No. 4 *Love* - Shoes and Socks

I haven't posted a little known "love" for a little while...and I realized as I looked through my iphone pictures, that not only do I love shoes...I love taking pictures of them! These are a few beauties I found!

I love brown. 

Favourites (along with my new flag pants!)

Oh, the classics...yes, I have multiple pairs of these shoes.

Oh, looks like I have multiples of these too!

My beauties.

Hiking sandals! Hooray for Chacos!

And socks. I love them. Nothing is nicer than putting on brand new socks...they keep your feet so warm and cozy and just wrap your whole foot in a soft, tight hug!

Cow print is never too far away in my world.

Yes, I fully recognize that I'm strange. I choose to embrace it.

There and Back Again

I feel a little bit like Bilbo Baggins - There and Back Again

The last feel months have been...Hard? Challenging? Stretching? I'm not sure the correct term. I don't think there is one. They have just the kind of months that you keep putting one foot in front of the other, and hope they lead somewhere.

A couple major things happened. Job Change and Relationship Change. Did you catch the theme there? Change. Have you met me? Exactly. Change. 

Job. Yes, yet again I have changed my profession, or perhaps returned to it. After only seven months at my "new job", I decided to get a "new, new job" much sooner than I expected. There were serveral series of events that led up to the necessity to change, mostly due to the fantastic-ness of my new job. Let's put it simply 1) Better pay 2) More vacation 3) Back to my first "love" of the building/development world 4) Working with one of my best friends, and the real kicker 5) 10 flippin' minutes from home. 

Really, how can you go wrong? The hardest thing ever was telling my boss, after only a few months of working that I was quitting. I felt terrible - like dirt. I was just getting good at my job (sort of) and starting to become useful. It was hard. I truly hope I never have to quit a job again (but then again, I hope not to work forever either....hmmm, me and my skewed logic again). It was emotionally draining to come to this decision and make the change happen. 

I've been at the new, new job for one month and love it. Love what I do. Love the people I work with. Love the commute. I'm so thankful for the Lord's leading in finding this new fit for me. Seriously, so thankful!

Perhaps having too much fun on a Friday afternoon at the office?

Relationship. Yes, exciting. No, not exciting. Boy. No Boy. That's how my spring went. I won't go into more detail. But the emotions of being so excited, and then so crushed is exhausting and so much work...especially in the midst quitting and starting a new job. 

Again, have you met me? I'm slightly emotional. Okay, a lot emotional. If you haven't seen me in April and May, be thankful, because the emotions of all this change were strange. (For those of you who have been part of my past few months, I can't express the incredible thankfulness I have that God chose you to be in my life. Seriously, I'm overwhelmed by your love, care and prayer).

Change. Change has great potential, right? It can be a change for good. Change can make life that much better. If you never embrace change, you can't move forward, can't get better at the things you do or the person you are. But change is scary because it's stepping out on a limb. It's stepping out of your normal to attempt a new normal. You take a risk. And you could fail. You could fall. You ask questions.

So I asked questions. 

Big Ones: Do I take these new opportunities? What should I be doing with my life? Who should I spend my time with? What ramifications will these decisions have on my life in the future? What does my future look like? Do I take this job?

Little Ones: Do I say yes or no? What questions do I ask? Did I say the right thing? Am I too happy? Am I too sad? Do I open? Do I trust now? When is the right time? What do I wear? ;)

Prayer. Never has my life been more full of prayer. It has been bathed in prayer. Saturated. Soaked. It.has.been.wonderful. All the questions - asked of the Lord. And He answered and is so faithful.  

Can I just say that God is real? So real and present in my life. He has given me more grace and direction than ever before. Through every joy, sorrow, love, friend, hug, ache and smile, Jesus has been right by my side. Showing me His immense love for me. Immense. Intense. I am His -- He cares.

I know, this is the most random "throw up" of thoughts...but I look at these moments: 

Job. Relationship. Change. Prayer. 

And I'm so thankful. Thankful to experience joy in the changes. Thankful for the opportunity to grow and be challenged. Thankful for God's grace. Thankful that I can saturate my life in prayer and it makes a difference. Thankful to be pushed (or dragged) closer to Him. Thankful to feel the intense and immense love of Jesus.

 I feel like God has taken me on a journey. There and back again. I don't know where "there" was...and I don't even know where He's bring me "back" to. 

But I'm on His journey. And I love it, because I love Him.

On My Knees

This last months as been full of change. Great change. Hard change. Just change.

I've had some fantastic moments. 

Moments of pure joy and laughter. 

Moments of smiles and awe.

Moments of reveling in beauty and love.

I've also had some ugly moments.

Moments of pain and hurt.

Moments of many questions.

Moments of fear and wonder.

But each moment has brought me to my knees. 

Praising the Lord for His goodness.

Crying out to Him for wisdom and guidance. 

Looking for answers.

Each time, He is there. 

Coming back to me with words of comfort.

Showing me I'm not alone in my decision making.

Bringing me to tears with the people He has placed in my life.

And showing me that I am indeed loved.

Praise the Lord for the things He has done.

Praise Him for moments of hurt.

Praise Him for moments of joy.

Praise Him for bringing me to my knees time and time again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGumE9nkP3o&ob=av2e

Find You On My Knees - Kari Jobe

Things I wish...

Here are somethings I wish about myself, both serious and rather ridiculous and in no particular order:


I wish I could speak another language fluently, or at all! Either German or French.


I wish I would put my clothes away, instead of throwing them on the chair or dresser.


I wish I could ride a horse better...this one is one from a few years ago, when I just told my brother randomly when driving down Deerfoot. He thought I was so strange...but I think this may just change soon. :)


I wish I had a better memory. I've never trained myself to remember things...so I forget anything academic or technical in a heart beat.


