My boot heel cracked today when I was on my way to lunch, so I spent the rest of the day hobbling around and after work began my quest to find new ones. Alas for me, I seem to have just missed the winter sales, and everyone's got their spring stuff out already, and apparently the only boots you need in Calgary this time of year are rubber wellies, not dress boots. So I finally settled on a $10 pair of Walmart shoes until I have time to hit a 'real' mall that's not Northland. So my feet are very sore from slogging around the mall in a broken heel, and I'm wishing that it would be ok to wear my slippers to work tomorrow!
In other news, the unsuccessful hunt for a place to move into on March 31 gets more unsuccessful by the day, and I'm not really sure where to go from here. So if you could keep us and our potential homelessness in your prayers, I would really appreciate it. The end of our student loans and all that are in sight, but until they're done we can only afford about $1000/month for rent, and in the market out there, that doesn't get you much, which really sucks. Our salaries have definitely NOT gone up in proportion with the current cost of living! I'm SURE God has something in mind - I'm just not sure what, and I don't want to miss seeing the opportunity when it comes up.
Yay for a three-day work week - tomorrow is my 'Friday' as I've taken the real Friday off to go with my youth/friends to Vernon for a youth ski retreat. I'm really looking forward to it, but unfortunately Trevor can't come. :( I will try and take lots of pictures with my exciting new camera to share with y'all when I get back.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Getting to Know You
Someone emailed me this morning, and I sent it back, but thought I'd share my answers here. Feel free to copy and paste and email me with your answers, or post them on your blog - it's a great way to waste a little time! :)
Welcome to the 2007 edition of getting to know your friends. What you are supposed to do is copy (not forward) this entire email and paste it onto a new email that you will send. Change all the answers so that they apply to you, and then send this to a whole bunch of people (including the person who sent it to you). The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your friends, if you did not know them already.
1. What time did you get up this morning? about 6, from a very nice dream, too. :(
2. Diamonds or pearls? freshwater pearls
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Stomp the Yard, I think...it's been a while
4. What are your favourite TV shows? Oooh, there's a lot. Colour Confidential, What not to Wear, Iron Chef, Hell's Kitchen, Boston Legal, NCIS, Gilmore Girls, McLeod's Daughters, Stargate SG1 and Atlantis...I think that's all the ones I watch on a weekly basis, anyway... :)
5. What did you have for breakfast this morning? a Nature Valley almond bar, and fruit to go and a glass of milk
6. What is your middle name? Linda
7. What is your favourite cuisine? Italian
8. What foods do you dislike? salmon, tuna, broccoli, onions, cabbage rolls, pate (looks like cat food - ick), anything really spicy
9. Favourite chips? Depends on my mood - either ketchup or cheddar sun chips
10. What is your favourite CD at the moment? Chris Tomlin or Casting Crown - any of them
11. What kind of car do you drive? An old Dodge Neon, but only till we get back from NS in June, if all goes well!
12. What is your favourite sandwich? grilled cheese, maple and bacon, or ham and swiss
13. What characteristics do you despise? un-trustworthiness...if that's even a word... lol
14. What are your favourite clothes? fleece and jeans or summer skirts and sandals
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on Vacation? Australia
16. Favourite brand of clothing? I mostly shop at Reitmans and Old Navy
17. Where would you want to retire? somewhere warm with an ocean - Hawaii maybe?
18. Favourite time of day? hummm...bedtime probably! with my nice new memory foam mattress....
19. Where were you born? Comox, BC
20. What is your favourite sport to watch? I like going to baseball games in the summer, and I like watching figure skating on tv
21. Who do you think will not send this back? probably Chris and/or Trevor... definatly not Amanda, cause I got it from her in the first place...
22. Person you expect to send it back first? the most bored one
23. Pepsi or Coke? Coke
24. Beavers or ducks? DUCKS! Ducks are awesome - there were some really friendly ones when we were camping in Kelowna this summer.
25. Are you a morning person or a night owl? more like mid-morning person...
26. Pedicure or manicure? pedicure...ohhhhh....
27. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? I just got my first paystub reflecting my one year raise! Hooray! And I pre-ordered the new Harry Potter book today.
28. What did you want to be when you were little? Either Nancy Drew or a nurse
29. What is your best childhood memory? that's a hard one...I think probably when my mom was pregnant with my brother, and we would spend time every day working on our Lego masterpiece - it was a Lego house with many floors and really detailed. I think I still have it intact somewhere in my stuff at her house.
30. Piercing? 3 – 2 earlobes and one upper ear
31. Ever been to Africa ? No
32. Ever been toilet papering? hehe...maybe.... :)
33. Been in a car accident? unfortunately
34. Favourite Day of the week? Saturday
35. Favourite restaurant? Olive Garden - we've celebrated a lot of special occasions there! That's also where we got engaged.
36. Favourite Flower? lilacs - they're everywhere in NS in the spring - smell soooo good
37. Favourite ice cream? Chocolate or butter pecan
38. Favourite fast food? depends on my mood - either McD's, A&W or KFC
39. How many times did you fail your drivers test? None! They said I scored in the top 10% of people who take it
40. From whom did you get your last email? I don't remember - Lauren, probably
41. In which store would you choose to max out your Credit card? Ikea or
Old Navy
42. Bedtime? As close to 9:30 as possible
43. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?? Everyone's
44. Last person you went to dinner with? We took my dad to lunch for his birthday on Sunday, and then I took Brittni out for her birthday in the evening
45. What are you listening to right now? Colour Confidential (I'm not on hold anymore! :))
46. What is your favourite colour? pink
47. How many tattoos do you have? None
48. How many are you sending this email to? Not sure yet
Welcome to the 2007 edition of getting to know your friends. What you are supposed to do is copy (not forward) this entire email and paste it onto a new email that you will send. Change all the answers so that they apply to you, and then send this to a whole bunch of people (including the person who sent it to you). The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your friends, if you did not know them already.
