so this is life

Giveaway at Jesus Needs New PR!

2009-11-17T11:00:00.000-04:00

http://jesusneedsnewpr.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-tomlin-christmas-stocking.html

Obama 08

2008-11-11T16:36:00.003-04:00

I'm Canadian, so I guess in some ways I don't have a right or reason to have an opinion on the recent election. I read two blogs pretty regularly, though, one by Jen Lancaster, who is an unashamed Republican from Chicago, and one by Heather Armstrong, an open Democrat from Utah. Recently they both posted what I considered to be quite fair and honest responses to the election. I was impressed, to say the least, that neither took the opportunity to tear apart the other team's politics, but spoke from the heart... read on if you're interested.

Jennsylvania (R)

Dooce (D) - last two paragraphs

"The Girl in the Window"

2008-08-07T14:22:00.003-03:00

I found this article through dooce. I'm still in shock that a mother could do this.

***Warning*** This article will make you cry.

It makes me want to do everything I can to make sure that every child is loved. In the whole world.

People ask me all the time what I want to do when I graduate, and that's it, really - I want to love children the way Christ loves them, and teach them to love others in the same way. That's my career goal, in a nutshell.

Another quote:

2008-05-22T23:35:00.003-03:00

"Christianity can be built around isolating ourselves from evildoers and sinners, creating a community of religious piety and moral purity. That's the Christianity I grew up with. Christianity can also be built around joining with the broken sinners and evildoers of our world crying out to God, groaning for grace. That's the Christianity I have fallen in love with."
- The Irresistible Revolution

As I didn't really grow up in the Church, the first statement is more "That was my understanding of Christianity, growing up," for me. And this paragraph, and a conversation I had earlier tonight about my dislike for the word 'religion,' make me wonder - how do we get people to see the difference? It's one thing for me, on the inside, so to speak, and (hopefully) at least working toward the second definition, to understand the difference. But for people who don't seek to follow God at all, and only see Christianity from the outside... how do we help them to see the difference?

The Irresistible Revolution

2008-05-20T18:15:00.003-03:00

"Simplicity is meaningful only inasmuch as it is grounded in love, authentic relationships, and interdependence. Redistribution then springs naturally out of our rebirth, from a vision of family that is larger than biology or nationalism. As we consider what it means to be "born again," as the evangelical jargon goes, we must ask what it means to be born again into a family in which our brothers and sisters are starving to death. Then we begin to see why rebirth and redistribution are inextricably bound up in one another, as a growing number of evangelicals have come to proclaim. It also becomes scandalous for the church to spend money on windows and buildings when some family members don't even have water. Welcome to the dysfunctional family of Yahweh."
The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical

Think what you will about Shane Claiborne, his theology, or his books - but this paragraph really struck me today. I don't know exactly how it will apply to my life but I have a feeling I won't be able to go on living the same way with this concept swimming around in my brain...

Thoughts?

My introduction to South Park was... interesting.

2008-05-18T22:39:00.004-03:00

So I'm talking to a really good friend of mine tonight and he keeps saying the most incredibly stupid things ever and I keep thinking YOU ARE SO FRUSTRATING but you know what? We end up having a really great talk and he admits he's being ridiculous. And then turns around and says some really great stuff to me when I start baring my ridiculous-ness too. So I guess we're all a little ridiculous sometimes, and it's probably okay. Just as long as we have people we can show that to without them running away screaming in abject terror.

I went to Halifax this weekend for the rally formerly known as May Rally/the rally formerly known as Hillside Rally which was a rally that happened in May at Hillside but was called neither of those things. If someone can explain to me the logic behind that, I will give them the couch I'm sitting on - except you'll have to give it back before the people who own it come back from Georgia. So, maybe I won't give it to you, unless you're really looking for a loaner couch until early- to mid-August. Anyway, the rally was decent. I had a lot of fun representing the school and got to see a lot of really fun people.

I stayed with Ryan and Sarah Wiedmaier, aka Mr. and Mrs. Freakish Oaf, who are expecting a Mini Oaf sometime in the fall. I stayed on the pull-out couch which had the incredible feature of a distinct slant, not toward the foot which would make feel like I was going to slide out of bed, but toward the head which made me feel like at any minute the couch might EAT ME. It honestly made bedtime about 10000x more exciting, never knowing if I may wake up entangled in the springs of this couch and need to be freed by the jaws of life. This may also have had something to do with the blood slowly flowing to my head. Now I want my actual bed on a slant too - flat beds are dull. Obv.

The whole concept of the weekend in Halifax was really almost too much for me to handle. I got an email from the Admissions Director at the college asking me if I would go. Let me expand - asking me if, were she to rent me a car, pay for my food, and PAY ME to go home for the weekend... would I go. I thought it must be a seriously delayed April Fool's Day joke but then I remembered that no one on this campus has a sense of humor that developed so I of course told her I would do it. She then asked me if I was sure and I immediately marched over to her office, shook her and said ARE YOU CRAZY, OF COURSE I'LL LET YOU PAY ME TO GO HOME FOR A WEEKEND AND YOU CAN EVEN PAY ME TO READ MAGAZINES AND WATCH MOVIES TOO, ANY TIME YOU WANT. So needless to say, I now have a fabulous job doing freelance ANYTHING for the college.

If only that last part were true.

I really did get a cute little rental car, a school credit card for gas and meals, and a nice little tax-free payment, all to go home and visit with friends for a weekend, and talk to teens about God's call on their lives. I could get used to this.

obv.

2008-03-02T03:27:00.003-04:00

Well, it's been a little while since I've posted.

School is going well. I'm owning this semester and am totally going to be on Dean's List.

It's March Break. I'm so happy... I needed the time away. Will post with more details later, probably.

I really miss, in no particular order:

Devon
The Thomases
The rest of my family
Phil Merriman
Jessiqua
Julie Mc
Becca Fitz

I got a cute new bathing suit and still have not had a chance to wear it...

Also, I really want to go to Saigon Thai again soon.

And I'm hungry.
Those are my current thoughts.

What's the deal?

2007-11-21T00:24:00.001-04:00

Have you ever noticed how dumb our brains are sometimes? Especially female ones (I could be wrong - maybe guys have this issue too. But it definitely seems to be more of a problem for girls).

How is it, that 98% of your time with someone can be really great and happy, but it's that other 2% that you remember. The one thing they said in that one conversation that just rubbed you the wrong way and still bugs you, or the one time they forgot to come get you for lunch. Why does that stuff overshadow the overwhelming majority of the time when things are good? Is that just human nature? Can you change that? Does giving less weight to the negative 2% have to mean ignoring it altogether? How do you give it the attention it needs but not let it become too important?

Thoughts?

Engrish!

2007-08-13T10:42:00.000-03:00

I got a photo on Engrish! I took it at Toys R Us in Tokyo, Japan.

www.engrish.com

Click on "Recent Discoveries" (sidebar on the left) and then go to August 13.

Two of my new favorite commercials:

2007-08-10T23:10:00.000-03:00

Go meat, meat
Go meat, meat
That salad rocks the best
Make it easy, at your desk
It's second to none
Just add lettuce and you're done
It's crazy girl, I swear -
There is so much stuff in there!
S-s-s-salad!
A meaty salad!
Why?
Because you hungry, you hungry
Your mama says you hungry
When I say "Hillshire" you say "Farm"
Hillshire - Farm
Go meat!

I said a beef hot link!
I said a beef hot link!
I said a beef hot link
I said a beef hot link
I said a brat, beef kilbasa, hot smoked sausage cheddarworst
I said a brat, beef kilbasa, hot smoked sausage cheddarworst
When I say "Hillshire" you say "Farm"
Hillshire - Farm
Go meat!

If you've seen them, you'll know how funny they are. If you haven't... this post is meaningless. :)

Lucky for you... you can see these two (and more!) at www.hillshirefarm.com! Yay!

I love my job.

2007-08-04T14:35:00.000-03:00

This is who I work for:

(L-R Josh Harris, Drew Wallace, Cory Doiron, Dana Budovitch, Chris Horsman)

I'm pretty sure I have the best summer job in the entire world. :)

A quote I read today in an interview:

"I loathe people who say, 'I always read the ending of the book first.' That really irritates me," she said. "It's like someone coming to dinner, just opening the fridge and eating pudding, while you're standing there still working on the starter. It's not on."
- J.K. Rowling

My sister might be moving to Switzerland next year to be an Au Pair for a family there. It's such a cool opportunity for her and makes me a teeny bit jealous. :)

I'm watching Stuart Little - I've never seen it before and it's really cute!

I had a brilliant idea for an event that I want to have this year... I'm so excited about it! Kelly remind me to tell you all about it next time I talk to you.

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo...

2007-06-22T21:21:00.000-03:00

Well, it's been quite the exciting time in Ye Olde Towne of Sussex (I read somewhere recently that the Y in words like "ye" is actually a "th" sound. Whenever they were establishing letters and things like that, they based a lot of it on Roman letters. The letter Y was the closest thing to the Roman letter/symbol for "th," so that's what they went with).

Random thought - I find it ironic when there's a fire on the same day as a huge rainstorm. It's like... shouldn't everything be really wet?

Last weekend (my first one here) was fantastic. I laid around all day, watched Friends, and drank coffee. I also ran into Christine Blaikie, which was really fun, and she invited me over to her house on Tuesday night to watch Pirates of the Caribbean. And trust me, living alone in JP, an invite to anything is pretty much the most exciting thing ever. Plus I love Christine!

Last Sunday night, it rained, and I was feeling a little stir-crazy, so I went outside (barefoot - soo nice, plus it was warm), and wandered around for a while. I had a squished loaf of bread that I didn't want any more, so I ripped it up into little pieces and threw them all over my lawn thinking it would be fun to watch all the birds come and eat the bread.

Yeah. They wouldn't come.

So I took some of the little pieces of bread, and followed the birds around with it, throwing it on the ground, hoping they'd eventually come. I even tried yelling "Hey, come eat my stupid bread you dumb birds!"

Still nothing. So I gave up.

Monday morning the bread was still there, but Tuesday it was mostly gone. When I came home for lunch that day, it was all gone - and that's when I remembered that I'm actually kind of terrified of birds. You see, last summer, there was this one spot on my walk to work where there must have been a nest or something, because there were two birds who would literally swoop down at my head (and yes - they made contact on several occasions) as I was trying to walk past. I actually had to find an entirely new (and longer) route to work.

Well, since I threw bread all over my lawn, and the birds finally found it, I guess they got kind of territorial. For the last few days, whenever I come home, these two birds fly behind me, hopping from perch to perch, cawing at me and being very menacing. It's quite scary.

Well - this morning, I came out to leave for work and guess what I almost stepped on: a desgusting, dead bird. It was right on the sidewalk, about 4 inches from my doorstep. I called Kevin to have him come take it away but he must've gotten busy, so I guess it'll be there all weekend. The other scary bird didn't bother me this afternoon, so maybe this will be the end of the bird saga.

Living alone has forced me to really see what I'm made of - and it turns out, I'm a big baby. I've successfully killed 3 spiders this week, but I've screamed out loud every time I've seen one (and I live in fear of the one that I flushed down the toilet - I'm convinced it's going to come back up while I'm sleeping and eat me). I bawl my eyes out over silly TV shows (tonight they played the Full House episode where Papouli dies... I was done for), or sappy songs, or pictures, or even just when I wake up in the morning (waking up is HARD!).

Working 8-5 every day, I've decided to switch (partially) to decaf. While I'm not actually addicted to caffeine, it does have an effect on me if I drink it too late. So now, I drink coffee in the morning, then at noon I switch to decaf. It's working out really well so far - I think the decaf is having a placebo effect, wherein simply the taste of coffee perks me up. :)

Robyn and T-Shane have been gone all week, which hasn't really been all that different - I only hung out with them twice between when I got here and when they left anyway. It will be nice to have them back though, and hopefully we can hang out more.

I found out yesterday that I'm moving in to TP (the really nice dorm) next Friday because of a basketball camp, and Kirk's letting me stay all summer since I'll be living there in the fall anyway! I'm really excited about this. It'll mean being a lot farther from the lounge (kitchen and living room... kind of crucial when you're living alone), but it'll be a much bigger room and I'll be able to really settle in.

Oh! Today, I had a bunch of work to do in the chapel for Dave, so I dug out AJ Thomas's tapes from his two sermons at Bethany (Body Life [Encounter], and MOSP). They were really good. It was neat to hear how his preaching had changed and improved over the last 7 years. My favorite quote was this:

"I honestly think that MacMillan and Branscombe know more about some books of the Bible than the people who actually wrote them. ..... Someday Branscombe will be sitting up in Heaven with David, and he'll say, "Look! A chiasm!" and David will say, "Well, would you look at that...""

It was really neat listening to his sermons in the chapel, too - knowing that he had preached them in that room, and like.. I don't know. It was almost like the ghosts of all the people who were there were in the room again - not in a creepy way, just in a legacy kind of way. I was setting up chairs in the chapel, and listening to AJ preach from the platform right in front of me. If I closed my eyes I could almost pretend it was happening for real life instead of playing on an old cassette. Maybe that doesn't make sense to anyone else, but it was cool for me.

Well, anyway - my coffee (decaf) is gone, and the mosquitoes are driving me crazy. Oh, did I mention my internet disappeared? It was there at lunch today, then when I got home, it wasn't even showing up on my computer. So I've been sitting outside TP using the wireless here. Oh, the joys of living on an empty college campus...

In His Second Year

2007-06-19T07:25:00.000-03:00

I love the time when he first wakes
From his afternoon nap.
I listen for the pad of his bare feet in the hall.
He stands there, silently gazing at me, yawning
And rubbing his eyes with his fists.
I gather him up,
Still soft and rosy with sleep.
He curls in my lap,
His head against me, his eyes half open,
And together we silently rock.
He is so gentle, so little
And so very vulnerable.
I hold him and love him selfishly;
He is my baby again
For these few short minutes.
Then slowly his drowsiness dissolves.
He wiggles and squirms to get away
And explore this all-too-exciting world.
I can hold him no longer.
He struggles down and runs laughing from me.
I return to the kitchen,
But I am content.
For a fleeting, too-brief moment,
I had captured a butterfly in its flight.
- Michele Ivy Davis

Obviously this poem doesn't entirely apply to me, but I really like it and it kind of reminds me of when Isaac wakes up at 5:30 am. :)

Days 2 & 3: Sussex

2007-06-13T16:26:00.000-03:00

Things that have happened since my last post:

- Heard a really funny phone message from Caleb Medders (Kelly - remind me to tell you about it)
- Drove Anne Medders' car
- Drove Dave Klob's car
- Got my stuff (bedding, dishes) out of storage
- Realized I got the wrong box and still have no bedding
- Had an emotional breakdown watching Super Nanny haha
- Put 300+ stamps on envelopes and loved every second of it
- Went grocery shopping

Broken is coming tonight on their way to their second camp, and Kari and Sarah are staying in JP with me. It'll be fun to have other people around, but I wish I'd known sooner - my stuff is EVERYWHERE! haha Oh well

Day 1: Sussex

2007-06-11T22:42:00.000-03:00

Finished my first day living/working in Sussex. Here are some highlights:

- Anne Medders is hilarious
- Got to do some Photoshopping for Dave, which is always fun
- Put velcro on the back of summer team displays until my fingers actually bled (it was funny, don't worry)
- Ate fast food twice (all my dishes are still in storage)
- My Ving card stopped working, causing me to be locked out of JP at lunch
- Went for ice cream/to Wal-Mart with T-Shane and Robyn
- Got a Flickr PRO account
- Acquired a plastic fork to go with my one Shrek glass
- Was given something by Dave to bring to Anne this morning, and promptly left it on Dave's desk... hoping it's still there in the morning when I go to get it

Anyway, all in all it's going really well thus far. I really think this is going to be a great job for the summer. :) I'm very excited.

Where are the tumbleweeds?

2007-06-11T00:13:00.000-03:00

Random points:

:: My friend Kelly is a crazy nutbar.

:: Campus is weird without 200+ people wandering around.

:: I haven't seen Rob & Shane; I'm not entirely convinced they're actually here. ;)

:: I am definitely not addicted to caffeine (and I'm not in denial).

:: I'm homesick for Halifax - well, for the people, not so much the city. If the Wiedmaiers & the Thomases would just move here I'd be happy.

:: Most of my stuff is in storage, so I have no bedding yet (I'm sleeping on the couch in the lounge tonight), and I have no dishes (I got a $1.99 Shrek glass from McDonalds for my coffee in the morning).

:: My scalp hurts from being in a tight ponytail.

:: I sang on worship team this morning; it was terrifying and awesome.

On mopping and stupid dogs.

2007-06-01T13:26:00.000-03:00

2 years ago (I know - was it really that long ago?) I wrote a post called "On laundry and temper tantrums." Well, this is chapter 2.

Early Morning:
1. Wake up at 6am to hear 4 1/2 year old screaming "Bob the Builder! Can we fix it?" at the top of his lungs, and 1 1/2 year old just screaming at the top of his lungs.
2. Roll over.
3. Shush 1 1/2 year old.
4. Close eyes. Try to remember what sleep felt like.
5. Get up. Wrap 1 1/2 year old in blanket. Lift from crib.
6. Revel in blessed peace that comes with silence as both children stop screaming.
7. Help 4 1/2 year old down from top bunk.
8. Make coffee. Sweet, sweet coffee.
9. Snuggle with 1 1/2 year old while 4 1/2 year old plays a computer game.
10. Thank God for sweet moments such as these.

