Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash Those who know me know that my faith journey has been evolving; through it, my understanding of God has expanded beyond the narrow definitions and boundaries outlined by various denominations and churches, and my conception of grace and mercy has also deepened and widened.   One thought that has occurred to me, living in privilege as a Canadian who was raised in a capitalist society, is that my view - and maybe yours - of the faith relationship between us and God has been heavily influenced by these Western values, the e ..read more

  Photo by Malte Helmhold on Unsplash Things are not getting easier for young people today.  There's no work pension to look forward to, home ownership costs are ridiculous and unattainable in many major centres, and sometimes those post-secondary degrees aren't even worth the paper they are printed on, much less the tens of thousands of dollars that it cost to earn them.  I could go on, but you get the picture, and it's kind of bleak. Which is why I'm sure it's very appealing to become a "content creator" on social media.  The 15 second videos, the reels ..read more

  Photo by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash Until becoming homeowners, we have always been at the mercy of the wall colours, backsplash choices and general style and decor of the homes we rented.  Sometimes that meant modern layouts with granite and stainless (like our Coal Harbour place), and sometimes it meant old cabinets and tile in a dingy galley kitchen (I'm looking at you, Yaletown home).  In our most recent rental, it has meant beige carpeting in nearly every room in the home (except the bathrooms and kitchen).   So, when we bought a home of our own, it ..read more

  Once upon a time, an 8-year old me wrote the WISC IQ test to qualify for the district's pull-out SOAR program, a pilot gifted program that required me to attend a different school once a week with other clever kids.  I must have passed with flying colours, because I was accepted into the program (and after I quit, I wrote the WISC again two years later, and was admitted into the program once more).  The next year, a 9-year old me begged my mom to drill me again and again on my times table until I could recite the whole x7's in one long breath, and answer her questions withou ..read more

  While some have struggled to juggle the demands of work, school and safety in the community, we have thankfully been spared a lot of the tricky transitions.  After all, distributed learning is old hat for us now, and Hubbs is well-versed in best practices while working from home.  We haven't had to venture out a lot thanks to grocery deliveries, curbside pick-up, and Jeff Bezos' little company, and my kid is a willing (albeit reluctant) mask-wearer in public spaces.  My work allows me to Zoom and do much of my job online and at a distance, and I happen to be part of a f ..read more

A lot can happen in eight months.  You can start a new job, completely reorganize your home, get evicted, buy a new home ...  all the while, successfully hiding out from the 'Rona monster.  But those are stories for another day.  Today's blog post is brought to you by my favourite ringtone, otherwise known as Rodgers and Hammerstein's song My Favourite Things.  Good things are meant to be shared, right? And know that when I rave at you, I'm not simultaneously padding my own pockets, because I don't get paid to endorse, and I'm not an affiliate of that major online sh ..read more

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash Across this great country, and all over the globe, parents are frantically trying to figure out how to suddenly become homeschoolers with zero experience, preparation, or desire to do so. This has led to a lot of anxious folks asking for advice from anyone they know who might have some insight to share.  As a home learner and a teacher, I guess I would qualify as someone with some insight. I've seen countless blogs discuss this topic, actually.  Lots of well-meaning homeschoolers who blog have been sharing websites and reso ..read more

Photo by Ricky Turner on Unsplash But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.    Isa. 53:5 NIV According to one website, the word "BUT" negates everything that comes before it, and signals that the most important part of a statement is about to be said.  It connects contrasting ideas, and highlights God's gracious and compassionate intervention in humankind. In Isaiah 53, the word "But" leads out verse 5 in multiple tr ..read more

Photo by Fabrizio Verrecchia on Unsplash What a crazy weird moment in history.  As one meme joked, it's as if God has put us all in time-out to think about what we've done. People are afraid, and rightly so.  It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor; this virus impacts everyone across the globe, disrupting certain supply chains, destroying small (and large) businesses, overburdening medical systems and staff, and killing people in unpredictable patterns of spread.  The various national responses have all called for a lockdown of borders and practices of ..read more

I am a big-time sucker for a good ad.  And I'm a little bit vain, especially when it comes to my aging face and the sudden appearance of sunspots or whatever those "dots" (that Little L so kindly points out at every given opportunity) are.  Which is why, when I saw this FB advert for Pro-Top Dream Skin EE Cushion Cream, I was sold despite not finding a lot of online reviews about the product.  Seriously, watch the video and tell me that it isn't totally convincing. Anyway, I was able to secure my own little compact of this "magic foundation powder" via a friend, and of co ..read more