My grandfather's Bible

 I came upon my grandfather's Bible in Hope. My grandfather was a pastor. He was funny, a really great speaker and a man of integrity. He often told stories about the war and how his spiritual life was drying up and how God met him there in the bunker. He had a personal story or anecdote in every sermon. He loved God and my grandmother and his family and lived that out every day of his life. He wrote and translated hundreds of hymns and lived and breathed music. He really was an exemplary man of God.

So anyway. I came upon his Bible. When he passed away 17 years ago, one of the things my mom wanted to inherit was his Bible and it has found its way to the cabin in Hope. As I was looking for something, I came upon it in the drawer. It is falling apart and full of notes. It has clearly been read and studied. A LOT. This challenges me, but also makes me so grateful. I am challenged because I am not sure that my own devotional life is anywhere near what his was. Granted, he was a pastor, but still. Some of the notes are written in the margins and some have been type written, possibly for sermon notes. His old Bible fills me with gratitude, for him, and for my believing family in general. I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine about what I would change in my family. I have to say that I wouldn't change anything. I know that sounds so self righteous and obviously, my family isn't perfect. But, it is loving and close knit. More importantly, I have a heritage of faith that I wouldn't change for anything. 

I love autumn

 "Autumn is a season gentle to the weary. I love the juxtaposition of the fierceness and fire of the trees against the hushed grey of days that know they are dying into winter...I'm full of the fiery joy and grey-skied exhaustion all at once".

Fall is my favourite. I love the warm colours, the candles, bundling up, pumpkin everything, and the process of everything dying for a time. I have quite a few friends who like to garden and their favourite season is (unsurprisingly) spring. I do love spring too, but it doesn't speak to me like fall does. Winter, on the other hand, is a little too bleak and has seemingly very little life in it. Fall, however, is more about things going to sleep. Incidentally, sleep is one of my favourite things, lol. 

October is my favourite month. Even though I love the feeling of returning to order and schedules and school resuming in September, I always find September to be a little chaotic. This year, with COVID in the picture, I found it took longer than usual to find a rhythm for our schedule. But I always love October. I love having established routines. I love that our lives have structure. I also love the crisper, cooler air. I am more than a little obsessed with cardigans and in October, I can wear a cardigan every day. I love the vibrant colours of trees that seem to be on fire. I love that it gets darker earlier, but not as dark as winter. I love the fog that often lingers in the morning. I feel like in October, with Thanksgiving, it's okay to slow down and appreciate what I have. I feel like fall is more conducive to curling up with a good book and a cup of tea. This brings joy to my introverted soul.

This weekend, we're spending Thanksgiving in Hope. It's bittersweet since last year we were here as the extended family and my dad was here. It's really awful that he is gone and some days the grief is crushing. But so far this weekend, I have been able to count my blessings. I have so much to be grateful for.

The Weekend

What a lovely weekend. On Friday, there was an in person women's night at my church. There was singing and beautiful sharing and prayer and fellowship. If I'm honest, when I got home from work, I didn't really feel like going. But, I had already registered and committed to helping out, so I dragged myself there. It was so worth it! The picture is from the event. One of the many things I love about my church is that everything is done with a lot of planning and forethought. There were table cloths and flower arrangements and chocolates. But there were also stamped journals and Bible verses that were beautifully lettered with the theme of the evening: flourishing in the waiting. Nothing ever feels last minute or slapped together at my church and I really love that.

On Saturday I had a leisurely morning and then headed out for lunch with Serene. We didn't have a plan, but decided to go to Tacofino. It was so yummy. Then, as we walked in gastown, we came across a cafe called Milano Espresso Lounge. Their lattes were delicious and way better than Starbucks. The vibe was also not so generic; I really liked their industrial decor. After coffee, we went to Pacific Spirit park for a walk. It was a lovely, crisp autumn day; what a perfect day for a walk. Even though there were too many (unleashed) dogs out, it still remains my favourite place to walk.

In the evening, I just wanted to crash on the couch. But, our neighbours had invited us over for some drinks. We sat on their deck and probably annoyed their neighbours with all our laughter. It was most likely one of the last nights that sitting outside will even be possible with the weather changing, so it was really nice. There were blankets and string lights and candles and wine.

Today, we went to church as a family. I am so, so glad that we are able to go in person. I've already blogged about it before, so I won't get into it again. But I have to mention that the sermon was on racism and it was so powerful and true. All are created equal with inherent dignity and value, created in the image of God. It really isn't more complicated or nuanced than that. Racism is a sin and a misunderstanding of justification and the gospel.