"We" - Joy Williams

She's independent and beautiful
Wish I could be like her
She's got the girls and the boys
So wrapped around her finger
Rumor is, she's some kind of dream
Nobody knows she cries herself to sleep

We are not that different from each other
We just want somebody to discover
Who we really are when we drop our guard
That love has gotta start with you and me
We

He's on the top of the social scene
He's stylish, cool and clever
He's gotta cool attitude that screams
He's got it all together
You'd think he's addicted to himself
But he wishes he could be someone else

We are not that different from each other
We just want somebody to discover
Who we really are when we drop our guard
That love has gotta start with you and me
We

Gotta come together
You know you never ever have to be alone
You gotta hand to hold

We are not that different from each other
We just want somebody to discover
Who we really are when we drop our guard
That love has gotta start with you and me
We

Blogging out of boredom

So... just waiting to take off to visit family... which was supposed to happen about 45 minutes ago... so now I have nothing to do and apparently eveyone sleeps the morning away these days... haha Ok, maybe not... maybe they just don't hang out on msn waiting to see if I need to be entertained while I wait for my family.

Anyway, here's a cute picture of bored kids. I especially like the little guy with his yawn and double chin. Is anyone still reading this? haha! It's funny how I just might possibly think people CARE if I'm bored! I think I'm important enough that everyone will read my "bored" blog... haha! Ok, I'm done now... Have a good week!

Boxing Day Sales....

I don't even know where boxing day comes from or what it means... but whoever turned it into a day where everything is much cheaper, was really smart! What other day would absolutely everyone in North Bay head to the malls simultaneously, as soon as they opened?! Ok... maybe not everyone... but a good chunk of the population! I mean, I had plans to go. As a student, how could I not go shopping on the one day that you can get things for so cheap?!

However, my plans changed. I just happened to be reading the chapter on money in "Blue Like Jazz", which totally ruined my intentions of hitting the sales! I might regret this later, when I buy things full price. But, how could I really justify buying things I don't need? I always wish that I had more money so I wouldn't have to thinkk twice about having enough for school. But when reading the book last night, I realized that if I had more money, I'd then still want more money. I pictured myself with a grea deal of cash and wondered what I'd do with it... if I thought about it honestly. To be completely honest, I'd probably start with myself... pay off my student loan, buy a new wardrobe... I don't know exactly... but I'm starting to think that maybe God has given me a gift by leaving me with only just enough. I have be spared some difficult decisions as a Christian. I haven't become materialistic because there hasn't been the opportunity! I have grown up without being spoiled and really appreciating smaller things in life. God has also given me the opportunity to develop faith! Instead of worrying about money coming in, I can choose to totally put it in God's hands and have the certainty that He will always come through for me! There has never been a time when I didn't have something I needed.

So yeah... I'm glad I read that chapter when I did.... even though I was a little annoyed with Donald Miller for awhile....

Today's the Day!

That we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ! You know, it's hard to remember what this is all about. It seems that even as we try to focus on Christ, it still seems like the world has taken over and taught us that this is all about presents and junk! But really... yeah... anyway, I don't feel like saying much right now,... you all know what Christmas is supposed to be about. It has something to do with keeping the capital C on the holiday! well, I made that up kinda... well, it's from a song.. but I think I messed it up.. ok I'm done. haha!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!!

Home!

Home at last! And loving it! Even though it's been so long, I can't find my way around the kitchen and I have no idea how to use the microwave here! I mean, one would think it's pretty explanitory. You press the button of the thing you're putting in sometimes. But who needs their food so hot that it takes 2 minutes and 40 seconds?! And how do you know what power level to put it on if there's no button labelled with the name of the food you're putting in? Like... um... hotdog... how much does a hot dog need? Why is there not a hot dog button?? haha!
Anyway, I'm happy to be home. Hopefully I'll keep up with this... I hardly know what to do with myself! So much time! So much to do! Ah!!

So if I'm not talking to some of you in the next few days....Merry Christmas!

True Story

Whatever version you may hear of the following, know that what I am about to reveal is complete and utter truth, lacking no details, straight from my heart. Even this innocent face did nothing to sway them. My encouragement only seemed to incite their wrath all the more. It was a sad, sad night.

It was a slightly breezy evening in Caronport, Saskatchewan... Janet(that's me) was feeling rather cooped up and wanted to get out. However, being a woman of good upbringing, she would never bring herself to actually ask Dave Siverns to the point, as he was who she was currently corresponding with on msn. But Dave kept hinting... saying he wanted to go to the point, yet didn't know what to do there and didn't have any buddies around at that time. So Janet kindly gave him the option of learning the wonderful game we like to call "slaps". Of course she invited Benny along as well, as he mentioned not having alot to do and, he didn't say this but, he was going to miss Janet since she was so soon going home to Ontario. The slaps game began... as did the torment of Janet.

The tormentors came as a bit of a surprise. Dave says he struggles with sarcasm... feels it's too "mean" and Benny... well, can you see Benny hurting anyone? His name is Benny! Yes, I was shocked as well. The games began normally. I won twice, yet they still wanted to continue playing so I accomodated them. Who am I to stop them from learning from a pro? That is when the cheating began. Using "power in numbers" and brute strength, they began to continue in their own form of the game, not heeding my pleas to "be fair" or "stop cheating". They were devious, using scripture out of context(yeah! I was abhorred as well!) just to beat me! I did my best, trying to work around their cheating and cruelty. As they brought me down in order to build themselves up! How they could take such advantage of an innocent slap player was beyond me.

I even found it difficult to be angry since I'm such a laid back person. Despite their threats and complaints and painful slapping that was harder than necessary. I was able to do little beyond smile as cards were stolen from me and thrown in my face time and time again. As my second last night in this place before going home for Christmas, it was rather trying... Benny and David, I will keep you in my prayers over the holidays. Perhaps one day we can play again.....

P.S.-

You all better keep blogging over the holidays!! Oh... and, by the way, do you have any idea how easy it is to do dishes now that you're gone and Ann eats at Darrens?? haha!!! jk

Not full quad, half quad...

Alas, it has finally happened... the first parting of quad. This is a sad experience, considering the three and a half months of joy. However, it's also of mixed feelings the four of us part, as we have been waiting in expectation to be reunited with our sorely missed families.

