[Insert Title Here]

So I sat here for a good five minutes wondering what I should title this post. Something that insinuates the end of 2012? Something cheesy like 'Hello to 2013'? Or I could just stick to saying something about the gorgeous weather we are having here. I couldn't decide.

Regardless of what it's called, 2012 was fantastic. Thinking back to last January, I am so thankful for how God has guided me and taught me SO much about His mercy and love. God's love is amazing! My family has gone through some major changes and we have arrived here closer because of them.

Today we went for a walk to the nearby Starbucks to mooch some internet connection and I almost had to pinch myself! I am wearing a t-shirt and it is New Years Eve! Whooo. :)

What are you thankful for today?

LES MIS.

My dear friend, Esther, and I went to the theatre to see Les Mis this afternoon. We arrived 1 1/2 hours early so that we would be able to get in and find semi-okay seats. We ended up being the only people in line until 5 minutes before the doors opened...and even then there weren't that many people. Probably due to the fact that it is Christmas day. (Disclaimer: My family celebrates on the 24th and so does hers - we did not ditch our families for a movie.) :P So we sat on the floor and chatted while we ate some fries and gravy. Made a fun memory. :)

Boy oh boy. The vocals were all amazing and the emotions raw and gut-wrenching the way they are supposed to be. As Esther said: "Anne Hathaway deserves an Oscar." We ended up getting the best seats in the house. Lining up early has its perks. ;) On our way out the doors we noticed that there were far more people lined up for the evening showing. :)

I HIGHLY RECCOMMEND THIS FANTASTIC FILM.

At the end of the countdown.

http://dancindancincrazy.deviantart.com/art/adventure-is-out-there-303421051

We are encroaching upon the end of an era and running full speed ahead to the beginning of a new one. 'Goodbye' to 2012 and 'Hello!' to 2013. We are two days away from Christmas; Three days away from driving away from this house for the last time for six months; Six weeks away from jumping on a plane to meet my best friends overseas; Eight weeks away from the start of our DTS.

Woah.

What a beautiful time of life to be alive! I thank God for all the opportunities He has given me to experience, enjoy and be challenged by! I have learned so much in the past few months about the Lord's peace and joy and I am expecting to learn a lot about Christ and myself over the next six months. Although I will miss home, family and friends tremendously, I am SO excited to meet new people and be in different surroundings for a while. "Adventure is out there!"

 

Laughing along with Life.

Life is so wonderfully full these days. I've been almost insanely busy...but it has been a good busy. Ya know?

 

Last Thursday I went to watch some friends in their production of "The Sound of Music" (as pictured on the left). In fact, I got to go twice! They did SUCH a great job and I had the music stuck in my head till....well it's still in my head.
The cloud formation (shown in the third picture above) was so unique I had to snap a photo! Aaaand the cartoon on the far right made me laugh so I am sharing it with you. :)

Speaking of laughter....

 

On Tuesday I became an employee at a financial office nearby. My 'official' title is "the assistant to the assistant." So basically I do a lot of photocopying, emailing, copying and pasting and filing. The Lord has definitely been providing for me! Passion Tea Lemonade! ;) Anyway, today on my lunch break, I popped on over to the nearest Starbucks which just so happens to be the same Starbucks that my good friend, Emily, works at. I had originally walked in to see if she was there, but saw her working at the drive-thru window. So I promptly hopped back into my car and went through the drive-thru to surprise her.  Getting to see her with her ever-present smile made my day! And you know what they say: "A cheerful heart is good medecine." Well, actually, King Solomon said that (correct me if I'm wrong!) in Proverbs 17, but more people should start saying it! I think the world would be a healthier place if we all laughed a little bit more. I'm not talking just laughing. I'm talking honest-to-goodness belly laughter like the people in the video. So great.

What is something that inevitably makes you feel like laughing?

Currently Digging...

...Apple juice. Buying groceries from Costco undoubtedly means that whatever you buy will come in large quantities. When it comes to apple juice, there could never be too much. There aren't many things that are as refreshing as a glass of apple juice.

