We believe

We believe that God is present
in the darkness before dawn;
in the waiting and uncertainty
where fear and courage join hands,
conflict and caring link arms,
and the sun rises over barbed wire.
We believe in a with-us God
who sits down in our midst
to share our humanity.
We affirm a faith that takes us beyond
the safe place: into action, into vulnerability
and into the street.
We commit ourselves to work for change
and to put ourselves on the line;
to bear responsibility, take risks,
live powerfully and face humiliations
to stand with those on the edge;
to choose life and be used by the Spirit
for God’s new community of hope.
Amen.
Iona Abbey Worship Book © 2001 The Iona Community

Real Canadian Winter

The life of a student is possibly one of the best! Just a few classes, and an essay every now and then (I'm downplaying it just a bit. It's tough to have to read hundreds of pages when you'd rather be outdoors; and the crunch at the end of semesters is quite exhausting!) But the perks include staying up as late as I like and sleeping late on the days without morning classes. There are fewer responsibilities and the consequences affect only me. Friends abound, and the scheduled holiday breaks are awesome!

This December I got to experience a Real Canadian Winter with my family. I'm talking snow everywhere and temperatures down to about minus 20C. It was so cold at one point, the vapor on the insides of the car windows froze! (And yes, I spelled vapor without a "u") I suppose winter could be more extreme. We didn't get stuck in a blizzard or anything like that!

The best part about this holiday? Seeing my dad, mom, and brother. We shared three weeks exploring Canada, playing scrabble, watching movies, going for walks, skiing, hot tubbing, and trying out some traditional eats and drinks. (Some worked out better than others!)

Thanks dad for such an awesome holiday, for skiing and Nordic skiing, for your massages, and for drinking egg nog :) Thanks mom for driving, for all the organizing, for yummy food, for whistling all sorts of tunes, and for playing Pictionary with me! Thanks boet for 'irritating' me and allowing me to irritate you, for scrabble and thrashing us a few times, and for sharing your caramel chocolate! Missed you sister; but here's to some time together soon!

All in all, you know it's a good break when you're ready and excited for the next term of school :) Here I come!