Reptile Outreach

               I really wanted a fun and educational Birthday party for my daughter’s 7th Birthday, so I totally jumped at the opportunity to have reptiles and a professional handler show up to give a hands on educational presentation for the kids.

The program is called Reptile Feeders Outreach and is offered by The Norwood Ontario Reptile Feeders. Reptile Feeders is the largest supplier of live reptile food in Canada. They take great care in producing all sorts of live reptile food from rodents to worms. Chances are if you are a reptile owner and buy food from a petstore it probably came from the Norwood Reptile Feeder facility. They also sell supplies as well as reptiles and furry critters. All of the animals that attended the Outreach birthday party came from the facility and are frequently handled as well as spolied rotten.

The party started off with a few rules #1 wash your hands after handling animals #2 don’t scare the animals. The kids, although crazy and loud were actually not able to scare the animals. The professional handler started off by bringing out the smallest animals first and the kids had a blast. The above picture is a party attendee handling a Leopard Gecko. All of the kids had the oportunity to either touch or hold the animals (Most of them anyway)

Aurora (The Birthday Girl) handling a White’s Tree Frog. She got the honours of getting to handle this cute little guy. Because Frogs absorb moisture through their skin it is not recommended that too many people handle them because they can absorb bacteria through their skin. White’s Tree frogs are native species to Australia and live in trees where they get their mosture from the rain and dew.

The tortoise was pretty neat, they can live up to 100 years old and they are very friendly. The kids tried to scare the tortoise so she would hide in her shell but they were not very sucessful, however when Aurora tried to feed her some fresh Kale she hid, likely because she was offended that it was not strawberries. Kids learned the difference between a Turtle and a tortoise and were told that if they ever see a turtle crossing the road to always make sure to help it across in the direction they are headed. Snapping turtles can be picked up by the back of the shell near hind legs where the head can not reach and “whellbarrowed” safely across the road.

The one Lizard all the kids wanted was the Bearded Dragon. Bearded dragons are easy to handle, quite lazy unless food is introduced and are great for kids who are first time lizard owners. Reptile feeders has lots of cute Bearded dragons for sale. The kids got to see the bearded dragon eat a nice big juicy hornworm and they thought that was great. There was smiles all around when Simba the Bearded dragon was handled by all the kids.

We had snakes of all sizes attend the party as well. The first snake the kids were introduced to was a corn snake and after that a beautiful Ball Python (Above) The kids really liked the Ball python because it had a very cool pattern which is known as Piebald. Piebald means that an animal has an irregular colour pattern, usually darker spots on white. Piebald pythons are specifically bred to look like this and are worth more money than a regular patterned Ball Python. The rarer the pattern on a snake the more valuable it is. Ball Pythons are lazy snakes and don’t slither too much so the kids felt more comfortable handling a calmer snake. Even kids who came to the party afraid of snakes left boasting that they got to hold a snake.

Last but not least, what’s a party without a very big snake? Reptile feeders brought an albino Burmese Python and the kids had an opportunity for it to slither on their laps. No worries, kids are much too big for these snakes to eat and the snake was probably not very hungry anyways. The Burmese pythons eat rabbits (but not live ones). Snakes smell with their tongue and see temperature so if their food is heated up they can smell it and see it. All snakes no matter how big or small eat meat only. Pythons are constrictor snakes and they suffocate their meals before eating. Another cool fact kids learned was that Pythons lay eggs and Boa Constrictors give birth to live young. Pythons can make great pets too but they need lots of space as they get very big and they are banned from certain townships and cities.

Reptiles can live a very long time so if you give them a home be prepared to give them a loving home. Kids also can get bored with pets leaving their parents to look after them. Reptile ownership is not for everyone but if you are prepared and you enjoy looking after neat creatures then a reptile can make the perfect pet. Don’t forget that adoption is still the best method when it comes to any animal.

Looking for cool party ideas? Try an educational one. Reptile outreaches are great and the kids will remember the experience. It has been a week since the party and all the party attendees are still talking about how cool it was to get to learn about and handle reptiles. You can book a party in the Kawartha Lakes area by going to http://www.reptilefeeders.com/outreach or check online for your nearest outreach program. Zoos and sanctuaries also offer outreach programs for birthday parties and special events. I can guarantee you will not be let down, it was absolutely fun and not a single kid had a bad time.

