Many years ago there were three little girls named Beth, Heather and Ashleigh. They were the best of friends and usually got along famously.One of the things these three girls had in common was their stubbornness, or if you rather, their determination.
These three musketeers always enjoyed a good sleepover, as most young girls do and they particularly enjoyed camping out. So a grand idea was hatched one day that they would set up a tent in the backyard of one of their houses and they'd have a wonderful time sleeping out of doors.
And so, with the consent of their parents, it was set and they were to sleep in the backyard at Heather and Ashleigh's house.This was always Beth's first choice, because they owned a trampoline and what is more fun than a trampoline?
So Beth trundled down the block with her backpack and pillow to Heather and Ashleigh's house.
There was laughter and small arguments as they got the tent set up correctly. Soon it was time for bed and the three girls eagerly crawled into the nests of blankets that each had arranged for themselves in the tent.They quickly settled down to their favorite game of drawing on each-others backs. Whoever was having their back drawn on would have to guess what was being drawn.
Being silly little girls, they had hardly paid any attention to the storm that was brewing outside their little tent.
It soon began to rain, and unworried, they simply pulled their blankets away from the walls of the tent so as not to let in the water. After talking and giggling some more, they soon realized that the storm was getting worse. The wind began to whip around the tent and the thunder started crashing, and the lightning flashing.While they would never admit to being scared of a thunderstorm, they quickly agreed to sing whatever songs they could think of.
They were quite unaware of the fact that Heather and Ashleigh's older brother had decided to sleep on the couch by the living room window and that he had left the window open. And so, unknowingly, they gave him quite a concert sung at the tops of their lungs and rather out of tune.
The next morning they woke to find that the rain had found it's way into the tent and their blankets were soggy. To their embarrassment they also found out that they had provided quality entertainment for said older brother.
But never let it be said that those three girls lacked determination (or stubbornness, whichever you prefer).
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Boxes
Do you ever feel like someone has placed you in a box?
I've been thinking a bit lately about how we tend to judge people too quickly. How often do you hear around here, "Oh, you must be so and so's grandson/granddaughter". Wham, you're in a box. That person will always see you as so and so's grandson/daughter. Whatever they may think of you will be related to that first. They see you through a specific lens, so to speak.
That has often bugged me. I don't want to be seen through a specific lens. I don't want people to think of me only as how they have first perceived me.
How often do you forget about people's individuality? How often do you find that you are prejudiced about someone by their dress, accent, race, or just by how you first met them? I want to remind you not to allow what we know about someone to color your understanding of them as an individual. I believe that each person has so many things about them that makes them who they are and there is no way that you can ever believe that you already know someone completely. The only way to know someone is to spend time with them and let them tell you about themselves not only in what they say (sometimes that can be deceiving) but in how they act.
This subject first popped into my head a couple of days ago when I was listening to a song on the radio.
"Fingerprints of God" by Steven Curtis Chapman.
I can see the tears filling your eyes
And I know where they're coming from
They're coming from a heart that's broken in two
By what you don't see
The person in the mirror
Doesn't look like a magazine
Oh but when I look at you
It's clear to me
That I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece that all creation
Quietly applauds
And you're covered with
The fingerprints of God
Never has there been and never again
Will there be another you
Fashioned by God's hand and perfectly planned
To be just who you are
And what He's been creating
Since the first beat of your heart
Is a living, breathing
Priceless work of art
And I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece that all creation
Quietly applauds
And you're covered with
The fingerprints of God
Just look at you
You're a wonder in the making
And God's not through
In fact, He's just getting started!
For those of you who sometimes feel like you are placed in a box and labeled, remember that God knows who you truly are and what other people think of you shouldn't make you believe you should change who you are. Let God mold you. :)
I would also like to encourage you to open yourselves up to getting to know people. Let them tell you who they are. Be open with them. You never know who'll turn out to be a huge blessing to you or how God can use you in someone's life.
It can be hard to be vulnerable and let people in, but wouldn't you rather be able to say that you were open and available rather than shutting out anyone and everyone who could potentially change your life forever?
I've been thinking a bit lately about how we tend to judge people too quickly. How often do you hear around here, "Oh, you must be so and so's grandson/granddaughter". Wham, you're in a box. That person will always see you as so and so's grandson/daughter. Whatever they may think of you will be related to that first. They see you through a specific lens, so to speak.
That has often bugged me. I don't want to be seen through a specific lens. I don't want people to think of me only as how they have first perceived me.
How often do you forget about people's individuality? How often do you find that you are prejudiced about someone by their dress, accent, race, or just by how you first met them? I want to remind you not to allow what we know about someone to color your understanding of them as an individual. I believe that each person has so many things about them that makes them who they are and there is no way that you can ever believe that you already know someone completely. The only way to know someone is to spend time with them and let them tell you about themselves not only in what they say (sometimes that can be deceiving) but in how they act.