Jacquie- This bundle of joy departed from us early satruday morning. I believe she woke me up at 5:45am before heading out into the windy death-trap that is usually called winter in Saskatchewan. She called at 7:45am from the ditch, jovially explaining that a tow truack was called and she was still heading on her way to Winnepeg. She finally arrived in Winnepeg 11 hours after her original departure, tired, but excited to be almost home. We will miss her dearly! There is already a hole where she used to be and we keep thinking we hear her in the hall!

Chantal - She left Ann and I on our lonesome at 4:45am. She also very excited to go home, yet her face looking somewhat similar to this picture in which she burned down our gingerbread house. I have no story about her trip, as she has not yet contacted the remainder of the quad. We can only hope that she made it safely to her destination of Moncton, NB.

Personal Note: Chantal! Are you ok?? Let us know! We've been anxious all day! Oh... and Benny told me you cheated at Cranium! I've asked Gwen to give you hours. She said you have to bake the whole floor cheesecakes.. haha We miss you!!

Um... yes... that's me. A portrait of beauty, I know. haha! Anyway, I am the lonely one sitting the the quad missing the others. I've got another couple of days before my plane heads out from Regina to return to North Bay, ON. Bah! I can't wait! I want to go home!! And at 6:40am on Tuesday December 19, I shall do just that.

Christmas... this wonderful holiday that shall consist of FAMILY, friends, food, smallville, sledding, and... um... a necessary haircut? No, Jacquie, I can't see beyond my bangs! And yes, Chantal andLeith, I have two eyes! haha!

Ann- last but not least, we have Ann who leaves later on Tuesday after being a dear and driving me to the airport so early! Thanks! She is, I believe, excited to go home to Abbotsford, BC, which is hopefully warmer than here! She also gets the luxury of travelling with her boyfriend Darren and having such a short flight! Lucky Bum.... I guess that's to make up for being the last one in the quad... which gets quite boring without the four of us together! By the way, Ann, your picture is small cause it wouldn't let me put in the big one! No offence!! It is my pleasure to spend the remaining days here with you! Although, you're not even here... you're at Darren's.... haha Oh well...

So, there you have it. Down to half quad... and soon down to no quad. A sad, but necessary time in which we will enjoy our families and come back ready to start a new semester!! I will miss all three of you!! Keep in touch!!

Tragic Fire Destroys Home

Janet Nicholson

Local News- Thursday, December 14, 2006 - Updated @ 1:56PM

Armed with oven mits, Chantal Gibson rushed to try to stop this disaster from happening. It all began at 3:03PM as Gibson was working nearby at her computer. She had put a piece of the gingerbread house in the microwave to soften it for more functional consumption. Apparently the gingerbread was forgotten until the smoke began rising from the electronical device. When asked what happened, Gibson answered, "I dunno... I just jumped to my feet, ran to the microwave and it was smoking!"

The damages were devastating and the remainder of the house had to be knocked down and carted away, as only the front wall remained standing. Thankfully Gibson sustained no injuries and needed no medical attention. However, the gingerbread owners of the house were not to be found.

He Came Upon a Midnight Cold(-40!)....

... took over our lives, bought me chicken, made fun of me, then had the audacity(yes, I just used that word) to demand a blog in his honour! :) Which I will do gladly...

So, back to the beginning... our friendship (of sorts) began through his wonderful sister. She brought out the family picture(to prove her heritage) and we saw two... um.... how do you say it on msn?..... nice-looking brothers. Of course we(Jax and I) did the extremely girly thing and each picked which one we were going to marry. I hesitate to admit this... but yeah, we definitely flirted with these two boys through his sister... I mean, really, we never expected to meet them. Then Leith decided to visit. Talk about awkward! Haha! But he's great so I quickly got over my awkwardness... and now we're getting married!!! ....... haha! Just kidding! (That was just a little comment to freak out my mother if she reads this).

Ok, yes he DID beat me in slaps!

But we're still friends!

That is... until he started making fun of me again!

But overall, we had some awesome times!

So, there you have it, Leith! A whole bog about yourself! Are you happy now?! haha! We miss you! And we think you should come here next year! :)

How to Alleviate Exam Stress Janet Style:

During this busy time headng into the exam period, I think there are things we can all do to keep the stress levels to a minimum. Here is a list in no apparent order:

1. Eat as much chocolate as possible.

2. Clean your quad/room. This makes studying easier and gives you no excuse not to.

3. Be sure to sing at the top of your lungs at every opportunity.

4. Laugh, laugh, LAUGH!!

5. Laugh more!!!

6. Take wierd pictures of yourself and post them on your blog.

7. Visit the computer guy at school and ask if you can spend 5 minutes watching people on the security camera.

8. Go find a security camera and wave to the computer guy.

9. Walk by every practice room at Briercrest and make faces in the windows.

10. Spend an hour talking to your quadmates about your first impressions of each other.

11. Take up knitting.

12. Avoid asking someone you've never met to the Christmas party.

13. Convince someone you're stalking them... then tell them you're joking(but are you?). :)

14. Go to the point and play slaps.

15. Laugh with your friends!!! (yeah... as you can see, laughing is an important part of staying un-stressed!)

Makes you think....

Rich Young Ruler

(vs. 1)

poverty

is so hard to see

when it’s only on your tv and twenty miles across town

where we’re all living so good

that we moved out of Jesus’ neighborhood

where he’s hungry and not feeling so good

from going through our trash

he says, more than just your cash and coin

i want your time, i want your voice

i want the things you just can’t give me

(vs. 2)

so what must we do

here in the west we want to follow you

we speak the language and we keep all the rules

even a few we made up

come on and follow me

but sell your house, sell your suv

sell your stocks, sell your security

and give it to the poor

what is this, hey what’s the deal

i don’t sleep around and i don’t steal

i want the things you just can’t give me

(bridge)

because what you do to the least of these

my brother’s, you have done it to me

because i want the things you just can’t give me

Take Note:

This is just a little note to those who may actually pay attention to my blog. As you may have noticed, I was bored so I changed the colour. However, when I did that I lost all the blogs of my friends on the sidebar. So, if you would like yours to be put back on, please let me know! I'd love to keep track of your blogs, which is why I put them there... so I can easily click and see if there's anything new. So, let me know!

Best Birthday EVER!!

I know this is a little bit late. My birthday was actually November 13th(those of you who didn't know, take note for next year... haha jk). However, due to computer difficulties, everything has been made a bit more difficult, including blogging. Anyway, enough of that and on with the story...

So, little did i know that I had no longer gotten to Saskatchewan, but my mom was already plotting a birthday surprise! I had no idea.... I hoped for a card and a relaxed evening with my friends. Little did I know, as I was preparing a few goodies for a couple hours during open dorm, what was going on in The Well!

