Penticton With Friends

This past weekend Benja, Juanjo, Ruben and Tati (welcome home, both of you!), Jennifer, Sonia and I went to Penticton.

Highlights: food, swimming, raspberry shakes, and hiking!

No Buying .. For Now

I put in an offer for the place I wrote about here, and after a few back-and-forths, we came to a price agreement.

I put in a number of "subjects to to be removed".  The deadline to remove these conditions was last night.  To everyone's suprise, I didn't remove the subjects.

I just had no peace about purchasing the apartment.  I think I'm happier where I'm now than I'd be if I bought that apartment and moved into it.  The biggest drawback, as I see it, is that the south west corner of the house is so blocked by trees that the sun never gets access to it.  With all the rain we get, I'd likely lock myself into my apartment rather than going out into my backyard.

It was a difficult decision, yet, I think the right one.

Olimpia Gana El Superclásico!

After two very disappointing weeks, losing first to Lanús (Arg) and then to Emelec (Ecu) in the Copa Libertadores de América, Olimpia today reacted the best possible way by beating its arch-rival Cerro Porteño in the clásico paraguayo.

Que golazo de Sebastián Ariosa! Here's the only goal in the 1-0 win:

 Para mi querido cuñado Heinz: GH1S (Grande Hay 1 Solo).

To Buy Or Not To Buy

About 3 weeks ago I was giving my parents an update on the things that are going on in my life, and as often is the case, we ended up about housing.  The question they often ask me is why I continue to rent an apartment, rather than looking for possibilities to invest in a townhouse or apartment.  My answer then was the same as it's been for awhile: I like living centrally in the city, and buying a place would be quite difficult under the current financial situations (unless I'm willing to move further out).

Since that conversation, I have spent lots and lots of hours in front of the laptop, looking at the real estate website to see what sort of properties are available.  My criteria for a place to live are as follows:

* 2 bed, 2 bath

* > 750 square feet

* ground floor

* bright, lots of light coming in

* southwest exposure ideal; southeast exposure possible; north exposure not at all desirable

* must have access to either a patio and/or yard/garden area

* situated <10 minutes' walk from skytrain or bus

* budget: around $330K, +/- 10%

* overal: looking for modesty and simplicity, not luxury

Based on these crieria, and the helpful suggestions of my dad, brother, my friends Jennifer and Marty, not to mention the very helpful guidance of my real estate Elmar, I have come up with a property that has great potential for suitability.  I may put in an offer within the next day or two.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!

I have posted a two pictures that I took of the townhouse complex.

Hiking!

In the past 2 weeks I've hiked the BCMC trail 3 times, a definite improvement in frequency compared to the previous 4 or 5 months!

On Saturday I hiked it in 1 hour and 8 minutes, which I thought was a good time (my best time in a long time).

Today I hiked it in 1 hour and 6 minutes!  I think that's close to my best ever.

The weather's warming up, the snow's melting, and the days are getting longer, so it's easier to get out and hike.  Plus, my next class at the hospital doesn't start until mid-May, so there are really no excuses for me not to get out there and get fit.

Angelus Autem Domini

The Angel of the Lord came down from heaven,

and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it;

and said to the women: "Do not be afraid;

you seek him who was crucified: he is risen,

come and see the place where the Lord's body was."

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

-----

Words by Felice Anerio

Alleluia!

O sons and daughters, let us sing!
The King of heaven, the glorious King,
Over death today rose triumphing.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

That Easter morn, at break of day,
The faithful women went their way
To seek the tomb where Jesus lay.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

An angel clad in white they see,
Who sat, and spake unto the three,
“Your Lord doth go to Galilee.”
Alleluia! Alleluia!

That night th’apostles met in fear;
Amidst them came their Lord most dear,
And said, “My peace be on all here.”
Alleluia! Alleluia!

When Thomas first the tidings heard,
How they had seen the risen Lord,
He doubted the disciples’ word.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

“My pierced side, O Thomas, see;
My hands, My feet, I show to thee;
Not faithless but believing be.”
Alleluia! Alleluia!

