We spent the weekend of January 15th in Calgary…stayed with Matt and Jesika…my niece Christa was married in Canmore on the Saturday…beautiful wedding…we had a great time with friends and relatives…my sister, Joanne, Dwight and Tenaya came from Langley…my brother Ron and Eleanor came from Stanwood, Washington…great time was had by all…weather was really cold…driving to Calgary it was -30s with additional wind chill…the trip was awesome as the sun was shining, sky was clear and the sparkle of the snow and the snowdrifts was beautiful…can’t get that kind of picture in the Tropics…we came home the following Tuesday through fog and then road covered with ice…Jerry was sick and ended up sick for about a week…terrible flu.
I had the privilege of marrying a wonderful young couple on January 22nd…beautiful wedding…the groom’s family had travelled from Nova Scotia…it was great to meet them and let them know how much we had enjoyed travelling their province this past Fall. I also had the privilege to meet with this couple on a number of occasions prior to their wedding and just talk about marriage and what it takes to make it work. Jerry and I have been married 35 years and we are still making it work. I heard this comment a few weeks ago and it has been going around in my mind “Every day you choose who you will become”.
I went to a funeral today for the dad of a good friend of ours. He was 82 and had been shovelling snow and complained a bit about his shoulder hurting…Sunday morning he collapsed and died of a heart attack…just like that ushered into eternity. His daughter gave a tribute to him today and it was so awesome…he enjoyed life right up to the last minute…he will be missed but his legacy will live on in his daughter.
It was my turn to do the devotional for the staff prayer time today and I read Romans 8…what an amazing experience to take time and to read out loud the truths that are part of that portion of Scripture. If you want to be encouraged, take some time out of your busy life and read Romans 8…you will be glad you did.
We had a wonderful experience to day at Old Navy. Tamara sent us an email with a list of clothing she wanted us to purchase for her which she had looked at on the internet. Now as many of you know, shopping is not the most favorite thing Jerry and I like to do…but for Tamara we would do it. We walked into the store and, of course, we don’t have a clue where to begin looking for the clothing Tamara wants. We connected with an employee at Old Navy who was just amazing. She not only found ALL the articles we needed, but to make sure they were the right ones, she went on to the internet to make sure the ones she picked were the ones Tamara had noted she wanted. In the process we started talking and she mentioned that I looked familiar…to make a long story short, when I told her that I was part of Lakeview Church she asked if I knew her Uncle Ernest Friesen…well, of course, I knew him…and then she asked whether I ever blogged, and I said yes…and it ends up she is Randall Friesen’s sister…what a small world! She made our day today! She was wonderful!
I am still in the process of reading a few different books…all good and all thought provoking. Had a coffee with Darren Friesen yesterday and that is always a good time…he is an amazing young man and I always enjoy our conversations.
Our weekend with Matt and Jesika was wonderful. If I must say so myself, they are wonderful kids. They were so hospitable with everyone in their home. Matt cooked an amazing hot, spicy India meal for us…baked fresh bread for us every day…gave up their bed so mom and dad could get a good sleep…it was so much fun. They are great kids to hang out with!
We get to hang out with Tamara in about 4 weeks when we will be connecting in New Zealand. Should be fun there too…hopefully the weather will be much warmer than here.
Get to meet with my good friend Kelly tomorrow afternoon. I have missed her as we haven’t been able to meet for a few weeks. I can hardly wait. She is amazing and I am looking forward to some animated conversation tomorrow.
