Christmas with the Family!

All I can say is, Christmas was great!!! I love my family so much. Here are some pictures that capture some of the great moments - especially moments with Evan and Chewie!

Survivor!

FINALLY the person I liked won survivor!!! Awesome job Sophie!

PS Averil, I joined you and cheered her on!

PSS Brandon, your family is crazy, we are proud of the way you played!

Christmas Parties

Michael and I enjoyed 2 Christmas parties together this year - my church's and my work's. Take a look!

Book Review: Telling Yourself the Truth

I've recently finished reading the book "Telling Yourself the Truth" by William Backus and Marie Chapian. I'd like to share a few points from the book.

-The misbeliefs we tell ourselves are directly from the pit of hell. They are hand engraved and delivered by the devil himself. James 3:15 This superficial wisdom is not such as comes down from above but is earthly, unspiritual even devilish.

-Our lives have been bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ and that means we are free from the pressure to be something, do something, own something, achieve something, or prove something in order to be important and loved.

- The Bible does not teach us to please everybody on earth. It does not tell us to work overtime trying to get people to love us. Jesus never told us to go out and take a course in how to get people to like us. He told us to love HIM, trust HIM, have faith in HIM, glorify HIM and to genuinely care about others. Jesus wasn't devastated by what others thought of Him because He kept His eyes on the Father and doing His will.

-Dear Lord, thank you for giving me emotions. I'm thankful I can feel pain as well as joy. Thank you for setting me free from being a victim of my own emotions. Thank you for caring deeply about me even though I'm sometimes unaware of it. I choose now, in the mighty name of Jesus, to speak the truth to myself instead of misbeliefs. I am yours and so are my emotions.

Birthday Surprise!

I had a great birthday this year! After spending those days at home, I had a nice enjoyable evening out with Michael, which included wearing the birthday moose hat. I enjoyed an evening at the spa and then some of my friends surprised me with a purple birthday cake while we were out at a restaurant a few days later. That was pretty special. Thanks for the cake Kristy! Thanks for a great birthday everyone!

Trip Home!

So since it was my 25th birthday this year, I decided I'd enjoy a few days off at home with my parents, Kristi and Chewie! Mom and I headed to Frankenmuth and Birch Run for a couple days of shopping. That was a really nice treat for us. I really enjoyed the famous Christmas store Bronners! And then when we got back, we just hung out at home for a few days. It was fun. Just the break I needed. Here are a few pics!

Song from old American Idol season....

I actually remember when this originally aired live back in Season 7 I think while I was in university. Just when we feel like giving up on Hollywood, they sing a song like this!

"The Race"

Watch this video, all the way until the end. Its kinda bad quality but the message is good.

New Song for November!

This is my song pick for November: It's Your Life by Francesca Battistelli, from the Soul Surfer soundtrack. My sister introduced the song to me and I love it!



Lyrics:

This is the moment
It’s on the line
Which way you gonna fall?
In the middle between
Wrong and right
But you know after all

(Chorus)
It’s your life
What you gonna do?
The world is watching you
Every day the choices you make
Say what you are and who
Your heart beats for
It’s an open door
It’s your life

Are you who you always said you would be?
With a sinking feeling in your chest
Always waiting for someone else to fix you
Tell me when did you forget

(Chorus)

To live the way that you believe
This is your opportunity
To let your life be one that lights the way

(Chorus)

Robin Mark!

My friend Laura and I had the opportunity to go to a Robin Mark concert in St Thomas. And it was AMAZING. I don't like calling it a concert cause its more like a worship night. He did a few of my favourite songs and a whole lot of new ones (brand new and some just new to me) but whats awesome is he has the words behind him on the screen so we can worship with him. And the flute player guy, was unbelievably good! Next time Robin Mark comes to Ontario I'm bringing EVERYONE I KNOW cause it was THAT good. Here a couple of his newish songs that I love now!

Smith Family Day!

The Smith family was blessed with the amazing chance to ALL be together for a few hours on Sunday Oct 23rd. Andrew and Nadine came over to join me for church, then Mark, Averil and Evan joined us a couple hours after church, followed by the arrival of Mom, Dad and Kristi coming from Windsor. And an extra specal part of the day was that Michael joined us as well! (The only thing missing was Chewie! lol) We were pretty crowded in my little apartment but it was still a lot of fun. Evan has grown so much! He was saying lots of words, even our names!
Here are some pictures from the fun!

Thanksgiving!

Michael and I had a great time on Sunday in Windsor celebrating Thanksgiving and my mom and dad's birthdays. Mom cooked a turkey which was delicious and Grandma and Grandpa brought a birthday cake. We played some fun games and introduced Michael to the family game of Wizard. And of course we spent some time with Chewie too!
Here are a few photos:

TobyMac Concert!!!

The concert last night was alot of FUN! Dancing and singing. Toby was a pretty awesome performer - very high energy. It's hard to believe the guy is like 47 years old. He did have a couple good words he shared throughout the evening. I was pretty pleased that he sang my 3 favourite songs - Made to Love, Lose My Soul and Get Back Up.

The drive there was pretty brutal - took us about 3 hours and 15 mins. The highway was super slow through Hamilton area, and then the QEW was SO BAD in the mississauga area. But I heard afterwards that the QEW was actually closed for a couple hours due to a bad accident so that is why it was so backed up and slow.

He played a wide variety of songs - couple off his Momentum album (Irene and J Train), a couple from Diverse City (The Slam, Diverse City, Gone, Whoopsi daisy) and a few from Portable Sounds (Boomin, No Ordinary Love, Made to Love, Lose my Soul)and then of course some from his latest cd Tonight (Tonight, Funky Jesus Music, Hold On, Get Back Up, City on our Knees). He also sang Youre the God of this City. And on top of that, the best part was that he sang a couple DC TALK songs!! He sang In the Light acoustically and he finished the show with JESUS FREAK as the encore.

Here are a few photos:

Mom's Visit!

So my mom came and visited me for a couple days and it was AWESOME. She came Wednesday afternoon and stayed until Friday morning. We had a really nice time together. She cooked me 2 great meals and I'm still enjoying the left overs yummmmm roast beef sandwiches!!! And she brought Chewie with her which was an extra treat for me! Chewie loved running around at the Farm during my lunch hour. Here's a picture of me and Chewie at the park playing ball!

Song for October

This is my new song for the upcoming month - I Will Not Be Moved by Natalie Grant




Lyrics:

I have been the wayward child
I have acted out
I have questioned Sovereignty
And had my share of doubt
And though sometimes my prayers feel like
They're bouncing off the sky
The hand I hold won't let me go
And is the reason why...

[Chorus:]
I will stumble
I will fall down
But I will not be moved
I will make mistakes
I will face heartache
But I will not be moved
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
I will not be moved

Bitterness has plagued my heart
Many times before
My life has been like broken glass
And I have kept the score
Of all my shattered dreams and though it seemed
That I was far too gone
My brokenness helped me to see
It's grace I'm standing on

[Chorus]

And the chaos in my life
Has been a badge I've worn
Though I have been torn
I will not be moved

[Chorus]

Michael's Birthday!

I would like to take a minute to mention that today is Michael's birthday! Happy Birthday Michael!!!!

Do Not Fear - 365 times?

I've heard several times that the Bible says "do not fear" 365 times, one for every day of the year. I said this to Michael recently and he challenged me on it saying to show him all 365 times where it says that in the Bible so I told him I would make a point of looking into this.

So I started doing some research on this and through my searching, I have actually only found 172 references where it says something like Fear not/Do not be afraid/Do not fear etc which isn't even close to 365 times. So I have no idea why I've heard that many times. Anyone else know anything about this?

Well, I guess I know one thing for sure - whether the Bible says it 365 times or 172 times or whatever other number, obviously its an important point that the Lord wants us to know!

Here are some of my favourite Do Not Fear verses:

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

1 Chronicles 28:20
David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.

2 Chronicles 20:15
Do not be afraid or dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.

Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 56:4
In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Psalm 112:7-8
He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

Isaiah 35:3-4
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:13
For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Isaiah 43:1-3
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Lamentations 3:55-57
I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit; you heard my plea, ‘Do not close your ear to my cry for help!’ You came near when I called on you; you said, ‘Do not fear!’

Joel 2:21
Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!

Matthew 14:25-27
And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

Matthew 28: 5-6
But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

Mark 5:35-36
While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”

Luke 2:9-14
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Luke 12:32-34
Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The Baseball Season!

Well, today was our church league baseball tournament. We didn't make it into the playoffs but I am okay with that. I was happy to just play a couple games today. I got to play 3rd base which was nice. I missed a couple plays but made quite a few good ones.

I'm happy with myself for being able to play baseball again, even though I don't always feel the greatest afterwards, it's important to me that I can still do this. So as I sit here with the heating pad on my knees, I thought I would post and say how thankful I am to the Lord that He has enabled me to play baseball again. Thank you Lord. It's a small thing but You know how happy it makes me.

Michael was cheering me on today (which was awesome) and he took some pictures for me. Here are a few:

Be Glorified

My brother posted this song on facebook and my mom sent it to me in an email. I needed it this evening so thank you to both of you.

The Western Fair!

So I finally went to the Western Fair!
I've been wanting to go since last year when I heard about it, I was so excited, it sounded so big and fun and I got a brochure in the mail and I was all pumped up to go. So Michael and I bought tickets and we went on Sunday afternoon.

WOW.
What a letdown.

I thought this thing was gonna be huge. I dont know what exactly I was expecting but I was expecting more than that.......

And it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO expensive, everything. Like I wanted to ride the swing ride or Michael wanted to go on the farris wheel... guess how much each was...... SIX BUCKS!!!!!! Thats insane, we didnt do either but we did splurge on some fair food which was super expensive too. The part that I really enjoyed was the petting zoo hehehe. That was fun.

But man, at least I've gone now and know what its like.... never again though. Not even worth the 10 bucks to get in.......

Long Weekend!

Had a great Labour Day weekend!

Started off with my first "official" date with Michael which was so much fun and he bought me a purple cowboy hat at the fair! haha And then had a great day Saturday relaxing and doing some cleaning and some shopping and then Sunday - Mom Dad Kristi and Chewie came for a visit. It was the perfect day - church in the morning, nap then mom and dad helped me with some furniture I found at a thift store and then we played games, ate supper, hung out and dad answered all my Bible questions haha. Then Monday was the perfect day of rest.
Here are a few pics:

The Internet

Let me tell you a little story.
Saturday my internet was working fine and then all of a sudden, it stopped working. I tried restarting the computer, unplugging the router and modem, try resetting each, multiple times. And it wouldn't work. I was frustrated cause I knew that meant that I had to call the lovely people at Rogers. Wonderful. So I got talking to a tech guy and he did some tests on the connection and he couldnt figure out why it wasn't working. So he said he would schedule a technician to come to my place. And then he told me the next available time was TUESDAY between 5 and 8. Wonderful...3 whole days away. So I got the appointment scheduled and hung up.

Now, this is where I want to make my point. You see, this is exactly the kind of situation that would drive me absolutely nuts, get me all upset and riled up and end with me crying or yelling - none of which actually helps the situation. But I didn't. I tried to stay calm. I tried to remember that internet isn't that important and its not a big deal to not have internet for a few days. And that is my point. I didn't do those things I usually do. Why? Cause of the Lord! I'm serious! That is evidence of the Lord working in my life and working on my emotions! He's helping me see the bigger picture and learn to let the little things go. He is working in me and slooowly making me more and more like Him! And that's just my little story.

And, how about this - when I got back from my baseball party that night, my internet was working!

1 Year!

This is just a really quick post to say that today is officially my one year anniversary of being back to work after my health crisis. Praise the Lord! I made it 1 year!

Look how far I've come... long way to go still but I need to remember to focus on the progress and be thankful for that! God gets all the glory, that's for sure!

Visit!

I was so happy that my family decided to stop in on Saturday on their drive back to Windsor. I was pretty bummed out this past week knowing I wasn't up with the family still in Sudbury so I was really happy when my family stopped in for a visit! I actually had people using my table!!

Summer Vacation!

I drove all the way up to Sudbury with Chewie and spent a couple days there there with Mark, Averil, Evan, Mom, Dad and Kristi. Then we all headed over to the cottage. I had to come back home to return to work on the 2nd but everyone else including Chewie spent a couple extra days at the cottage and then back over to Sudbury for the rest of the week. Although it was too short, it was a really nice holiday.
Here are some pictures!