Chris Tomlin - In The Secret

home sweet home

What else can I say...
I'm home and loving every minute of it :D

...money...money...money...

The world circles around the concept of MONEY!
Without money, whatever currency, we can't go far...
In all parts of the world types of currency are needed
to live. There are different exchange rates, tax percentages.
But all around the world, everything involves money.

There's nations with high debts, and there are people whose
debt is continually increasing.Others have a current debt
but are working stinking hard to get rid of it. I on the other
hand seem to be increasing my debt. I have never been in
debt before, but now since I'm in university I have huge loans.

The thought of having the crazy amount of debt I have right
now is terrifying. The thought of it increasing every year,
from now on until I graduate scares me even more.
And the thought that from now on I will live on an extremely
low budget, and try to live stewardly seems impossible.

Currently I'm enrolled in a private university. It is an amazing
university and I have thoroughly enjoyed my first semester
there. The first semester is now done, and I am thankful for the
growth and the new experiences of the past semester. Plus
all the blessings I have received.

But the amount owing first of all to the school is terrifying.
With that an ever increasing amount of debt. It all involves
money, money that I don't have..
I have been taught to trust the Lord, and to find His will
in all things. I have experience that trust and faith really works.

However, that does not make it easy. I am home for the
break right now, and it is so nice to be home right now. It
is also tempting to withdraw from Redeemer, and go to a
university closer to home, with less tuition awaiting, and
not going as deep into debt.

To find God's will, to trust His plan and purpose for me
is something I will be searching for, and have been.
To trust in Jehovah Jireh, my provider!
For now and forever more!

Math is hard

I found this article online.. and boy does it fit me well, especially the highlighted part. 

(PS--When I arrived at Redeemer I got a note in my mail from the registrar that I had to take another math course in order to be able to enroll into the Ed program.. O NO!! I was devastated, thought I was done HARD math forever... Thankfully I got out of it, and don't have to worry about doing more math :) )

Math is hard

Emily writes about why math is going to get a lot harder for your kids

As you may have already heard, there’s a debate raging on about how math should be taught in schools.

According to Thursday’s Globe and Mail article, the multiplication table is out and strategic problem solving is taking its place.

Yes, you read that right; apparently kids don’t need to learn the basics of adding and subtracting, but they’ll know how to approach it with “strategy.”

Although I’m a word girl through-and-through, there was a time, back in elementary school and part of high school, when I actually really liked math. As a chronic over-thinker, I was always asking, “why?” So for me, math was a break from words and arguments and paragraph structure and research. It was a series of formulas that, if executed properly, would result in the correct answer. The only correct answer.

My over-active mind found comfort in the straightforward formulas of algebra and addition, like one giant puzzle to solve. It wasn’t until the introduction of graphing calculators that my hatred of math started.

It’s no surprise that this change in my attitude towards math coincided with the introduction of strategy. If we’re starting our kids on the word-oriented strategies of math and digging into the “why” rather than the “how much” of math, we’re basically moving backwards.

As the Globe and Mail article states, cutting out the multiplication tables is like “playing the piano without ever learning scales, or hockey without basic drills."

Needless to say, math is about the numbers. And that’s the way it should stay.

What do you think about the way math is being taught these days?

Photo by O.Taillon via Flickr

time zone

Boy I just realized that I was still living yesterday according to the blogpost, that is I was three timezones behind... So I fixed it.. Also I know live in Ontario and am in the Toronto Eastern Time Zone :D Yay! Life changes... gotta go along with it.. ;)

OH HAPPY DAY

(ACC - African Children's Choir singing the song OH HAPPY DAY...) 


Well when it's 2am and you're studying for an exam that is at 9am... Really it is NOT a happy day!


But OH HAPPY DAY....! I GET TO FLY HOME TODAY... :)


(My ticket is printed, I will have 3+ hours to spare between exam and drive to the airport so that is when I will pack, and must write an exam and sleep before I go. Can I just say it one more time?! OH HAPPY DAY)

happy

I am in love with colour. 

