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19 Going On 39

Posted on February, 3 at 10:00 pm

Tomorrow is my 19th birthday. But today…today I do not feel like celebrating it. It’s not that I don’t have a million and one things to be happy about…a family that loves me, friends who go out of their way for me, a Saviour who forgives me, to name a few…but I don’t feel like a superstar right now, and it’s something I’m not used to. I don’t want to turn 19, because when I turned 18 I felt like I understood the world. And I don’t feel that way anymore.

Tomorrow might come and I might feel like celebrating. Tomorrow I might feel light. Tomorrow I might remember that all else aside, my life is a miracle.

Tomorrow is just another day. 19 is just a number. Tomorrow I will be who I was today.

I don’t need a telescope
To see that there’s hope,
And that makes me feel brave.

Posted in School | 12 Comments »

Boom Goes the Dynamite

Posted on February, 3 at 11:03 am

I am sad to say that I have missed all American Idol for the last couple of weeks…but I never really liked auditions (I tend to get too attached) and Hollywood week starts next week, where I’m likely to get too attached still, but at least my favourites will have more of a chance…that’s the way I see it.

Yesterday I was really blown away at work by this second grader, Emmanuel. He had such a thirst for knowledge…he read the word “merci” in a book, and after I explained it to him, he said “I want to write that down when we’re done.” That just seemed so cool to me. And when we were finished with the session, I gave him his treat and said “what do you say?” and he responded without hesitation, “merci.” That’s what I love about my job…the kids care, and it makes it impossible for me not to.

I got a chance to look at the moon last night (it didn’t rise until 10:18 pm…boo) and I’m proud to say that the waning gibbous was 44.5 degrees east of the celestial meridian. NBD, just rocked your world with that knowledge. Came back, finished all my homework, slept easy after a job well done…and boom goes the dynamite.

P.S. Why didn’t I continue watching Lost? I could’ve been totally geeking out last night with the premiere. I just saw a clip from it and it blew my mind…I’m catching up this summer. Or maybe spring break? I still need to finish season 4 of Bones. Sometimes my life is just sooo complicated…

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how’s about that waning gibbous, eh?

Posted on February, 1 at 3:58 pm

Well, I’m back at my dorm (not home – as I am quick to remind everyone who calls it that)… Finished with classes for the day, but I have work in a few minutes.

Today feels like a successful day…I stayed awake and thoroughly interested in all of my classes (they do all sort of blend together though…science before the Greeks into Ancient Greek into Greek mythology…that’s a lotta Greek) and I just finished helping Cali knock one out of the park on her Nursing application essay. I said some very flowery statement about the “art of nursing” (which I stole from Mommy’s oncologists) and Cali said that she could never think of things to say like that and she should have gone to school in Canada. I told her it wasn’t Canada…my mom just talks like that all the time. You try convincing someone you’re right and they’re wrong when they talk like that…it can’t be done! Ha.

Anyway, I have to go off to work now, so that was my fun story of the day. I’m braving the cold tonight (I got into a heated debate about the majestic qualities of snow today with a classmate) to observe the moon for an Astronomy project…provided it stops snowing (boo) and the clouds clear up.

Posted in School | 5 Comments »

oh boy

Posted on January, 25 at 10:38 am

In hindsight…I probably should have just never gone to that Twins game in September…it hooked me into a year of heartbreak and heartache courtesy of Minnesota sports teams…Or maybe I shouldn’t have listened to Earl as he explained football to me in December, and then I could have limited it to just heartbreak. Heartache came yesterday night when the Vikings lost their chance to go to the Super Bowl, and my hero Bret Favre got beat. It was a crazy game (made even more amazing by Kris Allen singing the National Anthem at the beginning!!) and even though the Vikings lost, I read an article today about how five years ago the New Orleans Saints didn’t have a home to play in, and the players literally didn’t have homes…they weren’t even sure they could still play football. I’m thinking Minnesota won’t have that problem. So, I’m okay with this loss. Favre is obviously still Superman…just short of a Super Bowl.

