at choir's end.

A lot of people I know like to bash roses. I don't know why. They say they wouldn't want to recieve one from their boyfriend (or potential boyfriend), or anyone else...they would prefer wild flowers or other exotic flowers. I love recieving those flowers as well, don't get me wrong!

But when you get a rose, it makes you feel pretty special. And I don't care if no one else likes them, because I do. I like the brilliant red. I like the scent it leaves in the air. I like the thoughtfulness behind it. I like the 'thank you' that it symbolizes. 

I'm quite enjoying my rose, thank you. 

Is this possible?

I've been sick with strep. But that's not the half of it. I've been sick with strep while I was preparing for a weekend of a playing at Streetlight, having a student piano recital, playing in church, and a choir concert.


One of my friends told me that I got sick because of stress. But I wasn't stressed! I said. He meant that maybe I do too much.


Is this possible? Am I? Hmm.

inspiration

I love pictures of people.

   I need to take more pictures. 

hold on!

   

    Friendship is the one thing I could never do without.  

.

an interesting piece from The Record obituaries.

IN MEMORIAM

Apr. 9, 2009
JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ of Nazareth died suddenly at the

age of 33. Jesus was a descendant of Abraham

and a member of the House of David. He was

the son of the late Joseph, a carpenter of

Nazareth, and Mary, His devoted mother.

Jesus was born in a stable in the city of

Bethlehem, Judea. He is survived by

His mother, Mary; His faithful Apostles;

numerous disciples; and many other

followers. Jesus was self-educated and

spent most of his adult life working as

a carpenter and a teacher. Jesus also

occasionally worked as a medical doctor

and it is reported that he healed

many patients. Up until the time of

His death, Jesus was teaching and

sharing the Good News, healing the

sick, touching the lonely, feeding

the hungry, and helping the poor.

Jesus was most noted for telling

parables about His Father's Kingdom

and performing miracles. A memorial

to celebrate the life of Jesus will take

place at Calvary Assembly, 127

Hespeler Rd., Cambridge at

10:30 a.m. on Good Friday. Come

experience the start of the weekend

that changed the world.

WEB PAGE

It needs a little bit of beautifying and perhaps some more information about what I do, but I have a web page for my piano studio!

Thanks for your help, Peter.



So, if you would like to help me out by spreading the news and making it more 'popular' and easier to find in search engines, I would greatly appreciate it if you would like it to your blog or website. Also, it would be even better if you put the word 'Cambridge' in the link somewhere too:)

the Faithful One

You know it's God speaking when you have something going on in your life, and then at the same time you hear applicable talks/sermons.

AND you keep coming to the same songs over and over.


Then you listen to them in your car - with the volume probably a little too loud - as you sing your heart out in a prayer.

Cookie Jar

Sometimes I wonder if Jack Johnson has read the Bible and understands that we are sinful, fallen people...

weather tricks.

April 5th - I got a pretty bad burn on this arm, sitting outside in the beautiful sunshine. 

April 6th - It's snowing today. And the world is looking pretty white. 

One day it's t-shirts and sunscreen, the next day it's boots and coats. :/

a favorite scene

east to the west

   But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken.

                     - Matthew 12:36NIV

soggy hair

"Of course, it would be raining." (say with an English accent)

    

        Why do my visits always end up including rain? 

surrounded

The tank that was below, before, behind, beside, and above. Pretty swell. It gave me a sense of wonder, being in there. 

   This reminds me of St. Patrick's Prayer. This tank could be a metaphor for how God surrounds us. Does this give me a sense of wonder?

earth hour

Hamilton is a beautiful place. I mean, the people, the city...the character, not what you see in the first glance.

thoughts.

Too much of our time is spent trying to chart God on a grid, and too little is spent allowing our hearts to feel awe. - Don Miller

is this me or my sister? i don't even know:)

In America, the first generation out of slavery invented jazz music. It is a free-form expression. It comes from the soul, and it is true.

from the book.



"...the problem with this is that it indicates there is less value in what people believe, what they stand for; it only matters that they are cool. In other words, who cares what I believe about life, I only care that I am cool. Because in the end, the undercurrent running through culture is not giving people value based upon what they believe and what they are doing to aid society, the undercurrent is deciding their value based upon whether or not they are cool."


