Saturday, May 28, 2005

I know I'm behind the times, but...
I GET TO WATCH THE 2 HOUR ALIAS EPISODE TOMORROW AND THE SEASON FINALE NEXT SUNDAY!!!

Today has been one of my more productive days off. I read a couple chapters in "The Jesus I Never Knew" and tidied up my room this morning and did some yard work / gardening this afternoon. My hands hurt.
I am really looking forward to going home. I think I'm going to see if I can book a dentist appointment for that Friday morning. This summer is the last time I am covered by my mom's dental plan and I like our dentist, so I wanna get it done there while I can.
(Sad, I know, but I started the countdown today). 84-96 days till I can return to Eston for another year! (Depends on when my last day at work is. I'm going to try to get to the Staff Retreat, but we shall see).
Well, I'm hungry. I'm going to go see what's happening with supper. Adiós!
Sorry this is so long. I tried to post it on another site, but could not. I don't want to lose it, so I figured I'd post it here.

Well, this is the second time I have worked on this, so we shall see what happens. Hopefully a bunch of this won't get deleted again. (Ha Ha! It deleted the whole thing this time, but I learned my lesson and copied it before doing anything! Third time's a charm???).

I know I was supposed to have been working on looking at myself, but that hasn't been going so well. Thankfully God has been gracious enough to give me a topic to focus on, which will inevitably make me take an honest look at my life: Pride. I hate pride! It is a form of self-protection that deceives even ourselves. It is the battle of all battles. It goes right to the core of each of us. Pride was the cause of the fall of man and continues to be the barrier between us and God.

It is late and I am tired, so I am just going to leave you with this list of some verses that deal with pride and humility. Please note that I have narrowed this list down to 23 from 177. Some of these I will edit at a later time so as to include my thoughts on some of these verses and my reason for using them.

2 Kings 22:19
Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD.

2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 12:7
When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the LORD came to Shemaiah: "Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.

2 Chronicles 26:16
But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.

2 Chronicles 34:27
Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD.

Psalm 10:4
In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

Psalm 25:9
He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

Psalm 101:5
Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.

Proverbs 8:13
To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 13:10
Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

Isaiah 13:11
I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.

Jeremiah 13:17
But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the LORD's flock will be taken captive.

Jeremiah 49:16
The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle's, from there I will bring you down," declares the LORD.

Daniel 10:12
Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.

Hosea 13:6
When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.

Matthew 23:12
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Romans 12:16
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. [ Or willing to do menial work] Do not be conceited.

1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Philippians 2
[ Imitating Christ's Humility ]

Philippians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Friday, May 27, 2005

4 WEEKS TILL I'M IN ABBOTSFORD!!!

I get to go home for a weekend. I booked my flight today. I am so excited!!! I miss my family and friends.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths."

Monday, May 23, 2005

[Edit: This entry did not take the direction I thought it would. I almost didn't post it, but I believe it is good to post, at least for me if no one else.]
It is very rare that I remember my dreams, so I am a little disconcerted with the fact that the last 3 teams I have slept, I have remembered my dreams, and they have been about death. These dreams have been about the death of family members, friends, and myself. I don't like it. It hurts too much to even think about. However, it is good because it helps me to face reality and causes me to pray more. And as I pray for the different situations and think about how I would respond in the face of such a tragedy, I am learning more and more what it means to trust God and to give the people I love so much over to Him. During these times, I am also reminded of the wonderful people He has brought into my life, of the times we have had together, of the memories we share. There was a point when I did not know if I could or would want to live without some of these people, but I have grown in my dependence on God, and, while I know that I will be hurting very deeply if they die before I do, I know that I will make it through, that God will be there, that He will be faithful then as He always has been. I do not want any of these people whom I love so dearly to die before me, but I know that it is a possibility. If I were to give up on God during such a time, the relationship I have with these people would have no meaning because these relationships are from God and He has challenged me greatly through them all. There are a at least 3 families I know of whom I would say they have gone through Job-like trials and have reamined faithful to God. I look up to these people. I respect them greatly. I am encouraged by their faithfulness. And I can only pray that if I am struck with as much tragedy or less tragedy than these people, that I too will remain faithful to my God.