Butterfly

Alone I wandered, Completely lost
Selfish I was at any cost.
Needed to make myself feel great,
As I played with the webs of fate.
Destruction appeared at every turn,
Over and over, I never learned.
Hopelessness inside me dwelt,
My soul dying, continued to melt.
Friends I held dear, I simply lost
Then I knew; what would be the cost.
I cried, my heart exploded,
the tears dried, my soul eroded.
As people soon turned against me,
The destruction I caused I could finally see.
Guilt sunk deep, deep inside,
I had no shells left where I could hide.
As I considered ending my life,
Too dull was the blade on my knife.
But as I was falling from Grace,
I saw a flawless, bright face.
I crawled into a cocoon,
Laid there morning, Night and Noon.
I am so horrible, how can I be saved?
Could I change? Or would I just continue my rave?
For all the bad things I’ve done I’m sorry,
for all the bad things I’ve said I’m sorry.
The guilt I face on my chest,
I don’t know how far the east is from the West.
“I’m not worthy!” I said as I fought.
And A voice replied ‘Your right, your not!”
“Your not worthy of my Grace,
not deserving to see my face.
But as you finally accepted The Son,
A victory in your Heart was won.
So exit your cocoon where you lie,
and become New. A Butterfly!”
Grace is not a gift you can earn,
when you know the meaning, each day you learn.
God gave up his only Son for me and you,
so that anyone could become NEW.
Like a butterfly released from a sealed box,
a new foundation is built on the rocks.

Putting the Tornado on a diet

The above photo represents who I can be when I become irritated or the right conditions occur to create a “Tornado”. In fact my husband has even nicknamed me “Tornado” or “Taz” at times.

If I get irritated (Usually because of lack of sleep or food) I can have short outbursts of frustration, anger, confusion etc. I kind of snap like a short tornado outburst, It doesn’t last long but it leaves a small trail of emotional damage. Sometimes physical because I have broken things.

Now when the conditions are right, just like they are in the Midwest United States for a Tornado I can have a nice long outburst which consists of a whole day or two of tornados that strike whenever. It doesn’t happen often but it has happened and it isn’t pretty. What are the conditions? Anxiety mixed in with lack of sleep, lack of nutrients, lack of glucose which causes a headache, weakness which causes frustration and stubbornness not to take it upon myself to eat something healthy or to go take a time out.

Having Anxiety disorder and being diagnosed with hypoglycemia is one thing but combining the two with lack of a consistent diet and thats just asking for a disaster. Hypoglycemia will also cause anxiety if it is not maintained, so that’s double the anxiety.

So after having a stress induced headache for 4 days and passing out at work I finally bit my pride and called my doctor. When he looked at my health history he asked if I was maintaining my diet. By maintaining that means, Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack…I hung my head in shame because I only actually maintain my diet maybe once a week. That’s usually the days we actually go out for breakfast. In other words am I anorexic? No. Do I infact have an eating disorder? Yes. Snarfing down food everyday but at an unconsistent rate is infact an eating disorder. My body is not getting enough energy and nutrients throughout the day.

So for the last 3 weeks I have been on a consistent diet. And let me tell you, eating something at 5:15 in the morning is NOT easy. But I wake up that early most mornings for work and I was told to eat something before leaving for work so I forcefully ate something that would allow my body to wake up and get my digestive system going.  Breakfast is a very important meal and it can mean the difference between having a good day or having a moody day.

Advice to those with Hypoglycemia and/or low iron.

If you are hypoglycemic or even suspect it, or even if you have a mood disorder it is important to eat something within a half hour of waking up. It can be hard sometimes to stomach food really early in the morning so starting small then working your way up to bigger meals is a good start. If juice is all you can stomach at first then have a cup of juice. I started with a handful of trail mix, it has protien and iron in it. The protien will give you a boost because protien takes longer to metabolize in the body. If you have enough protien then you won’t experience sugar crashes when you have carbs and sugars.

Make sure to have a larger meal or what I like to call Breakfast #2 within 2 hours of having that little morning snack.

Snack between breakfast and lunch. A cup of yogurt, some cookies, crackers etc. I’ll admit sometimes I chose unhealthy snacks but as long as they have protien or iron I’m good to go.

Lunch should be a bigger meal than the snacks although I’ll admit that once I get snacking I don’t stop thus my lunches can be smaller.

Snack before 3pm so you avoid that 3:00 wall.

Have a nice dinner which should include Protiens, Carbs and lots of nutrients. I try to get meat into my dinner each night but if I can’t I will definately have cheese. Cheese is my favorite food group.

And of course have a few little snacks before bed time. Or be like me and snarf down a whole bag of bits and bites.

Foods that contain iron are Meats, Nuts, legumes, and green leafy veggies. The Iron in Non meat is harder to absorb so you need more of it. The Best food for someone who has low iron is Chili because it contains meat, beans and vitamine C. Vitamine C helps absorb iron so make sure your body has enough vitamine C and you shouldn’t have too much of an issue getting enough iron. I’ve been making sure to drink Orange Juice every time I make a commitment to eat something with iron in it.

