Tim Chan's Blog, page 5

What I Didn’t Know for 36 Years

I turned 36 today. 36 years on this Earth. 36 years as a Canadian citizen. It wasn’t until a few months ago that I learned the truth about this land that we claim to be our own. The Indigenous Peoples in Canada have suffered immensely, and for the most part, their story has been untold until recently.


At the end of February, I attended RiseUp, Sister, a gathering of about 100 women over four days. In our midst were two Indigenous women who bravely shared their stories about the impact that...

Our Word for 2017: STEADY

“As we start this new year, I am sick, worn, and weary…” So began my journal entry on January 1, when Tim and I had our 9th annual Blue Day. For those unfamiliar with what a Blue Day is, we set aside a day to dream, to listen, and to plan for the year (you can read more about this practice in our free ebook, Fight With Me). This year was the first time we actually did it on New Year’s Day.

On our Blue Day, January 1, 2017

Perhaps it was because this was the first year in at least six years w...

Olive’s Advent Photo Reflections

This Advent, I’ve decided to do a series of photo reflections based on the Advent Photo-A-Day guide put out by AliveNow magazine. I did a similar series for Lent earlier this year and I found the practice to be enriching, both in terms of allowing me a creative outlet each day and also giving me a word to focus on as I listen to God and prepare my heart for Christmas.

I wanted to share this with you, our dear readers, in case you want to follow along or participate in the exercise yourself....

11 Reasons to Attend a Marriage Conference

[We recently celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. Thinking back, attending a marriage conference was one of the memories that stood out to us. This is a guest post by our dear friend, Monica Garibay, who incidentally attended the same marriage conference we did.]

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a Christian marriage conference. My husband and I decided to go not because we had a particular problem to solve, or because we were on the edge of divorce. Rather, we saw it as an...

How I Took a Sabbatical as a Mother of Two Young Kids

I considered it a grand experiment. How would a mother of two young kids and wife to an entrepreneur manage to take a whole month off to rest? That was the big question.

Five years ago, Tim and I took our first Sabbatical. A whole month “off” on beautiful Vancouver Island. We spent our time resting, unplugging, reading and thinking. I was pregnant with our first child then. It was such a rewarding experience that we decided we would make a practice of having a Sabbatical every five years. L...

My Sobering 35th Birthday Wish

[Trigger warning: sexual violence]

Thirty-five. The number of years of life I am celebrating.

Thirty-five. The number of times she is forced to have sex with different mena day. She’s only 7 years old.

Let that sink in.

I can’t look away, knowing this happens. I can’t keep carrying on as if this isn’t true, for her or for the hundreds of thousands of other young girls and women in our world. (The United Nations estimates the total number of people trafficked every year is between 700 thousa...

35: My Sobering Birthday Wish

[Trigger warning: sexual violence]

Thirty-five. The number of years of life I am celebrating.

Thirty-five. The number of times she is forced to have sex with different mena day. She’s only 7 years old.

I can’t look away, knowing this happens. I can’t keep carrying on as if this isn’t true, for her or for the hundreds of thousands of other young girls and women in our world. (The United Nations estimates the total number of people trafficked every year is between 700 thousand and 1 million. It...

A Love Letter to My Depressed Self [Excerpt]

Dear Depressed Me,

I love you.But I haven’t always loved you like this. I used to struggle with accepting who you were. I used to love you partially—with some reservations and hesitancies. I used to dislike you. Resent you at times, even. But my love for you is different now. It’s deeper and fuller.

It’s been a journey, of course. I’ve had a lot of help along the way. God, in his grace and mercy, has brought a lot of healing to me in this process. Much of it has been through other people: m...

What I Really Want To Know When I Fight With My Husband

“Are these tears of gratitude?” my counsellor asked as my eyes began to well up. I bit my lower lip and rivers of pain spilled down my face.

“No.” I answered. “I have no words for it yet, but obviously it’s something deep.” I was surprised by the sudden release of emotion. She had asked me a question about Tim and our marriage.

Four months ago, I was diagnosed with Post Partum Depression. Connecting with my counsellor had been key to my recovery process. With her guidance, I had worked hard...

“Moments”: Our Word for 2016

At the start of each new year, we like to choose one word. A guide or theme for the year, so to speak. Something to give us focus in the ebb and flow of life.

Our word for 2015 was “Strengthen.” We wanted to become stronger; we also needed strength. In retrospect, it was a hard, dark year marked by the unexpected presence of Post Partum Depression, but we did receive all the strength we needed to get through it.

For 2016, we are choosing the word, “Moments.”

Personally speaking, as I begin...