Love Shines

Song Stories #3

Every Time

I must say I've always loved Black Gospel music. There is something about the energy of it that just makes me want to move, to dance, to shout and to laugh. A few months ago, the old melody of 'Every time I feel the Spirit' came into my mind and my toes were tapping in seconds. For weeks I could not get this tune out of my mind and body. I looked up the old tune and found the words on the internet. I loved the chorus, but the words of the verses were not ones that I could resonate with - so I decided to write my own lyrics to this wonderful melody. I've brought this song now into various settings and the response has been that people want to dance, to celebrate and to engage with the song. I'm so excited to share this new arrangement of 'Every time'....

here is an excerpt of the new lyrics...

when life's burdens

weigh down on me

when life's burdens

weigh on me

I hear a whisper

calling to me

'remember sister, you are free'

and every time I feel the Spirit

movin' in my heart

I will pray

and every time I feel the Spirit

movin' in my heart

I will pray

Song Stories for Love Shines

#2

Courage For Today

I love so many different genres of music. As a child I was exposed to a lot of classical music as my mom listened to CBC radio 2. Often I would lie down on the carpet and let the music wash over me as I listened deeply...even when I was 5 or 6. My parents also enjoyed a lot of 'gospel' music so I heard a lot of 4 part harmonies and traditional choral sounds. In my youth I learned to love jazz music, pop music and gained more appreciation for classical music. Through my twenties and through living in Uganda for 2 years, I was exposed to traditional folk music and ethnic sounds. I have loved learning about all these sounds and how these different genres can express so many of our human emotions and experiences better than we can with our words.

I am not a strong blues piano player, but I do love the blues and had fun learning the basic 12 bar pattern a few years ago and passing that on to many students.

A couple years ago I realized that the blues really hold a wonderful tension between major and minor tonalities and feel 'honest' about expressing what it is to be human.

This summer around a campfire at Alice Lake near Whistler, BC, my friend Kendra asked me how I was doing with grieving the loss of my dear nephew Chris. Chris died on March 25, 2010. He was a very special nephew to me - one that I could punch (even though he was MUCH stronger than me) and tease. He was passionate about life and was fun to be with. I loved him fiercely. When Kendra asked me that, I had no words.

How do you express how you feel?

Words feel cheap

and empty.

I said Kendra - I have nothing to say - but I can sing a song.

So I asked Nathan (Kendra's husband) to get his guitar and start playing the blues.....

and this is an excerpt of the song I sang

Courage for Today

My heart, my heart

is heavy

My heart is heavy with burdens

Strengthen me,

Give me courage for today

My soul, my soul

is weary

My soul is weary with sorrow

Strengthen me,

Give me courage for today

(excerpt from 'Courage for Today' to be released on Love Shines)

Chris's birthday is this Friday, January 14th. Loving you buddy!!

Song Stories for Love Shines

Song #1

I would like to share some of the stories of the songs that will be on the Love Shines CD.

I Bind My Life to Love

Several years ago I was in a personal crisis. At certain moments I wondered if I was losing my mind. I was so afraid and so anxious. I wanted to know that everything would be OK, but there were no guarantees that anything would be OK ever again. It was during this time that someone introduced me to a prayer that was inspired by the prayers of St. Patrick. Over the years, I re-wrote it in my own way using imagery that was powerful for me. In the summer of 2009, I realized I wanted to share these words with as many people as I could. These words have impacted me over and over again for over 11 years. I decided to make these words into a song I could sing and give as a gift. When I wake up in the early hours of the morning and can't sleep, these are the words that are often on the edge of my lips. These words have given me hope, energy, faith, and light. I trust the power of Love in my life and so it has become a gift to entrust my life to Love over and over again. The blessing of this has been unexpected joy and deepening peace in my daily life. I'm so excited to share this song on this album!

here is an excerpt of the lyrics:

I bind my life to Love

I bind my heart to Love

I bind my feet to the path Love has for me

I bind my life to Love

Happy New Year!!

the Love Shines Recording

is happening - starting January 7th, 2011!!

This is a dream coming true - taking about a year and a half for it all to come together.

I'm so excited to share 12 original songs

with all of you!!

Hopefully I'll have the CD ready for sale in March.

For regular updates go to:

facebook updates

Love is Shining!!!