1. What time did you get up this morning? about 6, from a very nice dream, too. :(
2. Diamonds or pearls? freshwater pearls
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Stomp the Yard, I think...it's been a while
4. What are your favourite TV shows? Oooh, there's a lot. Colour Confidential, What not to Wear, Iron Chef, Hell's Kitchen, Boston Legal, NCIS, Gilmore Girls, McLeod's Daughters, Stargate SG1 and Atlantis...I think that's all the ones I watch on a weekly basis, anyway... :)
5. What did you have for breakfast this morning? a Nature Valley almond bar, and fruit to go and a glass of milk
6. What is your middle name? Linda
7. What is your favourite cuisine? Italian
8. What foods do you dislike? salmon, tuna, broccoli, onions, cabbage rolls, pate (looks like cat food - ick), anything really spicy
9. Favourite chips? Depends on my mood - either ketchup or cheddar sun chips
10. What is your favourite CD at the moment? Chris Tomlin or Casting Crown - any of them
11. What kind of car do you drive? An old Dodge Neon, but only till we get back from NS in June, if all goes well!
12. What is your favourite sandwich? grilled cheese, maple and bacon, or ham and swiss
13. What characteristics do you despise? un-trustworthiness...if that's even a word... lol
14. What are your favourite clothes? fleece and jeans or summer skirts and sandals
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on Vacation? Australia
16. Favourite brand of clothing? I mostly shop at Reitmans and Old Navy
17. Where would you want to retire? somewhere warm with an ocean - Hawaii maybe?
18. Favourite time of day? hummm...bedtime probably! with my nice new memory foam mattress....
19. Where were you born? Comox, BC
20. What is your favourite sport to watch? I like going to baseball games in the summer, and I like watching figure skating on tv
21. Who do you think will not send this back? probably Chris and/or Trevor... definatly not Amanda, cause I got it from her in the first place...
22. Person you expect to send it back first? the most bored one
23. Pepsi or Coke? Coke
24. Beavers or ducks? DUCKS! Ducks are awesome - there were some really friendly ones when we were camping in Kelowna this summer.
25. Are you a morning person or a night owl? more like mid-morning person...
26. Pedicure or manicure? pedicure...ohhhhh....
27. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? I just got my first paystub reflecting my one year raise! Hooray! And I pre-ordered the new Harry Potter book today.
28. What did you want to be when you were little? Either Nancy Drew or a nurse
29. What is your best childhood memory? that's a hard one...I think probably when my mom was pregnant with my brother, and we would spend time every day working on our Lego masterpiece - it was a Lego house with many floors and really detailed. I think I still have it intact somewhere in my stuff at her house.
30. Piercing? 3 – 2 earlobes and one upper ear
31. Ever been to Africa ? No
32. Ever been toilet papering? hehe...maybe.... :)
33. Been in a car accident? unfortunately
34. Favourite Day of the week? Saturday
35. Favourite restaurant? Olive Garden - we've celebrated a lot of special occasions there! That's also where we got engaged.
36. Favourite Flower? lilacs - they're everywhere in NS in the spring - smell soooo good
37. Favourite ice cream? Chocolate or butter pecan
38. Favourite fast food? depends on my mood - either McD's, A&W or KFC
39. How many times did you fail your drivers test? None! They said I scored in the top 10% of people who take it
40. From whom did you get your last email? I don't remember - Lauren, probably
41. In which store would you choose to max out your Credit card? Ikea or
Old Navy
42. Bedtime? As close to 9:30 as possible
43. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?? Everyone's
44. Last person you went to dinner with? We took my dad to lunch for his birthday on Sunday, and then I took Brittni out for her birthday in the evening
45. What are you listening to right now? Colour Confidential (I'm not on hold anymore! :))
46. What is your favourite colour? pink
47. How many tattoos do you have? None
48. How many are you sending this email to? Not sure yet
Monday, February 12, 2007
"This is true love... you think this happens everyday?”
Happy Valentine's Day!
http://www.diguno.com/wordsofwisdom.html
Hehe...it's all very exciting! :) So totally a God-thing, and while it's sad that Scott is moving away, I'm really happy for them!
So I was thinking about the Five Love Languages the other day. In case you've never heard of them, the theory is that there's five basic 'languages' that people give and receive love in. They are acts of service, physical touch, giving of gifts, quality time and words of affirmation. Well, I think I've discovered at 6th love language! A few weeks ago Trevor apologized to someone by offering them some of his food, and when he got a weird look, I explained that food is Trevor's love language, and the more I think about it the more I think I'm on to something.
Feeding someone is sort of a combination of an act of service, giving of a gift, and quality time, right? When I have a bunch of friends over and feed them, it's so much fun for me to that, and I totally do it cause I love them, you know? Maybe I'm just crazy, but it makes sense to me!
Actually, I'm sure I'm crazy, cause when Trevor asked if I'd rather have flowers or a Chapters gift card for a valentine, I picked books over flowers without even really thinking about it... :)
By the way, the title of this blog is a quote from the Princess Bride - one of the best love stories of all time! And it's got sooooo many great quotes - if you haven't seen it, I highly reccomend that you do so as soon as possible - you're missing out on a classic!
http://www.diguno.com/wordsofwisdom.html
Hehe...it's all very exciting! :) So totally a God-thing, and while it's sad that Scott is moving away, I'm really happy for them!
So I was thinking about the Five Love Languages the other day. In case you've never heard of them, the theory is that there's five basic 'languages' that people give and receive love in. They are acts of service, physical touch, giving of gifts, quality time and words of affirmation. Well, I think I've discovered at 6th love language! A few weeks ago Trevor apologized to someone by offering them some of his food, and when he got a weird look, I explained that food is Trevor's love language, and the more I think about it the more I think I'm on to something.
Feeding someone is sort of a combination of an act of service, giving of a gift, and quality time, right? When I have a bunch of friends over and feed them, it's so much fun for me to that, and I totally do it cause I love them, you know? Maybe I'm just crazy, but it makes sense to me!
Actually, I'm sure I'm crazy, cause when Trevor asked if I'd rather have flowers or a Chapters gift card for a valentine, I picked books over flowers without even really thinking about it... :)
By the way, the title of this blog is a quote from the Princess Bride - one of the best love stories of all time! And it's got sooooo many great quotes - if you haven't seen it, I highly reccomend that you do so as soon as possible - you're missing out on a classic!
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Tagged by Leah
A while back Leah tagged me to post 6 random things about myself, and I've decided to finally get around to doing it! I don't think I'm that random of a person, but I'll do my best... :)
1. One of my favourite sandwiches is bacon and maple butter. My Mom sent me some maple butter at Christmas, which was very exciting, as I haven't had any in ages. I'm also a big fan of cheddar and blackberry jam...real blackberry jam, from Victoria.