This subject first popped into my head a couple of days ago when I was listening to a song on the radio.
"Fingerprints of God" by Steven Curtis Chapman.
I can see the tears filling your eyes
And I know where they're coming from
They're coming from a heart that's broken in two
By what you don't see
The person in the mirror
Doesn't look like a magazine
Oh but when I look at you
It's clear to me
That I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece that all creation
Quietly applauds
And you're covered with
The fingerprints of God
Never has there been and never again
Will there be another you
Fashioned by God's hand and perfectly planned
To be just who you are
And what He's been creating
Since the first beat of your heart
Is a living, breathing
Priceless work of art
And I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece that all creation
Quietly applauds
And you're covered with
The fingerprints of God
Just look at you
You're a wonder in the making
And God's not through
In fact, He's just getting started!
For those of you who sometimes feel like you are placed in a box and labeled, remember that God knows who you truly are and what other people think of you shouldn't make you believe you should change who you are. Let God mold you. :)
I would also like to encourage you to open yourselves up to getting to know people. Let them tell you who they are. Be open with them. You never know who'll turn out to be a huge blessing to you or how God can use you in someone's life.
It can be hard to be vulnerable and let people in, but wouldn't you rather be able to say that you were open and available rather than shutting out anyone and everyone who could potentially change your life forever?
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Centered
Not sure how many people still check this blog.
Just wanted to share some thoughts if I can manage to put them into coherent words.
The earthquake in Haiti has become another thing that has impressed upon me how short our life is and how great our responsibilities are while we are here. Thoughts of how many people's lives have been affected by this disaster and how it affects us, have been running through my head. We are so far removed from it and yet we're not. We have huge responsibilities around the world. Not just in caring for physical needs, though those are at the forefront of our thoughts as people are in great need in the midst of a crisis, but also for spiritual needs. How many of those people who were killed in the earthquake knew Jesus? In a country where voodoo is still the national religion, I would say that many of those people are eternally separated from God. Yes, the people who are alive and suffering right now are the people we are trying to help.
Please God, help us keep them alive long enough to give them the only message of hope!
I can't even come close to comprehending how much it hurts God's heart to see people dying without Him.
A song that has been stuck in my head for the past week is by David Crowder Band "How He Loves"
He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us oh
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all
He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all
He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If his grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…
That He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
What an incredible love! A jealous love that is angered by all the things that keep us from Him. A compassionate and love as he sees the hurt. A merciful love as he continually intervenes. Knowing that he has that kind of love for us, for me, makes me want to do whatever I can to make sure that my life is only for the purpose of furthering His kingdom.
I am encouraged by what I hear of all the different countries doing whatever they can to send relief to Haiti. If only there were that sense of urgency for saving people throughout the world who are dying without hope, the hope that is the assurance of being with Christ forever.
It is so easy for us to allow our worlds to become smaller and smaller, shrinking around us until all we see is what is going on in our little lives. 'gotta re-shingle the roof, gotta clean up the house, gotta work, busy, busy, busy'. Yes we are busy, and day to day life is necessary, but where is our perspective? What are we doing in our prayer lives? Are we taking the time to make sure we are available for God's work? Are we making our lives count in his kingdom? Are we giving until it hurts?
Another song that has made an impression on me is by Reinstate "Need to Give"
Worlds apart from the start
you were dreaming of a life to live for
I am here without fear
dreaming of the day I make it to the top
But love has spoken
Hearts been broken
We are all the same
It does not matter
What we have in this life
Only that we give it away
So much pain suffering
On your side of the world where dreams don't come true
Here are we happily
Meeting all our needs without a second thought
While parents dying
Their children crying for love
And we all turn our backs
And we don't attack the pain
That we all see
It's time to give our lives
It's time to give our lives
It's time to give our lives away
Parents dying
Their children crying for love
We all turn our backs
And we don't attack the pain
If we'd open up our eyes
Look outside our lives
We'd see the needs, the hopes, the wants, the dreams
Of those with not enough
Whose hopes have turned to dust
While we have lived our lives so selfishly
Enough is all we need to live
It's time for us to give
Let's drown out the doubt
That we can live without
One day we'll stand before the throne
Of the King that I adore
We cannot afford
To ignore the need anymore
Now if I had just put those lyrics up to begin with, I wouldn't have needed to write anything else. It says it all right there. Let's all get some perspective shall we? Where are our lives centered? Please take this as a challenge not only for you, but also for me.
Just wanted to share some thoughts if I can manage to put them into coherent words.
The earthquake in Haiti has become another thing that has impressed upon me how short our life is and how great our responsibilities are while we are here. Thoughts of how many people's lives have been affected by this disaster and how it affects us, have been running through my head. We are so far removed from it and yet we're not. We have huge responsibilities around the world. Not just in caring for physical needs, though those are at the forefront of our thoughts as people are in great need in the midst of a crisis, but also for spiritual needs. How many of those people who were killed in the earthquake knew Jesus? In a country where voodoo is still the national religion, I would say that many of those people are eternally separated from God. Yes, the people who are alive and suffering right now are the people we are trying to help.
