what do you want to be when your 20?

If you would have asked me that question more than 10 years ago, these would have been some of the possible responses:

"A milk tester so that I could have a constant supply of Trident gum, Bubblegum flavour."
"I want to have 10 puppies that will always stay puppies because I am going to invent a special concoction that will make them stay puppies forever!"
"I will be living in the woods in a little cabin."
"Be playing for the Mighty Ducks."
"A famous poet and draw the cartoon characters for Walt Disney on the side."
"I will be married to Shawn Shaver and have at least 3 kids"
"I will be the fastest runner in Canada and go on to the Olympics and win a gold medal."
"I will host my own cooking and gardening show and teach the world how to make my famous mud/sand pie."

Yesterday I turned 20, and I think my childhood self would have looked down on me with distain for I haven't fulfilled any of the expectations...

I wasn't sure what it would feel like to turn 20. I was kinda intimidated by this 'milestone' birthday, leaving the days of being a teenager behind. It feels like days ago when I turn 13 and no longer was obligated to say the mealtime prayer, "Lord bless this food and drink for Jesus sake Amen" and having a crush on Nick Carter.
It seems like yesterday when I was celebrating the sweet 16, getting my G1 which meant I no longer had to rely on my Supercyle bike.
It seems like hours ago when I turned 20...

I think my older brother Mike described the feeling of turning 20 the best, "Well Katrina, you are not 30 and your not 10, your in between..." Sums it up pretty well.

Now that I am 20 years old am I disappointed that I am not living in the woods with Shawn and my three kids? Nope. Luckily some things over the years do change...
I can confidently say that I am not disappointed about where I am today. When I look around me all I see is blessings, the health and love of my family, the laughter and support of friends, the oppotunity to go to school, freedom, and joy. I know I don't deserve this, which makes me even more thankful. It gives me such anticipation for my future and what the next 10 years will bring.

If you would have asked me this question about 2 minutes ago, these would have been some of the possible responses:

"I want to be a good daughter, sister, and friend."
"To be rooted and established in my faith, keeping God constantly as the number one in my life."
"To own a motorcyle and get other people give me rides on it." (I don't have any desire to drive one, I just want to be the passenger.)
"To continue to work towards my dream of becoming a teacher"
"To take advantage of every opportunity that life presents and enjoy it to the fullest."
"Be the fourth member of the Dixie Chicks"
"To only drink real tea"
"Always be streching myself to grow and learn. Listening to different opinions and forming my own. 'Always grow, grow always.'"
"Play for the Canadian Olympics Woman's Softball team" (I can always still keep dreaming...)
"Ultimately, living a life that is pleasing to God, trusting in His plans for my life, and allowing Him to guide me down the paths of my life."

Somethings change, somethings don't...

stess reliever?

This morning when I thought my head and stomach were going to explode from the pressure of realizing everything I have to do in my life until next week Thursday this soundtrack soothed it ALL away... ok it just made me chuckle at myself for restorting to ocean sounds. I think I might be going nutso.

glorious calvin and hobbes

I absolutely love Calvin and Hobbes cartoons! So I thought I would dedicate one blog specifically to them by showing some of my favourite cartoons and quotes by the one and only, Calvin.

(Yippee for procastination methods when I really should be writing one the the trillion papers that I have due.)

"Why should I have to WORK for everything?! It's like saying I don't deserve it!"

"I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul."

"I go to school, but I never learn what I want to know."

"To make a bad day worse, spend it wishing for the impossible."

"You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help."

"In my opinion, we don't devote nearly enough scientific research to finding a cure for jerks."

"Things are never quite as scary when you've got a best friend."

"I'M SIGNIFICANT!...screamed the dust speck."

God on a dirt road walking toward me

I know, I know, I know... and that is the problem.

God never promised that the Christian walk is going to be easy, but the comfort that we have is that we will never have to do it alone. Everyone knows the classic line from the Footprints In The Sand poem "I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

It is easy for the mind to wrap itself around this concept, but it's a lot harder to tell that to the heart. What the mind knows does not always easily transfer down to the heart. The head got the memo, but the heart is illiterate. Great. Sometimes, I wish that it was the other way around.

What do you do when God's prescence is foreign? Do you just go on pretending like everything is ok and then eventually it will be? Do you go on with the mentality that this is just a valley and you must go through it to stand upon the mountain of God? Cliche.

When my devotions could not pierce
Thy silent ears, Then was my heart broken, as was my verse;

Both knees and heart in crying night and day,
Come, come my God, O come!
But no hearing.

O that thou shouldst give dust a tongue
To cry to thee,
And then not hear it crying!

(excepts from Denial by George Herbert)

Not so cliche, eh?

I once listened to an Indian on television say that God was in the wind and the water, and I wondered at how beautiful that was because it meant you could swim in Him or have Him brush your face in a breeze. I am early in my story, but I believe I will stretch out into eternity, and in heaven I will reflect upon these early days, these days when it seems God was walking down a dirt road, walking toward me. Years ago He was a swinging speck in the distance; someday He will be close enough that I can hear His singing. Eventually, I will see the lines on His face. (Blue Like Jazz)

How I long for that day when God will no longer be walking towards me on the dirt road, but we will be walking together holding hands. Then there will be no reason to convince myself of His prescence for it will be undeniable.

