IN MEMORY

NANNY

October 31st, 1925 - September 22, 2015

In her 90th year, my grandma was healthy and excited about life.
Aside from dealing with sore joints and dry skin, she was in great spirits!
Even the doctors could not believe her age.
- - - This is probably why the news of her passing is so hard to digest.

My grandma lived her final day with JOY in her heart.
She was joking around with people and looking forward to events on her calendar.
No one could have guessed that she would not wake up the next morning.
In faith, we believe that she entered into eternity peacefully as she slept through the night.

Each time a loved one passes, the reality of death seems to intensify exponentially.
When you say good-bye for the first time, you are shocked by the hurt that hits so deeply.
Time and time again, you must put your trust in the Lord!
You really learn how to cherish time with family and friends.
Then, it happens... you must say good-bye once again.
The hurt appears to be deeper because you were trying to "hold-on" so much harder.
Thankfully, in that time, faith can also grow. God is our continual strength!

My grandma was caring, generous, intuitive, and very funny!
The lessons she has taught me will go with me throughout my entire life.
If she wasn't joking around with us, she was doing something to help us out.
While my grandma didn't express a lot of her emotions outwardly, I knew she LOVED me!
She always knew what was needed and had a special way of going about things.
I had a very strong bond with this beautiful lady and will cherish our memories forever.

The saddest thing about death is that you can't really do anything with that person anymore...
I will always miss our wee outings to the bank or Walmart.
Even with her passing, I hope that I can pursue something that we were both interested in.
Maybe genealogy (that was her favourite hobby)...?
Definitely travel!
Possibly curling...
There is even a chance I will keep a stash of our favourite treats hidden in my desk drawer.

I am extremely blessed to have received a lot of her furniture.
It will be a great reminder to see these pieces in my own home one day!
My childhood is full of memories; books in the side table, sleeping on the couch, games at the dining room table, etc.

I will also be placing an "in loving memory" sticker on my new car.
She wanted to be a part of helping me find and pay for a vehicle, so...
Even though she won't ever see the car, it will always remind me of her kindness!

I LOVE YOU NANNY!

MEDICAL FUND FOR WOMEN

In my last post, I shared with you that I will be going to Guatemala in a years time.
It seems so far away but there is still a lot to do in preparation.
We are planning fundraisers and completing a team devotional.

First things first, we started an online fundraising campaign.
'Go Fund Me - Medical Fund for Women in Guatemala'
www.gofundme.com/guatemala_2016
This crowdfunding effort will hopefully bring a lot of attention to our cause.

Next on our list is a community yard sale.
A local church will be hosting the event on July 4th, 2015.
We will have 2 tables for sale items, 1 with information, and 1 with free snacks!
While we want to raise money here, our main goals are team building and awareness.

At our local churches, we will display suitcases as our donation boxes.
We are asking for 'travel' size items such as toothpaste, soap, nail polish, etc.
Eventually, we will make small gift bags for the women in Guatemala.
Thanks to 'Our Daily Bread Ministries', we will also include Spanish devotionals!

Later in the year, we will have a zumba fundraiser and three chili cook offs.

Thanks to everyone who supports us financially or in prayer!

GUATEMALA 2016

Once again,
I am planning to go on another mission trip (vacation with a purpose)!

This time I will be going to Guatemala with a group of women from different churches.
We will be volunteering at a women's medical clinic.
While doctors administer the Pap tests, we will be the moral and spiritual support!
Our team is excited to speak with these women about the wonderful love of Jesus.

Our trip is July 1st, 2016 - July 12th, 2016.
This will be the shortest trip that I have ever been on.
However it may work, I pray that we are following God's guidance.
It might seem too short, but I believe there is a reason for that.
I don't think God wears a watch... 12 days + salvation = eternity!
Sounds great to me.

For the next year, I will be working at a retail store close to home.
(no, I didn't find the right Recreation Therapy job...)
I think God has a plan for me, working at this retail store.
It may not be what I went to school for, but I can see that God is working in me.
Eventually, I would love to work with children who are facing adversity.
Until that door opens, I am praising God in the hallway!

Our team will also be working on a lot of fundraising this year.
We are having a garage sale, zumba-thon, and three chili cook offs.
The money will go directly to the women of Guatemala.
They will receive medical testing and the appropriate treatments.

I am forgetting the most important part...
This will be my first time travelling with my mom!
It will also be her first time on a mission trip.
I hope she experiences the same joy that I felt on my first 'vacation with a purpose.'

WHEN JESUS SAY YES

When Jesus Say Yes...