...Yam fries. Yesterday i found myself sitting by the wood stove in our kitchen with my sketchbook (which, sadly, I've been neglecting of late,) a variety of pens and pencils, and a plate of yams. Contentment.

...Coffee dates. Hanging out at the local coffee shop. Whether it's randomly meeting someone there, or purposefully arranging time to hang out with people and getting to know them better, I find having a good, real, chat with people incredibly fulfilling.

 

What is your beverage of choice?

The answer is the question. (Or the other way around).

"There is proof of God in all this, but we've been looking in the wrong place. Before you can find God in the answers, you have to find God in the questions.

Maybe the answers come from us, so we come up with a million of them. But the questions...there's something mysterious about the questions.
We all ask them;
we all have them;
and no matter where we come from
or what time in history we haved lived,
the questions are always the same.
As important as the answers might be,
what's even more revealing is that we even have
questions: ?????????????????????
Why do we need to know?
What drives us to search for answers?
Where does the "ask" come from?
Every one of us is on a search for meaning.
We are all on a quest (ion).

The arrow that points the way looks not like this: --> but like this: ?

All of us, no matter what conclusions we've come to, are driven by the same thing - we have to make sense of life.
Everything we experience, everything we learn, every bit of information we process, is being integrated by our brains, and we will not have peace of mind until we create some kind of cohesion.

Whatever your view of the Bible may be, whether you believe it to be divinely inspired or the product of human effort, you would have to at least acknowledge that it, like all other religious texts, is a part of the grand story of humanity searching for meaning.

Every world religion, every philosophy, every belief system - from anthropology to astrology to sociology to psychology to mythology to science itself - is trying to propose a cohesive view of reality. They're all trying to make sense of life. We're all trying to figure out who we are, why we're here, what this whole thing is about.

If you're sophisticated, you can see the flaws and fallacies of so many different belief systems. You might even look down with condescension at those who believe what you would consider simplistic answers to complicated problems in the world. We once were convinced that the world was flat; that if we danced, the rain would come; that the stars determine our fate in life.

We have outgrown so many fairytales that we onced believed were reality. Maybe it's an inherent flaw in the human species, but we are all predisposed to believe. We'll believe in just about anything. While we may be able to systematically eliminate everything we believe that later we discover isn't real, we can't escape the very thing that is right in front of us. Every one of us, regardless of race or language or education or generation, regardless of all the variables possible to make us different, is still inclined to believe in something.

While we may disagree on what we believe in and we may argue violently about what is true, what we can't escape is that we are all on the same quest and our soul craving is to find something we can believe in.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BELIEVE IN? (icravechange.com)"

Excerpt from: "Soul Cravings - An exploration of the human spirit."
Written by: Erwin Raphael McManus

At this moment I'm...

Feeling sick and tired of being sick and tired. But I'm better than I was yesterday. Glory be.

Drinking a glass of apple juice while eating rice crackers with hummus.

Looking for...ward to DRIME this Friday! God's doing a lot of fantastic things on the streets!

Dreaming of how I will begin to pack all my summer clothing into a suitcase for when I head out this January. One of my goals for before I go is to sweep through my room from top to bottom and sort everthing into junk, still using, stuff I'm taking with me when I go, things that I won't need until next fall, and boxes of keepsakes that won't need to be opened until a much later future date.
Making sure I don't leave my work pants in the dryer for too long. They go in just long enough to get the wrinkles out and then they hang over the railing. It wouldn't go over very well if, when it came time to get ready for work, my pants didn't fit. O.o

Linking up with  Harvesting Kale & This Amazing Day

 

What are you currently feeling, drinking, dreaming of and/or making?

I got called in (out).

Yup. I just got back from a shift at work that I got called in for. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I had been looking forward to an evening at home, but I am thankful for the four extra hours I will get on my next paycheque. Now I'm sitting at home and Tod, our dog, is curled up on the chair across from me looking very cute.

