Sunday, January 30, 2011

Fundraiser!

I've started up a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society! I have been able to set up an online donation page, but I am also taking pledges in person. You can get to my page here, check it out, and help get me to my goal! =D

Curried Zucchini Soup

I'm surprised I haven't posted this yet, I make it so often! I don't have a picture anywhere, but you can take my word that it is DELICIOUS!!!!! =D

Curried Zucchini Soup
1 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, shredded
1 tbsp butter
2 medium zucchinis, diced
2 apples, peeled and diced
4 cups soup broth (I usually use veggie)
1.5 tsp curry (or more)

In large pot, melt butter over low heat. Saute onion, garlic, and carrot slowly until onion becomes translucent. Add zucchini, apple, broth, and curry. Boil for 2 minutes; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Carefully puree hot soup in blender in small batches. Add salt and pepper to taste (optional).

Album Covers

I've seen this around Facebook a couple times, I've done it once before, but I've decided to do it again for the fun of it =)

1 - Go to Wikipedia - English and hit Random Article. The first random article you get is the name of your band.
2 - Go to quotationspage.com and hit Random. The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.
3 - Go to deviantart.com and click on the third Daily Deviation at the bottom of the page. Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
4 - Use Photoshop or similar to put it all together.


This is the album cover I made previously:

Wings Like Eagles

This morning in church we talked about Isaiah 40:27-31

27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

We also sang the song "They That Wait Upon the Lord"

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength
They shall mount up with wings of eagles
They shall run and not be weary
They shall walk and not faint.
Teach me Lord, teach me Lord to wait.


There are many songs that refer to rising on wings like eagles; even this morning we listened to "Everlasting God (Strength Will Rise)" by Chris Tomlin



It made me wonder about how eagles learn to fly, and so I did a bit of research, and I found this website. I'd encourage you to take a look. It is a bit of a long read, but there's some pretty cool info and connection into our own spiritual walks.

Day 26

My promise ring from Alisha, Claddagh style, she's got the exact same one =)

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

"How Many Kings" Downhere

Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe after all we’ve projected
A child in a manger
Lowly and small, the weakest of all
Unlikeliness hero, wrapped in his mothers shawl
Just a child, is this who we’ve waited for?

Cause how many kings stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Bringing our gifts for the newborn savior
All that we have whether costly or meek
Because we believe
Gold for his honor and frankincense for his pleasure
And myrrh for the cross he’ll suffer
Do you believe, is this who we’ve waited for?
It’s who we’ve waited for

How many kings stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me

All for me, all for you
All for me, all for you

How many kings stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least?
How many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me
All for me, all for you

Friday, January 28, 2011

Left Behind Series - #3 Nicolae

Finished another one! And there were a couple places in this book that touched me, and I'd like to touch on them here...

WARNING: SPOILERS!!!

That said, moving on...

In this book, Rabbi Tsion Ben-Judah becomes another key character in the storyline. Previously, he had done a 3-year study of the Scriptures to find out about Messiah, whether he had already come or whether they were still waiting for him. Long story short, he proclaimed Jesus to be Messiah on CNN, which greatly angered the zealous Jews. And so in this story, his wife and two children were brutally murdered by zealots.

The part that gets to me is this: after his family was killed, he was whisked away by his driver and sent into hiding. Buck goes to Israel to find him and eventually rescue him. When Buck gets to Tsion, he finds him in a sort of cave, sitting with his knees up to his chest, arms wrapped around his legs, rocking and crying, mourning for his family.

Let's stop here. Could you imagine this? A Jewish rabbi who proclaims Jesus as Messiah. Quick lesson here, for those who aren't as knowledgeable of religions: Jews do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. And so for a rabbi (teacher/scholar) to proclaim Jesus as Messiah, it was considered a great heresy. And zealots would take action, such as killing the rabbi and his family.

Luckily for Tsion, he was not at home when the zealots came calling. But imagine his grief. Because he has found the Truth in Christ, his family had to be the one to pay the ultimate price. But get this: when Buck reached him, the first thing he says to him is this: "Tsion, God loves you. What do you know for sure?"

Tsion answers, "I know that my Redeemer lives." What faith this rabbi has!!! I am almost in tears even as I write this, picturing this scene. He has lost his family, and he still clings to God in his incredible grief.