Love Shines CD Project Update

Thanks to so many that came out to the 3 concerts of the Fraser Valley. I have been very encouraged to go ahead with the Love Shines CD project and recording dates have now been set for January 2011 - with release happening probably in March 2011.

It has been a fall of taking risks and not knowing where that will lead me. At times I have been terrified to take another step and to put myself out there with sharing my vision and my heart. However, there is something life-giving with taking risks and learning to be OK whatever the results. I've learned a lot from this process!

I've also learned that I deeply value the community around me. I've realized that this project is coming out of a community of support and friendship - not just an isolated dream. This is a powerful shift for me and one that energizes me as I step into the next part of the process of going into the recording studio.

Thanks to so many that have given financially to this project. I am about half-way there with the funds I will need. If you would like to be a part of this, please go to

Love Shines CD Project

This Saturday - November 13, 2010

7:30 pm

Love Shines Concert & Dessert Evening

ALL ARE WELCOME!!!

Free event - with opportunity to donate to the Love Shines CD project

I will be joined by...

Boris Sichon (world percussionist - amazing musician!!!)

Kevin Boese (amazing singer/songwriter & guitarist)

Jonathan VanDyke (amazing vocalist and pianist)

Joleen VanDyke (also amazing vocalist and pianist)

We have a great set ready to share with you - and the passion to share songs of hope, inspiration & healing.

Please come & share this wonderful evening together with us! We want a PACKED house!!

RSVP kateajhardy@shaw.ca

Venue: Highland Community Church

3130 McMillan Road, Abbotsford, BC V2S 6A8

3 upcoming concerts

3 evenings of sharing my heart in song - songs of hope for the Love Shines CD

YOU ARE INVITED!!

October 30 in Chilliwack with Kevin Boese

home of Walt & Elsie Goerzen 46400 Stevenson Rd Please RSVP 604-858-9679

November 6th in Mission with Boris Sichon & Kevin Boese

Heritage High School - Drama Studio -7:30pm

November 13th in Abbotsford with Kevin Boese - Cale Stanage opening

Highland Community Church 7:30pm

for more info: please e-mail me at:

kateajhardy@shaw.ca

Love Shines CD Project

Your partnership in songs of hope
to be released Spring 2011

...a musical venture with the passion to bring hope, healing, and inspiration

I have an opportunity to record songs of Hope, Healing and Inspiration in January of 2011.

I am so excited to share these songs with the community, but I know that I need the support of the greater community to help make this dream a reality.

This album will be filled with original songs that have come out of the stories of life these past 2-5 years. They are unique songs that connect with our souls and our journey; big and gentle sounds coming out of deep joys as well as deep sorrows. They are sounds that call us to live with authenticity, trust, and hope. They also invite us to taste of Love shining even in our darkest moments.

These are songs I want to share with as many people as I can. We all need songs to sing in our darkest hours that call us into deeper truths and freedom. These are songs that have come to me like gifts and have powerfully touched my own life and I want to share them with the world.

if you would like to partner with me in this project- go to:

LOVE SHINES CD PROJECT

Listen to Love Shines Single

Gratefulness

Life is full of twists and turns these days. Our family is still reeling from the loss of my nephew Christian, who died in March of 2010. Going through summer holidays without him around for certain events was painful for us all.

This summer brought to our attention that my dad is suddenly dealing with colon cancer and my mom's leukemia is also very present. Dad had to have two unexpected surgeries in this past week and mom is at the doctor's today about her leukemia. Then my sister-in-law Ilona found out this past spring she has serious breast cancer and has been undergoing treatments all summer and is also facing surgery.

How to respond to ALL of this at once is simply overwhelming on many days....but this photo hopefully reflects my response. Here I am with my nephew Graham, son of Ilona. He is 10 and was over to hang out with me one day this summer. We had fun and enjoyed being together.