Most importantly if you make a commitment to stick to a balanced diet make sure to stick with it. It’s been 3 weeks now for me and people have noticed a change in my behaviour and I have noticed that my energy levels are getting better, I can think more clearly and I have less panic attacks from anxiety. When I do start to get moody I can easily stop my self from continuing.

I’m just so glad that I finally started to look after my health. I feel so much better and I’m sure that others around me will be thankful too. I was able to work 14 days in a row at work and don’t think I would have been able to had I not of gone on a consistent diet. I want to thank everyone for advice and for rooting for me and I am very grateful for those keeping a close eye on me making sure I don’t go off track.

 

 

 

Greetings to our (Nick’s) New Found Family

I haven’t posted a blog in a while, so much has been happening and there have been some very exciting events in our lives. I thought I’d take the time to share that Nick (My Hubby) has found his biological Father and all is very well We are now exploring the other half of his long lost family and everyone is just so excited about the reunion. We’re so overwhelmed and happy. But of course since they haven’t seen Nick since Birth I thought I’d write a blog post just for them so they can catch up!

So here it is, dipping into the lives of the Goslin Disasters (I’ll also explain the name of this blog as it has a history too)

Nick was born September 7 1987 in Port Perry Ontario. By the way Annette still looks the same except with updated hair…every time we throw her a birthday party it’s always her 29th birthday. Nick got his red hair from both his mom and dad and has acquired personality from both (We are of course blaming dad for his mischief tenancies as we’ve already heard stories-”Ahhh so that’s where that behavior came from!”)

I don’t have many embarrassing photos but Nick does! And the above picture tops them all! He proudly showed me this photo when we began dating.

Nick went to Perry House Daycare when he was a wee one then he attended R.A Sennet school all his elementary school life. R.A Sennet has since closed it’s doors, it was a small school located near downtown Whitby.

Nick has 3 sisters and a half sister.

Jessica is the oldest and she is Nick’s Half sister. Jess is engaged and has a son named James. Crystal is the youngest, Kassy is the Middle sister and Melissa is the oldest. All of course, are full of drama

Nick went to Henry Street Highschool in Whitby where he met me. Nick was well liked by teachers at the school.

And this is where I got the idea to name my blog Goslin Disaster. In Grade 11 we both attended the same class, this class was called “Natural Disasters” where we learned about…well Natural Disasters. We both also LOVE the weather and the nastier the weather the more fun!  Nick wasn’t the most popular kid in highschool (For the first half anyway) And I tended to keep to myself. I could be shy but really deep down inside I’m a fire cracker. Ask anyone today, I’m so outgoing I can make the shyest person in the world feel comfortable around me. Oddly enough the year before we officially met I noticed him walking home every day. I’m not entirely sure why I noticed but one day I decided to say a little prayer for him, I wanted him to find the perfect girl. I just really wanted him to succeed and be happy. Then I went on my merry way and dreamt about marrying some silly Jock I had a crush on. Anyways I’m pretty sure the day we met I was dressed like the wicked Witch of the west because at that time I was all into the goth fashion. But no amount of tough looking clothing can hide who I really am…I was trying to be tough but I’m really a kitten. I walked into Natural Disasters class and out of everyone in that class I gave Nick a chance, I was looking for a friend (And I definitely found a good friend) and Nick fell head over heels for me. He even stole my phone number out of the class phone book so he could call me that night-and he did. Nick has ALWAYS been bold.

Nick and I began dating November 14th 2003. Of course he did take me on a few dates before it became official. Our first date was to the AMC movie theater to see The 3rd Matrix movie (Which sucks by the way…so we made fun of the entire film) The most memorable thing about that date was walking to the movies after skipping Natural Disasters class (teacher gave us permission because he liked us) when we got to the bridge on Consumer Dr we looked at the river and saw tonnes of Salmon. Nick told me he enjoys fishing and I mentioned my phobia of fish (Long story short was swimming in Stergeon Lake in Bobcaygeon and was attacked by a Carp which gave me a phobia). We’ll always remember our first official date. But on November 14th I agreed to be his girl friend. He proposed 50 days later by the way, I laughed at him then but he kept insisting that no matter what we were going to get married.

Nick was very good at Science and Math in highschool and I was good at Art, English and Geography. I helped nick with his English assignments and he assisted me in all my math. Math still gives me anxiety to this day…I hate numbers.

