Almost Friday

Well, here we are, Thursday evening. It's almost Friday. It's been a long week for me with school work, and it definitely feels like it should have been Friday a couple of days ago. There is less than a month left of classes and it's going to be busy between now and then. I am so ready for a break from all of this!

I don't have to go in to observe the grade two class tomorrow; they are having parent teacher interviews at the school. I would love to just do nothing at all tomorrow (and for the whole weekend for that matter), but I will have to do some work at least. I have two presentations on Monday to prepare for, as well as search for info for a presentation my group has on Thursday, plus a lot of other things for homework.

I am just feeling really drained this week. No doubt the lack of sleep is contributing to my current state. I really should go to bed earlier than I do every night. So far I haven't made it any earlier than 11:30 - and that was only one night I think (maybe two).

I had a comment made to me the other day that felt good. On my email signature line I have the verse for Jeremiah 29:11 typed out. So, when I sent my part of the group unit plan to the account we have set up for my Phys. Ed./Wellness Education class to post our unit plans, etc. for our resource binders (which was due this past Monday), I got a reply back from one of the fellows in the class. He thanked me for having that on my signature line because it had spoken to him. He said it was something he needed to hear that day, and that God worked through me. Isn't that great?

Jeremiah 29:11-13 has been my key verses throughout my university years, as well as my year in South Korea. I've held on to them this whole time, and every now and then I need to be reminded of them as well. I'm glad God could use me (or my signature line) to speak to Chris this week.

Well, just a short post tonight. I must head off now. I hope you all have a gloriously blessed Christ filled day!

Oh, before I forget, please pray for M. He is a young boy (maybe around 10 years old, roughly) who goes to my church with his mom. I just found out this week that he has a tumor on his leg, and he's waiting for a biopsy to be done on it. Pray for M and his family - they can really use some prayer!

Much Better Mood

I'm in a much better mood tonight, though I am tired. I am finding out that I should probably be going to bed earlier than I usually do. That's something I'm going to have to work on, especially since I've been a night owl since I was little!

I did my observation in the grade 2 class again today, and things went pretty well. During math, the teacher had stations and groups of 5 would rotate every 15 minutes. The station I was at was the Math Bowling one. The idea was for them to practice subtracting from 10. So, there are 10 pins and whatever they knock down is subtracted from the 10 to get the answer. So, if they knock down 3 pins, they have to say 10 - 3 = 7. The kids loved it - probably because it was a game. I think it's great that you can use games to help reinforce what they students are learning, and most of the time the kids don't even realize they are learning!

I only have one more class to observe, and that is in two weeks. There is no school next Friday (the day I do my observations) because they are having parent-teacher interviews and I don't go to that. So, after the last class, I'll have 72 hours of observation! There will be about 3 weeks after that in which I don't have to go, and on April 24th those of us doing our teacher training in the spring will meet to discuss that. I believe it is the week after that (or maybe 2 weeks later) that the actual teaching practicum starts.

Today was a pretty nice day, though it was a little on the coldish side (not overly cold though). The good news is we have had some really nice days (and a bit of rain one night) and a LOT of our snow has melted! There's still an awful lot of snow to melt though, but hopefully the temperatures will start warming up enough (and often enough) and it won't take long for the rest to melt. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

I've got a busy weekend ahead of me. I have to do up my phys. ed. resource binder (I have a lot of things printed already, plus handouts from the prof) and put it together, do a comparison "critique" between 3 articles and a chapter or section of a chapter from the text book for social studies, work on my 2 articles for the group article presentation I have on Wednesday...and I think the rest can wait to be done after the weekend. What I've listed above are the main things I need to work on and get done (or some of them mostly done) first. Like I said - it's going to be a busy weekend!

Going to head off and do a little knitting tonight before bed - still need to work on the scarf for my Ravelry Scarf Exchange pal and get it sent out by April 2nd.

Hope you all have a blessed and Christ-filled day!

Seriously Though...What Is Wrong With Me?

I'm feeling the struggle again tonight (and last night)...that spiritual battle that seems to be prevalent in me lately - or for the last I don't know how long.

What is it that Paul sahys - I don't do what I should do and I do what I shouldn't do...or something to that effect. That really seems to be what I am struggling with. I know I should be reading my Bible. I know I should be praying more often than I do. But it feels like my motivation is severely lacking.

In all honesty, these feelings seem to hit me most when I'm feeling tired and/or stressed. I feel so busy with school work, that it's like everything else gets put on the back burner. When I'm not doing school work I just want to relax and not do much of anything. I do know that I need to get some energy, and that means that dreaded "e" word - exercise. That would help in a lot of areas I think. If I had the energy, I'd feel like doing more.

I do realize (as I believe I've stated in previous posts) that I am placing things ahead of God - school, relaxation, hobbies. I also realize that is wrong. I need to prioritize things with God being at the top of the list. I often hear stories that when people put God first in their lives, then everything else seems to fall into place. I just wish I could see that in my own life. But, in order to see that, I need to actually do it.

I feel like I'm on a backward walk in my spiritual life. Several years ago I had been doing great - reading the Bible every day, studing it, praying, going to a Bible study, never missed church, helped out in various kids ministries at church. It seems like somewhere along the line I started taking two steps back for every step forward.

