Enjoyment as an Expression of Worship

The other day I read a most excellent post on Carolyn Arend's blog about laughter as a form or worship. It was really very good, and if you haven't read it, I'd suggest you go and check out her blog right now! Then, yesterday as I checked out the Blog-Father's blog, I came across a link to this article which to me is related to Carolyn's post and also quite profound in its own right.

It is funny how when I think of doing something for my own enjoyment I feel like I'm being selfish and immediately lists of things I must do and causes I must fight pop up in my mind. Perhaps that is what the enemy would like me to think...would like us all to think, when, in reality, God would be delighted to see me (to see us all) forget ourselves (our agendas and to-do lists, etc.) and enjoy life, and in doing so, lose ourselves in worship.

Here are some excerpts to illustrate what I think is the point:

"I advise enjoyment. Whereas Jesus said, “If any come after me, let them deny themselves.” Am I preaching heresy? I do not think so. What does deny yourself mean? It seems to me that it speaks of getting off the throne on which I am so prone to perch and let God get back on. It seems to me, that to deny myself means that I need to forget myself – at least a bit! That I remember that he is the saviour; I am not! He wants my co-operation; not my substitution of myself for him. "

...

"In Poverbs 8, Wisdom is described as being present when God was creating the universe in a spirit of play! Ponder that. Play comes naturally to the child. We may have to relearn it. Observe a child at play: What absorption! Are the child’s thoughts on him/herself? Of course not; the child is totally concentrated on the toy, the insect, the piece of string that is the object of his/her delight. My image of true Christian enjoyment is that of a child on the floor, paying no attention to his/her parents whatsoever, playing with what has caught his/her attention for the moment. The parents do not feel slighted because the child is paying no attention to them; they are delighting in their little one’s delight. But let them leave the room and play disappears in howls for father and mother.

This is a kind of parable for what we need: we can play before God only if, like the child on the floor, we allow ourselves to be secure in God’s love. After all, the distinguishing mark of Christian prayer is that we can call God “Abba.” Basic then to the spirit of play for us is trust in God, in God’s saving love, in God’s unconditioned, unconditional, steadfast love for us. “While we were yet sinners, God sent God’s only Son.” God loves us not because we deserve to be loved, not because we are good; but quite simply because God is good."

...

"Do we not indeed have to give thought to how we can recapture our ability to enjoy? Joy is not possible without love. One who loves nothing and nobody cannot possibly rejoice, no matter how desperately one craves joy. When we take joy in something, we are saying that it is good. Is not that what God said in face of God’s creation? When we affirm any part of life, we are really affirming life itself. We are saying with our hearts: “Yes, life is good!” Is this not worship? To recognize that the works of God’s hands are good?"

(All quotes come from Sr. Olga Warnke, I.B.V.M.)

...There's a lot more to the article...like some great stuff about the Sabbath, but I'm going to stop there, so go read the article for yourself and let me know what you think:)

Now THIS is how your computer should greet you in the morning...

...my friend and former co-worker, Vaurie, sent this to me this morning and I just HAD to share it:) Have a good day, and remember, you are appreciated!

Carry You
by Amy Grant

Lay down your burden, I will carry you
I will carry you, my child
Lay down your burden, I will carry you
I will carry you, my child, my child

If I can walk on water
And calm a restless sea
I've done a thousand things you've never done

And I'm weary watchin'
While you struggle on your own
Call my name, I'll come

Lay down your burden, I will carry you
I will carry you, my child
Lay down your burden, I will carry you
I will carry you, my child, my child

I give vision to the blind
And I can raise the dead
I've seen the darker side of Hell
And I returned
And I see these sleepless nights
And I count every tear you cry
I know some lessons hurt to learn

Lay down your burden, I will carry you
I will carry you, my child
Lay down your burden, I will carry you
I will carry you, my child, my child

I will carry you, my child

I see these sleepless nights
And I count every tear you cry
And call my name, I'll come runnin'

Lay down your burden, I will carry you
I will carry you, my child
Lay down your burden, I will carry you
I will carry you, my child, my child

I will carry you, my child, my child
I will carry you

Barnes & Noble Reviews "Rock of Ages ... Hymns and Faith"

Rock of Ages...Hymns & Faith is the rare sequel that rivals the original. 2002's Legacy, Amy Grant's first collection of old-time hymns and religious material, both familiar and obscure, was a full-fledged return to inspirational material after many years of secular material, and it was an understated delight, thanks to the smart song selection and classy, subtly shaded production from her husband Vince Gill and Brown Bannister.

Rock of Ages doesn't change their approach at all, primarily because if it worked so well the first time, why change? Some of the songs here aren't as well-known as the tunes on the first record, but when Grant sings a song that is universally known, such as the title track or putting "Jesus Loves Me," it becomes easier to appreciate what she, Gill and Bannister have achieved here. They have updated these old hymns -- most are from the 1800s, some date to the 1600s and 1700s -- so thoroughly that when they slip in a couple of new songs in among them, the fit is comfortable, not awkward.

It works because the music is never flashy, it is relaxed and assured, giving Grant plenty of breathing room, and Gill plenty of place to play some wonderful guitar. It's the rare contemporary Christian album that functions as terrific religious material and transcends its genre based on the richness of its music. It's truly a quiet, modest little gem.

By Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Happy "Mommy's Day!

...that's what Amanda calls it:) It was a busy, but wonderful Mother's Day weekend for our family...what with Les working and all of Amanda's rehearsals for the big musical, etc...which turned out awesome, by the way! I was so proud of my girlie...and of all the kids involved actually...they did great!...and I think that seeing a kids' musical is just the perfect way to celebrate Mother's Day in my books!

On Friday after rehearsals, we went with Arilee and Aurora for supper, which was awesome since we hadn't had an extended visit for a while. Afterward at home, Les and Amanda realized that with rehearsals, the musical and time we had planned for seeing my mom and Les' mom this weekend, this was the last bit of extended time the three of us would have alone together this weekend, so they FORCED me to open my presents before bed that night! (I don't think either one of THEM could have waited another day;). Les gave me a card that melted my heart and made me feel so loved along with Amy Grant's new cd (Rock of Ages...just released this week...something I very much wanted!) Amanda had made me her gift at school. It was an acrylic painting on an artist's canvas of fruit. She did just an exceptional job of it! I've already found a home for it in our kitchen which has a bit of a fruit motif going on!

On Saturday, while Amanda was rehearsing, Les and I met my parents and my brother for supper to give my mom her Mother's Day present. It was a really enjoyable time, and my mom touched my heart with a compliment in passing. Then we headed off to the Church for the musical, which, as I said, was exceptional, and afterward we headed to Jerry's so Nana & Papa could buy Amanda an ice cream for her sparkling performance. There, I was once again surprised...Nana and Amanda had cooked something up, and presented me with sweetheart roses for Mother's Day and for running Amanda around to all her rehearsals for her dance class and for the musical! (Have I ever mentioned, I LOVE roses?!!)

