Countdown!

So the title of this blog was going to be "Bike Ride in the snow", but that didnt happen cause dad picked me up from work, which, I must say, am very glad he did! Well for once in their lives, the forecasters were right, we got snow, and lots of it to go around, and its still snowing! It started early afternoon and should continue through the night, apparently leaving us with 15-20 inches of snow. Are you ready for this? I know I am! I love the cold weather and the snow and all of that! That is assuming that there is no wind, becuase that I dont like. Oh well, you win some, and lose some! So once Halloween is over tomorrow, which I cant wait for it to be over! What a wasted holiday..Anyways, that means that in one day its November! Which means that we can pull out the hot chocolate, touques, mitts, sleds, Christmas music, and *drum roll please* CHRISTMAS TREE!! Yah, thats right, do I need to say it again, CHRISTMAS TREE! Which means that Christmas is near! 55 day, 39 hours, and 48 minutes and counting till christmas! So that means that people will be coming home from schools and all for christmas breaks and all. (Leah, Can't wait to see you again! Montreal is just too far away!) AND, with Christmas that close, that means that my day to leave on my adventure over seas is only 122 days away! (wow thats long!) Ok, I am hyper, anyways, here are some latest pics that I took today on the yard of the snow. OK so its not working, I will add some when it does!

So its been a while...

So I realized that I haven't written on here for a while. Not much has happend. Ok, thats not true, I had another bible study here on Wednesday last week and it seemed to go well again. Thursday was my little brothers 12th Birthday, so like any other birthday year, the day was filled with gifts, me acutally leaving him alone and not bugging him, and yah, letting him enjoy the day! Friday, he had a few friends over after school, and we headed down to an indoor pool, owned by someone we know and the guys swam and dove off the board there. Saturday, I started to work on my scrapbook for Chalo, and I must say that I am super pumped about it! I am doing something a bit different with it, making it more personal and all. I will be very glad when it done. Today was church, and then now in the evening, we had a baby dedication for my two little cousins at VFC in town here. I think I have mixed feelings about that church, but thats for another time (maybe). Anyways, it was great to see yet another two cousins get dedicated to the Lord. I can only Pray that God works through these two little guys! Cake and dessert after at my aunts barn. It was good. So yah, thats an update for now! Take care
Cherish Life

pics

Newsboys singer

Casting Crowns

Michael W SMith 

Weekend update

So for 6+ months of planning, and all of that hype and advertising/volunteer
time, I question was that even worth it? Mom, Darcy and I took in Saturday and Sunday of the Franklin Graham Festival in the city. Saturday morning we left early to pick up corey and then head to Costcos and the mall and all. For those of you who know me, shopping and me are like oil and water, I really really dislike it! (how Can that be? I am a Braun!?) The first two stores we went too were good. Sport Mart and this scrapbooking store (Niki-next time you are in the city, you should check it out, its right near sport mart, further in the back) Its this big scrapboking store with specialized paper, brads, stickers and other nick nacks, and the prices are very reasonable. My brothers evven liked it for what its worth! After that, Costcos for an hour to get pics done and a new passport photo taken, Mall after. I was long done and ready to go to the concerts by then! We were at the MTS center by 4:30, and one of the first 250 people in line. Doors opened at 5:15 and there a whack of people still waiting to get in! So I will skip the boring detail, but it was quite something how we were "Herded in" section by section, row by row. We were pretty close to the stage though. Tree 63 started the night off at 6:45 ish. They were not bad considering I havent seen them before! (The Main singers with the red guiter and they are from South africa). But like the night before, each group only played 4-5 songs! That was dissapointing, especially for darcy cause he wanted to see the Newsboys (the other pic) But what they did play was really good. Franklin Graham- Now I dont know how much you know about him, but long story short, apparently he causes lots of conterversy and all. After 9/11 he made some comment against the Muslims something about using our "Mass destruction" weapons against them. (Check Google). He only spoke for around 20 minutes and was very blunt. He made a comment about how there were murderers in the area. He went on to talk about Abortion and how that is murder. He also touched on Homosexuals, saying "God made sex for a man and women in a Marriage relationship, not for a man and man, or women and women." You could tell walking out, some people were NOT happy. There was an alter call after, which took a while (not sure how I feel about those...different topic tho). And Corey and Carina picked us up after it was over, by 9:15!