Please God, help us keep them alive long enough to give them the only message of hope!
I can't even come close to comprehending how much it hurts God's heart to see people dying without Him.
A song that has been stuck in my head for the past week is by David Crowder Band "How He Loves"
He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us oh
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all
He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all
He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If his grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…
That He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
What an incredible love! A jealous love that is angered by all the things that keep us from Him. A compassionate and love as he sees the hurt. A merciful love as he continually intervenes. Knowing that he has that kind of love for us, for me, makes me want to do whatever I can to make sure that my life is only for the purpose of furthering His kingdom.
I am encouraged by what I hear of all the different countries doing whatever they can to send relief to Haiti. If only there were that sense of urgency for saving people throughout the world who are dying without hope, the hope that is the assurance of being with Christ forever.
It is so easy for us to allow our worlds to become smaller and smaller, shrinking around us until all we see is what is going on in our little lives. 'gotta re-shingle the roof, gotta clean up the house, gotta work, busy, busy, busy'. Yes we are busy, and day to day life is necessary, but where is our perspective? What are we doing in our prayer lives? Are we taking the time to make sure we are available for God's work? Are we making our lives count in his kingdom? Are we giving until it hurts?
Another song that has made an impression on me is by Reinstate "Need to Give"
Worlds apart from the start
you were dreaming of a life to live for
I am here without fear
dreaming of the day I make it to the top
But love has spoken
Hearts been broken
We are all the same
It does not matter
What we have in this life
Only that we give it away
So much pain suffering
On your side of the world where dreams don't come true
Here are we happily
Meeting all our needs without a second thought
While parents dying
Their children crying for love
And we all turn our backs
And we don't attack the pain
That we all see
It's time to give our lives
It's time to give our lives
It's time to give our lives away
Parents dying
Their children crying for love
We all turn our backs
And we don't attack the pain
If we'd open up our eyes
Look outside our lives
We'd see the needs, the hopes, the wants, the dreams
Of those with not enough
Whose hopes have turned to dust
While we have lived our lives so selfishly
Enough is all we need to live
It's time for us to give
Let's drown out the doubt
That we can live without
One day we'll stand before the throne
Of the King that I adore
We cannot afford
To ignore the need anymore
Now if I had just put those lyrics up to begin with, I wouldn't have needed to write anything else. It says it all right there. Let's all get some perspective shall we? Where are our lives centered? Please take this as a challenge not only for you, but also for me.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Vacation..road trip!
Tuckered out from a day at the beach.
Lovin' the sand
The only thing she wanted to do in the water was pick up rocks and throw them back in the water. :) She certainly isn't afraid of water though.
Way too cute! She knows when she has someone wrapped around her little finger. ;)
A beautiful unpopulated beach. I'm spoiled..I can't stand going to the beach with half the country...This is perfection!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Nag, Nag, Nag!!
Well..people keep bugging me to update this blog. Sorry it's been such a long time, but quite honestly, there hasn't been much going on in my life. Work, and..um work..a little family, oh..and work! Just kidding. Well, since May I have been focusing a bit more on work. I finally wrote an exam that I put off till the last possible exam date. I spent quite a bit of time studying for that. I have been put in a new position at work that has given me more responsibility, which is good. In July we celebrated with Tim and Val as they exchanged vows. Nat and Candice finished building their house and Mom and Dad moved out when I bought their house and they are now enjoying a different house too. Since then I have been pretty much kept busy with taking care of things around here and paying the bills. I had the lovely experience of standing on the top rungs of a ladder while trying to unplug gutters in the pouring rain. I got used to mowing the lawn and picking up apples; pulling weeds and picking up more apples; picking apples and peeling them; making apple pies and eating them. :) Now since the snowfall I have been muscling snow off of my driveway. It has been a challenging year, but a good challenge. I enjoyed the company of a roomate for several months and am now enjoying solitary confinement. Again, just kidding. I love living on my own too. Well..Chloe has been growing like a weed and we have been spoiled to be able to see her so frequently since she was born. She is a bundle of curious energy! I think we have a second curious george in the family. She certainly does take after her daddy!
Tim and Val have started their own little family (or zoo) with a cat named Denny, and a dog named Laney. Their little house is full of energy too.
The guys have been 'getting serious' about their music and so the highlights of my social life have been going to see them play at various venues.
I have felt so blessed this year to be able to get to know my sister's in law better. They have become close friends and it is always fun to have an excuse to get together. I still seem to spend a lot of time at Mom and Dad's place as Dad frequently asks "where's Bird?".
So that's where my life has been lately.
I'd like to share some thoughts and scripture as well.
