White Chocolate Ginderbread Cafe Au Lait

When friends come to visit Kara and I in Three Hills, we sure know how to show them a good time... with a long overdue photo shoot session of course! This weekend our friends Janelle and Hannah, who were in Discover with us last year, made the trek back to lil' old Three Hills to surprise us. We excitedly decided that this was an opportunity we could not pass up to relive some key bonding experiences from last year in the form of photography. Last weekend while driving to Banff I noticed this old abandoned farm on the side of the road heading right out of town, and thought it would be a really neat place to take pictures... so off we went. It was a really fun afternoon with great friends... and it all began with a little Starbucks magic. Yum!

Here's some of yesterdays photos. (Click here if other link does not work)

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Lest We Forget

This day, November 11, marks the end of much suffering, mourning and tears. It was today in 1918 that WWI finally ended, and since has been a day to remember and commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces, and civilians in all times of war.







Each November, over thirteen million poppies blossom in Canada. They blossom on the jackets, dresses and hats of nearly half the Canadian population and they have blossomed for almost 75 years, since 1921, when this tradition first began. The poppy is the symbol used to show that they remember those who were killed in the wars and peace keeping operations that Canada has been involved in.

The person responsible for the adoption of the poppy in Canada was a Canadian Medical Officer during WWI, Lt. Col. John McCrae of Guelph Ont, and his poem, In Flanders Fields (France) is still recited on this day in many schools, and memorial services occurring across the country.

In Canada, it is easy to take for granted our current way of life, our freedom to participate in cultural and political events, and our right to live under a government of our choice. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms in our constitution ensures that all Canadians enjoy protection under this law. Soldiers who went off to war went in the belief that such rights and freedoms were being threatened. They truly believed that "Without freedom there can be no ensuring peace and without peace no enduring freedom."

In remembering their service and their sacrifice, we recognize the tradition of freedom they fought to preserve. These men and women had faith in the future and by their acts gave us the will to preserve peace for all time. On Remembrance Day, we acknowledge the courage and gallantry of those who served their country.


And so on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, I invite you to join in with so many others in a moment of silence on this years REMEMBRANCE DAY.

In Flander's Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flander's fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, tho poppies grow
In Flander's fields.

Liet. -Col. John McCrae

A Part of Our Heritage- Flanders Fields Short Video Clip

Harvest Party

Last night for Halloween our school put on a Harvest party and we all dressed up for some mega fun. Check out some of the pictures... some of the costumes are pretty funny! Enjoy!

Left: Just after we finished getting ready, we've got some cowgirls, a Southern Belle, and me, straight from the 80's with bright blue eye shadow!


Right: Thugs, Richard Simmons want to bes, and Kara and I again

It was a really fun night; dressing up is always a good time, and we got to have some fun with our costumes!
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Stepping on the Floor

Today I stepped onto the floor for the first time! Im sure you all read that and said, "what the heck is she talking about?! She's been walking on floors for 19 years!" Well allow me to clarify. 'Stepping onto the floor' is simply what it is called when you start your shift at the Hospital. That's right! This morning at 0645h I started my first day of practicum working at the Three Hills Hospital! In the days preceding I was super nervous. I was worried I would forget everything I had learned so far, or not feel comfortable... so many things were just circulating in my head. But this morning when I started everything just fell into place, and I can safely say that i absolutely loved every minute of it. The people, the surroundings, smells, noises, everything just fit me in a strange way I cannot describe other then to say that I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

We started out the morning getting to know where everything was located or kept, then started reading through the clients care plans, etc. to get a better understanding of each of their diagnosis's, and how to better care for each individuals specific needs. Then it was time for breakfast. Since we are starting out in Long-term care we were able to sit at the tables in the dinning rooms with the patients, assist them with feeding, and take the time to start getting to know them.

Right now we are just at the hospital 1-2 days a week for 8 hour shifts, but in a few weeks we will be working there 5 days a week, and having 4 of our own patients which is really exciting... but for now I am okay doing a bit more shadowing just to get more comfortable with how everything is run.

Thanks for all your prayers and support thus far on my Career-Adventure! God is definitely blessing me with amazing teachers, and a wonderful group of girls studying right along side me!

