Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century

Author: mumblingofaminister

  • Never Go Negative!

    Never Go Negative!

    When we bought our home it came with a few extra treasures such as an armoire in the attic, gardening tools in the garage and an old thermometer screwed into the outside kitchen window frame facing inward.

    For over 20 years this thermometer was checked daily indicating whether a jacket was needed or not.  That was until mid-February 2020 when a huge chunk of ice fell off the roof taking the thermometer with it.   

    A few days later we replaced it with a brand model from Home Depot and things have never been the same since.

    After a few days of waiting for the new thermometer to kick into action my husband went outside and gave it a hardy shake – that seemed to do very little.  A couple more days later I went, unhooked it and brought it inside.  As I leaned it on the counter the little arrow sprang into action and within no time it read +22o Celsius.

    We decided after a night or two inside it was time for it to go back out and do its job.  Even before we were done hooking it into place the little arrow went to 0o Celsius, wobbled and settled into place.

    By mid-March the days warmed and we discovered this thermometer would follow the temperature upward but never below 0o; as if taking a stand against any kind of negativity, it simply would not read any temperature below 0o!

    As the COVID lockdown moved from weeks into months and autumn returned we once again began depending on this thermometer.  And yet, each morning it refused to share any negative news!  So, a few weeks before Christmas, while at Home Depot, my husband and I found ourselves standing in front of a row of shiny new thermometers and I ask, “Do you want to get a new one?” 

    After a long pause he replied, “I kinda like the one we have.”

     I nodded, “Me too.”

    And we left all the obedient thermometers behind.

    In these mid-January days of chilly weather our stubborn thermometer has been reading 0o even on the coldest of days.  

    It has become a daily reminder for us to “Never Go Negative” but instead find ways to buoy our spirits.  I have discovered one little ditty that lifts my spirits well above 0o:

    “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, Zip-a-dee-ay.

    My, oh, my, what a wonderful day.

    Plenty of sunshine headin’ my way,

    Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay!”

    May you find ways to lift your spirits so that you “Never Go Negative” until the spring birds return singing of snowdrops, daffodils and tulips.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog was taken one evening this week of the thermometer. 

  • We Interrupt This Pandemic To Bring You…

    We interrupt this pandemic to bring you reasons to smile! 

    As we roll into the second week of this provincial lockdown we do so knowing there is at least one more month to go.  With this knowledge it is important we take time to create a pandemic plan.

    To create a daily plan on how to live out this pandemic we are deliberately deescalating boredom, frustration and anxiety while increasing our chances to smile more.

    If left to run amuck stress and anxiety can ruin any chances of a happy life, as author Natalie Goldberg writes, “Stress is an ignorant state.  It believes that everything is an emergency.”

    So, instead of living in a personal “State of Emergency” it is advisable we map out our days in such a way they guide us to the destination of a contented and happy life.

    The first rule of thumb was made widely popular by Steven Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People but actually originated from the ancient Stoic Epictetus who reminds us, “There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” In other words, if it isn’t something you have control over, let it go!  For example, we cannot control the weather, how others respond to COVID restrictions and whether the COVID case count rises in other communities….so let these worries go!

    Other suggestions are to set a routine for each day, including getting up at the same time, making your bed and being dressed by breakfast.  Get outside and exercise daily, even if it means just stretching on the spot or walking laps at home. The task of getting bundled up for a step outside to breathe in the fresh air, enjoy having no walls around you and to look skyward is powerful for our well-being.  If possible, go for walks, runs or strap on those cross countries skies or snowshoes and combine your exercise with the outdoors. This is the best medicine during these lockdown days.

    As people of faith we need to purposely build spiritual practices such as seeking beauty every day, for wherever there is beauty God can be found. Also, set aside time for daily prayer or meditation and a time for reading scriptures.  If you are not sure where to start in the scriptures I suggest you start in the New Testament and if you want to rise to the challenge of reading the Bible in year it can be accomplished by reading 3 chapters every weekday and 5 chapters on Sunday. And, of course plan on joining Port Elgin United Church Sunday mornings for our online worship services!