2. I was sorting through some stuff on my computer last night, and I discovered that I've written 28 songs since the fall of 2002. As you probably know, I don't play any instruments, so I haven't actually been able to write down the music, which is more then a little frustrating when I can hear a tune rattling around in my head and can't get it out! I'm just hoping that God's got something in mind for me to do with 28 songs...I'm sure a lot of them are rubbish, but I think there's a few good ones in there, and they all have stories behind them.
3. If I ever get music written for some of my worship-y songs, I'd really like to record a worship album. I've got so many musically talented friends that I love to sing with, I think it would be a blast to do something like that. There's a kind of funny God-story about how I realized that was something I wanted to do, but maybe I'll write about that some other time... :)
4. I got my cartilage (top right ear) pierced this summer. It actually hurt less then my ear lobes did, but it's still not healed, and the cold Calgary winter is really aggravating it. But I really like it, anyway! I got it done when I went to visit Heather in August. Funny - when I got my ear lobes done, I was visiting Heather then, too...wonder what I'm going to get pierced next time I visit her? :0
5. I'm going home to NS on May 26! It also happens to be Trevor's birthday that day, which is unfortunate for him. I feel bad leaving him by himself on his birthday, but I NEED to see the ocean! I'm going for 13 days, and Trevor's coming out on June 1 for a week. Scott and Chris are also going to be there then, and we're going to do some stuff in Halifax, and rent a car and drive around the coast. I'M SOOOOOO EXCITED!!!! I haven't been home since Christmas of 2006, and Mom and Simon have moved in to a new house since then. Well, it's not new, it's actually 100 years old, and I loooove old houses, so I'm excited to see it. And Chris has never had scallops!!! So I can't wait to cook a bunch of NS food for the boys, and show them my city. Only 108 days to go!
6. When I named my blog, "What I've Found", I was listening to the Saltwater CD. If you haven't heard of Saltwater, they were a full-year Crew Ministries team which included some people that are really special to me, and I love listening to the CD. (My only complaint about it is that Scott didn't sing enough on it, but he'll probably just roll his eyes at that... :)) Anyway, that line is in a song by Riley Armstrong, and it just popped out at me as being appropriate for a blog where I talk about the things I find in my day-to-day life.
So there you go, 6 random things! Hope you've enjoyed, especially Leah! :)
I'm going to tag...hum, well, I was going to tag Trevor, but since he doesn't read my blog... :) how about Scott, Christine, Lauren and Anne Marie. If I didn't tag you, and you wish I had, I didn't know you read my blog and/or have one of your own, so reply here and let me know!
1. One of my favourite sandwiches is bacon and maple butter. My Mom sent me some maple butter at Christmas, which was very exciting, as I haven't had any in ages. I'm also a big fan of cheddar and blackberry jam...real blackberry jam, from Victoria.
2. I was sorting through some stuff on my computer last night, and I discovered that I've written 28 songs since the fall of 2002. As you probably know, I don't play any instruments, so I haven't actually been able to write down the music, which is more then a little frustrating when I can hear a tune rattling around in my head and can't get it out! I'm just hoping that God's got something in mind for me to do with 28 songs...I'm sure a lot of them are rubbish, but I think there's a few good ones in there, and they all have stories behind them.
3. If I ever get music written for some of my worship-y songs, I'd really like to record a worship album. I've got so many musically talented friends that I love to sing with, I think it would be a blast to do something like that. There's a kind of funny God-story about how I realized that was something I wanted to do, but maybe I'll write about that some other time... :)
4. I got my cartilage (top right ear) pierced this summer. It actually hurt less then my ear lobes did, but it's still not healed, and the cold Calgary winter is really aggravating it. But I really like it, anyway! I got it done when I went to visit Heather in August. Funny - when I got my ear lobes done, I was visiting Heather then, too...wonder what I'm going to get pierced next time I visit her? :0
5. I'm going home to NS on May 26! It also happens to be Trevor's birthday that day, which is unfortunate for him. I feel bad leaving him by himself on his birthday, but I NEED to see the ocean! I'm going for 13 days, and Trevor's coming out on June 1 for a week. Scott and Chris are also going to be there then, and we're going to do some stuff in Halifax, and rent a car and drive around the coast. I'M SOOOOOO EXCITED!!!! I haven't been home since Christmas of 2006, and Mom and Simon have moved in to a new house since then. Well, it's not new, it's actually 100 years old, and I loooove old houses, so I'm excited to see it. And Chris has never had scallops!!! So I can't wait to cook a bunch of NS food for the boys, and show them my city. Only 108 days to go!
6. When I named my blog, "What I've Found", I was listening to the Saltwater CD. If you haven't heard of Saltwater, they were a full-year Crew Ministries team which included some people that are really special to me, and I love listening to the CD. (My only complaint about it is that Scott didn't sing enough on it, but he'll probably just roll his eyes at that... :)) Anyway, that line is in a song by Riley Armstrong, and it just popped out at me as being appropriate for a blog where I talk about the things I find in my day-to-day life.
So there you go, 6 random things! Hope you've enjoyed, especially Leah! :)
I'm going to tag...hum, well, I was going to tag Trevor, but since he doesn't read my blog... :) how about Scott, Christine, Lauren and Anne Marie. If I didn't tag you, and you wish I had, I didn't know you read my blog and/or have one of your own, so reply here and let me know!
Friday, February 02, 2007
May the Force be With You
Everybody all together now... "and also with you"... :)
Well, it's been a while since I sat down and watched my three favourite movies - actually, I think that's what I did for my 24th birthday, so it's been a few years. My dad just moved to a new place, and wanted to buy a new tv for it, a 52-inch, so he gave us his 42-inch and the speakers and such to go with it. So in honour of this momentous occasion I've decided to treat myself to a marathon viewing of the original trilogy - hooray! Trevor rolled his eyes, but a few of my friends are joining me in my madness.
Did you know that there's a new Dark Lord of the Sith? Han and Leia's son Jacen is all grown up, and thinks that the best way to rid the galaxy of evil is to fight it on it's own playing field. A noble goal, but we all know that the dark side doesn't work like that. To vote on a name for this new Darth, check out www.darthwho.com. I voted for Darth Praxis - knowing Jacen's desire to use the dark side to bring light, and Praxis made me think of the Latin word "pax", which means peace - it seemed like a logical choice! We shall see what the other fans think...
