Daffodils in the Dark

I was riding my bike home tonight and came upon these valiant sentinels, proudly displaying their colours in the dark! I had never realized that unlike tulips which close up when it's raining or the day is coming to an end, the daffodil defiantly shouts its glories rain or shine!
I want to be like those daffodils. Too often I'm a fair-weather flower, crumbling under adversity and hiding out the storms. I see this resilience every day at Welcome Home - my spirit is becoming well-acquainted which such an attitude. Victor Frankl, in Man's Search for Meaning, reminds us that the last of human freedoms is the ability to "choose one's attitude".
That's what I'm learning from my friends at Welcome Home. What an awesome place to serve! Want to join me?
I'm more than half-way there in reaching full support for my ministry. If you'd like to join me, standing defiantly against the wave of despair and fear during these rough economic times, drop me a line!

60/60 experiment

I began an experiment today- every 60 minutes my Blackberry chimes to remind me that God is in control, He's with me, and He's at work in my world! It's something that I'm doing with some fellow travelers, based on Soul Revolution by John Burke.
It began as a rather non-descript day, with no clear, demanding agenda to give focus to my time. So, I prayed this prayer,

"Good morning, Christ. I love you! What are you up to today? I want to be part of it. Thank you."

I power-walked to catch the bus. "ding!!" Coming towards me on the sidewalk was a neighbour. Neither of us speaks each other's language, so our communications are always a bit comical... Today she asked about the sold sign on my house and I was blessed to have her suggest that she could come visit me once I move into my new digs downtown!

My lunch appt forgot:). "ding!!" I got to chat with one of the refugees I love to share life with at Welcome Home. He was laid off over a month ago and I've been asking God to help him find a job as well as keep him from being discouraged. What a resilient man. Though he still cannot understand this Canada, where someone could be laid off with no notice, he decided to use this time wisely and enrolled back in ESL until he gets a job. Anyone know of someone that's hiring??

Oops, I forgot that I've got a phone conference in half an hour- better hurry and catch the bus... why was I so forgetful?? "ding!!" Look who's standing at the bus stop! A former resident of Welcome Home greets me with a big hug. I catch up on his life and encourage him. (We haven't finished praying for his spiritual search, either.)

"ding!!" Now I'm not sure if I should apologize for being a bit late or not; after all, was that a God-thing at the bus stop? I enter into the phone conference with a fresh awareness that my day has already been filled with God's direction, provision and blessing. I can surely expect the help He wants to provide as I invite some new insights and perspective from a co-worker!