Silly Complaint

Sometimes I don't want to bike all the back to the school for 4pm for a Compy Sci 101 quiz that is going to last 15min.

Just sayin.

D'ya Wanna?

Anyone at doing hair, and who is going to up around 9am on Saturday, and who wants to do my hair in an up sort of fashion for Brian and Jenny's wedding?

This Is Old, But It Still Makes Me Giggle

Some good advice:

Don't sweat the petty stuff and don't pet the sweaty stuff.


he he, ew.

Sometimes...

...you just simply have 6-7 choir rehearsals in one week for 3 different choirs. Fortunately that is only one week.

..praise the lord with the sound of trumpets...

Update

I've been to the doctor. He doesn't know what is going on. He is sending me to a general internist.

Struck Down, But Not Destroyed

A little honesty time...

Tonight was disappointing. I had worked for 4 days on the first 'Testimovie' for tonight's Church in the Box and it didn't work: aka it didn't play. Four days of cameras not being available, cameras not working, file extensions being wrong, file extensions taking forever to be changed, snobby Microsoft programs, people not showing up when they were supposed to, etc, etc; only to end up with nothing. But I know its not nothing. After all it was my testimony that was going to be shown. And I know that what I had to say had worth, I think that was what made it a little more disheartening - to be defeated by the limitations of technology and the inner workings of Satan when my own heart was involved. I know that we can show it in October or put it on the CITB website or whatever. But it still hurt.

And I was tired. Do you know what the CITB prayer team does? Do you? Cause before I was on it, I really didn't know. I knew there were prayer servants around after the service or during if you could find them. But I didn't know about all the other stuff. Now, keep in mind that I'm also on the CEW team, so I don't get to spend time during the week with the prayer team, but let me tell you about what goes down on a CITB Sunday for the prayer team: 4 hours before the service starts the PT is meeting. We talk about any issues that have come up concerning the service; things God has told us, etc, and then we move into the aud. Once we're in the aud we spend a good 1-2 hours praying in there: claiming the space as God's sanctuary, for his people. We pray against Satan, who likes to take up residence there, for all of the seats in the aud and the bodies that will come to fill them, for speakers, presentations, technology (HA!), all of that kind of stuff. Then sometimes we're back one hour before the service to pray more, but always we join the rest of the teams half an hour before the service for prayer and devotions. During the service the PT is spread strategically throughout the auditorium for blanket prayer coverage - this includes someone behind the black curtain on the stage. This I feel (at least for me) is where some of the hardest and most draining work comes. Its kinda like everyone is watching the same TV program, but you're also reading the subtitles. Expansion: we're always listening, feeling for what is going on spiritually during a service - if attention is waiving, if Satan is attacking band members; its hard to explain, but I know that I'm watching this whole other thing happen during the service. I have to stop and pray with all that I have at times because of something God has helped me discern. He generally helps me discern at lot during services. He gives me lots of things to pray about at lots of different times. And then there is the after the service prayer - where we meet anyone who needs someone to pray with - both joy and sorrow there - and people who've been hit with a cement mixer named God. But alllll of it is draining. A feeling that you could equate to how you feel after a very long exam; you didn't exactly do anything physical, but man are you tired and drained!

And I'm sick. I've been sick since July. Remember the viral infection pseudo saga? Well it never ended. I just stopped posting. I kept on getting these times of heightened body temperature and shakes and light headedness. It was only around every 7-10 days, and then as it got time for school (and then the starting of school) it was 5-7, 3-5, 1-3 and now I'm shaking every day. The food that I'm eating is keeping me stable headed for less and less time and I struggle to sit through a class or choir without feeling lightheaded, dizzy, heavy or exhausted. Jesus, the doctor and I are working on figuring this one out. But it seems to be taking its time. This week I caught a cold that went on top of this regular sickness. It had me laying on the Van Harten's couch for most of Saturday. Even after laying down for good amounts of time, it felt like I was swimming in my own skull. Fun. Ha. I told my Mom this past week, that I wasn't getting any better. A little while after she sent me an email in which she told me that if my involvement with CITB was going to be a toll on my health then maybe I should not be doing it. I told her that I would rather add a semester to my degree than resign from my position (one I feel excessively called to) with CITB.

So you put sick x2 and spiritually drained in the same bag as disappointment (shaken around by hard work) and you get a pretty deflated Laura. But, like the title of this post says, I'm struck down, but not destroyed. Heather VH was kind enough to point out that Satan likes to take advantage of me in times like this; that he can lead me to times of beating up on myself. This is true. She and others pointed out that perhaps the Testimovie foible was setting up something else. Or that perhaps God is trying to tell me something that I hadn't heard yet. Regardless it requires listening - a skill I have been sharpening lately. I relish the time in which I get to ask God questions, when he tells me things, when we simply 'be'. And it is these times that get me through the disappointment (and the joy).

