I have a slightly odd passion, odd to the majority of those who surround me these days, at least. I'm passionate about the Bible, about people taking time every day to immerse themself in God's word, and about people reading the whole Bible in its entirety. It blows me away that this is a rare occurence, even in 'strong Christian communities', and it bothers me, deeply. I'm me, so it goes without saying that I'm incredibly far from perfect! I struggle to read my Bible with consistency, and as with anything, it's difficult to develop a habit that few people around you appear to be attempting to build as well. I'm incredibly thankful for those in my life who do exemplify a strong devotional foundation, their examples lead me to hunger for a deeper, more intimate connection with my Creator. Lately, I've had a burning desire to pass that along to those around me, and so, I challenge you to read the Bible every single day this month, if you don't already. Even if you just read what I've recently come to call the Proverb of the Day (there are 31), it's a good place to start, a good place to build from. In the fall, I'm getting a group togethr that will read thru the Bible in 6 months, and I'm trying to get it approved as a small group based out of the Sunday Evening church that I attend. If you want the materials I have for the 6monthplan let me know, or google it, there are a lot of them, also if you want to stay on track with my group when it starts, let me know.
My encouragement to you is this: Don't get discouraged because you have fallen behind, or have left off for a few days, God will take what we give Him and bless us for doing what we can, as we can. As we continue to be obedient to discipling ourselves to Him, He will continue to grow us deeper in Him, and build our foundation up. The more we take His admonishments to heart, the deeper our hunger for His wisdom will become. I believe those things to be true, and I hope you do too!
Friends, I like you. Thanks for being you.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
PSA
i am going to vent now. I've been back in retail for a couple of months, I would just like to make a broad Public Service Announcement or two or two dozen, for all the random people who encounter this blog. Believe me, i have at least 10 stories for every statement i'm about to make. Many times per-day, I feel like asking an individual if they have ever gone shopping before, I'm telling you, when Don Cherry said 'common sense really isn't very common', he was spewing the most truthful words i've ever heard the man say. Anyways, here goes:
- if there are pens and tags in an area that carries bulk items, that's an indication that you need to bring the bin numbers with you to the till. not bringing these will result in you waiting while your cashier tracks down someone who can find them for you. this takes time.
- if you are in a hurry, taking a couple of seconds to ensure you have an item that has a barcode on it is a wise choice, otherwise, you will wait at the till while i get a sku from someone out on the floor. this takes time. this is not my fault, please don't yell at me.
- there is never, ever, ever an excuse for yelling at a cashier, or person on the floor. doing so, even if the individual is wrong, does not solve a single problem. i promise this to be true.
- cashiers do not set the prices. freaking out that an item is too expensive to a cashier solves nothing, absolutely nothing. if it's a chain store, go home and email the company. or at least state your case without yelling and swearing. please.
- let me just reiterate, there is no excuse for yelling at an employee. ever. why people think this solves anything is beyond me.
- if you are still shopping 10 minutes after a store is closed, you do not get to complain that there are not enough tills open. just be happy you weren't kicked out at close.
- this applies to albertans, alberta retail has an incredibly high turnover, and is very understaffed, this is not the fault of the people who do happen to work in retail. please do not swear at me because it took ten minutes for your stuff to get fork-lifted down, or that you had to wait in a line to pay for it. i showed up for work, it's not my fault that other people didn't. this is alberta people, alberta. we are so desperate for employees that we are flying people into fort mcmurray from everywhere we possibly can, obviously jobs making barely a third or less of what those jobs make are understaffed.
- when you swear at people, you look more foolish than they do.
- making innappropriate sexual references to a cashier at a hardware store is beyond unnecessary. we wear freaking vests that are massive for goodness sakes, we are not there to put up with your lack of self control, lets try to realize this, shall we?
- it is not my job to walk you to every item in a store, i am a cashier, this means i work at a till. do you ask your Safeway cashier to take you to the milk when there are a half dozen people in line behind you?
- if i ask you twice, but you ignored me, then you get mad at me for not bagging your stuff/taking your airmiles or what have you, please get over yourself.
- when the debit machines are down, no amount of yelling or swearing will bring them back. i promise. and if you think its an inconveniece for you, imagine how much i simply love telling people whose immediate response is to erupt unnecessarially at me.
- if you yell at me and i laugh at you, get over yourself. be glad i have a sense of humour and don't yell back. jobs like this are a dime a dozen in alberta, and i'm not going to be your personal venting outlet when i can walk next door and get the exact same job on the spot. thanks.
