updating...and thinking outside the box.

I have two showcases at my place of work with which I can do (basically) whatever I please. The problem is, I don't know what I please.

I'm a bit over the usual church bulletin board things. I mean really, what worked while I was a child in Sunday School has probably quite working (not that bulletin boards EVER REALLY worked that well anyways). But what to do???

In Genesis 1 it talks about the creation of the world. How creative is God that He would have come up with the whole idea/concept/whatever you want to call it for the world as we know it? He thought up every animal, every plant, He even thought up each person before we even came to be (Psalm 139:16).
When the Bible tells us about the creation of people it says:

27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

God created us people in His own image. Physical image, maybe not so much since we don't know what God looks like. But, emotionally I'd say we've been created in His image. AND we're creative like God.

When I share about the creativity of God I often share a story about ducks...
One day I was sitting by a lake with a good friend of mine having a cuppa and catching up on life. As we were chatting five ducklings waddled past us. For some reason these ducklings caught my eye. It wasn't unusual to see ducklings by this lake, in fact that was a "ducks crossing" sign near by the lake we were sitting at. The thing that caught my attention was that each duckling was different, from the colour of their feathers, to their feet and their bills. Each one of these ducklings was uniquely different. It was at that moment that our incredible creator spoke softly to my heart showing me that He cares not only for every person that He has created unique, but that He also cares so much for all of His creation that He would create ducklings unique as well.

So as far as my show cases go, I know that I have the somewhere within me the same creativeness that my God has. And I'm so looking forward to that creativity coming forth as I create for His glory.

S-Bucks vs. McDick's

I read an interesting article today by Bill Tancer title: "Brewing Battle: Starbucks vs. McDonald's".

My thinking is along the same lines as Tancer when he writes:
"I've always thought of these two chains as polar opposites — one designed as a sophisticated faux living room where customers could get a decent coffee drink and read their newspapers; the other, a riot of plastic-and-vinyl booths and bright fluorescent lighting where meals are counted in billions served. I wondered if it was really possible for these two worlds to collide."

Definitely an interesting read which you can find here.

Welcome to my home.

I love having company. I really enjoy having people over to my place and being able to entertain and serve.
I love having out of town guests even more.
(I think I get this from my mum).

I'm really loving having Essie here, although she doesn't really feel like company, more like family.
It's amazing how the wonder and awe that she has for things here in Lethbridge is giving me a renewed sense of pride in my city.
I'm also being reminded of how cold I found it when I returned from Sydney. We may have mild winters here in Southern Alberta, but it is still freezing comparatively!
Today Essie got the grandiose tour of The Miracle Channel. Yet again I was reminded of how huge and elaborate the station is. I often take it all for granted when I'm being taped.

Oh, it's all so incredible and fresh again. See, Essie is always the best thing to happen to me!
I love her! I love having her here!

What a day...and here's to another.

So, Essie was supposed to come yesterday...well, supposed to in my world.

Some mis-communication along the way and a lack of attention to detail on my part sent Matt and I to Calgary yesterday to await the arrival of my dear friend Esnath. After waiting in The Calgary International Airport for 3 hours after flight 851 from London Heathrow landed, and a conversation with Customs, followed by a conversation with Immigration, finally led Matt and I to the Air Canada desk where we learned that Essie wasn't on the flight from London.

WHAT!?!

One phone call to my mother helped us find our answer...Essie departed on January 10th, and arrives on January 11th.

So, once again The Calgary International Airport is my destination, and today I will have Essie with me finally!

Wow, God has a sense of humor or something...


On a good note: yesterday was a lot of fun with Matt, despite our semi-stressful moment in the airport.

Ambushed

Wednesday's are normally my day off, but b/c I'm picking Essie up from the airport tomorrow, I switched my day off this week and am in the office today.

I kind of flew under the radar when I came in this morning. Which was nice, tucked away in my little office and hardly no one knew I was in...until Marty came saw me. The secret was suddenly out.

This afternoon I was minding my own business working away when Teaka and Andy ambushed me for Ambushed Interviews on BTS.

Thanks for letting the secret out Marty :)

Two More Days

In two more days my incredibly good friend Essie will be moving back down the hall from me. Mind you we're in another country this time, and we'll only be living in the same house for two months...

Essie is probably one of the most incredible people in the whole entire world. If you've met her you know what I'm talking about, if you haven't met her you should b/c she'll encourage and inspire you so much.

I first met Essie while I was in Australia. She was a year ahead of me and was involved in TV Media, while I was involved with Hillsong Kids, so we didn't spend much time with each other until I was in my 2nd year of college, and Es in her 3rd.
I moved into 1 Skylark Crct, the same house as beautiful Essie, and from the point on my life has never been the same.
Essie is an incredibly safe place for me. She's a vault, seriously! You tell that woman anything and you can be very sure it will never leave her lips. She's also very good at bringing me back down to earth, which is a good thing for someone who is easily excited!!!

My amazing, beautiful inside and out friend is coming to my amazing country for the first time ever and I can hardly wait!!! AHHHH...two more days!

The Golden Compass.

I've been very intrigued by this movie over the holiday season. I haven't yet viewed it, and I'm not going to lie, I probably will watch it at some point.

I read an article on the Golden Compass and Pullman this morning and highly recommend it (check it out here).

To all you good Christians out there I'd like to say what the author of this article closes with:

Shouldn't I be praying for him instead of condemning him? Shouldn't I be looking for ways to show love and respect to the man, even as I look for ways to expose the flaws in his work? Pullman's not likely to reconsider his notions about God if those who believe in God organize a full-scale assault against him and his work.

Just in case you were wondering...

how long it is until I'm a Furukawa...

ONLY 71 more sleeps.

Seventy-one.

Seven one.

10 weeks. TEN!!!

Bring it on...

Looking back at 2007, I can honestly say that I am so happy it's finally over. I probably cried more this past year then I have my whole entire life (ok, that may be a bit of an exaggeration...). 2007 was definitely a year of change, a year of challenges, I was stretched sometimes beyond what I thought I could bear. And yet through it all (as always it seems) God's fingerprints were all over everything. The times when I felt like there was no possible way I'd succeed, somehow, in some miraculous way I did.

Now, looking back and where I've come from, and looking forward into what I'm headed into...I say bring it on! I'm ready for 2008. I'm ready for new challenges. I'm definitely ready for new success, and I'm most definitely ready to be rid of all the crap that was around me last year.