Striving For....

Well...

2009-10-25T00:31:00.000-07:00

I hate to do this, But to organize my life... it IS a necessity.

I had to switch blogs.
Yes.
I did use that dreaded word.

I know it is so much work... But to my beloved followers who have followed my blog ... even though I have not posted in over 2 months.
I plan on blogging more, but only with my actual google account. so please, bare with me and make the change.

madison-olmstead.blogspot.com

thats the URL.

Do it.

Follow Me.

=]

but in all seriousness... thanks!

I'm pretty stoked about now...

2009-09-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

I just found out THERE IS A STARBUCKS IN BONNYVILLE...

Also... I love my job, just sayin'

17, Engagement and Shopping.

2009-08-31T22:25:00.000-07:00

I'M FREAKING ENGAGED!!!!!!

kay, now that, that is out of the way...

It's been so, so long since i've been able to post on here.

We now have internet at the house, but that actually doesn't help me at all because i'm in EDMONTON, for a shopping week!!!! Hallelujah. and I am so blessed because I have been able to buy myself lots of nice goodies in the past couple weeks both during our trip or our shopping trip this week.

Including:

-lulu lemon pants

-lulu lemon water bottle (and headbands)

-Volcom goodies

-Camera bag

-Scarf

-Shoes (Puma and DC)

-Clothes

-LOTS OOF STARBUCKS..

Basically it's been phenomenal. =]

I have a job now, by the way I'm a cashier and cash room girl for No Frills (kinda like Extra foods) Brandon also got a job working for Canadian tire as a promotional guy.

My seventeenth birthday was phenomenal, I got a CAR (Pumbaa), two and a half men season 2 , and a ring... not to mention Engaged!

YES

ENGAGED

I'm am 17, and engaged... and it's kinda fun!

Don't get me wrong, it's really weird... and kind of nerve racking to know that I am stepping into something so huge, so young. But it's so cool to be able to plan, think, dream and imagine what it's all going to be like. There is a lot of thoughts running through my head and a lot of questions that i'm asking myself, my parents, my fiance, and my friends. It's all very exciting... So please be praying for us as we step into this new journey together.

I'M GETTING MARRIED, IM GETTING MARRIED!

Pictures to come... obviously.

Courtenay, BC to Cold Lake, AB

2009-08-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

I apologize for this blog taking so long. It's been pretty chaotic around since we got here. We've been in Cold Lake for 4 days and so far.... I'm kind of liking it. I don't love it... and Courtenay will always be home... but I am enjoying myself.

Our trip here was rather uneventful... Pumbaa made it here okay! In fact he is running better than ever...

The 9th: we stopped in Kelowna for a phenomenal family dinner...

10th: We stopped in EDMONTON! Heck yes.. We didn't do any shopping because we arrived after the mall closed... but we stayed in the fantasy land hotel and it was incredibly exciting.

11th: Shopping DAY!!! I got so much stuff... I was so blessed to be able to spend as much as I was. It was pretty much the most i've spent on myself since January. I'll include my purchases at the bottom of this blog for those who are curious. It was pretty much the best day of the trip. Shopping, Coffee with CAITLYN and Aaron.. andddd Julie & Julia with Mom.

12th: Galaxy Land, more shopping and finally Cold lake. Needless to say, we were pretty grateful to just be done with the traveling.

Now, our new home is coming together quickly. We are almost completed the living level un-pack. but the basement and definitely my bedroom are still in the process of unpacking. I guess now we're in the process of settling in and figuring things out.

I've had my license switched over and have been doing any and all driving possible ( I'm allowed to drive with Brandon now, he's 18 so he's an adult here)

My road test is booked for the 8th of September. Be praying for me cause it will be nerve racking.

Tomorrow I phone my new piano teacher. AH!

We also get our gym memberships and such tomorrow.

I'm also looking for a job now? I want WALMART... but of course we'll see!

I guess this is all really scattered.. but that's kind of my thoughts right now.

Tomorrow is Daddy's Birthday! So Happy Birthday Daddy... I love you!

When I get internet at my house, there WILL be pictures =]

Til then

Moving Day is Coming Soon, Coming Soon, Coming Soon....

2009-07-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

Did anyone else sing that title to the tune of "The wheels on the bus go round and round"?

Haha Anyways, It's pretty much here already, I'm so booked up it is both terrible and fabulous!

Our official moving day is the 9th of August... But Seriously my week is pretty chaotic. Example:

27th - Monday: Brandon's Driving Exam,

Moving stuff from Brandon's house, and

Cleaning my bedroom.

28th - Tuesday: Cleaning and Work at 4:00

29th - Wednesday: Work(all day)

30th - Thursday: Work at 4, Brandon Gone

31st - Friday: Cleaning

1st - Saturday: Work

2nd - Sunday: Work, Church, BBQ

3rd - Monday: Visiting Brandon's Parents, Packing Day

4th - Tuesday: Maybe BBQ?

5th - Wednesday: Packing Day

6th - Thursday: Packing Day

7th - Friday: Loading Day, Moving Auntie Deb

8th - Saturday: Moving and Pacing Auntie Deb, Cleaning

9th - Sunday: Traveling Day, Kelowna

10th - Monday: Kelowna to Edmonton

11th - Tuesday: Edmonton Mall

12th - Wednesday: Edmonton Mall

13th - Thursday:Cold Lake.

Needless to say, The Olmsteads+1 are going to be incredibly these next few weeks.

Please keep us in your prayers. Both for energy and excitement!

Sumertime

2009-07-20T23:28:00.000-07:00

Well, It's clearly summer as my blogging has dropped to an all time low... no posts in a month!

I guess thats cause i've been out enjoying the summer annddd working non-stop. But lets be honest here, I love it.

So I guess a very brief update:

Graduation 09: Grad was phenomenal. It was so rad to have a normal grad like everyone else. Everyone just hung out like we were all tight. It was great! my hair was amazing and my parents definitely made my graduation special!

Piano: Some of you still may not know it... but I PASSED MY GRADE 8 EXAM! Yay! Haha, and for anyone whom I haven't explained this too... sometime last year I also had taken a Grade 2 theory rudiments exam and that exam paired with the one I just passed means I am officially allowed to teach RCM up to grade 3. I'm really excited. I'm also playing again after my month long fiesta for my flaring tendonitis. My wrists feel much better.... but i'm thinking about picking up some homeopathy before we leave.

Moving: Moving has been intense. We have 19 more days until we leave and it truly has been a complete gong show. Leaving is going to suck so bad even though I'm really excited about the change. I just want everything to be done and over with. It's hectic. We are still praying to upgrade to an even nicer PMQ but we won't know it's availability until the 25th. Here's hoping.

Work: IS AMAZING! It's totally picked up and I love my bosses and Bella and Benj are the cutest things. I'm going to miss them so much when I leave.

