Peace is like Hope. You know when you’ve got it & when you don’t. But how do you get it? Can I make myself have peace? Can I – through my will – command or control myself into Peace? I’m going to say no. Why? Because Peace isn’t “a movement” or “a state of mind” or something you can decide to have. Peace is bigger – way bigger. Let me eloborate. Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for the ‘Connecting with God’ Category
Advent: A Four Week Blog Series – Week 2: Peace
10
Dec
Advent – A Four Week Blog Series – Week 1 – Hope
03
Dec
I am sentimental. I tend to keep things from events. I also find that listening to music will often remind me if the first time I heard it – or take me back to the events in my life when that song played a part. Food can almost immediately bring me to sentimental places “remember the last time we had the Salmon…” Sometimes my sentiments are sad, or a reminder of times that weren’t great. Sometimes I remember fondly – almost yearning for an aspect of those times again.
Christmas inevitably is a sentimental time for me. The food. The music. The friends. The family. One thing that I always remember fondly was/is Advent. I loved when we would get one of those Advent Calendars that has a little chocolate behind little card-board windows in a pretty winter scene. I thought Advent was a event itself. A chocolate appreciation holiday that came before Christmas. Truth is – I really didn’t get Advent at all as a kid or young adult.
In this short series of posts I hope to share some clear yet thoughtful things about Advent that up until recently I didn’t know at all.
Week 1 – Hope
So Hope is a super important idea. Without it you’re hopeless. With it you’re hopeful. But what is it?
Christmas Time: Peace
04
Dec
On this second weekend of Advent we are to light the candle that represents Peace. Peace? Really, I mean, when was the last time your Christmas was Peaceful? Even the first Christmas seemed absent of Peace…. didn’t it?? Or, is there something we are overlooking? Read the rest of this entry »
Chicago – The 2 different “to do” lists
07
Oct
In this post I will share some brief thoughts on my recent family vacation to Chicago. Yes, we drove. It was long, about 12 hours including stops for my kids. It was windy, and cold, and rained 5 of 7 days. We had car troubles – on the way home, on a busy Interstate. We were OK. I saw some of the best sunsets of my life. I took this awesome pic right beside these words (it’s the Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower). We rode the “L” and bus, ate some Chicago-style deep-dish pizza (which was kinda like what eating will be like in heaven I think ….) went to a Zoo, and the Shedd Aquarium, and the Museum of Science and Industry, and Starved Rock National Park and Buffalo Rock State Park and visited one of my favourite churches for Sunday services, Willow Creek Community Church in the suburb of South Barrington. All in 7 days. Yep, it was busy. But here’s what else we did. Read the rest of this entry »
What exactly is the Artist In Residence program all about?
24
Jul
I know many people have thought the Artist In Residence program is a great idea. But many have also asked a simple albeit relevant question – “Well, what exactly is the goal of this program?”
Please read this statement produced by our first Resident, Sylvia Woods – who shares her thoughts on the program, followed by some goals which we are aiming to achieve with the Artist In Residence program here at Lakeside. Read the rest of this entry »