Sunday was an early morning, Les was up and gone early (he worked days all weekend) and I had to have Amanda up by 7:30 so we get her to the early morning rehearsal (followed by two more performances of the musical). Amanda wrote out a Mother's Day prayer for me and even poured MY cereal that morning! She is such a precious heart!! I had a bit of time to myself afterward which I used to read, reflect and get my workout in:) Then mid-afternoon we headed over to Les' folks for a visit, supper and to give Les' mom our Mother's Day present for her. We had a great visit, and Les' step-dad even made my favourite for supper, garlic shrimp!

All-in-all it was a full weekend that I wished didn't have to come to an end. I was definitely spoiled more than I deserved. I hope that all the moms reading this were blessed with a good-spoiling this weekend too;)

"Romance is the deepest thing in life.
It is deeper even than reality."
--G. K. Chesterton

Pizza-dilla

What do you get when you cross pizza with quesadilla? Pizza-dilla, my latest experiment in the kitchen. It all started when we sampled some thinly sliced turkey pepperoni during our grocery shopping trip this week...ever since then I've been craving pizza. Right now I'm kind of in a 'wraps' groove, so I just kind of combined those two and here's what I came up with...

1 - 2 wraps (we use the organically sprouted whole wheat ones from Costco)
Pizza sauce
Grated cheddar (we use light, old cheddar from Cracker Barrel)
Turkey pepperoni (thin rounds)

Warm a non-stick skillet and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. Lay a wrap/Tortilla in the pan. Put some pizza sauce on top (I go very lightly on this). Sprinkle grated cheddar (as much or little as you want) on top of that. Lay slices of pepperoni (again as much or as little as you want) on top of that. You also might want to sprinkle parmesan on top of that. You can either stop there and just wait for the cheese to melt and eat it open face, or you can put another wrap on top and flip it over part way through cooking to warm the other side. When it's done, just cut into wedges and serve. I really like how this turned out:)

2 Important Things to Celebrate this week...

1. Happy Anniversary, Alana & Jim!
Alana & Jim's wedding anniversary was on Monday. They have been married for 24 years now! They have both been wonderful friends to me, and as I've said many times on here, Alana is like a sister to me! But it is even more than that, you see, because long before I married Les, long before I even knew Les, they modeled to me the things I wanted most for my marriage. They taught me what marriage was about, and they gave me hope that it can be something so much more than what we see in many marriages today.

I still remember the evening at their home, when after the awesome dinner Alana prepared (she is one of the best cooks you will ever find!), the three of us sat down for tea in their living room and Alana asked me just exactly what it was that I wanted in a husband. I made some kind of 'light' comment, but they both pressed on, and Alana went and got her pen and paper and wrote my list down. 'THIS is what we will pray for,' she said. I remember about half way through the list, she interjected, "Oh, and you DON'T want him to be wishy-washy!" ...and she wrote that down too! I believe that in a large part, God brought Les (who happens to be EVERYTHING on the list!) into my life because of their prayers!

In many ways Alana is my model as a wife and mom. She models so many of the values that are most important to me. She is very relational, puts her husband first (after God) and her awesome children next...way ahead of anything else in life! She demonstrates her love to her husband and kids in so many tangible ways every day. The way she lives her life inspires and encourages me:) Jim is also a very good husband. He is very 'involved' in family life, which may not sound big, but if you look around at families today, you'll see it is very big. He's affectionate and attentive, and I see him regularly make it a priority to 'date' his wife. They are a GREAT couple!!

2. Happy Birthday, Aurora!
Yesterday was Princess Aurora's 9th birthday! Gosh, it's hard to believe Aurora is 9?! It was just yesterday that I was writing a Winnie the Pooh note for when she started school! Aurora has the sweetest run-into-your-arms-HUGS! ...and the longest lashes for butterfly kisses. She is smart as can be, imaginative, giving and courageous, and is a mother's dream of a 'bestest friend' for her daughter!

I remember so well the first time Amanda and Aurora met. It was the first week that Amanda went to Power Hour. Les and I were standing in the line to register Amanda when Aurora saw us from the distance and came running to me wanting to meet Amanda. Her eagerness made Amanda feel so special too! I remember Aurora taking her hand right away and off they went... The two of them have been inseparable at Church ever since (and inseparable outside of Church whenever we have a get together!) Some folks even mistake them for one another (even though my girlie is so much taller...ah, they're both my girlies:)...I guess their hearts bear resemblance to one another, and that is no small compliment! ...makes the Auntie and Mommy in me so proud!!

A Princess on the Inside

There's a good deal of truth in this...

"Whatever comes... cannot alter one thing. ...I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it."
Sara, A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Potpouri

This post may end up being a bit scattered and disjointed. My thoughts are all over the place tonight...

I'm so glad it's Thursday...'cause I don't work tomorrow, and this week has seemed long enough already. I don't exactly know why it has seemed long, but it has. And I'm sooo looking forward to tomorrow...my husband is taking me on a date (that HE has planned)! I love dates!! Some friends filled out some of those email surveys about me this week and several of them filled that in (having a date with Les) for the question on my favourite things to do. Either (a) they know me so well or (b) I don't hide this fact very well...probably both:) I found all their answers so encouraging...thank God for good friends:)

I bumped into my mom in the grocery store the other night. I was picking up some yogurt. She kept telling me to buy what they were buying. I explained that this was what we like and that it was on sale too. She still kept telling me to buy what she was buying. Then she did something that after all these years I shouldn't be surprised about...just before the checkout, she gave me some money for my birthday. Now my birthday isn't until mid-June. so I graciously tried to decline...telling her that it was only April...but there it was, my birthday is 'done' in her eyes for another year. (sigh)

I started reading a new book this week, 'Captivating' by John and Stasi Eldredge. Everything I've read so far has been very nourishing to my heart...but then again, I'm such a romantic (please don't roll your eyes;)

I'm not sure how I came across this this week, but it was interesting. So was this.

One last thought...
Have you ever been hurt by something someone else said (innocently, in passing), even though you know they didn't mean it to hurt you. In your heart and in your mind, you know that their perception is wrong, but you can't change how they think...yet what they said goes to a very big part of you, something you get your value from...and although you want to get past it, you just can't seem to do so? There's really nothing to forgive, they didn't do anything wrong, but still you hurt. That's what I've been going through today. It's not my prettiest side, but there it is... At least my headache is gone now.

Have a good weekend folks!

Captivating
...excerpt by Stasi Eldredge

"Walk into any church in America, take a look around, and ask yourself this question, "What is a godly woman?" Don't listen to what is said, listen to the lives of the women present. What do we learn? A godly woman is . . . tired. For all she has been told to be is a good servant. Hasn’t that been the church’s message to women: “You are here to serve?”

And what about her heart?

Set deep in the heart of every woman are three core desires. Every woman longs for Romance, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, and to be the Beauty in the tale. It is for such that we were made."

...

"There may be nothing more beautiful in all the world than to see a woman set free to live from her heart as God’s beloved. To discover who she is as a woman, released from the expectations the world and the church have set upon her. To see her heart healed from years of assault…or neglect. For a woman is a fierce lover indeed, the crown of God’s creation. She has an irreplaceable role in this great Adventure."