Sunny Afternoon:
1. Take children, dog, and coffee on the deck.
2. Try, in vain, to tame dog which has suddenly gone crazy.
3. Tell 4 1/2 year old to get out of Rubbermaid tote.
4. Chat and enjoy coffee.
5. Tell 4 1/2 year old to get out of Rubbermaid tote.
6. Try to stop dog from harassing 1 1/2 year old.
7. Tell 4 1/2 year old to get out of Rubbermaid tote.
8. Physically remove child from Rubbermaid tote.
9. Go in to kitchen.
10. Return with pitcher of water.
11. Pour into Rubbermaid tote. Repeat until half full. Add small toys and empty margarine containers.
12. Set children loose. Eventually retrieve towel to wipe water from eyes.
13. Sit back and relax. Intermittently help 1 1/2 year old dump water on 4 1/2 year old's head. =)

Multiple Children and Dog:
1. Stand with 1 1/2 year old and 2 1/2 year old at screen door, looking outside at 4 1/2 year old and Mom with weed whacker.
2. Take 2 1/2 year old to the bathroom.
3. Realize there is no toilet paper.
4. Run upstairs to get to get toilet paper.
5. Come downstairs, help 2 1/2 year old get off toilet, etc.
6. Hear suspicious sounds coming from other room.
7. Yell and run to grab 1 1/2 year old, bring back inside away from weed whacker.
8. Grab dog by collar, drag inside.
9. Try to slow speeding heart.

Tidying:
- If kid won't help, don't force it every time - sometimes it's just easier to let them stay out of the way.
- Just get toys in something - they will never really be organized.
- Do it often. Lots of little bits of tidying seem much more manageable than one giant tidying spree!

Mopping:
- Sweep first.
- Start at the opposite end of the room from where you want to end up (and you want to end up at the door so you can leave the room without walking on the wet floor).
- Remember to move the bucket of water with you often.

Random Points:
- Chicken nuggets, waffles, and PB&J could very well be a child's "most favorite supper ever!"
- Small children are speedy; attempting to chase them makes them speedier. If you want to play, this is great - if you actually need to talk to them about something, don't chase. Eventually they'll tire of running.
- Get your kids to like vegetables - when they ask for green peppers as a snack, you're probably doing something right.
- Make sure kids say "Excuse me" when they would like to interrupt.
- Also make sure kids wait their turn to talk unless absolutely necessary to interrupt.

There's probably much more I could add to this list but I won't for right now. (:

Jen...

2007-05-24T11:48:00.000-03:00

Go to Google - type in "your name + these words". It's fun!

Hates:
1. Jen hates everyone including herself.
2. Jen hates her baby weight!
3. Jen hates u.
4. Jen hates you.
5. Jen hates me.
6. Jen hates pictures.
7. Jen hates Ange.
8. Jen hates the color yellow.
9. Jen hates computers.
10. Jen hates doing dishes.

Likes:
1. Jen likes to multi-task during sex. [AH!! Awkward!]
2. Jen likes to give something edgier and spicier than your average female rocker.
3. Jen likes Sparrow!
4. Jen likes stuff.
5. Jen likes food.
6. Jen likes to take candid pictures of me.
7. Jen likes losers.
8. Jen likes TV.
9. Jen likes the French guys.
10. Jen likes to dance.

Wants:
1. Jen wants a Manhattan man. [Amen!]
2. Jen wants Angie to STFU! [If you don't know what this stands for... don't worry about it.]
3. Jen wants to be dancing queen.
4. Jen wants to spend some $.
5. Jen wants him to understand that it's really over.
6. Jen wants Brad back.
7. Jen wants another baby (because apparently I've misplaced my first one). [That's actually what it said!]
8. Jen wants her 3$.
9. Jen wants to strut her stuff.
10. Jen wants to spook Hilton.

Needs:
1. Jen needs to have a session or two with a therapist.
2. Jen needs a break.
3. Jen needs to find a self-righteous, conspicuous, "I'm better than you" charitable position.
4. Jen needs your help.
5. Jen needs you! [Funny, a minute ago Jen hated you.]
6. Jen needs human anatomy lessons.
7. Jen needs a new gun. [Sweet!]
8. Jen needs to let go and get a life.
9. Jen needs 421 temporary shelters.
10. Jen needs someone to love her as much as she loves them.

Thinks:
1. Jen thinks Brangelina are totally a joke.
2. Jen thinks not believing in God is dumb.
3. Jen thinks it isn't fair that I don't really care if she likes me or not.
4. Jen thinks something is wrong.
5. Jen thinks that maybe some other time would be better.
6. Jen thinks that she is innocent.
7. Jen thinks that everyone should participate.
8. Jen thinks that internships are ideal experiences for students.
9. Jen thinks it's the invasion of the Stepford wives.
10. Jen thinks this is a good idea.

Says:
1. Jen says Ben Affleck is a teddy bear.
2. Jen says she wants another baby.
3. Jen says she and Lorenzo are "still very happy."
4. Jen says she knew things wouldn't work out between them.
5. Jen says eat your veggies!
6. Jen says 'Let's go to the courthouse!'
7. Jen says I'm a stinker.
8. Jen says Jerry knew she'd reject him.
9. Jen says she has not split from Vince.
10. Jen says she just felt it was time for a change.

Should:
1. Jen should get back into TV.
2. Jen should show graciousness.
3. Jen should go back to recording.
4. Jen should grab Matthew McConaughey.
5. Jen should take a page from both Uma Thurman and Nicole Kidman.
6. Jen should look and reflect upon herself.
7. Jen should stay away from all the guys for a while.
8. Jen should get a hobby.
9. Jen should mind her own business.
10. Jen should be stored on her side at a temperature of 55 degrees!

I want to barbecue.

2007-05-22T21:10:00.000-03:00

I've decided that this summer I am going to try my hand at barbecuing - and lots of other cooking-type things. I've rarely had the time or the desire to really learn how to cook, but what with my recent penchant for more "adult" magazines, I can't stop finding whole sections of articles devoted to cooking, complete with recipes and tasty-looking photos. So, here I go! Wish me luck.

I had quite the productive day today. Surprising, since I slept until 1, but there you go! I dropped off resumes at Applebee's, East Side Mario's, Boston Pizza, Chapters, Montanas, Swiss Chalet, Starbucks, and Smitty's. I also had a mini-interview with a manager at Smitty's, who said he thinks he may have a job for me! I'm calling him tomorrow to finalize. While at Starbucks I also had a Chai Latte (I'm totally hooked).

I then went to the library! I hate the BBC library, and it's been at least 2 years since I've been in any other libraries - and it was really fun! This library is really new, and really nice. It's all stone and glass, and it has a little cafe in it, and you're allowed to take food and drink into the library, and they have WiFi, and lots of computers, and comfy chairs... It was glorious. I took out a bunch of books - a Christopher Moore novel, a bunch on writing/publishing a book (another summer project of mine), and - a CD set to learn Polish! I'm very excited about all of these things.

I also got an email from Pastor John this morning - he's going to be back to teach Homiletics in the fall, and he asked Dr Maxwell if he could hire me to turn all of his overheads into PowerPoint! I'm really, really, really excited about this. :) And yes, I'm a geek. And what?

I was looking into Rogers Video Direct. It's a service through Rogers Video where you rent movies online and they mail them to you. You pay a base fee for unlimited rentals, with a certain amount of movies out at a time (there are different plans - the cheapest is 10.95 per month with 1 movie out at a time), and they pay for postage both ways (you mail them back) for a certain number of rentals (the 10.95 plan comes with postage for 2 movies). After that limit, you pay something like 2.99 per movie. Anyway, it seems pretty neat. I'm on their free trial right now.

I've been watching Full House on DVD. I love that show.

Heroes finale last night!! Oh my word! All I can say is: Heroes - get into it.

Updates:

2007-05-19T15:42:00.000-03:00

I've updated my blog layout a bit:

1. Streamlined blog links.
2. Book list (including my first ever "book on tape"!).
3. New "About Me".
4. New "other sites" list (Check out Boing Boing, it's great for wasting time!).

She says it's only in my head.

2007-05-18T20:40:00.000-03:00

I keep finding myself with this desire to blog, and yet whenever I sit down to actually write, I'm seized by this sudden inability to recall anything interesting at all that I had previously wanted to record. Does it count as writer's block when it's merely a blog, or is that term reserved for more serious, genuine writing endeavors? And if not, then what is it called, if anything? If it is not a big enough issue to be worthy of the term "writer's block," then can it ever be big enough to warrant its own name? Or does its lack of qualification for the widely accepted term ultimately negate its claim to any term at all? It is a paradox...

I've been in Halifax for almost two weeks. It's been a wonderful time, staying up late (never, of course, doing anything productive), sleeping in, visiting with friends, and of course spending money I don't have. Oh, the joys of an irresponsible early adulthood. Some day I'll look back on these days and wish I'd paid more heed to the wise advice of those decades older than me, but for now, I'm enjoying my blissful (self-inflicted) ignorance.

Three movies I've watched recently (and my opinions thereof):
Material Girls - An atrocious waste of time and money. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I rented it, but for the fact that I rented it specifically with the goal of having something mindless playing in the background (mindlessness is the soundtrack of my existence...).

The Holiday - No, not the Queen Latifah one. The one with Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and Jack Black, in which Diaz and Winslet's characters have a house swap for a holiday. Super cute, wonderfully bubbly girly movie that I loved. Completely devoid of "stupid" (read: boy) humor, with plenty of warm, happy, intelligent people and conversation, all in a light-hearted setting. Highly recommended to any girl who's not bitter and cranky (those ones only appreciate things that fuel their bitterness).

Freedom Writers - Great movie. Different than I had expected initially, but great nonetheless. There were some slightly improbable parts, and some very small errors of continuity from a purely directorial standpoint, but the storyline and the acting were good. I enjoyed it. Definitely something you'd typically watch in class, when the "cool" teacher wants to play a current movie and trick you into learning.

I've been spending time with the Wiedmaiers - they've gotten me completely hooked on Heroes, and we've been watching it (downloaded, of course) to get me caught up to now. Great show, which is what everyone told me all year, and I stubbornly resisted getting into it because I simply didn't have time - so I'll understand if you do the same thing. Some day, though, it'll catch up to you, and watch out - usually, trying to watch 2 or 3 seasons in the span of a week will interfere a whole lot more with your schedule than trying to add in one extra hour of prime time every week.

One of my most cherished hobbies is buying cakes and having ridiculous things written on them. This past week, the latest addition was made to my growing list, which now includes:

1. Happy OC Party!
2. Thanks for driving us everywhere, Melissa!
3. Deuteronomy 25:11-12
4. Sorry for being so loud!
5. Leviticus 21:20
6. yay heroes Party
[the woman who did #6 didn't have very good grammar or punctuation]

I'm thinking about writing a book. Nothing overly deep or spiritual, just something ... words on paper in book form. I need a hobby for the summer.

Have I mentioned how much I love living close to Kelly again? I've been over here probably, on average, every second day or so since I got to Halifax. It's so fabulous being able to hang out all the time, instead of being in a different province. :) I'm house/dogsitting for them this weekend, since they're at May Rally.

I also went out for coffee with Deborah Guptill last night, and it was really fun! It was so nice to hang out with someone from school, and talk about school stuff... I miss school by the way. Isn't it kind of ironic that the entire year is spent waiting for summer break, but when it comes, I can't wait to get back? There's nothing like living on a small campus with most of your friends.

I've been brainstorming - a LOT - for Student Fellowship for next year. I have some really neat (in my opinion) ideas and I can't wait to really start working on them. If you have any ideas of your own, whether you're a current, former, or future (or never!) Bethany student, let me know! I'm in charge of all the fun stuff - coffee house, banquets, other campus events... I can't wait!

There have been a half dozen bomb/shooting threats at area high schools in the last 2-3 days. It's insane - it seems like some stupid, never-ending prank, but... what if it's not? It's a scary thought. I miss the days when my biggest concern at school was someone cheating at Four Square.

One more song!

2007-04-15T07:42:00.000-03:00

Well, it's been a crazy weekend - but what else could I expect from being on Grand Manan? :) I came down on Friday afternoon with XD, and the first person I ran into when I got off the boat was Kirk, who picked me up and spun me around. It was a good welcome.

Friday night, we helped out with the opening of Harvest House here on the island. The XD band did some songs and a drama, and I did overheads. :) After everything was over, we had one of those classic worship dance parties, where the band, though completely exhausted, just keeps playing song after song and everyone goes a little crazy. I played the bongo drums for a while during this session... Yes, I finally made it on the XD band!

Friday night I stayed at Aleta's house, and it was really fun. We listened to Hillsong and talked about Hosea, Philemon and Judges (three of my favorite books!). Saturday morning her grandmother cooked us a huge breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast, which we enjoyed until 9:55, when Kirk was coming to pick us up... Then 10:10 came, and Kirk still wasn't there... Then finally at 10:17 I said, "Aleta... call Kirk." Turns out Kirk completely forgot about us. So Tim, Heidi, Cory and Becca had to come get us, which made us late for everything... But I'm not bitter towards Kirk at all. ;)

Saturday morning we went out to Southern Head to see the cliffs. They were really cool. Then we went out to Swallowtail. It was really sad to see it all black and barren from the fire, but still an awesome view and a great place to explore. The boys even saw a porpoise. And on the way back I got to drive Scott Ingalls' truck! I love that truck.

We had lunch at the church, then a bunch of us went to Hole In The Wall, which was also really neat; I'd never been there before. It's this giant rock with a giant hole in it... It's cooler than it sounds. :)

At some point Saturday afternoon Holly and I went to the boat to pick up Saturday Nicole (Finlay). That's when I drove Kirk's car. We also stopped at Tim's house to get the lobster out of the trees, and at the store for ice cream. It was an adventure, full of confusion and the switching of many vehicles.

Saturday night we had a rally at Area 38, which was awesome. The XD band did amazing, I got to jump into a drama at the last second, and Cory delivered a great message that was definitely from God. And that night as well came with an extended jam session after the fact. Lots and lots of fun.

After that rally, we realized we had to do a bunch of switching of billets, so Becca and I ended up being put at Emily Bass's house ! which is fun. We looked at the Bethany yearbook for a while, and may or may not have snuck down to where Andy was staying at knocked on his windows... :) And that was when I drove the Basses' van.

This morning, we were supposed to take the 7:30am boat, but when we got there it turned out that they were transporting dangerous goods and we weren't allowed to cross. So now I'm sitting here, still on Grand Manan, hoping and praying that everything will work out and we'll still make it back for the concert in time. I think we will.

Anyway, it's been an awesome weekend.. Thank you Grand Manan!

Sunrise and chocolate... I can do that.

2007-04-04T13:11:00.000-03:00

I had the most wonderful early morning date today. I told Missy last night to be ready to go at 6am with warm clothes, good walking shoes, and a blanket - but I didn't tell her where we were going.

I got up at 5:45, made coffee for myself and hot chocolate for Missy, and went upstairs to get her. We drove out to the Co-Op and parked the car. We got a little lost on the way up the hill, but we found the path quickly enough and started our trek through the woods. It was quite steep, but it didn't take us long to come through to the other side of the forest. We came out upon an empty horse pasture, which we crossed until we came to the other side of the hill.

From there, we could see the entirety of the valley in which Sussex sits, with the sun just rising on the opposite side. It was absolutely beautiful. We sat, quiet, for a long time, just watching the sunrise and enjoying each other's company. It was such a sweet moment in life, calm and peaceful, away from the busy-ness of everyday existence. A wonderful memory made, a pause in time in the midst of so much change.

March 30, 2007 - March 31, 2007:

2007-03-31T20:50:00.000-03:00

6:45 am - Wake up. Curse whoever invented this time of day, and especially those who actually enjoy it.
7:00 am - Get to the cafeteria to work breakfast. Over the next hour, deeply appreciate those who also are not morning people, and loathe those who are and feel the need to share their joy with everyone.
8:00 am - Write paper for Expository Preaching class.
10:00 am - Go to Expository. Find Richard Starks in the place of John Symonds. Over the next hour, get into a brief argument with another student over a sermon critique - twice.
11:00 am - Head back to the apartment to relax.
11:15 am - Get phone call from Trish asking for PowerPoint miracles for this evening's Banquet.
11:16 am - Begin frantically putting together and editing PowerPoint.
12:00 n - Go to lunch.
12:30 pm - Return home. Continue working on PowerPoint.
1:30 pm - Go to class. Continue working on PowerPoint.
2:30 pm - Go to next class. Continue working on PowerPoint.
3:30 pm - Go to rehearsal/sound check for Spring Banquet. Over next 3 hours, get pulled in 46 directions for PowerPoint, video, sound, and acting responsibilities.
6:30 pm - Take brief breather.
7:00 pm - The madness that is Banquet in the soundbooth begins. Over the next 1.5-2 hours, run PowerPoint, frantically switch computers when one's sound does not work, problem solve for several issues, act in a skit, and deal with many people who all need me right now.
9:25 pm - Head home from Banquet. Call Anne Medders to apologize for not being home this
afternoon. Call Chelsea to warn her about her sermon for Monday.
9:30 pm - Pick up Chris, head to Corey Tobin's. Hang out there for 2 hours, relaxing and spending time with friends (Corey, Trish, Rob, Steph, Damian, Becca, Wyatt, Missy, Chris, myself).
11:35 pm - Leave Corey's.
11:40 pm - Arrive home. Begin packing to go to Prez's house.
11:50 pm - Arrive at Prez's house for the Phon-A-Thon sleepover.
12:00 mn - Sit down to watch LOTR in Prez's study with Prez, Stefan, Gina, et al.
1:45 am - Fall asleep, for the 14th time, watching LOTR. Find guest room, crash in most comfortable bed in existence.
7:15 am - Wake up, head to kitchen for breakfast (sausage, bacon, eggs, biscuits w/ apple butter, English muffins, grits, juice, coffee).
7:45 am - Thank Prez & Anne, return home.
7:50 am - Crash in my own moderately comfortable bed.

"These frig magnets... Did I just say frig?"

2007-02-25T13:37:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting in AJ & Kelly's kitchen watching Isaac, their one year old, bully the puppy, Jack. He keeps purposely walking into Jack (the dog comes up to just past his knees) so that he has to move. It's pretty funny.