Nick got his first job at Food Basics, a grocery store. They promoted him to cash office on his second day of training (Again he’s great with math) He got that job in grade 12. Nick wanted to persue a career in Computers so he applied to Durham college and was accepted. I tried to apply to Ridgetown College to become a Vet tech but it was so competitive I opted to take another year in highschool so I could update my math and science grades and do a co-op placement at a vet office. I got the highly competitive vet office placement and I also got a volunteer job for the summer at an exotic animal farm. ( I never did the coop placement as I was pregnant when September rolled around and they would not let me coop there)

Nick proposed to me at Prom on june 3rd 2005. It was such a magical night. We got a standing ovation. We had such a great time. Nick is just so wonderful, I have never met a more supporting person in my life. The grace that he freely gives out to myself and others just inspires and astounds me. Nick and I are best friends, I was so happy to be engaged to my best friend. We got mixed reactions to the engagement as we were so young but we never gave up. Infact highschool dating was harder than actual marriage-honestly the best of our fights occured in highschool and I honestly do not blame anyone for doubting we’d ever get married. We had a messy relationship I think we broke up at least 50 times. Ahh young love.

Above is a picture of me with Lionel the Lemur one of the many awesome animals on the farm. Nick helped out there a few times too we really enjoyed it.

Nick and I found out On September 8th (A day after his Birthday) that I was pregnant with Aurora. We actually planned it, we had this master plan to get our own place and needed the kick to do it…of course our parents were not impressed at first. Our church that we attended also was not impressed which began a long hiatus away from church. I had a very conservative church background as a kid, I’m very grateful I was a church kid as it instilled many good values in me. Neither Nick or myself do drugs and we very rarely drink. We would rather sit at home and cuddle in front of a good movie than go out to parties. Nick and I have always been the goodie goodie kids, the teachers pets so of course we were the last couple on people’s minds to get Pregnant. We did jump for joy when it was confirmed I was pregnant and our parents forgave us completely and withing a few days started to get quite excited over the fact that we were about to make them grand parents.

I worked Night Shift at Zellers while I was pregnant but had issues with blood pressure (I still do, I’m not sure how a high strung person like me could possibly suffer low blood pressure) so I quit in 2 months. I enjoyed the job but just couldn’t do it. Nick did a half semester at college before he realized he knew more than his professors so why pay for something you already know? Nick didn’t get his college degree BUT he’s everyone’s go to guy for computers.

Another important part of our lives if definitely Table Top Role Playing games, which Nick introduced to me when I was 8 months pregnant. I wasn’t too impressed by the price of the core rule books (They sell for $45 each and you tend to need multiple books just to play the game) But Nick introduced me to Dungeons and Dragons and I acquired an addiction to the miniatures (Which we don’t even use in the games) I can honestly say both Nick and I are big geeks. Below is some of my collection I have acquired. I think a good chunk of them are actually in Aurora’s room now as she does play with them…all little girls have to have goblins riding My Little Ponies.

Aurora Abby Cynthia Goslin was born May 13 2007 and weighed 7lbs 9oz. I don’t have any new born pics uploaded on my computer but above is a picture of my 8 month preggo belly.

I lived with my parents for a few months after Aurora was born. When Aurora was 3 months old I went and got employed at Food Basics along side Nick. We were just destined to work the same places throughout our lives Nick was promoted to Dairy Manager shortly after I got a job there as a grocery clerk. In January of 2008 we got our first apartment down town Whitby. It was so nice to have our own place.

On July 11th 2007 Nick and I got married. We were married at Heydenshore Pavilion in Whitby Ontario near the lake and we took our wedding photos at Rotary Park in Whitby. It was an absolute gorgeous day. Right after the wedding we went to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix in our wedding attire along with our wedding party. We’re such geeks! But it was so much fun! We never had a honey moon though, we went to the CN tower the next day but that was about it.

We moved to Norwood Ontario in November 2007. Above is a picture of our house. It is a lovely 4 bedroom house that backs up into a large pond. We go fishing and canoeing in the pond every summer.

We bought The Harvest Cupboard Bulk food store. WE decided to try owning our own business. The business is great around Christmas time but very slow between January and May. It was a very nice experience to be able to own our own business for a while. I managed the business while Nick worked at a few places. He worked part time at a grocery store for a while as well as a local Pizzaria. I ended up getting some hours at the Pizzaria as a waitress in the evening, again we worked at yet another place together. Nick got a job as an industrial roofer in 2009 and was away quite a lot. In 2010 he quit roofing because it was not consistent enough, there was too much time between jobs. Nick got a job at Tim Horton’s in 2010 and we sold the bulk food store. I got a job as a conference Moderator where I could work from home.

Above is Aurora’s first Christmas at our new house. Thats her reaching into her stocking.

Aurora’s first Halloween at our new house.

Christmas of 2009 was spent at Wolf Creek equestrian center. Nick’s mom and step dad owned the equestrian center for a while. Gramps co owned it and decided to sell the farm so they no longer live there but have decided to reside in the town of Marmora. They still own a minature horse and a Quarter Horse named Zen, they are being boarded at a family member’s farm. We had many good times at Wolf Creek Equestrian center.

