The Frog Blog

Helloooo Mountain Winter

2012-01-18T17:48:00.002-07:00

Cold? Pffft this isn't cold! That is a typical prairie dwellers response to the cold. Really we are out to prove just how tough we are and just how much we can take. This is an understandable attitude in some ways as it comes from a region of the country that gets down to the -30's, 40's and one memorable year into the -50's. We bake in the summer and freeze in the winter and are proud to do it. However, you need to respect the cold too as it is very dangerous and so despite our cavalier attitudes prairie people also have excellent winter gear.

Here in Fernie, historically, they have had milder winters (not by much) than what I'm used to but a TON more snow. Well, this year, as with many other locations we have experienced unusually high temperatures and more rain than snow. Well, on Saturday that started to change. The snow arrived, brought the cold with it and no one can dispute their right to do so. It has been quite the experience for me. In some ways a fascinating one as I watch it fall continuously and in others a nerve wracking one as I drive in some sketchy conditions.

I may be used to the cold and know how to deal with it but the cold and the snow? That's new and exciting in many ways. I have discovered yet another beautiful side to Fernie and it just may convince me to head on up to the ski hill....well maybe ;).

In the mean time here's a hello to the mountain winter with no expectation of good bye anytime soon.

Calgary Downtown

2012-01-07T21:34:00.002-07:00

My home is now in Fernie, BC. However, I was born and raised in Calgary though so I will always have some ties to the city. There are many friends and family here for me and I enjoy getting together with them and so in some ways Calgary is also my home....in some ways.

On this particular jaunt to Calgary I ended up wandering around downtown with my cousin who is a bit of a photographer. I also took my camera as I am not even close to being a photographer but I enjoy taking pictures nonetheless. On top of that was the location. I have spent many hours that evolved into years downtown and love it there. I like the buildings, statuary, and of course the memories I have there. Calgary has a very distinct skyline and downtown is a big part of that.
It was a great afternoon and I enjoyed some time with my cousin (as always). So, a few pictures of home before I head back home :).

2012 Goals

2012-01-02T18:30:00.004-07:00

So, I'm not against New Years resolutions and in some ways would encourage them. Of course I also figure that you don't need the New Year to improve yourself or your life, but it is a convenient time of year to set some goals. So, I have latched onto this time of convenience to set a few goals for myself.

1 - Read my new book which is a collection of many books - The Collected Classics of C.S. Lewis

2 - Get healthier - not necessarily lose weight or go on a diet or anything but just get healthier in some way or another...hopefully many ways.
With this goal it's not that I won't do those things but I might do others
like exercise and things like that...just in general be healthier.

3 - Arrange my courses to continue my education - who knew that I could like school (well some of it :D ).

These three are pretty much my goals for the year. I didn't want anything too big or crazy but just a few goals to keep me moving forward and make sure I am always trying to do better.

All through

2011-12-27T22:09:00.002-07:00

Well, Christmas is over and it's hard to believe. I invented a new saying (invented used very loosely here). More often then not we say that we don't know where the time went...well I learned this Christmas that I know exactly where it went because I could watch every second flying by me faster than I could keep up.

For me, well, what I loved was getting to meet all these people. I mean yes, I'm an introvert and love being alone, but there is no greater way to meet people in your town than to be all over it doing your Christmas stuff and that just gets fun. I got to see the holiday train for the first time and that was cold, but really exciting too. We had a lot of fun and many people from Fernie came out into the cold bringing non-perishable food items for our food drive. The train looked amazing and the music was great.

I learned a lot through the season and I figure now I'll debrief so we can avoid making the same mistakes next year and make way for new mistakes :).

I'm really looking forward to going to Calgary for a few days on Saturday and chillin' out with friends and family over New Years.

So here I am - all the way through.

Christmas Movies

2011-12-14T21:45:00.002-07:00

Okay, there are some Christmas movies and shows that a lot of people would list off - How the Grinch Stole Christmas, White Christmas, Miracle of 34th Street, A Charlie Brown Christmas and many, many others. I think there are a lot of people who have specific movies/shows/specials that they watch at Christmas. I know I do for sure!

My Christmas movies are - both versions of The Grinch, the Santa Clause movies, Elf, White Christmas and...The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Chronicles of Narnia movies :). I know those last two sets may seem a little odd, but as I am odd I just roll with it. See the Lord of the Rings trilogy all came out at Christmas over three years and my dad and I went to see all three together so they have come to be associated with Christmas for me. Now the Chronicles of Narnia - I have no idea when they came out but for me they also mean Christmas - especially the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. In that movie they have a couple of brief mentions that while the White Witch is ruling Narnia it is always winter and never Christmas. If you read the books those mentions happen much more frequently and so I think of them at Christmas.

I also enjoy A Charlie Brown Christmas special and all those old, corny Christmas TV specials that come on. I like the Christmas episodes of TV shows that I watch and LOVE that this year's Glee Christmas episode had both kettles and the Bible in it. Yup...it may be a busy time but the joy of Christmas is still there....even in the fun times of movies and TV specials.

So, you know what's coming, what are your favourite Christmas movies?

Christmas Activities

2011-12-10T21:13:00.004-07:00

I was reminded today (in a great way) just how small this world really is, and not because of technology or anything like that but simply a random occurrence. We had a great afternoon the other day in town as the Baptist church had organized a group of very talented musicians to come out and play some Christmas music. While it was pretty cold for those of us not moving around, and I'm sure even more so for the band, it was great to come along and hear praises for the birth of our Saviour.

Then today was the arrival of the holiday train from CP Rail. Again, I was pretty cold - even in my boots, gloves and toque with a warm jacket - well the uniform just isn't that toasty. Unfortunately my camera battery died but that's okay. This is a wonderful program where people are made aware of the food banks in their community and can support them in the Christmas season. I can't say it enough but here in Fernie we are very blessed to have a supportive and generous community so we got a big load of food in our van for the food bank. Then we had many hands afterwards to help us unload quickly.

Now to finish sorting the food and getting everything ready!

Kettles

2011-11-30T20:56:00.002-07:00

I'm pretty sure I post about this regularly, but hey, it's always a good topic.

I can also reassure people that for me nothing says Christmas quite like kettles. I always enjoy my time standing on kettles as I watch people go by. Also, I find that no matter where I'm on kettles I will always run into someone I know and that gives a lovely opportunity for a chat. Now, I know almost everyone says this, but my favourite donors are the little children and the teenagers. In all of this though, I LIVE for the stories people tell me. Stories of how we may have helped them in the past, or their volunteer experiences and so on. Today was a great one - a young boy donated the money he had just received from the tooth fairy - how great is that.

You also have some great conversations on kettles...maybe you're in a store and someone is shopping for a party they are going to have, or, if you're me these days, you're that person everyone is wanting to meet and they come over to introduce themselves. It's a wonderful way to find the pulse of the town and get to know people.

Kettle time is also good thinking time and today I was thinking about all the wonderful people I met on my two winter assignments and how valuable those experiences were for me then and even more so now. I also had a good chuckle remembering some kettle experiences of mine....like the time I wondered why the mall was on an angle, only to realize I was so tired by the end of the term I had started to lean to the side and was in danger of falling over.

What a great time and what a great way to volunteer - have you thought of volunteering?

The Season of Advent

2011-11-24T17:48:00.002-07:00

As hard as it is for me to believe, this week is the first Sunday of Advent. These four weeks we take some time to look at the coming of Jesus. To look at the events leading up to his birth and anticipate all the things that came to us because of his arrival here on earth. No matter how long it's been, how far away it may seem chronologically, I am always struck by the fact that he arrived helpless in a stable to start the journey of life that would lead to death on a cross. The love that this represents is staggering and something that I may never be able to fully comprehend while I'm here on earth. That love is for you and I every single day and while we take a few short weeks to focus on it leading up to Christmas we should remember it always.

My goal this year (other than to survive Christmas) is to take some time to focus on the Advent - not just the actual arrival, but on the anticipation of the arrival. To focus on the fact that he is coming and to remember what that arrival would mean. I don't want to rush through the next four weeks spiritually, but rather try to savour what Christmas means and what these weeks promise.

Remembrance Day & Family Visit

2011-11-13T16:01:00.002-07:00

This past Friday we took time to remember those who have fallen in battle for us - both those who died many years ago and those who continue to serve and fall today. I am very fortunate in this appointment to be the Legion Padre for Fernie and as such was able to participate in many of the Remembrance Day services. It was great to be able to listen to the children's voices from a local school choir, to hear the singing of the national anthems and to look around and see a town that came out to support and remember. My day and my involvement was definitely a unique privilege.

Also on Friday my dad and his wife arrived for the weekend and it was a great time. I am loving being close enough to family that I can visit them and they can visit me. I also love having family who will play the piano and read scripture during the service :). We spent some time driving around Fernie and checking out some of the scenic locations. I'm starting to get better with knowing my way around to those very locations. It's great to be able to really know this town as my home....or at least getting there.

Dad also figured out my fireplace and they put together some furniture for me so I guess I'll have to let them come back sometime. Also, for all of his protests my father seems pretty fond of my little cat. She, however, was not so fond of him unless I was nearby or there were treats involved.

All in all a great weekend - even with my cold acting up.

Are you prepared?

2011-11-01T22:04:00.002-06:00

I've been thinking a lot since I read a blog post from a blog I frequent about our willingness to take on challenges. Reformation day was October 31 and it's a big day in Christian Church History. Martin Luther was willing in a big way to take on what had been the church for a very long time - he was willing to stand up for what he believed in. Now it took a long time to see the fruits of those labours and in some ways we are probably still waiting because the church is ever imperfect as we are imperfect. However, he knew he had to take the step because it was what he believed, and was utterly convicted was the right step.

The thing is though the rest of the church had to deal with that conflict and over the years that hasn't always been shown in a loving and good manner, although sometimes it was. However, it's a typical reaction - we do not always do well when people confront our beliefs and values. I think though that a little conflict is not always a bad thing.

For me at least, conflict pushes me to examine why it is I'm stuck on my beliefs. It makes me think and grow more in the knowledge of both sides. Most of the time, well for the really important things, I come down on the same side I always did, but at least then I know why. So if you're interested in knowledge then conflict is probably coming your way - are you prepared?

Martin Luther nailed a thesis into a door, wrote letters, books, and other documents and made good arguments because he knew what he was fighting, I hope I can defend my faith just as well and that I can do it better and better as I grow in my knowledge. I wish to be prepared to face it.

Sherlock

2011-10-24T19:06:00.003-06:00

When I was much younger (can't remember when) I got hooked on Sherlock Holmes mysteries. To this day I cannot tell you why they interest me, but I still love reading them. I have an old paperback collection of some of the more popular stories and then I have a big hardback book that has the entire collection of Sherlock Holmes mysteries. My paperback novel is my travel version. I haul out the hardback at home only.

As I enjoy the book versions I have checked out a few TV versions and of course the latest movie as well. They aren't bad but with the help of my cousins I found an absolutely brilliant adaptation (in my personal opinion) in the form of the new series Sherlock. It is a modernized version of Sherlock Holmes based on the novels. The main characters and principal quirks are the same but done with a modern twist. So for example Dr. John Watson blogs instead of writes down the stories.

The characters are similar to the original characters...Watson is a bit more active and involved, Sherlock is more openly rude to the police, but for the most part they are very similar. Also, quite frankly Watson is a little less agreeable and I think that's more realistic for a roommate that would have been as annoying as Sherlock Holmes.

The mysteries themselves are not the same as in the books, but if you know the stories well enough you can see the pieces they have extracted from the various mysteries written by Arthur Conan Doyle.

This is a great series and I highly recommend it. If you have watched it I would also enjoy a discussion as to what and how they've adapted it to our day :-).

Unique Skill

2011-10-20T17:30:00.003-06:00

Have you ever had one of those get to know you deals where you have to say something unique about yourself? or tell people something they wouldn't know about you etc...? I've played a number of those in my lifetime and they are invariably funny while at the same time being painful as you struggle to think of something funny, unique, interesting and so forth. It was in one of these situations where I was enlightened to the fact that I am missing a joint in my thumb - I didn't even know you were supposed to have a second one. I'm still recovering from that particular instance :-).

Now that's not a skill, which you may be wondering about as that's the title of my blog, but that's what I'm wondering. Here's today's get to know you question -what is your unique skill? or at least uncommon. Mine isn't unique but it is a little uncommon...I can type one thing and say another without typing what I'm saying.

So come on...spill...what's your unique skill?

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-10-10T13:40:00.003-06:00

What a great weekend! I had some friends in from Calgary and it was really great to be able to spend some time with them and to have some company around on this weekend. They arrived Saturday afternoon and he immediately got to work helping me around the house. It is really nice to be able to sit on the couch and see some of my pictures hung along with the clock ticking away on the wall and to know that the last few things I needed removed have been.

My cat did not take well to their dog or vice versa, but she has forgiven me and is curled up on the couch with me.

After Saturday of course comes Sunday and we had a beautiful time of worship on Sunday morning. It was nice to have a baby in with us as they seem to bring life wherever they go. On Sunday we also had a time of sharing as we answered the question - what are you thankful for. Well, one of the many things I am thankful for is to be able to hear from others the joys of their lives and the reasons they have to offer up thanksgiving to God. Then...then it was time for a bountiful Thanksgiving dinner and I am ever reminded of how blessed I am to have more than enough food on the table and friends to share it with.

Sunday night it was out for a bit of a drive as we saw some of the gorgeous sights here in Fernie - Mountain views, the new Miner's walk and just generally enjoyed ourselves. Also, I finally got my picture taken at the Welcome to Fernie sign...or Fernie Welcome in this case.

This morning was a chance to sit back and enjoy each others company for a few more hours before they headed home. I am so thankful that I was able to enjoy this weekend and spend some time with my friends, and now I am thankful for the opportunity to relax for a few more hours and enjoy some quiet time today.

Rules for Sleeping With the Cat

2011-09-27T08:21:00.002-06:00

Well, I couldn't sleep last night and as I was tossing and turning I greatly upset my cat and that's what inspired this little post.

1 - the bed is not your bed it is the cat's bed and they allow you to sleep in it.....sometimes

2 - if you are allowed to sleep in the bed the cat is allowed to pick their preferred location first...this may be in a place that is not convenient for you...too bad

3 - if you try to move the cat to a more convenient location be warned...nuff said

4 - your job is to lie as still as possible so as not to disturb the cat, if you cannot, see above rule 3

5 - when you wake up and the cat is not ready to wake up it is your job to get out of bed without disturbing the cat. This is only common courtesy as it is the cat's bed.