    When creating your pandemic plan make time each day to connect with others.  This connection may be time spent in telephone conversations, letter writing, emailing or some use of social media.  These days of social distancing have proven how very important it is that we stay connected.

    And lastly, end the day by counting your blessings, as it is written in Psalm 118:1, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endure forever.”  It is this love which surrounds you daily and will never let you go.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel   

    The photo with this Blog was taken by Garrett Sears used with permission/Unsplash

  • A Season For Everything

    We have been enjoying a rather balmy January along these southern shores of Georgian Bay and along the sandier shores of Lake Huron.  Balmy as in temperatures hovering around 0 to -7 degrees Celsius.  This is so warm for us that I saw a guy in shorts the other day!

    Abby, my canine sidekick, and I have been lingering longer on our daily walks listening to the gurgling of the unfrozen rivers, the dripping of icicles and the gathering of chatty birds.  It was all fun and games until Sunday afternoon. 

    On Sunday afternoon my enjoyment turned to concern when both my husband I noticed unseasonal buds forming on a tree along our pathway.  Upon closer investigation we noticed other trees along the trail were also beginning to wake early from what should be a long winter’s nap.

    As we pulled into our driveway, we were alarmed to notice the crocuses had already begun to grow and were at least an inch above ground (the photo with today’s Blog)!  This took us back 9 years ago when the fruit industry in Ontario and Quebec were devasted by a mild winter.  It was the apple orchards hit particularly hard because the buds formed way too early and by mid-March the blossoms started appearing and in April a terrific frost killed off an entire years’ worth of fruit.  

    As the Author of Ecclesiastes writes, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).  This is an ancient wisdom teaching us to trust in the rhythm of life.  There is a time for things to grow, a time to thrive, and a time to rest.  When we mess with that rhythm terrible things can happen.

    It is the same with people.  There is a time to be together and a time to let them go.  It isn’t wise to try to hold onto something or someone longer then the season allows, and it makes life a sad affair if we spend our time yearning for things that have yet to come or if their time has passed.

    As a Mother I have had to learn this the hard way.  As each of my children have grown and started lives of their own, I have had to let them go; out into a world I cannot control. To hold them here, safely at home, would have stunted their growth and they would have missed out on what God had in store for them.

    It takes trust in God to release those we love.  Knowing God goes with us wherever we go makes the parting easier and aids us to take the necessary steps in new directions.

    I have decided to trust God with the crocuses and apple trees promising not to complain when the north wind returns; understanding its chilly breezes renders the trees and flowers back to their necessary winter repose.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • Spying On The Neighbors

    Spying On The Neighbors

    On December 26th, 2020 the Ontario government placed the entire Province of Ontario into a lockdown due to the pandemic.  There are few stores open, no recreation centres or gyms open and don’t even think about going to a movie theatre or a play.  We have been left to find our own COVID safe entertainment.  So, with binoculars in hand I stepped outside and began to watch my neighbors a little bit closer. 

    I have discovered neighbors I didn’t even know lived in my neighborhood and I have even snapped a photo or two without them knowing!

    It all began one rainy afternoon as I drove down the road.  There he was looking a bit miffed as he sat on top of a rather large fence post dripping wet.  I slowed so to get a better look and we held each other’s gaze for a second or two.  His cold eyes pierced right through me as I studied his plumage and decided with certainty that we had never met before.

    Later, with the help of Google Images I pinned down his lineage.  He was my first Rough-legged Hawk! 

    Two days later, while pumping gas I spotted a snowy owl on the light post and that very evening I stood transfixed listening to the deep hooting of what later was classified as a Great Horned Owl.  In the morning we were able to clearly see which tree he had spent the night; it is called “whitewashing” for a reason, all the way down one of the tall evergreens.

    Since then I have become enthralled with winter birdwatching.  I have now seen 3 Rough-legged Hawks, countless Red-tail Hawks (there is one who lives along the way between my house and the church.  Daily we nod to each other so I have named him Oscar!), a large flock of Redpolls, 2 more snowy owls, and two Emus (they were in a farmer’s yard but I decided to count them in my log book anyway)! And, the most magnificent of all neighbors, an Eagle!

