Nova Scotia - Week 3: Update

 Tomorrow is the day I have been waiting for, for a long time now. Tomorrow is the day Maddy comes home – our home that is. I am sure she doesn’t feel like she is coming  home – just like we all felt 3 weeks ago; hopefully this quickly becomes her home too. Thank you for all the warm farewells on her Facebook page.

Most of my time this week was spent in Cincinnati. I know more about the Jellystone Park™ franchise, Yogi Bear™ and trademarks than ever before.J I also learned that a 45 minute layover is not much time when your plane is running late, that the Philadelphia airport is a very big airport and that I am out of shape, but even with all these factors working against me I still managed to make it to my connector flight before they closed the gate; barely. I ran up just as they were making a final call for another passenger. I was sitting on the plane catching my breath and the thought occurred: Am I on the right flight? I never really checked; I just ran on. I had to ask the guy ahead of me, just to be sure.

Back at home, Jaymie had a snow day on Friday. In Nova Scotia they don’t wait for bad weather to close the school; they close the schools in the anticipation of bad weather. The day started with snow, then snow pellets, then freezing rain and finishing off with rain; nothing to bad but Jaymie enjoyed the day off.

This week I have been reading a few devotions based on Jeremiah 18 and being pliable clay in God’s hand. There are some weeks when this moulding is more obvious than others – this was not one of them, but the important thing is to remain pliable, trusting God’s workmanship and creativity - this too is a journey. God bless You All - HJK   

Nova Scotia - Week 3: Yogi Bear & Breakforth

I write these words from a Holiday Inn in Cincinnati. I arrived here on Sunday night. I am here to attend a  C.A.M.P. meeting (JellyStone Park Certification And Management Program). Today was the first of four full days of classes on what it means to be part of the JellyStone Franchise. Imagine that 4 full days – who would have ever thought! So far the classes have been informative, helpful and sometimes overwhelming. I have met some good people, swapped stories and listened what God is doing in their lives, even though most of them would ever use those words.

Next weekend is Breakforth, even though this doesn’t even come close to Breakforth in quantity, quality or especially in the object of its focus, I am amazed at some of the similarities.  There has been discussions why being part of this franchise is better than not and for some, testimonies about how it has saved their campground and meant such a difference in their lives. People have shared their stories of how they came to be part of the franchise; we’ve talked about the conversion of campgrounds; and I’ve even heard songs and seen videos about Yogi Bear. And like my favorite part of Breakforth, we shared drinks afterwards to debrief the day’s events – but even with all the similarities, I am glad it is so very different.

Breakforth is the single annual event that I will miss most about not being in Alberta. Over the years it has become a highlight for me. In the last week of December I ended up in downtown Edmonton with some time to waste. I walked many of the same halls I regularly walked during Breakforth. It was a time of heartwarming memories. For me Breakforth has become a taste of what heaven might be like or a taste what church could be. It is a time of beautiful, open, and sometimes unrestrained praise to God. It is a time when people of all denominations and races come together and worship our (my) God. It is a time of learning and most of all, a time of intense fellowship. I will miss it immensely!

To whoever is going – enjoy it – savor every moment and let yourself be blessed by this small taste of heaven on earth.   Blessings - HJK

Nova Scotia – Week 2: A Special Surprise

Once in a while life throws you a surprise that blesses you in a special way. Last week Sunday I had a good birthday with many well wishes, phone calls and electronic messages; it was a good day. Yesterday, I discovered a birthday card in our mail, but with the busyness of all that’s going on I didn’t take the time to open till breakfast this morning.  

The Birthday Card was from my kids – put together by Ashley. She had her siblings and herself pose for pictures with messages which together said “Happy Birthday – We Love You.”  The pictures were heartwarming, but the effort to put all this together brought me to tears; me first, then Jaymie and last Mary Ann.  The card was totally unexpected, and the lateness just added to the surprise. Kids have an ability to surprise and warm your heart like no other.  It’s the little things in life that make it special - thank you Ashley for making my day special.

It doesn’t take a lot to light up a person’s day, but the grandest intension is just that – an intension,  it doesn’t produce fruit. So the next time you see an opportunity to bless someone with a kind word, a quick email, or a special card, Just do it – you may bless someone far more then you will ever realize.   