Aside from all of that. Graduated life is weird. Kinda boring in fact.... I've been spending any and all of my free time at my favorite spots of the island ... Although I'm excited to have the pace pick up when we move.

This Sunday Brandon and I went down to Nanaimo to see all of hios faveorite places and spots growing up. That was fun! Had some good food. Went on some walks. Got amazing deals at the Gap! and even went over to Newcastle.

All in all... I've been working, hanging out, packing, and taking every oppertunity to got out with my camera. I have been having A LOT of fun.

A Couple Things....

2009-06-21T21:15:00.000-07:00

So today was pretty much amazing.

Happy Father's Day to all the guys out there who are Daddy's, however mine still beats you all.

Today was Dad-Fest. Basically a huge party at Airforce beach for all the Dad's and their families... or a fantastic day sprawling out at the beach.

I spent most of my day on the beach, lounging walking and taking pictures and then it was time to come home for my Family Graduation party!

We ate Steak, sautéed mushrooms and onion, new potatoes and broccoli. Yum. and then.... PRESENT TIME!

Needless to say, my family is amazing. I got:

- A twisted two-toned gold bracelet from my aunt and uncle.

- A knock-off LV that I have waned fro a very long time from my Nana and Papa

AND

-My Sony A350k DSLR, I still haven't named her yet

IT IS PHENOMENAL.

I LOVE IT.

So Excited to use it at Grad.

♪ So Yesterday...

2009-06-19T23:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess this blog really marks a close to one chapter of my life.

I am now, un-officially of course, a graduate of the Province or British Columbia.

It's so crazy to think back to the end of grade nine, when I was praying really decided I was going to do this; when I decided was going to take on the task of Graduating a year early. I don't think it even has hit me that I've graduated yet. It's SO weird. God's done some pretty incredible thing in me through my two years of high-school but I'm so read to start living in this next chapter.

I'm really going to take my time and enjoy it too. Learn to be content y'know? There is no rush now, no deadlines holding me back. The rest of my life is God's to lead and it isn't restricted by school any longer. Not to say I didn't love school and God couldn't have used me then, because all of that is possible too.... however, life feels so much less restricting now.

So on with the future!

This week my schedule looks something like this:

20th - Clean my room, practice piano, work (4:00)

21st- FATHER'S DAY, Church (10:00),Practice Piano/scales, Family Father's Day/Madison Graduation Dinner (5:00ish)

22nd - Grade 8 Piano Exam (10:10)

24th - Youth Group (5:30-9:30)

25th - Pack for Graduation, Prep make-up, Mock hair?

26th - GRADUATION 2009! Hair, Make-up, Head to Langley, Grad Cap and Gowns, Commencement, Group shot, Photos, Grad Dinner, maybe Grad party?

27th - Head home, Sleep!

28th - Church (10:00 or 5:30), Grad Celebration with Brandon =]

Pretty Excited for everything coming up, going to be phenomenal.

YAY, GRADUATES OF 2009

Oh boy....

2009-06-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

So Last night.... was freaking sweet! Best night I've had in a while.

Yesterday in itself was pretty good to My checklist was completed..

- Finish English 12

- Go Swimming

- Feed the boys

- Tidy the house

- Go to the Volunteer banquet

Anyways, Seeing as I'm at home with my brother's and can't really get out of the house.. Sam, Chels and Russel Headed over here to play =]

We watched the Uninvited....My uncles in it! But it was also a good movie.

I let my brothers stay up way to late. What a good sister I am

For school, I have:

- 5.5 Comp Civ assignments

- Chemistry Final

-English Provincial

Heck Yes.

Book List UPDATE!

2009-06-10T22:43:00.000-07:00

So, I got more of my books... and I've even read a few. I'm so excited for summer simply so I can read!

SeriesDiary of A Teenage Girl: Sold Out by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: Road Trip by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: Face The Music by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: Caitlyn by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: It's My Life by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: Who I am by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: On My Own by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: I Do by Melody Carlson*

Books
A Midsummernights Dream by Shakespeare
CrazyLove: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan
The Irresistable Revolution : Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne
Wired: for a life of worship by Louie Gigilo
Notes From a Spinning Planet: Ireland by Melody Carlson
Finding Alice by Melody Carlson
Crystal Lies by Melody Carlson
Not For Sale by David Batstone
Day by Elie Wiesel
East Of Eden by John Steinbeck
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler (In English)
Poolside Book by Various*
Things I Overheard While Talking To Myself by Alan Alda
Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned by Alan Alda
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor: Bad Connection by Melody CarlsonThe Secret Life of Samantha McGregor: Beyond Reach by Meldoy Calrson
Othello by Shakespeare

Books I've Read:
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: My Name Is Chole by Melody Carlson*
The Beach Book by Various*
Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler*
Macbeth by Shakespeare*
The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller*
(* I Have these ones)

Two Down... 5 more to go...

2009-06-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

Well, thus far my parents being gone has lead to a very un-adventurous but very fun time.
I'm just relaxing at home now with Samantha doing our school work cause the deadlines are coming up fast, And yes... we are getting stuff done.

This is more for Mom and Dad, however this is what I accomplised today:

- Fed the Tadpoles
- Checked the pool filter
- Cooked dinner AND lunch
- Went to Starbucks and Mcdonalds w/Samantha
- Did the laundry
- Made Campbell do his spanish
- Sent the boys off to youth group
- Watched Brandon swim
- Made iced coffee for my working man.
- 3 Christian Studies Assingments
- Tidied my room
- Fed my dog

Now all that's left to do is one more christian studies assignment and then bed!
The End.

Check....

2009-06-09T22:29:00.000-07:00

So, today was officially the first day of my parents being gone and me being in charge.

I managed to do all my duties!

- Cook. Check!

- Clean. Check!

- Put the boys to bed. Check!

- Shoo Brandon out before bedtime. Check!

- Do my school work. Check!

- Go for a swim. Check!

- Play my piano concert. Check!

-Switch the laundry over. Check!

See, aren't I super?

Obviously.

The end.

It's SO Close..

2009-06-06T03:08:00.001-07:00

Holy Cow!
Only 10 more days until the offical end of school and 11 til I'm done forever.
I Can't wait!
Somehow (Obviously supernaturally...) I've been managing 2 comp civ 12 asignments a day and still staying somewhat sane. I've got 16 school assignments left, and I can almost see the finish line.

Oh Hai Grad 09!

=]

More in-depth and fun blogs will be coming up after Grad. And definitly some wicked Grad pictures.

Oh yeah! Mom's home now.. and boy am I glad.
However, both of my parents are leaving on Tuesday for a house hunting trip. First time home alone with the boys for a week;
Wish me luck!

The End.

Insane.