- if you complain that there are no carts in the store, and then complain that there are not enough cashiers because one of us is outside gathering the carts, then proceed to leave you cart in the middle of the parking lot, you are a fool.
- if you can't be bothered to extend the courtesy of passing your money/bank card etc to me, neither can i. so if you drop your money on my desk, i'll do the same with your change.
- acting like you are better than people gets you nowhere. you actually don't deserve more than the next guy, or a better deal than the next guy. get over yourself.
- yes i am a girl. yes i am capable of doing everything i do. yes i do know the difference between a 2x4 and a 2x6, spruce and pressure treated. and even tho i might be a farm kid, if i can lift it, and you are a healthy looking male, probably you should be able to too. standing there while i load your cart with twenty bags of concrete is ridiculous. and everybody but you knows it.
- its actually not my fault if your credit card is not approved. its either their's or yours, i'm a third party with no control. yelling at me solves nothing, if you are kind, i'll help you phone them to figure it out, if you yell and swear at me, you can kindly leave.
- if someone tells you you are out of line, you probably are. get over yourself.
- in closing, please realize that yelling, swearing, being rude in general, and making lewd remarks will not benefit you in life. being kind, correcting without attitude, and realizing that we are all human and all make mistakes will infact benefit you, and i will go out of my way to help you whenever i can.
man, i do love alberta. but seriously, people have serious egos in this city. and i swear, the next guy who yells at me just might get to see some of the irish and scottish that are in me. i'm kind to a fault most of the time, but seriously people, i am not okay with you standing there and yelling at me. if i was YOUR daughter, how would you like it if someone stood there and did the same to her? wow. so unnecessary i'm telling you.
i can't wait for camp.
- if there are pens and tags in an area that carries bulk items, that's an indication that you need to bring the bin numbers with you to the till. not bringing these will result in you waiting while your cashier tracks down someone who can find them for you. this takes time.
- if you are in a hurry, taking a couple of seconds to ensure you have an item that has a barcode on it is a wise choice, otherwise, you will wait at the till while i get a sku from someone out on the floor. this takes time. this is not my fault, please don't yell at me.
- there is never, ever, ever an excuse for yelling at a cashier, or person on the floor. doing so, even if the individual is wrong, does not solve a single problem. i promise this to be true.
- cashiers do not set the prices. freaking out that an item is too expensive to a cashier solves nothing, absolutely nothing. if it's a chain store, go home and email the company. or at least state your case without yelling and swearing. please.
- let me just reiterate, there is no excuse for yelling at an employee. ever. why people think this solves anything is beyond me.
- if you are still shopping 10 minutes after a store is closed, you do not get to complain that there are not enough tills open. just be happy you weren't kicked out at close.
- this applies to albertans, alberta retail has an incredibly high turnover, and is very understaffed, this is not the fault of the people who do happen to work in retail. please do not swear at me because it took ten minutes for your stuff to get fork-lifted down, or that you had to wait in a line to pay for it. i showed up for work, it's not my fault that other people didn't. this is alberta people, alberta. we are so desperate for employees that we are flying people into fort mcmurray from everywhere we possibly can, obviously jobs making barely a third or less of what those jobs make are understaffed.
- when you swear at people, you look more foolish than they do.
- making innappropriate sexual references to a cashier at a hardware store is beyond unnecessary. we wear freaking vests that are massive for goodness sakes, we are not there to put up with your lack of self control, lets try to realize this, shall we?
- it is not my job to walk you to every item in a store, i am a cashier, this means i work at a till. do you ask your Safeway cashier to take you to the milk when there are a half dozen people in line behind you?
- if i ask you twice, but you ignored me, then you get mad at me for not bagging your stuff/taking your airmiles or what have you, please get over yourself.
- when the debit machines are down, no amount of yelling or swearing will bring them back. i promise. and if you think its an inconveniece for you, imagine how much i simply love telling people whose immediate response is to erupt unnecessarially at me.
- if you yell at me and i laugh at you, get over yourself. be glad i have a sense of humour and don't yell back. jobs like this are a dime a dozen in alberta, and i'm not going to be your personal venting outlet when i can walk next door and get the exact same job on the spot. thanks.
- if you complain that there are no carts in the store, and then complain that there are not enough cashiers because one of us is outside gathering the carts, then proceed to leave you cart in the middle of the parking lot, you are a fool.
- if you can't be bothered to extend the courtesy of passing your money/bank card etc to me, neither can i. so if you drop your money on my desk, i'll do the same with your change.
- acting like you are better than people gets you nowhere. you actually don't deserve more than the next guy, or a better deal than the next guy. get over yourself.