Before I forget, a brief update to the blog: I've added a link, right under the About Me section on the left, to my PayPal site. The life of a college student is expensive, so your support is much appreciated! :) haha

I've come to a realization about myself in recent days; the little things are really important to me. Things like commitments and promises, and just generally remembering stuff. Did you say you'd sit with me? It'll hurt if you don't. Did we have plans tonight? If you forget, or cancel at the last minute, I'll feel rejected. Have I been stressing about a paper for two weeks? Ask me about it, it'll mean the world. It's just all the little, everyday things that matter to me, the times that you follow through on a promise or remember a detail. Those things are huge in my mind. I have many good friends who are so great with these things and I truly do appreciate you. Some of you may not realize that it matters so much to me, but it does. So thank you.

I've had a really great weekend in Halifax; it's been nice to just relax with Kelly, drink coffee, talk about boys. :) It's also always great to be at Hillside, especially with so many changes going on right now. It's still really weird for me, all the pastoral change, and I still don't really like to think about it much. But it's getting easier as time goes on. I've done a lot of questioning and a lot of crying out to God, and all that keeps reverberating in my brain is something that Missy Gilbert says in her testimony, something that God said to her:

You are MY child; let ME decide.

I trust that God has a plan for all of this. This is a time where I need to rely fully on Him, because this is too much for me to take on my own. Praise God for scary times that cause my faith to be challenged!

*******

Well - I'm back in Sussex. It's Missions Week and Mick Veach is here. This is probably the worst week of the semester to have missions week, right after midterms, right before March Break (chorale and XD are both out all next week so we have TONS of work to do before we go). But so far, Mick is awesome. And I know God will bless us for coming to Him in worship even when we have so much to do.

Cory Doiron led worship tonight, and boy have I missed him and his leading. He is just so passionate, and so great to work with. And fun to make fun of. :) (Kaylan and I have enjoyed that one tonight.)

Well, that's about all I've got for now... More later.

Monday Again

2007-02-05T11:17:00.000-04:00

Alright, I did a bit of travelling and visiting this weekend, so I figured I'd write my own little "Monday Again" à la HC Wilson.

I spent Friday evening with the Fitzgerald family in Dartmouth. We shared a good time of fellowship and I was incredibly blessed to relax with them in their home. Also visiting the Fitzgeralds this weekend were Gaston and Rhonda Jolicoeur, who were long-time Hillside members before moving to Guelph, Ontario. They were in town briefly for a conference.

Several members of the youth group were present over the weekend to paint for Hillside Rally '07. Two large silhouettes of a mulleted man were painted, as well as the central mural with the rally title (Kickin' It Old School).

There was a great turnout for Micah Thomas's 4th birthday party Saturday afternoon in Cole Harbour. Those present included Janet Thomas (Corbett Ave), Mel & Juliet Whalen, Penny, and myself. A great time of fun and fellowship was had, complete with Stick The Number On Lightning McQueen, cake, and many Cars-themed presents.

An early morning date with Micah Thomas on Sunday included watching the movie Cars, and drinking lots of coffee.

Pastors AJ Thomas and Peter Moore made a formal announcement concerning the Thomases' plans when their time at Hillside is complete this summer. AJ and his family will be planting a daughter church of Hillside in downtown Halifax, called 'Deep Water.' A Town Hall meeting was held after the service, during which time members' questions were addressed and answered. The feeling upon leaving the church was a positive one, with much support for the Thomases' upcoming ministry.

A brief discussion concerning ordination with AJ Thomas answered many of my questions and allayed some of my fears and worries regarding the DBMD interview process. AJ's guidance in the matter was much appreciated.

A short visit with my sister and aunt at my sister's new home in Halifax was a good time of fellowship and catching up. I acquired a very cute new shirt, passed on by my sister from my mom in Alberta. Aunt Anna has a beautiful home and it was very nice to visit.

En route back to Sussex, I stopped in Truro to visit with Lynn and Natasha Erskine. They are settling in very well in Truro; Lynn is pastoring at Immanuel Baptist Church, and they are currently house-sitting for a family in their congregation. We attended a young adults' gathering called 'Soak,' and it was with many regrets that I left early. We enjoyed some very interesting discussion on healthy/unhealthy expectations of the church. The Erskines send warm greetings to all.

The drive back to Sussex was quite slow due to snow in Nova Scotia, but thankfully accident-free. Upon returning to Bethany, a fun time of fellowship and laughter was had in the Tom Philippe lobby. Highlights included Robbie Barnes rolling in the snow in only shorts and a t-shirt.

THOT: This style of blogging is really boring.

All That I Want

2007-02-04T09:06:00.000-04:00

Where is the love I once knew?
Why has my passion faded?
I search for you, Lord Jesus
But You stay hidden.
Where is the song in my heart?
Where are the dreams I once dreamt?
I listen for Your voice
But You stay silent.

Oh Lord, have mercy on me
Open these ears to hear
And these eyes to see
How I've longed for Your presence
Just to draw near to You, Jesus
Is all that I want.

Where is the love I once knew?
Why has my passion faded?
I search for You, Lord Jesus
But You stay hidden
Where is the song in my heart?
Where are the dreams I once dreamt?
I listen for Your voice
But You stay silent.

Oh Lord, have mercy on me
Open these ears to hear
And these eyes to see
How I've longed for Your presence
Just to draw near to You, Jesus
Is all that I want.

- Lex Buckley

"If I get offed, you can have my organs." - Sheena Grant

2007-01-27T23:43:00.000-04:00

Well, I really should be in bed instead of blogging. But here I am.

The semester is going well. Chorale had our first "real" weekend out last weekend. Last semester we didn't go anywhere overnight, but last weekend we were in Bristol, Woodstock, and Fredericton (Corbett Ave). It was really fun.

In Bristol I got the see the Plaiziers for the first time since the wedding, which was exciting. :) Julia was beautiful and glowing and so happy. Our concert went really well even though we were doing some songs for the first time and we'd only learned them, oh... that morning.

In Woodstock I got to help set up and I learned a bit more about sound stuff. I'm not motivated enough to really learn sound stuff, but I like to pick up knowledge here and there. Also in Woodstock I got to stay with the Horners (Neil & Heidi). It was really fun - I hadn't seen Neil in about a year and a half, and Heidi and I had only met once or twice two Beulahs ago. It was a great time seeing them again, they made us fantastic egg mcmuffins in the morning and we shared some great stories. :)

In Fredericton I got to visit with AJ's mom, Janet, for a little while. She's such a sweetheart, I met her briefly two summers ago and she remembered me, asked about school and my family and everything. I love her. She and some of the other ladies in the church also served us a fantastic supper. One of my favorite quotes from the weekend was actually from Janet. A few of us had sat down and she told us we could have the cookies, chocolates, etc that were in the middle of the tables as appetizers. One of the other ladies asked if we shouldn't wait and have those after our meal, and Janet said "I brought them and they can have them as appetizers if I want them to!" It was really funny. :)

We had a "Winter Blackout" tonight at school. It was basically a Christian rave with no drugs or dancing. Might sound lame, but it was actually pretty fun - we had blacklights and a strobe light, fun glowing drinks (non-alcoholic, obviously), worms in dirt (I'm not sure I understand the theme there), and a highlighter art competition and best-dressed competition. It was just a fun thing to do for a couple hours on campus.

Chorale's out again tomorrow - we're at SJ1st in the morning, and Sunset in Fredericton tomorrow night, which is Roni's church!! I'm really excited for that one. :) Should be fun, plus it's nice cause we're not staying overnight anywhere and we don't have to pack anything.

Well - I feel like I should write more but I'm about to fall asleep. More later.

I'm still alive, I promise.

2007-01-11T13:37:00.000-04:00

First of all, go read AJ's "My Personal Loss of Faith". It's good stuff.

Now, let's see... What exactly is new in my life? Well, I'm back at school. I have 15 credit hours this semester - actually, 16 if you include the student ministry I've paid for but not signed up for yet. In case anyone's interested, my classes include:

Expository Preaching with the illustrious Rev. John Symonds,
Historical Books with the honorable Professor Clinton Branscombe,
Acts with the famously zany Professor Melvin MacMillen,
Ministry to Preschoolers with the infamous Rev. Dr. Gaile Smith,
History & Discipline of the Wesleyan Church with the distinguished Dr. Art Maxwell,
and Family Life Ministry with Dr. Gaile as well.

I'm also working in the cafeteria/deli, singing with Chorale, doing PowerPoint twice a month, and trying to have something of a social life. It's kind of insane already, but I'm enjoying it. I always find it interesting how each semester the social circles seem to change, at least a little bit. Depending on which classes you have and what extra-curriculars you're involved in, who you hang out with can change a little or a lot. I've made some good friends just with the semester shifts these last two years though, so it's fun.

Other than that... not too much is going on. Chorale is out in Bristol, Woodstock and Fredericton (Corbett Ave) next weekend, so that will be fun. I can't wait to see the Plaiziers in Bristol!

Well - that's about all I've got for right now. Time to go cut some ribbons and do some reading. Peace out homeys.

Iconic

2006-12-31T03:22:00.000-04:00

So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your job's a joke, you're broke - your love life's DOA
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
And it hasn't been your day, your week, your month or even your year, but -

I'll be there for you
When the rain starts to pour
I'll be there for you
Like I've been there before
I'll be there for you
'Cause you're there for me too

You're still in bed at ten, work began at eight
You've burned your breakfast, so far things are going great
Your mama warned you there'd be days like these
But she didn't tell you when the world has brought you down to your knees that

I'll be there for you
When the rain starts to pour
I'll be there for you
Like I've been there before
I'll be there for you
'Cause you're there for me too

No one could ever know me, no one could ever see me
Seems you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me
Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with
Someone I'll always laugh with; even at my worst I'm best with you, yeah

It's like you're always stuck in second gear
And it hasn't been your day, your week, your month or even your year...

I'll be there for you
When the rain starts to pour
I'll be there for you
Like I've been there before
I'll be there for you
'Cause you're there for me too

I'll be there for you
I'll be there for you
I'll be there for you
'Cause you're there for me too...

Thoughts (what? I have a lot of them lately)...

2006-12-29T08:27:00.000-04:00

1) I am an insomniac. Every night I stay up later than the last. My current best is 5:30 am. Doing what? Scrapbooking, watching movies, blogging... Oh and watching Saved by the Bell. But really, what do I have to wake up early for?

2) Christmas was great. I got some much needed money, a few gifts that I really wanted (DVDs, a nice sweater, WalMart gift cards), and a bunch of cooking utensils in my stocking. Our 2nd annual Christmas Eve Family Game Night was fun too - we played some new games that I highly enjoyed! :)

3) Why don't we have any ministries specifically for rich people? I'm not suggesting that we should or that we shouldn't, this is purely a question. We have ministries specifically for poor people or street/homeless people, and we have tons of targeted ministries (ladies', men's, children's, teen's, etc) that are really just for the middle class or whoever shows up. But rich people need Jesus too, right? And in a different way than the poor or middle class, at least in some cases - the rich young ruler had a different task put before him than Jesus' other followers did. So what's the deal? Are there ministries out there for rich people that I just don't know about? If not, why not? What would it look like if there was?

4) Why do some people seem to struggle with sin more than others? I know that everyone struggles with some form of sin, we're all human. But some people seem to have more sin, or bigger sins than others. Some people seem to only have the "minor" sins, being impatient or thinking badly about people from time to time. But others struggle with a "major" sin, pornography, etc., or even a couple of them. What's with that? Why do some people seem to get off easy in the grand sin balance? Why do some people spend their whole lives struggling with a major sin (or several), while others seem to have it all together at a young age? (Keep in mind, I've already acknowledged that everyone has some sin in their life - but some people really do only have a few "minor" sins, in comparison.)

5) I really enjoy scrapbooking. And TV shows on DVD.

Do you remember when...

2006-12-23T00:39:00.000-04:00

Do you remember when you were innocent and not yet jaded by the world? When you basically thought good of everyone, and what hurts you did endure lasted only a fleeting moment? When fireflies were magical, and the world was endlessly open to you. When it was logical to dig a hole to China. When you wanted to be a doctor... and a movie star... and a locksmith. When the greatest mysteries of the world were Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. When a hug and a lollipop was the best remedy. When 'outside' was the best entertainment. Days of endless sunshine and green fields, or mountains of snow that could be castles or forts or great dragons to be defeated. When anything you could imagine was possible...

Do you remember those days?

Thoughts.

2006-12-20T03:07:00.000-04:00

I went to my little brother's Christmas concert tonight. It was cute, a bunch of French songs with related scenes in between. One thing that got me thinking, though, was at the end. The whole thing was about this girl who didn't know what the meaning of Christmas was. When it was all over and done with, the narrator explained that the girl, Serena, had discovered that Christmas was really a holiday about love and friendship.

...

Hello? A holiday about love and friendship?

Now, don't get me wrong, I know that Jesus wasn't really born in December, that Christmas was originally a pagan holiday that was adapted by Christians, etc, etc. But really - Christmas has been a Christian holiday for hundreds of years, and only recently has this whole "not talking about Jesus in schools" thing been really enforced. Even last year, at this same school, they sang tons of Christmas carols about Jesus. It just seems weird to me that they would completely leave out the actual reason for the holiday. I mean, someone didn't just sit down one day and say, "Let's have a holiday about love and friendship. We'll use the birth of Jesus as a cover until they figure it out." No, the holiday was designed to celebrate the birth of Christ, and by extension love and friendship are celebrated. I mean, they don't say that Easter is a holiday about being a good neighbour or something. Everyone knows why Easter is Easter, some people just don't celebrate the Christian side of it.

I'm really not as wound up about that as I might sound. I just found it weird that they created a new reason for Christmas. It seems to me that they could teach that the holiday of Christmas was created to celebrate Jesus' birth, but that those who aren't of the Christian faith just use it as a time to celebrate love and friendship, or whatever.

*******

My church had an interesting development this past weekend. As many of you in the district already know, our Senior Pastor (Peter Moore) tendered his resignation this Sunday. He will be beginning his new job as Director of World Hope beginning January 1st on a sliding scale, from what I understand. For any non-Wesleyans out there, this also means that our Youth Pastor (AJ Thomas) and our Children's Pastor (Sasha Blaikie) will be finished at Hillside come Beulah week this July. (AJ's blog about this) (HC's Monday Again about this)

Since I've only ever gone to Hillside, and they've been my only pastors, this was obviously a very strange thing to hear. I'm still a little weirded out by it, to be honest. I kind of expected AJ to move on at some point (I've never heard of a youth pastor sticking around at one church forever), but I kind of thought Peter would be there forever. The pastor who stays at one church for 40+ years and retires only when he can't stand behind the pulpit any more. I certainly didn't expect our entire pastoral staff to change with one fell swoop. I'm excited for them all, of course, but on a personal level, sort of shaken up. I'll get over it, I'm sure, but a strange thought struck me just now as I was getting ready for bed:

Will Peter still go to Hillside once the new pastor shows up?

I mean, would it be weird to have the man who's been your pastor for 10 years sitting in the congregation every Sunday? Would people be awkward and ignore the new guy and treat Peter as the pastor? Would he want to jump in and fix things or change things? Would it be weird, too, though, for him to suddenly find a new church? It's not as if he has anything against Hillside, obviously. Who knows? I guess I'll have to ask him myself.

*******

Another thing that sucks about Peter, AJ, & Sasha leaving, on a personal level, is that I had this dream of preaching at Hillside some Sunday morning. I've wanted to for a long time, but never really felt like I knew enough of what I was doing to actually preach anything good. Well, now that I've taken Homiletics, and will be in Expository next semester, I was really looking forward to someday getting the opportunity. I guess it won't happen now with some new guy coming in that I won't know as well as I know Peter, AJ & Sasha. It makes me sad.

Well, those are my thoughts this December evening. Take them as you will.

The silent stars go by...

2006-12-11T00:29:00.000-04:00

Something special happened tonight. President Medders invited the campus up to his house for hot chocolate and a few of us, about fifteen or so, stayed with him in his study until just past midnight. It was a time of huge encouragement for me (and, I daresay, for many others in the room). Prez sat with us for several hours and just poured out wisdom and encouragement onto us. It was so refreshing.

I look up to him in so many ways; he has become a huge mentor to me over the last four months. There are so many qualities in that man that I would love to cultivate in myself.

It was just so comforting and relaxing and refreshing to sit in his study and listen to him talk. I was reminded, in a less spiritual way, of course, of Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus in Luke 10. I just felt like the rest of the world shut off for a few hours and we soaked in what was going through his brain. It was definitely a pivotal moment in my semester and probably my Bethany career.

I would love to write this in a more detailed, eloquent way, to somehow get across to you the feeling of the room and the depth of the experience, but for now it will stay in my mind and my heart.

Tonight was a "starry night" for me.

Book of Philemon

2006-10-30T13:00:00.000-04:00

Paul=Jesus
Philemon=God
Onesimus=Jen

"Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you... have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

Therefore, although... I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Jesus... I appeal to you for my daughter Jen, who became my daughter while I was in chains. Formerly she was useless to you, but now she has become useful both to you and to me.

I am sending her—who is my very heart—back to you. I would have liked to keep her with me ... But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced. Perhaps the reason she was separated from you for a little while was that you might have her back for good— no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear sister. She is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a woman and as a sister in the Lord.

So if you consider me a partner, welcome her as you would welcome me. If she has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Jesus, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back... Confident... I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask."

Balloon Festival

2006-10-30T12:45:00.000-04:00

This post is mostly for Maki - I told you that I would tell you about a festival that we have here... Sorry it has taken me so long to get this up - I have been so busy! There is no real meaning or significance to this festival, it is simply to come together and enjoy each other's company and see some fun balloons!

Every year in September in Sussex there is a festival called the Atlantic International Balloon Fiesta. People travel from all over the United States and Canada in their hot air balloons to be a part of this event.