Our neighbours had their baby this week! Though I don't know them well, I rushed over there with something to welcome this new life...and to get my first peek at the precious little one...a girl...Miss Ainsley:) Just a few weeks ago both the new mom and dad looked scared to death. But when I visited with the new mom and her babe this week, she now looked completely comfortable and natural....stirs up so many feelings just thinking about it..

A Woman's Journey

"Then the time came when the risk it took
To remain tight in a bud was more painful
Than the risk it took to blossom."

--Anais Nin

I'm Addicted!

...well addicted might be a bit strong, but my latest favourite breakfast food is a fruit smoothie. Back when I was single I used to make a version of these with extra protein powder after workouts, but then I got married, became a mom and I never seemed to have the extra time to whip this up for myself. Here's what I'm sipping this morning:

1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 a banana
1 cup plain, low fat yogurt (no sugar)
1 cup skim milk
few drops of stevia (natural sweetner, liquid form)

It's so thick it's like a milk shake, and it tastes so good it is hard to believe it is good for you.

...speaking of good for you, this weekend I experimented making cream pies as we had my in-laws over to celebrate my mother in law's birthday. I had cooked a Greek feast that we all enjoyed, and then a couple of hours later we had banana cream pie. I used Robin McGraw's recipe and tweaked it to our liking. You use Banana Nut Crunch Cereal for the crust (with just a touch of marg). Then you make a double batch of sugar free vanilla pudding, but half the milk and put in 2 tablespoons of skim milk powder...boy, that makes it thick. It ends up being a really balanced and fairly good for you dessert. Last night we tried it once more, but this time, chocolate cream...same principles (except we used Special K for the crust) and mmmm it was good!

The Duchess of Cornwall...and then someday, The Princess Consort

Now I am not a royal watcher, so it even seems odd to me that I am about to comment on Prince Charles' recent wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles, henceforth known as 'The Dutchess of Cornwall'...

Pardon me, but isn't Charles the Prince of Wales? (yes...) Then that should make Camilla the current Princess of Wales. (Blasphemy you say?!) And if Charles becomes King someday, then, in my mind, Camilla becomes Queen! (Please don't throw anything at me!)

There has been quite a bit of negative press about this all. In people's hearts there is only one Princess of Wales, and that is Diana, and it just seems plain unfair for that title to go to the woman that Charles secretly loved better than Diana (blasphemy again!). I'm not saying that Charles' unfaithfulness was right (neither was Diana's, by the way). I'm just saying that Diana passed away and that these titles do get passed on through the generations. I don't mean any disrespect to Diana... As a child, I actually remember sleeping on the couch and staying up most of the night to see Diana wed Charles. It was the stuff fairy-tales were made of (at least on the outside, anyway).

...And on the inside, I doubt that any of us know the full truth of what took place. But it seems that in the aftermath true love did survive. If the reports I've heard are right, Charles fell in love with Camilla when he was young, before he went off in service. Apparently the Queen wasn't in favour of the match, and Camilla felt no assurance that Charles would come back for her, so she married another. Charles returned and married Diana. I make no excuses for anyone's behaviour beyond that point, but a tiny part of me is warmed that they still love each other so and that they are finally united.

Camilla, in grace and humility has said that she does not wish to be known as the Princess of Wales. She will be the Duchess of Cornwall. Further, should Charles become King, she does not wish to be known as Queen. She will be the Princess Consort. But in my mind, this does not change the reality of the matter.

I've been thinking about this in terms of the relationship I have with my Lord. There are things I've done at times in the past that have gotten in the way of that relationship. I'm not a perfect follower, but He is a perfect Lord...and regardless of any estrangement or unfaithfulness in our pasts, He is my (our) Father, the King of Kings, and so I, by relationship, as his daughter am known as His Princess regardless of any foibles in my past. I guess I'm glad that the public doesn't get a say in whether I'm worthy of that title, only the One with whom I have the relationship has a say in that and He calls me Princess. The Princess of what, I'm not exactly sure, but if I could be Princess of anything, I'd chose the heart, so that is my prayer, Lord give me a princessheart:) (Princessheart, now that has a better ring to it than duchessheart, don't you think?!)

The Shai Awards

This year's Canadian Gospel Music Awards show will be presented from the Hershey Centre in Missisauga on May 14th and will be aired (for the first time nationally) on CBC!

The meaning of the word Shai is:

* To Impact nations
* Do miracles
* Integrity
* Server of the poor and powerful
* Teacher
* Gift
* The receiver of a double portion of anointing

"These seven meanings of the word Shai together sum up what VGM (Vibe Gospel Music Association; Canada's GMA) is trying to accomplish through the Shai Awards Show.

We want each artist to understand that we are affirming their calling as musicians in Canada. Canadian artists need to march forward and impact nations with their music, to see the hand of God in their ministry and the voice of God in their songs. Artists driven to serve both the poor and powerful, grateful for any opportunity to minister. We want to release them with a gift, blessing them with a double portion of anointing together with all that they have learnt; we want to send them out as part of the Church to minister to our nation and the world."

Nominees in select categories include the following (see the Shai webset for a full list):

Contemporary/Pop
Amanda Falk - Amanda Falk
Greg Sczebel - Here to Stay
Kim Haller - Wherever
Raylene Scarrot - Taken
Shezza - Shezza

Country/Bluegrass
Ali Matthews - Where You Remain
Cheryl Dunn - Let Go
Daae Family, The - Together
One Heart - Straight From the Heart
Philip Grimes - I Knew

Folk
Ali Matthews - Where You Remain
Carolyn Arends - Under The Gaze
For The Cause, Kari Bayley - Gods & Fools
Joel Geleynse - The Rebellion of Camouflage
Rob Berg - Dust to Glory

Fracophone
Emma - Ton Amour Me Libère
Luc Dumont - Solo
Maggie Blanchard - Pour tout ce que tu es
Olivier Cheuwa - Nouveau Depart
Richard Toupin - Pleine Lune

Hard Music
Beaumont - First Chance At Forever
Black Talon - Black Talon
Flint - Smoke and Mirrors
Lee Spoken - Drawn In
Understated - Rise From the Ashes

Inspirational
Ali Matthews - Where You Remain
Bev Foster - Trustpoints
Carolyn Arends - Under The Gaze
Curtis Mulder - True
Stephanie Mainville - Family

Instrumental
Calvin Dyck - One Small Child
Juanita Faas - Attitudes
North Park Worship Big Band - Christmas Jazz

Jazz/Blues
Foster & the Paper Bag Band - Orangify
Juanita Faas - Attitudes
North Park Worship Big Band - Christmas Jazz
Ruth McGillivray - River of Soul
Terebinth - Offering

Rap/Hip-Hop/Dance
Black Talon - Black Talon
Hetti-Marie - Truth
Malichi - Make A Change
N.I.F.T.Y - The Preface

Rock/Alternative
Ellis - Bright Light City
Hawk Nelson - Letters to the President
Joel Geleynse - The Rebellion of Camouflage
stereotrap - refusing
Three Season Ant - 2 Days After Yesterday

Seasonal
Calvin Dyck - One Small Child
Carolyn Arends - Christmas an Irrational Season
Lapointes, The - This Christmas
Rob Berg - Christmas Here At Our House
Winter Harp - Christmas Night

