Remember that time....

• The house has no heat due to a gas leak
• the neighbours were drunk and woke me up at 1:30am
• Sarah forgot about the time change and woke me up at 7:30am
• the sunday school kids sucked AND
• one of them had an anger fit and threw a book at his sister

• my house is cold
• i have a cold
• i need a hug.
  

Katherine had a baby girl!

Context: my cousin Katherine, the one who I was the maid of honour for last fall, the one who's Dad farms with my Dad, who was like my older sister growing up...well she had a baby girl yesterday morning!


So this is Leah.


Leah and Katherine.


Katherine, her husband John and their new daughter.


Uncle Peter and Aunt Rosemary (aka the newest Grandma and Grandpa Stewart) with their first grandchild.

Jo is one hot potato (pass it on)

Two People I Love Got Born'd Today

Happy 21 LMoe!



Happy 20 Sarah!!

Something that makes me laugh on the inside...

...bald men with wispy comb-overs on a windy day. Ah ha ha, that comb-over ain't stayin put. And maybe the wind and such is God's way of saying, "Get a hair cut!"

Is This Right?

This struck me as funny: in order to be a youth group leader i have to fill out a five page form that includes my SIN and drivers license number, a waiver, a statement, what high school I went to and lots more. But to teach Sunday school I only needed to say yes to a phone call.

Interesting.

Radio

Hey y'all, just wanted to let y'all know that my wee brother John and his roommate Matt are hosting a radio show for the Graceland University radio station. Its on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 10pm-11pm and focuses on classic rock-esque music. It also promises witty and insightful dialogue.

If you go to radio.graceland.edu and then look at the bottom of the right hand side bar you will see a little pull down menu for on or off campus...choose off campus and then hit play!

Not So Random Act of Kindness

I have been in quite a few conversations lately about feeling special as a result of other people's actions. Now, before you jump down my face and tell me that all specialness comes from God and we are to be rooted in Him that created us... - I will say I know. Ok, I know.

With that over with, I am going to encourage/propose something. Today (the day you read this) do something nice for someone. But don't be all annonymous. Be purposeful. Write a card and pop it in the mail, make/take some one out for lunch, send an encouraging email, give a hug, whatever, however, but be God with skin and encourage someone through and with the love you experience through the risen Lord. Let them know you are glad that they are a part of the creation.

After you have done that take your daytimer/palm pilot/calendar/wall/etc and go through and make yourself some more days to do that.

Good.

Too Many Rachs

Ok, Breimer, Legg, Vanderdeen...we need to talk..sometimes I get really confused with much 'rach' leaving comments and not knowing which one it is coming from and then the weeping and gnashing of teeth... so maybe a little last name initial thing like rach b or two of you are married so Mrs motif..think about it...cause really, do we need to have Lstew more confused?

Or maybe what you mean to say is that you are cowering in fear of Google Talk and the rest of the Google Empire...muah ha ha ha ha...

Microsoft, Yahoo to link up instant messaging services...

Users of Microsoft and Yahoo's instant messaging (IM) services will soon have millions of new people to chat with after the two companies announced plans to make each service compatible with the other.....

Thanksgiving was great!

Just in case you were jealous...

Maria and I are going to Brighton for Thanksgiving. My Mom emailed me a preliminary menu, coincidently it is similar to part of the list of things I am thankful for...

Menu as it stands is: turkey,gravy, stuffing, cranberries,Brussels sprouts, squash,cauliflower,corn,sauerkraut,steamed apples, jellied salad, potatoes,pumpkin, apple and grape pies, mints, tea, coffee.

I Had Better Purchase Some Klumpen

Today after church I went to go and add myself to the Classis Hamilton Directory. I thought it was about time, and now that I am involved with things in the church it might be easier to get a hold of me. So I start turning to the S section and when I get there, what to my wondering eyes I behold? I was already there (with the wrong address), they were going to add me on their own! I almost shed a tear as I corrected the address.

Oh the furthering of my Dutch adoption...long live Laura Vander Van de Stewartsmastra!

I'd Better Grab My Millstone

Luke 17:1-4
Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."

Today at First we had Rev. Dr. Henry Wildeboer as a visiting preacher. This guy very much impressed me with his passion and fire, but he also gave a great sermon. It was on forgiveness and its role in everyday life. He also spoke about the sin that leads to the need for forgiving. He highlighted the text in Luke 17 about causing others to sin.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about/been convicted about my language/things that come out of my mouth. I had always considered this to be a personal sin: one that I have struggled with for a very long time. For me it is tied up in issues of purity and pride. I thought these were things that I would continue to work on and with the help of God bring under control. I hadn't really ever thought about the effects my choices were having on those around me.

I didn't think beyond myself and therefore didn't think that my sexually inappropriate language could be causing others to sin. I didn't think that my colourful exclamations could be tainting people I care about. I am glad to have this plank removed from my eye, but plank removal leaves quite the ouchie and will take time to heal and move on.

I would like to say I am sorry for damaging people I love and I would encourage you as my brothers and sisters in Christ to rebuke me in my sins of language and encourage me to do better.

Is This a Health Care Issue?

Ok, this is my 4th (of 5) years in the Redeemer Concert Choir. And although I love music and being a part of it, it should be known that my knowledge of music theory and the like is quite limited.

There is one term that Dr. T uses frequently in rehearsals that I have never known the meaning of. I spoke to a few other choristers past and present and they didn't know what it meant either. I'm glad to know I'm not alone in my ignorance.

So I give you the term in question: hemiola (hee-mee-oh-lah). My guess at its meaning had something to do with internal bleeding. Turns out this is it: Hemiola n:a musical rhythmic alteration consisting of three beats in place of two or two beats in place of three.

This doesn't make it 100% clear to me, but at least I have a working definition and I can stop praying for all these people that I thought were dying.