2 Corinthians 3:7-9
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
So.. I had a conversation with a couple of people recently about how this world seems to be 'brain washing' people. I know that's a general statement, but lets look at Divorce as an example. The way that the media and entertainment portray divorce makes it seem "normal". It is becoming such a common thing that people almost seem to be going into marriage with a thought in the back of their minds "how long will this last?". Kids have gone through several relationships by the time they are 20. This is just one of many examples that I could give. Homo-sexuality, drugs, premarital sex. All of these things are being passed off as "normal".
Now these verses show huge commitment to Christ. No matter what..we will be strong. A question that I have been asking of myself is "how am I being an example that shows that I value my relationship with Christ and with others?" Am I going to pass on to my children the value of commitment to Christ and to his body? Each new life that we come into contact with can be an opportunity for us to share the sure hope that we have in Christ. Each life on earth creates an impact. As Christians we have an amazing opportunity to impact others. How many people do you know? or have met? If you make an impact in one person's life and they pass that on to several people they know..in essence one person can change the world. God got it started.. are we going to pass it on?
So just some thoughts. Maybe they'll encourage you or challenge you.
I guess that's all for now. Till next time..(it may be awhile) haha
Tim and Val have started their own little family (or zoo) with a cat named Denny, and a dog named Laney. Their little house is full of energy too.
The guys have been 'getting serious' about their music and so the highlights of my social life have been going to see them play at various venues.
I have felt so blessed this year to be able to get to know my sister's in law better. They have become close friends and it is always fun to have an excuse to get together. I still seem to spend a lot of time at Mom and Dad's place as Dad frequently asks "where's Bird?".
So that's where my life has been lately.
I'd like to share some thoughts and scripture as well.
2 Corinthians 3:7-9
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
So.. I had a conversation with a couple of people recently about how this world seems to be 'brain washing' people. I know that's a general statement, but lets look at Divorce as an example. The way that the media and entertainment portray divorce makes it seem "normal". It is becoming such a common thing that people almost seem to be going into marriage with a thought in the back of their minds "how long will this last?". Kids have gone through several relationships by the time they are 20. This is just one of many examples that I could give. Homo-sexuality, drugs, premarital sex. All of these things are being passed off as "normal".
Now these verses show huge commitment to Christ. No matter what..we will be strong. A question that I have been asking of myself is "how am I being an example that shows that I value my relationship with Christ and with others?" Am I going to pass on to my children the value of commitment to Christ and to his body? Each new life that we come into contact with can be an opportunity for us to share the sure hope that we have in Christ. Each life on earth creates an impact. As Christians we have an amazing opportunity to impact others. How many people do you know? or have met? If you make an impact in one person's life and they pass that on to several people they know..in essence one person can change the world. God got it started.. are we going to pass it on?
So just some thoughts. Maybe they'll encourage you or challenge you.
I guess that's all for now. Till next time..(it may be awhile) haha
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Thursday, May 01, 2008
A Teenager No More...
A big happy Birthday to Tim today! He's 20! A teenager no more. He's officially old. ;) Hard to believe that my little brother is all grown up and getting married! I remember hiding in the broom closet with him when we were just munchkins, trying to get out of having a nap. Or going skating with him, both when we were really little and then when we were older. He did eventually grow out of the nickname TIMBER!! We've had some pretty great times together, I'm going to miss him when he moves to the "Peg". I'm also going to miss the sound of a guitar in the house! I love your heart for God and worship Tim! Keep it up!
Other than that, life is going good. I'm now a proud owner of my very own house. :) Work is good and challenging. I have a great bible study group that challenges me. I miss Austria and friends there. God is teaching me to trust and rely more on him. Nat and Candice are moved into town and it's going to be great to have a sister in town! Yeah so those are the changes for now. I'm exhausted so that's all for now. ttfn
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
my picture
I took this picture while I was in Austria. I put it in for a contest on picture.com. I would appreciate your votes. :) You can find the link to vote for me on the left hand side of my webpage. Thanx a lot!
So other than that, not much else is new. I'm enjoying my work. Dad got home from Haiti tonight. He had a successful trip training pastors. Looking forward to wearing jeans to work on Friday and Saturday! Tomorrow is going to be another cold one. Anywhoo.. time for bed. ttfn
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Excitement..
So apparently since my life is so boring, God decided I needed a little livening up. :) My little brother and his girlfriend came home from a date in the city last night with great news. The girls are beating the boys now. They're engaged!!. :) So I guess I'm off the hook for getting married until 2010 now. My oldest brother was married in 2004, the next in 2006 and now Tim is getting married in 2008, so I have a couple of years to relax now. Just kidding. I'm not too worried about it anyway. I messed up the years when I was born anyhow. 1982, 1984, 1987 was me and 1988 was Tim. I'm thinking of waiting till my best friend's baby can be a flower girl and maybe my niece or nephew will be either a ring bearer or flower girl too. Wow, but time does fly!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
What's exciting in my life??