2009-05-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy couple of weeks.

Plus it's almost grad. Although at this point I'm really feeling the pressure...

- Concert performance on friday for my bursary.

- Trying really hard to keep from having another burst of tendonitis. Do you know how hard it is to keep my back relaxed and use mainly my left hand? Haha.

- My last day of school is in.. 20 days.

- I'm now growing my thumbnails!

- 6 days 'til my Mom is home from Indonesia.

- I bought adidas shorts for 7 DOLLARS! I love them.

That's about it for now, You'll probably get a few occasional updates about how stuff is coming.

Plus; I have the best boyfriend ever. Period. {not that he reads this...}

The End.

New Passions

2009-05-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

God has really put youth ministries and youth worship on my heart this past year.

When I was privileged enough to be able to start working behind the scenes in youth ministries, it blew my mind. Although it was only through leadership and meetings... All the work, effort and love that goes into just one night of youth church takes such drive, determination and love that it was incredible! It`s been such an amazing experience.

My hope and prayer currently is that God will open a door for me after graduation, When we move... like he has at Northgate where I will be able to work with youth and with worship or even combine both of my passions into one.

I`m not sure how it is going to look yet, but I am very excited as the passion begins to grow in me and God brings in the opportunities.

A follow up....

2009-05-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

A little while ago I had posted about a bursary that I may or may not be receiving.

Turns out I now officially have been informed that I am receiving it!

Thanks to all who prayed, It really means a lot!

I'm so, so excited!

But of course, I still have to preform at the same ceremony I'm receiving my bursary at, whoopee!

Exciting

2009-05-05T13:24:00.001-07:00

So, I know I didn't post anything about it because I didn't think I had a chance in heck; but in March I applied for a $500.00 Music (specifically piano) bursary. Not much, but every single bit helps.

So anyways, today I got a phone call from my piano teacher telling me that she had heard from the person who actually decides who gets the bursary that they had chosen me!

Nothing is official; I haven't gotten a phone call saying you are the winner... but please, please, please pray that God's will would be done in this situation as that bursary would help a lot!

Aside from that; please pray that I motor through all this stinking school work as I just was reminded my portfolio was due on the 15th and I haven't done a single thing.

Good.

2009-04-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

Recently, My life has been really busy.

Like... Really.

But I'm just slowly coming to realize that it is so GOOD to be busy!

Sometimes I think that if i never HAD to do anything I would get a lot more done. However that is one big, fat, massive LOAD OF CRAP! Cause if i never had to do anything, I wouldn't do anything.

That's really all I had to say.

Thanks for reading!

2009 Book List....

2009-04-21T17:46:00.000-07:00

POW!

So I'm slowly working my way through books... And I've found some more I want to read so here is my updated list..

Series

Diary of A Teenage Girl: Sold Out by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: Road Trip by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: Face The Music by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: Caitlyn by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: It's My Life by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: Who I am by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: On My Own by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: I Do by Melody Carlson*

Books

A Midsummernights Dream by Shakespeare
CrazyLove: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan
The Irresistable Revolution : Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne
Wired: for a life of worship by Louie Gigilo
Notes From a Spinning Planet: Ireland by Melody Carlson
Finding Alice by Melody Carlson
Crystal Lies by Melody Carlson
Not For Sale by David Batstone
Day by Elie Wiesel
East Of Eden by John Steinbeck
Macbeth by Shakespeare*
The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler (In English)

Newly Added:

The Poolside Book by various

Things I Overheard While Talking To Myself by Alan Alda

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned by Alan Alda

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon

The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor: Bad Connection by Melody Carlson
The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor: Beyond Reach by Meldoy Calrson

Othello by Shakespeare

Books I've Read:

Diary Of A Teenage Girl: My Name Is Chole by Melody Carlson*

The Beach Book by Various*

Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler*

(* I Have these ones)

Big News!!!

2009-04-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

Our Posting Message is in!!!

It's Official!

Dad's C.O.S Date is the 10th of August

We'll probably leave around the 6th. (this is just me assuming)

Please be praying for Me, my parents, brothers and Brandon during this time as we pack up and leave our fantastic friends, family and church. We are excited (or most of us are) But it's still hard to leave so please pray as we go through moving, packing, my parents sorting through paperwork and other grown-up tasks and saying good-bye.

Also as we start to set up in Cold Lake and become established there. I'll obviously keep up blogging... Probably even more than I have recently so don't forget you can keep track of our life through that as well.

It's a new chapter and i'm sure it's gunna be great

Workouts and Saturday nights

2009-04-12T01:39:00.000-07:00

First off, I just worked out and it was Fantastic.

I love Jillian Michaels, She makes me smile. =]

But on to my real saturday night.

My Brothers Got baptized this evening at church. It was phenomenal, I'm so excited to see what those two are going to do for God.

Aside from that I hung out with Russel and Brandon, and then went to Samantha and Chelsea's house and that was fun too.

The End.

2009-04-01T04:09:00.000-07:00

75 DAYS TIL' GRAD.

WOOH. =]

Wow...

2009-03-31T02:13:00.000-07:00

So, I was doing my Daily Blog Check and as I was reading Deb Strandberg's Blog, this video really caught my attention and I thought it needed sharing. It was pretty much a smack in the face for me.

This quote is from the mouth of Penn Gillette (a famous atheist--who said of himself "I am beyond atheist"):

Here's Penn's quote about Christians, "If you believed that there’s a Heaven and Hell, andthat people could be going to Hell, or not getting eternal life, or whatever, and you think that, well it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward . . . How much do you have to HATE somebody to know that everlasting life is possible and NOT tell them that?

I mean if I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe it, and that truck was bearing down on you -- there is a certain point where I tackle you --and this is more important than that."

I don't know about you, But I definitely agree with him. (on most things anyways)

Still Alive, Just Busy.

2009-03-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hello Blogging world,

I have been incredibly busy these past few weeks and will probably continue to be busy up until Graduation. Blog posts might be slow, but i still will post occasionally keeping you updated and with some blurbs here and there.

Since last time I posted:

- My Brothers Turned 12. Yay!

- My Daddy got his screening message for 410 Cold Lake.

- Samantha turned 17!

- Had a 1 night trip to Vancouver to see my Uncle's play "Toronto Mississippi"

That's just the big things, but all in all it's been super good.

I need Better blog topics.

Bah. =]

What Is Passion?

2009-03-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

So This is a little journaling/research assignment I had to do for my comp civ 12. I really liked it even though it's a bit scattered, and decided i'd say the extra time of posting a new blog and just post this. it's pretty much and update of my past two weeks anyways.

Passion

“Passion is when you put more energy into something than is required to do it. It is more than just enthusiasm or excitement, passion is ambition that is materialized into action to put as much heart, mind body and soul into something as is possible.”

-UrbanDictionary.com

“Passion” –

1. any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate

2. strong amorous feeling or desire; love; ardour.

3. strong sexual desire; lust.

-Dictionary.com

“Passion. Suffering; refers to Christ’s Crucifixion and death on the cross (Acts 1:3)”

-The Student Bible Dictionary

“Passion is important. Being passionate is being willing to jump into any situation with out warning, warm up or notice; if you are passionate about something, you just do it.”

-Jason Eliason (My Youth Pastor)

The above statements really have challenged me to look back on the foundation of my beliefs about passion. As seen in some of the above definitions, passion is something that has a very broad definition; it can mean many different things. The variety is what really astounds me when it comes to this idea of passion.

When I asked some of my peers to describe what passion meant to them, a surprising amount of people answered with either intimacy of some form. Some then followed up with the statement that passion was to have incredibly strong emotions or drive for something and to really just go for it and show it; only some Used that as their first response. Now, the latter definition is fabulous, but one in particular really gets to me. Roughly 3 out of 6 people responded with “passion, like during sex” as their first response. I was shocked, purely because I have never thought of passion as a form of intimacy. Although I believed that passion being used to describe sexual intimacy would seem incorrect and saddening, I discovered that the definition of passion has not fallen far from its original definition.

While I was doing further research I found an alarming amount of Bible verses that contained the word passion. Though they were spread amongst many different translations; they held different variations of definitions and contexts in which the word was used.

Some verses that I found as examples are the following:

KJV Bible, Acts 1:3 – This verse uses the word passion in the context of Christ’s suffering on the cross showing the definition to be suffering.

NLT Bible, Psalms 69:9 – The psalmist uses the word passion in a manner to show how committed he is to the house of the lord. This shows another aspect and definition of passion; Just doing it, no matter what the cost.

NIV Bible, 1 Corinthians 7:9 – This verse uses the word passion in order to describe a deep desire and sexual lust.

These are only a small fraction of the verses that I was able to find, however they seem to really capture the variance of this word passion. From sexual desire to extreme willingness, passion is a word that covers many different things. However there seems to be one connecting factor between each of these ideas of passion; passion is strong.

In closing to all these thoughts, I’ve really re-defined passion in my mind. Passion is simply s strong desire and drive and giving something everything you have, no matter what the circumstance.

Babies, Festivals, and Screening Messages; Oh My!

2009-02-17T09:56:00.000-08:00

Needless to say, this week has been absolutely insane. [And Obviously By Week I Mean, Well Whatever I Remember as Being This Week Although Dates and Times May Vary]

Monday Was Pretty Regular; Just My Usual Piano, Home Work And Music History Routine

Tuesday Was pretty Fabulous
First off;; Baby Abby Was Born, And Man Is She Cute! She Was Born on the 10th For February and She Definitely Looks like her Daddy. Good Job You Two.

Then Me And Brandon Went To Love And Respect; And No One Else was in Our Discussion group so we had a fabulous evening with P. Craig And Shanda.

Wednesday Was Pretty Usual. Got Sarah In For Early Practice Session. had a Fantastic Youth Sermon; Wait'ta Go Jason!
&& I Got To See Miss Abby.

Thursday was Work And Massive Amounts Of Comparative Civilizations... Yay!

Friday Was Also The Same, Work and Comparative Civilizations Except for Some Reason I Was Also Feeling Massively Overwhelmed With Everything In My Life, So Brandon Ran Out To Saigon Noodle House, Picked Me Up My Favorites And Brought Them Home for our Valentines Dinner Plus 1 Cause Eric Was At Our House Getting Some Sleep. Then We Went Out For Coffee Like We So Often Do, It was Really Nice.

Saturday Was Valentines Day; And I Must Say My Boyfriend Is The Bomb.
He Let Me Play Zelda All Day While Eating Massive Amounts Of Lindor Chocolate And He Waited On Me Hand and Foot. Then We Went To Church And Just Hung Out. Obviously, My Valetines Day Was Amazing.
Oh; My Gifts Are Pictured And Included Roses, Lindor Chocolate, A Beautiful Card and The Sweetheart CD I've Wanted Since January.
Sunday was the Families Chill Out Day.

AND THEN MONDAY CAME ALONG.

DUHN DUH DUHHH.

Monday was super busy.
Dad Texted Me Just Before Piano To Tell Us He Had Gotten His Screening Message for 410 SQN Cold Lake. {This Basically Means, They Are Telling Us We're Chosen, They Are Making Sure Nothing Is Terribly wrong With My Family, And Then They'll Give Us The Posting Message.}
Then I Went T o Piano For an Hours, Came Home Ate, Had some Wind DOwn Time, Whnt To Festival, The Ran Right Home For A PIano Lesson. So That I Why I Haven't Posted InSo Long. I Hope You People, Readers and The Like Can Forgive Me.

Update.

2009-02-03T22:05:00.000-08:00

hu·bris (hyōō'brĭs)
n. Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance.

Hubris, HYOOOOBRIIISS. It's just a really fun word to say. I learnded It In Comparative Civilizations today. However, Aside from that I've had a rather productive day to day.

I Have Finished A Couple Questions On My Comp Civ Assignment (It's Massive!)
I Have Done Some Correspondance With A Piano Teacher In Cold Lake, Lookin Into Lessons And Such
I Have Worked Out (Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Is Amazing)
I Have Valentines Dayed My Cell Phone
I Went To The Love And Respect Course At My Church (It's Really Amazing)
I Have Almost Beaten Zelda: Twighlight Princess
I'm Getting Massively Geared Up For Generation Unleashed
I Have Found My New Song. Period.
Andddd; Hmm... I Really Like Music.

Pretty Exciting Hey? I was very Exciting About All Of That; However Tomorrow Should Be Also Very Exciting, Simply Because It Involves Packing, Working, And Youth Group, Oh! And More Comparative Civilizations.

So It`s Official...

2009-01-28T13:57:00.001-08:00

WE ARE MOVING!!!

We Got The News, We`re Posted to Cold Lake This Summer. AND Brandon`s Moving With Us =D

Contemplating and Possible Posting...

2009-01-28T11:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my Daddy had a meeting with his Career manager which let him know that he would be promoted (YAY DADDY!) However, When He Came Out and Spoke With One Of His Warrant Officers Told Him He Was Supposed To Be Posted And Promoted. (For All Of You Non-Military Families, Posting Is When You Get Moved To A Different Place.)

Now, This would typically scare me. My Last Posting Experience wasn't un-pleasant, it wasn't exactly my favorite section of my life either. However I really felt a peace about the whole thing and Actually supported it. This Isn't because I Hate Courtenay, I Absolutely love love loveeee my hometown. I plan on retiring here. Its just that, With school wraping up, and the oppertunities that open up with a posting for our family, It just seems to fit. Its like a God thing. the Posting that my Dad would likely receive would be to Cold Lake, Alberta. Tiny Little Po`dunk Town bordering Saskatchewan. However.... Its only 2 and a half Hours from West Ed. POW!