They make me so very happy.

Praise the Creator for making life colourful!

bless....

Goodness, I am so blessed!!!


What else can I say?


I thought it was a verse in the Bible, but cannot find it. I know though that I must count my blessings, and be truly thankful for them. O boy I forget that ALL the time. Sure I know that I'm blessed, that I have food and clothes an education and so many more, but I forget the 'little' blessings of tap water and eyelashes, or 'big' blessings like friends and good conversations. How in the world do we start counting our blessings, where to begin? Just looking around the room there are so many things I could list, and there are so many things I would miss (aka not consider blessing because it is so normal and I always take for granted.)


In less than four months of living in Ontario so many things I have changed. I met so many amazing people and made good friends. I feel like I've changed, grown in so many ways. I realize different things now, think about different things and am aiming to become more rational, and think more philosophical perhaps, so that I would love the truth more and not just think basic thoughts, but think deeper, because so many things I think are so very shallow. It's a blessing to be here and to be challenged by others to be more rational and to think deeper.
It's a blessing to be here and to learn so many new things and realize different things...


Just a few days from now I will be going home for the first time since the end of August. It will be a week from 4 months, and it has been long. The 'four' months have flown by, and I look back on for blessed months. Times of growth, although it has been long, I'd initially thought I'd feel more homesick. I feel blessed that I haven't been homesick at all, because it would have made it so much longer. Yes I am pumped to go home, it will be a blessing, but I am so blessed here too, more blessed than I would ever had imagined!!


Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow!

The Darkling Thrush

The Darkling Thrush

~ Thomas Hardy ~

I leant upon a coppice gate
When Frost was spectre-gray,
And Winter's dregs made desolate
The weakening eye of day.
The tangled bine-stems scored the sky
Like strings of broken lyres,
And all mankind that haunted nigh
Had saught their household fires.

The land's sharp features seemed to be
The Century's corpse outleant,
His crypt the cloudy canopy,
The wind his death-lament.
The ancient pulse of germ and birth
Was shrunken hard and dry,
And every spirit upon earth
Seemed fervourless as I.

At once a voice arose among
The bleak twigs overhead
In a full-hearted evensong
Of joy illimited;
An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,
In blast-beruffled plume,
Has chosen thus to fling his soul
Upon the growing gloom.

So little cause for carolings
Of such ecstatic sound
Was written on terrestrial things
Afar or nigh around,
That I could think there trembled through
His happy good-night air
Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew
And I was unaware

Draw me...

It's December.. December 4.

16 days till I go home.. only a matter of hours from now. Yes I know, I did calculate the hours until I will be back in Alberta. It's silly. I feel like a child. But really it makes it seem like its going faster.. Ill tell you why. We started this afternoon at 5pm. It was 411.5 hrs then. Now its 1235am. So 7.5 hr later, so that is 404 hours. Time seems to fly now..

Yet I'm very far away from home. I felt that very much so today. And it was tough. I haven't felt that so much yet. But now, that it is only weeks away until I go home it seems to seem so far, so long from now. It really isn't I know and maybe I'm just being silly.

I found that in these last days I was again, and again, looking to me. Looking at what I have to do, what I have to take care of, what I have to get done, what I should change, what I... what I... what I...
O goody, I have the wrong focus again and again. I'm focusing on me way TOO MUCH!
So often I find myself looking for answers from myself, instead of looking to God, and failing. I fail to find answers here, with me. Stupid! When will I learn. Every single time I realize that I want to just punch myself. I then remember that I cannot do this on my own. I must try my hardest though.

But the God of love, who loves me!, wants to be there for me, and wants to be #1, in my life, also for the answers. Who am I to be so stupid and to ignore that and to again and again put myself in first place! IDIOT!

O goody, will I ever learn, or will I just keep making the same silly mistake over and over and over and over again?

