elevator

I want always to be stuck on an elevator
with people and no iPods (or other excuses for not talking)

I want always to talk to people
Not just look at them and think about who they might be

I want always to be young
and unafraid

I want always to be creative
(it’s a vital sign of health in me)

the official new drink of christmas: peppermint latte with extra espresso from the place where the definition of the north american culture is manifested (but cassandra happens to think it tastes like peppermint flavoured saliva... such that you aquire upon sucking on a peppermint for an extended period, and periodically swallow your saliva.) strange girl, that one.
zoë's offical stress reliever: one half of a pink grapefruit, one sharp spoon, equals one relaxed zulu
the first thing zoë will officially do after march14*: stop combing, brushing, curling or in any way 'doing' her hair (and lo, she has already begun (for short spurts) to go days without combing!)
the latest accent to invade the zulu language: southern
today i dressed like the memory a pirate from long ago. i need a name though... any suggestions for a really juicy pirate name? i think Double-Boy Boots is a little irrelevant to my current position.
I like my voice better: when I'm sick. is that weird?
my new official favourite colour: green
i'm sorry: that I have such a lack of interesting things to write...it's not because things haven't been happening... maybe it's because so many things happen i can't take the time to write a really witty summary of them... and if i can't be write well, i won't post it.

*March 14 is my last day at Money Concepts. I don't know if I can make it that long!

where HAVE i been?

Good question. Thanks for breaking the reverie, Jim. I guess I learn from Marisa! Well, here I am.
And here's where I have been:

En las Republica Dominicana!
we played underwater and got sung into having our hair braided (rather than talked)

we built a loverly sand castle made out empty film cannesters and cups and a straw.

There were real-live-beta-carotine-eating flamingos right outside the lobby!

The sand was beautifully (and inconveniently) fine. and we swam with dolphins! we fell in love with the palm trees while having conversations in broken spanish and english with charming, black Dominican men who love their country and mostly all sing and bartered with the best of them with every Ricky Payless and Pablo Cheapy-cheapy we could find!

We sat on the beach a good part of the time.

And were generally really happy to be there!

this is what i wrote in the abbotsford airport waiting for our luggage:
"The Abbotsford airport reminded me of going to the proverbial grandmother's house, what withe the carpeted walls and pink bathroom stalls and bubble gum soap for all the grandkiddies. And then all the grandmothers, I guess, toting their carpet bags around on walkers..." (sorry for not having a picture)

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night...

Wet rain sparkled on a dark Fraser Highway from imposing headlights
I saw the silhouette of his long tail frolicking with the air
His little legs scuttled unknowingly over the street
Hazards flashed from a well-meaning citizen’s car
But farther and farther away from safety the little legs ran
Helter-skelter in the diamond-melted street
I hear the WHOOSH as an unaware SUV navigates through the rainy night,
Closer to the small subject of my attention
I hear the SMACK!
…and the rest is left, still, to my terrified imagination.

A hand slapped over my mouth
Eyes wide looking around for some clue to prove me wrong
A man wanders out of his minivan,
Nonchalantly looking for something or someone
"Oh, God, please not his!"
A concerned friend makes movement
That startles me back to present, concrete truth
That the light has changed green.
Still in a state of slight shock and horror,
And drive home in a slow, very aware, daze.
…and the rest is left, still, to my over-active imagination.
(I think a dog died last night)

"Camping is Fun", said Robin Hood

Smooth.

I talked to a guy today who I just knew had those soft hands that get washed too much and uses his wife’s moisturizer. Like Dr. Harding, my eye doctor. He spoke very smoothly (not like, “ooh, he’s smooth!”, but like his voice was very calm and level and silky almost) and worked everything into his smooth flow of words. “and what’s your name? Zoë... that’s a cool name… I’ll send you that proposal and follow up to see if you have any questions.” No periods… just dot dot dot… move on… don’t stop. I could almost him staring into Kaa the snake’s hypnotizing eyes.

Well, that was a lot of unfounded observation. That’s all!

Elementary School.

This morning I went to LCS to pray with Michaela. Man, does she know how to pray! I don’t know where it comes from. We prayed with other seekers from her school, for her school. I really to feel that change is coming. God has plans for Michaela, and for LCS. When God plans… whoa! Get in the way!