I'm taking a break this year from all my ministries (except the knitting thing, though that hasn't been happening much this semester either) because I feel that since I've been home from Korea, my focus needs to be on getting myself back on track. How can I teach others to read the Bible or pray if I'm not doing it myself? Besides, this year I don't have much in the way of free time because of school so I am limited in what I can do or even in joining some kind of Bible study.

However, I don't think a lot has happened for my walk to improve. Don't get me wrong, I've had improvements. But then something happens and I'm right back where I was before - not spending time with God.

I will continue trudging on. I won't give up on my walk. I just feel right now like I need a huge rest in order to start on the journey again. So, if you can, please pray that I will find motivation to pray and spend time with God, get the rest I need, and at least get back to where I was on my walk a few years ago (and even surpass that).

It's hard to explain what I'm thinking, or wanting to say...but God knows what I'm meaning.

It's such a beautiful day today! I'm not sure of the temperature, but I think it's around +5C and the snow is melting. There's a lot of snow still, so I think it will take awhile for it to melt. It would be a really nice day to go out and do some photography, but I have class at 6:30 and need to finish an assignment that's due today.

Our sermon at church yesterday was really good. Basically, it was on the importance of prayer - that it is the foundation of every relationship we have, be it with parents, a spouse, a teacher, a boss...you get the idea. In other words, prayer brings Jesus into our relationships because when we are praying and working on our relationship with Jesus, it spills over into our other relationships. I forget exactly how the pastor phrased all of this, but this is, I think, pretty much what it boiled down to.

I am coming to the realization that I have been very neglectful in my walk with the Lord - I have been putting people and things ahead of Him, and that is wrong. In fact, it's a sin. I have created idols out of these things and have given them more importance than the Lord. I have been sitting back and not spending the time I need with my Saviour, and I know that saddens Him. It saddens me too, because I never wanted to do that - it just seemed to happen, and I let it.

Oh Lord, forgive me for giving people and things more importance in my life
than You. Forgive me for my sin, my idolatry. Help me to elevate You
up where You belong and seek Your guidance, Your love - You, ahead of everything
else. Lord, I ask that you work in my relationships and help me to place
you in the middle of all of them. In Jesus name, Amen.

Well, I must head off and finish the rest of my assignment for my class tonight. Have a blessed and Christ-filled day!

Jumbled Up, Mixed Up Feelings

It's hard to describe the way I'm feeling right at this moment. It feels like a whole lot of things all smooshed together and I can't put my finger on any one feeling.

I feel a little bored. I was working on some knitting a little while ago and I messed up - very noticeable too. I'm working on a scarf for an exchange pal and I have to send it out by the first of next month so I need to get cracking on it. This mistake really puts a hinderance on things because the pattern isn't very easy to pick up again. I will wait until tomorrow to try again - right now I'm too frustrated with it.

I started reading after the knitting. The other day I began reading "Kingdom Come" by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. This is the final book in the Left Behind series. I could only read a few pages and felt - I don't know, almost agitated or restless or something. I can't seem to focus on the reading.

I had a nap earlier on, only for about half an hour when I got a phone call. It wasn't enough of a nap to take away the tired feeling, though it did help a lot. I didn't want to sleep too late anyway or else it would interfere with my sleep tonight. I don't feel totally tired at the moment, but I'm sure if I went to bed now it might not take too long to get back to sleep - though I could be wrong.

Maybe what I'm feeling is the Lord nudging me to spend a little time with Him. I've neglected this the last few days/nights and I have that whole "I'm such a bad Christian" feeling. You know the one I mean...the one where you feel so inadequate and can't seem to do anything right because you're not working on your relationship with Jesus. I know I'm not perfect; I know I struggle from time to time with being a "good" Christian. I feel so lazy in my walk, yet I long to have a wonderfully close relationship with the Lord...but yet at the same time I don't do what I ought to do (kind of like what Paul says). I guess I just need to get off my butt and make the effort. It's not the Lord who is lacking in this area - it's me.

I think what I'll do is listen to some Christian music, do a little praying, and read a chapter in my Bible. That should help.

Lord, help me to focus on you. Please forgive me for my neglect
in our relationship. Help me to build on your foundation in my life.
Amen.

A New Week

Monday. The start of a new work/school week. However, for me it is March Break! I have been looking forward to this week since the beginning of February - mostly because I felt ripped off with my Christmas vacation. That is my fault, though. I worked all but three days of Christmas vacation, so I don't feel as though I had any real time off. The only thing about this break is that I have to do school work during the week - things that are due for next week, etc.

I did some work Friday, but took Saturday and Sunday off and just relaxed. I made a couple of cards on Saturday and did a little bit of knitting. Yesterday, I stayed home from church because I was unsure of the roads. Turns out I think they would have been OK, but I didn't want to take the chance in case they were slippery from the freezing rain. So, yesterday I spent the day finishing up the book "Kiss" by Ted Dekkar and Erin Healy, as well as starting and finishing "The Shack" by Wm. Paul Young. I don't think I've ever finished a book in one day before!

