Teen Challenge

This morning we had a real treat in church! The choir from Teen Challenge, Canada visited us to give a presentation. :o)

Teen Challenge is a rehabilitation program for individuals that suffer from alcohol or drug addiction. The neat thing about their program, though, is that it has a 70% cure rate, as compared to secular rehab programs (who only have about a 5% cure rate). And, it's not just for "teens" ... several of the speakers this morning were in their 30s to 50s! Anyone who needs help from addictions can find it with Teen Challenge.

Several of the men shared their testimonies of how God has freed them from their addictions, and the choir sang some rousing songs! The music was loud and upbeat -- not something usually found in a Baptist church, I'd imagine! LOL :-D But, I absolutely loved it! The drummer was fantastic, and the guys sang well. :o)

People can sponsor these men on their road to recovery. Just visit one of the Teen Challenge websites (US or Canada). In Canada, I think they said it's something like $30 a month. Not bad, considering. :o)

Struggling

I'm still frustrated. I don't know what to do about my family situation. They don't want to bend, and I can't bend right now. Maybe some day, but not right now. Where is there a middle ground?

I wish things could be as they were. I wish that we could just act like all was normal, but that they wouldn't ask for things that I can't give. If they could accept that I am not ready to relinquish that part, then we could all live a bit more peacefully. But, they won't. It's all or nothing, and so I end up choosing "nothing" when I don't really want to. I prefer compromise.

DH put things in an interesting light last night, and so I'm mulling that one over. I'd not seen it like that before. But, I still don't think I could let it go that easily.

Something funny? On Sunday, during our Sunday school class, one of the ladies said something pretty profound...
"All struggle is from a lack of surrender."

...meaning that, we struggle because we've not surrendered control to God. Hmmmm....

I want to. Believe me, I do! I don't like fighting with my family! I don't want broken relationships! I never wanted mistrust! But I don't know how to return things to normal. I can't just say I trust someone when they've given me no reason to do so! I can't. How could *anyone*?!

Happy Birthday to Biblioholism!

I just realized, yesterday, that I've been blogging for just over one year now! Happy (blogging) Birthday to me! :-D

---

Here's is my first-ever Biblioholism post:

No Library Sale?

How bummed am I? I realized yesterday, after being hyped-up about it for weeks, that I'd not seen any flyers advertising the (supposedly) upcoming Library Book Sale. Usually they're out at LEAST one week prior to the sale. I was at the library two days ago, and I saw no signs or flyers. :o(

I called to check, and the Librarians have heard nothing about a Sale.

I am sooooo disappointed! :-(

5 Things (meme)

Found this on a friend's blog. :o)

1. List 5 hobbies that sound fun!

- pottery, golfing, knitting, rock-climbing, cross-stitch

2. List 5 classes that sound fun!

- cross-stitch, Italian, Sign-Language, Architectural Design, Kickboxing

3. List 5 things you personally would never do that sound fun.

- Sky-diving, bungee-jumping, paintballing, learning German, winning money on the "Fear Factor" show. ;o)

4. List 5 skills that would be fun to have.

- cross-stitch, Architectural design, knitting, writing books, golfing.

5. List 5 things you used to enjoy doing.

- painting, doodling, skating, sleeping in, staying up all night.

6. List 5 silly things you would like to try once.

- rock-climbing, taking a kickboxing class, learning Russian, pretending to be from Britain to fool someone (love the accent!), publishing an article (these aren't really *silly*, but they're all I can think of at the moment).

Memes addiction

Can you tell I've developed a small addiction to blog things? LOL :p

What Kind of Candy Are You?

Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

Very popular, one of you is not enough.

What Kind of Candy Are You?

Funny thing is... this is my favorite kind of chocolate bar! LOL

What Coffee Are You?

You Are a Frappacino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

What Celebrity Matches Your Taste in Music?

Your Musical Tastes Match: Jennifer Garner

See her whole playlist here (iTunes required)

What Celebrity Matches Your Taste in Music?

How cool! She's one of my favorite actresses, too!

4 Things (meme)

4 Things:

1. 4 jobs I've had.

- photographer's assistant
- Zeller's employee
- video store clerk
- Mom

2. 4 movies I can watch over & over.

- Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
- Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
- Save the Last Dance
- A Walk to Remember

3. 4 TV shows I watch.

- Alias
- CSI
- Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
- Smallville

4. 4 places I've been on vacation.

- Florida (DisneyWorld)
- North (or South?) Carolina (Jim & Tammy Baker's resort)
- Toronto, Ontario
- Winnipeg, Manitoba

Teachers That Read

I've been thinking, lately, about the teachers that played a part in making me the avid reader that I am today.

In grade three, Miss Shaw read "James & The Giant Peach" to our class. I loved imagining the characters riding in that peach!