Check this out... http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/2007/01/12/look_sir_droids.html
If there's a normal, unpretentious home theater projector out there in the universe, this is the projector it's farthest from. Star Wars fans will be knocking each other over to get to Nikko's R2-D2 DVD projector, which shoots video out of its eye onto a separate screen (it would have been perfect if it used the hologram-projector port, though). The resolution is only 800 x 600 pixels (south of high-def), but speakers are built in, and so is a DVD player as well as an iPod dock. And it wouldn't be R2 if he didn't move — you can make him follow you anywhere.
Say, have we mentioned the remote control? A replica of the Millenium Falcon — it's a riot in its own right. The controls pop out of the engines… too sweet. For that extra Jedi atmosphere, be sure to pick up a Darth Vader popcorn machine.
http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/2006/02/02/snacking_turns.htm
The R2-D2 projector is due in stores as early as the spring for a little more than 2 Gs.
— Peter Pachal
So much fun! And there's a new book out by Timothy Zahn, who wrote the first Star Wars novels ever, and it's set early in the days of the Rebellion - with the universe expanding so fast due to the prequels and the New Jedi Order series about Han and Leia's and Luke and Mara's kids, it's nice to get back to the original characters. I'm really looking forward to reading it.
By the way, I'm in the market for a lightsaber - for someone reason that's not something that people seem to think about when they think about what to get me for Christmas, but I'd love to have one to add to my two shelves of books and other bits of random Star Wars paraphernalia.
So there's a look inside my Star Wars fetish for you - I'm just a sci fi geek at heart! :)
Well, it's been a while since I sat down and watched my three favourite movies - actually, I think that's what I did for my 24th birthday, so it's been a few years. My dad just moved to a new place, and wanted to buy a new tv for it, a 52-inch, so he gave us his 42-inch and the speakers and such to go with it. So in honour of this momentous occasion I've decided to treat myself to a marathon viewing of the original trilogy - hooray! Trevor rolled his eyes, but a few of my friends are joining me in my madness.
Did you know that there's a new Dark Lord of the Sith? Han and Leia's son Jacen is all grown up, and thinks that the best way to rid the galaxy of evil is to fight it on it's own playing field. A noble goal, but we all know that the dark side doesn't work like that. To vote on a name for this new Darth, check out www.darthwho.com. I voted for Darth Praxis - knowing Jacen's desire to use the dark side to bring light, and Praxis made me think of the Latin word "pax", which means peace - it seemed like a logical choice! We shall see what the other fans think...
Check this out... http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/2007/01/12/look_sir_droids.html
If there's a normal, unpretentious home theater projector out there in the universe, this is the projector it's farthest from. Star Wars fans will be knocking each other over to get to Nikko's R2-D2 DVD projector, which shoots video out of its eye onto a separate screen (it would have been perfect if it used the hologram-projector port, though). The resolution is only 800 x 600 pixels (south of high-def), but speakers are built in, and so is a DVD player as well as an iPod dock. And it wouldn't be R2 if he didn't move — you can make him follow you anywhere.
Say, have we mentioned the remote control? A replica of the Millenium Falcon — it's a riot in its own right. The controls pop out of the engines… too sweet. For that extra Jedi atmosphere, be sure to pick up a Darth Vader popcorn machine.
http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/2006/02/02/snacking_turns.htm
The R2-D2 projector is due in stores as early as the spring for a little more than 2 Gs.
— Peter Pachal
So much fun! And there's a new book out by Timothy Zahn, who wrote the first Star Wars novels ever, and it's set early in the days of the Rebellion - with the universe expanding so fast due to the prequels and the New Jedi Order series about Han and Leia's and Luke and Mara's kids, it's nice to get back to the original characters. I'm really looking forward to reading it.
By the way, I'm in the market for a lightsaber - for someone reason that's not something that people seem to think about when they think about what to get me for Christmas, but I'd love to have one to add to my two shelves of books and other bits of random Star Wars paraphernalia.
So there's a look inside my Star Wars fetish for you - I'm just a sci fi geek at heart! :)
Monday, January 29, 2007
Break Forth 2007
Check out my pictures! Trevor took all the ones of Casting Crowns, Bob and AJ and Starfield, and I took the rest. I had some fun with the old buildings around Edmonton, but it was so cold out I had to stop cause my fingers were getting too cold to push the buttons! It was COOOOLD there, and there was shin-deep snow in the neighbourhood where we were staying - big switch from the 13 degree weather in Calgary when we left on Thursday!
http://picasaweb.google.com/michelleheumann/BreakForth2007
So much to tell, and not nearly enough time - it was a LOT of work, and I doubt that I'd do the volunteer thing again, but I did get to go to some really great sessions and hear some good music, so it was a good weekend overall. I'm exhausted now though!
I was helping my Dad pack to move last night, and he's given us his 42-inch TV, cause he's getting a 52-inch for his new place. It's very big and I may have to rearrange the whole living room now though... :)
http://picasaweb.google.com/michelleheumann/BreakForth2007
So much to tell, and not nearly enough time - it was a LOT of work, and I doubt that I'd do the volunteer thing again, but I did get to go to some really great sessions and hear some good music, so it was a good weekend overall. I'm exhausted now though!
I was helping my Dad pack to move last night, and he's given us his 42-inch TV, cause he's getting a 52-inch for his new place. It's very big and I may have to rearrange the whole living room now though... :)
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Drumroll, Please!
My Legal Assistant Certificate came in the mail this week - hooray! After about 2.5 years of night classes, I am VERY glad to be done! I finished with at 3.5 GPA, which was not as impressive as I'd been hoping for, but certianly respectable. I also had my one-year review at work last week, which was short and sweet. They like me, my only real complaint is something the office manager is working on already, and I got a raise! So that's all good. Except...tomorrow's Monday, and I'm not ready for the weekend to be over yet!
At least it will be a short week - we're leaving Thursday afternoon for Break Forth, and I am SOOOOOO excited. I love going to Break Forth, and Casting Crowns being there makes it that much more exciting. Plus I'll get to see my friend Sarah who I don't get to hang out with very often, so that's also exciting. Oh, and did I mention the road trip with Scott and Trevor? That will be entertaining as always! :)
Hopefully I will take tons of pictures with my exciting new camera, and I'll update y'all when I get back! If you get a chance, prayer for good driving conditions would be much appreciated!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Stars on Ice
Stars On Ice:
Throughout his spectacular career, Brian Orser has helped define figure skating in Canada, served as an inspiration to other legends of the sport including Kurt Browning and Elvis Stojko, and thrilled Canadian fans from coast to coast. This spring, those fans will be able to celebrate with him as he tours for the final time in his career with 2007 HSBC Stars on Ice Presented by Smucker’s.
