Heart

No wonder I’m drawn to palm trees! It’s not just the vacay vibe my Minnesota/ Saskatchewan prairie girl craves, it’s much deeper than that. In my faith tradition, palm leaves symbolize victory (along with peace/ wholeness & eternal life.) I waved them in Sunday school on Palm Sunday as a little girl without knowing fully what it meant- but it was fun to jump around and have fun!

2024? Like it or not, we are here. I say, out with the old and in with the new! What do I mean by that? It’s not just new years resolutions that we more often than not fail to keep . No. I am digging more into the root meaning of the scripture found in Isaiah 43:19.

They say art is both objective and subjective. Objectively, you can look at a piece of art and state the facts: The objects in it, the colours, texture or medium used to create the art. Subjectively, one can read into an art piece given the emotions it evokes or in my case, the prophetic insight it conveys deep within.

The war in Isreal is heartbreaking.🇮🇱🙏 With all that’s going on in the world, the pain, the suffering, the wars, divisions…There is a verse in the Bible that has stood out to me these past few years as a reminder of the gift of lament.
“. . . Teach your daughters how to wail; teach one another a lament.” — Jeremiah 9:20
If I hadn’t learned the biblical gift of lament yet, my soul would be tormented by the devastation. The images. The what ifs. The cognitive dissonance with what should be to what is.

I grew up reciting the Lord’s prayer which starts out “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy Name…”.

What is His name? Is “God” a name or is it a title embodying His character, nature and missional focus as the Bible references Him as the “I Am” (Yahweh) in the Exodus story, (Exodus 3:14-15). Likewise, the Bible depicts God’s character in various names which unpacks His nature in a variety of ways.

The theme for the upcoming Women’s Journey of Faith is “Grace Filled Dance”. A curious theme. Bold. Creative. Celebratory. If you are in the Saskatoon area, I invite you to join me at the “Grace Filled Dance” conference on April 28th-29th 2023 held this year at Circle Drive Alliance Church. I look forward to seeing Lori Hartshorn again as our emcee and hear from Clara once again as keynote and others who are gracing the WJOF stage this year. Tickets are available at Kennedy’s Parable or through WJOF (click the link below) Hope to see many of you there!