Nova Scotia - Week 2: Update

Week 2 has almost come and gone. Routine has set in which is a good thing. Jaymie continues to enjoy school; today was a half day and she enjoyed that even more. She also has attended two youth functions this week which she enjoys. Mary Ann continues to get a stronger grasp on the reservation system and all things related to it; tonight Melinda, a former campground office manager and new friend showed us some of the ropes. It was enjoyable spending time with Melinda and her husband Dick.

New storage room

Maddy's future bedroom

Myself, I have been busy renovating the basement, which has been going good but taking longer than I had planned. I finally finished the storage room; this was a multi-faceted endeavor. In order to make the new shelves I had to relocate all the campground supplies, dissemble other shelves, build the new shelves and then re-organize all the supplies on the newly constructed shelves.  Well after a week it’s all done and I can begin building bedrooms in the rest of the basement. I also spent a day trying to organize all the tools and other supplies in our garage.

The weather has been a roller-coaster. The warm weather on Wednesday melted all the snow we had, yesterday was clear and cold (minus 8 – Okay not really cold) and today all the snow came back; the big beautiful flakes that add up in no time. Only 8 more sleeps till Maddy arrives - YEHH!

In regards to yesterday’s blog – it was a good day – I was able to choose to be happy. I am not sure this will always be the case. I know for some it is nearly impossible, but for me today it was.  Have a great weekend - HJK       

Nova Scotia – Week 2: Happiness?

Can a person decide to be happy?  Is happiness a decision? In every person’s life there is going to be good days and bad days, days when everything goes right and days when everything goes wrong. Can a person choose how each day will affect them or are people predisposed to how they will react. I have met people that seem to be perpetually happy – they are almost always in a good mood and always have a smile on their face, (not an annoyingly smug smile, but a genuine one). The people I have in mind are fun to be around and have an innate ability to see the sunny side of things.

I wish I was one of those people, but I am not; things get me down. More often than not I focus on the negative rather than the positive, which brings me back to my first question: Can a person choose to be happy? I want too, but it’s hard when your heart aches for those you miss, especially your kids. 

But tomorrow is another day and I choose to be happy – I will tell you how it goes.

Thanks for reading my ramblings – miss you all - HJK      

Nova Scotia – Week 2: Little Steps

The Blue Nose from Nova Scotia

I did it – its official – According to my I.D. I am a Nova Scotian – an official Blue-Noser; I can feel my ambition level go down, my accent is changing and I haven’t trimmed my beard for three weeks (my trimmer is still in the moving truck). I feel more Nova Scotian than ever before, I think I need a nap.

In reality, even though the paper in my wallet has changed, I haven’t – not much anyway. I am growing a greater appreciation for this place. One tiny step at a time this becoming home. Changing my driver licence because it expired on my birthday was just one of these tiny steps. Changing our watches, the radio stations in our vehicles – all tiny steps. Each of them very insignificant in themselves, but add each tiny step up and they begin to make a difference.
A few months ago I heard Erwin McManus at a conference. He described conversion the much the same way. For some people their conversion experience is very dramatic, for others it is a life time process, and for others, who have grown up in the faith, don’t remember a time when they were not a Christian. But every one of these people had good qualities before their conversion and still have sinful qualities after their becoming a Christian. Becoming a Christian should be called a transformation, rather than conversion. A conversion gives the impression of crossing a line or jumping a fence. But life is more like sheep and a shepherd – you are either coming nearer and going further away from the shepherd – there is no line – just a danger of getting so far away from the shepherd that you no longer hear his voice, but even then he will leave the 99 to search for you.
So on your journey, where are your steps taking you? They may be tiny but they do add up, so be careful little feet where you go – for the father up above is looking down in love … - HJK
P.S. It is supposed to be plus +8 tomorrow

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me! … Today’s my birthday – we are going to have a good time … Thanks for all the phone calls, texts, emails and visits. Thanks for making it a good day.

Our first week as resident of Nova Scotia has come and gone; it’s been a busy week but it’s been a good week; admittedly I still feel more like an Albertan then a blue-noser.

Kijiji Rocks!

After living on plastic furniture for 2 ½ weeks it is good to have real furniture to sit on. The focus continues to be the basement, creating a large storage room for all the campground stuff, allowing me to free up some room to make some needed bedrooms, bathroom, utility room and rec-room. In kind of a “aha” moment, I was reminded today of the importance to pace myself and not burning out like I have done in previous endeavors; everything in its own time.

