Random Comment of the Day

Stacey (introducing self to bus drive): Hi, I'm Stacey. Julie (the fair director)'s left hand woman.
Driver: Don't you mean right hand?
Stacey: No, left hand...and I'm right handed.

What does that mean and where do these things come from?!

That said, I think it sort of sums up how I've been feeling the last couple days. It's been an outright blur in so many ways.

Wednesday, last minute details and fighting with Staples. Man, they're irritating.

Thursday bright and early, jump on a plane, fly to Winnipeg. Get really disappointing news - really isn't a strong enough word to describe that- from home. Feel helpless because I'm here not there...not that I could do anything, I know, but still. Lots of last minute details with the crew here to get ready for the fairs. Up late studying my seminar notes to make sure I know what I'm talking about. Last thing in the day, praying with Julie as we shut of the lights. I like that. I could get used to that.

Friday, teach all day. Long, long day with lots of information. Small break and evaluation with my partner in pro-D crime. Orientation meeting for the fairs. So good to see old friends again. Like a family reunion. A powerful reminder of the impact and influence you have one people. Humbling, really. It's a great group of people...going to be a great group to travel with...old friends and new alike. Good energy, good feel. Get the last of our "stuff" together to start the fairs. Need to sleep.

Saturday, meet with a friend from high school for breakfast. Crazy that it's been 10 years since we've seen each other. How does time fly so fast and yet seem so unimportant when you get back together? Get phone call that baby Knutson has arrived. Amazing. God is good! Back to the hotel. Insanity ensues with loading, unloading, and moving materials for the trip. Our hotel room is doubling as a storage room. Yes, i can still get in the bathroom and into the fridge. Off to the venue. First four presentations done. Not bad, if I do say so myself. Back to the hotel. More moving "stuff" into our hotel room. How do we have so much "stuff"? For supper with good friends. Catching up with people is one of God's good gifts to us, I'm sure. Back to hotel room to work on presentations. Nearly done for the day...and hockey's on. Time to sleep. Need to be awake early so we can get all this "stuff" out of our hotel room and onto the bus. Need to be on the road by 8am. Phew...

Welcome, wee one...

My little buddy Justin (and his mommy and daddy , Crystal and Cory), welcomed Ryan Joshua Knutson into the world bright and early this morning.



Everyone is happy and healthy by the sounds of it - thanks wonderful friends, I've been kept in the loop and supplied with pictures even though I'm a couple provinces over!

On the Road Again...

Well, I'm flying around today trying to get the last of my prep done to be ready to leave for one last (at least that's the plan) whirl wind trip as an enrollment professional.

Sidebar: that's a handy title isn't it!? It's what us poor enrollment folk call ourselves when we have no other idea what on earth our title is.

I'm excited. Really. I love to lead, I love to teach, I love people, I love to travel, I love to talk and I love the recruiters I get to hang out with. Seems like a good deal to me! I'm just now realizing how long I'll be gone this time but I'm pretty sure that I can handle it!

Here's where I'll be for the next bit of life:

October 11-13 Winnipeg, MB
Oct 14 Regina, SK
Oct 15 Saskatoon, SK
Oct 16 Edmonton, AB
Oct 17 Calgary, AB
Oct 18 Lethbridge, AB
Oct 19 on the road...Lethbridge to Kelowna
Oct 20 Kelowna, BC
Oct 21 Abbotsford, BC
Oct 22 Surrey, BC/Burnaby, BC
Oct 23 Nanaimo, BC/Victoria, BC
Oct 24 Victoria, BC

Oct 24-31 home...sweet, home

Nov 1-6 Chicago, Il
Nov 6 Toronto, ON
Nov 7 London, ON
Nov 8 Waterloo, ON
Nov 9 Niagra, ON/St. Catharines, ON
Nov 10 Hamilton, ON
Nov 11 Barrie, ON
Nov 12 Ajax, ON
Nov 13 Belleville, ON
Nov 14 Ottawa, ON
Nov 15 Dollard-des-Ormeaux, PQ
Nov 17 Fredericton, NB/St.John, NB
Nov 18 Moncton, NB
Nov 19 Truro, NS/Charlottetown, PEI
Nov 20-27 Halifax, NS

I'll try to post while I'm away, keeping you updated on all of my adventures. In the meantime, please pray for safety and health. Pray for effectiveness in my job. Also pray that this will be a great opportunity for me as I am living in a place of transition, that it will be a time of discovery and of clarity for me. Pray for direction as to what happens once I come back home!

Oh Captain, my Captain...

Oilers name Moreau as team captain...read full story here.

Every day I live I am more convinced that the waste of life lies in the love we have not given, the powers we have not used, the selfish prudence that will risk nothing and which, shirking pain, misses happiness as well.

Mary Cholmondeley

Good Grief!?

I feel smarter after reading some of these...

"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can ' t help but cry. I mean I ' d love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff."
--Mariah Carey

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"Smoking kills. If you ' re killed, you ' ve lost a very important part of your life."
-- Brooke Shields, during an interview to become
spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign .

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"I ' ve never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body"
-- Winston Bennett,
University of Kentucky basketball forward .

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"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country"
--Mayor Marion Barry, Washington , DC .

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"That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I ' m just the one to do it."
--A congressional candidate in Texas .

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"Half this game is ninety percent mental."
--Philadelphia Phillies manager, Danny Ozark


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"It isn ' t pollution that ' s harming the environment. It ' s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
--Al Gore, Vice President

And .

"We are ready for an unforeseen event that may or may not occur."
-- Al Gore, VP

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"I love California . I practically grew up in Phoenix ."

-- Dan Quayle


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"The word "genius" isn ' t applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein."
--Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst.


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"If we don ' t succeed, we run the risk of failure."
--Bill Clinton, President


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"Traditionally, most of Australia ' s imports come from overseas."
--Keppel Enderbery


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"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that
you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances."
--Department of Social Services, Greenville , South Carolina

Tee hee...

