Yep! I'm one of those...

Nancy, the lady I nanny for, gave me a new Little People Schoolhouse toy this week, as a gift for me and for her children to enjoy while at my house. On Monday, I brought it into the house and had Dan take it out of the box. While Dan was taking it out of the box, he also removed the batteries (since everything on the toy, also served as a button that made some sort of annoying noise.) Yep, I'm one of those. I have the "no toys with noise" rule in our house. There is something that makes my nerves cringe every time I hear a fake sounding "vroom" coming from truck, rather than a child. I hate listening to the alphabet song-you know the one. A-B-C-D. A-B. A-A-A-A-A. I don't think I have ever heard the song all the way through, since the children keep pressing the button repeatedly. (perhaps, that's just one reason why I hate toys that make noise!) Nancy tells me that she believes that the toys educate the children. My response is threefold. Yes. It does educate them. At pressing buttons. (not really, what I think she was going for). Secondly, isn't that my job to educate them as their nanny? And perhaps her job as their mother? Thirdly, my personal observation. Nancy's house is full of toys with noise. When we are at their house, all I hear is the toys making noise. The children aren't talking. While at my silent toyed house, I hear the children. They are talking, and using their imagination to tell stories and make the noises that animals/cars etc. make.
It's just a personal choice. If others choose to have a household full of toys that make noise, then so be it. I have no qualms about that. But personally, I prefer that batteries are never included. Okay, that's not entirely true. There are a "few" toys that make noise that I wouldn't mind owning in the future (such as the word whammer or the fridge phonics from Leapfrog, and perhaps a nice ocean wonders aquarium that sings the baby to sleep) But I guess my biggest "rule" is that I don't the toy to make a noise that the child should be able to make (like a truck that goes vroom). I don't really want the toy to interfere with the child's imaginative play.
I was talking with some other people my age that grew up without noisy toys. The one mentioned that her parents finally broke down and bought her a baby doll that 'drank milk and peed.' She said it was fun for a while, but then that doll got tossed aside because it didn't fit in with her imaginative play. She couldn't make the baby do what she wanted it to, because it was only useful for one thing (okay two: drinking and peeing).
Most of us grew up in the age where toys didn't include batteries or made noise of any sort. And I do believe that most of us turned out fine. I hope to raise my children in an atmosphere where toys don't need to make noise to be fun. Or need batteries. Do you know how hard it is to find toys like that? Dan and I went looking for a car for a seven year old boy (his brother) that didn't require a remote control. We found one. Just one. (this may have something to do with the fact that Abbotsford seems to lack toy stores and the fact that almost every toy requires batteries). It was rather disappointing. Perhaps a good baby shower gift would be a large pack of batteries in varying sizes.
I may be "one of those." But I'm proud of that. And I love the children's voices as they use their imagination to make up stories as they play. Perhaps that's why Nancy is taking back her gift and exchanging it for one that doesn't make any noise. For that, I am extremely grateful.

A simple thought (or two)

I was thinking the other day. If men did what their wives asked, we wouldn't need to nag them. Therefore, its the men's fault that we wives nag. They should have just done what we asked them to do in the first place and then wouldn't the nagging stop?
(side note: we don't really have this problem in our marriage, since Dan is a good listener! And, since I told him this thought. He agrees that I wouldn't have to nag him if he listened the first time.)

Second thought: Am I the only person in the entire world who doesn't know how to make KD without reading the directions? I made the kids Kraft Dinner today and the little girl (who is 3)got mad at me. Don't you know how to make it? No! I don't. The first time I ever had KD, I was a teenager. And to be honest...it was gross! In fact, it still is gross (especially when smothered in Ketchup). It was interesting that i didn't even know macaroni came in a box until I was a teen. My mother always made it from scratch. And now, I make it from scratch (you know, real ingredients like flour, margarine and hark! real cheese) So, sorry I don't know how to make it.

