My niece-phew is...

...a niece!

She arrived yesterday afternoon at 5:12, weighing in at 6 pounds 11 ounces, and is 21 inches long. (It's funny how some things are never described in metric.)

She's beautiful. She has a head full of curly-looking, reddish-blonde hair, big blue eyes, and the longest fingers I have ever seen on a baby. She is beautiful. Mom, Dad, and Female Child (likely to be named Emmerson Grace) are all doing very well - happy, tired, and happy. :)

One videos

Thanks to Mike of Waving or Drowning? for this, and to Jen Lemen for this.

Circle of life

It's hot here. It's humid here. The A/C in our office isn't working. My apartment is a sauna. (Whine, whine, whine...)

The audit is finally done, and I'm getting ready to move on to other projects at work - the biggest being preparing as much material as I can for my boss and my future replacement.

I gave notice at my apartment this morning, and am going to Kingston this weekend to look for a place to live.

I've received information from Queen's about paying my fees, and expect information from the theological college either this week or next. I'm sending an appeal letter today to beg the government to lend me money that I will take years to pay back. I'm looking to find other scholarship/bursary money somehow. (I'm trying not to get stressed about finances. I know I will find a way to pay for my schooling and live in Kingston. The reality that I will soon be unemployed and have two months to save as much money as possible is sinking in - but I'm trying not to get stressed! Honest!)

Things are moving in my little world, and in the world around me. Life goes on, no matter how hot it is or how stressed about money I'm trying not to be or how long it took to get the audit done...

Everyone is facing their own joys and sorrows.

My sister is in labour as I type! My niece-phew should be arriving today! Exciting, exciting, exciting! I'm saying all sorts of prayers for a safe delivery and a healthy baby.

My neighbour passed away this weekend. His father found him Sunday night. He was not very old - probably mid-to-late 30s. He was a weight-lifter, and had just qualified for the nationals in next year's Special Olympics. He was a nice, friendly guy, and I'll miss him as my neighbour. My heart and prayers go out to his family.

The Circle of Life is going on around me, in God's own time. The season has changed from spring to summer. In a few short days, someone I know has died and someone I know is about to bring someone new into the world. Things are picking up speed as I get ready to move and begin a new chapter in my life.

Sometimes it's hard to remember to slow down, breathe, pray - but during these times, that's what I really need to do.

Take the MIT Weblog survey

Disturb us

Disturb us, Lord,
when we are too well pleased with ourselves;
when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little;
when we arrive safely because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess
we have lost our thirst for the Waters of Life;
having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity;
and in our efforts to build a new earth,
we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly -
to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery;
where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.
We ask you push back the horizons of our hopes,
and to push us in the future with strength, courage, hope and love.

From maggi dawn.

The Jesus Creed

More food for thought via Jordan Cooper:

The Jesus Creed
This creed was originally shared at the Emergent Convention, Nashville, May 2004.

By Brian McLaren

We have confidence in Jesus
Who healed the sick, the blind, and the paralyzed.
And even raised the dead.

He cast out evil powers and
Confronted corrupt leaders.
He cleansed the temple.
He favored the poor.
He turned water into wine,
Walked on water, calmed storms.

He died for the sins of the world,
Rose from the dead, and ascended to the Father,
Sent the Holy Spirit.

We have confidence in Jesus
Who taught in word and example,
Sign and wonder.
He preached parables of the kingdom of God
On hillsides, from boats, in the temple, in homes,
At banquets and parties, along the road, on beaches, in towns,
By day and by night.

He taught the way of love for God and neighbor,
For stranger and enemy, for outcast and alien.

We have confidence in Jesus,
Who called disciples, led them,
Gave them new names and new purpose
And sent them out to preach good news.
He washed their feet as a servant.
He walked with them, ate with them,
Called them friends,
Rebuked them, encouraged them,
Promised to leave and then return,
And promised to be with them always.

He taught them to pray.
He rose early to pray, stole away to desolate places,
Fasted and faced agonizing temptations,
Wept in a garden,
And prayed, “Not my will but your will be done.”
He rejoiced, he sang, he feasted, he wept.

We have confidence in Jesus,
So we follow him, learn his ways,
Seek to obey his teaching and live by his example.
We walk with him, walk in him, abide in him,
As a branch in a vine.

We have not seen him, but we love him.
His words are to us words of life eternal,
And to know him is to know the true and living God.
We do not see him now, but we have confidence in Jesus.

Amen.

My newest addiction

We did a Sudoku puzzle together on Sunday. Apparently Sudoku is all the rage in Britain; The Toronto Star is running a puzzle daily.

We were very pleased with ourselves when we finished, and I went searching for puzzles online the next day. I found several, but haven't had a chance to try them all yet. So far, this site is my favourite - you can play online (which is great for someone without a working printer at home), and you can check your answers to make sure you're on the right track (or find out where your errors are). They aren't as tough as the one in the newspaper, but there is a link to tougher puzzles, and instructions on how to create your own.