I will understand.

Ive got a hankering

Spring is in the air, which means it is time to dust off one of my most treasured possessions - my beautiful black Rawlings glove.
I've got a real hankering to play catch, so consider this an open invitation. Anyone, anytime, anywhere. (I think this sounds desperate. Meh, oh well.)
But in the meantime I guess there is always this option...


If you watched this whole thing, don't feel too bad. It is kinda hypnotizing.

attempting to put into words...

This past week has been one of those 'makes me smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside every time I look back on it' weeks.

It all started with a road trip down to Clinton with Matt, Liz, Ryan, and Robyn to watch Ryan play some hockey. The game was intense and left the fans on the edge of their seats. Ryan's fans were satisfied with his two goals and an assist. (I think those stats are right... although I am just a self-proclaimed sportsnet reporter).Ryan and Matt's piercing voices, as they sang along to "Too Little, Too Late," was classic. I swear Matt hit every note.

This next part makes me gloat with glee. Our team for British Quiz night swept the board and left all the other teams in the dust. One little thing though... I'm still bitter about that dairy farmer question. I have NEVER ever heard a real farmer call twelve or more cows a Flink. I'm pretty sure if they did they would be mocked until the cows come home.
Special note for team Guild: B for 'Better luck next time'

On Wednesday we broke from tradition and went out for dessert instead of having devos. (Just for a quick side note, if you ever want to go out for dessert don't go to Crabby's because they only have one dessert.) So I got the only dessert they had, some kind of apple caramel crunch and a large caramel milkshake and learnt quickly that caramel is only good in small doses... unlike the wonderfulness, exemplary smoothness, and richness of chocolate. mmmm chocolate.
Here's me attempting to give Tamille a wet willie. Fun.

This one is a gem! Over the last couple of days I have fallen in love with Anna Nalick's music. This week I learnt how to play her song 'Breathe' on guitar. It's been wonderful and I'm sure the girls in my dorm might be sick of hearing it. This little video combines my favourite movie with a great song 'Forever Love' by Anna Nalick. *sigh*

Ever since I got this face mask stuff for Christmas, I have been trying with little avail to get the girls to have a face mask night with me. On Thursday night James Harskamp made my day by asking if he could have a face mask treatment. Gosh golly, what a pleasant surprise. I finally got to share the experience of the Cucumber Melon Facial Clay with someone. It was definitely a brother and sister moment, although my brothers have never let me do this to them....
So if you notice anything different about James and I, its not a hair cut or a dye, but our extremely smooth and good looking faces.

Big News! For the first time in my life I am going to be going to a Blue Jays home opener!!!!! Gone are the days of watching it on the television and wishing that I could be there experiencing the smells, sounds, sights, and excitement of baseball. I can't even put into words how this makes me feel. The best I can come up with right now is, 'Oh man, I'm so pumped!!!!!'

Banquet. It was on Friday. It was super, duper, fantastical, amazing! That day was so lovely, sun shining, birds chirping, spring was in the air. Danielle and I went on a drive with the sun roof open to Limeridge to do some last minute shopping. When I got back the dorm it was time to get ready. :) I had the privilege of doing Liz, Ree, and Robyn's hairdos for the night. Kudos goes out to them for trusting me with it. If anyone would have lit a match in our dorm it probably, no definitely, would have combusted due to the hairspray fogging the air.
The best part of the night was the dancing! Incredible. Never have I seen so many dutch people letting it loose on the dance floor. The smoothness and slickness of the people around me never ceases to amaze me.
That night we got back and watched the movie 'The Prestige' until 4am. Great movie, definitely confusing, but a fantastic movie. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it. Oh! and speaking of movies, we watched 300 this week too. Another fantastic movie, it was very well done. I normally don't like war movies, but this one was different.

Last but not least, because this is what truly makes my week wonderful, is the time just spent with my first rate friends. The late night talks, the laughs, singing, trips to Wallmart and Tims, watching 24, and those Sunday afternoon lunches we have, honestly usually the highlight of my week.

Yup, this week has been golden.

sarcasm, a beautiful thing

My favourite type of humour is sarcastic humour. There is something about it that cracks me up everytime. When people have perfected this art, it's a beautiful thing. There are only a few whom I have met who have been able to accomplish this. Robyn and Jess, you are probably the top ranked in my books when it comes to sarcasm; I still haven't found anyone that could measure up.

Don't ask me how I found this.. lets just say I stumbled upon it late at night while I was sleep walking. If you actally use it to improve yourself sarcastically I promise not to tell anyone. It is a lesson plan on being sarcastic.

Note: By no means do I consider myself intellectually superior to you. Just because I am trying to teach you something that is usually innate and comes easy to those who are clever and intelligent, or at least quick-witted, does not mean that I presume to think myself your superior, and expect that you genuflect before me. You can thank me later...