My mom had sent money and cards and stuff to Amanda who then got my roommates involved. So as I was going around inviting my friends to a quiet evening... they were going around plotting against me. I could mention the many lies: Chantals VERY long walk by her melancholy self (really a trip to Moose Jaw for supplies in which Jeff's car broke down making them hours late!); Mel not being able to go to the airport with Amanda to pick up her friend(a ploy to get me out of the way while they set things up); or the biggest lie of all: Chantal going to a little get-together for for worship team in The Well, which she really didn't want to go to but had no choice and needed help carrying food over to(the part where they get me where they want me and then shout "Surprise" and then I cry when I find out that my parents were behind it!)

I can't possibly include every awesome detail, or enough pictures to give you the proper idea of how great it was! But I'm pretty sure it was my best birthday party ever!! Thank you to my parents for getting it all started! (It meant more than you'll ever know to me!) And thank you to my friends here, especially Amanda, Chantal, Jacquie and Ann, who pulled it off amazingly! I had absolutely no idea and it meant the world to me. Thank you to the rest of my friends here that showed up! I love you all!!

Oh! And I'm now anxiously awaiting my present! A Brian Reagan DVD and CD! How amazing is that?!!! Thank you all!! We will all enjoy them together I'm sure! (Or maybe you'll just get sick of me quoting them! haha)

Seeking God

O God, teach me to seek You, and reveal Yourself to me when I seek You,

For I cannot seek You unless You first teach me,

nor find You unless You first reveal Yourself to me.

Let me seek You in longing, and long for You in seeking.

Let me find You in love, and love You in finding.

- Ambrose of Milan, 339-397

Long Live the Bean?

So, I got to thinking the other day about my future in life. I'm sure you know how it is... You get to November, everything is due at the same time and discouragement sets in. Questions start to pop up in your head. Questions like: What is my goal in life? What am I going to do when I'm done school? Where is this taking me? Why on earth do I work at a place that is spanish for "long live the bean"?!(Viva Bica) and sometimes Will I be the one "keeping the bean alive" for the rest of my life?? Some days it feels like that.... Like today when I dropped a bottle of cranberry juice on the floor and it shattered. Or the time I almost charged a guy $33.95 for his chips and pop! Or the time I took some guy's money and wondered why he wasn't leaving until he asked me when he was going to get the chocolate milk he paid for!!

So, my questions are still not answered. I don't know what I will become in life or where my schooling will take me. But this one thing I do know.... at least I have moved beyond my longing to spend the rest of my life going door to door selling chocolate bars.

Wow!

So, it's been an incredible long time since I posted! I apologize to anyone who's been getting incredibly bored waiting for me to continue on with my dramatically exciting life! haha! Kidding of course.... but anyway. Actually, right now my computer is out of sorts which leaves me to rely on kind quadmates. So this isn't an official post. This is just a promise to be up and running again soon. However, if you click here you will get a really funny take on some of the things we've been up to lately! Plus, you'll get to meet some of my friends! We're an "interesting" bunch.

There's a beautiful pic of me, just to add some "colour" to the blog! (I use the word "colour" very loosely due to the fact that I'm obviously ery white and am wearing a black t-shirt!)

Good Quote!

I found this quote in "The Jesus Creed" by Scot McKnight(great book). I think it was written by Mother Theresa and it has really spoken to me. I think the big thing I got out of it was the importance of prayer and how it can really affect your life!

The fruit of silence is prayer.

The fruit of prayer is faith.

The fruit of faith is love.

The fruit of love is service.

The fruit of service is peace.

Wow. If it were only as easy as it sounds written out in simple little sentences.

The Janet Section

Good Day blog readers!

For those of you who might just happen to take a look at the comments section of my blog, you'll notice the request of a gentleman who really wishes I had included a section on myself in the former blog, introducing my room mates. A strange request, I would think, considering the whole of this blog is really about me. However, I always want to accomodate people and I will now honour his request.


Janet -room mate to Ann and quadmate to Jacquie & Chantal

Janet is an "interesting" individual who enjoys music, sports, games, laughing and many other things. But on to the important part. Yes... Janet IS single (And the crowd cheered) !! She prefers men who... well... I'll be frank. She prefers men who are basically perfect in every way. So, if you think you fit this description, feel free to try to contact her and make your case. However, she's enjoying being single, so it might be a waste of your time.

(Note: This is just a joke intended to make people smile! Are you satisfied with that, Pat?)

My quadmates!

So, I guess this is a bit delayed since I've already been here for over a month. But this is a post to introduce my new room/quadmates! For those who don't go to Briercreat and, therefore, don't understand the terminology, I will give a definition:

Room mate: A person who resides in the same bedroom as another person.

Quadmate: A person who shares the same living space, but not the same bedroom.

So here are my room/quadmates!!


Ann- Roommate

aka. Coralee, aka. The Phantom

Ann is a bright student in a so-far-undefined-possibly-music program. We enjoy her company when she's around, which is infrequently due to a long-term relationship. She likes to sing, play the piano, do dancing exercises with Madria, and hang out at Darren's house. She also has a weakness for cinnamon buns.





Jacquie - Quadmate

Jacquie is a fun-loving girl who likes playing soccer and listening to country music. She is currently single and likes tall, athletic men. She is also responsible for the brown stain on our kitchen carpet, which is quite unrelated to her appreciation of art.







Chantal- Quadmate

Chantal is an expressive girl, full of energy(especially after a dose of Mr. Noodles). She is also single, and prefers men under 30 who are passionate in their relationship with God! She loves to sing, especially in the bathroom and, speaking of bathrooms, she is a very open person, willing to talk about anything and everything.

OUR LOVE FERN!

"OUR LOVE FERN! YOU KILLED IT! YOU LET IT DIE! ARE YOU GOING TO LET US DIE?!"

Haha! Just kidding! (Ok, for anyone actually reading this... this blog is basically for Sabrina's sake... so you can stop reading... or try to understand if you want... which isn't likely... but you can try)

So, as you can see, my poor plant is not dead... however, it looked MUCH better when I first got it! Yes, I do still water it. But there is the odd brown-looking stalk. So, I truly apologize... but.... well, remember when I bought that fish? I think it lasted a week. And remember when I told you about the 3 frogs I once owned? The first one got eaten by another one. The second one ended up nice and crisp under my little sister's bed. And the third I took pity on and brought back to the store. Well, yeah.... my track record with live things isn't doing so great! haha!

