I came across this yesterday as I read the blog of novelist Lisa Samson. She expresses far more eloquently thought that I've felt for some time. Think about it.

He was speaking about our redemption, our salvation from sin. You see, for years, I've viewed myself as the center of my own existence. I've viewed redemption with my sin at the center of it all. So if God came down, it was because my sin. Lisa, therefore, was at the center of the picture. Orbiting around my sin, was God's love.

But what if that picture is turned inside out? What if, at the center of it all, is instead, God's love? For it wasn't my sin that brought him down. It was His great love. If He didn't love, our sin would mean nothing to Him. Why would He care if we wallowed in misery and despair if He didn't love us? What if God's love is at the center of the picture, and around it us sinners, being drawn in by grace toward Love, toward God Incarnate? Suddenly, it doesn't seem so impossible. Suddenly our sins seem easily blotted out by the magnificent grace of God's love. Darkness swallowed up in light. Death swallowed up in victory. Love unfailing, unending, all powerful.
What a reminder for me to put myself in my proper place, and God in His.

We kicked off August with a bang this year. We attended our first Pow wow. I wish I could find the words to express how much we all LOVED it. Now, for those who don't know, a pow wow is a gathering - an opportunity to dance. It features many different dances - traditional, fancy, chicken, shawl - and each dance is judged and the winners walk away with cash prizes. It's also opportunity for drummer teams to compete. It was fascinating to watch. The skill of the dancers, the absolute beauty of their regalia, the power and energy of the drummers and singers.

I am so thrilled that we were able to go this year. It was a cultural experience for our whole family. And the icing on the cake was that we could attend with our "potluck family" who, although we get together weekly for dinner, has never gone away together. It was great to be there with family,one of whom is a part of the Adams Lake Band and being able to share in a bit of her heritage was very special. We were also able to stay with her mom on reserve at Chase and we enjoyed her hospitality and kindness very much. It is a beautiful piece of BC.

I'm sure this trip to the Kamloops Pow Wow will become tradition. And you never know, maybe I can become one of the first female white drummers.

Oh so many random thoughts parading through my head.

Reid is in California this week - he'll be home tomorrow. I always miss him when he's away and this trip has been a particularly difficult one for me in that it was during his last two trips away that I've had my accidents. It makes me nervous for what could be. Ridiculous I know but there it is floating around in my brain.

I'm happily in physio. I have been fairly sore the days following the appointments but the long term forecast is holding me steady. I am beyond ready to re-gain mobility in my right shoulder and to be pain free. Whatever it takes.

My next two random thoughts are actually connected. For quite some time I've been working with some folks regarding the youth ministry in our Church. What is it? Why does it exist? Where have we succeeded and failed? Where is God leading us now? We've always had a pretty good bunch of youth. We have a decent youth ministry but it does need work. Tweaking really. So I'm part of a team to help build this. And I am excited at what might be. Being that Caris is youth group age now, I have somewhat of a vested interest in the whole thing...which leads me to the 2nd thought - parenting through the teen years. It is really a whole new ball game. And as we discuss this topic with friends who've been there or are there now - I feel driven to my knees because I know that Reid & I cannot negotiate this chapter on our own.

Travelling, accidents, fear, pain, hope, ministry, teen-agers, parenting. How is that for some random musings.