So Soft!

Today we enjoyed hearing Sweis Ubels preach for the first time – he’s awesome! The service was a little more traditional then we were used, but we really appreciated the casual and open atmosphere similar to what we experienced at Wolf Creek. The congregation was very welcoming and made us feel young. For supper we were honored to have the pastor, his wife and their girls grace us with their presence, (I told you they were welcoming!) It was good to have friends to share a meal and birthday brownies with.

Devotions this morning reminded me that God has a purpose for each one of his children including you and me, something I constantly need reminding of; especially on birthdays, so far away from what used to be home. - HJK                 

Nova Scotia – Day 5&6 – Loving Influence

I read a quote yesterday by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe that intrigued me: “We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.” It is an intriguing statement that makes you think. It makes sense of the notion that the longer a husband and wife are married the more they are alike, or how much some people resemble their pets. All kidding aside, the truth is we are very much shaped by what we love.

Makes me ask who/what do I love, and how does it shape me? As a Christian the answer should be obvious, but what the answer should be, is not always what it is. I ask myself, am I shaped more by the tangible – family and friends;  then by the less tangible – my faith and God. I am not sure of the answer because both have a great influence on my life.

Today we rented a U-Haul trailer, went to Halifax and picked up some furniture we bought on kijiji. Later we enjoyed a shopping trip at Costco, something we have come to enjoy doing together. Tomorrow we will go to church together, something we also have done together for all of our married lives; both are enjoyable, but the latter – our faith life – has had a greater influence on our life.  As I write this, however, I am beginning to love this new recliner I bought at Costco  – in fact, the longer I sit in it, the more I am becoming one with the chair – quite influential don’t you think. J  

The devotional I was reading went on to say that it is God’s desire for his children to emulate him – to become like him, not because we should, but because we love him.

Hoping you all an awesome Sunday tomorrow – praise Him because you love Him – wherever you are!  

Nova Scotia – Day 3&4 – And the Drum Beat Carries on

An update: there is much to tell, but where to start?

With Jaymie it has been kind of a rollercoaster, yesterday she broke down and quit trying to be strong on our behalf. It was hard to watch, but it was good for her. She ended up taking a “mental health” day – a day off from school to gather herself. Today she went back and had her best day at school yet; she is starting to make some new friends.

My garage - but he trailer is empty!

Mary Ann is trying to wrap her around the reservation system of the campground and some of their past book keeping which is quite frustrating at times. Between expired passwords, computers freezing and expired merchant services, she has had her hands full – nothing goes quick in Nova Scotia.

First wall,
 Don't ask me how long that took

Yesterday, I finally completed my first project – emptied the trailer that Jaymie and I brought in October – this was a major thing for me, to finally accomplish something. It so easy to do a little here and little there and not get anything accomplished. Today I finally got started on doing some renovations in our basement; I built the first wall – I am so proud.

This morning we were invited for coffee at Emanuel Church (Sweis Ubels’ church). We got to meet some people from that church. It is good to get away from the busyness of home to meet people.  It so easy to dismiss mornings like this as unproductive, but in reality, investing time in people is probably the most productive use of our time. .

Freshley Fallng Snow

We are suppose to get a good dump of snow tonight, but then go up to +12 tomorrow.

Take care and good night, miss you all - HJK        

Nova Scotia - Day 1&2 – Emotions on Steroids

What else can I say – the title captures most it. It has been a roller-coaster over the last couple of days. Yesterday we took Jaymie to register her at her new school. She was unable to start that day but they gave her a grand tour of the school – which left her overwhelmed and drained.

There is so much to do around here that it easy for myself to get overwhelmed with it all and I sometime find myself running in circles. But I did get to buy myself a new toy yesterday – a brand new Stihl  Chainsaw. It works great – lots of power – Arh! Arh!

Today I bought some lumber to build the first room in the basement. Great ambition, instead I ended up emptying the trailer of tools and shop supplies which Jaymie and I brought in October. In my attempts to back the trailer to the house I nearly lost it all; between the freshly fallen snow and the weight of the trailer, it almost pushed my truck into the creek beside our house – that would have been two trucks with this same load – not a good feeling.