    While walking along the shores of Georgian Bay I spied buffleheads, mallards and swans.  My birdfeeders have invited such neighbors as Juncos, Cardinals, Chickadees, Doves, Blue Jays, Woodpeckers, and Siskins.

    What has amazed me is how many impressive birds are right in my neck of the woods that I never noticed before.  It makes me wonder what else I am missing in all my hustle and bustle, what other beauty am I passing by.

    It has been a life changing lesson.  When this lock down is over I have promised myself not to pick up the pace so much that I forget to pause daily to glean God’s beauty.

    What beauty have you noticed recently?

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel    

  • Sunrise on New Year’s Day

    Sunrise on New Year’s Day

    There are some who can party well past midnight, staying up to ring in the New Year under starry skies and a full moon.  And, there are others like myself, who instead wake well before dawn so to celebrate the New Year as its first rays stretch over the horizon.

    It was a beautiful sunrise in a cold blue sky with just enough wispy clouds to reflect the pink and peach shades of this virgin sunrise of 2021.  I watched in silence thanking God for the gift of new beginnings and fresh starts.

    Last year was well worn and tatty; it needed replacing. There had been too much difficulty in 2020, a world caught in the snares of COVID-19, anxiety levels that spilled over to violence, racism, and the rise of fake news and unaccountable gossip and bullying. 

    I wonder what we will carry forward from the past year.  What lessons were learned and which habits have taken root.   It is my hope we have learned much about the need for each other and we never again take for granted the power of community, the touch of a hand or a comforting smile.  I hope we value more enduring things such as hope, faith, love and respect.  I fear the habit of “fake news”, misinformation and devastating gossip has become a pandemic hobby, one that keeps bored folks busy providing a sense of power and authority and has filled Facebook pages.  Have you ever noticed the very word gossip hisses?  Kind-a like a snake luring folks into temptation that leads to darkness and depravation.

    As the sunrises on this new year I am looking forward to sharing smiles more with others (when we can again go without masks), I plan on hugging longer holding close those who are dear to me, I plan on making the most of each day, rising above those who want to waddle around in muddy gossip and not once will I allow such words to pass my lips.

    This year is a new beginning like I have never experienced in my lifetime; a year of healing, rebuilding and readjusting to new priorities.  Sure, it will take time, true healing always does but it will be worth every little step forward.

    What are your plans for 2021?  What path will you tread in this New Year?

    Blessings,

    Rev.Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog was taken by Vincent Ledvina/Unsplash

  • A COVID Christmas

    A COVID Christmas

    Like everyone else around the globe we are having a COVID Christmas this year.  For those of us living in Ontario the government has set guidelines for our gatherings, only those who live in our household or those in our “Bubble” can celebrate Christmas together.

    For my husband and I it means this year we won’t be pulling the dining room table to its fullest length and fitting in all the leaves.  It means we won’t be going around the house gathering all the available chairs and placing them snugly around the dining room.   It means we won’t be preparing a meal for 17-20 folks or cleaning up all the dishes, cutlery and stemware of 17-20 folks!

    We won’t be spending time this holiday season lined up in stuffy stores to either purchase unnecessary gifts or return them. 

    In fact, I have so fully embraced the simplicity of this COVID Christmas I didn’t even get out any Christmas decorations; not one!  Instead I went to the local Walmart and bought a pre-lit 3 foot imitation tree, which, after some garland and plastic decorations looks mighty nice sitting on top of a table in my living room. The plastic decorations will make it easier to put this tree away.  One clear plastic garbage bag should do the trick: cover the tree and away it goes.  Next Christmas when we return to a house full of decorations and a table full of guests this little tree will be used to brighten up a small corner on our second floor.

     If I dwelled on it I would be sad during this COVID Christmas; missing my children, wider family, church services and all the busyness of a typical Christmas season. But, what good would that do me?  Instead I have decided to embrace this COVID Christmas. While at the grocery store I purchased a few extra treats and my husband and I were reminiscing on how romantic it will be.  Like our first few years of marriage when it was only our dog, cat and the two of us.  Now, three children, three dogs and four cats later we have arrived full circle to a quieter Christmas!

