Today I put into practice another Sabbath day. My chest infection is into its 4th week and is still giving me some grief. I worked some long days this week, so decided to take a day to reflect and be quiet. I reread some of the chapters in the book by Ron Rolheiser “The Holy Longing”. It is probably one of the best books I have read in the last year. I reread the chapter on the “Paschal Mystery” and how it can become part of our daily life. He talks about how we need embrace small deaths in our life every day and by embracing them we then have the capacity and strength to embrace new life and a new spirit for that new life. Just some good thoughts about the reality of living real life and not remaining in some daydream world. I also began reading a book on “Jesus through the Centuries”. A book with a different perspective, but if we only read to affirm what we already know, we will never learn about other views and perspectives…gives me an opportunity to do some critical thinking and be prepared for some good conversations with my good friend Chris Garner. Good day today! Tonight we watched “Bad Boys I and II”. We had some good laughs!
Walking on Holy Ground Friday, Mar 16 2007
What I Am Learning 5:25 pm
I would just like to share with you some of the worship time Gathering Prayer we shared on our first evening of class. It was very significant in setting the tone for the whole week of discovery…
A time away…A time to arrive…A time to begin…
“Today we begin a part of our journey that will lead us into a deeper relationship with our God, with ourselves, and with each other.
Together with are on a Journey Deeper into God.”
A Reading from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin:
Trust in the slow work of God,
We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.
And it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stage of instability –
And that it may take a long time
And so I think it is with you,
Your ideas mature gradually, Let them grow.
Let them shape themselves without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on, as though you could be today what time – that is to say, what grace and circumstances acting on your own good will – will make you tomorrow.
Only God can say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing that God’s hand is leading you and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.
The phrases that were impressed upon my heart were “Trust in the SLOW work of God.” “Your ideas mature GRADUALLY, Let them grow. Let them shape themselves with UNDUE HASTE.”
“Only God can say what this new spirit GRADUALLY forming within you will be…and accept the ANXIETY of FEELING yourself in suspense and incomplete.”
Just relaxing and realizing that God’s work is continuous but slow and gradual. I don’t need to be in such a hurry! Just rest and “be still” and “quiet” and “confident” knowing that God is working gradually and slowly in my life. Slow down Gloria!!
My prayer for that week was “Change my heart…to move from my head to my heart…to move into a deeper love relationship with God.” God is faithful and He is doing it.
We are heading to Elkhorn Resort for a week so will not be back until Sunday, March 25th. I will continue to ruminate on what I have been learning and how I am changing and will continue to share when I get back. God bless!
Relationships… Thursday, Feb 15 2007
What I Am Learning 9:43 pm
Jerry and I had a long conversation a couple of days ago about our marriage and our relationship and how it is changing as we get older. We are two very different people and we talked about how we live our life and how different aspects drive us. Now that we have more time and are at a different place in life, we are beginning to move into a more holistic way of living, which includes embracing new ways of feeling and relating to each other. I was reading the MacLean’s magazine a couple of weeks ago where it indicated that there is a huge number of couples who have been married as long or longer than we have, who are now moving into divorce. As a reflected on that, I realized that if people have never taken the time to know who they are in their inner being, now as they are moving into the latter part of their lives, and their feelings and how they relate to each other changes, they feel they need to make a physical change, in order to figure out who they are. The sad part is, that the divorce in many ways will not change anything, as they will still be the same person, and again, because they don’t know who they are in their inner being, they will look to someone else or something else to fill that emptiness, and the end result is not necessarily going to be anything different than what they had in the first place. I am so glad that Jerry and I are committed to one another, and together, we will work out the changes that we need to make, in order to continue to build and deepen our relationship.
If you have never watched the movie “Something has gotta give” with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, it is a must view for people our age. I have watched it a few times, and it is funnier every time I watch it. We watched it last night, Valentine’s Evening, and again it was hilarious! I love it!
Spiritual Direction Class Monday, Feb 12 2007
What I Am Learning 8:09 am
I am taking a Spiritual Direction Class “Walking on Holy Ground” the beginning of March. Before that date, I need to do some extensive reading prior to taking the class. I have begun, but will need to be very intentional to make sure I get it all done. I am also taking a short leave from Lakeview to do some concentrated study and also take some time for reflection. I am not sure what the nudgings inside of me are saying, so I am taking time to figure that out!
