The Gospel according to Luke.....

Please my very few readers...keep in mind; I am VERY new to this whole "studying the Bible thing," so bear with me as I grossly paraphrase and copycat my awesome pastor who talked about this today....

In the time of King Herod (which was about 50 BCE, give or take a few years), there was a Priest named Zechariah; a kind man, who was married to an older woman, named Elizabeth. They lived their wives according to Moses' Laws, righteously under God. This meant they were really good people who always gave to those in need, thanked those who helped them; and basically tried to make their world a better place. In Israel at that time; this would be MUCH more difficult than one can really imagine now. This couple however, was unable to bear a child.

In today's society, this couple would be seen as a "good couple" who likely chose for their own personal reasons to not force the child issue; and would likely be revered as older people who perhaps had chosen their careers over family. This would be amplified by their "older" ages (we're not sure what that is, but I digress. Also a priest or pastor would also be revered in some circles out our society (at least, in theory).

Fifty years before the coming of Christ however, this was not a revered couple. In that geographical area, there were likely 20 000 priests; hardly making the job "special." Being older would have made this couple more at risk for theft and assault; also they would be more vulnerable to simple day-to-day living in a time of no electricity, hot running water, gas heat or plumbing. And being barren; well, it didn't get much worse for women at that time to barren. It was one step above a whore.

One day, Zechariah gets called up by lottery to go to the Temple and work. Now keep in mind this is really REALLY big deal. HUGE. Not only was the Temple the Mecca of the Earth; it was believed that God Himself resided in it. It was a Holy place, on Holy land, with the Holy Spirit's presence within it. It meant actually being in the presence of God. "Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside." Luke 1:10. So here is this guy; completely alone in the presence of God.....

It is relatively obvious that he asks for a son; and the farther you read, you discover that Elizabeth conceives and gives birth to a son, John. But he's not any regular John....he's John the Baptist....kind of a big deal.

My question to you is; if you were alone with God; completely alone with God...what would YOU ask??

How do I raise a child to be good and honest and caring and considerate of others in a world so focused on monetary gain and gross consumption?

What can we all do at a grassroots level to show the world what living in peace and harmony would really be like?

What is my purpose? How do I fulfill it? Am I missing my window?

How do I be a better partner, mother, daughter, sister and friend?

Why is even contemplating this list of questions so difficult?

As Christians, just how far "off the mark" are we?

Quotes I need this week.......

"People with integrity are easy to spot because they stand upright."

"Be the change you wish to see."

“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.”

"If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise."

....and if I ever need more inspiration to embrace the changes that are happening....there she is......

The last Lecture continued.....

4. What were the dreams my parents had and how did they fulfill them?

5. Who are mentors I can turn to? What lessons have they taught me?


I am sure my parents had similar dreams that all parents do: to have a better life than their parents and for me to have a better life than they did.

My dad does not come from a great family...this is not new or private news; but out of respect for him; I will spare my readers the details. As a child, he wanted to be a doctor. He had told me this before, but I was quite shocked when his sister mentioned this me, almost 25 years later in casual conversation. This was obviously quite imprtant to him at one point in his life; especially if his sister who is six years younger than him, remembered this detail, without being questionned about it.

He also loved animals as a small child, and still does. He grew up in Kitchener, a major urban centre in Southern Ontario. However, at the end of the road he grew up on, there was (and still is) a large conservation area whre he and his best friend Paul (who is my Godfather) spent many hours playing and exploring. He collected wounded creatures, includng rats, squirrels and turtles and kept them in cages in the garage...that is, until one day when a feamle rat came walking across the front porch with her eight babies in tow. My grandmother apparently screamed for a good 45minutes before my grandfather told my dad his animals would have to go.

As my dad and Uncle Paul got older they would play hookey from school and go fishing and hunting for birds. My Dad played in a band thoughout most of his teenage years; and likely dreamt of being a musician and songwriter. I don't think "making it big" was the number one dream; but being able to make a living out of writing songs, and playing music would have been one of his dreams. For a while, he even managed ot live out this dream; unfortunately, the life of a musician is not one that is also condusive to being a husband and father. Sometimes, even childhood dreams need to be sacrificed, for the practicality of adulthood.

As for my mother, she wanted to be a nurse. She said she used to dream out the white uniform and hat (man, would she be disappointed now!). When it came time for college, my granfather refused to pay for it; stating he was not going to pay all that money for her to be a nurse for a year, get married then never work again (I guess this was a major problem in the 70's-women not wanting to work or be independent in any way). He told her to pick soemthing else; something more practical. (I guess nursing was too "artsy" for him...) so she chose hairdressing. I remember looking at her very puzzled when she told me this story years ago, thinking of how non-sensical it was. She simply sighed, and said, "you just didn't argue with my Dad...you wouldn't win." So she became a hairdressor. And hated it.

She also loved her grandparents farm as a kid; which is so weird for me to think of. My mother's home is so clean, that you never see dust floating in the sun; and never a thing out of place. So for her as a child, to like being on the farm with the pigs and chickens and cows is more than a little mind boggling. I think she preferred the peace and solidarity more than anything else. Her father, was a war veteran from WWII, who lost his leg riding a motorcycle over a landmine in battle. He NEVER talked about the war in front of me or my cousins, and only very sporadically in front of his children. The PTSD he must have experienced (but of course, did not get treatment for) must have been incredibly painful for both him and his family.