I had an opportunity to share God with someone at work today and I didn't take it. The Lord promptly called me out on that. I realized that I had had the perfect opportunity to mention that I go to church, but I didn't. In my work environment, that statement could have opened up so many questions and been fodder for a good conversation. But I disregarded it out of my own insecurity, forgetting momentarily that God's opinion of me is worth infinitely more than what any of my coworkers would think of me.

"He led me to a place of safety;"
  he rescued me because he delights in me."

-Psalm 18:19

 

God delights in us!

The Lord of Creation delights in YOU.

So even when I screw up, miss an opportunity to share Jesus or judge somebody...God's grace covers all of that. :') Wowza. How awesome is that?

 

Unfortunately I don't have a picture for you tonight, but this one is from yesterday. It was the same scenario after work tonight also, just swap out the iced tea for some good, old-fashioned aqua. (So I guess this can count as a picture from today.)

 

Tomorrow is my sister's birthday! Hooray! It'll be fun to celebrate her along with the rest of my fam jam.

 

Is there a scripture verse that has stood out to you recently?

 

 

 

I'd better buy a transit pass.

The lovely Van Pod on our way to our first practice of the semester! We live in such a beautiful part of the world. :)

Today I am thankful for:

- Good novels to read,

- Efficient public transportation,

- And encouraging friendships.

 

"What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for today?"

 

What are you thankful for?

DRIME Bootcamp 2012/2013

I believe I got a glimpse of God's heart this weekend. Thinking about it almost moves me to tears. It was while we were praying before beginning our street ministry in front of the Art Gallery last night. I was overcome with the heart-breaking reality of eternity and where those who do not call the Lord their Saviour will spend it. Separate from the Creator. God's heart breaks for the people who turn away. His love is MASSIVE and His grace is overwhelming. Wow. Such a beautiful gift.

This magnificent sunset was also a gift! The sun was blazing orange in the West and the moon was surrounded by pale pink clouds to the East. :) I like to think that God creates the sunset and sunrise each day with His paintbrush in hand. And if you think that's beautiful, heaven will be full of colours beyond our comprehension.

 

"God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good."

-Genesis 1:16-18 New Living Translation (NLT)

 

"DRIME exists to help people discover Christ through choreographed street drama, empower others for ministry as they experience drama and evangelism training, and inspire passionate, discipled leaders through purposed community."

 

You can learn more about DRIME at their website. :)

 

Last night was the first official night of street ministry for the 2012/2013 year. SUCH a blessing to be a part of it once again. I'm looking forward to what God has to teach me through this ministry, as well as how He will continue to use me for His purpose in spite of me and my shortcomings. What an opportunity! I had the chance to meet and get to know a bunch of new DRIMER's at the bootcamp this weekend and learn several new parts in a few dramas. Later, on the streets, I was able to talk with a few people about the dramas and about faith. I find it super challenging to approach strangers and bring up spirituality and such, but through the challenge I am growing in my own faith and becoming more confident in who I am in Christ.

 

ALSO, we were blessed to meet Grace! She's from New Zealand and wanted to check out our ministry while she was in town! She's got such a heart for the lost and passion for the Lord! You can check out her blog here.

 

Where is one place that you would like to travel to?

 

 

 

Scrubbing Day

Does anyone else remember the "Scrubbing Day" song in the 1988 Pippi Longstocking movie? That's the song that goes through my head when I spend a day cleaning, which is exactly what I did. Today was definitely scrubbing day. It was good to finally get at the layer of dust of shelves that had been staring me in the face for a while now.

In the midst of all the cleaning I had the chance to Skype this gal, who is currently in Guatemala working as a home school teacher, for about 45 minutes! It was great to see her smiling face again! If you are curious to read about what she is doing down there, you can check out her blog here and be sure to drop her a line!

In the evening I went for a walk with my mother and we watched the glorious sunset. Unfortunately I didn't have a photo-taking device on me at the time, otherwise I would share it with you.

What I will share with you is a song that has been stuck in my head for a few days now:

 

 

What's one of your favourite childhood movies?

