Saturday, February 24, 2007

Blessing and Mourning


The past couple weeks have been full and rich. First off, a week with parents, tromping about Vancouver by foot, bus and ferry. We tried tons of fantastic restaurants and in general discovered much more of this congenial city. A surprise treat fell into our laps when their friends who accompanied them to Vancouver for the weekend had to suddenly return home earlier than expected on Saturday, forcing David and Cora and I to sadly make use of their room for which they had already prepaid on Saturday and Sunday night--a room on the 27th floor with views over the bay to the mountains beyond, no less. We left Mom both nights tending to a sleeping Cora while we relaxed in the hottub and sauna...ahhh. Lots of love and laughter that always accompanies family visits made it a memorable week.

After they left on Friday, we spent the weekend almost entirely with friends, entertaining another couple for dinner Friday night, spontaneously gathering a large group for game and dessert night at ours on Saturday night, and celebrating Chinese New Year down in Chinatown on Sunday. A lively weekend followed by a calm: it's been reading week at Regent. But although we have had no classes, we have had a lot of work to catch up on. Still, we've enjoyed spending more time than usual with each other. We've cherished relaxing mornings over coffee, reading side by side on the couch, afternoon walks, and reading aloud before a cozy fire after dinner.

Wednesday night we attended the Anglican church for the Ash Wednesday service. It was a moving time of self-examination, mourning, and repenting afresh in preparation for the coming celebration of the passion of our Saviour. In these 40 days, I hope to perpetually keep before my face my own weakness and inabilities, in light of God's perfect strength and enabling.


Oh, may these our Lenten days,
blest by thee, with thee be passed,
that with purer, nobler praise
we may keep thy feast at last.

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