I never saw a moor

I never saw a moor,
I never saw the sea;
Yet I know how the heather looks,
And what a wave must be.
I never spoke with God,
Nor visited in heaven;
Yet certain am I of the spot
As if the chart were given.

-- Emily Dickinson
Part Four: Time and Eternity , XVII

date with the girls :)

The other weekend Rachel, Maria, Sharon and I had a wonderful time minigolfing together... sisters with sisters :) we had a great time! all of us were pretty much evenly matched, each of us being way over par :) maybe that's why my nose is all wrinkled in this picture, hehe

Maria was quite the pro - her first time mini-golfing, and she got 2nd place!

Thanks for coming out with me Rachel & Maria! :)

we're still missing the other half of our date - don't let me forget it!

Eternal glories gleam afar, to nerve my faint endeavour

This life of ours on earth is but a preparatory one... You are tired and weary and you feel at times it is too much for you? Go back and look at your life and put it into the context of eternity. Stop and ask yourself what it all means. It is nothing but a preparatory school. This is but the antechamber of eternity and all we do in this world is but anticipatory of that. Our greatest joys are but the first fruits and the foretaste of the eternal joy that is coming.... It is the sheer grind of daily life that gets us down.... But the answer is to look at it all and to put it all into its great context and to say, 'We are going on to eternity and this is but the prepareatory school'. What a difference that makes...

'The world is too much with us,' that is our trouble. We are too immersed in our problems. We need to look ahead, to anticipate, to look forward to the eternal glories gleaming afar. The Christian life is a tasting of the firstfruits of that great harvest which is to come. 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that lov e HIm'.... Realize something in mind and heart of the glory of the place to which you are going. That is the antidote, that is the cure. The harvest we shall reap is certain, it is sure. 'Therefore,' says Paul to the Corinthians, 'be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord'. Go on with your task whatever your feelings; keep on with your work. God will give the increase, He will send the rain of His gracious mercies as we need it. Thre will be an abundant harvest. Look forward to it. 'Ye sahll reap.'

First Book of Daily Readings, exercpted from Spiritual Depression, pp200-1. M. L. Jones

My Wedding Day??? (family, watch out!)

hehe I could never keep a secret like this -
but it's a great idea! :)
it'd probably be so much fun too! :)
it might be the closest I ever get to the real thing :)

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2009/08/12/pei-inflatable-groom-reunion.html

I am blessed

Last winter I took up singing in Leendert Kooy's choir (the OMCA concerts). It was such a blessing to sing praises and have fun times and fellowship with people of all ages. One of the song arrangements we learned was especially an encouragement to me both during that time and still now. It has reminded me time and again to bless the Lord, even when I least feel like it.

I am blessed.

Thru sunshine and rain, even sorrow and pain,

Jesus is my comfort and my guide;

For His love for me and His grace has set me free,

And some day I shall stand by His side!

(chorus)

I am blessed, I am blessed!
Every day that I'm living I am blessed!

When I wake up in the morning till I lay my head to rest,
I am blessed, I am blessed...

I've shoes for my feet, I have plenty to eat,

And a home in heaven by and by.

And through my new birth, brothers sisters here on earth,

We shall share in that home beyond the sky!

.... ..... .....

He gives you more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sends you more strength when the labours increase;
To added affliction He's adding His mercy;
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace...

(chorus)

His love has no limit, His grace has no measure;

His power has no boundary known unto men.

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,

He's giving, and giving, and giving again!

And when we've exhausted our store of endurance,

Our strength may have failed ere the day is half done.

When reaching the end of our human resources,

Our Father's full giving is only begun.

Visit with Steve & Amy in Woodstock!

Several weeks ago I had the privilege of helping Steve & Amy move their things into their summer internship home in Woodstock. What a huge house for such a small family! :) It was so nice to visit and spend some quality time with them! it's wonderful to have them so close for the summer!

Family Night! :)

The other night we enjoyed a fun night of fellowship with the whole family... even Steven & Amy and Tim & Charlene made it! As is Mom's custom, she spoiled us all with her excellent cooking... and I made the same dessert that I made for our church picnic last weekend: a heavenly chocolate mousse cake... this recipe is amazing! yes, I'm finally learning the ropes in the kitchen, and it's actually quite fun!

Somehow we managed to get all the kids together for a picture, before it started pouring buckets...

We had a fun time playing Bonanza! my first time ever... great game, although I must say, my brain was fried after a long day at work, and it took me the whole game to really get the hang of it! :)

all that hard work paid off, eh Charlene? :)

This kid's a brain, as you can see! :)
(playing cards, and only just over a year old :))

silly poses for the cam... :)

China Earthquake - 2008

About a year ago, there was a terrible earthquake in China. One of the reporters who went there to investigate further into the cause of the earthquake, and to interview the mother of one of the children who died, encountered animosity and even violence from the authorities, which was caught on video... you can read/see the video about it on the Financial Times World News website.

It's so sad to think of the incredible amount of oppression and intervention of the government on every part of the life of the Chinese people, and even on outsiders! We know of it, but often forget about it - they live such a different life, so totally unfamiliar to us.

We can be so thankful for the freedoms that we have here in North America! Sometimes it seems as if we're slowly giving up our freedom in other less noticeable ways (but perhaps more sinister?) - take for example the new driver's license: it's got a radio chip and barcode in it that can be tracked through some sort of magnetized code (I don't understand it completely). You can read a little bit about it on The Toronto Star's website. The U.S. is also starting to issue these new "enhanced" drivers licenses (click here or here to read more).