Thoughts of the day:

Working in a restaurant can be SO unpredictable. One night you can be running everywhere at once and still not seem to make progress, while the next night your fingers seem to be permanently black - stained from folding so many menus. (The menus where I work are printed on paper that is similar to newspaper. And you know how black your hands get when dealing with newspaper? Yeah. Every shift.) Needless to say, tonight was the slowest night I have worked yet. Not great for getting tips, but I sure had a lot of time to think (while folding menus.)

Every cupboard and drawer deserves to be cleaned out every once in a while. Today I unpacked everything from under the bathroom sink and sorted it all into three groups: 1) Junk - which I promptly threw in the trash. 2) Still good, but I have no use for it - which I passed on to my mother and sister to look through. 3) Definitely keeping - which went back under the sink in a more orderly fashion. I have been systematically going through all the forgotten nooks and crannies and sorting through all the treasures I find there. It feels good to purge every now and then. :)

I'm going to plant a few fruit trees in my backyard someday...when I have a backyard of my own. Yesterday I went out to collect the ripe plums and apples from our trees that my family has out back. I was able to collect all the apples and plums, except for the plums that were hanging out at the very top of the tree along with all the spiders in their spider webs. Eeew. My brother got those ones. Mom and I proceeded to make an apple crisp and it was deeeelish! I am quite pleased with the clarity and vibrance of the picture of the fruit, and isn't my bro sweet? Waving to the camera and all. :)

And last, but not least: I reeeaally want to try this dance in an airport on a moving walkway. My friend was trying to send me a link to a different youtube clip, but copy and pasted this one instead. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What's been on your mind today?

Currently digging...

...The Great Wall Tea Co. Not only is their decor and use of space terrific, but their tea is first-class as well. You can check out their website here.

...All things vanilla. Vanilla scented candles. French Vanilla gelato. An extra teaspoon of vanilla in baking never hurt anyone right?

...The Case for Christ study notes. I received a new Case for Christ Study Bible as a graduation gift and it is superb! The notes include historical and scientific facts that validate what the Bible says. Very interesting. I encourage you to check it out!

...Hats. My hair is growing.

What are you digging?

Shakespeare on the sand-covered shore.

Today was the first jam-packed day I've had since getting my wisdom teeth out and I'm not totally wiped. This is good. :) My whole family went down town and spent a lovely morning on Granville Island before heading over to Bard On The Beach. Macbeth was the show today and it was incredibly well done. Unless one is an expert on all things Shakespeare, the speak and story can be a bit hard to follow. Having the right intonation and correct breaks is HUGE! And they nailed it.

While on Granville I just HAD to take my parents to the hat store that I adore. My mom described it as: "So cute. So you. And SO out of your price range." I agree. We spent a bit of time going through some other little stores and eventually had lunch at the public market. The seagulls there are waaay too friendly for my comfort.

The picture of the bizarre truck is for free. I saw it and thought it was interesting.

I received joyous news tonight while covering a shift for someone at work! I will be getting trained
for a new position so that I will be able to pick up more permanent shifts! Hallelujah! God provides.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies.

While perusing through a few of my favourite blog sites, I came across this cookie recipe and I would like to share it with you! They are quick, easy and incredibly delicious! From the time I found the recipe to the time I had a nice plate of thirty cookies sitting on the counter and all the cookie sheets washed and put away was literally 45 minutes tops. So here it is:

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
(Makes 1 dozen)

1 cup of smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. of vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix all ingredients in one bowl until well blended.
• Spoon dough (about the size of a golf ball) onto ungreased cookie sheet.
• Dip a fork in some additional white sugar, and gently smash each spoonful of cookie dough until it's flat, using the fork horizontally and vertically so it creates little grooves on top, dipping occasionally back into the white sugar as needed.
• Bake for approximately 10 minutes (may be more or less depending on the size of your spoonfuls). The cookies are done when they are browned on the bottom and edges but still seem puffy and undercooked on top. Let them rest on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

And voila! How quickly these cookies are to whip up make them a great treat to bring along to a party or when hosting one of your own. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Out of the overflow.