Southern Gospel/Traditional
His Season - His Season
Master's Four, The - Livin' By Faith
New Hope - The Healer
One Heart - Straight From the Heart
Torchmen, The - Timeless

Praise & Worship
Brian Doerksen - Today
Curtis Mulder - True
Elevate - Elevate
Kry, The - God of Infinite Worth
North Park Worship Band - Bless Original Live Worship

Song of The Year
If I Believe - Aileen Lambardo - Kerroy Williams
Small - Amanda Falk- Amanda Falk/ Meghan Pierce/ Malynda Zacharias/ Marshall Zacharias
I know My God Cares For Me - Andrew Martin - Andrew Martin
The River - Brian Doerksen -Brian Doerksen/ Brian Thiessen/ Michael Hansen
Today - Brian Doerksen - Brian Doerksen/ Sandra Gage
Getting Ready For Glory - Carolyn Arends - Carolyn Arends
This is the Moment - Carolyn Arends - Carolyn Arends
In the Pocket - Greg Sczebel - Greg Sczebel
Every Little Thing - Hawk Nelson - Trevor McNevan/ Jason Dunn/ Daniel Biro/ Matt Paige/ Dave Clark
Holy is Your Name - The Kry - Jean-Luc Lajoie/ Isabelle Lajoie

New Artist of The Year
Amanda Falk
God Rocks
Hawk Nelson
North Park Worship Big Band
Shezza

Male Soloist of The Year
ANDREW MARTIN
BRIAN DOERKSEN
CURTIS MULDER
GREG SCZEBEL
STEVE BELL

Female Soloist of The Year
AMANDA FALK
CAROLYN ARENDS
CHERYL DUNN
KRISTINA
LIANNA KLASSEN

Group of The Year
HAWK NELSON
THE DAAE FAMILY
THE KRY
THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH
THREE SEASON ANT

Artist of The Year
BRIAN DOERKSEN
CAROLYN ARENDS
GREG SCZEBEL
JAYLENE JOHNSON
STARFIELD

You can cast your vote by going to this site.

"THINGS THAT IRRITATE A SANE PERSON"

My Father-in-law passes on all sorts of emails to me everyday. This one made me smile today...I guess I've been a little irritated about something...at least it's good to know I'm sane?!

The little plastic thing in the middle of the sunglasses you are trying to try on.

The person behind you in the supermarket runs his cart
into the back of your ankle.

The elevator stops on every floor and nobody gets on.

There's always a car riding your tail when you're slowing
down to find an address.

You open a can of soup and the lid falls in.

The tiny red string on the Band-Aid wrapper never works for you.

You can never put anything back in a box the way it came.

Three hours and three meetings after lunch you look in the
mirror and discover a piece of parsley stuck to your front tooth.

You slice your tongue licking an envelope.

Your tire gauge lets out half the air while you're trying
to get a reading.

There are always one or two ice cubes that won't pop out
of the tray.

Your daughter left a tissue in her pocket and now it's all over the whole load of wash.

The car behind you blasts its horn because you let a pedestrian
finish crossing.

You set the alarm on your digital clock for 7pm instead of 7am.

You rub on hand cream and can't turn the bathroom doorknob
to get out.

You have to inform five different sales people in the same
store that you're just browsing.

You reach under the table to pick something off the floor
and smash your head on the way up.

Worship

Certain worship songs go around and around in my mind, and I find myself singing them throughout the day at moments when I don't even realize it. I guess I'm finding myself doing this more than usual this week as Les played in worship last weekend, which meant I had my talented man strumming some extra worship for me to sing along with all last week at home:) There is one song in particular from this weekend's worship that is very personal from my heart...

Unfailing Love
Chris Tomlin

You have my heart and I am yours forever
You are my strength, God of grace and power

And everything You hold in Your hands
Still You make time for me
I can't understand

(Chorus)
Praise You God of earth and sky
How beautiful is Your unfailing love
Unfailing love
And You never change, God you remain
The Holy One of my unfailing love
Unfailing love

You are my rock the One I hold onto
You are my song and I sing for You

And everything You hold in Your hands
Still you make time for me
I can't understand

Praise You God of earth and sky
How beautiful is Your unfailing love
Unfailing love
And You never change, God you remain
The Holy One of my unfailing love
Unfailing love

There is another, somewhat more familiar song that we sang in worship this week that I regularly find myself swaying to. It is one of my favourite worship songs and was actually written by someone we know...

Your Love is Perfect

There is no greater love than giving your life for someone
So here I stand in awe considering what You've done
And I will worship you with all I have to offer
What else could I do, there's no greater love than this

(chorus)
Your love is perfect; mercy's new each day
Morning, mid-day, night I'll sing Your praise
Your love is all I've found; that will not let me down
At Your feet is where I'll give my heart away

This song is so singable and heartfelt, and it comes from a worship leader that is easy to follow, Greg Plett. We sing this song in Church mixed in with other contemporary worship songs, but I wonder if many people realize that it was Greg who wrote it?! I love it!

Something to Think About

This week Hillary Duff was one of the guest hosts on The View. So since Amanda is such a big fan of Hillary's, I taped a few episodes. I thought she might enjoy watching a few of the segments at the beginning when the hosts gather around the table and talk about hot topics in the news; however, I felt the need to preview these episodes before she saw them because sometimes these ladies go places a bit too mature for my precious 10 year old daughter (and a bit to mature for me at times, if you know what I mean?!) Though I did think that they might tame it down a bit this week given their 17 year old guest host...apparently, I was wrong! I just finished previewing a couple of episodes while doing my workout on the Gazelle this morning. There are actually a couple of episodes that I just don't think are age appropriate for Amanda to see. However, one of them greatly intrigued me...

On one of the days, they had Jane Fonda as a guest. I'm not really a Jane fan so this didn't entice me to watch. Apparently she has a new autobiographical book out, and during the hot topics the ladies from The View were really going at some of the more salacious parts. I watched briefly as Hillary Duff sat there quietly embarrassed by the conversation. I was ready to turn off the tape when Jane came out, but then was really captured by something she said as she gave a context for the salacious tidbits of her life that the ladies had been talking about. Here is what Jane said:

"When you grow up feeling you are not good enough...It's a girl-thing - with men, good enough is good enough, but with girls, good enough is not good enough, you have to be perfect. And when you feel that you've got to be perfect for someone to love you, you get stricken with the disease to please.

I got it early on and it was trying to please a parent who just let me know I wasn't perfect enough...So I just got used to leaving myself behind...I'd pretend that everything was fine, and I was a good actress... I wrote about it (those events the ladies on The View were gossiping about) not to be salacious. I wrote about them to show that no one even asked me. I did those things (to) myself."

Then Jane asked Hillary if she could relate to what she was talking about, and she could. Jane said, "I knew you would." Hillary then talked about herself and her friends and the pressure on them to be this "100 lb person". To which Jane responded about how "toxic that is." She said "We're not supposed to be perfect, we're supposed to be complete..." and then she hugged another guest host (I believe the actress' name was Sherry and she was from a program called 'Less than Perfect'). Jane said, "Like you!" (as she hugged Sherry, who was a beautiful full-figured woman, married and with child).