Current Read

Ghost Rider: Travels On the Healing Road, Neil Peart

Gridblog is back

So thanks to John, the gridblog has returned. For those of you wondering what the heck I'm talking about, I'll steal John's definition of the beast. "A Grid Blog is where we all write on the same topic with the same deadline." So here we go. This topic is what is the best book you've read in the last year (and I think there was a "why" in there but sometimes I just can't tell you why) and the deadline is this week. There you have it. So, if you have a blog, write about it there. If not, I give you the freedom to a) start one now 'cause we won't stop with just one topic or b)post your favorites as comments on mine. I'll let you piggy back if you must.

Okay, here goes. My favorite books of the year.

Hmmmm....

Okay, let me start with Harry Potter. Yes, I've been LOVING Harry Potter. In fact, this summer I pushed through a little bit so that I could be caught up in time to see Order of the Phoenix in theatre, which meant I had to read Goblet of Fire (my absolute favorite of the series...so far) and Order of the Phoenix and see all the movies that came before. I dove into Rowling's creative world of magic and intrigue and found myself wishing to be a kid again, free to explore and find adventures in kind with Harry, Harmione and Ron. Truthfully, I kindof want to play Quidditch too. That would be cool.

Now for all out there who are appalled at my reading choice, don't worry. I've not given up my faith or walked away from Jesus. I believe that Christians can ready Harry Potter (gasp!) although I'm okay if you disagree. Here's what I love: the creativity, the conversation, the narrative that sweeps you into a whole new world, the realities of the struggle of coming of age while being different (I sympathize, Harry!), the belief portrayed that one can make a difference, the adventure and the intensity of the battle between good and evil. I think it's this last one that endears me to it the most. As much as Potter's battle is fiction, it is very much the reality that we are living in: good vs evil, light vs darkness, in a battle that is often played in realities beyond what we see in flesh and blood and often ignored by those around us. So there you go. Harry Potter makes the list.

If you like those, try Inkheart and Inkspell on for size. My cousin recommended them to me and they were exactly what I needed. And Artemis Fowl. They're fun too. I love kids' books!

French Women Don't Get Fat. For anyone who is rethinking our cultural ideals, especially around food, it's a great read. What does it mean to truly enjoy what's around us? To be satisfied? I think the French might be on to something!

Two that have to go togther are The Dip (Seth Godin) and Holy Discontent (Bill Hybels). I think they've found a place in my heart and mind more because of timing than anything else. As I was thinking and praying through my own holy discontent at work, these two came my way and helped me really think through who I am and what I want to do with that. Both gifts. Thank you.

An incredible journey through the meaning of sabbath came from Mark Buchanan as I read The Rest of God. I love Buchanan and have read everything he's written so I feel like I can say with some sort of authority that I think this is one of the best he's written. Plus, I just don't think we teach well about the sabbath anymore let alone live it well. I want to try.

I don't know where to stop. That's going to be my problem. I love to read. It's like each book becomes a friend. Sounds so cheesy, hey!? Oh well. Let me just list a few more:

Jim and Casper go to Church (Henderson)
Children of Hurin (Tolkien)
SexGod (Bell)
The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Albom)
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night (Haddon)
Truckers and Diggers (Terry Pratchett)

Okay, the list could go on...I didn't even add guys like Willard and McManus...just be glad I'm not giving you the list of what I want to read!!!

Dare to Dream

Live to Laugh, Laugh to Live

I'm loving this book I'm reading, "French Women Don't Get Fat." While in many ways it's written to look at food and the how what (and how!) we eat affects our bodies, it's much more than that. Healthy, holistic lifestyle. Attitudes. Enjoyment of life. Quality over quantity.

One of my favorite chapters so far is on the virtues of laughter. I love to laugh. I love to make people laugh, which sometimes causes me to do stupid things for the sake of a laugh...such is life. It's something I've learned to value for the sheer pleasure of it (laughter, not doing something stupid). Guiliano talks about the natural benefits of laughter and how, as we grow up, we lose the sheer pleasure of it. She finishes said chapter by saying this:

"Tout est une question d'attitude" (Everything's a matter of attitude). The great Provencal writer marcel Pagnol believed that God gave laughter to human beings as consolation for being intelligent. I prefer to believe He made us intelligent so we could appreciate a good laugh." (Guiliano, 242).

I like that. Laughter is a gift and I'm going to choose to open it often. You can hold me to it. Better yet, join me! Laughter truly is the best medicine!

Current Read

French Women Don't Get Fat, Mireille Guilano

Things that make me happy...

...this is one of them.

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

Helen Keller
US blind & deaf educator (1880 - 1968)

Let the Games Begin!

So my boys, the Edmonton Oilers, opened up their pre-season today with a win over the Panthers...a feat the flames couldn't accomplish, I might add. With a whole lot of nothing accomplished by McTavish and the management staff, I will admit that I've been concerned about this season. Perhaps this , however, is a sign of things to come!

Winds of Change

Yes, the winds of change are gusting through my world and I can confidently say that rather than chilling me to the core, I'm finding a comforting sort of peace within the gale.

This is the last week of my time of employment at the college. Friday is my last day as Admissions Coordinator and Assistant Marketing Coordinator at Alberta Bible College. I'll have a couple of weeks off and then I'll hit the road one last time (I think) as the Assistant Director/Pro-D Provider for the CCUFairs.

While this is a big change for me, I know without a shadow of a doubt that it is merely an outward sign of even more significant change happening within me. I'm not even sure that I can put it all into words but I'm going to try.