    It also helps to remember we are not alone, everyone is having to pare down their Christmas this year and we are certain next Christmas we will be celebrating enough to make up for two Christmases!

    And, as for all the money we will be saving this Christmas.   In every community there are opportunities to donate to worthy causes, families that haven’t fared well during this pandemic and front line workers who are exhausted to the point of burnout.  The opportunities to be the hands, feet and heart of Christ are everywhere. 

    How about you?  Have you decided to embrace this once in a lifetime Christmas?  And, despite COVID have you found ways to mark this holiest of seasons? I certainly hope so!

    Wishing you the spirit of Christmas which is peace, the blessing of Christmas which is hope and the heart of Christmas which is love!

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog is of my COVID Christmas tree !

  • Patching Joy Together One Stitch At A Time

    Patching Joy Together One Stitch At A Time

    Joy arrived in my office last week in a clear heavy plastic bag. 

    With it came a few instructions that were a delight to follow.  I could have waited a few days but instead I set aside my work, pulled on my jacket, grabbed my car keys and set out to share some joy.

    There were three individuals on my list to see.  Each was well acquainted with difficulties and sadness; each deserving some joy and love.  Thing is, as I dropped around to their homes it was I who received just as much as they did, perhaps even more!

    Each received a comfort quilt that had purposely been created for them.  Each quilt uniquely designed with the recipient in mind and I was amazed by how perfectly each quilt fit the one receiving it. 

    There is a small group of 5 joy bearers in Saugeen Shores and I was blessed to be asked to do a small part in sharing the joy they created.  They call themselves the Comfort Quilters of Saugeen Shores.

    Each quilt is created out of donated new fabric. They create one of a-kind masterpieces for individuals undergoing medical treatments, to families who have been displaced due to house fires, and to community groups such as the Second Stage Housing, the Salvation Army, Community Living, Special Olympics, the Living Hope Center, and to 3 local churches. 

    From January to November of 2020 this little group registered 123 quilts of various designs and sizes – quite a feat for five members!   And, as of December 10th, the Comfort Quilters of Saugeen Shores will have distributed 90+ quilts.  With each stitch bringing joy and comfort that is a lot of joy to be shared!

    When I spoke to one of these crafters of joy she humbly told me, “It is important to note that our members get as much out of making these quilts as the recipients do when they receive them.”

    Well, one thing I know for sure is that the three quilts I was blessed to deliver certainly lifted my spirits and filled me with such joy that even now, a week later I am still feeling deeply grateful. 

    I thank these five women for fully embodying what we all are called to do in 1 Peter 4:10, “Every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many-coloured tapestry of God’s grace.”(1 Peter 4:10, TPT)

    May their needles never dull, their threads never knot and may their hands never tire as they go about doing God’s work.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The Photo with this Blog was taken by Dinh Pham/Unsplash

  • Basking In Divine Light

    Basking In Divine Light

    Have you ever stood at the tipping point of the day?  It is a fleeting moment of stillness steeped in otherworldly peace.  One doesn’t go out seeking this moment with calculations, maps and directions. This moment is given as a gift from the Great Spirit; a gift to be held in our hearts as a reminder that God is always present.

    It was late in the afternoon when we headed off for a hike through familiar fields within view of the rocky escarpment and the soundtrack of the Sydenham River rushing past.  It had been an emotional week beginning with the death of my husband’s father. A week of funeral arrangements, phone calls, and uncomfortable decisions such as which 30 family and friends should be invited to the funeral (COVID-19 rules in our area allow for only 30 people to a funeral). We knew the next day would start early as we traveled from our peaceful spot on Georgian Bay into the hustle and bustle of the city so the idea of a quiet hike pleased us.

    As the trail led through an open field, up a slight incline and back toward the car my husband whispered, “Hey, look over there do you see the sun?”  To our right the round brilliant sun was setting beautifully silhouetted by a row of tall bare trees; its glow of orange and yellow hues was awe inspiring.  Then, as if tapped on our shoulders we both looked to our left and just as magnificently, a round full moon was rising over the rocky eastern horizon.  The sky held in equal measure both the sun and the moon; each full and round yet only half exposed by the horizons.