I have fallen off track again with my Bible reading. It's been about two weeks, maybe not quite that long, since I last read it. Well, I did read last night so that was the first time in the roughly two weeks since I last read. I know how easily things begin to decline when I get away from pursuing my relationship with Jesus. I need to get back on track and work at it before things get out of hand.

I know my relationship with the Lord is not perfect - far from it in fact. That is something I admit that I need to work on. I don't feel anywhere near as close as I felt a few years ago. Something had happened (though I don't remember what the situation was - I do remember feelings of depression) and it seemed from that point I started going backwards and it seems that I haven't been able to get back to the point I had been at. It seems as though it's a struggle to get back to the place I was once at.

But, at any rate, I do realize the need for a close and personal relationship with Jesus and it is something that I need to continually be working on. So, I continue to strive even when it seems I take two steps backwards for every step I take forwards. I am not alone in this, and that is definitely something I can be thankful for and give praise to Him for.

Thank You, Jesus, for being with me - even when I fail to acknowledge Your presence in my life. You have said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you", and for that I am truly thankful.

Snow Day

Well, the university finally did it. They cancelled classes because of the snow storm we are getting. The snow and wind picked up through the night, and boy was it whipping around! When my alarm went off, I listened to the news to find out that all of the schools in the districts around here were closed, some other colleges, and the city pulled the busses off the roads. That alerted me right away - the lack of busses running. I got up and called the university's storm line and sure enough, classes are cancelled for the morning and afternoon. Usually during bad weather, if the busses are still running, the university is open and advises students and faculty to use their own judgement about coming to class.

I also have a class at 6:30 on Monday evenings, but as of now it is undecided on whether or not any evening classes will be cancelled or not. The school will make that decision around 3:00 this afternoon. Im hoping and praying the classes are cancelled...

As of right now, it apears that the snow has stopped for the most part (maybe some flurries flying around) and there doesn't appear to be much, if any, wind. The plow hasn't been around to do our street yet, nor has the guy that plows out our driveway.

According to Environment Canada's website last night, the snow is supposed to turn to rain this morning and end early afternoon. At that point - or sometime in the afternoon - it's supposed to start snowing again and the wind is supposed to pick up as well. However, we are in the Maritime provinces, so that could change at any time.

So, today will hopefully be productive and I can get some (or most) of my two math lesson plans worked on and possibly finished (they are due Wednesday), go over my lessons for our group Social Studies unit plan and fix them up, and work at other bits of school work that need to be done this week. Though, to be honest, I also want to work on some knitting I need to get done and maybe do some rubber stamping and make a couple of cards.

Well, I will end this post for now. Hopefully it won't take so long until the next post! Have a blessed and Christ-filled day!

It's The Weekend Again

Another weekend is upon us, the sun is trying to shine through the clouds (it is bright out) and some flurries are fluttering to the ground. It is the middle of February; hard to believe the month is going by quickly - or somewhat quickly. Soon it will be spring, the snow will be gone, the temperatures will warm up, and I can't wait. I think I am tired of all the snow and cold of this winter.

Yesterday the grade two class where I observe, held their Valentine's Day party. The kids were excited from the moment they walked into the classroom. They wanted to pass out valentines immediately. However, their teacher had to remind them to put the cards away until after lunch. She had been explaining all week that the party would be in the afternoon, and the morning was just like any other school day. She had even spent about five to ten minutes the afternoon before reminding the kids, getting them to tell her when the part was, what they were supposed to do with the valentine's when they got to school in the morning. They knew the answers. Yet, she had to get stern with them several times because the kids kept asking when they could hand out the cards, eat the food, etc.

All in all, the little party was fun. The kids really enjoyed getting to go around and put their cards into the construction paper pouches they had worked on during the week. The pouches were taped to the back of the child's chair, and the teacher explained to be careful or the pouch would rip off. A couple did get ripped from their chairs, but it was accidental both times and more from brushing past them rather than putting someting inside.

This coming week is a little busier than last. I have a presentation on Thursday (there are four of us in the group), we are meeting on Monday again to put things together, and will probably have to meet again to work on the lesson plan we have to submit for the presentation as well. I also have two speaker's responses and an article critique due on Tuesday and Wednesday. Other than that, the bulk of my work next week will be in working towards next weeks assignments, presentations, etc.

Today is going to be busy trying to get some readings done, searching for an article to critique (really it's more of a review of the article, but they call it a critique), look into starting two lessono plans for my math class, looking for info to bring for our meeting on Monday regarding the presentation next Thursday, as well as hopefully beginning to create my portfolio, a wellness plan (for phys. ed. class), and phys. ed. resource binder. It all adds up quickly!

On top of all that I want to do some crafty things this weekend as well. I need to work on a scarf (knitting) that I have to do for an exchange group I'm in, something for my best friend for our "after Christmas gift exchange" which we decided to hold on St. Patrick's Day (neither of us had the time or money to do anything at Christmas so we decided to put it off until March). We did this one other year as well, only we chose Thanksgiving to do it then. So, I need to figure out what I'm going to do for her and get cracking. I also want to try and do some scrap booking or work on some handmade cards this weekend as well.