Friday, May 20, 2005

Whenever I drive to and from my morning job, I pass 2 Tim Horton's. This morning as I drove by the first one, there were vehicles lined up into the street. I decided I would blog about either the craziness of so many people wanting Tim Horton's or the lack of space for vehicles to line up. As I continued on, I passed the 2nd Tim Horton's...same situation. This got me thinking of how often I used to go to Tim Horton's and how I had only been to one since moving to Calgary and that it wasn't even one here that I went to...I went to the one in Strathmore on my way back from Eston last weekend! I drove to work, then cleaned a house on my own (1st time). I was so hot, sweaty, and tired when I was finished!!! So on my way home, I stopped at the bank to put my pay check plus $50 on my visa, then stopped at the Tim Horton's closest to home. I think I have found one of my favorite meals! I got a Toasted Chicken Club sandwich combo with a medium icecap and a boston cream donut. I should have gone for a large icecap though...especially after this morning's hard work! I was almost finished the icecap by the time I got home! But, man, that Toasted Chicken Club was so good! One thing I lean towards when ordering at restaurants is a clubhouse sandwich. It's been one of my favorites for many years. I often compare restaurants based on their clubhouse, and I do not think I have had better than the one I had today! Anyways, I'm not getting paid for this advertising, so I'm gonna stop now. Gotta get my stuff together for work for tonight. I am so excited for the long-weekend! I don't think I've ever looked more forward to one in my life! I might be getting off work early again tonight, I get to hang out with Coralee this weekend, I get to see the Spain team, Kristin's staying over for the weekend, and we might be going to Calaway Park on Sunday!!!

Thursday, May 19, 2005

I was reading Genesis 18 yesterday and found something that I am not too sure how to take. It says, "The Lord appeared to Abraham...." "Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby." The options I came up with are: the 3 are Jesus and 2 others, Abraham fully recognized the Trinity, Abraham recognized God through the men, the 3 were representatives of God, or something else. After I kept reading, it seems as though the 1st option works the best, but what do you think?

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Well, I have started another job. So now I am working approx. 9am-1pm (cleaning houses) and 4pm-12:30am (data entry) M-F. I need to take naps in between, but it's all good. I finished early tonight though. I am very happy. And I am also happy because I don't have to work at either job next Monday. God has been blessing me left, right, and centre since I have come to Calgary. I am constantly amazed at how He works and how He provides. Well, I guess it's bedtime. Adiós!
Man, that pride! Gets me every time!!!













Your Deadly Sins



Pride: 40%

Greed: 20%

Sloth: 20%

Envy: 0%

Gluttony: 0%

Lust: 0%

Wrath: 0%

Chance You'll Go to Hell: 11%

You will become famous - and subsequently killed by a stalker.

Friday, May 13, 2005

2 things that came out of my conversation with Coralee last night:

1. Re: my last post, Coralee brought up the fact that the ground must still be cursed or else there wouldn't be weeds and thistles and what not to deal with.
2.We talked about some previous conversations and it made me realize, yet again, how much I love just sitting around, talking with people, asking each other random questions.

Well, off to work, then off to Eston! Adiós!

Thursday, May 12, 2005

I was reading Genesis 6-8 this morning (the account of the flood) and I noticed something I had not noticed before:
In the middle of 8:21, God says, "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood."
So in Genesis 3:17, God curses the ground because of Adam, but under Noah it is no longer cursed. That's what I got out of it this morning anyways.
Well, off to work. Have a good day!

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

For some strange reason, God won't stop talking to me about discipline :P

I was reading an article called "Soul Building". It's on the disciplines of freedom (abstinence, simplicity, and stillness), fortitude (meditation, prayer, and reticence), and focus (stability and worship).

In this article, the author explains what each discipline is, reasons why a person may want to practice it, what it looks like in practice, some indicators that a person might need the discipline, and how to get started.
Throughout the article, the author uses Scripture and teachings from some ancient desert Christians as further reference for each discipline.
The author's aim is to teach people about the disciplines and to get them to seek God to find out which discipline would be best to do for now.

That's one of the exciting things about this article. The author shows the disciplines to be a blessing, not a burden. And he assures his readers that a person can follow through with the disciplines with God's grace, that it is good for a person to observe each discipline in moderation, that not everyone's standards for discipline should be the same, that we shouldn't judge people in their discipline, and that it takes practice to build these habits.

Monday, May 09, 2005

I love my job :) Hopefully I'll still feel this way in a few months. I'm cleaning houses. I like to clean...It gives me a sense of accomplishment and purpose. And my boss is really cool. She's there, but she's not hovering. I really like her standards...I will enjoy working for her. She said she likes how I work and wants to give me as much work as she can. And it'll be pretty easy to get time off when I need it, so that's good. And I'm being paid as a contractor, so I don't get anything taken off my checks! And (man, with all these "And"s I sound like Mark in the Gospel he wrote) because for the most part I'm done around 1pm, that leaves plenty of time to work at another job. I have an interview at 5pm on Wednesday at London Drugs for a cashier position.

My eye won't stop twitching...it's been happening since yesterday morning! DOGGONE NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP!!!!!

Anyways, I'm hungry. I'm gonna go have lunch. Adiós!

