I tried to post this as a bulletin and it wouldn't let me. So here I am posting a blog. I just want you, my lovely friends to know that I am alive, and doing fantastic.
As some of you know, I've moved out of my parents place and out into an apartment with a friend of mine (female). Things are going really well with that.
I've also been seeing a guy for a few weeks now. My former co-worker texted me awhile ago and asked me how I feel about being set up on a blind date, and at first I wasn't to sure of that. I'm glad I agreed to that. We're still in the "getting-to-know-each-other stage" but I'm hoping things will blossom. He's a great guy! He is Christian, I know most of you will ask that question. He's 2 years older than me so that makes him 34. We've had some good conversation thus far. We have some of the same interests. I've gone to see a movie with him (Bride Wars - which is a fantastic movie by the way), bowling (a bunch of singles from a church here in the city that he does things with the odd time), and I watched wrestling with him. I have never in my life thought I would watch wrestling, and yeah, I have. It may have to grow on me a little bit still. Not sure what I think of that "sport". He doesn't like hockey *gasp* so he's got to like something right? He smoked me in bowling, but he's in a bowling league, but I still had a great time. I love being with him. I think he's had his first 'embarassing moment' already and as I've told a very few of you, I'll tell you all. He'll probably kill me if I told you all but he can't read this.After bowling last weekend we went to Boston Pizza with the people that came bowling. He(Jim - name of my 'boy' friend) was sitting across from me, and he likes to talk with his hands alot, and some of you may know where this is going, but, he spilt my lemonade all over my jeans. I'm not sure he knew quite what to do. Someone from our group but sitting at another table gave me a bunch of napkins which helped a little, but still a little embarassing for him more than me I suppose. I'm sure it's something we'll remember though. We can go back and say "Remember when you spilt my drink in my lap..." and chuckle about it. He'll be coming over on saturday, we're going to be watching yet another chick-flick. Poor guy! What guy would watch chick flicks with a girl that isn't even his girlfriend(YET),but I'm hoping he will be. He's amazing and is a gentleman! I'll have to keep you posted. Maybe pray things go according to God's plan.
I love you all! ♥ and I miss you all!
I'm still hoping to buy a laptop so I'm not sure when I'll be on xianz again. My room mate doesn't want me on websites such as this or myspace. I've been hanging out on facebook. If you have facebook feel free to find me there or email me.
I'm 32 years old, come from a family of six - 2 parents, 1 brother, 1 sister, and 1 brother-in-law. I'm the eldest of the siblings and the only one left at home, go figure eh. I presently work in a school cafeteria, and will be employed elsewhere during the summer months with the same company. Then come September I shall be returning back to the school providing I don't have an office job by then, which is something I really want to have. I love working in an office, looking all important and stuff. I did take a 10-month Office Skills and Technology course back in I believe 2001. I've always had a hard time in school because of my learning disability. Yes, you may not think by looking at me that I have some form of disability, but I do. I don't really like to talk about it too much. I think it was discovered back when I was in grade school. I got made fun of alot because of it, I had to take easier classes than the rest of my classmates. I had to have help understanding what I was reading, LOL, in other words comprehension. I got laughed at by my classmates, so I was afraid to ask questions for fear of being laughed at. This was all in a 'christian' school to boot. Christians can be so nasty sometimes. I don't want a pity party at all. Just info about who I am, and what I am. Needless to say, because of my disability and being laughed at, I am really shy and have a fear of rejection. I'm hoping God will help me with that though. I believe God can do all things."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens ME." - Phillipians 4:13. "Be beautiful...be yourself"
Things I like/love:
thunderstorms
chick flicks
friends
helping others
walking
pedicures
holding hands
manicures
hugging
flip flops
kissing
full moon when out at lake
laughing
birds chirping
being silly
country music
the beach
hymns
chocolate
roses
shopping
half Moon hotdogs
hockey
beagles
camping
photography
blonde hair, blue eyed guys
praise and worship music
singing
powerpoint
roadtrips
ruffles potato chips
canoeing
butterflies
rolo ice cream
fuzzy peaches
prairie sky
the colour blue
northern lights
Tim Horton's
sunsets and sunrises
milk
dancing
wheat fields
massages
rainbows
There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness
and had been given three months to live.