Well, I am starting to ramble, and there really isn't much more to talk about, so I will end here. Have a blessed and Christ-filled day!

It's Sunday

I had a nice relaxing afternoon with my best friend and her nearly nine year old daughter today. We used to get together pretty well every Sunday after church, but since I've been home from Korea - especially since I started back to school in the fall - we haven't been able to hang out too often. It's because of the amount of school work I have, and I generally need my Sunday afternoons to work on presentations or critiques or other various pieces of homework related stuff.

It was a really nice day today, weather wise. It was supposed to go up to around +7C or +9C, but I don't know what if it did or not. It was definitely mild and sunny, though. It's also supposed to go down colder tonight, so I would expect some slippery roads in the morning. Maybe I'll luck out and they'll cancel school tomorrow, but I doubt it; they never cancel unless its extremely bad and they've pulled busses off the roads.

We had a nice surprise this weekend. My younger brother, his significant other, and their son came up yesterday and stopped in. We didn't know they'd be here, and my brother said they had only decided that morning to make the trip up since the weather was cooperating for once. We haven't seen them since Dad's funeral in August, so it was a nice surprise.

Well, I'm going to head off and make a phone call and hopefully get to some knitting or reading before bed. Have a Christ-filled day!

Thank You Lord

This past week, Wednesday in fact, I had a group presentation for one of my classes. I was so stressed out in the days leading up to it because I seemed to be having difficulty preparing for it. One thing I failed to "remember" was that I was leading the section where we were presenting scenarios to groups in the class and they had to discuss them and come up with ideas/answers. That isn't exactly something you can prepare for much since you don't know what their answers would be.

Well, by Tuesday I was quite stressed and couldn't focus or concentrate on trying to find some information on the topic so I could have a little something to contribute before or during the discussion of my section. I did the one thing I should have done in the beginning. I prayed. By this night, I also had to do an article critique for another class, and that was eating up a lot of time as well. Prior to praying, I was beginning to become quite frantic.

I also prayed when I got up early on Wednesday so that I could focus on finishing the critique and finding some info for the presentation. The prayer worked again. I also prayed before the presentation a few times. Let me tell you, prayer works. I was calm and not frantic at all; I was able to focus on the task at hand. I had some classmates tell me after the presentation that I was relaxed and did a great job (I was actually nervous and my hands were shaking somewhat during the presentation, and I felt like my mouth was full of cotton when I was speaking). I truly believe that God helped me through that.

I don't know, yet, how we did on our presentation (I should interject here that I also prayed for the others in my group) - we should find out on Monday. However, I do know that when I turned to God for help, it was there. God hears our prayers. He is always there waiting for us to turn to Him. It is usually us who skip off ahead and come running back when we need help. What we should be doing (and I include myself in this as well), is walking with the Lord, by His side, and be in constant communication (prayer) with Him. I know I fail miserably at this. I am still, afterall, a work in progress.

But, I can only give the glory and praise and thanks with regard to my situation to God. He is the one who calmed me and helped me to stay focused on my task. Thank you Lord. Prayer really does work.

I Wonder Why...

This semester seems to be more difficult for me. I can't seem to get my focus or motivation up, and when I do, it doesn't last very long. The only thing I can think of that is causing this would be the fact that I only had four days of vacation over the Christmas break. The rest of the time (2 1/2 weeks) I worked.

Today in Sunday school the pastor (he teaches the class) asked if we needed any prayer and I had mentioned this fact to him, about not being able to focus, and he prayed for me. That was good. Also, we went over the Armor of God and he had mentioned at one point that we should pray before things happen during our day - if we have a meeting to go to, if we are going to meet up with someone, if we have school work to do, if there is a lot of work to get done, or anything at all. He said it's a good idea to pray in the morning (or before you face the particular situation) and ask for God to help guide your steps along the way.

Tonight before I tackled some of my homework (which I had been struggling to do all afternoon), I prayed for God to help me focus on what I needed to do. It worked. I got my article read and am ready to do the one page "report" on it. It's not due until Tuesday though, so I might wait until tomorrow to work at it. I also need to find some research on Gender Separation in classrooms for my group presentation this coming Wednesday.

My group met last week to figure out what we were going to do for our presentation. We've figured out how we're going to go about presenting (mostly involve the class and have them present what they find out from info we give them) and who is going to do what part. For my part, I am in charge of the scenarios. We are going to present two different scenarios and have them come up with ideas of what they would do or not do if they were faced with that particular situation, and why. So, what I'd like is to have some info to contribute somewhat (give facts or something, i.e. 'studies show that...').

We have another group meeting tomorrow afternoon and I found some articles on the subject, but I don't know if they will work with the scenarios. I'm just afraid that the others in the group are going to think that I'm not doing anything (with regard to research and doing my part well enough). It just seems like I'm the only one struggling with this. And the fact that I can't focus just makes things feel worse...so, I am going to pray about it again.

Dear Lord,
I pray that you will help me to focus on my studies. Please help me to stop procrastinating and to get some motivation. Help me to do my work as though I'm doing it to present to you and not my professor and fellow classmates. In Jesus name, amen.