The Saddledome
Date: Monday, April 16, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.
Price: Lower Bowl: $56.40
So there's no way on earth I can convince Trevor to go with me - anyone else interested? I'm sure the tickets will be going fast, so let me know!
Throughout his spectacular career, Brian Orser has helped define figure skating in Canada, served as an inspiration to other legends of the sport including Kurt Browning and Elvis Stojko, and thrilled Canadian fans from coast to coast. This spring, those fans will be able to celebrate with him as he tours for the final time in his career with 2007 HSBC Stars on Ice Presented by Smucker’s.
The Saddledome
Date: Monday, April 16, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.
Price: Lower Bowl: $56.40
So there's no way on earth I can convince Trevor to go with me - anyone else interested? I'm sure the tickets will be going fast, so let me know!
Friday, January 12, 2007
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
New Year, New Things
It's been a while! Things have gone absolutely NUTTY at work - I can't even begin to tell you... Actually, I really can't - I am bound by lawyer/client confidentiality, but suffice it to say that Christmas is apparently a breaking point for a lot of relationships on the brink...very sad... :(
I've been meaning to write a post about the New Year and what it might have in store, so I may as well do that now, while I'm here and somewhat focused!
This was my email devo I got on December 31...
This is what the Lord says, ... "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."
- Isaiah 43:16,18-19
THOUGHT: The year is gone, finished, past. We cannot reclaim it or undo it. We cannot rest on the great distance it has brought us. If tomorrow dawns, it will be another day, a new opportunity, and the time to show our faith in Jesus as Lord. Let's journey forward, knowing that God already inhabits the future and promises to provide us refreshment on our journey there.
PRAYER: Lord of all eternity, please help me to learn from my mistakes this past year, but not to dwell on them. Please help me not rest on my accomplishments in this past year, but use them to further your work in me and through me. Please help me not quarrel with those who injured me yesterday, last month, or this past year.
Instead, O Father, lead me in your paths and help me see your mighty works this next year. In Jesus' name and by his power I ask it. Amen.
Christmas/my birthday/new years is a pretty introspective time for me - having three major occasions all on top of each other like that is a lot to think about. What have I done with the last year? What do I have to show for 26 years of life, anyway? This year wasn't such a crisis moment for me (not like turning 25 was, anyway...oh my, that was a hard one) - the feedback from the kids at Survivor in December really made me feel like I've done something with my life. I've grown and changed more this last year then I have in a very long time, and it was good. I really have a sense of peace about the things that last year brought.
But now I'm restless - what is going to happen next? I don't like just sitting around and watching TV, as entertaining as that is! I want to be doing something that will leave behind a legacy of God's love when I'm gone. What's God bringing along for me this year?
And I've just got itchy feet, plain and simple! On January 29th, I'll have lived in Calgary for eight years, which is a very long time for me. I've moved around a lot - I was born in Comox, and we left there for Greenwood NS when I was about three. We lived there for about 5 or 6 years, and then we moved to Halifax, where we lived for about 4 years. Then it was off to Victoria for about 4 years. So eight years is the longest I've lived in one place, and I'm really feeling the need for a change. Switching jobs last year helped a bit with the restlessness, but now that I've been there for almost a year, the novelty is wearing off, and I want to really change things up.
So we shall see where God takes me this year - I know what I want, and I'm really hoping it's what He wants! :) Here's to an eventful 2007 - may it be full of living life to the fullest and serving God wherever He takes me!
I've been meaning to write a post about the New Year and what it might have in store, so I may as well do that now, while I'm here and somewhat focused!
This was my email devo I got on December 31...
This is what the Lord says, ... "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."
- Isaiah 43:16,18-19
THOUGHT: The year is gone, finished, past. We cannot reclaim it or undo it. We cannot rest on the great distance it has brought us. If tomorrow dawns, it will be another day, a new opportunity, and the time to show our faith in Jesus as Lord. Let's journey forward, knowing that God already inhabits the future and promises to provide us refreshment on our journey there.
PRAYER: Lord of all eternity, please help me to learn from my mistakes this past year, but not to dwell on them. Please help me not rest on my accomplishments in this past year, but use them to further your work in me and through me. Please help me not quarrel with those who injured me yesterday, last month, or this past year.
Instead, O Father, lead me in your paths and help me see your mighty works this next year. In Jesus' name and by his power I ask it. Amen.
Christmas/my birthday/new years is a pretty introspective time for me - having three major occasions all on top of each other like that is a lot to think about. What have I done with the last year? What do I have to show for 26 years of life, anyway? This year wasn't such a crisis moment for me (not like turning 25 was, anyway...oh my, that was a hard one) - the feedback from the kids at Survivor in December really made me feel like I've done something with my life. I've grown and changed more this last year then I have in a very long time, and it was good. I really have a sense of peace about the things that last year brought.
But now I'm restless - what is going to happen next? I don't like just sitting around and watching TV, as entertaining as that is! I want to be doing something that will leave behind a legacy of God's love when I'm gone. What's God bringing along for me this year?
And I've just got itchy feet, plain and simple! On January 29th, I'll have lived in Calgary for eight years, which is a very long time for me. I've moved around a lot - I was born in Comox, and we left there for Greenwood NS when I was about three. We lived there for about 5 or 6 years, and then we moved to Halifax, where we lived for about 4 years. Then it was off to Victoria for about 4 years. So eight years is the longest I've lived in one place, and I'm really feeling the need for a change. Switching jobs last year helped a bit with the restlessness, but now that I've been there for almost a year, the novelty is wearing off, and I want to really change things up.
So we shall see where God takes me this year - I know what I want, and I'm really hoping it's what He wants! :) Here's to an eventful 2007 - may it be full of living life to the fullest and serving God wherever He takes me!
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
"Calgary's oil rush rash"
By ROB GRANATSTEIN
CALGARY -- Welcome to a city that's going boom and Kaboom! at the same time.
Everyone in Canada knows about the boom sweeping Alberta that has Calgary rolling in money. Oil is gold right now, and there's lots fuelling the economy here.