I Guess I Should Make it known that this posting isn`t official yet, It is just a possibility. However all of our family is praying for this opportunity; Or at least me, Campbell and Brandon. It would be such a neat experience.

20 Facts, Goals, Pet Peeves, and Dreams

2009-01-24T12:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I Was Supposed to Do This A While Ago, And I've Actually Been Meaning too.. But I've Been Super Busy. And I Also Added 4 Extra Facts.

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 20 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 20 people to be tagged. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you, or I know you have nothing better to do.

1. I Love Technology. Pretty Much Everything About It Is Fantastic. Period.

2. I Hate Un-Capitalized Letters At The Beginning Of Words.

3. I Love To Have Fantastic Debates About Things That Amaze Me. Mainly When I'm Winning.

4. My iTunes Library has to be organized. It Drives Me Nuts When This Are Out Of Their Album, Artist, & Don't Have Their Album Artwork.

5. I Love Planners. I Love, Love, Love Them. They Are In My Top Tens With Pens And Bibles.

6. My Dream is to One Day Lead A Worship Team. Although That Would Mean Singing and That Is What's Holding Me Back.

7. I Will Listen to Anything Except Country. It's Just that Simple. I Love Music. Actually, My Musical Tastes Tend To Change Every 6 Months To A Year. Right Now I Really Like The Acoustic Pop and Electronic Pop; Mainly Jason Mraz, Colbie Calliat, and Lights.

8. I Hate Instant Messengers. I Can't believe I Used to Spend Hours On Them. They Are So Pointless, However I Absolutely Love E-mails And Private Messaging.

9. I Hate It When People Judge Me or Tell Me I Can't Or Shouldn't Do Something Because of My Age.

10. I Love School Because I Love To Learn. However, I Hate Timeliness, Deadline and Any Other Kinds Of Lines That Make me Feel Rushed.

11. I Have Random Spurts In Time Where I Cannot Make A Coherent Sentence, Just Ask Samantha Middleton.

12. I Really Dislike Sports, but I Love To Snowboard, Rollerblade, Kayak And Surf.

13. I've Grown Up On A Small Island, And Absolutely Love It. I Don't Ever Want To Leave, Just Travel.

14. I Really Don't Like Being Thought Of As A Girly-Girl, But I Secretly Really Love Jewelery, Dresses, Heels, and Interior Design.

15. My Boyfriend Is The One Person I Feel Safe Telling ANYTHING To. Sometimes I Can't Believe How Lucky I Am To Have Him To Laugh With and Share my Hopes And Dreams.

16. I Am Very Insecure About My Talents.Sometimes I'm Not Even Really Sure What Those Are.

17. I've Only Studied For A Test Twice. Ever. At All.

18. I Don't Really Like Hanging Out With People Alot. I Definitely Need A Fair Bit Of Space And Madison Time.

19. I Really Like One Of My Middle names, But Not The Other, Actually, I Don't Even Know How To Spell The Other One Most Days.

20. I Have So Many Big Dreams And Plans For The Future That I Sometimes Forget About The Here And Now.

Updatess

2009-01-11T01:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry for all the craziness my blog has been experiencing. however I'm pretty satisfied now and I think that everything is working correctly && is Pretty..

Enjoy?

Feedback?

Please?

Striving For...

2009-01-10T01:01:00.000-08:00

Some of you might have notice that I been switching around my blog name a bit in the past couple of days: If you haven't, that's okay I hope you can sleep some tonight.

I finally decided on Cutting my name from "Wired; Striving for a life of continuous worship. to simple "Striving For....." But let me explain a bit first before names are called and rumors spread. I have not changed my name because worship is no longer my passion or because i am a "gutless Pagan". I have simply changed my name because I am striving for more. Not to say that Striving for a life of continuous worship is bad , but with the fresh start of 2009 I want to broaden my horizons.

What exactly am I striving for? Basically, A greater understanding and depth perception of life around me and God's character and heart.How the heck am I going to do this? Well, I've got some tentative ideas and I'm ready for a wild ride!

So that being said, here are my life resolutions (and material Hopes) for 2009:

-TO Establish Regular, Daily devotional times [By the end of 2009]

-Eat Healthily with regular excercise Regime [By Summer 2009]

-Be More Responsible In All Areas Of My Life. Including money, time, actions, words and thoughts.

- The 13 in. Aluminium MacBook, with multi-touch Trackpad.

-Graduate with A's and B's In every class; Including Socials.

-Tithe and up my giving more than ever before.

-Control my tongue more as to learn from what i'm hearing.

-Pray more often, and Pray more boldly

-The Nikon D60 w/AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Len

-Be More Selfless and to Basically Live with Greater Intention.

2009 Book List...

2009-01-08T10:58:00.000-08:00

POW!

So I totally Jacked this Idea from a friend on facebook... But that's okay, I think it's a spectacular Idea. So In 2009 I have a list of books that I want to read, And actually learn from. Aside from the fiction novels that is. There is 23 of them here but my goal is 30. I'll check them off as I go..

Series

Diary Of A Teenage Girl: My Name Is Chole by Melody Carlson*
Diary of A Teenage Girl: Sold Out by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: Road Trip by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: Face The Music by Melody Carlson*
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: Caitlyn by Melody Carlson
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: It's My Life by Melody Carlson
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: Who I am by Melody Carlson
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: On My Own by Melody Carlson
Diary Of A Teenage Girl: I Do by Melody Carlson

2 Die 4 by Ryan Dobson*
A Midsummernights Dream by Shakespeare
CrazyLove: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan
The Irresistable Revolution : Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne
Wired: for a life of worship by Louie Gigilo
Notes From a Spinning Planet: Ireland by Melody Carlson
Finding Alice by Melody Carlson
Crystal Lies by Melody Carlson
Not For Sale by David Batstone
Day by Elie Wiesel
East Of Eden by John Steinbeck
Macbeth by Shakespeare*
The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler (In English)

(* I Have these ones)

California.....

2008-12-22T14:05:00.001-08:00

So as many of you know, For Christmas this year we were blessed with an opportunity to come here to California and stay for this week. And well... We're here!

It's so absolutely beautiful, too bad its raining. However our trip went well, We managed to only run into some snow and we made it to San clemente at 230 On Sunday Morning.

Our little condo is cozy and we have the most spectacular veiw of the ocean out our front window.

Pictures are to come.

Needless to say, I'm having fun.

One Whole Year....