Learning continues Monday, Jan 8 2007
What I Am Learning 6:00 pm
I have been reading a number of different books, which leads me to reflecting and rethinking different issues in my life…the books I am in the process of reading are:
The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian McLaren;
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell
Struggling with Scripture by Walter Brueggemann, William C. Placher & Brian K. Blount
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Romans by Paul the Apostle
Lots of different perspectives and great variety of ideas…
“The arms of the Father are open wide and all are welcome to come in” Thursday, Dec 7 2006
So I Was Thinking and Spiritual Development and What I Am Learning 11:54 pm
As I have met with different people this week, I again realize that life isn’t always easy and people experience so much hurt and pain in their lives…but what is always so amazing and is so encouraging is how even in the pain and hurt of these experiences they have experienced the all consuming and sustaining love of our all loving Heavenly Father.
“The arms of the Father are open wide and all are welcome to come in”
Breakforth Conference in Edmonton Wednesday, Feb 5 2003
Travelling and What I Am Learning 10:01 pm
We are back from Edmonton and hard at work again. The BreakForth conference was amazing. The first person we meet is one named “Dennis Camplin”. I was really surprised as I didn’t think they were allowing seniors into the conference. AND he really wasn’t there for the conference, he and his wonderful wife Wilda were enjoying quality time with their grandchildren from Birch Hills. Alot of the info I am still digesting and working through. Some very good sessions with Robert Webber and Bill Easum. I will post my learnings in the next couple days.
Breakforth Thursday, Jan 30 2003
Church and Friends and Lakeview Church and What I Am Learning 10:43 pm
We are heading out to Edmonto tomorrow for the BreakForth conference. Should be a great time. We are going to be staying with my niece Christa. She is getting baptized on Sunday, February 9th. It is so exciting to watch her mature in her walk with Christ.
It is Darren Friesen‘s 36th birthday today. We celebrated it at coffee break. Cathy made an awesome chocolate cake which we all enjoyed. Some good laughs were had. I work with some great people!
I surprised some of the staff this morning as I actually played the piano for them. It was my turn to lead staff prayer so I talked about the hymn “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus” and then we all stood around the piano and sang all four verses of the hymn. Great experience!
Sunday Sunday, Jan 26 2003
Friends and Lakeview Church and Life Update and What I Am Learning 11:19 pm
Had a great day today. Great service at Lakeview with Dr. Lee Barbour speaking about “Money”. We all need to hear more of these. Jordon, Wendy and Mark Cooper were here for Super Bowl Sunday – lots of food; terrible football; Shania Twain looking like something from outerspace!!! great anthem sung by my favorite “Dixie Chicks”; laughter; brainstorming names for new restaurants – no, you don’t want to hear the names; enjoying Mark who has to be the best 2 1/2 year old boy around; more boring football; but all-in-all a great day spent with awesome friends.
Learning Thursday, Jan 23 2003
Family and Saskatoon and Tamara and What I Am Learning 11:41 pm
Tamara emailed and called tonight. She is having an awesome time in Thailand. It is absolutely beautiful and the weather is just right. The food is “out of this world” delicious and her and Renee are having a great time together. It was so good to hear her voice. She loves new experiences. There is no doubt we are proud of her. She has accomplished much in her 25 years of living.
-40C here this morning with the windchill. Not a nice day at all. Snowing and blowing – good day to stay at home in front of the fireplace with a good book. Jerry has had to work some really long hours because of guys being off sick, so Don Pogoda and Greg Plett went to see Jerry this morning at work and took him some ice cream. Now if you know Jerry, you know that his most favorite thing in the world is ice cream. What awesome guys! There is no doubt they are in his “good books”.
I have been reflecting on the whole idea of learning. For me so much of my learning come from new ideas, books and theories and not so much the practical. My son Matt has been challenging me a bit, in that, learning is not just new ideas mom. You can learn in more than one way. So I am learning new things every day from all the different experiences I have throughout the day. I am not naturally an experiential learner, hands on, or learning from what my feelings and emotions are all about, so Matt, I am trying to intentionally learn in new ways. As I visited a friend in the hospital tonight, I experienced such compassion as I sat on the bed beside him. He looked like a fragile little bird, laying so quiet. Yes, God is teaching me and changing me, as there was a time when I could hardly walk into a hospital, let alone minister to those who were ill. Yes I am learning, even if I didn’t get a chance to read the second chapter of The Ingenuity Gap.
Gloria Reimer's Weblog 