I also went to my elementary school to say, “Hi” to all my old teachers. It looked exactly the same. I saw Mr. J, who taught me to pick my nose, and who came to my baptism and to my house for spaghetti dinner, and taught me cursive, and hooked me on juicy fruit gum, and taught me to spell ‘Easter’ and in whose class I first threw up at school, and who had class birds we got to take care of, and who organized a class sleepover at school. He was rather shocked to see me.

And I saw Mrs. Kennett, who taught me addition, and to not steal, and how to spell ‘cheque’ (which my computer is now telling me is spelled wrong. Silly computer, go back to Canadian school.) and how to paint, she was the first, last and only teacher to send me to the Principle’s office, she gave me a spider plant and a book. She used to always wear shoulder pads, and I thought she was pretty, even though I was scared tearless to have her I was in Grade One and she was a new teacher so I couldn't hear stories about her ahead of time to prepare myself. She asked after my brothers (who she didn't teach) and if I still had my dog.

I had a fun time remembering the time I went to the fun fair after having taken a big sniff of a daffodil (which I just recently learned isn’t pronounced ‘dafodale’) and had yellow pollen all over my face.
And the time Jeff tried to show some grade 7-ers how he could breathe though his bum, but he was too nervous to do be able to do it.
And playing Pogs in the multi-purpose room, and trying to break the bench with Tiffany in one of our ‘anger breaks’ in Mrs Gawryluk’s class.
And being ‘smart’ to Mr. Bennett.
And Mrs. Galvin teaching us the song “Nobody likes me / Everybody hates me / May as well go to the garden and eat worms”. She was wearing dinosaur feet slippers at the time.
And taping my ukulele to my stomach before the concert because I didn’t like holding that heavy thing up with my little arms.
And doing the ‘CATS!’ action in choir two verses earlier than everyone else.
And tripping Santa in the school Christmas play.
And playing PacMan and Oregon Trails in the mornings.
And being late for school the day after Daylight Savings.
And throwing up in Mrs. Nordby's class on the way to her desk to tell her I felt sick. They were the days when I was still learning to recognize what my body was telling me.

GOD'S PRACTICAL JOKE

There’s been a few days with less-than-enough God time. There’s been a fashion magazine in place of my Bible, and in the mornings I’ve been in front of the mirror instead of on my face in front of the throne.

So last night, I decided that this morning I was going to wake up half an hour early to have God-time in the morning before getting ready, which I had unsuccessfully tried to do the last few days as well, but this time I decided that if I didn’t get in half an hour before work, something else in my day would be sacrificed.

11:30PM Went to bed with glowing expectations for the morning.
1:00AM Still awake.
1:30AM Still awake.
1:45AM Finally I got up to read my Bible and pray. (God spoke to me in a really cool way, but that’s beside the point.)
3:00AM Asleep
7:30AM Cue music, alarm goes off. I decide to stay in bed and pray and worship for the 30 minutes before getting ready…
8:30AM he prompted me to check the time… SMACK! I have to leave for work in 15 minutes! And I had such great plans to shave and wear a skirt! “Aaaawwww! I can’t believe it! How did that happen? How did I not clue in that an entire CD does not span 30 minutes? God, why did you not tell me? You always do?”

Then it began to dawn on me that the last few days, I’ve slept in which rushed me getting ready which squished out God in the mornings.
And so we see through Exhibit 18338-B in Zoë’s Life Wing, that God is a jealous God, and that he has a wry sense of humor.
I thought of you every time I ran my fingers through unwashed greasy hair. Good one!

So, if you think you are standing firm...

I’ve been thinking lately about sin, and temptation, and those people I call giants of the faith. I realized that the last part really isn’t fair of me, to expect greater of someone else.

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you do not fall!
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. (1Cor.10.12-13)
…
So, of you think they are standing firm, be careful that you don’t place your trust in them! No strength is in them that is not purely God.
No merrit in them deserves your praise.

I have had to realize again that all men are created, and remain equal. No "giant" is greater than me. Any one could fall, any day.

Therefore,

STAY SHARP

STAY AWAKE

KEEP YOUR WITS ABOUT!

Sharpen your sword in Bible study, in memorizing Scripture, in thinking on the Word, and in applying its precepts.

Stay awake in fellowship with Jesus! He is your food and drink... DO NOT FEED OFF YOURSELF! Get new food in you!