The puzzles are fun and challenging. The greater challenge, however, is to focus on finishing the audit instead of Sudoku!

Love those quizes!

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.

Emergent/Postmodern 89% Classical Liberal 64% Modern Liberal 46% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 46% Neo orthodox 36% Charismatic/Pentecostal 32% Roman Catholic 25% Reformed Evangelical 7% Fundamentalist 0% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

Link via Bene Diction.

More about me, from another Internet quiz

According to this BBC quiz, I'm a Peacemaker.

Summary of Peacemakers

• Value personal freedom
• Particularly sensitive to the feelings of others
• Think of themselves as steady, gentle and sympathetic
• Others may mistake their quiet nature for weakness

More about Peacemakers
Peacemakers focus on the present and enjoy helping others in practical ways. They are sensitive to the world around them and take quiet joy from people and nature, particularly animals. Peacemakers value close relationships, but it may take time for others to get to know them.

Peacemakers live by a set of personal values, which they work hard to reflect in their everyday life. They would rather support an activity than organise it. When they do find themselves in leadership positions, they observe quietly and lead by example.

In situations where they can't use their talents or are unappreciated, Peacemakers may withdraw and become self-critical. Under extreme stress, Peacemakers may become even more critical of themselves and others and make harsh judgements about minor issues.

Peacemakers tend to show someone how much they care about them by helping them in a practical way rather than putting their feelings into words.

(Link via Messy Christian.)

Building community

Couple of thought-provoking lists from Jordan Cooper...

How to Build Community
How to Build A Global Community

Writing the truth

I read a beautiful post on Get Yer Goat a couple of months ago, and it has stuck with me ever since...

What would it be like to physically write the truth on your body? To carefully, with your most beautiful handwriting, write "gorgeous" on your jiggly belly? To boldly sketch the word "STRONG" on your thighs? To gently print "luscious" on your breasts?

What would it be like to silence the lies and live in the truth?

good and right and proper, that is what it would be.

Great quote

We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing
that.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an
opportunity for God's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the
master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs.

Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador

(Thanks to maggi dawn for this one!)

Babies and weddings and showers - oh my! (Though not necessarily in that order.)

'Tis the season for weddings and babies!

Later this month, I'm going to be an aunt! :) My niece-phew is expected on June 23 (which is also our mom's birthday), but s/he could arrive any day now - and my sister is hoping it's sooner rather than later!

While I was sweating in the gym, my family and dozens of my sister's friends were getting sunburned at a "surprise" baby shower. (She has a sixth sense about surprises - but she was genuinely surprised and touched by the number of people who turned up.)

This baby will be the fourth of eight babies expected by friends and/or family this year. I'm getting to do lots of knitting and cross-stitch! (I don't feel obligated to make things for these babies - I really do enjoy it. Plus, it gives me an excuse to spend so much time on my crafts!)

Between my beloved and I, we have four weddings to attend between July and September - two for him, two for me. Three are back-to-back, then we have a two-week break. My beloved is involved in one, and I'm in involved in the September wedding - not as a bridesmaid (thank goodness!), but as sister of the bride. My baby sister is getting married!

All three of us are taking on major changes this year: one marriage, one baby, and one new life in Kingston. Wild.

Melting

On Friday, I started the following post:

In about an hour, the first of three graduation ceremonies at our college will begin. I get to sit on the stage and hand diplomas to the president for all three ceremonies. I get to do this in a sweltering gymnasium packed with people, dressed in a long, black, polyester gown. Woo. Hoo. I comfort myself with two thoughts: I'm not working on the audit, and I'm getting paid for this.

And speaking of the audit... It continues to plague me. I'll be working on it for at least another week.

I didn't finish what was shaping up to be another bitchy post. I had to get myself to grad, where I physically melted through three ceremonies - one Friday, two Saturday. (I'm looking forward to that pay cheque!)

I don't really know how to continue. I started the post to talk about the emotional meltdowns I experienced last week - one on Wednesday, due to my idiot neighbour and my apathetic landlord, and one on Thursday, due to the audit and the aforementioned challenging co-worker. There's not a lot to say, other than I experienced two nasty meltdowns last week - I was stressed and frustrated, and it's not over yet.

Fortunately for me, my beloved offered a calming, comforting voice of sympathy and reason, and JenBen was able to drop everything and get together for supper and a chat almost immediately following the work meltdown. I'm feel incredibly blessed to have such wonderful, caring people in my life.

I'm trying to let go. I'm trying to deal with my stresses in healthy ways. I'm clinging to the thought that I'll soon be away from the audit and Mr. Happy.

And all these years I thought my name was on the boring side...

This from JenBen:
175 Ways to Spell Jennifer.

My favourites include Jynnapher, Jennerpher, Geniphar, and Jeneefer.

Something I've discerned recently...

...and I'm not talking about theology school or the candidacy process.

I am not meant to be working with numbers.