And, in grades 7 and 8 I had the same teacher... Mr. K. He would read to us from James Herriot's animal books. Our class would crack up with laughter when he "did the voices" for the different characters, and we'd get especially giddy when he read the stories of "Tricky Woo, the flatulent dog". :-P

In highschool, I think our teacher, Miss Warkentin, read to us a few times. She was a great English teacher. She wasn't much older than we were (when we were in grade nine, she was only 24), so we always had a great time with her. :o)

I think all teachers should spend time reading to their students. I have such fond memories of being read to. :o)

one more word cloud...

Okay... This "word cloud" thing is soooo cool, that I had to create one of my own....

MY WORD CLOUD:

architecture artist author blogger blue BOOK CLUB leader
BOOKS Canada cats Christian Christmas cross dance
daydreamer encouragement faith family FICTION friend
God green HOPE Intuitive Eating Jesus journaler ministry
Mom Pianist READING recommendations Reggae reviewer
scrapbooker Thin Within true love WRITER

Too fun!

Word Clouds

An online friend had a Word Cloud from SnapShirts.com and I thought it was really cool! So, I made up two of my own!

The first is from THIS blog!



The second is from my LibraryThing.com profile.




Very cool stuff!

Time Flies!

Do you ever wonder how it's possible for time to fly by soooo fast?

This Friday, my son -- my first-born child -- will be turning eight. That's two years away from being ten! Double-digits! Eiy yi yi!

I keep telling him he's turning six. :P He doesn't believe me. ;o)

But, it's crazy! He's turning eight, and in the Fall, my daughter will be six! Oiy vey!

How do you stop time?

LOL

Saying "I'm Sorry"

Saying "I'm Sorry" to one of your parents has to be one of the hardest things EVER! But, it's also survivable.

Sometime last year I lost one of my old journals. I'd had it out, and had been reading through it, and had left it lying beside my bed on the floor. My mom came to babysit my kids while DH and I went out to dinner one night, and everything was as usual. I didn't have time to go back to the journal until about 2 weeks later. But, that was when I discovered it was "missing". It wasn't beside my bed.

I searched my whole house over 3 times (even in boxes I'd not looked in for years), and couldn't find the journal for the life of me. And then it hit me: My mom had been in my room, at the 'scene of the crime' at about the same time the journal went missing. Logical conclusion? (or to me, it was logical, anyway) Mom stole the journal.

Now, before I go on, you must understand that she has a history with this particular journal. When I was 19 years old, and still living at home, I was a rebellious Christian teenager, and Mom was worried. She snooped in my room, found this particular journal (then current), read it, and then promptly kicked me out of the house ... I had to go live with a friend for a month until I found my own place.
It's not that I was into a bunch of awful stuff. It's just that I was living in a Christian household, and my behaviour of that time was decidedly "unChristian". :-?

Anyhoo. Long-story-shorter, I called my Mom and accused her of stealing my journal. Actually, I asked her if she took it, and she denied doing so, and I didn't believe her, so I proceeded to not talk to her for 3 months.

Fast-forward to last week...

I found my missing journal. Somehow (and I'm still clueless as to HOW or WHY) the darn thing ended up in the *bottom* of my book-bin out in the garage. I have absolutely NO recollection of putting it there, and I've no idea why I'd have put it there when all of my *other* journals are in the house. :-?

So, I had to apologize to my Mom. I bought her a birding book (she'd recently said she was wanting to get one), and I gave her an "apology" card. She said all is well, and that she still loves me.

.... I'm relieved both that 1) I found my journal, and 2) that my Mom could forgive me so easily. :-?

Man, though! Never again will I be so quick to jump to conclusions! That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. :-?

Overwhelmed & Sore

I'm once again feeling overwhelmed by books. I've just gotten 3 or 4 new books in the mail (review books) and, not that I'm complaining, I'm looking at them and thinking, "How am I going to read all of those AND fit in my own books, too?!" I'm still desperately trying to get through The Hadassah Covenant by Tommy Tenney. I've just had so little time to read, lately, and my interest-level has been low ... not because of the book (it's a great book!), but because of a bit of depression. :-?

Also, I somehow sprained my *good* arm the other day, and now it's aching (is that how you spell that?). Hard to type, hard to write, hard to click with the mouse, hard to hold anything, hard to tug on anything (fridge door, tupperware container lids...). I don't know if it's Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, or if it's something else. Doesn't really feel a lot like Carpal Tunnel ... I've had that before. Yes, my wrist hurts, but most of the pain is in the top of my forearm! :-( Very frustrating.

Anyhoo. I'm just frustrated and overwhelmed. So many books, too little time! :-?

Quote: Be Ye Kind

"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." ~ Anonymous