Sign of the times? who knows...

Valley of Vision

Thou incomprehensible but prayer-hearing God,

Known, but beyond knowledge,

revealed, but unrevealed,

my wants and welfare draw me to thee,

for thou hast never said, ‘Seek ye me in vain’.

To thee I come in my difficulties, necessities, distresses;

possess me with thyself,

with a spirit of grace and supplication,

with a prayerful attitude of mind,

with access into warmth of fellowship,

so that in the ordinary concerns of life

my thoughts and desires may rise to thee,

and in habitual devotion I may find a resource that will

soothe my sorrows, sanctify my successes,

and qualify me in all ways for dealings with my fellow men.

I bless thee that thou hast made me capable

of knowing thee, the author of all being,

of resembling thee, the perfection of all excellency,

of enjoying thee, the source of all happiness.

O God, attend me in every part of my arduous and trying pilgrimage;

I need the same counsel, defence, comfort I found at my beginning.

Let my religion be more obvious to my conscience,

more perceptible to those around.

While Jesus is representing me in heaven, may I reflect him on earth,

While he pleads my cause, may I show forth his praise.

Continue the gentleness of thy goodness towards me,

And whether I wake or sleep, let thy presence go with me,

thy blessing attend me.

Thou hast led me on and I have found thy promises true,

I have been sorrowful, but thou hast been my help,

fearful, but thou hast delivered me,

despairing, but thou hast lifted me up.

Thy vows are ever upon me,

And I praise thee, O God.

--Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, God Enjoyed

Columbine High School Shooting - Parent's Address

Just a week ago we passed the anniversary of the horrible high school shooting at Columbine (April 20, 1999). Darrell Scott, the father of one of the victims of this tragedy, spoke to the House Judiciary Committee just a month later.

I couldn't find his address on the House Judiciary's Website (I'm wondering if they might have taken it off), but found it on the National Rifle Association's page (find it here). His address is very moving, and forces us to see where sin and violence actually come from - our own hearts.

"Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?...." James 4:1

His Masterpiece

My life is but a weaving, between my God and me,
I do not choose the colours, He worketh steadily,
Oftimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.
Not till the loom is silent, and shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful in the skillful Weaver's hand,
As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned. (anonymous)


I found this poem while reading Corrie Ten Boom's book, A Tramp for the Lord. Her life was often hard and full of sorrow, yet she always rejoiced to see God's working, and loved to do His will and tell of His love. Her testimony is such an example to me, how she persevered, trusting the Lord, even when life looked anything but hopeful. She says,

Although the threads of my life have often seemed knotted, I know, by faith, that on the other side of the embroidery there is a crown.

Looking at life from God's eternal perspective gives hope; I know that all things will work together for good, because I love God, and I know I'm called by Him (Romans 8:28). There are so many things right now that I sometimes think, "What His purpose in putting this in my life? why do things have to happen this way? why does it seem like everything is going wrong?"

But in the broader perspective, we must learn to see that God has His own mysterious purposes, some of which we will never know until we join Him in glory. And really, "this life is just a vapour... it will soon pass away." When we get to heaven, it will seem like such a short moment that we were here on earth, and we will wonder why we didn't trust God more, live for Him to the utmost of our ability, or love Him to our greatest capacity. Why do we worry about our lives? what can we accomplish by worrying? God will take care of you, and show you His ways if you keep trusting Him, resting in Him, waiting on Him.

Take Strength

"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."
2 Timothy 2:1

These strong, simple words can be spiritual adrenaline for us when we need them . They were written by a man who knew what he was talking about, as he himself was in prison. He was writing to a young minister who was also suffering and evidently tempted by doubt, fear, even uncertainty of his call. The older man admonishes him very lovingly to take his share of suffering, take his share of hardship like a good soldier, and to take strength from the grace of God.

Where shall I ever find the strength I need to get through this experience, this ordeal, this day, this week? The answer is Take it! Take it from the grace which is ours already, in Christ Jesus.

"Here it is," He is saying, "Will you have some?"
"Yes, thank You, Lord. I'll take it."


A Lamp for my Feet, Elisabeth Elliot

Faith Bible Conference

February 9-13

LaFayette, IN

One cannot help but come away from Faith Bible Conference refreshed and energized in your walk with the Lord. Listening to these men and women of faith stimulates a desire for truth, growth in faith, passion for lost and hurting people. This conference, though it is designed for those heading into the counseling ministry, has proven to be very helpful for me in my walk with God.

We get a whole lot of knowledge and theory in our Reformed churches; and for sure, this is all very good. But what are we struggling with every day? what are we saying, thinking, doing? how are we spending our time? sometimes it's hard to connect theory with practice. We struggle to know how to handle our problems Biblically. I struggle to know how to help my friends - what do I say when they go through hard times? How can I help them, and direct them to the One who can alone provide true hope even in our trials?

God has used this conference to bring me to my knees and to see my sin. But He doesn't just leave it at that - He also shows how we can overcome those sins and live a life full of joy and hope! It is my prayer that I may learn to put to practice what I'm learning, and help others to also find the joy and hope in believing in our Saviour's name.

We had a wonderful visit with Steve and Amy and Sierra on the Sunday that we were there; they've been living in Chicago while Steve goes to seminary training there.

The weather was beautiful, perfect for a walk... it brought back memories of Michele and my walk from the previous year...

