so much...

beautiful. quiet. forever. committed. loving. only. friend. lover. listener. whisperer. creative. wise. powerful. just. knowing. comforter. conusellor. giving. seeking. waiting. anticipating. longing. patient. kind. always. 

God.

fast ball

Why is it that when life throws a fast ball straight at the centre of our forehead we duck, run, fall, cry? Why don't we stand and face it? Catch it? Fight it? let it go by? Run after it when it passes? 

It is when we are brave enough to face life's challenges that we are able to grow and learn about one's internal world and thought patterns. As we learn about who we are that is when we can use our knowledge to better the world around us. 

Knowledge without action is random information. Knowledge paired with action is powerful.

Take action. Catch the fast balls!

frustrated

Have you ever been frustrated with the situation you are in? You almost get angry at yourself for being in the situation at all. 

The other day I was colouring something with a set of my felts (pip-squeeks!) and they were drying out on me. I was so frustrated, as I wanted to complete my drawing with the colours I had chosen, which had chosen to fail on me...

I even almost let out a controlled frustration noise, more of an, "AHHhrrrrhggghhhh".

I got through it without having to call in a professional to talk me down, I am proud to say. I too triumphed over that felt pen. My picture did get completed.

The lesson: sometimes life is frustrating, but remember when you, "AHHhrrrrhggghhhh" at the item of your frustration life gets better. (the item may not magically work, but you will feel better!)

pay it forward

This one is a world improvement suggestion.

Each day make it a goal of yours to help someone out, somehow. This could be a huge thing, or something as simple as helping someone carry groceries to their car.

When these people offer to pay you back, juts tell them to pass on the favor to someone else who could use a hand. This will multiply quickly. if we all do one great thing for someone a day!

Have fun! Report back here with the stories. Of course you won't know how far or big it will get, but you will know what you did today for that one person.

Thank-you for making the world a happier place!

(Inspired by the movie "Pay it Forward")

seasons of change

Today, while driving home from church today, I noticed how amazing God's creativity is. The perfect colours within the blooming plants around me caused me to think about how much I love the change of seasons. The time between the seasons, the almost seasons if you will, is the time when one notices one season is almost over and the next one is about to emerge from where ever it comes from. It is when I tend to realize that I am very excited about the season that is on it's way, and thankful for the time and fun I had during the season that is passing. 

The snow, ski season, the beauty of the city and the mountains frosted with the beauty of crystalized water, inspiring. The excitement of the flower buds pushing though the branches on the trees. Then to drive down the street and see cherry blossoms decorate the quiet streets where beautiful houses reside. As the trees slowly expand and turn into shades of green; life is never static. As the trees ripen for another season the sun shows it's face more often and with more strength, the desire to get out of the house and soak up the vitamin D from a natural source gets stronger and stronger. That is when the beach actually starts to call the to the people of the world to come and partake in the summer activities. A few weeks after that the green leafs start to change again into the beautiful fall plumage that we take for granted, as many places do not experience this gift from God. The leaves then fall to the ground and become the wrath of every home owner, but the joy of every childhood memory! The temperature lowers, and the winter coats come out of the closet again. Usually this brings the added excitement of finding, an old Worther's Original thats' wrapping cannot be removed fully, or even better, you find the money you forgot you left in the jacket the season before. There are so many things to be thankful for within each season!

As it is with the seasons of life. We each go though changes, hard times, great times, times we want to forget, and others will will never. No matter what season of life we are in it is our responsibility to make the most of it; to learn and grow at every stage; to better our knowledge of the world and how we can better it.

There may be seasons for change, but remember that change only lasts for a season.

read on...

Over the last month, or so, I have found myself reading a lot more than I ever have; I mean a LOT more! It is crazy how a little motivation can cause such an anomaly: Jody reading books. Seriously!

I am not saying, by any means, that I was illiterate; I could read by the age of three. I am saying that it was not an activity that I really grabbed onto while growing up. What I did grab onto was my brother's t-shirt(to wrestle him to the ground), my cat (to gently toss her into the dog's pen- again, and again), the wheel barrel( to help Gam in the garden), and of course (after the invention made into my house) the TV remote (to change the channel from my seat! Such a radical thing!). Please note none of these activities resemble the action of reading in any way.