A few minutes later in the same scene, Tsion had asked Buck if he had brought a Bible. Buck did not, but he did have his computer, with which he was able to pull up any Scripture Tsion would want to see. When Buck asked him what he wanted to see, Tsion was unable to speak, again overcome by grief. He collapses in Buck's lap, and repeats, "The joy of the Lord is my strength," over and over.

The joy of the Lord is Tsion's strength. In a time of such immense mourning, he still found that the joy of the Lord was his strength. Do we do that? When things in life go wrong, do we rely on the joy of the Lord as our strength? I'm learning, but in the past I have often fell into depression and anger.

The book text reads as follows: "'Joy,' Buck thought. 'What a concept in this place, at this time.' The name of the game now was survival. Certainly joy took on a different meaning than ever before in Buck's life. He used to equate joy with happiness. Clearly Tsion Ben-Judah was not implying that he was happy. He might never be happy again. This joy was a deep abiding peace, an assurance that God was sovereign. They didn't have to like what was happening. They merely had to trust that God knew what he was doing."

Pretty self-explanatory there. I feel like it captures it better than I ever could.

Another part that caught my mind while reading this was a simple line, and I don't want to expand on it, I just want to end my post with it =)

Yahweh is the God of the impossible.

Day 25

I work full time in a daycare with 2-year-olds, and obviously I can't post a picture of my kids for privacy/safety reasons, and so here's a cute picture I found on Google Images =)

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Icicle Karate!


Ahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!

Left Behind Series - #2 Tribulation Force

So, I've read it... But I'm finding that I'm reading these more for the story now, and not quite picking up on any theology I'd like to blog on... Cuz really, I could blog about how this entire series is simply an interpretation of Revelation, not actually what will happen according to Revelation...  But I'd have to delve right into the story here and ruin it for those who would still like to read it... ;)  So go ahead, read the series for yourself! =)  I may or may not post something for each book that I finish, but if I do find something interesting in one of the books, I will post here.  And I'll be sure to post once I'm done the whole series.

Day 24

I wish I could change things to how they used to be between us.  I miss how close we were.  I miss being able to tell her anything, and vice versa, and just being there for each other.

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Continuation of Yesterday's Post

So, Alisha read my blog and posted a response on her own blog. Her and I have kinda discussed it between us, and neither of us are judging each other, it is actually a really great challenging conversation that we feel needs to be shared publicly - hence the blog posts. =) You can find her entry here.

This is my response to her, which has been posted as comments on her post.

The ONLY way to get to Heaven is through Jesus Christ.

Allow me to clarify some stuff... I know we've already talked face to face, but for those reading this, I'll share it here too =)

No I don't believe we should be forcing our faith on other. Yes I believe we should tell people about Jesus. We should tell people our faith stories. There could be people out there who have not heard of Jesus at all and has no idea he exists. Whether they're Muslim, agnostic, atheist, whatever. They need to at least hear about Jesus in order for them to learn about him and perhaps eventually make that decision to follow him and live for him.

There are people who have also been taught wrong things about Jesus, such as Muslims, Jews, etc. They need to hear the TRUTH about him.

So whether you share your faith in Christ with a fellow Christian, with a non-believer, or even a complete stranger on the street, that's what I believe makes a true Christian.

Think of it this way: you know Christ is the only way to Heaven, you believe with everything in you that you know the way there and you are going there yourself, but would it be right to hold that information to yourself and thus prevent someone else from being able to get to Heaven? Don't get me wrong, I believe that if you miss an opportunity to witness to someone, God will provide someone else to do it instead...

Another thing: living out our faith. Yes! St. Francis of Assisi once said, "Preach the gospel at all times - if necessary, use words." But as I said, when we do those good deeds, they need to be as a response to what has been done for us - i.e. redeemed from our sins - rather than just to make us look good or to try and earn our salvation. Rather than "good deeds leads to salvation", it's "salvation leads to good deeds." Does that make sense? =)

As for you being challenged at every turn in your faith, that is so great!!! =D That means that you're not just settling down to one thing. God is working in you Alisha, and the fact that your faith keep being challenged proves that. If you were to stopped feeling changed and challenged, your faith would become stagnant. Jesus was a radical, and every part of himself that he reveals to us should totally throw us out of whack. So don't be discouraged! This is a good thing! =D

I think something that might help you would be to really dig into the Scriptures and find God's promises in there. And when God really points them out to you, you can be sure that those promises are for you. Trust me, you'll know when he is pointing them out. I can't explain how, you just will. =) Perhaps memorising some Scripture passages would help too, so you can have God's word hidden in your heart (Psalm 119:11). I'll admit that I don't even have many passages memorised by heart and know exactly where to find them, but I know concepts and paraphrases, and there's always the internet - biblegateway.com is a great resource!