Sunday night, Brian, Liz, Charlene, Tim, and myself all enjoyed playing a game of "Train through Europe" (is that right, Charlene?)

I didn't really take many pictures the rest of the week...

packing up and heading home!

he loves his teddy's

Mom went down to check on Jaden during his nap one time last week.... she was shocked and frightened to see his empty bed, and frantically searched the rest of Carole and Kevin's place, only to come back to his room again, and find that he had climbed out of bed and lay down amongst all his teddy's, and promptly fell back to sleep.

A Hunger for God

John Piper, in his book A Hunger for God has some powerful ideas and revelations on fasting - why people did it in the past, why we should be doing it still, some of the misconceptions that we have of fasting... he has a totally different perspective that's really refreshing and encouraging. Fasting is another means of bringing glory to God. It must be done with the right motives; it's not about earning "browny points" to get us closer to God. Rather, it's about seeing Christ's all-sufficient work on the cross. It's "an expression of secure and happy longing for the all-satisfying fullness of Christ.... it looks away from itself to the final payment of Calvary for every blessing it will ever receive.... it is a hunger for God awakened by the taste of God freely given in the gospel." We fast in order to cultivate a hunger for God - whether that hunger is something that we have, or something that we desire to have.

The following quote from this book was very convicting; it's so easy to be carried away by all the things in this world - the 'things' that we have, the 'things' that we 'need', things that we just can't live without, be it a person, possession, dream, ambition, etc.

"The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night. For all theill that Satan can do, when God describes what keeps us from the banquet table of his love, it is a pice of land, a yoke of oxen, and a wife (Luke 14:18-20). The greatest adversary of love to God is not his enemies but his gifts. And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but for thesimple pleasures of eath. for when these replace an appetite for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable, and almost incurable....

..."the pleasures of this life" and "the desires for other things" (Luke 8:14, Mark 4:19) -- these are not evil in themselves. These are not vices. These are gifts of God. They are your basic meat and potatoes and coffe and gardening and reading and decorating and traveling and investing and TV-watching and Internet-surfing and shopping and exercising and collecting and talking. And all of them can become deadly subsitutes for God."

"[Chrisian fasting] keeps the preferring facutly on alert and sharp. It does not let the issue rest. It forces us to ask repeatedly: do I really hunger for God? Do I miss him? Do I long for Him? Or have I begun to be content with his gifts?"

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalm 73: 25-26

A Chance to Die

To be transformed in to the image of Christ I must learn his character, love his obedience to the will of the Father, and begin, step by step, to walk the same pathway. For Christ the pathway of obedience began with emptying Himself. I msut begin at the same place.

He "made Himself nothing." (Phil. 2:7 NEB)
"You must arm yourselves with a temper of mind like His." (1Pet. 4:1 NEB)
"If anyone wishes to be a follower of mine, he must leave self behind." (Matt. 16:24 NEB)

What does this mean? Is it mere words? How can one leave self behind, make himself nothing? The answer will not come in a vacuum. If a man or woman honestly wishes to be a follower, the opportunity will present itself. Christ will say,"Here is your chance. Now, in this situation, you must make your choice. Will it be self? Or will you choose Me?"

An oder missionary said something to Amy Carmichael when she was a young missionary that stayed with her for life. she had spoken of something which was not to her liking. His reply was,"See in it a chance to die."

A Lamp for my Feet, Elisabeth Elliot

Resolutions

The following are selected resolutions from The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards:

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

19. Resolved, never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and drinking.

(I could work on that one!)

29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.

30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.

37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent,- what sin I have committed,-and wherein I have denied myself;-also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec. 22 and 26, 1722.

46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye: and to be especially careful of it with respect to any of our family.

53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.

60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination. July 4, and 13, 1723.

62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty, and then according to Ephesians 6:6-8, to do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man:‹knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.Š June 25 and July 13, 1723.

65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this, all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness, of which I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton' s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119. July 26, and Aug.10 1723.

67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what am I the better for them, and what I might have got by them.

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

Watching Quietly, Praying Silently

The man whom Abraham sent to find a wife for his son Isaac had been long in Abraham's service. No doubt he had learned much of trust and obedience through watching his master walk with God. He set out on his mission, confident that God would help him. Beside the Well of Abram of Tow Rivers he halted his camels and was praying silently when a beautiful young woman appeared with her water jar on her shoulder. She responded to his request as he had prayed she would, and he watched quietly to see whether the lord had made his journey successful (Gen. 24:21).

Very possibly we often miss what God wants to show us because we don't take time to pray silently and watch quietly. It was by doing those tow things, along with the obvious practical things (let us not leave those undone) that the servant was able to say, "I have been guided by the Lord" (Gen. 24:27 NEB).

A Lamp for my Feet, Elisabeth Elliot

Invisible Blessings

Being very much of the earth - earthy - we always want tangible, visible things - proofs, demonstrations, something to latch onto. If we always had them, of course, faith would be "struck blind." When Jesus hung on a cross, the challenge was flung at Him: Come down! He stayed nailed, not so that spectators would be satisfied (that miracle, his coming down, would have been a great crowd-pleaser), but that the world might be saved.

Many of our prayers are directed toward the quick and easy solution. Long-suffering is sometimes the only means by which the greater glory of Go will be served, and this is, for the moment, invisible. We must persist in faith. God has a splendid purpose. Believe in order to see it.