Well...let's see. This morning I pulled two white hairs out of my head, and I mean WHITE. They were not blonde or grayish brown, they were white. :( Ok, I'm getting old. Other than that, I really don't have much going on in my life. I'm working full time as a teller again. Which is going ok. I love the people I get to work with all the time. So fun. I really don't have much of a life outside of work right now, which is all right too. I would really like to move out again, but at the moment, the prospects are few. :) I'm taking a work related course and will be writing an exam for that in June I think. Today is my day off and I have absolutely no plans whatsoever. I am going to read and relax. It is really cold out there today, but I might go for a walk anyway. So yeah, I'm still alive and on this planet, but there's not much to report.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
It's been long enough
Howdy,
It’s finally cold here! Yippee. I love winter! It is currently snowing! I am going to make sure that I walk today. So..I wanted to let you all know that I have managed to land a full time position again at the Credit Union. It is going well and I am fully into the banking business again. Everything came back to me so quickly that it was hard to remember if I had been away for almost a year or not. :) It is interesting to have a paying job again. In my position right now, I am answering phones and directing calls and answering tons of questions. In January I will be on the front Member Service Rep line. Yay! Back to my old job. I’m going to miss the girls in the Call center though. It is a fairly large building and I will have to make an effort to go and visit them. ;) So, anyone looking forward to Christmas? I am. I love the caroling, and being with family, and all the lights and snow. I am actually really excited for next year Christmas, because we will have another little one to celebrate with. Josh and Jenna’s baby. :) Something that I don’t like about Christmas is how busy it is all over the place. I have something like 3 Christmas parties for work alone. On top of that I have to take into consideration the church events and my bible study group. I know, it sounds like such a chore. Haha. It is just hard for me to fit it all in. So here’s my question. If you could have anything in the world for Christmas what would you ask for? Think hard about this one. Leave me a comment. :)
It’s finally cold here! Yippee. I love winter! It is currently snowing! I am going to make sure that I walk today. So..I wanted to let you all know that I have managed to land a full time position again at the Credit Union. It is going well and I am fully into the banking business again. Everything came back to me so quickly that it was hard to remember if I had been away for almost a year or not. :) It is interesting to have a paying job again. In my position right now, I am answering phones and directing calls and answering tons of questions. In January I will be on the front Member Service Rep line. Yay! Back to my old job. I’m going to miss the girls in the Call center though. It is a fairly large building and I will have to make an effort to go and visit them. ;) So, anyone looking forward to Christmas? I am. I love the caroling, and being with family, and all the lights and snow. I am actually really excited for next year Christmas, because we will have another little one to celebrate with. Josh and Jenna’s baby. :) Something that I don’t like about Christmas is how busy it is all over the place. I have something like 3 Christmas parties for work alone. On top of that I have to take into consideration the church events and my bible study group. I know, it sounds like such a chore. Haha. It is just hard for me to fit it all in. So here’s my question. If you could have anything in the world for Christmas what would you ask for? Think hard about this one. Leave me a comment. :)
Sunday, November 04, 2007
New Time
This morning I got an extra hour of sleep, but I seem to be more tired than usual. Weird. Actually it's a dreary day outside and I'm wishing it would snow rather than rain. :) We had an awesome lunch today. Ham and mashed potatoes, veggies and cheese and pickles, and Raspberry cheesecake for dessert. I love raspberries! I guess the food at lunch may have something to do with me wanting a nap now. If I go to sleep now though, I'll be up late tonight. I guess I don't actually want it to snow until Nat gets his roof and siding on. It would be nice if it was warm for another couple of weeks. Actually we're lucky to not be getting snow today. 20 minutes south of us there is snow. We have rain instead. :( Anyway..you can tell I don't have much to say, since I'm talking about the weather. Tim and I are both sitting here typing away on our laptops while our parents are taking a nap. We had guests over for lunch. Nice family. Cute kids. Cuddly baby. I love being able to play with babies. :) I'm so excited about Josh and Jenna having their first baby next May. I got asked to teach sunday school next week. Should be fun. I will have 12 kids in my class. Kindergarten and Grade 1. Good age, but usually a bit rambunctious. I'll have to figure out some stuff to keep them interested. So..I want to move out in a few months. Anyone want to rent with me?? jk. Sounds stressful to move again so soon. I'm getting a little tired of organizing and reorganizing and moving boxes and my furniture. I have so much stuff! Well..it's getting dark. (As a friend would say when he's out of words.) Ciao...Mein Noodles. I know. I'm such a dork.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
I know..it's been far too long..