Feeling A Little Sad Today

I was going to post what I learned about in Sunday school, however, it's just not happening at the moment. The last couple of days I've been affected by my sinuses. I have no idea if it's an infection or just part of a cold...thought it doesn't feel like a cold. I've been taking some sinus pills which are helping, so that's good.

I had a weird dream last night. That happens seemingly often when I take night time sinus or cold medication. Anyway, my dad was in my dream, and I remembered that a friend from work had told me my nephew wouldn't remember my dad when he got older. My nephew was also in the dream, and when dad made his appearance, that is the thought that ran through my mind - in my dream. I thought, "Why did Jean say that?" It turns out that my dad had just been in the hospital (or away somewhere), and he was all better and back at home. I woke up feeling saddened that it wasn't real. I still feel sad.

For most of the day I haven't had my mind on my dream - or my dad. I was able to distract myself with classes. However, on the way home from this last class (I go back again after supper for a nearly three hour class) I had a sudden "I miss my daddy" feeling. It still feels like he's just away or something, and seems like he should be here. Usually I try not to let myself get upset or "ignore" the feelings. I know it's ok to cry and whatnot, but I just try not to. Even now I don't want to feel the emotions or cry because if I cry, my makeup will need to be reapplied before class again, and my eyes will get all red and puffy.

Maybe when I go to bed tonight I'll let myself cry...

More Flowers

I took a few more flower pics today. One of the flowers is a double amarylis (double bloom I think), which is to the right, and the other flowers are the ones I got my mom last weekend. This time I didn't use my telephoto lens (on macro), but just the regular 18x55mm lens that came with the camera. It also wasn't set to macro but I got in kind of close. I really love pictures of flowers - almost as much as the flowers themselves. I can't wait again until the end of August and into September when my mom's dahlias will be out. Those are pretty flowers (there are different kinds) and I'm hoping to take some really good pictures of them using macro...though if I use my telephoto lens I'll need a really good tripod to help prevent shaking and blurry pictures.

It's been pretty cold here lately, and the other day our city apparently broke a record for cold temps that particular day (I think it was Wednesday or Thursday). The previous record had been set in 1957. We are supposed to get another snow storm on Monday, though that depends on how the system moves. The meteorologist said it might change paths and miss us, which would be great. But, if they are calling for snow, that means the temperatures are going to warm up somewhat; when it gets too cold it can't (or doesn't) snow.

I was looking forward to getting back into doing my observation in the grade 2 class I was at before Christmas. I can only go on Fridays since I have classes the rest of the week. Well, I set my alarm to get up at 6:30 yesterday morning (Friday), and when the alarm went off the newscaster was saying schools in the district (as well as another one) were cancelled due to the extreme cold temperatures. It was nice to have the day off, though really I should have done some school work. I didn't. I had a lazy day. I really should have worked some on my portfolio for school (we have to do these up with regard to teaching and becoming a teacher).

We are just learning about portfolios for the teaching profession, what to include and how to make them. We are also working on bio-resumes, which are a little different than a regular resume in that it gives more detail (they're also done up a little differently). I started work on my bio-resume at school the other day, and just need to finish it up and type it up on the computer. Our rough drafts of those are due next Thursday. The portfolios aren't due until April, but it's not something you can do at the last minute. They take time so we have to start early. I've got my binder, tabs, paper (good quality) and plastic cover sheets. I've also got a couple of certificates and diplomas to get good quality copies made of to include so far. As we go along and learn more about it, we'll have more to put in.

The portfolios are what we will take to interviews to show to prospective employers - basically a selling tool. Oh, and I should note that the bio-resumes are also included in the portfolio too. We saw some samples from students who did them last year (the professor was marking them and the students would be coming to get them in the next few weeks), and there were some really nice ones. Not everyone does up a portfolio, but it's something our school has the B.Ed. students do.

Well, I had wanted to post about what I've learned in Sunday school this last week, unfortunately I haven't gotten around to it. I have my notes in the other room and just didn't bother to go get them. I figured that since tomorrow is Sunday again, I might just wait until I finish with that class and maybe combine my notes from that class with last week's. Hopefully I can/will get this done and not put it off too long. Like I've said in some other posts in the past, I would like to have this blog return to the way I started off - discussing more Bible related things, more God-focused and God-oriented posts, prayer talk, etc.

I have been keeping up regularly with my Bible reading, which is good. Unfortunately I still haven't gotten more indepth with it - all my own fault, I admit. Prayer life is still about the same, though I do try to pray off and on throughout the day when something comes to me, or I talk to someone who could use prayer. Usually throughtout the day my prayers are just short and to the point - which there is nothing wrong with that way. I do want to become better at prayer as well.

Well, I realize my post is dragging on somewhat and I don't really have much more to say at the moment. So, I'll end here and wish you all a glorious Christ-filled day! Blessings in Him!

Flower Power

Aren't God's floral creations simply beautiful!

Well, I promised in yesterday's post that if some of my pictures from my photo shoot turned out, that I would post some of them.

I had a great time learning about depth of field and which aperture to use. We went to the grocery store to buy a bouquet of flowers to practice with. The first store we went to didn't have much of a selection at all, so we headed over to a different one. They definitely had a better selection! We came to an agreement on which bouquet to get, and then I picked up a couple of different kinds for my mom.