This year we had 30 hot air balloons flying twice a day, a craft fair, amusement park rides, a horse show, live music, a parade, and a lot of other things.

Update:

2006-09-21T13:39:00.000-03:00

I did approach Prez about last week's chapel. Under the guidance of a few trusted people, I wrote him a letter respectfully outlining my thoughts; we spoke this morning after chapel, and Prez explained to me where he was coming from, and apologized for having inadvertently offended me. He didn't try to make excuses or justify his decisions, he simply explained to me what his thought process had been and how he had come to the decision at which he arrived.

Anyway, all is well and has been sorted out. If you want to know more in detail about our conversation, let me know. Right now I have too much other stuff to do to write much of a blog entry. Peace out yo!

On elections and propriety.

2006-09-14T12:46:00.000-03:00

I love President Medders. I think he is a wonderful man of God, a strong leader for our school, kind and just. Though I've been at Bethany only a year, I have grown accustomed to looking forward to his presence in chapel and around campus, though it is sometimes infrequent due to his travel for the chapel project. When he is not around, I, like many others, notice his absence and wonder when we will see him again. I respect and admire him greatly.

That being said, I do think he made a misstep in chapel this morning, one that is still bothering me over an hour later. Tanya Nace delivered a wonderful message from the books of Ephesians and Galatians about what we should remember, with regards to who we were, who we are now in Christ, and who God is. She presented us with a call to respond to the message and with many at the altar, President Medders closed in prayer. It was a very meaningful time for many, if not all, of the staff and students present.

However, after a closing song from the worship team, President Medders re-claimed the microphone to introduce a 'friend of Bethany,' as he calls them, and to make an announcement. The man introduced was Sussex area MLA LeRoy Armstrong, who is running in next week's provincial election. President Medders spoke briefly about Mr Armstrong and what he means to us as a college, and without plainly saying so, indicated his support for Mr Armstrong in next week's election based on his history with the school.

He followed this with an announcement; Shawn Graham, who is running for Premier of New Brunswick in next week's election (with the Liberal party - also Mr Armstrong's party), has promised that, if elected, he will build a pool on a piece of land that had been previously donated by Bethany to house some sort of community project. President Medders announced this with great excitement, also saying that in this event, Bethany would likely purchase passes for all of its students to use the pool, as well as having some PE classes there.

I have no problem with Prez's announcement in itself; it's the venue and the timing that have me irked. First of all, and I don't think I'm alone in thinking this - chapel is not a place for political announcements of any kind. We are there to worship God, and to present one side of an election, clearly in a favourable light, is inappropriate. The pulpit is meant for preaching God's word, not one's political views. It boggles my mind that Prez did that; he could just as easily have had Debbie (his secretary) send out an email with the same information, or had a separate time announced to present it. To come back immediately after praying and singing the closing song and, basically, give a political endorsement, to me, just seems completely wrong, especially when half the students present are eligible to vote in the election (full-time Canadian students are given the option of voting in the Sussex riding).

Secondly, his timing was atrocious. I can almost guarantee you that not one person walked out of that chapel focused on what God had spoken through Tanya - they were either excited about the prospect of a pool, or bothered, as I was, by his lack of decorum. In my opinion, that is blatantly disrespectful both to Tanya and, dare I say it, to God. He drew attention away from God's word, conviction, and leading to focus instead on politics.

I don't think any less of Prez for doing it; we all make mistakes, his just happened to be in front of the entire campus. I'm just really bothered by what happened and wish that it hadn't been said at all. Am I the only one who thought he was wrong to do that? Am I overreacting? Am I just being foolish?

***Note*** I just want to make it really clear that I'm not angry with Prez, nor do I want him to get in any trouble or anything. He just gets really excited about a project and sometimes forgets to think things through entirely.

My two favorite boys ever of life.

2006-09-09T00:50:00.000-03:00

There are two boys. One is 3 1/2, the other is 10 months. They are both blond haired and blue eyed. They are big for their age (not fat or even chubby - they just look older than they are) and absolutely adorable. Their names are Micah Jae and Isaac Israel.

Micah and Isaac are pretty much the coolest boys ever. I really love to hang out with them. Micah is getting so smart and grown-up. I remember when he could only say, "mama," "dada," and "yellow". Now he is like a little person, all self-sufficient and opinionated. He has his own thoughts and ideas and he loves to test things out, try new things, see what he can and can't get away with. One thing that I love about Micah is that even when he's disobedient, he's never really "bad." I mean I've met some awful kids, even younger than him. But, from my experience anyway, once he's been disciplined, he usually shapes up. Micah loves to play the drums and he loves to sing. He also loves Monsters Inc, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and his baby brother. If he's cranky, you have to work especially hard to cheer him up, but it is possible. He loves to tickle me and he loves to be chased around the church. He is independent and willful, but at the end of the day he just wants his mom and his teddy bear.

Isaac is a bundle of joy and discovery. In the last few months, he has learned to say things like, "mama" and "dada," and the occasional "hi" or "Icah." He crawls, and boy is he fast, and he walks as long as he's holding onto something or someone. I have a feeling he'll be taking off on his own in that area pretty soon though. Isaac means he laughs, which is perfect since Isaac laughs so freely and so often. I love that about him. He has the most adorable smile. When he cries, he doesn't just look upset - he looks supremely offended. It's as if he's thinking, "How dare you do this to me? I thought you loved me!" He has a lower lip like none I've ever seen before. He loves to copy his big brother; anything Micah has or has had, Isaac wants. He's been known to stick his entire hand into the middle of Micah's peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He loves to play with knobs and buttons, and he can crawl all the way up the stairs. He is a mama's boy and a cuddler. His favorite songs are AJ's adaptation of Homer Simpson's version of Barry Manilow's "Mandy," and Jennifer Knapp's "He is my light and my salivation." He loves to play the piano, and empty various kitchen cupboards and drawers.

In short, I love these boys and I've loved watching and experiencing their growing up. I hate to be 3 hours away from them, missing out on all the important stuff, but being home is so awesome when I know they'll both have new skills and knowledge and I just can't wait to see how big they've gotten! They are a huge joy in my life. :) I love them dearly.

DAY FIFTY - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-08-17T16:35:00.000-03:00

Yes, the long-awaited day 50!

(I'd like to point out that Roni was the only one astute enough to notice that I'd not yet done day 50... Or at least the only one who decided to call me on it. ;)

Praise God for Kelly!

I've been back in Halifax a few days now and I've seen a lot of Kelly and it's been really nice. :) When I first started coming to Hillside, I didn't know that Kelly existed. One day, a couple months after I'd started going to youth, I went up to ask AJ for an application for the Toronto trip. He was talking to someone, so a nice blonde lady helped me get an application. That is my very first memory of knowing that Kelly was alive, but at that point I still had no idea who she was.

Fast forward to May Rally, when I have my next clear memory of Kelly. I'm sure I must have known who she was at this point, but I don't remember anything in between. The night before we went to May Rally, AJ, Kelly & Micah came in to Toys R Us where I worked. We chatted for a couple minutes and Kelly said that I could come over and hang out before we left for May Rally since no one would be at the church when I was done school.

That weekend was where my friendship with Kelly really started. We had some awesome memories including,

Welcome to tha hood, yo.
Jen & Kelly

and,

Kelly: "Jen, are you wearing socks?"
Jen: "....Yes...."
Kelly: "...Can I borrow one?"

and Kelly hitting a kid with the van. And driving everywhere.

Over the next few months, Kelly and I got to know each other a lot more. Although, I guess anything would be a step up from not knowing she existed. ;) The following fall, Kelly asked me to be her small-group captain for youth. Mostly this just involved me showing up for her small group and taking over her responsibilities on the couple weeks she was gone to PA. However, we also added a monthly "discussion" outing to Starbucks, which was really just an excuse for us to go to Starbucks once a month. We never did much talking about the small group, and what we did talk about usually didn't end up happening. :) It was nice though.

Other highlights from that year (12th grade) include "skipping church," doing laundry, grocery shopping and making stars. The spring of 12th grade was also when Kelly and AJ announced that they had a 2nd baby on the way, who is now known as Isaac. May Rally was another hit, although Kelly was quite sick through a good portion of it meaning that I had to take over the bulk of her female chaperone responsibilities. I enjoyed it though. :) Highlights included me being a maniac, and buying cheese (those are two separate highlights, in case that's not obvious).

The summer after 12th grade, I went to Caton's. Now, this would seem like a tragic ending to what was becoming a great friendship. However, such things as Beulah week afforded us plenty of time together, as well as a few phone calls over the summer and some mail. :) In the fall, I left for Bethany, which meant that, again, we didn't see each other very much. AJ & Kelly were up in October, though, and I came down to Halifax later that month when Isaac was born. I was also back twice in February, first to help with rally decorations and for Micah's birthday party, and then for the rally.

In May of this year, AJ & Kelly bought a house. I came down for 2.5 weeks to help by watching the boys and doing some painting and cleaning. We had a lot of fun hanging out, going for coffee, going grocery shopping, etc. May Rally this year was also awesome; we hung out, met some sweet British and Australian people, saw the Newsboys, and ate some steak.

Now that I'm back in Halifax, we're back to our old ways of coffee, grocery shopping, and the boys. Kelly and I are also both teaching our own 4/5/6 year old classes at VBS this week, which is really cool. I'm excited for Kelly to be teaching - she's doing so great and it makes me proud. :) Not that I had anything to do with it, I'm just excited that she's teaching. It's a complicated sort of thing. I'm a complicated sort of girl.

Basically, the reason I re-capped most of our friendship is because I think Kelly is awesome, so today I'm praising God for her and for the friendship He's blessed us with.

Ecclesiastes 4:10 - If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

DAY FORTY-NINE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-08-10T23:56:00.000-03:00

Praise God for Rochelle, Meagan, Candyce, Valisity and Bekka!

Tonight was my last night working at The Vault. I was a little bummed at leaving but didn't really think any of the kids would care; after all, I've only been here just over 2 months.

Well, those 5 proved me wrong. They didn't do anything big or cry or anything, but I could tell they were sad to see me leave, and it was a nice feeling, knowing that I'd really connected with some of them. So today I praise God for those girls, and for all the relationships I built with these teens this summer.

Dear God, thank You for giving me such an awesome opportunity to work at the Vault this summer. It was stressful and there were times when I wished I had just taken a job at a grocery store, but ultimately You proved Yourself, once again, to be faithful and You more than brought me through this, You used me in these kids' lives and used them in mine. I pray that You would continue to work at the Vault, and that I could maintain at least some of the relationships I built this summer. In Jesus' name I pray, amen!

DAY FORTY-EIGHT - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-08-09T16:18:00.000-03:00

Praise God for Miss Sharon!

OK, so, Murphy's Law I guess, the day after I blog about how awesome Julie is and how she was the only one to send me mail this whole summer, Sharon Merriman sent me a card. :) Not just a card, but a card so full of writing that she had to include two separate sheets of paper (written front and back). I was (and am!) absolutely thrilled.

Miss Sharon is Katey, Steph, and Phil Merriman's mom. I never used to call her Miss Sharon, but when I went to visit them in Virginia, all the teens called her that and I liked it. :) She is the sweetest, kindest, most gentle person I know, but she also has her standards and expectations - she's not a pushover. She's funny too. :)

I love Miss Sharon, and I'm really excited to see her (and most of the rest of the Merriman family!) in a couple weeks at the beginning of school. They are such a wonderful family.

2 Timothy 1:3-5a - I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith,

DAY FORTY-SEVEN - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-08-08T13:25:00.000-03:00

Praise God for Julie Mc!

I'd like to take today to thank God for my dear friend Julie. Julie was in XD with me this year and we got to be very good friends. I miss her terribly and wish she was coming back to BBC this year.

Julie is amazing. She is super funny, with a very corny sense of humor. She is always cracking jokes and always laughing. Julie is also super encouraging; she sees the best in everyone and is hardly ever negative about anything or anyone. She's always up for anything, and is just plain fun to be around. Julie also listens to me rant for hours and tells me that she loves hearing about my life "because it's like a soap opera." It cracks me up and makes me feel a lot better about everything. :)

The thing that put Julie in the forefront of my mind these last couple weeks is that she sent me mail! Julie sent me a wonderful Sheetz travel mug and a letter. :) Mail in itself makes me happy, but the thing that makes her package extra special is that she was the only person who sent me mail this whole summer!! So props to Julie for being awesome!

Dear God, thanks so much for Josh McCracken's sister. She is wicked awesome and I love her a lot. I pray that You would bless her in PA and in her future plans. Help us to keep in touch. I pray that we would get to see each other again soon. In Jesus' name, amen!

DAY FORTY-SIX - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-08-07T12:40:00.000-03:00

Praise God for Devon!

I know I've already used him, but it's his birthday so I just wanted to thank God for giving me 8 awesome years with such a cool kid!!

Dear God, thank You for my little brother. He has been a huge joy in my life, and I pray that we would continue to be close as he gets older. Please protect him and keep him close to You. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY FORTY-FIVE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-08-06T19:48:00.000-03:00

Praise God for His presence!

This morning I led worship at my church here in Alberta. Everything seemed to be going wrong the whole week, and then even when I got there this morning, the projector, first, wasn't turning on, then wouldn't read my computer. Plus, a whole bunch of people were late for practise.

Pastor Phil prayed just before practise, and everything just felt so right after that. Practise went great, and the service was awesome too. There were mishaps and mistakes, but they didn't seem important at all. The whole time, I could just really feel God's presence in that church. About twice as many people showed up as last week (it's a small church, we're talking like 50 people instead of 25), and people were standing and clapping and visibly praising. It was amazing, because normally they just sit and enjoy the music. It was really cool, and a great first worship leading experience.

1 Chronicles 16:31 - Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!"

DAY FORTY-FOUR - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-08-05T21:42:00.000-03:00

Praise God for little signs!

Now, I'm not normally the kind of person to take every little thing as a "sign" from God, especially such little things. But I had a cool experience today that I wanted to share.

I was supposed to do some weeding in the backyard today, but the ground was a little soft so I decided to finish coloring a poster for work on the deck. I had my sister's CD player with me (umm... yeah sorry Steph), as well as the poster I've been working on for about two weeks now. I was enjoying the sunshine, but this annoying little wasp kept flying near me.

Now, normally bugs and such don't bother me. I'm usually fairly tough unless caught off guard. Wasps, bees, hornets, etc, though - they terrify me. They HURT. So this wasp kept flying near me and bothering me. It finally flew around my head enough to drive me crazy and I quickly grabbed my poster, drink, and markers and ran inside. I went back out to get the CD player, struggling to get it all in one trip without letting the dumb wasp inside.

I was bummed about not getting to sit in the sun any longer, but I soon forgot about it. Not ten minutes later, though, I looked up to see rain pouring down. The previously clear and sunny skies were gray and clouded and had opened up to send forth what seemed like enough water to warrant building another ark. Immediately the thought popped into my head that God had given me just enough warning to get my sister's very expensive CD player, and the poster I've put a lot of work into, in the house. Again, I normally don't think that every little thing is a sign of God, but this thought came so suddenly and with such conviction that I'm sure God was looking out for me today.

How quickly we forget what God has done for us though! Not two hours later, I left to pick up my sister from work. Walking out to my car, I remembered suddenly that I'd left my window all the way down. My first thought was, Gee, God, thanks for letting me get my stuff inside, but You probably could have reminded me about the car, too. Well, I was immediately chided when I opened the car door - it appeared that the rain had been coming from the other side, and my seat was perfectly dry. God was thinking of me even in the direction of the rain's downpour.

So today, I want to praise God for reminding a sometimes skeptical and cynical girl that He looks out for His children even in the smallest events.

Luke 8:25 (NIV)
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

DAY FORTY-THREE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-08-04T11:47:00.000-03:00

Praise God that it's only one more week until I leave Cold Lake!

All summer, I have been enjoying my job, enjoying my church, but I think being away from every last one of my friends has taken a number on me. With nothing to do, nothing purely "fun," this summer has dragged by. The weekend that I went to Dani's house was by far the best weekend of the entire summer. I think I just function better when I have friends around, and I don't seem to fit in enough in Cold Lake to have made any friends here. I have acquaintances, sure, and people that I am friendly with, but no one I'd call a friend.

Needless to say (sorry Prof Trouten), I'm really excited to get back to NS/NB and see all of my wonderful friends again. It has been over two months since I've been gone, and I just can't wait to get back! It's hard to believe that a week from today I will be in Edmonton, and a week from tomorrow I'll be back in Halifax! So I'm praising God that the end is finally in sight. Can't wait to be with you all again!

Dear God, thank You for bringing me through this summer. I know that You were with me every step of the way, and I thank You for being Faithful. God, I'm really excited to see everyone again, but I pray that I would stay focused this week and get everything done that needs to be finished before I leave. And when I do finally get to Halifax, I pray that there would be some real quality time with all my wonderful friends. In Jesus' name, amen.

Leading Worship

2006-08-03T13:45:00.000-03:00

I'm leading worship at my church in Alberta this weekend, and I'm more than a little stressed about it. I'm not nervous or anything, I'm not exactly sure what it is. I just have this weird, heavy feeling about it all.

Everything seems to be coming together fairly smoothly. Everyone on the worship team is available this Sunday, even though it is a long weekend. They all have their music and their CDs, and know at least half of the songs. Practise the other night went relatively well, too. A little frustrating with some clashing of ideas and styles, but we worked most of it out. I'm really not sure what it is that is making me feel so uneasy. I'm just getting this negative "vibe" about the whole thing.

I think I need to spend some time in serious prayer these next couple days. That is one thing that's certainly off - we didn't pray before practise the other night. They jumped right in and started to play right away, and for some reason I felt awkward suggesting that we pray; it felt like they wanted to get practise over and done with so they could leave, and I felt almost bad suggesting a "delay" (as if prayer should really be a delay). That will definitely change when we have our practise Sunday morning. We will spend a good bit of time in prayer. I don't think anything could prepare us better.