Woooooooooooo! = We Are the Champions!

Well it wasn't nearly the goliath game that last week's was, but once again Blue (aka the Lions) pulled off a championship win in the bottom of the seventh. We had to fight against some of the strangest umping I've been privy too (eg - after Tammy and Bun ended up in eachother's arms following an infield fly he yelled at them to stop having sex on the field - he called me out after a close slide at third base, even though it quickly became obvious that the third basement dropped the ball [he reached down to pick up the ball with his bare hand] - he kept joking around about fair and foul balls; at one point our coach parked one over the fence, foul and the ump, thinking he was funny, called it fair), some rust on a few players after some downtime and the falling temperature. But we did it. Joel Bootsma hit in the winning run and it was glorious; a magnificent way to cap off my return to softball!



(l-r) Back Row: Tim, Gary, Trish
Middle: Dan, Bun, Jon, Daryl, Caren, Joel
Front: Tammy, Mitchel, Laura
Absent: Rich (stupid night class, grumble, second masters...)



We got 2 medals! One for winning the season and one for winning the championship!


I won the "Reach Forth Slopitch Sportsmanship & Deadication Award 2006"

Sunday

Sunday is the first Church in the Box of the year: 7:30, Redeemer Auditorium, you should go.

I Know What You're Doing

Thursday night at 8:10pm our famed softball team will be playing for the championship at Victoria Park in Hamilton. You should go, its going to be awesome!

Why Not?

Ok, so maybe this is the 4th post of the day. Sometimes a girl has just got to break up the work load.

Anyway; its just me down in the bunker (our apt) and I've just lit a bunch of candles and some lavender incense, there is good study music on (from the lappy). I also just opened the window in my room. So now I have the sounds of the wind going through trees and flowers, of geese flying over and of light early fall rain. Its nice.

Just thought I'd share.

I Feel So Popular

What Happens

If you're looking for an explosive time, I think you should mosey over to the Pony Villa for dinner.

Sometimes...

Your earrings have your name on them.

Welcome To My Right Leg

This my shin. The bruise is from a man's shoulder. He tried to slide head first into 2nd base. My shin was in his way.


This is my thigh. I am a clutz. On Tuesday when I was getting off my bike I caught my trail leg on my back rack. It hurt.

Things That Are Exicting May Include...

Winning tonight's softball game. Maybe we had 7 players (you're supposed to have 10 in slo-pitch), maybe 3 of our best hitters were gone, maybe we only had 2 outfielders, maybe we were down 6-0 at one time. The only thing that matter is that we scored the winning run in the bottom of the 7th (aka the last inning). The final score was something like 11-10 or 12-11. Everyone played amazingly!

Championship game next thursday - I'll update with location and time because I know you all want to come and see!

Special thanks to Chelsea Schinkel - our top rate third base coach and all around hottie.

GO BLUE!

A New Thing

So there is a blog now, mostly aimed at the Redeemer community, where you can login to a blogger account and post prayer requests. I suggest you check it out, maybe post a request, maybe read one and pray about it, maybe encourage someone who has left a request.

You can find that blog here.

Among the things I get from my Dad...

...one is an affection for pie.

Oooooh.

I was at Lorraine and Paul's stag and doe on Saturday. Anj brought her digi cam (a nice, big, fancy one). She let me loose with it. Some of the shots are on her flicker site. Check 'em out. (they are titled under the art of lstew)

Friends

I have many friends. Not bragging. Just a fact. Some of these friends come in groups. But often for me I am good friends with one or two people in a group and end up knowing most of the rest of the group as a result.

I have one group of friends that stands out. It sort of started out like all the rest. I met one of the group members a few months before Redeemer. Then another couple were the R.As of a very close friend; another was in choir with me. Quickly the gaps began to fill in and I met the whole circle. I was invited to live with some of the girls the summer after my first year. Those girls rode with me through a crazy storm that went through my life and even though it was rough they still loved me.

As I continued to spend more time with them, worship at the same church as many of them, attend weddings and now baptisms they continued to invite me into their lives more and more. They have even super-imposed me into memories from before I met most of them.

They have all graduated from Redeemer and moved on to other things; be it work; more school; travel or motherhood. Yet we still get together regularly. We celebrate our lives, our blessings and our friendships.

Anj, Sarah, Tep, Christine, Lorraine, Ruth, Marie and now Justin, Kevin, James, Brian, Paul, John, Justin (Joyce-Ann and TJ too), I love you guys. Thank you for bringing me into your lives, your circle; thank you for blessing me so richly.