The most awesome Christmas gift we got was our dog Seven. She’s a purebred German Shepherd. She chose us! She does a great job protecting our house and protecting her mommy (me) when she’s out walking. As for Nick he’s alpha male in the house so the dog ALWAYS listens to him. When Nick is not home Seven goes on senty mode and barks at EVERYTHING. But she’s a total sweet heart…despite sometimes being very hyper. Seven Loves to chase sticks and is a very good swimmer. She is literally obsessed with water and her favorite toy is the garden hose. We can not water the garden when she is outside or she’ll get right in the garden to attack the hose.

Aurora’s first day at school. Junior Kindergarten 2010.

Nick, Aurora and I felt we were missing something very important so we took a leap of faith and began to attend church again. We began attending Norwood Pentecostal Church in 2008. It’s our home away from home and we call them our family. Norwood is such a great little community and is very supportive. Even all the churches (There are 6 denominations) get along and we all get together. One such event where all the churches get together is Vacation Bible school where we get about 140 children attend for a week. I take part in this ministry and it is just so rewarding and fun. Nick is a member of the men’s ministry at church and I take an active role in women’s and children’s ministry. Every Wednesday night I volunteer at the kid’s club hosted by the church. Nick and I also plan to one day go on a short term missionary trip but we feel that right now our place is our community and we take an active role in helping out the food bank and the Church’s Connection project which gathers money and items for members of the community who are less fortunate or just need a little help. As for over seas missions I love filling Operation Christmas child shoe boxes every year and I go on a hoarding spree for these boxes. Last year I filled 18 This year I will be doing a bit less and will focus on the community outreach project. Nick and I absolutely enjoy doing this and it makes us so joyful when we can put a smile on someone else’s face,

Another event we love doing is the Journey to Bethlehem which our church does every Christmas. It is an outdoor live journey complete with actors and live animals and we take part as actors in the interactive journey. Aurora and I haggle people at the market place. Nick was a Roman soldier at the last Journey to Bethlehem.

Here we go again! Guess who got another job along side Nick? I worked at Tim Horton’s the summer of 2012. Nick went on to a better career path that summer and got a job doing frame work in houses. He did that for the rest of the summer and I got a full time job closer to home at Coffee Time. Nick started working at The Boot an italian restaurant in town in January 2013. He is really enjoying the restaurant life again. Nick is assistant Manager at the restaurant and is helping expand the menu and open for breakfast.

Norwood’s big event is the Norwood Fall fair which brings in thousands of visitors each year on Thanksgiving weekend. There are vendors, many events, carnival rides and more. All the kids from the schools enter art and crafts into the fair each year to be judged. People in the community also enter their crafts, art, baking, garden goodies etc to be judged in the fair. Our favorite part of the fair is watching the many shows put on by competitors, there are tractor pulls, horse shows, and everyone’s favorite, the lawnmower races.

We have 4 pets. An Iguana named Garek, she is 4 years old. A Bunny Named Penny, our Dog Seven and one Black cat named Spike. Sometimes we have more cats in the house as we take in strays and find homes for them. Spike is the only one we have kept the longest, he used to be mean but is now a sweet heart. We love animals and if we had the time we’d probably have more. We will be getting a Bearded Dragon sometime this spring from someone who doesn’t want it when it gets bigger. We’re also hoping to get a Tarantula (No worries they are not poisonous and we won’t handle it often) I know it sounds crazy but we’re all big fans of spiders, they don’t creep us out at all. Both Nick and I used to collect them in jars when we were kids.

Our last Christmas was spent at home. On Christmas day Nick and I went to help out at the community Christmas Dinner, a free dinner for those who may be alone on Christmas Day or who can’t afford a turkey. It was very well done, we had lots of fun and it was really nice being with members of the community. Above is a picture of some on the kitchen help. The man standing between Nick and I is our friend John and he does full time Missionary work in Kyrgyzstan along with his wife and 2 daughters. It’s absolutely amazing what they do, and it was wonderful to have them home for Christmas even when they are home their outreach never ends.

We love to have big bon fires in our back yard. Nick makes HUGE fires. It’s not a real fire unless it’s 10 feet high. Sometimes when I call our fire chief to let him know we’re having a fire he asks who’s lighting it as he knows Nick is very bad and tends to have too much fun lighting the fire with gasoline >< I’ve banned him from anything flamable yet he STILL seems to get into things.

Here is a picture of our waterfall. We live 2 doors down from the waterfall and our house backs into the pond. In the winter we sometimes see otters slide down the waterfall.