No longer Thomas then denied;
He saw the feet, the hands, the side;
“Thou art my Lord and God,” he cried.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

How blessed are they who have not seen,
And yet whose faith has constant been;
For they eternal life shall win.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

On this most holy day of days
Our hearts and voices, Lord, we raise
To Thee, in jubilee and praise.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

-----

Words by Jean Tisserand

Nolo Mortem Pecatoris

Nolo mortem peccatoris; Haec sunt verba Salvatoris.

(I do not wish the death of a sinner: these are the words of the saviour).

Father, I am thine only Son, sent down from heav'n mankind to save.

Father, all things fulfill'd and done according to thy will, I have.

Father, my will now all is this: Nolo mortem peccatoris.

Father, behold my painful smart, taken for man on every side;

Ev'n from my birth to death most tart, no kind of pain I have denied,

but suffer'd all, and all for this; Nolo peccatoris

-----

 Words: Medieval Carol

My God, And Is Thy Table Spread?

My God, and is they table spread?

And does thy cup with love o'er flow?

Thither be all thy children led,

and let them all its sweetness know.

Hail, sacred feast, which Jesus makes,

rich banquet of his flesh and blood!

Thrice happy he who here partakes

that sacred stream, that heavenly food!

O let thy table honoured by,

and furnished well with joyful guests;

and may each soul salvatoin see,

that here its sacred pledges tastes.

-----

Words by Philip Doddridge

Spring In The Air

Today's Palm Sunday, the beginning of Passion week which ends next Sunday with the glorious resurrection of Christ.  As usual I went to the early service at church.  I was the reader, and I also served Holy Communion.  What a privilege it is to serve God's children in this way!

It was a beautiful day, sunny, crispy, and chilly.  Spring is in the air, but the moment you step outside reach of the sun's rays you're reminded that winter hasn't signed off yet.  I got home wishing I'd dressed a little warmer.

Still, I managed to take a few pictures worth sharing.

Lunch With James

After a few month's time - around Christmas - I finally caught up with James again.  As usual, we met up over lunch at Al Watan.

I always enjoy our meet-ups.  There are very few people I know with whom I'm able to speak on such a vast variety of themes: from the shallow to the profound, from our favourite foods or sports, to what it means to love God and neighbour, we cover it all.  

Lord, how I wish I could discuss such a variety of themes more often!  And over such good food too!  Have mercy on me!

Advanced 1 Pastoral Care Graduation

Happy 71st, dad!  See you on Sunday at your birthday party (and your 49th wedding anniversary)!

Today I finished my 1st advanced chaplaincy training unit.  It's been a long but worthwhile journey: 9 months of training, and I'm not finished yet.  I plan to do one more unit in May.  Along the way, I have learned a lot.  The program is tough, the learning is hard, often times in a "greenhouse lab" environment where we put ourselves and one another under increased scrutiny.  And while the results can sometimes be painful, so long as the endeavour is undertaken with a view towards mutual edification, growth seems to happen.

It helps that I have classmates and a supervisor that I can trust: without trust the whole exercise could be more damaging than helpful.  And while the approach to the entire progress is not ideal - focusing on the psychological rather than the theological - there is a lot to learn for me on the psychological front also, so it has been of significant value.  I have become more self-aware, I have become a better listener, and I think I'm better prepared to "broker differences" between myself and others, for example.

My reservations always have been, and still are, the nature of pastoral care given in a public secular setting.  It seems to me that we "dumb down" theological language to such extent that we are left with a "basic common denominator" of values that everyone can agree on, regardless of (faith) tradition.  For the post-modern secularist this may sound good and profitable, but for the committed faithful this is hardly satisfying, intellectually or spiritually.  It's not that the dedicated faithful don't want to look for commonalities with others - we do - but it's that the specificity of our traditions must be left at the wayside for a "greater good."

I am not convinced that leaving something as important as the nuances of our faith (ie - historicity: the fact that our faith is grounded in a God who revealed Himself in history, rather than in general, abstract, a-historical principles) aside is for the greater good.  It seems ingenuine.  It trivializes the quest for truth, because it assumes that truth cannot be found.  Plus, this approach entails that we compartmentalize our lives into the "secular" and the "sacred", the "public" and the "private", two dichotomies that are utterly unhelpful in the human endeavour to become whole.