The most obvious question people have asked upon hearing of my resignation at ABC (after "so, what's next?" to which I typically respond, "I have no idea.") has been some form of my own personal favorite: "why?" In the 2 months, I've had a lot of different answers to that. One of my favorites is my answer to my students. I keep telling them that it's time for me to put into practice all the things that I've been telling them about seeking out God and His plans for their futures, about being a good steward of who He has made them to be and about not being afraid of the journey of life. It's true and it makes sense to them. What sort of hypocrite would I be if, knowing where I was six months ago, I hadn't made this decision?

Most importantly, though, is that it's about obedience. I know this is the right decision, even if I don't know the full story. It's here that Abraham's story has been influential in my life. Abraham is known for being a friend of God. Lifted up as a hero of faithfulness in the book of Hebrews. God and Abraham.They were friends because they both chose to be present with the other, putting themselves in the position of friends with each other and because of that, Abraham could trust God even when he didn't see the fulfillment of God's promises right away. Abraham lived in the gap, sometimes full of faith and sometimes stumbling. Take Ishmael for example. Abraham took things into his own hands. It was acceptable cultural practice. Probably didn't seem out of the norm to most of the people surrounding them. Thing is, it wasn't the way that God had it lined up. He talked about moving from the known to the unknown, becoming a stranger and how that usually happens in times of crisis. When my pastor preached through Abraham's story a couple months ago he asked this question: "how do you respond when living in the gap between the promise or what you want and the fulfillment of God?" Talk about hitting me to the core! How have I lived these last couple years "in the gap?" I feel as though I've been on a rollercoaster ride between wholeness and disaster. True highs and lows but hopefully always returning to the Father, my friend, who I can trust. Similar to Abraham, I suppose.

I feel as though there is so much in Abraham's story I'm bringing into my world. I trust God because I know God. This is my leap of faith much like Abraham leaving what he knew and what was safe (even if it wasn't always fun...see some parallels!?) for what God was offering. I feel like God has been asking me, "do you trust me?" All I want is to be able to say yes to that question in my life. Who better to trust my comings and my goings to?!

Isaiah 40:31 reads: "The one who waits on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall soar on wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not be faint." I've gained a whole new understanding about this. I truly feel like I finally get what it means to wait on the Lord. My every action in all of this is in waiting on His leading. I'm leaning in, longing to hear His voice and see His plans. I feel consistently stronger and more alive than I have in a long, long time.

It's been fun to get glimpses of who God is making me through all this. I love working with people, especially young people and kids. I was reminded of my time in Vulcan and the opportunities there and how all through my time at ABC it's been investing in students' lives that has kept me feeling like I'm using what it is that God has put in me as a part of his image. It's in those contexts that I feel like me, that I actually have energy, creativity and confidence. But it's not all about me. I've been blessed with moments this summer through which I've been able to see clearly the impact that I've had on some of the students that have been in my sphere of influence. It's a humbling thought to realize that I can have an impact on someone's life, a kingdom impact. It's something I never want to stop being a part of! I love to write, to teach and to talk. I love opportunities to have those one on one conversations with people that matter, whether it's theology or the day to day happenings of life. I love fun and laughter. Variety. Adventure. Activity. I love when people see that they have value. I love learning and information, sometimes even just for the sake of new information. Weird, I know. I am passionate and stubborn and feisty...and am okay, really okay, with that. I love cooking and share that as an act of care. I am at home when I can be hospitable, both with my home and with my self. I love to be creative, seeing the big picture and finding ways to make the details match, finding new and innovative ways to accomplish old things. I need to achieve goals, big and small. I need freedom but within the safety of healthy community. I am unique and need to be able to give freely of who I am for the sake of the Kingdom.

I have no idea what comes next. I have some thoughts on what I want to be doing next. I want to be working with people, especially young people. I want to be able to invest in lives and share what God has been teaching me. I got to speak (surprise!) at DVM teen camp the week that I was out there and was able to share much of my story. I was humbled to see the reaction of the campers and realize how much of what God has brought me through he is continuing to redeem as I share it with others. I want to be able to take care of myself, both physically and emotionally. I want to do my part to live in a place of wholeness, physically, spiritually and emotionally. I want to be challenged. I want to be creative. I want more...and I think it's coming.

I know, too, that my time with the fairs will give me a chance to test some things about myself. Teaching. Public Speaking. Leading. I'm looking forward to it. The thing that's exciting me the most is the chance to be on the fairs without the responsibility of representing a school. I am there for the recruiters - to encourage, lift up and share what I've learned with my peers. That makes me excited.

God has surprised me in the way he works. First, I feel completely content, if not excited. I tend to analyze a lot. I'm not a big fan of big decisions...I sometimes deal with buyers remorse...but not here. I feel really excited about what God is going to do. There's things I'll miss. I know I'm going to miss my students, my kids, like crazy. As much as I have impacted them, they have impacted me ten-fold. They have been my friends and my teachers. I trust God to take care of this, too, and anticipate how He will.

I'm finding contentment.

I know my personality. I know that I'm a bit of a control freak. I understand that. I also understand, with that in mind, that a big change like this without a full plan in place (read, 5 year plan!) would normally freak me right out. Normally. In this, however, I have found peace. I can't say there's not moments of fear but my state of being has, and I pray will continue to be, one of peace, rest and anticipation.

Last thing: I've been reading Jeremiah. Not the most uplifting book through the whole thing but there's nuggets, for sure. Anyway, back to Jeremiah 29:11 "for I know the plans I have for you..." What's been exciting for me is putting that oft quoted verse in context. Here's a group of people that did anything but seek God and got lost into exile for it but God's still got plans for them. He says "seek me and you will find me when you seem me with your whole heart." That's what God wants from me, from us. Seek him. His plan is to be friends with us. He wants me to choose Him too. That's when he promises to restore the Israelites from captivity. That's when He plans to restore and prosper. And so I choose to seek him, not for the rewards of prosperity but for the reward of being a friend of God.

A friend of mine keeps reminding me to enjoy the process...I'm starting to...and trying to.