I wish I could put together a logical argument. Not even a mad argument. Just a "let me prove my point". Doesn't work.


I wish I loved to exercise.


I wish I was naturally musically gifted. Now before you protest and tell me that I am let me explain. I am talented, because I was forced to practice when I was young. That is it. I think it would be fantastic to have the natural gifting paired with the trained knowledge. So good.


I wish I could sing harmony.


I wish I wasn't an anxious person. I try very hard to really "curb" this side of me, as it can run a little rampant in our family and is so unhealthy. But, sometimes it does get the better of me...


I wish I was flexible...as in my body. I can't touch my toes.


On that note, I do wish I was more flexible and "go with the flow" in my attitude/personality too!


I wish my hair wasn't frizzy.


I wish I was into cooking. I think it would be fanastic to make some amazing meals...but when it actually comes down to making them, I have zero inspiration...


I wish I liked the colour pink more.


I wish I looked good in the colour white. It would be so convenient.


And finally, I wish I were a better writer, making this blog far more interesting than it is.

Rejoice! Don't be afraid!

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7

Wow! You know when words just take on new meaning? That's this passage tonight. God speaking so clearly to rejoice,  and I will have peace. Don't be afraid, and I will have peace. He promises to guard me, my heart and my mind, through His peace that goes beyond all understanding. He does this for me.

What wonder. What reassurance. What Love. 

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your (my) spirit. Amen." (vs.23)

Different than Planned

Luke 8:22-25

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

I had a "moment" the other day....I was teaching Sunday School on this passage. Before, I'd always thought of this passage related back to Jesus question, "Where is your faith?" I thought he was rebuking the disciples lack of faith; them thinking He wouldn't do anything to get them out of this mess.

Perhaps some of the disciples were thinking that He wasn't actually do anything...has a follower, those times are hard. Heart breaking. We cry and stress and wonder where God is. We sometimes demand that He answer. We give Him ultimatums and suggestions on how He can help us.

But this passage goes deeper than that, I've realized. I think that most of the men in that boat were probably thinking that Jesus just wasn't helping them with their plan. They wondered why they He was sleeping and not helping them shovel water out of the boat. Why He wasn't helping them tie down the lines? "Master, we're going the drown." -- Aren't You going to help us?! We are having issues!

Jesus didn't need to help them bail the boat. He didn't need to help them tie down the lines. He had better plans. A bigger plan.

So often in my journey of faith I've been like that. Waiting for God. Give Him nice suggestions how how to bail me out. Mad that He hasn't shown up. But He has a bigger plan for me. He's not helping me with my plans...because His are greater. Later often, but greater.

This is a truth I've known and talked about before, but never seen in this particular and very real story. It doesn't mean that He won't help me along the way or doesn't care that I'm going through hard times. But His plan is bigger, His ways are different. 

I'm holding a bucket, and He's got the whole storm in His hands!

NYC with the Fam - January 9-15, 2012

Being in NYC with my mom and brother was pretty awesome also! It was a different experience than when I was there in 2008 with my best friends. This time we were right in Manhattan, in a fancy hotel. So we could hop back and forth from the street to our room, and back from dinner, etc. That was great.

Our room, two block north of Times Square.

Reid and I did lots of walk for the first two days before Mom got there. Lots.of.walking. Up and down Madision and 5th Ave. Going in to fancy shoe stores (for Reid) and amazing department stores. We hit Madison Square Gardens for Rangers game too, which was great!

M&M Store - super expensive, but have you every seen so many?

We found a little taste of home!

Does your library look like this?

At Madison Square Gardens. The guy beside us heard me say one sentence and asked where in Canada we were from. I guess the accent is really that obvious!

A shoot out win by NYC made for a pretty exciting game!

Look up - waaaaaay up.

When Mom got there we headed to Soho for more shopping (my kind of shopping!). Managed to snag an amazing leather jacket from this designer store. It's a long story, but basically, I went into this model store (you know all those clothes you wonder "Who would every where this?" from the runway...that store) and there was this sales guy in a fur poncho. Yep, dude with a fur poncho took me under his wing (literally, it looked like he had wings!) and made it his mission to find me a jacket. I ended up in the basement of this store where people were drawing and sewing all these strange clothes, and me in a fantastic jacket! It was great, but a little crazy!

Subway adventures

On top of Empire State - a tad bit windy

The last half of the trip I spent in rehearsals, while Mom and Reid checked out tourist-y things, like NBC Studios, 9/11 Memorial, Statue of Lib, Ellis Island, The Met, etc.

We managed to hit Wicked and Mary Poppins on Broadway and don't even get me started. Unreal. Amazing. So cool. *fingers wiggle above the keys trying to come up with words that will tell you how great it was* Yup, that good.

At the Gershwin Theatre for Wicked - So good!

Upside down, no flash, self taken family photo...awesome. 

Grand Central Station

Before we headed off to our second show (Friday night), we all went to Ellen's Stardust Diner. This is where many aspiring Broadway performers work and sing their way to Broadway.

Reid's not a huge fan of Mary Poppins, so he headed over to the Phantom of the Opera to enjoy his own show!

I couldn't get over the theatre, the sets, Bert dancing on the roof, and Mary flying off the stage. I still can't.

Uh, my only picture of Carnegie. Lame. 

After the show at Carnegie, we all went on a boat cruise down the Hudson.

 I did some major photo editing on this, just so you can see that I was actually there (um, my family is terrible, terrible at photo taking...therefore, I'm on the right of every self portrait!) 

Yup, finally a family photo!

 Our last day, the Sunday, we went to the Brooklyn Tabernacle. It was a fitting way to end our time there. I'm so in love with church that sing, truly sing, and don't hold back in there worship. It was great!

Again, no photos of the actual church...sorry!

And that was NYC, until next time. ;)