What is Sustaining Grace?

Sustaining Grace is...

NOT GRACE TO BAR WHAT IS NOT BLISS,
NOR FLIGHT FROM ALL DISTRESS, BUT THIS:
THE GRACE THAT ORDERS OUR TROUBLE AND PAIN
AND THEN, IN THE DARKNESS, IS TO SUSTAIN.

-JOHN PIPER
I know that in my life there has been an array of experiences I can think of where at the time I honestly struggled with the 'why would God allow this to happen in my life?" way of thinking. I know I am not the only one to experience trials and follow the same sort of thinking pattern. It doesn't even have to pertain to your life specifically either. Questions such as "Why if God is good does he allow bad things to happen, such as poverty, or diseases such as Cancer or HIV/AIDS?" that seem to effect
large populations of this world can also arise this way of thinking.

Sometimes after periods of time we are able to find a bit of solace in the rough times we had gone through, or even guilt we perhaps experience, through a variety of different ways. One of these ways could possibly be, for example, seeing some reason, big or small, for the experience- some good that can come from it.

I have done exactly this. And though a reason, or a bit of good is comfort for a while, it is never lasting, and the hurt continues to rise. All of this is cause to a lack of my understanding on the Sustaining Grace God offers to us- every single one of us.

A few days ago Kyle emailed me a link to this sermon by John Piper and when i finally had a chance today to sit down and listen to it without distraction, I experienced a remarkable freeing feeling from simply better understanding what Sustaining Grace is.
Re-read the poem John Piper wrote to better clarify this. Isn't that so true?

In his sermon he tells a story of a girl who was in a car crash when she was little, and how if God had not provided her with a doctor in the car behind, with the tools needed to save her life on hand she wouldn't have lived that day. Later on her wedding day, the pastor made a comment on the scars she still had on her neck from the accident and said that her scars were memorials of Gods Sustaining Grace! Reading that made me want to jump up and dance around the room! HOW EXCITING IS IT TO THINK IN THAT PERSPECTIVE?! Sure God could have chosen to stop an accident from even occuring if he could provide all the means for preserving her life-- and you can look on the scars of your life as a constant reminder of something horrible that occurred in your past. OR you can look upon those scars as a beautiful and cherished memory of how God's grace was sustaining. That is not something to feel sorry for yourself about, or guilty about... it is something to sing praises about, dance around your room about... celebrate without hesitation!

This is just a small amout of what John Piper talks about, there is so much exciting things he has to say about this topic, but this particular part was so impactful and exciting to me I just had to share my experience of it. PLEASE check out this sermon, you can read it, listen to it, or both (if you're like me, both helps me to concentrate on it better). Click HERE for the Link... ENJOY! and may God speak to your heart through it as He has done for me.

Bringing Home Baby...

*Our First Photo*

My new Nikon D80 that is : ) For as long as I can remember my two greatest passions have been Writing and Photography, and finally the long awaited day came where I had saved up enough pennies to buy this special treasure. Sadly, other then my Aunts wedding I haven't had much time to turn this bad boy on and go looking for shots, but I am taking advantage of every opportunity I can get my hands on.

In a more long term setting I am hoping to use this ability to make money that can go directly towards mission work, hopefully starting with my next scheduled overseas adventure to India in May on a medical mission trip. We are just beginning preparation for that now so please keep us in your prayers!

Hopefully My Nikon and I will have some new photos for your viewing enjoyment real soon!

What a Beautiful Day for a Wedding

Over Thanksgiving break i was able to return home to be at my Aunt's Wedding. What a Beautiful day! Apart from the perfect weather, decorations, etc. what made this day so special was two amazing people, and their story of how God brought them both through extremely hard trials in their lives, eventually blessing them with the love they now share for each other.

Read at the wedding was Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope'". As was said at the Wedding, this verse has shown itself true in their relationship in such a unique and beautiful way. I have always loved this verse, perhaps for the hope that it does instill,and it was so refreshing to see God working in this way in the lives of two very special people.

Congratulations Dana and Rick! I am so happy for you, you both deserve the utmost happiness and love you have found in each other.

Just a few photos from the wedding here.

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