The Holy Spirit is your spiritual wits. Be filled CONTINUALLY with the Holy Spirit, he is your strength.

therefore, if you think you are standing firm,

BE CAREFUL THAT YOU DO NOT FALL!

(1Cor.10.12)

Mi familia es mi favorito.
Ma famille est mon préféré.
Meine Familie ist mein Liebling
La mia famiglia è mio preferito
Mijn familie is mijn favoriet
Мое семейство - мой фаворит
(I'll post pictures later so you can see why.)

Posts I never posted:

Lots of todays ago... Rod told me my hair reminded him of the Mazda M3’s.

A few yesterdays ago... I realized I reallylike pouring coffee over a three-cube high sugar-tower and watching them disintegrate under the burning liquid.

Many nights ago... I hung out with the two best brothers a sister could pray for.
“What, do you think I’m gull-a-bull? Or ever gull-a-cat?”
“I beg your pardon, baking powder?”

A few nights ago... I stayed up till 6AM. We watched Dr. Kent Hovind shoot down evolution, with some humor, smarts, and a deep understanding of who God really is, and how fantastic his creation really is. www.drdino.com I HIGHLY recommend the video series. It really is fascinating, and USEFUL, and inspiring and funny, and educational and worshipful. But it takes a lot of time, as we have successfully demonstrated.

Last night... I hung out with Carly, and we talked about all things new and old under the sun. We drank Starbucks, took a less-than-direct-route, we got stuck on the freeway, and when we FINALLY escapes the long claws of traffic jams, we promptly got stuck in another one. Then we got lost, and reeally had to pee. We tripled our driving time. and in true Carly fashion, we loved it.

Entropy, Spiders & The Stomach

The Theory of Entropy.
Everything tends towards disorder. When mum and dad go away, this theory is proven with the physical state of my house.

My Little Spider.
Monday I came out to my car and there was a lovely little web spanning the side view mirror and antenna. A cute, small, inoffensive little spider had made his home on Peter Zach. I started the car, and must have given the spider such a start! He was jiggling all over his web like a mad man! He clung on for dear life as I drove, eventually finding refuge on the antenna. But that silly creature: he left his safety and crawled back to his web where he again clung for his mad, dear life! Eventually, he left his silliness behind him and made the frightening (but wise) descent down to the mirror itself. There he rested (and I think even started another web, having lost his first one in the buffeting winds) until I arrived at work. What an adventurous morning!

As I left him, I told him to be there when I got back. And when I got back, he was there, just as I told him to be when I left. He had made another lovely web, more lovely than the last. He proved himself a hasty learner and crawled straight to the mirror the instant Peter’s engine rolled over. Within minutes, he slid into safe recesses behind the mirror.

And there he remains. He comes out now and again to make a futile web, but I think he has mostly resigned himself to be a new kind of spider. Like dogs who prefer the wide open spaces, but become accustomed to the cities. This spider will eventually abandon the art of webbing, and use his lovely silk to lure the city insect merchants to his dark cold chamber where he will fool them in the dark and eat as a result of treachery and deceit. Actually, that is still much the same as his current trick of webbing…

I suppose, no matter how “cute, small, or inoffensive” little spiders can appear, they’re really just conniving small devils in the end.

Today, According To My Stomach.
The day seemed to be churning out just fine. In the morning, The Stomach was treated to a homemade latte from The Mum (oh, how glad I am she’s home!). Breakfast didn’t arrive down the dark intestinal tunnel until closer to when The Stomach was expecting lunch, but breakfast can expect an acidic welcome any time of the day. (Do stomachs even have a concept of time? They have no clocks, except for The Crocodile,

and no light enters them, unless you consider a woman on a diet)

But then, with one thirty-second phone call… the happy day was disrupted and The Stomach churned and jumped and flipped and sank and felt weak and nauseous. The Stomach was flipping out so much, The Heart even sped up with all the excitement. The Muscles couldn’t contain themselves: they quivered and jellied. And through it all, The Stomach remained firmly unsettled.
No, The Stomach and The Mind are not on good terms this afternoon.

Sunday was an AMAZING day.

Zoë sleeps in, ever so slightly, making herself just 5 minutes late for church. Zoë is driving to the said church, when the God whose church she had been driving to interrupted her morning.

“Hey… Zoë… do you want to go to Starbucks with Me?”

