here's what happens when steph gets too much work to do.....

Music Shuffle
Put your mp3 player on shuffle, and list the first ten songs.
First Song::	Real Life Fairytale (Plumb)
Second Song::	In a Lose, Lose Situation (Emery)
Third Song::	I Can't Do This (Plumb)
Fourth Song::	S'Wonderful (Diana Krall)
Fifth Song::	Saviour (Skillet)
Sixth Song::	Luckiest (Manic Drive)
Seventh Song::	My Love Has't Grow Cold (Bethany Dillon)
Eight Song::	Paperthin Hymn (Anberlin)
Ninth Song::	If I Never Knew You (Pocahontas)
Tenth Song::	Why Did I Let You Go? (V*enna)
Time to see what they mean to you!
Who does song 1 remind you of?:	Errm..... someone I'd like to meet one day. ^-^
What part of your life does song 2 describe the best?:	now.
If you could dedicate song 3 to someone, who would it be?:	to all disgruntled students.
Does Song 4's lyrics mean anything to you personally?:	kinda..... it s'wonderful how Jesus loves me! *grin*
Why do you like song 5?:	b/c skillet is da bomb.
When did you first start listening to the artist of song 6?:	err... last summer (2005)
How many albums do you have from the artist of song 7?:	two
How are number 8 and 9 similar?:	it's about human relationships
What is number 10's meaning?:	regret that an oppurtunity to share Christ with someone was missed
What song out of the 10 is your favorite?:	7
What song out of the 10 is your least favorite?:	4
Which song means the most to you and why?:	3... because it describes me to a 't'. ^-^
Would you dedicate any of these to your love/crush?:	1!
Would you dedicate any of these to your enemy?:	yeah... 10
Do these top ten songs fairly reflect your music collection?:	pretty fairly

*escape*

Instructions:
Put your iTunes/Winamp/WMP on shuffle.
Say the following questions aloud, and press play.
Use the song title as the answer to the question.
NO CHEATING.

1. How does the world see you?
Great is Thy Faithfulness (Lincoln Brewster) - uuuuh..... ok?

2. Will I have a happy life?
Quadukka-L-Mayyas (Jesse Cook) - err.... don't even know what that means.
edit: uuuh..... found out that it means "your proud figure" or "your sexy body" in arabic (depending on which translation of the song u look at). now i know..... and i'm not sure what it means for a happy life...... *eep*?? O_o

3. What do my friends think of me?
Shattered Life (Seventh Day Slumber) - uhoh...

4. Do people secretly lust after me?
So Cold I Could See My Breath (Emery)

5. How can I make myself happy?
Never Take Friendship Personal (Anberlin) - but i thought it was the other way around!

6. What should I do with my life?
Everybody's Fool (Evanescence) - but but but..... i protest!

7. Will I ever have children?
The Look of Love (Diana Krall) - and so that means...... yes?

8. What is some good advice for me?
Another Day (Natalie Grant) - very GOOD advice too *nodding*

9. How will I be remembered?
Blue Moon (Mel Torme) - aww. i don't wanna be remembered as a lonely person. :(

10. What's my signature dancing song?
Dare You to Move (Switchfoot) - aww. SO not a dancing song......

11. What's my current themesong?
New (Bethany Dillon) - ^-^ love it!

12. What do others think is my current themesong?
Candy-Coated Waterdrops (Plumb)

13. What shall they play at my funeral?
Sanity (Matt Brouwer) - haha..... hopefully it's not cuz i lost it.....

14. What type of *man* do I like? (that was edited...... do NOT lean the other way!)
Freedom (Michael W. Smith) - *lol*..... a free spirit, huh?

15. How's my love life?
I Could Write a Book (Dinah Washington) - HA...... riiiight. if only. *rolls eyes*


alright..... some of those made no sense..... but 'twas fun anyhow. back to the grind, slave!

God, i can't do this. i can't.

everything's coming down on me....... giving up looks GREAT right now. i know this doesn't matter much in eternity's light, but it's consumed me now. can't even concentrate........ how do i keep things in perspective when i can't even see around its bulk? ugh.

Thought this was interesting..... i think we really aren't aware of how big our Family is..... for sure there are people with many many needs immediately around us, but we just don't think about all these other ppl that to a greater or lesser degree impact our lives everyday -- they need prayer just as much as we do!