Anyways, I celebrate the last 9 months.  I think God brought me to this place, and in terms of fulfilling His command to love Him and neighbour, I do sense that I am able to obey Him in a small and tangible way.  I feel affirmed: by my peers, by my supervisor, and by the staff.  And deep inside too, I get an increasingly greater sense of affirmation and belonging.  I pray that work opportunity will present itself shortly after finishing the next unit.  Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me (a sinner)!

The pictures below are from my graduation.  Our group "ritual"at the end of each unit has been to go for a meal together.  In my first unit, we went to Doña Cata for lunch; and the past 2 units we've gone for breakfast at Paul's Omelettery.  That's where the first picture was taken.  From left to right, we are: Linda, Edgar, Tom, and Phil.  Linda and Tom are my classmates.  Phil's my supervisor.

The second picture is of Chris and me.  Chris works in pastoral care at a local residential care centre.  Then there's Phil and me.  Finally, Lawrence, Kelly, Tom, Chris and Linda, during the ceremony.

Spirituality @ Martini's

I love conversations that take serious the spiritual realm.  I've had significantly less conversations of this kind since graduating from seminary, which means that when I do have such a conversation, I treasure it and celebrate it.  Well, tonight one of those conversations happened!

I met up with Clau and Hugh at Martini's near my place, and together we engaged in a conversation that - while not particularly profound or anything: we talked about cheese-making Mennonites in Bolivia! - took the spiritual realm as a foundation point from which we discussed all else.  How refreshing, how rich, how edifying!  I felt Life pumping through my veins!

More of that, please.  Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!

Final Push

Today the final push begins towards finishing up this current unit of pastoral care training.  To do in the next 9 days:

* 2 pastoral care reports

* 1 weekly reflection report

* final evaluation

Lots to do: no games night tonight.  No fútbol on Saturday.  No hiking on the weekend. :(

Healing In The Spirituality Of The Desert Fathers

In my pastoral care class, we've had a number of sessions on a variety of themes related to healing during times of physical illness, but to my disappointment many of the sessions focused largely on psychology and therapy as avenues towards healing, often relegating the spiritual realm to that of "emotions" and "feelings."

To remedy what I felt is an underemphasis of spirituality, not to mention theology, in the area of healing, I prepared a didactic session on healing in the Christian tradition, focusing particularly on how the desert fathers of the 4th century and later viewed healing.  Even more than that, I focused on the Jesus Prayer, and how it in many ways functioned as the "ideal" prayer in time of illness of any kind: physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, whatever the case may be.  The Jesus Prayer goes as follows: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me."

Today I presented my findings, and I was pleasantly surprised by the response I got from my classmates and supervisor.  Throughout the presentation they showed great interest, and they asked many questions.  Here, in short, is what I presented:

In the spirituality of the desert fathers and mothers:

* The Jesus Prayer is the ideal prayer not only for every day living but especially also in times of great physical and spiritual need

* There is healing power in the name of Jesus (therefore, the prayer is repeated often throughout the day, sometimes into the hundreds and even thousands of times)

* We pray the Jesus Prayer because we are aware of our sickness, and that we:

- desire healing (a movement towards mercy, forgiveness)

- can't do it ourselves (a movement towards self-awareness, repentance)

- trust in the God of healing (a movement towards humility, awe)

Summary: the healing process is a movement from sinner to saint, from self-deception to self-awareness

* Healing is only the beginning of our journey: healing begins with God's presence in our lives, moves us to "union" with God, and culminates in "theosis" (divinization, deification)

* The world (all of creation) is an integrated "whole", consisting of the material and spiritual realms.  Therefore, God works through our prayers.  Miracles are real.  But the devil is real also, and he tries to undermine God's work.  This makes our prayers all-the-more needed!

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!

The sources that I used for this presentation are:

* The Jesus Prayer, Frederica Mathewes-Green

* Philokalia: The Eastern Christian Texts.  Selections Annotated & Explained, translated by G. E. H. Palmer

* The Way of the Pilgrim, and The Pilgrim Continues his Way, translated by Helen Bacovcin

* The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, translated by Benedicta Ward, SLG

* The Wisdom of the Desert, by Thomas Merton

Desert Healing

It's been such a treat, preparing for the didactic session on healing in the eyes of the Egyptian desert fathers.  Here are some gems that I've come across.

On stability:

"A certain brother went to Abba Moses in Scete, and asked him for a good word.  And the elder said to him: Go, sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything."  (Thomas Merton, The Wisdom of the Desert, 30).