I'm obviously feeling a little whimsical due to a lack of sleep, but that's my giggle for the morning. My cat is actually not bad all around but she is still, after all, a cat

I can do all things

2011-09-19T19:01:00.004-06:00

Psalm 121 starts with a question "I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from?" The question is answered in the next verse which states that my help comes from the Lord. Now I know that my help does not come from the hills but I look to the hills and that reminds me that my help comes from the creator of those hills. Those mountains that have stood for untold generations - the creator of those mountains is my strength and my shield. This of course always leads me to "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". That's not quite the NIV translation but it is what sticks in my head.

This verse came to my mind a lot this weekend - even for something small. I think most people don't want to be sick, many especially don't want to be sick on a weekend. However, as a single officer who has to be there on Sunday mornings this was a special fear of mine. So, when on Saturday I could barely move without being sick I was concerned. I was fortunate to be able to rest up so Sunday I could at least get up and get to the church. Then through the service I felt just fine. Afterwards was a different story, but what was important was being able to enjoy some wonderful worship with my church family and a time of fellowship. I can after all get better later....and I did

This was one of those tangible moments, but as that verse is with me always I know I'll remember it in the intangible moments too. Because God can do amazing things and I stand amazed every single time and look forward to that continuing here.

Working in a Small Office

2011-09-04T21:46:00.001-06:00

Since moving to Fernie I have come into a nice, small office. Now, there are definitely some downsides to working in a small office. If you're claustrophobic it would be a challenge, it's hard to meet with more than one person at a time, and if you're at all like me you could be forever bumping into things. Also, lots and lots of people would look at my office and say that there wasn't any room to get anything done in there. BUT, I say it isn't so. What a small office gives you is a need to be properly organized and efficient, thereby getting a lot done.

You may be thinking of my bumping into things and how I can deal with that? Truthfully I bump into things even in a larger space so that's not really a qualification for me :).

A small office also dictates some creativity and planning. There are pieces of furniture and resources that are useful to have in offices but arranging them to fit the space means thinking, measuring and seeing an image in your head of how you want the office to work for your needs. So when I arrived I thought through a few different ideas, tried out what was there and eventually re-jigged the office a bit to work better for me. This will be different for every person.

Another thing that's important is keeping your paper and supplies under control. My dad writes Ian's Messy Desk and lately he's had a series of One Minute Monday tips - short little articles of ways to keep organized and cut down on excess in your office. The one that caught my eye particularly was Clear Desk Clutter although the others are useful as well. Keeping your desk clear is good no matter how big your office is but in a small area it is imperative. When you have nowhere else to put anything a clear, organized desk is imperative to getting any work done at all.

All in all, working in a small office has been very helpful to me, and this occurred to me on Saturday as I was organizing my paper work and getting things ready for this week. A small office is helping me keep on top of all sorts of projects, correspondence and definitely helping me keep on top of having excess paperwork and stuff around. When you have no space you get to be good at clearing out what you don't need.

Another good idea is to go as paperless as you can. I got some experience in working a paperless model and I still try to maintain a similar model myself. It's not entirely possible but if I keep as much as I can paperless it works better for keeping my space free for other things.

Anyway, there's what I have for today - small offices do not equal bad :).

The Long and Winding Road

2011-08-25T20:22:00.004-06:00

I drove out to Osoyoos today and let me tell ya when the brass band arrangement of The Long and Winding Road came on through my shuffle all I could think was - how appropriate. I spent several hours today winding up and then back down in the Rocky Mountains. It was beautiful and certainly not a boring ride. I'm enjoying the opportunity to see even more of southern BC than I have before.

I pretty much just wanted to mention the good timing of a song today and that's it :).

Songs in the Head

2011-08-19T08:23:00.003-06:00

Anyone else have songs in their head all the time? I feel like I'm constantly walking around with some tune or another stuck in my head. Most of the time if I know the words of the full arrangement it's okay. It only drives me nuts if I only know say the first line. However, the songs that have been bouncing around in there...(pause for obvious joke)...the past few days are songs that I am quite familiar with and actually seem to work nicely together in theme.

One of them is Showers of Blessing as played in the band arrangement Las Lluvias Grandes. This is a very fun arrangement of the tune to listen to and a favourite of mine. The words that most come into my head are "There shall be showers of blessing, This is the promise of love".

The other song is by Mandisa and it's called Broken Hallelujah. The song is sung from the perspective of someone who is in pain, even shattered yet brings the message that even if it's a broken hallelujah, praise will still rise to the Lord. The second verse is about how the Lord has given so much more than the singer (or listener in my case) deserves.

That is where the linking point comes in for me on these two songs. They both remind me just how much God has given me, of just how faithful God has been to me and as Mandisa sings "if all that I can sing is a broken hallelujah, if my only offering is shattered praise, still a song of adoration will rise up from these ruins..." It's not about a perfect sound, or being in a perfect place in our lives...We simply should praise God who has given us so much, who has blessed us and who will always be with us.

Where it's at

2011-08-14T17:01:00.004-06:00

As usual I find myself wondering what to blog about :). Maybe I need a monthly planner or something...or weekly if I do want to blog more often.

I could always go on and on about the scenery here. You really could not land in a more beautiful spot. Granted there are many places around the world that are equally as beautiful in different ways but for me the mountains do it all. The mountains for me have always provided a sense of strength and peace. These come from a few realizations. One, that the creator of those glorious, majestic mountains is my creator and is looking out for me. Two, that something that has lasted so long is still standing secure. These both come into my mind frequently and so I give thanks that I am living surrounded by these amazing mountains.

Then there's the new glasses - love the frames but very different for me to look out. They sit a lot higher on my nose than my old ones and so when I try to look down I keep forgetting to move my whole head and all of a sudden find myself unable to see :). It's almost like I'm getting used to bifocals or something. I also really notice the thickness of my prescription in these because the frames are very thin. Someone mentioned saving for laser eye surgery and I think it might be time to consider that. Although I do love these glasses....maybe funky reading glasses.

Then there's the topic of having my adorable if lead filled cat back. I honestly don't understand how a cat that small makes more noise than I do. I was coming home one day and as I stood outside the door I could hear her thumping down the steps to the entry way. She is some good company though. I enjoy having her around to play with, tease and curl up with to read my books. I've had her since she was 6 weeks old and she'll be turning 12 in November. I may get teased, but I did miss her over my two year period in college and I love having her back. Some may think she's evil (I can actually think of 6 people who may think that), but she's my baby.

Well, there we go a mismatched, non-thematic blog but it's a bit about what's going on right now. Some of these topics I've discussed before in one way or another, but hey, life is occasionally repetitive for me :).

Sermon Series

2011-08-04T21:11:00.002-06:00

So here I am in my first appointment and I'm slowly getting the hang of things here and getting used to living in Fernie (and trying to figure out what this community choir's all about and if I can join). One of the things to get used to and adjust for my schedule is this preaching thing. I am privileged to bring a sermon forward every week and I pray constantly that my words be what God wants me to say.

A challenge with sermons can be what to preach on and in my summer assignment last year I enjoyed the preaching calendar and this year I'm trying out the legendary "sermon series". This is a series of sermons with a connecting theme - book of the Bible, focus, etc...My first crack at this is an idea I had last year and that's Golden Boys of the Bible. I wanted something that wouldn't be difficult to follow if you missed a week as people are away frequently in the summer, but something that still fits the theme concept.

The Golden Boys of the Bible looks at those heroes of the faith such as Abraham, Jacob, Joseph and David. These are only a few of the heroes of course but these are the ones I'm looking at. The overarching theme of this is that God is faithful to people - to people who screw up, who don't always do what their told and sometimes flat out do wrong stuff, but God is always faithful. It's a lot of fun as a series actually and I'm really enjoying a chance to look through these amazing stories and to be reminded just how much God does (have I mentioned I love the Old Testament).

Anyway this is one of many series I have cooking. I also have Sermon on the Mount, why we celebrate (pentecost, the sacrifice etc...), Old Testament Law (not all of them), books of the Bible and others. Now these won't go from series to series to series or anything but they are those series I pray about to hopefully see when is the right time to preach them. My questions is this - what are your views on series and what series do you think of?

Something new about trains

2011-07-22T21:49:00.002-06:00

You know, I lived in Winnipeg for the past two years and spent a considerable amount of time watching trains, waiting for them to clear (especially with one particular sessionmate...you know who you are lol) and looking for ways to avoid them. However, it wasn't until I moved here to Fernie that I realized how often a train blows their horn. I just didn't hear it that much in Winnipeg, or maybe it didn't blow that much in Winnipeg.

In Fernie it's a different matter though and I hear it many times throughout the day. It hasn't really bothered me although I already know to watch my timing in church so I am prepared to pause when it passes through. I learned, when querying why it blows here, that the train conductor's blow the horn/whistle as a warning and safety precaution to try to prevent collisions with vehicles, people etc...

Admittedly it's very possible that it'll drive me nuts from time to time as I spend more days listening to it but on the whole I think it's a great sound, and even though it's not distinctive to the mountains it does strike me as fitting for this mountain community. As is the picture it creates winding down the tracks here.

What a breathtaking community - including the train whistle.

Journey & Arrival

2011-07-15T21:51:00.002-06:00

Well, I've arrived safe and sound in Fernie after a wonderful drive through Manitoba and Alberta as well as touching into B.C. where I am now located. It was a great experience and a nice opportunity for me to simply chill out and enjoy our beautiful country. Romans 3 sticks with me a lot as I think of Paul writing that God is obvious to us because of what we see every single day. I know that for me personally I was so staggered by the creation that is here and knowing that it represents only a small portion of the beauty around the world. I thank God for the beauty that I was able to experience on my drive and for the beauty that surrounds me here in the rocky mountains so that I am always able to be reminded of His presence.

It's been almost a week since I have arrived in Fernie and how the time has flown. It's been a time of getting to know each other and the corps and I am still very excited about my first appointment. It's busy of course but that is to be expected and I like being on the go. The weather here is amazing even as I sit here and listen to the rain pattering outside.

My installation service was last week and was a lot of fun and very lively. It has been a couple of weeks of firsts and I know I have even more ahead of me. One thing that isn't a first is knowing that God is and will be there every step of the way.

Commissioning Weekend

2011-06-26T19:12:00.002-06:00

Well, the weekend is over and I am still stunned that this was my commissioning weekend. There are too many thoughts and emotions surrounding this weekend for me to articulate clearly but suffice it to say it was an excellent one.

Every time I see myself in red trim (for officer's) I am surprised and wonder what's going on ;). It doesn't seem quite real yet and probably won't for awhile. This weekend was beautifully put together and a delight to participate in.

I was and am very blessed by those family and friends who were there to support me as well as the family and friends of my session mates who came for them as well. It is very moving to see that visible sign of support and know that it is a mere representation of all those who could not attend.

I am now off for some vacation before starting my appointment and am very excited to see a whole bunch of people. For those here this weekend who I didn't get to see - I'm sorry to have missed you and thanks for coming. For those who took pictures I hope I can see them as I didn't get a chance to take many :).

So to conclude this out for today....WHAT A WEEKEND!

Last Days

2011-05-24T06:54:00.005-06:00

So, I keep meaning to blog and then I never get around to it and well here it is and it's been ages since I blogged.

It is down to the last little while here at CFOT. We have finished our assignments, seminars and formal training sessions and are down to commissioning rehearsals (very important), doctrine rehearsals (We Believe) and of course the unending packing. The good bye's have even started and that's just crazy. I had my last Sunday at the corps I've been at this year and it was very sad to say good bye to the people who have helped me and guided me along my second year.

At this point there are only 15 or 16 days until we leave for Toronto to begin what will be an amazing weekend I'm sure, but admittedly all I can see is the endless row of boxes :). I am apparently not a motivated packer which could present some problems in future years. However, I will get it all done, inventoried and ready to ship in time. I believe!

Packing Demonstration Leads Down Memory Lane

2011-05-09T19:25:00.004-06:00

Who knew that a packing demonstration would get me as excited as it did? Now, it's not really the packing demonstration of course but what it represents. That the classes are done, things are slowly wrapping up and commissioning is right around the corner. I've been doing a lot of reminiscing lately and even during this demonstration I found myself thinking about the past two years and how I came to the point that I am packing.

It has been the most amazing almost two years. Since I arrived here in September of 2009 I have been privileged to participate in ministry all across this country and even outside of it. I've been looking through all my pictures lately and enjoying all the good times that I see in them and laughing over some of the funny stories that I remember surrounding them. I'm actually going to try and scrapbook my two years here as best I can to try and capture some of those amazing experiences.

I'm taking a brief break now from packing away all my things again for the move to Fernie and wondering what new memories I'll form there. Maybe I'll make scrapbooking a hobby and make a big collection for all my appointments...we'll see. In the mean time I better be good and get back to those boxes.

Well, for some reason this post disappeared off my blog so here it is again...not sure what happened there.

Wow

2011-04-30T08:59:00.002-06:00

Was yesterday an exciting day or what? Okay maybe not for everyone but here at the college it was definitely a crazy day. I will admit to a sleepless night the night before this first appointment and to some nerves but, even more, a great deal of excitement. I wonder how it will be in later years as I get into the cycle of moves although I'm sure there will always be some of that no matter how many moves I have. This year though was the first and in some ways I am still in shock to see my name on that move list.

I have been so blessed in my time here at CFOT and will miss many things when I'm gone - even the simple idea of coming back and seeing everyone over the summer will be a noticeable change for me. It is hard to believe it's only been two years while at the same time a challenge to think it's been almost two whole years :-). I know God will continue to work in me and that my time at training college is coming to an end but not my time in training and I am very okay with that.

Here comes the big road ahead! Keep watch!

Excitement

2011-04-19T20:04:00.003-06:00

Well you can certainly feel the excitement building around the college right now. The regular semester is done and all that are left are intensives (maybe not all...but not a full semester at least). BUT, even before all of that there comes a momentous day where Summer Assignments and First Appointments are announced. There is a lot of anticipation around the college as we all think about where we may be going and what is in store for our futures.

However, even before all of those exciting things are revealed we are first heading out on easter brigading - myself I'm going to Flin Flon, and of course we have all sorts of things planned for that weekend and what is in store for us there.