To be present to the people around me, to be grateful for the beauty that is here even in the midst of suffering, to offer the gift of kindness and simple expressions of love.....this is what is important. And then - to be GRATEFUL in this moment for what is right now.

the labyrinth





the symbolic walk of choice & letting go

Life is funny sometimes. You have these moments of utter clarity about the next step. And so you make a choice to make that step and then suddenly it seems you are going backwards and wondering what just happened. It seems that life is full of choices, taking risks, moving forward into the unknown - a sign of personal freedom to affect the outcome of one's life.....choice. And then there is this flip side - how things just seem to happen and you find yourself belly up - or face in the dirt. How did that happen? It seems that there are situations completely beyond one's control - and that one has a choice in that moment too - to accept the reality or to fight it.
When I walk the labyrinth, I remember all these things - my choices as well as the circumstances in my life I have no control over. The labyrinth seems so symbolic of stepping forward yet at the same time experiencing going backwards while still moving towards the centre. It is an interesting experience to walk in 20 minutes what can be so symbolic of life itself.
It seems like a journey of trust - trusting to take risks and also trusting in the moments of surrender to what is beyond me.

If you get a chance - walk the labyrinth.......I'd love to hear how your expereince is!

Love Shines.AVI

Brother Roger has become a spiritual guide in my life.

I recently discovered these video postings that are now being made public. Have a watch

http://www.taize.fr/en_article10037.html

Maybe Brother Roger will inspire you also....... I love this man!!

"I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I've never let it stop me from doing a single thing that I wanted to do" Georgia O'Keefe

So, now that you know how I feel :-),

I am inviting you all to the

Love Shines Concert -

Cathy AJ Hardy & Friends

on June 26, 2010

8pm

St. Andrew's United Church in Mission

I am excited to partner with some great musicians to share with you the songs that mean so much to me! Boris Sichon is a world percussionist who plays all sorts of instruments from around the world. Kevin Boese is a fantastic acoustic guitarist and songwriter....and there are others too who will join me.

This evening will be a collection of my own compositions and other songs that mean a lot to me.

There is a suggested donation of $15 at the door.

Look forward to seeing you!

Taize Evening Prayers at Westminster Abbey, Mission
Saturday, May 29, 2010 8pm-9pm

Why come?
This hour is filled with song, prayer, silence and open space.
This hour is for you to drink in beauty, rest and soul-food.
The songs from Taize are like simple phrases, that when repeated a few times, become something a person can meditate on.
For example, the Latin phrase will be sung: Da pacem cordium
This means.....Give peace to every heart.
To sing this together is prayer....
We all hold the stories of our lives; joy, pain, thankfulness and sadness...
We all long for peace of heart and peace of heart for those we love and peace of heart for all humanity. In singing this simple phrase together, we pray together something powerful.
In the words of Richard Rohr; prayer is not seen as telling God what to do but "to experience our dependence on the great mystery".
Acoustic instruments such as harp, guitar, recorder & violin will be played during the service.
I will also be using a new singing bowl (new to me that is) that is over 100 years old.

Love SHINES was recorded a few days after the tragic and sudden passing of my nephew Chris Friesen. I have dedicated this song especially to his parents, Randy & Ingrid Friesen. I saw love SHINING in them so powerfully in the days that followed Chris's death. I saw love being the bigger story than the story of tragedy.
Even though this song was really hard to record in that moment, it became a way to express the reality I was experiencing in that moment. I am dedicating the funds from the sales of this single to the Christian Friesen Memorial Scholarship Fund . Please buy this song and pass it on to others!!! It is a song about hope and Love shining - even in our darkness.

LOVE SHINES available here.

ADVENT TAIZE PRAYERS

This Sunday evening - December 13 8pm

St. Matthew's Anglican Church - Abbotsford

sometimes i think about that day

when i'll have wings and fly away

and fly to a place i've never been

never known, never seen

it is a mystery, this life

one day i'm here and then i'm gone

and when that day, it comes for me

i ask that you would sing a song

sing a song from your heart

through the veil from which i've part

sing a song that is true

and i'll sing back to you

sing of life, sing of love

sing of hope from above

sing through sorrow, sing through tears,

sing throughout all of your years

and we'll sing to each other

for this life and beyond

and the music will enfold us

for the music goes on

written November 1st 2009 copyright Cathy Hardy

Everyone welcome.......