Prayer is Precious (Russ Breimeier - ChristianityToday.com))
Hard for me to fathom that it's been nearly nine years since my long internship with EMI Christian Music Group in Nashville. I remember it like yesterday, not just the excitement of working for a prestigious record label, but also the adventure of going out on my own away from all my family and friends. Because I was alone and exploring the possibility of calling Nashville home should I find employment, I had the pleasure of sampling several churches in the area during my stay.

One week early on, I was caught off guard during the prayers in the worship service. There were petitions for an ailing relative of Michael Card, a difficult pregnancy for Wes King and his wife, and some other request on behalf of Phil Keaggy. I had no reason to be surprised, having learned in advance that several Christian artists called this particular congregation home. But just like at my home church, my mind triggered at the sound of a familiar name, causing my heart to send along a little extra boost of prayer.

For me, it was a reminder that the church is much bigger than we often make it. Over the years, I had prayed for people in my congregation that I'd never met, for missionaries overseas, for our country's leaders, for people in the national news. Why then should praying for Christian artists be any different? When you think about it, some of them are more present in our lives than we realize, depending on how often we play their CDs or sing their songs in church.

Looking back, perhaps I was letting celebrity getting in the way of prayer, allowing their spotlight and perceived success to get in the way of recognizing the needs and joys of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Since then, it's something I've tried to take more seriously, especially now that I interact with so many within the industry. Though artists do try to maintain some privacy with their personal lives, I encourage you to keep tabs on the happenings of your favorites via their websites. Additionally, knowing that we're all capable of criticism, I challenge you to pray for an artist you don't care for. It could simply be for someone who you think can do better, or perhaps even a non-Christian artist that has offended your sensibilities many times before. None of us are beyond the need for prayer and God's mercy, even if they are outside our everyday spheres of activity.

lonely planet.....

i've mostly succeeded in avoiding all-niters this year..... i've forgotten what a lonely endeavor it is. tonite the topic is snow. hrrrmmmmmmmm.................. whoever thought that ppl actually go out to study snow?!??? isn't it just that white stuff that's fun to play in and a pain to shovel? i guess there are important uses for such studies.... like predicting the amount of spring melt and the subsequent amount of flooding and water available for municipal utilization...... but who knew?? honestly, this was borderline for me....... and right now, it's looking more useless by the second. sleep beckons.

back i go........


edit: the clock now tells me it's 7:30 am...... tippy, let's go find our bed. -_-

Take a look at the following article.... it's so inspiring when Christians use their fame as a platform for reaching the unsaved. I'll warn you now.... the articles a bit long.... but it's a good one! I love how Cindy followed God where He led her.... and ended up doing amazing things! It makes me happy to see that she is still so grounded and aware that God is in control, and is willing to go with whatever He has planned for her next. People like Cindy Klassen make me so proud to be Canadian! ^-^


Cindy Klassen speeding for His sake

By Shirley Byers

SHE LOVES classic literature, good music, great art, and visiting new places. She loves God and her family. And she loves to compete on the ice. Following in the skate grooves of Catriona LeMay Doan -- once known as the fastest woman on ice -- Cindy Klassen sped her way to a bronze medal in the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City and came within a hair of two more.

Surprisingly, however, the Winnipeg native didn't even consider speed skating until she was 18 years old. She still dreamed of making it to the Olympics, but as a hockey player.

Klassen has held a hockey stick since the age of five. In 1996, the 17-year-old power-house was playing defense for Canada's National Junior Women's Hockey team. Then, in 1998, she was invited to try out for Canada's Olympic team.

"I did my best, and was pleased with my performance," comments Klassen. "I was fairly certain I had made the team."

She was at home with her parents when the devastating news came. Klassen hadn't made the team. "I felt hurt and angry, sad and confused all at the same time." She recalls.

Still reeling from her disappointment, Klassen received a call from the National Women's Hockey Team, encouraging her to move to Calgary. Although she wouldn't be on the team, Klassen could still train with them.

She complied, joining her former teammates in Alberta. However, she admits: "I couldn't handle being around all the players who had made the team while I had been cut."

So, soon after she'd arrived in Calgary, Klassen gathered her things and went home with the intent of playing on a recreational hockey team. Following her transition home, Klassen's parents -- who urged her to speed skate as a child -- broached the subject again.

Klassen had never been thrilled about what she termed "those skin-tight outfits and strange, long-bladed skates," but because her mother could get a discount on the equipment, she agreed to give it a try.

