Time keeps moving. And if I’m not careful, I tend to move with it — not intentionally, just drifting along like a leaf in a current.
Lately it has felt like there’s been lots happening and also nothing happening. No dramatic life shift. No big announcement. Just a collection of small changes, small projects, and the slow work of trying to keep things moving in the right direction.
A Small Rebrand with a Bigger Meaning
One of the more “official” changes is a rebrand.
Because of some legal friction, From Gravel Hill has become From Gravel Hill Enterprises. On the surface it’s a minor adjustment — just a couple extra words. But in practice it marks a shift from “my little personal brand” into something that more clearly represents what I’ve actually been doing for a while: a bunch of small pieces of work here and there, now gathered under one proper umbrella.
It feels strange to formalise something that started as “I’ll just build a few pages and see what happens,” but it also feels right. If I’m going to do work, I may as well do it properly.
Two Gospel Websites Right Out of the Gate
The timing was interesting, because almost immediately after making that change, two websites came in — both Gospel-focused.
High Arctic Good News
The first is an expansion of the Pond Inlet outreach work I mentioned before. It has grown from being “Pond Inlet focused” into something aimed at the broader High Arctic region.
The goal for that site was simple and deliberate:
- minimal interface
- low data usage
- fast load times
- no tracking
- clean presentation of Scripture and simple Gospel explanations
That kind of approach matters in a place where bandwidth and data aren’t always abundant, and where the point is not to impress anyone, it’s to make the message clear and accessible.
Steve and Heidi McCandless have been faithfully serving up there. I’ve been fortunate to meet them through the Gospel Hall community (their son attends the same hall as I do). It’s been encouraging to see the Lord’s work continuing in places most of us will never visit, and it felt meaningful to contribute in a small way.
Site:
https://higharcticgoodnews.ca/
Rosebank Gospel Hall Refresh
The second project was a refresh of the Rosebank Gospel Hall site.
This one needed more work than the High Arctic site. It wasn’t just “build a small simple page.” It was more of a full re-think, moving away from the archive-heavy style that I tend to run (because I’m obsessed with organising and preserving things), and toward something more clearly evangelical / outreach oriented.
Brody hired me to modernise it and shift the focus. The before-and-after difference is one of those things that makes the time worth it. The best part is that he seems pleased with it so far, and he’s talking about keeping me on for monthly check-ups and updates, which is good for both of us.
Site:
https://rosebankgospelhall.ca/
A Wedding Site as a Gift (and a Gift Back)
On the non-paying side, more a gift than a job, I also put together a small website for Justin and Charlotte’s wedding.
Nothing complicated. Just a simple place for them to share photos, audio/video, and whatever else they want their friends and family to have easy access to. The goal was convenience: one link, everything in one place, no hunting through messages or social posts.
Site:
https://jcmw.fromgravelhill.ca/
And while I’m here, I also want to say thank you to Justin and Charlotte for a thoughtful gift they gave me. I don’t expect gifts, and I’m never quite sure how to receive them properly, but it meant a lot all the same.
Small Projects Add Up
Beyond those headline items, there have been a handful of smaller tasks, little bits of work that don’t sound like much individually, but they add up over time.
Alongside all of that is my actual job: bookkeeping and office management with BD Mechanical Services Ltd. Marcus is a good friend and a fair boss, hard to read sometimes (in the way quiet people often are), but steady and reasonable. I’m grateful for the work, and grateful that I’m trusted to handle the kind of details that keep a company running even when nobody notices.
The End of March Always Hits Differently
On the personal side, the end of March and the beginning of April will probably always be hard.
March 30th was Emily’s and my anniversary. April 2nd was her birthday. We used to book time off and celebrate both together every year, and it helped that it usually lined up with tax season, which meant a little extra money to splurge with. (Leave it to me to connect romance with tax returns, but that’s genuinely how it worked.)
Those dates still land with weight. Even when life is busy, the calendar quietly taps you on the shoulder and says, “Remember.”
Finally Sorting Out the CRA Mess
After a long and frustrating battle with government systems, something got resolved that had been hanging over me for too long.
There was an issue tied to my SIN. What the issue actually was… no one ever explained clearly. But it was real enough to block progress, and it was fixed enough that things finally started moving.
That change meant I was able to access Emily’s CRA account properly and file her final return. Those ones still require physical mailing, so they’ve been sent in and received, and now I wait. Apparently it can take up to eight weeks for review.
At the same time, I was behind on my own taxes, and after enough procrastination to make it officially embarrassing, I finally sat down and worked through it all. In the end I managed to complete and file 2022 through 2025. Being caught up feels like a strange form of relief, the kind you don’t realise you need until it’s done. And I won’t pretend it wasn’t nice to realise it also means a return, plus back-paid carbon rebates and credits.
Sometimes obedience is spiritual. Sometimes it’s just filling out forms like an adult.
Getting the Physical World Back Under Control
In the middle of all of this, I’ve been trying to get life organised again, not just online, but physically too.
The office area is finally approaching usable. It’s not perfect, but it’s no longer the same chaotic “pile room” it was for a while. Once a printer riser comes in the mail (to make the layout make sense), the desk should actually be usable in a way that doesn’t feel like a puzzle.
There are still books to organise properly, and right now they’re mostly just “moved into the shelving area” rather than truly sorted, but even that is progress. I’m learning that sometimes the first step is just getting things off the floor and into a place where they can be dealt with.
Ministry and the Quiet Fear of Repeating What Everyone Knows
Spiritually, I’m still progressing, with plenty of stumbles along the way.
I’ve been asked to speak in the Gospel at the hall twice recently. One of those times I suspect was partly because the options were thin due to another event, but either way, I took the opportunity. I also spoke at the Willows, and on Zoom recently, and there have been prayers in a few meetings and a short word one Lord’s Day morning.
I still wrestle with the same thought every time: What can I say that everyone there doesn’t already know?
But I’m trying to shift my focus away from impressing anyone (including myself), and toward simply sharing what I believe the Lord has placed on my mind, even if it’s simple, even if it’s familiar. The Lord doesn’t always use novelty. Often He uses reminders.
So for now, I keep moving forward. The rebrand needs to be applied across the rest of my sites, and the “business side” needs to be tidied up into something consistent. The projects continue. Life continues. Time continues.
And I’d like to continue with it, but with more purpose than drift.
Till later.