“Mm, I don’t know God, I kind of wanted to go to church today”

“Mm, well, I kind of want to go to Starbucks. I’m going to Starbucks. Are you coming?”

“Mm, okay!”

So Zoë makes a fully legal U-turn and enters Starbucks. God and Zoë have a wonderful time planning their summer, drinking a latte (and plenty of free samples), planning and dreaming for next year. After an hour or so of this blissful church-skipping morning, a rather unexpected (but equally welcome) thing happens.

A man sits down across the patio. By now, Zoë is reading her Bible. (Psalm 107 to be exact.) The man sits for a while, sipping his coffee, while Zoë enjoys green tea frapp sample and the aforementioned Psalm 107.

“Is that a good book? What are you reading?” Zoë hears a voice from across the patio. She looks up.

“The Bible. None better!”

“What part are you reading?”

“Psalm 107”

“What’s it about?”

And so the conversation expanded, I moved to the other side of the patio and we conversed for many minutes.

My favourite part of the escapade (apart from having meaningful conversation with a random stranger) is that he wasn’t so random at all. Because when God invited me to Starbucks, it wasn’t just for me to have time with Him, but it was for Rick, too.

Rick is a Christian; but in the most extraordinary way, I could feel God working trough me, in Rick’s heart as I shared with him about my relationship with Jesus. We talked about walking in the power of God every day, and walking in His grace, and in His holiness, so that your destiny will be fulfilled by His power, not by our own insufficient strength. We talked about overcoming habitual sin, and how you need to in order to be released into your calling. We talked about friendship with God. We talked about the Lordship of Jesus in our lives, and the fragrance of Christ that intensifies as his Lordship is increased in us by how we submit to him.

So God worked through me, *note* after I had been alone with Jesus, being friends with him. And I liked it.

Later, we (we being our cell) were playing soccer at a park, when this elderly Afghani gentleman whirred over to us in his scooter and ask if he could coach us. As the world turns, he had been a serious soccer player for many years, but had injured himself playing, and is now handicapped. He has a Masters degree in engineering and three kids. He coached us soccer and made us run under the hot hot sun.

He talked to us like he cared: he exhorted us to be healthy (No more McDonalds, run in the park by the trees not on the street by the cars, don’t smoke) to work hard and be all that we can be, to dream. He told us we are young, with energy and drive, with potential and talent and a future. He exhorted us to make something of our lives, to practice soccer hard, but to make sure we have fun doing it.

The guy is literally a genius. He told us stories of his days in the park, about the other kids who smoke pot and can’t tell him the first thing about the chemicals they’re inhaling. He would have kindly explained it all to them had they not told him to go away (with expletives). Weiners.

He thought I was 26. He offered to coach us anytime we want in the park. He taught us about defense and offence, how to follow and score and save and steal and keep.

He told us old stories from Afghanistan one woman with courage who changed the course of an entire war, about a saying they have there: “the one who rocks the cradle rocks the world”. He encouraged us as women to see our worth to have an effect on the world.

He is a man who changes the world every where he goes. I believe he has an invisible legacy; one that God can see, but man cannot. He leaves a print of influence on many lives, but has no title or fame and so is not recognized as a leader.

And I learned some sweet new tricks. And I painted a painting today. And I'm listening to advice. And Charlie & The Chocolate Factory is THE BEST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN. I literally laughed with joy ALL THE WAY THROUGH. I was shocked at how good it was.

good bye.

Things I Noticed Today

+ Heat coming off the new brick wall
+ The ladies in front of me dropping a card, and actually creating disillusionment
+ God truly is AMAZING
+ God IS as big as he says he is
+ Nothing is too far gone for God to reach it, and even to transform it
+ Nothing I get myself into is too complicated, or precarious, or dangerous for him to contain it within his HUGE arms
+ God’s grace is detailed
+ I like sundried tomatoes. They don’t taste like tomatoes. But they feel very exotic.
+ Fundamentals are never too elementary to be absolutely useful

It's a Counting Day

One car! Two car! Three yellow car! Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah! Four car! Five yellow car!

The Count was in my head today.