By far the hardest thing I did so far was drop Jaymie off at the school this morning. She started crying and told me she missed her friends which broke my heart.  I’m supposed to be strong for her – but I couldn’t stop my own tears. If you know my story I think you would understand. Until these last couple weeks I never thought what I might have been like for the Father to send his son to earth for me and you. I think I have just a small taste of the pain he went thru.

On a happier note, Jaymie gave today an 8 out of 10 – thank God and thank you for your prayers - HJK    

Day 7 - We did it - Thank God

We have arrived, YEEHHH!! After 5 days of driving, over 3200 miles (not km.) 6 nights in hotels, and countless liters of gas and windshield washer fluid, we have arrived. The clouds opened up and the sun shone as we drove down are driveway at 12:30 pm Nova Scotia time – our time. There is a lot of temptation to start planning on what’s next without reflecting on the blessings of the past five days, but without reflection, thanksgiving is often missed; and there are lots of blessings to give thanks for – some minor miracles if I dare say.

Entrance to Campground

Here is just a short list:

·         5 days of driving and no accidents even with some unfavorable driving conditions

·         5 days of driving and no breakdowns in spite of an odd noise coming from the rear wheels

Boo Boo Blvd (drive way)

·         5 days of driving with two cats and no allergies – this is a miracle in itself considering Mary Ann is allergic to cats

·         The sun shining on our place as we arrived and explored the house and campground for the first time together as owners – this too was an awesome blessing

·         The way we all got along considering some tense driving conditions

·         Jaymie’s excitement for her first day of school tomorrow – thank God

·         Friends that God has given us here already

·         Friends and family back in Lacombe and Edmonton who love and pray for us! – Thank you

Remember to give thanks for the past – it gives you courage for the future

Yogi with Campground in Background

Day6 - Blue Sky

Wipers?

Writer’s block!  After doing the same routine for the last five days: eat– drive –ride – eat – sleep. I was a loss of what to write then out of blue, there it was, blue sky! For the first time in three days we saw blue sky. In the previous days the amount of windshield washer fluid we used could be considered an environmental hazard; one jug per tank of gas. You got to love all that salt that they use to keep the road wet no matter how cold it is, a good trade-off for icy roads i guess. This all makes me ask: “If they can send men to the moon and back, why can’t they make a wiper that doesn’t leave a streak right in the driver’s line of sight? This is the second pair we bought for this trip already. It is extremely stressful driving without being able to see where you are going.

First blue sky in days - beautiful!

Life is a lot like that. There is something in all of us that desires to see further into our future – to know what’s beyond tomorrow, next week or even next year. We get frustrated when there are obstacles in our lives that make our future unforeseeable or uncertain; we would rather rely on sight then faith. But this would make the blue skies less exciting and we would continually fret about those upcoming periods of rain, snow and sleet. So, continue pouring on the windshield washer fluid to help you see what is in front of you and trust God for the rest. It takes faith, but he is trustworthy; after all he is the creator of awesome sunrises, sunsets, blue skies and rainbows!  

Day 5 - Homeless in Canada

43 Boo Boo Blvd

Home? Where is my home? What defines home? These are a few questions that I have been pondering upon over the last couple days. As we check in each hotel along our journey, the one question that is repeatedly asked is: “What is your address?”,  which equates to, where do you live? Or, where is your home?  This question causes me to stumble. So far I have always answered RR#3 … Lacombe, Ab. Now there may be several reasons for that, for starters, Lacombe is where I lived for the last 33 years. Or else because it is lot less embarrassing and takes a lot less explanation then saying, 43 Boo Boo Blvd, Kingston N.S. More likely; however, it is because I have never lived at Boo Boo Blvd… Sure we own it and we are the process of moving there, but as of yet it has never been my home.

Rental house at DenOudstens

Although , most of my identity is tied to my life in Lacombe and two of my kids still live there, the truth is, that is no longer my home either. I neither own or rent a residence there; all my possessions are either in Nova Scotia, with me or in a truck somewhere between here and there. As I write this I am sitting in a hotel in Quebec and this is definitely not my home either. So where is home? Once, at a time when Jesus disciples felt very troubled and alone, Jesus comforted them by reminding them of their heavenly home that he was going to prepare for them; a good thing for all of us to be reminded of.