Evening of Remembrance & Thanksgiving

- remembering those we love who have passed on with

2 hours of music

featuring - Cathy Hardy, Karin Dart, Calvin Dyck, Kevin Boese, Mark Walters, Jon & Joleen VanDyke

St. Matthew's Anglican Church

Sunday November 1st - All Saint's Day

7:30pm - $15 suggested donation at door

YOUTUBE video ........Cathy sharing on being inspired about music.........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI5vt3dAFHA

Video made in response to being nominated for 'inspirational album of the year' at the Gospel Music Awards of Canada.

to order the 'trust' cd - go to:http://www.communitascare.com/store.html

Summer.........taking time

to slow down

forget schedules

make phone calls

read

enjoy

laugh

eat

play

sing

summer has been a gift of spaciousness and joy

Taize Prayers -

for upcoming contempletive services - check out

http://cathyhardy.blogspot.com/

I love walking the labyrinth on Bowen Island.

Close to Rivendell Retreat Centre - it is open to the public all year round. Made of beautiful stones and infused with small herb plants - it offers a prayerful experience for all the senses.

There is something about having the body participate in prayer - perhaps I have no words.....but I can be present.........I can offer myself......I can open myself up to listen

tomorrow,

February 24

marks the passing of my nephew - 1 year ago

Trevor Paul Dueck.

Loving you Trevor - you are in our hearts and minds

Taize Evening Prayers - Spring 2009 - Abbotsford B.C.

Services 8-9pm

Sunday, February 22, Highland Community Church(3130 McMillan Road, Abbotsford)

Sunday, March 22, St. Matthew’s Anglican Church,Sunday,

April 26, Highland Community ChurchSaturday,

May 30th, Westminster Abbey,34224 Dewdney Trunk Rd Mission

Other Taize Evening Prayer Service opportunities in Vancouver:
Good Friday: 7:30 pm
Lynn Valley Full Gospel Church1160 East 29th StreetNorth Vancouver, B.C. Canada

trust......inspirations from Taize

http://www.communitascare.com/joomla/store.html

A New CD release for gemma

Sponsored by communitas supportive care (profits of CD help those with disabilities)

Produced by Philip Janz

The Woods..........
every day I'm drawn to go to the woods to allow my
puppy - Indie - out for her daily run and romp! But this time
has turned into much more than a daily chore of exercising my dog. It has become a rich gift of entering into the beauty of nature every day for an hour. To be saturated with the silence of the woods....the only sounds being the sound of birds or wind whispering through the trees, or a small mouse shuffling through the leaves beside me, or the brook sailing happily along as a result of fresh rain.........to be saturated with these sounds and sights has become like an anchor through the anguish of Trevor's death, through the business of family schedules, through the ups and downs of many relationships, through the ebb & flow of life - the forest gives me a glimpse of deep rest in the midst of chaos, beauty in the midst of seeming disorder, sanctuary in the midst of life, stillness in the heart of God.

Remembering Trevor.......

Well, I haven't written here for a long time.......the past 2 months have been filled with the business of life - but the other reality is this - it has also been hard to really write things down since February 24 when my nephew, Trevor Dueck died suddenly in a motorcycle accident - killed by a drunk driver. He was 18. Words seem frail and inept for a very long time after a death of a loved one. Words do not seem to contain the human experience of suffering or express the depth of human emotion during grief. We are in the midst of that grief for Trevor and will be for a long time.

Thinking of you today Trevor.

Your aunty Cathy

Spring Taize Services 2008



Sunday, March 20 Highland Community Church 8pm

Sunday, April 27 St. Matthew's Anglican Church 8pm


Saturday, May 24, Westminster Abbey, Mission 8pm
(no shorts allowed at the Abbey!)

Indie - a gift of love

Indie came into our lives just before Christmas - an offer of a pure bred lab for free was an offer we just couldn't refuse. I've never had a dog before, so it was a huge leap of faith to know that we'd figure this dog thing out!

She is now 5 months and I'm realizing what a gift she is to me. One of my greatest joys is being in the woods but often I am too lazy, busy, (or nervous about bears & cougars!) to go into the woods alone. Having Indie as my new companion brings me out into nature every day. How I love the silence of the woods with the eagles flying over me and Indie by my side.

Here we are taking a walk by the river and you can see the orange Abbotsford/Mission bridge in the background.

Lent 2008

TAIZE SERVICES FOR LENT 2008

All services are from 8-9pmSunday,

February 10- St. Matthew’s Sunday,

February 17 – Highland

Sunday, February 24 – St. Mtts

Sunday, March 2 – Highland

Sunday, March 9 – St. Mtts

Sunday, March 16 – Highland

Good Friday – to be announced

Spring Taize Services 2008

Sunday, March 30 – Highland

Sunday, April 27 – St. Mtts

End of May – at Westminster Abbey – details to be announced

My Prayer for Advent 2007

It has been hard to say,
‘I did what I could’ – when that means
That I have to admit
That I can’t hold everything
Together all the time.