There will never EVER come a day where you will have to tell someone that their faith (or lack thereof) makes them a bad person. I believe that that is NOT what we are called to do. It's not very loving... In fact, if I was told that, I'd want nothing to do with what the person was offering me. Praying for people is a great way to start, never stop praying! Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:18 to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." The way I read that is that God made us all, and so we are all his people. So pray, pray, pray! The rest will come in time =)

When it comes to denominations, I think it's all a load of hooey. Seriously, it's basically just all man-made rules and what you should believe in. When it comes down to it, what's the bottom line of being a Christian? Basically, to be like Jesus. Jesus was a radical in such a simple way! For example: in Matthew 5 Jesus says, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" (vv. 43-47). So simple right? And yet it caused such controversy with the Pharisees - who were the religious leaders of the day. So when you say, "what is 'right' in the eyes of God often doesn't come from what a certain denomination says is 'right' but rather what I feel God believes is right through my prayer with Him," that is great! I would caution though to make sure that it is truly coming from God and not from your own mind... I don't doubt you, but I fall for that often myself... But study it. See if you can back it up with Scripture. Which is another reason why studying Scripture is good ;)

Believe me, there is no such thing as a "perfect Christian." So don't be discouraged if you don't get everything right down to the letter. We all get things wrong more often than just sometimes, that's why we need Jesus, right? =) I don't profess to have all the right answers, that's impossible. Check this out:

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG)

Keep pushing into God, and he will keep pushing you. As hard as it is sometimes (all the time? =P), think about what our reward will be in the end =D

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Left Behind Series - #1 Left Behind

I am enjoying reading this series again, kind of a refresher =) Although I do admit I don't quite think the world will end the way it does in the series, but it is a fantastic way to be refreshed in the Scriptures. There is a lot of truth written in these books, and even in this first one there are a few places I'd like to touch on that resonated with me.

After the Rapture, there were many people who had claimed to be Christians who were left behind. The one that struck me the most was Bruce Barnes. He was the visitation pastor, but obviously - being left behind - didn't know Christ. He said to Rayford, "I loved church. It was my life, my culture." Later on in the same scene, he said, "I had a real racket going, and I bought into it. Down deep, way down deep, I knew better. I knew it was too good to be true. I knew that true Christians were known by what their lives produced and that I was producing nothing. But I comforted myself that there were worse people around who called themselves Christians." He continued to say how he would often tell people about the cool pastor at the neat church he was on staff at, but wouldn't tell them about Christ because he didn't want to be perceived as one of those weirdos.

I struck me how often I do that... I love telling people about my church, and the people there, and the pastors, but how often do I tell people about Christ? I often allow people to see me as devout and a strong Christian, when in reality I find this description Bruce gives true for me. I do believe in Christ, I do believe that he has died for my sins and rose again, but do I share that with others? Sometimes I do here on my blog - which gets imported to Facebook - but I don't often talk to people face-to-face about Christ, unless I know they're Christian as well.

This hits me a bit hard... As I type this, I'm thinking about the Bible passage where Jesus says that it is the sick who need a doctor, not the healthy (Mark 2:17). In the Scriptural context, Jesus was talking about how he didn't come to call on the righteous, but to call on the sinners. But I think that phrase is valid even over 2,000 years later. Those who do not know Christ are the ones who need him. But how will they know him if nobody leads them to him? I often fear what people would think of me if I started talking to them about Jesus. I wouldn't want to be lumped in with the "weirdos." How selfish is that! I'm more interested in how others view me than the state of their souls.

There's so much more to being a Christian than knowing Scripture and believing in Christ. As exampled by Bruce, you can know Scripture and believe in Christ, and still get left behind. It takes living as a Christian too. Part of that is sharing your faith, as I talked about above. Another part is being more than just a good person. It doesn't matter how many good deeds we can do, there is no way we would be able to earn our salvation. The Bible says, "There is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10). Jesus also teaches us that only God can save us from our sins (Mark 10:24-27). In the story, Bruce talks about how so many people believe that doing good and living right will get us into heaven. How wrong that is.