But here's a new blog for you! Does it meet up to your standards?! haha!

I miss you, Sabrina!!

What it means to truly LOVE...

So previously I posted about the "love of my life" here at Briercrest(which was obviously a joke if anyone didn't catch that... haha). However, this is unrelated to that and is something I've given some very serious thought to, lately. My thoughts are not completely gathered on this so it might be choppy, but I'll give it a try.

I've always struggled with the idea of being taken advantage of. Ok, that sounds wierd... but let me continue. But first here's an example(this is NOT a real story!): Lets just say that one day I bought this new car. It wasn't an amazing one, but it was new to me and really necessary for me to have. Then one day I hear about a need. Someone desperately needs to go somewhere and has no way of getting there. I know that I don't have time to take the person, yet I do have the car. So, thinking this is something God would want me to do, I lend the person the car. It comes back ok and I feel like I have helped someone. However, fast forward to a couple of weeks later. This person comes to me again. The need to go somewhere isn't quite as desperate. In fact, the person probably could find another way. However, I had let the person go once so it was easier for him/her to ask again. It's a fight within me, yet I can't find any reason to say no...... except that I feel taken advantage of.

This brings me back to my former point. Again this is a completely made up story and I don't have a car(sadly). Maybe it wasn't a great example, because cars are expensive and usually if ppl need to go somewhere we drive them. People sometimes "take advantage" of situations. I probably do so myself, although I really hope I'm careful not to. But the point is... how come it is so difficult for me to lend my stuff or let people take advantage of me in other ways? I think what it comes down to is pride. I hate to say this, but I'm so proud that it drives me crazy to think that people can take advantage of me. I never want to look like a fool. I never want people to think they can "put one over on me". However, what does Jesus call us to do??

Proverbs 25: 21,22 says "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you."

Now, you think the burning coals is something that hurts the person. However, I learned somewhere that people used to carry coals in baskets on their heads so it was easier to make fires when they would stop. However, sometimes their fires would go out and they would have to go ask for some coals from someone else. Therefore you'd be heaping coals on their heads(in their baskets). You might not want to do that. But our reward is not here. Whatever the situation is, we are to help people. This may involve being taken advantage of. Someone may be using you for something material you have. Someone may be using you for some emotional reason to fill a void in their own life. There are tons of different scenarios where people might be taking advantage of you, whether they realize it or not. And we are to feed them, clothe them, befriend them as well as we are able. Therefore my pride has no place. I am to be a fool for God, for that is what it means to truly LOVE others.

Gratitude

I think this is an incredible song about how God provides for our every need. Joy (my little sister) brought it home and played it non stop! And I would just laugh at her and say 'yeah, yeah... good song'. Then when I was on my way out west, I finally actually listened to what the words were saying.... There I was, scared of being so far away and one my own, having no idea how I was going to pay for the full year.... Yet, I had so much to be thankful for! God had already provided for me in so many ways and has continued to do so as the weeks have gone by.

One thing I am extremely thankful for is my amazing family! They have all been such a big support to me, especially as I was getting ready to come to school. So this blog also serves as a big THANK YOU to them! I love you guys and miss you like crazy! Thank you for always being there for me! I know I don't express my gratitude half as often as I should. But, again, I love you all more than I can say. (I'm gonna publish this before I start crying!)


Gratitude -Nicole Nordeman

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead
And if we never taste that bread

Oh, the differences that often are between
What we want and what we really need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace

But Jesus, would You please . . .

Contentment

Bible school has forced me to really think about where I'm at in my spiritual life. There's so much on my mind that I don't even know where to start in dealing with it. However, what comes to mind first is the idea of contentment(This really doesn't have much to do with what I've been learning here... but it relates a little). Anyway, before this summer, I felt like I was always looking forward... almost waiting for something exciting to happen. I was looking forward to such things as: finishing highschool, going to camp, meeting "Prince Charming", etc... However, this past summer I finally realized that I was no longer doing that. It was incredible to realize that I was finally LIVING in the moment! I was completely content with what was happening in my life. I wasn't counting down the days to finish my job, even when it was stressful. There I was... I felt like I had finally reached something long sought-after. It was amazing! Yet I was scared.... What if I lost that feeling? I had no desire to go back to being discontent and living for the next good time. I didn't even want to go to sleep, when I first realized it!

Well, it really didn't take long for me to get over the anxiety. I realized that now that I had more control over it now. I still got down, but I learned to realize that I could be unhappy about something, yet still have joy deep down because I had God in my life and God is amazing!

Ok, now I'm going beyond that. So, I've had a couple months to live in the contentment. I love my life right now. I love Briercrest! I love my new friends! And I'm having an awesome time! You could say that I'm content with life. Things couldn't get much better right now, right? That's what I thought anyway.... however, now I'm not so sure. Yes, God wants me to be content with life. But that does not mean I can sit there and just enjoy life! God pushes us to do more than that. I can't just think that I've finally "arrived" so I can relax. I still have so much to learn..... My goal now is to push beyond the contentment and genuinely seek God's will more than ever before. God's plans for me are bigger than my own will ever be! So, how about I let him be in charge? :)

Dear Mom and Dad,

How are you doing?? I just thought I'd drop you a little note to tell you how I'm doing. I LOVE BRIERCREST!! This place is awesome! And it has the cutest guys, too!! Ok... I'm really just writing this cause I really wanted to tell you about this new guy I met. He's such a great guy! We have such deep conversations. We like all the same music.... he's even in a band. It's called "Pierce". Very cool. So, I'll just describe him for you. Don't be judgemental, though. He's an awesome guy! Ok, so he's got dreads.... red ones. (A very nice shade of red I might add. Really matches his complexion). And he likes to wear a little bit of makeup. But don't worry, it's very tastefully done. And he may have a piercing... or two... or a few really. But mom, remember what you said about not judging by appearance?? I'm just going by what you taught me... Oh... and he likes to wear those dog collar things... but not all the time. Sometimes he doesn't.

Anyway, I'll include a picture for you. So, that's about the most excitement for me at Briercrest so far! I'll let you know how things go....

Love, Janet

PS- Here's the picture


PPS- Do you mind if I bring him home for Christmas?

Saskatchewan vs. Ontario

Ontario
Saskatchewan


Yeah... the difference is fairly obvious! So, I wont bother continuing this post. :)

Relating to People

Ok... so this blog is experimental... as in, I have no idea where I'm going with this and I totally confused the last person I tried to explain it to. But here's another shot.