Sunday Morning, we left at noon. There by 1:30 and in line by then as well. The line was crazy long, but we cut into the line with people we knew from town. Casting crowns played and Michael W smith played. I have seen Casting Crowns 3 times now, and would see them again anytime! Their message and music is so good! I noticed the main singer though, sang almost the full time with his eyes closed, due to his ADD i think. Michael W smith was good, mom enjoyed him. F. Graham spoke again, still blunt, but by then, I was so ready to go. I was not in the mood to listen to him agian, but Darcy wanted to stay, so we did. We left during another Alter call. SO yah, that was the weekend. I felt like sleeping in today,and totally not doing anything, but nope, off to work i Went. Only 4 more days this week. Cherish life

School Violence

I know I already posted today, but who says you cant post twice in one day? So school violence, what is this world coming to? Seriously. Not only school Violence, but just stuff kids to for entertainment. Take last weeks CSI: Crime Scence Investigation. Talk about intense! Now, if you havent seen it, the episode, and plan on seeing it, come back and read this later....

So that epsiode was about a group of kids mainly, one adult, going around and almost beating people to death, tourists. In one case, they did kill some one, just for kicks! Note what Sara and Grissom say at the end. Now, coming from a small, VERY mennonite communtiy, part of me find this hard to believe that this is what people do for kicks, but then again, I have seen experienced, and heard enough that another part of me, doesnt know what to do about it. The Thing is is that this is very real, kids killing kids in schools, schools, even the local ones, are practicing Lock downs now. We never had to do that! and that was only 6 years ago! What will it be like for the next generation, or the generation after that? I was talking with my mom about this the other day, and at one point she mentioned Noah (thanks Kayla for the correction!) and the Flood. If we think things are bad now, what must have things been like then for God to wipe out all those people? To bring the flood on in the first place? Its a good thing is sends rainbows as a promise he will never do that again, cause with out it, I would always walk around with a life boat and life jackeet! It something to think about. Is this the society we created? How bad will it get yet? We always think, nah school shootings will never happen here, in our town, but I am sure that the columbine school didnt expect it, the school in Montreal, heck, even the Amish school of all places. Its a very real thing, and a very real issue, what are you going to do about it?


Catherine: Did you now Pig, a.k.a Cole Tritt was the only adult? The rest were all under 18. One was 14.
Warrick: You're kidding. Who raises these kids?
Catherine: I mean, they weren't all deliquents. Dmitris James was a college student.
Nick: Hangin' out with the wrong crowd in the wrong town. I'm tellin' ya, havin' a fake I.D in Las Vegas is like havin a--a free ticket on the hell train. Sex, drugs, gambling, no adult supervision, 24/7, by the time they're 21 they've done and seen it all.
Catherine: Make me slit my wrists why don't ya. I'm raising a teenager here.
Warrick: Ah, you're doin' a great job, Linds is gonna turn out to be a beautiful young woman. Besides, I grew up in Vegas I didn't turn out so bad, did I?
Nick: Yeah. That was pre-mirage. Back when you were goin' to the casino, playin' the arcade games. Nah, Vegas is a different animal now.
Warrick: Yeah, these kids need to beat people up in the street to be entertained. They need some good disapline, they need their grandmother whoopin' their ass like I had.
Nick: Yeah, a good slap.
Sara: You know, it kinda sounds like you guys are blaming everyone but these kids. I mean, you don't get a bye just because you grew up here or your parents are on drugs or---those kids were perfectally capable of telling the difference between a wild night out and beating somebody to death.
Grissom: The truth is, a moral compass can only point you in the right direction, it can't make you go there. (beat) Our culture preaches that you shouldn't be ashamed of anything you do anymore. And unfortunately this city is built on the principle that there's no such thing as guilt. "Do whatever you want, we won't tell." So without a conscience, there's nothing to stop you form killing someone. And evidently you don't even have to feel bad about it.

Good morning

Well, its 20 to nine on a thursday morning, and here I am updating my blog. It will be short seeing how I gotta go to work in a few minutes, but yah, things are good here, nothing really special locally that is. On monday, my cousin and his wife had their first child, a girl, who they named Olivia Joy, who weighed in at 8 pounds exact. Sadly they live in BC, so I dont think I will get to see her before Christmas which is too bad, but yah CONGRATS GUYS!
OK, I am out, have a good day!