As transition comes, I'm trying to embrace it. I want to stand strong as the winds of change blow. Like the wise man who built his house on the rock, I choose to trust that my foundation is sure and move forward with confidence that the God who has been faithful all through Scripture, all through history, and who knit me together in my mother's womb will continue to be faithful yesterday, today and forever. I'm in good hands.

I'm trying...

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
~Herm Albright~

Mother Angelica

“[God] expects me to operate on a faith level, not a knowledge level. He expects me to operate—if I don’t have the money, if I don’t have the brains, if I don’t have the talent—in faith. You know what faith is? Faith is one foot on the ground, one foot in the air and a queasy feeling in the stomach.”

*From her biography, Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles, as written by Raymond Arroyo.

I Didn't Make the List...

...but another Stacey did. Check out the latest ranking of the most powerful women in the world here. There were some surprises for me!

Celebrity Blogs: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

As if they don't already get enough publicity, celebrities are increasingly joining the ranks of the blogosphere. Here Fast Company writers spotlight some of the best -- and some of the worst.

A Conversation Between Friends: Are You Willing to Look Inside Yourself, Friend?

The following is an excerpt from The Monday Morning Memo for Aug. 20, 2007, Roy H. Williams, the Wizard of Ads

Do you ever ask yourself hard-to-answer questions like, “What am I trying to make happen?” “How will I measure success?” “What is holding me back?”

Rarely do we question our own objectives. Even more rarely do we question our emotions.People whose feelings ride close to the surface are quick to use words like “passion.”

My good friend Marley said it one time too many the other day, so I interrupted, “Define passion for me please, but accurately, not poetically.”

“What do you mean?”

“Name the ingredients of passion.”

I listened to my buddy ramble and fumble for a minute, then interrupted him by holding up a finger and saying, “One ingredient would be desire, don’t you think?”

“Yes, desire is part of passion.”

“What would be the second part?” I asked.

Marley looked at me blankly for a moment, then raised his eyebrows and turned both his palms upward.

I held up a second finger, “Commitment.”

When Marley speaks of passion, he’s referring to desire with commitment. Unlike most people, Marley is willing to pay the price, suffer the consequences, live up to the obligations of the things he loves. But most people who say “passion” refer only to a desire that provides them escape from boredom.Have you chosen a purpose? Is your commitment to your purpose higher than your desire for personal comfort? Most people drift across the surface of life without ever seeing the guiding beacon of purpose. They fail to see it because they’re not looking for it.Purpose is more often chosen than appointed.Do you want to experience the joys and pains of it?Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.

Roy H. Williams

What happens in Vegas...

Current Read

The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering the Hidden Life In God

Who am I not!?

I found this quote in one of my marketing journals this morning:

"To better understand who your employees are and what drives them to succeed, perhaps it's easiest to understand who they are not."

Cam Marston, author, Motivating the "What's In It For Me?" Workforce

I realized however, that this is a critical point not only in the awareness of others (and not only in an employee/employer relationship) but also critical in my own self awareness. As I work through the process - again! - of asking "who am I?" I must also - and, fortunately, am - ask "who am I not?"

The catch, of course, is not asking "what am I not?" for the sake of dredging up weaknesses or beating myself up but, with an attitude of acceptance, removing the barriers of things I'm not so that, in the process, I am free to discover who I really am.

For example, I know that I am not a morning person. I don't think a day should really start before 7:30 if not 8am. Why on earth would I want to get out of bed at any point before that? In fact, for me to truly be satisfied, I should be waking up somewhere between 8:30 and 9:30 without an alarm. On the flip side, I do my best work in the afternoon and can go long into the evening hours. This is a bit of self awareness I have gained and so I try, within the limitations of "the real world," to structure my day accordingly, so that I can function at my best. I answer emails first thing in the morning or work on stats and reporting first thing. While I do have to be detailed, I can move at my own pace. Meetings, however, are saved for the afternoon when I'm at my best.

I give myself the freedom to "not be" certain things for the purpose of discovering and releasing who I am.

Typically, however, our world does not work this way. We look at self improvement as finding our weaknesses and eradicating them. Our entire education system is about making us better in all areas, equal in all as possible. We don't admit weakness. Success is often defined as being able to eradicate them.

What if, instead of focusing on what we're weakest at and trying to improve, we looked at what we have natural tendencies toward or abilities in and worked to enhance those areas of our lives? Can you imagine the talent that could potentially be released? The level of true success and satisfaction people would achieve?

That's what I want. I'm excited to continue on this discovery of myself, embracing both what I am and what I'm not....because that's the way I'm made.

Please Pray

I got to meet my friend Dayna's little blessing today. His name is Caleb and he is cute beyond words. I could tell by watching her with him that she is blessed by his very presence. There's something nearly magical about the addition of a little one to a family. There's a reason we call it a miracle! It's easy, in those moments, to be reminded that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above.

Another friend's story, however, is a lot harder to make sense of. Dan and Laura Collins (Dan has been a fellow recruiter up until recently), recently suffered the loss of their little one. It's a heart breaking story, one I encourage you to read to get the full picture of, and yet through it, Laura writes that it's like the song "Blessed Be Your Name" and quotes the lyrics of the song, "He gives and takes away." To me, that is the miracle of this story. The faith when life doesn't make sense. The hope when even tomorrow seems like too much to bear. The willing surrender to One who is faithful even when we hurt. The strength that endures in the midst of grief unimaginable.

If you think about it, please pray with me for Laura, Dan and their extended family.

Franz Ferdinand...pirates?

We all know that the digital age has changed the music industry. From mp3's and itunes to file sharing and pirating, it's a whole new ballgame. Most in the music industry, it seems, find the changes implorable. Franz Ferdinand, on the other hand, seems to have a taken it as a challenge for higher quality music and are encouraging fans to download their newest tracks. Check out their views here.

Just a Reminder

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."
~Marcus Aurelius

Current Read

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K.Rowling

...just about caught up so that I can go see the most recent Potter movie to hit theatres!