So as she was getting her
things 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her
house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.
She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures
she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.
Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the
young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.
'There's one more thing,' she said excitedly.
'What's that?' came the Pastor's reply.
'This is very important,' the young woman continued.
'I want to be
buried with a fork in my right hand.
'
The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to
say.
That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young woman asked.
'Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,' said the Pastor.
The young woman explained.
'My grandmother once told me this story, and
from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those
I love and those who are in need of encouragement.
In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that
when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would
inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.
' It was my favorite part
because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate
cake or deep-dish apple pie.
Something wonderful, and with substance!'
So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my
hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you
to tell them: 'Keep your fork, the best is yet to come.
'
The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young
woman good-bye.
He knew this would be one of the last times he would see
her before her death.
But he also knew that the young woman had a better
grasp of heaven than he did.
She had a better grasp of what heaven would
be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience
and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they
saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand.
Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, 'What's with the fork?'
And over and over he smiled.
During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he
had with the young woman shortly before she died.
He also told them
about the fork and about what it symbolized to her.
He told the people
how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they
probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.
He was right.
So the next time you reach down for your fork let it
remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.
Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed.
They make you smile and encourage
you to succeed . Cherish the time you have and the memories you share.
Being friends with someone is not an opportunity but a sweet
responsibility.
Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND even if it means sending
back to the person who sent it to you.
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, inview of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holyand pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Donot conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformedby the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approvewhat God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3Forby the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think ofyourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself withsober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has givenyou. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his[b]faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8ifit is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to theneeds of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let himgovern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Footnotes:
Romans 12:1 Or reasonable
Romans 12:6 Or in agreement with the
'in view of God's mercy...' - we need to start there, if we don't we miss the whole point of the gospel.
Pride is a very dangerous thing. You're not supposed to think to highly of yourself. Each part of the body is important and each part belongs to the other. We all have gifts - given by God. If you say,'I have no gifts' and have low self esteem your said to have low God esteem.We've been saved - for what? God has gifted each of us. You give a gift (material)to someone for them to use, not for it to be stuffed in a closet somewhere and not use it, it's the same when God gives us a gift (spiritual). He wants us to use it. For a church to function, each person needs to use their God-given gift whether you're young or old. There is no retirement in the bible - sorry. There is nothing better in the world than a church that works the way it's supposed to. When one part of the church is hurting - we all hurt.
We are a precious body of Christ and all have a part to play. Don't be sayin' 'I'm not good enough - it doesn't matter'. It matters, and you're good enough!! If you're unsure of what your gift is - ask those around you (your friends and family) and most importantly pray about it and ask God to show you what your gift is.
In Canada, Remembrance Day is a holiday for federal government employees; for private business, provincial governments, and schools, its status varies by province: in Western Canada and Atlantic Canada, it is a general holiday; in Ontario and Quebec, it is not, although corporations that are federally registered may make the day a full holiday, or instead, designate a provincially-recognized holiday on a different day.
Poppies are laid on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Remembrance Day in Ottawa.
The official national ceremonies are held at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, presided over by the Governor General of Canada, any members of the Canadian Royal Family, the Prime Minister, and other dignitaries, to the observance of the public. Typically, these events begin with the tolling of the Carillon in the Peace Tower, during which serving members of the Canadian Forces arrive at Confederation Square, followed by the Ottawa diplomatic corps, Ministers of the Crown, special guests, the Royal Canadian Legion (RCL), the vice-regal party, and, if present, the royal party. Before the start of the ceremony, four armed sentries and three sentinels – two flag sentinels and one nursing sister – are posted at the foot of the cenotaph.