    We stood transfixed between the two. If I had stretched out my arms it would have appeared as though I was touching the sun with my outstretched right index finger and at the same time touching the moon with my outstretched left index finger.

    It seemed these two ancient globes paused long enough to gaze at one another; a moment of Godly symmetry aglow with divine light.

    May we all find moments this Advent Season to experience God’s unexpected miracles and may we all bask in God’s divine light.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog I took at Sauble Beach on Lake Huron , Ontario one warm July evening.

  • Gathering Light

    Gathering Light

    The counter culture of Advent is that as the nights grow longer and the hours of daylight diminish the holy days of Advent gather light with each new candle lit; this accumulation of light crescendos with the birth of the one True Light that no darkness can extinguish.

    Much like the Jewish season of Hanukkah, Advent is dubbed the “Season of Gathering Light.”

    This year, 2020, the idea of gathering light has taken on new meaning for me.  Instead of just lighting a new candle each Sunday it now entails the gathering of God’s light in each day; each moment.  My commitment to the Advent Journey is to glean as much of God’s light out of each and every day.

    I will linger longer with those who speak words of hope, peace, joy and love.  I will dedicate myself to discerning God’s divine light, whether it is in a stranger, friend or foe.   I will take note and add each new spark to my Advent jar.  Much like a child catching fire flies and placing them in a mason jar, I will capture God’s light by writing it down on little strips of paper until my mason jar is brimming.   

    It will be a difficult Advent with the ever growing concerns over COVID-19 and the distancing of friends and family.  It will be an Advent and Christmas we won’t soon forget; I am determined to wring out God’s goodness from every moment.

    Will you join me?  Together we can light a path for others to tread.

    Gather with us at Port Elgin United Church as we mark the beginning of Advent this Sunday, November 29th, 2020 during our online service.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

     The photo with this Blog was taken by Garidy Sanders/Unsplash.

  • Living Like A Sparrow

    Living Like A Sparrow

    On my desk sits a little silver dog and he has one job and one job only; to remind me not to worry and to instead put my trust in God. 

    This dog’s name is Aaron, named after Moses’ brother.  Perhaps you recall the story when Moses had left Aaron in charge of the wandering Israelites as he sojourned with God?  When it seemed to the Israelites that Moses had been gone too long they began to worry he had abandoned them so they begged Aaron to create a new god for them; a quick and easy solution to all their fears. (Exodus 32)

    They busily melted all their gold and shaped it into a calf; they had created a god of convenience.  However, as the story goes, when God the Creator saw what they had done he wanted to “smite” them for their stupidity (apparently God called them “Thick necked” a.k.a. stupid!).  Moses interceded on their behalf and with thanks for God’s love of Moses these people were saved.  Moses arrived back to the Israelites while they were in the midst of celebrating their new god and quickly ended all the festivities and laid down the 10 Commandments!

    We as humans tend to make bad decisions when we are over whelmed by anxiety, fears and worries.  We all need something to remind us to calm down and don’t look for easy and quick solutions but instead trust that God has a plan!

    Jesus knew of our tendency to worry, so he asks, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:26)   Then he teaches we are to look to God for guidance and to look around ourselves for the wisdom of God’s kingdom; “look to the birds, look to the flowers: do they toil?” He asks.  Of course not and as God provides and cares for them so will God provide and care for each of us.  (Matthew 6: 25-34)

    As the old hymn “God’s Eye Is On The Sparrow” reminds us:   

    Why should I feel discouraged,
    Why should the shadows come,
    Why should my heart be lonely,
    And long for heaven, heaven and home,
    When, when Jesus is my portion,
    My constant Friend is He;
    Oh, oh-oh, his eye is on the sparrow,
    And I know He watches, watches over me.

    I sing because I’m happy (happy)
    I sing because I’m free (free free free)
    For His eye, his eye is on the sparrow,
    And I know, I know He watches over me.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel