the walk

Tonight, as I headed back to the dorm after the Senate meeting and school work, I encountered three different groups of students doing a prayer walk around campus. Witnessing this touched my heart and filled me with peace. I know God heard your prayers. Thank-you.

will you come and follow me?

we sang this song in Church In the Box last night, the words really struck me.

Will you come and follow me,
If I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know
And never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown,
will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grownin you and you in me?

Will you leave your self behind
if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind
and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare
should your life attract or scare,
will you let me answer prayer
in you and you in me?

Will you love the ‘you' you hide
if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside
and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found
to reshape the world around
through my sight and touch and sound
in you and you in me?

Lord, your summons echoes true
when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you
and never be the same.
In your company I'll go
where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow
in you and you in me.

treasured moments of my 19th birthday

- surprise trip to Niagra Falls
- Steph and Mat coming down to visit
- hearing my family sing happy birthday over the phone
- getting a hug, kisses, and wise words through mail from my family and Opa and Oma
- realising how much my family means to me and how much i will miss sharing my birthday with them
- the phone call from Robyner
- Jessicer hiring the three "tenors" to serenade me
- french toast breakfast
- not doing my paper, but not feeling guilty
- eating deer meat
- 10 bin bowling, even though i think it is the one thing that i am the worst at in life
- being surrounded by people whom i love
- becoming a legal drinker
- markers that i can draw on windows with
- all the wonderful cards that people made me - beautiful
- singing with Rex in the car

thank-you to all who made my 19th birthday one to remember. it was so special and i am so grateful that i am surrounded by such great people that i can share my life's journey with.

night

A couple of summers ago a girl on my baseball team confronted me with this question, "You are religious right? Why do you need to have a God? I don't and my life is fine." Unfortunately, at that time in my life I did not have an answer to her question, but this has stuck with me and has forced me to reavaluate why I believe what I believe and realise why this world needs a Saviour.
Tonight I read a book called "Night" by Elie Wiesel. This is a powerful account of a Jewish boy who lived through the German concentration camps. Once again, through this book I was reminded of how devesatingly sick and evil human nature is. When we pushed to the limits we are capable of much evil and destruction. I don't know what could possess a man to torture another human being, burn little children, laugh at the pitifulness of a dying man, kill for a scrap of bread, or even turn against one's own father. When we fell as a race, we did not trip into sin, we plummeted. God's heart must break when He watches us, we have fallen so far away from what He intended us to be. This is why we need a God - this is why we need a Saviour, because truthfully we are not fine without Him. I will never understand God's unconditional love for His people and His commitment to us. It baffels my mind. This is one of the reasons why I believe what I believe. If God is able to love despite how much we hurt and abuse Him, I believe in that love. Also I couldn't imagine a life without His redemptive hope.

merci beaucoup mes amis, je vous adore

Tonight my weak heart was put to the test. All week Angie, Liz, and I have been planning on having a girls night tonight... going out to Websters Falls, coming back, watching chick flicks, doing eachother's hair, nails, facials ect... Little did I know that I was being tricked, but I definately don't care.
So after class Ang, Liz and I got in her car, and started to drive to Websters Falls... except that I kinda got a little suspicious when we kept driving and driving and I saw signs to Niagra Falls. So as you probably already guessed, they surprised me with at trip to Niagra for my birthday, and I was totally in the blue... especially considering its not my birhtday till March 25th. And that is not the end, it just so happens the guys (Steve, Willem, and Matty) were following us the whole way there and appeared randomly out of nowhere. It was increadible guys, no one has ever surprised me with such a nice gift. I am so blessed to have friends like you.

march madness is officially here.

Every year around this time, there comes an epedemic that sweeps every basketball fan... March Madness. I am a March Madness junkie, if I were at home and had the March break, you would find me parked infront of the tv watching the games, with the occassional trip to the internet to see how my pools are doing. So right now I am missing satelite tv... or infact any tv at all. This year I entered three different pools, all with the same bracket. Yesterday, it wasn't looking too good, but as of this morning I am pretty pleased with where I am sitting. This year I am bringing Duke, Gonzaga, Connecticut, and Villanova to the final four, with Duke and UConn in the finals. All I can say is that UConn is going to destroy Duke. I have one rule, and it is this: Never will I predict that Duke will win, due to my deep seeded hatred for them.
Ultimately, my favourite team is North Carolina. If they are able to pull it off this year, I won't even care about my brackets.