"Our troubles are slight and short-lived, and their outcome an eternal glory which outweighs them far. Meanwhile our eyes are fixed, not on the things which are seen, but on the things that are unseen" (2 Cor. 4:17, 18 NEB).

A Lamp for my Feet, Elisabeth Elliot

Leave Him to Me

When there is deep misunderstanding which has led to the erection of barriers between two who once were close, every day brings the strengthening of those barriers if they are not, by God's grace, breached. One prays and finds no way at all to break through. Love seems to "backfire" every time. Explanations become impossible. New accusations arise, it seems, from nowhere (though it is well to recall who is named the Accuser of the brethren). The situation becomes ever more complex and insoluble, and the mind goes around and around, seeking the place where things went wrong, brooding over the words which were like daggers, regretting the failures and mistakes, wondering (most painfully) how it could have been different. Much spiritual and emotional energy is drained in this way - but the Lord wants to teach us to commit, trust, and rest.

"Leave him to me this afternoon," is what his word is. "There is nothing else that I am asking of you this afternoon, but that: leave him to Me. You cannot fathom all that is taking place. You don't need to. I am at work - in you, in him. Leave him to Me. Some day it will come clear - trust Me."

"Humble yourselves under God's mighty hand, and he will lift you up in due time. Cast all your cares on Him, for you [and the other] are his charge" (1Peter 5:7)

A Lamp for my Feet, Elisabeth Elliot

Toronto Motorcycle Show!

December 12, 2008

How fun, that Robert also loves motorcyles! :) I never thought I'd find someone who likes those noise-making, speedy, adrenaline-pumping toys as much as me! I think that's the one thing about Robert that my family shakes their heads at...

We were talking to this guy who gives tours all over the world on his bike (see below)... On one trip, he went all the way round the world, going west through Canada, up through Alaska, over into Russia and down through Europe, then south to Africa. His next trip, he'll be shipping his bike (pictured below) out to Africa and giving a tour, raising money for some schools that he supports. He was pretty interesting to talk/listen to!

I'm not sure for what reason, but they had some really cool birds on display at the show - peregrine falcons, owls, a bald eagle and a couple others as well.

After the show we enjoyed a delicious dinner at East Side Marios...

after dinner we walked around downtown and then made our way home again

Niagara Falls

November 29

:)

Before heading off to the Messiah concert that evening, we enjoyed dinner and a walk at Niagara Falls, looking at the light displays...

Our first picture together :)

Contrary to some belief, Robert is NOT a goat farmer, as one of my previous posts might have suggested (see here) :) haha nope that is most blessedly untrue.... (no offense to any goat farmers who may read this)

Tell it with Flowers...

November 15, 2008

Guess who these beauties were from?

:)

"Jili" the Stray Kitten

November 2008

All day that saturday we heard this little wimpering "meow" coming from underneath the steps to Kevin and Carole's entrance. Finally, that evening Michele went and investigated and sure enough, she found the sweetest little kitten! We had a lot of fun playing with the baby kitty, feeding it, cuddling with it... however we knew we couldn't keep it (although Michele took some convincing!). Eventually Michele found a home for it.

Royal Winter Fair

First we went to the goat pens and petted them until our hands turned black! they were so sweet, I just loved them....

The cows were a little bigger and less loveable/touchable... I was a little scared of them, and their slobbery mouths and huge muscles - wouldn't want to turn off one of those massive bulls!!!

but I still got a picture with one none-the-less! :)Superdogs Show was pretty exciting :) the MC was a little over the top, and the performance was definitely geared towards a younger crowd - but nevertheless we thoroughly enjoyed the show (or at least, I did! :))

The picture on the right shows the height that one of the greyhounds jumped - apparently it was the world's record for the highest indoor jumping!

The RCMP show was probably pretty cool too; we only saw them as they got ready to go out to the rink to do their show - you could watch it on TV, but at the Fair you had to pay another $20 to get in - so being the Dutchies we are, we opted against it :) there was enough to see already without the horse show.

Rob is REALLY hard to get a picture of!!! so unfortunately I didn't get even one picture of him... :(

What's been going on for the last 3 months??

Allow me to introduce you to someone: Robert H.
I'm sorry to say, that Robert does not believe in pictures... so you'll have to wait for a photo!

The last couple of months since Charlene's wedding have been a whirlwind of activity... I had thought that things would slow down after the wedding, but just the opposite has happened! not at all a bad thing, really :)

First, a phone call...
which turned into a blind date the day after Tim & Charlene's wedding in October! yes... can you believe it? I allowed myself to be set up on a blind date - no idea whatsoever WHAT he looks like, WHO he is, WHAT his history is, VERY little of anything about the guy... but I had heard some good reports about him so I was willing to see what this guy was about.

Chinese Lantern Festival

Rob and I had a wonderful time at Ontario Place, talking a lot as we walked through the park, observing all sorts of light displays of so many things: dinosaurs, animals from all different countries, the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, and more....

A broken camera...

I was trying to photograph every moment, as I so love to do... but then I carelessly let the string on my camera slip off my hand, and my camera went flying to the cement ground and broke - and I couldn't take any more pictures! :( Rob sweetly offered to buy me another camera, which I vehemently refused! However, I later found out that he actually hadn’t offered to BUY a camera, only to help me find a place where I could buy one myself! hmph. :)

A few weeks later, Rob sent me some pictures from the Lantern Festival. I wondered how he got them, and discovered later that he had advertised on kijiji, asking anyone if they had any pics, to send him some! :) awww...

Stranded at Ontario Place...