2008-12-15T19:24:00.000-08:00

I Really Like The End of the year. Like Alot! It's such a great time where everyone is reminiscing, planning, and making decisions on what they want their next year to look like. If anyone knows me, they know I'm a planner, so aside from all the reasons to eat a whole whack of junk i also get to plan, think and ponder. That's my favorite.

This year has been so fantastic that it may be hard for me to put into words So i figure i'm just going to put it into point form to make this easier for ya'll to read.
The Highlights of 2008 Or From This Time Last Year Are:

December 26th-Brandon and I Officially Became a Couple
March 16-23ish - Fusion's Youth Missions Trip to Mexico, Phenomenal Time.God was at work hardcore that week and it changed us forever.
June 26th-Brandon's Grad and our 6 month.
August 2-3rd - Tofino Surf Trip; Pretty much an amazing experience.
August 26th - 16th Birthday, Drivers license, doting upon me and 8 month.. Need I Say More?
August 27th - First Date Ever. Thank you Brandon...
September 2nd- Last First Day Of School .. EVER. (Did I mention ever?)
October 4th - Brandon's 18th Birthday. The first of his that we've celebrated together. As well as his Stinken' Hot Tattoo.
October 22-27th - California/Bethel Trip. Probably the most amazing week of this year. Wow.
November 14-16th - Consumed: One. It was amazing, Astounding, alarming, and any other A name you can come up with that's good. So amazing.
December 19-31st - Christmas in California. Hasn't happened yet but i know it will be spectacular!
December 26th - Brandon And I's One Year.
December 31st - The start of a new year.

That is Just a brief overview of this last year, And I can't even convey the change God has been doing this year. The only way i can even hope to make you understand is by telling you some things that I am really looking forward too in the upcoming 2009.

Brandon Moving Up Here
Brand New DEVO BOOK. Yes. I am excited. The Message Remix: Solo. Embrace it.
Getting to use my new planner compliments of Samantha Millar.
Gen:Unleashed
Encounter Weekend
Mexico 2009
Trip to Scotland
GRAD 2009
17th Birthday
Consumed 2009
God's Continuous Provision and Blessings in my life and in the lives around me.
Possible Engagement....
More Music and Increased Worship Capabilities and Experiences

And a new year to learn, love, live, and laugh with my family and friends. Thanks you guys for an amazing year.

Sickk...

2008-12-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

So I Haven't been feeling very well for the past few days. In fact I even ditched out on church; which doesn't happen often. My throat has been uber sore and nasty, and mom even made me stay home from Randy's Party last night. {Sorry Randy, Happy Birthday Anyways Bud!} So i stayed home and went to be early-ish and took some gravol to sleep through the night; only to wake up, go to a mirror, open my mouth and find my worst fears come to life. I Have Strep throat!
I HATE Strep Throat!

&&did you know that the bacteria that causes strep throat also causes flesh eating disease.

Needless to say I will not be licking, or get ANY spit on my cuts. haha {Not that I would anyways cause that is just gross.}

Should There Be Limits on Freedom of the Press........

2008-12-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

I just really wanted to write something, cause I'm cool like that.

I'm not going to write about tree decorating, cause everyone does that...
And I don't really have anything super new to blog about. However... My boyfriend is still moving to Courtenay, and it's been such a God thing that he has been able to, with confirmations left right and center, it gives me allowance to be EVEN MORE excited than i was like .. two days ago.

That being said it is 24 Days until he moves here. && It's also 12 Days Until my family leaves for our trip to California over Christmas. I am very excited because.. we got our Disney vacation planning packet in the mail last week and now I'm very excited cause i love Disney stuff. and even though we are only there for a day.. I'm still pretty stoked.

Other than that:
-The new Britney Spears Cd is Phenomenal
-I have a theory Exam on the 13th {Pray, Pray, Pray}
-I found the most profound verse on love last night.. {Song of songs 8:6-7; Check it. The Message is the best}
-Brandon Is looking for jobs, and hopefully that goes fantastically well.
-Youth group is on Wednesday night, And i am all too excited.
-The Parents of My Kids {That I Babysit} are home today so that means I get to go to work this week and I am very excited.

And that's all i have to say about that.

Ps: That title is the next forum post deal I need to do, Answer back .. haha

BIG ANOUNCEMENT

2008-12-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

Okay, So at least it's really big Announcement for me. And I haven't been allowed to share this with my friends yet.. soooo

Brandon (pictured ... Isn't he Pretty?) My fantastic boyfriend, Is moving to Courtenay this coming January and I am SO SO SO SO SOOOOO Excited. &&It's been such a god thing that he can come up here. So I'm really excited to say in 28 Days he will be a Courtney Dweller.

Disneyland.. And Beyond!

2008-11-26T15:02:00.000-08:00

I'm going to DISNEYLAND!

Me and my family are taking a week long vacation to California over Christmas and i'm pretty much, more excited that I've ever been about anything. PERIOD. yes, I need a life.
But seriously, I get to go on Christmas day and too top it all off, I GET TO SEE JACK. they have this really cool "Christmas" theme and Jack is obviously the main character. I will visit him in his haunted mansion, see the below sign, and it will be awesome.

&& to top it off, We'll be there all day long. And we'll get to see the place decked out at night. Pretty rad? I think so.

Bedroom; The first update.

2008-11-24T09:08:00.000-08:00

Some of you may know how much i complained about my boring, dull, and drab bedroom. However recently I've started getting the Ball rolling on finishing it (Obviously, I'd like my room done before i move out) So a couple of weeks ago I got the paint, and some fantastic accessories to start on it. I hope to have it finished.... maybe by spring? Here's The Progress So far:

My Bedside Table, Repainted, New Drawer Pull, and that lovely candle Holder above; Pretty Spectacular. Also, My Bed, made. With New curtains, and that fantastic cork board.

My Walls went from a camel tan to Bold Terracotta, Pictured by my bed. And Winter Squash, Pictured around piano.

Here is my one "winter squash" Wall, with my piano and some of my pictures.
My Fan-freaking-tastic new chandelier.

It's really not as epic in a picture, But I'm sure you can kind of understand my
excitement.

Anyways, That's just a brief update. I hope that soon I'll have my fantastic shelves, and more of my pictures hung. I'll update then!

Bread...... FALLING FROM THE SKY!!

2008-11-16T22:57:00.000-08:00

Ohmigoodness, folks... Are you ready for this!?

So, Following the direction of the fantastic speaker Ira Parmenter, I'm am blogging about bread, Which is so obviously falling from the sky that I cannot contain it. Wow Is my God good. Consumed was amazing. && I'm not just saying that out of obligation. It was spectacular.