pride and prejudice

As most of you probably know, well maybe not, Pride and Prejudice (the 1995, 6h version) is one of my all time favourite movies. So, tonight when I was offered to watch the lastest version of this movie I did not hestitate. Although, I was to be bitterly disappointed; the new version of Pride and Prejudice doesn't even come close to holding a candle to the real one. It might have been the fact that Darcy, whom I love for his dashing intense looks and character, was played by an actor who was a pansy - nothing like Colin Firth. Actually, in general, the cast was weak. Maybe I am being unfair, because of my huge bias towards the first version... but no. I even stopped watching it to study for my Enviro midterm - enough said.

we live in a broken beautiful world

As Coldplay says, we live in a beautiful world; I think that this is why it hurts so much to realise the corruption that overshadows the beauty. The other night I watched the movie Constant Gardener - definately recommend it. It is a thought provoking movie to say the least. Without giving the plot away, the movie is full of grief and horror. It portrays a very cynical view of international politics and commerce. I would love to be able to say that this portrayal is an over exageration, but I am afraid that it isn't. After watching the movie I was overwhelmed with the capacity of humans. I was digusted with our greed and and ashamed of how we take advantage of the weak. It is accounts such as this that leave me with a broken heart for mankind. I don't understand how we can be able to face others all the while knowing that we will allow and cause them to die. The part in the movie that struck me the most was when a little girl was escaping from a raid along with two UN workers towards a rescue plane. Once they were on the one man told them that the little girl could not come along with them. The girl seemed to understand that she was not wanted and jumped off the plane and just ran beside it. The reason why this struck me so hard was that it emphasised the reason why most of us do not react against the injustices of this world. I know for myself it is increadibly overwhelming to dwell on the social injustices of this world and I feel that it is impossible to fix it so I am tempted just to give up. We use the excuse that there are millions of people who all need our help and we can't involve ourselves in all their lives. What we forget is that we there are individuals that we can help, even though we can't save them all, we can save a few. And by doing so bring back hope to this broken world, proving that we are still "human."

why?

Over the last day this one word question has been all I can think of.
- Why?
It is increadibly frustrating to not know the answer...

I wasn't there the day you filled up the oceans.

I didn't get to see you hang the stars in the sky.

So I don't mean to second guess you,

Or criticise what I don't understand.

- Clay Walker

katrina for secretary

March 8th and 9th - Redeemer Senate Elections - cast your vote!

too much work... it brings out the best in everyone

often overlooked

Tonight I was rereading the well known verse of Jeremiah 29:11, though what struck me the most were the following verses: (12-14)
"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD"
I know when I am unsure about my future I always turn to verse 11 to find comfort in the fact that God does have a plan laid out for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me. Though I am often still left with... ok that is great that God knows, but I want to know too. The answer lies in the verses afterwards that so often get overlooked. God will give us answers our questions.
- The way you know you've been given life, hope, and a future is when you begin giving those away to everyone else.

slow and steady doesn't win the race

The well known fable that we were told as kids, of the turtle passing and winning the race against the hare because he was slow and steady has been proven to be false. The computer in which I am typing on belongs to my parents. I remember when we first got it, I think I was in grade 6, meaning that it is 7 years old. This is ancient in computer years. It does not handle the "new" technology of internet very well, let alone dial-up. S-L-O-W. So needless to say it has been a pretty painful experience trying to research two papers this week. Normally I would be using my laptop, but when I got home and tried to turn it on the monitor wasn't working, so my good ol' Euro is in the shop getting a tuning. It's sad. So here's to high-speed internet and my own computer, oh how I miss you. Redeemer's internet is even sounding pretty good at this moment... GASP, I can't believe I just said that.

lights of my home town

When I see the lights of my hometown
I feel like the world stops spinning 'round
Everything makes sense
Maybe it's the innocence
I know it's just a few miles down the road
I'm getting there as fast as I can go
I can always find peace of mind
In the lights of my hometown

The static is almost gone
From the station I grew up on
I'm getting closer now
So I turn it up real loud

Funny how a little thing like that
Can make it all come rushing back
They say it's not the same
But to me it will never change
- Aaron Lines

It's officially reading break and I am coming home!! *sigh, enough said.

I got this from my little brother this morning -
HI Katrina It's Jeremy here we have a Ice rain day today to be ready for fun fun fun!
Well I cna't wait to see you. I've will be looking forward to teasing you and surprizing you. It will be fun.

a public facility?

* This was sent to me by my dear Jessicer...

This is a picture of a public toilet in Housten:

Now that you have seen the outside view, take a look at the iniside view...