Yeah, the last time I blogged I just got back from Ontario. It has now been a month and a half. My excuse is that I was working at Pembina Valley Bible Camp and didn't have a reliable internet connection. Every time I try to post something out there, I end up losing it. :) (in more ways than one) haha. So basically I have just been working like crazy at camp. Doing random things like cleaning cabins, cooking food, hosting rental groups, moving random pieces of wood, cutting down acres of bush, shovelling crushed rock...and many other things. Last weekend I cooked for a rental group. It was interesting to be in charge of the kitchen again. It was fun though. I definitely don't think I would like to be head cook for a long period of time though. So tiring! You take hours to prepare a good meal and it's all gone in less than a half hour. :( Then it's time to start all over again. It did give me good memories of my time in Austria though. :) So now I'm done at camp and am waiting for a job. I was approached by someone who offered me a job and now I just have to wait for confirmation and a starting date. I'll probably be working on a computer for an extended length of time. A bit different than what I've been doing for the past year. I also need to move all of my furniture again. I'm starting to lose track of how many times I've moved around in the last year. I am definitely tired of living out of a suitcase and a small space though. I look forward to the day when I can have my own space again. I'm starting to get involved here again. I am committed to two bible studies. One is every other week, and the other is out at camp whenever it works. Should be good though to be part of a group again. Today was an interesting day. I woke up with a headache at around 8:00 and decided to stay in bed. I was in bed till 12:00 before I felt like I could actually move normally again. I still have a touch of a headache, but I'm feeling much better. I think I have a touch of the flu, since my stomach is a little queasy too. I have only been up for 8 hours, but am already thinking of bedtime again. I cleaned the bathroom today though. Felt good to still get something accomplished. :) Tim is working now. He got a job with IDC communications and will be working at MTS Connect in the Southland Mall. He had to work late today. I wonder how today went. it was his first day of being able to sell product. I got a new cell phone the other day. :) Great price at MTS. $10.00 a month. A lot better than the 40 I was spending before. :) My Dad is sitting in his la-z-boy, studying Greek. Makes me tired, just thinking about staring at all sorts of strange symbols and characters. :) Anyway..that's what I'm doing in my life right now. Sorry about the bad English. Still getting used writing it again. :) Hope I'll be able to get back into a habit of writing on here again. Cheers!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Ok, so...a bit of an update.
I am currently at home for the weekend, but will be going back to camp tonight. I will be working at camp for the rest of this month and, depending on how much work there is, possibly for October as well. I got home from Ontario feeling pretty wiped out and spent a couple of days mainly sleeping and eating. :) Ontario was good, a bit fast, but good. We went down to Wawa for a couple of days and Mom and I spent some time with Aunt Myrna, while Dad went out to the bush to help Uncle Ron for a couple of days. On the way to drop Dad off in the bush, we saw 4 huge eagles right next to the car. Pretty spectacular. On the way back from dropping him off we stopped at Katherine Cove. Beautiful beach and a calm day. After Dad got back from the bush we went down to Sault Ste. Marie for a couple of days to visit my Brother and Sister-in-law, Josh and Jenna. We stayed at their little house and got to know their dog Bear. We had a great visit, but we had to leave after 2 days. We went back up to Wawa for a night and then on to Timmins the next day. We visited my Grandma and Grandpa Comtois, and stayed at their house for 2 nights. Then we went back to Wawa. Mom and I stayed and visited with Aunt Myrna and Uncle Ron for another couple of days, and Dad picked up Josh and they headed up to Thunder Bay to meet Nat and Tim for a camping weekend on the Sleeping Giant. Jenna came up from the Sault on Friday night and we headed up to Thunder Bay on Saturday morning. We stayed at the Landmark, and didn't have a great experience there, but oh well. Jenna and I had the hot tub to ourselves for a half an hour. We stayed up late watching movies, and finally went to sleep. The next day we headed out to meet the guys at Pass Lake. They were an hour and a half late, and we were starting to get antsy, but they finally made it. Josh and Jenna began their 8 hour trip home and Nat and Tim and I started our 8 hour trip home. Mom and Dad stayed in Thunder Bay for another night. We all eventually got home safe and tired. :)
This past week at camp I did a variety of work. Wednesday, when I got there, I cleaned out the shower house. Showers, sinks and toilets. It felt like cleaning at T-hof, but this was much dirtier, and I didn't know when it had been cleaned last. :) It took me a few hours to do that and then I had the evening off. Sherri and I spent over two hours talking in the Dining Hall after eating supper. :) The next day Miranda and I were going to start cleaning Saddles and Tack, but after we had moved a bunch of saddles, we were told that it was pointless, because they would get dirty on the Ride-a-thon. So..we put them all back. It was good to be lifting something again though. I hadn't done heavy work in a long time. :) We ended up cleaning the chalets instead. In the afternoon, we finished cleaning the chalets and then went and helped Demar (Dennis Martens) with clearing out the area for the wood stove. It was great fun. Cutting down trees, using gardening shears, chainsaw, machetes and other random tools. We cleared a lot of bush. Friday, I ended up calling over a hundred people to invite them to the supporters BBQ. I haven't spent that much time on a phone since my days at the Library, when i would call overdues. :) That was my week and now i'm resting up before another random work week. Looking forward to it. Today we have the Sunday School Picnic for church at 3:00 this afternoon. After that's finished I will head back to camp. Good fun. That's all for now.
