Dream#005

2010 Dodge Ram Quadcab 1500

Ain’t she a beauty?

Fresh start?

So, I’ve changed a few important things around my blog. But, it’s still got almost all the old memories packed in here…heh.

It’s part of my new ‘becoming me’ / ‘finding out who I am’ program. I don’t expect you to understand it much, but I do hope you’ll still visit so that I can share small bits and bytes of my awesome life with you!

“I feel so fresh! Maybe we could be the Febreze brothers…?” – Will Farrell, The Other Guys

Thank You!

I would like to thank everyone at the Markham Home, Toshi, Gabe and Ally, and Langstaff for putting up with me for many long months and for making my stay in Canada successful. I couldn’t have done all that I was able to do without your generosity and hospitality. Thank you for letting me stay at your house, for giving me a ride when I needed one, pointing me in the right directions, researching important info for me, lending a hand, or just giving a hug as you passed me in the hall. You didn’t have to help me out, but you did and for that I’m very grateful! God bless you all and I hope you know that you’re in my prayers! Lots and lots of love! I miss you!

Greater Love…

…hath no man than this, that a man and his wife and small adorable child lay down their schedule, vehicle and warmth of their house to see their crippled friend! Yes, yes, I’m rewriting the Bible! :O

I know you think that I forgot about you in my massive 2009 Highlights list, but I also know that you’re so wrong! How could I forget the kindest act of 2009? How could I forget one of my bestest friends and his beautiful family and their Samaritan sacrifice? How could I better display my gratitude than by giving you a themed post all your own?

Thank you so so much, Efus and Chelle for coming to my rescue and keeping me company in that awful Dulles airport for nine long hours! You should have seen how excited I was when I heard you were coming! Oh, and I’m so sorry about the car! I still feel bad about it to this day. Serious!

Why there are no pictures of you and Alex, Chelle, I do not know. It vexes me…

I love you guys, and I miss you already! It’s certainly true that real friends like you aren’t easy to come by…

Doppelgänger Week

Latest Facebook Status Trend:

“It’s Doppelgänger week. Change your profile picture to someone famous you have been told you resemble.”

These are the three women that I have been told I look like pretty much my whole life, no matter where I have traveled in the world. I understand the two chinky ones, but seriously, J. Lo?? I can’t imagine why…

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(Wikipedia Definition:)

A doppelgänger is the ghostly double of a living person. In the vernacular,  the word has come to refer to any double or look-alike of a person.

The Shack

Read it. If you let it, it will change your life! Maji de.

What some have said about the book:

“As I read I found myself pausing several times to deal with strange surges of emotion that The Shack tends to elicit from all but the most resistant people.”

– Gordon MacDonald, Leadership Journal

♦

“The Shack has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim Progress did for his.”

– Eugene Peterson, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology

♦

“Warning: Do not read this novel on a plane or any other public place where you’re trapped around people — unless you’re totally okay with becoming emotionally undone in front of perfect strangers. There are points where this book rips your heart out. At least it did me.”

–Greg Boyd, Random Reflections

♦

“Not everyone likes this book. For some of those whom you minister to, it will be too deep, too unsettling, or just too much work to try to understand. But for those who are willing or interested in finding these answers, it has some very deep truths that can be a help to them.”

– Jesus, Mama Online

A little humor for my days…

Look, when your Home has been in quarantine for over two months, you start to search for joy in the little things…okay?

Happy Premise #1: When in doubt, snap!

So, we’re in the car driving home, stuck in abominable traffic yesterday, and I’m reading a book. Benji boy, ever the polite little gentleman, turns back to me and asks if it’s okay that he puts some music on while I’m reading…

Me: “Of course, it’s fine.”

Ben: (hesitating) “Oh…is it okay if I sing too?”

Me: (smiling) “Ha, yeah, you go right ahead…”

Ben: (starts to swing his arms back and forth) “Um…and what about if I snap?”

Me: “A ha ha haa…knock yourself out, Benji.”

Happy Premise #2: No matter how rotten you feel, you can make someone’s day.

James told me the other day, while I was having a good hearty laugh at myself over something awful he had said to me:

“Ha, I love your laugh! It sounds JUST like one of those huge trucks with a muffler problem, when it’s trying to slow down…!”

Happy Premise #3: It’s not okay to laugh at people, even when they’re ridiculous!

An African man walked up to me yesterday and asked about the DVDs I was selling. I showed him “Beyond Armageddon” and explained that it was based on Bible prophecy.

Him: “But, I have a question for you: You know the kind of DVDs that you watch and then the evil spirits from the DVD come out and possess you? Is this one of those DVDs?”

Me: “Um, no, and no.”

Him: “So if I sit down and watch this DVD, I won’t have evil spirits come out and attack me and change my life?”

Me: “Well, the DVD could change your life, but it would be for the better!”

Him: “But I don’t want any evil spirits in me.”

Me: “Hmm…it’s all taken straight from the Bible, and the Bible doesn’t carry evil spirits.”

Him: “Are you sure?”

Me: “Positive. Are you a Christian?”

Him: “Yes.”

Me: “Right… Do you have Jesus in your heart?”

Him: “No.”

Me: “Well, you don’t need to be afraid of evil spirits if you have Jesus. Would you like to pray with me and ask Him into your heart?”

Him: “No.”

Me: “Okay, well, I’ll give you this tract, and the prayer is on the back, and you can pray it later if you want, alright? Would you like to buy the DVD?”

Him: “No.”

Me: “Okay…umm, I don’t really know how to talk to you anymore.”

Coming soon:

Happy Premise #4: When you’re done laughing, it’s okay to cry sometimes…

Just when I’m at my lowest…

… Jesus has to go and surprise me.

And Thomas, thank you for being such a tool. I owe you!

Jetlagging and French Manicures

What the demons of jetlag will make you do in the middle of the night…!

Photo Recap of October – December 2008

Since I was buffeted about on every side by the anti-blogging demons (angels?) and didn’t post any photos since the wedding last year, I thought I could sneak by now with at least a ”major events” photo recap of the last three months of last year. I’ll try and keep the explanations brief and let the pictures be worth more than my one thousand words.

I’ll start off with right after the wedding, when my family was still all here, except Jeanine. We had a small “reunion BBQ” and later on Lizzi and Ally made some sugoi oishi sushi! Yum! TYSM girls!

It was so lovely to see you all, of course, and I still miss you heaps…