Even still (hard to believe) there is one more countdown that flows around all of this and that is these last few days before Easter as we walk the road to Jerusalem and the unbelievable act of faith and grace made by Jesus Christ in his death on the cross. We're very fortunate here to be able to attend chapel every day and spend time in reflection on that gift of salvation. I hope that others are also taking some time during this week to reflect on the idea that "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." and not only for those that loved him but for all who he loved.

Even in the excitement I have ahead of me I feel so privileged to have received this great gift.

Cuba

2011-04-09T16:19:00.004-06:00

I stepped off the airplane to an immediate wave of heat and humidity on April 1, 2011. It was hard to believe that I was really in Cuba about to try something completely different. It was an amazing week and I won't say much about it here as I'm doing other write ups and need the material :-). However, I will say I had a great time, met wonderful people and was sorry that I was only there for a week while still being incredibly grateful that I got to go for a week. Here are a few shots from down there.

Songs and Music

2011-03-28T16:32:00.004-06:00

I am a big music lover and can frequently be heard singing any random song that pops into my head. I enjoy everything from jazz to swing to rock to country to show tunes etc...I also, as many would expect, enjoy church hymns, praise and worship choruses and other various forms of what's called Christian music. Since I've been at training college there has been some attention paid to the theology of the words that we're singing, and so I've been really trying to listen and read what I'm singing.

A song that's really mattered to me because of that this year has been He Giveth More Grace. There are many great lines in that song but this year it's been "when we reach the end of our hoarded resources, our Father's full giving has only begun" that has continually circled around in my head. There are a few things that strike me about that particular line as I read it. One, it's absolutely true - we have limits on ourselves that God just doesn't have. He can and will give to us endlessly as demonstrated by His previous giving.

The other thing that has struck me personally and recently is that it doesn't have to be at the end of our rope that we receive from our Father. His full giving is there, His support is there for each of us no matter what situation we're in. So I encourage you to think about the words of the songs that you are singing to God. Don't just sing them because they are catchy or the latest craze but sing them because of what they mean. What are your favourite songs and why?

I also LOVE brass band music and enjoy many music artists who are not considered specifically Christian but their music is excellent and has a good message.

Ides of March - and my 100th post

2011-03-15T07:24:00.004-06:00

I don't know if the 100th post factor makes a difference, but it was of some interest for me to see that stat this morning.

Today is March 15 and it is also the Ides of March. On the Ides of March 44 BC Julius Caesar was assassinated through the plotting of Marcus Brutus and landed the date into history. Shakespeare - in his play Julius Caesar - portrays Brutus as a tragic hero who murders Caesar a brutal tyrant, but of course history isn't quite as confident on those extreme notes. However, the idea of betraying a close friend is one that has been popular in history and of course Christianity is no exception.

In our Ethics class this week we spoke about the idea of betrayal and the name Judas Iscariot came up and of course I jumped to Dante's Inferno. I don't know why I make that leap, but when the name Judas Iscariot comes up I am reminded of the 9th circle of hell reserved for those worst sinners - those who betray a special relationship. Now in my defense for why Judas comes to mind - he is in that 9th circle.

So maybe today's post is really about relationships. Keeping them healthy, remembering that grace is a good thing, and that no matter if the relationship is good or bad none of us want to end up saying "Et tu Brutus?"

image from: http://www.globalresearch.ca

The Infamous To Do List

2011-02-26T09:20:00.002-07:00

Do you have a To Do List? I have a to do list - sometimes it feels like I have a to do list for my to do list. Is the to do list ever complete? I don't think so, I think the completed to do list is an urban myth. Where I struggle with the list is never getting it completed. It seems as soon as I cross off one thing I can think of half a dozen other things to get completed.

Now, it's important to realize that I am not about to advocate not using lists. I love lists, I make lists that are detailed and organized and sometimes I make them just for fun....yes, what if lists. I realize this admission will make a few people chuckle, and some might accuse me of insanity. I'm okay with that :).

What did cause me to think about this was lovely reading week which is now almost done...sigh. I had and have a to do list for reading week and of course I didn't get it all done. BUT I did get some of it done. I also still have the better part of the weekend to get even more on the list done, provided I don't expect to start Monday morning with absolutely nothing left to do. I am actually feeling pretty good about the fact that I got stuff done and I know I'll feel even better by the time the weekend is over.

Yup, all in all a great week where my to do list is far from complete but the important things are done or started :).

Banding

2011-02-19T10:29:00.004-07:00

I play an instrument...it's a great instrument, admittedly not the most useful one if you're me, but it's one I love. It's the Eb horn and the reason I say it's not the most useful is because while there are some talented folks who can play anything on the horn I am not one of them. However, I love the horn and quite enjoy my harmonic parts in the band.

I've been missing the GTB lately (who wouldn't) even though I'm in a couple of bands here, and so we have a blog about being in a band :). This isn't a discussion about whether or not there should be bands anymore but just about how great a support the band has been to me.

I've been playing for over 20 years now (don't let this fool you, I started young, and so am still young) and for all of that time have been in a band of some sort - church, school etc...The support that I've been able to experience can't be underestimated. This was a group of people who were all coming together for the same reason - to make music. I will admit to finding the brass band experience at church the most fulfilling because to the level of making music you add the fact that everyone is now coming together to make music in praise to God. I think I can say without question that without the people who were in these groups. They have prayed for me, encouraged me and been shoulders to lean on pretty well my whole life.

So yes, I have had a great experience that has taught me to appreciate band. I love the music we create and the diversity that's available to a brass band. I mean hey, everything from marches, jazz, Broadway, Disney and much more is available. So for today - a nice shout out to the brass band world which has helped make me who I am today - geekiness and all :)

Recipes

2011-02-08T15:50:00.005-07:00

I feel the need to preserve a couple "accidental" recipes that I've....made up(?) recently. The reason I put the question mark there is because I'm sure many people have similar recipes to these ones. However, this frog likes to cook so here are some recipes for you. None of these are really properly named either so feel free to offer suggestions or use your own name if you use these. The recipes are guaranteed bad for you but have both tasted really good.

Ground Beef Quesadilla Things

Ingredients:

1 lbs ground beef

Garlic, Cayenne, Chili powder, Red Pepper Flakes

Soft Tortilla Shells

Grated Mozzarella Cheese

Spaghetti Sauce

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 C. Brown ground beef and season to taste with the above spices. Add in two TBSP of spaghetti sauce. Let simmer

Spread thin layer of spaghetti sauce on tortilla shells, add layer of mozzarella cheese, add cooked/seasoned beef, layer of mozzarella cheese and second tortilla with spaghetti sauce side down. Place in oven until cheese is melted and bubbly - makes a half dozen or so small tortillas.

Baked Penne Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground Beef

1 Bottle Spaghetti Sauce (or make from scratch if you're so inclined)

Penne Pasta

Grated Cheddar/Mozzarella Cheese (really any kind/combination of your standard pasta cheeses will do)

Garlic, Oregano, Rosemary

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 C. Brown ground beef and season to taste. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer. Boil pasta. Put small amount of sauce on bottom of small casserole dish. Put layer of cheese, noodles, sauce - repeat until dish is full. Top with layer of cheese, cover and place in oven. Bake until cheese is bubbly and brown on edges (if you're like me and enjoy some crispy cheese, otherwise you might want to take it out earlier).

Well those are them and at least now I can find them again if I'm so inclined. If anyone else enjoys these recipes that's great too.

Reflection

2011-02-05T10:30:00.004-07:00

I still remember a discussion that I had in my Old Testament class in my very first semester here at training college and it was about the fairness of life. I was reminded of it recently as I was watching Babylon 5 and I heard a quote from my favourite character Marcus Cole. It's an episode where someone shows up who believes that they are King Arthur (Late Delivery from Avalon). However, even before the Arthur character arrives Marcus is having a discussion with the doctor and he says the following:

"You know, um…I used to think that it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn't it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So, now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe."

The discussion in class was about that very question - is life fair. Of course my automatic inclination is to say no! How could it be? But then a point was raised that made me see the question from a totally different perspective. If life were fair would the Son of God have come to earth and died for our sins? Now if you aren't a Christian this may not change your perspective at all, but it did change mine as I was reminded of the greatest gift to humanity that was ever given.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:12-13

My little reflection for the morning.

Accessible Books

2011-01-19T05:37:00.002-07:00

I love to read and seem to always have several books on the go, and not just because of readings for my classes. When I'm reading for fun I prefer to read science fiction and fantasy novels. I read The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein for the first time when I was in grade 4 and he hooked me into the genre. This was followed by books by Eddings, Adams, Lackey, Fforde, Rowling, Simmons etc...I've read Star Trek and Star Wars novels and will shortly be reading some Herbert. Many of these authors may not mean much to you if you're not a reader of sci-fi or fantasy but I love them all. I also read many textbooks on topics ranging (this semester) from Old Testament Prophets to Human Resources.

When reading through these books I've come to have this idea about accessibility of language and concepts. There are some of my fiction novels that contain concepts that you just shouldn't jump into - especially the science fiction ones for me. As you become more familiar with concepts and words that seem to be common in these genres you can delve into some of the more so called "hardcore" novels. Our textbooks are much the same. Some of them are easier to understand and help you grasp concepts using common and everyday language. There are others which take me more time to struggle through and understand as the language is complicated and so are the concepts.

Now, as I'm always on the lookout...anyone have any authors to recommend? I read far more then those authors listed above and certainly in every genre - I like Jeffrey Deaver too for example and the classics such as those written by Doyle or Austin. For non-fiction there's always Yancey, Lewis, and well, the list is too long to continue. Who or what do you like to read?

Deep Breath

2011-01-04T21:21:00.003-07:00

Well, today, I saw for the first time my name written out including the rank I will have as of some time on June 25. The reaction I had took me by some surprise as it was intense. I find now that January is here I am thinking about June more and more even though I am really trying not to wish my time here away. There is a security in the environment here at college that I appreciate and a wonderful support network of people...not to mention all my great session mates and the Friends of Christ session right outside my door if I want company or study buddies :).

In some ways it seems much longer then 16 months that I've been here but in others it's only the blink of an eye since I left Calgary. I still miss home in so many ways although I am adapting to living outside of Calgary and the idea of living who knows where come July. As I speak to friends and family who are thinking of going to Toronto for commissioning I can't believe that we're close enough to even have that discussion...well time enough left at the college to enjoy and I will enjoy as much as possible. I am excited about this terms course load and what I will learn, in fact am already learning this semester.

New Year...Fresh Start?

2011-01-01T13:17:00.002-07:00

So many people, so many New Years resolutions - some kept, some not, some unique, some typical....do you have any? That you're willing to admit to? I have a couple - although they have been around longer than today though so I'm not sure they count.

I did a bit of reading on New Years resolutions and one particular passage struck me as interesting. I'm not sure how historically accurate it is, but I read that Romans would count the herds and resolve to have more the following year. What struck me about that reading is that we often mock resolutions, won't admit to having them etc...and yet - when the new fiscal year rolls around and a company resolves to increase their holdings it makes the papers. When a church raises it's goals for giving or attendance we encourage and seek after that (as we should). These are forms of resolutions, ways to improve things and ourselves but we just have a different mindset about them. An odd thought to strike me but there it is...

For me I'm going to use the opportunity of a New Year the way I have for awhile - a continual fresh start (hopefully not too much of a contradiction in terms). A way to continue working on the goals that I've set to hopefully become a better person and to grow closer in my relationship with God and others.

Ideas

2010-12-27T08:35:00.003-07:00

I find I am in need of ideas. I have a significant key chain collection that is primarily composed of key chains from different locations but I do have some that are more random as well. I am wondering how - if it's even possible - to display them nicely. Any ideas from out there?

Christmas has come and gone and apparently (surprisingly maybe) I was a very good girl this year...and a wee bit Coca-Cola obsessed apparently. Who knew? I am now enjoying a wonderful time of relaxation and yes, getting things done. I do have a few things to get done over my holidays although I've tried to keep the list down so it's at least manageable. Part of that list though is to enjoy some time off after a very busy season. I had a phenomenal time in Markham this year and learned a lot. I was sorry to see the time slip by so quickly as it was so enjoyable. Yet, I can't be sorry to be on vacation :-). The only thing that would make this better would have been to see my friends and family in Calgary/Edmonton - miss you guys so much!

Now I'm on the other side of my last year in college and I just know this will be the fastest 6 months yet. However, first, savouring my vacation...can't forget that. I'm looking forward to hosting New Years Eve at my place (also a surprise) and think that'll be a blast. I sincerely hope that you also had a good and continue to have a good holiday season.

Kettles, Kettles, Kettles - oh and the rest of my winter assignment

2010-12-18T21:06:00.003-07:00

Can there be too many stories about Christmas kettles??? I don't think so. I mean how many times have you heard someone talking about cute children dropping money in the kettle? or people stopping to say what great work is being done? or people who have been helped before and are now wanting to help others? It never gets old for me. I love each and every story I hear and each and every one I experience. Today was a classic for me and that was the kettle backed by a small brass ensemble...and for a change I was not part of that ensemble. Now I love playing in the band and always have but today it was a treat to see the reactions of the people listening to the players. To see the kids stop, bring their parents back, and a personal favourite, having them dance around. It was such a great sight to see today that I don't normally get to see - hidden behind a horn as I usually am.

Now, on a quick side note I have been having a blast on my winter assignment. I have had fun covering kettle breaks and counting the kettle money. I have also been very privileged to help out with the Christmas warehouse and getting the toys and food ready for handing out. That has been really fun and I have been working with a great coordinator and volunteers. The days are going by so incredibly fast I cannot believe I'm at my halfway point already. Tomorrow morning it is off to Richmond Hill for the Sunday service and that should be great. With all this work I am stunned to see how close Christmas is and know that when it is finally here I will wonder where the time went - my theme these past 18 months. Well, it's off to bed to sleep up for half number 2 of this last assignment.

Where did it go?

2010-11-30T21:25:00.002-07:00

Well, I have not written in ages, which is never my intention and yet often my result. Ah well, it`s blogging time now.

I am honestly sitting here in stunned disbelief that it is the middle of December and I am off on my second (and last) winter assignment. That is if they don`t keep me back another year hahaha. My fourth semester in training college is complete and my last one is almost upon me. I marvel time and again at how quickly things go now that I`m here at CFOT.

This semester was very challenging for me in many ways and yet I learned so much it`s hard to believe it all fits inside my head. I am very excited to continue my studies (not so excited about the papers :) but they have their benefits too) in the next semester and I look forward to continuing to grow in my relationship with God as I prepare for the final stage of my training.