Here is our Garden in the back yard. This is what it looks like in May, nice and neat. After that it’s over run by plants.

Here’s the front flower garden. Tonnes of perenials in there and I also like to sow annual seeds as well. We get some really nice flowers through out the year.

And in the winter we go skating on the pond.

We have a brand new park located beside the community center in town. They are planning on building a splash pad near by as well.

Down one of the rivers is a mini paradise. There is a spring that shoots out from the rocks and we like to trek up stream every year to go visit this spot. The water is so cold and fresh.

45 minutes from us is Cobourg Beach, a nice swimming spot in Lake Ontario. Water is very cold though. The Beach is very nice. This is one of our favorite swimming spots.

Our other favorite swimming hole is Beavermead Park in peterborough. We swim in Little Lake, a lake that is part of the Ottanabe river. The water is much warmer and there are lifeguards on site in the summer. This is the first lake that I have gotten over my fear of swimming in open water. I’m getting much better so long as the Carp stay away from me. Had a few fish swim beneath me but I kept my cool…then freaked out when the floating weeds got tangled on my leg. Nick on the other hand LOVES to swim in open water and has a blast. And as long as he doesn’t forcefully drag me in like the picture above I enjoy being his swimming partner.

Well that’s just a little recap of our life. Nick has some interesting childhood stories to share if anyone asks. I thought I’d end with a few of Nick’s interests.

Nick enjoys Cooking, BBQing, fishing, canoeing, camping (Prefers to rough it out and wants to camp at Algonquin park one day), fires, fixing things around the house, learning new things, computers, he is a coffee and tea drinker. His favorite sports are Hockey, Soccer and Football. He doesn’t really have a favorite Football team yet so he’s up for suggestions. Our fave hockey team is the Toronto Maple Leafs when they are actually not sucking. Nick like Manchester United as his fave soccer team. Nick’s favorite TV shows are: Big Bang Theory, Star Trek, Star Gate, Avatar the Last Air Bender, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, CSI, Spongebob, The Walking Dead, Merlin, The Simpsons…just to name a few (we have the same TV show interests and there has NEVER been a fight over what to watch). His favorite movies include: The day after Tomorrow, Ghost, Dantes Peak, Finding Nemo, Law Abiding Citizen, all of the Marvel or DC movies (But the best is the Avengers so far), Star Trek movies, Fireproof, Courageous, Lion King, and many more. Nick’s favorite types of music are soft rock, classic rock, some pop songs, Country and Christian music. He likes to play X-box and PC games and we also get together with friends to play Table Top RPGs such as Dungeons and Dragons, we always have a blast. In all honesty Nick and I share 95% of our interests the only difference is the odd time I go off to do ladies stuff and he goes off to do guys stuff. We have yet to become bored of each other’s company. Just keep an eye on Nick, he’s a prankster and his nickname given by his mom is “Big Brat”.

We can’t wait to meet our new found family take care everyone! Love Nick, Jess and Aurora.

Amaze People

While reading through one of my “Daily Bread” Books I came across a small tidbit about a underwater photojournalist by the name of David Doubilet. Doubilet is best known for his amazing underwater photography, many of these pictures appearing in the National Geographic Magazine. He has recieved honors for his work but at the same time has also faced critisism from environmentalists who accuse him of ignoring the bigger picture being pictures of human destruction in oceans, pollution and dead marine life. But Doubilet belives a better way to get people to care about the environment is to show the beauty of the many  wonderous creatures on this Earth. And there is no doubt much beauty in the many creatures that God has created.

This is so similar to how many Christians act. Some Christians seem to think that the best way to improve the spiritual environment is to point out all the filth and sin in this world. “Look at what so and so is doing, look at the state the world is in…” Even I have fallen into this train of thought where I focus on all the evil in the world while ignoring the big picture which is LOVE. Nothing is more beutiful than love. Nothing is more beautiful than someone reaching out a helping hand to someone. Nothing is more beautiful than a community coming together in love. Nothing is more beautiful when someone cares about the world around them.  The greatest thing the world can offer is LOVE. Love for People and creatures alike.

“By this all will know that you are my desciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

Christians are more effective witnesses when they become portraits of the beauty God is creating within them than when they paint a bleak picture of human degradation.

We are not meant to judge the world, that is up to God. As Christians our job is to shine our light and let others know about Christ. Just a simple “There is a Saviour and He loves you very much” message will do. There is no need for a hell and brimstone kind of message especially when you tell someone about Christ the first time (Trust me on this, that message is for the believer and not the unbeliever, it’s meant to get believer’s off their pew seat and into the world to spread the message of Jesus Christ) . So many people will reject the words you say but even so a seed is STILL planted and it’s up to God from that point on. The most effective way to teach the Gospel is to SHOW the gospel through your actions and the greatest of these actions is to just simply love one another.