Making our way back to his truck at the end of the night, we were somewhat alarmed to find that it wasn't there anymore! what a shock!

We'd had a bit of trouble getting into the parking lot, because neither of us had had enough cash, which was the only form of payment. Eventually, we gave the little that we had, and the non-English speaking attendant shooed us in (we think he might have taken the money for himself - but I guess we'll never know) anyhow we never got a receipt to display! so perhaps the car was towed, we thought!

We found security officer and a cop, who walked with us to where we thought we'd parked - they were sure that we had parked in the next lot over, but it just didn't seem possible! there was no way we'd walked that far... and besides, we had parked beside a dead seagull, and there it was, a dead seagull and the open parking spot beside it where the truck should have been! the security and cop managed to convince us to walk to the next lot, upon which we found, to our embarrassment, that they were right! :) haha

They said that Rob joked that we must have been lost in each other’s eyes when we had been walking before - b/c we didn't remember seeing any of the things that we passed! I was slightly taken aback - we had only just met, and he's joking about being "lost in each other’s eyes"?! but I guess it was true ;)

A wonderful night, none the less...
Despite the problems, we had a wonderful time! :)

Laser Eye Surgery

Just 3 1/2 weeks ago I had the opportunity to get laser eye surgery done... I would post pictures of how my eye looked after the surgery, but I didn't think it'd be very nice for the viewers to be accosted by the image of my bruised eyeball... so I refrained :)

You're welcome.

Maybe you're wondering, "did it hurt? what did they do to you? how long did it take for you to recover? what were you thinking/feeling? what's your vision like now? did it really work as well as everyone says it does? would you recommend it?"

No it didn't hurt at all! (and I would say that I have a high pain sensitivity). There's several different procedures available, the most common are PRK and LASIK.

1. PRK
An older method in which the surgeon takes a knife and cuts the cornea back- actually, I think they just scrape off a very thin layer of the cornea, and then do the surgery; the cornea does not get replaced after the surgery (my stomach turns at the thought). Then they do their laser thing and it's all over... it's supposed to be the most painful method. "The surgeon removes the outer layer of the cornea (epithelium) with a surgical blade or blunt instrument. The laser beam, guided by a computer, is then used to vaporize tiny amounts of tissue under the surface of the cornea. The procedure removes just enough tissue to reshape the cornea in a way that corrects vision. The initial healing process is complete in about a week." (read more about it here)

2. LASIK
A newer method, much better than PRK... "This surgery is more complicated. The surgeon first cuts a flap in the cornea with a very sharp blade or laser, and then lifts it and uses a computer-guided laser to remove calculated amounts of tissue from the inside layers of the cornea. Afterwards, the flap is put back and the eye heals more quickly than with PRK." (read more about it here)

You can get the LASIK surgery with a blade or with a laser.... I opted for the laser, because then I could get a lifetime guarantee (if you're a candidate, that is). Also, a laser's bound to be more accurate than someone's shaky hand! :) the Bladeless LASIK method is the most accurate type of surgery available right now; it's pretty much guaranteed to have perfect results.

A bruised eye ball is not so beautiful to look at.... but it's a lot better when compared to watching the surgery itself take place!!!! ugh, it's awful! if you think you can stand it, take a look at the video... I watched the first little bit but then had to cover the screen with my hand and close the window with my other hand !!! I went into the surgery somewhat ignorant of what they would do to me... every time I tried to research the surgery or listen to my doctor explain, I just got grossed out... now that I've been through it, I thought I'd look into what they did, and in a sense, it's interesting... but I probably would NEVER have had the surgery if I knew exactly what it would entail! If you think you want to see it, the following youtube clip will show you the entire surgery. The surgery is only 8-10 minutes per eye. Here it is...

Before the surgery, I was a nervous wreck! they tried everything - the calming music, the water trickling down the fountain, the relaxant pill, the reclining chair.... yeah whatever! these people were about to laser off my eyeballs!!!!!!!

Then they led me to the operating room and sat me down... First they put this brace thing on your eye so that your lid doesn't close. Then everything's black except for the flashing laser, and then you feel this weird sensation that something wet is coming off of your eye ball!!!!!! I think that's when they laser'd off the cornea... but I'm still not too sure if that's actually what happened! some time goes by, and then someone's always calling out the remaining time: "just a minute left, Louise, you're doing great, just 30 seconds left, awesome Louise, " etc etc... and then it was over!! They were really sweet, so caring! But they better be - I had to pay them the hefty sum of $5000!!!! but it's an investment... it'll pay itself off. Glasses are anywhere from $400-600, and contacts are about $300 per year! so I'm thinking it was worth it, looking at it from a 20-year span.... in about 20 years or so I might need to get reading glasses, but that's okay I guess...

For the first few minutes after the surgery it was a bit hazy, but even just a few hours later, everything was crystal clear! and it has been ever since! I'm going for a checkup on Thursday - by then it will have been exactly one month since my surgery. My eye doctor had told me that I was a perfect candidate for the surgery b/c of my eye shape and corneal thickness, and my prescription (it was 4.00 and 3.75)... I'm extremely happy with the results, and highly recommend it if you can! it's so wonderful to not have to depend on my glasses / contacts anymore!! I think it's so amazing to see what doctors can do nowadays.... I feel so incredibly blessed to have been able to get the surgery done, and that it went so well too!!!!

Thank God I didn't go blind and that it all went well after all! :)

I just love it!