The arrival of the Governor General is announced by a trumpeter sounding the "Still," whereupon the viceroy is met by the Dominion President of the RCL and escorted to a dais to receive the Vice-Regal Salute, after which the national anthem, "O Canada," is then played. The moment of remembrance begins with the bugling of "Last Post" immediately before 11:00 am, at which time the gun salute fires and the bells of the Peace Tower toll the hour. Another gun salute signals the end of the two minutes of silence, and cues the playing of a lament, and then the bugling of "The Rouse." A flypast of Canadian Air Command craft then occurs at the start of a 21 gun salute, upon the completion of which a choir sings "In Flanders Fields." The various parties then lay their wreaths at the base of the memorial; one wreath is set by the Silver Cross Mother, the most recent recipient of the Memorial Cross, on behalf of all mothers who lost children in any of Canada's armed conflicts. The royal and/or vice-regal group return to the dais to receive the playing of the Royal Anthem of Canada, "God Save the Queen," prior to the assembled Armed Forces personnel and veterans performing a March Past in front of the royal and/or viceregal persons, bringing about the end of the official ceremonies. A tradition of paying more personal tribute to the sacrifice of those who have served and lost their lives in defence of the country has emerged since erection of the The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the War Memorial in 2000. After the official ceremony the general public pay their respects by placing their poppies atop the Tomb.
The military Remembrance Day parade in Ottawa.
Similar ceremonies take place in provincial capitals across the country, officiated by the relevant Lieutenant Governor, as well as in other cities, towns, and even hotels or corporate headquarters. Schools will usually hold special assemblies for the first half of the day, or on the school day prior, with various presentations concerning the remembrance of the war dead. The largest indoor ceremonies are believed to be held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with over 7,000 gathering in Credit Union Centre.
Why Remember?
We must remember. If we do not, the sacrifice of those one hundred thousand Canadian lives will be meaningless. They died for us, for their homes and families and friends, for a collection of traditions they cherished and a future they believed in; they died for Canada. The meaning of their sacrifice rests with our collective national consciousness; our future is their monument.1
A Canadian soldier kneels at grave of fallen comrade in the United Nations Cemetery, Korea, April 1951.(National Archives of Canada PA 128813)
These wars touched the lives of Canadians of all ages, all races, all social classes. Fathers, sons, daughters, sweethearts: they were killed in action, they were wounded, and thousands who returned were forced to live the rest of their lives with the physical and mental scars of war. The people who stayed in Canada also served - in factories, in voluntary service organizations, wherever they were needed.
Yet for many of us, war is a phenomenon seen through the lens of a television camera or a journalist's account of fighting in distant parts of the world. Our closest physical and emotional experience may be the discovery of wartime memorabilia in a family attic. But even items such as photographs, uniform badges, medals, and diaries can seem vague and unconnected to the life of their owner. For those of us born during peacetime, all wars seem far removed from our daily lives.
We often take for granted our Canadian values and institutions, our freedom to participate in cultural and political events, and our right to live under a government of our choice. The Canadians who went off to war in distant lands went in the belief that the values and beliefs enjoyed by Canadians were being threatened. They truly believed that "Without freedom there can be no ensuring peace and without peace no enduring freedom."2
By remembering their service and their sacrifice, we recognize the tradition of freedom these men and women fought to preserve. They believed that their actions in the present would make a significant difference for the future, but it is up to us to ensure that their dream of peace is realized. On Remembrance Day, we acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who served their country and acknowledge our responsibility to work for the peace they fought hard to achieve.
Canadians departing for active service in Europe during the Second World War, 1940.(National Archives of Canada C-38723)
During times of war, individual acts of heroism occur frequently; only a few are ever recorded and receive official recognition. By remembering all who have served, we recognize their willingly-endured hardships and fears, taken upon themselves so that we could live in peace.
Funeral service for Canadians at Bramshott during the First World War.(National Archives of Canada PA 4850)
How Do We Remember?
On November 11, especially, but also throughout the year, we have the opportunity to remember the efforts of these special Canadians. In remembering, we pay homage to those who respond to their country's needs. On November 11, we pause for two minutes of silent tribute, and we attend commemorative ceremonies in memory of our war dead.
Following the First World War a French woman, Madame E. Guérin, suggested to British Field-Marshall Earl Haig that women and children in devastated areas of France could produce poppies for sale to support wounded Veterans. The first of these poppies were distributed in Canada in November of 1921, and the tradition has continued ever since, both here and in many parts of the world.
