love the peanut butter

My last week has been eventful and for the most part really fun. Some of the highlights were me teaching the 'girls only' sex talk where we ended up strangely talking deeply in the bathroom (yes, all 15 of us), a trip to the States to get Aidan his first big kid bike ($34 thank you Target) and eat some beloved cheese fries, a date with my favorite guy to Stomp (SO good and the best Christmas present in April ever...did you know that downtown Vancouver has a Falafel Town, Falafel House, and Falafel Maison all within one block?), good times hanging out with friends, and now Mike is at Youth Pastor's retreat and while I do miss him - let the Peanut Eating Fest begin! I did start the Fest with peanut butter cookies, Reese's ice cream, and strawberries... tomorrow morning it's PB and J...mmm...reminds of College when Angie and I would eat nuts on the Impact weekends. Good times. Someone may need to nudge me from the peanut coma by Thursday or else scare me with the amount of calories I'm consuming, whatever works!

a rant

I read Time. Yes, I am allowing my inner nerd to come out! Anyways, the Apr. 9 edition had an article about pastor's wives. Hmm...well, now I've been one of those for 7 years! The article was all about pastor's wives and how they are now connecting online to talk about their issues. Let me begin by saying that the article itself had a couple good things about it - it highlighted that pastor's wives are lonely and often feel unappreciated by their church. These things I have felt and understand. Ministry can be very isolating.

Here's what I had frustration with...

First, these women are turning to the web to find other people to talk about their issues with. That's all well and good, except that in the article they say that they aren't free to talk about everything from personal hardships to theology with the people in their church. Don't get me wrong, I've been there and I've got the T-shirt. I'm just not willing to do it again. Why can't we as pastor's wives be free to be who we are, who God made us to be? The church has a problem with being, well, plastic-y and inauthentic sometimes and this only exacerbates the problem! If we are in a position of leadership or influence and we can't even be authentic why are we there? We should be living our faith out where we are. That means that even in (gasp) church we should be able as pastor's wives to meet God, seek answers for hard stuff, and be vulnerable, if not messy! I guess I just have no more patience for people trying to dictate to me who I should be, when I know I want to take my cues from God and figure the rest out as I go. And yes, this includes NOT wearing nylons to church or going to Alliance Women!

Second, one pastor's wife was quoted as saying, "Our teachings are clear, that it's the pastor who's called, not the wife." She then says that since Katherine Luther, people have expected more of the wife. Umm...which version of the Bible is that in? Because the last time that I checked, I could be called to ministry just as easily as my hubby. I do believe the Great Commission didn't really clarify between pastor and pastor's wife, so this brings me to something that I heard from Kathy Fields at one of our YS youthworker's conventions years ago. She said that you are either called to ministry with your husband or ministry to your husband. The key is that either way you're called! I firmly believe this, and it clarified for me where I fit in.

And finally, I checked out some of the websites that the article referenced. On one they recommended reading the book Becoming a Millionaire God's Way, because clearly we are all meant to prosper and in the same Bible mentioned earlier, become millionaires. I guess Mike and I are just a hair behind on that one. There are too many things I could say, but truly, this just makes me sad. Sigh.

movie and a splash

The weekend was a good one...on Saturday we took the kids to see Meet the Robinsons as we had some free tickets and we love Disney movies. They showed an old school cartoon at the beginning of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy and that was the hardest Aidan's laughed in a long time! The movie was great, by the way, and I would recommend it. But then again, are there many bad Disney movies?

On Sunday Mike and I had the incredible privilege of baptising 2 of our good friends. It was so amazing to hear their stories and then for Mike and I to dunk them both at the same time. Is there anything better than hearing how God has changed a couple's lives and then to see them get baptised face to face? Our God is awesome...

