Memories of Carrots

Is it true what they say (whoever they are) that the amount of love you had for someone is based on the number of memories you have of them? I don't believe this. I think those who believe this are completely misunderstanding the concept of love and the relatonship love has to memories. Does the fact I don't have a whole lot of memories of my Dad mean that I did not love him much? I don't think so.

While I don't have memories of lots of interaction with him what I do have are memories of things associated with him. Such as garden sweet carrots, freshly washed and drying on newspaper under the train layout. My memory takes me back to a time when Dad taught me how to plant the carrot seeds and cover them with enough soil (but no too much) and to care for the living plants in God's creation.

I am sitting in what used to my Dad's study. Mum, Alan and I have changed things around so it is more conducive to Mum's and my liking, but sitting in this chair I am reminded of all the hours Dad used to sit in it. Dad used to write me letters when I had lived away from home. Knowing he took time out of his busy day to write me a couple of lines and include a "little something" meant the world to me. So, letters remind me of him.

Thanks Dad for the memories of sweet garden carrots, trains and letters.

Snapshots of the beginning of Seminary 2007

The Pictures here are of President Ogilvie and myself leading opening worship at orientation. Grapes from Mum's backyard. The three angels of seminary!!! and Theology 431

Sinners Breakfast Club

Thursday is the day we sinners get together in true Lutheran style: up early (at the crack of dawn) sharing a good cup of coffee and stimulating conversation over a meal. This is our Sinners Breakfast Club and it happens every Thursday at local restaurants around Saskatoon that are open at the crack of dawn to feed hungry theologians and sinners!!!

Summer pics

Alan and I goofing around at the Explore! Manitoba pavillion at the Forks
Picture #2 Loreen and Barbara checking out the handpainted wolves at the Forks. They came for a visit on the August long weekend. Picture #3 Loreen and Jenn enjoying each other's company. Picture #4 The three amigo's!!!!!

pictures - test

OK. here is a test of an uploaded picture.

Not sure what to call this......

Well, here we are at the end of week two. My head is swimming with Dogmatic's, trying to figure out how to explain the Holy Spirit, Isaiah, and exegesis!!!! I am ready for a quiet weekend of reading and writing.

This evening before I came home I attended a talk by the missionary from the Etheopian Lutheran Church on the place of women in the church of Etheopia and Female Genital Mutilation, a huge problem in that country, and other harmful traditions and how they are working with government leaders, pastors and health workers to educate the people and turn the tide on these harmful traditions. Very interesting to hear how things are in her culture and also to hear the discussion between her and the men from the Sudan in our class. I had heard of FGM from a National Geographic article some years ago. The images in the article still haunt my memory.

I hope you are all well and settling into the fall routines. I will try and get some pictures up on this site by next week to show you what is happening and what has happened here at the seminary and in my life.

Peace to you......

It's Official!!

It's official folks, our cross cultural immersion trip for 2008 is taking us to Madagascar. That is so amazing and terrifying all at the same time. We leave from Saskatoon on January 3rd and arrive in Antananarivo on January 4th. This is so exciting. I am looking forward to experiencing something like I have never known before.

Our first week of classes has finally come to a close. Only 11 more to go in this term, but who's counting!! We are trying a new thing in chapel this year with the introduction of International Vespers on Thursday. This week we had African Vespers, next week is Asian, the following week is South American and then it is North American followed by a pot luck (how lutheran!). I had hoped to share with you some photos from this frist International Vesper service but I am trying to figure out how to resize them from such a huge file to something a bit more managable for the computer. Bear with me, I will get it figured out sooner or later.

Blessings!

My apologies to Larry

Well, yes here I am on my knees.....it has been qutie a time since I have entered a post. To you Larry, I apologize. What can I say except that well I dropped off the edge of the world! But.....I am back. It is a new year of seminary; one filled with many opportunities for growth.
I am now in second year - or middler as we are known here - and it is interesting watching the entering students find their way and greeting the returning interns who are both glad to be back and wishful for this year to be over. I wonder if that is how I will feel when my turn comes.

Summer was good, although I found that I pushed myself to hard. I was trying to do a reading course and recouperate from such an eventful first year. By August my body and mind gave up. My Academic Advisor here calls it a delayed reaction from Dad's death. All I know is that I burned out, well that in conjunction with an impacted wisdom tooth that required surgery and large doses of antibiotics all set me back. But, grace abounds here and for that I am grateful.

Yes, it is a new year and as Arnold Schwartzneger (I am not really sure how to spell his name) says......" I'll be back!"