Who would have thought that I could identify with Jane Fonda?! But I did... and in more than just the fact I grew up trying to please a parent who always let me know I wasn't perfect enough... I'll stop there because I'm still processing my thoughts about what she said. But I praise God, that my heavenly Father has shown me something so different than that and that He has healed so many parts of my life, and I ask His forgiveness that sometimes I still walk around trying to be perfect to be loved.

A Good Question

I came across a good question this morning...

"What would happen if we assumed that everyone loved us and left it up to them to prove otherwise?" Jan Silvious, author.

The Tulips are Up!!

...tulip leaves have peaked through the ground by about 3 inches in my front flower bed! How great is that?! Now spring is really here!!

I thought I'd share from the devotion I did yesterday...it's so good, I just *have* to share it!

The Lord of Laughter

Christ is risen, alleluia. He is the Lord of the dance, the dance of the living. He is the Lord of laughter; our laughter is the echo of his risen life within us. He is the risen Lord of glory, who in sovereign authority can say: "Blessed are you who laugh now, because you can bring the joy of Easter to others. But blessed are you only if you can laugh at yourselves, if you don't take yourselves too seriously, if human living doesn't revolve around you and your needs. Only if you can take delight in all of my Father's creation - in sun and surf, in snow and star, in blue marlin and in robin redbreast, in Cezanne, Olivia Newton-John, and veal scaloppini, in the love of a man or woman, and in the presence of the living God within you. Only if your laughter means that you have let go in reckless confidence all that shackles you to yesterday, imprisons you in your small self today, and frightens you with the uncertanty of tomorrow. Blessed are you who laugh, because you are free!"

"Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink
your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you
do." Eccl 9:7

Spring has Sprung!

The sun is shining. Most of the snow has melted. I can see our front lawn. We've taken down the Christmas lights. Yeah, it's spring:)

Les & I are feeling like such 'home-owners' these days... getting a few things cleaned up in our yard, waiting for the snow to melt, planning what we want to plant this year, and dreaming about maybe finishing our drive-way this spring! To that end, we headed off to Gardenscape this past weekend to have a look...

Now, I had never been to Gardenscape before...but what a fun day that was?! With Starbucks in hand we browsed all the booths and planned and dreamed some more. And as a result, I now have wayyy more information about driveways rolling around in my mind than I would have thought possible. I am actually becoming well versed in talking about concrete, surface mounts and paving stones, if you can imagine?! We started out with different ideas in mind, but right now are leaning toward paving stone again. I like the whole idea that if something goes wrong, or time marches on, you can always fix it (vs. cement which would have to be jack-hammered out and re-done). Now we'll just have to see if we can make it fit our budget. If any of you have any advice/suggestions, I'd love to hear them...

I'm also dreaming about rosebushes these days, and what else I might want to put in our back yard (it's like a blank canvas). I bought a beautiful rose bush our first summer in the house, but it didn't make it through the following winter, so last summer I was rosebush-less, which was very sad indeed:( I talked to several ladies at Gardenscape about rosebushes, but I still don't know what to choose. I think I'm going to need advice from my flowering friend, Brenda, who has some gorgeous rosebushes along her driveway!

In the front, I tend to plant (or as some would say 'over-plant') a lot of flowers. This year, we're talking about raising the flower bed a bit and putting some rock-ery around it. Decisions, decisions.... I might need to tour a few of your gardens to get some ideas. I hear that Donna and Gloria both have beautiful flowers (but I've never seen them), and I know that Brenda all but lives in her garden come summer. I think I'll have to go on a tour and maybe pop by for some tea!

Liberation

I am still being struck by my devotion from a couple of days ago...

The crucified Christ reminds us that despair and disillusionment are not terminal but signs of impending resurrection. What lives beyond the cross is the liberation power of love, freeing us from the ego centeredness that says, "All I am is what I think I am and nothing more." One Good Friday morning...as I (Brennan Manning, from 'Reflections for Ragamuffins') prayed in faith I heard him say, "Little brother, I witnessed a Peter who claimed that he did not know me, a James who wanted power in return for service, a Philip who failed to see the Father in me, and scores of disciples who were convinced I was finished on Calvary. The New Testament has many examples of men and women who started out well and then faltered along the way.

"Yet on Easter Day I appeared to Peter; James is not remembered for his ambition but for the sacrifice of his life for the kingdom; Philip did see the Father in me when I pointed the way; and the disciples who despaired had enough courage to recognize me as the stranger who walked the road to Emmaus. My point, little brother, is this: I expect more failure from you that you expect form yourself."

"May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God
of Jacob protect you." Psalm 20:1

The Amazing Race

Yes, even we have succumbed to watching this show when we get the chance. We only saw the last half this week, but finally, there was a race. Les often says that it isn't truly a 'race' because when a team gets wayyyy ahead, that lead is often equalized by the doors not opening at their destination until 8 the next morning, or there being only 2 flights to wherever they are going. Still, I think that's a lot like life...it's not always the fastest that win the race!

This time around Les & I haven't really picked a favourite team to win....we're actually ok with most of them winning, except for Rob & Amber (so underhanded and mean sometimes), and Ray & Deana (we didn't like how he treated her or the other teams). Ray & Deana were eliminated this week...and finally there was an actual race to the finish, with the brothers who had a huge set back by rolling their vehicle, making up time in their completion of the detour and catching up to Ray & Deana in a foot race to the matt. Now that was a race!

Dear friends of ours have recently gotten back from a mission trip to Haiti, and their experiences have gotten me to thinking of how they would be on The Amazing Race. In truth Elizabeth & Neil are an ideal couple and I'm sure they would do well in the race, not only because they are smart, but they travel well together, they respect each other to the max, and they are kind to others....traits that I think mean the most in the race.

Who do you think would do well in the race?

"Every happening, great or small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message."
-- Malcolm Muggeridge

The Stations of the Cross

The Stations of the Cross (or Way of the Cross; in Latin, Via Crucis or Via Dolorosa) refers to the depiction of the final days (or Passion) of Jesus Christ, and the Church's devotion commemorating the Passion.

The Stations themselves are usually a series of 14 pictures or sculptures depicting the following scenes:

1. Christ is condemned to death
2. The cross is laid upon him
3. His first fall
4. He meets His Blessed Mother
5. Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross
6. Christ's face is wiped by Veronica
7. His second fall
8. He meets the women of Jerusalem
9. His third fall
10. He is stripped of His garments
11. His crucifixion
12. His death on the cross
13. His body is taken down from the cross
14. His body is laid in the tomb

Lucille Castro explains the stations this way:
"Stations are places where people wait while they are going from one place to another. A school-bus stop is like a station. People wait at train stations or bus stations or airports... Stations are also places where people take time to think about Jesus as he went to die on a cross. They are "Stations of the Cross." They show us how much Jesus loved us.
You do not have to think of all of the Stations of the Cross on one day. You may want to stay at one Station with Jesus for a few days before you move to another Station. Whatever you decide, Jesus is with you and he loves you."

http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/stations.html
http://frpat.com/stations.htm (drawings of stations done by grade 5 children)
http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/child/stations/ (good site for families & children)
http://www.xpeastbourne.org/arch/stations/contents.htm

Today I thought I would share my Brennan Manning devotion. It really hit my heart. It ties in with what we learned at Encounter this week and yesterday's "Last Supper" and today's "Good Friday"...

