8 Years and Beyond.

A week of celebrations, that is what I am calling this week. Most are calling them goodbyes, I am calling them celebrations. Today marks the biggest one yet. It is our last service at St.Giles Kingsway and The Well.



Bryn and I arrived in Etobicoke nearly 8 years ago. I was very pregnant with our soon to be daughter and we settled in quickly. The church, then just St.Giles Kingsway soon became our home. We met amazing friends we soon would call family and we fell in love with our community. Soon after the start of the The Well in September 2008, I knew that this was my place to be. To see God at work within our community. To see people of all ages becoming family, it was a special time. Just considering a transition away was impossible and honestly never crossed my mind.




All of that changed when Bryn was pursued by a church in Nassau. I would encourage you to read his story on that because it really is quite incredible, take a look at his blog entry entitled Preaching in Paradise part 2 . This forced me to consider life elsewhere, and to be honest I did put up a huge fight. I really did not want to go, to leave my career, to leave my church family and my community. No thanks I was quite content, I was sure God was just joking. Apparently not. Another day I will blog about all that God did in my heart and life to convince me of where He needed the MacPhails, but today is about celebrating.



Some would suggest that today we say Good bye, I say no way, remember I do not do goodbyes but I will celebrate our time together. Some would say we celebrate the ending of 8 years, I say we celebrate those 8 years and beyond. See being a Christian means that for me that is merely a continuation of a story (God`s story not just Allie`s story). It is not an ending, friendships will continue (even for those of you who think this is the end). The way I think of SGK and The Well as my family will continue, I might become more like that obscure Aunt you see only at Christmas but you will still be my family. God has used these 8 years to solidify who I am and who you are in my life, distance cannot change that. So I am choosing to celebrate today the 8 years I have been so blessed to have and I am celebrating the beyond. For beyond these 8 years are 8 more years to cherish what the Lord as given me here in Etobicoke. Please know you will forever be in my hearts and on my phone lines and in my guest room and in my email in box. You are forever my family.

Hi my name is Allie, can you knock me out please ?

What About Bob, one my favourite movies of all times. In one scene Bob a boards a bus to find his psychologist who is on vacation. This is a big move for Bob as he is afraid of leaving his apartment (among many other things..) anyway Bob boards the bus and the first person he meets he asks to knock him out. I guess Bob just did not want to handle the scary messy part of getting to where he needed to go and felt the bus ride would only be manageable if unconscious.



I kinda feel like that today, for the next three weeks things are going to be kinda rough. Out of the next 35 clients, I have 22 final goodbyes. We have our last St.Giles Kingsway/ The Well church service this coming Sunday. I have my last book club, our last connect group and at this point I am treating any dinners/lunches and coffee dates as my last on Canadian soil. Most of which are crammed in the next 2 weeks. Lots of "see you laters", I hate goodbyes. I am also at the nit picky part of packing, still ready to just set fire to things I cannot make my mind up about the decision of where to send it.


Hi, My name is Allie, can you knock me out please?


I would to like just wake up and start life in Nassau and skip all the "see you laters" and final sessions and boxes..really I would! But I realize however, that would be a cop out. The transitional phase of something is perhaps one of they most important phases there is. It is a stage of uncertainty, exhaustion from second guessing and emotionally going between the now and will be. But the transitional phase is one that in the end brings about some sort of transformation. Sure my home is literally being transformed, my career is being transformed, my way of life is being transformed but more importantly I am being transformed from the inside out. That is painfully awesome.


Yes, I would prefer to drop in to a coma and awaken transformed but that is not how it works. I am ending well, I know I am. I am tired but I am determined to not regret or sleep through what I want to leave here in Canada these next 3 weeks. So if I ask you to knock me out..please do not listen to me, I will thank you later.

Leaving A Mark

I was at my cottage these past two days for a bit of R & R with my husband. It was much needed considering all we have been doing and all we have ahead of us as we transition to Nassau. I am happy to report I am refreshed but in ways that are different than I thought I needed. I thought the two days were going to be peaceful and calm, but it would appear that God had other plans. From the outside I was calm and quiet but on the inside, the small world of Allie's brain was in overdrive. I found that I had trouble sleeping and sitting still (for those of you who know me you will not be surprised but this was over the top) I was restless and somewhat anxious, I suppose when I am moving around this energy is expelled but sitting with no boxes to pack, or rooms to sort left me feeling antsy.
At every corner of the cottage, rock in the yard or bug on the ground I found myself crying, a lot. I felt like I was saying goodbye. In my saying goodbye I strangely wondered if it would miss me, would there be a difference without Allie at the cottage. I know that makes me sound strange but I am so connected there I did wonder if Albert the chipmunk would miss the popcorn I put out or if Harry the hummingbird would wonder where the feeder went. The list went on and my tears poured out quite steadily. Finally I had enough with the tears and sadness, laced up my running shoes and went on my familiar run by the bog and up some amazing hills.
I do my best thinking when running, and this was no exception. During my run I remembered a sign post about 3km into my run that I have tagged with my chewed gum every time I run by. I wondered if anyone ever saw the sign post and wondered what the heck? I love drawing peoples attention away from their everyday lives to notice the extraordinary. I love my gum signpost. In a way, although I am sure somewhat illegal, that post helps me feel like I left my mark on the cottage road. In my mind, It meant "Allie was here and she dominated these hills", something to hang my hat on in a I count for something kind of way.

Then God said (Not audibly but that would have been cool) "Allie, enough, your mark on this world is not about popcorn, bird feed or even a sign full of gum. Your mark on this world is about Me, I use you wherever you are if you let Me. You have shone in this part of the world now it is time to shine in Nassau." The point was I think, that God needed me to remember I was here to shine for Him, not for me but for Him. I want to leave a mark anywhere I go and I know that for the most part I often fail at doing that, but this gum sign reminded me that God wants me to leave His mark on the world, not mine. It is a source of peace to know I do not have to contrive a plan for myself to know that I count, I do not need a gum sign to prove I have achieved something. What I need to do is shine for Him, tell others His story and hope that through me God's mark is left on others. Shine on my friends.