Step One: What Is Sarcasm

As with any subject of study, it is always helpful, nay, necessary to learn the terms of art that relate to the subject. In this case it will be easy since by simply knowing the definition of the word ‘sarcasm' should be enough to point you in the right direction.

Sarcasm: Pronunciation: 'sär-"ka-z&m
Function: noun
Etymology: French or Late Latin; French sarcasme, from Late Latin sarcasmos, from Greek sarkasmos, from sarkazein to tear flesh, bite the lips in rage, sneer, from sark-, sarx flesh; probably akin to Avestan thwarts- to cut
1 : a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain
2 a : a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual b : the use or language of sarcasm

Step 2: Finding People Who Are Capable of Sarcasm

In order to be able to recognize sarcasm, you will need to hear a lot of sarcastic comments, and to pay close attention to the nuances that make an otherwise simple comment into a sarcastic sting. To do this, you will need regular access to one person who is a natural at being sarcastic. The easiest place to start would be the people you already know. Although it is unlikely that you will have a friend or acquaintance who is clever enough to be sarcastic -- being that you are not sarcastic yourself*-- it is still worth evaluating your friends.

Step 3: Memorizing and Reciting Sarcastic Comments

The exercise for this lesson is rather straightforward: memorize and repeat.
Every sarcastic comment that you identify should be memorized; write it down if you have to – You can get a small notepad and pen at your local stationary store. Always be sure to make a mental or written note (it is best to make a written note) detailing the situation in which the sarcastic remark was made.

Step 4: Making Original Sarcastic Comments

This will be the hardest portion of your studies, because it requires that you develop your own thoughts. As with any new venture, there will be mistakes.
After every attempt at being sarcastic ask questions, ‘Was that sarcastic?', ‘Did you think that my comment was clever?'. Learn from your mistakes, and do not be afraid to ask for help to further develop the comments that you find are not sarcastic.
This exercise should be repeated until you can at least make a successful sarcastic comment fifty percent (half) of the time. However, make sure that you do not overexert yourself in trying to always be perfect with your sarcasm. Just be happy with the abilities that you have developed.

You're Welcome! :)

why i still love full house...

Tonight I spent a good 2 hours just watching Full House clips and I have renewed my childhood crush on Jesse... he is such a stud.

ignorance and truth

Ignorance. What is ignorance? Is ignorance bliss?

One of the greatest discoveries that we make as human beings is to recognize how little we really know about almost everything and understand the magnitude of our ignorance. For as we begin to realise how much we don't know, we being our journey of discovery towards the horizon of the unknown towards the truth.

Truth. Francis Bacon once asked, "What is truth?"

'But it is not the lie that passeth through the mind, but the lie that sinketh in, and settleth in it, that doth the hurt; such as we spake of before. But, howsoever these things are thus in men's depraved judgments, and affections, Yet truth, which only doth judge itself, teacheth that the inquiry of truth, which is the love-making, or wooing of it, the knowledge of truth, which is the presence of it, and the belief of truth, which is the enjoying of it, is the sovereign good of human nature.'

Truth is the opposite of a lie. Lies are powerful, for they have the capacity to replace truth so that we no longer search for it. They sink into our very being, giving us a sad sort of pleasure. They are easier to accept, because they do not challenge, they do not seek for answers. They are a simple concept to quell questioning and consequences.

'If it be well weighed, to say that a man lieth, is as much to say, as that he is brave towards God, and a coward towards men. For a lie faces God, and shrinks from man.'

Truth on the other hand challenges us and does not allow us to wallow in our ignorance. It does not allow us to ignore the consquences of the things we accept. Truth is not comfortable for it has the capacity to confront a mistaken belief. Even though lies are powerful, truth overcomes. Truth lasts; it is the presence of truth that allows for knowledge and it is the beautiful display of the spirit working in the good of human nature.

'Certainly, it is heaven upon earth, to have a man's mind move in charity, rest in providence, and turn upon the poles of truth.'

*All quotes are from Francis Bacon's Essay On Truth

to make you laugh, cringe, and cry

This is what I do while I am 'studying' for midterms. I go on youtube and watch video clips to get a good laugh. This one not only made me laugh, but also cringe and cry. Enjoy!
(excuse the elmo and tigger scene...)




I wish you all a great reading break.
Stay safe! :)

valentines day

Happy Valentines Day to all my loved ones back at home! I miss and love you all!




















And Happy Valentines Day to everyone!

May this day be a reminder that God's love is deeper than the deepest ocean, brighter than the brightest star, warmer than the warmest sunshine, softer than a sigh, higher than the highest mountain, wider than the sky and there is nothing in can ever change His Love for you.

May God's love to you be always the source of true happiness!

vice president speech

For all of you that were not able to hear my speech this morning.

Leadership is an action, not a position and a key component to action is vision.