- yes i am a girl. yes i am capable of doing everything i do. yes i do know the difference between a 2x4 and a 2x6, spruce and pressure treated. and even tho i might be a farm kid, if i can lift it, and you are a healthy looking male, probably you should be able to too. standing there while i load your cart with twenty bags of concrete is ridiculous. and everybody but you knows it.
- its actually not my fault if your credit card is not approved. its either their's or yours, i'm a third party with no control. yelling at me solves nothing, if you are kind, i'll help you phone them to figure it out, if you yell and swear at me, you can kindly leave.
- if someone tells you you are out of line, you probably are. get over yourself.
- in closing, please realize that yelling, swearing, being rude in general, and making lewd remarks will not benefit you in life. being kind, correcting without attitude, and realizing that we are all human and all make mistakes will infact benefit you, and i will go out of my way to help you whenever i can.
man, i do love alberta. but seriously, people have serious egos in this city. and i swear, the next guy who yells at me just might get to see some of the irish and scottish that are in me. i'm kind to a fault most of the time, but seriously people, i am not okay with you standing there and yelling at me. if i was YOUR daughter, how would you like it if someone stood there and did the same to her? wow. so unnecessary i'm telling you.
i can't wait for camp.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
abstract
- i touched a frying pan today, it hurts alot. but the sandwhich i grilled was delightful.
- i'm going bowling in alberta tonight. on purpose. well, perhaps i won't bowl, but i'll be at Gateway Lanes just the same. i don't get the love of bowling. the last time i went bowling in alberta i had just gotten my tattoo. i feel so old now.
- lately i've felt impulsive, like wanting to chop my hair off impulsive. yikes.
- this summer i am spending 5 full weeks at Pigeon Lake, on camp staff. it's been a long time since i've done that, and it will be the first time i will do it with my very own car, which excites me. the freedom to not be 'stuck' at camp on my days off is exciting.
- work is not fun when everyone in management is quitting. in fact, it turns into alot of drama, the really bad kind of drama. i cant wait to quit and go to the lake for 5 weeks.
- reading a proverb-a-day has been good for me this month. i think i'll do it next month too. it's a good addition to whatever guided or unguided Bible study i'm doing. i like it.
- in line with the impulsive-ness, i really want another tattoo.
- the weather is very 'alberta' of late, rainy and sunny each day. not one or the other, rather its both in incriments. ha.
- my poor jeep desperately needs a cleaning. perhaps i should be doing that rather than this, since i leave for small group and bowling in under an hour...
ciao.
- i'm going bowling in alberta tonight. on purpose. well, perhaps i won't bowl, but i'll be at Gateway Lanes just the same. i don't get the love of bowling. the last time i went bowling in alberta i had just gotten my tattoo. i feel so old now.
- lately i've felt impulsive, like wanting to chop my hair off impulsive. yikes.
- this summer i am spending 5 full weeks at Pigeon Lake, on camp staff. it's been a long time since i've done that, and it will be the first time i will do it with my very own car, which excites me. the freedom to not be 'stuck' at camp on my days off is exciting.
- work is not fun when everyone in management is quitting. in fact, it turns into alot of drama, the really bad kind of drama. i cant wait to quit and go to the lake for 5 weeks.
- reading a proverb-a-day has been good for me this month. i think i'll do it next month too. it's a good addition to whatever guided or unguided Bible study i'm doing. i like it.
- in line with the impulsive-ness, i really want another tattoo.
- the weather is very 'alberta' of late, rainy and sunny each day. not one or the other, rather its both in incriments. ha.
- my poor jeep desperately needs a cleaning. perhaps i should be doing that rather than this, since i leave for small group and bowling in under an hour...
ciao.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
beauty is fleeting
life is good. God is good.
even when things are hard, those things remain true. i've been falling in love with God in a way that is as old as time, but is new and exciting in my life. it's crazy, and every minute is thrilling and unbelievable, and is reaffirming the foundation of my life, it's an unreal ride, and i'm loving every minute of it.
i don't have many good stories, the weather has been lousy, and thus work has been dead. i'm at the lumber desk most of the time, so i've been flatstacking alot of 2x4's of various lengths, and making some interesting accquaintances.
submitting to the will of God is always a journey of challenge, self discovery and so much more. but it's exciting, it's a journey well worth embarking on.
i dont have anything of great intelligence to say, but these are the things of my life...
even when things are hard, those things remain true. i've been falling in love with God in a way that is as old as time, but is new and exciting in my life. it's crazy, and every minute is thrilling and unbelievable, and is reaffirming the foundation of my life, it's an unreal ride, and i'm loving every minute of it.
i don't have many good stories, the weather has been lousy, and thus work has been dead. i'm at the lumber desk most of the time, so i've been flatstacking alot of 2x4's of various lengths, and making some interesting accquaintances.
submitting to the will of God is always a journey of challenge, self discovery and so much more. but it's exciting, it's a journey well worth embarking on.
i dont have anything of great intelligence to say, but these are the things of my life...