It's made entirely of one-way glass! No one can see you from the outside, but when you are inside it's like sitting in a clear glass box!

Now would you... COULD YOU... use it?!

ode to valentines day

Valentines day is such a wonderful holiday, I think it is important (and fun!) to set apart a day to celebrate the love and relationships within our lives.
This is my little ode to Valentines day... my favourite passages of life dedicated to love
Love Songs - "Feels Like Home" Chantal Kreviazuk and "Forever" Jesse (Full House)
Romantic Movie - Gone With The Wind
Bible Passage on Love - "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." - Ephesians 3: 17-19
Love Poem - Sonnet CXVI by William Shakespeare
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love,
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
Oh, no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests.. and is never shaken.
It is the star to every wandering bark
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love is not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come.
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out.. even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

zoolander

Today we watched one of my favourite movies of all time - Zoolander, it's been too long...
Although this is probably the tenth time I have seen it, it still cracks me up everytime. Here are some of the most memorable lines.

Maury: What do we do when we fall off the horse?
Derek: [thoughtfully looking up and mouthing the words silently] ... fall off the horse...
Maury: [looking to supply finish] ... we... get back on the horse!
Derek: Sorry, Maury. I'm not a gymnast.

Derek: Now if you'll excuse me, I have an after-funeral party to attend.

Derek: You think that you're too cool for school, but I have a newsflash for you Walter Cronkite... you aren't.

Derek: [high-pitched cough] ... I think I'm getting the Black Lung, Pop.

Derek: Uhh Earth to Matilda, I was at a day spa. Day, D-A-I-Y-E. Okay?

Derek: What is this? A center for ants? How are we expected to teach the kids to read good... if they can't even fit inside the building?

Mugatu: Hansel, he's so hot right now, Hansel.

Hansel: I wasn't like every other kid, you know, who dreams about being an astronaut, I was always more interested in what bark was made out of on a tree.

Matilda: When I was in 7th grade, I was... the fat kid in my class.
Derek: Ew!

(my favourite one)
Derek: If there is anything that this horrible tragedy can teach us, it's that a male model's life is a precious, precious commodity. Just because we have chiseled abs and stunning features, it doesn't mean that we too can't not die in a freak gasoline fight accident.

katrina's kreeds

- never regret. if it's good, it's wonderful. if it's bad, it's experience.
- drink melk to have strong bones and potatoes can be a staple
- support the farmers for farmers feed cities
- my dutch blood is raging!
- consult Robyn before going infront of large groups of people to say something (one thing I am missing out here in Univeristy)

- if you want something done right, do it yourself

- if you have a hot tub, you can be my friend

- playing baseball benefits the body and mind - what can be better?

- if life gives you a lemon, make lemonade - excpet don't make the lemonade that we get at Redeemer cause it tastes like Neo Citrin... shudder

- if you go shopping with the dutch, bring heart pills along

- don't take tylenol for headaches, just massage your big toe... it works

- there is nothing geeky about being a nerd, totally cool

- never go out with a guy for lolipops, it ends up all bad

- listen to country music

- rapping is not for the white (at least from personal experience)

- blessed is he who has learned to laugh at himself, for he shall never cease to be entertained.

- wit is a gift that not everyone recieves - fortunately I have...

- for all that has been, thanks. for all that will be, yes.

cards

After much contiplation I have decided that playing card games bring out the worst in me. You see winning is one of my favourite things to do and I hate losing - let's just say I'm extremely competitive. When it comes to playing cards no matter how hard I try or strategize I can NEVER win. I am probably the worst card player on the planet earth. Unfortuately for me playing cards is the one of the main past times of my Unviersity socializing - Dutch Blitz, Mow, Phase 10, Wizard, Poker, Crazy Eights etc. And the fact that I live with the card queen Elizabeth Kikkert doesn't help much either, rubbing it in my face every day of my life. So I am taking this chance to apoligize ahead of time to everyone I will ever play cards with. Im not actually like this in real life...
All I can say is thank goodness for Solitaire - yes.

a jones soda

This post is dedicated to my dear friend Sarah Freeman - for the sole reason of being the one to introduce me to my first Jones Soda. It was all I expected it to be... the refreshing strawberry lime taste along with the fizz of fun. I will keep the bottle forever, well I will attempt to. That's right Sarah you heard it right, you are stuck with me as your friend whether you like it or not. It was pretty much inevitable - even though we started off rocky - with both of us being on Senate and spending so much bloody time together. Oh, and I guess I will now take this time to apologize for throwing a bowling pin at your head... maybe that was a little too extreme on my part.