I have served on Student Senate for both my years at Redeemer, as a First Year Representative and currently as Secretary. Over these past years I have realised the importance of not only having a vision but also implementing and accomplishing it.

Redeemer’s Student Senate has incredible potential. This year in particular we have realised that Senate was not reaching its full potential. Over the past couple of months we have been actively pursuing this issue and have been restructuring Senate so that it does not settle for what it is, but becomes what it ought to be. It is our job to ensure that the student’s voice does not get ignored and we must continue to accomplish our goal to become an effective, strong, and a reliable representative for you the students. As Vice-President I plan to carry on this vision with passion, perseverance, and practice.

I have a passion what Student Senate is and does. I realise that it is an awesome opportunity and a great responsibility to serve my fellow students and Redeemer. The more I learn and grow I become excited and motivated to see change and growth within the student body as a community. I want to see a community that will realise that we have a responsibility to our school; we have vital part to play in ensuring that Redeemer continues to grow with integrity. Our voices must be heard, our needs must be met, and our interests must be taken care of. My hope for Senate is that it is able to truly become the vehicle that makes this possible. It is our job to ensure that all the members of the Redeemer community remain responsive to the students.

To accomplish these goals you need perseverance. As the old saying says, ‘It is the leaky faucet that gets fixed first.’ My years on Senate have taught me the importance of persistence and perseverance. As Vice-President I promise to persevere in all circumstances, even when it seems as if what we have set before us is unattainable.

It is always easier to say something than actually do it, but I will practice what I preach. Through the position of Vice-President I will be a support for the President in leadership and direction, I will be available to hear your concerns and interests, and I will work towards building a stronger relationship between the student, Senate, and the Administration.

Lastly I will pursue Student Senate’s vision to ensure that it will reach its full potential and goals, all the while glorifying God through all its actions and seeking to advance His kingdom and promoting a spirit of service within the student body of Redeemer.

katrina for vice-president

The 4 P's of My Platform

1. Passion: I have been on Student Senate for the past two years. Last year as a First Year Senator and this year as Secretary. Over these past two years I have grown to have a passion for what Senate does. I love being involved in the workings of Senate within Redeemer and having this awesome opportunity to serve the students.

2. Practice: I say what I will do, I will do what I say and I will do my up most best to ensure that Senate also does what it says it will do. Through the position of Vice-President, I will be a support for the President in leadership and direction, I will be available to hear your concerns and opinions and bring them to Senate where we will deal with them and work towards a solution, I will continue to work towards building a stronger relationship between the Students, Senate, and the Administration, and lastly I will make sure the voice of the students does not get ignored in the decision making of Redeemer.

3. Perseverance: To accomplish goals you need perseverance. I have found this to be proven time and time again throughout my years on Senate. Sometimes the goals that you have set forth seem unattainable, but if Senate continues to work as a team with perseverance anything is possible.
As Vice-President I promise to persevere in all circumstances.

4. Potential: When I look at Senate I see so much potential for what it is and can be. As Vice-President I want the chance to continue in the process of enabling Senate to reach its full potential of becoming an effective, strong, and reliable representative for the Student Body to the Administration.

I appreciate your support! :)


* COME OUT TO THE SPEECHES ON FEBRUARY 12th AT 11:00AM IN THE FRONT FOYER
* VOTING WILL BE ON FEBRUARY 14th AND 15th

presupposition

There are some presuppositions to the way we understand the the world whether we are Christians or not.

Just cause you said something doesn’t make it true
Even if it seems to work for you

Maybe I’m right and you think I’m wrong

you think I’m weak but maybe I’m strong

If there is no God then everything is permissible. That is exactly what we are living in at the moment, in a world that denies that there is real objective moral good that insists that all moral truth is personal and subjective and that tolerance is a primary virtue. Now each of those statements are untrue.

Even if it seems to work for you

Maybe I’m right and you think I’m wrong

You think I’m weak but maybe I’m strong

Do you really want the truth to come and set you free

Or are you satisfied with your state of complacency

So will you set down your pride and open up your mind

He says will you believe in me

Just don’t start telling me your really honest

And don’t start telling me that I’m close minded

And don’t start telling me about your wisdom

Why don’t we start at the same presupposition

Whenever love is attacked, whenever justice is attacked, whenever truth is attacked, whenever honour is attacked, you have a duty to be intolerant. And the actual strange thing about our society is that it is dependent not upon tolerance but upon intolerance. Because when our intolerances are appropriate there is no child abuse because we were not tolerant, there is no wife abuse because we were not tolerant, and so on. Our society declines precisely when we loose our discrimination between good and evil.

- Joel Geleynse
(www.joelgeleynse.com)

whitewash

This weekend Robyn, Ryan, Jordon, Jesse, and I made the trek out to Clinton to play and watch some hockey. Unfortunately we got caught in the worst whitewash snow storm I have ever seen. There were times where we were only navigating by Robyn and Ryan sticking their heads out of the windows to look for the road line. At one time a car in front of us drove right into a ditch. Jordan was golden though, we ended up surviving and even made it to Ryan's hockey game on time, but unfortunately it was canceled... so we ended up heading over to Ryan's house where we played a good two hours of hockey outside on their family rink in the backyard. Robyn and I each got a goal! :)
Needless to say I felt like a true blue Canadian this weekend. Going to watch a hockey game, getting stuck in a snowstorm, and playing hockey - doesn't get much better than that.