It`s almost Christmas eh? and while I've said it before....where did the time go so that came around again? In what I'm doing it can be hard sometimes to see the joy for all the busyness and need but there are also so many ways to see it. In any children that participate in a Christmas event, in ourselves as we light candles and sing Silent Night...all taking those few moments to remember that as simplistic as it sounds Jesus is the Reason for the Season. Sometimes the truest messages can be found in the oldest adage.

Well, I'm off for now, a bit of sleep before my winter assignment starts up - so excited. I'm sure I'll blog again before Christmas but other than that date I can't give you one any firmer so just keep an eye out.

Writing

2010-11-22T14:47:00.004-07:00

I've been doing a lot more writing over the past year and a half then I normally do and while it hasn't really improved my grammar it has improved how I see the different writing styles and tools out there. I have learned that writing can help me in all sorts of ways.

Do you journal? I have never gotten into it. Over the years I have been given notebook after notebook, diary after diary but have never quite been able to get into the habit of writing my thoughts down in them. This past year though I've given some thought to the whole concept of journaling more often as I've seen the way it can be helpful in spiritual formation.

Another form of writing comes with school and that is of course the dreaded paper writing :). I do a lot of that these days in a whole variety of formats - research, essay, sermons etc...The exercise of writing these things out helps me clarify what I've learned and put some structure around it.

Possibly my favourite form of writing is the all-powerful list. I love writing out things to do, grocery lists, what I'm going to do when (insert activity or milestone here). These are my chief form of organization and a tool that consistently helps me feel more in control of any given situation and my role in it - even when it's my own situation.

What kind of writing do you do? Does it help clarify, bring a feeling of control, or is it another exercise to get through? For me sometimes it's any and all of the above.

General Update

2010-11-12T17:39:00.003-07:00

Just thought I'd write a quick note as to what I've been up to lately.

I've been really enjoying my class time this semester as I'm taking courses in Homiletics, Organizational Leadership, Pentateuch and Jesus of Nazareth (in no particular order of preference). It's been great to spend time in each of these classes learning all sorts of new things and really learning to open my mind and think. I enjoy being able to interact with the teachers in these classes and they are great at taking the time to work through questions and observations.

I already wrote about going to Markham, ON for my winter assignment and I am thrilled about that. Every day that brings it closer I get more excited about the opportunities there. I won't be going to Calgary or anywhere for Christmas this year which is sad, but I know I'll have a good time here in Winnipeg hanging out with the crowd that's staying here.

My field placement at Winnipeg East is going very well. I am enjoying the opportunity to meet and get to know a whole group of people who have known my dad's family for a long time....although most of them don't know my dad :). I also love the ministry opportunities I'm getting to experience while at the corps and the lovely people there. I look forward to my remaining months there.

Reformation Sunday

2010-10-31T07:45:00.002-06:00

Today is not only Hallowe'en but also Reformation Sunday. Now, some people may be surprised and others may simply roll their eyes when I say that I'm a big church history nut (emphasis on nut sometimes). On a day like today though it's pretty cool to look back at our church history and get a tiny glimpse as to how we ended up here today.

On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of his church - how would you like that sermon on Sunday morning? This event is considered the trigger to the move towards reformation and eventually the rise of the Protestant church. Of course there were many, many factors and people that led to this momentous movement but it never hurts to give out applause to the bold statement of Martin Luther almost 500 years ago.

As I walk along a path that will include a lot of preaching (including today for that matter) I ask myself - what am I saying? Am I bold enough to preach what needs to be preached? Am I listening to God's desires for my sermons? Is what I'm saying, what people need to hear? I hope the answer to all of these questions is yes and I hope that for every congregation not just where I am.

My we all be richly blessed through what we see, hear and do - not only - but especially this Reformation Sunday.

Exciting Times

2010-10-25T20:13:00.004-06:00

What a crazy little while it has been in my life. This past weekend I went to Beaver Creek, Saskatchewan for the Youth Together weekend in the prairies. We drove out as a group from Winnipeg and headed west (although not as far west as home unfortunately) to Saskatchewan. Over the weekend we had a great time as we spent time in worship, attended seminars and hung out with each other. I saw people do crazy things in a game called the Dare Affair and was very impressed by how willing everyone was. My worship was called "Dare 2 Dance" and we discussed worshiping God and the many ways we can do that today. The other workshops sounded excellent and I wish I had an opportunity to attend them. Major Denise Walker from Toronto was our guest speaker and did an excellent job telling us about God's love in our lives. It was a great weekend and even the 8 hour bus rides ended up being fun.

In other news....I have been appointed to Markham, Ontario for my winter placement here at the college and I am so excited to be heading out for the 10 days there. I haven't been to Ontario in a little while and the area that I will be in is very near Richmond Hill where my mom grew up and it's always nice to see stuff like that.

Also, every day I get a little closer to a series of BIG days this year - the clock she is a tickin' and it's hard to believe that June is coming up and I'll be heading out.

Pictures

2010-10-04T19:19:00.006-06:00

Well, I've decided to keep blogging for now, and we'll see how it goes!

I was scrolling through some of my pictures from my summer in Calgary before I left which led me to some other photos of old band trips and then into some of my pictures while here at CFOT. I absolutely LOVE looking at pictures and using them as aids to walk down memory lane. I prefer to take pictures of people - candids and posed, but over the summer I did take quite a few scenery shots because it was just so gorgeous there, and while a picture isn't as good as the real thing it will serve as a reminder for me.

We were asked in class the other day something about memories making up yourself...I can't remember the exact phrasing. The discussion that came up in class though was about the fact that our memories and experiences in our past make us who we are. In movies about amnesia they always talk about a fresh start, or rebuilding their lives (keeping in mind it's a movie and I've no doubt real life is different), and that builds on this idea of needing our memories.

My memories are not always happy, and some of them make me cringe with embarrassment,

some of them make me wonder how a situation ever got to that point. However, all of them made me who I am today, and for the most part, I'm okay with that.

What to blog about?

2010-09-29T22:35:00.002-06:00

The title of this blog really sums it up. I never know what to blog about. I've had the odd suggestion about putting up portions of my papers/sermons for school, but I don't know if that's really something anyone is interested in - mind you are the updates as to what's going on around here of any interest either.

When I started blogging my personal commitment was to write something once a month. However, I find as I blog I want to blog more consistently, but I just don't know about what....so....now....I debate whether or not to keep it going.

As a brief update into my second year - I am enjoying the classes and starting to get back into the swing of school. It's great to be able to debate many points in class and come to a greater understanding. My field placement at Winnipeg East has started and I am enjoying my time there so far and am sure I will continue to enjoy it. My keyboard on my laptop has many idiosyncrasies right now so I'll catch you later and let you know if this blog is continuing.

Welcome Weekend - Friends of Christ

2010-09-20T17:54:00.002-06:00

This past weekend was the welcome for the new session of cadets at CFOT the Friends of Christ. On Saturday the first years were visited by the Commissioners and Training Principals while the second years were visited by the Colonels and Personnel and Field officers. It was nice to have this visit and it was also nice to have my apartment cleaned from stem to stern before the craziness of the school year really gets going. Now to keep it that way...

Sunday morning was the family welcome service at the college and I really enjoyed the testimonies and musical offerings from the Friends of Christ session. After that we all went for lunch at Booth College and man was the food fantastic. I was quite stuffed after that.

Sunday afternoon we went to Southlands for the public welcome service and it was so much fun to watch everyone march in to the clapping and cheers of the congregation. Once again we had some fantastic moments to hear from the Friends of Christ and it made me even more excited for the year to come. Now it's time to settle into the training college routine and to see what the year does have in store for all of us. Back to the books I go!

Start of the Second Year

2010-09-09T21:02:00.002-06:00

It's so hard to believe that I'm in my second year, and not just in it but going full force already. We've had some classes, rehearsals, meetings and all the things that make up our day to day lives here at the college. It has been fantastic to get to know the Friends of Christ as they have joined us here at the college even through the little pang as we miss the Prayer Warriors who are now out in their first appointments. I am very excited about what is in store for me and my fellow cadets over the course of this year.

I found out today that I will be attending the Winnipeg East church here and am looking forward to getting started on my field placement there. I think I need to stop by my mid-week location from last year to say hi though as I miss the fun times I had there. You certainly start to learn about leaving people behind in your training as we go in a small way from appointment to appointment. For me I especially notice things like that now as I miss the folks from my summer assignment in Robert's Arm and as I look towards June and my first appointment.

Of course for us in our session right now the big countdown is on to finding out and then leaving for our first appointment but, I oddly, don't wish the time away. I enjoy the opportunities present at the training college and the environment here. Even though I'm so excited about June I know just how fast this year will go, so I will savour what time I have left here.

Hangin' with my cousin

2010-08-27T18:42:00.004-06:00

This is going to be one of those totally random blogs. I'm sitting here with my cousin Lindsay who is the fifth in regards to the ages of my cousin but she says she's first. However, as I'm the oldest in age I'm also the first for "coolness". We've spent a chunk of today hangin' out and discussing our many geeky commonalities such as Star Trek, Doctor Who, and of course even more Star Trek - what would life be with out those television series and movies? Anyway my cousin Lindsay is pretty awesome and I'm enjoying some quality time with her.

It's been a nice day, very relaxing, and I am already enjoying my vacation here in Calgary. It is great to reconnect with my family and friends and see the familiar sights and sounds of my hometown. There is a great deal of comfort in the familiar and it is very nice to be able to be totally at home and relaxed for my vacation. I have had some excitement this vacation as I am dealing with a stolen suitcase that has been found but apparently my stuff is in some dubious condition. This will be yet another story to add to my repertoire of exciting times in my life and possible sermon illustrations for future use. So, as I continue to enjoy a time of renewal and rest basically this blog is about how great my family is. Love you guys!!!

Oh The Places You'll Go

2010-08-14T15:42:00.006-06:00

Did anyone else ever read that Dr. Seuss book? Someone gave me that ages ago, and there it sits on my bookshelf, and I pull it out every once in awhile to read it over. Since I first read that book I have been to many places, and this summer has certainly seen its fair share of travelling.

St. John's - we arrived here for Congress & Commissioning and I will fly out of there again. It is a great city and I've always enjoyed my time there

Gander - I've mostly stopped here for meal breaks honestly. We did stop by the flight training school once and I've driven past the corps and the quarters but that's about it - other than food.

Grand Falls-Windsor - Here is a frequent stop for me. It is only an hour away from Robert's Arm and an often sought location for groceries, supplies for the church and other odds and ends. I have also gone into GFW for no reason at all, and for a funeral at the citadel.

Pilley's Island - this town/island is just up the road from Robert's Arm and is a good stop for food as that's where the Causeway or Bragg's is. Sunday nights this is the hot spot for the Robert's Arm/Pilley's crowd

Triton - This is the biggest of the three towns here and boasts its own hot spot in a place called PJ's which has some great food. The scenery here is crazy beautiful as it's right on the water. It also has a home hardware and I've gotten pretty familiar with Triton due to helping out with their VBS

Brighton - Wow! This place is scenery central with houses right by the water and some of the most amazing views I've seen

Springdale - When you don't want to go as far as GFW here is where you head. There are grocery options as well as multiple restaurants. Here is also the location of the nursing home and retirement home that I visited in my time here.

King's Point - This town is just before Springdale and has one of the most beautiful places to eat. The food is good too but as you are sitting all but in the ocean (which would be quite wet) it's hard to notice the food. There is also a great pottery shop with amazing work there.

Rattling Brook - There isn't a lot to this town but there is a beautiful water fall there if you're

interested in the sights and a trail that takes you right to the top. There's also a great old fashioned store which involves wrapping your purchases with twine and a bottle opener on the door for the pop.

Coffee Cove - This tiny little town had some unexpected sights such as a field full of sheep and a seaside retreat which is very much a retreat as it's tucked away

Beachside - This has some of the most washed out roads I've ever been on and you certainly would need to enjoy isolation to live there

Harry's Harbour - Here is the location of the second corps on the King's Point/Harry's Harbour circuit.

Grand Bank - located on the Burin Peninsula Grand Bank is home to my officer here in Robert's Arm and has some lovely historical buildings around and a great sense of community.

St. Pierre - An island governed by the country of France this spot does a great job of maintaining its culture when inundated with Canadians

I've probably missed some places but these are a big chunk of where I've gone for the summer and some little snippets about them. I've enjoyed my opportunities to travel and sight see some of the area in and amongst my busy time here. A lot of these places are actually close together so we would simply take an afternoon to check them out.

Roadtrip

2010-08-08T20:28:00.004-06:00

I love road trips and think they are a blast. I was fortunate enough to grow up travelling across Canada with my first plane trip at the age of 6 all the way to Newfoundland and we used to drive to Toronto for part of the summer as well. I think travel is great and look forward to every opportunity to go in a plane or drive some distance. I can sleep in a car or a plane although I find it easier to sleep in a car and I also love to stare out the window and daydream or meditate. Travelling for me is a fantastic opportunity and so I was really excited to pack up the car and head to another part of Newfoundland and then - excitement of all excitements this summer - go to St. Pierre.

St. Pierre is an island off the coast of Newfoundland that is still governed by France. There is a ferry that runs out there twice a day and so off we went and took the ferry in. Now apparently it was a bit rough but honestly I wouldn't know the difference and was fine on the boat ride. I napped for part of the time and enjoyed the experience the rest of the ride. When we arrived in St. Pierre we cleared customs and went on our way. It was very foggy so we just wandered around rather than taking a bus tour. I was impressed at the way the culture of France is retained on an island located in North America.

I enjoyed wandering around some of the stores, getting some French pastries and visiting the graveyard. The graveyard is filled with some huge family graves and some of them are very old and falling apart. With the fog the graveyard looked very spooky and made it more fun for me as I like a bit of horror every once in awhile. I also really enjoyed the museum that we went to which contained a guillotine used in an execution in the 1800's. The story associated with the execution is quite intriguing as well, but too long to type out here (I know, I know, what a tease). I also enjoyed seeing some of the other historical information from the island - yes I like history, who knew ;).

My French got a work out as to get into the museum we had to change some Canadian into Euro's and of course no one at the bank speaks English so I was able to see just how much of my French was still intact and it turns out...a good chunk. I had no trouble understanding their French and they were able to decipher mine as well.

ortunity.

Food

2010-07-27T19:24:00.003-06:00

So, I don't often write about food because it's not a driving force in my life - with the exception of my morning caffeine hit of coke which is not only a driving force in my life but in the lives of those around me as well :). However, I have had many occasions to try different foods recently and so I thought I'd stick something up - see me blog more often during the summer.