The One Jesus Loves

I believe that the night in the Upper Room was the defining moment of John's life. Some sixty years after Christ's resurrection, the apostle - like an old gold miner panning the stream of his memories - recalled all that had transpired during his three-year association with Jesus. He made pointed reference to that holy night when it all came together, and he affirmed his identity with these words: "Peter turned and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them - the one who had leaned on his breast at the supper" (John 21:20).

If John were to be asked, "What is your primary identity, your most coherent sense of yourself?" he would not reply, "I am a disciple, an apostle, an evanelist," but "I am the one Jesus loves"...

To read John 13:23-25 without faith is to read it without profit. To risk the passionate life, we must be "affected by" Jesus as John was; we must engage his experience with our lives rather than with our memories. Until I lay my head on Jesus' breast, listen to His heartbeat, and personally appropriate the Christ-experience of John's eyewitness, I have only a derivative spirituality. My cunning imposter will borrow John's moment of intimacy and attempt to convey it as if it were my own.

"Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble." 1 John 2:10

Your Love Makes Me Sing...

This song keeps running through my head today (and yesterday)...

Hallelujah (Your love is amazing)
Brenton Brown & Brian Doerksen

Your love is amazing, steady and unchanging
Your love is a mountain, firm beneath my feet
Your love is a mystery, how you gently lift me
When I am surrounded, your love carries me

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Your love makes me sing
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Your love makes me sing

Your love is surprising, I can feel it rising
All the joy that’s growing deep inside of me
Every time I see You
All Your goodness shines through
And I can feel this God song, rising up in me

Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah,
Your love makes me sing
Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah,
Your love makes me sing

 2000 Vineyard Songs [UK & Eire]

Palm Sunday

One of the most precious things I have ever witnessed is seeing (or feeling or hearing) those that I love worship. I still remember Amanda's first experience of communion two years ago on Good Friday, I remember her singing along with the soloist as we walked down the aisle to receive the elements... I remember her reading those words for the first time... 'Be thou my vision'.... She read them so intently, and then when it was her turn to take the bread, she ripped off the biggest chunk. As a parent, I was about to whisper, not so much, but then it occurred to me that maybe we should all be more like her. Once she got near to Jesus, she wanted as much as she could get...my precious girl:)

Yesterday was Palm Sunday...a day of worship like no other, and in celebration, Amanda's dance class was performing during our worship. Oh how precious to see my dolly worshipping God that way...and to worship with her...lots of tears..

Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
For our Lord God Almighty Reigns
Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
For our Lord God Almighty Reigns
Hallelujah, Holy, Holy
Are you Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb
You are Holy, Holy,
Are you Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb
Amen

Amanda did a wonderful job of her dance (all three times). I was also struck by one part of the message in particular...about how we come to Jesus always asking...asking Him to be who/what we want Him to be... And while we wants us to ask for our needs and our deepest desires, sometimes we need to come and just receive who He is. Peter didn't want Jesus to die. When Jesus told him of what was coming, Peter said no and that he would fight to prevent it, but if he had gotten what he had wanted, Jesus wouldn't have been who He was.... I need to think about that some more and praise Him more for who He is! I don't want to think of what happened to my Lord this week, but I must, I NEED to worship Him for it.

50 Things About Me!

Inspired by Christy's blog, here are 50 things about me...

1. I'm a girl, a girly-girl to be more precise.
2. And I'm married to the most wonderful boy, well, actually he's such a man!
3. And we have a living dolly for a daughter.
4. We live in a cozy bi-level in a newer neighbourhood in the north west (yes, the dreaded west-side?!! ...queu the forboding music!)
5. I'm a chartered accountant.
6. But what I do for a living actually tells you very little about me.
7. I probably should have been a teacher.
8. But that's a longgggg story.
9. I love being a wife and mommy!
10. I love God even more than any of that!!
11. One of my greatest desires is to hear God.
12. "He holds me by my right hand, and afterward He will take me home...God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Ps.73)
13. I love music!
14. I love to sing!
15. When I was a little girl, my favourite band was 'The Bay City Rollers'.
16. I had the plaid cuffed pants and striped socks even.
17. My brother used to tease me mercilessly about liking that band.
18. My husband doesn't mind them.
19. We've even gone Bay City Roller cruizin' to their greatest hits
20. Our daughter even likes their music.
21. She often sings their song 'Saturday Night' when we're driving home from Church on s-s-s-Saturday ni-ght.
22. I'm missing seeing my Canucks play on Saturday nights this year:(
23. I like to cuddle up with my husband and watch hockey:)
24. I like to cuddle up with my husband and watch anything:))
25. My latest favourite guilty pleasure is the Carmel Macchiato at Starbucks.
26. Actually it's really not bad for me at all (it's made with skim milk).
27. I like skim milk (have drank it since I was a kid).
28. I picked up the saying "good grief!" from a dear friend of mine.
29. My husband thinks it's cute when I say it.
30. I think he's cute all the time!
31. He has the best sense of humor!
32. My friends are really important to me.
33. Nowadays, I don't seem to get as much one on one time with them as I used to (or as I'd like).
34. Yet they are always there for me.
35. And I for them.
36. I got my hair cut today.
37. My hairdresser has an adorable 11 month old, and I got to hold him and dote over him:)
38. I'm an affectionate person.
39. Words mean a lot to me.
40. I would never name a child without looking at the meaning of the name.
41. My full first name is actually Sherri-Lynn not just Sherri because my maternal grandmother didn't want me named after liquor!
42. That is also the reason my name isn't spelled with a 'y'
43. Sherri means sweetheart in French (cheri), and beloved in the baby books, so I don't mind
44. My favourite Disney character is Winnie THE Pooh
45. When I was 4, I met the REAL Winnie THE Pooh (blue sweater and all)
46. Coincidentally when we did The Hundred Acre Wood personality test, my husband's personality came out as Pooh.
47. Mine was Kanga.
48. Did I mention that I love tea?!
49. I always notice people's hands and feet.
50. But what I'm most interested in is the heart:)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Here are a few Irish Blessings from me to you!

"May you always have walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain,

tea beside the fire,
laughter to cheer you,

those you love near you,
and all your heart might desire."

"May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

"May you have:
A world of wishes at your command.
God and his angels close to hand.
Friends and family their love impart,
and Irish blessings in your heart!"

"May God grant you always...
A sunbeam to warm you,
A moonbeam to charm you,
A sheltering angel, so nothing
can harm you."

"May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you"

You can go to this (http://www.st-patricks-day.com/index.asp) site to read more about St. Patrick's day.

Since I married Irish, we treat St. Patrick's day with a little bit of patriotism around our house. But I won't be making Irish stew this year as Amanda has another one of her big dance practices over the supper hour, so we'll be having something quick afterward, but I will be making the traditional green parfaits for a treat afterward in keeping with our family's tradition!