"It was so hard to even stand on the skates. I had a lot of trouble learning the technique," explains Klassen. "All of my training for 13 years had been geared to hockey and this was so different.

"There were still those weird outfits . . . For the better part of my first year in speed skating, I went against the grain, and wore very baggy clothes," Klassen laughs.

"But at the same time, I was finding that I loved doing an individual sport -- because what you put into it, you get out of it."

And Klassen put her whole self into it. She trained six days a week, her daily schedule consisting of two and a half hours on the ice in the morning, lunch, a nap and two hours of either cycling or weights in the afternoon. Her strenuous work paid off, as Klassen competed successfully in the World Championships and World Cups.

Then her lifelong dream was realized when she made it to the Winter Olympics.

"The World Championships can be pretty amazing but the Olympics takes this to a new level," says Klassen.

"For a time in Salt Lake, the pressure was getting to me," she admits. "I wasn't sleeping, I couldn't eat. I was so nervous."

She registered to compete in four events -- the 1,000, 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000 meters. When the time came for the 3,000-metre race, her anxiety skyrocketed.

"But that very day," she recalls, "I received an e-mail from the students at my old high school (Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute). [It] was packed with notes of encouragement, telling me they were cheering [and] praying for me."

"And that's when it hit me," Klassen continues. "This is just another race. [God] knows the outcome. All I can do is use what He's given me. All I can do is do the best I can. So, that's what I did."

Suddenly it was all over, and Klassen found herself standing on the podium. Her "best" had been rewarded with an Olympic bronze medal.

Since then, the geography major has only continued to improve, and in 2003 she became the first Canadian in 27 years to win the overall title at the World Speed Skating Championships.

Klassen now recognizes that, despite being rejected by the Olympic hockey team, "God was leading me. This was his plan all along. I learned by getting cut."

As a believer in Jesus Christ, she adds, "even when you want things . . . if it's not in God's will, it's not going to happen. I've learned to go along with that.

"Right now in speed skating I'm having the time of my life, but I have to be ready to move on if He wants me to do something else."

Klassen desires to be as open about her faith as former teammate and gold medalist, Catriona LeMay Doan, who told City Light News, "It's my relationship with Jesus that gives me true significance."

Inspired by Doan's boldness, Klassen says, "I want to use the publicity I've gotten through my success for His glory. I go back to my old high school and talk to the students. I . . . let people know I'm a Christian."

She adds, "I've won a medal, but that's nothing compared to the crown I'll get in Heaven. I see a lot of people in sports who think when they reach a certain level they've got it made, but really, you can only find happiness in the Lord."

-- courtesy of Living Light News

mary & martha.......

had a lovely time of sharing and praying with four of my beautiful sisters earlier this evening! *yaaaay... i'm now an adopted cousin!!!*

h2o's helping hands for hire was one of our main topics of discussion tonite. oh last-minuteness again!! *hee* not many ppl signed up to hire us, despite our efforts to somewhat up the promo this time around...... so we were left scrambling to find odd-jobs to do. after much deliberation tonite, we finally got down to praying (leave it to us to *save* praying for last!), and Karen said something about being Mary and being Martha that totally struck me. helping ppl is a GOOD thing to do..... we had every good intention when we started out. but things spiralled out of our control, and we wanted to fix it..... we wanted to do something. doing it ourselves.... that's not the point. we've totally been martha's (i have been anyway!), worrying over incomplete tasks, while the whole time the point was to sit and wait before the Lord and see what good things He has in store, like mary did. it was humbling to be reminded once again that i can't do it on my own, no matter how hard i may try and how good my intentions are.

don't you love it when God uses His word to show you/remind you of a truth?? it never ceases to amaze me that something so ancient can still be so applicable to me today. i guess humans never do learn, do we? :)

OH MAN. this is waaay too silly. i have to admit..... it's a geeky thing because i like geology. *heeeeeee* plus it brings back the 'pet rock' phase that we went through.....

Everybody needs a rock.

I'm sorry for kids who don't have a rock for a friend.

I'm sorry for kids who only have TRICYCLES, BICYCLES, HORSES, ELEPHANTS, GOLDFISH, THREE-ROOM PLAYHOUSES, FIRE ENGINES, WIND-UP DRAGONS, AND THINGS LIKE THAT - if they don't have a rock for a friend.

(Byrd Baylor, from "Everybody Needs a Rock")

yay gym nite!

we had our *semesterly* gymnite at OU this past Friday (absolutely HAD to wear the raven shirt!) ..... i had an awsome time! i've missed playing basketball...... eventhough i wasn't REALLY giving it 100%, but whatever. it was fun watching the guys. ("shuffle steph, shuffle!!!") franki was there too, which was the nice part...... it would've been nicer still if he played with us. instead, we spent the evening being his guinea pigs as he tried out his new camera lens. ("don't you DARE take a picture of me..... frank!") *sigh* ah well...... must admit though, he did get some pretty good shots in..... and it's nice to have that wonderful time of fun documented. *grin* enjoy!


fly birdie, flyyyyy!!


incredible jumpers....


hiding from the camera...


this isn't a physical contact sport.... so YOU think.


look at tom go!


michelle getting some action in.....


yeah!

setting our sights on faraway lands.....

wow. it's SO interesting how so many of us are looking to step out of our comfort zones this summer...... looking to faraway places and seeing if God will lead us there to serve. it's so awsome to hear about all this passion! and finding the same awakening in myself......... it's amazing. it also strikes me as interesting that we are looking to more than just the church-sponsored projects....... let me clarify, there is NOTHING wrong with the ones that our church is involved with....... no project is unworthy, believe me. but somehow, i've always wondered what other oppurtunities there were out there.

nothing's written in stone for any of us yet, so i'm not gonna mention any specifics...... but i will ask all of you reading this to keep those of us that are considering, and those of us that God is working on, in your prayers. thaaanks! ^-^

heard this song for the first time a couple days ago... it was sooooo super sweet and struck a chord with the hopeless romantic in me, so much so that i couldn't resist hunting down the lyrics. ^-^ i know i know...... it's not valentine's day yet! so sue me. *pbbt.*

Chris Rice - When Did You Fall
From the album Amusing

You’re all smiles and silly conversation
As if this sunny day came just for you
You twist your hair, you smile and you turn your eyes away
C’mon, tell me what’s right with you
Now it dawns on me probably everybody’s talkin’
And there’s something here I’m supposed to realize
‘Cause your secret’s out, and the universe laughs at it’s joke on me
I just caught it in your eyes, it’s a beautiful surprise

Chorus:
When did you fall in love with me?
Was it out of the blue
‘Cause I swear I never knew it
When did you let your heart run free?
Have you been waiting long?
When did you fall in love with me?
When did you fall in love?

Make your way over here, sit down by this fool, and let’s rewind
C’mon, let’s go back and replay all our scenes
You can point out the hints, the clues, the twists and the smiles this time
All the ones that slipped by me
I bet my face is red, and you can hear my heart poundin’
Well I guess it don’t matter now that I realize
‘Cause baby I missed it then, but I can surely see you now
Right there before my eyes
You’re my beautiful surprise

Chorus:

Was it at the coffee shop
Or that morning at the bus stop
When you almost slipped, and I caught your hand
Or the time we built the snowman
The day at the beach, sandy and warm
Or the night with the scary thunderstorm
I never saw the signs
Now we’ve got to make up for lost time
And I can tell now by the way that you’re looking at me
I’d better finish this song so my lips will be free

Have you been waiting long, when did you fall in love
I kept you waiting so long, when did you fall
Have you been waiting long
When did you fall in love with me
When did you fall in love?

Copyright 2005 Clumsy Fly Music (ASCAP)

post from january 12th:

a new year has started...... i'm still bitter that i was cheated of one extra week of official holiday. :P how strange to think that half on janurary is almost gone. time really is like water slipping through one's fingers............

i never made resolutions before...... i mean, why make 'em if all you end up doing is not fulfilling them? but this year's a little different..... i feel as though God's really been showing me that i'm just not able without Him. so i decided to make, not so much a resolution, but a theme for the year: refuse to be independent. catchy, huh? ^-^ actually, i didn't come up with that (what do u take me for, a genius?!).... came from oswald chambers' my utmost for his highest......... i never picked it up before, but decided to go through it after it was suggested to me from one of my girls! it is so full of profound insight. definitely peruse through it, if you could get your hands on one!

school's started again. can't believe it's my last sem. i've got 4 classes and my thesis....... a little apprehensive about the last item. i still feel as though i haven't done enough work on it (because i really haven't! didn't work on it at all over the holidays....). weeell.... the only thing to do is to trek on, i suppose. and drench the project with prayer. :P boy do i ever need that.