Sunday Community

Yesterday in church, I saw something that made me smile. Actually, I think it made a lot of people smile. About half way through April's sermon, an elderly East Indian gentlemen walked into the sanctuary and sat down in one of the pews in the middle of the church. He listened intently as April talked about poetry, the arts and Christianity. (at least I think that's what she talked about. Sorry April, but this event kind of made me lose my focus and therefore forget what you talked about). At the end of the sermon, which had a slight focus on giving (as it was Thanksgiving), so we were asked to bring up our offerings of money, food for the food bank and items we had brought from home that we are thankful for (eg. baskets of nuts, quilts, sketch pads). April talked about how in the African tradition, if someone didn't have anything to bring forward, someone would give the empty handed something that they brought. Everyone would then be able to bring an offering forward. She asked us to do the same and share with those who didn't bring anything or forgot to bring something. The little children came and sang a song that goes something like this, "There's enough for all, if we would learn to share it. There's more than enough for you and me..." As the children sang, the entire congregation got up and came forward bringing their money, food and items of thankfulness. I personally saw many people share what they brought with others who didn't have any. But the thing that warmed my heart the most, was seeing this elderly East Indian gentleman get up and bring forth his offering. I saw him take his money and throw wads of bills into the basket. I couldn't believe that this visiting man would take part in this part of the service (as this isn't mandatory among visitors). After the service, I sought out this man. I wanted to know his story and what brought him to church this Sunday morning. I overheard him talking about how this couple invited him into church. He left the church quickly before I had a chance to talk with him, as the couple who invited him whisked him away. But I love how the Indo-Canadian community is mixing with the community at Emmanuel. (I even found out that a bench was erected outside the church for the elderly East Indians who sit outside the church every day.) I think it would be fantastic to mix the two cultures. It would also be a challenge as we figure out how to integrate a new culture into the church, without making them feel unwelcome. We have been talking a lot about community at Emmanuel and what makes a community. Perhaps this should be a part of the discussion. It's an exciting journey we have begun!

Self-Check Out Lines and....

your marriage. They don't seem to mesh very well. Last week, we met up with a group of young marrieds from the church and this topic came up. It's been said that a couple should be able to "wallpaper a room before you get married." I believe that the new task should be going through a self check out line together. Stories arose from personal experience and from the other young couples such as:
- Some one wants to scan the product, and that can turn to a fight over who gets to do it.
-The other randomly hits the weight scale with the grocery bags on it and it overrides the purchase.
-You chose gala apples rather than granny smith (then your partner throws a fuss about it and criticizes you)
- One person thinks that an item is scanned and it hasn't been (it gets worse when its put in the shopping bag)

These are some examples of the things that go wrong. But somehow they are worse when the person you love points out a flaw, or messes things up for you. It becomes easy to blame your spouse, rather than take personal responsibility. I believe that couples can make it through self-check out, they can make it through anything. If not, just go to the cashier. It'll save your marriage.

It's just one of those days

Today is one of those days when everything seems to be going wrong. It's not catastrophic or anything, but rather all those little annoyances that seem to add up. My day began okay, until I dropped the bottle of bleach. Twice. It didn't shatter or cause a bleached mess on the floor. But it did happen to splash onto my pants ruining them instantly. (and this is huge for me, because theses pants are actually long enough and a perfect fit.....so sad!) Then, the children decided that their ears didn't work today. Anything I said turned into them doing the exact opposite. How frustrating! But those kids didn't end there. They decided to fight and jump on one another. It was so bad that I had to separate them and put them on opposite couches, threatening them with some sort of punishment if they moved. All the while that the kids were fighting, did I mention that I was up to my armpits in bun dough? I finally got all that settled, lunch into the children and some buns in the oven. Then, I proceeded to burn two pans of buns (the oven HATES me), and set off the fire alarm and waking up the children. Then, the youngest kid decided that sleep was no longer an option and it was play time. I don't think so! It's only 1pm! I finally got him settled, only to have him woken up by the fire alarm again! AHHHHHH!!!!! I can only wonder what will happen next! Oh, and did I mention that I'm totally hormonal? Just adds to the wonderful day that seem to be having.

My Walk to Church

This morning's walk to church was very pleasant. It was one of those brisk fall mornings where the sun was gently peaking through the clouds. Absolutely gorgeous! But on top of the wonderful weather, the people I saw seemed to be overly friendly. I met three beautiful young East Indian woman, who were walking on the opposite side of Clearbrook Road. I flashed a smile, and one lady yelled a friendly hello from across the street. About 200 meters behind them, an elderly gentlemen (also of the East Indian descent), gave a friendly wave, not wanting to miss out on the cordial greetings of the morning. When I finally got to church, an elderly East Indian woman met me at the entrance to the parking lot, gave a kind hello, a word of blessing and a hug. I gave a word of blessing back, as I gave her a nice squeeze. I love mornings like that!