Have Patience...

"Without patience there can be no real self-denial nor true submission to the will of God in adversity. Without it there is no contentment in every state, no thankfulness for every mercy."

~John Gill (A Body of Practical Divinity, 1769)

Calling all Mac Users

I have a question. I'm using a mac now and, while I'm likely a mac user for life, I'm finding Blogger a little more difficult to find the commands I want, particularily when composing. I'm using the Safari browser and I don't think Blogger likes it too much. Any of you run into the same thing? If so, how did you get around it

The Strong Silent Type

I have to admit that yes, I know, I've been a bad blogger as of late. The strong, silent type. I feel like I just haven't blogged at all lately, definitely not up to my usual caliber. I know many would find this hard to believe but I just haven't had all that much to say...or maybe that there's just a lot going on inside my head and I'm not sure how to say it...or a combination of the two. Anyway, I promise to raise the bar on my blog soon. Until then, consider this a little reprieve, a bit of peace and quiet. I just haven't been blogging...then again, I haven't been watching the news, reading the paper or generally keeping up with the world either. Perhaps that's why I have nothing to say....

Current Read

The Road, Cormac McCarthy

Bundles of Joy

I'm excited to make a public welcome to two new little friends.

Caleb Chu joined us on July 26, 2007, surprising his mommy and daddy by arriving 5 weeks early but we sure are glad to have him here safe and sound. You can see pictures on Dayna's blog.

If that wasn't enough excitement, today, my dear friends Kelly and Al Klassen became mommy and daddy! Logan Murray Klassen made his arrival this afternoon. He's just a little guy, just over 6 lbs, but is loved like crazy! I'm sure pictures will follow!!

I can't wait to meet you both!

Welcome to our world, little ones!!

Love Provoked by Love Given

I've been reading Mark Buchanan's walk through 2 Peter 1:1-9 -oddly enough, that's our theme passage for this year at ABC and, coincidentally, at the heart of many recent conversations lately- and have been struck by his understanding of each of the virtues listed. Love, however, the last in Peter's list, is the one that has captured my attention.

He talks about love, agape love, not just being unconditional love, as we often define agape, but unprovoked love. I like that. We hear about unprovoked attacks, random acts of violence committed on some poor, unwitting victim who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, but not often do we hear of unprovoked goodness let alone unprovoked love. That's the way I want to love: unprovoked.

He takes it a little further though. "I said that agape is unprovoked love. That's only half true. In God, it is unprovoked. But in us, it is provoked - by God. God sparks it, fels it, stokes it. 'This is love,' John says, 'not that we loved God, but that he loved us'...That love - God's agape for you - is the only thing that can provoke agape in us toward the least of these, the most of these, the worst of these" (Hidden in Plain Sight, pg. 190).

Then he tells a story:

"Tracy is one of the worship leaders at our church. One Sunday, as she sat at the piano, she talked about the difficult week she'd just been through. It was chaotic, she said, a mess of petty crises on top of a rash of minor accidents, all mixed up in a soupcon of crazy busyness. It had left her weary and cranky. She got up that Sunday to lead worship and felt spent, with nothing more to give.

She walked into the living room, and the window was covered with scrawl. Her eight-year-old daughter Brenna (I call her Lucy, because of her pitch-perfect resemblance to the character by that name in the movie adaptation of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe) had with a glass crayon scribbled something, top to bottom, side to side, across the picture window. At first, it seemed to Tracy one more thing to do, one more mess to clean. The she saw what Brenna had written: love, joy, peace, patience, kindnece, goodnece, faithfulnece, gentelnece and selfcantrol (Brenna's delightful spelling).

Tracy stopped, drank it in. Her heart flooded with light. It was exactly what she needed to be reminded about: the gift of the fruit of te Spirit that arises, not by our circumstances, but by Christ within us.

And then Tracy noticed one more thing Brenna had written, at the edge of the window: Love one another. Only Brenna, in her creative spelling, had written,

Love

won

another.

It's what Jesus has been trying to tell us all along. You were won that way. Now go and do likewise." (Hidden in Plain Sight, pg 191).

I want to live like that. I'm getting there but I still have a long way to go. All of the virtues Peter talks about mean nothing, I think, without this. "The greatest of these is love," Paul says, in a discussion of the gifts of the Spirit. He understood.

I need to choose, every day, every minute and every hour, to accept the gift of love that God has so graciously bestowed on me, unprovoked, and go and do likewise. To live a life of significance is not to be great at doing many (or even one!) things or to do all of the good things in the world if love is not the motivator. To live a life of significance is to be loving...because we are loved...because I am loved.

I've been thinking, again, about the life of Christ, the story He lived in. He did a lot of great things. He healed people, fed people, preached to the masses. He cleared out the temple. He cast demons out. He even raised people from the dead! All of these things were great but what made His life signficant was that He loved people. He died and rose again because He loved people. He gave up His rights, His well being, His place in the throne room of heaven, because he loved. All he did and all he was was motivated by love.

To think he loves me, he loves us, that much.

Go...and do likewise.

A New Fan Favorite

For a long time now I've sat on the sidelines when it comes to sharing quotes and laughs from "The Office." Recently, though, my friend, Sheyne, introduced me to the joys of Steve Carrell's office management and his crew of employees. I love the randomness and the "close-to-life-ness" of it all. I've now finished the first season and half of the second. I've got a little more to go before the next season starts! That's a whole lot to catch up on...