One Thumb Down; One Thumb Up

On the weekend, for the first time, Les and I rented a couple of DVD's. We were given a DVD player before Christmas, but somehow had never found the time to rent one until now. We rented the movies 'Ray' and 'Terminal'. I would have to say that 'Ray' was pretty much a disappointment for me, but more on that later on... 'Terminal', on the other hand, was a pleasant surprise! I don't think I even knew this movie existed until I saw it on the New Release shelf. It's a Tom Hanks movie about a Crococian (spelling?) man who ends up in limbo in JFK. There has been an overthrow of the government in his country and so it is no longer being recognized by the United States, so they will not allow him into the US nor out of there, and he is stuck in the terminal. I thought Hanks was surperb in this role. I don't think he gets very much attention now that he's a bit older, but he was wonderful in this role. Another thing that I liked about this movie is that it was a fresh story, not one that you could figure out in the first 10 minutes. I also liked that for the most part it was a pretty 'clean' film with some very good messages about the character of a man. Les and I both really enjoyed it!

Getting back to 'Ray' though, we were both so disappointed in it. I think all the hype and build up I've heard about it really made me expect a better film, a rounder story, but I guess I was expecting too much. At first I felt the film was fairly biographical without getting into may of the intricacies of Ray's life that would have been interesting to follow and would have developed a better understanding of the person. Most of the story focused on his heroine addiction, but once he addresses the addiction, the story ends, decades before his life, before many of his musical accomplishments, etc. I really thought this film could have been more... Then yesterday as I was checking Carolyn's blog, I read something that interested me more than most of what I saw in the film. You can check it out here (http://www.carolynarends.com/cgi-bin/cablog/blogger.cgi) ...check out the entry entitled 'Ray Charles on Praise'....here is an excerpt of some of Ray's own words to his biographer as quoted in a recent issue of Rolling Stone:

"When we were writing my book, I remember telling you that I'm not really looking at Jesus, I'm looking at God. Well, I'm looking at it differently now. .... I think about stories. Songs are stories. And if you're going to write a good song, you're going to have to praise a woman. That's the key. And if you're writing a book about God, you're going to have to praise God. That's what Jesus did. Praised the Father. Taught us about praise. I used to think all that church praise, all that hooting and hollering, was overdone. Stop shouting. Be Cool. Besides, if God is God, why does he need all this praise? Now I'm thinking it ain't God who needs the praise -- it's us who need to do the praising. The praise makes us stronger. That's why I'm getting stronger."

Now that's a part of Ray's story worth telling!

A Down Day

Have you ever had one of those days where you just didn't feel like going to work...and so you didn't go? ...no great illness, a bit of a headache in your forehead, a bit of a feeling in your stomach...you could work through it, you have many times before. I battled these feelings this morning from the moment I awoke. I hadn't slept well again (hard time getting back to sleep after awaking in the night for some reason), but I fought through it and got myself up and into the shower. 'There's nothing wrong with me,' I reasoned, 'I need to get ready for work'. I kept battling these thoughts as I dried my hair and so on, and then the thought came over me again, 'I could just stay home for a day...take a banked day...sure I'm not sick sick, but I just don't feel well...the tylenol hasn't worked yet...I should stay home...' Then the thought went through my mind of whether that would disappoint God, so I asked Him what He thought, and I didn't seem to get a direct answer. I decided, 'I better go to work,' and I continued to get ready, but to no avail, the thoughts came back again, and this time I let them win. 'I need a down day,' I reasoned, 'I'm always running.' So I called in, told my boss I just wasn't feeling great today and that I'd take a bank day. It went fine, but there still is this small pit of guilt I feel. Did I disappoint God by doing that? Did I disappoint those I care about, by just needing today? I hope not. Today I just need to take care of me a bit, so I'm off to camp out on the couch with my Bible, my journal and maybe a devotional, trusting that God will fill me up with whatever it is I need.

From Russia with Love!


The 2005 World Figure Skating Championships are in Moscow this year and TV coverage starts today (...it came up so fast, I almost missed it?!) CBC will have coverage each night this week from 8-10 p.m. and then on Saturday from 3-6 p.m. and Sunday from 8-10 p.m. I guess I better get my VCR set! I love skating!!

Links to what's all happening...
http://www.worlds2005.com/
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/FigureSkating/home.html
http://www.tsn.ca/figure_skating/

My picks of who to watch for...

Men:
Emmanuel Sandu, Cdn (capable of winning it all on the right day)
Jeff Buttle, Cdn (style)
Stefan Lindeman, German (the whole package)

Ladies:
Cynthia Phaneuf, Cdn (may be a year or two away from the podium, but my favourite to watch)
Joannie Rochette, Cdn (may be on the podium this year!)
Irina Slutskaya, Russian (what a comeback year!)
Fumie Suguri, Japanese (grace on ice)

Pairs:
Shen & Zhao, Chinese (still in a class by themselves)
Wakamak and Fecteau, Cdn (new team, 2nd in Canada, but such potential...give them time...)

Dance:
Belbin & Agosto, American (Belbin is from Canada and as such they won't quality for next year's Olympics, but I think they should be on the podium here!)

88 Keys!

...something I've always wanted...and weighted too! My amazing husband wouldn't take 'no' for an answer when he upgraded my keyboard this weekend. My original keyboard was a Yamaha I had bought with my UFE bonus back when I was first on my own. Les and I have been looking at them for a long time, just for fun, and then last Friday, Les just couldn't pass up what he found...he's SO good to me! :)

WATER!

We all know that we should be drinking more water (well, except for this one fella I work with who likes to debate everything!) So for a very long time, I've been working at trying to drink at least 8 glasses (64 ounces of water a day). Recently though, I learned that I actually need even more than that! Regardless of what study I've read, they all seem to agree, that you need more if you exercise and that the number of ounces you need should co-relate to your body weight (in some way)...

I could go into the benefits of drinking water; I could talk about how important it is that your kidneys not become dehydrated; and I could point out that, generally, by the time you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated...but I won't, instead I'll just talk about the amazing apparatus I've found to help me drink more water... It's called, (big breathe of anticipation!), 'the straw'! I've tried all sorts of water bottles (Amanda will tell you that there are three on my desk as I speak), but they don't help me to drink more (and many of them actually make me not want to drink at all). I've tried bottled waters. I've tried adding a wedge of lemon, lime or orange to my water, but the bottom line is, I still wasn't drinking enough water. Then one day I read an article that said that we generally drink more of beverages when we use a straw. Simple? ...so I tried it...instead of drinking out of a strange water bottle, I pour my water into a glass (novel idea?!) and I drink it through a straw...and I'm finally beginning to drink the amount of water I should each day (ta-da!)

Here's an article from Balance TV today about the benefits of water, sleep, and less stress...

The 3 Basics for Optimal Health

Thursday, March 10, 2005
By Balancetv.ca

Water, sleep and relaxation. Most of us don?t realize how important these elements are to achieving optimal health.

Brad King, author of Fat Wars: The Un-Diet Plan, joined Balance Television host Dr. Marla Shapiro to convince everyone to get back to basics.

Water

"If you look at the average North American out there today you would think that their bodies are comprised of...75 per cent coffee, juice or pop," King said. "We have to understand that the human body is comprised of water, nothing takes the place of water."