Of course, Bruce goes on to say that we are to do good deeds, "but not so we can earn our salvation. We're to do that in response to our salvation." He refers to Ephesians 2:8-9, saying, "We are saved by grace through Christ, not of ourselves, so we can't brag about our goodness." Our goodness is worth nothing. One Scripture reference that has always stuck with me is Isaiah 64:6: "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." Think about this: those "filthy rags" that are mentioned were like used maxi pads. Gross eh? All our "righteousness" and good deeds trying to earn salvation are disgusting to God. But good deeds in response to salvation is necessary. I think about James 2, when James writes about how faith without deeds is dead (v. 26).

I gotta wrap this up, because this laptop is dying and I'm not sure where the cord is, and it's also midnight and I'm exhausted... I'm actually almost finished the second book in the series, I've been reading on the bus to and from work, so I'm still getting these books read and still (somewhat) working on those cross-stitching projects needing to get done... Until next time! =)

Day 23

I love this version of the Bible!  It's written in today's language, in a way that I can clearly understand!  Sure, I don't really read the Bible too often - which I know I really should get back into that...  But if I could pick any translation, The Message Remix would definitely be my top pick.


Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Day 22

Running.  And yes, this is a picture of myself from a year and a half ago...  I am not a runner at all, nor am I motivated enough to try any kind of training routine.  As it is, when I run too long or too hard, I end up with what almost feels like an asthma attack... Which it could very well be, I should get tested for that... =\

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Only in Canada!

Check it!  Definitely gotta try this soon! =D

Minestrone Soup

I made some minestrone soup tonight, and I'd like to share the recipe with you! =)

First of all, this soup is DELICIOUS!!!!! From the moment I first started cooking it, it smelled amazing! Started with garlic, which is yummy, then the tomatoes and rosemary just got my taste buds all fired up! And now that it's finished, I am LOVING the end result! =D

The recipe is from a Campbell's Organic Vegetarian Vegetable Broth carton, though I did edit it a bit since it called for a can of diced tomatoes and a can of white kidney beans. So, here's my recipe:

Vegetable Minestrone Soup
2 cups dry white kidney beans
6 cups water
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1 box Campbell's Organic Vegetarian Vegetable Broth
4 tomatoes, diced
1.5 cups uncooked corkscrew pasta

Put beans and water in pot and slowly bring to boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let soak for 1 hour.

(During that hour, I prepped the other ingredients then watched House online =P)

Heat oil in large pot. Add zucchini, garlic, and rosemary and cook until tender-crisp. Add broth and tomatoes. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in beans and pasta. Cook for 10 minutes, or until pasta is done.

Day 21

There are lots of things that happened in my life that I would wish I could forget, but plain and simple, if I were to forget it, I'd forget where I've come from, I'd forget what has made me stronger, I'd forget what has shaped me into who I am today. Cliche as that may be, it is so true.

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Day 20

Can you figure out where this is? =)  Here's another clue:
Still don't have it?  Okay, here's my last - and obvious - clue:
I have been to Paris before, and it was BEAUTIFUL!!!  Definitely not enough time spent there!  I would LOVE to go back and spend at least a month there... =)


Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Day 19

Me, my cousin Michelle, Grampa, and my cousin Amanda.  I don't even remember where this was taken...

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Day 18

That's not my body, but I was too tired (and lazy) to go get the camera and get one of myself... But, although I do recognise that I am at a healthy body weight and size, I can get really insecure and self-conscious about my tummy.

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Day 17

Alisha and I started dating almost 5 months ago, and you can be darn sure that it has made a huge impact on my life! =)  Not much more to say other than what's been said in previous blog posts already, and I'm sure people must be getting tired of hearing me gush about her lol =P

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

"The Facebook Song" Lynnea Malley

This is absolutely brilliant, and I'm pretty sure I will be listening to this over and over =D

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Day 16

Ruth Hickman.  This woman is amazing!  For those of you who know her, you know what I mean.  For those of you who don't, you're missing out! =)

I've known Ruth for quite a few years now, since she moved here to Winnipeg from Vancouver with her husband Peter.  Since then, they've had two kids, and are getting ready to head into CFOT this September I believe...  Exciting stuff!