This past week at camp I did a variety of work. Wednesday, when I got there, I cleaned out the shower house. Showers, sinks and toilets. It felt like cleaning at T-hof, but this was much dirtier, and I didn't know when it had been cleaned last. :) It took me a few hours to do that and then I had the evening off. Sherri and I spent over two hours talking in the Dining Hall after eating supper. :) The next day Miranda and I were going to start cleaning Saddles and Tack, but after we had moved a bunch of saddles, we were told that it was pointless, because they would get dirty on the Ride-a-thon. So..we put them all back. It was good to be lifting something again though. I hadn't done heavy work in a long time. :) We ended up cleaning the chalets instead. In the afternoon, we finished cleaning the chalets and then went and helped Demar (Dennis Martens) with clearing out the area for the wood stove. It was great fun. Cutting down trees, using gardening shears, chainsaw, machetes and other random tools. We cleared a lot of bush. Friday, I ended up calling over a hundred people to invite them to the supporters BBQ. I haven't spent that much time on a phone since my days at the Library, when i would call overdues. :) That was my week and now i'm resting up before another random work week. Looking forward to it. Today we have the Sunday School Picnic for church at 3:00 this afternoon. After that's finished I will head back to camp. Good fun. That's all for now.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Life as I Wander
Ok, so I have traveled again. I am currently in Wawa, Ontario. My home from when I was 1 1/2 years old until I was 7 years old. I love this place!! My parents and I are here visiting friends and family. Tomorrow we will head down to Sault Ste. Marie to visit my brother and sister-in-law. Yesterday we went to a beach called Katherine Cove. It was a beautiful warm calm day. I had fun taking pictures and dabbling my feet in Lake Superior. :) The sandy beach was amazing! Also..there was next to no one there. Only us and maybe two other people. So cool! How often do you get to go to an empty beach that's this perfect?
I miss living by Lake Superior. This is the first time in several years that I have been able to go to the beach here. The past few times I've visited have been the wrong time of year. Too cold!!
I love the sun sparkling off the water. I had fun trying to capture it with just the right angle. The water of Lake Superior is so clear. It is also cold, but Katherine Cove is fairly shallow and so it had a chance to warm up a bit. Definitely warmer than the river in Schladming.
So I spent 15 hours in a car to get here. Today we went to another beach called Sandy Beach which was also amazing. It was a windy day and so the waves were up. I was excited to rediscover the thrill of having a wall of water coming at you and dashing over my head. Some nice things about Sandy Beach is that it has awesome SAND, it's often fairly empty as well, and you can walk forever before it gets too deep. So much fun to swim there! The water is so clear and the sand goes on forever and you never have to worry about stepping on anything sharp or gross. :)
I guess you guys are wondering what I'll be doing after my little vacation. I have decided to go back to camp for another month or so to help with the weekend retreats and cleanup and maintenance. I'll be living with 3 other girls in a small duplex. Should be interesting. :) Fun! After that I have no idea what I'll be doing. I will need to find a job yet. Anywhoo..I'll be out here until the 10th or so. I will be visiting Josh and Jenna in the Sault tomorrow and then on Monday we'll go and visit Grandma and Granpa in Timmins. Then we'll come back here to Wawa for a couple of days while the boys go camping in Thunder Bay. Then we'll go and meet them and head home from there. Anyway.. here's some more pics.
This is the Ministry Training Team at the playground in Manitou with some kids. I was a counselor for the Ministry Training Team camp and we trained kids how to put on skits and puppet plays and do illusions and to share the gospel through that. We spent some time in Winnipeg and put on a program called Summer Bible Fun for kids who wanted to come. We played with them at the playground and did some skits and gave them snacks and eventually built relationships enough to give the kids Bibles. Awesome experience.
This is the MTT group by a Cobra Crane that was pulling a Combine off the bridge in the valley. We were down in the valley serving a neighbor by clearing some trails (hence the saws and machetes and hatchets) We begged the owner of the crane to get a picture of us by the crane. Good Times. :)
Anyway..that's all for now. I hope to get some pictures of Sandy Beach next week sometime when we're back here in Wawa again. Also I would like to get some of Wawa Lake too. :) I love this place and everytime I come back here it feels like home. I'd better get going now. My eyes are starting to close on me. LOL. I haven't caught up on my sleep after camp yet.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Sorry I've been so lax....