A prayer for the world

Dear Lord,

I pray right now for a major crisis I don't know about and that isn't being reported on. Thank you that you know what is going on in every corner of the globe, and that you always care. Thank you, too, for having chosen to share in the suffering of this world through your Son and his sacrifice on the cross.

I pray for Congo, where war still rages, where corruption is rampant, where children brandish machine guns, and where displacement and severe economic instability is leading to the starvation of many. Help us to care about this because, we confess, it can be hard.

I pray for Orissa, India, where there is perhaps more persecution of simple followers of Christ than perhaps anywhere else in the world. Whole villages being burned down, hundreds in hiding, many killed. Comfort those who have been or still are being affected directly, and for those who have been affected indirectly through the loss of loved ones. As these families suffer, may we suffer with them, and grieve for them - as your Spirit does. Show us what we should do. Send the comforter, your Spirit. And may we respond to the persecutors not in anger or hatred, but in love. In fact, from all of this, send labourers to go to, live among, work with, and care for the primary persecutors of these people.

I pray for Zimbabwe, which continues in crisis, where the limbs of opposition party members' children are being hacked off by the brutal regime in a mostly-successful attempt to intimidate. I pray for the leader of the opposition, Tsvangirai, who is in talks with Zimbabwe's repressive leader, Mugabe, through the mediation of the President of South Africa - for Tsvangirai in this time when he undoubtedly feels the hopelessness of grave injustice. Give him wisdom at this critical moment. For the nation of Zimbabwe, which is receiving perhaps only 0.1% of the coverage of the U.S. elections, we pray for *your* attention. And we know in faith that it has it.

As the great nation of China returns to business as usual in the aftermath of the Olympics, we pray for the unknown pastors hidden behind bars - imprisoned for their faith. We pray for their families - that you will comfort them.

I pray for Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam - and for the hundreds of thousands who are captive to the sex trade in this region. I pray for those who have been infected with AIDS and are dying from it - feeling shamed and worthless. Show them that you love them and that they have great worth in your eyes. I pray for the thousands of children, who at such a tender age have been flung into cesspools of sin, forced by those who shelter them to gratify the desires of clients. Bring justice, Lord.

For a child huddling under a mound of simmering garbage in a slum in Egypt or Peru or Bangladesh, I pray. For the young professional who running after career and money, but is feeling hopelessly lonely and empty, I pray. For the man who is facing bankruptcy, I pray. For the families who are being affected by the war in Iraq, I pray.

In the midst of all the lostness, pain, and hopelessness; I thank you for what you are doing, and for the sure hope so many have found in you. Thank you for that family in Southeast Asia that has taken in unwanted orphans. Thank you for that center in Uruguay that is opening its arms to the people no one else wants. Thank you for the *many* who are working, hour after hour, on behalf of those I have been praying for right here - many in the trenches, many on their knees, many in advocacy. Send more workers, Lord, and use us as you will.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

"But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish." - Psalm 9:18

---> Nigel Barham, Thursday, September 4, 2008 Blog Entry

Daily Strengths for Daily Needs

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage,
and He shall strengthen thine heart:
wait, I say, on the Lord.
Psam 27:14

He giveth power to the faint;
and to them that have no might he increaseth strenth.
Isaiah 40:29

Leaning on Him, make with reverent meekness
His own thy will,
And with strength from Him shall thy utter weakness
Life's task fulfill.
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER

Should we feel at times disheartened or discouraged, a confiding thought, a simple movement of heart towards god will renew our powers. Whatever He may demand of us, He will give us at the moment the strength and the courage that we need.

FRANCOIS FENELON

We require a certain firmness in all circumstances of life, even the happiest, and perhaps contradictions come in order to prove and exercise this; and, if we can only determine so to use them, the very effort brings back tranquility to the soul, which always enjoys having exercised its strength in conformity to duty.

KARL WILHELM VON HUMBOLDT

(all of the above selections are from Daily Strengths for Daily Needs, August 20; I've been wanting to post it since I read it, but haven't had the chance till now! I hope you are edified by reading it. )

Camp Tamarack

(Photo courtesy of ypfriends! thanks! :)
Unfortunately I did not take ANY pictures at camp!
:( :( :(
very unusual for me.... what a shame, especially since my memories are mainly built on photos!!! (I hate to think what would happen if I lost all my photos, or worse yet, if I lost my eyesight! )

Camp Tamarack is over! Once again, it was a great week! Throughout the week, we heard seven messages from Pastor Anjema, Pastor Vogel, and Pastor Stringer on the theme of "the glory of God", along with workshops on various topics from which each camper chose two.

Each message that was brought brought different points of conviction. I pray that God will continue His work in me and in the others who were at camp, and that our lives may display God's glory for all the world to see! It's far too easy to get on that 'high' at camp, and then you come home and find that things are just as you left... I pray that each one would purpose in his/her heart to live out what they've learned, that they would be changed and renewed after this week of spiritual refreshment.

This year was somewhat different for me than other years - mostly because it was my 7th year helping out at camp. There's a lot of young people coming up who are beginning to replace the older ones. It felt strange to not have as many of those older people there this year, and though it was still fun, it certainly felt strange to be one of the older ones (I was the 4th oldest female camper!).

Now I'm one of the role models for these young people - yikes, what a thought! ;) I've always struggled with feelings of inadequacy in fulfilling this role, especially at camp, and this year was no exception. I see so much in me that needs to change, so much sin that needs to be expelled; I need the Lord's work in me so much, every day! I know that God hasn't yet finished working on me. He will continue to purify me, cleanse me from my sin, and make me more into the image of His Son Jesus Christ.
I long for the day when I may be perfectly whole!