To allow things to fall and crash and break
To allow things to get lost and not found
To allow misperceptions and judgements to be – without freaking
To allow my carefully laid plans to
Fall apart
To allow the feeling of emptiness
To come close to me
When I feel that things are slipping through my fingers

To allow my heart to say
YES
To YOU
In the midst of these moments
And not lose heart
To be willing to be turned upside down
And shaken
Loose of my firm grip on things
So I can rest
In my poverty and humanity
And celebrate the mystery,
The paradox,
The miracle of
Emmanuel – God with us.
©2007 Cathy Hardy

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

Sunday, January 20th 7pm St. Matthew's Anglican Church

An Ecumenical Service for week of Christian Unity

A service of 'sung prayer' centering on the theme 'pray without ceasing'

(led by Kevin Boese, Jonathan VanDyke, Karin Dart & Cathy Hardy)

Monday, Jan 21 - 12:15pm Peace Lutheran

Tuesday, Jan 22 - 12:15pm Calvin Presbyterian

Wednesday, Jan 23 - 12:15pm Trinity Memorial United

Thursday, Jan 24 - 12:15pm St. Ann's Catholic Church

Friday, Jan 25 - 12:15pm Trinity Christian Reformed

Jan 27 - 8pm Highland Community Church (Taize Evening Prayers)

This Taize service will close the WEEK OF PRAYER


TAIZE SERVICES FOR LENT 2008
All services are from 8-9pm

Sunday, February 10- St. Matthew’s
Sunday, February 17 – Highland
Sunday, February 24 – St. Mtts
Sunday, March 2 – Highland
Sunday, March 9 – St. Mtts
Sunday, March 16 – Highland
Good Friday – to be announced

Spring Taize Services
Sunday, March 30 – Highland
Sunday, April 27 – St. Mtts
End of May – at Westminster Abbey – details to be announced

TAIZE SERVICES

FALL 2007

ABBOTSFORD BC

ST. MATHEW'S ANGLICAN &

HIGHLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH

Sunday nights at 8-9pm

Sept 30 - St. Matthew's

Oct. 28 - Highland Community

Nov. 25 - St. Matthew's

Advent Services:

Dec 2 - Highland

Dec. 9 - St. Matthew's

Dec. 16 - unconfirmed

this photo is taken at Bowen Island at the outdoor labyrinth this August

August 16, 2007

May all that is You flow into me

May Your essence be my food & drink

May the shelter I seek be Your encircling arms

May I know Your gaze upon me today....

that my worth, my value, my beauty, my destiny

is a reflection of the truth I see in Your love for me

May Your captivating Love transform my life

into a reflection of your radiant glory

Family Adventure in Thailand and Cambodia -
Our family just returned from a 3 week adventure.....
rides with elephants in the jungle, visiting HIV orphanages, shopping in open air markets with crowds of people, visiting Angkor Wat - where this photo was taken, seeing the Killing Fields of Cambodia and resting on the beach!
This is my family and we had a great time together.
July 2007

June 29th - turning 40

It's been quite a journey to realize I'm turning 40! I've been thinking about it all year and I finally feel ready for the big day and ready to move on. There has been a lot of joy this year & joy is something I want to keep discovering. Joy seems to emerge when i let go & celebrate what IS at this present moment instead of what I might wish it to be. Letting go comes out of trust. Rest emerges from the trust and joy emerges from the rest. My prayer for this year is greater trust, greater rest, greater joy.

My family will be gone to Thailand & Cambodia for 3 weeks starting on my 40th! We have a lot to celebrate and so are making it a trip of a lifetime.

Picture from my garden!

Encircling

There is a Celtic melody that has been haunting me for over a year now. Haunting me in the best sense of the word - when I sleep, when I wake, when I walk through the woods - it is there. And the truth of it seeps deeper and deeper as the months go by. The imagery of the words speaks of the Divine as Encircling. I have been very aware also of the femenine aspect of the Divine which as a mother would reach out with encircling arms. I didn't grow up being aware that God was anything other that male......but that has deeply changed! If I am created in the image of God, then my femeninity is rooted in God's very being. Male and Female, we are both equally rooted in God. It is helpful then to imagine God in both femenine and masculine ways. God as my warrior protector. God as my nurturing, caressing mother. God as my valiant father. God as my gentle and kind healer.