On humility:

"One of the brethren had sinned, and the priest told him to leave the community.  So then Abba Besarion got up and walked out with him, saying: I too am a sinner!" (Wisdom of Desert, 40).

"To one of the brethren appeared a devil, transformed into an angel of light, who said to him: I am the angel Gabriel, and I have been sent to thee.  But the brother said: think again - you must have been sent to someone else.  I haven't done anything to deserve an angel.  Immediately the devil ceased to appear." (Wisdom of the Desert, 54).

On prayer:

"One of the Elders said: Pray attentively and you will soon straighten out your thoughts." (Wisdom of Desert, 78)

On the Name (of Jesus):

"The energy of the Holy Spirit. . . is manifested to those under spiritual guidance through the continuous invocation of the Lord Jesus, repeated with conscious awareness, that is, through mindfulness of God." (St. Gregory of Sinai, in Philokalia, translated by G. E. H. Palmer, 121).

On Repentance:

"Let us acquire the fruits of repentance: a humble disposition, compunction and spiritual grief, a gentle and merciful heart that loves righteousness and pursues purity, peaceful, peacemaking, patient in toil, glad to endure persecution, loss, outrage, slander, and suffering for the sake of truth and righteousness.  For...the king of heaven...is within us (Luke 17:21), and to him we should cleave through acts of repentance and patient endurance, loving as much as we can him who so dearly has loved us." (Gregory of Palamas, in Philokalia, 29).

On Theosis: 

"God made us so that we might become 'partakers of the divine nature' (II. Peter 1:4) and sharers in His eternity, and so that we might come to be like him (I. John 3:2) through deification by grace." (St. Maximus the Confessor, in Philokalia, 201).

On Miracles:

"Abba Poemen said of Abba Nisterus that he was like the serpent of brass which Moses made for the healing of the people: he possessed all virtue and without speaking, he healed everyone." (Abba Poemen, in Sayings of the Desert Fathers, translated by Benedicta Ward, SLG, 155)

Jesus Prayer: The Perfect "Constant Prayer"

 One of the questions I have often asked myself is how: how do we pray constantly, as St. Paul exhorted us to do in the New Testament.  It seems that this was quite important to him, because he mentions it 4 times in his letters, and to 4 different faith communities:

* the Romans: "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." (12:12)

* the Ephesians: "...praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." (6:18)

* the Colossians: "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." (4:2)

* the Thessalonians: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing." (I. 5:16-18)

The desert fathers of the 4th century and onward asked themselves the same question, looked within the Scriptures for an answer, and found it, based on the following 5 gospel-stories:

* the Canaanite woman who says "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon." (Matthew 15:22)

* the ten lepers: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." (Luke 17:11-19)

* Bartimaeus the blind, begs "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." (Mark 10:46-48)

* a desperate father pleads "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers greatly." (Matthew 17:14-15)

* the tax collector who says "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." (Luke 18:13)

Based on St. Paul's exhortations, and the examples given in Scriptures, the desert fathers then came up with various versions of a prayer.  Here are the main variations:

Lord have mercy!

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

But the one that has stood the test of time, the one that has stuck not only in the Orthodox Church, but is used by Christians of many other stripes also, goes as follows:

Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.

It's the simplest of prayers, really, and covers the whole of the Christian gospel: it proclaims Jesus as Lord, it proclaims Him as the Christ of God, it points to our need for healing, it implies awareness that we cannot heal ourselves, and trust that God in Christ can!

The prayer can be used in virtually any context.  It can be a(n):

* declaration of faith

* act of praise

* act of confession

* act of submission

* act of centering (our hearts on Jesus)

* cry for help


Whatever version we choose for ourselves, each of the them is short and to the point, allowing for easy memorization and therefore, constant repetition throughout our day, no matter where or when.  And there you have it: there's the "constancy" that we're looking for.  Constant prayer.

It's the perfect prayer, really: it's biblical, theological, spiritual, historical, flexible, short, contextual, and portable.

Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!

Jesus Prayer

Here's a lovely quote I came across while preparing for the didactic on the Jesus Prayer today.  The speaker is the pilgrim, from the Russian novels The Way of the Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues his Way.