I have had - homemade bread, fish 'n' brewis, cold plate, vinegar jam pie, trout, crab legs, onion rings, and I think that's all so far that's out of my ordinary. Now, I am a very picky eater - I look at most vegetables with distrust, and am very hesitant about trying new foods. Since I have been here though I have decided to plunge in and try all this new stuff.

I enjoyed: homemade bread, fish 'n' brewis, and vinegar jam pie.

I am okay with: trout, crab legs and onion rings

I don't like: cold plate

I'm happy to be leaving here with my palette expanded and that I have ammunition for those people who think I don't try anything new. I've also had hard bread and purity's syrup but I'd had those before and don't mind them at all.

Music Camp at Twin Ponds

2010-07-24T12:56:00.003-06:00

What a great week it was!!! What a tiring week it was!!!

Due to a funeral on Saturday afternoon I did not arrive at music camp until Saturday evening, but as soon as I arrived I dived right in. I got myself set up in the junior girls cabin, enjoyed some evening activities and then the campfire. Sunday I was off to the races as I played in the faculty band, led a song and got my assignments for the following week. I started off covering a level one theory class and teaching level one instrumental but was switched to junior vocal. I was only a relief theory teacher so that gave me some free time off and on throughout the week.

I was also on to lead the drama elective and that was a lot of fun. We played some drama games and did a dramatization of the song "The Twenty-First Time" which I highly recommend that you listen to if you get a chance. The kids did a great job even through the nerves of performing. There were many other performances through the week of various skits, electives and general craziness as well as the musical offerings. In fact on faculty night my session mate and I did a skit on a day in the life of a cadet that went over very well. We were also made honourary Newfoundlanders along with the vocal guest and her two daughters and another

session mate who came along for Friday and Saturday of camp.

The music aspect to this was very enriching for me as I experienced a great time in faculty band and the mixed choir. It is nice to have been playing my instrument again on a regular basis. I also really enjoyed the worship - through practicing, performing and general participation. On Sunday evening I was one of the group that headed to the Starfield concert in Grand Falls-Windsor and wow....to spend a couple of hours outside, listening to and worshiping with great music was fantastic. It really prompted me to think about freedom of worship and freedom in worship and what that means for each individual and how to promote that in any setting.

I was truly blessed to spend that week in Twin Ponds meeting some great kids and wonderful faculty members and I am very thankful for the opportunity. Now to get over this cold

For Clarification

2010-07-15T19:32:00.002-06:00

I had a facebook status regarding my tendency to be getting into cars as their drivers decide to pull away and as this has happened multiple times and both very funny I thought I'd write up about them as the memories (one quite recent) bring a chuckle to me still.

A few years ago my church band was off to B.C. for a band trip and this time we were all car pooling in various vehicles and me and 3 other ladies went together. We were staying in a lovely house with a rather steep driveway and on our last morning we were of course packing up the car. Well, I put my foot in the car and leaned across the back to put something there and didn't the driver start to back up. I was rather alarmed as you can well imagine and I started to call out....luckily the driver stopped before going too fast or too far and I got into the car.

This morning my officer supervising me for the summer and I headed out to a visit and I was just getting into the car as she hit reverse and pulled out fast enough to cause me to fall into the car (very fortunate). When I called out she stopped and I got myself sorted and properly seated with the door closed.

So, all unbeknownst to me I apparently have a propensity for this type of accident as well as arm-breaking. Just another amusing anecdote to add to the many ones out there :).

As for things in my summer appointment - they are going well and are very busy for the next few weeks which will hopefully keep me out of trouble

Hot, Hot, Hot

2010-07-10T16:49:00.005-06:00

Well if you meet my mom you'll find out she's almost always cold and if you meet my dad you'll find out he's often too hot. I don't know whether to class myself as fortunate or not but I am like my dad in that I am always too hot. So, I try to complain as little as possible in the winter so that I can dish it out in the summer :). Then, when someone says "we always complain that it's too cold and then complain when it gets hot" I can honestly say that's not the case for me. I don't always succeed as the winters where I'm from are long and unpredictable and Winnipeg is not any better but I do my best to save it for this time of year.

As I write this now it is after 8pm and still holding at 26 degrees. Yesterday it got to 32 degrees out here and it's hot enough to melt ya. I find the heat difficult to bear and just want to stretch out on the floor and pray for cooler weather. I will admit that I am not looking forward to the heat in the sanctuary tomorrow morning and evening. At least when I mention a hot day in my sermon we'll have a point of reference to deal with.

It's been a good week three here in Robert's Arm and I can't believe I'm heading into week four as of Monday. I was pleased to get my flight changed to head out to BC to visit my mom and my cat at the end of August and look forward to that time and then time spent in Calgary with other friends and family. I am missing home a lot this weekend as it's time for the Calgary Stampede and I am missing the parade and Glenmore Temple festivities for the first time in years. In fact I've at least attended these festivities my whole life and have been participating since I was 13 or 14 years old. It's certainly one of those milestones of being away and one that really struck me today.

Good News

2010-07-04T20:17:00.003-06:00

Fact #1 - I cannot do this on my own

Fact #2 - I do not have to

These two statements are both completely correct. As I have been spending my time in a variety of tasks here I am reminded daily that there is no way I could be an officer on my own strength. It is a job that is filled with ups and downs and a never ending supply of work, and struggles to balance time. I noticed this at CFOT and I notice it even more in the field. I still have many questions and much to learn and as I was reminded the other day - the beginning of wisdom is "I don't know".

The joy and fulfillment of my life is that I don't have to do it alone. Yes, I'm single, I haven't lost my mind and forgotten that fact, but as with all Christians I have God within me all the time. He will never leave me. When I am nervous, unsure or wondering what to do the answers may not come immediately but God is there as a source of comfort, strength and love to hold me up no matter what.

I've already learned a LOT this summer and have no doubt that over the next 6.5 weeks I will continue to learn even more, but through all that the reminder that God is more than able is a good lesson to keep at the forefront.

Robert's Arm

2010-06-26T15:14:00.003-06:00

I have arrived in Robert's Arm, Nfld. and am in love with the view around here. It is fairly well known that I am in love with my home province of Alberta and think that there is little to compare with the breath taking vistas of the Rockie Mountains. However, I stand here today and tell you that the rugged landscape of Newfoundland is every bit as beautiful. I love being surrounded by the water - even with all the flies :).

The drive here was long but I got to stop in Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor and then up to Robert's Arm. I've since been back to Grand Falls and have also made it to Triton and Pilley's Island. I have on my list of place to visit - Springdale, Brighton, Long Island, St. Pierre and who knows where else. I am excited to see even more of this great Island than I have before.

In my time so far I have so far, attended a funeral, participated in my first wedding as a member of the clergy and made a few visits. I've also had a lot of fun sorting through clothes to make ready for the bag sale next week. It may sound boring but once you take into account that you're playing with clothes all day and the endless possibilities that presents you realize how fun it is.

I am enjoying this a little bit more every day as I get to know the community and people here better and look forward to my remaining time here. Look forward (or dread) to more blogging from me over the Summer as I expect I'll have a lot to share.

Congress

2010-06-20T20:08:00.003-06:00

Well, there is so much I could say about this wonderful weekend here in St. John's. I have really, really enjoyed my time here and it has helped get me even more excited (if that's possible) for my Summer. It has been a time of reconnection, great music, wonderful worship and fellowship.

I found out that I knew more people here than anticipated. I mean I did expect to see some of the folks that I have run into, but many others have come up to me that remember me from when I lived here and others that lived in Calgary for a time. Then, after you add in all of the people that know my Dad or my Grandparents I think I know most of the people here. It sometimes leaves me feeling a bit stunned if the truth were told. I did see Fred and Wendy as well as Kerry and Cheryl and so felt like I was getting to see some family over the weekend :).

The General was a great speaker and I enjoyed each of his messages. Commissioning was a very moving and exciting time as I watched friends become the latest Salvation Army officers. I am thrilled to see 7 heading to my home division and I wish them and all the other new Lieutenants God's blessings in their ministry.

Now for me it's off to Robert's Arm and that should be a great time.

First Year

2010-06-13T16:57:00.002-06:00

Well, here I am facing down the end of my first school year at CFOT and about to embark on my Summer assignment. Everything here is winding down as we hand in last assignments, pack, clean and rehearse for commissioning. I have 3 days before I head out to Newfoundland for congress and then my Summer Assignment. There are lists upon lists as I figure out what to bring, what to do and how I'm going to manage it all before I go. The joy for me of a deadline like this is what I don't finish isn't getting done before I leave. I live for those do or die deadlines :-).

The past ten months (give or take) have been incredible for me in so many ways. I have inexplicably found that I love academic classes. Not all aspects of them of course, but I really get into the many discussions we have and I love the research. History is my real passion and as soon as a course contains that then look out the big geek has arrived. Academics were a big area of concern for me when I was coming into CFOT and while I still have some hurdles to work through they are certainly not a big concern now.

My field placements have been amazing learning experiences at both my Sunday brigade and my mid-week field. I have learned a great deal from my supervisors at those locations although in many ways it simply becomes clearer how much I still have left to learn. That whole "still have left to learn" aspect is really the theme of my training time. It seems that every time I turn around I find something else I still need to learn or work on.

It has been an amazing 10 months with amazing experiences and God has really moved in my life. I really can't wait to see what he has in store for me over the Summer and then in year two of my CFOT time.

Jasper Fforde

2010-06-03T05:38:00.002-06:00

Okay, I know I'm not the only one to have read the above author's books because someone recommended him to me, but sometimes that's how it feels. So I'm writing this to recommend him to others as every time I read his books I find something new and always enjoy the humour.

The books are fairly recently written (last 10 years) and there are two series. The first and longest series is about a literary detective Thursday Next. It starts in 1985 but it's a different 1985 - key events in our history happened differently and so things like the Crimean war are still happening, and there is no travel by plane. The books are very funny and not only about some light reading. You need a decent grasp of classical literature and politics over the years to fully understand some of the differences.

One of the things I really enjoy about his books are his plays on the English language. I mean the name of his main character (Thursday Next) in an of itself is a bit of a laugh. For example in one of the books there is discussion around a shortage of the letter 'U' and so the decision is to change words like neighbour in one geographical location to neighbor and have it viewed as a spelling idiosyncrasy...if that idea makes you chuckle a bit or even smile then you'll probably enjoy this author's books. The first book in that series is called The Eyre Affair.

His other series is so far only two books long and is a kind of spin off of the Thursday Next books. It's a mystery series based around nursery rhyme characters and is also very funny. The first book in that series is called The Big Over Easy.

He has a new book out called Shades of Gray and I'm excited to read it and see if it's as good as the other books.

All this to say - read Jasper Fforde's books. They are very funny and well worth the time if you're looking for something fun and fictional to read.

Field Placement

2010-06-01T14:15:00.002-06:00

Well I'm still trying to blog more frequently although I'm only somewhat succeeding in that but here's another one in my seemingly endless attempt to communicate in this fashion.

Part of the training college program involves a variety of practicums. In our first semester this involved touring some of the various facilities that we might be going to in our second semester as well as helping out with various events The Salvation Army in Winnipeg was involved in. Our second semester has us placed at a field placement that we attend every week from January to June. I have been fortunate to be involved with one of the day programs run here in the city and have loved it.

What's been really great is the getting out and learning through hands on opportunities. The group of people that I was working with are so open and willing to help that it made my job easy. I am sincerely going to miss my weekly sessions there and look forward to maybe stopping by in the fall semester just to say hi.

The comment was made at our field supervisors appreciation lunch about lasting impressions and this has certainly made one on me.

Home for the Weekend

2010-05-25T13:28:00.005-06:00

This weekend I was fortunate enough to pop back to Calgary for three days and visit with friends and family. I got to hang out with people as well as attend my home church and all those things you like to do when you go home. It was a bit of a funny time as absolutely everything I did was something I might have done on any weekend when I lived in Calgary. I mean maybe I wouldn't have seen work people on the weekend but I certainly might have gotten together with friends or gone to Chinook on any given Saturday. Sunday was the epitome of a normal day as I went in to church, played in the band and went out to lunch afterwards with my aunt, uncle and cousins.

What made it different of course was that it was only a weekend at home. That I was leaving on Monday was always on my mind. I also didn't get the same number of big hugs on Sunday morning when I was actually living in Calgary. My presence was much more common place when I lived there so I didn't get the big greetings. The other odd thing that happened would be completely normal to me in every other place but because Glenmore is home it was odd. At the end of the service I got called up to pronounce the benediction and pray to close. I would not be surprised by this and would even expect it in any other church but at "home" it seemed a little unexpected.

At any rate it was a fantastic weekend and so good to see those I did. I've found many more people I will see in Newfoundland over the Summer and that's good news. It makes my upcoming Summer Assignment so much more exciting.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign

2010-05-12T14:35:00.005-06:00

I often hum the song that the title of my blog is from even though it's before my time, but I'm thinking of different kind of sign now.

A common theme that has been occurring lately is that of signs not being the reality but pointing to the reality. This message has been utilized to drive home many points such as interpretations from the Scriptures all the way to ceremonies and rituals performed in the church. The overall message is that none of these ceremonies, rituals, symbols are necessary for salvation. However, it is important to acknowledge that they can be a means of grace for individuals.

It seems that the point we always seem to hit is where we no longer view the rituals as simply a means of grace and start viewing them as necessary for our faith. Then of course there is also the danger of doing them out of routine; the dreaded "that's how we've always done it" response. Now, don't get me wrong I'm not advocating tossing it all out the window. In fact I'm one of those annoying people that you have to work hard to convince to change anything....should I admit that in writing? I think there's enough evidence out there regardless. What I do advocate is the remembrance that these ceremonies, rituals, symbols are signs, pointing to the reality of God's grace, love and forgiveness in our lives. The knowledge that they themselves are not anywhere close to the reality because nothing we can do could ever possibly come close to showing the reality of God.

Well, that's me out on a limb for today. Hope everyone has a good one!

Big Days

2010-05-04T19:13:00.003-06:00

Well the past couple of days have been a bit hard to believe. Yesterday I celebrated my birthday and what a great day. I was happy to spend it with some people who have become incredibly close to me over the past number of months and it was great to simply sit and have some great laughs. I received many messages on facebook and I realize for many these are a matter of rote but I had some that were very meaningful and touching written amongst those as well and I loved seeing them on my wall.