Poppies are worn as the symbol of remembrance, a reminder of the blood-red flower that still grows on the former battlefields of France and Belgium. During the terrible bloodshed of the second Battle of Ypres in the spring of 1915, Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a doctor serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, wrote of these flowers which lived on among the graves of dead soldiers:
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
John McCrae 11
The flowers and the larks serve as reminders of nature's ability to withstand the destructive elements of war by men, a symbol of hope in a period of human despair. In Canada, traditionally the poppies which we wear were made by disabled Veterans. They are reminders of those who died while fighting for peace: we wear them as reminders of the horrors of conflict and the preciousness of the peace they fought hard to achieve.
First World War veteran at base of Vimy Memorial where 11,285 names are inscribed in the stone.
The two minutes of silence provide another significant way of remembering wartime while thinking of peace. Two minutes are scarcely enough time for thought and reflection. As we pause and bow our heads, we remember those brave men and women who courageously volunteered for the cause of freedom and peace.
For those who lived through these wars, remembering means thinking of comrades. It evokes memories of men and women who never returned home. Those born after the wars might picture the youthful soldiers who eagerly joined up from high schools, businesses and farms across the country, only to meet death while fighting against the enemy. They may imagine the anguish of a man leaving a new wife, a young family, an elderly mother. The important thing for all of us to remember is that they fought to preserve a way of life, Canadian values, and the freedom we enjoy today and often take for granted. Remember that the silence is to honour their sacrifice and memory.
The National War Memorial, Ottawa.
There are memorials to commemorate the service of Canadian troops in Canada and overseas. The National War Memorial in Ottawa was originally designed to recognize those who served in the First World War. It has been rededicated to symbolize the sacrifice made by Canadians in the Second World War, in Korea, and in subsequent peacekeeping missions. The National War Memorial symbolizes the unstinting and courageous way Canadians give their service when values they believe in are threatened. Advancing together through a large archway are figures representing the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have answered the call to serve; at the top of the arch are two figures, emblems of peace and freedom.
Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located next to the National War Memorial and contains the remains of an unknown Canadian First World War soldier who was exhumed from a cemetery near Vimy Ridge. The Tomb and its Unknown Soldier represents all Canadians, whether they be navy, army, air force or merchant marine, who died or may die for their country in all conflicts - past, present, and future.
The Books of Remembrance which lie in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower are another record of the wars. In addition, most cities and towns across the country have dedicated a monument, a building, or a room to their native sons and daughters who gave their lives. These commemorative locations are an enduring record of the losses suffered by communities as Canadians went forward to fight for what they believed was right.
Ste. Anne's Hospital, July 1984.
One day every year, we pay special homage to those who died in service to their country. We remember these brave men and women for their courage and their devotion to ideals. We wear poppies, attend ceremonies, and visit memorials. For one brief moment of our life, we remember why we must work for peace every day of the year.
I was listening to my mp3 player on my way to work this morning and this song was playing on it. The lyrics are really powerful and I hope you enjoy the words to them.
God Can - Dottie's People
God can God can And God will God will He'll fix it God will fix it for you God can God can I tell you will God can He'll fix it God will fix it for you
Repeat Chorus
Verse: Somebody might be in the hospital, and the docors done all they can do All you need is faith the size of a mustard, I'm a witness He'll bring you through Just like God gave Moses power in the rod, I'm here to tell you there's healing in the wod of God
God can God can I tell you will God can He'll fix it God will fix it for you
Vamp: God Can God can God can Let's get some witnesses in here right now Come here woman with the issue of blood, she'll tell you God can Come here Abraham, God provided you with a lamb You remember oh Job Job went against all odds, just to tell you God can My God can, My God can
I tell you He'll fix it God will fix it (8x) I tell you He'll fix it Fix it, Fix it (8x)
God can God can I tell you will God can He'll fix it God will fix it for you
Father in heaven, thank You for filling me with Your peace. Have Your way in my heart and remove anything that displeases You so that I can clearly hear Your voice and walk in Your ways