August 16

It's been seven years now since Dad passed away.... time passes so quickly. We still miss him a lot, but God's grace is sufficient for our every need. I look forward to the day that we'll meet each other again in heaven!

[The Lord] knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.

But the mercy of the LORD
is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments
to do them.

Psalm 103:14-18

"Daffodils"
-- William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

I wandered lonely as a cloud,
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced;
But they out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:

I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Arrival in Bulgaria, Veliko Tarnovo

I'm sorry to those of you who have been wanting to see pictures from Ruth and my trip in Europe! Pictures take absolutely FOREVER to upload to the blog - so I thought I'd make slideshows instead...

The following slideshow is of our arrival in Bulgaria, and of our tour through Veliko Tarnovo, an mideival city which also used to be one of the old capital cities in Bulgaria. I mentioned it also in one of my email updates.

The slideshow's actually only 3 minutes... but the song goes for nearly 5 minutes! I don't know how to fade it out!

House Cleaning!

Last week a bunch of people from my church were getting the house ready for our missionaries (Rich & Ange) who are back on furlough from Mexico. It's awesome for us, because they're living right across the road from us! sweet little helper
I was cleaning the windows, not taking pictures of myself :)
ugh... yet so beautifully made, at the same time!

it was weaving its web outside one of the windows I was cleaning

Rich & Ange, we're looking forward to fun times ahead with you guys and your kids!

Visit at Tim & Charlene's

After cleaning at Dan & Joyce's new house last week while they were on their honeymoon, I had dinner at Tim & Charlene's - our first dinner in their new condo! there were a lot of firsts that day: I was the first to use their shower, to have dinner there, to use the new dishes, cutlery & glasses, and to use their beautiful new dining room table! pretty exciting! :)

Thanks for the fun times, guys!! looking forward to many more to come! :)

Splash Pad!

Charlene and I got to take the kids to the splash pad last week! the water was absolutely freezing cold, but it was tons of fun! Ash & I dared each other to go through all the different water spray things, but Charlene & Jaden both found it too cold for their liking.

as we approached the splash pad, Jaden got a little nervous ;) he doesn't seem to love water as Ashleigh does! but perhaps that's good thing, at his age.

But he sure doesn't mind getting OTHER people wet! he started a waterfight - him against all us girls! :)

but he soon ended the fight by dumping the rest of the water out...

It was a beautiful day in a beautiful park! it was fun being a kid again ;)

Charlene also posted on the day...

Dan & Joyce's Wedding!!!

the beautiful bride...

I didn't take very many pictures of the day... but Carole took some good ones.

Later at the reception...

our MCs for the evening:
Tim & Charlene

hehe I'm sorry Tim... the following picture makes up for it :)

they sure got practice with those swooping kisses! :)

Beppe with her three beautiful daughters handsome & beautiful, aren't they? ;)
"Great is Thy Faithfulness"
by TorontoYP

My mom and Joyce's mom are like two peas in a pod - they even bought the same dress (by accident!) :)

The Shoe Game

"who's going to wash the dishes?"

but they disagree on some things...

was this question "who's the better driver?"

Congratulations, Dan & Joyce! It was such a blessed day! I pray that your life together will truly be blessed by the Lord!

IT'S FINISHED!!! :)

I can finally say that I'm done my degree at York University! it took me a while longer than I had hoped, but that's okay :) During my last year at York, I completed my Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics, with a TESOL certificate (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), which will now enable me to be able to teach pretty much anywhere in the world. However, I am yet unqualified to teach children, or to teach in the public school system in Canada. It's somewhat ironic: I'm not qualified to teach ESL to children, but I am qualified to teach adults (immigrant adults, that is). I've been considering a few options, one of which could possibly mean going overseas to teach English... otherwise I could stick around in Toronto and teach here.... we'll see where the Lord leads.

This final year at York was the best year I had there - we had the best teacher EVER (the first picture that you'll see in the slideshow), who really has a gift for teaching and for bringing the class together as a unit. Thanks Joanne! and thank you, all my classmates! I hope to be as good a teacher as her one day :)

At our final class we had a class party for which I put together the following slideshow. But be warned - it's 15 minutes long!!! :)

York University TESOL Class 2008!

I wish you all the best!!!

Bulgaria - Week 5!

Hasovitsa, BulgariaHasovitsa Conference --Ruth

On May something we set out for Hasovitsa. The curving, twisting road followed a meandering river, and Lou’s ever-responsive stomach reacted accordingly. Of course, car-sickness is bad of itself, but when you have two car-sick little girls draped across you, one gets a double-dose. Thus we greeted Hasovitsa with varying sighs of relief, the loudest coming from the turmoiled depths of poor Louise. We stepped into the “Rodopian Region”.