Today was another big day as I found out that I was elected the president of the cadet council here at college for next year's council. THEN on top of all of this was my road test. I have had my learner's license for awhile and was very slack about practicing and learning to drive but once I got here that was no longer possible. So, through some help from friends and lessons I began working more assiduously on my license and then - Ta Da! I actually passed it.

It was quite a bit to cram into two short days and by the time I went to bed last night I was ready to fall over from fatigue. It wasn't a physical labour but a mental and emotional one and in this case a very happy labour. So, a big shout out to all those who helped me learn how to drive - except my peanut gallery of a younger cousin if she ever reads this ;). THANKS

Appointments and Summer Assignments

2010-04-24T11:12:00.003-06:00

Well, it's a big time of year within The Salvation Army in Canada as moves are announced across the country. Many individuals receive phone calls telling them that in June they will be moving themselves and their families to a new location. It is a big deal at the college too because it isn't a few cadets receiving that notification but ALL cadets receiving one appointment or another.

The second year cadets were given the location of their first appointment after two years of intense training. On a personal note I was thrilled to see 7 cadets on their way to Alberta after they are commissioned as Lieutenants. I am very excited for the rest of the second years as well as they head out across Canada to their new ministries.

The first year cadets were given their Summer Assignments. This is several weeks working in a corps/family services unit within Canada. This year there are 6 of the 13 headed to Newfoundland including myself who is heading to Robert's Arm. I am very excited to be heading off to that beautiful province. I've been to Newfoundland 3 times before and every time I've been there it's been fantastic. I'm sure this time will be no different and I look forward to the opportunities presented to me.

2nd Semester - Almost Done!!!

2010-04-12T18:26:00.007-06:00

I have said it 100 times and I will say it at least 100 more but I cannot believe how fast the time has gone since I've arrived at CFOT. I have now been in Winnipeg 7.5 months which seems at this point both forever and a blink of time. I have been pulled in a dozen different directions, faced a whole new set of stresses than I'm used to and had some of the best experiences of my life.

This semester included the travel portion of my year so far with a trip to Vancouver and Grand Forks under my belt and the trip to Newfoundland for commissioning yet to come. I cannot deny that it has been an opportunity filled time while I've been here. It can be hard to juggle those opportunities with the demands of school, field and other activities however it's been worth all the fatigue and time crunching to fit them in.

I have learned huge amounts this semester through my course work. The courses all have practical aspects to them and it's exciting to see how they all mesh together and mesh with courses from last semester. Now, here's hoping I can remember a chunk of this information...good reason to keep my textbooks for now :).

Once again I find myself looking back and wondering how I could have made it through and the only answer is - by the grace of God. I am thankful for some great instructors who have been so willing to invest the time and some great laughs in the classroom which made the time speed by all the fast.

Grand Forks, ND

2010-03-28T20:27:00.005-06:00

Well, I went on my first actual specialling weekend. This is a weekend where cadets from the training college head out to a corps and help out with ministry over the weekend and participate or do the Sunday morning service. I've done something similar in my two Sunday's in Vancouver but that was part of a mission trip so I guess technically this was my first official specialling weekend.

We headed out to Grand Forks, ND on Friday afternoon and had a beautiful day for driving. We started off the weekend with a teen night at the hotel once we arrived, and having now done a devotional around the pool I can tell you that it is hard on the throat. Saturday morning we went and helped out with Scouting for Food. This is where a food drive happens and The Salvation Army splits the food gathered with another organization. With the cadets there were a few extra people so we sorted the food on the spot and wow did that food come in fast. We were swarmed under by bags of food, but we got it all squared away and ready. The group of us then had a wonderful afternoon at the nursing home handing out little bags with a gift and War Cry in them for Easter. Saturday evening we joined up with their worship team and rehearsed for Sunday morning. I learned a couple of new songs which were very nice and now added to my repertoire for service planning. Sunday morning was a great time for Sunday school class to celebrate Palm Sunday and then we were off to the church service. It was hard to believe it by this point but after church we were ready to head home.

Now I don't want you to think this weekend was all work, work, work because we did get some time in to go shopping for an hour or so, and the mall may not have been big but it had my favourite stores so I was happy. We were also busy during the weekend but never rushed and believe me there is a huge difference. I had plenty of opportunities to chat with people along the way and enjoy their company. I had a great time in Grand Forks and would certainly go back anytime.

Driving

2010-03-13T12:56:00.003-07:00

This may come as somewhat as a surprise given my age but I do not yet have my full drivers license. For a variety of reasons I have never gotten around to having it, however, that time has passed and now for a variety of reasons I need to get it. So, while I try and contemplate things to blog about this came to my mind.

I have held a learners permit twice now and have actually transferred it into another province at this stage of the game. My motivation to get out and drive has always been a little sketchy and I tend to need some prodding along the way. So I had my first driving experiences on the farm driving a tractor, and then along some of Alberta's back roads driving this huge old car. The second time I got my learners I have been more successful and went with my uncle and one of my cousins (personal peanut gallery) and did the whole parking lot driving and then slowly some more street driving.

Since arriving here I have been out more and more and my aim is to have my full license by early May so that I can be fully mobile on my own which is necessary for where I'm headed in life - and that's going to be a literal heading not a metaphorical one. I went out driving today and had a great time. My instructor was very encouraging and pointed out some great areas for me to focus on for now. I was able to practice things that I haven't done yet in a safe environment and overall made me feel as though this isn't a lost cause.

Look for an update in May to see whether or not I make it through.

Olympics

2010-02-22T10:12:00.005-07:00

I was pretty excited to be heading out to Vancouver last week even with the remnants of the flu hanging around me with great persistence.

I was excited for a number of reasons:

it's always great to be out doing ministry,
I was looking forward to seeing family,
I was looking forward to the weather.

Living in Calgary and growing up in The Salvation Army Vancouver was somewhat of a common place for me to travel. My grandfather's family is there as well as several family members that I've picked up along the way. I also know several of the officers stationed in Vancouver and the surrounding area and it's always nice to see them. I had lunch with family, got to see some more family at both church services I was at, saw officers I've met in Vancouver and got to see a city I'm somewhat familiar with all decked out in celebration.

I was on teams that were serving coffee and hot chocolate at 4am and that was certainly an interesting experience. For all that Vancouver was incredibly warm during the day it was quite cold at that hour of the morning. The opportunities to chat and greet people was a lot of fun and man did they appreciate the warm drink before heading up the mountain.

I had the opportunity to wander around downtown Vancouver with some friends and had a blast. The energy down there was fantastic and people were clearly having a blast. I of course managed to fit in some quality shopping time and even in the mall the spirit of the Olympics was everywhere.

People in Our Lives

2010-01-26T07:22:00.006-07:00

Well, this blog is in response to a very influential yet sometimes annoying individual in my life who is pushing me to blog more frequently and if you'd like to read his blog you can find it here.

I give credit to how I turned out to two things...The first of course is God. If He had not been present and working in my life from an early age who knows where my life would have gone. The second are those people God placed in my life, so there is really only one place to send the credit and that's heavenward.

When I am in conversation about family you will probably here me say things like: my second parents, a real father figure, honourary cousins, older sisters (I'm an only child), adopted grandparents etc...Well, when I was growing up it's not as though I didn't have family but it wasn't the most stable of environments, so I decided to adopt other family members as the need was there. Fortunately those people that I adopted were only too happy to have me as part of their families and I learned about total acceptance and love.

I grew up in a church and the term church family is very real to me. I have many wonderful friends and there have been a couple with me my entire life and subsequently their families have always been there for me as well. No matter what I was going through or for that matter am going through they have never failed to be there when I call. The band at my church was also a very nurturing environment for me and the constant prayer support that surrounded me made an incredible impact in my life.

I have also been fortunate in the pastoral support in my life. I have been blessed with officers (pastors) who were willing to work with me, put up with me and give me great examples of what pastoral care is all about.

This is just a small insight into a big part of my life and all I can do is offer thanks for those that were willing to take the time for me and still are willing today.

Think about the people in your life...Can you think of someone who has always been there for you? What about someone that you're always there for? It's the people in our lives that get us through every day.

The Second Semester is now underway

2010-01-15T16:36:00.002-07:00

Well, I made it through one semester and now I've made it through winter assignment and my holidays. I had a great time in New Westminster for my winter assignment and learned a lot. I got to meet and work with some great individuals and I feel truly blessed to have been sent there. The weather was also a contributing factor as it was much warmer in New West than in Winnipeg.

My holidays were great and while not exactly restful they were refreshing. I spent the first three days with my mother in BC and then after an unavoidable yet annoying delay in Nanaimo headed out to Edmonton to hang out with Dad and family. Then it was down to Calgary where I was reunited with many of the friends that I have missed so much during my time here. It was so great to see them and to be around people that know me inside out and backwards but I did miss seeing my session mates. I also really enjoyed getting to watch the Flames beat the Oilers in their New Years Eve game.

After the holidays it was back here for a one week intensive on the History of The Salvation Army and that was really enjoyable and educational. This week has been spent attending our classes for the second semester and starting our field placements. In the first semester we went around to several of the field placement options and now we are placed at one of them for the rest of the year. I started mine and think it's going to be really enjoyable. The people I am working with are very happy and the staff are great.

So here's to a great 2010, a great semester and great anticipation for what is yet to come!

The First Semester

2009-12-04T15:22:00.003-07:00

Well, it hardly seems possible but I'm within days of the end of the first semester here at training college. I had been warned that time flew here at CFOT but I don't know that I was fully prepared for that. I thought I'd jot down a few of the reasons why time has flown so fast and how they are affecting me.

The school aspect has been a combination of doors opening wide and severe frustration for me. It was anticipated that due to my lack of education before coming here that university level coursework would be a challenge for me, and while that is true I am happy to say that I am managing better than expected. In fact my two highlights in a week are Old Testament and Church History classes. I have really come to love the time spent in Church History and am going to miss it in the next semesters. Old Testament class has opened my eyes to some new ways of reading the Bible and learning what is has to teach us. As I have learned some of the context and culture of the times it has really helped my understanding.

Field has been a growing experience in every way. We are interacting with groups and people from all over the city and I feel privileged to participate in that program. Every time we go out as a group I learn some new aspect of the Army and how it works to provide assistance for those that require it. I am excited to be participating in a field placement next semester and look forward to the opportunity provided to me there.

They are about using your talents here that's for sure. I have done 5 dance performances, a duet twice, am up to sing a solo, play in the band and the list goes on. This is a great environment for that because no matter what your talent is - singing, speaking, administration - there is a place for you. What I've listed are just some of the many opportunities here, so I don't want people to think it's all about the music cause that just isn't the case.

These are just a few of the reasons why it seems like I just arrived. I still miss home an awful lot, well, more the people then Calgary itself, but am excited to be here and slaving away :). I'm sure the next few months to the summer will go even faster, but now to get through the rest of December.

Tribute

2009-11-20T12:21:00.001-07:00

Here is what I read at my grandfather's funeral and I really can't think of another way to write it so I'm posting it on my blog as is.

I am the oldest of the 11 grandchildren and I have been living in Winnipeg since September when I joined the college for officers training just like my grandfather, and I just discovered what to me, is a very cool connection. Every group of people in this program is given a sessional name. My session is called the Ambassadors of Holiness and often just the Ambassadors, so when I looked at Grandpa’s college photo and discovered that his session was called the Ambassadors I was pretty thrilled. If I can express one personal wish it is that I can be an officer that my grandfather would have been proud of.

You’ve heard from his sons, and now it is my privilege to tell you about our grandfather. Well, finally after 6 boys Grandpa got his girls in his grandkids and he liked that. Shonda talks about how Grandpa made her so comfortable the first time he met her with his sense of humour and stories, and I know he always loved to cuddle on the couch with me and tell me stories for as long as I would stay there or until I fell asleep and sometimes even after I fell asleep. His stories whether true or not were always entertaining, and it seemed to bring equal amounts of happiness for him to talk to his granddaughters as it did for his granddaughters to listen.

Now, don’t think Grandpa only loved the girl’s because that just wasn’t true. Scott can tell you stories about going up the roof of the apartment building with him, and sending goodnight wishes and love from their house on signal hill down to Grandma and Grandpa’s. There were plenty of times where Grandpa leaned over to whisper a joke or express the wish that someone would stop talking, but I think Stephen really summed it up where he said “You could always see behind his eyes a wisecrack. He never didn't have something to say; now whether he said it or not was another matter entirely”.

Now always having something to say is a trait that has been passed down through his children and his grandchildren. This idea of whether or not he said what he was thinking is very unique and has not yet come through the gene pool.

I have so many memories of Grandpa that have been going through my mind this week and it’s hard to pick out the ones to share and to hide the ones that will get me into trouble. He always seemed to want to break the rules whether it was going after sweets or talking when he shouldn’t be. He is of course famous for falling asleep at the table and I remember many lunches in downtown Calgary and Grandpa snoozing away while Grandma and I chatted.

I could go into the stories and events involving my grandfather for a long, long time but really what I want to tell everyone is that he was great. It is a good thing, when, as a grandchild I can look back on so many times – his retirement, Easter in Abbotsford, many times in Calgary – and the list goes on – and they are all great memories. Ones that make me laugh, smile and always remember how loved I felt. I am so privileged to be up here speaking on behalf of the grandchildren about a grandparent who evokes grins and automatic story telling of all the crazy things that happened with him around. He used to lean over and whisper “I love you, you know, so Grandpa, you’ll be missed, and your legacy continues in us but most importantly I love you, you know.

Some Funny Moments

2009-11-11T12:39:00.007-07:00

Well, I thought I'd write out some of the funny moments that have happened to me and around me and some even because of me since I've been here.

On the day of my first time as the chapel leader I managed to catch the back of my pants on a chair and tear them. I then proceeded to tell everyone about it so they were aware of why I had my jacket tied around my waist.

In pastoral care class when discussing about an internal process that shows outwardly I said "This rings a bell, I'm just not sure which one"

I brought down the back door of the van onto someones head (accident I swear it)

One of my session mates has an interesting time mixing up words of songs singing things like "High, high as the ocean" or "the world before me, the cross behind me". The last one came up when we were singing the chorus to Onward Christian Soldiers which contains the line "with the cross of Jesus going on before" and I leaned forward and said to her "note how the cross comes before you".

These aren't all of them but a few to start you off. I figure I'll continue this theme as the months go by cause we all know I'll have even more of these moments. I'll also say that any of these stories that involve other people are written with their permission.