So why does she inspire me?  There are many things about Ruth that I admire, including (but obviously not limited to, lol) leading worship.  My goodness, I don't know how people do it.  I dislike it very much.  Don't get me wrong, I love singing in the worship team, but I am terrible with words when it comes to leading into songs and praying corporately and stuff.

But Ruth is also very down-to-earth, and I love just sitting and chatting with her about whatever we end up chatting about =)  She's also a very good person to talk to about specific issues as well.  She's a great listener =)

My most cherished memory with her is when we went for coffee a few months back and we talked about my relationship with Alisha, and about me coming out as bisexual.  She listened to what I had to say, and asked questions about different things, before she even really went on to tell me what she thought about it all.  I respect that, and I very much appreciated it.  As it turned out, through what she's observed, what she knows about me, and how I responded to her questions, she supports me in my decision, and agreed that this relationship can still be a God-honouring one.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that Ruth inspires me because she has shown me many qualities I'd like to see more of in myself: being able to listen objectively, being able to lead worship no problem (though I'm sure she'd tell me that it's not really "no problem" lol), and being open to others, being there for them, even if it's just a chat over coffee =)

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Left Behind Series - Prequel #2 "The Regime"

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It introduced some more characters from the series, including Leon Fortunato, Cameron "Buck" Williams, and Abdullah "Smitty" Ababneh. It followed the storylines of Nicolae, Rayford, Irene, Buck, and Smitty, and I enjoyed reading how they each got to the point where they were at the beginning of the series itself.  Definitely a good read!  Kept my attention - considering it took me less than 48 hours to read it lol - left that hook at the end of each chapter that wouldn't allow me to put the book down, just had to keep reading to see what happened next!

There were a couple spots in the book that impacted me personally, I'd like to touch on those.

The first was when Irene was visiting Rayford's parents in the home they lived in.  They both had Alzheimer's, though the father was a lot worse than the mother.  This is after Irene had found Jesus and let Him into her heart, and she was trying to reach Rayford's parents. On one visit, when the father was lucid, she told him about Christ, but before they could get through the conversation, he lost touch with reality again.  But Irene did manage to tell him that God loves him, and turns out he ended up thinking a lot about that after that day.  Then comes to the part that spoke to me.  Irene was visiting him again, and he was having another good day, and here's what their conversation was, starting with the father:

"I had to figure out what else made me feel so empty, and I think you were right.  I don't think I ever got the God thing right."
"The God thing?"
"It was never personal for me.  It was just something I did.  Something I was raised in, felt comfortable with.  But it never really meant anything to me.  There had to be more.  I mean, if there's really a God, there has to be more."
"He loves you."
"I know.  You told me that.  And it keeps coming back to me.  Every so often when I can concentrate, that echoes in my mind and I don't know what to make of it.  Jesus died for the sins of the world, but does that make me a sinner?  I've never been perfect, Lord knows.  But I never felt like a sinner before either.  Maybe I do now."
"Do you?"
"Well, sure.  I must be.  Everybody must be.  Otherwise, what's Jesus dying for?  That's what's got me so off-kilter.  I can't get my mind around it.  I always saw God as a concept, a belief system, something you do on Sundays, and all that.  But if He loves me, I ought to love Him.  I don't love God, Irene."

It hit me how so many of us think the way this father was thinking.  Do we really truly believe that Christ died for our sins?  Or do we just go to church because that's just what you should do on Sundays?  To be honest, I sometimes get to a point where I question myself about that...  And again, after reading that, I questioned myself again.  Do I truly whole-heartedly believe that I am a sinner and Jesus died so that I could be reunited with God?  Without wanting to boast - because really, what have I done? - but I do believe it.  I believe with everything that I am that Jesus loves me enough to actually do that for me.  And not just me!  I get humbled, that's for sure... I mean, who am I, really?  This worthless sinner who deserves to go to Hell.  But because God loves me so much more than I can understand, He has made a way for me to be able to come back to Him, through Christ Jesus.  I am not worthy of any of it, but because of it, I can call myself a child of God, and I can be assured that I am going to Heaven one day =)

Another part that hit kinda close to home was when Cameron was talking to his sister-in-law about church.  The background story is that when Cameron and his brother were old enough to decide for themselves, they left the church, just stopped going all together, and never went back.  So now, she asked Cameron where he stood with God, and Cameron says to her, "I gotta tell ya, Sharon, if the church we grew up in is what God is all about, He's boring.  And I mean boring."  She has the greatest answer:

"Well, that church is not representative; I can tell you that.  And that's the problem.  At least you and Jeff were honest and on the right track getting out of there.  Your mistake - forgive me for being so blunt - was that you thought all churches were the same.  So once you were out of that church, you were out altogether."