Draw me close to You, never let me go!

a tad of white

Just a little bit of the white stuff has fallen so far...
In Ontario I guess the winter comes at a different time. The snow falls later at least in this Southern part of the province. I don't really mind. Until last week I wore my flip-flops. It was a sad case when I put them away to await being worn in the Spring (perhaps that will come earlier?). I had a joyful time wearing flip-flops for so long.
Now that season has come to an end, and it is okay..

The grass is still green here, and I love it...! I believe all the trees have lost all the leaves that once crowned the branches. Now the trees are barren, ready for the snowfall. There's a mix of thoughts about snow here, some love that there's no snow yet, others are trying not to be impatient. I love both. I like having to wait for the snow. I found that in Alberta the snow always came TOO EARLY... I also like that there is no snow yet. No permanent - as in it will be there for the next (5 or so) months - snow yet! :D

This morning I woke up to a little but of white world... Well not really that white, but eh, it was snow. More like some icing sugar sprinkled. But it was snow. And I had my first candy cane - on the first snow fall day in Ancaster :D - while thoroughly enjoying both the sight of the semi whitened world around me and - the taste of yummy peppermint candy cane! ;)

Just a tad of the white stuff... compared to back home, in Alberta... A white world is awaiting me there, and in just a little less than three weeks I shall be coming home..! :D ODD that it has been so long, and yet gone by so fast; now, to get ready in different ways to travel out West...

Singing Hosanna

Praise is rising, eyes are turning to You, we turn to You
Hope is stirring, hearts are yearning for You, we long for You
'Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day
In Your Presence all our fears are washed away, washed away

CHORUS
Hosanna, hosanna
You are the God Who saves us, worthy of all our praises
Hosanna, hosanna
Come have Your way among us
We welcome You here, Lord Jesus
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsty.com/paul-baloche-hosanna-lyrics.html ]
Hear the sound of hearts returning to You, we turn to You
In Your Kingdom broken lives are made new, You make us new
'Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day
In Your Presence all our fears are washed away, washed away

CHORUS
Hosanna, hosanna
You are the God Who saves us, worthy of all our praises
Hosanna, hosanna
Come have Your way among us
We welcome You here, Lord Jesus

'Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day
In Your Presence all our fears are washed away
'Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day
In Your Presence all our fears are washed away, washed away

CHORUS
Hosanna, hosanna
You are the God Who saves us, worthy of all our praises
Hosanna, hosanna
Come have Your way among us
We welcome You here, Lord Jesus
(Repeat)
Hosanna, hosanna
Hosanna, hosanna

MAJESTY!

Here I am, humbled by your majesty, 
Covered by your grace so free. 
Here I am, knowing I'm a sinful man, 
Covered by the blood of the lamb. 


Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine, 
Since You laid down Your life, 
The greatest sacrifice. 


Majesty 
Majesty 
Your grace has found me just as I am 
Empty handed but alive in Your hands 
We sing 
Majesty 
Majesty 
Forever I am changed by Your love 
In the beauty of Your Majesty 
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/h/hillsong+united/majesty_20255079.html ] 
Here I am humbled by the love that You give, 
Forgiven so that I can forgive. 
So here I stand, 
Knowing that I am Your desire, 
Sanctified by glory and fire. 
And now I've found the greatest love of all is mine, 
Since You laid down Your life, 
The greatest sacrife. 


Majesty, Majesty. 
Your grace has found me just as I am, 
Empty handed but alive in your hands. 
Singing Majesty, Majesty. 
Forever I am changed by Your love, 
In the presence of Your Majesty. 
Majesty. 


Majesty, Majesty. 
Your grace has found me just as I am, 
Empty handed but alive in your hands. 
Singing Majesty, Majesty. 
Forever I am changed by Your love, 
In the presence of Your Majesty. 
Majesty.

Is Content

Content to be in Ontario right now.
I believe Im in the place I need to be.
Seeing God at work in my life and the lives
of other is a great thing to experience.
It is very eye opening.

All the new experiences, aren't always easy but they're AWESOME!