Opportunities and Overwhelmed

2009-10-28T16:25:00.003-06:00

This is just a quick update and hello to the world of blogging. I can tell you that as I write this I am taking a brief break from finishing up some of the hundred or so things I have to get done this week, and am feeling a little bit crazy. We've been having a week full of rehearsals with worship teams, creative movement, new songs etc...and that takes its toll as well as sermons to write, orders of service to prepare and upcoming assignments that are due. I can honestly say that even now I have never felt so fulfilled as I do right now. That thought makes me shake my head and wonder about my sanity but even in the moments where I could sit down and cry from my to do list I still feel a certain degree of peace that this is where God wants me to be.

I will be fortunate enough to be able to go to the Olympics in Vancouver come February and that is an extremely exciting prospect. I think it's going to be a wonderful time of learning and experiencing. Seeing the many ways the Salvation Army participates in large events will certainly be good for me.

Today was also the day to find out our Winter Assignments. This is an opportunity for us to participate in the many Christmas activities in and around the corps and other services of the Salvation Army around the country. I was thrilled to find out that I am heading to New Westminster, BC for 10 days and am looking forward to the many opportunities I will have there. I will also be praying for my session mates and the Prayer Warriors as they head into their various assignments.

So, I'm overwhelmed with opportunities here and most days...it's a good thing :).

Family Visit/Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-10-13T20:11:00.005-06:00

Well, it was a great Thanksgiving weekend here as my family all showed up in Winnipeg to celebrate my grandparents 80th birthdays and 55th wedding anniversary. I was very pleased to see my two youngest cousins who I haven't seen since they were toddlers and aunts and uncles who I don't get to see very often. Oh and I got to see my dad too which was okay ;).

As we spent the weekend going from meal to meal I was given ample time to reflect on the many things I have to be thankful for. For family who is close and gets together at least every few years. For being able to go out for dinner and have my choice of food. For freedom of religion that we can all worship Christ together at church, and many other things.

I was of course thrilled to have my family from Calgary all come in....yes all 6 of them drove out, and this made my month. In the past 18 months or so I have spent a great deal of time with them and have really missed them these past two months. Getting to spend two whole days with them really cheered me up. It was very hard to say goodbye but I know no matter what happens, they'll always be there to puncture my ego and remind me of my roots :). Love you guys!!!

Welcome Weekend

2009-09-21T15:58:00.007-06:00

Well, I'm now official. This past weekend was the official march in for the 2009 Ambassadors of Holiness session for the College For Officers Training. I was overwhelmed by the feelings that assailed me as I marched down the centre aisle and was met by the territorial commanders, and as I watched my session mates do the same thing.

The weekend began with a visit to each of the first years condos by Commissioners Francis, Majors Bond and Major Ivany. I was very pleased to see that they are willing to take the time and meet with each of us making it clear that their interest in us is vested and personal. Sunday morning was a chapel service for the cadets and their family/friends and the leadership of the Salvation Army that were in the city. There was an opportunity to hear testimonies from Joyce and Peter and I was given the opportunity to perform a creative movement piece with a second year cadet Elizabeth.

A little bit later in the day was the public service at Southlands where surrounded by members of the Salvation Army from all over we were welcomed into the session by the territorial commanders. The service was excellent with some more opportunities for participation including an interview of our flag bearer and a cello solo.

I was happy to have my Mom and Eric & Gilles there as well as a chance to get to see Fred and Wendy. These are all people who have influenced my Christian walk in many different ways and it meant a great deal to have them there for the two days.

Arrived

2009-08-30T18:05:00.003-06:00

Well, it's yet another post for August, but if I'm going to write about being on my way to Winnipeg I have to write about arriving.

I made it into Winnipeg safe & sound on Friday. I have been spending the weekend shopping, setting up and generally moving in. I am also very fortunate to have a great deal of family in Winnipeg who are not at all mechanically inclined by still got the few pieces of furniture I had put together alright. Also, fortunately with my Dad & Glenda here for the weekend I was able to get out and do any and all shopping required and am now happy to say that I am well set up. I'm sure odds and ends will pop up along the way but for now...I have arrived.

Look for more posts as school gets going. I'm going to try to stick to my minimum of once a month but I am hoping for more as I start all this new stuff up.

On my way

2009-08-27T17:35:00.002-06:00

Well, it's finally here, I'm actually on my way to training college now. The end of a long road of paperwork and steps is glaring me in the face. In a way I'm more excited about this then anything in my entire life. In another way I'm more nervous about this then anything in my entire life. I suppose those both make perfect sense and both are perfectly natural. This is a huge change that will encompass the rest of my life in one way or another no matter how it turns out.

For all that I've been living on my own for 10 years now I've never "left home" and now I'm doing it. I wonder if I'll break down when I realize that I will not be getting back in the van to come back to Alberta....we shall see. I am not the breaking down type of person so it's hard to say.

So here I go, continuing the journey that's brought me this far, and we'll see where the rest takes me.

Farewell Sunday

2009-08-17T08:15:00.004-06:00

Well, I can't believe it, not only has my farewell Sunday come but now it's gone. It was both a really good day and a really sad one. I had an opportunity to speak and I talked about growing up in such a great church. Surrounded by people who love me and have always taken care of me. I have never been and never will be able to say that I have no one there for me and nowhere to go because there was always someone at Glenmore who would be there for me.

That response time was the only time I started to cry during the morning and those who know me will know that crying at all at something like this is unusual but it was a big day. After the service there was a time to chat and enjoy some great desserts and cake. I had a great time chatting with friends and family and getting an opportunity to say goodbye. There were lots of hugs, and laughs and memories. I will always miss these people but I know that they'll welcome me back for holidays, and visits no matter what happens.

I've included some pictures from the day.

My crazy family

My best friends

Cutting the cake

Response time

It may be a rut but it's all mine

2009-08-14T20:11:00.004-06:00

Some people will tell you I'm in a rut, others will say that I am a creature of habit. Personally I say I'm just content. I am the person that tends to buy the same items at the same stores all the time. As I've been moving I started to wonder if they'd notice I was even gone.

Calgary is a bigish city and todays society is not focussed as much on customer service, so I think between those two items they probably won't notice one less customer no matter how regularly I buy items from their location.

I am excited to set up new habits, locations, items and stores in Winnipeg. It never takes me long to hunt up those haunts of mine. I remember when I was working in Australia for 3 weeks and within the first three days I had my routine firmly established. Now if that was somewhere I was living for only 3 weeks imagine if I'm there for 2 years. I might have my routine established in the first day - we'll have to see.

You may have guessed from the above that I'm not exactly thrilled about change in my life so I've been having feelings of extreme excitement warring with my inherent dislike of change. However, in my new quest to be more positive I've been focussing on the excitement and reminding myself that this gives me a great chance to make or break habits that need it.

Packing

2009-07-15T22:33:00.003-06:00

When I was 16-18 or 19 years old I moved around on a regular basis for a variety of reasons. I lived with family, friends and strangers and finally got my own apartment and I've lived there ever since.

During all of those moves I lived out of a couple of duffle bags, and that was it so I don't think I fully appreciated what a pain it would be to do this particular move. In the time I've been here I've not looked through anything. I moved in, nested and have gotten to the point where it may take dynamite to get me to Winnipeg. What I am loving about this is was I'm downsizing but that is not enough to make this whole process completely enjoyable.

Oh well I'm too the point now where I'm almost all packed so I might as well suck it up and get over it ;).

On a sad side note my kitty is moving to BC this weekend and I will miss her very much.

Stampede 2009

2009-07-05T09:06:00.003-06:00

Well, another year, another Stampede. The Calgary Stampede is referred to as the greatest outdoor show on earth and kicks off with a parade on Friday morning and runs for 10 days. The Salvation Army band is the longest running marching band in the parade and I've been marching with them for 12 or 13 years now and loving every minute of it. I started marching with them holding the banner, then moved up to the timbrels and now I march with the band itself. I still enjoy marching no matter how wiped I am at the end. To see the crowds of people, all the kids waving and having fun, and the fact that my weirdest friends are the ones who call my name out when I march :). I don't know where I'll be next summer but I know if I'm not marching I'll feel the loss but I'll be thinking of the group as they go down and I know I won't miss the blisters I always get.

Friday night of course it was down to the grounds to hang out, watch the chuckwagon races which are very exciting, and the grandstand show. This year as I headed down to the grounds from the train station the police were stopping everyone and there were a whole bunch of official looking black vehicles and media. I was very curious as to who was arriving and low and behold it was Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper...very exciting. After that we were allowed to go ahead and I met up with the band and we went into the grounds. I loved the chuckwagon races and even managed to pick the team featuring a Calgary Flame for my pick in one of the heats and the grandstand show was fabulous. Although, I didn't like one particular set of stunts where it just looked like they were going to die, and die horribly.

Saturday afternoon and evening was the carnival, BBQ and concert. There was a HUGE number of people there for the carnival and that was fantastic. I was thrilled to see such a response for a church event. The food was as always excellent, and the program was very entertaining. After the program a whole bunch of us went out for something to eat and to catch up with each other. Fred and Wendy were down from Edmonton, and it's always good to see Wendy unfortunately she brought Fred but what are you going to do? I'm kidding, of course it was great to see both of them.

Well, today ends another stampede weekend and my last as a member of the band (possibly, one never knows), but it definitely ends out my year before heading to college, and it ended on a great note.

Ruthlessly Sorted

2009-06-20T08:11:00.004-06:00

As I am getting ready to move I am going through boxes, bags and other assorted storage items that I haven't gone through in a very long time if ever. When I first moved into my apartment my mother dropped off a large load of things that she'd kept for me and I never went into them. So now I am taking the opportunity and going through all the boxes and I find I am getting rid of as much as I can stand. I am pushing aside that thin streak of sentimentality and tossing aside what doesn't mean the most to me. Now of course I am nothing if not practical, so, I will be having a yard sale, be donating any useful items to the Salvation Army etc...

I have enjoyed seeing some of them items though. I found my grade 6 year book and it still burns me that I didn't press hard enough on the paper so you can only read about 3 words :). I also discovered the reasons behind why I am not allowed to have a library card anymore, and the remnants of my obsession with finding items that had my name on them. What I really love to find are the pictures - which are not going anywhere. Pictures of my dad with...HAIR, and I don't actually ever remember him with hair so it's a big revelation. Pictures of my various uncles weddings, and pictures of me growing up - apparently the attitude was there from day 1.

Now I will go continue to sort, and hopefully toss, but thoroughly enjoy some walks down memory lane.

Here I go

2009-06-01T20:40:00.002-06:00

Well, I may be writing in my blog more often over the next couple of months, but it's hard to say. This month I am obviously because for some reason I find myself compelled to write in my blog and that almost never goes well :).

I am feeling a little tugged both ways right now because there's this massive to do list but I don't want to start some things now because it's too early and at the same time I feel like I'm leaving in no time at all. The best I can do is keep plugging away at the items and the fact of the matter is what is done is done, and what isn't isn't. I can't change that nor would I if I could. The deadline helps me stay focussed.

I've started to come to the realization that oh my goodness I'm leaving this city that I've lived in for my entire life. Leaving a routine that is firmly established and centred around a church that I've been attending since I was 7 years old. No matter how often I reassure myself that I'll see my friends and family for vacation and online it just won't be the same. No more phone calls from people saying they are ont their way to pick me up for a night out...no more "we're going to BP's" and knowing which one cause it's the only one we go to. So, I'm a little sad in and around the thrill of moving forward and doing what I'm meant to do.

Someone asked me once "What do you think when I say home", and I answered Calgary, and they were a bit surprised, but I know that no matter what changes happen in my life, and no matter where I end up this will always be home. Even if it isn't my first answer. I don't think you can ever forget the first place that was truly home.

Now, does the person who asked me that remember that conversation?

Busy

2009-05-10T09:20:00.004-06:00

One of the comments I quite often get from people I socialize with that I met through work is "Wow, you're so busy". I always respond "No, not really" and in the past couple of years that statement was especially true. I was only out generally 2 sometimes 3 nights a week and of course Sundays. This was a huge slow down from someone who growing up considered less then 4 nights a week out a vacation. However, since my acceptance to training college my schedule has completely gotten away from me. Ah well, it is good to be reminded of how to live a filled life and I figure it's good preparation for what will be in my books and everyone elses a very busy lifestyle in a few months.

On the practical side of things I'm going around my apartment cleaning and sorting. I haven't started packing yet although that will come soon enough. The big thing for me is that I haven't cleaned out my stuff in over 5 years. The one thing about moving around every couple of months like I did when I was younger was that I didn't have that much stuff to worry about. Now I'm going to get much closer to that then I have been in awhile.

In other news, my birthday passed just recently and I always enjoy that. This year I headed to Edmonton and enjoyed being a little bit spoiled up there. Of course they do that every time I'm up there so I don't need a birthday but this time I got presents.

Now to reorganize my life and figure out how I'm going to fit in a trip to BC for my cat, packing, moving, moving again and getting to Winnipeg. Not to mention all the smaller yet no less vital things like the fact that I still have to do my day-to-day items like get groceries, go to work and make it to band practice.

Wish me luck, pray for me and stay away the minimum safe distance :)

Who'da Thunk?!?!

2009-04-17T17:45:00.003-06:00

I found out very recently that I was accepted into the 2009 session for Canada's College for Officers Training. I am and will probably continue to walk around in a slight daze wondering if it's real.

I have been talking about going to training college for as long as I can possibly remember so the fact that it's finally here seems odd. I am excited and terrified about the challenge ahead of me as I move forward.

Everyone around me has been wonderfully supportive and I know they will continue to be so and I am always thankful for that. This support makes the challenges ahead seem surmountable instead of insurmountable.

Seattle

2009-03-22T19:42:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm home from a trip across the border. This weekend I went to Seattle for 3 or 4 days to sightsee, shop and relax. I flew to Vancouver, B.C. to meet my mother and then we drove across the border which I have not done for a long time. We stopped at a mall for some shopping and headed into the city to check in and figure out our game plan for the weekend.

I got to see the fish fly at Pike Place market and a couple of those huge US stores that we don't have here. The selection at Bed, Bath and Beyond was something else. I enjoyed some fabulous and incredibly fresh seafood right on the pier and hit up my two fav. stores Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works. I sucked up my fear of heights and went to the top of the Space Needle which was windy enough that I was glad everything was fenced around, but the view was amazing and totally worth it.

I did manage to be sick (and still am as I write this), and of course being me I fell and scraped mself up some. I am now back home and still on holidays for another week or so and am planning on just lying low and getting completely healthy.