Hey everyone,
I haven't dropped off the face of the earth yet. :) My life is still pretty exciting with camp too, but I am always so zonked when I get home that all I do is read and sleep and play piano. So I'm down to my last week of camp. I am counseling a beginner horsemanship camp. Should be fun, but I'm pretty sore already. One of my knees is acting up from an old injury and so I will probably have to be really careful this week. It is already feeling better after this break, but being on a horse won't help it any. After camp I am planning on going to Ontario with my parents to visit friends and family. I will be exhausted, so I will appreciate prayers. ;) I am really looking forward to being back with campers this week. Last week I was in the kitchen all week and it was a bit of a hard week. I know I should be used to working in a kitchen by now, but the kitchen at camp is a bit frustrating. It's small and disorganized and hard to work in. We don't have good appliances to work with either. :( Suffice it to say...I got tired of it. I couldn't stand constant dirty dishes (no dishwashers) and no work space. Also we were often late in prepping and sometimes didn't have enough food. Really annoying!! I guess I am a bit of a perfectionist and so if I had to spend much more time in there i probably would have gone crazy! We also had longer days and i spent almost no time outside or with campers last week. It is getting closer and closer to a time when i have to find a job. Help!! I really don't know what to do, or even where to apply. Any ideas?? Anywhoo..it's time to be heading back to camp. Hopefully I'll be able to update this more fully when camp is over. I would really like to tell you about all the adventures I've had this summer! I would also really like to get caught up in my emailing. :s Catch ya'll later!
I haven't dropped off the face of the earth yet. :) My life is still pretty exciting with camp too, but I am always so zonked when I get home that all I do is read and sleep and play piano. So I'm down to my last week of camp. I am counseling a beginner horsemanship camp. Should be fun, but I'm pretty sore already. One of my knees is acting up from an old injury and so I will probably have to be really careful this week. It is already feeling better after this break, but being on a horse won't help it any. After camp I am planning on going to Ontario with my parents to visit friends and family. I will be exhausted, so I will appreciate prayers. ;) I am really looking forward to being back with campers this week. Last week I was in the kitchen all week and it was a bit of a hard week. I know I should be used to working in a kitchen by now, but the kitchen at camp is a bit frustrating. It's small and disorganized and hard to work in. We don't have good appliances to work with either. :( Suffice it to say...I got tired of it. I couldn't stand constant dirty dishes (no dishwashers) and no work space. Also we were often late in prepping and sometimes didn't have enough food. Really annoying!! I guess I am a bit of a perfectionist and so if I had to spend much more time in there i probably would have gone crazy! We also had longer days and i spent almost no time outside or with campers last week. It is getting closer and closer to a time when i have to find a job. Help!! I really don't know what to do, or even where to apply. Any ideas?? Anywhoo..it's time to be heading back to camp. Hopefully I'll be able to update this more fully when camp is over. I would really like to tell you about all the adventures I've had this summer! I would also really like to get caught up in my emailing. :s Catch ya'll later!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
This is the view of the valley that we have from the deck at camp. Definitely one of the favorite places for chapel.
This is my sister-in-law Candice advertising for Ronnie's Sunflower Seeds. That's my older brother Josh in behind. We were having a fire in the backyard. It was great to have the whole family at home for a weekend.
I took this picture on the way home from Nat and Candice's one night. What an amazing view! Yes...I miss the mountains, but this is pretty awesome too.
This is my wonderful family. Everyone home. Josh and Jenna came out from Ontario for the wedding of some friends. Which explains why we are all dressed up. :) From the Left:
Tim, Me, Candice, Nat, Josh, Jenna, Mom and Dad.
Pictures from Camp
Ok, so these are my girls from the first week. From the left: Rebecca, Rachel, Colleen, Genny, Julie and in the front is Danielle. What a great bunch of girls!!
These kids are from my second week at camp. Teens camp. This was the afternoon Climbing skill that I was privileged to teach. I am definitely not able to remember all the names though. :)
This is the detested Ladder inside the climbing wall. I kind of have the same feeling for this ladder as I have for a cold cheeseburger from McD's. Not my favorite. It's just a pain to climb up and down. I would much rather climb the wall.
This is one of the kids conquering their fears on the log walk. Pretty awesome!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
First day of camp. I am here on my break and am trying to stay awake after a sleepless night. So far it has been a good first day though. My kids are great and we have been having a blast. I was able to teach ropes at the climbing wall today. I really enjoy being there again. I am so hungry right now and am really excited for supper. It's a bit of a shock to be here again and to be senior counselling. I don't have a lot of time on here so this is just a short update. If you would like to keep me in your prayers I would appreciate that. I have six girls in my cabin and two other helpers. Hopefully we'll all sleep better tonight, since we have been running all day. It's been raining here all day as well so hopefully the weather will improve for tomorrow and the rest of the week. I started off today with a good habit and was able to go running. My cabin mates already think I'm crazy since I was up at 6:30. I think it will be good for me to start my day with time alone with God though and also keep up the habit of running. I was unsmart and didn't buy myself a watch before I came, and I also forgot my alarm clock. So, I'm the timeless counselor. Anywhoo..I'm going to go and write some letters. Catch ya'll later..
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