What we saw through the windshield for a good two hours:

psalm 103

One of my favourite parts of Redeemer are the times when we get together to worship. Tonight we had a low key gathering at 34. It's such a wonderful and uplifting thing.

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

no man is an island

No man is an island, entire of itself. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
- John Donne

Being involved in mankind is intimidating, because when you get involved (like John Donne points out) you realize that everyone is ultimately connected to each other and we are responsible for one another. For too long I have been using the cop out of fear to justify my lack of knowledge and involvement in the injustices and brokenness of this world. I am afraid to show mercy to the poor, spend time with hurting children, to witness the pain of dying people because I know that I will get my heart involved and it will break and be wrecked. This fear is what has stopped me from going on the many mission and outreach opportunities that have come my way. Selfish, I know.
This past week and a half has been a huge wake up call for me. Redeemer held a Social Justice week and as I sat there listening to the facts and seeing the images I couldn't help but feel so incredibly guilty. What I have done to show Christ's heart to those who need to see it the most?
So many times I felt helpless, hopeless, and my heart wrenched for the world. God was tugging at me, and I have realized that I am not satisfied and never will be just to sit back and do nothing. I want to touch people's lives with love, I want to make a difference in this world. I know that it won't be easy getting involved but I also know that God's powerful presence is with His people when they seek to do His will.
I forget who said it but this statement hit me pretty hard. "God breaks your heart so that your hands will be more willing to serve."

Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear, then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I

- Isaiah 58

Bono said, "Stop asking God to bless what you are doing. Get involved in what God is doing, because it's already blessed."

More than ever it is evident what God is doing, His heart is with the hurting, His heart is with the poor, His heart is for the dying, and that is where mine should be also.

Jack Bauer my hero

Maybe I am a little enthralled by him, or maybe this is a completely normal reaction...

tetris - good for the brain

According to Richard Haier, et al. prolonged Tetris activity can also lead to more efficient brain activity. When first playing Tetris, brain function and activity increases, along with greater cerebral energy consumption, measured by glucose metabolic rate. As Tetris players become more proficient, their brains show a reduced consumption of glucose, indicating more efficient brain activity.

riddles

Try these out and see if you can answer them! I'll post the answers later.

What row of numbers comes next?
1
11
21
1211
111221
312211
13112221

A woman has 7 children, half of them are boys.
How can this be possible?

I cannot be felt, seen or touched;
Yet I can be found in everybody;
My existence is always in debate;
Yet I have my own style of music.
What Am I?

The word CANDY can be spelled using just 2 letters.
Can you figure out how?

There is a common English word that is nine letters long. Each time you remove a letter from it, it still remains an English word - from nine letters right down to a single letter. What is the original word, and what are the words that it becomes after removing one letter at a time?

I soar without wings, I see without eyes.
I've traveled the universe to and fro.
I've conquered the world, yet I've never been anywhere but home.
Who am I?

In a major league baseball game, a pitcher faced only 27 batters. Every batter he faced, he struck out. He allowed no hits and no runs, yet his team lost 4-0. How could this be?

welcome Ree!

My dear fellow dormie and friend now has a blog! :)

www.reejoys.blogspot.com

would you rather...

I know we have all had the 'would you rather' discussion at one time or another.

Would you rather be able to fly or be able to breathe underwater?
Would you rather be lost in the artic or the desert?
Would you rather need to sleep at least 12 hours a day or need no sleep at all?
Would you rather be unvincible or be able to feel no pain?
Would you rather drink skim milk or pond water?

Typically, it is fun to be able to think about which one we would choose, its not like it would ever happen anyways. However, a couple of weeks ago we had this convorsation and this question came up:

Would you rather to love and lose or not to love at all?

At first the answer seemed pretty straight forward, of course you would pick to be able to love. After all the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return. But on second thought, would you still want to allow yourself to love even though you knew you were going to lose them? It is safe not to love. Sure you will miss out on a lot, but you would also save yourself emense heartache.
Tonight at our devos it was pointed out that fear is the opposite of love. I can definately see why. If I would know that I was going to lose a person I love, I would become afraid to love them.
Love is a choice, every day we make a conscience decision to love the people around us. We are given the choice not to love. This aspect of love makes it so dangerous. You hear of so many married couples getting a divorse or long-time friendships becoming hogwash. Can people fall out of love? Can true friendship just fall to pieces? In my opinion, No. Somewhere along the line there was the decision not to love. We can control how we love, who we love, and what we love. We have control over this aspect in our lives - kinda scarey to think about eh?
However, the fact that we can choose to love gives it aspects that are so much more special, strong, and admirable. This makes love the greatest thing on the face of the earth. Love is able to conquer all because it is not based on feelings like the other 'emotions' we experience.