I'm loving it....!

Also... Where'd you rather be in November... in a place where it is far below the freezing point with lots of white stuff on the ground. Or in a place where it is still above 5 Celsius, and green grass plus leaves...?

Plus... Perhaps switching to Tumblr??!

a distraction

The story of my life....

Cannot sleep?
Check Facebook!
Don't feel like going to bed...?
Check Facebook!
Don't feel like doing homework?
Check Facebook!
Just feel like doing nothing...?
Check Facebook!

Again, again, and again!!

DID THEY CREATE FACEBOOK TO HELP PEOPLE EXCEL IN PROCRASTINATION?!!

members

¹²For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves^[d] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. ¹⁴For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? ¹⁸But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many parts,^[e] yet one body. ²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." ²²On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, ²⁴which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, ²⁵that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.²⁶If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.                             

                                                                                                                                     1Corinthians 12:12-26                                                                                                           

        "In the body of Christ you may be a dancing leg or a designing arm or a singing mouth, while I aim to be an analytical eye. We belong together in one body, and if I love you, as a part of the same body, I will not presume to dance or paint or sing. My best love-gift to the rest of the body will be to bring an analytical and systematic perspective to our understanding of the arts. This perspective will, I hope, at the very least help us avoid unbiblical problems and false dilemmas. But, much more, I hope it will help develop in us a mature wisdom so that we can discern what we, at this point of history to which God has called us, should be doing in the arts. For if we are going to prevail as sheep among wolves, then we need a cultural programme which is, as Jesus recommended (Matt. 10:16), as unsophisticated as the dove and as wary as the snake in the grass."                   ~Calvin Seerveld, in: Bearing Fresh Olive Leaves 

WINTER

From my friend...

Right now at work I am looking outside at a treewith one single leaf left on it! I turned away
for one second and looked back and it was gone.
And then I said WINTER!!
 

I liked it. Not because I saw it. Not because I like winter. But because she got to see

the change of seasons, first hand, even though she's been seeing fall around her forthe last weeks. I liked it, because how she saw more than just a leaf falling.

procrastination III

My major is taking up lots of time.
My major as in procrastination.

My minor is taking up lots of time.
My minor as in 'finddisractionsalways'.

to interpret?!

The Red Wheelbarrow

~William Carlos Williams~

so much depends

upon


a red wheel
barrow


glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens

Procrastination II

Dear teachers,

Due tomorrow, means DO tomorrow.

Sincerely, pro-procrastinator.

November...

I cannot believe it is November already. November is a month that never goes by unnoticed for me.. It used to, back in the day (wow, I make myself sound old), but now since several years ago November means CHANGE. I live in Ontario now, and the leaves have changed colour, but we're in this transition stage, between fall and winter. CHANGE...

November 2004, it was packing chaos. Huh? Yes, packing chaos. That is were were all living a chaotic life, finishing up the last days of school, the last youth events in the Netherlands, and packing our life up in boxes which was rather chaotic. Plus trying to make sense of all the mixed and chaotic emotions running through our heads. At least I was. Why? Because we were MOVING ACROSS THE WORLD!!  ~nuts~ And that is chaotic I tell you. But also a time of change, huge change, and painful change.

Now we're in 2011 and seven years have gone by in rather rapid speed. It's crazy I find, to see the changes every November, every year. I am pretty settled in in Canada that is. I just recently moved to Ontario for my education - am decently settled in but not quite, not really, not fully - but okay. Living. Surviving. To the fullest. Each moment. To God glory. Or that's the aim at least.

I find the next quoted song over played. And just before our overseas move, our emigration we heard this song often, it was quoted everywhere, and drove me crazy!

Now, when I hear this song in November, or even any other time of the year I think back on our move, on the chaotic time of change. I think back on how I had to face my fears, and just go to this unknown country. Not planning my own life (all the plans I did have were screwed up anyway so there was no point in planning anymore), not choosing my own ways (dude, why did I ever think I could).  But trusting in the Lord, trusting in His guiding hand, that He will provide, that He will lead and bring me where I need to go, where I need to be, in the UNKNOWN future...! Freaky!