Friday, May 06, 2005

I GOT A JOB!!! (Thank You, God. And thank you everyone else for your prayers). It's a P/T cleaning job (houses and offices I think) working for a lady who went to FGBI. I start training Monday morning. So strange how things work out for me.... Most jobs I have had are not ones I have applied for, they've been through connections. This one is no different. I find it so weird how I can apply at so many places, yet the place I get a job at is not one I applied for. Oh well. God is good.

I was talking with my mom tonight and she mentioned the possibility of me becoming a psych nurse. Strange timing for her to bring it up, considering my last post. But we actually had a good conversation tonight. And I got to find out a characteristic about my mom that I didn't know before and one which makes me see some of her in me, which makes me happy. Anyways, I will be looking into becoming a psych nurse, but I definitely don't want to rush into anything!

Coralee and I are going to hangout at Cara's tonight! I'm so excited!

Please keep Charissa and Cassandra's mom in your prayers. She's got cancer (they just found out on Wednesday) and she's going in for surgery on Monday morning. And please keep the whole family in your prayers. Thank you.

Thursday, May 05, 2005

HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY TO MY MOMMY!!!!!!!!! (Not that she'll ever be on a computer to read this).

I am still looking for a job. Things seem like they may be picking up.

I either need to stop having a fascination with people (their behavior and the ways they think) or else use this fascination to do something productive.

That's enough for now. That last post was long enough to last a week!

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

I am so tired of applying for jobs. I don't want to anymore. I just want to wait for the calls to come back. I'm sure I'll still keep looking though. I have an interview at Kelsey's at the airport tomorrow and another one with Diversified Staffing on Thursday. Maybe I'll get one of these jobs and then I won't have to look anymore!

I had quite the (unintentional) tour of Calgary today...I was taking my car in to get it fixed this morning, but I missed one of my turn-offs, which just happened to be the last one for a really long time. I eventually got turned around and took the right exit, but apparently by taking the exit on this side, I had already completed some of the directions I was following. So there I was, driving along, looking for a road to make a left turn onto, when lo and behold I end up in Chinatown! Now this wasn't so bad...it reminded me of Vancouver. And it's not the fancy new part of the city, so I got to see some of the older, cool looking buildings that I like so much. I ended up stopping at this park to look at my map and realized that I wasn't too far away from where I needed to be. So I got it all straightened out and got my car in. Now, what should have taken me about 15 minutes to get there, took me a little over an hour. The guy at the shop gave me 2 transit tickets...one to get home and the other to get back to my car. He showed me where the C-train station was and sent me on my way. I got off the C-train and proceeded to the bus. I wasn't sure if I was... (woah. déjà vu. sorry. anyways)
...supposed to take the 79 or the 80, but thankfully there were some nice people there to help me out. I got home and awaited my phone call. Now, I've been told it's not that bad (the price I had to pay for my car), but when I have no income and have to rely on an already high debt visa, $300 is a lot. However, my car is working SO much better now! And as long as I get a pay check (or a reasonable amount of money God ends up dropping in my lap) by June 8th, I'll be able to make it.

I got to play badminton with Coralee last night. I had so much fun! I haven't played since either early high school or else elementary school, but it's all good 'cause we were just trying to see how long we could rally. The most we got to, however, was 31. That's not that bad, but I think it could have been better if we didn't have the ever changing wind. It was good to be outside though. And Coralee had a period of time at school when we would just goof off playing pingpong and foosball and the piano and what not. We hadn't done anything like that for so long. It was nice. I think I'm getting old though...after diving a few times and getting nice grass stains on my jeans, I didn't have the energy to keep it up. we still played for a while, but I just had no motivation at times.

I want to watch a movie again. I watched First Wives Club last Wednesday and Sound of Music on the weekend, but I wanna see something else. And it's kinda frustrating 'cause I don't enjoy movies as much when I don't have my close friends (or more specifically my close movie-watching friends) with me when I watch them.

I really miss school...everything about it. The people, the assignments, the small town life, the challenges, and the encouragement (though I still get these last 2 via msn, email, previous notes, and God).

Hm...I'm talking with a friend on msn right now. Our conversation has brought to mind the frustration I have with not feeling like I'm being honest with myself...like I don't know myself. I know a lot of people find freedom and themselves when they journal or whatever, but I do not. Or if I do, it might be once a year. But usually this is as in depth as I go. Arg! God, please help me!!! I am always so different than everybody else! I don't want to be the same as everyone else, but I don't want to be as different from them as I often seem to be! Do I? ... I often wonder if I should go for counseling to see if there's something that is stopping me from being honest with myself. But I mean, I've asked God and He hasn't seemed to have thought it important for me, so I don't know.

Anyways...I've gone on long enough. Adiós!

Sunday, May 01, 2005

These are so beautiful, I just had to post them to share them with the rest of you :)