I've seen this happen with a few people.  One person in particular - whom I won't name for their privacy - has left their church and never even tried to find another church.  It saddens me when I see this, when they assume that all churches are the same.  They're not!  Church services can be very different!  Some worship in one way, others worship another way.  But it is the Church as a whole - the Body of Christ - that we need to keep within.  As the Bible says (1 Corinthians 12:12-31), we cannot all be a hand, or an eye.  There are many different parts to the body, each one different, each one doing their own part of helping the Body.

I am definitely looking forward to reading more of the books, but there are some cross-stitch projects I need to get done, and so I think I will work on getting those done before I dive into the full series.  Until next time my friends! =)

Friday, January 7, 2011

Left Behind Series - Prequel #1 "The Rising"

So, finished the first book of the prequel today (there are two).  Was pretty good I suppose, kept me in suspense.  It was mostly about the Antichrist, events leading up to his birth, his childhood, up to 21 years of age. It also followed the growing up years of Rayford Steele, his life as a boy, growing up, school, college, how he met his wife, the birth of his kids, etc.  I hadn't read it before, and so it was interesting to see how things started before the actual series itself.  I don't want to ruin anything for anyone who hasn't read it, but I'll just talk about the beginning of the book.

It starts off with this woman university professor who is in an intellectual marriage with another university professor - it was all about their minds: conversations, debates, talking intellectually with each other, not physical at all.  She ends up wanting a child, though he did not want one at all.  She starts going to these Tuesday night meetings to try to take her mind off her mothering instincts.  These meetings were spiritual, and the way it was described in the book was that the leaders would help people find answers to their questions.  I got pretty uncomfortable with the fictional situation, especially the way these meetings were portrayed.  There were séances by candlelight, lots of dark spiritual stuff, and though it was never specifically said it wasn't Christian, it didn't specifically say it was.  And so I was on edge about how they were portraying Christ to these people seeking answers.

Of course, it turns out that they were not worshiping Christ, but rather Lucifer.  Strangely enough, it set my mind at ease because these people weren't getting the wrong idea of Christianity.  Even though it's all a fictional book.

Anyways, I won't spoil the book any further, go and read it for yourselves! =)

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Day 15


I often dream about getting married - what the ceremony and reception will be like and all the details that go into it all...
But more than than, I dream of having a child.  It's so hard sometimes working full time with 1- and 2-year-olds.  Long story short, when parents come in and their kids get so excited to see them, I want that.  Though I will admit that I am NOT ready to have kids at this point in my life, I look forward to when that time will come =)

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

The Chronicles of Narnia

So I've finished reading all seven books in the Chronicles of Narnia for the third time.  What a great series!!!!! =D  I must say though, the ending didn't quite get to me as much as it had before, but it felt good being able to finish it all.  The Christian allegory isn't lost on me though.  One of my favourite quotes comes near the end.  It is Aslan talking to a Calormene named Emeth who had served his god Tash his whole life.  I'll write the whole paragraph, though it is long, but it is all needed to fully grasp the idea in it.  Emeth had found Aslan, and here's the conversation that happens:

"I fell at his feet and thought, Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honour) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him.  Nevertheless, it is better to see the Lion and die than to be Tisroc of the world and live and not to have seen him.  But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, 'Son, thou art welcome.'  But I said, 'Alas, Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash.'  He answered, 'Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me.'  Then by reason of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, 'Lord, is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one?'  The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, 'It is false.  Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites - I take to me the services which though has done to him.  For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him.  Therefore, if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath's sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him.  And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted.  Dost thou understand, Child?'  I said, 'Lord, thou knowest how much I understand.'  But I said also (for the truth constrained me), 'Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days.'  'Beloved,' said the Glorious One, 'unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly.  For all find what they truly seek.'

Wow.