Lord What E’er the Future’s Bringing

(Dutch hymn ‘Wat de toekomst brengen moge’)

Lord what e’re future’s bringing,

I am guided by Thy hand.

And I lift my eyes while singing,

To the unknown promised land.

Help me follow uncomplaining;

Father, what Thou dost is right.

Guide me in the time remaining,

Give me courage for the fight.

Lord, I’ll praise Thy name forever

Though my soul can’t understand;

Blessed are they, who doubt Thee never,

But who trust Thy guiding hand.

Though the way seems dark and lonely,

Keep me Lord, from asking “Why?”

Oft I’ll get the answer only,

When I get to heaven on high.

Don’t let me decide, my Father,

What the future ought to bring;

I would make mistakes, or rather,

I would mess up everything.

As a child, Lord, wilt Thou feed me,

Wilt Thou guide me by Thy Hand;

I would lose the way, please lead me,

Lead me to the promised land.

I know I am not in the promised land, and that's okay, there is time here to live for me and I can do that here to. You know I don't have to always ask why and be totally freaked out of what is going to happen. Even though I do often and am often worried (sad face) but that is okay. I have to remember to trust the Lord, even in those times when I really can't or don't feel like it. Trust Him when the entire world seems to look dark and grim (which it is) and He gives me strength and oil in my lamp to shine His light here, right now! Trust in Him that He'll not leave my side, that He'll carry me when things are hard, will surround me when times are dangerous and I need protection or something.

So many promises, promises for now and for in the promised land..

 

When you're walking, and fearing it. When you're so super unsure of the future, and are scared of what is to come, HE IS HERE, AND VERY NEAR!

~~I'd never heard this song in English before today; the Dutch version is different but eh whatevs... same story~~

Procrastination

Procrastination is something I'm sure we all know and have all experienced. Well, what is it? It refers to the act of replacing high-priority actions (such as studying for midterms) with tasks of low-priority(like checking Facebook, email, reading blogs), and thus putting off important tasks to a later time. 


Okay, so I just told you the story of my life.
I thought I'd learned, after going to RDC for a year, and then working, you know maybe I'd done some growing up when it comes to procrastination, or preventing it. Obviously I haven't and really it isn't great to still be a procrastinator. I 'always' have good intentions. And then I think, 'okay Im ready to do some studying, but let's first check....' And another hour  flies by... So sad!


Oh, and did you know that there are books on procrastination. They other day, some of my awesome dorm mates and I drove to a Starbucks/Chapters not to far from here, and sat at this huge (sorta like a kitchen) table, and studied for just about four hour straight. It was awesome. For the maybe ten minutes I didn't study I was walking through Chapters, gotta love that store(especially when you've a good coffee to enjoy!)! I saw this book, and guess what, it was called Procrastination for Dummies....! Awesome, I like. And perhaps one day will purchase it.


But while I wait for that specific book to either end up on my book shelf someday or not end up on my bookshelf, I better get going and do some studying for this midterm I have tomorrow. Because studying some more may be helpful.. 


And stop procrastinating....




PS... did you know that tapping your pencil on your desk, or clicking the back of your pen can be a form of procrastination as well?!!

this is something I am very guilty off. Making many to do lists, sticky notes and such, and then try to get that all done before I do the pressing matter, the stuff that needs to get done, the project that's due today and needs to get printed yet, or study for the exam that is within  20 hours from now..... (you get it) (NOTE: paper on desk saying 'sharpen all pencils' and then the boxes in front of his desk (fyi, a gross is 12 dozen,you figure out how many he's got to sharpen.)

PPS... some synonyms for procrastination are: deferment, postponement, stalling, delay, adjournment, and putting off?!

a post

This post is one I wrote as my parents and I were travelling from Alberta to Ontario at the end of Summer. It was a long drive, and I did have my laptop along with me so I figured may as well write a post to post in the future.. lol. Here it is...