The streets are filled with shoppers dumping loads of cash on big-screen HDTVs and $60,000 pick-up trucks. If you've got it, flaunt it and they certainly are.
There are jobs for everyone. Unemployment is a tiny 3.4% and falling. Ontario's is 6.3%.
It may look perfect, but there's an underlying problem. There aren't enough people to do the day-to-day jobs necessary or enough places for the gold-rushers to live.
Let's start with the jobs. Try to find a taxi in this town. Good luck. Has your car ended up in the ditch in the snowstorm? Abandon it until summer because there aren't enough tow trucks to yank you out. The airport shuttle you're waiting for? Keep waiting. The business shut down at the end of November after its proprietor couldn't find enough people to drive the buses.
Anyone who wants to drive for a living has left town for the big money driving gargantuan gravel trucks in Fort McMurray.
Shop 'till you drop doesn't apply. There aren't enough people to man the stores. Over Christmas, malls actually reduced hours.
Beds in Calgary's hospitals are being closed due to nursing shortages.
Construction workers are in high demand. Need something fixed? Good luck.
EnCana announced plans to build a 59-storey, $1 billion office tower in the heart of the city and everyone wondered who would build it.
Traffic? It stinks. It's a city allergic to public transit, but is finding the cure must come as gridlock strangles the town.
Then there's the homeless here in Boomtown. There are about 3,500 homeless people in Calgary, up 32% in the last two years. There aren't even enough places for the employed to live in some cases. Rents have soared while vacancies plummeted. Shelters are at capacity. The city just took over an abandoned Brick furniture store to house up to 300 people a night. People are picked up downtown, shuttled to the human warehouse, then bused back downtown in the morning.
Unlike Toronto, where it seems like the homeless are on every street corner, Calgary's homeless are grouping together and becoming a menace to citizens walking on paths along the Bow River downtown. I watched this summer as a group of boozy men went after a bicyclist, then told me the path was not a safe place to walk my baby.
Calgary even had to enact a public behaviour bylaw, fining those who spit, brawl, loiter or urinate in public. How civilized.
Most disturbing is while the residents in the city and province are rocking and rolling, and provincial government coffers are overflowing, the schools are crumbling and there aren't enough rinks or community centres for the people who have arrived. And at the same time, the province handed everyone $400 in Ralph Bucks for a job well done -- that is watching the price of oil soar.
Calgary is drowning in the troubles brought on by explosive growth.
And remember, this is an economy built on one industry. It's like a unicyclist balancing an entire province's future on his shoulders.
Just one oil field being put on hold could have a devastating effect. It seems hard to fathom with $10 billion in oil sands projects on the books, but a bust has hit here before.
You might recall the last boom in Alberta, and its devastating pop. "Please God, send us another oil boom, and this time I promise not to piss it all away," the popular bumper stickers read.
Those who lived through the first boom in the '70s and bust in the '80s are playing it a little safer.
As for the gold rushers who have flocked to Alberta, could history be repeating itself or will it just be the fact no one's around to service them that will cripple Calgary this time?
If you're heading for the hills be warned: This isn't the promised land you might have expected.
www.torontosun.com
CALGARY -- Welcome to a city that's going boom and Kaboom! at the same time.
Everyone in Canada knows about the boom sweeping Alberta that has Calgary rolling in money. Oil is gold right now, and there's lots fuelling the economy here.
The streets are filled with shoppers dumping loads of cash on big-screen HDTVs and $60,000 pick-up trucks. If you've got it, flaunt it and they certainly are.
There are jobs for everyone. Unemployment is a tiny 3.4% and falling. Ontario's is 6.3%.
It may look perfect, but there's an underlying problem. There aren't enough people to do the day-to-day jobs necessary or enough places for the gold-rushers to live.
Let's start with the jobs. Try to find a taxi in this town. Good luck. Has your car ended up in the ditch in the snowstorm? Abandon it until summer because there aren't enough tow trucks to yank you out. The airport shuttle you're waiting for? Keep waiting. The business shut down at the end of November after its proprietor couldn't find enough people to drive the buses.
Anyone who wants to drive for a living has left town for the big money driving gargantuan gravel trucks in Fort McMurray.
Shop 'till you drop doesn't apply. There aren't enough people to man the stores. Over Christmas, malls actually reduced hours.
Beds in Calgary's hospitals are being closed due to nursing shortages.
Construction workers are in high demand. Need something fixed? Good luck.
EnCana announced plans to build a 59-storey, $1 billion office tower in the heart of the city and everyone wondered who would build it.
Traffic? It stinks. It's a city allergic to public transit, but is finding the cure must come as gridlock strangles the town.
Then there's the homeless here in Boomtown. There are about 3,500 homeless people in Calgary, up 32% in the last two years. There aren't even enough places for the employed to live in some cases. Rents have soared while vacancies plummeted. Shelters are at capacity. The city just took over an abandoned Brick furniture store to house up to 300 people a night. People are picked up downtown, shuttled to the human warehouse, then bused back downtown in the morning.
Unlike Toronto, where it seems like the homeless are on every street corner, Calgary's homeless are grouping together and becoming a menace to citizens walking on paths along the Bow River downtown. I watched this summer as a group of boozy men went after a bicyclist, then told me the path was not a safe place to walk my baby.
Calgary even had to enact a public behaviour bylaw, fining those who spit, brawl, loiter or urinate in public. How civilized.
Most disturbing is while the residents in the city and province are rocking and rolling, and provincial government coffers are overflowing, the schools are crumbling and there aren't enough rinks or community centres for the people who have arrived. And at the same time, the province handed everyone $400 in Ralph Bucks for a job well done -- that is watching the price of oil soar.
Calgary is drowning in the troubles brought on by explosive growth.
And remember, this is an economy built on one industry. It's like a unicyclist balancing an entire province's future on his shoulders.
Just one oil field being put on hold could have a devastating effect. It seems hard to fathom with $10 billion in oil sands projects on the books, but a bust has hit here before.
You might recall the last boom in Alberta, and its devastating pop. "Please God, send us another oil boom, and this time I promise not to piss it all away," the popular bumper stickers read.
Those who lived through the first boom in the '70s and bust in the '80s are playing it a little safer.
As for the gold rushers who have flocked to Alberta, could history be repeating itself or will it just be the fact no one's around to service them that will cripple Calgary this time?