You Revert!

Ok, I reverted back to my classic template until such time that either: I become much better with matter of an HTML, scripty kind of nature (which could happen, I am taking Compy Sci 101) or Haloscan catches up with Blogger Beta and makes it much easier to install.

I will now resume regular posting.

Hey Peeps

As you may have noticed I switched templates. I've moved to Blogger Beta. And in the process I've lost my Haloscan comment system. I keep trying to put it back in, but I don't seem to be smart enough/lack the right instructions to install it in Beta. So please bear with me as I make some more changes and try to get the old comment system back.

And School Has Started Again...

Question

What was the underscore used for before email (and computers) came along? Hmm_mm.

Wooooooo!

Our softball team finished in first place! So we have a first round playoff bi and then begins our quest for the championship. Mark Thursday September 14th, 6:30pm, Victoria Park, on your calendars to watch such slo-pitch greats as Trish and Gary Hutten; Dan Postma; Tim Sheriden; Bun; Joel Bootsma; Tammy Heidbuurt; Jon and Caren Williamson; Rich Greydanus and me go for athletic glory!

Amen.

Crikey! Say It Ain't So!

Australia's 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin killed by stingray's barb

04:34:53 EDT Sep 4, 2006

Canadian Press: BRIAN CASSEY

Australian television presenter Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, lifts up a snake onstage at Nickelodeon's 15th Annual Kids' Choice Awards in Santa Monica, Calif. (CP PICTURE ARCHIVE/AP, Lucy Nicholson)

CAIRNS, Australia (AP) - Steve Irwin, the ebullient Australian TV personality and conservationist known as the Crocodile Hunter, was killed Monday by a stingray barb to the heart during a diving expedition, police and his wildlife park said.

Irwin, 44, was filming an underwater sequence for a television series on remote Batt Reef off the far northeast coast of Australia when he encountered the ray and was stung about 11 a.m., Australia Zoo, Irwin's park, said in a statement.

Crew members aboard Irwin's boat, Croc One, called emergency services in the nearest city, Cairns, and administered cardio pulmonary resuscitation techniques as they rushed the boat to nearby Low Isle to meet a rescue helicopter.

Medical staff pronounced Irwin dead at about midday, the statement said.

"The world has lost a great wildlife icon, a passionate conservationist and one of the proudest dads on the planet," John Stainton, Irwin's friend and producer who was on board Croc One said in the statement.

"He died doing what he loves best and left this world in a happy and peaceful state of mind," he said. "Crocs Rule!"

Queensland state police said Irwin's family - which includes U.S.-born wife Terri - had been notified of his death.

Irwin is famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!" in his television program, Crocodile Hunter, which was first broadcast in Australia in 1992 before it was picked up by the Discovery channel, catapulting him to international celebrity.

Irwin, who made a trademark of hovering dangerously close to untethered crocodiles, often leaping on their backs, talked mile-a-minute in a thick Australian drawl and was almost never seen without his uniform of khaki shorts and shirt and heavy boots.

His ebullience was infectious and Australian officials sought him out for photo opportunities and to promote Australia internationally. Irwin was among guests hand-picked by Prime Minister John Howard to attend a barbecue to honour U.S. President George W. Bush when he visited Canberra, the national capital, in 2003.

The public image was dented in 2004 when Irwin triggered an uproar by holding his baby in one arm while feeding large crocodiles inside a zoo pen. Irwin claimed at the time there was no danger to his son, and authorities declined to charge Irwin with violating safety regulations.

Later that year, he was accused of getting too close to penguins, a seal and humpback whales in Antarctica while making a documentary. Irwin denied any wrongdoing, and an Australian Environment Department investigation recommended no action be taken against him.

He is survived by his wife, from Eugene, Ore., who was Terri Raines before they married in 1992, their daughter Bindi Sue, 8, and son Bob, who will turn 3 in December.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who used a photograph of his family at Australia Zoo for his official Christmas card last year, hailed Irwin for his work in promoting Australia through projects such as the "G'Day LA" tourism and trade promotion in Los Angeles in January.

"The minister knew him, was fond of him and was very, very appreciative of all the work he'd done to promote Australia overseas," Downer's spokesman Tony Parkinson said.

© The Canadian Press, 2006

Southcote

Two things:

1. Southcote is 50km/h all the way through from Garner to Golflinks. It didn't used to be. There is a police officer who is frequently set up with a radar gun, handing out tickets in the driveway to the fair grounds. So just obey the speed limit and you'll be fine. But I just wanted to give ya'll a heads up.
2. If you're coming to visit Jo and I in your car while the Canadian Open is happening, let us know when you park your car and we'll hook you up with a resident parking pass so you don't get towed.

That's all for now.