If you think of me in the next couple days, send up a quick prayer for me and the worship team. At this point, I mostly just want it to be over with.

DAY FORTY-TWO - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-08-03T11:35:00.000-03:00

Praise God for coffee!

I know, I know - not very deep. But I do love coffee a lot. If you've ever met me, you most likely know that. This summer I have gained a new appreciation for it. I just love the way it's hot, and tastes so good, and is so comforting. It's the perfect way to start the day, or really to do anything for that matter - I drink coffee almost all day.

(I would like to point out that I am not addicted to coffee - I can go without it, I just choose not to. In fact, in 11th grade I gave it up for Lent. I went to France and Italy over Spring break, and although I went to many a small cafe in like, the cappucino capital of the world, I didn't have any coffee whatsoever.)

Dear God, thank You for coffee. It feels like a warm hug every day when I wake up. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY FORTY-ONE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-08-02T18:59:00.000-03:00

Praise God for good books!

I'm currently reading The Devil Wears Prada. While I don't normally read books about Satan (jk, jk - I'm not that hardcore, and I know this book isn't really about the Devil himself... haha) , I've found this one hilarious. I'm only a couple chapters in and I'm hooked. I'm the kind of person who likes to read a book before I see the movie version, so I'm hoping to get this one done soon, while it's still in theatres somewhere.

I really love a good book though. I like just about any book, I can't stand not having anything to read. But I love the kind of books that you get lost in. The kind of books that you just can't put down, and when you're forced to, you can't wait to get back to it. I love books that are original, ones where you can't always guess what comes next. I don't necessarily need suspense, just a new storyline. I love books that scare me, books that make me happy, books that make me feel cozy, like I'm wrapped up under a soft blanket in front of a fireplace. I just love books.

I'm trying to be as in love with the Bible as I am with other literature. I often find myself picking novels over Scripture (more often than not, in fact). While there's nothing wrong with novels, in my opinion, I do wish I was more eager to read God's word. I never come away from it disappointed, yet I don't crave Scripture the way I do other books. I do praise God for all literature, though.

Dear God, thank You so much for books. Thank You for giving me this desire to constantly be reading and knowing more. I pray that You would give me an even bigger desire to read and know Your word more. Help me to make time each day to read my Bible, until it becomes as natural as breathing - but, while I get in the habit of reading Your word, never let it become so routine that I stop learning from it and finding new things. May it always remain fresh to me. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY FORTY - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-08-01T18:53:00.000-03:00

Praise God for understanding (noun, not verb)!

Saturday, I was very stressed. I was trying to do a million things at once, I was tired, I had ripped my favourite pants and cut my hand and my leg, and I had a bunch of teens bugging me with little to no support from anyone else. Crystal came over, asked how my day was going, and I unloaded everything I just mentioned and more. She stood quietly for a moment, then asked,

"Would you like me to make you a pot of coffee?"

Dear God, thank You for people who "get" me. Thank You for people who understand when I need a hug, when I need a shoulder, when I need an ear, when I need a pot of coffee, or anything else. Thank You for placing people in my life who take the time to get to know me, and who are there when I need them. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY THIRTY-NINE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-31T13:12:00.000-03:00

Praise God for days off!

Today I had a day off. It was a really nice break.

Dear God, thank You for relaxing days off, thank You for sleeping in, thank You for hanging out with my siblings and my cousin. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY THIRTY-EIGHT - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-30T13:07:00.000-03:00

Praise God for my mom's work!

Today I went in to my mom's work with her and played on PhotoShop. We printed a bunch of pictures, and got a bunch more ready to be printed. It was really fun, and I'm very grateful for the blessing that my mom's work is for a family that so loves to take pictures.

Dear God, thank You for providing my mom with a job that she loves so much, and that provides such awesome benefits for a family that shares her passion to one degree or another. Thank You for the time that we shared at her work, and for the way that photos provide us with something in common. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY THIRTY-SEVEN - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-29T23:42:00.000-03:00

Praise God for awesome teens!

Tonight at work, it was announced that it was my last Saturday night. Though I still have almost 2 weeks left at The Vault, it got people thinking about the fact that I would soon be leaving. Most teens didn't seem to notice or care, but a few came and expressed their sadness which made me feel really good. :) It's nice to know that I've really connected with some of them. E-mail addresses were exchanged, pictures were taken, promises to be here for my last 2 Thursdays and to come back and visit at Christmas were made. It was a good night. :)

Dear God, thank You for tonight. It was so nice to know that I had connected with some of them and that they'd miss me. I pray that I would stay in contact with those who'd like to, and that I would be able to come back and visit at Christmas. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY THIRTY-SIX - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-28T12:54:00.000-03:00

Praise God for shared moments!

This morning, my 4/5/6th grade class was rehearsing their music for the closing program of VBS. I told them before we started that I wanted big smiles and loud voices. Well, one boy took me very seriously. Partway into the song, I heard a very loud, almost operatic voice coming from the back row. I looked up to see one of my quieter boys singing his little heart out, heard clearly over everyone else's shy voices. I struggled not to laugh, but couldn't hold a smile back. I quickly looked away, only to have another girl, Sameh, catch my eye. We both grinned - during the line, "It is not easily angered," where our actions call for an angry face - and looked away. It was just a special little moment in time that belonged only to us.

(I made sure not to look at her during the actual closing program.)

Dear God, thanks for special moments that mean nothing to others but are so unique for some. Thank You for everything that VBS was for me, and everything I believe it was for the kids. Thank You for the encouragement I received from those kids each and every day. I pray that I would have been just as much of an encouragement to them. Thank You for Sameh and her cheerful nature. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

DAY THIRTY-FIVE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-27T12:45:00.000-03:00

Praise God for the unexpected!

Tonight we gave our teens an ultimatum - either you step up and start helping out with our fundraiser, or we're shutting down for the rest of the summer on Thursday nights. That would leave them with only one drop-in, Saturday nights, for the rest of the summer. I honestly expected most of them to walk and leave it for someone else to do, but of the 12, only 3 left and for valid reasons. The other 9 came with us and did 2 solid hours of work without much whining or complaining! I was very impressed. They really surprised me, giving up their free time on the spur of the moment to do some hard labor.

Dear God, thank You for constantly giving me a new perspective. Please let me never have one set view of anything or anyone, but allow me to see new sides of them whenever I can. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY THIRTY-FOUR - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-26T21:17:00.000-03:00

Praise God for Grand Manan!

I've been talking to a couple of people lately, and I've realized I've been sadly remiss in not expressing my love for Grand Manan.

Grand Manan Island, located off the coast of Maine but actually part of New Brunswick, is very small. The first time I heard of Grand Manan, AJ was teasing Kirk about it having only 4 paved roads. He wasn't far off. ;) The only thing close to a "chain" is the grocery store, which is very, very small. Oh, and there's a bank. I forget which one. There are small, locally owned businesses, a K-12 school, and not much else.

I have a bunch of friends who live on Grand Manan (or spend a lot of time there). Holly, Scott, Scottie, Tim, Kirk, Robyn, Kaley, Dampy, Vonnie, Emily, Joanie, Aleta, and a bunch of others. I love going there for weekends, just to visit and do nothing. I purposely don't bring any books or my computer (if I can help it - I think there was one occasion on which I was forced to bring some books). Grand Manan is where I go to relax. We've been known to go to Scott's camp and hike around Miller's Pond at 1am, and to go ziplining on a home-made zipline (courtesy of Holly and Tim, of course). We've gone on a picnic at the Whistle, and we've just relaxed at Dampy's, at Kirk's, or at Scott's. I also love Central Wesleyan Church - everyone is so welcoming and friendly, and you feel God as soon as you walk in there. That church's heart is definitely in the right place.

I can't wait to get back to this beloved island and visit with everyone that I haven't seen in so long. I miss them terribly.

Dear God, thank You so much for Grand Manan. It is such a nice place of peace and relaxation for me. I pray that I would get to spend much more time there in the future, and that I would get back there soon. Thank You for all the wonderful friends I have there, and for the ones I'm sure I'll make soon since everyone is so darn friendly. :) Please continue to move on that island, it is awesome to hear stories of what You're doing there. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY THIRTY-THREE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-25T20:10:00.000-03:00

Praise God for Allegra!

This morning at VBS, a girl in the 1st grade group was a huge encouragement to me in a very simple way. We had just finished doing a couple of SonTreasure Island songs, and were about to go over the memory verse again, when Allegra came over. She said something but very quietly, so I had to lean down so she could repeat herself. Looking slightly terrified but very determined, she said, "There's a song I learned at camp that I want to sing."

She stood on the stage with me and in this little 1st grader's voice started into the "Na na nas" at the beginning of Every Move I Make. I sang with her, but she basically led us through the whole song twice. It was the cutest, sweetest thing - and the song actually tied in with what we were talking about that day. It was awesome. She was so brave. :)

Dear God, thanks for Allegra. She is an awesome kid, a great VBS student, and an encouragement to me. Please help her to keep the bravery that she has, because she truly is brave. Help her to use that in other situations also. Hold her close to You. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY THIRTY-TWO - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-24T18:58:00.000-03:00

Praise God for cute kids and VBS!

My first morning of VBS was today. I've been a little worried about it for the last week or so but it went really great! I had so much fun and I can't wait for tomorrow. :) I forgot how much I love VBS.

My favorite quote from the day was from a little boy in the 1st grade class, when we were doing our memory verse. I had taught the kids the verse then asked them to come up one at a time to recite it. The verse was a simplified version of 1 John 4:9 (NIV) - God loved us: He sent His Son. Here's what he said,

"1 God 8:4 - He sent love to us."

Dear God, thank You for VBS. Thank You for the innocence and openness of children. Please help me to lead these kids to You over the next four days, and to take this opportunity to really love on them. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY THIRTY-ONE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-23T17:15:00.000-03:00

I was actually trying to figure out if I should do 31 or go back to 1, and then I realized, Hello, this isn't a month... It is FIFTY days of praise, so it goes to 50, not just to 30 or 31. If that made sense to you, congratulations, you are either brilliant or slightly insane.

Praise God for my dad!

It was 7 years ago today that I lost my dad to cancer. I was almost 12 at the time, so I have a lot of good memories of him, which is great, but I also have large periods of time that I don't remember much about him at all, partially because I was so young and partially because my parents are divorced and lived in different cities.

At my dad's funeral, I read a poem I had written. All the lines started with, "I loved the way you..." and I think it ended simply with, "I love you." I bawled my way through it, and have since lost the paper it was written on, so I don't remember much of it. In fact, the only line I really remember is "I loved the way you called me Big Jen." Our dad always called me Big Jen and my sister Little Steph.

Dad used to take us to Birch Lodge every summer. It's on a big lake, with cabins, and a lodge and stuff. We would always go fishing, and Dad's friends would come to visit (like Buck - he had a tattoo of a male deer, a buck, on his shoulder, which is where he got his nickname) and we would have campfires and play hide and seek. Once, Buck and his wife or girlfriend, I don't remember, came to visit. As a joke, Steph, Buck's woman, and I took an empty beer bottle and filled it with water to trick Buck. It didn't work, though, cause we filled it too high. Another time, Steph and I decided we wanted to make some extra cash, so we asked for some left-over paint from the shed and painted rocks and sold them as paper weights. We had people paying 5$ and 10$ for rocks painted solid blue. We must have been cute. Another time, I brought my best friend Melissa Davidson to Birch Lodge with us for the week. We were both 8 and it was the summer before Steph and I moved to Comox with our mom. Melissa kept calling my dad Mr. Ochej, and finally he got so fed up with her that he told her if she called him Mr Ochej instead of Steve one more time then he was taking her straight back home. It was hilarious. She was terrified of him. When we lived in Ottawa and Dad lived in Kingston, he used to pick us up once a month on a Thursday evening and take us to Kingston for the weekend. He'd come in his turquoise truck just after school was out, and he'd always have the Eagles (Hotel California) playing, and he'd have a bottle of Pepsi in the cupholder. Steph and I would always drink his Pepsi, and he'd pretend to be mad. On the two-hour drive, Steph and I would play air instruments, always fighting over who got to play what - because you obviously can't have two air drum-players in a band. Dad would tell us stories and point out deer on the side of the road. He explained to us once how he'd figured out the "key" to Hotel California. I don't remember what it was, exactly, but I was proud that my daddy had figured it out. And once, when we were listening to "You're so Vain," by Carly Simon, he told us that it was written about him. It wasn't until recently (like, within the last couple years) that Steph and I realized he was joking - the lyrics go, You're so vain, I bet you think this song is about you.

Although we didn't get to see him as much as we'd have liked, our dad was a great dad when we were with him. I could tell you so many more memories of him but my fingers hurt and I have a cup of coffee and a book waiting for me. I do miss my dad a lot, but mostly I'm just greatful for the time we got together. :) Whenever I see My Little Pony, I think of him singing Steph's little pony, Steph's little pony... Yeah, it was about my sister but it's still one of my fondest memories of him.

Dear God, thanks for my dad. He was really cool. Mom says he was a better part-time dad than full-time, but we didn't know the difference. He was just really great with us, and I'm glad of it. I don't know where he is now, God, only you know that - but regardless, I thank You and praise You for his life and who he was to us. I pray that someday my kids would have a dad who treats them like princes and/or princesses the way our dad treated us. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY THIRTY - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-22T14:41:00.000-03:00

Wow, a whole month. And only 3 weeks left until I am in Nova Scotia! God is good - which I guess is kind of the point of this whole activity. :)

Praise God for 3-way calls!

OK, I'll admit it, this one isn't very deep. But Amy, Missy and I participated in our first 3-way call last night and it was great. :) It was so nice to talk to both of them at once instead of having to repeat stories and fill in details between conversations. Plus, when I closed my eyes I could almost fool myself into thinking we were all in the same room.

Dear God, thanks for the great conversation Amy and Missy and I had last night. It was so nice to catch up with both of them at once. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY TWENTY-NINE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-21T15:41:00.000-03:00

Whoops, missed another one.

Praise God for missing my friends!

This summer I am very far from all of my friends. The closest friend I had was Miss Dani Spady, in Calgary (which is 7 hours away) and now she's in Germany. Needless to say I have been somewhat lonely. I talk to my friends often, like, really often (some of them... *cough* Amy *cough*), but it's just not the same as being with them.

I've been depressed and lonely and mad at the world and at God. But I've realized, I'm glad that I miss my friends - I'm really grateful to have close enough friends that I miss them this much. Yeah, it sucks, but it's so much better than not having them at all.

Dear God, thank You for such close friends. As someone who has moved a lot, I don't have any friends who have known me my whole life. My longest friendships are merely a few years. But You have blessed me with the ability to make friends, close friends, quickly, and I thank You for that. It is especially important at college, where friends are coming and going, graduating and going on internships. I pray that instead of being upset that my friends are so far away, I would be grateful that I miss them so much. And also that when I do see them again, that we would have lots of time to catch up. :) In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY TWENTY-SEVEN - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-20T00:09:00.000-03:00

Praise God for my weaknesses!

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Yep, today I'm praising God that I'm not perfect!

Dear God, thank You for seeing past all my imperfections, my faults, my weaknesses, and seeing the child You have created. God it still amazes me to this day that, though I am not worthy even to fall at Your feet, you cherish me and lovingly work on me to bring me closer to You and closer to who You would have me be. God, use my weaknesses to bring You glory. In Jesus's name, amen.

DAY TWENTY-SIX - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-18T14:38:00.000-03:00

Praise God for kids!

Dear God, thank You for child-like innocence. You say that we should have faith like a child, and I pray that we would all experience that now and forever. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY TWENTY-FIVE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-17T19:50:00.000-03:00

Wow, half-way there. I must say, this exercise in praise has definitely made the time fly thus far. Hopefully it will do the same for the second half!

Today I'd like to praise God for emotions!

I had a conversation a while ago with a friend about a bad break-up he'd had a few years ago. He told me of the agony of his heartbreak, of how he felt like his world was being ripped in two. I asked him if he would rather have not gone out with the girl to save himself all that pain, but he said he wouldn't trade a moment of it for anything. He said that he'd rather have all that pain and heartache, because it's real. Without all that, the good times wouldn't seem as good.

I get that now. It's a conversation that's stuck with me ever since, and I've always kind of tried to figure it out, but now it makes sense, I think. I think it's really amazing that we have the capability to feel so much. Yeah, sometimes it hurts - sometimes it hurts a lot. But doesn't it make you greatful to be human? I'd rather feel intense sadness during a period of grief than not be able to feel anything at all. Maybe it makes me a drama queen or something, but I'd rather have too much emotion than not enough. Both positive and negative.

Now, don't get me wrong - I don't think we should let emotion control us. I also think there are some kinds of emotions that we could do with less of, such as anger, resentment, bitterness, etc. It's the real, true emotions - happiness, sadness, grief, love - that I'm greatful for, and that I'm happy to feel and let run their course. God has given us emotion, so there's no reason to shut it out.

Dear God, thanks for giving me the ability to feel. Although there are times when I want to shut everything out, to just exist without emotion for just a little while, I know that it is worthwhile and important for me to feel. You Yourself feel love, compassion, sadness, grief, and many other emotions for Your children every day. Please help me to always be greatful for the emotions that I have, and to try to understand where they come from and why they are important. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY TWENTY-FOUR - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-16T15:37:00.000-03:00

I missed Day 23. I've decided to just carry on.

Praise God for willing servants!

I'm leading worship at my church on the long weekend in August, and I spoke to my worship team, most of them for the first time, this morning. I'm leading with the youth worship team because they have more of a contemporary style, which is what I'm going for. They don't normally lead on Sundays, obviously, but by a sort of fluke, they're actually leading the next 2 Sundays in a row, plus the Sunday after that which is mine, making it 3 Sundays in a row. These people all have other lives and commitments, jobs, etc, but they're totally game to learn a bunch of new songs and have a bunch of extra practises, which is really cool. I'm really grateful for their willingness and generosity.