NEWS FLASH!!!!!!! there's a new singing sensation in town........ she's beautiful, she's wonderful, she's talented, she comes highly recommended by the pastoral staff......... who is she, you ask????? why it's none other than............................................................

KAREN LEUNG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm all finished with school for now..... wow. What a BIG sigh of relief. Time really flew this past semester..... can I really be done? Can I REALLY have one semester left before this is all over????? Whatever will I do with myself???

Snow Gala madness this week..... but in a GOOD way of course! ^-^ I'm sure that it's gonna turn out AMAZING...... I'm always in awe of how h2o-ers team up to make an event a HUGE success, beyond anything I could have hoped for. God has been SO good to us this past semester! I'm so excited to see what He has planned for us in the new year. Here's what I've been working on this week:


h2o Snow Gala 2005: finished program


h2o Snow gala 2005: program close-up

hmmmm. extremely interesting conversation going on behind me right now...... it originated from electron orbitals, and has now meandered over to faith and religion and logic. these physicists (i think that's what they're in..... i don't know these guys). what minds! here's an interesting thought: "if people believe that there's a heaven, then why aren't they doing everything in their power to get into it?" hmm. good question. and another observation, "it takes balls to believe in a religion... to have faith." *lol* it definitely does.......

MUAHA..... i REALLY should be studying geophysics...... but ANYWAY. this was from lyds' site::

10 Firsts:
- first best friend: celeste & esther (wow..... all the way back in HK!)
- first screename: stevie
- first kiss: my parents, most likely.
- first pet: the bunny my parents let me have for a day then promptly returned...... :(
- first piercing: ears
- first crush: err....... a boy named matt in grade 2...... he was a twin! and he was cute. *lol*
- first music: jaci velasquez, heavenly place. or if u go furthur back than that..... psalty the singing song book?! ^^
- first car: hot wheels that actually belonged to ben*grin*
- first love: Jesus
- first date: i've never been on one. :P

9 Lasts:
- last cigarette: never had one
- last alchoholic drink: hmm. currant wine. that was good..... right at the sweet-bitter threshold. *grin* wanted to try sangria but i didn't have id with me...... *sigh*
- last car ride: Mum driving me home from the library last nite
- last real kiss: not yet!
- last movie seen: half of "The Four Feathers" last nite.
- last phone call: err...... my mum last nite, asking her to get me from the library?
- last CD played: Bethany Dillon - Imagination
- last bubble bath: haven't had one in years. literally.
- last time you cried: err, i don't remember. last month?

8 Have You Evers:
- have you ever been arrested: no. (regardless of the hoyden some ppl *ahem, frank!* think i am. *grin*)
- have you ever dated one your best friends: noo.
- have you ever skinny dipped: haha..... definitely NOT.
- have you ever been on TV: i think so..... caught in some shots for the news.
- have you ever kissed someone & then regretted it: nooooope. i don't kiss ppl i don't LOVE.
- have you ever been dumped: nopers.
- have you ever snuck out: hmm. out of what? home? (no) lectures? (yep)
- have you ever been in a fight: a physical one? does sparring count??

7 Things You're Wearing:
- jeans
- hiking boots
- white t-shirt
- my "soft rocker" owl tee
- glasses
- grey sweater
- sous-vetements....... *muahaha*

6 Things You've Done Today:
- woke up
- brush my teeth
- feed kaji
- ride the bus
- read a novel (wish i could replace that with "Bible"...... but there u have it......)
- check e-mail

5 Favorite Things In No Particular Order:
- God
- music
- books
- blue skies
- hot chocolate

4 People You Can Tell Anything To (well maybe not ANYTHING):
- Jesus
- Carmie
- Denise
- Melly

3 Choices:
- black or white: black
- hot or cold: hot
- chocolate or vanilla: chocolate

2 Things You Want to Do Before You Die:
- share the gospel
- dig a well

i'll go back and reply to the last post later..... but for now, i must mention a (belated.... his birthday was on the 6th!) happy birthday to prolific composer & director extraordinaire Joe Hisaishi (composer of the soundtracks to My Neighbour Totoro, Nausicaa, & Mononoke Hime.......). do i ever love his music! right up there with frank sinatra, baby! if you have never heard his stuff....... i dunno what to say. ur life is not complete? u poor, deprived child? ask me for his music?? *lol*

i've been obligated........::

if you reply to my journal:

1. i'll respond with something random about you.