The average person out there is always complaining of a lack of energy,
King noted. Water is the primary substance that gives the body its energy
potential.

"It does this by breaking apart a very high-energy compound we call ATP," King explained. "Without water we can't break that energy compound apart and we can't produce that optimal energy we're all designed to produce."

Despite being made with water, coffee won't do the job because it actually causes the body to dehydrate, King said. Even juice won?t cut it unless it has all of the natural pulp and natural seeds. If it's your typical juice that's very high in sugar, it will just be sugar to the body.

"Water is water to the body," he said. "Nothing will replace that.?"

King's formula daily water intake is as follows: Take your body weight in
pounds and half of that is how many ounces the average person should be taking in in a day.

Sleep

"The average person nowadays does not get the recommended amount of sleep," King said. "We're getting less than six hours of sleep on average and we know sleep researchers have been arguing about this for a long time - we need on average about eight hours and 15 minutes of restorative sleep every single night.?"

Many people are deficient in an important compound called tryptophan that comes from some protein containing foods, King said. When we're highly stressed, we deplete this amino acid and then by evening time we don't have enough of it to produce the sleep hormone called melatonin.

King suggests eating protein throughout the day and not just eating it in
the evening. Also, he believes people shouldn?t eat anywhere up to three
hours before going to bed so not to overstimulate the hormone called
insulin and put your body into fat-storage mode.

Stress

"We're a very stressed out society and what we perceive actually becomes reality in the body in the face of danger," King said. "We have to understand that we produce the exact same fight or flight response - whether it is actual or whether it is perceived."

In the evenings Kind explained, when we have very low levels of a
neuro-chemical called serotonin, people crave junk foods such as chocolate, cookies and potato chips.

"If we eat these foods, we stimulate insulin which brings our seratonin
levels up for a only very short period of time until we have low blood
sugar and we crave them once again," he said. "It's a roller coaster ride.
So we have to get our stress response in check especially if we want to
eliminate the nasty cravings at night."

Dancing Queen

Amanda is very busy with dance these days...which means that Les and I are very busy taking her to extra practices as her next big performance is coming up soon. She'll be dancing at all 3 services (9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.) at Emmanuel Baptist Church on Palm Sunday.

Amanda takes a worship dance class every Monday night, and I have to say, I couldn't be more pleased with the class. As a child, I always dreamed of taking ballet. I finally did that just a few years ago:) Amanda likes ballet, but seemed a bit shy of the discipline, so we looked for something that she'd enjoy more. Thanks to her extraodinary auntie, we were introduced to Tanya Wiebe, and Amanda began in the intermediate group in worship dance. Worship dance is a bit of everything...they learn some ballet, some jazz...even some hip hop... The class and performances are all done using Christian music. Each class, after their cool-down, Tanya gathers all the girls around her and they link hands and pray, then with a hug they are sent off with confidence, poise...and a little bit more awareness of God's love! I love it!!

Je Ne Pourrait Pas Demande Plus

Yesterday, I came home from work to my wonderfully handsome and romantic husband. Now that would have been more than enough to make my heart beat faster, but there was more... He gave me red roses (my favourite!) and a card too romantic to be true. Although Les does not profess to speak French (except for the word 'fromage'), he had written the card completely en francais (as he says, "in the language of love"). His words were full of beauty and meaning:) Later, as I was gushing to a dear friend-sister of mine, he commented 'if you don't use your French you'll lose it!' Ha! :) (particularly in light of the fact that he had worked so hard that day to learn these phrases just for me!:) J'apprecie et adore vous, Les, mes beau amour! Vorte l-amour de mon vie! Je ne pourrait pas demande plus!!

The Call...

Here is link (http://www.robinmark.com/9to5_Story.htm) to a story from Robin Mark that my husband recommended to me a while ago. It speaks about the call on our lives. It speaks about work and ministry. It speaks about worship. I thought I'd share it with you because it's pretty timely given the dreaming and calling messages at Lakeview these last few weeks. I also thought it might encourage a few who are currently going through the effects of restructuring there.

Lopsided on Purpose

I've always known I'm a bit of a lopsided person...some would say much too much of a feeler. And I've spent my whole life working on my weaknesses to try to make them into strengths...trying to balance myself (and that takes a lot of work). So when my Pastor spoke a couple of weeks ago, he really caught my attention when he said that maybe I'm lopsided on purpose...that maybe God means for me to have the weaknesses I have (and the strengths), and maybe He doesn't mean for me to strive to turn those weaknesses into strengths. (See quotes from his sermon below).

I'm still working through what I think and feel about this. Part of me is comforted by the thought; part of me is affirmed; and part of me wants to rest in it...("Cease striving and know that [He is] God" Psalm 46:10) But there is also a part of me, if I'm honest, that despairs about that...what if this is it, the best I can be? These past few weeks on Wednesday nights at Encounter, we've been studying the letters to the seven churches in Revelation, and I would be lying if I didn't admit that I see some of the things God admonishes them for in my life. I've not lived a single day perfectly and am aware that I am so human that I can't even confess my sins perfectly. So on the one side I want to be able to accept my weakness and rest in that God knew what He was doing when He made me (weaknesses and all), but on the other hand I feel this need to do whatever I can to turn my weaknesses around because God deserves that. I am such a ragamuffin...in need of His grace each day! Only His Spirit can comfort me, conform me and make me what He wants for me to be!

“Before I formed you in the womb – I knew you . . . and before you were born I set you apart.” Jeremiah 1:5

"These folks are amazing words . . . what is God saying? He’s saying – I knew you before you were (not before you were born – before you were . . . I knew you . . . .) . . . and that knowledge determined what and who you would become . . . . . . God said. . . . . . I thought about what kind of person I needed next and then I created you in my mind (first) . . . see (God said) . . . I always think before I do . . . and I liked what I thought . . . so I made you to be that thought – I made what I knew and I always know best.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart” And so the question becomes, God . . . what were you thinking about when you knew me before you made me?

Did you catch that? It’s an important question – God . . . what were you thinking about when you knew me before you made me?

See folks, I believe the answer to that question is the meaning of life . . . . . and then God goes on to say . . . . when I formed you . . . I gave you strengths and weaknesses . . . He said, . . . I don’t want these things to be strengths . . . – they’re weaknesses . . . and I don’t want you to be well-rounded – a little bit of this and a little bit of that – God says no . . . you will have some weaknesses and that’s ok.

And You now what – our society is so backwards . . . our society says – lets focus on our weaknesses . . . Let’s try to make our weaknesses our strengths . . . It
says don’t focus on your strengths you’re already good at those . . . . . .Instead focus on getting your weaknesses stronger . . . and God says – that’s
crazy – they’re weaknesses!! (and they always will be)."

Past Dean Angell, Lakeview Church

Carolyn Blogs!

Yes, I mean Carolyn Arends! Though I've only met her a couple of times, she is like a friend in my heart. I find myself in the words to her tunes. She's an awesome writer, an awesome singer, an awesome person... If you don't already have her latest cd, Under the Gaze, I highly recommend getting it. There are samples and lyrics on her website, which incidentally, has undergone a makeover as well!

...and she's coming to Saskatoon in concert again on April 3rd at 6:30 at Elim Tabernacle.