That is why I would choose to love and lose than not love at all.

why michael hates toby...

Tonight I went on youtube and watched numerous clips from the show 'The Office.' I laughed, I cried, I laughed until I cried...

another year is dawning

Wow, what a great year.
The year of 2006 was a lesson on change. This past year I left home for the first time and embarked on the experience of Univeristy. When I graduated from grade 12 I was a pretty confident person, I knew what I wanted in life, thought I knew who I was, and going to off to Redeemer was just the next step.
God threw me for a loop or two and this past year was nothing like I expected. These loops turned out to be big learning curves. I have grown so much in every area of my life and I have realised that I will never stop be amazed at what I have yet to learn. That being said, I look forward to what this coming year holds, it's sure to be interesting to say the least! Life is never dull around here.

Highlights of 2006
- surprise trip to Niagra Falls for my 19th birthday
- the Banquet
- Mike taking me to a Delirious? concert
- the many hours on the tractor this summer which allowed me to memorize the lyrics to all the country tunes
- painting the fence, not so much a highlight but it is what my summers days consisted of so it's kinda imprinted on my memory.
- our first family vaction in 6 years to Kingdom Bound
- defeating my fear of heights and rollercoaster by going on Superman
- being a camp counsellor at camp Adonai
- star gazing on the night when there was a meteor shower
- surviving the Senate Budget Meeting, 21 hours, longest meeting of my life!
- going to the Christian Farmers dinner with Liz
- the mouldy wrap fight with Ree and all that entailed, except for the huge goose egg on my noggen
- beating the guys (dorm 34) in the first snow battle of the season
- all the great late night discussions
- The Office marathons and laughing until I cried while watching them (I'm on withdrawl)
- the Christmas break that involved Dance Dance Revolution, endless chocolate, lots of snow, the Sound of Music, winning my fist game of Monopoly, many games of Wizard, 24 hour flu (not so nice), literally jumping into the new year and the almost detrimental face masks. It was great.

arise shine for your light has come!

This song was sung at our candle light service and I think it sums up Christmas quite well.

Behold the darkness shall cover the earth and thick darkness the people but the Lord shall arise uopn you and his glory shall be seen upon you.

The nations shall come to your light, and kings the the brightness of your rising. And they shall call you The City of the Lord, O Zion of the Holy One of Isreal.

Life up your eyes round about and see: All gather themselves together; and they shall come, your sons from afar and you daughter shall be carried at your side.

Then you shall see and be filled with joy and your heart shall thrill with rejoicing. The abundance of the sea will be brought unto you, and the weailth of the nations unto you.

The sun shall no more be you light by day nor moon by light by night for the Lord shall be your everlasting light and the days of your mourning shall be ended.

ARISE SHINE FOR YOUR LIGHT IS COME AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD IS RISEN.
O ARISE SHINE FOR LIGHT IS COME AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD IS UOPN YOU.

Merry Christmas!

I pray that God blesses you with happiness and joy during the Christmas season.

spending too much $ on food?

I was watching the National tonight and they had a special on Dumpster Diving. It is completely disgusting, but offers a great alternative to buying groceries. If you have a tight budget this post may significantly help you...

Dumpster diving, is a term to describe the practice of rummaging through commercial or residential trash to find useful free items that have been discarded.

In practice, dumpstering is more like fishing around than diving in. In most cases people dumpster dive to reclaim items that have been disposed of but can still be put to further use - e.g. food

Many people dumpster-dive not out of economic necessity, but for the thrill of the hunt, or as a creative outlet.

Food can often be acquired in this manner from bakeries or grocery stores, who sometimes throw out perfectly fine food.

ill be home for christmas

In approximately 24 hours I will be in a car beginning the long trip home back to Winchester! I will be heading back to my wonderful family, friends, and farm for two whole weeks. With that in mind how am I supposed to feel motivated to study for my last exam about Canadian Literature? Frankley, I can't. Although, I don't seem to really care.

Home is where the heart is and school is supposed to be where the mind is. Right now Im pretty sure they are both at Wichester waiting for my arrival.

math 101

Me + Math =

looking for a brain donor

Anyone interested in donating me a brain? I don't have that much of a preference unless you are knowledgable about the anatomy of a human being.
I will willingly trade mine for yours... although I fee like I should warn you mine is kinda mushy right now due to an intellectual melt down...

kidz club

This semester I was involved in the Thursday Kidz Club. I loved it so much... The kids are so special and they were such a blessing to me. It is wild how they can so easily capture your heart with their smiles and hugs.

It was so precious to see those children so easily accept that God loves them even though they have such hard lives. There was one boy in particular, Shawn, who once after we prayed told me that he heard God talk to him. I will never forget the look in his eyes.

