New Year

The new year always seems to be a time of reflection and change for most people. For the first time in possibly forever, I'm one of those people. Sure, I liked to look back on the year and celebrate all the good things that happened. But this year is different.

2010 was easily one of the best years of my life. I married my best friend, we spent a week in New York [the best city in the world] and have spent the past six months enjoying married life in our lovely little apartment. So it's great to reflect on all that.

But 2011 has brought serious change. This is my last semester of my undergrad. Come May, I will be out of school, waiting to hear if I will continue to be in school or if I will need to take some time off. Having such an uncertain future is new for me. Thankfully I am surrounded by incredibly supportive people who are with me in the waiting and will be with me once I know what the fall will bring. But I know that whatever happens, it will be a brand new experience, so I am trying to prepare for whatever comes. The other big change is that Brian is looking for a new job. He has been with Sunterra for a long time, but has decided he needs to find a job that suits him better, where he can shine. So now he's in the process of researching careers, jobs and what's out there. It's a big change. I'm excited for him in this new beginning. But it's also all really scary. So we're trying to rely on God in hopes that He will provide for us and that He will help Brian discern the career path he should follow. We've been encouraged so far and feel blessed to have, again, such supportive people in our lives.

Please keep us in your prayers in this new year. Thank you for your love and support.

Blessed

Another Christmas has come and gone.

It's hard to believe it's already over. But I was definitely not short on holiday fun this year. So many parties, get-togethers and activities to celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus and being in community. It all reminded me how blessed I am to have all these wonderful people in my life.

Brian was sick over Christmas, so it was especially hard for him to enjoy it as much as he would have otherwise. I so wanted him to feel better. Thankfully he's on the mend, and there were still wonderful moments for us on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

We are entering into a time of change as the new year approaches. I'm scared but trying to trust that God will take care of us. Christmas reminded me of just how much my family takes care of us and how they will always be here, no matter what happens. I'm so thankful for them.

Christmas is a great time to reflect on and appreciate how blessed we are. I hope I never take the people in my life for granted. They are so wonderful. Each of them are gifts from God.

"I receive you as a gift from God to me."

Christmas

I LOVE Christmas. Seriously. LOVE.

I started secretly celebrating Christmas coming on November 1, because Holt Renfrew and Starbucks had their Christmas displays up. Oh it's so exciting. I know some people won't even talk about Christmas until December 1, and I understand that. Especially those who don't talk about it because they think Christmas is too commercial and just want to focus on Jesus as the reason for the season. I do get that. But I don't see why we can't be excited for Jesus coming for more than four weeks.

So I'm still full of Christmas cheer. Our tree is up- our first tree! Oh it's just wonderful. We also have an Advent log in our house, which we light on Sundays to celebrate the four weeks of Advent- our time of waiting for Jesus to come. We even have the chocolate Advent calendar. There's so many things in our house to remind us of Christmas, of the joy and love surrounding the wonderful holiday, and of the amazing gift God sent us two thousand years ago in Jesus. We are truly blessed.

Move

maybe we are getting in the canoe,
ready to head down the river.

Retreat & Return

This past weekend, Brian & I headed off to Camp Valaqua for an Awaken retreat. It was just lovely. To be able to get away, to spend time with friends, to focus on God, to forget about city life for a minute- it was exactly what I needed. Now I actually didn't get as much rest as I hoped for, because we stayed up late playing Dutch Blitz and Things In A Box, but that was completely worth it. I loved laughing that much. It felt like there was something worth smiling and laughing about the whole weekend. I'm so thankful for all the wonderful people who were there with me this weekend.

Now I'm right back into "regular" life. Grad school applications are really sneaking up here. Some are due in less than a month. I have no idea where the time went. But I'm trying to keep my head above water and not let these applications take up so much of my time that I'm neglecting my current school work or my relationships with the people that support me. If you could keep me in your prayers, that would be much appreciated.

Grad school applications also bring up fear. Fear that I won't get in. Fear that I can't pursue a career in counselling. Fear that maybe this isn't where I'm supposed to be. This fear is very unsettling. And I'm struggling to just give it to God and let Him take care of me. So prayers in that would be appreciated too.

