Tough Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.