9 Crimes - Damien Rice

Gorgeous song *sigh*

in dedication to Robyn, because you introduced me.

sigmund the squirrel

My dorm dubbed him Sigmund the squirrel, better known as Siggy. He came into our lives suddenly on a Friday morning and just as quickly left us. Siggy got caught in Redeemer's transformer at approximately 11:30am and experienced a shocking death; this death effected us more than we ever imagined. Apparently he was a powerful squirrel, so powerful that he caused Redeemer to loose its power.

The first effects were felt when students realised that the Market was closed and they were unable to get their weekend shopping done. I broke the news to the girls and we already started to ration out the bread and butter, but we soon realised that this was going to be the least of our worries.
Our ice cream began to melt, fast. Since it is pretty much a sin to let ice cream just waste away, we began to eat it like never before (props go out to James for eating our whole tub of Orange Sherbert). And then our carbon monoxide alarm started to go off, and since it was really annoying we just unplugged it, apparently that isn't what your supposed to do. All the while rumours kept floating around that we might have to evacuate campus and go to hotels. No one believed them though, that was just crazy talk. But lo and behold 20 mins later there we were all crowded in 2nd parking lot hearing Dean Schat telling us to pack our bags to get ready to leave Redeemer to stay in hotels. We quickly ran to the dorm and chaos started to slowly break out. All the carbon monoxide alarms were sounding due to a gas leak caused by the power outage, some students were celebrating and others just couldn't believe what was happening.
So we stayed in a gorgeous hotel that night with a hot tub, leather furniture, and beautiful rooms; the bed was great for jumping on. It was a great night, no sleep though. Ree, Robyn, and I stayed up till 5am writing an incredible story involving the bod book, butter, popcorn, and love. We had way too much fun with that...
The next morning we left the hotel to return to Redeemer, home sweet home, kinda... It was good to be back though. It was a crazy experience, but also tons of fun. I got to stay in the nicest hotel I have ever been in for free and I am famous by association - Liz made it on CH News because they interviewed her. Steller eh?

What was Siggy's mission? Did he even have one, or was he just a victim of circumstance? I guess we will never know, although Im inclined to think that this was no accident. It was all just too convenient ... No one ever suspects the squirrel.

dixie chicks - shut up and sing

the wonders of punctuation

This example just goes to show the importance of correct grammar and puctuation.

Woman without her man is nothing.

Woman: without her, man is nothing.

i love life

I got this idea from Angie, it is an assignment that she has to do for her philosophy class. They have to list 50 things that they love. The reason that her professor gave it her class is to help them celebrate life and remind them what makes it so special.
I felt like I needed that reminder... so here is a list of things that I love about life in no particular order.

- being with the people I love
- having heart to heart talks
- meaningful relationships
- laughing
- eating chocolate chip cookies with milk
- when my favourite song comes on the radio
- getting mail
- taking a walk with no destination
- watching the sunset
- gardens and flowers
- the smell of baking bread
- being in the sunshine
- learning
- babies (human and animal)
- lying in bed in the morning
- listening to a choir
- my dog Chester
- peanut butter
- the piano
- hymns
- mowing the lawn
- reading a good book
- playing the guitar
- the smell of a country summer's evening
- hugs
- wearing my favourite hoody sweater
- suppers when everyone sits down together and talks about their day
- smiles
- naps in a hammock
- the feeling of accomplishment
- random acts of kindness

chantal kreviazuk

I almost love late nights if Im listening to her music...

And yes, even though she is not country she is my favourite artist.

holding hands

A Father asks his child to go on a walk with Him. He warns the child that the path in which they take will be rough, but as long as He is holding his hand He will not let the child fall. The child reaches out his hand and takes his Father's hand in his and then they begin their walk. The path that they take is the path less travelled.
The new surroundings intimidate the child and he tighty clings to his Father's hand for security. The child eventually becomes comfortable and realises the excitement that is all around, he lets go of his Father's hand in order to explore. The Father remains on the path waiting and watching as His child strays.
Soon, the child's excitement fades as he becomes lost and confused. He looks up and sees the figure of his Father waiting for him and hears Him gentley call his name. The child runs back to his Father, grabs ahold of His hand and then they continue on their journey. The path in which they walk is not straight and narrow, it has many turns and ruts. The child has difficulty with each rut and turn, as he would trip he would let go of his Father's hand in an attempt to balance himself. Everytime he would end up flat on his face, needing his Father to lift him from the ground and brush him off. The child soon became frustrated and questioned why he even chose to go on this walk. He looked up at his Father, "I don't think I can go on much further, I am tired and worn."
The Father looked at His child with compassion, "My child, allow me to be the one to hold your hand. I promise I will never let go and I will never let you fall."
The child's hand firmly within his Father's they continued their walk. There were still times when the child was tempted to leave and the path did not smooth out, but as long as his Father was holding onto his hand he never got lost and did not fall.
The child was able to enjoy the journey on the path less travelled.

stag and doe

What: STAG AND DOE for Sarah Vedder and Tom Smith
When: November 4th
Where: RCAF Assn 447 Wing - 9300 Airport Road, Mount Hope
Directions:
From Redeemer
1. Right on Garner
2. Left on Fiddlers Green
3. Left on Butte Rd.
4. Left on Centre Rd
5. Park in lot with mounted Jet.


