dog blanket

lovely dog lap blanket

warm, soft, breathing

one part black

one part ginger

two living parts

a whole

in the quiet

we breathe as one

in the stillness

souls ooze together

in the peace

love finds a home

lap blanket of lovely dogs

god incarnate

lounging

Friday day off again
Two Fridays in a row
exhilarating

Joined by partner
playing an enforced hooky
TDSB lays on 5 unpaid days off
to meet budget needs

Here we are
lounging at our fave coffee shop
home made scones
beverage of choice
book and laptop bliss

nowhere to go
nothing to do
open space
delicious time
companionable company

no words needed
gentle smiles shared
grace

pancakes and people

Shrove Tuesday 

pancake day

sausages cooked

pancakes warming

coffee on

an empty room 

waiting

will anyone come?

familiar faces

come through the door

cheery "hellos"

neighbours

"just dropping by"

total strangers

"saw the lights on"

families get a break from . . .

what shall I make for supper

what will they all eat

prepare, clean up, collapse

connecting with people

who came long ago

who came last Sunday

who have yet to come

laughter lifting winter blues

syrup sweetening spirits frayed
god weaving in and out
community

lent again

every year 
the same seasons
spring
summer
fall
winter

every year
the same seasons
epiphany
lent
holy week
easter
pentecost
advent
christmas

every year
another opportunity
to explore
another invitation
to find love and joy

every year
a renewal
of life in god

aaah, it's friday

Friday
my day off

sometimes

This Friday
I don't need to go anywhere
do anything
aaah

Friday
trawling Facebook
surfing interesting sites
following link after link
bliss

Friday
two little dogs curled up
beside me
under their favorite blanket
exuding warm doggie smell
blessing

Friday
doodling with paints
embellishing with inks
listening to what the paper says
imagining where the line wants to go
benediction

Friday
breathing in
breathing out

aaah

preacher going spare

"We've got a preacher going spare.
Are you interested?"

(I have an internal giggle.
"Going spare," as a British idiom
means getting really angry.)

A guest speaker at a Saturday event
waiting around for a flight 
willing to preach at the 'drop of a hat.'
(Love to know where that idiom comes from.)

A preacher dropped in my lap.
My preaching plans dropped:
preparing, praying, reading, reflecting, connecting, ruminating, revealing, writing, editing, surfing, life-giving, satisfying, fun.

A preacher going spare
far from home
hanging around
time-heavy
community-seeking
angel-unawares-stranger.

Where better than Beach United
to greet and welcome
to embrace and uplift--

--a spare preacher's haven.

(More internal giggles--WWJD--what would Jesus do?
Does radical inclusivity include space preachers?
"Move over Jesus! Thaddeus is in town.")

Spare preacher opportunities don't come along every day.
Opportunities to hear a different voice,
to practice graciousness,
to let go of plans,
and make room for god.

godly whispering

With little response to my previous blogs
I lost energy for daily posts

Good New Year intentions
to write gratitude pieces
crumbled

A chance comment
"I liked your blog"
restored me

Godly whispering
offering encouragement
putting pieces together

Wholeness through community