This week began with Monday evening’s Day Camp Committee. Five out of six of us were able to attend (one via Skype!) and it was a really good and productive time. There was also chocolate cake, which makes even the dullest meeting better!! We made plans for the January Team Gathering (see the event on Face Book!!), discussed how the Program is shaping up and then we talked about the need for some fresh promotional materials.
At our CTM Board meeting the day before Victoria had asked if Day Camps had any promo materials she could take to the National Council of ANiC, of which she is a member.
After giving the matter some thought I suggested to the DC committee that we produce some large bookmarks on cardstock with, on one side, the 2015-Day Camp information for prospective host churches and on the other side, recruiting information for Team Members. We
are also going to move ahead with producing a short video of 2014 photos. Both of these items will be useful if we can arrange to visit local churches and chapters of IVCF in CEGEPS or Universities.
Thus some part of the week has been spent assembling the content for the bookmarks and sending them off to Jillian who (brilliantly!!) has a program on her computer for designing bookmarks. Yay!Since we also plan to send out a Christmas issue of CTM’s Networks newsletter, another chunk of time has been taken up writing copy for that and sending out “badgering” emails soliciting copy from the other Ministries.
It was exciting to receive an email from Alberta letting us know that the Edmonton church who partnered with us last year on a First Nations Day Camp in Saskatchewan, is eager to make plans to do the same outreach in 2015! And so the week has flown by and these plans and projects really do not seem like work at all.
This blog is largely designed to give the world a window on Day Camps and I suppose on how my life revolves around this Ministry. The focus is usually on positive aspects, not with an intention of whitewashing reality but with a sincere desire to celebrate the daily miracles we can often so easily ignore in the “busyness” of life. But there are dark times and hard decisions too. There has recently been a difficult situation to deal with, which has caused me grief. Yesterday the weight of this was heavy and I was feeling under attack but then I opened the Divine Hours, noonday office and immediately knew that the Lord had put Psalm 27 v.1-6 on the page just for me! My spirit was lifted, the tears flowed and it was suddenly possible to give the whole problem to Him, because that is exactly what he wants us to do! Whew, as Father Tim says “a huge semi-trailer just rolled off my chest”!!
Afternoons this week have seen every activity from more basement floor painting to pinning lace on a bridal veil, from sewing a friend’s dress, to knitting lessons with others and, the now omnipresent- SHOVELLING!!
For a change of pace, this morning included trying to tackle the cleaning of the garage around the STILL present old furnace and flue pipes (sigh). But most of today is the classic, winter, “Baking and Blogging”, although the baking has even included the setting of porcelain
paint on plates I’ve just completed decorating for giving my mince pies at Christmas, along with yet another batch of said pies, oatmeal raisin cookies, more of Nana’s Apple pudding (still lots of apples in my fruit box!), and Haloumi Bake for dinner. Yum!
paint on plates I’ve just completed decorating for giving my mince pies at Christmas, along with yet another batch of said pies, oatmeal raisin cookies, more of Nana’s Apple pudding (still lots of apples in my fruit box!), and Haloumi Bake for dinner. Yum!
My baskets are packed for church tomorrow and Malachi’s birthday gift is wrapped. Christ the King Sunday, wow! So of course we shall be making crowns, with plenty of sparkles, but we are also tasked with the special job of making an Advent Wreath for use at our Sunday Gatherings throughout Advent.
How I love this Season! The sense of expectation and joy, but also taking the time to carve out little spaces for readings and prayers, for penitence and preparation. Not the bustling preparation of baking and gift making and decorating (although the coming week is shaping up for a BIG dollop of all three!!) but preparation of the heart and mind, for “house-cleaning” the soul. Oh yes! I just love Advent.
Nana’s Apple Pudding is so simple but SO good! here is the recipe, in case you too have lots of extra apples!
- 6-8 apples, peeled, cored and cut into thick slices
- 1-cup flour
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter or margarine
Place apple slices in a shallow open casserole and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 20mins. or until partially cooked. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter to make a soft dough. Remove the casserole from the oven and pat the dough over the top of the apples. Return to the oven and bake for approx. 30 mins. or until the apples are fully cooked and the topping is browned and set.Serve warm or cold with cheddar cheese (if you are of Yorkshire origin) or vanilla ice cream (for Plebeians!). Serves 3-4