Thoughts on Prayer... and all that that includeds

Another week, come and gone. Man, that was just one week? Ok ok I will admit, it went by pretty quick. Last night I had bible study #2, and again, I think it went pretty good. The girls seemed to have a good time (who wouldnt with chocolate pudding!) and we actaully got discussion going and it was quite something and I think, or hope, that they all went away with at least something. Hannah and her prayer was the topic for the evening, sort of like a "how big are your prayers" Like Sarah, Hannah didnt have a child till an old age, but later she had a boy whom she name Samuel, meaning, because "I asked God for you". We looked at the prayer that she prayed in Samuel 1; 1-20. She admitted to God that she was his servent, but the fact that she was miserable. *Read Scripture for a down to earth, truthfully honest prayer* So anyways this got us talking about Prayer in not only the lives of others, but in our own as well. What does it mean to us? Is it sincere when we are praying, or are we just following yet another life routine? If so, how do we tell which are "real", and just "routine" Prayers? Is it wrong to ask God for things? What about a young child, say 3-5 who knows no better and goes "God I want this and this and this" Is that wrong, or is the child just doing the only form of prayer that they know? What about an adult who prays, "give me this, give me that" sort of thing. Does God listen to the child, but not the adult? WHy or why not? That sort of thing. We also started talking about prayer in church. Have you ever not bowed your head and closed your eyes when everyone else does? I admit, I have a few times. Have you ever then looked or watch the other people all bow their heads? Really its like everyone goes in to "Robot Mode" or someting. Just try it, see if your church is like that as well. I understand that not all churches are like that, and I hope next year when I visit different ones in the UK and Europe, that wall will get broken down, but still, at the least it should question when you pray, how sincere are you? Are you like an adult who knows better, but still wants more and more, never giving anythign in return, or are you like a little kid, innocent and doesnt know any better? Are you like Hannah, admiting before God first that you are his servent, yet being totally honest about your feelings, or are just learning, asking tthese same questions, or other, trying to figure out what prayer means to you.

Prayer is such a loaded word, so much to talk about to think about, and yah even question, but like I have said, being a christian isnt about knowing everything right aways and the being satisfied, its a life long journey, one in which you will stumble and fall, yet the same one in which there will be victoires, accomplishments, lessons learned, and smile shared.
Cherish LIfe

SNOW!

SNOW SNOW SNOW!!
Good bye Summer and Hello WINTER! Ok, ok, so it hardly covered the ground, and it stopped snowing like a hour later after it started, but it is still snow non the less! Gotta love how the day starts off somewhat warm, and the starts to rain, and then within seconds turns into snow! Though I got very wet on the way home from work (Printers are
back up and running, so the day was good), the snow put me in such a good mood! I just had to snap pics! Surprise surprise I know!

Mom is almost done painting our rec room from blue that we have had forever, to brown. Not sure if I am all for it yet, but like anything else, I am sure it will grow on me, and now, come Christmas, the greens and reds and the colours mom decorates with will look very nice, and then, In a month, we are setting up our tree. Its usually after Remembrance Day, so that would be a month from tomorrow, wow crazy, that means Christmas is in 2 months, and a bit! Crazy! So yah, here are some up dated pics of the rec room, notice the new couch as well, Leather, now this is living!
Yah, off to run dog quick, CHERISH LIFE

Edinburgh, Scotland, Here I come!

This Past weekend, I got to see a lot of people that I havent seeen/talked to since end of July, so even though its only been 2.5 months roughly, its amazing how quickly things change, how fast and easy it is to lose contact with people that you saw everyday for the last 12 years! Or maybe its the fact that I am one of the only ones out of my immediate group of friends, just working for a while, in stead of going to school right aways. Its been great listening to stories from university, bible collage and other programs that they are in. Overall its sounds like that they are all having lots and lots of fun and that is good, that is how it should be as well. Again, one thing that I dont miss, is the homework that they all have! I will admit that while they are out studing and meeting new people, I am still jealous. The people that they are meeting all sound really cool, and I want to meet new people as well. I know I know, my turns coming soon, and I cant wait for that, but still, part of me wishes that that was me now experiencing what they are as well. I guess that was a choice I made though, and Like I said, hearing them talk, is making me more and more excited for sweden. On that note, I am looking into flights and dates and all, and I am looking at around a March 19/20 departure date, right after my birthday I know! Then flying out to Germany wheere a friend there will pick me up and then I would stay with her until the very end of March. I look at Capernwrays site again, and that too, just gets me more and more exicted! I am even starting to look foward to flying, (I have never flown before, and am kinda of nervous), but God is slowly breaking down that wall/fear as well. For those of you who dont know, something I HAVE to do when I am in Europe is hit as many Vineyard churches as I can. The best thing is that I found what I am looking for, a vineyard church that seeems very open, come as you are type thing, music, even fair trade coffee and tea (even though I dont drinkk either!) I could go into so much detail with it, but just check out the link http://www.almondvineyard.co.uk/aboutus.htm and then after that, check out the what 2 expect page. I am sooooooooooo excited! That sounds like just what I am looking for, and its in Scotland! One of the countries on my "To visit" list! Just another reason to go! So yah, 6 more months... God give me strength....

Finally, the weeks over

What a long long long week. SO after 2 and a half days of sitting around and doing nothing, the computer systems are finally, somewhat back up and running at work. Yesterday, we were given the option to leaave at noon, and then come back in the evening when the people who ran into the city to get orders printed out, got back. IT was crazy, lots of running around, this and that. Good news is that, not only did I get my full 8 hours in, but with working all of last evening, I got 4.5 hours of OT, not to mention a free supper of pizza. So I guess it all turned out ok, but it was still very long. Thank Goodness it is the weekend, because I think everyone there at work, needs a soild day of sleep to get caught up and re energized!