Now I all know that there is about 50,000,000 or so blogs about consumed right about now, But i couldn't help it. Consumed was fantastic; At first, i had been so lost in the busy-ness and the jobs and obligations and the overwhelming feeling of having to be perfect, that I felt just couldn't let God move in me. Especially on stage. But quite simply, by Saturday night, I Don't know if it was the sheer exhaustion, or me finally giving in.. But I was so rocked by God; I could hardly stand. I was playing keeys heaving over, hardly able to stand and I didn't feel bad, or out of place, or incorrect. It just felt.... Amazing. God's hand touched so many lives, and has definitely fanned the passion inside me for worship, prayer, and the breaking off of age gaps and age "restrictions".
I don't mean that in a "Let 12 year-olds do whatever they want" sort of way, But honestly, && If i'm terribly wrong please give me some feed back here. But why shouldn't Teenagers be able to pray openly with adults without feeling inadequate, why shouldn't teenagers be delivering one another from pasts and prophesying over one another, Why shouldn't teenagers lead one another {Again I am not saying lead themselves, But under the influence of a higher authority} Why shouldn't 17-19 year olds get married? Why shouldn't we be a generation that knows how to do these things!?! Why don't we bother to get inform, Ask && Learn. Why don't we read books and research those things, if nothing else but to have a greater understanding of them. Wouldn't it be great:

Just think, Wouldn't it be great if we actually used the church as the resource God has given us. Why not, right? God has given us a family that has experiences so vast, that all we need to do is ask, to be informed. Just ask, to be counselled.

Why Not, marry young? Sure, teenagers and young adults don't have the "years under their belts" or the vast experiences. But it's the maturity;; If we dont have that wealth of knowledge, someone in the church is going to && if we ever need a swift kick, good advice, or somone to just talk to, we'll have it. So why not start a marriage young, Why not grow, learn and love together?
Why Not, Step in and pray regaurdless of who's listening? Age has nothing to do with anything in the kingdom of God. God knows you're maturity level and he knows you're intentions. Your words don't need to be big and fancy && you don't have to have 5 years experience before delivering people; You just need big faith.
Why can't teenagers be leaders? I think it's the best time to start. You're young and growing and it's much easier to incorperate those "leadership qualities" when you're at you're learning and growing peak.

Why should teenagers be looked down on, Especially in the church. We are capable of so much more than people give us credit for. However, the reason they aren't giving us that credit is because we haven't shown them what we're capable of.

Aside from all of that;; I was like a proud parent this weekend because I got to watch my boyfriend grow and reach new heights and passions in his walk both in worship and in knowledge, and it was so cool to see. It made my smile and made everything that much more worth it.

I'd also like to take a bit of space up in here to thank Kelsey and Jason. Without them, my own passions wouldnt' have been renewed the way they were, Brandon's faith wouldn't have been pushed up that much higher, and all the lives that were touched or changed this weekend may not have had that experience. Not to say God wouldn't have touched lives without consumed. But it just wouldn't have bene the same. So thank you Kelsey and Jason for taking time out of your lives to put this on for us, so that our generation could be radically affected; You're the Bomb.

[It's Been Awhile...]

2008-11-13T20:22:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been so long. There has been sooo many things going on in life right now, that i couldn't even come close to comprehending writing on here. First off. I've recently found the "Follow This Blog" Button && Frankly, it has saved my life. Do you know how hard it was to keep track of all the blogs i read and continuously have them on the side thingy? No probably not, cause none of you are me... but it was TERRIBLE.

Anyways, on to more important matters... like CONSUMED!! Heck yes. Ohmigoodness, so excited! Not only is the entire freaking confrence going to be amazing, But i'm also on worship.. And that makes it 7 quadrillon times more exciting because.. I LOVE WORSHIP. And Not Only do I love to worship my God . I am so passionate about it that I think everyone should do it, all the time. So to get to be apart of the worship team for consumed, with my piano [which I might add, takes that 7 quadrillon and multiplies it again by 10 quadrillon] and just simply getting to worship God with so many other people from different places, different ages and different stages in Life; Is pretty amazing. Needless to say, I'm Stoked.

California, California, California!

2008-10-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

Approximately 17 hours, 34 minutes, and 26 seconds Until I Depart for California.

Needless to say, At this point I am super excited. Not just because the lows predicted in Redding for the week are measly 11's-13's while the highs are in the mid 30's but because i have this underlying feeling that through all this stress and hassel God is gonna do something great! Not that he normally doesn't... But you get the drift. I'm just updating my ipod for the trip and i'm feeling more excited than i was about and hour ago. There's Just Somthing about updating my lovely ipod that makes me excited.

Haha;; Something to do with everything he'll come with me through, Me and my Beloved Timon.

Thanksgiving.....Phew.

2008-10-13T22:47:00.000-07:00

First off;; Happy thanksgiving everyone.

Second;; I Love Thanksgiving. It makes Christmas feel just THAT much closer. I'd like to say my Thanksgiving went fantastically, however we celebrated it On the 12th (Sunday) instead of today. I Love just hanging out with my family, and typically there is always some great family moments. However this thanksgiving was superrr special because as some of you may know. My Boyfriend, Brandon Jamieson, Got Baptized this Sunday.

And other than that, I'm super tired and must enter my Mcdonalds Properties online so that God can bless me with 1,000,000,000 Dollars.

You Should All not play so i have a better chance at winning. Maybe save your properties for me?

CALIFORNIA HERE I COME!!

2008-09-29T15:02:00.000-07:00

On October 22, Which is a Wednesday, I will be heading down with Candace, Myself, and three others for a 10 hour road trip to REDDING, CALIFORNIA for the last two days of the OPEN HEAVENS Confrence At Bethel Church. I am So incredibly STOKED. Plus, Right now the temperatures there are between 20 and 40 Degrees Celcius. {Yeah;; it is okay to be envious in this situation.}

That is all.

Madi

Consumed Worship And New Books,

2008-09-24T15:54:00.001-07:00

Well.. It's been awhile.
This month has been busy and such with the ongoings off life, work, settling into school work and life. It's been a good month, but i'm glad to have it behind me (for the most part). It's been a month of struggling to actually become motivated for school, as well as readjusting to my dad being home and working two jobs, but now It's settled down and I am ready for the year. Some exciting things sinnce i lasted blogged about before i move on to my current ongoings, cunundrums and thoughts;

My Beloved 1991 Chrysler Dynasty, Pumba, is now insured and on the road. He still needs some work such as lubrication to his belt, a new windsheild, oil change, tune up and upgrades to his stereo and sound systems; But he is driving and he's amazing.

I GOT MY BOOKS. Now none of you have a clue what books, so i'll tell you. I have been waiting since Christmas of last year for the new Key Word Study Bible to be published so that i could buy it, but it didn't come out until August. So I ordered it off Christianbook.com a few days after my birthday, along with the student Bible dictionary and The Message// remix: solo (Devotional) And they Finally CAME! This is a larger than life momentus occassion and let me tell you, the Bible has never been better and I've never had such an amzing devotional. For 9.99 You Too can own this fantasmal 365 (-1) Day Devotional!