I'd say I spent a good 2 1/2 to 3 hours at Michelle's as she explained things to me and gave me some great hints and tips. One thing we kept finding was the focus on my camera didn't seem to be where we'd want it; therefore, some of the first pictures I took didn't get focused exactly where I was aiming. Unfortunately, my brain wasn't working all that well because I ended up forgetting to bring my manual and a couple of other things I had wanted to bring along.

Michelle had the bright idea of going online and seeing if there was one there. Sure enough! She figured out how to set the focus so I could choose where it would be. Then I went and practiced several more shots to get the hang of it.

We mostly focused on the macro setting on my telephoto lens. I must say, I really enjoy shooting macro photos! It's so cool how close you can get to something and create a beautiful (or creative) image.

The next time we get together she said she'd go over shutter speed with me. I'm not sure when that will be though, because we are both in school and are quite busy with all that is involved in our courses. She also mentioned some places she'd take me in the summer or fall (or maybe even late spring I suppose) where we could take some great shots. One place was a butterfly exhibit, which I think would be awesome! Another place was her father's backyard. Sounds weird, but she said he gets quite a few hummingbirds there. I've seen some of her shots of hummingbirds, and they are really good. I invited her over to our place to take pics of my mom's dahlias that will be in bloom in late August or early September (she mentioned that she loves dahlias, so I thought I could recipricate and invite her over to take pictures).

I think tomorrow I will try taking some more macro shots using the flowers I bought for my mom today. There are only two kinds (two different bouquets), but she put them all together so hopefully I'll get some nice shots of those.

I must say I had a great time taking pictures today. I've loved photography for awhile now, even though I don't always take the best pictures. I used to have a 35mm camera (semi-professional) and loved taking pictures with it. The only thing I didn't like was that you had to pay for the terrible shots as well as the good ones. Also, you could end up wasting a lot of film if you did take terrible ones. That's one reason I like digital - you can delete the photos you don't want!

I'll just post three of my favourite shots from today. Let me know what you think of them by leaving a comment. Hopefully I'll get some good shots tomorrow of the other bouquet. If I do, I'll try to post them over the next couple of days.

Until then, have a blessed and Christ-filled day!

Well, I've been back to school now for a week. Second semester started this past Monday, and I can tell already, from each and every syllabus I got, that it's going to be a busy semester again. However, I know I can do it. I got my marks in my mailbox (at school) on Monday, and I got an A+, an A- and four A's - not too shabby. The course requires you to get no less than a B or B- (I forget which offhand) average.

I've been continuing my Bible readings every night, but I must say that in many cases I have just been reading - no meditating or anything like that. That's not what I want to do. I want to get into the meat and potatoes of it all again, and get really grounded in The Word. So, I need to do something about that. I want to join a small group at church, but the only thing is most of them meet during the week in the evenings, and that's not a good time for me during the school year. The other ones also meet at times that don't work for me. And, I am in no position to start one up myself. I don't have the time to commit to being a leader or even hosting one. So, I guess for now, I will have to stick to the Sunday school class I'm attending - unless I'm able to get to a Bible study here and there during school.

I will say that recently I have been trying to memorize Scripture. Since starting the Sunday school class I'm currently involved with, I have memorized Ephesians 3:20-21 and all of Psalm 1. Not sure where I'm going from here, but I want to pick something else to memorize. I'm currently doing my Bible readings in the Psalms, so maybe something from there would be nice again.

Tomorrow I'm going to meet up with a friend from when I was enrolled in my B.A. at university. She was in a few of my classes. Anyway, she is a good photographer and since I'm relatively new to digital photography (though I did do some 35mm photography...took a course in it), and she said she'd help me taking pictures. We were thinking of going outside somewhere and taking pictures, but due to time constraints, we are just going to go buy a bouquet of flowers and she's going to help me practice macro photography with the flowers. She's also going to instruct me on some portrait photography too. I'm really looking forward to this. I enjoy photography!

Well, I guess I will end for now. It's getting a little late and I'm tired. I have to be over to her place for just after lunch. I'm not sure if her husband will be there (doesn't matter if he is), or her daughter. But, we have to finish before supper since she had to take her daughter to work for 6:00. I'll try to get on tomorrow and update about the photography session, and maybe even post some of my shots if they turn out decent enough.

Have a blessed, Christ-filled day!

Happy New Year!

Ok, so I'm a couple of days late posting my New Year's greetings. But, it is still early so I think it's fine to still be wishing a Happy New Year to everyone!

New Year's Eve was pretty quite for me. I stayed home and spent some quality time with Richard Dean Anderson! Ok, so he was actually on the screen of my laptop (I was watching season 1 of Stargate SG-1 yet again. Just finished watching season 10 of my DVD boxset recently so I started over.)...

We had some snow that started late in the eveing of New Year's Eve, and through the night it and the wind picked up. The storm stopped some time during the afternoon on New Year's Day, but the wind stuck around blowing snow everywhere. I was quite content both days to just stay home.