Saturday, June 7, 2008
patience is a virtue
i don't have wireless right now. so i've been removed from most all forms of internet, tho i do infrequently check my facebook on my phone. just in case something crazy happens, i guess.
i'm learning anew the virtue of patience, of waiting on God's timing, of being gracious and slow to anger. it's not always easy, it's not easy very often at all, in fact. i'm learning alot about God these days, and about who He is calling me to be, where He is calling me to be, and all the details of those things. Life is crazy at 22, a kind of crazy i don't think i've known before, but i'm living in it, i'm claiming it, and i'm growing ever nearer to the heart of my creator thru it. and nothing, nothing, beats that.
so there's my update.
madlove.
i'm learning anew the virtue of patience, of waiting on God's timing, of being gracious and slow to anger. it's not always easy, it's not easy very often at all, in fact. i'm learning alot about God these days, and about who He is calling me to be, where He is calling me to be, and all the details of those things. Life is crazy at 22, a kind of crazy i don't think i've known before, but i'm living in it, i'm claiming it, and i'm growing ever nearer to the heart of my creator thru it. and nothing, nothing, beats that.
so there's my update.
madlove.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
singin' sweet home alberta all summer long...
yesterday i rode in a cattle drive for two of my closest alberta-friends. Cali and Eric were moving their cows 20 kms on horseback, and kindly requested that i ride with them, in total there were 12 wrangles herding the cattle for 20 kilometres. it was 30 degrees out yesterday, today i am red like a lobster, but man, i had pretty much the best may long weekend of all time! we took alot of breaks, considering that it was so darn hot, and we had a lot of cow/calf pairs in our herd. we crossed 2 highways, and only 1 driver got mad at us. we had several farmers stop and offer to hire us to move their cows. and then when we got to the pasture, we camped out for the night, swam in the dug out, and had some good times.
it's day like these that make me oh-so-glad to be an alberta farm girl. even the white rein-lines on my burnt hands can not bring me down! and now i'm off to work.
it's day like these that make me oh-so-glad to be an alberta farm girl. even the white rein-lines on my burnt hands can not bring me down! and now i'm off to work.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Mystery and Majesty
and so i contemplate the mystery and the majesty of all that You have done for me...
there are days, too infrequent in my life, when I'm knocked to my knees, and once I'm there, all I can do is seek the heart of one who has given me life.
God is gracious beyond my comprehension, and the way in which He continues to seek me, even while I am seeking my own selfish endeavors, astounds me. It's hard, impossible in fact, to see myself as God sees me, to hold in balance my gifts and talents and shortcomings and failures and sins and gifts with any sense of objectivity. I'm underwhelmed by the positive and overwhelmed by the negative. But He, He sees it all, and still chooses to love me, to desire my servanthood, to use me in His work, and that blows me away. How He is somehow able to to portray His love and grace thru the broken vessle that I am is something I'm having difficulty reconciling, it's certainly humbling, and at the same time, exhilirating.
I don't know what the point of this rambling is, but I'm excited. I'm excited about God and the work He is doing around me, and sometimes, somehow, thru me. There is something about the potential in life, the grace I have been extended, that makes me want to bask in the love of my maker, but then quickly send that out to others. I love ministry.
there are days, too infrequent in my life, when I'm knocked to my knees, and once I'm there, all I can do is seek the heart of one who has given me life.
God is gracious beyond my comprehension, and the way in which He continues to seek me, even while I am seeking my own selfish endeavors, astounds me. It's hard, impossible in fact, to see myself as God sees me, to hold in balance my gifts and talents and shortcomings and failures and sins and gifts with any sense of objectivity. I'm underwhelmed by the positive and overwhelmed by the negative. But He, He sees it all, and still chooses to love me, to desire my servanthood, to use me in His work, and that blows me away. How He is somehow able to to portray His love and grace thru the broken vessle that I am is something I'm having difficulty reconciling, it's certainly humbling, and at the same time, exhilirating.
I don't know what the point of this rambling is, but I'm excited. I'm excited about God and the work He is doing around me, and sometimes, somehow, thru me. There is something about the potential in life, the grace I have been extended, that makes me want to bask in the love of my maker, but then quickly send that out to others. I love ministry.
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