So, Moving on. Life is good. Just good. School is trying, Probably mnore cause its my last year and i'm dragging my butt more than anything. Piano Is fabulous, I'm learning so much and it's exciting. Work, Well... Work is amazing. So Good. God has blessed me so much with my new job and it feels really good to not be tight on money, at all and STILL afford my Europe Trip. And To Top ot all off: I, Yes me, Officially get to be apart of COMSUMED 2008 WORSHIP TEAM. HALLELUJAH!! I am so very excited about this; Playing for consumed has been my dream since Consumed 2005 Fall. YAY! So yeah, Bit of an update for you.

Now i'm off to play on the AMAZING church Grand Piano.

Back To Life as I Know It.

2008-09-02T22:44:00.000-07:00

Hallelujah! School is in. Mostly everyone knows that this is my favorite time of year, The new books, School supplies, and multitudes of pens and notebooks are the best thing next to Heaven for a girl who lives her life with lists and schedules. Although this past like, 5 days have been rather busy and emotionally roller coaster-ish. I am ready SO for my school! It's pretty hard to believe that this is my last ever year in the crazy-ness we call high school and I'm not sure I'm ready to see it end. I mean, fo'show in has been some of the hardest and .. well most confusing year(s) of my life thus far, but it has also brought such huge amounts of growth and maturity into my life.

I still can remember when I was 11 (not that it was so long ago) and me and my best friend at the time, Chelsey, would talk about how great it would be to be 16, With our drivers licenses, our boyfriends (who would obviously adore us), Our Best friends, and then to graduate. Well, not necessarily in that order or all at once. But now, God has brought me to a point... that I remember so distantly dreaming of. Grade 12 (and Early) Graduating with some of my best friends (y'know who you are) Drivers License, 16, and a Boyfriend (who adores God.. ) and it's amazing.. to say the very least.

Yay for the start of school, and Whoo for the Graduating Class of 09!

Busy Busy Week,,

2008-08-29T21:23:00.000-07:00

We All Know How Exciting it is to celebrate a birthday {although it means yes, we are getting older.} All the thoughts such as "Will I feel different?" "Will I look Different?" And ultimately ... "What Am I Going to Get This Year?!" {We are all human.} Flood our minds... && Needless to say, this was my birthday experience.

Most of you know, this past Tuesday was my 16th Birthday. && It was by far the BEST birthday ever. Knowing most of you are curious, Yes I Did Go In And Get My license; And passed with 91% and to top it off I also got to drive our families, VERY large, GMC Yukon. Wahhoo!
My Birthday mainly consisted of the constant showering of Madison with gifts, food, and attention.. I definitely soaked up every minute (it shows on the scale). With an extensive gift list, and the time and preparation my family put into my special day; I've never felt more like a princess.

However my birthday has been only a small section of my week, as enjoyable as it was. This week I was also privileged enough to partake in the celebration of both my daddy and Eric's birthdays, The large (Atlantic) Lobster and steak dinner, My Daddy Coming home safely, My First date with my boyfriend Brandon, Work, and God's FABULOUS Provision... AGAIN!! Some of you may know that I was desperately hoping for an iPod Touch to take with me to Europe;; And I was certainly praying. Sure enough, God and my wonderful boyfriend blessed me with my glorius little friend without a name.
Needless to say, although most of my friends were all at camp getting smothered in God-ness without me, I Still had a pretty darn good week!

Here is a Brief look at my week:

One Year Down; a Reflection.

2008-08-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

As my Birthday approaches [Yes, August 26th, feel free to send stuff to my house via anything!] I've really been reflecting on stuff God's shown me and brought me through this past year. All of the hardships, blessings and opportunities that I have been given to grow from Still boggle me.. . Thinking back on all this stuff has really brought my focus back to not only what he has done in the past year, but what he is doing in my life RIGHT NOW. Recently, as some of you may have heard, God's been revealing and proving his faithfulness and provision in my life. Last night I shared my tithe testimony at youth group; But that is only a small piece of this amazing story to date. Last Night I shared that through God's amazing provision, when I tithed, although it meant not being able to afford Tofino surf trip, God provided for me more than I could imagine. Most have heard of my new gig (job), and if you haven't; I have a job..... babysitting for two children at 15 bucks an hour {Which is such a me things it isn't ever funny} . Well, This job.. aside from making more than i thought i ever could babysitting, being able to afford tofino, as well as much needed jeans, shoes and over and above what i needed for school supplies; is absolutely perfect for me, with it's flexibility and very musical (And Artistic!) children. On top of ALL that I have not gone without money. Now, that may not seem exciting for some... but when you're saving to go on a trip, especially one such as this Europe trip, You're pretty much penny pinching the whole way. However God has blessed me a little bit more, and on top of saving, I'm not tight for money. This is such an amazing blessing because, as a teenager in her last year of high school, I don't want to be broke!

Needless to say i've been feeling a great amount of satisfaction in my pocket, but also in my faith. I am not the sort of person to doubt my faith, however we all go through dry spots, and this has swooped me out of my dry-spot completely, and I'm hoping to never go back. After all God's done for me, I don't know how i could.. but I'm prepared.
This is just a small list of Some of the provisions, opportunities and blessings God has given me this past year.

An opportunity to get ahead in my schooling to graduate a year early.
An amazing, supportive family (both church and my immediate family) to get through school, work and life.
An opportunity and blessing to be apart of the church worship team and go up to Gold River.
The opportunity to be a Student Leader in my youth group to grow and help others grow, as a family.
Brandon, the Blessing and Opportunity I have to be in a relationship with him. It's both and encouragement and a challenge.
Again, the opportunity to play in my Youth Group worship team, Oh How I Love It!
The Blessing and opportunity to be able to both afford and attend the Fusion Mexico Missions Trip 08 {Tanning Will Never Be The Same Again}
Amazing Bosses who are supportive and are willing to work around my Life Schedual and allow me to still attend my Churchh. =]
My Amazing Church. End Of.

This past year has been such a whirl-wind of life, Provision, growth, Dreams, fulfillment, Love, and really figuring out where God wants me. I'm excited to see what this next year holds!

What Is Blogging....

2008-08-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

Well; As some of you may know.. Tons of my friends have just started blogging. Now, Normally I'm not one to go along with fads.. but this one is different. I always kind of thought... "Well... Why keep a blog.. No one ever reads them anyways.." But when I got to thinking about it; Blogs are so much more than a tool for yourself. They're a tool for informing, connecting and communicating. So I've Decided to take up this blogging habit, Maybe more for myself than for others, so i can be held accountable in my walk and personal hopes and dreams as well as to let people into the very busy world of well... Me!