If you're heading for the hills be warned: This isn't the promised land you might have expected.
www.torontosun.com
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Christmas Loot
I'm back at work today, and it's so quiet here - there's only three lawyers, me, the receptionist and the office manager here, out of 24. I want to go home and play with my new camera!
The camera is courtesy of my bonus and all my Christmas and birthday money combined, and I'm really excited to get out and start playing with it. It's got a lot of neat features and the picture quality is amazing, after Trevor's little 4mp Canon.
And I also got a lot of books, Super Scrabble and the Scrabble Dictionary, among other things, as well as a nice lamb dinner, church three times in two days, and some quality time with Trevor, so it was a good holiday!
And tomorrow I turn 26, and there will be some festivities on Saturday that I'm sure will be blog-worthy. :)
The camera is courtesy of my bonus and all my Christmas and birthday money combined, and I'm really excited to get out and start playing with it. It's got a lot of neat features and the picture quality is amazing, after Trevor's little 4mp Canon.
And I also got a lot of books, Super Scrabble and the Scrabble Dictionary, among other things, as well as a nice lamb dinner, church three times in two days, and some quality time with Trevor, so it was a good holiday!
And tomorrow I turn 26, and there will be some festivities on Saturday that I'm sure will be blog-worthy. :)
Friday, December 22, 2006
Break Forth
I got an email from the Break Forth volunteer coordinator today, saying that they still need about 90 volunteers, and a lot of those are needed to work shifts in the bookstore. If you're interested, you can get more info at www.new-creation.net.
Hope to see you there!:)
Hope to see you there!:)
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Baking Queen
It's United Way week here at the law firm, and today we had a silent auction of baked goods.
I made my famous peanut butter squares, and donated two plates of a dozen each, and some free samples. They decided to auction off the samples as well - there were a dozen bite-sized ones. The two plates of a dozen big ones sold for - get this - FIFTEEN DOLLARS each, and the little ones for about $8.00. I'm so proud! :)
Someone even told me that the squares are better then Crave Cupcakes, which is about the highest compliment I can think of...except for the time my chocolate chip cookies elicited a marriage proposal, but I was only 14, so I had to turn it down... ;)
Anyhow, I just had to tell you all how excited I am to have raised so much money for the United Way - it's very exciting! And if being a legal assistant doesn't work out, I could always sell peanut butter squares for a living!
I made my famous peanut butter squares, and donated two plates of a dozen each, and some free samples. They decided to auction off the samples as well - there were a dozen bite-sized ones. The two plates of a dozen big ones sold for - get this - FIFTEEN DOLLARS each, and the little ones for about $8.00. I'm so proud! :)
Someone even told me that the squares are better then Crave Cupcakes, which is about the highest compliment I can think of...except for the time my chocolate chip cookies elicited a marriage proposal, but I was only 14, so I had to turn it down... ;)
Anyhow, I just had to tell you all how excited I am to have raised so much money for the United Way - it's very exciting! And if being a legal assistant doesn't work out, I could always sell peanut butter squares for a living!
Monday, December 18, 2006
Intramural Quidditch Hits U.S. College Campuses
This is AWESOME!!!
Intramural Quidditch Hits U.S. College Campuses
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/#article:9333
Today's edition of the Wall Street Journal reports that a new fad is sweeping college campuses across the U.S. -- Intramural (earthbound) Quidditch! The article is available online to paid subscribers, and TLC is happy to provide some highlights:
In Quidditch games played at Middlebury College in Vermont, one student IS the Snitch, and attempts to outrun the other players.
"Rainey Johnson, sporting a yellow shirt, yellow socks and yellow paint smeared on his face, darted across the freshman quad. Other students, in capes, ran after him clutching brooms between their legs and grasping in vain for a tennis ball stuffed in a sock hanging out of his yellow shorts."
At Marlboro College, a toy helicopter launched from a slingshot serves as the Snitch, and must be caught before it reaches the ground. Water-soaked foam balls become Bludgers, and a volleyball is used as the Quaffle.
Middlebury's model, though (with a student Snitch, Dodgeball Bludgers and a volleyball Quaffle "aimed at gold-painted Hula Hoops mounted on chairs"), is catching on at other east coast colleges: Bucknell and Vassar students are putting Quiddtich teams together for the spring using "Middlebury rules."
Middlebury student Alexander Benepe and friends started the Quidditch craze at their school last year, and have seen it grow tremendously this fall.
"About 30 Middlebury students played pickup games almost every weekend this fall, usually two or three matches, before heading to a 'Quidditch World Cup' that drew five teams and about 60 players this month.
"'We are the first college students who grew up reading Harry Potter,' says Mr. Benepe, a sophomore from New York City. 'It's very much a book of our generation.'"
Intramural Quidditch Hits U.S. College Campuses
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/#article:9333
Today's edition of the Wall Street Journal reports that a new fad is sweeping college campuses across the U.S. -- Intramural (earthbound) Quidditch! The article is available online to paid subscribers, and TLC is happy to provide some highlights:
In Quidditch games played at Middlebury College in Vermont, one student IS the Snitch, and attempts to outrun the other players.
"Rainey Johnson, sporting a yellow shirt, yellow socks and yellow paint smeared on his face, darted across the freshman quad. Other students, in capes, ran after him clutching brooms between their legs and grasping in vain for a tennis ball stuffed in a sock hanging out of his yellow shorts."
At Marlboro College, a toy helicopter launched from a slingshot serves as the Snitch, and must be caught before it reaches the ground. Water-soaked foam balls become Bludgers, and a volleyball is used as the Quaffle.
Middlebury's model, though (with a student Snitch, Dodgeball Bludgers and a volleyball Quaffle "aimed at gold-painted Hula Hoops mounted on chairs"), is catching on at other east coast colleges: Bucknell and Vassar students are putting Quiddtich teams together for the spring using "Middlebury rules."
Middlebury student Alexander Benepe and friends started the Quidditch craze at their school last year, and have seen it grow tremendously this fall.
"About 30 Middlebury students played pickup games almost every weekend this fall, usually two or three matches, before heading to a 'Quidditch World Cup' that drew five teams and about 60 players this month.
"'We are the first college students who grew up reading Harry Potter,' says Mr. Benepe, a sophomore from New York City. 'It's very much a book of our generation.'"