Oh yeah...it's April now...who ordered the snow this morning? I'd like to send it back!

real moms

I got tagged to do this so I thought I might oblige...

real moms take pictures like this for future blackmail purposes...

real moms sometimes don't worry about the mess and just laugh instead...

real moms know the love of a dvd player on long trips...

and real moms have pirates and elephants hiding in their houses.

humming along

We bought chairs, a coffee table, and a rug this last week (LOVE Ikea!) and for the first time in our marriage, we bought it ourselves!! That felt SO good and then made me dream of other hand-me down things that I would one day like to replace. It took almost 9 years to get to this point though, so I think I'll dream with a dose of reality. The kids liked the new stuff too 'cause they got to have the coolest cardboard spaceship fort ever...

It's great to have our kitchen put back together and have running water and space for us all to be in at once. Amazing how you can live without what we deem as necessary and how grateful I am once things return to 'normal'. Living with less is something I am enjoying lately and it also makes it easier to see God's provision.

As for spring break, I now understand those Staples adds when parents sing "It's the most wonderful time of the year" because their children are going back to school. I had fun with the kids, but wow is it good that school's back! I think this has more to do with very limited play space and constant dreary rain for 2 weeks than anything else, but still, this week has been WAY better!

To top off good things going on, the sun has been out (yes, in the lower mainland, I know how strange that sounds but it really is true!). What a difference in everyone's moods and energy! I think spring may really have come this time and I can't wait to wear summer clothes and do outside things and be warm all the time...maybe I should live in California...hmmm...

anomaly of the world

We are the anomaly of the world. Murphy's Law, whatever you want to call it...we got it. Tends to be that if something can go wrong, we get to take it to the next level. To quote numerous people we've dealt with over the years, "I've never seen this happen before!" Yup, that would be us. We do find it funny as it definitely keeps life from being boring. Take our kitchen for example. When the appliances were moved in, the movers did $4000 damage to the hardwood floor because they didn't put anything down on the floor...apparently that's catchy because while the floor was getting fixed last week the island and dishwasher were just put on the good part of the floor with nothing under them either. Can you guess what happened? So, now we get the whole floor replaced! It's kinda funny...I mean, of course it wouldn't be only a 2 day job...2 weeks doing dishes in the bathtub (yes, I really did) is more like us! It has been an adventure.

Another typical thing we do is take turns being sick...and not just minorly sick, I'm talking needing surgery or lots of hospital stuff sick. Hey, if you're going to do something, ya gotta do it right! So, in keeping with the turns, it is my turn. We've been hoping that this will be the first year of our marriage without a surgery (in almost 9) and we should find out pretty quick if the pain I'm having is surgery-able or not...either way God is amazing and has got it under control. I'd just like to feel better and know what's going on. In the end all ya gotta do is laugh...maybe one day we'll both be bionic. That would be cool...

A bunch of thoughts

Lots has happened since the last time I posted and I tend to think in lists and randomness, so here are a bunch of my thoughts in the last week and a half...

• RUSH youth conference in Kelowna was great and even though I saw puke in designer colours, it reminded me how amazing youth are, how much I love our life, and that I'm getting older and need more sleep
• Shane Claiborne's book Irresistible Revolution has been in my thoughts often, and God has used it to captivate my heart, affirm to me that my passion is not dead, and teach me to love and see people differently. Getting to meet Shane proved to me that there are other people who truly live out what they believe and aren't satisfied with a watered-down Christian culture. God is taking me on an exciting journey and I don't know where it's going, but gosh I sure am loving the ride!
• my Oilers...sigh...I am nearly at a loss for words over the whole Ryan Smyth debacle. So sad...trying not to dislike Kevin Lowe...trying to cheer again event though the heart of the team is gone and we keep losing...sigh...
• my kids have been making me laugh lately and it seems almost unreal that they're 4 and 5. The baby days seem so long ago and I feel like a different person now (mostly skinnier and more rested!). Right now they are dressed up as an elephant and a princess and are playing house in tents. I have also learned this week to keep the sliding door closed when Aidan plays in the snow (he's got a great arm) and to never feed a 4 year old cup of noodles for lunch...
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