Becoming MORE Christian

Growing up in Church as a young child, we were taught that you are either a Christian or not a Christian. There were tracts and classes based on "how to know that I am saved." We tended to need assurance that we were "in." We wanted constant reassurance that we were Christians.
But as time went on, I learned differently.(A special thanks to Rob and Iona Snair, directors of Lifeteams: School of Urban Youth Outreach, for changing my worldview. You guys aren't crazy!) I learned that Christianity isn't that black and white all the time. Its about a journey to "become more Christian." (thanks to Doug Lowney for that terminology). Its about learning to relate to God, to change behaviors and thought patterns to line up with that of Christ's. This isn't an overnight change, it takes time.
When I was doing youth work, a fellow worker, Chris Hyslop always said, "It isn't our job to tell people how to be Christians. It is our job to introduce people to Jesus." Christianity looks different among individuals. Some Christians smoke, others don't. It's not my job to tell someone that it is right or wrong to smoke as a Christian. (The same goes for swearing, speeding, relationships etc.). They will be convicted and be drawn to the right conclusions in time. (and yes, i do realize there is a place for correction when someone goes wayward, but let's leave that for those who are "Christians" and not for those who are still discovering Christ. No one wants to become a Christian and realize that there are a million "rules" to follow.) It is our duty to introduce people to Jesus. To allow them to journey with Christ.
Over time, I have found that Christianity is a journey. We are forever turning towards and away from God, being close and being far. It isn't always about crossing the line, praying the prayer, being on the inside. Last Sunday, April spoke a sermon on "Jesus as the Center." She talked about different worldviews, or sets, that there are in relation to this. Here's a bit of an overview.

Bounded Set: This set is about creating tangible boundaries. Picture a circle with an x in it. Outside the circle is a Y. In this set, you are either in or out. You are either Christian (x) or not Christian (y). There is no grey area. (this is what i believed as a child)

Centered Set: Jesus is the center of this set. You can either be close or far from the center and you can either be moving towards or further away from the center. Picture a star, which represents Jesus. There is both an X and a Y. One is close and the other farther away. One is moving towards the star and the other moving away from the star. This set allows us to be "close with God" or "far from God," moving towards a relationship with Him, or turning away from Him.

Bounded/Centered Set: This is a mixture of the two sets. Jesus is in the center of the circle. The X is inside the circle, and the Y is outside. But the X is moving away from the center and the Y is moving towards the center. This set allows the analogy of the journey, moving towards or away from God. But also places the boundaries on it, with a Christian or non-Christian distinction.

Scripture seems to allow for both sets, the distinction of Christian versus Non-Christian (sheep verses goats) and the analogy of the journey of being close to God or turning away from God. Therefore, we should be embracing the Bounded/Centered Set.

When listening to this sermon, I was struck by the embracing of both sets. I, personally have been leaning towards the centered set in the last 6 years or so. But have come to realize that I like both sets together. There is a distinction of Christian verses non-Christian. But personally, i think that God should be the one making that ultimate distinction, not ourselves. We need to striving to become "more Christian," and move in the direction of Christ. Our focus should be on our relationship with Christ. On Judgement Day, He will let us know if we are a sheep or a goat, if we knew God or didn't know God. But let's strive to BECOME MORE CHRISTIAN, and move closer to God, however that looks.

Let the rain begin!

Dan and I took our first walk in the rain the other day. It was refreshing! Felt like fall, making me feel all hezzelic inside.
Pardon my "Dutch" there, but I can't seem to find a better word in the English language. Hezzelic translates, in my limited Dutch knowledge, to roughly mean atmosphere, coziness, warmth, warm fuzzies, overall goodness. Picture a cold winter's night, curled up with the one you love, next to a fireplace, drinking your hot cocoa, reading a good book. That's hezzelic. Or warm soup on a brisk Sunday afternoon, with fresh baked buns, followed by a nap on the couch. (okay, that's really a Dutch thing, but hopefully you get my drift).
Walking in the rain is wonderful and hezzelic....but only for a while. Then it turns into the winter blahs. But for right now, I enjoy it. I like it. It can continue. The rain doesn't bother us walkers that much. Although the torrential downpours can soak you in a few minutes. But overall, the rain doesn't affect me. It can continue, but hopefully only for a while. Then again, a nice sunny day would be refreshing.