This is a busy, crazy, uncertain time. But I know the best things will stay the same, and I'm so thankful for those things.

P.S. Christmas decorations are beginning to fill the city! It is truly the most wonderful time of the year.

Home

As I sit in my little basement suite, studying for a midterm and looking forward to when my husband comes home from work, I can't help but think of how blessed we are.

I love our home.

Yes, it's small. But that means it's cozy.
Yes, it's pretty much one big room.
But that means we're together, even when we're doing different things.
Yes, some things don't fit. But that means we're learning to live simply and to decorate creatively.

I love how many memories we've already created and have yet to create in our "first home". I feel so content and at peace when I'm at home, when I stop to reflect on everything that has happened here. We live in a great neighborhood and we're relatively close to the important things and people in our lives. It's pretty wonderful.

Also, we love having people over. So you should come over.

But my peace also has nothing to do with our apartment, all at the same time. Brian is my home. Everything is better when I'm with him- he reminds me that everything will be okay. I see God in him every day, and God's Kingdom is also our home. Being in my earthly home with my incredible husband is a great reminder of that.

I feel so blessed to be home.

"if home is where the heart is,
then my home is where you are."

Escape

This past weekend, Brian & I went to Lethbridge to stay with our dear friends, Carissa-Lynn & Blair. It was just such a wonderful visit. I feel so relaxed and refreshed from being there. Not only did we get out of the city for a bit, but we got to spend quality time with the Stretch's and also with Georgia, who we love to pieces.

It's funny how a change of pace can have such a substantial impact on how you feel. Brian & I have been so swamped with school/work and all kinds of regular life things that we really needed a break. We found it in Lethbridge. We didn't worry about school or work or anything else and just enjoyed our time there. I'm hoping this relaxed feeling sticks around for a while.

The weekend also made me so thankful for friends, all over again. I have such wonderful people in my life. Carissa and I have been friends for almost four years now. I think that's pretty wonderful. It was just so great to reconnect, to support each other in our experiences, whether they are different or exactly the same, and to laugh together. I love laughing with good friends.

What a blessed little trip to Lethbridge!

Absolutely

This song breathes life right into my heart.

It just has such a beautiful message. While I stumble and fall in my faith, God loves me unconditionally. That is unbelievable. And so amazing. He is beyond deserving of my love. I love my God, because He first loved me.

Jesus, I am absolutely in love with You.

One

Brian and I have started on a year-long journey, with some wonderful people, based on the book "One - A Face Behind The Numbers.

The book focuses on different aspects of social justice, such as corruption, diseases and education. Each chapter is devoted to a specific issue, and there are twelve chapters. We are focusing on one chapter per month for a year, learning by reading the book and research, as well as looking for ways we can help and putting them into action.

We just started, but I'm so excited about it. October's chapter is Slavery. I learned so much from just reading. Slavery is so pervasive in developing countries, which breaks my heart. But we can help. Check out Anti Slavery for ideas.

There are so many things going on in our world I'm unaware of, and I can't wait to learn about them. The first step to changing the world is to learn about it.

I'd love to talk to anyone if you're interested about this, and any of the issues.

Check out the ONE movement.

Awaken

Community is a wonderful thing.

One of the biggest reasons Gull Lake meant so much to me over the years was because of the community, and the lasting relationships I built there. Over the past couple of years, Brian and I have been searching for the "right" community for us, so that we could be connected with people to love and who love us, in order to grow in our relationships with God. We have both been involved with Awaken in an off-and-on sense for a long time, but always wondered if it was right for us, because of the focus on Bowness. A while back, we decided that while we may never live in Bowness, that doesn't mean we can't have an impact on the community, and also that we can take what we learn at Awaken and apply it to our lives in Mission & downtown Calgary.

That was a wonderful decision.

We are so happy at Awaken. Not only do we have the opportunity to connect with some of our most loved Gull Lake friends, but we also have built new relationships and have been learning so much. We also get to be involved in different aspects of ministry, both in the church and in Bowness.

It feels so good to be back in community.

We have joined a Small Group, which really inspired me last night. It's full of such great people who have a heart for God and so much knowledge and wisdom to share. Once a week, we get to come together, talk about our lives and God, and learn from one another.

It's going to be a great year. I'm so thankful.