I was dozing, listening to the sound of my heartbeat in the silence of my room, when I was struck by how incredible our hearts are. A heart is so vitally important, yet I seldom give mine much thought (except to eat what is supposedly good for it to keep it healthy.) Awestruck by God once again!

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." - Luke 6:45

In the market for a pair of wingtip shoes.

Shoe shopping in the markets of Hong Kong when you are a caucasian girl with a shoe size larger than 38 (7 US) goes something like this:

-"Hi, do you carry this shoe in size 43?"
-"33?"
-"No, 43."
-*They look down at my feet and laugh*

Kthanks. I guess me and my huge feet will have to stick to shoe shopping where my feet are considered average.

Red Sneakers.

It's amazing how our view of the world can be so drastically affected by what we experience.

Experience is defined as: "knowledge or practical wisdom gained from what one has observed, encountered, or undergone (Dictionary.com)."

Yesterday I met someone who lives in an area that I've never been to. I wasn't even sure where the place was until she explained it in further detail. The closest to her home that I have ever been is to the outside perimeter of her city, so I cannot visualize it. However, just because I have never been there does not mean that it doesn't exist.

So often we hear about how a certain country across the ocean is struggling, or how a certain leader has been making poor decisions (or good ones), and to us it can seem like it is just news. Until you actually have a chance to go out and experience that different lifestyle, culture or situation, it can seem kind of distant and not fully real. Experience, in my knowledge, leads to understanding. We need to be careful not to come to conclusions about a situation before we understand what the people involved are experiencing.

"Never judge a person until you have walked a mile in their shoes."

Mosquito Dancing.

You know the dance you do when that annoying, high-pitched sound of a mosquio buzzing around your head won't go away? Yup. Pretty sure mine would have been AFV worthy.

I'm so thankful for my job. :) Even though spending 6 hours at a time on your feet can get trying at times, I'm thankful I am able to work with such great people and serve my Creator by doing it.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if working for the Lord, not for men." -Colossians 3:23

While folding menus...

The difference in attitude of the majority of the people who visit the restaurant on a rainy day as opposed to a sunny day is almost ridiculous. Goes to show how important vitamin D is for our well-being. Now, I'm not saying that rain is an excuse for being a grouch, but one sure is more inclined to smile after they have spent a few hours outside in gorgeous weather.

The logical thing to do whilst folding menus at work when "The Circle of Life" starts playing on the radio is to break out into your own little dance party with the sunshine, that is peeking through the trees, as your only observer.

Free Minestrone soup after work? Yes please!

Musings of a beginner guitarist.

I am generally not a fan of going to the dentist. They scrape and polish and floss until my gums are comparable to ground beef. They tell me it is because I don't floss. Yet they tell me everytime I step into the dental office that my teeth are fantastic. I suppose flossing and teeth are like playing guitar and fingertips. It doesn't stop hurting until the 300th time you do it. Here's to round 301.

"I don't think dentists understand the difference between mining with a pick ax and cleaning teeth." -B.N.

A Blustery Day.

The wind was sweeping up and out of the Grand Canyon so fast that it was no wonder parents were holding on to their kids hands! It was so windy that I could have leaned into it! But I was too busy keeping myself upright to test that theory. I was in awe of the sheer size and vastness of the canyon. God is SO creative! Yet how much more amazing is that each and every human being on Earth was created by the King of Kings with their own personality and physical features. God knew you and what you would look like, your interests, your giftings, where you would live and who your parents would be before you were even a whisper of a thought to anyone else. And to think every person is different! Our God is creative! In fact, He is the Creator!

Sprout.

"See the moon? Well it is always changing. That's pretty cool right?"

Life is like the moon. Sometimes you can see it shining bright. Other times it is hidden behind clouds or trees. Or clouds...or...trees. But new things are always happening! That's exciting right? (Exciting doesn't always mean positive). Life changes! We can't stop it from changing just as much as the moon doesn't stop shifting simply because we cannot see it. Take what comes your way with a sense of newness. Freshness. A different chapter of life that is sprouting.

"Its not what the world holds for you. Its what you bring to it."

-Anne Shirley