Dear God, thanks so much for Sandra, Leanna, Jeremiah, Cheryl, Caleb, Phil, and Sam. I'm very excited to lead worship at CBC, and I'm so grateful for their willingness to help me with that. Please prepare our hearts to lead the church in praising You in a couple of weeks. I pray that everything we do would pour out of a heart of praise. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY TWENTY-TWO - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-14T05:02:00.000-03:00

Praise God for informal/amateur/volunteer Admissions work!

I'm not sure how big a secret this is - but I love playing "Admissions Counsellor." It's one of my favourite games. No joke. A lot of times when XD would do things with teens, I'd end up talking to a bunch of them about college and telling them all about XD and Bethany. I've talked to the odd parent about it. It was like, a dream come true one day when I ran into Lynn in the hall with an XD prospective and got to talk to her and her parents all about it for a while. So good. Now, maybe this makes me a loser or something, but it's true. I love it.

Well, a couple weeks ago, I was asked to email a girl who's trying to decide where to go after high school and thinking about XD. She had just spent a week at camp with a BBC summer team and was seriously considering applying to Bethany. So I sent her a detailed e-mail, complete with a few photos, all about our wonderful program and the school in general. It was a lot of fun. :)

I heard back from her today. The thing that got me, though, was at the end. She said, "I feel like I'm rambling and like you won't really care. Thanks for the email and all the details though." Of course I care!! I love this stuff! :) So I wrote her back, and it's basically just been a cool experience for me. I love it. Probably, if anyone, Lynn will be the only one to really "get" this praise. I just love admissions work. And media/PowerPoint. Yep, I'm weird. :)

Dear God, thanks for this opportunity to connect with Shauna and help her try to discern what she should do after high school. It has been both refreshing and rewarding, being in contact with her about this. I pray that You would guide any further conversations we might have, and also that You would make it truly clear to her what Your will is for her after high school. Help her to be obedient to You. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY TWENTY-ONE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-13T13:22:00.000-03:00

Wow, three weeks in - I can hardly believe it's been so long! There have definitely been days where I've struggled with what to post, but for the most part, it has been really cool to intentionally praise God at least once a day. I look forward to the coming days and weeks!

Today, praise God for sunshine!

It's so nice to wake up in the morning and have the sun coming in through my bedroom window. This one doesn't require too much explanation. :)

God, thank You for creating such a beautiful world for us to live in. Thank You for waking me up this morning, and so many others, with the sun shining through my windows. You have created such an incredible universe, God. You are amazing! In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY TWENTY - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-13T03:48:00.000-03:00

Praise God for backyard firepits!

Tonight I (along with my boss and his wife Crys, whom I adore) were invited over to the home of Krista and Darryll. Krista volunteers at The Vault but has only really been out once since I've been here due to scheduling conflicts. Needless to say, we haven't had a huge chance to connect and get to know each other, but I think she's really cool!

Well, tonight we were painting together in the entryway of The Vault for several hours during our work bee. We got to talking, and, long story short, she invited us over to enjoy her new firepit! I am so excited. Crys and I went out for coffee last night and I hadn't realized how much I really missed just having people to hang out with. Now I've had a taste of social interaction, I want more, and God has certainly provided! So tonight I'm praising God for Krista and Darryll's firepit, and the opportunity it has given me to spend time just hanging out!

Dear God, thanks for Krista. She seems like a really cool person, and I'm so glad that we've gotten to know each other a bit even though our paths don't cross often. I pray that the weather would be nice on Friday so that we can all go over and just hang out. Sometimes it is nice to just relax with other people. With friends. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY NINETEEN - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-12T03:04:00.000-03:00

Praise God for Devon's example!

Devon and I have finished Jesus and what an experience it was. With every new development, Devon would turn to me, all bright eyes and excitement, and say, "Oh yeah! In my Bible it says..." and tell me exactly what was about to happen, down to which disciple would say what. How awesome for a seven year old who is not even allowed to go to church! He knows and cherishes the Word of God!

And oh, how he cried when they crucified his Jesus, but how he rejoiced when three days later He rose again! After the movie, we read several stories from his Bible and then we prayed together. What an awesome privilege, to pray with and for my little brother. God has given me such a huge blessing in Devon.

Even as late as a few hours ago, I thought that God had brought me here to Cold Lake to be an example to my little brother, and maybe He has - but tonight, God showed me that Devon is my example. Devon has shown me what it means to truly have the faith of a child, even in the face of adversity and opposition from those who love him the most - his own parents. I have so much more privilege and opportunity than him, and I waste it all. It is time that I learned to love my God the way my little brother does. So, that said, I'm off to spend some time with the Lord!

Dear God, thanks for Devon. Thanks for the example You've shown him to be to me. It is so awesome to see You shining through him the way You do. God, please shine through me that way. Help me to grow ever closer to You. In Jesus' name, amen.

Just for fun:

2006-07-10T23:54:00.000-03:00

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:

1. Toys R Us - Sales Associate/Customer Service Representative
2. Staples Business Depot - Sales Associate/Customer Service Representative
3. Caton's Island - Senior Counsellor
4. The Vault Youth Drop-In Centre - Assistant Youth Coordinator

B) Four movies you would watch over and over:

1. Titanic
2. Bend It Like Beckham
3. Stick It
4. The Little Mermaid (Sorry Amy)

C) Four places you have lived:

1. Kingston, ON
2. Comox, BC
3. Dartmouth, NS
4. Sussex, NB

D) Four TV shows you love to watch

1. Martha
2. Super Nanny
3. House
4. Lost

E) Four places you have been on vacation:

1. Virginia Beach, VA
2. Europe
3. Japan
4. Canandaigua, NY

F)Web sites you visit daily:

1. Blogspot
2. MySpace
3. Hotmail
4. Gmail

G) Four of my favourite foods:

1. Spaghetti & Meatballs
2. Steak
3. Yakisoba
4. Turkey sandwiches

H) Four places I would rather be right now:

1. Calgary
2. Halifax
3. Caton's
4. Beulah

DAY EIGHTEEN - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-10T18:15:00.000-03:00

Praise God for the Erskines (that would be Lynn [the male one, of course ;) ] and Natasha)!

Anyone who has ever met the Erskines (let's face it, anyone who's ever even been in the same room as them for more than five minutes) knows how amazing they both are. They're one of those couples where you're like.... they're both just so... perfect. How is it even fair that they found each other? Shouldn't God share people like them around with the rest of us who aren't quite as awesome as them? ;)

Natasha is beautiful inside and out. Even a blind man could tell that she just has this amazing beauty that radiates from her all the time, and that comes from the incredibly close relationship she has with the Lord. You always walk away from conversations with her feeling incredibly special and valued, and like you've been enriched in some way. Natasha doesn't waste time or words - when she talks, you know it's important.

Lynn is hilarious. His wit and sarcasm rival mine (even Amy's!), but he's never mean or harsh with them. I could talk to Lynn for hours about theology (and there are not many with whom I could do that... theology is a frustrating topic) or about silly things like fictional action figures and bobbleheads. :)

When you talk with either of them, they always make you feel like they're really listening. Plus they're incredibly generous, and very encouraging. Watching their walk with God makes me want to deepen my relationship, and reading their respective blogs inspires me even more to grow closer to God and to get more into the Word.

I could go on and on about how great I think the Erskines are, but you probably get the point. If you know them, count yourself very blessed by God. If you don't, you should work on that. :)

God, thanks so much for putting the Erskines in my life, even just for the one year that we shared at Bethany. As Pastor Peter is very fond of saying, with Christians, it's never goodbye but just, "See you later." God, I do hope that our paths will cross again at some point, but if they don't, I'm grateful for the time that I did get to know them, and for things like e-mail and blogs that will help us keep in touch. Please bless their ministries with Natasha's internship and Lynn's job in retail. Help them both to be effective witnesses for You wherever they go. And I pray that everyone with whom they come into contact would realize how blessed they have been! In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY SEVENTEEN - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-10T01:02:00.000-03:00

Praise God for days off!

I have today and tomorrow off. It is a much-needed break. I'm stressed and emotional and sore. Sorry this is so short. In the words of my dear friend Dani,

"Excuse me, I'd like a moment with my Creator."

Dear God, thanks for 2-day weekends. Please help me to get lots of rest while I have the chance because this job is more demanding than I thought. Help me to be refreshed for work. Help me to be Jesus to these teens. Help me to realize that this is YOUR ministry, not mine, and thus depends on You and not me. Help me to depend on You instead of on myself. In Your name, amen.

DAY SIXTEEN - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-09T03:41:00.000-03:00

Praise God for this summer with my little brother!

I'm just really excited and glad that my brother and I have gotten to spend this summer together, and that we still have another month together. I know I blogged about his faith already and how cool I think it is that he's holding tightly to that, but I just want to blog about what an awesome kid he is and how much fun we're having.

My brother is almost 8, and acts like an almost 8 year old. He plays with his friends, loves video games, and always wants someone to do something with him and whines when no one will. On the other hand though, he can be really mature. I can confidently take my brother into almost any situation, and know that he will act accordingly. For example, there are tons of kids that I would never trust to work the canteen at The Vault on Saturday nights, either because they'd steal or they'd do it wrong, but Devon, my 7 year old brother, I would easily take to work with me at the canteen if we weren't open til 12. I know that sounds ridiculous, but he would be a good worker and do it properly. There's tons of other stuff like that where I just know he'd handle it perfectly.

Last night, my brother sat up with me and watched Cadet Kelly when my sister and cousin went out. He was dead tired and not enjoying the movie too much, but he didn't want to leave me alone to watch it. Then, when it was over, he asked me to tuck him in. I was thrilled. I haven't tucked my brother in in ages. It was so sweet, and we had a good chat for a couple minutes in his room.

Also, I showed my brother the DVD that Dani and I made yesterday afternoon. It's ridiculous and hilarious but only if you get all the jokes, which he definitely doesn't. But we were in the car last night and I jokingly told my sister that it was his new favourite movie. He promptly said, "No it's not," and then, without missing a beat, said, "Probably second favourite." He's been obsessed with The Beatles for a while now (over a month) and he claims that mine and Dani's movie is his 2nd favourite after the Beatles' DVD he has. It's just really cute. :)

At the movie store last week, Devon saw a movie called, "Jesus." He wanted to rent it, but didn't have enough money. So this week, when we went back, he made sure to bring enough, and he rented "Jesus". He was very, very excited and asked me to watch it with him. I'm thrilled and honoured that he wants me to watch this with him. I can't wait.

So, tomorrow afternoon, Devon and I are taking Steph to work (Sobey's), where we're going to get special snacks for our date - watching "Jesus" in Devon's room. This will probably be one of the best dates of my whole life. I love my little brother so much. I'm glad that I get to be the cool, nice older sister who comes home from college. :) I think he looks up to me and I love it.

Dear God, thanks for Devon. He is such a cool kid and I'm so glad that we've always gotten along so well. I praise You today for giving me such a great little brother - I couldn't ask for better. I pray that we would continue to grow closer as time goes on, and that I could always be an example to him in every way. Help me to learn from him too, God. Thank You for blessing me with Devon. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY FIFTEEN - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-07T20:30:00.000-03:00

Praise God for little reminders.

I'm having kind of an up and down day today, and I was actually thinking of not updating with today's praise, mainly because I couldn't think of anything to write about. How foolish of me to think that I have nothing to praise God for.

I was checking my email and getting ready to take a nap (I live for naps when I'm cranky, bummed, or upset), and I came across a new comment from Missy Mowbray on yesterday's post.

missy9870 said...

I appreciate your 50 day praise! I especially appreciate your praise from yesterday...it reminded me of the song "Blessed be your Name!" Your blog has lead me into praise and thanksgiving...thank you!

I'm sure most, if not all, of you know the words to Blessed Be Your Name. But here they are anyway (well, some of them):

Blessed be Your Name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's "all as it should be"
Blessed be Your Name
And blessed be Your Name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your Name

Every blessing You pour out I'll
Turn back to praise
And when the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the Name of the Lord
Blessed be Your Name...

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your Name

Guess what, folks. It's not about me. It's not about how I'm feeling or what kind of day I'm having. It's about God. Even if everything seems to be going wrong, even if there is not one good thing in my life, I can still praise God for who He is. And really, everything isn't going wrong in my life. I have it pretty darn good. So just because I am feeling emotional and tired isn't any reason not to praise God today. So today, I praise God for reminding me of this.

Dear God, thank You for reminding me that the world doesn't revolve around me. I am so unworthy to even kneel before You, and yet time and again I act as if it were a huge demand on me to even have anything to do with You. Please forgive me for my arrogance and humble me. Today, God, I choose to praise You, even though I didn't feel like it. You are forever worthy of my praise simply for existing, let alone for all the incredible things You've given me. I pray that my relationship with You would grow ever closer and that I would continue to know and understand You more. And as the song says, God, "Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me." In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

DAY FOURTEEN - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-06T14:47:00.000-03:00

Praise God for Lost!

That's right, I'm praising God for a TV show. And what?

Lost has definitely become one of my favourite TV shows over the past year. I love when I can really get into a show and feel like I'm a part of it, where I can't wait to watch the next episode and see what happens. I think it's important for everyone to have some sort of escapism, where they can just take off into another world every now and again, whether that be through reading or watching a TV show or whatever. It helps to relieve stress.

Also, I love that certain shows have "cult" followings, and Lost is definitely one of them. When we were watching the 1st season on DVD, you could find Missy, Amy, Gibbs and myself on any given night curled up in one of our rooms watching the next episode. It's the kind of thing where we make specific plans to get together regularly to watch it. Some people make specific, regular coffee dates, some people watch Lost. This, too, I think is important - having some regular event that brings friends together.

So, maybe I've over-spiritualized watching Lost. Whatev. I love it and I'm praising God for it!

Dear God, thanks for Lost. I really like watching it, first because it's a good show, second because it helps me to escape for an hour or two and get involved in someone else's drama, and third because it brings my friends and I together regularly to hang out and watch it. Thank You for TV shows and for friends (not the TV show.. although I do like that one, too). I'm really glad that You want us to enjoy life, and You give us ways to do that. You are a generous, fun-loving (I'm sure) God. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY THIRTEEN - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-05T12:57:00.000-03:00

Right at this moment, things aren't exactly ideal. I'm actually pretty bummed out. So I can't really think of anything specific to praise God for, so I'm just going to praise Him.

God, You are my Strongtower in times of need. You are my Rock, my Refuge. I praise You and thank You that I don't ever have to lean on myself, God, but that I can always lean on You. Please be with the Spady family this weekend as they've lost a very close family friend. Give them Your peace in the midst of this hectic time. Be also with the family who have lost a husband and father. You are the God who loves and cares for His people, and I praise You for that. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY TWELVE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-04T13:55:00.000-03:00

Praise God for sillyness!

As I've mentioned, Dani and I had a really great weekend. But one of my very favourite things about my friendship with Dani is the sillyness. Oh, believe me, we can be serious. We can have deep, meaningful talks for hours on end. But one of the things that we do best is sillyness. :)

I can't get into any details because the main focus of our sillyness this weekend was a surprise for certain people who might read this, but I'm pretty sure that Dani and I excelled in our sillyness this weekend, beyond anything we've accomplished before.

Basically, I think it's really cool that two "grown-up" college kids can just take a whole weekend and laugh until our sides hurt. I think God appreciates sillyness, too - I'm sure He wants us to enjoy ourselves and not be so dead serious all the time. So, praise God for sillyness!

Dear God, thanks for Dani. She's awesome. Thank You that our friendship is so versatile, in that we can be silly when we need to and serious when we need to. :) I pray that I would never "grow up" so much that I can't be silly any more. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY ELEVEN - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-04T13:39:00.000-03:00

This post is a little late because I spent 7 hours driving home from Calgary last night... Sorry!

On my drive home, I was listening to Casting Crowns' newest CD, Lifesong, and one of my favourite songs came on - "Praise You in This Storm" is about praising God even when circumstances are less than ideal. The whole song rings true for me right now, because one of the main reasons I decided to do this 50 Days of Praise thing is because I had spent so much of my time complaining about being in Cold Lake, so I wanted to change my outlook and instead find reasons to praise God even while I'm here. One part of this song particularly stuck out to me yesterday, though.

You are who You are
No matter where I am
- Casting Crowns, "Praise You in This Storm"

Driving home from Calgary last night, I was really bummed out. I had just spent a great weekend visiting with Dani, in a city that I quickly realized I absolutely loved, and now I was headed back to a town that I find only bearable where I have no friends at all. It seemed like everything was perfect in Calgary, like I had everything I needed there if I could only find a way to stay, or to go back. But guess what - God is everything I need. Friends are great, nice cities are great, fun is great. All good things, but not the best.

Jesus talks about this in Luke 10, with the story of Mary & Martha. Martha was worried about many things, all of which are good (serving her guests, cooking dinner, etc), but Mary had found what was most important - being with Jesus. I read in a commentary that Jesus wasn't condemning what Martha was doing, it was more a matter of good vs best. Friends and all that are great and I'm sure God wants us to have those things and enjoy life - but God is still the most important thing, and God is still God no matter where I am.

So, praise God that He is my everything, in Calgary, or Cold Lake, or wherever else I might end up!

Dear God, thank You that You are always the same. In a life where everything seems to change all the time, from the place I sleep at night to the friends that I have around me to the job where I work, You never change. You are always with me, whether I am at home with my family, or visiting friends, or surrounded by complete and total strangers. Please help me to keep that in mind when I am feeling "mecontent" (I can't think of the English word - good thing God speaks French!) with my situation. You are my Rock, my Refuge, my Redeemer. You are my Everything. Thank You. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY TEN - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-02T21:41:00.000-03:00

Praise God for surprises!