Lately I've thought alot about how I relate to people... especially male people. (Haha!) I was thinking about how frustrating it is sometimes to have good, meaningful relationships with guys, without being seen as flirting with them or having an interest in more than just friendship. So this led me to thinking about how guys and girls relate in general. I've often noticed that girls will hang out with guys when they know they are available... and vice versa! However, that might quickly end if they find out that this person of the opposite sex isn't available. Does this make any sense?

Well, my main point is (and I actually got this mostly from a friend!) God did not make guys and girls solely to look at each other as potential mates(or whatever you want to call them)! I believe that we should consider the opposite sex as we would a brother or sister. If God has plans for you to become more than that, He will make that clear to you. That doesn't mean we can't have crushes.... who doesn't?! haha! However, for myself, as a single girl, I don't want to walk in to every situation and look around to see which guy I might be interested in! I think God intends us to befriend everyone and lift each other up. The rest will happen in due time...

So I hope this made sense... let me know what you think.

LOVING IT!!!!

So, I think my last post has been up there for far too long!(sorry, Sabrina, I forgot to update! haha!) So, I thought I should throw out there that I really haven't been depressed for the last two weeks! Bible School is awesome!!! I love getting to go to chapel all the time! I love starting class with prayer and scripture! I love getting scripture memorization for homework!! Crazy! so yeah.... I don't have internet yet... so I can't do pictures... but I'll be back soon!!

Melancholy

Here I sit.... at 1:00 in the morning (don't believe the time at the bottom... it's not set properly)... contemplating life and feeling a little bit blue. I don't know why really. Because I'm actually quite excited to be going away to school and having new adventures. Yet here I am, wasting time instead of sleeping.... eating crackers and cheese whiz... which wouldn't even be necessary if I'd just go to sleep! No one's even up for me to talk to.... haha

Ok, I'm being a dork! But I guess I'm just feeling the loneliness set in already. I know I'm going to be fine and I'm going to love school and meet tons of people. But the transition time really sucks! I'd love to run back to camp and hide! I'd even take another week of working with PAT over this thought of the unknown just around the bend. (That was a joke, by the way)

Anyway, I'm gonna go to sleep and stop thinking....

Goodbye Camp... Hello Briercrest!

Wow... it's hard to believe the summer is over. It went by so quickly! I must say it's been quite an interesting summer. There's no way I could actually describe it in a few sentences so I wont even try.

So, now I'm off to school. I leave for Saskatchewan in about two days and I'm not ready at all, but it'll happen. I find myself with very mixed feelings these days. I'm excited, yet nervous. I feel like a wimp 'cause I'm older than most kids that go away to school for the first time... but I think part of it has to do with the fact that I can't just come home whenever I want. The price of flights definitely prevents that! But anyway, it'll be quite the adventure and I'll be fine once I settle in!

Anyway, enough of that. Hopefully I'll still have time to continue on here... hopefully I'll be able to afford internet, actually! Ok... I'm done....

The Bible is SO Cool!!!

And what sticks out to me today in coolness is the story of Rahab! What an incredible story! How come I didn't notice before how interesting it is?? For one thing, I love stories where a "girl" does something daring! Like in Lord of the Rings where the girl kills the big giant thing that couldn't be killed by a mortal man, or however it went. I love that stuff!

Anyway, back to Rahab. I don't think I ever took a close look at her role before. It was just a part of all that Israelite stuff. They marched around the walls, the walls came down, Rahab was saved.... cool. But, no! What Rahab did was so brave! It must have taken guts to hide two spies that had the city terrified! Then she defied the king of Jericho, who probably could have had her killed. Then she told them exactly what to do to get away safely, trusting that putting that cord in the window was going to ensure she lived out the week! What faith it took to believe in a God that was never even presented to her in glowing terms. (By "a" God, I mean "THE" God!) And to top it all off, even though she was previously a prostitute, she ended up in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

So, I don't think my brief explanation does the story justice, but read it for yourself(Joshua 2) focusing on her role in the whole big picture. I don't think I would have been as brave as her!

I Love Me!

Okay... so maybe that sounds a bit arrogant. But I've been thinking lately about all the time I've spent over the years being dissatisfied about who I am. We are told from a very young age how we're supposed to dress, how we're supposed to look, and how we're supposed to act in order to be accepted... in order to be good enough. I've done my years of trying... that's highschool for you. So now I've decided that I love me! This is the way God made me... this is the way He wants me.... He has a plan for me! He will continue to mold me, but my basic personality and character will stay the same. So I could spend my life wishing I were more witty or more beautiful or more anything.... or I could be happy being the person God meant for me to be!!

Here is my favourite song by BarlowGirl:

Mirror

Mirror, Mirror on the wall; Have I got it?
'Cause Mirror you've always told me who I am
I’m finding It’s not easy to be perfect
So sorry, you won’t define me
Sorry, you don’t own me

Chorus
Who are you to tell me
that I’m less than what I should be?
Who are you? Who are you?
I don’t need to listen
to the list of things I should do
I won’t try; I won’t try
You don’t define me; You don’t define me


Mirror I am seeing a new reflection
I’m looking into the eyes of He who made me
To Him I have beauty beyond compare
I know He defines me

Money: Could we live without it?

Although, I'm not incredibly concerned that I'm thousands of dollars short in the amount of money I need for school, I must admit to a little bit of apprehension. It's not easy to go a couple of provinces away from home knowing full well you don't have enough to make it through the year. Being at camp helps to keep me from spending what I do have. However, when it comes to thinking about things I'd love to have (ie. a digital camera!) I get a little frustrated about my lack of funds. Why does it seem like our whole lives revolve around money? I'm not suggesting that we dwell on it every moment or that it's in any way the most important thing in our lives. That would definitely be wrong. But if you think about it, money is a rather big part of our lives. Without money, we can't eat, we have nowhere to live, we can't be formally educated, we can't get clothes, we have no transportation, and, in some places, you can't even use the toilet without sticking a dime in! I am personally tired of adding up the numbers and seeing if I'll have enough for school. I'm tired of thinking about things I'd like to have and wondering if it's okay to buy them or not.

All this was going through my head the other day as I contemplated buying a digital camera. My frustration about money led me to wonder if I could ever live without it. Would it be possible to spend a year or even a month without using any money? (And living at your parent's house doesn't count!) I don't know if it's right to "test" God like that. And it's not likely that I'll ever try out this experiment that went through my head. But I'm sure there have been people who have had to live from day to day wondering where their next meal was coming from. Or wondering if they would be able to buy new clothes to replace tattered, holey ones. It would take such incredible faith to go from day to day trusting that God would provide.