The Mighty Three

My protection be

Encircling me

You are around

My life, my home

O Sacred Three

The Mighty Three

Articles on the web:

Here are two articles that are available on the web:
This is a review about the Rest CD produced last fall by
gemma & co.
http://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/News/tabid/27/ctl/ViewArticle/ArticleId/408/mid/486/Default.aspx

This is an article printed in the MB Herald regarding
how Taize music has affected my life:
http://www.mbherald.com/46/03/people-2.en.html

To know more about the Rest CD by gemma & co. go to:

www.communitascare.com/store

My daughter, Brianna, carved this bird soapstone last spring. She gave it to me just as I was heading into the recording for the rest CD. She had no idea
of the significance it was for me at the time. I was fighting a lot of self-doubt as I was entering into this musical project, yet at the same time, I had such a passion to create the sounds I was hearing internally for so long. I felt very 'pregnant' with the CD. The bird had become symbolic of freedom for me - freedom to LIVE & to be all that God has created me to be. And that means to sing. Singing is a strange thing - it really puts you 'out there'. So, one really needs to believe that one can! It is pretty vulnerable to pour one's heart out through music. However, as all true musicians really know, there comes a point where you NEED to sing, or else something in you begins to die. So, for me to live IS to sing and to rest in that. This bird was a gift that confirmed that. Thank you Brianna!

Are you ready for a Silent Retreat?
Together with the Mark Centre staff
& a team of spiritual directors,
I will be leading & participating in a 3 day silent retreat
late November, 2007.

If you are interested- please contact
the Mark Centre
http://www.markcentre.org/

This retreat has just been confirmed and I am
so excited to set aside this time as a way to enter into the season of Advent. It will be open for 12 people to participate in. These times that are set aside for silence have changed my life profoundly and I invite you to share this one with me.

Journey into Silence -
Part III

The inner path.....
Silence invited me to come to rest with myself. If one is not talking, creating activity, or constantly looking outwards for stimulation, one must eventually face herself.
Silence invited me to face things about me that were restless, uncomfortable, and painful & downright ugly. I couldn't ignore those areas for very long when forced to be with myself.
However, the greater discovery was that the journey within not only led to greater self-awareness but 'God awareness'. God was not something 'out there' that I had to be striving towards. God was not 'far off' and 'distant'. When I came to be looking within, I found God's presence more strongly than ever and it was within my being. The invitation to 'be still and know that I am God' from Psalms became a reality.....and it was through the gift of silence. Silence made me aware of a Beautiful Presence who has created me, who heals me and who redeems me.

One might think that all of this inner work causes one to become too introspective...or 'belly gazing'. However, I have found the opposite is true. That the more I become at rest in my inner life with God, the more I am able to recognize that Presence in others and have a desire to love and honor others in my life. It deepens the community around me as I am not looking so much to others to meet my needs, but I am becoming more at rest and can allow others to also be at rest in who they have been created to be.

This photo is taken at Heritage Park in Mission......the path in the woods which I love.

Journey into Silence - Part II

It was a 3 day silent retreat that I took in
southern Georgia that profoundly affected my
personal life. I am still affected by that retreat and it is 9 years later. It wasn't an open space of nothing for 3 days, but a time of intentional listening, of receiving spiritual direction for one hour each day, and of deep rest.
The guidance that came to me in silence during that time gave me courage in making some huge decisions that I am still bearing the impact of to this day.

"The beginning of prayer is silence...God speaking in the silence of the heart. And then we start talking to God from the fullness of the heart. And He listens. ......That is really prayer. Both sides listening and both sides speaking." Mother Teresa

photo from Heritage Park, Mission, B.C.

Journey into Silence

- Part I

It wasn't by choice or desire that I was introduced to the world of silence.

I was silenced by pain and turmoil. It wasn't a comfortable silence. It wasn't a restful silence. It wasn't a peaceful silence. It became a desperate silence. God, are you really there? What the hell is going on? I lost my speech. I lost my song. I almost lost my breath. During this time the forced silence became an invitational silence towards something deeper and richer than my current situation.

