Crunchy Crunchers!

You know that feeling of crunching fall leaves underfoot? The smell of an apple pie baking? The sight of a bright orange pumpkin on someone's front porch?
Fall is here folks, FALL IS HERE!
Do you ever find yourself walking a few feet out of the way just to see how crunchy a leaf on the sidewalk is? I do this all the time. In fact, if you ever go for a walk with me during the Fall season it could turn out to be quite an adventure....Maybe it's something in the air, the crisp tingling in your nose as you breathe in deep and savour the smells of awesomeness, or just the fact that I am a kid at heart (most likely!), that will make me chase down that "perfect" fall leaf and jump on it until it is a little pile of dust. Oh the satisfying feeling of crunching a crunchy cruncher!
Also winners: swerving while biking just to hit one, or jumping in a huge pile that you (or someone else ;)) has spent a good hour piling up.

Highlights and Lowlights.

Cavendish Beach Provincial Park, P.E.I.
Esther and I camped here for a night. It was the most beautiful campground location I've ever seen, our tent was mere feet from the ocean and we fell asleep (and woke up) to the sound of waves on the shore and Canada geese overhead. Winner situation! We spent an afternoon/evening running around on the beach and sliding down sand dunes. I ALSO found a ton of heart rocks, currently residing in a plastic bag in the back of Scarlett. My collection is growing!

Green Gables, P.E.I.
Yes folks! I saw it! And was extremely disappointed!
I am a huge Anne Of Green Gables fan, I've watched the movie and read the books countless times, so I was pretty excited to see where everything happened. I knew previously that P.E.I. had become really tourist-y but I wasn't prepared for the full extent of it. I was so disappointed! First of all, you had to PAY to get into the house (I didn't, I begged the man at the wicket to let me in to just take a picture of the exterior and he was very obliging), I ended up just walking around it and down Lover's Lane and through the Haunted Wood (best parts!). And, even though it is the off-season, there were huge tour buses with masses of tourists who (I'm going to be very bitter here so bear with me) had probably NEVER even read the books! ANGRY RAGE!!!
I did, however, get the obligatory pictures. I mean, I couldn't go all the way without getting at least one. It IS Green Gables after all...

Also, here's something awesome for you to chew on:
Philippians 2.1-11
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, and participation in the Spirit, and affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being of full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant that yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself to becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
WOOT!

Highlights

Considering how far we've come on our roadtrip (Esther and Scarlett and I),
i figured it was high time to update my blog.
The 2 pictures below are from 2 of my favorite places so far,
Old Woman Bay on Lake Superior and Le Basilique Notre-Dame in Montreal.
Both came at JUST the right moment.....

Old Woman Bay, ON



La Basilique Notre-Dame, Montreal QC

Visiting the Basilica was a really significant time for myself (and Esther). I'd woken up in a complete muck, not sure why things were so...foggy?...in my mind so we stopped at Starbucks to have a bible + coffee break. I'd been reading Hebrews lately so I opened up to chapter 7, and about 1/2 way through the chapter I realized what God was saying to me. Let me tell you, I almost started crying right there! (Side Note or maybe not so "side": you should read Hebrews 7. Go do it now. It's absolutely wonderful.) Anyways, God completely lifted the fog from my brain. And visiting the Basilica ties into all this because the moment I walked in it was like the peace of God descended on me. We spent quite a while in there just praying and being still, and left really refreshed. If you ever get a chance to visit Montreal make sure you take the time to stop by the Basilica. It will be well worth your time! (Also, ridiculously beautiful, have you seen the picture???)
Old Woman Bay was just a really really wonderful break in a 30 hour drive. We drove around a corner and all of a sudden it was right in front of us. "Should we?" asked Esther and then just pulled into the parking lot. Good decision! The sun was just going down, the waves were HUGE and blue and crashing on the shore (soft white sand....mmmm) and we were basically the only people there. Oh and then yes, we drove for 30 hours. So it was a good thing we stopped there.

Ah, new music...