I've not really set any new year's resolutions. I never keep them. I would like, however, to start eating better, getting more exercise, spend more time reading my Bible and getting into it, develop a better prayer life, become a better friend, work more on my writing (take it a little more serious than I have been), and develop my photography using my new Pentax digital SLR camera. Are these resolutions? Maybe. But I prefer not to look at them that way - or I won't stick to it, hehehe.

School starts back up on Monday (the 5th), which reminds me...I need to check an email one of the profs sent all of us in the Ed. program. Two of the classes that start Monday are postponed until Wednesday and if I don't need to go, then I won't. I think, offhand, one of the classes affects me, but the other might not.

I'm not sure if I'm excited or not to start back for the second semester. I've worked from the day after school finished back on December 8th, right up until this past Monday, December 29th. So, I've only had four days vacation really. Part of me would like to have more time off to relax and not have to do anything; the other part hasn't made up its mind yet. But, regardless of whether or not I want to go back, I have to. January 5th marks the beginning of the second semester, and it's creeping up quickly!

Tomorrow I'm meeting up with Lorie and Sarah, the two girls I went to Korea with. We're going for coffee in the morning, and have some catch up time. Lorie is the only one of us who decided to stay in Korea another year. She was able to get a couple of weeks off to come home for Christmas, so that was nice. I think she has to go back very soon though.

Also, tomorrow sometime (depending on the weather and if it's too cold or not), I'm supposed to get together with a friend from university and go on a photoshoot. She's a good photographer and after I got my new camera, she said she'd take me out and show/tell me some hints and tips to take better pictures. Hopefully it won't be too cold and the weather won't be too bad; I'd like to go on the photoshoot.

Well, I'll end for now and hope you have a Christ-filled day/night! Blessings in Him!

It's Boxing Day

It's now the day after Christmas, Boxing Day. I know many place will have their sales on today and tons of people will have been shopping for great bargains all day. Here, where I live, the stores are closed until tomorrow when the sales will begin. I'm unsure if I'll go to any of the sales. Sure, there are some fabulous bargains to find out there, but I don't particularly want to deal with the crowds. We'll see though.

Christmas was pretty quiet on the homefront. My younger brother and his family didn't get up yesterday. He had to work Christmas Eve as well as today, so he didn't want to take a chance on getting here and having bad weather to contend with. We totally understand and we don't fault him at all. My older brother and his wife were here, and my mom also invited her best friend from high school and her husband for Christmas dinner. They are a nice couple; he is quite quiet, and she can talk your ear off and then some.

Dinner was scheduled for 1:00; Mom's friends showed up at 12:00 and we didn't have much of anything prepared. We had also just begun opening presents - actually only one present was opened when the doorbell rang. So, we put that off until after they left, which was around 4:00.

I was afraid the day would be quite sad, since this was the first Christmas since Dad died. I was totally fine though. I didn't feel sad, but it did feel like someone was missing - and there was. But we got through the day. The night of Christmas Eve, I didn't sleep too good though. I had a couple of bad dreams, and woke up with my heart beating quite fast.

We've had a real mixed bag of weather lately again. The 24th had started with a light, consistant snow, changed at some point to rain, then back to snow. The 25th had strong winds (which started through the night), rain during the night, but was sunny and cold during the day. The winds kept up most of the day and into the evening. Today is sunny and cold. From my understanding, it's supposed to be quite cold over the next few to several days.

Not much else to report at this time. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and that you will have a safe and happy New Year filled with the blessings of Christ!

Four Months

Today marks the four month anniversary of my dad's death. It's hard to believe four months have passed already. I don't know if I was consciously aware that today is the anniversary or not, but at work, for a short time all I could picture in my mind was my dad, sick, in the hospital. Thankfully I didn't break down.

Last night I received a couple of funny emails from a friend. My gut instinct was to forward them to Dad, knowing he'd get a kick out of them and laugh his butt off. Then reality set in. I had a brief moment of sadness at that as well.

It's hard to believe that next week is Christmas. The year has certainly gone by quickly! I was worried...ok, not really worried...that we wouldn't have a white Christmas this year, but on Wednesday we received around 20cm of snow and it's been cold, so nothing has melted. The weather is calling for some flurries tomorrow, and snow on Sunday - supposedly a storm, though I don't know how bad (or not) it will be. From my understanding, the province of Ontario is in the midst of this storm, and it will move into our region by Sunday. Hopefully if we do get it (or any snow), it will be after I get home from church and my friend Kristina's. However, if it does start snowing during church services, I will probably just come home then. If it's snowing quite a bit in the morning, I might not go to church at all. It all depends.

Ever since I had my accident in 2002, I've been skittish about driving in snow - even being a passenger. I also don't like driving in the rain, at night, or at night if it's raining/snowing. I'm trying not to be afraid though. My mom doesn't like driving in the winter, so I need to be the one who does this. I will say, however, that I drive slowly and responsibly at these times.

The last couple of days at work have just dragged by. We could go in as early as 7:00 a.m., however, on Thursday I didn't know what the roads would be like that early (after the storm), and I wanted to wait before going in. Today, I just couldn't drag myself out of bed early enough. I've been quite tired yesterday and today. I think it's just from not being used to working all day and not having a nap in the afternoon. Wow, I sound like I'm getting old, all this talk about napping!

