I engage in the conversation because every voice matters.
I joined Substack in August, 2022. Previously I published articles on the subject of the craft of writing at tinafriesen.com and also completed a novel which is in the final editing stage.
I have websites where I write about faith, family and country. In recent years I shifted to more politically engaged writing.
My personal faith informs my writing. I believe in God who holds the future and is actively involved in directing the world for good. All that I do is rooted in the firm belief that each person has infinite value and a unique purpose which we can discover when we yield to God’s guidance in our lives.
Canada has just elected a new leader of the Conservative party, Pierre Poilievre. Yesterday there was cheering and well-wishing on the streets of Ottawa. People are excited about the possibility of positive change. My first impulse is to help in some way to accomplish the many changes Poilievre has proposed during his leadership campaign. Our country has just come through a traumatic time and the bedrock of our democracy is being challenged.
Trouble shooting is my forte. I get excited about creating efficient systems, removing impediments and implementing workable solutions. As a child I learned the value of a job well done, whether it was sewing my graduation gown, harvesting and canning produce from two large gardens alongside my mother, or working at my first job as a dishwasher. The busier the restaurant became the happier I was. I loved to challenge myself to work faster and smarter.
But there is another side to me. The reflective side. The writer, the musician, the artist. And yet another, the counsellor, the helper.
My childhood ambition was to become a teacher. My husband and I and our two young sons moved to the Philippines for a rich cross-cultural experience, teaching in a Bible School for five years. We returned to our home town of Steinbach, Manitoba and four years later we left for Vancouver Island and opened River of Life Church in our townhouse basement. To supplement our income we became bi-vocational and ran a Tea Room in Duncan, B.C. We loved the hospitality industry.
Nine years later we left the island to attend college on the mainland. I completed my BA in church ministries with a major in counselling, graduating with highest honours following the birth of our first grandchild. I highly recommend pursuing higher education later in life. Few things give me as much joy as learning alongside the younger generation.
I have also worked in the medical system, both in a hospital and a doctor’s office in the department of medical records and reception. I’ve held two positions as an educator and live-in caregiver for mentally challenged adults. I also provided live-in care for a senior the year before my husband and I were married.
My earliest volunteer work was as a playground assistant. Since then I have taught in children’s ministries and served as a worship leader. I’ve also enjoyed directing Christmas dramas and choral groups. I home schooled our sons and when they returned to public school I served on the school Parent Advisory Counsel.
I consider my most important role to be that of a wife and mother. Creating a harmonious home and raising well-adjusted children to adulthood is probably the most important contribution one can make to society.
My motto for life is to be “faithful in the little things.” Jesus taught us that if we would be faithful in little things we would in time become rulers over much. When we apply our skills we become more competent and can accept more responsibility. In my library I have books on a wide selection of subjects and I continuously challenge myself to learn and find ways to implement the insights I glean.
I am in deep debt to the many who have enriched my life with their love and support and given me opportunities in my journey to serve and to grow. I would not be here without their influence and my desire is to give back in turn.