We are in the process of painting our rec room, well mom is painting it, and I think getting stressed out by it. Not sure if I like it yet, but it will take some getting used to. I do like the new leather couch that we got though, that will be throughly enjoyed! So anyways, I am actually gettin g together with friends tonight, cause they are all home due to Thanksgiving weekend, so I am really lookng forward to seeing a few tonight, and then going out for lunch with others tomorrow!

Cherish life

Its like a Love/Hate relationship

What a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong day today was!
See then thing is, our computer system that we use was done alll day. So that means that the people up front cant take orders, which means that the printer doesnt work, which means that we cant fill the orders, which all equals a VERY long day of dusting an inch thick of dust off all the shelves, sweeping the dust you dusted off the shelves on the floor, restocking shelves and "trying" to look busy. Its like a love/hate relationship (at least i think it is). On one hand, technology is amazing, I mean look at how you can talk with people on the other side of the world with a click of the mouse. Phones can take pictures, and we have put over a hand full of people on the moon...yet we cant get a simple (at least I thought so) program to work? Makes no sense to me. And not only is the company losing money from not being able to process orders, they are having to pay us the employees for "housekeeping." Can some one please explain that to me? The way I look at it, after the 4th hour of the program not working, send me home and call me if and when they get the computer working and I will come in and get those orders out! Dare I say it, but I cant wait for that yellow OVertime sign to go back up! The Day goes by so much quicker when there is work to do, cause you arent looking at the clock every two secondS! I felt like going insane, really i did. Agian the only thing that kept me going was the thought of "need money for Europe, need money for Europe..." oh yah, and the fact of the little reminder from the summer lesson of no job is meaningless. Me and God spent some quality time, during all my sweeping and all. So yah, that was my day, and I really really really hope that tomorrow things go differently, and I really cant wait for the long weeekend!
Cherish life! (even the dusting and sweeping part of it!)

Kutless,Thanksgiving, and Fall

On Friday, I got to go see Kutless live again in the city. I had seen them earlier this year, and so i was rreally looking forward to it. But when it was all said and done, part of me was actually dissapointed. Their show seemed really similar to the first time, I guess I was hoping for other songs that they would play, but like I said, it was good and still worth it. It was also good to hang out with people from Sr. Youth. Havent done that, well since grad, which makes sense. I took a small video of them playing, and i have no idea if it will work, but hopefully it does on here. Just a small taste of it

This morning, after church, I came home and was in the mood to journal. So I spent all morning sitting outside on the porch and just writing. I was also listing to my Ipod, yeah white ear buds and all, and the songs that kept playing on it, were all reminders of God's love and the beauty of nature and life all around us. I was reminded of how the leaves in front of me started off as young buds, yet blossemed into amazing leaves which are now changing colours into the brillant reds, yellows and oranges. Even with all the flatness around here, there still is beauty here, right in front of us. In the words of Stellar Kart "All around me your Creation brings me to my knees in Adoration, Beauty here can not compare to what I'l see when i first see you" As amazing as the colours are here, with the few hills and flatness, Heaven will be so much more, more then we can ever imagine. Journaling and realzing that how I did, really put in into perpective. I guess what I am saying in that with our busy lives, school, work, house stuff, youth, this and that, its no wonder how time flies by, we are too busy to notice anything that matters, even if it is just the colours of fall. This week, whether you are working, at school in the city or off on an adventure, take time to appreciate God's beauty in your life, whatever that will be, and with Thanksgiving near, take an extra while to just give thanks, and to praise our Heavenly Father for all we have! I know I will!

Today, we had our Thanksgiving gathering a week early and at a really wierd time-1:30. We are used to having it the actaully thanksgiving weekend, and at supper time, nope not this year though! Needless to say, it was really good. The food was amazing and yummy. A little wierd not having Leah out this year, cause as long as I can remember, she has always been at gatherings,
so Leah, if you read this between school and all, I missed yah there! Cant wait until Christmas to see ya!
And speaking of Christmas, imagine 4 little guys, babies, running around, plus another one who will be a few months oold! Its gonna be crazy! But then again, the gatherings always are with the sisters! The weather was so nice as well, a perfect day to be outside. It was actaully to warm for me, I am so ready for a cold Canadian
Winter! (and by cold I mean -45 not -20!) I took a few pictures of my brother and his girlfriend (sorry guys, had to put a pic in here!), so that was fun as well, yet they always want pics done when
its always off season. Either the leaves are just coming out, or falling off! Come on guys, pull it together! Overall, it was lots of fun, lots of pics, mostly of the babies tho, you know, gotta get them when they are young and cute!

So until next time, Cherish life!