Current Read(s)

Hidden In Plain Sight, Mark Buchanan

CANADIAN TEMPERATURE GUIDE

50 degrees F. (10 C.)
- Floridians shiver uncontrollably
- Canadians plant their gardens

35 degrees F. (2 C.)
- Italian cars won't start
- Canadians drive with their windows down

32 degrees F. (0 C.)
- American water freezes
- Canadian's water gets thicker

0 degrees F. (-17 )
- New York City landlords finally turn on the heat
- Canadians have the last BBQ of the season

-60 degrees F. (-51C.)
- Mt. St. Helens freezes
- Canadian Brownies sell their cookies door to door

-100 degrees F. (- 73 C.)
- Santa Claus abandons the North pole
- Ottawa's Rideau Canal opens for skating

-173 degrees F. (-114 C.)
- Ethyl alcohol freezes
- Canadians get frustrated when they can't thaw the keg

-460 degrees F. (-273C.) Absolute zero
- All atomic motion stops
- Canadians start saying 'Cold, eh?'

-500 degrees F. (-295C.)
- Hell freezes over
- Leafs win the Stanley Cup

Smile if you're a leafs fan...you know you want to!!

Current Read(s)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling



Praise Habit: Finding God in Sunsets and Sushi, David Crowder

Random Ramblings from Jam Packed June and July

Hold your breath no longer, dear blog world, I have returned. No longer must you wait for me to share my wit and wisdom with you.

Oh man, truthfully, I'm just amazed anyone reads this stuff! Everytime I leave for an extended period and people notice, I'm surprised. Then again, I'm just surprised at how long it's been since I've actually posted. I guess life is full of surprises.

I warned you there would be random ramblings.

Anyway, June and July have been jam packed. I'm thankful to finally have a day off to catch my breath and catch up on all the stuff that I've been missing!

Where to begin...hmmm...quick timeline.

June 20 - Recertified my lifeguarding. This could come in really handy - already has - plus I was reminded that I'm a bit of a fish. I love the water. Too bad God didn't give me gills...although I think I'd look a little funny...funnier.

June 21 - car breaks down in Ponoka. No, friends, it was not a freudian breakdown. I should not have been the one left behind in Ponoka. Thanks for the thought though. Very encouraging!

June 26 - Serve Day with Journey Church. We shut the doors of the church and hit the streets to serve with several other churches in the community. It was a really great day with our church family. I admit I wrestled with the programmed side of it. It seems a little, um, forced, i guess, when everything is scheduled and advertised and, well, programmed but then again, that's the way you build a habit, right? I got thinking about how I get myself into the habit of going to the gym (which I haven't done well for a long time). I schedule it in. I plan to go. I get someone else to come with me so that there's accountability...and eventually it's a habit. Same with this. And we had fun. Most of us were in Cranston but there were teams all over. Some pretty neat stories came out of it!

June 30-July 6 - Pine Lake Christian Camp Senior High Camp. I love camp and I love summer. Pine Lake is becoming a very dear place to me, full of many great memories. This is one of my best "work" weeks of the year - yes, it's part of my job! I am so thankful for the campers I get to spend time with...they're great! Plus, it's always fun to work with a team of my peers to run the thing. I could ramble forever just on how good camp was but I shouldn't so highlight...hmmm...highlight...can I say the food? It was. I really like Chantelle's buns. Other highlight, my cabin of girls. They're great....fantastic young women. Oh and music with the team was fun. And the accents. Oh the memories...Stop the rambling, Stace. Yikes.

July 7 - Journey hosts Cranston Community Stampede breakfast. Okay, this was great fun. I wasn't supposed to be able to be here for this and missed last year so I was super excited when it worked out that I could be there this year. It was awesome to see the field FULL of people enjoying themselves, the music and, yes, the pancakes and sausages that our people provided. Plus, the team did an incredible job. They fed 1300 people in only a few hours!!!! Awesome! I say "they" because I just wandered around visiting, laughing and taking pictures...but I was there and it was great. I love my church!!!

July 7-12 - DVM Teen Camp, Lumby BC. Another incredible week. Let me point out though that I was exhasted already when I got there! If you happen to see pictures of me doing anything stupid, keep that in mind. First off, it was hot. One day got up to 48 degrees!!! I love hot weather but I think I start to droop about there. Whoo! To keep cool we either went to Echo Lake to swim - one of the most beautiful sites in Canada, I swear!) - or played on the slip and slide. Seriously so much fun. Again, love the campers to death. There are a lot of good people in little ole' Lumby, BC. Girls' night out was pretty great too. I've never done that at a camp before. We split the girls and the guys right after supper and had seperate "events" with them. We didn't regroup until the next morning. It was such a good way to just hang out and get to know each other without distractions. Yes, sometimes boys are distracting. I had the opportunity to speak. Even though I rambled a wee bit (are you surprised!?) it was definitely a highlight of the week for me! I love it!!! I was surprised by how natural it felt. Probably because I love those people so much!!


July 13 - back for Friday of Journey Day Camp. Playing with kids. Acting out stories. Avalanche ranch. A day of swimming (lifeguarding for me) at Lake Sundance. What could be better!? Hats off to the team that worked all week to host the kids. They had so much fun and I could tell that they'd really absorbed stuff from the week. It was a real treat for me to be a part of it, even if just for the day!

So that's the basics of it all. Add in birthday parties, BBQ's, a mudfight at the river, a visit with my brother and heading back to the office to face the piles of stuff that had accumulated while I was away and you've basically got my last month. There's basically a picture diary in shutterfly if you can last through it (none of the piles of work though. That wasn't very fun!).

There were a couple of lessons that I picked up on while I was away...or at least things I was reminded of.

I was humbled to realize the impact that I have on the people around me. Arriving at both camps, I was met with what can only be described as celebration. People jumping up from what they were doing to come for a hug or jumping up and down excited to see me. Campers that I've developed relationships with over the years pulling me aside to confide significant things in me and ask for my advice. Incredibly humbling. Who am I? I am loved....and I love them.

I do love them. I was reminded again of just how much I love working with youth and young adults. At both camps I had the privilege of working alongside some of my students as we served youth. I was in my glory...I was at home and, some would say, at peace with myself. I LOVE the energy and excitement. I love the questions they ask. I remember what it's like to be there. Heck, sometimes I still am! Most of all, I love being able to share life with them, the good the bad and the ugly, and be a part of their lives, allowing them to become a part of mine. I love, too, that God is redeeming the crap in my past for these guys. The things I've lived and learned through is relevant to them too. Pretty incredible.