Referring to the various contexts in which the Jesus Prayer can be prayed, he says:

"...he who has received the gift to revere and glorify the power of the Almighty expresses the word Lord with special feeling and delight. . . He who has received a secret outpouring of love into his heart is filled with sweetness and delight as he exclaims Jesus Christ. . . In him who has steadfast faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ, who is one with the Father, the Spirit enkindles even greater faith when he expresses the words Son of God.  And finally he who has the gift of humility and deep awareness of his weakness utters the words have mercy on me with great intensity." (115)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me!

Returning Home

Around 8 in the morning we got up today, gathered our stuff, and checked out of the hotel.  By 9:30 or so we arrived at the Essential Bakery near Gasworks, where we ate breakfast.  Afterwards, Benja, Jen and Nicole drove to Fremont to walk around a bit, while I stayed at the bakery and did some work for my chaplaincy course.

Close to noontime they returned, and shortly after that we went on our way, northbound on the I5, stopping in at the outlet mall in Tulalip about an hour later.  I always enjoy going here.  Today I bought a couple Benetton ts, as well as some boxers, shorts and a s/s polo from Banana Republic.  I was actually looking for some dressier stuff - button shirts, pants - but neither of the stores had the size I was looking for.  Actually, the selection at both stores was rather disappointing this time around.  I usually go to the Adidas store also, but today didn't have time.

We noticed an Olive Garden restaurant near the mall, so we decided to eat an early dinner there, rather than drive home and stop along the way.  My goodness, I know some people think the Olive Garden is lame, but I like it, I really like it.  I had grilled shrimp caprese (no meats 'til Easter!).  I'm not a fan of seafood, but these grilled shrimps were really tasty.  My only complaint with the Olive Garden is that their food is too saucy.  Everything's drenched in sauce; too drenched.  But I think that's my complaint of restaurants in general, not just the Garden.  The unanimous highlight (at least as far as Benja and I are concerned) of the meal was the desert: italian donuts, or zeppoli, as they're known in Italian.  The order came with about 10 "donuts", of which Benja and I finished 8 (Jen and Nicole only wanted 1 each - I'll never understand that).  I would go back to the Garden even if the only item they have on the menu is the zeppolies! 

We got home at close to 10pm, quite tired.  I turned in almost immediately.  As usual, I pretty much just dropped everything on the floor, to be cleaned up over the next week or two.  Strange.  It takes me less than 2 hours to pack my luggage for a trip, and then it takes me about 2 weeks to unpack upon my return.  I'm not sure why that is: maybe because deep inside I'm sad that the "vacation" is over and I need to get back to real life....

Seattle: Sights And Sounds

We had a wonderful day today touring the city.  Usually when we come to this great city we go to Pike's Place Market, and while I've never regretted going there, I'm glad we didn't go there this time around. It was time for a change, so this time around we took in some of the other sights that the city has to offer.

In summary, we visited a couple of parks, a canal, and a hip district.  Along the way, we ate some sandwiches, and unfortunately, we finished our day with a a so-so Italian dinner.  But all in all, a lovely day.  The weather, while chilly, cooperated with overcast skies but virtually no rain.

Golden Gardens Park

We began our day here, based on the advice of the concierge of our hotel.  It was good advice.  We walked along the beach for a good 30 minutes, enjoying the breezes, taking in the serenity and peace such a setting offers.

Ballard Locks

Jennifer has on a few occasions suggested that we go to view the Ballard Locks, a canal-like system linking the salt-waters of the Puget Sound with the fresh waters of Union Lake.  So we went there next, and watched some ships navigate the "locks."

Fremont

On our way to Gasworks, we stopped in at trendy Fremont.  To me, this neighbourhood has a mixture of various Vancouver neighbourhoods all blended into one: it has the outdoor adventure shops of Broadway between Cambie and Main; it has some of the interesting eateries and coffee shops of the Main St. corridor; and it has some of the eccentricities of Commercial Drive too, like a statue of the Soviet leader Stalin, right in the middle of a small square!

Here at Fremont we ate our lunch at a sandwich spot.  Very yummy!