And it has crept into the Christian circles.

I like driving dad's truck.

I greatly enjoy stereo's that produce a very clear, defined sound.


Just putting that out there.

whaaaat?

Dad found this at the Cracker Barrel (a pretty sweet restaurant) in Florida, USA. They had these little books for all different years. I tried to find the year I was born, but this was the closest I could get. 

Don't freak out too much, okay?

Good Memories!

Haha...that's spectacular! I was just looking at my pictures and I found this one of a gift I received from my secret friend at Camp last summer. Thanks Joel:)

Dear fellow citizens of Canada and the world:

I have one simple question for you.

          Why do you litter?

It gives me great displeasure to see how ugly you have made this world.

Sincerely, 

Carol-Lee

in relation to my post on March Break

I was shown this song/group at work a few summer's ago. I was intrigued. When I listened to it, I felt some sort of understanding with what I was hearing.  

A conversation with my co-worker (who also happened to be my friend from church) followed, as we listened to the song again, and other songs from them. I don't remember everything we talked about, but one thing was that as Christians, it's probably not a good idea to listen to this kind of music because it is so easy to be sucked into the depressed feeling that it gives you. What you listen to slides into your mind and your heart and you begin to feel and think about what is being impressed upon you through it.  I thought that was interesting.

I also find it so sad that there are probably hundreds of bands, and people who listen to these bands, who live lives that don't have meaning, where songs like this express their lives so perfectly. What does the world have to offer you when you are depressed. 

The truth is, the world has nothing to offer. It only has more hopelessness to offer, resulting in more depression, more stress, more hurt, more suicide...

The song also represents the idea that no one else understands where you are. That there is similarity between your problems and someone elses. Verses the Christian idea that we can all share our problems and help eachother, because we all struggle with similar things and go through many of the same things in life. We can identify with eachother. And we are okay with leaning on one another. 

What can Christ offer them? Everything. Do we share this? People can find this song and many like it on youtube. Are other songs of hope found there as well? Are they having an effect? 

Just something I thought about as I remembered this song. And in light of what I heard about March Break.

PS

I think I want to go on a road trip. To a place in the USA. A seminary. 

But the when and how and with who is the difficult part. 

true?

I heard recently that the reason for March Break is that this week is when many are depressed and suicidal. And I suppose that is why the Reading Week is when it is as well. 

I wonder how true that is. And if having a break at this time of the year helps the situation.

It is good to be back...

...although, I will have to get used to these frigid temperatures again.   It's cold!

Gulf of Mexico, Florida

sunshine state

It's cold. But the pool is warm.


So I spent time enough in it to get my first burn.

death waltz indeed!

I just want to say that this is an amazing piece. If you've ever played this before, let me know! I'd love to witness it's performance.

And just for the record...no one will be able to convince me to give a performance of it myself. I may be a music freak, but not that hardcore! 

Also, please read all of the instructions written in the music itself. AMAZING!

oil bow?

insert peanuts?

light explosives?

increase breathing?

release the penguins?

if you can't play this, why don't you call your Mommy?

switch to your Sears violin?

onwards

It's strange to hear people talking about getting accepted here and there in the programs they are stoked about.

Especially if you are almost done with that part of your life...or think you are.



Moving from the study world to the working world is a strange thought.

a piece of art i found

This is it, folks.

 

Well, this particular picture is not mine, but mine looks exactly like this one. :)

Romans 8

things falling into place. 

        weird? 

OR 

        GOD!!??

knowing that the things that aren't falling into place will be worked for my good. 

  just like in the recent past. 

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME   suddenly has more meaning than it ever has before.

at practice tuesday night,

a spark it did ignite.
it gave me an excite,
and a feel of sheer delight.

i feel in love again...
with my violin.




so I'm bad at poetry.....but you get the point:)

old or new:boring or exciting

Sometimes life seems to be boring and old and repetitive. It seems like nothing is new or exciting. Like books, clothes, Cds, songbooks, school, work, house....the Bible, it's message. 