I give my Katrina guarentee that it will be an amazing time! Come by dorm 37 to buy your ticket before they run out. They are selling fast... at least the ones me and Liz are selling. (we are winning by the way, Angie and Maria)

candy corn day!

Interesting fact of the week, on October 30th it is the official candy corn day!
I bet you had no idea.
You can thank me for informing you of this vital information by buying me lots of candy corn. kapeesh?

Mmmmmm so delcious! Probably one of my favourites in the world of candy.

creation calls

I have felt the wind blow

Whispering Your name

I have seen Your tears fall

When I watch the rain

How could I say there is no God

When all around creation calls

A singing bird, a mighty tree

The vast expanse of open sea

dove - campaign for real beauty

I normally don't advertise certain products, but Dove has won me on this one. Watch these two short clips... it gives you something to think about.

I wish I knew how to put clips on here but just bear with me and click on the links.
http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.ca/flat2.asp?id=6852
http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.ca/bblank.asp?id=6853

katrina needs

ya ya ya, I know this pretty a lame excuse for a blog and I've definitely having been slacking. Im going to blame it on being busy.
three cheers for school!

go to google and type in " [your name] needs" and then write the first 10 appropriate responses.

katrina needs to be more mysterious (apparently you can read me like an open book)
katrina needs a visit from 'What Not To Wear' (hmm I thought my style was pretty stellar)
katrina needs to get those eyebrows waxed (ouch that sounds like it would hurt)
katrina needs no introduction (I guess Im that good)
katrina needs a little space to manage her life (little space? no thanks I like wide open spaces)
katrina needs a new man (new... i think that requires me to have one now)
katrina needs her eyes examined if she thinks that Ereka looks like J-Lo (who's Ereka? and i have 20/20 vision thank you very much)
katrina needs to value people on their succes in life (hmm interesting)
katrina needs learn that there are consquences for bad choices (already learnt)
katrina needs to take Acting 101, because she obviously doesn't know what she is doing (what!Im a very good actor and Im witty! obviously.)
katrina needs your prayers and best wishes (thanks)

a true love song

I've heard it said that a man would climb a mountain
Just to be with the one he loves
How many times has he broken that promise
It has never been done.
I've never climbed the highest mountain
But I walked the hill of calvary

Chorus:
Just to be with you, I'd do anything
There's no price I would not pay
Just to be with you, I'd give everything
I would give my life away.

I've heard it said that a man would swim the ocean
Just to be with the one he loves
But all of those dreams are an empty emotion
It can never be done
I've never swam the deepest ocean
But I walked upon the raging sea

Repeat chorus
I promise, I would do it all again.
Just to be with you, I've done everything
There's no price I did not pay
Just to be with you, I gave everything
Yes, I gave my life away.

life aint always beautiful

Life ain't always beautiful
Sometimes it's just plain hard
Life can knock you down, it can break your heart
Life ain't always beautiful
You think you're on your way
And it's just a dead end road at the end of the day

But the struggle makes you stronger
And the changes make you wise
And happiness has it's own way of takin' it sweet time

No,life aint always beautiful
Tears will fall sometimes
Life aint always beautiful
But it's a beautiful ride

reconciliation

This past Sunday, the pastor preached a message on reconciliation... it was pretty powerful. There was one particular statement that caught my attention and still has me thinking.

When we are reconciled to God, we do not have to work inorder to restore His trust, because He has completely forgotten the sin we have committed.

I don't know about you, but I know that I have always struggled with forgiveness. I generally trust people very easily, but once the trust has been broken I find it very difficult not to hold that against a person. I have grown up with the mentality that you should forgive but you don't forget. I have always felt that it's the responsibilty of the person who has hurt you or betrayed to try and rebuild the relationship and trust.

True reconciliation, God's way, is when you completely forget what has happened and start with a clean slate. No matter what.

An extremely hard concept to grasp, but imagine how freeing it would be if we could actually do it...

in dedication to steve irwin

In the summer of 2002, I spent every Saturday night watching Animal Planet just to see Steve Irwin face incredible dangers. I loved his "crikey" saying and would just be memorized with his unflinching attitude towards animals that I would have nightmares about. Now the unsinkable ship has sunk, so without furthur adue, I dedicate this post to him.

At times nature can be cruel, but there is also a raw beauty, and even a certain justice manifested within that cruelty.
The alligator, one of the oldest and ultimate predators, normally considered the "apex predator" in its natural eco-system, can still fallvictim to implemented 'team work' strategy, made possible due to the tight knit social structure and "survival of the fittest pack mentality," bred into the canines over the last several hundreds of years by natural selection.
See the attached remarkable photograph courtesy of Nature Magazine ...
Note that the Alpha dog has a muzzle hold on the gator preventing it from breathing, while the remainder of the pack prevents the beast from rolling.

Maybe if he had a trusty side kick like these little guys, Steve would still be hunting those crocs.