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Youth Party
Yesterday we took the youth skating and then back to our place for a Christmas gift exchange - it was fun, but pretty low-key. I don't think I ever remember them being that quiet before. I guess the skating must have tired them out...you can link to my web album below. I forgot to take the camera skating, so I didn't get any pictures of Matt and Anne Marie's attempt at choreograpy, or of the Cadbury's magical elves who were there giving away chocolate.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Sunday, December 03, 2006
"I will not die but live, and proclaim what the Lord has done."
I don't even know where to start! Such an amazing weekend - God used our little retreat to do some pretty cool stuff, and I'm so honoured to have been a part of that. I took the title of this post from a Psalm - I can't remember which right now, but it was another verse that meant a lot to me back in the days when I was going through the darkest times in my life. I knew that God would use my struggles for good, eventually, and to see that all come together this weekend just blew me away. It's amazing to see the Spirit working in my life, and bringing all the crap to work out for good. I had some good feedback, and that was really encouraging to hear.
Survivor has been my baby for the last six years, and I put all I can give into getting the weekend off the ground. This year it was even more personal, because of sharing my story, and by the time the last session and prayer time was over on Saturday night, I felt like that verse in Isaiah that says "I am poured out like a drink offering" - not only did I feel like I had nothing left to give, I couldn't stop crying for more then a few minutes at a time! Then Scott, Sam, Trevor and I ended up doing a worship set for the coffee house, and it was amazing. You know those moments where everything just comes together in perfect alignment, and you can feel the hand of God putting it that way? That was one of those moments - if I could just freeze that time and live in it forever, I totally would!
That's what I hope heaven will be like and is my favourite thing about retreats - the two gatherings I've been to, Crew training, the Crew alumni retreat, Survivor every year, TEC - just worshiping with people I love, who also love to worship Jesus. That, blog-readers, is what it's all about! The new Chris Tomlin CD has this song that goes "you and I were made to worship, you and I are called to love" - for me, that's the purpose of life on this earth right there. I love all those kids who were there this weekend, and a bunch of my dearest friends were there, as well as some of my youth, and it was phenomenal. It's been such a privilege to work with the group of people we have planning Survivor - not only are we coworkers in youth ministry, we're all friends, and we all have different gifts that complement each other - God sure knew what he was doing when he put us together! :)
You can check out some pics of us using our gifts here, and stay tuned for updates as more pics come in over the next couple of weeks. http://picasaweb.google.com/michelleheumann/SurvivorVII
Survivor has been my baby for the last six years, and I put all I can give into getting the weekend off the ground. This year it was even more personal, because of sharing my story, and by the time the last session and prayer time was over on Saturday night, I felt like that verse in Isaiah that says "I am poured out like a drink offering" - not only did I feel like I had nothing left to give, I couldn't stop crying for more then a few minutes at a time! Then Scott, Sam, Trevor and I ended up doing a worship set for the coffee house, and it was amazing. You know those moments where everything just comes together in perfect alignment, and you can feel the hand of God putting it that way? That was one of those moments - if I could just freeze that time and live in it forever, I totally would!
That's what I hope heaven will be like and is my favourite thing about retreats - the two gatherings I've been to, Crew training, the Crew alumni retreat, Survivor every year, TEC - just worshiping with people I love, who also love to worship Jesus. That, blog-readers, is what it's all about! The new Chris Tomlin CD has this song that goes "you and I were made to worship, you and I are called to love" - for me, that's the purpose of life on this earth right there. I love all those kids who were there this weekend, and a bunch of my dearest friends were there, as well as some of my youth, and it was phenomenal. It's been such a privilege to work with the group of people we have planning Survivor - not only are we coworkers in youth ministry, we're all friends, and we all have different gifts that complement each other - God sure knew what he was doing when he put us together! :)
You can check out some pics of us using our gifts here, and stay tuned for updates as more pics come in over the next couple of weeks. http://picasaweb.google.com/michelleheumann/SurvivorVII
Monday, November 27, 2006
Typo
There was the most awesome typo in the bulletin yesterday - they've made gluten-free wafers available at communion now, but the bulletin said that now glutton-free wafers are available! Haha!
In four and half days, we're heading into Ultimate Survivors VII! I'm excited - it's going to be great! We had our "dress rehearsal" yesterday, and Prince of Peace is really a great facility for this kind of thing. There's a group coming all the way from the Okanagan, so hopefully the roads improve - I would not want to drive through the mountains, with a van load of youth, with the roads the way they are right now!
We took our youth to Operation Christmas Child on Saturday - every year we go to the warehouse and help prepare the shoeboxes for shipping - it's great fun, and this year PAUL BRANDT was there! He's the celebrity spokesperson for OCC, and he was there playing some Christmas music - just him and his guitar. It was very exciting for me... ;)
Life continues to be interesting - a few things have happened in the last week that have really hit close to home, and kind of re-awoken my passion to do something to help victims of abuse. I still don't know what, but I'm keeping an eye out to see what God brings along. It just makes me soooo cross that there's people out there putting up with crap that is totally inhumane because they're ashamed and/or they don't think anyone will believe their story. I guess I've started to do something, with sharing my testimony for Survivor this weekend, but I want to do more! So it will be interesting to see where God is planning to take me on this part of my journey.
Stay tuned for crazy pics from Survivor - coming soon!
In four and half days, we're heading into Ultimate Survivors VII! I'm excited - it's going to be great! We had our "dress rehearsal" yesterday, and Prince of Peace is really a great facility for this kind of thing. There's a group coming all the way from the Okanagan, so hopefully the roads improve - I would not want to drive through the mountains, with a van load of youth, with the roads the way they are right now!
We took our youth to Operation Christmas Child on Saturday - every year we go to the warehouse and help prepare the shoeboxes for shipping - it's great fun, and this year PAUL BRANDT was there! He's the celebrity spokesperson for OCC, and he was there playing some Christmas music - just him and his guitar. It was very exciting for me... ;)
Life continues to be interesting - a few things have happened in the last week that have really hit close to home, and kind of re-awoken my passion to do something to help victims of abuse. I still don't know what, but I'm keeping an eye out to see what God brings along. It just makes me soooo cross that there's people out there putting up with crap that is totally inhumane because they're ashamed and/or they don't think anyone will believe their story. I guess I've started to do something, with sharing my testimony for Survivor this weekend, but I want to do more! So it will be interesting to see where God is planning to take me on this part of my journey.
Stay tuned for crazy pics from Survivor - coming soon!
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