But it's not true. I just let that thought happen and take over. 

             Everything is new and exciting, if I put my mind to it and enjoy things for what they are. 

Two things come to mind when I think about what all of that means:

  God has done so much for me, how can I not be thankful?

  Be content where you are at this moment...in the present. 

my crazier side

   Put Niagara Falls, a camera, and two crazy people together and you get this. :)

what you don't plan in planning

...that when you've accomplished what you have been planning for years, all of a sudden you don't know what you're doing anymore. 

You've planned to get somewhere, but never planned to actually be there.

now what?

- contemplations as I go into the third last exam of music study....ah!

On Journaling

                 I found this on two different sites online.

Journaling is helpful and beneficial because:

1. It is a route to self-correction and self development.

2. Proven method of self help or healing that is used by many clinical psychologists.

3. The ability to transcribe thoughts helps to identify where negativity is coming from.

4. It can be an easy solution to complicated problems; helps solve tricky problems.

5. Can help you gain clarity in decisions etc.

6. Your progress in working through things (life) is recorded, and you can go back and read it anytime you need to (for encouragement, reminders etc).

What do you think about this? Are these true statements? Is journaling good and okay for these things? 

Is it okay to be pretty reliant on journaling to keep your thoughts - and thus your emotional, spiritual, and mental state - in order?

of a sort of new year's "resolution"

Funny how you decide to do something healthy for your body - like, say, jogging - but then you end up hurting yourself by doing it - by, say, pulling a muscle in your ankle, making it painful to walk and do stairs - hmph!

thanks

I enjoy late night walks and late night talks.

gallavanting in Toronto

Dear RoyalOntarioMuseum:

When you put it that way, I might just change my mind about history being my least favorite thing ever. 

Adoration - A Christmas Song from the Newsboys

I’m here with the others 
Who saw the heavens testify 
Now I hang back in the shadows 
I want to come close 
I want to know 
She sees me shivering here 
She smiles and with a nod 
I walk through the mud and straw 
To the newborn Son of God 

Come, let us adore Him 
He has come down to this barren land 
Where we live 
And all I have to give Him 
Is adoration 

He raises a wrinkled hand 
Through the dust and the flies 
Wrapped in rags like we are 
And with barely open eyes 
He takes my finger 
And He won’t let go 
And He won’t let go 
It’s nothing like I knew before 
And it’s all I need to know 

Come, let us adore Him 
He has come down to the world we live in 
And all I have to give Him 
Is adoration 

God is with us here 
Our Immanuel 
God is with us here 
Our Immanuel 

O come let us adore Him 
O come let us adore Him 
Jesus, our Immanuel 
Is with us here and He won’t let go

Walken

I was walken all by myself
I was talken to myself
About you





Wilco is now the new fav.

I don't mind.

I'm in an Asher Lev and R.E.M. mood right now.



Which is REALLY weird for me.

reading, writing, and pondering.

C. S. Lewis was brilliant.

He really was.



It would have been quite thrilling to have met him.

pessimistic

a friend once told me how she told Satan to leave her alone, and it worked.


did you ever think of telling Satan to get lost? to leave you alone?

have you ever thought of telling Satan that God owns your heart and thoughts and emotions and feelings, so he may as well leave because there is no place in your heart and mind for him?

tell him. anytime. anywhere.
i think he'll probably get scared and run away.

think, think, think

Okay, I've decided.


I like that it's snowing.

down for 5+ days

I like getting letters in the mail when I'm sick for a long time.



Wait. Let me re-phrase that:

I like getting letters in the mail.
Anytime.

eyes in the dark.

They belonged to an owl sitting beside the road.
I'm pretty sure that it was beautiful.

beauty.

This is a beautiful harpsichord. I may not like the sound of them very much, but harpsichords served as one of the inspirations of the piano.

Grand pianos are sleek and gorgeous, but harpsichords are so intricately made. I've seen one in real life and they are absolutely amazing in their delicate design. They don't make instruments like that anymore. They are just made by the thousands, all the same, and not really unique.

a message from one Christian to another, while still speaking to myself.

