Conflict Good, Avoidance Bad!
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me.
Oh, how He loves us so
Today was an eventful day, because after pretty much an entire year of looking, and having attended about seven different protestant churches (not even counting the five different Catholic churches we've been to services at, either) we have found a church home. It says a lot that after coming out of the service and the conversation we had with one of their pastors (who we both really liked as a person), we had pretty much nothing negative to say about any aspect of the services or ideals of the church. Paul said he was surprised I didn't come out of the church and do a fist pump into the air. I was just about there, I confess. I definitely feel like this is a place we can both belong. The quality of the speaking was excellent, and though the speaker today wasn't the main pastor - they have 11 pastors. No, I am not joking. They have pastoral positions for various different ministry areas, so they have a staff of two dozen to handle the three-service church. We're looking forward to trying their young adult service as well, and joining one of their small groups. I really feel like this place was church done right, which is something I said to Paul today. I'm definitely excited about getting involved - we felt welcomed and happy to find such an amazing place. It's quite a bit more in the "emergent church" vein than I am used to, but unlike one of the other emergent churches we tried here I didn't feel at all like the media was being shoved down my throat like an advertisement for God. I have hopes that this place will become a home and family for us here. What a blessing after such a long drought. I definitely cried during the worship, but to be honest I've cried in the worship most of the times we've been to a church with songs I knew. I'm so fragile spiritually - I've felt so separated from the church here, and it's such a relief to fall into the arms of this congregation at last.
Find me on my knees with my soul laid bare
Even though you're gone and I'm cracked and dry
Find me in the river, I'm waiting here
We were supposed to go to a soccer game with our free tickets today, but after my horrible stint of sleepless nights I was pretty much at the end of my energy after church. Paul sent me off to a nap and when we got up, we were off to another Fringe day - the Edmonton Fringe When Harry Met Harry performance by Allan Girod was absolutely fantastic. Sadly, he didn't receive nearly as good a review in the Edmonton Journal as he should have, but his performances have been selling out on word of mouth, and hopefully will continue to do so - it was one-man theatre at it's finest, with caricatures of the people of the office world that everyone hates - from the man who loves forms and routine too much to the flamboyantly bizzare leader of the teambuilding workshop... I was truly impressed with the show. I laughed so hard my sides hurt and had to smother shrieks of laughter on several occasions. Paul said he would love to perform it one day, and I think he'd be great at it, though my friend Mark would also be perfect in that role - of course, we'd have to have the playwright's permission, as he performed it himself! Always remember: Conflict good, avoidance bad!
We also saw the husband and wife team The Street Circus in the hour before our show started, and they were great - they're now the best show we've ever seen for tricks, and second best for overall quality. A combination of awesome acrobatics, hula hooping, fire breathing/juggling, and more, it was a spectacle well befitting the biggest Fringe festival in North America.
Paul and I also managed to walk home (the Fringe is in walking distance of our place) before the rain began, even though it was a blustery day - which brought up Winnie the Pooh and our mutual childhood love of the Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day cartoon, particularly the cuteness of Piglet. Oops, I shouldn't have opened that link - the cute and happy Pooh is getting me all nostalgic!! (Happy windsday!)
I'm getting more and more into the idea of seeing one or two more shows, unfortunately that probably won't happen with the wedding I'm shooting next weekend. Ah well. Perhaps next year will also be awesome!
Overall, today has been a fantastic day.
and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me.
Oh, how He loves us so
Today was an eventful day, because after pretty much an entire year of looking, and having attended about seven different protestant churches (not even counting the five different Catholic churches we've been to services at, either) we have found a church home. It says a lot that after coming out of the service and the conversation we had with one of their pastors (who we both really liked as a person), we had pretty much nothing negative to say about any aspect of the services or ideals of the church. Paul said he was surprised I didn't come out of the church and do a fist pump into the air. I was just about there, I confess. I definitely feel like this is a place we can both belong. The quality of the speaking was excellent, and though the speaker today wasn't the main pastor - they have 11 pastors. No, I am not joking. They have pastoral positions for various different ministry areas, so they have a staff of two dozen to handle the three-service church. We're looking forward to trying their young adult service as well, and joining one of their small groups. I really feel like this place was church done right, which is something I said to Paul today. I'm definitely excited about getting involved - we felt welcomed and happy to find such an amazing place. It's quite a bit more in the "emergent church" vein than I am used to, but unlike one of the other emergent churches we tried here I didn't feel at all like the media was being shoved down my throat like an advertisement for God. I have hopes that this place will become a home and family for us here. What a blessing after such a long drought. I definitely cried during the worship, but to be honest I've cried in the worship most of the times we've been to a church with songs I knew. I'm so fragile spiritually - I've felt so separated from the church here, and it's such a relief to fall into the arms of this congregation at last.
Find me on my knees with my soul laid bare
Even though you're gone and I'm cracked and dry
Find me in the river, I'm waiting here
We were supposed to go to a soccer game with our free tickets today, but after my horrible stint of sleepless nights I was pretty much at the end of my energy after church. Paul sent me off to a nap and when we got up, we were off to another Fringe day - the Edmonton Fringe When Harry Met Harry performance by Allan Girod was absolutely fantastic. Sadly, he didn't receive nearly as good a review in the Edmonton Journal as he should have, but his performances have been selling out on word of mouth, and hopefully will continue to do so - it was one-man theatre at it's finest, with caricatures of the people of the office world that everyone hates - from the man who loves forms and routine too much to the flamboyantly bizzare leader of the teambuilding workshop... I was truly impressed with the show. I laughed so hard my sides hurt and had to smother shrieks of laughter on several occasions. Paul said he would love to perform it one day, and I think he'd be great at it, though my friend Mark would also be perfect in that role - of course, we'd have to have the playwright's permission, as he performed it himself! Always remember: Conflict good, avoidance bad!
We also saw the husband and wife team The Street Circus in the hour before our show started, and they were great - they're now the best show we've ever seen for tricks, and second best for overall quality. A combination of awesome acrobatics, hula hooping, fire breathing/juggling, and more, it was a spectacle well befitting the biggest Fringe festival in North America.
Paul and I also managed to walk home (the Fringe is in walking distance of our place) before the rain began, even though it was a blustery day - which brought up Winnie the Pooh and our mutual childhood love of the Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day cartoon, particularly the cuteness of Piglet. Oops, I shouldn't have opened that link - the cute and happy Pooh is getting me all nostalgic!! (Happy windsday!)
I'm getting more and more into the idea of seeing one or two more shows, unfortunately that probably won't happen with the wedding I'm shooting next weekend. Ah well. Perhaps next year will also be awesome!
Overall, today has been a fantastic day.