There's nothing quite like getting a new cd from a favorite artist. Especially if it's FREE music...
Like i've said before, Josh Garrels is phenomenally talented and his new album is no exception. If you go to Noisetrade.com you can download the entire album, Love & War & The Sea In Between, for free. Seriously, it will blow your mind. He is a lyrical and musical genius.
What else can I say? Once again he has created a musical masterpiece. Listen to it, soak it in. Then listen to it again. And again.
Current favorite songs from this album: Pilot Me, Revelator, Flood Waters, Farther Along, Slip Away, Rise, Million Miles.

Never Have I Found

Josh Garrels is one of my favorite artists and more often than not I find myself using his words to describe certain aspects of my life. This particular song is one of my favorites so I thought I'd share the lyrics with you, also feel free to grooveshark it up for yourself...

Never Have I Found
by Josh Garrels

I walked under the blood red moon
At night when wolves gather 'round
And I've spent some time with the devil
But never have I found
Another one like you
Oh Lord
Jesus
And I've tasted too many temptations

And I've been chased by a demon hound

Lord I just can't be satisfied
Because never have I found
Another one like you
Oh Lord
And your love
Jesus

These are a few of my favorite things

I've decided to start compiling lists of my favorite things. Haven't decided why yet, but it's just something to do to waste time. Here goes!
Music:
- Songs: Whiskey Lullaby sung by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss; Creation Song by Josh Garrells; House of God, Forever by Jon Foreman; River Constantine by Jars of Clay
- Musicians/Bands: Jars of Clay; Alison Krauss; Switchfoot; Jon Foreman; Josh Garrells; Bon Iver!!
Food:
- Macaroni and cheese! so simple yet SO AMAZING :)
-
Websites:
- Grooveshark.com
- 1000awesomethings.com
- xkcd.com
Places For Picnics:
- Lighthouse Park
- Queen Elizabeth Park
- Burnaby Mountain
- Bridgeman's Bluff

Me

I am an introvert.
Growing up I saw my introversion or shyness as something I needed to change, something that was bad, something that was wrong. I was always surrounded by people and noise and activity and I would always tend to shrink away from it all and retreat into my own little world (usually a book :) ). As I got older this got worse, and I would try sometimes to mimic my older outgoing siblings, I admired their friendly and sociable ways and wanted to be like that myself (and although I CAN be like that my first response is usually to be quiet and subdued). However that wasn't me, and as a result when they all left home and went their separate ways I was left stranded with no idea who the real me was.
That's where God came in.
Coming into the Barnabas internship program I had NO IDEA what to expect. I had no expectations and no "hopes" of what would happen, I knew God had called me to be there so I was just there. And then one day Mark Warren came and spent a day with us doing the Myers-Briggs test (for those of you who don't know, the Myers-Briggs is a personality test designed originally to figure out which jobs people would be best suited for).
As I read my profile assessment that afternoon (INFP) it was as if a whole new me stepped out of the shadows and into the light. Except I was amazed to find out that it was the
same person
that had always been there! I realized that basically all the perceived bad things about my personality that were different from my siblings were actually an integral part of me. I remember going to bed that night and crying myself to sleep because I was so happy to be ME and have it be a good thing, something I'd never seen in myself before.
Over the next couple of months as I started to accept these things as normal God was slowly molding me and shaping me into a better me than I thought could ever exist. It was an incredibly freeing experience! I began to embrace quiet times instead of seeing them as "just trying to escape". I enjoyed spending one-on-one time with other people. I LOVED spending time alone with God, and as a result my relationship with Him was deepened and strengthened. I came back from Barnabas a "new" person.
Now let me just clarify what introversion and extroversion are. Wikipedia puts it best I think: "Introverts are people whose energy tends to expand through reflection and dwindle during interaction. Introverts tend to be more reserved and less outspoken in large groups." and "An extraverted person is likely to enjoy time spent with people and find less reward in time spent alone. They tend to be energized when around other people, and they are more prone to boredom when they are by themselves."

Now that I'm back at Barnabas for a whole summer I have to learn to deal with large amounts of people every day, starting tomorrow with the rest of the staff arriving for orientation. I mentioned to Christina today that before the internship I would have jumped at the chance to prove myself more outgoing with lots of new people around (despite the fact that I would be uncomfortable with it) and now I'm almost dreading losing the peace and solitude.

But boy oh boy I sure love being me!