As you can imagine, I drove a lot. I like to think that when I'm driving the random thoughts I have - and conversations, let's just be honest - are actually quite profound and don't just sound that way because I'm bored. Here's one of my favorites. I've decided that how a person drives is actually quite indicitive of how they live life. I drive fast. I'm probably deserving of more speeding tickets than I've received, I admit. That said, I think I'm quite cautious - my driving instructor once confirmed that although it was a while ago. Only so risky. Set me in a direction and I can go for hours without stopping. Focused. Even though I'm focused on driving, I'm usually doing more than one thing at a time. I drive with a notebook in the passenger seat for my "deep" thoughts. I take tons of music and sermons with me. Always singing, always learning. I love to observe nature around me. I sometimes wish I could stop more often and take pictures but I'm usually "racing" myself to better my time from the last time I did it. Maybe that's a little curious to the rest of you, but that's what I do. I'm not really patient either. I grumble at other drivers when they impede my process. Don't they know there's a goal to reach, here!? Where did they learn how to drive? And how come their driving abilities don't meet my standards? I'm making myself sound like a real jerk here...especially when i say that most of this is how I live my life. Crap. It's true though. Try it. Next time you go on a longer trip, see how you drive and analyze it a bit. How well does it reflect who you are?

After all that, this is how I feel:



Aren't you glad I'm back. Betcha missed me!!!

So here's my question...do people not read or do they do things like this on purpose?

The Soundtrack of your Life

here's another one of those "story of your life" things that I stole. It's kinda fun to play with, especially for someone like me who's life really does seem to have it's own soundtrack!

So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend your cool...


Opening Credits: Twilight, Vanessa Carlton
Waking Up: Open Skies, David Crowder
First Day of School: Chatahoochee, Alan Jackson
Falling in Love: Take What's Mine, Baumer
Fight Song: The Wishes Pile Up, Jim Bryson
Breaking Up: Absurd, Fluke
Prom: You Still Believe in Me, The Beach Boys
Life: Electrified and Ripe, Steve Durand
Mental Breakdown: Lovely, Shawn McDonald
Driving: Surfin', The Beach Boys
Flashback: 21st Century, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Getting Back Together: Life Is, Sarah Kelly
Wedding: 301 Hoist the Colours, The Pirates of the Carribean, At World's End
Birth of a Child: A Message, Coldplay
Final Battle: You'll Never Find Another Love, Michael Buble
Death Scene: Young at Heart, joss Stone
Funeral Song: The Legend Spreads, James Horner (Braveheart)
End Credits: If this Isn't Love, Paul Brandt

It's kindof funny how it works...now to write the screenplay...

Be Still and Know...

I always hear that summer is this relaxing time. Vacations. Leisurely strolls in the park or visits on a patio. Days on the beach. This is the time that life is supposed to slow down, or so I've heard. It sure doesn't seem that way, though. I keep getting asked when I get my holiday over the summer, like it's a natural assumption to make, and realize, that for me, this is not reality.

I just scanned through some of my favorite blogs and it seems that all of us have taken a sort of siesta break from our blogging ways. My confession is that all my spare computer time has been absorbed in learning all the intricasies of my new baby macbook. Man, I love being a mac owner. That aside, computer time, or any rest time, for that matter, just has not been nearly as frequent as I'd like. Not that blogging is the answer by any means, but perhaps I'm using it as an indicator. It seems like far too many of us are moving at high speed with a multitude of things fighting for top priority.

I need rest.

How do we let it happen: letting busyness take over, I mean?

Normally, I'm at least pretty protective of my Monday nights but lately it just seems like there's more and more going on until I feel like I'm careening through the journey of life, just trying to stay on the road. It's all worthy stuff but there's just too much. This journey feels like travelling on Deerfoot in rush hour...not the stopped, not moving anywhere kind but the chaotic, every man for himself kind, traffic weaving in and out, sudden breaking and non-existant turning signals. I know I've hit that point when sleep is difficult and I lay in bed either reviewing the past events or charting out the hours and days to come.

I need to slow down.

There's a couple of us at work that have been "working" to make this a priority. We've recently been blessed with the completion of the prayer garden at the College (I'll try to post pics this afternoon). It has been a complete paradise for me - especially when the sun is shining - and there's moments in which I'm convinced I've just got a glimpse of what Eden was intended to be...right here in Calgary. It seems silly, really, that that's all it takes but it's so important! The context is important! Anyway, we've been taking 10-15 minutes of our lunch break to pray together and share scripture.

See, I'm learning that there's two kinds of stillness; one that stills the body, a physical stop or change or pace. That type of stillness, however, does not necessarily require, cause or allow a stillness of the mind, the other kind of stillness, the one, I think, that's more important. So that's what we're trying to do, both in community and on our own.

Yesterday, it hit home again that this is why we do this: to be still and know that He is God and I am not. Here's just a few of the Scriptures we read that were great reminders...

Psalm 23:2
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.

Matthew 14:23
After he had dismissed them, he went on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.

Luke 5:16
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed

Jesus took time. He didn't try to do it all at once or without being connected to His Father.

I've been thinking alot about who I want to be and what I want my life to look like. The overarching picture for me is that I want to be like Jesus and that means being connected to the vine. John 15 has become an incredible picture. Stay connected to the vine. Remain in me. Abide...which to me naturally brings a sense of rest. It's only in that condition of heart, mind, and body that I will ever bear fruit...or figure out the details of life.

I'm working on it. This morning on the way into work, I stopped at the lilac bush outside the College doors and breathed deeply of the beautiful frangrance, filling my lungs and somehow, my soul, saying a prayer of thanks and repentance as I approached my day. It was a small gesture but a necessary reconditioning of myself to Him.