Be happy where you are today.
where you are right now.
this very minute.

Instead of looking to what you will do tomorrow.
or where you plan to be next year.

Enjoy where you are right now.
One moment is too short to waste in waiting for the next moment to come.

Be content.


- a message from one Christian to another
(and a reminder to myself)

whiteness all around.

It's snowing.


I can't decide if I like that or if I'm sad.

discovery in great dimension!

"Pachelbel's Canon" and "Hear, O Lord, and Answer" have the same chords? What?

and "Seek Ye First" and "Hear, O Lord, and Answer" have the same chords?



And they can all be played and/or sang in a round?




CONCLUSION....then why not play them at the same time?

I love making musical discoveries. Even if they've been thought of before, I still like making them myself. And they always make me super excited and ecstatic.

taken and dumped out the window in a cloud of smoke

Our English language means nothing these days.
Fad words like SWEET! and AWESOME! and COOL! have become the grand extent of the average persons vocabulary.

I'd say that is pretty sad. But what can we do about it? Try and use other words? I can't find any!!

That's how awful it is...when we want to try and give our language it's meaning again and stop going with what the fad is, we can't because we've forgotten all the other beautiful words that we could use.

They've been dumped out the window
and forgotten in a cloud of smoke...
...in the dust of fad words.

yup.

Jesus, I've forgotten the words that You have spoken
Promises that burned within my heart have now grown dim
With a doubting heart I follow the paths of earthly wisdom
Forgive me for my unbelief
Renew the fire again


Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on me
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on me


I have built an altar where I worship things of men
I have taken journeys that have drawn me far from You
Now I am returning to Your mercies ever flowing
Pardon my transgressions
Help me love You again


I have longed to know You and Your tender mercies
Like a river of forgiveness ever flowing without end
I bow my heart before You in the goodness of Your presence
Your grace forever shining
Like a beacon in the night

playing with the camera.

color.

fall smells beautiful.






The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
Psalm 103:8

little nothings

i find myself bored once again. homework is non-existent today.

a friend is blessed with the birth of a daughter today.
another comes home from her honeymoon this week.
another graduates.
another needs prayer.



boredom leaves me no choice but to bask in the sun. the Son of Love. to read of what love is. and memorize of poetry from the Bible.



and suddenly I want to learn more. to love more. to serve more. to let my heart overflow with prayers of praise and thankfulness and confession and intersession.

and i realize that there should be no such thing as boredom. that there can be no such thing as boredom. it's a choice you make.

inspiration lacking

blogger changed while i was away.


and so did i.

somehow i don't have anything to say on here anymore.
and i feel as if i can live without it.


which is somewhat freeing. somewhat sad.
somewhat good. somewhat bad.

yes that rhymed. not intentionally.

this weekend.

i found psalm 38.

wow.

she is home once again.

and i'm very glad about that.





and just to warn you, i think i'll be absent from the blogging world for the rest of the summer cause i'm too tired to get back into it. but i'll be back in the fall FOR SURE.

i caved.

okay...so i admit i'm reading the 'forbidden books'.

:) i'm very much enjoying them.

lately

...light the fire again...

this is for my dear Amy

Zephaniah 3:17

D A G

The Lord your God is with you

D A G

He is mighty to save

D A G

He will take great delight in you

A D

He will quiet you with His love

D A

He will rejoice singing over you

Bm G

He will quiet you with His love

D A

Yes, He will rejoice singing over you

G A D

For with you, He takes great delight

D

He will lighten your load (lighten your load)

A

He will gather you (gather you)

Bm G

He will rescue you, He will rescue you,

D

He will lift you up (lift you up)

A

Wipe away the pain (wipe away the pain)

Bm G

He will rescue you, He will rescue you

Majesty

F^#m E D A D

Here I am humbled by your Majesty

A E
Covered by your grace so free

F^#m E D A D
Here I am, knowing I'm a sinful man

A E
Covered by the blood of the Lamb

F^#m G^#m A F^#m G^#m A
Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine

Bm
Since you laid down your life

D
The greatest sacrifice

Chorus:

A E F^#m D
Majesty, Majesty

A E
Your grace has found me just as I am

F^#m D
Empty handed, but alive in your hands
Majesty, Majesty
Forever I am changed by your love
In the presence of your Majesty

Here I am humbled by the love that you give
Forgiven so that I can forgive
Here I stand, knowing that I'm your desire
Sanctified by glory and fire

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

Chorus

St. Patrick's Prayer

St. Patrick & Dwight Beal

Intro: D2 D2/Bb D2/C D2/G (2X)

Dm Bb

Christ be with me and within me

C G

Christ behind me and before

Dm Bb

Christ beside me and to win me

C Dm

Christ to comfort and restore

C Bb+7

Christ beneath me and above me

Gm7 Asus A

Christ in quiet and in danger

Dm Bb

Christ in hearts of all that love me

Gm7 Am7

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger (intro)

F C

Christ in every heart that’s broken

Dm Bb

Christ in every joy and pain

F/A Bb

Christ in every word that’s spoken

Csus C F

Christ in sun and moon and rain

Bb C

Christ in resting and in rising

Dm Bb

Christ the Lord of all my life

F/A Bb

Christ to guide me and to shield me

C D2

Christ protecting me in strife (intro)

You Laid Aside

You laid aside Your majesty
Gave up everything for me
Suffered at the hand of those You had created
You took all my sin and same
When You died and rose again
Now today You reign in heaven and earth exalted

I really want to worship You my Lord
You have won my heart and I am Yours
Forever and ever I will love You
You are the only one who died for me
Gave Your life to set me free
So I lift my hands to You in adoration

deydrated.

yes, that can be taken literally and figuratively.

pictures i've been meaning to post

trying to distract myself...

of the day.

today's verse: huh. Yeah.

what profit is it if you gain the world (everything you could ever want)

but lose your soul (the ultimate of eternity)?

- - -

I have perma-dirt. Major.

entering another world

sorry for the lack of posts.

i've joined the throngs in the summer job joys.

of broken backs and aching muscles.

AHHHHHHHHH!

somehow that didn't make me feel better.

my new obsession

THE SKY

for great is Your love, higher
than the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to
the skies.

Be exalted, O God, above the
heavens,
and let Your glory be over all
the earth.

Ps 108:4-5

i'm especially fascinated by it at dusk, and when i'm driving.

and lightning shows are breath-taking.

you don't always have to hold your head higher than your heart.

It's strange how one minute you can be laughing so hard you almost cry, and the next you are sad and feel lonely. One minute you can be full of thankfulness and praise, the next minute you feel tired and grumpy.

let my mouth be filled with Your praise
and Your glory ALL the day
then my soul which You have redeemed
SHALL sing unto Your name.
(ps71)

wake me up when it's over.

in the meantime, i'll try to practice hard.

some things.

it takes me forever to fall asleep these days. and my sleep is never a good sleep. i think i need to go back to work.

i can't wait until my exam is over so i can go to work and not feel lazy at home. and i'm getting sick of practicing the same old songs every day. one more week!

there are some people that i really need to hang out with again. cause it's been too long.

youth group is over after tomorrow night. i'm kind of sad about that.

life can seem very boring and repetitive sometimes.

i seem to have forgotten about journaling.

- - - - -

some musings on the whole concept of love in the Bible. love for others.

love is not self-seeking.
love always protects.
loves does no harm to its neighbor.
love must be sincere.
love honors one another above yourself.
love is being devoted to one another.
love is a debt that is never finished being paid.
love fulfills the law.

love is a garment that i often forget to put on.

*exclamation mark*

so that last two times I've been to the mall, I've heard Jack Johnson playing. I like that.


i also heard a version of that song that Justine likes on youtube...the one with Naturally Seven singing on the train.

coldplay is a good example

I don't understand the lyrics of songs until I experience what they are talking about. It happens every time I don't understand a song. Something eventually happens or someone talks about something or I learn something in my life, and then the next time I happen to listen to the song, it makes total sense. And I end up loving the song. And forever after, that song reminds of that particular time in my life.


