This one makes me smile!

     *p.u.r.e.* f.u.n. * l.a.u.g.h.t.e.r. *w.o.n.d.e.r.* f.r.i.e.n.d.s.h.i.p. *k.i.d.s. *t.o.g.e.t.h.e.r. * h.e.a.r.t. *

just play!

You, You! Be yourself

~ good motto ~

A few weeks ago I was asked to share at the Saturday night fellowship. I was honoured by the invite. I enjoy public speaking and don't often get nervous when the opportunity presents itself to share with others. The only thing is that as I was preparing to present I started to get a little nervous because I started to compare my presentation with Mark's (the other person who was sharing). The things we were speaking about were different; however, it was the way in which we were presenting that got me all nervous. He told me that he had this multimedia presentation- a 9 minute slide show with music and subtitles and to be perfectly honest I was a little intimidated. I thought, "Oh, no! I need to come up with a video presentation too!" After quickly contemplating the movie-making thing, I realized that I had NO idea how to do that! I realized that my presentation didn't need to look like Mark's... it needed to look like my own. I could never present the way Mark did and he could never approach a presentation with my style. I could have made a video but it probably wouldn't have been any good and that's just the honest truth. Our ways were totally different but they were each us. I'm so glad I came to the realization that I need to just do what I do best. Just be me and that will be the best me there is!

Today I accompanied 108 Japanese students to Vancouver. There were about 21 groups of 4 or 5 students, 21 teachers and 21 teen aged helpers along as well. WOW! The trip was jam-packed because the Japanese teachers had outlined for each group to visit 3 or 4 places in the City within a 5 hour time frame! Usually when I go to Vancouver I spend the entire day at 1 place! The teachers were expected to navigate to and from these places (on foot or by public bus) and this STRESSED some people out! They were freaking out all last Friday about this trip. Sure, it was a little disorganized but I can't believe how much stress some people add to their lives by making things more stressful than they need to be. People had spent their Sunday researching and planning for this trip and even losing sleep over it! In observing all this, I realized that watching them stress out actually made me stressed out. Just listening to them made things more confusing to me and so on Friday while many gathered to discuss it, I opted to just not get involved. Perhaps I am more familiar with Vancouver than some of the other teachers, which is a plus, but to be honest, I didn't really go to great lengths to plan this trip. I got a map and I was good to go! haha. This morning I bought a new worship album on itunes and I was set for the bus ride to Vancouver- stress free! As it turns out, I really believe that people can sense when others are calm and they gravitate to them. I know I would rather be around someone who is calm than someone who is freaking out. Subsequently, people were drawn to me today (the lady who hadn't researched Vancouver!). There I was at several points leading my group and 4 or 5 other groups through Vancouver! WHAT? How did that happen? Back to the picture, "Keep Calm and Carry On!" So true. I look back on the day and just have to chuckle because they put me in a place of leadership simply because I kept calm.

Let peace reside with me.

 

 Be understanding. Be Patient. Be Flexible. Be Confident.Be Calm.

 

Be yourself!

Weeeeee! {k}end

I've had a fun weekend. Last night I went out to Vancouver to be with the girls. JoAnne just moved in to her new place and the four of us ladies got together one last time before Alanna leaves for Calgary in a week to start her Master's Program in OT. Alanna, I'm so proud of you. I specifically remember praying for you as you handed in that application and just waited to hear back from the universities. Although there is so much unknown at this point, I'm certain this is where you are supposed to be! I will miss having you here with me, but I pray you and Kevin will meet some incredible people in Calgary.

In honour of our time together, I decided to bake a pie! It was an incredibly hot day yesterday (high of 37*). I think it was the hottest day of the summer. It turned out to be an Apple pie with craisins. Yum! My little secret is to make pastry dough and then freeze it for an occasion where you may just want to make a pie (without doing all the work at that time!). I actually found the dough to be easier to work with after it had been in the freezer. I would do that again! The added touch to the pie was that I put our 4 initials on top of the pie. It turned out great! Next time I probably wouldn't put the milk glaze on until later because it seemed to make it darker than I would have liked it to have been. My apologies that the pictures are a little blurry- the iphone 3 that I have isn't as fancy as the newer phones... but at least you get the idea.

Today was my cousin Arianne's wedding. A big shout out to my Auntie Dianne who actually catered the wedding! What a big feat!  This morning, my mom, Nichelle, my Grandma and I prepared the fruit skewers. That was fun- so colourful... doesn't take much to make them look pretty and appetizing! The wedding was outside at Jeff's boss's house on Sumas Mountain. It was an absolutely beautiful setting. Funny thing is that Jeff and Arianne's dog, Tonka, was even in the wedding party (and pictures). Hehe. Here are a few pictures of my Bro, Nichelle, Mekayla and I.