Gasworks

This is my second visit to Gasworks, and in many ways the experience was similar to the first visit: it was chilly, windy, a few raindrops, but even so worthwhile, because of the view.  The park is located at the north end of Union Lake (not too far from the I5), where the Seattle Gas Company previously operated a gasification plant.  The remnants of the plant are still there, and add a unique aspect to the park not only historically, but visually.  Notice the rainbow in the first picture: it was that kind of day!

The most disappointing part of our day was actually our dinner.  We were downtown, tired, and not in a mood to look around for a long time and so picked an Italian restaurant attached to a mall (we should've known better), mainly because it was close to where we were staying and didn't require much driving/walking around.  The food was very average.

Tomorrow we go back home, but not before a good breakfast at the Essential Baking Company near Gasworks.  On the way home we also want to visit a wine store and the outlet mall.  If we have time, we'll eat dinner at the Olive Garden too.  We aim to be home by around 9pm.

In Seattle For The Weekend

This afternoon Benja, Nicole, Jennifer and I drove down to Seattle, to spend the weekend here.  We found a good, central hotel at a great price, and so we plan on enjoying a weekend away from home.

We arrived here late, around 10pm, after a very long wait at the border, and a quick (and futile) stop at the outlet mall along the way.

Ash Wednesday Lunch

Today is the first day of Lent, the 40-day pilgrimage to the glorious death and resurrection of Jesus.

I observed this very meaningful day by attending the 10:30 service at the hospital chapel this morning.  Father Boniface led the service.  A gentle and kind man he is.

For lunch, I went to Maurya Indian restaurant on Broadway near Burrard, with my classmates and supervisor.  The food there is fantastic, especially now that I'm off meat and coffee.  The vegetarian options there were quite amazing, including jalfrezi, malal kofta, palak panir,  and my favourite, aloo gobi.  Of course naan bread and chai are two other must-haves, not to mention the two desserts, kheer and gulab jamun.

Snowshoeing With Jen And Sonia

Another amazing day on the Vancouver slopes!  Whereas last time I went to Cypress Mountain, this time around I went to Grouse.  What a wonderful playground we live in here!  Thank your Lord for your marvelous creation.  The heavens indeed declare your glory!

After we finished snowshoeing, Sonia, Jen and I went and warmed up - well, I had a beer - while watching the sun go down.

Happy 70th Mom!

One of the criticisms I have of my family is the rigidity and restriction (or conversely, the lack of spontaneity or creativity) with which we live our lives.  The best example of this stiffness is at familial meals, where everyone has a "set" sitting place: the meal is announced, and then either mom or dad directs traffic - "you're sitting beside so-and-so" - until we're all seated.  Incredibly, the slightest deviation from this plan causes stress.  I feel this kind of restraint especially strong when I spend time with my Latin American friends who are more spontaneous and easy-going.

But today's experience of my mom's birthday celebration was refreshingly different.  My aunt (not everyone in our family lacks creativity) organized a surprise birthday party for mom: her 70th.  When I arrived at my uncle and aunts place, the hosts, I found that most of our family and relatives were already there, with the exception of mom and dad.  There was a big, colourful sign strung across the front entrance which read "Rendezvous", the name of mom and dad's favourite restaurant.  

The plan was simple: everyone except mom and dad arrive early and await their arrival.  Dad, in turn, would tell mom that they were going to the Rendezvous, but on the way they would pick up my uncle and aunt.  Once at their home, mom was to go and ring the doorbell and of course, once the door opened, all of us would come out, cheering her on, hugging her, kissing her, and singing happy birthday.

The plan went off without a hitch, and mom was so surprised she was literally speechless.  Full of joy: "surprised by joy", you might say.  Somehow, the tone of joy pervaded throughout the evening, as we celebrated her with food, song, and a 45 minute video/slide show presentation my dad had prepared.  I think mom thoroughly enjoyed the evening.  She felt loved.

Maybe we're not as rigid as I thought we were.

Happy birthday mom!  I love you very much!

Snowshoweing With Vero And Patri

What a wonderful day Patri, Vero and I had at Cypress today snowshoeing!

After attending the usual early morning liturgy, I went home and got ready for our day on the mountain.  At about 10, Patri came with her friend's Explorer, and off we went.  On the way we picked up Vero.  We'd rented snowshoes yesterday, we were all prepped.