It’s due time to stop focusing on what’s wrong with everything in the world and start SHOWING what’s right in the world. Because when you look at it, there are beautiful and miraculous events happening day to day, lets not be blinded from them by focusing on all the dirty nitty gritties life offers.

“In the end, the best thing one can do is to amaze people.” -David Doubilet

Advent days 19-25

Day 19: The Shepherds and Jesus

I couldn’t think of a more appropriate picture to describe what I’m about to talk about. Some say the above picture was taken of an abandoned dog who found it’s way to a safe place to rest-in Jesus’ manger in a Nativity scene. I’m not sure if the story about his photo is true or not but the photo still depicts a little shepherd puppy sleeping on Jesus’ lap. It’s utterly adorable isn’t it?

The first people to hear about the good news of Jesus’ birth were shepherds. Shepherds were the lowliest of people and practically rejected by society. Day and Night they guard flocks of sheep and were usually alone with those sheep. They wren’t exactly high in society. King David himself started off as a shepherd but he became a great King.

This inspires me this advent season. There are so many people out there who are not “Great” in the eyes of society, myself being one of them. I don’t have a high end career I merely serve coffee and sometimes pump gas for minimum wage but I’m there for a reason. Everyone is where they are for a reason, whether you are a leader or just merely the person who washes the dishes at church. The angels did not appear to the “important” people on earth first making it obvious that God’s idea of perfection and the world views of it are completely different.

“Fear not for I bring you good news”

Day 20: an Outpouring

I love my community and how awesome and loving they are. The above picture is all the stuff some of my congregation members donated to a food/toy drive which will continue into the new year where our church will be able to continue to outpour into the community. Thanks to so many awesome people many children were blessed with Christmas presents that their parents could not afford, many families were given food and supplies as well. Combined with Foodbank hampers these extra hampers were certainly a blessing to many. Within a few seconds my request to get a friend a new pair of shoes was answered There really is so much love in this community and it truly inspires me.

Christmas isn’t about how much you get but how many people are blessed. Christmas is a time to show your love for others.

Day 21: The advent candle of love

Which we totally forgot to light >< but we are from a very forgetful family. However our tradition did continue with much love. My husband and I took time to chat to people in the community as we went for a trek in the fresh fallen snow. When my daughter got home from school we spent lots of time with her and explained to her how much she is loved and cherished. She brought home a small tree which was a gift from her teachers and we decorated it and put it in her room. She was very happy to have her very own tree.

This Advent season don’t forget to extend your love for others and not just family and friends, Take some time to let other people know you appreciate them. It can even be as simple as a compliment to someone who provides a service like the lady behind the grocery counter or the person who pumps your gas…let them know that their service is appreciated and I guarantee they willo feel loved.

Day 22: Journey to Bethlehem

Every year my church puts on the Journey to Bethlehem which is an interactive journey. Groups get to travel to fill out the census and along the way they get to meet shepherds, the wise men, some bandits, lepers, Roman soldiers, Bethlehem market place, the Inn, some angels and of course Baby Jesus. The journey also includes live animals and people just absolutely LOVE it. Some of the people who come through were brought by family members and didn’t even know about the Christmas story. It was such a priviledge to be a part of this.

In total we had about 400-500 people come through over the weekend and everyone had a wonderful time.

Day 23: A little Christmas joy 

Today I ended up putting together a few small gifts and distributing them to people. I just wanted to show people how much I truly apprecieted them and cherished them At Christmas time the small things count, it could be a simple hug or just a small gift or card to let people know you are thinking of them. I don’t have enough money to bless everyone with lavishing gifts but I’m sure they do not mind. I am truly blessed to have these people in my life and I couldn’t ask for a greater gift.

Day 24: A norovirus Christmas eve

Guess I got my own little shepherd this Christmas. And of course the tradition of one of us being sick on Christmas continues. It was my turn though and I aquired the Stomach flu. So my plans for Christmas even turned into me napping as soon as I got home from work. But I’m so thankful for a loving husband who cuddled with me through it all and for some very loving and cuddly pets. The dog and cat know how to comfort me when I feel ill.

Day 25: CHRISTMAS!

I was overwhelmed by my daughtr’s gratitude with all of her presents…and by all I mean every single last one she was happy about. I’m pretty sure like most 6 year olds she just enjoys opening gifts. Many of the gifts I bought her were under $5 with only 3 over $10. But you know, all it takes is a few small items to make a kid really happy. I’m just glad she hasn’t asked for an iphone yet.