Beyond the volunteer requests, I'm seeking relationships here

There is something I don't understand. And I don't want to be mean when I say this, as it is simply an observation that frustrates me. So, please don't take offence at it (this is not against anyone personally), but perhaps take this into consideration for the future.
Dan and I have been attending Emmanuel Mennonite church for a year and a half now. And I feel like a stranger in the church. I recognize people, but do not (and cannot for the life of me) remember their names. But they seem to know me. Perhaps that because of the family connection, or perhaps they only had to learn 2 names, and I have to learn hundreds, but its frustrating to feel like this. We still don't feel like we have connected with any one in the church (except for a few choice people whom we can count on one hand). I feel comfortable in the church, but not with its members. We still feel like visitors, rather than a part of the family. Like outsiders, rather than insiders. But oddly enough, this is not the frustration at which i want to rant at here.
I am frustrated that I have gotten calls from people, whom I may or may not recognize, that want me to volunteer for something. The volunteering itself isn't the frustrating thing. Its the fact that people are asking me to do something when I really don't know who they are. It angers me to think that its okay for people to "request" my time to volunteer, but won't take the time to get to know me. Personally, I would choose to get to know someone first and find out their passions, gifting and abilities, before asking them to volunteer for something. The last thing you want is a person who hates kids helping in the nursery.
But even beyond the on slot of calls I've received asking me to volunteer, I wholeheartedly wish we knew people better. I often feel intimidated walking up to someone new and starting a conversation, yet I constantly do. Nevertheless, I feel like I still don't know anyone. I am seeking friends, deep relationships, people that are willing to go beyond the "hi, how are ya?" I would love us to be able to call up friends to meet for dinner or hang out. I'm tired of feeling lonely every Sunday when I'm surrounded by hundreds of people. Please stop the volunteer requests, and get to know us. We'd be happy to help, once we know who you are.

Isobelle Gunn

House of James has concerts Friday or Saturday nights. Normally we don't pay much attention to the ads for those who are playing, but for whatever reason, yesterday we read the ad in the morning paper. Glancing at the ad, one name stood out: Jacob Moon. Jacob Moon is one of our favorite musicians. He is an extremely talented guitar player and vocalist. Upon closer inspection it looked like he was going to be playing that night. A little puzzled as to why we didn't get any of the usual e-mails regarding his concerts we decided to go anyway and see if he was there.
When we got there and had a look at who all was sitting around, it became obvious that Jacob wasn't there, but having paid to come we decided to stay. Settling in with our coffee and books we were treated to an evening of amazing music by two different groups: The Carriers and Isobelle Gunn. The opening act, The Carriers, were a local group who are just getting started in the music industry and while their stage presence and relationship with the audience is still coming along their talent musically speaking was amazing.
The main attraction for the evening was Isobelle Gunn which is a trio from Ontario. As the band explained, the name Isobelle Gunn was the name of a real lady who lived in the early 18th century and was a Scottish immigrant to Canada. Upon arriving she wanted to work for the HBC but being a woman, wasn't allowed. Being of the that stubborn Scottish nature, she didn't take no for an answer and disguised herself as a man. It worked for a couple of years until she gave birth and was found out. They said that they liked the name for the juxtaposition of the beauty of the name Isobelle and the harshness of Gunn, as well as that she was Canadian too. They also enjoyed the name for the expectations that that it raised and broke. When you hear the name Isobelle Gunn, you expect a beautiful woman to walk up alone to the stage. Instead there are two women and a man.
The group formed a few years ago and have done quite well for themselves. They are incredibly talented in terms of musical performance and vocally just as much. Their lyrics are just amazing, being well thought out, beautiful, deep, and actually give you something to think about as well.
When they were finished we decided that we liked them enough to by the two CD's they have come out with so far. Looking at the CD's we found where the whole Jacob Moon thing came from; he plays on over half the songs on their latest CD! Apparently they are good friends and when they get back to Ontario they are going to tour with him. Talking to the band after was wonderful. They are down to earth people and very interesting to talk to. We hope to see them again in Abbotsford and maybe with Jacob Moon as well.