Pretty cool actually. Like, people learn things in their life that I will learn eventually too. Except that they can put them into mysteriously perfect words and write a song about it. And those mysterious words are opened up suddenly and I'm on the inside of their secret. Sharing in what they've learned.

before the thunder rolled tonight...

Mom's camera is pretty much amazing.

in the dark.

the sound of a train whistle in the dark is very lonely.

on a happier note......oh wait, maybe not.

The 'happier note' referring to the three adorable kittens born on my birthday in our barn.





The 'maybe not' referring to the death of one of the four kittens born a week after my birthday in our barn.

"I Asked the Lord"

sometimes it hurts real bad that she's not here.

she sees love where anyone else would see weeds...Lord search my heart, create in me something clean; dandelions, You see flowers in these weeds.

A blur of yellow spreads out for miles before you. One sees an ugly field of weeds. Weed upon weed upon weed. The other sees a vast array of beautiful flowers. What do you see?

What does God see? Weeds or flowers in your life? If He sees weeds, He can change them into flowers you know. Just go talk to Him. Confess to Him. Pour it out before Him. Ask Him to change those ugly weeds into beautiful flowers.

A glorious array of yellow!

Title attributed to "Dandelions" by FIF.

wrench.

Just when you think you have everything all planned out perfectly.



God changes things.

Reminds you that He's in control, not you.
And His plan is always the best.

even in control of the small things: like camp.

tired?

three weeks to exam.

another LW done.

lots of driving.

burned to a crisp.

warm weather finally.

hanging out with people.


wisdom teeth? ugh.

may 22

amy and monica have officially been out of the country for one month now. is that even possible? i feel like that month has crawled by. but amy? she feels that it has flown by, and doesn't want only two months to be left.

"carol-lee, you're so cool!"

I made a discovery: I don't know how to take compliments.

Yes, I turn red. But I also never know what to say, or deny what someone is complimenting me on, or say something really stupid.

It would probably be beneficial to just say thank you, or leave my reply to the blush on my face.


I don't really like compliments, actually. I mean, I do like them, and I don't let them go to my head, because that's just a really stupid thing to do. But compliments are something I find really awkward to take.

simple poetry

oh what peace we often forfeit
oh what needless pain we bear
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer

in love...

...with my Savior.


Selah singing hymns, reading Psalms, playing praise songs, walking in God's newly budding creation.
Thinking on love. What it means to love. Love people.
Love GOD.
What God's demonstration of love means. In life. For eternity.

Talking to someone across the ocean and hearing the power of God, the crazy things that happen, the learning process of trust and joy in everything.
Considering all the people in my life.


Feeling BLESSED beyond all I could ever think, ever imagine, ever could think to ask for. Why me??? Why Lord? Such irresistible love!

Now to Him who is able to do
immeasurably more
than all we ask
or imagine,
according to His power
that is at work
within us.
Ephesians 3:20

the most excellent way.

why is it that it is so hard? to love people as you should? to be selfless and sincere?


Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Romans 12:9-11

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:16


Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

one, two, three, or four? which type are you? a combo? me too!

I was reading a book on teaching today. There were a few chapters on character types. I always find these kind of things really interesting...and usually kind of embarrassing once I discover what my 'type' is. In this case, I'm a mix of two...possibly three. What are you???

Type Casting
from
That's a Good Question
by Marienne Uszler

Follow-ers. Some people are literal and factual. They respond to order and are willing to obey rules, but they also expect others to do the same and are uncomfortable, perhaps resentful, if this isn't the case. They try to do what's expected, but they always want to know exactly what's expected, and they're seldom interested to go beyond any stated perimeters. They're usually dependable, and feel they should be rewarded for this. They want to know what and where the boundaries are.


Do-ers. Other people are interested in facts and activities as long as they find them attractive or useful. For them, it's more important to be active than to follow procedures. They like to plunge right in, without preparation or guidance, trusting their instincts. Their interests can be short-lived, and they hope from one activity to another with no care as to whether the activity is completed or successful, often abandoning the activity if they meet any snags.