Tough Questions

2009-02-22T17:31:00.002-07:00

I've been asked a lot of questions lately that have really made me focus on my faith and where I'm at with it, my life and how I got to where I am, and where I'd like to go. The ones about my life are in a lot of ways very easy. It's not a problem for me to look back and see my pitfalls, my successes and exactly how I ended up where I am in turns of money, jobs, and everything else.

The ones about my faith and where I'd like to go slow me up a little. Not that I don't know the answers but I haven't really had to explain that before and putting it into words has been something of a challenge. Those questions have been good for me though. I have been forced to evaluate myself on many levels and admittedly have not always come out showing well.

Some of the questions have been about timing too and that's not a question I feel I can answer except to say that I believe this is when God has called me to take the steps I'm taking, and ya know even if things don't happen this year that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm wrong. Maybe I do need to do the paperwork, and have the process done this year regardless of whether or not it happens right off the bat.

Well enough about that...I have a busy month in March and I am excited for it. I look forward to seeing some old friends, gaining some more experience in ministry and having some time off of work. I do love vacation even if I don't go anywhere.

Construction Zones

2009-01-30T18:21:00.002-07:00

I seem to have a beacon on me that says please surround with construction. See not that long ago the city undertook a major construction job right at the intersection where my building resides. This caused a variety of minor but noticeable changes in my life and I was glad when the bulk of it was done. However, just as that job was wrapping up a major construction zone started up across the street from the building where I worked, and again several minor but noticeable changes. Well, I no longer work in that building so I thought that I would finally be free of all construction zones when....you guessed it. They are remodelling the entire interior of the lobby of the building where I now work. I just can't seem to get away from construction. I suppose now I will just have to be happy that these projects provide people with jobs which in these times is no small feat.

As for my job it has gotten interesting. Not only the increase and variety of my actual work but also the tense atmosphere due to potential layoffs. I am trying to take it all in stride while praying that I keep my job, and that everyone else keeps their jobs, but it can be difficult to work with that hanging over your head all the time.

I find working with the possibility of being laid off especially daunting because I am saving for training college this year. My application has progressed nicely and I am now finishing up the last of my paperwork. I passed my course with flying colours (for me), and am glad to be finishing everything up. Once that paperwork is done it will just be a matter of patience and prayer, and ya know...I can do those.

Oh, and I also got two new tattoos to my families many varied reactions, but these two should finish it up for me. I can't believe I have 4...it seems like it should be a lot but maybe because three of them are on my back I don't think it's too many.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T16:13:00.002-07:00

So I hope everyone had a phenomenal New Years Eve. I know I totally did. I got to go to the Flames game and watch the Oilers get beat which is always sweet. There were no fights between the teams - some in the stands - but not between the actual players which is kind of unusual for a battle of Alberta. There were a load of oilers fans around me and that made it interesting too. After the game it was off to the church for the countdown to midnight and before I knew it, it was 2:30ish and I was just heading home. I was completely wired from all the pop I'd had to drink and so didn't end up going to bed until 5am. Now I'm off to my annual crashing of the Guy's New Years Dinner - shouldn't have invited me once, now you'll never be rid of me :).

2008 was an interesting year for me. I finally progressed on my training college application, did my very first road trip with my Dad (that I remember), my mother got remarried, a lot of my friends got married, I switched jobs, I preached for the first time and I got to go to the Calgary New Years Eve hockey game. There were loads of other things too but that's just a few of the noteworthy things in my year. It's always a good feeling to look back and not regret the year before and I'm glad to know I accomplished something too.

2009 could hold and will hopefully hold some fairly massive changes in my life including moving out of the city I've always lived in and leaving a lot behind. Even as I get nervous thinking about those changes I am so happy to take comfort in the fact that my friends and family will always be there for me. I have so many "family" members who may not be related to me by blood but have supported me and cared for me as though I was and that's a constant comfort. So a big thanks and love to my entire family - related or not :).

December Ramblings

2008-12-19T19:38:00.003-07:00

Well, I'm happy to say that my intro to officership course is ALL done. My preliminary papers are done, and now I wait. I don't have much of an idea of what to expect in this next phase of the application but I'm enjoying some time to just relax in between phases.

The time also gives me a chance to more fully enjoy my holidays. My new(ish) job gives me from Dec. 25 - Jan 4 off and that is pretty sweet to me. I absolutely love all the facets of Christmas and am excited at the opportunity to wallow in them.

For the first year in a long time I have not had too many engagements. While I do miss the aspect of being out with the band and the fun that I have in those venues I'm liking being home or able to spend time with friends and family.

One of the things that's very exciting to me this year is the opportunity to go to the New Years Eve Flames game. For the past few years it's been a battle of Alberta and that is always worth seeing.

Well, stay tuned for my training college application updates and my other random blogs.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off, Start All Over Again

2008-12-08T09:45:00.002-07:00

The title of my blog comes from the movie Swing Time starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It's very early in the movie and comes when Fred Astaire is trying to speak to Ginger Rogers after a misunderstanding and gets in by asking for a dance lesson. As she's trying to teach him he's pretending he can't dance at all and so she tells him to pick himself up, dust himself off and start all over again.

It's the type of song that sticks in your head and of course you start to think(as I'm sure you're meant to) of how much more this could apply to.

So my advice to myself and all others out there is when you're not sure it can be done, when you've tried and failed give the song a thought and start all over again.

Also, give the movie a shot it's a good one.

Naming Quirks

2008-11-27T08:41:00.003-07:00

I know it's weird but honestly the names of some colours for things like pantyhose drive me a little nuts. For example I am currently wearing a pair that are considered the colour neutral. I ask you - to what skin colour are these neutral. Now maybe I have a little less colour then some people but seriously I don't think most people are this particular shade. One day maybe I just won't wear them as often as I do now but in the mean time I will continue to shake my head.

Now, nail polish colours I need to give them full credit for fun and humour. OPI in particular seem to know how to make it engaging with some names like Russian Navy, Lincoln Park after Dark and Espresso Yourself. Those just crack me up.

Yes, this is a totally random blog and more then a little bit strange but I just wanted to get it out there.

This and That...and the other.

2008-11-05T07:20:00.003-07:00

So for those of you that may not know I'm a reader. I don't mean that in the Firefly/Serenity way but rather in the always holding a book in front of my face way. I always have at least one book in my bag and usually at least three that I'm reading at home. So when books get made into movies or TV shows I almost always prefer the book. The notable exception to that being The Devil Wears Prada. While I do prefer to read the book I will say that several of these movies have been excellent. The Lord of the Rings movies were great to watch and I enjoy them still and found that their discrepancies were for the most part minor and understandable given the transition from book to big screen.

Now there is a new series on television call The Legend of the Seeker. It is based on a series of books by Terry Goodkind called The Sword of Truth series. I have only just started reading this series in the past year and have enjoyed it. However, the tv series so far is drastically different in order of events, characater knowledge and relationship with each other. At the end of the episodes I say "at least the names are the same". I do enjoy the series though so I'm trying to pretend it has nothing to do with the books and just relax and savour the good action sequences and the directors use of a slow motion scene.

In other news:

I am still working through my application process for training college which right now consists of me working on a course. Whether or not I am accepted I pray that God's will be done in every step of the process even if that means I stay in Calgary or if I end up in Winnipeg full time.

I burned the entire length of my finger and it really hurts - this is the entertainment portion of my blog I mean really my entire finger. However, there is a guy that I work with now who is more accident prone then me.

I'm going to Winnipeg for a weekend about officership and find myself standing back and thinking that I managed to avoid Winnipeg for 23 years and now I go back twice this year. My bandmaster is worried about my travelling destinations - Edmonton, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Winnipeg.

I'm hoping to go to Seattle in the spring - stay tuned for updates.

Thanksgiving and other October events

2008-10-13T12:16:00.002-06:00

First and foremost I do realize it's been a long time since my last post...oh well!

I have started my new job and am enjoying it so far. A common phrase from me these days is that I'm living the dream of working less for more money. I'm sure that won't last long as I get more into the job, used to my various tasks and pick up more work. For now though I'm enjoying a bit of a break. The people I'm working for and with are very nice and I'm finding the transition very smooth. I'm enjoying working with Eunice again as that's how we met and our friendship got started. It also makes it a lot easier to start at a new company if you already know someone there. I've also had the opportunity of reconnection with some people from my last job and that's always nice. It's a very small professional world be you in oil and gas, or professional services.

I spent Thanksgiving up in Edmonton with the family and had some great food courtesy of my Dad. I really enjoyed wandering around the downtown farmers market and got a new toy for my cat which I'm sure she'll love and using this toy as a bribe should keep her from being displeased with me for awhile. Yes, the toy has catnip I am a dealer for my cats addictions and have no shame in that job.

I'm taking an intro course right now and finding it interesting....more or less. I think it's a good opportunity for me to remind myself what school's all about and the education mindset I'll need. Some of the units seem to have an inordinate amount of required reading but hey reading has never been a problem for me. Be it fiction or non.

Well, I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Kids

2008-09-01T17:42:00.005-06:00

Well, I find I have to post this story for the humour effect.

While I was housesitting/dog sitting for friends I actually had kids ring the doorbell and runaway. Now maybe this would normally be only a small annoyance and mostly something to chuckle at, caused a small chain of events that made it highly entertaining.

My friends dog ran to the door upon hearing the doorbell and I was not paying attention enough to remember he should be upstairs when I open the door and sure enough when I opened it he was off like a shot. Now he stayed close by and I had his treats so I figured getting him back would be easy and we were well on our way until the little girls cat from across the street came to investigate and well there went the dog. So of course as cats and dogs do they fought and of course the dog lost. Then there followed another spate of running around to catch him and the girls were very helpful and then low and behold two boys walked over to ask how he escaped so I explained the situation as I picked him up and thanked the kids for their efforts and wouldn't you know it as I was walking back to the house behind me I heard "Don't do that again" shouted by one of the boys to his friend and a scared SHHH as they wondered if I heard. I left it alone as hey I can understand wanting to try the legendary prank and really as you read and picture all this can't you see the humour?

Oh and just so you can see this all clearly when I'm lounging at home - you know doing laundry, cleaning, cooking whatever I just wear sweats and a big baggy t-shirt. Now for those of you who are wondering how this is different from what I wear out...it's usually jeans outside the house and shoes.

Oddly enough though this has not changed my desire to not have children ;).

New Job

2008-08-20T19:36:00.002-06:00

So, it finally happened...I am leaving my current job and going back to oil and gas. Talk about scary. I had only just started looking again when they called and very quickly I was hired. Too quickly to me...it's only now starting to sink in. I've been working at this place for going on three years and have made some wonderful relationships that I will miss. The reactions of people as they find out I'm leaving have been very interesting and for the most part incredibly supportive.

There was a senior manager who said he hopes it goes badly so he can recruit me back was very sweet, but the manager who said well see ya then was a little off putting. So I focus on the good ones. I didn't expect this level of support and I guess sadness(?) from people. I will miss seeing a lot of them day to day and discussing my "breakfast" of coke or being teased for my heavy sighs in the morning by one of the partners. I'll miss a fun rivalry with one of the other assistants who says her managers like me better then her and the senior associate who comes by every Friday to do the Happy Friday dance.

I am looking forward to going back to oil and gas which is after all my background and working with a really good friend who I've worked with a few times before. I'm excited to be going back as an admin instead of document control and working for someone who trusts me to know my job and will leave me to do it. I focus on things like building new day to day relationships and keeping the ones that mattered at my old job.

So all in all? I find myself ready and willing for the challenge and glad this came about at exactly this time for me.

Vacation

2008-07-27T16:01:00.002-06:00

Well I don't normally post twice in a month but July was a bigger month than normal for me so here we have it. This year I took 2 full weeks off from work and headed out on my first trip with my father since I was about 18 months old, and you may be shocked but no I don't remember that trip.

Dad, Glenda and I headed off to Winnipeg in the van and I got to see such sights as the worlds largest easter egg...and well...that's about it. However, I enjoyed the drive with all the modern comforts like a portable DVD player, a cooler and several books. We stopped over in Yorkton, SK. the first night and then it was back on the road to Winnipeg.

I enjoyed the few days we spent there getting to see all my family and see some of the sights. A big moment for me was getting to eat a VJ's Drive Inn (their spelling) cheeseburger. I had heard numerous stories about these burgers and it was great to finally taste one fresh from the grill. I will admit on record that it was a very good burger, and I was completely sold on the french fries. They were fantastic all crunchy and good.

We headed back to Alberta on Friday stopping first in Moose Jaw and then they dropped me off in Calgary just in time for a wedding reception. Ashley was beautiful and Nathan looked pretty good too, so my congrats to Nathan and Ashley Beadle.

I had the following week off and got to just hang out at home and relax. I did some cleaning and organizing although not as much as I planned, but I am feeling very relaxed even if I'm not ready to go back to work.

Wedding number three for me this summer was Phil and Amanda's and for a change I went to the ceremony. Everything looked amazing and went smoothly - at least from where I was sitting. The reception was in Bragg Creek and wow was it decorated nicely. Congrats to Amanda and Phillip Waters.

So now I get to go back to my day-to-day life and look back on these lazy days with fondness. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their summer.

Stampede

2008-07-08T07:11:00.003-06:00

As a native Calgarian there is one event I'm always aware of and that's the Calgary Stampede. 10 days of tourists, parties, breakfasts, rodeos, and general fun.

I have always enjoyed marching in the parade once my feet go numb and this year was no different. We set off from the church at 6am which even for me is a little early....admittedly not that early and headed downtown. We hung out on the bus for a long time but eventually got to the band staging area and were able to head down for our pancake breakfast. Then back to the parking lot for our picture and off we went. I was glad it was overcast as this kept us from melting in the sun. It's always exciting to see someone I know along the route and this year I saw several and I've had more come up to me since to say they saw me.

Friday night we go to the grounds and see the chuckwagon races and grandstand show. The grandstand show was phenomenal and I loved the fireworks. It always seems like they're going to land on you but no actual fire (which if you know me you'll realise is a bit disappointing :) ).

Saturday is our carnival, BBQ and concert. So off to the church to enjoy the always fabulous food they have. I do love that beef on a bun. Then we had our program and I really enjoyed the guests. So much so that I decided to line dance right into them during the timbrel drill...never let it be said I'm shy or graceful.

So now I look forward to the rodeo on Wednesday and watching the tourists enjoy this great city of Alberta.