He is God and I am not.

Surrender.

Stop.

Listen.

Wait.

Follow.

If I'm in too much of a hurry am I really following? Have I truly put the person of Christ ahead of me on the journey? Am I keeping my focus on him as I'm careening out of control?


Slow down in both mind and body.

God is God and I am not.

While the busyness of our lives distracts us, somehow the stillness reminds me of that simple truth.

Current Read

Inkspell, Corneilia Funke

I know I said Harry Potter is next but I got a little distracted reading borrowed ones first so I can give them back. Makes sense, right?

I love international signs. Sometimes you just gotta laugh - I guess that's the funny thing about the English language. More to enjoy here.

Current Read

Amsterdam, Ian McEwan

Life is a Verb...

Verb…tells the subjects actions, events or state of being!

Enjoying...sunshine!
Listening...to everything and anything I can get my hands on
Reading....Amsterdam (Ian McEwan) and then on to Harry Potter (#4,5,6)!
Watching... tortoise videos on YouTube (thanks, Jeri!) and less TV now that it's warm outside
Thinking...about who I am (passion) and why God put me here in this time and place (purpose)Missing... my students, away for their summer break, and the life they bring!
Loving...dance lessons!
Playing...softball
Remembering…that I can do all things through Him who gives me strength…alone I’m a wimp!
Needing…to clean the house!
Anticipating...the arrival of my new macbook!
Eating...cherries!
Drinking...lotsa coffee...my comfort "food"
Disliking...the uncertainties of life
Celebrating...that there is reason for hope
Learning…to play the guitar…thanks Rob!
Counting...sheep…tonight...hopefully
Trying...to be more grateful for the good things God has given – the big and the little.


I stole this from Harmony's blog (thanks Harm!) 'cause I felt like it would make a good summary of life, not to mention that it would force me to think of some of the good things going on and I like to do that! I added a few of my own verbs though.

Current Read

The Dip, Seth Godin

Thanks Dayna!

Why do we do what we do?

I had an interesting thought/analogy about the life last night. Why do we do the things that we do? I think this is especially true about organizations but can apply to individuals. Do what we do because that's what we've always done, our of habit or duty, or is it about passionately pursuing purpose? About heart?

It's like in my first aid training. You find an unconscious, not breathing victim and your perform CPR, right? What are you doing? You're maintaining the mechanics of it. You're pushing the blood around and just basically keeping the body alive – functioning but not really alive. In fact, they're clinically dead. Not a bright thought before going to bed but it's true. It's not likely you're going to revive the person – 2% is the recent stat I was given on the percentage of people revived by CPR. That's why they bring out the little paddles and shock the person. There's an electrical component to the heart. It needs a shock to the system to reorient it and revive it…to get it running properly and to bring new life (Did I get that right, Tash?)

I got thinking about how often we get into just keeping things alive by maintaining the status quo or the mechanics, merely pumping the blood around doing what's always been done and keeping things running but not really alive.

We need a shock to the system to be revived, just like the heart does.

Will someone bring out the paddles?

Clear!

Ever Feel Like This?

I stole this from Sheryl's blog...the two of us have talked a lot about what our jobs require and what we put into it, how it can become all encompassing and, even though it does feel like "life" sometimes, that there is life outside of recruiting...really...

Current Read

"What wrecks the heart of someone who loves God is often the very thing God wants to use to fire them up to do something that, under normal circumstances, they would never attempt to do." pg 25

Holy Discontent, Bill Hybels

'Bout Me

You Are Big Bird

Talented, smart, and friendly... you're also one of the sanest people around. You are usually feeling: Happy. From riding a unicycle to writing poetry, you have plenty of hobbies to keep you busy. You are famous for: Being a friend to everyone. Even the grumpiest person gets along with you. How you life your life: Joyfully. "Super. Duper. Flooper."

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

You are a Rocker Girl!

If you don't have musical talent, you've got a talent for picking out great CD's. Music rules your life - and you've got the best MP3 collection of anyone you know. Many guys find you intimidating, but a select few think you're the catch of a lifetime. Start hanging out in more used record stores, and you'll find love with a fellow rocker!

What Kind of Girl Are You?

Now you see it...

The Part of You That No One Sees

You are lively, dramatic, and flamboyant. You have an outrageous personality... And you secretly resent anyone who makes you tone it down. Underneath it all, you are driven by your need for attention and acceptance. You need to feel special at all times. You are secretly jealous and occasionally insecure.

What's the Part of You That No One Sees?

You Belong in London

A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock. A unique soul like you needs a city that offers everything. No wonder you and London will get along so well.

What City Do You Belong In?

Your Animal Personality

Your Power Animal: Eagle Animal You Were in a Past Life: Whale You are active, a challenger, and optimistic. Hard-working, you are always working towards a set goal.

The Animal Personality Test

Your Scholastic Strength Is Deep Thinking

You aren't afraid to delve head first into a difficult subject, with mastery as your goal. You are talented at adapting, motivating others, managing resources, and analyzing risk. You should major in: Philosophy Music Theology Art History Foreign language

What Should You Major In?

Your Theme Song is Back in Black by AC/DC

"Back in black, I hit the sack, I've been too long, I'm glad to be back" Things sometimes get really crazy for you, and sometimes you have to get away from all the chaos. But each time you stage your comeback, it's even better than the last!

What's Your Theme Song?

...yah, okay, this is what happens when i'm just not ready to sleep...

Current Read

Jim and Casper Go To Church, Jim Henderson & Matt Casper

I'm only a little way in and have already decided that every church leader, perhaps every person who's been in the church for any length of time, should read this book. Beware. Only read it if you're willing to open minded about what we (aka the church) convey to the world around us and look through the eyes of those who don't regularly attend church. It'll be good for you...and for the Kingdom!