I think moving to Collingwood from Kitchener was also an opportunity for them to fulfill a lot of childhood dreams for them. This was chance at so many things. One, to prove that they didn't need anyone but each other, two they could live near the water and hunt and fish and boat and three, raise their child in a small town. Funny how all parents think this will protect their kids from the dangers such as grugs, gangs and violence.


I have to admit, I have a problem with mentors. Either their acomplishments are so vast that I could never live up to what they have done, or they inveitably let us down in some way, simply because they are human and make mistakes. I have a lot of respect for anyone who chooses to stand up for what they think is right, even if they are wrong. I have a ton of respect for people who are completely honest about their own faults and embrace them. I have a ton of respect for anyone who embraces their faith. I respect anyone who chooses to live a simpler life, and is respectful about the resources they utilize. I respect anyone who chooses to expand their own horizons and go against the grain. I respect the underdog. And I really respect anyone who gives the underdog a chance to prove their value. We all have value; no human life is worth more than another. When you strip away money, status, education and skin colour, we are no different. I beleive it is important to remember this, every single day of our lives.

Changes...

This has been a wild time in my life...lots of changes. Fist we bought a new house and will be moving for the first time in about 10 years...next; I quit smoking; after 20 years....it has been six weeks and I continue to miss cigarettes the way an opiate addict misses heroin; but I am beginning to better than I have felt in a long tine. I am flying nicotine replacment free and happy to say that I no longer cough and wheeze a lot of the time and it is really nice to out at a party and not be standing alone out on a deck, smoking.

I also started running. Badly, I must admit, more of run/walk combination; partly for my health; partly to avoid the nightmare my house is becoming as we pack and shift belongings about. It is also a nice timeout from a whiney 3 year old and an on-edge partner who is feeling these changes as much as I am but will not admit it. I was tempted to join a gym (yet again) but decided that trendy gyms have gotten more than enough money out of me over the years; and let's face it; so many of them are pick-up joints that make bars look tame. Everyone's running around, pushing themselves harder, lifting heavier weights than they should, wearing designer shoes and work out clothes, hoping to impress someone; without even knowing who they really are. Since I am not in that game, (and even if I was single, wouldn't be in that game) the concept of joining that seems kinda dumb.

Some of the changes are not so good. A major one is, I can't sleep. Well, correction, I can fall asleep, but I cannot stay asleep. The last few nights there has been some improvement, but I am only getting about 4-5 hours on a good night. This leads to longs days then frustrating evenings at work, where the clock seems to move even slower than it should, and no end to my life pattern in sight. At first, I was blaming Paul with his snoring, then Avery, with the change from crib to big-girl bed, but I have come to realize that even in a perfectly quiet home; my eyes pop open and there I am at 3:00am, staring at the clock.


I have also become really intolerant to character traits in others I used to find amusing. I will give an example here. The other day one friend made a very flippant comment about what they will and won't allow their children to do WHEN they have them. Now, this person had no idea how offensive I found this (and to be fair, I don't know why I found this so offensive)but I actually had to force myself to sit in the chair and not smack this person for their arrogance. Others saw how upset I was and likely did not understand my frustration, and encouraged me to just let this go. Which is likely the best solution. But my reactions got me thinking. It's the character traits I am finding especially irking; the narcissism, the arrogance, the drama and the demands to be the centre of attention. I think I am seeing some my own worst raits thrown up in my face and it's more than just a little painful.

So I keep going back to my adpoted mantra..."Be the change you wish to see...." we'll see how well that works...

....continued.....

3. What are my childhood dreams? How might I achieve them?


Isn't it funny that I cannot remember many of these??? How is that possible? Have I developed and early onset Alzheimers? Maybe Picks Disease? While neither of these seems appealing or likely; I think a lot of our childhood dreams are lost like so many of our childhood toys over the years....just placed in dusty boxes in the attic or basement and forgetten about. It's not until we are in the middle of a major life change that we remember those boxes and bring them out into the light once again. (For those of you who have noticed...I am aware of the constant baggage references I am using lately).


I remember wanting to be a singer; and this image in my head of me wearing some sparkly gold outfit and walking across a stage; mic in hand. Where this image came from I have no idea, but I remember walking home from school once in the winter time and having it jump into my brain; I even want to say I was in Grade 1 when the image first came to me. Weird, huh?? Those who know me well know that I constantly sing under my breath (despite my lack of talent) and at the top my lungs in the car.

I also dreamed of becoming a vet....and while this did not happen either; at one point in my adult life, it felt like there was a zoo in my home. Two dogs, four cats (one who had kittens) and a pet rat. Over the years the ranks have thinned to one cat and one dog; all others have now gone onto pet Heaven. There are some amzing memories of having a home literally full of furry creatures so happy to see you; and to this day; it is really awesome to see my little black cat clean my labrador's ears. Recently my three year old has decided (much to the cat's dismay) that the cat must be carried everywhere...usually by either the face or under the armpits. While I holler for her to put her down; inside I am howling because the look on both the cat's face and my daughter's is comical.


I dreamed of living on the lake (and still do). I grew up on Georgian Bay and spent almost every warm summer day at Wasaga Beach growing up; and now live next to the largest fresh water lake in the world. Someday I will wake up in the morning to that view; and out newest move brings us even closer. I also dreamed of having a house with a big front porch; was HAS come true (or will in a few weeks!)

I dreamt of being a Mommy someday....check....

I dreamt of what it would be like to have a brother or sister. Well...those were beyond my ability to make happen, but I have been blessed with some women in my life who are like sisters.

I'm sure there are more....but that will do for now.......