Mommy and Tony are in Winnipeg now (or somewhere between there and Dryden) and she has a blood test today and then has her second round of chemo throughout the week. I get to go home on Wednesday after class and have a little overlap with Melinda who gets into Thunder Bay on Saturday. I’m praying that everything goes smoothly.

First day of work today!

“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

Posted in School | 4 Comments »

Stowies.

Posted on January, 21 at 1:31 pm

Long story short…I have a pink chair in my room.

Here’s the medium version of a long story: I went to target yesterday with some friends (I needed tape) and my friend bought a bright pink chair but then decided after we put it together in my room that the pink chair should stay in my room and my regular desk chair should go into his room. So…now I have a pink chair in my room. Curveball! I’m not a pink person but I will admit that it is growing on me. New Roomie Emily B. says that it is the focal point of our room now, and it does certainly catch your eye upon entering. Picture to follow:

I just had my first Greek mythology class this morning…aside from being way too early (8:15!) it was very interesting. It was just the discussion, so I didn’t learn much but we did this exercise about our favourite myths and I gave a really great example to Cali (yes, we are those cool kids in the class who already know each other) but then I blanked for a pristine example for myself and settled with uber-lame Hercules, but I had remembered a lot more by the end which would have been even better but alas, some you win, some you lose. We’re going to start by reading The Odyssey but the joke is on them because I read that in grade 9. Anyway, it’s my first real class into this Classical Civilizations thing and I’m excited about it.

Oh, and the winner (and only contestant) of yesterday’s AI trivia was Melinda who correctly guessed Carrie Underwood…peace out.

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awww yeah

Posted on January, 20 at 10:34 am

Gooooood morning!

I finally got to watch American Idol last night…not too thoroughly impressed with any contestants or judges…but I think I impressed my viewing mates with my uncanny ability to correctly guess who would or would not go through. It’s sad to watch Simon so on-edge during the auditions…especially knowing that he’s ditching us next year!! Not. Impressed. But anyway, I dont get attached to people during auditions, so this is really just killing time until the real stuff starts…My friend Amanda gave me this American Idol trivia page-a-day calendar for Christmas and yesterday’s trivia sure was relevant: The judges only see 15% of the singers…now we need to factor in that 11% are for kicks and giggles because they’re bad…Sorry Leona, I didn’t see enough “inspiring stories” to make me a believer.

Today’s page asks “Which Season 4 contestant has a song called ‘Starts with Goodbye’?” Since I never watched Season 4 (but that’s Carrie’s season) I’ll leave it to ya.

Easy day today…two classes (usually three, but a lab is cancelled) and then hopefully a nap…later.

Posted in School | 4 Comments »

New Digs

Posted on January, 19 at 6:39 pm

Well…I’m officially back at school now. I have finished up my first day of classes, been to a meeting for work, walked to the bookstore, bought a textbook, cleaned up my room, wanted to take a nap, avoided the nap, gone to lunch, spent too much time at lunch, made a bet with Greek classmates as to what colour our teach’s hair would be, won said bet…yep, break’s over.

Last night I arrived…after a seriously beautiful drive… corralled (?) my friends and former floor mates to help move me to my new room…and then I threw everything down so that I could hit the hay (on the new top bunk, boo). But that meant I had a lot of cleaning up to do before I could take pictures of it and post them…here they are:

(To get the full experience of the room you need to imagine a heavy coffee smell…my new roomie, Emily B, is a coffee afficianado and grinds and then brews her own cuppajava every morning!)

Unfortunately for all of you who want to look at them…I don’t know how to turn them over so you don’t get a kink in your neck trying to figure out all of the psychology of my order of the desk and walls.

We’re still adjusting to the change…Cali just came and sat in my room after lunch today while we respectively worked on things…it felt too weird going into separate rooms.

PS. What you can’t see in the picture of my desk…I have a framed picture of myself when I was four behind my books…shoot, I was a cutie!