In the afternoon we went and helped out at the community Christmas dinner. Nick helped out in the kitchen and I put pie on plates. I felt fine for a while but then my lovely sickness overcame me and well…after passing out in the bathroom for a brief persiod of time and feeling quite weak and ill I managed to eat a bread roll. No turkey for me. But I did get to spend time with people in the community as well as my friends who were all in good cheer. It’s nice to see them being happy especially after a harsh month…but the outpouring of my great community made them feel loved and they are truly happy that they can get a few small things on boxing day sales. I also got to listen to a few people’s stories and they are heart breaking…but I’m so glad I got to spend some time with these people. There are so many hurting people in my own community and sometimes all they need is ears that just listen. So perhaps I was sick for a reason, I was too weak to chatter but not too weak to listen.

For the remainder of my day I cuddled on the couch and yes we had a very geeky Christmas. My daughter played with her new toys and my husband and I spent the night watching geeky TV shows. It was actually quite nice.

Advent is all over and we now face the start of a brand new year. May 2013 be a year that if filled with much outpouring and love.

also now that Christmas has passed it’s time for me to start hoarding stuff to bless others…and trust me, I ALWAYS lok forward to this Sales galore in January ^^ There is no better time than to start buying for Operation Christmas Child and for some of the other awesome community outreach projects.

 

Advent days 16-18

Day 16: Saint Nicholas

So who exactly is Santa?

Santa Clause originates from a real person who was born about 280 AD. Nicholas was a devout and faithful follower of Christ and lived out the true Christmas spirit everyday by loving unconditionally, shining Christ’s light and showing love to those who were in need. One legend says that Nicholas gave gold to the father of three sister’s under the cover of darkness because he had fallen on hard times and could not provide for his 3 daughters. He dropped the coins in a window and some fell into a stocking (Socks)…this is where the tradition of Santa filling Sockings comes from.

There are many Legends of Saint Nicholas but one thing is for certain, He was kind hearted, he loved the Gospels and he loved to Shine the light of Jesus. It is even said that he once slapped another Bishop accross the face because he said Jesus wasn’t God’s Son.

Does Santa still bring presents in the dark of the night? Of course he does. So long as the legend goes on Santa is alive even if He doesn’t come down a chimney and bring presents. This Christmas be one of Santa’s helpers and help to carry on the spirit of Saint Nicholas. Buy a gift to a child in need or a gift to someone in need. Be a real blessing to someone this Christmas. Santa’s elves are everywhere, you can be an elf too

Day 17: An abundance of giving

I dropped off my Blessing box yesterday and the items will reach families in need. I’m not going to say what or how much I gave but I do know that our Pastor’s office was filled with lots and lots of food items, toys etc. It was just absolutely amazing! This inspires me this season because I know that in this world there are kind hearted and selfless people. We all gave annonymously, nobody really knows who gave what or how much (And it really doesn’t matter how much or how little you give) the point is I am just so overwhelmed by everyone’s love.

To all those who selflessly and lovingly give, you inspire me.

Day 18: The third Candle

The third Candle in the advent wreath is the candle of Joy.

Psalm 30:11  You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

Luke 1:14  He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,

Like 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

1 Peter 1:8  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

Wow what wonderful news and these are just a few verses on the topic of Joy. What is Joy? And what brings people Joy?

Joy is an  Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness. People can be brought to Joy through happy life events. Maybe the birth of a child, a wedding, a vacation…or in my case a new Hellp kitty T-shirt? I feel very joyful when I wear a Hello Kitty T-shirt, I mean who wouldn’t? Or Batman, Batman brings me joy because Batman is epic!

Things and events last for moments though and my joy in those small moments can be taken away quickly. How does one experience permanent joy? I’ve tried everything and the only time I can even remotely experience Joy is when I am praising and worshipping God. Not only am I comforted in times of trouble I can express Joy through God.

I’ve been through trobled times and I have witnessed others go through some pretty serious times in their life yet they still expressed Joy in Jesus Christ. I’ve faced financial crisis, Family crisis and health crisis and the only comfort and joy I could find through any of these trying times was through Jesus. When I sing I am joyed, when I pray I am joyed, when I just lift my hands and worship even though I’m upset I am joyed. I wouldn’t trade this for the world. I’ve tried to get Joy on my own and have never succeeded. It’s no wonder people turn to God in troubled times. Why would anyone turn to God when he allows tragedies and heartache? Because he brings Joy. When Jesus Christ was born he brought great Joy along with him and this is the meaning of the Christmas Season…JOY. I want others to experience this joy.

But I accept that not everyone wants to accept this Joy…so instead I will bring them joy in other ways…maybe by blessing them with a gift or by lending an ear or just by helping them or supporting them.

Bring Joy not only to yourselves this Advent…you have the ability to provide Joy to so many others. You’d be surprised what can bring others joy…even if only for a temporary time.