Upon arrival at the mountain we paid our $10, and off we went into the woods.  Snow.  Trees.  Fresh, cool, crisp air.  It was actually a typical Vancouver day: partly cloudy, with patches of sun and episodes of light snowfall.  When the sun peaked through the trees, the surroundings were brilliant.  And when it snowed (sometimes while it was sunny not far from us), the whole scenery turned into a winter wonderland.  Just amazing. 

One of the great things about snowshoeing at Cypress is that there are many many trails to choose from.  I think we explored less than half of the available snowshoe trails during the 4-5 hours we spent there.  And there was a peace and serenity that we got while walking in the woods, that someone who rips down the mountain with skis or snowboards probably doesn't get.

So I'm a big snowshoe fan.  If this enthusiasm keeps up, I may get myself some snowshoes.

Here are a few pics, starging with Patri and I, getting ready for our trek:
 

Here you can see that it was both, sunny (brightspots) and snowing (white spots on the tree trunks):

Being silly:

More Caring

Today marked the first day of the new CPE unit, my 3rd (first advanced).

The past 8 months have been very good for me, learning the craft of care-giving to patients in a hospital setting.  This time around our class will be smaller, as there'll be only 3 of us.  But I think it'll be good.

As far as I know, I will still be working in the unit, and that makes me happy.  I don't have to get to know everyone "from scratch", having already developed some good connections with the staff.  The CNL is very good too, task oriented, to be sure, but caring.  From my perspective, the perfect person for the job.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on the patients!

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on the staff!

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us all!

Uneasy

Man, I felt so uneasy today.

It was my friend Hugh's birthday, a new convert to the Al Watan food experience.  Naturally, therefore, he selected to celebrate his birthday party at this joint.  There were 6 of us.  Problem is, our conversation got really loud (in such a small place), and we were talking about some sensitive themes - Evangelism, among others - which made me feel quite uncomfortable.

I raised the issue with everyone, asking us to quieten down, and I was stunned to find out that people were turned off by my suggestion.  It was really strange.  I have no problem with Evangelism, but surely there's a rightful place and time to talk about it, and surely there's an appropriate volume level too.  It's not the same as talking about the latest Canucks game!

Anyways, happy birthday Hugh!

New Bookshelf

Checking craigslist on a daily basis works!  A few months ago I finally found the Alve desk I was looking for (for about 8 months), and tonight I picked up the Alve bookshelf, which I've also kept an eye out for for the past 6 months or so.  Tomorrow I'm hoping to pick up the last missing piece of the set, a smaller version of the bookshelf (the thin tower).

I'm set now, in terms of furniture.  Maybe I'll get myself a reading chair, but that's not urgent at all.  Maybe I'll even wait 'til next year.

Like Ol' Times

Tonight we had dinner at AJ and Carol's.  It felt like a reunion of sorts, from our university days:

LOTR: All Nighter

I think there's no better way to begin a new year than by watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy all in one go.  That's what we did last night - what a blast.  We started early in the afternoon yesterday, and went until well past midnight today.

We had a very good turnout: Sanjit, Benja, Vero, Patri, Juan, Gina, Jen and I, to name a few.  Not everyone lasted the whole marathon, but I think most watched 2 of the 3 films.

In between, we ate some good food (thanks Benja and Jen for cooking!) too.  Unfortunately, Benja cut himself quite badly so he missed part of the 2nd film at Emergency.  He returned after getting a few stitches - now that's commitment to LOTR.

Well, here's to a new year.  May it be full of blessings!

Lights of Hope

I got a new tripod for my camera, so I went out and got a few night shots of St. Paul's Hospital.  Not bad, but not great shots either.  But at least, now I can practise taking shots when the sun's down.

Prayer Of A Single Person

Jesus my LORD, who became man and graced us with the beauty of your life and with the example of faith, purity, and love; help me, I pray, to love you with all my mind, heart and soul, and to live according to your teachings.  Strengthen me when temptations strike, that I may remain pure in thought and steadfast in virtue, doing only things that are pleasing to you.  Guide me into your will, and not my own, as I look to the future.  Grant me faith, courage and love, that I may serve you in holiness all the days of my life, through the prayers of the Theotokos and of all the saints.  Amen.

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Source: Prayer Book: In Accordance with the Tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Revised 2nd ed., St. Arseny of Konevets, Victoria, BC, Canada, 2011, 53.