SEASPONGE IN A BLENDER

I have yet to make plans for my summer, well that's not entirely true. I still don't know what I am doing for work and summer school, etc. I had things almost all worked out. Then this bible study/outreach thing came up in June. I changed my plans so that I could go to this thing in Vancouver. I even had someone offer to pay for me to go so I thought this was what God wanted me to do.

Now I find out that it's cancelled due to low registration. I am a little confused as to why they decided to cancel it a week before the registration deadline, I am sure more students would have signed up now that exams are out of the way and they can focus on summer plans. I am so disappointed. I was really looking forward to it.

Now I feel like a seasponge that just went thorough a blender. I was all happy in the way things had shaped up. Then things got chopped to pieces, now I gotta try and rebuild from scratch. I can't go back to the way things were planned before this Vancouver thing came about. I've got to try and figure something new out. Hopefully God has something up His sleeve because I have no idea.

I REALLY MUST BE GOING

My Flames lost last night. Oh the pain... I didn't expect them to make it past the first round, I was expecting a game sevem though. They aren't a good team, they are a team with a good goalie. The Flames get out shot all the time, and Kipper keeps them in the game. He made 53 saves last night, Hasek only had to make 20. That's ridiculous. Anyway, because they are out of the playoffs now I had to remove the flags that were on my car.

So as I was getting ready to go out and run some errands I sadly removed the flags off my moblie shrine. As I was walking around my car I noticed some guys down the street in suits with leather bound books in their hands.

"Must be the JW's or Mormons trying to spread the 'good news'" I thought.

They saw me and started walking towards me. "Drat!"

I started moving a little quicker so I could get into my car faster and avoid the unwanted confrontation.

"Hahaha! Beat them."

Now I was sitting, safely in my car and reached across into the glove compartment to get a new CD. When a sat up again to put the CD in I could see them standing right be my door crouching down and looking in my window. I turned the other way so that they didn't see me laughing.

"You've got to be kidding me. Why me? I am in my car, obviously I have somewhere to be right now so don't bother me."

I should have driven away. I wish I had, why can't I just be a jerk sometimes? My obvious attempt at ignoring them didn't deter them so I rolled down the window.

"Hi there. Blah blah blah." I didn't hear most of what they were saying, I tuned them out, it was like the teacher in Charlie Brown.

"No thank you. I have no intention of abandoning my Lord."

"Where are you off to? Where are you from? What church do you go to? How long have been attending that church? etc" Really none of there business.

Then they started telling me how after the apostles died there was no one to lead Christ's church and there was confusion about what was right.

"That's why there are so many churches out there, confused and teaching different things" They explained.

"Oh you mean like you guys?"

"Well no, you see we have the right path. In 1800 something Josef Whatever... blah blah blah?"

While I wish I could have heard why they think 1800 years after Christ some guy was able to find the "right" path amongst all the "confusion" I really had to go. So I told them I believe in my Saviour and I have no reason to doubt my faith and change teams. They handed me this card, which I wouldn't take.

"Would you consider taking this and calling this number if you find sometime that you are looking for hope and love."

"No thank you, my hope is found in the Word of my God. I have no need to go outside of the Scriptures.

"Well could you take it and give it to a friend who may need hope and assurance?"

"No. We differ significantly in our theologies. If I don't want your brand of truth, why would I want to give it to my friends. That's like selling Fords, but driving a Chevy (stupid Alberta redneck analogy. Grrr!). I gotta go."

I should have asked these guys where they got their perma-smile implants.

BITS & BITES

So this last week has been super busy. I've written 4 exams (only one more to go!) and have been trying make decisions about summer and next year and life in general. Here is a brief overview of my life at the moment...

Decisions...
- Be a part of the IVCF executive next year? I don't the know what to do, the "L" word scares me a little. (Leadership)
- Go to Vancouver for a week of study and serve? It sounds like a super sweet and intense study of the book of Mark, but it's gonna cost money.
-Summer job? I got one that I am really excited about but things aren't working out as well as I had hoped.
-Go back to school in the fall? Right now I am pretty frustrated with some things, and I hate having a student loan. Maybe I should work for a year and then go back.

Good stuff...
-I wrote my analytical chemistry final yesterday. I will never have to do another chem assignment, lab or test again! Lord willing.
- Global Day of Prayer is coming!!! We have a spot and a time, West Portal Church at 7pm, May 27th. Sooo excited! Here's a link to a link to the promo video. Click here.
- The Flames managed to show up yesterday, now the series is 2-1. If they can turn down the suck when they are on the road they might have a chance of winning the series.

Not so good...
-When I left the house this morning the weather was fine. When I got to school and had to walk three blocks to where my exam was it started pouring rain. I had to write my exam in a slightly dampened state. That's okay, maybe I'll start a new fashion trend, the wet dog look.

What you really want to hear,

Awkward and Embarrassing...
-I somehow managed to clip my nose in my hair straightener. Don't ask because I don't even know. Nice little red mark now.
-A couple of days ago, before I went out shopping etc, I only shaved one armpit. Again, don't ask. It is really nice out so I was wearing not a full out tank top but a shirt that you could definitely see my armpits if I was reaching up to grab something from the shelf at the grocery store.
-Yesterday I hadn't had breakfast before my exam. The gym was silent of course, and my tummy started growling. But it sounded more like some other bodily function. I think the people around me thought it was that other bodily function.