When I first experienced a 5 minute intentional silent period in a group of Anglicans, all the inner pain, restlessness, anxiety shot to the surface. I was extremely agitated. The interesting thing was what I observed in myself later. That the intentional silence in that group that was aimed at opening ourselves up to God, fostered a space inside of me for listening that seemed to create more awareness throughout the days that followed. More 5 minutes in groups, 10 minutes and soon there was a whole day of silence.

To my surprise, I gradually grew hungry for this silence, which then opened up a space for listening inside of me. This space for listening began to surprise me. It opened up a greater awareness of what was happening in my life and in the situation I found myself a part of. It opened up an awareness of God's voice coming to me when I least expected it. It was like finding a '6th sense' and learning how it works and that it could be a daily part of my human experience here on this earth - being connected with the Divine.

This is a partial picture of a painting by my daughter, Pera. The night sky speaks to me of the journey into silence.

Upcoming Taize Service at Westminster Abbey in Mission

Experience an hour of rest in a beautiful setting through song, silence, scripture and candlelight.

Saturday, May 26, 2007 8-9pm

Here is an invitation to be carried in the arms of the Shepherd and rest....

Intuition and Flexibility - the Giraffe Story

It was this spring that I got invited to participate as an artist in a local elementary school. My job was to help the class of grade 2 students experience making a piece of individual art as well as help groups of students make a project together that could be sold to raise money for their school playground.

The process of this art was one that I enjoy - applying acyrlic paint in the primary colors to a canvas. Then, one layers more and more paint. The result can be an astonishing assortment of color and shapes. The process then invites the artist (s) to 'see' something in the art that they wish to develop or bring out. In one of the group projects the 6 children involved saw an animal. At first they wondered if it should be a camel, but then they decided on a giraffe. I am not a very accomplished artist and I didn't know how to help them create this giraffe. They watched me full of hope- I was the 'artist'- surely I knew what to do. So, I tried. I thought it looked absolutely horrible! But because the children had so much faith in me, I could not give up. In the end, this Giraffe became one of my favorite paintings from the experience and I bought it myself. I found out the the giraffe is a symbol of 'intuition and flexibility'. This painting is on display in my home as a wonderful symbol to me of the faith & intuitive knowing of a child and as an invitation to be flexible regarding how I face a task or a challenge.

Thoughts on beauty

Lately I've been captivated by the idea, the majesty, the wonder, the splendor of beauty. I have realized that there has been a lot of shame in my life around the concept of beauty. Somehow in my growing up, I got the idea that to really enjoy beauty was linked with vanity, selfishness, & a slippery slope towards hedonism. Being female and holding a somewhat negative idea of beauty has brought a bit of a clash for me; or perhaps I should say a cautioned hesitancy towards beauty. My female heart is drawn towards pleasing shapes and lines, towards colors that evoke a mood or a thought, towards sounds that touch my inner self - I have realized that beauty feeds me. Beauty refreshes me. To hold a new tulip and be in wonder at it's color and shape, the long straight line of the stem, the rounded curves of the petals is a showcase of beauty. Did not our Creator delight in beauty? Is beauty not something that is a tremendous gift for our hearts and perhaps a deep reflection of the Divine? Lately I've been singing together with a friend once a week. We just sit in a beautiful setting an sing one hour per week - no agenda to perform. Just experience the beauty of a song. Recently we sang a chant that had Navajo words regarding beauty.

In beauty happily I walk

With beauty behind me I walk

With beauty before me I walk

With beauty all around me I walk

It is finished in beauty, It is finished in beauty.

These words remind me of Julian of Norich - all shall be well, and all matter of things shall be well. They also remind me of the prayers of St. Patrick - Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ above me, Christ all around me.

Rest, Inspirations from Taize

gemma & co.

(Cathy Hardy, Karin Dart & musical friends)

Rest CD Info

To order 'rest CD' or to listen to excerpts go to:

http://www.mccscs.com/store

to contact Cathy Hardy regarding concerts/services please e-mail:

kateajhardy@shaw.ca

Taize Services for 2007

in Abbotsford, B.C.