Think-ers. Then there are the people who, though they can quickly grasp facts and store them for future use, always want to know what's behind the facts, why they're true. They're sometimes willing to follow rules, but often feel that they can jump ahead and second-guess what the outcome should be. They love working alone, thinking through things at their own speed, making their own plans. They enjoy research and can be very persistent tracking down details that seem important to them.


Feel-ers. For some people, feeling are far more important than facts. They follow rules largely because they know that will please others. They wish to like, and be liked. They enjoy working in groups because this offers human interactions and sometimes gives them a chance to help others (which they love to do). Because they live close to their own emotions, they can't function well if they feel that anything is "wrong", or if they or someone else may be "hurting".

on a different note

gmail is the best.


what would i do without gmail and its incredible organization?

the one i miss.

Weirded out.

So when I synced my zen to my computer the first time, it synced all of the playlists from my media player, as well as all the music. One of the playlists was Amy's playlist. I listened to it last night...and started missing her. She had some good, sad songs on it.

Then I get up this morning and check my email and my blog, and find one of Amy's favorite verses on my blog, Zephaniah 3:17.


I love you Amy. And I don't know if you're starting to miss home yet, but I'm starting to miss you.

your shadow walks faster than you

So I think it's pretty sad that I don't have anything to say. Very sad. There must be something!

What have I been doing with my time this week? The time I used to spend pouring over history facts and writing harmony questions? Well...let me tell you. This week has been quite random, different, relaxing, lazy, enjoyable, and strange. If one word could describe it, I think weird would be close to appropriate. Out of the ordinary, that's for sure.

This week, about 2 hours of tuesday, wednesday and friday are/will be spent watching my piano teacher, and a friend of hers, teach. If I get nothing else out of this excersise, I am being inspired. I will be satisfied with that. Being inspired to be a better teacher. To stretch myself and get out of the box in teaching.
But I am not only being inspired. I'm learning tricks too. Teaching tricks. But if you want to know those tricks, you'll have to either take piano lessons from me or have your kids take piano lessons from me in the future. Tehe.

I've also been biking with my brothers everyday...except yesterday 'cause it rained:( Yes, biking. I figure, I have to get back into shape, before I go to work again and they kill me the first day! I'm pretty sure that would happen, because I've been "sitting around" all winter, either at my desk, at a piano, in a church pew, in a car, or on the couch. That's a lot of sitting. So, bring on the sun and get me on that bike!!

Hmm...what else. Oh! I made two random, surprise visits. One was made to Nadine. That was fun...she was kind of speechless when she opened the door. 'Twas a rare sight. 'What are you doing here?'...and Dan and Chris laughing because they already knew I was coming. Love you Nadine! The other visit was made to Anton...who else? Well, it was only half a surprise, cause we kind of talked about me coming on Tuesday night, but we didn't really confirm it. I called his mom and then I was there before he got home from work. Yup. I've decided that I should do surprise visits more often. They're a lot of fun!! Try it sometime.

I also started reading C.S.Lewis's Screwtape Letters. All I can say about that is 'wow.' They're a must-read. How did Lewis come up with this stuff? Is it truly how demon's work? They sure are crafty, and I definitely don't ever want to let them twist my thoughts in such ways. (haha...did you know that C.S.Lewis used the phrase "ish"??)

The best thing, where it is possible, is to keep the patient (we are reffered to as 'patients'!) from the serious intention of praying altogether...if this fails, you must fall back on a subtler misdirection of his intention...The simplest is to turn their gaze away from Him towards themselves. Keep them watching their own minds and trying to produce feelings there by the action of their own wills...But even if He defeats your first attempt at misdirection, we have a subtler weapon. The humans do not start from that direct perception of Him which we, unhappily, cannot avoid...If you examine the object to which he is attending, you will find that it is a composite object containing many quite ridiculous ingredients. There will be images derived from pictures of the Enemy (God.) as He appeared during the discreditable episode known as the Incarnation...I have known cases where what the patient called his "God" was actually located - up and to the left at the corner of the bedroom ceiling, or inside his own head, or in a crucifix on the wall. But whatever the nature of the composite object, you must keep him praying to it. - page 195-96

But anyway, read the whole book for yourself sometime. Add it to your summer reading list.