Another couple quotes I found interesting come from the fourth book, "Prince Caspian."  One is from the book, the other is from the movie.  Interestingly enough, they both come from the same place in the storyline: when Lucy speaks with Aslan for the first time, after she saw him and nobody else believed her.  It is a beautiful piece of dialog when the two first meet up:

"Welcome, child," he said.
"Aslan," said Lucy, "you're bigger."
"That is because you are older, little one," answered he.
"Not because you are?"
"I am not.  But every year you grow, you will find me bigger."

Is this not true in our own spiritual walks?  As we get older and learn more about God, the bigger he seems to become.  I know that's true with me.

My next favourite quote is a line from the movie - not the book itself - but it is also very true:

"Aslan!  I knew it was you!  The whole time, I knew it!  But the others didn't believe me..."
"And why would that stop you from coming to me?"
"I'm sorry.  I was too scared to come alone."

How many times are we so sure about the Truth (notice the big-T Truth, not small-t truth...), but are afraid of what the others would think, and so we don't follow that Truth?  And that Truth is trying to lead us in a better way, but because we're so afraid of what other people would do, we choose such a harder path...

Well, that's about it for now, my eyes are getting sore from looking at this computer screen for so long... My next books to tackle are the Left Behind series.  I think with those ones I will update after each book.  I have 15 in total (2 prequels, the 12 in the series, and the sequel), though I'm sure there's more out now...

Day 14


=)

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Day 13

Downhere, my current favourite band =)

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

God in a Child

I saw God this morning at church =)  As obvious as that may seem...  I don't doubt that God is there all the time, but this morning I SAW Him.  I saw Him in a child, a toddler actually.

Curtis had preached on Isaiah 37, how Hezekiah needed to listen to and trust God rather than be intimidated by the Assyrian king who was coming to attack Jerusalem.  After the sermon we sang "All to Jesus," and the invitation was there to come to the mercy seat (basically like a prayer bench, for those who are not familiar with Salvation Army terms) to surrender our everything to Jesus.  A lady I know well - I won't say her name for her own privacy - came and knelt to pray.  I don't know what brought her to the front, I don't know what issue was on her mind.  But for this story, that's not the point.

Seeing as how we were singing a song, I was there just behind the mercy seat with my microphone, Zach was at the drums with his nephew William, who just turned a year old last month.  I guess Zach had put him down, cuz he walked over to the mercy seat where this lady was kneeling.  Her hands were down flat on the mercy seat.

He went right up to her, put his hands down in front of hers, and stood there for a bit with her.

I nearly cried.

You may say that as a one-year-old, he was just going over and imitating what she was doing.  Maybe so.  But maybe not.

I saw God today, in this child, there, reaching out, being with this lady who was there to pray, to talk to God directly.

God was there.  I saw Him. =)

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Book List 2011

So, I definitely did not complete my book list from last year, but I wasn't reading very often for the last half of the year.  I've decided to try again this year with some new books I've bought in the past few months.  So without further ado, here is my list! =)

1) All Right Now by Timothy J. Geddert
2) The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
3) The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
4) Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Matters by Jack Canfield, et al.
5) Emma by Jane Austen
6) Soulpancake by Rainn Wilson
7) Weird Canadian Traditions & Superstitions by Lisa Wojna
8) Life of Pi by Yann Martel
9) The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics by C. S. Lewis
10) Redemption by Karen Kingsbury
11) Purpose for the Pain by Renee Yohe (also check out this and this)
12) The Shack by William Paul Young
13) The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
14) The Left Behind Series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins
15) Pulling the Devil's Kingdom Down: The Salvation Army in Victorian Britain by Pamela J. Walker
16) The Voice of Matthew by Lauren F. Winner
17) The Voice of Mark by Greg Garrett
18) The Voice of Hebrews by Greg Garrett and David Capes
19) Love Wins by Rob Bell
20) The Bondage Breaker by Neil T. Anderson
21) Disappointment with God by Philip Yancey
22) Where Is God when it Hurts? by Philip Yancey
23) Jesus by Philip Yancey

There's a couple on there from last year's list, and a couple on there that I've already read but would like to read again.  I'm actually almost finished the Narnian chronicles, though that's one that I've read before, I'm excited to read to the end because I can't remember the exact details of how it ends.

Anywho, keep checking back here to see how far I've gotten!  And I'll be sure to post reviews once I've finished a book.  Happy New Year everyone! =)