FRIDAY THE 13th

I think today may have been the best Friday the 13th ever. It was an absolutely beautiful day outside, especially for Saskatchewan. It was about 15 degrees outside, with only a mild breeze (as opposed to the typical blow you away wind). You know what no wind means? It didn't smell like poo outside! I could open my windows with complete freedom. I wrote a rather enjoyable exam today. I was able to answer every question. I am a little worried though, it seemed too easy. And physics is not supposed to be easy. They give you 3 hours .to write but I finished in about half the time. Then to finish my day I went to the prayer room for another one of our 24-7 weekends. It was wonderful. Now I must do my dishes, I haven't done them in over a week. Hope everyone had a happy Friday the thirteenth!

I'm glad the week finished good, yesterday I woke up to about 2inches of snow on the ground, wrote a test that I think I failed and then witnessed a slaughtering, 4-1 Detroit over Calgary.

FAREWELL MY DARLING...

Today on the joyous occasion of my birthday I am mourning the passing of something that I will never get back. My darling youth. That's it. It's gone. Today I turned 22. I am fully adult, I can no longer hang on to the excuse that I am in transition between child and adult. I am grown up (or at least I should be). Now it won't be long until I am over the hill. Sigh.

And what better way to start the day then to wake up with sore achy joints and muscles. (caused by one part old age, one part having a cold and one part playing with a bunch of young whippersnappers in the church kids room yesterday)

In other news...
Check out this mini-vid of GDOP last year. It is a little long, about 13min but please take the time to watch if you can.

So two and a half hours later and I still can't get the video on my blog. Drat!

But you can see it at on the Edmonton website here.
Or see a shortened version here.

It's not to late to get your church involved. It doesn't have to be big and fancy like some of the ones in the video, just get together and pray!

HAS THE CHURCH GONE MAD?

My church here in Saskatoon wasn't having a Good Friday service because they were doing a musical and were doing several performances throughout the weekend. I felt like a heathen not going to church on Good Friday so I went to the church across the street from where I live yesterday. It's a pretty big church. They have one of those big choirs with the robes and a super enthusiastic pentacostal preacher. I had a really hard time looking past one small detail. The pews were hot pink. Not just pink or bright pink, they were the very definition of hot pink. Somewhere between highlighter pink and magenta. I had a hard time seeing the pastor because I was being blinded by the pews. It was especially bad when we stood to sing because there were not butts sitting to cover up the colour. What was the designer thinking I wonder? The rest of the church was a regular grey and blue kind of theme. If I was putting in pews like that I would have thrown in some shag carpet and lava lamps.


I went to the Easter production at my church tonight. It was pretty good. The dude (and I mean that in every sense of the word for reasons I will explain shortly) playing Jesus did a realy good job. He was in our Christmas play too and he is a really gifted actor. There was something about him that just didn't fit though. He was from California. And like a stereotypic Californian (hense the "dude") he had blond hair. I have never seen a blond Jesus before. It was a little strange for me. He did do a fantastic job though. Playing Jesus can't be easy.

Sidenote: I am listening to Casting crowns second album for the first time. They write great lyrics! I just heard a line that epescially stuck out to me from the song "While you were sleeping."

"United States of America,
Looks like another silent night,
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies,
That save the trees and kill the children"

Sad but true.

THIS EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTERS P, M, AND S; AND BY THE NUMBER 7

So it was just one of those days today. I guess it really started last night. Instead of complaining about it I am going to try and find the good in it. So here goes...

I am thankful for the noise the drunk, vulgar young adults living down the hall from me were making at 2am because it means that my I did not lose my hearing when my ear drum ruptured last semester.

I am thankful for the 4 hours of sleep that I got, because it is more than 3.

I am thankful that I woke up on the wrong side of the bed because I had a bed to sleep in.

I am thankful for the fact that I woke up at 6 am to look good and get organized this morning because I had a job interview.

I am thankful for the notes that my teacher put up that were wrong, and for the email that he sent 10 minutes after I printed out 12 pages saying that there were errors, because it means that I get to go to university.

I am thankful for the painful, bleeding blisters that are on my feet because it means that I have nice shoes to wear.

I am thankful for forgetting the notes that I printed because it reminds me that I am not perfect thus keeps me humble.

I am thankful for walking around with green frosting across my chin because it means that I had free cake.

I am thankful that I had to stand in line for 20 minutes at Zellers even though there was only two people in front of me because it means that I was able to buy band-aids.

I am thankful for feeling like artillary shells are going off in my ovary because it means that... it means that... uh well I... um... hmmm

Well, by about noon I stopped counting my blessing and had a minor emotional breakdown for about two minutes.

(For those of you who may not know me as well, I am really not a grumpy, pessimistic person I was laughing through it all even when crying)

Oh, and what would you do in the following situation.
You just had lunch and really need to brush your teeth before the interview that you are running late for. You accidentally drop your toothbrush where a lot of bacteria builds up. What do you do? To brush or not to brush, that is the question! Note: no mouthwash or gum is available.

Here's an equation everyone can appreciate. You don't have to be in the sciences to be able to solve this one.

SKIRT + WIND = __________