Sundays at 8pm - unless otherwise indicated

Jan 28 – Highland Community Church

Services for Lent
Feb 25 - St. Mtts Anglican
Mar 4 - Highland Community
March 11 – St. Mtts Anglican
March 18 – Highland Community
March 25 – St. Mtts Anglican
April 1 – Highland Community (Palm Sunday)

Friday, April 6 – St. Matthew’s Anglican Church (Good Friday)

Spring Services
April 29 - Highland Community Church
Saturday, May 26 – Westminster Abbey, Mission

photo by Lorie Martin - taken in Wales 2006

Week of Christian Unity Service

January 21, 2007 - 6 pm An ecumenical service

for the Week of Christian Unity

led by Kevin Boese and Cathy Hardy

........with a heart for standing with those that

are suffering around the world and in our community

This service will hold many elements - liturgical,
upbeat, Taize-like, silence and sound.......

it is a service birthed out of South Africa & shared around the globe during this week.

Come and pray together with us

Bakerview MB Church in Clearbrook - 6pm

December 17th - 'Making Room for Him' at the Mark Centre

www.markcentre.org

There is no Taize service on December 17th, but if you are wanting to be in Sacred Space to prepare your heart during this Advent Season, join Karin and I at the Mark Centre where we will be participating in 'Making Room for Him'. This is an Open House at this retreat centre, where each room will be a place where one can take time to prepare one's heart through accessing the different senses. Karin and I will be playing music in the chapel from 5:00-6:30pm. The Open House is from 4-7pm.

2006 Advent Taize Services

December 3rd - Highland Community Church 8pm

December 10th- St. Mtts Anglican Church - time changed to 7:30pm

CD Celebration to follow service at 8:30 in Parish Hall due to cancellation of Nov. 26th service.

This photo was taken by my friend, Lorie Martin, on a recent trip to Alaska.

The mountains call
out to me
They speak through their beauty
Of One who is
beyond all things
Giver of Life
Hope of my dreams

A bird takes flight
And lifts me up
To see beyond my current sight
To One who is beyond all things
Giver of Life
Hope of my dreams

The ocean vast
So deep and wide
As is your love, sure as the tide
The One who is beyond all things
Giver of Life
Hope of my dreams

a new song.......
Cathy Hardy
copyright 2006

Fall 2006
Taize Services in the Fraser Valley

All services are from 8-9pm (except November 26)

Sept 24 - St. Mathew’s Anglican Church
Oct 29 - Highland Community Church
Nov 26 - St. Mathew's Anglican Church
7:30 -8:30 pm
After the service we will have a Open House Celebration for the
CD Project, Rest, which will be available at that time.
The Open House will be held in the Parish Hall at St. Mtts.


Advent
Dec. 3 Highland Community Church
Dec.10 St. Mathew’s Anglican Church
Dec. 17 unconfirmed location

The CD, Rest, by gemma & co., is now available for pre-order at:
www.mccscs.com/store

The musical team of Cathy Hardy & Karin Dart is now named gemma and the musical team surrounding them from many faith communities in the Fraser Valley is collectively named, gemma & co. The CD Rest, is comprised of 8 songs from the community of Taize and 6 original pieces from Cathy & Karin, 3 of these being harp instrumental.
Proceeds from this CD project support MCC Supportive Care.

A sample of the upcoming CD is available at this website:
www.elevatemusic.ca


click on the 'vault' and it will take a few minutes to load.

The CD will be called Rest and will contain 9 Taize songs and 3 original tracks from Karin Dart and 3 original tracks from Cathy Hardy. The CD is currently being mixed by Phillip Janz. Hopefully it will be ready for sale in September.

Peace to you all!

Saturday, May 27, 2006
Taize Service at
Westminster Abbey
8-9pm

This will be the final Taize service of this season,
the next service happening at the end of Septemeber, 2006.

CD PROJECT
Our musicians are also heading into recording a Taize CD project during June and July! Hopefully we will have something ready for September/October to sell. We are working with MCC Supportive Care for this project so it is a non-profit adventure supporting people with disabilities and people in hospice. We are open to other musicians joining us for the recording of 4 songs on June 19 and 20th. If you have a great desire to join us, please contact me. If you are interested in supporting this project and would like to make a contribution to MCC Supportive Care , please contact them @ 1-800-622-5455 or email music@mccscs.com.

Peace to you all.