The FAREwelcome event

This is our first full week in the office in our new roles, and to our great surprise we were presented with a FAREwelcome cake at coffee this morning!

We have a remarkably thoughtful and energetic team at DHQ and we are privileged to lead. Each morning we look forward to joining together to meet the mission! Should you be passing by we invite you to come in and meet us.

My WOW list

Michael Hyatt has been blogging about recognizing WOW experiences in our world, and creating them for others. A great concept and one I'm eager to embrace. But first I've given some thought to some of my WOW experiences and in no paticular order here they are:

1. Holding our sons - newborn - in my arms and being amazed!

2. Looking deep into Wendy's eyes and asking her to marry me - and hearing YES.

3. Sitting on the deck of my Grandmother's cottage and watching a thunderstorm sweep across the lake.

4. Seeing a garter snake eat a frog whole and watching it digest the whole thing (Jim and I put these together in the bottom of the boat at age 9).

5. Paddling a canoe on Victoria Lake at midnight and having a beaver swim beside us.

6. Watching Jason and Philip on their wedding days and rejoicing in their choices.

7. Standing on the top of Mount Hector and marvelling at the immensity of God's creation.

8. Swimming in the Carribean and having the colourful fish come to examine me!

9. Standing in Westminster Abbey.

10. Having a picnic under the palm trees of Hawaii right on the ocean's edge.

11. Riding the Maid of the Mist listening to the thunder of Niagara Falls.

12. Working the soil, tending the plants, picking the fresh strawberries.

13. Sitting in a classroom, hearing God's Call on my life for ministry.

14. Celebrating 30 years of marriage - loving, being loved, being immensely satisfied with life.

15. Standing on the edge of Lake of the Woods at 6 a.m. casting a line into the still, clear water!

16. Walking, holding hands - anywhere - with Wendy

17. Racing up Hwy 11 in the backseat of my Nanny's 1955 Cadillac...zoom!

18. Watching with Wendy Phantom of the Opera at the Pantages Theatre.

19. Standing in a circle, as a family, by my Dad's casket, praying!

20. Holding Wendy's hand on February 3, 1979 and hearing her say "I will".

Read this blog

Our journalistic daughter-in-law, Amanda, has created a new blog; Shout It Out! She just got going but she's looking for some followers - perhaps you? Join her, and Phil, in their adventures in Canmore.

This was an office day - nothing too exciting - but it was nice to be back in the office though it is still a time of settling in.

Tonight we're scrolling through campgrounds making some last minute plans as we anticipate our upcoming holidays. While we've booked some sites, we still have some nights without a confirmed destination. How do you feel about heading out not quite knowing where your spending the night? Does it have a sense of adventure or more likely a feeling of panic?

At any rate I'm looking forward to hooking the trailer to the van and going! AND...the price of gasoline is still under a dollar per litre!

Transition in adventure

Taken out near the camp the grounds seems pretty green, but I noticed in a nearby cornfield that the stalks are only about 6 inches tall - a sign of a reduced harvest for sure. We are finally getting some rain.

It was nice to get home last evening and to sleep in my own bed. Back to the office for 10 days before holidays come our way and we pull the trailer out of the backyard. How fleeting are these summer days!

Since these are transition days, and people are changing locations and appointments I've been thinking about what makes transition difficult...but then that's what is on everyone's minds. Its all about change. However, if we change focus just a bit then maybe change could be easy, okay for many of you it will never be easy. But what if it was an adventure!

That was the mindset of our moves when I was a kid. I remember being asked, "so what do you think your new room, or your new school will be like?" No big deal you might think, but the context of the conversation was meant to help me think about the possibilities. Adventure and possibilities give change and transition a new flavour.

Isn't that one of the reasons we like holidays - it is an adventure! So in the midst of your change, here's a thought: turn it into an adventure! Like looking a long road you haven't been down, it might be fun to see what's at the other end.

Installation - High River

We were at Foothills Community Church today in High River. Paul and Jennifer with their two children have been appointed as the officers (pastors) for this enthusiastic members of the Body of Christ. They are in a fairly new facility and after an uplifting service, we joined them for a bbq and potluck. Everyone chipped in to make a great experience.

Paul and Jennifer bring their experience, abilities and passions. Wendy and I were pleased to lead the installation service.

Glenmore Temple Stampede celebrations

Sunday is coming to an end, and even as I sit near the edge of Pine Lake and listen to the thunder in the distance, I know that the rainbow only comes as a result of the rain. God's blessings are like that - often we need a few dark clouds in our life to see the blessings of God in contrast. I'm trying not to mix my metaphors but it has been a day of blessing!

It was great to be at Glenmore last night for the Stampede program and to see the tail end of the carnival and bbq. They had a remarkable number of people come to the carnival and bbq with their supply of food being no match for the numbers of neighbours who came. A great outreach event for sure.

Below are those pictures:

The kids got their faces painted

Hallelujah Hoedown begins

Henry & June are sworn in as Honourary Calgarians

A rainy run to Calgary

Last evening we drove down from the camp to enjoy the Stampede program at Glenmore Temple. It was a good program with a good blend of music and singing. Our good friend Henry Tricky was their guest speaker. Henry is very much the evangelist and presnted well the message that God offers forgiveness for anyone that asks.

Our drive down to Calgary was noteworthy in that we drove through one of the worst rain and wind storms I have ever seen. The sheets of rain were so thick that the transport truck we were following at only 60 km/hr almost disappeared. Later we discovered that a tornado went through the area.

That part of Alberta is called tornado alley. It is also the area referred to as "the place they make hail".

I have some good photos of yesterday and I see our friend Kyla has posted some on Facebook of our later meal with a crowd of 17 from Glenmore Temple.

This morning we are off to High River to install the new officers. We are believing God will annoint their ministry.