Nobody Can Say No...

LUKE 4:18

OVERWHELMED BY THE WORLD

Dictionary.com has five explanations for the word overwhelmed.

1. To overcome completely in mind or feeling.
2. To overpower or overcome, especially with superior forces; destroy; or crush.
3. To bury beneath a mass of something, as floodwaters, debris, or an avalanche.
4. To load, heap, or address with an overpowering or excessive amount of anything.
5. To overthrow.

Is "overwhelmed" the right word to use?

In my opinion, yes!
Whether we are sailing through life or extremely stressed by everything...
We are overwhelmed by the world. I am overwhelmed by the world.

I wish I was overwhelmed by Jesus!
However, in complete honesty, I am not.
Not completely overcome in mind and feeling.
I am a Christian buried beneath a mass of something else; distracted by the world.

How can I move forward without being overcome by fame and fortune?
In the world we live in, we have to have money to survive.
We work our way to the top so that we can afford life.
There are no ifs, ands, or buts.
You could go 'off grid' and say good-bye to civilization... but... that's not the point.

As noted in Genesis, God did give us this world to live on!
I am very thankful for that. Beauty is all around us.
It is setting our eyes purely on Jesus that is the challenge.
JESUS already paid His life for ours.
So, now we have to learn how to live in a materialistic world without being buried in it.

As Big Daddy Weave once said:
       I delight myself in you (God).
       Captivated by your (God's) beauty.
       I'm overwhelmed, I'm overwhelmed by you (God).

As we delight ourselves in His blessings, show the world how great He is!
Totally surrender yourself to His beauty.
Be overwhelmed by Him.
Use your blessings to bless others. Money, friendships, opportunities, food, etc...

PANTENE BEAUTIFUL LENGTHS

On Friday June 12th, my mom participated in the annual Relay For Life.
She raised a few hundred dollars and walked the whole night.
I am proud of her and very thankful that she is still here to share her testimony.
My mom walked as a survivor, but also in memory of friends and family who left this world as a result of cancer.

The walk began with a 'survivors' lap where a sea of yellow shirts circle the track.
Next, was the family lap where everyone joined in to support the survivors.
During this lap, I had a HUGE surprise for my mom.
With my baseball cap and hoodie on, I secretly handed her a bag full of my hair.
I was donating 25" of my hair to the Canadian Cancer Society
(Partnered with Pantene Beautiful Lengths).
Oddly enough, I had 4 braids of hair, so we could each hold one for a family picture.

Look at the difference...

CONVOCATION DAY

Today I graduated, with honours, from the Recreation Therapy program.

It is hard to believe that this journey began just two short years ago.
Looking back, I am so grateful for everything (even the hardest of times).
I can honestly say, I would not be the person who I am today without this experience.
From the wonderful teachers to the friendships that were formed, I am so blessed.
I now have an education and so many good memories to be thankful for.

When the projects piled up and the exams kept coming...
Dare I say it, I couldn't wait for school to be finished.
I wanted to join the 'real' world and pay off my student debts.

This is not exactly how I feel anymore.
After walking across the stage and saying good-bye, I knew that I had reached the next step.
I look forward to my future.
However, I am going to miss school. The structure. The people. The learning. Everything.
School was a big part of my everyday life. It's finished and it is time to face the 'real' world.

I thank God my Father for blessing me with this opportunity and for giving me strength!
Thanks also to my proud support team (mom, dad, and little bro).

Next step?  I will have to seek God's guidance and follow His will for me!

*** Guatemala 2016?

GOOGLE MAPS

The most exciting thing happened the other day.
Okay, it wasn't quite THE most exciting thing but, it was pretty awesome!

Let`s start at the beginning...

My grandma enjoys learning about new programs on the computer.
While at her house last week, I was helping to fix her e-mail account.
Afterward, I decided to show her the amazing thing called Google Maps!
She was amazed that she could see her childhood home and other various features.

Before finishing, I wanted to show her where I had traveled in the last couple of years.
I began with Mexico.

This is where the excitement begins...

I zoomed into the general area I was looking at. (Lake Chapala, Mexico)
With perfect precision, I placed the little yellow person on a street I know fairly well.
Quickly the screen zoomed to street view.
As the image cleared, I was amazed!

It was me.
I am on Google Maps!

Can you believe it?
I remember this day so vividly.
My friend and I had spent the day exploring the Lake Chapala area.
We had so much fun walking through the little Mexican streets.
That was the first day we wore our new backpacks too!
I can't believe it.

February 2013

START A FIRE IN ME

Unspoken - Start A Fire