Today Dani had planned a surprise for me. She wouldn't tell me what it was, where we were going, or anything. I was told to put on some jeans and grab a hoodie, and away we went. We took the LRT downtown, and then called a cab - I wasn't allowed to listen to Dani's conversations with either the operator or the taxi driver, lest I overhear where we were going.

After a half hour taxi ride, we arrived at Calaway Park! It's an amusement park just outside of Calgary. It was a lot of fun; I absolutely love surprises and theme parks! :) We went on the flume first (I don't care what you say, Dani, that IS what it's called!), then we got Dippin' Dots. This was my first experience with this wonderful treat, and I loved it. Cookies 'n' Cream. I highly recommend it. After that, we went on the roller coaster, then on the train, then to see Deanna Jones and the Jungle of Treasure or something like that. It was awesome and terrifying at the same time. ;)

It was a really great day, and so nice because usually I am the one planning the surprise - don't get me wrong, I absolutely love surprising people. But it was really nice to be the receiver this time. :)

Really, though, I am surprised all the time - how often does God take my breath away? How often do I look out my window to see the moon so big and hanging so low I swear I could reach out and pull it down? Every time God reveals a new part of Himself to me, I am surprised once again at his awesomeness. God's surprises are the kind you can never grow accustomed to.

So, today, I want to thank God for surprises.

Dear God, thank You so much for this wonderful day that Dani and I have shared. We had so much fun being goofy and going on rides and just acting like little kids who were so excited about everything. I praise You for the amazing woman that You have created in Dani - she is one of the most amazing people I have had the privilege of knowing, and one of the best friends I could ever ask for. I thank You for the surprise that she planned for me today, and for her delight in sharing it with me. And God, I also thank You for the delight You take in surprising Your children. You love to reveal new things to us and watch our wonder and amazement as we discover them. Thank You for being a God of surprises!

DAY NINE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-07-01T11:04:00.001-03:00

Praise God for Gibbs!

I spoke to my beautiful friend Sarah Gibbs yesterday for the first time in two months. It was a glorious experience. I think Gibbs must be one of my very favourite people.

Gibbs is from Kentucky, so she has the whole southern charm thing down to a science. She's very sweet, very polite - and she has this great dry/sarcastic humour to go with it. Gibbs is sort of motherly, too. She's always there for a snuggle, or to rub your back while you tell her all your problems.

When I had an allergic reaction in April that put me in the hospital for a couple hours, Gibbs came with me. She sat with me in the emergency room while I whined and complained, then she let me sleep with my head on her lap when the Benadryl I'd taken finally knocked me out. She held my hand when I cried while the nurse tried several times to give me an IV. Then she sat with me while I drifted off and called for my dear Missy to come and spend the rest of the night with me. Then she came back and got us a few hours later (around 3:30 am).

Mostly, Gibbs is just awesome. I love and cherish her, and can't wait to see her again next January. She leaves for her internship today, and I just know she's going to have the best time. God is going to use her beyond her wildest dreams and she's going to love it.

God, thanks for Gibbs. She is awesome, an amazing friend, a beautiful person. I praise You for the person that she is. Please be with her as she travels to Michigan today to start her internship. I know it's a bit scary, kind of a grown-up thing to do and it'll be different. But I know You're going to do ridiculously amazing stuff in, through, and to her over the next few months. Please help her to have a great experience, and to come back to Bethany in January fired up and ready to finish school so she can get back out there and keep serving You. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY EIGHT - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-06-30T11:47:00.000-03:00

Praise God for Dani being in Alberta this summer!

When I first got to my parents' house, I didn't know anyone at all. I was incredibly lonely and just spent all my time wishing I was back in Nova Scotia. Then I talked to Dani and came up with the concept of chunks!

Dani and I discovered that we both had most of the Canada Day long weekend off, so we made tentative plans to meet in Edmonton. We haven't seen each other in almost a year, since she left camp. Well, anyway, when we first started talking about it, I realized it would be around 2 weeks until I saw her. Two months = a long time. Two weeks = manageable! After that there are a couple more small chunks involving a VBS that I'll probably talk about later.

Having Dani just a few hours away, and knowing that I'll get to see her soon, has definitely made it a lot easier being here. Dani is a wonderful, beautiful, amazing friend, and I really didn't think I'd ever get to see her again when she went home to West Virginia last summer. Plus, we were both extremely busy this year so we didn't get to keep in touch as well as we'd have liked. But when we do talk, it's like we just saw each other yesterday! So I'm really, really excited to see her tomorrow!!!!!! Praise God that I have a friend to visit this summer!

God, thank You so much for Dani. She has been an incredible friend to me since that first time we shaved our legs off the dock last summer. I pray that we would have a really great time this weekend catching up, and that we wouldn't be too sad to part at the end but that we would just be glad to have spent any time together. Please bless her as she goes off to Tyndale in the fall, help her to focus on her studies and to do everything to Your glory. I pray also that we would get to spend more time visiting in the near future, either here in Alberta or at some point in the coming school year. Please help me to drive safely to Calgary tomorrow. In Jesus' name, amen.

New! New! New!

2006-06-29T14:22:00.000-03:00

New hair and sunglasses!

New hat and sunglasses!

DAY SEVEN - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-06-29T10:26:00.000-03:00

Wow, it's been one week! Some days have been more difficult than others as far as finding something to write about, but this has been a cool experience! I'm excited to see what the next 43 days will hold! (And I love exclamation points!)

Praise God for little redheaded girls!

OK, I'll warn you - this post isn't going to be very deep.

I went to my brother's taekwon-do class last night because it was his last one for the year and I hadn't been yet. It was fun; I was impressed with all these little kids who knew so much! I also figured out how to take pictures on my video camera, which has a much better zoom than my actual camera.

Well, I was taking some pictures of my brother, and I noticed this really cute little redheaded girl off to the side, so I took a couple pictures of her, then I went back to my brother. Well, it was the funniest thing - I started to notice that every time I turned towards her, she'd kind of flick her eyes over at me and smile... She was mugging for the camera!

I ended up taking a bunch of pictures of this little redhead, and her sneakiness in trying to smile for me definitely got me laughing and brightened up my day, which had previously been kind of crappy. :)

Dear God, thank You for small joys like this little redheaded girl, and the way that they can brighten up my day. Please bless this small girl, and may she always have a quick smile. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY SIX - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-06-28T12:58:00.000-03:00

Praise God for brothers and sisters in Christ!

Since becoming a Christian 2.5 years ago, I have lost a lot of my old friends from high school. We just became very different and were headed in very different directions, so we inevitably grew apart. But God has been incredibly faithful to provide me with an amazing support system of Christian brothers and sisters. They are more than friends; we share something much deeper than that.

It's cool to see, even just in my own life, how we really are the body of Christ. When I need something, my brothers and sisters all have specific gifts and talents that can help me; Becca is the reasonable one who can usually offer a logical solution. She also has a really great listening ear. Kelly listens really well too, and interprets feelings and situations well - she knows when a joke will diffuse the whole problem, and when I really need to vent. Missy is very sympathetic, there with a hug, an ear, a shoulder, or all three, depending on the situation. Amy is very realistic and honest, able to tell you up-front if she thinks it's you that's being an idiot, and not whoever you have a problem with, without sounding like a jerk. (OK, so those are all sisters in Christ, but you get the idea... There are some great boys out there too :)

Also, there is a deeper sense of loyalty and closeness among Christian friends. Non-Christians can be extremely loyal, but often it only lasts as long as it suits them. With Christians, I've found, anyway, that even if two friends drift apart, there is still that sense of meaning there. I have had close Christian friends that I've just grown apart from, but I know that if I needed them, they'd still be there in a heartbeat. It's just different, I guess.

Basically, I just praise God for placing such a strong, beautiful, amazing network of brothers and sisters around me to whom I can turn for anything from hanging out and being goofy to spiritual matters to boy problems. I really think God works through His people in this way to help build each other up. I could post a lot more about this, but it would turn into more of an essay and you'd soon stop reading. :)

God, thanks for my friends. They're awesome. It's cool that even if we have slightly differing theology or hugely different backgrounds, we have You in common and that brings us together. Please bless all of my brothers and sisters in Christ. May we all learn to see all Christians as brothers and sisters so that one day, there might be real unity among all believers - not just among friends who also happen to be believers. In Jesus' name.

DAY FIVE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-06-27T10:07:00.000-03:00

Praise God for Compassion!

I've been doing a lot of advocate training, and just reading up on and thinking more about Compassion Canada lately. Compassion is a child sponsorship organization that has reached thousands of kids in 23 countries with the Word of Christ.

Sponsors through Compassion are connected with a specific child in a developing country, with whom they can correspond as long as the child remains in the program. Sponsors receive a picture of their child, which is updated regularly as the child grows and changes. Many sponsors form very close, personal relationships with their sponsor child. Sponsoring through Compassion costs $35.00 (CAD) a month - a small price to pay to help a child.

One of the reasons I love Compassion so much is the philosophy behind their ministry.

Compassion is Christ-centered: All of Compassion's ministries are done in the name of Jesus, so it's very clear to everyone involved why they're there and why they do what they do. Compassion is also very intentional about involving all the children in their projects in a church and/or a Sunday school program, and all of Compassion's workers and volunteers are Christians - some, in fact, have been saved through Compassion's ministries and then have wanted to contribute!

Compassion is child-focused: Some sponsorship organizations do not make a direct connection between sponsor and child - often, the money that is given each month is simply put toward that child's community or a local project that will indirectly benefit the child. Compassion feels, however, that their ministry is about the children. So, when you sponsor with them, none of your monthly sponsorship donation goes to the community in which your child lives. Compassion has separate funds for community projects to insure that they can continue to do this. The money that you give goest directly to the child whose picture you have on your fridge, the child for whom you pray every night, the child who writes you letters and prays to someday meet the wonderful person who has provided for them to meet Jesus.
Also, Compassion adheres strictly to their own 80/20 rule; every month, at least 80% of your 35$ goes directly to your child, with no more than 20% going to administrative costs. Often, this is closer to 85/15 or even 90/10.

Lastly, Compassion is church-based: All of Compassion's ministries are done through Christian churches. Even better, whenever possible, Compassion partners with a local church that is already established within the community! By running their programs from the church, there is no doubt left to anyone about what their focus is. It also provides jobs, both paid and volunteer, for people from the church. When they work through a previously established church, not only do they increase that church's membership, but they appear less threatening as foreigners, and often white foreigners, with money and power. Instead of coming in and setting up their own thing and making everyone come to them, they go directly to the people. Another benefit of partnering with a local church is that if, for political or other reasons, Compassion is forced to withdraw from an area or country, they can leave behind local people who know how to continue running the projects and programs. That way, there is significantly less danger of having to shut down a project.

I've been sponsoring a boy, Dilan, for a year and a half now. He will be turning 6 this summer. It has been so cool to get letters from him, and little pictures that he's drawn. I get way more excited about his mail than about anyone else's. I really hope to meet him someday.

Dear God, Thank You so much for Compassion's ministries. I pray that You would bless all those who work for Compassion, all those who sponsor children through Compassion (and other organizations), and all the children being sponsored through Compassion (and other organizations). I pray also that those children who are awaiting sponsorship would find those sponsors soon and not be left waiting and wondering when someone will choose them. God, thank You for Dilan. He is such an awesome little kid, and I pray that You would continue to be real to he and his family. I also pray that I would be better about writing to him, and that he would know that I love him very much and pray for him often. God, we know You love children - You say in Your Word that if anyone cannot become like these little children, then surely they will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Well God, today I thank You that Compassion is helping many children around the world to have faith in You. I pray that their faith would inspire many more around them, including their families and friends who don't know You. Please continue to bless Compassion's ministry and help them to prosper and reach more and more children and families. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY FOUR - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-06-26T16:58:00.000-03:00

Praise God for His blessings and provision!

My sister and I were talking this morning about how our family had very little money when she and I were young. The year we moved to BC, my mom had to borrow 50$ from me to join a dart league so that she could make some friends in our new town. That same Christmas, we had so little money that our mom had to take out a credit card at Canex, which is the convenience store on most, if not all, military bases in Canada, and buy all of our Christmas presents there. She spent a long time after that paying off our Christmas presents.

Over the last few years though, God has given our family so much. We are now in a very comfortable state, financially. So much so that we have much more than we could ever need. Our parents are able to provide us with the things they always wanted to, such as buying a trampoline for our family, and buying our brother the dog he's wanted for as long as I can remember. Things like this never would have been possible just a few years ago.

I also thank God, though, that our parents have stayed smart about their money. They remember what it was like having almost nothing, so, while they do treat us now that they can, they are also very careful about saving their money, and about investing in worthy causes. For instance, my mom and brother sponsor a boy through Compassion Canada, both so that my mom can give some of her money to someone in need, and to teach my brother the importance of charity work and responsibility for his world.

Thank You, God, for providing so abundantly for my family. We have so much more than we could ever need. I pray that we would be responsible with what we have, knowing what to save and what to use. Also, let us bless others with what we have whenever possible. You are faithful to provide for Your children, and I pray that whatever our financial situation, we would always trust in You for Your provision. In Jesus' name, amen.

DAY THREE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-06-25T19:26:00.000-03:00

Today I have the blessing of having several things from which to choose my praise for today. I think I know which I'll go with, though.

I got to take my little brother to church today! He is almost 8 years old, and he got saved just under 2 years ago at the Franklin Graham Festival in Halifax. My parents are kind of freaked out about the whole religion thing, though, so he's not been allowed to come to church with my sister and I. They say that they want to wait until he's old enough to decide for himself before they let him participate in any sort of religiousness.

I have my own thoughts about that whole thing, but that's another story. The reason I'm praising God today is that my parents both went out of town at 7 o'clock this morning, leaving my sister and I to take care of Devon. Well, since it's Sunday... We got to take him to church! My mom made it very clear that this was only a one-time thing, but it was still exciting. :)

When we got up this morning, he and I read a devotional from the book I bought him at Willow Creek. We didn't get really in-depth or even really discuss it at all, but it was still cool to share that with him. I hope I can get him into somewhat of a routine before I leave at the end of the summer.

He came early with me to the church and helped me with the PowerPoint (takes after his big sister! haha), then stayed with me through the service. He didn't want to go to kids' church because he didn't know anyone. He did get a bit bored towards the end of the service, but, blessing of blessings, the intro to the pastor's sermon was all about the NHL Playoffs! Devon is so into hockey. It was perfect. God is good.

When we got home from church, Devon spent a half hour reading his Bible completely of his own initiative. It was the most encouraging thing ever... Even though my parents are not supportive of him being a Christian at all, his faith remains intact. It's truly an example of the faith of a child. :)

Father God, thank You so much for Devon. He is such a cool kid, and has unconditionally accepted You into his life. It is so encouraging to see that his faith remains strong and intact, even with little to no Christian influence in his day-to-day life. Please continue to reveal Yourself to him until he is deemed "old enough" to decide to follow You. I pray also that he would be an example to our parents, as Steph and I would hope to be. Thank You for being a saving God who would not let one of His children wander away for lack of encouragement. You are awesome. In Jesus' name.

DAY TWO - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-06-24T14:52:00.000-03:00

Praise God for Laura Mitchell's blog!

OK, so maybe that sounds a little silly. But I have been reading her blog more regularly in recent days, and it is always so encouraging. Lor has a way of turning even an update on her day-to-day life into one huge praise note. She also often writes about what she is learning from Scripture, and with both kinds of posts blesses many others in the process.

In fact, I think that Lor has been doing her own "40 Days of Praise," except that every entry she has ever written is a praise note. She is an amazing woman with an amazing blog, and I thank God for both!

Thank You, God, for Laura Mitchell. Thank You for placing it on her heart to share that very heart with all those who read her blog. I pray that her blog would be an encouragement to many others, and that we would all enjoy such close company with You as Laura does. In Jesus' name.

DAY ONE - 50 Days of Praise!

2006-06-23T19:55:00.000-03:00

Praise God for parents!

Today's my parents' anniversary, so I figured I'd start with them. :)

My parents and I don't always get along. We've been known to scream at each other, and slam doors, and say things we really don't mean. But, truth be told, I know my parents love me, even in the middle of a huge fight.

My parents aren't Christians, but I know they still support me in going to Bible college. Sometimes, I think they think I'm crazy, but they still want to hear about my classes, and see all my pictures, and hear about what I plan to do when I graduate. It's strange, too; whenever I talk to other relatives, they seem to know all about what I'm doing, and it somehow always gets traced back to my mom's big mouth... ;)

Looking back, I can see that my parents have always given me everything they could. Even when Mom & Ron first got married, and we had no money, I still never went without anything, and often had more than what was necessary. And now that we do have money, they aren't hesitant about sharing it with us.

Anyway, even though we don't always get along, I do praise God for my parents and for everything they've done for me. :)

50 Days of Praise

2006-06-23T05:34:00.000-03:00

I was reading Robin's blog, and he had posted a link to Danielle's blog. I don't know Danielle, nor, apparently, does Robin. He had done some graphic design and blog layout for her. Anyway, I found this on her blog.

She started a few days ago on a journey called, "40 Days of Praise." Each day, she is posting a praise for something God has done, is doing, is showing her, has provided, etc. She's also invited others to join her in this effort, encouraging them (us!) to "make a joyous noise with our keypads!"

Well, I'm a few days late, but I think this is a really neat idea. I'm going to change it up a bit, though - I started out my time in Alberta complaining a lot, so I think I'll finish it praising God. So tomorrow will mark the start of my 50 Days of Praise - right up until I head back to Nova Scotia.

I encourage you all to join myself, Danielle, and many others in this! Imagine consciously noting the things God does, and taking time to praise Him for them each day... Maybe you already do this, and great, more power to you, but if you're like me, this might be a new and exciting way to connect with the Lord. Either way, think of how you can bless others by sharing what God is doing in your life. Comment and let me know if you'll be starting your own 40 (or 50!) Days of Praise!

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." - Psalm 150:6

Oh Caton's, how I miss thee...