Other random things: I called Amy, laid on the trampoline and tried to burn, read my Bible on the trampoline even though it was a little chilly, drove Kim to drivers-ed, got a Birthday card in the mail from Steve and Amy (and baby!), listened/listening to lots of Jack Johnson and Coldplay.


I hope that satisfies my blog for a while. Because I've run out of things to say again.

la de dah

Could it be possible? Has it actually happened?


I have nothing to post.
Thus, the lack of posts in the past few days.

dear friends and family

thank you for your support and encouragement and interest in the exam prep and writing the exams. God bless you all for blessing me through you.

love carol-lee

dear brittni

thank you for the past two sundays. of hanging out and talking and laughing and being tired and sharing. i love you.

love carol-lee

huzzah!

did 'em both.

freedom!!!...ish. two more in June......but no more history..or harmony!!



yesh! (the 'h' was intentional:P)




i actually didn't mind the harmony....but, it was time-consuming.

little joys

oh look...you're so proud of me!!!

:)
haha

- - - - - - - - -

today i saw a small clump of tulips growing on the side of the road right in the middle of nowhere. made me happy.

you have heard it said...

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7



Rejoice? Even in exams? Yes. Even in exams. Rejoice because I am with you.

Don't be anxious? Pray? Yes. My peace will guard your heart and mind. Just present your fears and stress and worries to Me. I'll take care of everything.



In three days two of four exams are done!

news!

For an update from Amy and Monica, check out their blog. They finally posted again!

with thanksgiving I'll be a living sanctuary for You.

The last five days have flown by. They consisted of AOC, hanging out with some friends on Sunday, and my 20th birthday. I learned some things. Things I needed to be reminded of.





One of those things is that people are something to cherish. I'm not just talking about people that are your friends. By people I mean people that you are close with, people that you talk to a few times a year, people you've only heard of, people you've never talked to, people you notice that may need a friend, people you have poured your heart out to, people you share struggles with, people who encourage you, people you do Bible study with, people who show God's love in their character and smile.

I came in contact with so many people this weekend. In different ways, for different reasons. Accompanying a choir. Helping lead alto sectionals. Singing in a choir. Doing auditions. Co-leading a Bible study group. Leader devotions. Playing piano and singing background vocals at Coffee House. Hanging around. Dancing. Playing games. Eating. Having a sore wrist. Visiting the same church. Celebrating my birthday. Being friends. Sharing struggles. Walking. Laughing.

All the people that I talked to, sat with, sang with, led with, laughed with, walked with, shared with, were encouraging to me in different ways. God just really showed me how beautiful people are. And how unique and special each person is. And I shared two things with them all that unified us. God and/or music.






- - -

Yesterday was probably one of my favorite birthdays ever. I was treated like a queen. I received more phone calls than I ever have on a birthday. Amy Williamson, my sister Amy, Nadine and Chris, Grandma. I received some very special emails from Brittni, Kathleen and Jacinda. I received a nice card from the Lodder family (and I found a video on my camera from them too:P). My family gave me some sweet gifts, my mom made me an amazing dinner, my sister made me a delicious cake, my grandparents came over to visit. And my boyfriend started working a day late just so he could come and visit me, plus he gave me a really sweet gift:)

But in all that, once again I was reminded just how special people are. Especially friends. Sisters and brothers in Christ. And also how much God loves me. And encourages me and teaches me through all these people. He loves me. And guides me. And takes care of me.

- - -

Oh, the depths of the riches of
the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are His judgments,
and His paths beyond tracing out!
Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been His counselor?
Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?
For from Him and through Him
and to Him are all things.
To Him be the glory forever!
Amen.
- Romans 11:33-36

time, it's changing me

On Monday, I will turn 20. My 21st year of life. Learning and growing. Falling and being picked up again. Loving and hurting. Praising and neglecting. Learning and cherishing.

Many things have happened to me in 20 years. I can't even begin to think about it all. Even the last five years have brought drastic changes. Challenges. What will the next 20 years bring?

the fruit of the Spirit is

love
joy
peace
patience
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
self-control

against such there is no law
- galatians 5:22-23