I told my dad last week that I was reading a lot lately and he looked at me and asked, "Do you read?" That is proof that while growing up I did not read for "fun", "leisure", or even for school. He then proceeded to remind me that he not once saw me read a book at home, for "fun" till I moved out to go to College and even then he didn't see it, except for school. I read what I had to and that was about it (for the most part), till now; there is so much to learn from other people and their experiences!

Who knew you could learn stuff from reading?! Why didn't you tell me? I could be oober smart by now if I started reading back in High school, and even more than that if I started reading books in elementary school! 

I thank my parents for doing the best job they could, with what resources they had, but maybe I could have won the Nobel Peace Prize by now if I had only read books instead of making up dances in our living room (or outside on the deck in the summer time) to the the LP record sounds of the Mini pops, Cool and the Gang, Huey Lewis and the News, and Bruce Springsteen.

Now that I see the relationship between reading and knowledge, and over time wisdom, I hope each one of you find a book that betters your world, find a great spot to sit, and partake in a reading sit-in of your own. Laugh. Cry. Think (no matter the pain that may cause). Grow (towards what kind of person you could be). Tell me all about your reading adventures!

Read on!

 

still learning

Today I decided I had enough. I am done with my war with my dishes, and I am not going to let them win any longer! Over the past four+ years the dishes on the counter have been my nemesis. I cannot win. No matter how many I do I seem to never find the last one. And if I do, I can't keep up with washing them for more than a week. I need a change!

I need a dish washer! So I went down to a local store here in Abbotsford that specializes in renting small South American adults, who couldn't make it in the Ringling's circus, to hide under one's kitchen counter, in the cupboard, and come out when one is not home, to wash the dirty dishes! I got Jose for a great price!  (hehe) That would be quite, an illegal, business! I would almost go get my own little person, just to say I have a little person living under my sink!

I actually invested in a dishwasher, got ripped off on the price, and am going to get my money back and shop on Craigs list; they are much more affordable, and work just as well!

I am still learning. No matter how many times I do it I seem to always forget that impulse buys are not great ideas, for the most part, and especially when it comes to a big purchase. my name is Jody. I am learning and growing up, and I make mistakes.

Good thing I made sure I could return it!

My piece of advice... learn from the mistakes of others and you will be ALL the better for it! Happy learning!

being taken care of...

Recently I have decided to "fast" my finances, meaning I am going to be loyal to giving my tithe to the church, and start donating some to offering too, on every-other pay day.

The first time I did this I some how ended up with $232 extra, that mathematically I should not have had, as it should have been already used  either in paying bills or given in tithe.

The following payday was rough. I was not sure where my money was going to come from, or even how much was to come to me. It ended up that I was $3 short of paying my bills, not food money, not gas money, just the monthly bills that come out of my account every month. I found a little extra in another account to make up the difference.

The next time I paid Tithe, it was smaller than the first one, but it too left me with very little in my bank account.

The second time I needed to pay bills, on a non-fasting payday, I determined earlier in the week that I needed $850 on that payday to scrape by. After all the money came in I found that I had received $857 that week. Again I was being taken care of!

The tithe amount was smaller, yet accurate on the third time I did this. I made sure it was paid first, before my other bills were addressed. The bills were paid fully too.

The third time I needed to pay bills was going to be a lot harder, as it was the first time the non-fasting week landed on a week right before the big, first of the month, bills were due. The money came in, the friday before the bills were due. I was about $100 short to just pay the minimum bills the following week. This meant I could not spend any of the money from my debit account, and I will still be short money on the first of the month.

I have also taken on a substitute teaching position at a local school. I have been told not to depend on getting paid close to the dates that I work; the pay will show up in my account, almost, randomly. With this piece of information in my head I did not expect what happened next.

I looked at my account on Thursday morning. It was still about $100 short of what I needed on Friday morning. On Friday morning I went to see how much was taken out and I saw that my account was larger than it was the day before, so I looked into it farther. From what I could tell i was paid for one of my days at the school: $75. The bank took its' fees out, and I still had enough to pay the bills coming out on that day sometime.

The bank transfered my money to pay my bills, and after my rent cheque is taken out, I will have $15 left over in my account!

I don't know how to explain it except it is the work of God. One week I was $3 short, the next time $7 up, and the out of no where money is unexpectedly put into my account at EXACTLY the right time!

I don't care what other people call it I call it Divine Intervention! In the bible it tells us we need to donate 10% of our income, and through that act of giving we will be blessed. I can honestly tell you I have been!

He cares even for the life of a little sparrow, and I know he cares for me; I am being taken care of!