"We’re on our drive East right now. I won’t be posting this until we get to a place where there is internet. Well it’s been a long day, or two days I should say. But it’s going very well. It’s an odd feeling to be driving here in this very different province. First we drove through Alberta, you know, I have lived in that province for 7 years and still haven’t even seen half of it, not even a quarter. Then Saskatchewan, I’d thought it was far flatter (a word, I’m not sure but you get the point) and more ‘golden’ looking that it actually was. Sask., has more towns and is more ‘livable-looking’ than Manitoba I must say. Manitoba has a couple of bigger towns/I think they call them cities, but really it takes forever to get to the next teeny tiny town. It seriously is like this, ‘if you blink you miss it’ kind of thing. Well we stopped in Brandon and slept there on our first night. We drove a day, and get through Alberta, Sask.(takes far too type that out every time), and half of Manitoba. Now we’re driving somewhere in Ontario, on our way to Thunder Bay. It’s been a long drive to Ignace where we just drove through. On the right I see lots of green trees and wires, on the left is the same. We’ve seen some old towns (including Kenora (which is the only one I remember)), lots of water, rocks and ‘warning bears/wildlife’ signs. I’ve been watching movies on my laptop; eh it’s a way to pass the time. I mean we will be driving a whole other day, so I might as well spend it semi enjoyably.

                I wonder how people in this place do it, even more so in Manitoba. I mean there’s no reception ANYWHERE… Do people here live a life without cell phones? Or maybe they’ve a different provider than I do?    

                Leaving Alberta…. What to say about it. It was weird. Weird is really the only way I think I can describe it. I have moved across the Atlantic Ocean before, flown for a day and gotten to our new place while our stuff (moving container that went by boat) arrived 6 weeks later. Seven years ago it was, and it was hard! Oh if you’ve known me for that long you’ll remember too why it was so difficult, and I won’t bore you with that story. So someone said to me, now that you’re moving to Ontario, temporarily (?), it is like emigrating, you know moving to a different ‘country’. Although Ontario and Alberta are in the same country they’re very different from each other. I’m excited to start exploring this new province full and rich of history, and all kinds of other cool things that Alberta doesn’t have. Alberta does have things that are super awesome, and I’m going to miss….

 

WITH PETER AND CINDY

WITH LIANNE

WITH MOM AN DAD

WITH CURTIS AND HELMA

                That makes me think of Sunday night, when my siblings were over at our house. We had a great time although it was silly too knowing that this was going to be the last night before the long trek East and saying goodbye to them and all. And yet we had a good time, especially when picture time came around. I will hopefully be able to upload some pictures, once I find my camera cord in one of the boxes I packed. Then I’ll share them with you too, along with this post. I have an amazing bunch of siblings, wouldn’t trade these wonderful people for anything… Thanks Peter and Cindy for encouraging me to go out there and it’s okay to be a little jealous, just remember that when I’m writing papers and studying till who knows what time that I’m sure you wouldn’t be anymore. Thanks Corné, Erika and Manuel from the Netherlands for your support that you’ve given me when I was at your place this summer, and all the other times on the phone and over email. I will always cherish these moments with the 3 of you and will remember them often. Thanks Helma and Curtis and the baby in the bump, for telling me back when I was in high school to get out of here. I thought you were crazy Helm, for telling me that, but it really pushed me to go for what God had planned for me and not to shy away what I’d usually do, I’ll always remember the kind encouragement and tough questions you both gave me. Thanks Lianne for staying at home with me for a just a little longer. I had to be the first one to move out of the two of us right, so I figured since you’re planning to this fall I better beat you to it, lol. Thanks for sticking through it with me and helping me out in so many ways. You’re my little sister but boy did I learn a ton from you!

                I’m off again; I think I may be doing some driving here soon, so I better get going. You know we’re trying to reach a destination here, and it’s more than just a couple hours away…."