So maybe when they ask for my address tomorrow, I will say homeless and if that doesn’t suffice I will say heaven – I can’t wait for their reaction.  - HJK       

Day 4 - Ontario

Ontario reminds of the story about the family that moved to Alberta from B.C. When Autumn came they loved the first sight of snow and all the deer that came to visit their home. By spring, however, they despised the occurrence of yet another snowfall and couldn’t stand the sight of another deer trespassing in their lives.  After driving for two days on straight roads on the prairies, the curves, the rocks and the lakes of the Canadian Shield were an enjoyable interruption to the doldrums of prairie roads – a thousand kilometers later, not so much; two thousand km later – does this province ever end?!

Driving in Ontario with its 90 km/hr speed limit has become a delicate balance of trying to make the best time without incurring the inquiries of a friendly O.P.P. officer. Mary Ann is now driving reducing the chances of such an inquiry drastically. Life is often lived with the same mindset. So often we forget the words of Paul that everything is permissible, but not everything is profitable. The Kingdom of God, as described by the gospel writers, portrays for us God’s way for an abundant life within community. It is not so much a list of dos and don’ts, as a portrayal of a wonderful way for all of humanity to live together – but if you think about it, so are speed limits – Good thing Mary Ann is driving. J  - HJK      

Cats in the van

Day 3 - Meow

Meow, meow, meow. It is the noise that reverberates throughout our minivan. Not constantly, intermittently, just enough time to allow for a bit of hope that they have stopped and gone to sleep – meow.

I have never been a cat person, never mind cat lover; cats exist only to catch their weight in mice each week. I have never spent a cent on a cat beside for food and only the cheapest at that. But for five days I will share the inside of a minivan with two cats which I have spent hundreds of dollars to neuter. I will have to rearrange everything at night to accommodate these cats. Move our food to the front seats and  block the front seats with cardboard; put out a litter box and give the cats the run of the van and then in the morning reverse the whole process, including the privilege of cleaning their litter box – meow.  

Why? Because my daughter loves them – that’s all! All my adverse feelings toward cats is voided by my love for my daughter and her love for these two cats – meow.  The things you do for love! I wonder if God’s anger toward rebellious humanity is voided by his love for his son, and his son’s love for us? The things God did for love – wow. – HJK

Day 2 - Today is the First Day of the Rest of Life

 It`s a cliché often used when to mark the beginning of a new resolution – a clean start – a time of promise to do better than has been done in the past. Today it marks the beginning of a new (ad)venture for us. It is the day we point our mini-van, loaded with three people, two cats and way too much stuff (My wife says I am a hoarder – at least I think that was her on the other side of my stuff), eastward to begin a new life – a fresh start – the first day of the rest of my life. Leaving almost everyone and everything we know behind, we leave with much hope, excitement and anticipation for a new future.

As with any resolution, I begin this venture with great hope for success. With a clean slate, the success for the future will be a sure guarantee of success – NOT! - Two main reasons. First I (we) leave a great support system cultivated after living together in the same community for 20+ years. A support system of family, friends, and contacts whose existence have shaped and made us the people we are today. The second reason is: wherever I go, I take myself with me – my strengths, my gifts, my passions, but also my quirks, weaknesses and the things I hate most about by myself. As these miles of flat prairie flow underneath us, I wish I could leave the junk behind, but life has taught me that there no chance of that; rather it is the very junk which I hate that continually reminds me my need of a savior – not just once but every day – even in the bald Saskatchewan prairie. Today is the first day of the rest of my life –thank God that he goes with us – HJK

Day 1 - Goodbye

The leaving has drawn to an end. The last number of weeks have been a time of saying good-bye. Saying goodbye has been as varied as the people and the relationship we share. For some it is just a handshake, for others it is over a meal and for others it is with hug or an embrace that we did not want to end. For most, the tears were present, either suppressed under the surface or gushing out with no chance of being subdued.

For the most part the tears were a gauge of the closeness or the intimacy of a relationship, but other factors also played in: the time of the day, the length of separation or the emotional state at the given time; but most often the tears flowed when saying goodbye was hardest.  The gospels describes how Jesus cried “My God, my God – why have you forsaken me?” – I wonder if God had to turn his face when he saw the vicious death which was being inflicted on his Son – maybe if he stayed and watched he would have intervened and destroyed humanity – instead he tuned his face and said goodbye to his only son. As sure as the tears flowed when I said goodbye to my only son, I am sure that the tears flowed without restraint in heaven that day when God turned his face from his son. – HJK