~ I was the "bean bag toss" champion today! ~



~ growing up ~

~ I was trying to get Mekayla to look at the camera...
but it didn't happen ~




I love outside receptions! We enjoyed some fun games in between the ceremony and reception and got our fill of sweet desserts today! It sounds like Arianne has become quite the "pinterest" queen. The decorating was beautiful and I got to take home a few "cutesies." Someone recommended I get on pinterest because supposedly they have lots of great teaching ideas up there. Is that true?

Have I mentioned how much I've loved the hydrangeas this year?

Well that was my weekend- so far! We'll just have to wait and see what tomorrow will hold...

until then... Be creative and Have Fun! Today is your day!

~V

On the town!

I've been a busy lady lately! Love this job- last week I got to lead a group of Japanese students to Victoria. My main job was to pay for the ferry and museum and then make sure all heads were there when we got back on the bus at 5:30 in the evening. Everyone had free time for about three hours in the afternoon and I had a good time looking around the shops in downtown Victoria. On the ferry, rides I pulled out my latest book that David gave me, called When Everything Changes by Steve Stewart. The book is about the Kingdom of God and what ushering the Kingdom looks like. In Ezra's sermon yesterday, he said that "the Gospel always leads to human flourishing." hmm... have to stop and think about the implications of that for a moment. Abundance! Joy! Life! Healing! Health! Wholeness! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!

Then on Saturday it was Michelle's Birthday. After my step aerobics class in the morning I headed to Tracy Cakes and picked a cupcake for each of us and then put together her gift basket! It was a gorgeous day so we decided to make our way to Grandville Island before meeting up with the others at Bard on the Beach in the evening. Granville Island was *the* place to be on Saturday. There were so many people there, including many tourists. It always seems funny to see tourists in Vancouver. I wonder what they enjoy seeing most. We just meandered through the little gift shops in Grandville Island, got some coffee, went to the market, went out for dinner (yay Seafood!) and then even took a little nap on the grass before heading over to Vanier Park for Bard on The Beach's rendition of "The Taming of the Shrew" by Shakespeare. Such good acting! Forgot how riske Shakespeare was! Oh my! After seeing Adrienne's picture on facebook with her friends at Bard on the Beach a couple weeks ago, I just *had* to take this picture of us...

~ Happy Birthday Michelle! ~



Yesterday I went to a TWU Alumni BBQ with my friend Katelyn (hoping to meet Mr. Right, but I suppose he forgot to put it in his day timer!). It was really cool to meet other Trinity Grads and after going to that event I really do agree with my dad that TWU produces leaders! The people there were just such natural conversationalists!

This coming week I have an interview with a tiny school out in Vancouver and what do you know, I met a girl there last night who lives out in that area! I suppose I'm not one to "have my ducks all in a row" before telling people about them. I'm someone who shares the excitement as it happens- even if it's still in the works! I'm just not good at keeping good news inside! So even though I don't have a job lined up, I got to chat with this girl last night about Vancouver and even got talking about the church she attends, which is a MB Church plant in Vancouver, strategically initiated in the city and located in Grandville Island! How cool! She said that many people show up at the church just to "check it out" and it really reminded me of the international church I went to in Tky, where people were curious about what went on inside the doors of the church and took a bold step to enter on a Sunday morning. In my own observation, I've just seen the "partylife"/ anything goes, consumer, independent, educated mentality and worldview seep through the culture in Vancouver, and in effect people have let that worldview shape them, rather than a faith-based, Gospel driven worldview. I was encouraged by this church within the city that exists to "Make Jesus Known." Way to go Westside Church!

All in all, it was a good weekend! The week ahead will also be busy, but I'm looking forward to it.

Full Colour

For some reason all the flowers have been jumping out at me this year.

It's as if the colours are appearing sharper and more brilliant than ever!

Beholding more beauty! Oh, oh, oh!



Sealed

I had a lovely brunch with R on Tuesday. We each got to share with each other a snapshot of our lives in Central Asia. So beautiful to be able to get it. So precious to talk about the people we love so much. So helpful to talk about the joys that have come our way and how God has been faithful and brought us lives "full of colour." How rich we are! What a good time.

One thing I really walked away with from our time together was the idea that God doesn't let our good memories vanish. They don't slip away. When God seals those memories, we can carry them forever and not fear losing them.