Anyway, next week won't be a long week - just full days (going in early as well) Monday, Tuesay, and probably until 2:00 or 3:00 on Wednesday. And, of course Thursday and Friday will be holidays. I figure that since this company has a policy of having to work the day before and after a holiday in order to get paid for it, I would go in the Monday after Christmas so that I can get paid for Christmas (boxing day is unpaid). Someone did mention to me that where I haven't been consistantly working there I might not get paid anyway - when people start out and haven't worked for the company for three months, they don't get paid for any holidays in that time period. So, I need to check with the supervisor. If she tells me that I won't get paid, then I'm not going to bother going in on the Monday after Christmas; if I do get paid, then I'll go in. Regardless, I won't work the rest of the week. The reason for that is I start back to school on January 5, and I'd like to have a few days to myself to relax and do what I want - or do nothing at all.

And, on that note, I'm going to end my post for now and wish you all a Christ-filled day!

A Mixed Bag Post

We've been having a real mixed bag of weather lately - everything from snow, rain, sleet, freezing rain, very cold temps, double digits above zero temps, wind...you name it pretty much. The weather is all over the place it seems. Very odd in my opinion...

Things are going pretty well here. I've started working at my old job and will probably stop the Monday after Christmas. I'd like a few days off to relax before starting back to school on January 5. It didn't take me long to get back into the swing of things at work, so that's nice. It was good that they let me come back so I can earn a little money to help with school, etc. I'm very fortunate to have been able to rely on them all through out my university experience.

So far my mom and I are doing well with regard to Christmas. This will be the first one since Dad died (nearly four months ago). I expect that as it gets closer, and more than likely on Christmas day, there will be some sadness. But that's normal. I know that the Lord can help us get through this tough time, though. She was doing up the Christmas cards a couple of weeks ago, and she asked if she could put my name on them as well. I said it was up to her, and asked why. She said it looked strange to only have one name at the bottom. I think it made her a little sad not needing to write Dad's name there as well. I know that seeing the Christmas cards coming in the mail address with only Mom's name on the envelopes looks odd - it just doesn't seem right or something...I'm actually getting a little teary-eyed just thinking about this now.

One of my brother's and his family may not get up for Christmas. He has to work Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, and he lives about three hours away in the next province. He doesn't want to come up for just one day, especially if it were to storm and he'd be stuck here and unable to get into work. He said if they do come up it will be on the weekend, which is fine. However, I also think that part of his not wanting to come is that Dad's not here and he doesn't want to have to feel sad. I'm sure he will anyway, but somehow just being here makes it that much sadder. I totally understand, and I know Mom does too.

My other brother and his wife will be here Christmas Day. Then, the next day possibly...if not that day, then the day after for sure...they will be leaving to go on a trip to Cuba (I believe that's where they are going). I'm sure the rest of Dad's family will be up to visit during the holidays, and I'm going to try to get Mom to go visit the family as well...if she's up to it.

Again, I know the Lord will help us get through this. He's the only one who can give us the strength we need at this time.

In other news, whoever reads this, can you please pray for my friend "F". She is going through a really rough time and needs the Lord's intervention. This is the type of situation, I believe, that only He can help her to overcome. She needs to face a serious situation, and she's running from it (a natural instinct). Please pray for her.

Well, I am off to do a little reading before bed. Have a Christ-filled day!

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that
we ask or think according to the power that works within us.
To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations
forever and ever, Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21)

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Today is freezing! It's been somewhat chilly/cold lately, but nothing too bad. Yesterday it even rained in the late afternoon/early evening. Probably a few hours later, the rain had turned to snow. I think, though, there was still rain mixed in. When I woke up this morning it was VERY windy, more snow (roads needed to be plowed) but nothing too serious. There was also ice everywhere (the parking lot at school was nearly an ice rink and I almost slipped and fell a couple of times). It took awhile to get the car scraped off, thankfully my mom did most of it while I was getting ready for work. I told her not to, that I'd do it, but she went ahead and did it anyway. I have a fabulous mom!

Things have been going better spiritually for me. I've been reading my Bible every night since starting this Sunday school class, and praying more often too. It's amazing how your outlook and thoughts, etc. can change when you are in the Word and praying. It's so easy to loose focus when you aren't looking to the One who gives us eternal life.

As of tonight, I am officially on Christmas break. I had my last class this afternoon, and we don't have any exams in the Ed. program - which I am thankful for. However, I've decided to do some work for a couple of weeks (I'll take the week of the 29th off so that I can have somewhat of a break) so I can have a bit of money. I got ahold of my old boss and asked if it would be possible for me to come in for a couple of weeks (that is if they needed the help), and she said they'd love to have me. That was great. I'm actually kind of excited to be going in, and looking forward to starting tomorrow. However, I'm sure the novelty will wear off by around 3:00pm when I won't be able to come home and have a nap! I'll have to make sure to bring a mug with me tomorrow so I can have some coffee!!

Well, I shall close for now and go work on some knitting. It feels a little odd not having to work on homework and presentations - I can actually get back to my knitting, which I haven't had much time of late to work on. I can even work on my novel which has been extremely neglected because of school work.

Have a Christ-filled day!!