2006-06-17T17:54:00.000-03:00

I received a phone call today. It went something like this:

Me: "Hello?"
Caller: "Hi."
Me: "Hi..."
Caller: "Do you know who this is?"
Me: "No."
Caller: "Hi."
Me: "Hi."
Caller: "Hi."
Me: "...Who is this?"
Caller: "It's HO-LLY! What did you think I said??"

Talking to Holly was great - it had been a while. I miss that crazy Queen of the Wild Frontier. We talked about camp, and it made me really excited for everyone who's going to be there, but also sad and nostalgic. So I've decided to dedicate this post to all things Caton's Island. :)

This was my very first cabin. One kid got lice, one got the flu, two got homesick, and one couldn't understand why everyone else was being such babies. It was a fun first week.

Broke But Spoken For

(slow)
I say goodbye
But in your eyes, I see that
I don't want to
Will I see you again?
May I suggest
That we all go to Sussex?
It's destiny...
Let's go to Bethany...

(fast)
Let's all go to seminary
We can take road trips to Maine
Nothing more than ordinary
And we all can be ordained

Grab a hand, start a band, and sing

Let's all go to seminary
We can take road trips to Maine
Nothing more than ordinary
And we all can be ordained
All we play is foosball cause that's all we can afford
Even Deborah Guptill would have to admit
That Old Testament genealogy
Is just a bore

Grab a hand, join a band, and sing

(slow)
Now graduation is over
Go dance in fields of clover
Right now, we're peers
(fast)
But we'll ALL BE REVERENDS
IN FOUR YEARS

(fast)
Let's all go to seminary
We can take road trips to Maine
Nothing more than ordinary
And we all can be ordained
Let's all go to seminary
We can take road trips to Maine
Nothing more than ordinary
And we all can be ordained...

- Dani Spady and Kristy LaPointe
(Yep, she's related to THE LaPointes. Ask her about it sometime.)

OK, I know that song is completely riddled with inaccuracies, but it's fun just the same. Dani and Kristy wrote it during my first week at Caton's last summer, and when they sang it for the entire dorm, I thought, "I want to be friends with them." Guess I was right! They're pretty awesome. :) *Side note* I tried to find a video of that song on my computer, but came up empty-handed. Sorry! Also, the words may or may not be entirely accurate. My memory is kind of fuzzy.

My wonderful friend Dani dressed up as a Hobbit for counsellor dress-up.

Holly Tatton
(To the tune of Davy Crockett)

Holly, Holly Tatton
Queen of the Wild Frontier
Born on a mountaintop in Ontario
Greatest land in the land of the snow
Raised in Haiti so she knew every tree
Killed herself a boar, when she was only three
Holly, Holly Tatton
Queen of the Wild Frontier

- Dani Spady and Jen Ochej

One of my favourite counsellor dress-ups. It was Spy Day, and Debbie was my CIT again (she is my CIT... laughter). We got in trouble for taking the rappelling gear (by Dean, though Holly had said we could borrow it), but we still looked hot. :)

I leave you with this video. This is a song that Dani wrote for a Biology project in high school. She sang it at least once every week she was at Caton's, I'm pretty sure. The funniest was a time that we sang it just before a meal, and then they served fishsticks... We feared the peasants would revolt, but most found it funny. Dani did have a loyal following, though, who would insist on not eating the fishsticks. It got pretty intense. I heart silly campers.

Canadian Idol!

2006-06-14T20:42:00.000-03:00

I Need Jesus

2006-06-11T06:49:00.000-03:00

"I Need Jesus"

I don't know much, but I know enough to know

I need Jesus, I need Jesus.

I haven't been far, but everywhere I've been I've seen

Jesus, I need Jesus.

I need a Father, I need a Friend.

I need a Saviour who's been where I've been.

I need a Healer who can defend.

I need a Hero who wins in the end.

I need Jesus, I need Jesus.

I never can know peace, love, and hope, and joy

Without Jesus, without Jesus.

And I never can know what it means to be set free

Without Jesus, without Jesus.

I need a Father, I need a Friend.
I need a Saviour who's been where I've been.
I need a Healer who can defend.
I need a Hero who wins in the end.
I need Jesus, I need Jesus.

Life would be so empty and so cold without You,

So I give You my heart and life to hold,

I trust You.

You are my Father, You are my Friend.
You are my Saviour, You've been where I've been.

You are my Healer, my heart You defend.

You are my Hero, You win in the end.

I need Jesus, I need Jesus.

All that I can be is based on my dependency.
All that I can be is based on my dependency.
All that I can be is based on my dependency.
All that I can be is based on my dependency on You...

You are my Father, You are my Friend.
You are my Saviour, You've been where I've been.
You are my Healer, my heart You defend.
You are my Hero, You win in the end.
I need Jesus, I need Jesus.

- AJ Thomas

That song has really touched me and meant a lot recently. I have been so caught up in being everything I can be, doing everything I can do for God, and I've forgotten - God doesn't need me, I need Him. And not only do I need God to be in my life, but I need Him to be everything for me - a Father, a Friend, a Saviour, a Healer, a Hero.

I have and have had some of these things in my life in the form of people. But, as wonderful as my dad was, he wasn't perfect. He didn't love my mom the way he should have. He didn't always follow through when he made a promise. But God loves me, and my mom, perfectly. And God does follow through - always and without fail. I have been blessed with wonderful, amazing, beautiful, awe-inspiring friends. But they can be impatient, and forgetful, and inconsiderate. My God has infinite patience, no matter how often I screw up, or how badly. My God never forgets - how can you forget about someone when you're with them through everything. My God considers me above all else - I am His wonderful creation, His daughter, His precious child.

I need to stop trying to be everything for God, and let Him be everything for me. That's not to say I should stop doing anything for God at all and just kick back - but what I do has to come from me allowing God to be everything for me. All that I can be is based on my dependency. The more I learn to rely on God, the more I will be able to do for Him.

I hope you have been as blessed by this reminder of God's awesomeness as I have. I thank God today for all that He has been in my life, and all that He yearns to be if I'd only let Him. My prayer is that each one who reads this would come, as I have, to the question, God, what position have I been witholding from You in my life? Where can I allow You to come in so that You can truly be everything for me?

Let God be everything in Your life today. He wants to fill every part of you.

PS: All of this is my interpretation and opinion; I don't know whether or not AJ intended any of this to be the message of this song, nor do I know if he agrees or disagrees with my statements. Just so we're clear. (And yes, this is fine print. And what?)

All the pennies I've wasted in my wishing well...

2006-06-02T20:51:00.000-03:00

Well, I've officially started work at my new job - I'm basically like one of our summer students at Hillside, but I work at The Vault, a youth drop-in center here in town. Yesterday morning I went in and did some office work, mostly just tidying up the office a bit and creating a couple of different forms for a log book. Last night, though, was when my real introduction - Sue, my boss, said she was going to be late for our Thursday night drop-in, so I was to open it up and just manage the chaos until she got there. It wasn't too bad; there were already about 10 teens there when I showed up (and I thought I was early!), and they sort of helped me move some stuff and start to get ready. As time went on, more and more teens showed up, and we had about 25 there by the time Sue arrived. The night was pretty chaotic, and I can definitely see a lot of areas that need attention, and a lot of things I'd do differently if I had the choice. We're starting to make some progress already though, and I've already brought up a few ideas with Sue that she seems to be behind. So it's going well. Tomorrow will be a long day - I have to help with a fundraiser filling sandbags for 4 or 5 hours in the morning and early afternoon, and then I have to work from 6-12 for our dance/drop-in that runs from 7-11 tomorrow night. So it will be a crazy long day. Then Sunday morning at church I have to talk to the Pastor about a couple of ideas I have for this summer (I can't just go to church - I need to get involved with stuff! I'm cursed! haha), and Sunday evening I have to go to a volunteer appreciation dinner in Bonnyville (about 25 minutes away) to get ideas for a similar event we're having in a couple weeks. So it will be a pretty long-ish weekend all around. I have some flexibility with my office hours, and I think I might take Monday off. We'll see.

Other than that, not too much is going on around here... Really. I've just wracked my brain for five minutes trying to come up with something else to write about, but there isn't anything. I work, read, or go on the computer. I pimped Kelly and Steph's MySpaces recently, and that was fun. Not terribly exciting to read about, but fun to do. Well, I guess I'm going to go find out about supper. Peace.

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Photos! :-)

2006-05-27T20:59:00.000-03:00

Flash Slideshow

"We're going all the way!"

2006-05-22T16:42:00.000-03:00

Well, my visit with the Thomases is almost at an end. We’ve shared laughs, shed tears (Isaac has done most of that)…

Isaac Israel, the one and only.

Well anyway, it’s been fun. This past weekend we went to May Rally in Sackville, NB. The speaker for the weekend was Mike Pilavachi, who is the senior pastor at Soul Survivor Church Watford in the UK. That’s Matt Redman and Tim Hughes’ church. The worship leader was Lex Buckley, also from Soul Survivor. Her husband, Paul, played drums on the worship team, along with Kelly Thomas on keys and background vocals, Robin Ogilvie on electric, and Daniel Freeman on bass (Sunday when Lex lost her voice, AJ filled in as worship leader). It was an awesome weekend with great worship sets, great messages from Mike, Dr. H.C. Wilson, and Peter Beckwith, lots of laughs and fun drives, and, ofcourse, the Newsboys concert in Saint John. Yesterday, after the closing rally, Lex and Paul came back to Halifax with us to spend the night at AJ & Kelly’s before their flight back to the UK. We (myself, Thomases, Buckleys, Ogilvies and Freeman) went out to The Keg Steakhouse for, well, steak. It was amazing – Caesar salad, baked potato, and steak. AJ got the baseball steak, which is so thick they can’t cook it nearly all the way through, so it was dripping blood in the center. Anyway, we had a lot of fun and the food was delicious. After that, we all came back here and crashed. Today has been a lazy day, trying to get a hold of Miss Becca Fitz, mostly. Apparently she went to New Brunswick or something... *rolls eyes* haha Overall, it's been a really great visit, and I'm so glad I got to see (almost) everyone. I will miss you all greatly during my exile to Alberta!

I leave you with these photos:

Happy Isaac - he grabbed the camera while I was taking the picture.

Micah Jae.

Mine and Kelly's dorky fan photo with Lex.

I almost forgot!! Sunday afternoon, when AJ led worship, the band did Come, Now is the Time to Worship as their opening song but, of course, because it was the closing rally, they wanted to go out with a bang - so they did the U2 intro to Where the Streets Have No Name. But because Kelly only has two hands but she also had two keyboards, she couldn't play it quite the way that she wanted to, so I got to play keys for the intro to the song! Don't get too excited - I don't actually play the piano, nor was my part very impressive or big. I just played D for the intro and then walked off. But it was super fun and definitely a highlight of my weekend. I love to be on stage in front of people and playing an instrument (sort of) was a whole new experience for me. I think I am addicted to performing.

I played the yellow keys. :-) Except the keyboard was longer.

The neighbourhood is infested with giant robots!

2006-05-12T21:01:00.000-03:00

So, I've spent the week at AJ & Kelly's apartment/house. Monday, I watched the boys for a few hours while AJ & K went to sign the papers for their new house (!!) and buy some paint, etc., at Home Depot. In theory, this sounds fun - I absolutely love Micah, and Isaac is shaping up to be pretty awesome too. Or so I thought - it turns out, I am Isaac's arch nemesis. He spent about 1 hour sleeping Monday afternoon, and 3-4 hours screaming. And I don't mean crying, I mean literally screaming. Red in the face, back arching, screaming. I don't know why, nor do I know how to stop it. When AJ & K got home, he was totally fine. It was a mystery until the next evening, when he did the same thing for me. This is when we realized that I am his arch nemesis. Ah, well. You win some, you lose some.

When I haven't been watching the boys, most of my time has been spent over at the new house. It is a really cute townhouse type deal, with a lot more space than their apartment... But I suppose that's a given. ;) We've done quite a lot of painting, and in fact, I'm currently covered in paint from head to toe. The boys' room is a bright green, AJ & K's, a nice gray called Porpoise, and then there is another room with a red floor. Anyway, it's really cool, and we've had a good time painting. I'm excited to move all the furniture in tomorrow (and it's not even my house!)!!

Tonight is the prayer vigil at Hillside, and I've just finished running media. It was fun, especially the section entitled "Freestyle," where I had to listen to the first few bars and/or lines of a song and then try to find it in the computer. Oddly enough, AJ's "Follow" was the only one not in the computer... I find that slightly ironic. haha

12 days until I fly to exile in Alberta... Excited to see my sister, not excited about not seeing any of my friends for 3 months... We'll see how it goes. I think God has some plans for me while I'm there. Pray for my sanity, though, please.

What's new and exciting in everyone else's lives? I'm excited to hear about chorale tour, whenever those bums get back to their respective home locations. Had a good chat with Lydia Gibbs tonight, which I guess is almost as good as talking to my Gibbs. ;)

Anyway, hopefully I'll have some pictures of the boys and the new house and everything else to post soon. Peace out yo.

"It's not called 'gymNICEtics'..."

2006-05-07T23:08:00.000-03:00

So I'm done at Bethany for the year. It's really weird, being there for 8 months and then all of a sudden just leaving, saying goodbye to people, some for the summer, some for what could be forever. Definitely not easy. I'm in Halifax for a couple weeks, though, and that's pretty fun. :) I stayed at the Fitzgeralds' this weekend. Friday night was my youth group's Dinner Theatre and Auction, and I helped out in the nursery. Saturday Becca and I slept until 12:30, hung out for the afternoon, then went out with Rachel and Callyn to see Stick It. This movie was awesome. We loved it. It's about these gymnasts, and it's super funny. Everyone should go see it. This morning, I ran MediaShout at my church, then a bunch of us went out for lunch including the Thomases, the Ogilvies, Pastor Sasha ;), and Rachel. It was good times. I've basically been at AJ & Kelly's for the rest of the day, and we just finished watching Zoolander. It was my first time seeing it, and while it wasn't my absolute favourite, I must admit I did enjoy it quite a lot. :) So, that's pretty much my life up to this point. I really miss Amy, Missy, and Gibbs a lot. The end.

It's a marvellous night for a moondance

2006-05-02T01:41:00.000-03:00

Well, here's to another uneventful night in the dazzling metropolitan of Sussex, New Brunswick. Missy and I just watched Hitch. It was really cute, and I enjoyed it, but movies like that, romantic comedies, always make me restless. I just want to go walk under the stars and talk about life, about boys, about anything. Alas, I sit here instead.

A few weeks ago, XD went to Grand Manan for a weekend of ministry. Friday night we were completely spoiled, with lobster, a chocolate fondue fountain, and a relaxing break. Kirk, Tim, and the teens organized everything from a worship band to a genuine, bonafide XD drama. I even got to do the Avril da nce with Kirk onstage! It was definitely a highlight for me. Saturday Julie and I slept in while everyone else went lobster fishing and some, memorably, "caught crabs on Grand Manan Island" (or so say the t-shirts). In the afternoon, Joanie, Aleta and I went for ice cream at Harbour Gifts, then met up with everyone else at the high school gym where we played a bit of volleyball, basketball, and badminton. Back at the church, we watched Tim suck a spaghetti noodle up his nose, then pull it out his mouth... which was disgusting and yet, somehow, incredibly entertaining. We had an awesome rally Saturday night, people really got into it and totally met with God. It went completely beyond anything we had planned and it was so amazing. Sunday I was put in charge of kids' ministry, which was super fun. I also gave my testimony, which was the same as usual, except when Mike randomly started playing with his electric guitar during it and totally threw me off. I turned right around and gave him the "raised eyebrow." It would have been funny had I been watching someone else.

The weekened following our Grand Manan excursion, I went to Canandaigua, NY for Easter with Amy Thompson. Missy Gilbert and Melissa Bunnell were along for the fifteen hour drive, which was surprisingly quite fun for its length. We spent the weekend mostly relaxing at home, at Wegm ans (which is pretty much the best store ever), or at Amy's church, Crosswinds Wesleyan Church. Friday night, we attended her church's Easter Musical, "Finally Free." Saturday we had lunch at Wegmans, then went to worship practise, followed by the evening service. Sunday we got up early to put on our pretty Easter dresses, then went to church for two identical morning services, which were also the same as the one of the previous evening. What can I say? I really like attending multiple services! :) Anyway, for the second service, I was given the awesome privilege of helping out in the Kindergarten class in Uptown, which is the kids' ministry at Crosswinds. It was a lot of fun, and I was very excited to be given that opportunity. If there are two things I love, it's kids, and being involved at church. Sunday afternoon we had an Easter egg hunt in the backyard organized by Amy, followed by some fun on the trampoline, and tree climbing. It was so much fun! I felt like a little kid again. :) And, of course, Monday we headed back to Sussex...

Since then, not much has happened. XD Grad was this past Thursday, and it was incredibly fun and equally emotional. Holly Tatton came as my "mom," since my parents are in Alberta, and we had a lot of fun. She gave me a "Congratulations, Daughter," card and a graduation present. :) She played an excellent mom for the night. It was fun getting our diplomas too, and our XD t-shirts this year are really cool. We like them a lot.

On Sunday Amy, Missy and I went to Norton Wesleyan Church. We were invited over to the house of a woman called Gerna for lunch, and we spent a wonderful afternoon visiting with her and touring her 19th century house and seeing all her antiques. She had a Book of Psalms from 1804! When we got back to campus, Missy and I played a bit of volleyball, and after supper the three of us walked down to Sully's for ice cream. A ton of Bethany students were down there since it was the first night that Sully's was open, and it was really fun just relaxing in the warm spring evening, talking with friends. As we started to make our way back up towards the school, we were picked up by none other than Pastor John in his Jeep! Tom Cann and Mike Chapman were alread in the Jeep, so we had to pile in the back, and it made for a fun and giggly ride. It was a really great spring Sunday all around.