PPS. I miss my fam! Peace out.

Posted in School | 4 Comments »

WhattaDay

Posted on January, 6 at 4:10 pm

well, well, well…ain’t that just the way the story goes?

The drive to Winnipeg was pretty long, but filled with many blessings…Dinner at Auntie Tammy’s, a chance to check fbook and use a real bathroom, a nice hours-long conversation with my mama, and some good tunes to keep me awake.

Lisa and Marion are being very gracious, loving hosts (must have had good parents, right Auntie Laurel??) with grrreat food! I’m afraid I forgot my manners and started chowing down before everyone else got to the table last night, much to my mother’s dismay. But in my defense, it was sooo good!

I was a little anxious yesterday before we got there…we didn’t wake up on time, the juice wasn’t working in my favour, we’re in Winnipeg, it’s too cold, the list goes on and on…but I stepped outside to start the car, and wouldn’t you know it? It was snowing. Snowing for me, for my mom, for our heart and souls. To show us who is in control. To show us one more time…He’s got this.

The day went slowly and fast at the same time…it was all sort of a fog to me, and not nearly as depressing as I thought it would  be, and it continued to snow all day. I got to see a little bit of Winnipeg, once when I got lost (but I was rescued by the Piper’s GPS) and again with Lisa as my guide.

We ended the day with Bones, our new favourite TV show, so all in all, I see it as a good day. The night was a little rougher, (granted, I should not have stayed up that much past Mommy to keep watching, but I could not resist…) and we slept in later than we planned this morning (I am not really complaining, though).

I got an email from Housing, informing me I was in fact moved…my instant reaction being akin to a balloon being deflated…Mommy reminded me that after all that prayer, it has to work out well. I emailed the director to tell him that I would most definitely not be coming back early to move rooms (I’m afraid I wasn’t very nice) but he wrote me back compassionately and said that I could have an extension, and let me know that I was moved right next door to Cali, and I’m in the same building. Maybe I should listen to mama a little more…

How does the story go? Time and time again I lose sight of some of the big picture stuff…yes I’m about to drive my mother to her second round of chemotherapy and I’m flipping my wig about my dorm…I have a successful day, and then some rocky patches, but you know what? Every mushroom cloud has a silver lining, and isn’t that good to know? That we’re golden? So I keep the faith, and I keep on keepin’ on, but sometimes it’s hard to watch her in pain, because it’s my mama and because I love her.

Posted in School | 5 Comments »

For Auld Lang Syne? Whatever that means…

Posted on January, 2 at 12:18 pm

Happy New Year! And what a year it was…

The year that I graduated high school, finally got that darn IB Diploma, overcame four years of battle victoriously.

The year that I went away for University, leaving everything comfortable behind.

The year I found out my mother had cancer.

The year my world was turned upside down.

The year God showed Himself to me in so many real ways.

I made a choice at the beginning of 2009 to look for joy everywhere. High school had been pretty miserable but I was determined to make it better. What happened was, life threw curveball after curveball, and I found that finding joy could be done in every situation. I found that when I went searching for it…it was always there to be found. Joy is nice when it just presents itself to you, right in your face, but it’s most rewarding when you have to look for it and you succeed.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:20

Crazy as it was, I hope this new year brings as much joy and blessings as the last. I hope that with each curveball, I’ll never duck.

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good news of great joy

Posted on December, 25 at 3:56 am

Forever ago, You were born on Earth and You changed the whole world. You changed the whole game.

From the squalor of the borrowed stable, by the spirit and a virgin’s faith

You were born and we were given the greatest gift of all…a shot at spending forever with You.

to the anguish and the shame of scandal, came the Saviour of the human race!

You were born and you made this worth something. This life, this pain, this joy.

Yes, He walked my road and He felt my pain, Joys and Sorrows that I know so well. Yet His righteous steps give me hope again – I will follow my Immanuel!

With a single breath, You changed the direction of the story…Our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father…With a dying breath, You finished it.

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