+one mullet
+two times tripping (on nothing in particular)
+five yellow cars and truck
+one embarrassing moment*
+three jet streams
+two-and-a-half times through one CD
+three extra keyboards
+five minutes late this morning
+three days in a row
+one time thanking God for not letting me fall down the stairs
+countless other times thanking God that same thank!
+two times it smelled like Christmas
+one best friend
+two verses to make my day

Humour found in human: “I have to attend the opening of my garage door.” – Rod
Humour found on food: “Ingredients: Dried potatoes (May contain mono- …)”
Humour in action: I took apart a keyboard today because i wanted to see what was inside. I now have the interesting pieces stashed in my purse.
Amusement in stress: I love traffic jams. They give me time to reflect on humanity. (That is until I get honked, or yelled at.)

Today, I was in and out of a pathetic state… listening to lies, but not being able to identify the antidotal truth. Being in a bad mood but knowing I had no reason for it.

On the way to Wal-Mart (one of the most unpleasant places I can think of, particularly when I’m in a bad mood) I decided I was being lame and that I didn’t have to be under the influence of anything but God’s truth and power. So I decided to overcome.

And upon walking out of Wal-Mart, I realized that everything was suddenly making me laugh… the funk had left, and at my fingertips was faith, love and peace.


Sometimes, you just want to feel pretty, no?


*Rod (the antagonist) and I (the prey) were unpacking our shiney new laminator machine. Naturally there was a long, plastic bag (the inspiration), whose circumfrence is strangely simlar to my head's. Naturally, The Antagonist seizes his opportunity and coerces The Prey to stick the bag on her head. The bag is just starting to feel somewhat snug and comfortable, and I start to venture out into anther room. As I step out of the door frame, my eye catches a tall navy blue figure with a white. purple and orange package. I swiftly, gracefully swing around back from whence I came and slip the bag off my culprited head. But alas, 'twas too late for mercy! FedEx had seen. "Party time in here, is it?" inquiring minds wanted to know. I was red. Not that I was really that embarrassed to have the bag on my head, but because I tried to hide it and got caught. Ach.

GOOD NIGHT!
*to be said in an exasperated tone*

Tuesday’s Synopsis:

Tuesday’s new thing: Synopsis

+ We talked into the wee hours of the morning about: Life and love and happiness and then the Holy Ghost. Squirrels. Chipmunks. The Gospel of John. Multiplication and how God is really good at it. Evolution and how we don’t like it. At all. Family and how we need to pray. Ice cream. Donut runs. The over or underrated value of sleep.

+ I woke up at 8:47 and arrived at work at 9:05. Durn.

+ I have hiccups today. I need someone to scare me. (If you ever get a chance to meet my mum, ask her about the time dad had hiccups and she ‘cured’ him.)

+ A nice British man at Subway made my morning. He’s one of those people that loves life, and loves people, and isn’t ever intimidated… but always invites into his world, and walks into other people’s lives through whatever open door he happens to see. He asked for “a zip of mayonnaise, lots of salt & pepper and I’m built!”

lifeisgood.

“If you have My love, you have everything…"

She was starting out quiet and thoughtful, waiting to be caught up in a sweeping current of the meeting. Gentle eddies swirled now and then… no river. They were talking love… she had been anticipating war. Now and again someone would speak out… some quiet, some stirring, some regurgitating even. Small robins. But, not, really. Actually they’re mothers… why a mother will act a small’un I don’t know. Comfort, maybe. “Be still and know.” This began a period of waiting, the slow moving current taking a small shift out of anticipation’s path.

“God?” She began, timidly, afraid of her fear, “Do I have what it takes?”

Pause. Her feet were tingling, pressed into the hardwood floor of this House of Giants.

“If you have My love, you have everything…” he whispered.
...everything…
.........EVERYTHING......

(everything)

And now to know: what is the width, and length, and height and depth of this love!
That the access to everything would be as encompassing and long reaching and fanciful and rooted as the practicing and experiencing of this love!

For love is the key to all things in the kingdom. All authority, all spiritual gifts, all strengths, all successes, all dreams, all victories, all relationships.

And love... 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, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perserveres. Love never fails. (1Corinthians.13.4-8)

May Long Weekend

Here's a bunch of pictures from the May Long Weekend (from whence the cow revelation sprung). Not enough to tell the whole story, but like they say...

Sawdust fight to end the weekend.  

Than soccer 

Carly climbing the telephone pole 

I like grass. 

we're practically a band. 

Matt & half of Scott 

Shotty 

Walking on the Kamloops bridge 

Carly 

Carissa waking us up 

Than went Greek 

Me with my new jersey