2. i'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.

3. i'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.

4. i'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.

5. i'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.

6. i'll tell you what animal you remind me of.

7. i'll ask you something that i've always wondered about you.

8. you must put this into your journal.

Another afternoon at Havenbooks....... except today there're no sun-spots to languish in. :( It's actually very grey outside..... totally not a do-work type of day..... more like a snuggle-with-tippy-and-a-blanket-and-book kind of day. I've got my LAST presentation/thing to do for school tomorrow! I'm excited.... ^-^ Although I don't feel like working on it at all right now. *blah*. It's not even that difficult..... I am my own worst obstacle in this. I wish I was a fairy. Then I can wave my magic wand and MAKE my project be done. ~*

Frank Sinatra's playing in the background..... omigosh, I LOVE his music!!!!! It's so fun and feel-good and romantic..... all at once. *grin* His music totally takes me back to another time.... It is THE best. "I've got a crush on you........."

Aww....... Tara's leaving meeeeee! I'm so upset. *sniff* :*( But then again..... I wouldn't want to stay at work if I could go home (to work on my presentation..... oh what fun.). The consensus at work today is that I am both evil and adorable. *muaha.* Oh, and I'm reportedly crazy as well.

My most sincere apologies for a post that's so all-over-the-place! I just don't feel like focusing...... (I think it's an on-going theme this afternoon.... isn't it obvious??) ALRIGHT. I'm gonna try to get some work done.

Note: This wasn't the "promised" blog post...... I'll get to that..... some time later. Just didn't wanna keep the masses on their tippy-toes! *grin*

A quiet afternoon here at Havenbooks today.... prime time to do some homework, but I can't help but savour the moment...... I'm sitting in a sunspot, eating my lunch, and feeling totally quiet and content. ^-^ What a gorgeous day it has been today! The golden sun is smiling. Here're the crisp, invigorating days I missed because of the gloomy autmn we had! Hmm..... don't really have anything substantial to say today.... what random thoughts can I organize into some semblance of order so that I can create a blog post??????

On a different note, my legs are TIRED from swords class....... if I got to sit for the rest of the day, I couldn't be happier. But oh how I'm loving this! The forms are definitely getting more complex now, and it's more of a work-out, but I think that's absolutely a good thing. We started practising jumps today! *grin* Much thanks to all of you that helped convince me to take this. ("Maybe it's God's will for you to gain some self-confidence." *lol!*)

I've never been one to make life-plans/goals...... I've never been one to construct lofty dreams of how I wanted my life to turn out, only to realize later that it isn't what God wanted for me. As a result, I've never truly had to surrender any plans I had, because I didn't have any to give up. I've always counted that as a blessing, because if I didn't have plans, then I'm totally open to what God calls me to, right? So I thought.

In the recent weeks, God has showed me that, whether it's intentional or otherwise, not considering certain options is synonymous to having plans and refusing to give them up for something better. What ever am I speaking of?? Missions! Let me back up a bit.

At the beginning of November, we had missions week at church, and our church-supported missionaries John & Kelly Ulrich (very neat individuals, btw!) came and spoke about their work in Zimbabwe. What exciting lives they lead! And afterward (maybe the next day or so), God started whispering to me...... I have been limiting myself to be used in this way because I've never considered it. Not that I've consciously said," no God, I don't want to be a missionary," but I guess of all the crazy things that God would want me to be, I never thought that this would be one of them. I've never had a great passion for some country or ppl group; I never thought of myself as the missionary type. Maybe I'm more attached to my western lifestyle than I realize. Maybe I'm scared that if I let myself try, I'd get hooked into it one way or another. I dunno. Whatever the reason, I never thought that being a missionary would be a possibility for me. How silly of me to limit myself..... to limit God.... in this way!! Not to say that this is what He's calling me to.... I'm not leaving for the mission field tomorrow or anything. But all this rambling to say that God has showed me that I'm not as open-minded as I once thought I was. All this to say that God has showed me that I need to come before Him and tell Him that I am truely here for Him to use, however He sees fit. All this to say that I'm glad He showed me now, before I missed something great.

All this to challenge each and every one of you, dear friends, to truely and completely give yourself away to God. Open up your self to every possibility, because He has something awesome in mind for you, something that you will spend the rest of your life regretting if you miss the oppurtunity.

Live with abandon.