Our host, Zladka and her son, Bobby

The villa we slept in was as picture-perfect as Hasovitsa itself. It was heated only with fireplaces, built of concrete, block and tile, and could sleep 20 people in BEDS! (Have you ever heard of such a place?) We were heartily welcomed by our two hostesses, Zlatka and Tinka. The two ladies are sisters who live with their extended family in a huge house in the nearby city of Smollyen. Zlatka is a computer programmer and Tinka is a home-maker. They were so incredibly unique! Both had a hilarious sense of humor, a warm heart and vast knowledge of mountain herbs. There was hardly a day when they weren’t collecting something from the mountain-side, whether it was pine sprigs for pine honey (mmmm…) flowers for juice (!!!), or the like. LOL, they even pointed out the source of Viagra :) Zlatka has a sweet imp of a boy named Bobby (6 years). Bobby wore a wily, smily look about him and always had “a trick!” or knew “this trick!” We’re pretty sure he’s going to be a magician when he grows up :) Ninka (8) is his sister and the daughter of Tinka. When a girl is as sweet and kind as Ninka is, it’s a bit hard to describe her. She was a bit quiet, and obviously treasured every moment spent with friends. When Louise and I remember Ninka, we are also most encouraged by what God has enabled us to do for our Bulgarian friends. At one point in the week, an English friend of hers (Cindy) spoke to her mother. Hearing the English conversation, Ninka exclaimed, “Mom, Cindy speaks Bulgarian!” The truth is that Ninka wasn’t used to understanding English! That was SO exciting to hear :)

Tinka and her daughter, Ninka

Elian & Radoslava --Ruth
I haven’t mentioned one of the main organizers of our trip yet: Radoslava. Before traveling to Hasovitsa, we stayed a few days at Elian & Slava’s house. They have two wonderful and lively daughters, Teddy (8) and Vicky (5). Teddy likes surpass the boys (she’s a confirmed tomboy), and yet she likes to dress up and dance. We’ve established her future career to be a lion tamer :) Vicky is constantly singing –in fact, due to her 5-year-old English skills, this was one of the main ways we got to know her. She loves to hold hands or hug. She’s also got an eye for fashion, and we’ve set her out as a future fashion designer, in the classic style of frilly flouncy dresses. Their father Elian works with computers as well and works admirably hard at his and Slava’s small business. By the end of the trip, Slava felt like a very close aunt for me. She’s a historian, and has a unique story or saying for every little custom or site one comes across. It was so sad to leave her, her girls, her wisdom and stories behind.

Elian & Radoslava and Nikki

Teddy (Theodora)

Vicky (Victoria) and Nikki (Nikolas)

Jivko and Iliana – Louise
Jivko and Iliana have three children: Stephan (5), Gabbie (3) and Sammy (1). Jivko is a computer programmer and has his own business. We didn’t get to know him very well, because the only time that we had to talk to him was when we went out for dinner one night with his family and Elian and Radoslava’s family. The majority of the evening, their heads were huddled close as they debated and discussed the latest technology. During their deep conversations however, Ruth and I were able to talk with Iliana and Radoslava and get to know them. Iliana studied a total of five years to become a speech therapist, after which she promptly became a secretary for her pastor. Sometimes it’s strange how little we use our degrees and diplomas in our professions! Eventually she met and married Jivko (their love story is sweet and quite funny as well). Each of their three children are the sweetest, bubbliest, most giggling children you ever could meet. Their ability to speak English was low, yet they understood a lot more than I thought they would. They went absolutely berserk when we’d tickle them; it was hilarious to watch their antics when we played the ‘tickle game’ with them.

Jifko and Gabbie

Eliana and Sammy

Gabby and Stephan

More Hasovitsa Happenings (because we know this is WAY too long already!) --Ruth

• Enjoying coffee with cow-fresh milk (after fishing out all the floaties, of course!)


• Delicious Rodopian cooking: potato banitsa, croissants Bulgarian-style, flower tea, etc. etc.


• Feeding the multitude with pizza and quesadillas, thanks to the integral part of the ladies…, also made Terra Tor (a cold soup of cucumber and yoghurt) and Banitsa R-rr-rrruttt! (“Ruth” Bulgarianized –be sure to roll the “r”)


• The late nights continued… lots of planning, knocking our heads together to gather “lesson” plans or, in reality, game plans for the next day (there’s a pun in there for you, Dad ;)


• Lots of late night talks over tea: telling ridiculous stories, jokes, past experiences… We learned the “Ruchenitsa”, a traditional Bulgarian wedding dance (no worries Mom, we don’t expect to put that to use ;)… Practising the chicken dance (some fun pictures from that :P)


• The crafty Tinka teaching us how to say “I want to be a Bulgarian bride!” :)


• The never ending songs of the children… every time the first words of “My God is so Big” were shouted, we would groan internally, grit our teeth and exuberantly (aka dutifully) join in :)


• Seeing lines of children holding hands, walking along a mountain path and singing “My God is So Big” because they wanted to…


• Walking along mountain paths... hmmm, beautiful


• Meeting Elena, the daughter of Tinka. At 14, she discusses the Scriptural references of CS. Lewis and Tolkien with her strongly atheist teachers! She was sweet, intelligent, always questioning the reasons behind concepts, always looking deeper. In two short days she became a good friend.


• Walking 3 km to the nearby village of Pisanitsa (or “Pizzanitza” as the kids called it) to buy ice cream. When the shopkeeper was nowhere to be found, we walked to his nearby home/ hotel, and from there received a ride back to the shop in a very old, sputtering Mercedes Benz that looked as if it would like to shoot off the mountain side

The week in Hasovitsa is definitely precious among our memories of Bulgaria!

THE END... for now
So that’s a small snippet of our experiences in Bulgaria. We hope to update you on the continuing adventures of Lou and Ru :P upon our return (internet access has been difficult!) complete with PICTURES.... I PROMISE!! :) God is blessing us and keeping us safe. We thank those of you who have been praying - we’ve really felt the Lord’s protection and guiding hand throughout the entire trip.