In conclusion, I'm not a big fan of money.... I'm thankful that God continually supplies me with jobs, even before I really look for them! And I've determined not to "worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself". I'm also thankful to live in such a wealthy country. Although, sometimes I think it would be easier to live somewhere where I had only to think about buying food and clothing and not digital cameras and internet time!

My Glorious Time Off

This past Wednesday and late into Thursday, I took some time off. Pat was very, very, incredibly, very jealous but I know he would want to know EXACTLY how much fun I had which is why I am contructing this post.

I started out on Wednesday with two great friends in a nice, comfortable, beautifully black(matches with every outfit) Honda Civic. We drove for a few hours before coming to my cattage, which was wonderfully free of people. It was incredibly relaxing and I could do whatever I wanted without thinking the phone was going to ring. Dinner was especially and wonderfully free of phonecalls. After dinner my good friends and I had a relaxing boatride in my grandfathers boat and still the relaxing hours stretched out ahead of us. Then we played Axis and allies(actually we jumped on the trampoline but I figured if I said we played Axis and Allies, Pat would be more jealous). We continued on our night by singing songs around the fire. This gorgeous girl that Pat would really have been interested in came over from a nearby cabin to play guitar for us (really it was a cute guy... but don't tell Pat). We ate smores and other delicious foods before slipping out to our tent to play..... SLAPS! (currently Pat's favourite card game). I slept on the trampoline for half the night.... which I know Pat has been dying to do for ages. Too bad he didn't get the opportunity. The next morning we slept in as long as we could. Too bad Pat had to be up for breakfast here at camp. Then we headed out on our way to a destination that is beyond all destinations. This is the climax of the whole story, since this is what Pat would have enjoyed the most. Within the hour, we were well on our way to...... GALILEAN!!! Yes, we went to Galilean. We saw all the old sights and smelled all the old smells. It was an incredible experience. I must mention specifically seeing Ben and Randy, since I know Pat would enjoyed seeing them. Too bad he missed out. He would have loved it. Did I mention how much Pat wanted to go see Galilean? Well, it was alot, that's for sure. So we spent many a blissful hour there at Galilean before heading back to camp, having spent 33 hours doing whatever we wanted and being responsible for nothing and having no phones to answer.

So, yeah, overall it was a great trip and Pat really missed out. That's really too bad..... But here is the link to pictures from past summers so that Pat can remember all the great times and people.... and wish he could go to Galilean, too.

http://http://www.cssm.ca/galilean/photos

Summer 2006 Norland Quotes

"I've been thinking your necklace is a jellybean ALL day." - Pat

"You only play Slaps so that you can put your hand on mine." - Pat

"You are SO smart!" - Janet (to Pat)

"Ahhhhh, Ahhhh, Ahhhhhh!" -Jesse (in response to a single shadfly in the car)

"I'm Vesper Rock" - Alex

"I'm really blogged down" - Doug

"Cellphone....mashed potatoes...." - Pat

"I ate 5 chicken burgers and 4 pieces of pizza!" - Gilligan

"I'm not Canadian... I'm part Jamaican and part Torontarian." - Ty (camper)

" Just like in real soccer!" -Jesse (playing fooseball)

"That's disgusting!" - Gilligan (maintenance boy)


*Stay alert for more to come... the summer isn't over yet!

Blog (for lack of title-ing capabilities)

It's been awhile since I've written. It's not easy to have time for blogging when you're working at a camp. And then there are times when the internet just isn't available. Like when a tornado touches down 10 or 15 minutes from you and you take cover in the basement and don't have power for 3 days and run a full program with only a small generator that rotates between giving you water access and keeping your fridges cold. I could continue... but I'm more interested in a topic that has interested me lately(interestingly enough). Haha! Ok, that was a geeky sentence...

It's funny how we can read through the bible and learn something different each time or miss something that you would have thought to be significant. For example, on two different occassions lately I have heard about Paul having a "thorn". Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:7 "So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated" Read the surrounding verses to get the context, but from what I understand, Paul was afflicted with something to keep him weak and dependent on Christ. I find that so interesting because there have been so many times that I've asked God to take away my weaknesses(or my own thorns). I've thought in the past that I could do so much more for Christ if I wasn't insecure or shy or scared of new situations. There are many things about myself that I would gladly have God take from me. However, I have come to see that God made me exactly the way I am for a reason. If I wasn't scared of new situations, I would probably go into them without asking God for help. If I wasn't shy or insecure, I wouldn't see the ways God has worked in my life to put me in positions that I don't feel equipped for! And so, I would love to say, like Paul, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor 12: 9b, 10).

Shopping

It's taken me awhile to realize this. I've spent years trying on clothing. I've spent years wandering around malls looking for clothing that is cheap enough so that I wont feel guilty. I've spent years trying to be trendy and rarely ever succeeding. And I've finally come to the conclusion that guys are SOOOO lucky!! They can get away with wearing the ugliest clothes possible! They can wear the baggiest clothes and not look like they're wearing their grandfather's clothes. They can wear the same clothes for years and no one cares! Oh, to be so carefree! Haha!

Anyway, this post is for any girls that might stumble upon it and be as frustrated as I am about trying to fit into a world dominated by fashion and being "in". First of all, modesty is more important than any of us realize as girls. I could give you all the reasons about guys being visual and not making others stumble. However, I think the reason that many girls miss is that we should have more respect for ourselves and our bodies than to just flaunt them for everyone and anyone to see. Many girls long for love so badly that they'll do anything to get the attention they want. But they don't see that by dressing inappropriately they aren't really drawing the right kind of attention. Girls, don't follow the world's standards of beautiful! Here are the lyrics to a Barlow Girl song that I think is great.

Clothes

Clothes aren't what they used to be
They don't seem to fit you and me anymore
Modesty is out the door
Flaunting what we've got and more is in
Yeah it's in

They're saying
Don't ask why just wear what we say
You'll look like a model if you'll only obey
To get the attention, just do what we say

Pay so much for clothes so small
Was that shirt made for me or my doll?
Is this all I get?
I looked so hot but caught a cold
I was doing just what I was told
To fit in

We're saying let's ask why
Don't wear what they say
Don't want to be a model
They can't eat anyway
That kind of attention will fade with the day

Clothes that fit are fine
Won't show whats mine
Don't change my mind
I'll be fine

Anyway, I'm done with this for now. And by the way, this post is without a picture for very obvious reasons.

