scene or something.

In other news, I am taking a yoga class with a woman that comes in to help me around the office twice a week. She’s such a nice, warm person and it was so awesome to see her in HER environment- teaching yoga! Her dream is  to have her own studio one day- and I definitely think she will. For now, she teaching her classes in an old United Church in my neighbourhood- in the LAWN bowling room, no less. The smell of the church reminded me so much of growing up and youth group and the way camp smelled. Surprisingly though, the  lawn bowling room smelled like delicious lavender. The class was 90 minutes, but went by SO fast. I felt really relaxed when it was over! I can’t wait until next Monday.

My wayward husband and I went to a wedding this week of two of our good friends. The wedding was beautiful and holy and truly lovely- I think I was crying while the bridesmaids walked down the aisle- not sure when I turned into such a sap… I guess I just love love. Anyway- the wedding was great but my favourite part was Matt’s HARDCORE dancing- on his very injured ankle. I think the “liquid pain killer” helped him a lot but man, he was hilarious. He started a limbo with his tie…and if you know Matt- you can just IMAGINE how awesome his dancing was. I love him.

And finally, because I love this idea and think that we ALL need a little reminding, some Jean Vanier for you:

What is important is that each of us begins to trust in our own beauty and our capacity to do beautiful things…when we begin to believe that there is greater joy in working with and for others, rather than just for ourselves, then society will truly become a place of celebration.

Amen, eh?

Amen.

Matt and I are going to our first wedding tomorrow since our OWN wedding almost 3 months ago (holy time FLIES). I’m excited to see our friends making incredible, hard, beautiful, and holy promises to each other…and I’m so glad that Matt will be sitting beside me to hold my hand because quite frankly, I’ll probably be a teary mess- partly because I’m so happy for our friends (who are perfect together!) but also because I am just so grateful for own own covenant, promise and love.

[photo via the WONDERFUL Krista Jefferson of Edison Photography]

The alternative to violence is not reconciliation, it is  not peace, it is not love, all of which belong to categories of a different order. The alternative to violence is- and can only be- nonviolent action. Nonviolent action truly is of the same order as violence: it serves the very function that violence claims to serve; it sets in motion a strategic struggle against injustice; it aims to create a contest for power in favour of the oppressed, to get their rights recognized and respected. ~Jean-Marie Muller

here’s to a weekend with friends, nature, wearing sweat pants, and being unplugged.

love it.

random sidenote/question:
are you a praying person? if so, do you ever pray for people you’ve never met?
i do… all the time.
if you’re in a praying mood here are some incredible people with incredible challenges- and even more beautiful spirits.

David Wenzel
Nienie
Nat

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I was walking to work this morning, coffee in hand, listening to my favourite podcast (yes, i have a favourite podcast, and it’s not grammar girl thank you very much…that’s my 2nd favourite.

Back to my walk..so there I am, walking on a crisp, beautiful fall morning. The TAL episode is called “devil on my shoulder”- I think that it could be interesting…and it was.

In  a VERY BAD way.

[warning: I'm going to rant about Christians again...like i did here, here, and here]

Ok, so the episode guide for ‘Devil on my Shoulder” is here. It was the first segment that was SO disturbing…It’s about a church in Texas that creates a “Hell House” every year…except this isn’t your typical haunted house. The “hell house” is meant to “save” souls and includes scenes such as a bloody abortion, a gay man dying from AIDS, the columbine shooting (the first Hell House debuted only two months after the real shooting), domestic violence and suicide. Yeah, it’s that bad.

I’m technologically inept today and can’t figure out how to link the trailer for the documentary… click here to watch the trailer for a documentary about this MESSED up “outreach”.

Here are some addition facts that I learned from the podcast:

1. Apparently loads of the youth group kids “audition” for roles in Hell House…the most popular are the abortions, the suicides and the shooters. No one wants to be the saintly characters…apparently they have to hunt for someone to play Jesus.

2. After the “show” there are Oscar type awards for the actors “best shooter” “best raver” “best abortion”

3. After a group tours Hell House they are taken into a room where they have SIX SECONDS to decide if they want to follow Jesus and go to heaven or if they want to burn in Hell. SIX SECONDS. And, of course, there are people to pray with those who want to give their hearts to Jesus. There are a lot of tears at this point.

4. This church created a kit so that other churches (and some secular groups!) could save souls too. How entrepreneurial of them.

What makes me so upset about this, is that these people claim to follow the God of Peace…the Jesus who loved the lowly, the poor, the sinners. Jesus who never hurt or shamed anyone. I cannot comprehend how any Christian can think this is ok….that these scare tactics do any good…that they are bringing God’s kingdom to earth. In fact what they are doing is adding hatred, fear and anxiety. They are isolating and shaming, hating and  mocking.

I am going to write them a letter to tell them that I think what they are doing is wrong and hateful.

If you’re interested here is the contact info

It’s atrocious.