The Truth

For those of you who have read Pat Sutherland's post, you may be aware of a certain story involving a telephone call for both of us. There is Pat's version, then there's the truth. I am here to tell you what the true story is.

It all began downstairs where Pat and I had just played a game of fooseball (I believe I had won, since I usually do). Suddenly, a guy came to the door and said "Pix(my camp name), you have a phone call.... Oh, Rubix(Pat's camp name), you have one too." So, after a 2 second delay of our minds trying to figure out how we had a phone call at the same time, we both took off running. I headed the back way that started away from the direction of the phone, then up 4 "half flights" of stairs, then through the dining hall(dodging tables), then through the kitchen(not a good place for running), then through the door, before turning into the office and making my way past bulky chairs and a person. Pat, on the other hand, headed staight down the hall in the direction of the office(with no obstacles), up the 4 "half flights", through a door, reached over the desk, grabbing the phone one millisecond before myself.

And so... yes, I did lose the race in a way. But if you consider the disadvantage I had, it's entirely understandable. Plus, there's one more bit of information that Pat neglected to mention. Jen(Pat's sister) kindly asked for both of us, so as not to hurt her dear brother's feelings. But the truth is... she really called to talk to me.

The Father and the Child

The Father spoke:

And what do you know of My heart?
I know that Your heart is the only worthy destination.
How have you learned this truth?
By walking daily with You.
How are your companions, Joy and Sorrow?
Now that I have a better understanding of Your heart, I realize that Sorrow keeps me dependent on You and Joy enables me to stay on the journey.
You have learned well, My child. So you wish to continue the journey?
Oh, Father, I only pray that I remain faithful and obedient. I want no other journey - I seek no other Joy.
You will find joy in loving and serving others.
It is hard for me to love and serve. How can I do it with Joy?
By taking My yoke and learning of Me.
As long as I am yoked to You, Father, I know I can do anything.
Hold My hand tightly, My child. For this part of the journey, you must receive My rest and learn to live for all that is eternal.
Why must I hold Your hand tightly?
Because I am ready to place you as a labourer in My harvest, and I do not want you to be so busy in your service that you loosen your grip or let go.
And how do I labour in Your harvest?
By bringing Me glory.

- Cynthia Heald

Campsick

As you know, Pat has abducted me and forced me into labour at.... no, no.... I'm kidding. This summerI am working at Camp Norland. So, the other day, I was laying in bed in my nice single room that I have to share with no one that has it's own personal bathroom. Yet, I was laying there trying to decide whether to get up early in the morning to shower or wait until some other time during the day. That thought led to the fact that it's always a little chilly in the morning and I don't like to walk down the hallway because it's not carpeted. That thought led me to the memory that Galilean IS carpeted. And as all this went through my mind, I had a slight twinge... that twinge was campsickness! It started with the carpet... yet slowly progressed until I thought of all the people I missed and the other traditions that were different. I remembered the fact that we have a basketball court that I loved to play in on the weeklends. I remembered that we had a wakeboard. I remembered that I had been going there since I was six years old(5 if you count the year I was a staff kid)! And I remembered that I had friends there that I had known since Jr. High. I let all this circulate in my mind of about 5 minutes. Then I got up to use my private bathroom and as I walked the 3 steps to it's door I came to the conclusion that the next time I had a day off... I'd bring my slippers back with me.

Janet Update

One thing I like about blogs is their potential to keep up to date with what is going on in the lives of old friends. I know many of us are busy and it's not always easy to email everyone and stay in touch. So here's a quicker way. Just put it out there in a blog! (That's assuming you even have time for blogging) So, since those are my thoughts, I'll just give as little blurb on what's going on in my life right now and I encourage others to do the same.

So... for anyone who cares and doesn't know already. I just graduated from the Early Childhood Education program at Canadore(if anyone wants a grad picture, I think I have enough for the refridgerators in half of North Bay! haha Maybe I'll even throw in a magnet) Anyway, I'm excited to have something under my belt. But, I'm not yet working in my field because I'm going to school again in the fall. I'm heading out to Briercrest in Caronport, Saskatchewan and am very excited/terrified!! I'm looking forward to getting more training in music as well as some biblical studies. Anyway, you'll probably hear more about that later.

For now, I'm working at Camp Norland. I feel a little bit like a traitor to Galilean, which is still my beloved "home" camp! However, I'm really looking forward to my summer. They call me the Assistant Director in charge of female staff... or something like that. It sounds kinda impressive... but don't be decieved. I'm still an insecure 20 year old who feels like she's gotten in over her head yet again! :) Anyway, I'll leave it at that. You'll, no doubt, hear much more about my camp experience if you bookmark my page and check periodically over the summer. Oh, and if you want to go to camp or just want to check it out, here's the website! http://www.norland.on.ca

Thanks for viewing my site! I'll try to keep things interesting:)

Why I am Single

Haha! Ok... so maybe that's a scary title for a post. But I found a great quote(yes, another quote, Pat) that really said what I've kinda realized about myself and relationships.

"If we love a human being and do not love God, we demand of him(or her) every perfection and every rectitude, and when we do not get it we become cruel and vindictive; we are demanding of a human being that which he or she cannot give. There is only one Being Who can satisfy the last aching abyss of the human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Why Our Lord is apparently so severe regarding every human relationship is because He knows that every relationship not based on loyalty to Himself will end in disaster."
-Oswald Chambers

That sounds a little harsh. And I really hope the "cruel and vindictive" part isn't true of me! However, the quote is very very true! And so this is why I am single and will remain so until I can say a wholehearted "YES" to God's question of me...

"Is My love enough for you?"

Hmm.... So, Clark Kent, eh?

Well, when I sat down at the computer tonight, I had no intention of blogging. I didn't really have anything to say. And I'm just stressed and frustrated. (Don't worry, Sabrina! I'm not frustrated with you... even though I was 8 minutes too late for Mudsharks to rent that movie I need to preview! Haha No, I'm kidding) But anyway, I checked down through my little list of blogs to see if anyone had written anything, when an idea came to mind. (Ok, so maybe I could have skipped the intro... I'll just get into it now.)

This is kind of in reaction to Mark's blog that I read about Superman. (See Mark Smith in the side bar if you're wondering:)) Being a very recent, but huge Smallville fan, Mark's blog really stopped me short. I had never really contemplated why the Superman image so intrigued me. I had certainly never compared Clark Kent to Jesus Christ! So, now the question is, why DO I enjoy Smallville so much? (Well, I think I should stop here to say that I've never watched the actual Superman movies, so I don't know if they are like Smallville, so maybe my own ideas wont be reflective of those movies.) Anyway, I'm still thinking this through, so this is going to be a little jumbled. But first of all, the first thing I think of if I were to compare Clark Kent to Jesus is that Jesus has no weakness, whereas Clark becomes weak when near kryptonite(which happens at some point in every show!). Clark also goes through temptations in the shows and FAILS them! He gives in, whereas Jesus did not. But I think what makes me like him so much is that, even though he's deathly allergic to kryptonite, he faces it every show to save someone. He puts himself in harm's way to help people and be the best friend that he can be. Oh, to have or be such a good friend! He's not perfect... he messes up all the time and his best friends are always getting mad at him. But, when it's important, he's always there and his friends realize that. I think maybe it's the selflessness I see in Clark that I like the most.

Maybe Eldridge is right and I am longing for a human hero. And actually, the more I think about it, the more I see that there is alot of imagery in the film that could be taken that way. However, I'd also like to say that we can choose what we get out of things. As much as I know that we're all human and we all mess up, I guess I'm still searching for people to look up to and emulate. When really the only "person" I'm supposed to try to emulate is Christ. So, I guess I've just gone in a circle and come to the conclusion that Mark and Eldridge are right. But is there anything wrong with me wishing for such selfless people in the world? Or wishing to be like that myself? If they have created an imaginary person as a "shadow" of Christ, shouldn't we all be trying to be like that? I'd love for people to look at me, ask me why I'm the way I am so I can point them to Christ! Anyway... I think I've confused myself... so feel free to comment so I can be UNconfused! :)

Fear Not!

I have really been struggling lately with feeling like a failure in my Christian walk. I've been feeling like I'm fighting myself the whole way in trying to do God's will in my life and in trying to grow at all. However, I was greatly encouraged when I read this. Maybe it will encourage you as well:

"If any man compares his own soul to the picture drawn in the New Testament of what a Christian ought to be; if any man fixes his eye on the pattern of self-sacrifice, of purity, of truth, of tenderness, and measures his own distance from that standard, he might be ready to dispair. But fear not, because you are far from being like the pattern set before you, fear not because your faults are too painful to think of, continue the battle and fear not. If, indeed, you are content with yourself, and are making no endeavor to rise above the poor level at which you now stand, then there is reason to fear. But if you are fighting with all your might, fear not, however often you may have fallen, however deeply, however ungratefully, however inexcusably."
- Frederick Temple

Sometimes it feels like the harder I try to get closer to God, the worse I become as a person! But I've begun to realize that maybe that's not the case afterall. I think what's really happening is, that the closer I get to God, the more AWARE I am of what an awful person I am! The more AWARE I am of all the sin in my life and exactly what He did for me. If I can praise God and feel like the worst person in the world, then I believe I am making progress.

(Is this too personal? Have I gotten this page confused with my diary? haha! I just hope that maybe someone will stumble across this that might need to hear it, too.)

Me... Except Not

OK... so I've been reading this book(in the adjacent picture... and I think it's so cool that I can put in pictures! So, if I go a little overboard, I apologize:)) Anyway, I love when I come across books that so express many things I feel but don't have the words or ability to express it myself. This happens to be one of those such books. I identify so well with the authorthat it almost feels like a much much MUCH smarter me talking to myself. And to make that even neater, she says in the book that her favrourite verse is:

Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?"

OK, if you haven't guessed yet, that's been my favourite verse for years! So, she's, like, Me, except a much better writer!! haha! Anyway, all of this intro just to leave you with a quote she put in the book that really spoke to me today.

"Not many of us are living at our best. We linger in the lowlands because we are afraid to climb the mountains. The steepness and ruggedness dismay us, and so we stay in the misty valleys and do not learn the mystery of the hills. We do not know what we lose in our self-indulgence, what glory awaits us if only we had courage for the mountain climb, what blessing we should find if only we would move to the uplands of God."
- J. R. M.

Nothing Much

Really I'm just writing this because my one solitary blog looks very lonely. But then I thought, well what really happened today that would be of any interest and worthy of writing. The only exciting thing about today is the fact that I PASSED MY G2 EXIT TEST!! Really, I'm not that excited. But it was scary, ok?! Those driving examiners can be mean! For example:

"Jim": Ok, you passed, but what was with that hesitation at that one right-hand turn off of Main Street?

Janet: Well, I was confused...

"Jim": What's confusing about a green arrow pointing right?

Janet: Well, I'd never seen that before... and well, ....

"Jim": It's just like the left ones we always see, except it was right.

Janet: OK!!! You win! You're the examiner! I should have known that the right arrow meant to go right with no question! I wanna go home!!

Ok, so I exaggerated a bit, but having that guy act like I should know everything there is to know about driving made me think about the way I might sometimes act in my own areas of "expertise" (or supposed expertise). It kinda reminds me of this conversation....

Janet: So we won our frisbee game tonight.

"Carol": Oh.... you get points in frisbee?

Janet: Well, yeah... it's a game. You know... ultimate frisbee? You probably played it in gym class in highschool?

"Carol": So... how do you get points? Like... you throw it back and forth and if you catch it you get a point?

Janet: Well, it's a whole game... like football... you have to catch it in the end zone. What? Have you never heard of ULTIMATE FRISBEE?? It's like, a game! It's like... popular! Everyone plays it!!!!!! And everyone knows you turn right at the green arrow on Main Street! Come on!!

Anyway, this was all just a reminder for me that we all have a different knowledge base and should be gracious and humble in all circumstances. And yes, never forget to turn right at the green arrow on Main Street.

(Sabrina, I changed your name to "Carol" up there to hide your identity, ok? Talk to you later!)

Check out this ultimate frisbee clip! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljs9Vru4h7I

Beginning

Ok... so I never thought I'd see myself doing this. But here I am! I always kinda wondered if people ever read these. Then I took a good look at how often I checked out people's blogs when I had the time(or when I didn't have the time but was avoiding what I was supposed to be doing). Then I thought.... "Janet, either you have way too much time on your hands and you're really wierd, or there are many other closet blog-readers out there!" So now I've decided to start my own. I don't yet know what it will look like. But I'm hoping my thoughts may actually be worth reading. I hope some are informative. I hope some are creative. I hope some make you smile!